thecourier thecourieronline.co.uk Beauty Get the verdict on beauty blogger Jamie Genevieve’s TV debut Page 16
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Travel Find out why we celebrate St Patrick’s and where you should spend it Page 21
Monday 11 March 2019 Issue 1386 Free
TV Will the Spongebob Squarepants spinoff flop like a fish? Page 27
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Period poverty protest held at Monument Charlotte Boulton On International women’s day a protest was held at Monument in Newcastle to raise awareness of period poverty and celebrating period positivity. The protest began at 10am on the 8th of March.
“It’s about solidarity, it’s great this is on International Women’s Day…we’re raising awareness in a kind of fun way, about a serious issue”
Karen Ross, Professor in Gender and Media
The Women In 100 group, a volunteer-led group in the city, organised a pop-up choir and demonstration at Monument to highlight the issue of period poverty. With 1 in 10 girls aged 14-21 unable to afford menstrual products, according to a Plan International survey, it is a clear problem in current UK society. The group put a call-out for red pom-poms to be made by volunteers, to become visual representations of period blood; they received hundreds of pom-poms which were hung around Grey’s Monument. The event was attended by members of the university’s Feminist Society, NUSU staff and some university staff. Karen Ross, Professor in Gender and Media, and one of the lead organisers of the event, said: “It’s about solidarity, it’s great this is on International Women’s Day…we’re raising awareness in a kind of fun way, about a serious issue.” Bethany Elen Coyle, a local community
Newcastle University Feminist Society attended the protest Image: Emily Richardson
musician and activist, composed a new song, ‘Period Positivity’, especially for the choir to perform. The room was filled with diverse women, of different ages, races and experiences. Sian Dickie, Newcastle University’s Feminist Society’s Social Media Secretary commented: “The rehearsals were empowering as you felt like you were in a safe space
to get involved, and inspiring to be around so many people to celebrate the day”. At 12pm, the group donned red pom-poms and red material squares to unify the group with the message of period positivity and headed over to Monument. Pom-poms were strung across Monument and onlookers began to watch with a few curious members of
the public approaching the choir to ask what was happening. Bethany led the choir through ‘Bella Mama’, a four-part round song to warm up the singers, before launching into her original ‘Period Positivity’. This featured lyrics discussing how tampon tax is “a capitalists dream designed by the patriarchy” and the overwhelming mes-
sage to raise your voice and stand up for your rights and your communities. NUSU recently showed commitment to tackling period poverty by the success of President Raff Marioni’s motion aiming to provide free menstrual products on campus, but the report has yet to be accepted by the University.
three candidates in the last seven days alone, with only three candidates releasing videos on the NUSU website in the run up to campaigns week. When asked why he thought that there had been such a high level of dropouts for the position Jonny Hall, Education Officer told the Courier: “So there’s a number of problems I think. We’ve faced a lot of problems with international students running for the position
and coming up against visa issues and I think this has put a number of candidates off. I think this is something for the new postgrad to work on to make sure that in the future postgraduate candidates feel that they have that support from the very start of the election process. There has also been candidates who’ve dropped out due to receiving job opportunities and PHD’s.”
Despite the significant amount of dropouts in this role the overall number of candidates running for Full time officer positions is still higher than the year before with 30 students running for different roles. A candidate running a controversial campaign for the role as President has stated in his manifesto: ‘Can we build a wall between Newcastle and Northumbria and make Northumbria pay for it? I will at the very least investigate
this idea’ and claimed he ‘will get a face tattoo that says President.’ In his election video the candidate says “don’t get bogged down in whether or not those things could actually happen, we’ll worry about that later.” Election week begins on the 18th of March and voting opens at noon. Any Newcastle University student is eligible to vote at nusu. co.uk/vote.
Candidate chaos in run up to elections Louise Hall Editor
After having been reported that the Postgraduate Sabbatical officer position had received the most nominations ever for any sabbatical role last week, since voting has closed there has been a significant amount of dropouts for this position. The position has dropped from ten to only
Inside today >>>
TEDx
The Society host professional conference on the theme of building a better future News, page 6
Sex education
Writers discuss menstural health becoming a compulsory part of the school curriculum Comment, page 10
Billy Porter’s Oscar dress We take a look at the stigma surrounding men wearing dresses Fashion, page 18
Apps for adulting
Find out about some apps to guide you through the strange world of the grown-up Lifestyle, page 20
Olympics of the past Sport Ediors reflect on some weird and wonderful sports of yesteryear Sport, page 40-41
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thecourier 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/about for more information. Editor Louise Hall Deputy Editor Isabel Sykes News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsett and Steven Ross Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken and Alexandra Sadler Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, and Ella Williams Fashion Editors Poppy Couling Joe Hood and Miranda Stoner Beauty Editors Laura Buckle, Susanne Norris and Nimra Rafique Travel Editors Jenny Franken, Bianca Ionci and Amy Harris Culture Editors Alex Moore and Carys Rose Thomas Feature Editor Ally Wilson Arts Editors Rosie Mccrum, Julia McGhee Russell and Scarlett Rowland Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis and Max Hobbs TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney and Chloe Mullins Film Editors JImmy Athey, Joe Holloran and Jack Gill Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Kelly South, James Troughton, Shawn Khoo Science Editors Eleanor Gratton and Cecilia Adamou Sports Editors Sydney Isaacs, Rebecca Johnson, Harry Parsons, Jack Smilie, Rory Ewart Puzzles Editor Helena Buchanan Online Editors Rory Cameron, Jodie Duddy, Amanda Goh, Thomas Hardwick, Orestis Katsoulis, Sophia Kypriotis, Dominic Lee, Lucy Lillystone, Alex Darbyshire The Courier NUSU King’s Walk Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 The Courier is printed by: Trinity Mirror Printing, Barton Road, Riverside Park Industrial Estate, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT 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.
Monday 11 March 2019
NSR show of the week From the Outskirts Wednesdays 1pm-2pm Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor Every Wednesday from 1pm-2pm, catch one of The Courier’s very own Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland doing her show ‘From the Outskirts’. On this show Scarlett showcases music from different kinds of marginalised groups interspersed with friendly discussion about topical issues that affect these communities. During LGBT+ Awareness Week Scarlett played us some songs about love written by LGBT+ artists, and her show
dedicated to International Women’s Day featured some insightful facts about female producers in the music industry, as well as some banging tunes produced by women, such as the widely-loved Charli XCX. If you’re looking for a show to get you over that mid-week slump and you’d like to learn more about marginalised groups in the music industry from a fun and refreshing perspective, look no further than Scarlett’s ‘From the Outskirts’. Tune into NSR to listen every week.
STU BREW beer of the week: Nonlinear Regression ABV: 4.7% Harry Parsons Sport Editor Every now and then we have to evaluate what is it that makes the things we like. What makes the things we hate?
An ale with a dark twist lying at the bottom of each taste
For it is those questions which help us evaluate who we are as people.
Student Spotlight Feminist Art Market Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor On Wednesday 13 March Newcastle University Feminist Society are holding an Art Market in the Students’ Union. FemSoc are collaborating with local artists Becky Tuck and Louise Brown to raise money for the West End Refugee Service. Their work will be on sale outside the Students’ Union from 11:00am until 3:00pm on Wednesday.
West End Refugee Service provide support services for refugees and asylum seekers
West End Refugee Service are a Newcsatlebased charity who provide support services for refugees and asylum seekers living in the West End of Newcastle Upon Tyne. According to their website, the charity provides a “friendly, welcoming environment” and a “range of integrated services” aiming to tackle “the disadvantage, exclusion and poverty which affect asylum seekers and refugees”. FemSoc are running this event with the aim of raising money for the organisation as well as awareness about their aims. They encourage people to come along even if they’re not interested in buying any art just to chat to the society and learn more about the cause they’re supporting. As well as selling art, FemSoc will also be collecting menstrual products to donate to the charity. To find out more about what FemSoc are doing, join their Facebook page to stay up to date with further announcements of collaboration with local artists and events supporting local charities.
If you yourself are a fan of a pale ale, then let me tell you this; boy golly goodness me are you in for a treat. An ale with a dark twist lying at the bottom of each taste. An ale where each sip contains the subtle texture of a fizz filled with indivisible bubbles of a dark clean taste and texture allows the pallets to thrive. For it is this sort of taste that helps us change how we act and how we feel about beer, ale and those cheeky fizzy drinks we like to enjoy.
Whats on near you:
Monday
Tuesday
Festival of Culture: 12pm-1pm: Guided tour of Great North Museum. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Sport: 4:55pm-6pm: Female only basketball. Location: Meet at Newcastle University Sports Centre. Festival of Culture: 5pm-8pm: Catalan film screening: Incerta Gloria. Location: History Room, NUSU.
Sport: 12:30pm-1:15pm: Les Mills BodyPump Fitness Class. Location: Multipurpose Room B, Sports Centre. Festival of Culture: 1pm-2pm: French Taster Session - Beginners Level. Location: History Room, NUSU. Sport: 3pm-4pm: Boxing workshops. Location: Multipurpose Room A, Sports Centre. Festival of Culture: 6pm-7pm: Japanese Calligraphy Workshop. Location: History Room, NUSU.
Wednesday
Travel: 12pm-1pm: Catalan Culture workshop. Location: History Room, NUSU. Arts: 12:30pm-3:30pm: GIAG Paint your own Pottery. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Festival of Culture: 2pm-3pm: Spanish Taster Session - Beginners Level. Location: Kate Adie Room, NUSU. Festival of Culture: 6pm-8pm: Cheese and Wine tasting session. Location: History Room, NUSU. Arts: 6pm-10:30pm: GIAG Ghost - the Musical. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance.
Friday
Sport: 12:30pm-1:15pm: Les Mills BodyPump Fitness Class. Location: Multipurpose Room B, Sports Centre. Festival of Culture: 6:30pm-9pm: Latin and Ballroom night. Location: The Ball Room, Culture Lab. Film: 6pm: 10 Things I Hate About You film screening. Location: Newcastle Castle. Arts: 8pm: Curious Arts Fundraiser. Location: Alphabetti Theatre.
Thursday
Arts: 11am-12pm: Mandarin Taster Session - Beginners Level. Location: History Room, NUSU. Festival of Culture: 6pm-9pm: Gaming night. Location: Luther’s Bar. Music: 7pm-11pm: AJ Tracey. Location: Venue, NUSU.
Saturday
Lifestyle: 10am: Jesmond Food Market. Location: Jesmond Dene. Science: 3pm-8pm: GIAG Kielder Observatory introduction to astronomy. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Sport: 4:55pm-7pm: GIAG Badminton. Location: Sports Hall, Sports Centre.
Sunday
NUSU: 12pm-10pm: St Patrick’s Day. Location: Venue, NUSU. Travel: 9:30am-5:30pm: GIAG trip to Beamish. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance.
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Monday 11 March 2019
@TheCourier_News courier.news@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/news News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsent, Steven Ross Online Editor Jodie Duddy
Tuition fee cuts could lead to fewer uni places Alex Fiedosiuk
A new, independent inquiry is expected to recommend tuition fee cuts that universities and social-mobility charities warn will lead to fewer places if the government fails to make up the difference. The reduction in tuition fees will be from the current £9,250 cap to £7,500, as is expected to be proposed by the ‘Post-18 Review of Education and Funding’ – to be published later this month.
7.5k
The recommended amount that tuition fees would be cut to
Since it was commissioned by the government in 2017, the role of the panel has been investigating whether the current higher education system delivers value for money for students and taxpayers in England. If carried out, the cuts could total around £3 billion. According the Higher Education Policy Institution, most universities spend 40%-45% of tuition fees on teaching undergraduates. Capping tuition fees to £7,500 will inevitably force some universities to cut back on the teaching services they provide. In anticipation of the report, the Russell Group of universities and social mobility charities released a joint statement voicing
The proposed changes will likely have the biggest impact on non-Russell Group universities Image: Flickr
their opposition to the cuts. If the funding gap is not filled, they warn, then it will lead to a de-facto cap on student numbers as they will not be able to cover the cost of running some courses. They add that the “proposed reforms could make disadvantaged students significantly worse off” and go on to “call on Ministers to help ensure that social mobility gains are not sent into reverse”. Their argument is that if there are fewer university places, then the resulting increase in competition will lead to a decrease in students from poorer backgrounds. Yet Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, says that students are “being ripped off” over the current cost of tuition. During a talkRADIO interview, he says students “are underemployed and in debt” whilst “universities are making a lot of money out of young people and a lot are being misled”, entering careers that have no use for their degrees. Though he too concedes that the cuts will likely reduce places and social mobility. The proposed changes are also most likely to have the biggest impact on “non-Russell Group” universities, where some have already suffered from falling student numbers. London Metropolitan University has seen the largest fall in the country at -62% (2007-08, 2016-17), followed by West London (-44%) and Cumbria (-41%). Without adequate funding, these already-struggling universities could face closure.
NUS president tells critics to “fuck off” Joe Molander In a recent Facebook post, the President of the National Union of Students (NUS) told her critics to “FUCK OFFFFFFFF!!” after facing motions to remove her from the position. Shakira Martin has been in the job since April 2017, having been reelected last March, and her run has not been plain sailing. She took the reins from Malia Bouattia, an extremely controversial leader whose comments on Zionism were condemned by over 300 student Jewish leaders and described as “outright racism” by the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. Then, in November 2018- less than six months into Martin’s second term- reports surfaced of the organi-
ence at this rate [sic]”, a possible reference to the NUS Trans Conference held in January, which voted in favour of a motion of no confidence. She also wrote that “I literally have 20 weeks left in this joke of a role and I swear none of you ungrateful people couldn’t are [sic] counting down the weeks more than
me... what I should have been doing instead of focusing on this awful job is focussing on my children that way my girls would have been protected. But no coz I have been running around like some fool putting NUS before my girls I have failed my youths and now they are schooless [sic]”.
For some, the incident is proof of the pressure Martin is under, but for others, it shows Martin’s own volatility (in January 2018, NUS workers were instructed to work from home as the organisation investigated bullying allegations against her). The NUS, clearly keen not to fan any flames, had little to say beyond:
“The message was posted to a private Facebook account and has since been deleted, therefore NUS has no further comment”. What happens in the next “20 weeks” with Martin “in this joke of a role” promises to be interesting.
For some, the incident is proof of the pressure Martin is under
sation’s bankruptcy, with a letter written by Martin herself detailing its £3 million deficit. When looking for someone to blame for an organisation’s problems, people tend to look up to the top, perhaps making the subsequent push for motions of no confidence in the president inevitable. Student Left Network, a left-wing group that formally launched membership in December, have been especially critical, taking issue with the NUS’s cost-cutting measure of scrapping the Trans Students’ committee, officer and budget. The pressure appeared to be too much for Martin, who took to Facebook to explain she “couldn’t give 2 shits” about any motions of no confidence tabled against her, adding “you be lucky if I even turn up for confer-
Newcastle University students voted to stay out of the NUS last December Image: Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11 March 2019
Charity salsa night brings Latin flair to Newcastle Harriet Middlewood
Newcastle students gained a Latin flair on Tuesday 26th February when Newcastle University music students organized a charity salsa night in aid of the charity La Vida. The event was held in the recently opened Revoluçion de Cuba which served discounted cocktails all night and definitely added to the Latin atmosphere.
92 participants attended the night and raised over £230 for the charity La Vida
One enthusiastic attendee said, “As a longtime fan of Strictly Come Dancing, I seized the opportunity to take part, and spent most of the day before watching endless clips of routines hoping that I too could be a professional dancer one day... “ The night kicked off with a 30-minute beginner’s salsa lesson from two very talented members of the university’s salsa society. Lots of chaos and hilarity ensued and despite standing on multiple people’s feet, attendees managed pull off a short combination of steps. After a quick break, their new skills were put to the test during the performance of the talented 10-piece band Azúcar who performed some Latin tunes. With drums, saxophones and questionable Hawaiian shirts, this talented group certainly brought a bit of sunshine to a cold North-East night. The evening finished off in style with a DJ set by the local DJ Elliot Cruickshanks. Unfortunately, 9am lectures prevented some attendees from dancing the night away.
The band Azúcar performed Latin tunes Image: Krzysztof Furgała
The event was a huge success, attracting 92 enthusiastic participants and raising over £230 for La Vida. This volunteer-run charity, founded in 2006, supports grassroots projects dedicated to improving health and education in local communities in Latin America. Describing the motivation for organising the event, Newcastle University Music student Gabriel May, one of the organisers, said, “La Vida Loca was put on as part of the Music Enterprise module in our degree – we are all music students - where you have to organise a professional music event. We thought it would be interesting and different for the audience to have something to take part in, as well as enjoying the music, and salsa is a lot of fun! We also know a few Salsa musicians from when the department ran a Salsa band module, so we had some contacts to get things off the ground. “We knew we wanted to raise money for a charity that tied in well with our event and La Vida are a very impressive charity both in their work and the way the conduct themselves. They raise funds for a variety of healthcare and education projects across South America, for example, the Poder Joven project is a pre and afterschool club that helps unprivileged children by providing food, education, medical and psychological assistance on a daily basis. Furthermore, La Vida is completely volunteer run, with 98% of donations going directly to these projects. It’s very pleasing to know that the money raised will be making an impact.” Fourth year Combined Honours student Tavier Fairburn said, “I really enjoyed the event, it was such an original way to raise money for charity whilst learning something new. Overall it was an excellent event, and although I definitely won’t become the next Anton du Becke, I had a thoroughly wholesome fiesta, all for a great cause.”
Comedy Society tickles Edinburgh's funny bone Joe Molander On 22nd-24th February, Newcastle Comedy Society (ComSoc) went to Edinburgh for the Scottish Student Comedy Festival (SSCF). Newcastle Comedy Society play an active part in student life on campus: in December, they put on two shows showcasing the group’s stand-up, sketch and improv talent, and in previous years have hosted an hour show on Newcastle Student Radio.
The dedication to the sketch is indicative of the sketch performers' commitment to the craft
Not content with entertaining one city, ComSoc performed a series of sketches in Edinburgh on Friday 22nd. Taking jabs at idioms and popular culture, some sketches were long and fleshed-out, while others were short and sweet. One was short enough to be related here in its entirety: a homeless man asks a passer-by – hands outstretched and cupped together – “50p for a bus?”. The passer-by takes pity and gives them a coin: “Here’s your 50p,” they say. “Thank you,” replies the homeless man, who then takes the cover off an enormous cardboard box painted like a London Routemaster. “Here’s your bus”. The dedication to the sketch – with the model taking five hours to make for about five seconds of stagetime – is indicative of the sketch performers’ commitment to the craft: onstage they radiate talent and energy. The festival – this one being the sixth SSCF – also featured sketches from the Universities of Edinburgh, Birmingham, York, Sheffield, Aberdeen and Glasgow. Students from
Newcastle agreed Birmingham and Sheffield were amongst the strongest: where other universities would transition between sketches by blacking out the lights, Sheffield moved straight from one sketch to another. This seemed to both come from and be conducive to quick, sharp humour that never once feels overwhelming. Headlining the sketch show were Planet Caramel: made up of three Edinburgh alumni, the sketch outfit’s affinity for the weird and wonderful was delightful to watch. Kitted out in massive orange-framed sunglasses, their fifteen minute spot made the show hard to forget. The next day, ComSoc headed to the stand-up show. Performing from Newcastle were John Dilworth and Joe Molander. In all seriousness, Dilworth fails to exhibit the neediness or desperation seen in some of his stand-up contemporaries. Instead, he’s willing to wait for the audience to come to him, and when they do, his first-class writing and selfassured – but never arrogant – strain of humour rewards them well, with the audience especially receptive to his Ke$ha material.
actual stage lighting”. There were those who felt the show dragged, though, with one member of ComSoc going as far as to call the last portion of the night “torture”. Another said that the headliner “genuinely sent me to sleep”, and that they “had to be woken up when the show ended”.
Still, the weekend was an opportunity to listen to some of the best in student comedy, and allowed ComSoc – which consists of freshers and masters students alike – to bond. Between trips to museums, clubbing and sharing a hostel, a group with little else in common became closer. ComSoc President
Aiden McCall said that he wanted the festival to go even further in its impact on the society’s less experienced members, who he hoped were “inspired…to create something they are willing to perform”, adding he’d attend the festival again “in a heartbeat”.
Between trips to museums, clubbing and sharing a hostel, a group with little else in common became closer
Molander, on the other hand, is much higher energy: performing in character as Sad Tony the Rapper – a hyperconfident idiot – he enters the stage in a fur-coat and repeatedly explains to the audience how amazing he is, failing to convince them every time. One audience member, balanced in their view of the set, explained that it was “a highlight of the night. He had a great variety of jokes, particularly visual ones: it’s just a shame we couldn’t see any as he decided not to stand under the
Edinburgh hosted ComSoc for the weekend Image: Ad Meskens, Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11 March 2019
Survey reveals student gambling on the rise due to increasing financial instability Grace Dean News Editor A recent survey has shown 59% of students have gambled over the past 12 months. In February the Independent released the results of a National Union of Students (NUS) survey of over 1600 students. The results indicate that tens of thousands of students across the country are gambling their student loans to
59
The percentage of students who have gambled over the past year
financially support themselves. This is occurring at an increasing rate as students express their frustration that governmental financial support for students is failing to rise with the rate of living costs. The results show that 59% of students have gambled over the past 12 months, nearly half
of whom did so purely for financial reasons rather than for enjoyment or socialising. Of the students who have engaged in gambling, 8% have used their student loans. One Newcastle postgraduate student, who wishes to stay anonymous, previously gambled two or three times a week mainly for enjoyment but said that “the financial incentive is an obvious selling point”. Asked about their reasons for stopping gambling, they said: “I realised watching others it's a mugs game, I went through a period of success with it and still realised every great win was coupled with some losses. [I would] never class what I was as an issue but having seen problems recognised the line between me and [becoming a] problem gambler was thin and [I] needed to severely cut down.” Eva Crossan Jory, NUS vice-president for welfare, explained how “more students are relying on gambling as a means of finance rather than just doing it for fun. I think previously people were not doing it as much as a means of survival…Students have said the only way that they can pay rent is to gamble.
That is really worrying.” One Newcastle postgraduate student, who gambles at the casino a couple of times a month playing roulette and blackjack, openly discussed his gambling habits: “…obviously I understand it's not a great thing to be doing a lot, and I wouldn't exactly call gambling a good thing or a hobby, but I've never felt unable to stop gambling or like I had lost control with it. “Enjoyment and social reasons are the main factors. If I didn't have friends who gambled, I wouldn't go to the casino by myself. It's a fun activity and not one I depend on for money, especially as I'd guess more often than not I lose money.” Helen Rhodes, programme director of the Gambling Commission, which developed the survey in liaison with the NUS, said that the results indicate that “that there is a significant risk for young adults and for students that needs to be addressed.” The charity GamCare, which provides information, advice and free counselling for the prevention and treatment of problem gam-
Students are an "at risk" group for gambling Image: History Channel, Wikimedia Commons
bling alongside operating the National Gambling Helpline, identifies students as a particularly at-risk group. GamCare suggests that students may feel lonely, stressed and bored alongside having financial worries about financing their degree, and thus students resort to gambling. This is intensified with the excitement and curiosity that gambling offers to students who have just turned 18 and are now legally able to engage in gambling for the first time, as explained by one Newcastle student who described how “the only person [they had] met who enjoys the casino is a university mate” who encouraged them to join in to, describing their “enjoyment of playing the games and [the] social aspect of going to the casino with mates”. Mr Zarb-Cousin, who now works for Fairer Gambling, which campaigns for increased gambling legislation, described how he maxed out numerous overdrafts and student loans to fund his studies. He explained the impact that gambling can have on mental health, describing how he “one day…lost about £2,500 just on the machines [and] came very close to taking [his] own life…[He] didn't really see a way out." Gambling behaviour has been particularly observed in students who have to complete placements during their studies, including nurses, midwives and doctors, because they struggle to find the time to acquire part-time jobs and have recently experienced bursary cuts. The NUS additionally argue that technology has increased the accessibility of gambling to students. It has additionally been revealed that some casino and bingo companies have been targeting students. Grosvenor Casinos runs a student poker league and offers free drinks and student discounts at casinos, although a spokesperson stated: "We would never encourage anyone to use casinos or gambling as a source of income or as a way of escaping debt." Gala Bingo additionally sets up stalls at some university freshers' fairs. Despite such marketing being completely legal, anti-gambling groups want universities to discourage such promotion of gambling behaviours. Numerous strategies to promote more responsible gambling behaviour among students have been suggested. The NUS advocates the government restructuring their system of financial support for students so that they are less likely to resort to gambling to supplement their income. Eva Crossan Jory, NUS vice-president for welfare, “There needs to be a renewed focus on the reasons why some students feel it’s nec-
essary to supplement their income through gambling – which not only land students in even greater debt, but also can lead to feelings of guilt, stress and depression.” John de Pury, assistant director of policy at Universities UK (UUK), explaining the necessity of developing efficient nationwide gambling public policy. “Online gambling is an issue that applies more widely than to simply the student population. It needs concerted intervention by government to act on risks of online gambling and addictive behaviours.” In response to research conducted by YouthSight in August 2017 suggesting that 1.2 million students gamble, Tim Miller, the Gambling Commission’s executive director for research, explained: “We want to encourage universities to provide the same level of information and support about the risks from gambling as they do for drugs, alcohol and safe sex.” The YouthSight survey additionally revealed that one in eight undergraduates surveyed admitted missing lectures or seminars due to gambling. GamCare additionally provided some recommendations for universities and students’ unions to reduce the prevalence of irresponsible gambling among students. As well as informing students about responsible gambling and the support available to them both on campus and through groups such as GamCare itself, the charity advocates establishing comprehensive campus gambling policies. It also suggests undertaking regular research to evaluate students’ attitudes to gambling so that universities can effectively tailor their policies to meet their students’ needs. GamCare have furthermore identified some indicators of risky gambling behaviour if you are concerned about yourself or a friend. These include frequent absence from lessons, drastic changes in cash flow, unexplained debt and potentially erratic behaviour. Help is available through GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous UK and Gamble Anon. Alternatively, the Student Advice Centre in the Students’ Union offers impartial advice to students. When questioned about the rising numbers of students choosing to gamble, Jack Green, Welfare and Equality Officer at NUSU, explained that he will “continue to work with the University to ensure that appropriate support is in place for students affected by problematic gambling. Our Student Advice Centre is a free, confidential service that is able to advise and support any students who are worried about their own, or a friend’s gambling”.
Essex lecturer suspended for anti-Semitism Joe Molander
A lecturer at the University of Essex has been suspended over anti-Semitic remarks. Dr Maaruf Ali, who lectured computer science, made the comments in a since-deleted Facebook post following intense opposition to a proposed Jewish Society. Over two-hundred students voted against its creation, joined in their detraction in far more zealous terms by Ali, who wrote “the Zionists next want to create a society here at our university”. Zionism is a movement for the protection of Israel as the Jewish homeland. While opposition to this movement is not in itself considered anti-Semitic, many in the Jewish community argue that anti-Zionism can be used by anti-Semites to intellectualise their hatred. ‘Zio’ is recognised as an anti-Semitic slur, and age-old anti-Semitic myths about Jews are often re-propagated under the pretence of criticising Zionism or Zionists. For example, the ex-head of the National Union of Students (NUS), Malia Bouattia, drew
criticism for a talk she gave in 2014 where she made reference to “Zionist-led media outlets”, a possible allusion to the anti-Semitic idea that Jews control the media. Dr Maaruf Ali has also been criticised for other Facebook posts that appear to deny the Holocaust, though these posts have since been deleted. On 1st of August last year, for example, he posted a quote from Edgar J Steele, an attorney who the Southern Poverty Law Centere described as “a regular on the anti-Semitic and racist circuit... [who envisioned] a future race war in the U.S., with white Americans forced to retreat to the Northwest”. The quote posted to Facebook is as follows: “In all of German-occupied Europe, there resided 2.4 million Jews before the war, according to the World Jewish Encyclopedia. After the war, 3.8 million Jewish ‘Holocaust survivors’ were receiving pensions from the German government. Tragically, the remaining 6 million were lost”. This statement questions whether 6 million Jews could have been killed in the Holocaust, or possibly even whether the Holocaust happened at all, de-
spite the wealth of evidence that repudiate both viewpoints, including Nazi records, witness testimonies and war crime trials. Ali’s posts were described as “disgusting” by the Campaigns Organiser at the Union of Jewish Students, a national organisation, and the University of Essex were quick to respond. The chancellor- Essex alumni and House of Commons Speaker John Bercowhad an “urgent discussion” with the university’s management, leaving Anthony Forster, the Vice-Chancellor, to launch a review into the treatment of Jewish people on campus. The week after, an event was held in support of the Jewish Society, attended by over 500 people. The Vice-Chancellor said “To see the University of Essex associated with anti-Semitism has been a deeply shocking event and one which has filled me with great sadness. Anti-Semitism is antithetical to the values of the University of Essex and has no place at our university. We have a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and hate crime which is at the very core of our values and beliefs”.
The University of Essex Image: Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11 March 2019
TEDx Society hosts professional conference Theo Turvill
The TEDx Conference, organised by the Newcastle University TEDx Society, took place on Sunday 3rd March and provided attendees with a series of lectures based around the theme of building a better future. The event was professionally organised with workshops and musical performances along with 10 speakers presenting their talks. TEDx society members were clearly visible in their TEDx shirts ready to offer assistance and direction. The TEDx society won Society of the Year last year. First to present was Birmingham lad Michael Taylor on why it’s okay to like money. Michael points out from a young age we are taught the pursuit of money is immoral. He continued stating the case that a healthy relationship with money is a must in the modern world. In order to build a better future, he suggests getting to grips with the stock market, investing our stagnant cash and making it work harder for us. He recounts how surprisingly easy it was for him to bounce back after losing all his money on the stock market candidly remarking that “once you’ve lost all your money, you can’t really lose anymore, if your get what I mean”. Before investing your start investing your student loan, however, Michael suggested that you read, read lots, twenty or more books on
The event featured 10 speakers presenting their talks Image: Wikimedia Commons
investing, and in doing so gaining a grounding in the ins and outs of the market and using it as an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others, before you make them yourself. Second to take the stage was Sam Waterfall, presenting on the discovery of a “new organ”, the micro biome. As an international food marketing consultant, Sam knows the ins and outs of nutrition; and I’m sorry to say to those of your downing a daily Actimel thinking it will cure and prevent your ills or ailments, think again. According to Sam the issue is far more complex; to get your micro biome in tip-top condition, first you’ll need to get a micro biome sample. Step two for a healthier biome is to avoid antibiotics at all costs unless absolutely necessary. A ccording to Sam this could mean going vegetarian, as the animals that we eat are stuffed full of antibiotics as they promote growth in cattle. With a growing obesity epidemic, it is possible to make the connection that residual elements of these antibiotics make it into the human, causing the same ballooning effect, as well as harming the good bacteria of our biomes. Finally, and most interestingly, Sam suggests we experiment with probiotics. A solid commitment of 3-6 months needs to be made to any given probiotic in order to know whether they are working for you. Having had your micro biome analysed should give you a good starting point for your experimentation.
Is it time to go T-total?
Genocide survivor speaks at Sta
Carl Valdez
Nat Makin
Last September 2018, the National Union of Students has conducted a survey completed by 2,215 students in higher education on students’ relationship to alcohol. It was found that 76% feel obliged to consume alcohol excessively and 79% agree that drinking is an integral part of university life. It is truly concerning that university culture is still strongly associated with alcoholism.
On 2nd March, Stand Up To Racism Society held a public meeting about the road to genocide and institutional racism. It came after a recent incident at Manor Bank halls, where a group of black Newcastle students were subjected to shouts of “you don’t belong here” and “fucking n****r”. “The Road to Genocide”, the first panel, was
Non-drinking socials can allow students to form deeper connections with those around them
More so, many students consider drinking to fit in with their peers. But is this the only way to have a good time? Staying sober can offer other options; personal happiness is no longer limited by alcohol. The world is your oyster. New activities open such as reading a book, camping, hiking and even more! Non-drinking socials can allow students to form deeper connections with those around them. It is here where meaningful conversations are made without the influence of alcohol. Indeed, you are the master of your environment. Sobriety undoubtedly saves a ton of money. As of 2018, an average university student spends £64 each month on socialising and drinking. That is more than £256 for one semester! One could invest such into their adventure of a lifetime, or even their future career. This is the way forward. It is entirely possible to enjoy nights out without relying on alcohol. Alternatives needs to be given more emphasis in order to change the predominant perceptions of university life. Drinking does not always equate to being sociable.
kicked off by Smajo Beso, a Bosnian genocide survivor, and writer/blogger Emyln Pearce. They contrasted multicultural Yugoslavia’s path towards genocide with South Africa’s democratic transition after Apartheid. One key idea was the philosophy of ubuntu: “I am human because you are”; to humanise racists to understand and eliminate their racism. Next, Nicu Stoica spoke about racism facing the Roma community. The largest ethnic minority in Europe, it has a six-hundred-year long history of slavery, discrimination and an often-ignored genocide at the hands of the
Nazis known as the Porajmos. The Roma people are still seen as second-class citizens and disproportionally suffer police brutality, discrimination in medical treatment and poverty. Alana Barnett, Jewish Society President, shared her pride in her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, and urged that we listen to survivors while we still can, especially as Holocaust denial is on the rise. After bringing back Jewish Society from near disappearance, her priority is to provide support to the Jewish students here on campus.
Stand Up To Racism’s Yunus Baksh closed the first panel, warning that listening to racists like Tommy Robison makes another genocide not unlikely (as happened in Rwanda and Yugoslavia in 1990s). He said that genocide starts with marginalisation and dehumanisation; both present in UK. Baksh highlighted the necessity of anti-racist movements ensure a future without genocide. The second panel – “Institutional Racism” – began with a screening of “Stansted 15 on Trial”, a documentary about the prosecution of activists under anti-terrorism laws. The
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Monday 11 March 2019
Dance Society to 'Celebrate Good Times' at Northern Stage Miranda Stoner Fashion Editor This weekend, Friday 15th and Saturday 16th March, Newcastle University Dance Society will present their annual show at the Northern Stage. This year’s performance is entitled Celebrate Good Times a nod to the good times that will be had by dancers and audience alike. There will be one evening performance on Friday at 19:00 and two performances on Saturday at 14:00 and 19:00.
Celebrate Good Times will give the audience a snapshot into the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the competition dances this year.
39 different dances will be showcased in a diverse range of styles. The audience will experience a mixture of Street, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary and Lyrical styles, performed by dancers of all levels. There will also be solos from advanced dancers Watson D.Hirschfield and Darcy Philipps, as well as a duet from Pippa McLeod-Brown
and Elena Corcobado. The dancers have been preparing since January for what is sure to be a celebration of artistic and athletic talent. The entire show has been choreographed, planned, budgeted and realised by student members of the society. The demanding role of Show Coordinator fell to Media and Communications Studies student Elisa Litvin, who believes “it is going to be one of the most unforgettable performances of this society, as the teachers have truly stepped up their game this year and the dancers have worked extra hard to be absolutely amazing.” Of her own role she admits it has been a “great challenge”. This relates to the balancing of consideration for the 220 dancers who have given up their time to be a part of the show and the audience who deserve the best performance for deciding to come and see the show. This proves difficult at times as there has been a massive number of people involved in the show and some dances feature up to 70 people! There are high expectations to be met from last year’s performance Wanna Dance which featured popular numbers such as the uplifting Musical Theatre performance to the hit song The Greatest Show, as well as a dramatic Advanced Contemporary piece to I Know Girls (Body Love) and the unexpected Advanced Ballet piece which merged from classical into Toxic by Britney Spears. Elisa adds to this that the “show is considered one of the most important events of the year for the society and (she) want(s) everyone to have a good time.”
Even though the show is slightly earlier than previous years, when it has been as late as after Easter, it will no doubt be a success. The teachers have been working hard choreographing their show dances. Exciting tunes as well as dramatic costumes and suitable lighting have been picked out to enhance the performance.
All of Newcastle Dance Club's awardwinning competition performancs have been slotted in
Meanwhile the dancers have dedicated themselves to learning and polishing their moves for the big night(s). In addition to the dances choreographed especially for the show, Celebrate Good Times will also give the audience a snapshot into the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the competition dances this year. All of Newcastle Dance Club’s award-winning competition performances have been slotted into this year’s programme. Indeed, this year has been especially successful for Newcastle University Dance Club as they have brought home 28 trophies from competitions in Edinburgh, Northumbria, Liverpool and Newcastle itself. The skill and long hours of practicing really payed off and hopefully the same can be said about the show!
and Up To Racism event panel was lucky enough to be attended by Nathan Clack, himself a member of the Stansted 15, who emphasised the necessity of direct democratic action to put a stop to deportations that unlawfully put the lives of migrants at risk, as we saw with the Windrush scandal. Kemi Adediran, Afro-Caribbean Society President, criticised the focus on individuals, when it is structural racism that must be dismantled. She advocated the eradication of whiteness as default and underlined how racism is embedded and fundamental in our society.
Abu-Tayeb Khairdeen of the Islamic Diverty Centre followed with a breakdown of why Islamophobia is ingrained in our institutions. He referred to racism as an industry since it is profitable for the state (in terms of colonialism, slavery and imperialism) and decried the normalisation of racism by mainstream politicians and the media which has seen half of British mosques attacked. For him, education is the key; we must learn about Islam to combat racism. Finally, Nita Sanghera, UCU Vice President, spoke universities’ inaction when it comes
to racism, motivated by the marketisation of education that makes them hesitant to expel students (their source of income) even in cases racism. Inspired by the student’s climate strikes, she called for the sleeping majority in UK to wake up and fight for equality. With over 100 people attending across the two panels, it was a great success and signals growing anti-racist presence felt on campus. The event is a precurser to a UN anti-rascism day march in Glasgow on the 16th of March.
The Dance Society show is on 15th and 16th March Image: Newcastle Dance Society
K-pop lessons on offer
Jillian Rochester
As an attempt to do something more fun and inclusive for both members and non-members, Newcastle University Anglo-Japanese Society has decided to put on a one-time dance class on 20th March 2-5pm at Space Six.
The Anglo-Japanese Society is planning to film the dance afterwards in a professional style
The genre for this class is K-pop. No dance ability is required for this workshop as it is purely an opportunity to have fun and learn something new. After all, what is a univer-
The event was held at Newcastle Student Union and attracted over 100 people Image: Jenny Goodfellow
sity event if no skill development is involved, right? "Dancing has definitely brought me out of my shell, and through it I have not only acquired sick dancing skills but also great friends!" says the society’s Social Secretary and leader of dance event. If you find this event tickles your fancy, head on over to the Anglo-Japanese Society's page via the NUSU website for more details! They would love you to join. Do sign up quickly though, because word on campus is that only the first 15 to sign up will get in! So grab your friends, grab your dance clothes and be sure to sign up by Friday 15th March. The event does require a small fee, and is open to both members and non-members. As part of a creative venture, the AngloJapanese Society is planning to film the dance afterwards in a professional style, so one can truly (almost truly) experience the life of stardom. No fear though, this will only go ahead for those who give them permission!
K-pop is increasingly k-popular Image: Jeon Han, Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11 March 2019
‘Uranium: the Bogeyman of the Periodic Table’ Patrick Harland
On the 26th of February we welcomed Professor Steve Liddle a former student in Newcastle and now a member of the University of Manchester’s chemistry department.
The thing that has been one of the most damaging to uranium and nuclear power’s public perception is the Simpsons with its depiction of glowing bars and animals with three eyes
The lecture was titled ‘Uranium the Bogeyman of the Periodic Table: A case of Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde?’ He began by discussing the image that comes to mind when discussing uranium - a conclusion that many people come to almost instantly is bombs and mushroom clouds, with few among us conjuring images of civilian green energy a field which as fossil fuels run out grows in importance. He surmises that the thing that has been one of the most damaging to uranium and nuclear power’s public perception is the Simpsons with its depiction of glowing bars and animals with three eyes, when in fact the two largest nuclear power plant disasters, Chernobyl and Fukushima, were in fact mostly down to human error where safety regulations were ignored. Nuclear materials were first intended for purposes of war as war is a major driver of technical innovation, but these nuclear materials have now been repurposed for civil energy means rather than geo-political ones. Professor Liddle went on to say, “Uranium is like marmite, it’s very rare to find someone who is nonchalant and doesn’t have an
opinion on it.” One thing that he notes as quite interesting is that humans are programmed by DNA to recoil from anything that can cause damage to the DNA as it is our primary purpose on a biological level to protect and replicate DNA however radiation and the damage it causes is a natural phenomenon in that we do not immediately do so. Uranium was first isolated in 1789 and from then has had a variety of uses, many of which have shown it to behave quite oddly when compared to other chemicals in its group with it instead acting much more like a transition metal examples of which are iron or copper. These properties open it up to a whole host of possibilities for what it can be used for. Professor Liddle described Uranium as more of a ‘Chameleon element’ with it changing what it can do depending on what is around it. This is what a very large focus of his work and research is on the chemistry that can be done with uranium and the effects that could have. For example if uranium nitride had been present at Fukushima the reactor core may not have melted at all or so significantly which would’ve reduced the damage and effect on people’s lives. One thing was clear from the talk though - uranium needs to be understood far more in order for us to be able to use it effectively, be that in how to deal with the waste
If Uranium niride had been present at Fukushima the reactor core may not have melted at all
product or for while it is in use. If you are interested in finding out more about Professor Liddle’s work or other research projects going on at Manchester University, visit the YouTube channel Chemistry at Manchester Explains Research Advances (CAMERA), where staff in the chemistry department explain their research.
Professor Liddle talked about the negative public perception of nuclear power Image: Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11 March 2019 @CourierComment courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/comment Comment Editors Caitlin Disken, Alexandra Sadler & Jamie Cameron Online Editor Rory Cameron
Sex education: a period of change?
Our writers welcome the news that menstrual health will be taught in all schools from 2020, and argue why it it is necessary Grace Dean
F
eminists, health experts and educators alike have warmly greeted the Department for Education’s announcement that menstrual health will be taught in all schools starting from 2020. This includes primary schools. Why has it taken so long for this to become compulsory? Starting period education young encourages the normalisation of menstruation so that it is no longer seen as something to fear. Introducing young girls to menstruation education means that when they do start their periods, it becomes less daunting and no longer some mysterious monthly visitor they heard their mum and older sister whispering about. Recent statistics published by Plan International UK have revealed that nearly half of menstruating pupils have missed school because they felt embarrassed about their periods. Evidently, not being comfortable about their menstruation is having direct impacts on students’ education. Menstrual education means that periods become something concrete and tangible, not just some hush-hush topic that young girls hear scary rumours about but are too afraid to address with their parents.
is a fact, and they clearly need to be prepared for this. Furthermore, many primary school children are arguably mature enough to learn about periods – we cannot just protect them from menstruation forever. Because of the nature of many primary schools in which classes have just one teacher for most lessons, children are likely to have an attached and even parental relationship with their teacher. Such a supportive and trusting relationship creates the ideal environment to educate children about topics potentially seen by some as big and scary – period education included.
It needs to be accepted that periods are a part of everyday life
In combination with increased provision of free sanitary products in schools and the demystifying of the fe-
male pubescent body, education can contribute towards ensuring more girls have a positive and informed attitude towards puberty. Ultimately it needs to be accepted that periods are part of everyday life for many primary school-aged children. The younger we teach them about what changes happen to their body during puberty, the sooner we can normalise periods, before it all becomes a big bloody mess.
Amy Brown
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hile sex education in schools has been compulsory in England since 2017, it has been in discussion that the curriculum will be expanded to be more up to date. Students will now be taught about menstrual health and the menstrual cycle, starting in primary school. By 2020, it will be compulsory teaching in primary and secondary schools.
Menstrual education means that periods become tangible
Furthermore, if all schoolchildren have the same level of awareness about periods, it means that young girls are less likely to feel ostracised when they do start. Knowing that their classmates understand that it is a natural part of human biology can relieve children of some of the taunting they may otherwise face from classmates who are unaware of what periods are and thus just recognise them as something differentiating one pupil from the next. Unfortunately, parents cannot necessarily be relied on to give their children reliable information about what happens during puberty. While children typically experience the dreaded “talk” from their parents twice – once when they reach puberty age and once more when their parents suspect they are becoming sexually active – the content of these talks is not necessarily the same for everyone. Providing menstrual education in primary schools ensures that all children are able to acquire the same knowledge – from how to use sanitary towels and tampons to why they might start producing discharge or growing pubic hair. Ensuring all children have the same period education makes it less likely that they will emerge from the school toilets in tears after finding blood on their knickers for the first time and not knowing what is happening to their body.
Surely information of such importance should ultimately be compulsory everywhere. The teaching goes even further beyond the knowledge; it can save lives. Medical conditions surrounding menstrual health should be talked about. Educating young people on what is normal when it comes to menstrual health is more important than ever. In a time of developing, young people should have a safe environment to discuss these things. Sometimes periods are described as ‘embarrassing’, and this forces people with periods to feel ashamed and hide it. Increased education surrounding menstruation will ultimately contribute to breaking the stigma when it comes to periods and normalising it for our future generations.
Information of such importance should be compulsory everywhere
Further additions to the curriculum will also include consent, relationships, mental health, domestic abuse and staying safe online. It will also be LGBT+ inclusive. It comes down to a matter of safety and education. Making this information accessible in a school environment will provide them with the knowledge they wouldn’t get from their maths or geography lessons. It will mean less internet searching for things they don’t understand –and the internet, as we all know, is notorious for misinformation. This development in teaching, if done correctly with age-appropriate lessons and inclusion of all sexual and gender identities, will be essential for the future. It will be valuable experience that will mould children for the real world. Not only will it teach them how to keep themselves safe, but also how to be themselves. Hopefully this is a new beginning for sex education, as it has not been a priority for many years. What has been taught in schools in recent memory has been the bare minimum about sex and puberty but it is mostly brushed over quickly with no real focus on new and important issues. It is about providing the next generation with the ability to be better and understand the world around them. While there will always be more progress to be made, this will be a huge step in the right direction for sex education.
Hopefully this is a new beginning for sex education
Education means girls have a positive attitude towards puberty
Some critics argue that primary school children are too young to learn about puberty, but I disagree. That children start their periods while still in primary school
Image: menstrualhealthhub on Instagram
While I welcome these changes, I feel that they have come way too late. Too late for all the girls who have skived PE because they were too embarrassed to get changed in the changing rooms because of their periods. Too late for the girls who stuffed toilet paper down their knickers because they were scared to ask for sanitary towels. Too late for the girls who cried in the school toilets when they saw blood on their underwear and didn’t know why. But at the very least, these changes mean that girls in the future will be rid of these indignities. When it comes to menstrual health, young girls deserve better. Hopefully these changes will be able to deliver.
Public figures, public action, public accountability Mohi Choudhury analyses to what extent they think public figures should be held accountable for the actions of their peers T he six degrees of separation theory entails that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other. Perhaps this is not completely true in all cases, but the proposition does hold some weight. Every year, you and your ill-mannered distant cousin are encouraged to share a dinner with each other on Christmas. He may commit a heinous crime further down the line. You live your own life. They live their own. None of your business? Should there be any guilt, no matter how small, be associated with you for merely sharing a table with this person on multiple occasions? It depends on how much you knew, what you
knew, and the situation itself. Businesswoman Karren Brady has recently cut ties with Philip Green, a man accused of sexual and racial harassment. Yet, why did she not cut ties with him when he sold BHS for a mere pound? This consequently left many people in a financially precarious situation. It left a £571m hole in its pension fund. It is hard to extend compassion to an immoral person. One could argue that it was for financial reasons. But it also turns out that she has heavily praised this man’s character on multiple occasions in the past. In this case, she should be held accountable to some degree for her long-
term partnership with him. This is not the same thing as saying that we should blame her for his alleged crimes. The two are different things.
Innocent until proven guilty isn’t something we should dispense of
I hope that most reasonable people would agree that we should view each case on an individual basis and innocent until proven guilty is something that we should not
dispense of completely. What is happening now is that we are trying to fit a one shoe fits all formula to a very complex problem. A rather recent case involves Lady Gaga and disgraced singer R Kelly. In 2013, she passionately defended him despite decades’ worth of allegations and evidence against him. She defended her defence of him by saying that she was in a bad place mentally. I would argue that this defence is simply not good enough. More responsibility needs to be taken, both personally and as a society.
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Monday 11 March 2019
May’s Brexit mayhem: will she deliver?
As March 29th draws closer, our writers assess whether or not Theresa May can deliver Brexit
Sesha Subramanian
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ith less than a month left for the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the House of Commons, saying that a decisive vote will take place by March the 12th on trying to leave the EU with the current deal. If that is voted down, she said that by the next day (13th of March), a new motion will be voted upon in the House to decide if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. And if that too, is rejected, the House will, on the next day (14th of March, for those keeping track) decide on a short period of extension of Article 50. If the House does vote for an extension, the Prime Minister will take it to the EU and try to work out the same with the powers that be in Brussels. The Leader of The Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn responded to her statement saying, “We believe in getting the terms of our exit right - that’s why we believe in our alternative plan…We cannot risk our country’s industry and people’s livelihoods and so if it somehow does pass in some form at a later stage, we believe there must be a confirmatory public vote to see if people feel that’s what they voted for…A no-deal outcome would be disastrous.” Right now, with the 29th of March deadline approaching, and with the Prime Minister’s deal being anything but satisfactory, it appears that the UK is headed towards either a no-deal Brexit or an extension of Article 50. And the chances are, given the fact that the EU has previously stated that this is the best deal that the UK was going to get from them, it might very well be the former. Even if Article 50 is extended, which I believe it needs to be, I doubt the EU is going to allow its position of advantage to go to waste so eventually, whatever deal does come on the table, it won’t be a good one for the UK.
From a business perspective, Article 50 should be extended
From a business and trading perspective, Article 50 needs to be extended. Even though the government has been preparing for a no-deal Brexit since December 2018, the time remaining now is too short to allow for effective mitigation of any problems that might arise from a nodeal Brexit even if the government takes unilateral action on certain issues. Plus, the unpreparedness of businesses and trading entities for a no-deal Brexit means that extending Article 50 is the most sensible way to go about it, a time period which will allow for effective planning and management of the crisis if not anything else.
Edward Ingram
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uch like the highly anticipated Avengers flick this summer, Brexit finally seems to be reaching its ‘Endgame’, or at least it appears to be. Officially, and legally, the UK will leave the European Union on the 29th March with or without a deal, should Parliament fail to ratify it in time. Since bringing back her deal from Brussels the government
appears to have done very little to alter it or attempt to re-open negotiations. This suggests that, rightly or wrongly, Theresa May believes her deal is the best and only possible outcome which satisfies the referendum whilst also protecting our economy and national interests. The Prime Minister therefore believes that her deal must be the Brexit settlement that becomes policy. To that end the government’s strategy has been jawdroppingly reckless. It has become obvious over the last month that the government has no intention of making any serious alterations to the deal and acknowledge the concerns of MPs, other than securing assurances on the backstop. Instead, the government is essentially capitalising on MPs fear and total opposition to No Deal by running down the clock until the 29th March, at which point Britain will leave the EU with or without a deal. Essentially the PM is recklessly gambling with the country’s future by bluffing and threatening the prospect of No Deal.
There is still no clarity on where we will be this time next month
We must therefore count ourselves lucky that both the cabinet and Parliament contains ministers and MPs who realise the real danger of No Deal and can see clearly how grossly irresponsible and careless the government’s current strategy is. Theresa May was forced to back down and offer a parliamentary vote on No Deal and an extension to Article 50 following the growing support for the Cooper-Letwin bill, which would have forced the government to seek and extension if no deal was passed by March 29th. Exacerbating the situation for Mrs May was the threat of mass cabinet resignations should the PM refuse to take no deal off the table. Furthermore, with the prospect of more Conservative MPs defecting and joining the Independent Group of MPs, further diminishing the governments control over the parliamentary agenda, the PM had no choice but to acquiesce to their demands. As a result Parliament will now have three votes. One on the PMs deal, another on whether to leave without a deal, and another on whether to seek an extension of article 50 and delay Brexit. As a result no deal hasn’t quite been ruled out but its is highly unlikely that it will become a reality. Additionally the chances of an extension have also become more likely but is still not certain yet. There is lit-
tle appetite in the Commons and in Europe to extend this torturous process, with many in Westminster and Brussels wanting to settle Brexit and move on to negotiate the future relationship. But at this stage an extension really does look inevitable. We are set to leave the EU this month and yet still there is no clarity on where we will be this time next month. There is currently food on supermarket shelves that goes out of date after Brexit day and businesses who cannot plan for the next month because they have no idea what will happen after the 29th March. For many,the uncertainty created by the government is having real consequences. We should therefore expect to see the debate shift to how long the extension will be. A couple of weeks, months, or maybe even years. All are being discussed as serious possibilities. Endgame or not, what is abundantly revealing from this continued uncertainty is Theresa May’s continued bungling of the Brexit negotiations.
T
Obesity needs to be recognised as a societal problem
The announcement has come following great public support for the ban; of 1500 respondents to a public consultation conducted last May, 82% supported the proposals. 2018 research conducted by Cancer Research shows how advertising can significantly influence a population’s rate of obesity, revealing that “young people who recalled
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Katharine Lovell
eganism is an easy environmental conscience-reliever. Since animal products emit 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas, yet only provide 18% of our calories, it’s obvious that we should all be eating far less of them. Nevertheless, while many vegans oppose the carbon emission of livestock, but do they count the carbon cost of ploughing? Globally, between 25 and 40bn tonnes of topsoil are lost every year, mainly through ploughing and intensive cropping. Increasing demands for popular vegan supplements such as quinoa and soy bean, contributes to this problem by using herbicides that destroy natural, soil-feeding bacteria. One farmer, writing for the Guardian, said ‘unless you’re sourcing your vegan products specifically from organic, “no-dig” systems, you are actively participating in the destruction of soil biota […] significantly contributing to climate change.’ While I agree we should end intensive farming, it seems many vegans are just as ignorant as everyone else about their diet’s impact on the environment. Furthermore, even if veganism can save the planet, it’s very easy for us privileged westerners to pick and choose what we eat. Much harder for families living where food is very scarce. The best we can do is invest in rewilding projects that farm more organically and sustainably.
PERI PERI POLITICS
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Image: Wikimedia Commons, HitTrophy on YouTube, Flickr, DeviantArt
Grace Dean discusses if Transport for London’s ban on junk food adverts will be at all effective seeing junk food adverts every day were more than twice as likely to be obese”, with 87% of young people describing images depicting foods high in salt and fat as “appealing”. Khan consequently argues that “it’s clear that advertising plays a huge part in the choices we make, whether we realise it or not, and Londoners have shown overwhelming support for a ban on adverts for junk food and drink on our transport network.” The Advertising Association and Conservative politicians have however criticised the introduction of this ban, with the Advertising Association arguing that it will have “little impact on the wider societal issues that drive obesity”. Conservative politicians claim that the advertising ban could also lead to an increase in transport fares and stint investment in infrastructure improvements due to Transport for London losing around £13m a year in advertising revenue. This points to one of the key reasons why obesity is so prevalent in our society: people are putting profits before human health.
VALUES OF VEGANISM?
ROAST OF THE WEEK
Fast food ads thrown off the rails ransport for London and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have introduced a ban on junk food advertising across London’s entire public transport network. This ban covers all posters advertising food and drink with high fat, salt and sugar content. This corresponds to Khan’s desire to tackle the “ticking time bomb” of London’s child obesity.
SOAPBOX
Obesity needs to be recognised as a societal problem and dealt with using public policy, of which an advertising ban for unhealthy products is one example. Transport for London’s ban is an excellent stepping stone, but is it enough? In the modern age, commuters fail to pay much attention to advertisements. People are paying less attention to adverts on the Tube or in stations as they are much more likely to be distracted by their phones. The ban therefore has limitations. Ultimately this ban is not radical enough to generate the immense change in public attitude towards healthy living that is necessitated to avoid a greater public health epidemic. The ban covers products with high fat, salt and sugar content, but advertisers can get around this by advertising their slightly healthier products instead. Despite this, the ban is a great foundation for an improved public health policy which aims to tackle obesity head-on. Whilst more radical measures are required to produce effective results, a ban on advertising the most unhealthy of foods is a great start.
Mohi Choudhury
ecent Tory defector, and politician, Heidi Allen, was spotted eating Nando’s chicken without any sides recently. As were her fellow Labour defectors. This is not the worst of it. She has previously appealed, rather passionately and effectively to the masses about matters of compassion, but she contradicts this with her actions. One glance at her voting record would inform you that she consistently voted against laws promoting equality and human rights. She voted against investigations into the Iraq War, one of the greatest calamities of the twenty-first century. Essentially, she has an abysmal record, so her messages of morality and compassion should be viewed with sharp suspicion. Are there any positives to the recently formed independent party, made up of ex-Labour and Conservative members? Maybe. I would venture to affirm that they would flounder should they participate in any election. Furthermore, they have further sullied their own reputations.
TOAST OF THE WEEK
FABULOUS FUNDRAISERS
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Caitlin Disken
s somebody who is terrible at any form of sporty activity, I really commend those who set themselves a challenge (such as running a 5k), and use it to fundraise for charities close to their heart. Not only do I admire them for having the determination to set themselves a task and follow through with it, but by sharing their JustGiving pages they raise awareness for charities many people may not have heard of. A lot of people enter races just for fun. Yet these people take something they love and do it for good.
the courier
Monday 11 March 2019
life&style
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@CourierLifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, Ella Williams Online Editor Amanda Goh
Blind Date
Max Hobbs meets Katie Sawyer
How did introductions go? Really well we hugged and said how nervous we both were and that took the tension out of everything That’s so sweet. Did you talk about a lot? Yea all kinds of stuff. We both do English so we talked a lot about uni. We also chatted about home, music, relationships and what we want to do next year Was there any particularly funny moments in your date ? Amazingly nothing massively embarrassing happened. We had a laugh though That’s always good, was she what you were expecting to meet on your blind date? She was much easier to talk to than I was expecting and very easy going So it was a super chill vibe ? Yea just a really nice time. Didn’t feel pressured at all Would you ask her or again? I don’t know because I’m not sure how she feels. It was definitely more friendly than romantic. If she wanted to then definitely but I’d wanna stay in touch as friends anyway If you could describe her as any animal what would she be?
What made you sign up to blind date ?
“he quite literally surprised me with a magic trick”
I’ve never been on a blind date before and thought it would be fun and a good chance to do something different! Nice! What was your first impression of your date? He seemed super lovely! I was also very impressed that he had a drink ready for me. That is quite impressive ! Did you get on well?
Yeah we did. We both do English so had a good start point with that and the conversation just flowed from there. He was really friendly and made me relax from which was good as well That’s great! Did he surprise you in any way? He was more chatty than I first expected which was fab, and then he quite literally surprised me with a magic trick. He even let me keep the card, haha! Wow! Would you ask him out again? Probably not romantically, I got more of a friendly vibe, but I’d be game to see him again if he was down!
A mole cos she has terrible eyesight
If you could describe him as any animal what would he be?
How did you bring your date to an end?
My gut instinct is to say a koala. He was a nice friendly guy!
She had to meet some friends in town so we just hugged and said how much we enjoyed it Would you have done anything differently? Been less worried
Are you unlucky in love? Email us at c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
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the courier
life & style lifestyle
Monday 11 March 2018
Gilette, here to shave the day? Carl Smith Valdez questions whether this new wave of advertisin can actually be a tool for real social change
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ast January 2019, the shaving company Gillette released an advertising campaign promoting positive masculinity. The advertisement called “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be” focuses on sexual harassment, bullying and toxic masculinity.
Corporate brands no longer simply sell their products The advertisement featured news footages of Hollywood sexual assault allegations and beyond, sexism in workplace and films, and reports from the #MeToo movement. The campaign received mixed responses online, and immediately went viral 48 hours after its launch. Amongst the supporters, Bernice King, the daughter of the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King considers the advert “pro-humanity”. She adds that “it demon- strates that character can step up to change conditions.” Others found offence on the advertisement, pledging to boycott Gillette products. Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan tweeted: “I’ve used @Gillette razors my entire adult life but this ab-
surd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men.” Toxic masculinity originates from the mythopoetic movement of the 1980’s and the 1990’s as a reaction to second wave feminism. The movement challenged views of masculinity, which included being intellectually dominant and stoic. According to the movement, men’s frustrations were rooted from such views that deny men to show their true personal selves. Gillette encapsulates the revolutionary shift in advertising and marketing. Corporate brands no longer simply sell their products; they also stand for a bigger societal purpose. Men are stereotypically expected not to express their emotions. The advertisement presents a positive narrative about masculinity and brings light to the voices that were not expressed before due to cultural stereo-
types.
In the twenty-first century, companies are in constant competition to those making similar products, fixing the same problems and meeting the same needs. In order to stand out, advertisers had to craft stories that connects with their costumers on an emotional level. In the Gillette advert, neither features or benefits of the razor are mentioned. Gillette builds a deeper connection with their target audiences in a more personal and human way. They use shared values to create a strong bond with their consumers and the wider community, whereby profit and good intentions coincide. It was beyond unimaginable years ago that marketing and advertising can become an accelerator for societal progress. We are constantly bombarded with advertising everywhere. When
advertising promotes an inclusive picture of society, advertising can become a powerful tool for changing preconceived conceptions and giving a voice to those outside the mainstream. The campaign highlights the irony of challenging toxic masculinity. The word ‘toxic’ generates values and patterns of behaviour that men must follow. The term critiques one’s personal sense of self, which in turn reproduces a desired perception of men. Gillette is certainly not a solution to this problem. We still need to look at alternative frameworks that allows men to freely aspire who they want to be. In all, Gillette’s advertisement is a good start to challenging the patriarchal structure. It undoubtedly moves the discourse about masculinity into another level. It allows the public to consider how stereotypes of men can be provoked, so that the future generation does not have to endure them. It allows the public to consider how stereotypes of men can be provoked, so that the future generation does not have to endure them.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Afro hair, don’t care Philip Armstrong on black hair discimination and its place in society
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Image: @pink_bits on Instagram
he City of New Yo r k , through its Commission on Human Rights (CHR), has banned discrimination based on hairstyle. What this means is that employers, landlords and other institutional gatekeepers will now be subject to penalties and civil damages if they harass, threaten, fire or deny admission or affiliation to anyone based on a particular set of grooming choices. The CHR can levy penalties up to $250,000 on defendants that are found in violation of the guidelines, with no cap on damages. Furthermore, the new law specifically provides protections for “natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, Afros, and/or the right to keep hair in an uncut or untrimmed state.” I’ll be honest, when I first read about this I didn’t really know how to feel. Surely there are professional standards that have to be kept in the workplace, such as dress code? It’s understandable that some hairstyles, not just those worn by black people, may not fit into a working environment. However, the problem arises when you consider that somewhere, sometime, someone decided that a hairstyle worn by a black individual isn’t professional. Why? Simply because it’s not a style worn by white individuals. That’s not professionalism, that’s racism hiding behind professionalism. Perhaps you think that’s being overdramatic. Well then, let’s take a look at some of the cases of discrimination the CHR is investigating. Two years ago, for example, a young black woman working at a Banana
Republic in America was told by a white male manager that her braids were not “Banana Republic appropriate”.
Sometime, someone decided that a hairstyle worn by a black individual isn’t professional
They were too “unkempt” and “urban” and he would not be able to give her more shifts unless she took them out. Her braids weren’t even about style, they were a practical decision to protect her hair from becoming coarse in cold weather. Or the case of the luxury hair salon, frequented by patrons such as Kate Hudson and Michelle Obama. The former general manager claims that it was only after three black women were hired that he was told to create a dress code. What’s worse, one of the owners, Ms Dorram, went so far as to complain about their black hairstyles before claiming “All 3 at desk and we look like we should be on E. 134th Street. Sorry, not racist just telling you we are on Mad. and 71st.”. Do Black hairstyles not belong on Madison? These aren’t isolated cases either, with complaints rife across the city. It’s hardly surprising considering that the United States has the most lucrative hair care market of any country in the world, generating about 15 billion U.S. dollars of revenue in 2017. Of that 15 billion, a conservative estimate, which doesn’t include hair accessories, wigs or electric styling products, values the black hair care industry at more than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. Clearly, Black Americans take care of their hair. Therefore, it must be style, rather than the grooming standards, that is the problem. As NYC Human Rights Commissioner and Chair Carmelyn Malalis puts it; “Policies that limit the ability to wear natural hair or hairstyles associated with Black people aren’t about ‘neatness’ or ‘professionalism;’ they are about limiting the way Black people move through workplaces, public spaces and other settings....they are based on racist standards of appearance.”
Image: My Sister’s Hair by RhettaHughes
the courier
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lifestyle life & style
Monday 11 March 2018
Apps for adulting
Cary Boyle shares her tips for productivity in the digital age
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dulting can be hard but thankfully technology can save the day. I’ll be taking you through my favorite apps, available on any smartphone, that simplify adult life.
Monzo - FREE
Monzo makes checking your spending easy which is an essential part of adulting. Before I had Monzo I would never check my current account and my ASOS spending sprees would go virtually unnoticed. Monzo is a banking app and you get a notification every time you spend which is a really great hack for those on a budget. If you apply for an account, you’ll be issued with a bright coral Mastercard in the post and the whole premise of the app is that it’s a bank without branches!
Spring Greens Curry
This is an ideal dish for early spring, as it’s got freshness and brightness from the greens, lime and coriander, but with the comforting creaminess of coconut milk and plenty of warming spices for when there’s still a chill in the air. Roasting the greens first helps bring out their flavours, adding depth and complexity with minimal effort. I love this curry alongside brown rice or wholemeal chapatis, topped with a fried egg or a crumble of feta cheese, but you can pick your favourite grain and any other accompaniments you like. Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 head of broccoli 200g green beans 2 leeks 2 tbsps olive oil a thumb sized piece fresh ginger a small bunch fresh coriander 1 tsp cumin seeds 150g frozen peas 2 big handfuls kale 1 x 400g tin coconut milk 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp garam masala 1tsp ground turmeric 1 lime 2 spring onions salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
Uber - FREE
The days of booking a taxi over the phone are over thanks to Uber. With a simple click of a button you can have a ride en route to you in less than 5 minutes. Running late for a lecture? Uber. Don’t want to do the walk of shame after a big night out? Easy, take an Uber of shame instead.
Wetherspoons App - FREE
This is another great app. Ordering at the bar is so 2016! With this marvelous incentive you can pay for your food and drink at Wetherspoons with the click of a button. It’s revolutionary.
Mobike-FREE
Have you not noticed all those silver and oange bikes lying around Newcastle? These are bikes that via the Mobike app you can rent for a small fee and then leave wherever when done! For example that long 15 minuet walk to the shops quicly becomes a 5 minuet cycle.
Image: Gilette on YouTube
Cooking with Hope Coke
Now you know the essential apps for making your life at least 2 times easier, but the biggest tip I’d give you as a reader is this: STOP PROCRASTINATING!
Things are getting heated
We all love sunshine, but Nusrat Angela reveals the scary truth behind February’s heatwave
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few days ago I was rummaging through my wardrobe to find my summer clothes when it hit me: it was the middle of February and I was searching for skimpy clothes that would usually locked away until at least April. The weather at Newcastle has been quite warm for the past few days and some of us couldn’t be happier. Afterall, nobody can ever complain about a little bit of sunshine around here! A great thing about the warm weather is that you can wear your pretty clothes without countless layers of coats and jumpers over it and channel the inner diva in you.
No need to carry those heavy parkas or heavy wool coats anymore. There is also no fear of catching a cold and roaming around with a runny nose. Everything is only pleasant, and nothing can seem to go wrong. Having such a sunny weather also means you can visit the North and South Shields and enjoy the great view and blue waters. This also means going to the beach and rather than running away from the freezing cold water, you can get into the warm water. Back on the ground, you can just sit around the University campus with your friends and have a sun basking impromptu picnic. Suddenly there are so many outdoor activities you could do and going out won’t feel like a war with mother nature. Nothing feels better than a clear sun shining above Newcastle and Newcastle glowing in hues of gold. However, some people may not be a fan of this weather. While all this summer extravaganza sounds great, it might be helpful to look at the other side of the bridge. Having such high temperatures in the middle of February indicates the aftereffect of the much-dreaded global warming.
The heat is an immediate effect of the phenomenon. It is estimated that heat waves with high humidity become more frequent and severe. For those who remember, last year at this time of the year we were experiencing The Beast from East. Things had gotten so out of hand that the university was even closed of a week. The cold was unbearable, and the snow had made it almost impossible to commute.
The heat is an immediate effect of the global warming phenomenon A year later, the weather has drastically changed, and we are experiencing such radically different temperatures. It is simply frightening to imagine what next year will bring. We might be experiencing something totally different in the February of 2020. This brings attention to the question: how fast we are approaching global warming and its associated after-effects? In the short run, this weather might be a gift to us but in the long run, it holds nothing but uncertainties and fear. The temperature is still mild, and the heat is nice and bearable. But with the continual increase in temperature, there is possibility of very high temperatures and we won’t be loving the weather anymore. The most important thing for us right now is to be aware. The more we know, the better we are informed, the better we can adapt and combat whatever uncertainties that comes towards us. Image: Instagram @CoastalStand
@TheCourierLifestyle @thecourierlifestyle
Image: Hope Coke
Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C and prepare the vegetables for roasting. Slice the leeks into 2cm rounds and chop the broccoli into roughly 2cm chunks. Trim any stringy ends off the green beans and cut them in half, into shorter batons. Toss the leeks, broccoli and green beans with a tablespoon of olive oil, spread evenly on a large baking sheet and transfer to the oven to roast for 15-20 minutes, until all the veg is tender and just starting to brown and crisp in places. When ready, remove from the oven, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and set aside. 2. While the vegetables are roasting, peel and very finely dice the ginger. Remove the leaves from the coriander and set them aside for later, then finely chop the stalks. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the ginger, coriander stalks, cumin seeds and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Fry gently, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until the ginger is soft and the cumin seeds are fragrant and toasted. Add in the tin of coconut milk along with the curry powder, garam masala and turmeric and stir until the coconut milk has melted in and everything is well combined. 3. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer, and add in the frozen peas. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, until the frozen peas are just tender, then use the back of a spoon to crush about half the peas against the side of the saucepan before stirring them into the coconut milk, which will help thicken the curry. Add in the kale and cook, stirring frequently, for another couple of minutes until the kale is wilted. Then add in the roasted vegetables and stir until well combined, adding a little water to maintain the stew consistency if it seems too dry. Halve the limes and squeeze in the juice, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 4. Trim and finely slice the spring onions and roughly chop the coriander leaves, and you’re ready to serve! Ladle the curry over rice, quinoa, or your favourite grain, with naan bread or chapatis for dipping, then garnish with the coriander, spring onions and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.
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life & style beauty
courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Susanne Norris, Nimra Rafique Laura Buckle Online Editor Molly Taylor
Should I use SPF protection?
the courier
Monday11 March 2019
Fashion editor Miranda Stoner takes an in-depth look at sun protection and it's importance
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eed to get clued up on SPF? Look no further than this comprehensive guide. Why sunscreen is important: Catching a tan may make you feel ready to get up and glow, but the sad truth is that protecting yourself from the sun is essential. Not only in superficial terms of prolonging the youthful look of your skin, but also in the prevention of serious diseases such as skin cancer. Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and the leading causes are ultraviolet light from the sun or the rays from sun beds. Whilst this is often prevented at an early, when it isn’t treated soon enough it can spread to other organs and be fatal. Don’t be alarmed though, one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent skin cancer and moles is through using a sun protection product.
Studies have shown that it is important for our skin health to have UVA and UVB protection Deciphering the labels: There are so many products out containing SPF, but it doesn’t necessarily follow that these are fully protective for your skin. Studies have shown that it is important for our skin health to have UVA and UVB protection. Sun care products universally contain UVB as this protects the top layers of the skin against reddening and sunburn. UVA on the other hand is not present in all products, even though it more likely to affect the average UK dweller. UVA is present through all daylight hours, all year round and it prevails through clouds and glass, so even if you’re sat at a desk inside facing a window it could be having an effect on your skin! What’s more it effects the skin on a deeper level and is thought to play a major role in skin ageing and wrinkling. So, just make sure the products you’re buying have you covered for both. For this reason, Dr Anjali Mahto, author of The Skincare Bible emphasises the need for us to find a product that protects from both. She also recommends that we add sunscreen into our daily routine. Experience says that it is most easily layered underneath your moisturiser and foundation for a clear conscious as well as complexion. She also suggests
we try to cover up as much as possible. Protecting the planet: Another issue when buying sun care products is the environment. The sun screen we wear often ends up in the oceans through the water ways or as a result of us jumping straight in the sea lathered head to toe in an oily sheen. Ingredients found in chemical sunscreens such as oxybenzone (found in 3,500 sunscreens worldwide), octinoxate and octocrylene might be contributing to coral bleaching, as well as posing a threat to other marine wildlife, and damaging the coral DNA which stops it from reproducing and ultimately leads to its death. Craig Downs, Ph.D., a forensic ecotoxicologist in Virginia adds to this “Once those reefs die, we’ve found they’re not coming back,” notes Downs.
“They’re just crumbling to dust.” Other problematic ingredients are Zinc oxide and Titanium Dioxide. When these are uncoated and nano-size, they can enter the cells of marine creatures after being ingested, which can destroy the cells and damage the marine environment. If you pick a product with these in, make sure they are nonnano ingredients. Experts also suggest that creams are better than sprays, as sprays are easily caught by the sand and transported straight to the sea. In short: there’s every reason to start/keep integrating sun screen into your daily beauty routine, what’s important is that you ae conscious of the choices you make. Make sure you are aware of the ingredients you are putting on your skin and always tan responsibly.
Jamie Genevieve on your TV screen Mega beauty blogger Jamie Genevieve has made her TV debut with BBC, and Beauty Editor Laura Buckle gives us her verdict
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n the world of online beauty bloggers, Jamie Genevieve is a name which many faces will recognise. With over 1.2m Instagram followers and over 750K subscribers on YouTube, Jamie G has caught the eye of many for her outrageously stunning makeup looks and unique touch of grunge she brings to the makeup world.
This online popularity has now won Jamie her most recent career milestone which every other online personality can only dream of
Tattooed, pierced and always sporting a heavy, super glam makeup look, I can probably relate to a lot of makeup enthusiasts out there when I say she is my favourite social media “influencer”. Although Jamie hates the term “influencer”, ultimately, this is what Jamie has become after years of success online, earning her a vast fan base on many networking channels. This online popularity has now won Jamie her most recent career milestone which every other online personality can only dream of; her own BBC documentary. Aired first on Monday 25th February, the BBC Scotland team revealed just what it’s like to follow Jamie Genevieve for 6 months, showing her daily routine of PT sessions, occasional fan meet-and-greets and behind the scenes of what being a “YouTuber” is all about. Alongside an insider look into Jamie’s life, the BBC also illustrated just why people love her online content. As an MUA, you’d probably expect people to first favour her
artistry with cosmetics, or her online tutorials, but it’s actually her goofy personality, humble Scottish lifestyle and even her German Shephard, Drogba, which people love more. Yes, she has an insane talent for makeup but it’s her relatable-ness which people, including myself, are drawn to. Currently, Jamie uploads weekly; both vlogs and tutorials. Occasionally however, her content is filled with exclusive branded trips with some of the world’s most acclaimed beauty brands; places like Dubai, Marbella, Kenya, the Maldives and Ibiza are just some of her most recent trips. However, whilst we know and love her lavish jet-setter lifestyle online, the BBC really emphasise her as an individual. The programme also highlights her fiancé Jack’s influence into her career. Jack, recently a bricklayer, has now put his own career on hold to support Jamie full-time in hers as her editor, photographer and videographer; all made possible through the extensive earnings she makes from posting online. Kindly, the BBC also painted Jack as a talent all in himself. Yes, Jamie is the face of it all, but her fiancé really is the brick and mortar behind her success creating exciting videography wherever she is around the globe; even using drones and sophisticated technology to differentiate her content
against the rising number of YouTuber’s. Throughout the programme we also get an insight into Jamie’s success so far. We see footage from the creation of her own MAC lipstick released in August 2018 and we’re
Although many anticipate how the “influencer bubble will eventually burst”, Jamie’s breakthrough onto traditional media has opened more doors
invited to the Young Scot awards 2018 to see Jamie take home the entertainment title. Yet, it is undeniable that Jamie is a success in herself without her makeup career. Although many anticipate how the “influencer bubble will eventually burst”, Jamie’s breakthrough onto traditional media has opened up even more doors and displayed to many more generations of people just how fantastic she is. Since the documentary aired, it’s fair to say that, despite her already large following online, the only way is up for Jamie Genevieve. BBC Scotland have done a really good job at portraying just who Jamie is and have captured her much-loved personality perfectly. Overall however, it is clear that whilst the documentary shows how much Jamie loves makeup, it really reveals how we (as viewers) don’t need to love makeup to love Jamie. You can find BBC Scotland’s “Jamie Genevieve #Unfiltered” documentary on BBC i-Player. Image: @jamiegenevieve
the courier
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beauty life & style
Monday 11 March 2019
Urban Decay-ing
Are UD's Naked Palettes still great? Or are they a thing of the past? Emily Cartwright
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Image: @urbandecaycosmetics
love Urban Decay as a brand. Their vegan and cruelty free formulas, outstanding setting sprays, involvement with charities and student discount on UniDays make them almost perfect. But their Naked collection has truly wrung itself out dry and has, without doubt, become boring. I’m not including their Naked foundation, concealers etc. - but rather want to focus on the Naked palettes - as it was with these that the range first launched. The first Naked palette was a ground-breaking set of 12 eyeshadows in mattes, shimmers and metallics, all neutral and earth toned shades that each had outstanding pigmentation for the time of its release. The palette shook the beauty community, with plenty of beauty lovers trying to get their hands on the desirable velvet encased palette left right and centre. Urban Decay evidently saw this opportunity to release more palettes in the collection. Naked 2. Naked Basics. Naked 3. And the list didn’t end there. This is where it got boring. Naked Smoky. Naked Ultimate Basics. Naked Heat. Naked Cherry. And NOW Naked Reloaded. I’m sorry Urban Decay, but you really can’t ‘reload’ a collection by discontinuing the first palette and putting all those shades into a new palette, only taking out the darker tones of the first palette and throwing a few peachy tones into the new one. Rather than a reload, it’s a repetition to make more money. The company knows there are collectors of the Naked palette range – hence why they released a vault with the first three palettes in a year or two ago, and that was heavily sought after. Discontinuing the first naked palette with the launch of the newest is a cruel money making and company-promoting feat. Not only this, but it’s boring. Neutrals, neutrals, neutrals. They’re great (and quite frankly they’re all I ever use) but to release extremely similar palettes one after each other doesn’t look great. Admittedly, the palettes do adhere to the tones of the Naked range, and fundamentally I guess the range has to stay neutral. But I have to say you ought to at least include a couple of fun colours for people who
do like the neutral look to perhaps be inspired by, as the all neutral shades in the colour spectrum have already done in the range (Naked 1, 2 and 3). Quite frankly too, I personally find that the quality of the shades isn’t great either. When the first Naked palette launched years ago, the pigmentation seemed great. But the beauty industry has moved on with its formulas since then. When you compare the pigmentation of any Naked palette to a Morphe palette that’s 1/3 of the price, its trounced over. Even palettes from the likes of Maybelline and Rimmel can match, if not surpass, the pigmentation of these Naked palettes. By all means, make the shadows neutral if that’s what you really want, but at least give us a little pigment! I think that the makeup community has undoubtedly moved on from the introductory days of the Naked range. The fundamental idea is great in my opinion, as I love natural makeup, but it has quickly become antiquated with the vast, overproduction of overly similar palettes. The Naked Reloaded palette then, is certainly not a reload, but instead a boring repetition of what has already been done time and time again in the beauty industry, not only by Urban Decay but other brands too. I’m asking for a revamp rather than a reload.
Image: @urbandecaycosmetics
Tattoos: statement or serious? Should tattoos be impuslive or taken seriously? Nusrat Angela discusses the pros and cons
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he tattoo industry is massive. After its breakthrough popularity in the 90s, there has been no looking back and today, it is estimated that 20 million brits have at least one tattoo. The industry has stretched far and wide, in terms of expertise and technology, to cater to everyone’s needs and preference. However, at the same time, the tattoo removal surgery sector has seen a 400 per cent increase, making it the largest growth sector in cosmetic procedures, not just in the UK but worldwide. This puts forward some interesting questions under the microscope - are people these days just hastily getting tattoos for the sake of it only to realize they don’t really want them for good? And does this mean tattoo is a serious business or something we get just for fun?
Tattoos have always been a mode for expression for individuals. Though many opt for it to cover injuries, the mass refers to inking themselves as an artistic form of freedom Tattoos have always been a mode of expression for individuals. Though many opt for it to cover injuries, the mass refers to inking themselves as an artistic form of freedom. It is a way to portray your uniqueness and give a physical form to your thoughts. It represents what you think is important or people who are dear to you. And how creatively you are able to do that is where an individual’s creativity and individuality comes in. Like the famous Johnny Depp saying, ‘My body is my journal and my tattoos are my stories,’ the possibilities are limitless and can be curbed only by your imagination. Most of the
time, tattoos are assumed to hold a special meaning to the person, maybe symbolizing a significant incident of the past, and other times, the tattoos are gotten simply for aesthetic purposes. These days, more and more people are going for tattooing since it seems like a trend. Rather than having any meaning attached, they get it as decoration and ornate their body. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you are happy with it, that’s all that matters.
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the amount (in millions) of Brits who have tattoos. The industry has expanded massively since the 1990s and just keeps growing.
However, people should consider the effect of tattooing in more depth before getting it done. Though the effects of not using hygienic needles can lead to several health risks, there are other medical concerns. Tattoo dyes, especially of red, green and yellow colour can cause allergic reactions, even years later, causing rashes. A skin infection may also occur, rooting from sensitive skin. Furthermore, inflammation and keloids can form. On a more serious note, sometimes the equipment used to make your tattoo is contaminated with infected blood, and you can contract various blood-borne diseases. Therefore, it is important to realize that making a decision to get a tattoo should be well thought out. And let’s not forget how much it is going to hurt you and your wallet to remove the tattoo, either by laser or surgery, if you later change your mind. So, make a decision you will not regret. In the end, it can be said that whatever the reason is for you to get a tattoo, it’s alright. No reason is too small or insignificant for getting a tattoo and no amount of tattoo can be overboard or too simple. As long as you can justify it to yourself and feel happy about it, no other factor comes into play. But since it is an extensive procedure with health factors involved, make the decision wisely. Other than that, it’s ok to have zest for tattoos, freely express yourself, and live life the way you, and only you want.
Big-up beauty brand lovin'
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ruelty-free cosmetic products have long been something I have sworn by, it seems unfair to buy anything that doesn’t meet these standards, so it is no doubt the beauty brand I am loving this month is completely vegan. B. Cosmetics is an affordable, yet quality brand that is sold exclusively in Superdrug and specialises in make-up and skincare products. Many people have probably not even heard of it, or wanted to purchase anything as it is not what I would call ‘a big beauty brand’, but I am here to change your mind. For me, it’s professional quality, but cheaper and when you’re a student, these are the exact sort of products I feel like we need in our lives. Not to mention there is usually almost always deals in Superdrug such as 3 for 2, or buy one get one half price. So it’s a “win win” all round. Also a little heads-up, there is currently an offer that if you spend £12 or over on B. Cosmetics you get a free brow contour kit. The packaging itself is nothing special, simplistic in design, and definitely does not look like something you would find in Harvey Nicks but do not be fooled, as inside there is a whole lot of goodness. They offer ranges for both men and women, and on the Superdrug website they split their products into age categories so you can see the products best suited to your skin type, whatever age you are. Also, the foundations and concealers are in a variety of 12 shades to suit all skin tones and the glitter pigments are SO in this Christmas season. B. Cosmetics are currently doing a makeup range with one of their ambassadors, Cassie Lomas, and if you’re really into makeup she is probably a familiar and trusted face. On her collection, Cassie said “my products are designed to lift the complexion and enhance our natural beauty whilst remaining on-trend”, and as an avid user of this brand, I totally agree with her. My favourite products definitely have to be the stubborn makeup remover (£3.95 on offer, usually £7.99) and the dual wand mascara (£10.99) which has a brush designed for your top lashes and one for your bottom lashes – so there’s no more splodges of mascara under your eye or on your eyelid. And for these sorts of prices, you can’t go wrong! The brand is definitely something I would recommend to people because quality can still be reached whilst keeping your purse a few pennies heavier. Whether you are vegan yourself and are looking for a switch up in your skincare routine or you just simply want to make a difference by buying cruelty-free, this brand will not disappoint. Buying cruelty-free cosmetics seems like such an obvious choice to me, if you delve a little bit deeper into the industry you will find how disturbing it actually is. The suffering these innocent animals have to endure is heartbreaking and can only be helped if we all decide to ditch the barbarity of animal-tested cosmetics. Other high-street cruelty-free brands: Boots No7, NYX, The Body Shop, E.L.F, Lush, and Wet n Wild, as well as SO many others! Find the full list on crueltyfreekitty.com. If you too want to buy cruelty-free cosmetics, just look for the leaping bunny! Yasmin Hailes
Image: @superdrug
the courier
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life & style fashion
c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Miranda Stoner & Joe Hood Online Editor Molly Taylor
Monday 11 March 2019
Man, i feel News-Fash like a woman
Nusrat Angela shares ideas on Billy Porter's controversial dress and the general stigma surrounding the design
Fashion Editor Miranda Stoner rounds up all of the things making a splash in fash this past week - stay in the know!
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A small order
ne of the most surprising fashion accessories launched at Paris fashion week has been the Jaquemus Le Mini Chiquito handbag. It comes in a range of colours and at 5.2cm it’s so tiny it can fit into
the palm of your hand. A price has not yet been decided and neither has its exact use. Many functions have been suggested from a single earphone to the dignity of the buyer. The 29-year-old designer of the finger bag, Simon Porte, often plays with proportions and this is no exception.
Instagram: @jaquemus
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I believe I can fly
his year's Fall 19 Ready-to-wear collections have featured capes of all lengths, textures and sizes. Karl Lagerfeld's last collection as well as Prada owned company Miu Miu included highlights such as a camoflague cape and floor length black numbers. They may not be your go to option for keeping warm in winter- we all remember the strong words of Pixar's
most well reknowned fashion designer Edna Mode "no capes". Capes are however a practical garment for autumn weather, as they keep in heat whilst also offering ventilation. No more arriving at your lectures warm and flustered! Whether you're a fan or not, there is no doubt that they will be flying off the shelves.
Instagram: @theebillyporter
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he stigma around men wearing dresses is not new. Every time a celebrity made a statement on a red carpet wearing a dress or anything remotely ‘feminine’, heads have turned. Billy Porter’s suit dress at the Oscars had no different reception. It shot off a train of controversies and articles but most importantly, it has started off a discussion. Granted that dresses do not keep in line with masculine clothing which is ideally what men are expected to wear, it is a new frontier in inclusive fashion that encourages all to wear what they want, regardless of gender. And the problem around it seems to stem from fear. It is almost as if we are threatened by men who do not conform to masculine norms. There is fear of masculinity, which is the epitome of strength and power, being shattered or broken. It is the horror of moving away from the concrete concept that we ourselves have conjured to satisfy our own understanding that makes us so afraid to accept something unique. And now that some individuals are stepping forward to change that notion, one can’t help but wonder what is holding the rest of us back from
It is almost as if we are threatened by men who do not conform to masculine norms
welcoming and celebrating this change. The reason seems to be that we are horrified of changes; anything that moves away from social and cultural conventions scares us. We are habituated into believing a previously painted picture regarding what is right and wrong by society. And like any other habit which can be very hard to change, our thoughts and beliefs are just as stubborn. It requires effort and a lot of us are not ready to put in the work, even if it is something as simple as fixing an old, arrogant opinion. On another front, one can’t help but wonder whether it is inequality behind all this evil. And, is it a form of equality that we are seeking through this movement? It
is almost in the same line as ‘women can wear pants so why men can’t wear skirts?’ And the dimensions seem different as we want men to have the freedom to choose what to wear rather than women this time. Hence, it feels new and raw, and evidently hard to accept. What must be understood is that dresses do not have a gender. Style doesn’t have masculinity or femininity sewed in them. Fashion is a manner of self-expression and should be all about feeling good about yourself. The style you opt for should reflect your preference, personality and likes, not what society expects you to wear.
It is a new frontier in inclusive fashion that encourages all to wear what they want, regardless of gender
Simply put, it is a person’s right to dress the way he or she wants. What must be considered is that fashion is supposed to be the most inclusive form of self-expression. The question in fact shouldn’t be whether this makes an individual any less of a man but rather why are we so obsessed with what a man is or what can a man wear. The fact that every time a man puts on a dress and it is subject to controversy and discussion perfectly portrays how far away, we are still from freedom of style and art. But it can be said that by wearing a suit dress on such an important platform such as the Oscars, Billy Porter has started the conversation that was long overdue. It is the preliminary step towards normalizing inclusion in fashion. We still haven’t reached the milestone that everyone deserves, but at least it is a move in the right direction. Now all that is required is to keep this conversation running, raise awareness, and welcome this deviation from traditional, prejudiced thoughts.
Instagram: @instahautecouture
Front Row to Shehero
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arbie has decided on Adwoa Aboah as their latest inspiration for their 60th anniversary. She released the information on Instagram Wednesday 6th 2019 adding “Life is mad and wonderful and I’m in total shock! So excited to finally share with you my very own @Barbie Shero doll today. Through my organisation @GurlsTalk and Barbie’s mission to close the Dream Gap, we have both been on journeys to empower girls to believe anything is possible and I’m thrilled to work with Barbie for her 60th Anniversary to share my story and the community we have nurtured on Gurls Talk. What an absolute honor to be awarded this because of all the work I do with Gurls Talk means even more. Mad
love to everyone at Barbie and all the amazing artists who made my Doll (by hand). This is a dream come true!!!! My one of a kind doll is wearing the outfit I won model of the year in, which was another pivotal moment in my career. The outfit is by my loves @ HalpernStudio and @StephenJonesMillinery Shoes by @LouboutinWorld and a second outfit repping the love of my life Gurls Talk I CANT STOP SMILING!” Instagram: @adwoaaboah
the courier
19
fashion life & style
Monday 11 March 2019
Madewell: sustainable fashion
Thankfully, Katy Prophet is here to help us save our planet from the pollution created by fast fashion and its lasting effects
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eing sustainable seems more important than ever, and it has never seemed so important to cut back on things we love in order to improve the state of our planet. This seems even harder when fashion is so easily accessible, online or down the road, and with fast fashion making the newest trends so affordable. Sustainable fashion simply means that clothing/ accessories are produced whilst considering the environment. The clothing is produced without harming the environment, with the aim that the environment will be upheld or maintained for a much longer period of time.
The clothing is produced without harming the environment, with the aim that the environment will be upheld or maintained for a much longer period of time
The company Madewell have recently launched a sustainable swimwear range, called ‘second wave’. Each swimsuit is made from recycled plastic bottles. The collection features 32 pieces and there are numerous different styles, including high waist bikinis, swimsuits, block colours and bold patterns. Eight plastic bottles are used to make a one- piece swimsuit, and four are used to make a bikini. Humans produce almost 20,000 bottles per second and whilst bottles are recyclable, the issue arises
with how many we consume and how hard it is to recycle the increasing number effectively. Madewell used almost 51,000 bottles to create its collection, and since the issue of plastic bottles is rising dramatically, and has even been termed a crisis (polluting beaches at a drastic rate) there doesn’t seem a better way to create a swimwear collection than by taking some of this pollution out and giving something back. This swimwear range is not Madewell’s first ecofriendly collection. They started with a puffer jacket range, also being made from recycled plastic and about 6 plastic bottles in each. All the pieces from this swimwear collection are extremely classic looking, and will make a staple swim piece in any wardrobe, they definitely will not be going out of style. The prices range from £14.44 for the simple ‘J. Crew’ strappy bikini bottom to the more luxury, high end price of £276 for the ‘Mara Hoffman’ one piece swimsuit– so there is something for everyone in this collection. Other brands are also sourcing their materials sustainably, with Stella McCartney being named the first, in 2001, to demonstrate the possibility of fashion being sustainable– allowing for other brands to follow. Each year H&M launch their ‘concious exclusive collection’ which strives to create high end, but sustainable pieces, in the aim for fashion to be more sustainable in the future. Sustainable fashion also doesn’t have to be too hard to find, with more and more people creating new ethical clothing ranges. Newcastle is the birthplace of ‘Uncaptive’, an ethical clothing company which states it recognises the huge impact of fast fashion on the planet. They use organic cotton to make clothing pieces and tote bags, whilst also using bamboo to make homeware items such as toothbrushes (usually made of plastic). Uncaptive can be found in Stack, in the centre of Newcastle. EcoWolfe is another sustainable brand from Newcastle, which uses organic or recycled materials in all of its products, whilst also donating a lot of its profits to charity.
Second Wave Tank One-Piece Swimsuit in Towel Stripe - £64.21 - One-piece
Instagram: @madewell
Second Wave Classic Bikini Swimsuit in Rainbow Stripe - £38.53 - Bottoms - £42.38 - Top
Fur from the Maddening Crowd Shamara Mohsin runs through Selfridge's latest shift to animal-friendly fashion - is it a controversial move or simly long-awaited?
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Instagram: @royal_istanbul_bags
ong-time department store Selfridge’s has made the pledge to cut exotic skins from its stores as early as February 2020. With over 110 years in the business it’s no surprise the fashion giants have made such a claim as more and more brands turn to more environmentally friendly methods of practice. However, the British based company is one of only a few luxury brands to make such a statement, others being the likes of Chanel and Vivienne Westwood, all hoping to inspire change for others. The statement promises the discontinuation of accessories fashioned from crocodile, python, alligator and lizard by this time next year, and comes 3 years after the company’s current campaign, Buying Better, Inspiring Change launched in 2016. The campaign aims to make 50% of all products distributed under their name green by 2022; including removing plastic bottles from stores and making their classic paper yellow bags from upcycled coffee cups. Selfridges first made itself known on the animal welfare scene in 2005 when it banned fur from its stores, this pledge therefore appears as a natural progression to becoming a more environmental brand. And yet the root of the decision to make such changes is debatable. From a truly optimistic perspective we can assume that the brand was inspired by the delipidating state of the climate and the need for fast change. Selfridge’s, who has now had 12 years of continued growth in revenue, knows its audience and can be assumed to notice the shift in markets too. There is no doubt that this generation are more aware of a brands sustainability and their impact on the environment than any before, as many begin to choose vegetarian/vegan diets to preserve animals and regularly advocate for better practice by boycotting brands who don’t. The ban of exotic skins presents Selfridge’s as a forward-thinking company and keeps them viable to the changing audience. Could this entire pledge be a marketing ploy to widen the company’s market then? Selfridge’s begun its reign as a mashup of brands, with the
London store as the second largest in the world -behind Harrods- boasting its ability to house a variety of designers, with more and more as of late associated with the younger generation popping up in store. We see this with the brands new addition of the Bright New Things program which highlights up-and-coming designers promoting sustainable fashion. The image is projecting an awareness of the millennials a little too close to home to be a coincidence, and let’s not start on the addition of its 18,000 ft in-door skate park.
If the idea of Selfridge’s using the eradication of animal skins for products as a marketing strategy is just a little too farfetched then there are some other viable theories
If the idea of Selfridge’s using the eradication of animal skins for products as a marketing strategy is just a little too far-fetched then there are some other viable theories. Chanel found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to import products made from exotic skins, which could have been a similar issue for Selfridge’s. Without a detailed list of its customer purchases we don’t know how popular products made from animals are, which may depict a low profit on the items. What’s the point of sourcing and making a crocodile bag when there just isn’t a market for one? Being one of only a few brands to make such a change can be questioned, however, we can’t dismiss the positive impact this will have on the environment and the influence it could make to other major retailers by inspiring similar changes.
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life & style travel
courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk Travel Editors Jenny Franken, Bianca Ionici, Amy Harris Online Editor Amanda Goh
the courier
Monday 11 March 2019
Irish I never had to leave
Toby Bryant discusses Portrush: his Northern Ireland dream
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t has to be said, there is something special about Northern Ireland. A lot of people may still have a tainted opinion of the country following the late 20th century troubles, from which tensions can still be seen today, but it should be up there as one of your top places to visit. I’ve had the chance to spend some time in Northern Ireland on numerous occasions in my 21 years. As a rower, I attended a yearly rowing week in Enniskillen (a town sadly best-known for its Remembrance Day bombing in 1987) and since meeting Northern Irish students here at Newcastle, I’ve returned to visit Belfast, its surrounding towns and other areas across the country. One place that sticks out as the best of all, however, is Portrush. Jutting off the north-western edge of Northern Ireland, Portrush is a small seaside town with a population of just over 6,000. Far from the Costa Blanca, you won’t catch the Northern Irish residents sunning themselves on the town’s small beaches. The only people you’ll see daring to swim in the Atlantic are wetsuit-wearing surfers. The beaches are surrounded by cliffs and fields, a hotspot for caravan parks and golf. Having stayed with a friend in his caravan a couple of times, it’s a brilliant place to relax and escape the city life in Belfast. The town of Portrush is a hefty walk away from the quiet caravan parks, but doable if you’re feeling brave, if not it’s a 5-minute drive away. The restaurant Ramore looks out over the town’s widest beach and is a must-visit. A small
but fresh menu awaits in an always bustling bar. I’d recommend the garlic and chilli prawns, although everything I’ve got a whiff of smells good, and you’ve GOT to try one of the restaurant’s famous desserts. Grab the honeycomb ice-cream to take-away - it comes with the biggest chunks of honeycomb you’ve ever seen - and eat it whilst strolling back along the seafront. If you don’t fancy a sit-down meal, there’s plenty of cheap and cheery chippys in the centre and be sure to taste the speciality seaweed from a souvenir shop – although I can’t say I was the biggest fan of that… When you’re not eating, there’s plenty to fill your time with. Barry’s Amusement Park is a battered arcade, with a choice of rides, which is quite possibly the most loveable attraction that can’t have been touched too much since it opened in 1926. If you beat my score on the Skee Ball, I’ll be very impressed. Collect the generous game tokens and pick-up a ‘Barry Bear’ stuffed-toy when you’re done to keep as a memoir. If you’re a golf fan, you’re spoilt for choice with some of the country’s most scenic courses. You can also browse the artsy, homemade bric-a-brac shops that populate the town. And if you fancy more of a trip, Giant’s Causeway isn’t too much of a trek. Portrush is a gem that the Northern Irish manage to keep under-wraps, and is just another reason that proves just how special this country really is.
Unsplash @thkelley
A 2019 travel bucket list As a genuine source of exploration inspiration, Gayatri Gopalakrishnan reveals her travel wishlist for the rest of the year
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tarting the year off in the Finnish Lapland, I was excited to make 2019 the year I travel more. Although I am more inclined towards impulsive last-minute trips, there is still a travel bucket list that I hope to check off, someday.
4. Egypt
For a history buff, Egypt is a treasure trove. Whilst Cairo and Alexandria are the most popular cities, Luxor and Aswan also provide much to explore - not forgetting the Pyramids of Giza. The millennia-old monuments and structures have always been on my travel bucket list.
1. Iceland
5. Bhutan
Starting off with the place that I have always wanted to visit the most – Iceland. With its unique topography, the famed black beaches and the abundance of natural beauty, Iceland is definitely bound to be the adventure of a lifetime. With more than 20 hours of sunlight during the summer, the day is long enough to make the most of it. Winter does not disappoint either, with the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights on the horizon.
A country that radiates peace and calm. Perhaps, it has something to do with the emphasis it places on happiness. With monasteries, mountains and the fresh air, it is hard not to feel at peace here, especially since the country is only opening up to tourism now and it remains, till date,
2. Northern Ireland
With monasteries, mountains, and the fresh air, it is hard not to feel at peace here, especially since the country is only opening up to tourism now
For a bit of a domestic holiday (although one that involves flying out), Northern Ireland is next up on my travel list. Officially because it involves trekking to beautiful places. Unofficially because of the Game of Thrones filming locations right when the last season is set to be released. Speaking of which…
3. Croatia While Dubrovnik (King's Landing of the Game of Thrones universe) has had much of the spotlight shined on it, capital city Zagreb has a lot to offer as well. With Dubrovnik bordering the Adriatic, and with the mild Mediterranean climate, warm summers and mild winters, the country is a welcome escape throughout the year - especially if one believes that Santorini is a bit too mainstream. Croatia is filled with islands and beaches, each of a different kind, making it the perfect summer getaway.
Unsplash @sorincicos
largely free of touristy footsteps. Being the last Himalayan kingdom, the country offers fortresses as well as beautiful treks. However, unlike other places, Bhutan is interesting in that its government imposes a per-day fee for casual visitors, which includes food, accommodation, transportation and all other miscellaneous expenses.
Unsplash @norrisniman
Unsplash @farisfar
the courier
21
travel life & style
Monday 11 March 2019
Airbnb: cheap travel at its best Deputy Editor Isabel Sykes talks booting about on a budget
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s a student who’s frequently strapped for cash, I’ve been known to take a few holidays courtesy of my overdraft. By far the easiest way to do this in my experience is by using Airbnb. One of my favourite things about this app is that, as well as letting you search for specific places to travel, you can also just search for anywhere, and I’ve found some really cheap deals this way. It's also a great way to discover destinations you would never think of going to otherwise. So far I’ve stayed in Airbnb places in Berlin, Lisbon, Bruges, Kas (Turkey), and I’m only just getting started. I love the fact that the places I stay are always homely because somebody actually lives there, instead of a bare, clinical hotel room. It makes me feel more comfortable in a new place and also more like I belong. rather than sticking out as an annoying English tourist. Another good thing about living in someone's home is that you can save money by cooking in the apartment or house rather than having to eat out for every meal. Usually people's kitchens are a lot more well-equipped for this than a hotel kitchenette!
One of my favourite experiences was staying in somebody’s loft apartment in Berlin when our host gave us free use of his little mini-bar in exchange for watering his house plants while he was away. This is the kind of home away from home experience that really makes holidays on Airbnb special. Having a good relationship with the Airbnb host can even be another great way to save money because they can recommend you the best places to eat and drink on the cheap. They know where the tourist traps are, what attractions are worth visiting and which ones are just all hype. Some of the best food I've ever had on holiday was at the family restaurant of my host when I stayed in Lisbon. Real, local cuisine with no tourist marked up price! Getting a more authentic experience is also helped by the fact that Airbnb homes mean you are often staying in the cool neighbourhoods where locals live rather than the over-priced city centres. If your dissertation is getting you down and you need a holiday but don't have the cash, have a root around on Airbnb and see what gems you can find.
March events Carl Smith Valdez details March's must-see global events
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he cold and windy days are finally coming to an end. Far and wide, everywhere in the United Kingdom starts to burst with yellow daffodils. The days begin to get warmer and longer. As spring arrives, there’s an abundance of worldwide events to welcome in the new season.
March 17: Saint Patrick’s
Every year on March 17, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated all over the United Kingdom and Ireland in honour of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. The celebration commemorates the day of Saint Patrick’s death, and was originally a religious holiday to celebrate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Cities and towns are illuminated in green, with many painting shamrock on their faces and dressing in green. The day is further marked with spectacular parades and performances from wellknown Irish musicians. Alcohol consumption, usually of Irish dry stout Guinness, is an integral part of the day. One is immersed in all kinds of Irish culture – from tasting traditional food such as Irish stew to step dancing the riverdance. Surprisingly, Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated across the world. In New York alone, more than 150,000 people participate in parades. Irish pubs fill with Irish immigrants and many other nationalities to celebrate the holiday.
March 1 – 9: The Carnival Isabel Sykes
The B-word and travel Travel Editor Amanda Goh confronts our big Brexit fears
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rexit. We don’t really like talking about it but secretly it’s making us all worried. As of right now, many of us may be booking flights back home for Easter break or for holidays to foreign countries. While this is happening, most are wondering how travel will be affected after the 29th March when the UK is set to leave the EU.
Rest assured, planes will still be flying from the UK to the EU, regardless of whether Brexit happens. The UK government has also offered similar assurances to EU
Rest assured, planes will still be flying from the UK to the EU, regardless of whether Brexit happens. The UK government has also offered similar assurances to EU airlines. Similarly, ferries, coaches and trains would also be running per normal after Brexit. The Eurostar is still protected by EU regulation on rail passenger rights, which has been brought into UK law. In regards to driving abroad, if there is no deal, British licences may not be valid in the EU. This means that an International Driving Permit (IDP), costing £5.50, would be needed. The Association of British Travel Agents advised that, “…there is nothing to suggest that you will not be able to continue with your holiday plans after 29 March. Even in a no deal scenario, the European Commission has said flights to and from the UK will still be able to operate.” So there is no need to worry too much about flying from the UK to the EU. While booking a flight might not be the ‘biggest’ problem after Brexit, there may be some critical changes we should all be wary of. It is certain that British citizens will not need to obtain visas to travel into the EU, though would still need to pass through passport control when entering the EU. However, Brits would need to apply for a visa waiver to travel to member states after Brexit, regardless of the deal. Furthermore, British citizens would need to be in the non-EU citizens queue for immigration. This may mean longer waits at the airports. There is also a possibility that the Schengen arrangement (that has removed controls for border cross-
ing between member states) will end and border checks may be reintroduced. It may not happen right away but there may be a possibility. The pound is weaker and holidays have become more expensive. Before June, investment bank Goldman Sachs predicted that a vote to leave the EU could hit the sterling by as much as 20 per cent, with the pound dipping as low as $1.15 against the dollar and €1.05 against the euro. If you are worried about a weaker pound, you can lock your exchange rate with a currency card. But not to worry, not all of the EU uses the Euro, and inflation in most holiday destinations in Europe has been negligible since 2016. So you should be able to go as far as you could have before. As for roaming, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has confirmed that “mobile operators will still be able to implement roaming charges if they wanted to.” Fortunately, just because they might be allowed to reintroduce roaming charges, they may not do so. BBC states that Three, EE, O2 and Vodafone have no current plans to bring them back. It seems that, for the time being, there isn’t much to worry about travel-wise. But if you are still fretting, there are many things you can do to Brexit-proof your next trip within the EU. Research your destinations and do your homework - hopefully Brexit won’t have the power to dampen your plans for adventure!
The Carnival is a week-long festival held before Lent in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is considered as the largest celebration in the world with over two million people dressed in peculiar sequins and feathers swirling to the infectious beat of samba drums. The Carnival is filled with floats, revellers and performances from various samba schools in Rio. The streets
come to life as the astounding dancers march through the Sambadrome, official venue of the Rio carnival. One highlight of the event are the simultaneous street parties. Popular “bandas” provide irresistible music not only for the dancers, but also to the tourists. The tourists and the natives come together in this uplifting spirit of The Carnival: to dance and party through the streets. The lively colours, extravagant festivity and hospitable citizens make this event one of the most thrilling and well-known festivals worldwide.
March 20 – 21: Holi Festival
Holi is a Hindu festival that marks the beginning of spring. It is widely known as “The Festival of Colours” and is intended to give thanks for an abundant harvest season. The festival celebrates love, respect and triumph of good over evil.
The festival celebrates love, respect and triumph of good over evil
Participants from all backgrounds throw coloured powder and water balloons to each other in public spaces. Bonfires, traditional sweets, dancing and music are also a part of the celebration. Holi festival encapsulates unity amongst participants. Prejudice and discrimination are tinged with the vibrant colours of Holi.
Unsplash @magdaleny
thecourier
2019 pullout
Voting opens at 1pm on Monday the 18th of March nusu.co.uk/vote
PRESIDENT OF THE UNION Asif Khan
Hi, I’m Asif Khan, a final year Business management undergraduate. I believe I am the ideal candidate to be your next Student Union President. I have come across small and big changes that could make Student Life easier. In the past 4 years, I’ve gained crucial work experience during my placement in Nando’s Head Office managing projects and as a Campus Brand Rep for Nando’s working with the SU & societies to organise various events. I am also currently a Peer Mentor in the Business school and have volunteered for the various SU charities. My manifesto revolves around making our Student Life – Fun, Interactive & Effective. With ideas like; Having our Student Cards on our Phone, Printing Credit Transfer, More Chilling
Chris Wilkinson
& Work spaces, Free Private Transport Service – dropping off students, having Microwaves, Free porridge before 10am, On campus swimming pool for recreational purposes, Movie Screenings in SU– classics and new movies, Free Hobbies’ Classes on - photography, cooking, languages, painting, public, yoga & more, Free group fitness boot camps, Revising the weekly timetable for more days off, Stress and time management classes and advice, Making Opportunities for Students Self-Development, and more which you can read on my Manifesto available on the SU website.
Hello everyone! I’m Chris, a Third year Classical Studies Student, and I want to be your next President of the Students’ Union. I believe that through my experience as Racial Equality Officer, President of the Classics Society, and as Film Editor of the Courier, I am the ideal person to lead your Students Union. In my role, I would focus on key issues effecting students, including: Mental Health – Your mental health is important at home, not just on campus. Besides other Mental Health initiatives, I will make it easier for you to keep pets at Uni so that you can go home to your favourite friend. Affordability – Student life can be expensive, with student spending being a vital part of the
Newcastle economy. That is why I will work to get you discounts not just at food-outlets, but at places such as Wilko’s and Ikea, as well as fashion stores within Newcastle. Representation – As your first BAME President in NUSU history, I will work to increase equal representation in the Union so that every student feels their interests and their worries are sufficiently addressed. Your Union deserves better leadership, better policy and better representation. Vote for Wilko!
Jack Clohessy
Jamie Cameron
Hi, I’m Jack, a third year Law student. During my time at Newcastle University I have been lucky enough to engage in a wide variety of the opportunities on offer. I have been President and Captain of the Men’s Lacrosse Club, sat on the Athletic Union executive committee and the student council. These have given me a crucial insight into a diverse range of student issues. Outside university I have engaged with community projects, charities and sports teams, including volunteering at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Throughout I have worked hard to improve the student experience and will continue to do so, this is why I believe that I am the ideal candidate for President. I believe my policies are attainable and would benefit students including: Improving the management of mental health
A Manifesto for a greater Union: Vote Jamie #1 for President Students fund this university. Our union NUSU should demand more of this money and choose how it is spent on our own services and programs. Reform and revitalise student democracy. Negotiate with local providers to deliver cheaper transport. Fight to keep down cost of student accommodation - protect student income. Name, shame, and pressure exploitative landlords so you don’t get ripped off. Expand NUSU’s food bank. Students, staff, and teachers need each other, so let’s work together. Engage with local charities and community groups.
when transitioning between home and university healthcare services Continuing the push for free sanitary products on campus Reduce the financial burden on students buying textbooks Providing more seating in the Robinson Library Work with local businesses to improve opportunities for students to gain experience and jobs Reduce the cost of playing sport at university I believe I can make these policies reality through hard work, and a tireless attitude.
More unique artists and speakers at NUSU. Why you can trust me: I bring experience, compassion, and perspective. I’m the current Scrutiny Officer for NUSU. Writer and editor Courier and Politics Network. Activist on campus. Committed humanitarian undertaking research for Your Voice Counts, the disability advocacy charity and Changing Lives, helping people with complex needs. I care about your welfare and want a Union that will always be on your side. Remember, it’s our University. Let’s fight for an empowered and brighter future for students, our teachers, and our community. Together, we are strong. I would love to make this reality – if you will be with me.
ACTIVITIES OFFICER Alistair Geear
Hey! I’m Alistair, a third-year economics student, and I want to see all societies flourish as your next activities officer. I’ve been closely involved with the university outside of my course since first year and my enthusiasm for the opportunities available as a student has failed to waiver. In my time I’ve been a member in many societies, written for The Courier, played in the Squash team, and volunteered as Supervisor in Freshers and RAG crew. In addition, I’ve held committee roles as welfare officer for the Squash Club and as treasurer for the 20 Minute Society. I understand the importance of having support
from the Union when you’re trying to achieve more with your society and so this would be a key element of my campaign. Starting off with a straightforward way to get sign ups at the Freshers’ fair, and overcoming the debilitating challenges presented with GDPR regulations. Looking to support new members of committee and strive to be more efficient with existing tools at hand. The Vision: Better guidance for committee roles, including , welfare training to all committee and, simplify how activities are ran through improved tools
Eleanor Kilner
Hi, I’m Eleanor Killner and I’m running for Activities Officer. As secretary of the History Society this year I know the ins and outs of how a society works. I want to make it easier for you guys to take full advantage of what the NUSU has to offer. Mix it up. I want to create an online network to make collaboration between societies more accessible. I will make life easier for committee members as well as creating unique occasions for students to get to know more people in mixed environments. Go on, Volunteer. Did you know that Go Volunteer works with
over 150 charities? I didn’t for far too long and through better society participation I believe more students can give back while doing what they love. Your Future. For some people, a society is more than a hobby, it could be their future. I work as a NU Alumni Advancement Ambassador and Photographer and I want to help societies create a stronger link with the outside world, to help you guys post uni. If you want someone who will make life easier for you, enjoys creating new opportunities and won’t waste your time, then vote for me!
Haaris Qureshi
Jordan Carroll
Hello, my name is Haaris and I feel I am the best candidate for Activities Officer 2019/20 Experience: Committee: Secretary of NUCATS (2014-6) [founding member], Vice President of Creative Writing Society (2015-6, 2018-9), Head of Production of FilmSoc (2015-6, 2018-9), Social Media Officer of Mind the Gap (20156, 2017, President of Culture Club (2015-6) [founding member], Supporting Committee Member of Islamic Society (2016-7), Treasurer of FilmSoc (2016-7), President of Disability and Neurodiversity Society (2018-9), Conference Lead of Mind the Gap (2018-9), Social Media Manager of Sober Socials Society (2018-9), Societies Executive Committee 2015/6, 2016/7, 2018/9 Goals:
My name is Jordan Carroll, I’m a third-year linguistics student and I’m standing for the position of Activities Officer 19/20. For me, societies are a massive part of my university experience and I want to be able to help give that opportunity to other people! Currently, I’m a social sec for the 20-minute society (which has been such an incredible experience). I’m also a member of 3 other societies, including RAG, for which I was a RAG week supervisor. I feel like the experiences I have from being a part of these societies have really given me the skills that I believe make a good activities officer - our SU is already doing so good but with me as Activities Officer we can do so much more! I would like to propose the change via these 6 simple steps:
Support new & small societies Encourage cross-society collaboration Build on the work to further improve storage and room booking Be more present for Societies, so that committees feel able to approach me and communicate, as well as members who may have issues. Petition and work with University academic departments to get them to engage and encourage student activities and hobbies by allowing access to equipment and facilities (e.g. music). Continue the amazing work done this year to provide more comprehensive training and support. Vote for an experienced officer. Vote #Haaris4NUSUActivities
One free societal membership to anyone who takes part in Freshers Crew: Buy one society memberships, get your second half price: Local students to have a small freshers mixer: Monthly optional mixer for committees of societies: Asking the university to help societies get sponsorship: A Buzzfeed style quiz that matches you to a society:
ACTIVITIES OFFICER Meg Keates
Hi I’m Meg, a final year student, and I want to be your next Activities Officer! I’ve worked in NUSU as a Course Rep, Community Rep, an Organiser for Student Volunteering Week and as a Student Council member since coming to Newcastle in 2016. As a Secretary and Education Secretary for a society previously, I understand the effort that many students put into our societies and I aim to make this run smoothly- providing clearer communication between groups, supportive regulations and addressing barriers to participation. The Activities Officer oversees employability as well as the social life of the Union. I will ensure
that what the SU puts out will be both fun and functional. Newcastle students are the best (we know this) but in a crowd of 1.76 million students nationally, I’ll work hard to give you chances to develop yourself as a person, whilst also providing a great student experience. Newcastle has been voted the most sociable place to study in the UK. This is true, but we can go even further. I will keep the calendar busy and make sure there’s something for everyone: whether you’re an undergrad, postgrad, home or international student.
ATHLETIC UNION Joe Gubbins
Ice Hockey Club President 17-18 & 18-19, Treasurer 16-17, Captain 16-19 AU Executive committee 18-19 I aim to: Introduce qualifications for club members: Work with the SU to put club members through coaching courses.This will improve the quality of club’s training sessions and give volunteers a coaching qualification. Encourage participation: Introduce regular casual sport sessions to offer a wider range of sports at a relaxed level. Raise the profile of intramural sport. Bring disabled and able-bodied students together through sport, by putting on taster sessions for disability sports such as Boccia and Goalball, to promote inclusive sport.
Mental health and physical wellbeing Give Welfare Officers regular, effective training so they can support members of their club who are struggling. Improve acessibility: Evaluate sports centre membership costs and push for monthly payment and monthly pay as you go options. Work to keep Wednesday afternoons free for sport, so students don’t have to decide between their studies and sporting commitments. Work for charity: Provide support for clubs to organise their own charity events and help publicise them. Integrate our sports clubs into the community, to improve relations between students and other residents in local areas. Vote Joe #1 for AU.
ATHLETIC UNION OFFICER Lara Brooks
Stylianos Hadjiforados
Aims: Sports Wednesdays: Aim to ensure there are alternate compulsory seminars/labs on a day other than Wednesday for those playing performance sport Developing post-match venues for food and beverages so there is a unified place for all sports teams to go after home matches Increase spectator attendance at home games Raising recognition of intramural teams at Newcastle University Transport: Decrease time spent by teams waiting for other Newcastle teams on away days, by increasing the number of smaller buses that travel to away matches
What makes me stand out: I’m a Stage 2 Economics Student, Course Rep and Treasurer of the Archery Club. In addition, I hold a sit in the AU Exec Committee which works closely with the current AU Officer for the benefits of all Clubs. Lastly, I’m an active member of the European Youth Parliament for the past 5 years now which resulted in further enhancing my leadership and communication qualities. My Goals as AU Officer: Promote diversity and improve welfare by raising the standards of the welfare officer Ensure sports Wednesdays are carried out Find a solution regarding missing seminars/ labs for students caused by competing in
Provide shuttle service to Longbenton and Cochrane park throughout freshers week to improve trial attendance Health and Nutrition: Annual sports fundraiser for MIND Aim to provide a weekly free breakfast in the Sports Centre Participation: Working with Intra-mural clubs to understand what they want from sport at Newcastle Increased awareness of scholarship requirements within clubs Raise awareness and celebration of disability sport on campus
matches out of town Make sports even more affordable Aim to make Longbenton Sports Grounds accessible to athletes with disabilities Further encourage clubs to take part in campaigns such as “this girl can” and “rainbow laces” Work closely with clubs in an attempt to reduce running costs Maintain and if possible improve the high standards for BUCS set by my predecessors. Reexamine how the yearly Grand is distributed so clubs that are not competitive oriented, but still contribute greatly on the welfare of students, are rewarded fairly
ACTIVITIES OFFICER Meg Keates
Hi I’m Meg, a final year student, and I want to be your next Activities Officer! I’ve worked in NUSU as a Course Rep, Community Rep, an Organiser for Student Volunteering Week and as a Student Council member since coming to Newcastle in 2016. As a Secretary and Education Secretary for a society previously, I understand the effort that many students put into our societies and I aim to make this run smoothly- providing clearer communication between groups, supportive regulations and addressing barriers to participation. The Activities Officer oversees employability as well as the social life of the Union. I will ensure
that what the SU puts out will be both fun and functional. Newcastle students are the best (we know this) but in a crowd of 1.76 million students nationally, I’ll work hard to give you chances to develop yourself as a person, whilst also providing a great student experience. Newcastle has been voted the most sociable place to study in the UK. This is true, but we can go even further. I will keep the calendar busy and make sure there’s something for everyone: whether you’re an undergrad, postgrad, home or international student.
ATHLETIC UNION Joe Gubbins
Ice Hockey Club President 17-18 & 18-19, Treasurer 16-17, Captain 16-19 AU Executive committee 18-19 I aim to: Introduce qualifications for club members: Work with the SU to put club members through coaching courses.This will improve the quality of club’s training sessions and give volunteers a coaching qualification. Encourage participation: Introduce regular casual sport sessions to offer a wider range of sports at a relaxed level. Raise the profile of intramural sport. Bring disabled and able-bodied students together through sport, by putting on taster sessions for disability sports such as Boccia and Goalball, to promote inclusive sport.
Mental health and physical wellbeing Give Welfare Officers regular, effective training so they can support members of their club who are struggling. Improve acessibility: Evaluate sports centre membership costs and push for monthly payment and monthly pay as you go options. Work to keep Wednesday afternoons free for sport, so students don’t have to decide between their studies and sporting commitments. Work for charity: Provide support for clubs to organise their own charity events and help publicise them. Integrate our sports clubs into the community, to improve relations between students and other residents in local areas. Vote Joe #1 for AU.
ATHLETIC UNION OFFICER Lara Brooks
Stylianos Hadjiforados
Aims: Sports Wednesdays: Aim to ensure there are alternate compulsory seminars/labs on a day other than Wednesday for those playing performance sport Developing post-match venues for food and beverages so there is a unified place for all sports teams to go after home matches Increase spectator attendance at home games Raising recognition of intramural teams at Newcastle University Transport: Decrease time spent by teams waiting for other Newcastle teams on away days, by increasing the number of smaller buses that travel to away matches
What makes me stand out: I’m a Stage 2 Economics Student, Course Rep and Treasurer of the Archery Club. In addition, I hold a sit in the AU Exec Committee which works closely with the current AU Officer for the benefits of all Clubs. Lastly, I’m an active member of the European Youth Parliament for the past 5 years now which resulted in further enhancing my leadership and communication qualities. My Goals as AU Officer: Promote diversity and improve welfare by raising the standards of the welfare officer Ensure sports Wednesdays are carried out Find a solution regarding missing seminars/ labs for students caused by competing in
Provide shuttle service to Longbenton and Cochrane park throughout freshers week to improve trial attendance Health and Nutrition: Annual sports fundraiser for MIND Aim to provide a weekly free breakfast in the Sports Centre Participation: Working with Intra-mural clubs to understand what they want from sport at Newcastle Increased awareness of scholarship requirements within clubs Raise awareness and celebration of disability sport on campus
matches out of town Make sports even more affordable Aim to make Longbenton Sports Grounds accessible to athletes with disabilities Further encourage clubs to take part in campaigns such as “this girl can” and “rainbow laces” Work closely with clubs in an attempt to reduce running costs Maintain and if possible improve the high standards for BUCS set by my predecessors. Reexamine how the yearly Grand is distributed so clubs that are not competitive oriented, but still contribute greatly on the welfare of students, are rewarded fairly
WELFARE AND EQUALITY OFFICER Alana Barnett
My name is Alana Barnett and I am running to be your next Welfare & Equality Officer. My first policy is to introduce a mindfulness training scheme for students and staff because I feel it is important to continue targeting mental illness on campus. Whether or not someone has been diagnosed with a condition, mindfulness can benefit everyone’s mental wellbeing. Also, it will provide a mutually beneficial scheme for students because those administering the sessions will also be able to gain new skills and knowledge for themselves. I strongly believe that this scheme will be a great addition for students. Secondly, I would like to introduce a memorial to commemorate those who have lost their lives
whilst studying here at Newcastle. I think it would be a lovely annual tradition to celebrate their lives and to ensure that they are never forgotten. Lastly, I am very passionate about giving students space and time to talk about any concerns they may have relating to all aspects of university life. I would therefore like to introduce individual drop-in sessions which would allow students to book a one to one time slot and have the opportunity to discuss anything they’d like with me.
Charlotte Boulton
I’m Charlotte Boulton, third year Media student and current Marginalised Genders Officer. I have the passion, expertise and dedication needed from your Welfare & Equality Officer, and so many ideas for the role! My manifesto points focus on mental health, sexual violence, equality and campaigning. I will work to introduce welfare training for all personal tutors and start Freshers Week welfare drop-ins to improve mental health support from the very start of term. I will create sexual consent informational leaflets for Freshers Packs and plan to implement Pincident to record hate crime and harassment incidents in Newcastle. For PEC forms, I want to ensure bereavement evidence requirements are sensitive to all
Sara Elkhawad
Hi! I’m Sara Elkhawad, a 3rd year English Literature student. Through my involvement in the university’s Afro-Caribbean Society committee and volunteering for the Student Advice Centre, I have become increasingly determined to make campus an integrated, nondiscriminatory, safe space that every student can gain a positive experience from. If elected I will aim to: Integration Bring in minority renowned speakers in Black History Month/ LGBT+ Week. Host cultural events like an International Food Fair where students can share their traditions. Lobby the university to implement zero-tolerance policies that sanction students and societies for discriminatory acts concerning minority students.
Mental Health Encouraging students to use the arts as a therapeutic medium. Host free workshops for students to try out different arts. More focus on specific mental health campaigns, e.g. toxic masculinity and social media. Push for a counsellor of colour. Work with minority societies to combat stigmas surrounding mental health. Drugs Work with the SSDP to host more speakers on recreational drug awareness. Introduce workshops to raise awareness on “study” drugs. Sexual Health/Awareness Host sexual consent sessions for all students in Fresher’s Week. Reduce stigmas on STI’s and introduce testing kits for HIV and syphilis as well as gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
students. I would also explore possibilities for students on sports teams to use PEC forms during important fixtures. I will continue important campaigns like S.H.A.G. Week and ensure they are inclusive by including LGB and trans sexual health information and resources – and expand free STI checks, condoms and menstrual products into accommodation! I would like to provide a smaller scale SOS campaign during midterm assessments and improve affordable varied food on campus. I have plenty more ideas to improve our mental health provisions, safety and feelings of inclusion. So Vote Charlotte #1!
EDITOR OF THE COURIER Ally Wilson
My name is Ally Wilson, a 3rd year English Literature student and I’m in my third year of involvement in The Courier. I am passionate about student media at Newcastle University and would love the chance to generate new and exciting ways for it to develop as Editor of The Courier 2019! Engagement: Wider distribution across campus and in accommodation Stronger investment in social media coverage, with one social media editor, sponsored posts and Instagram/Snapchat takeovers by societies and special visitors Increase online presence both on the website and on the NUSU app Feature the Courier Sports Personality of the Year Award at the AU Ball
Introduce an end of year ‘Courier Awards’ pullout for outstanding contributions to Campus life Content: Introduce content surveys online and in questionnaires, asking what people want to read about Set up investigation teams for long reads Inclusivity: More writers’ workshops throughout the year Expand cross-media collaboration with NSR/ Courier radio shows, printing the NSR timetable and NUTV weekly round ups about The Courier’s content Higher level of engagement with societies, advertising their events and supporting their activities with news and social media coverage
Continued on next page
Grace Dean
Brand-new Showcase section within Arts: platform your creative work Introduce an SU Officers column: share their campaigns Improving distribution: Strategic distribution: reduce waste, encourage sustainability Greater online presence: social media promotion & support for online editors Improving student media experience Overarching socials: contact time with editors & writers Celebrate success: article of the week certificate Skills & employability focus: writers’ workshops & alumni talks Encourage involvement with student media: Give It a Go Encourage student media collaboration with NSR & NUTV
Harry Parsons
Grace Dean – Getting You the Most From Your Student Media Hello, I’m Grace Dean and I really want to be your next Editor of the Courier.I have been involved with the Courier for approaching three years, including winning the 2018 Courier Journalist of the Year award, and am a current Courier News Sub-Editor. I have both the skills and the experience needed to lead a team of sub-editors, encourage participation in student journalism and act as a Trustee of the Students Union. Here’s how I would help you get the most from your student media: Improving content: Introduce writing training for clubs & societies: promote events & celebrate achievements Brand-new Food section: students want one, and I’m listening
Scarlett Rowland
Alright. I’m Harry, Sport Editor of the Courier and Station Manager at Newcastle Student Radio. I want to make the most of the The Courier, NSR and NUTV’s potential to give a bigger voice to societies, sports clubs and every single student. I want to use student media to challenge the decisions made by the university and ensure the paper genuinely represents you. By voting Parsons you’ll: Challenge the university. Encourage studentled investigative pieces and widen the scope of voices heard on a new dedicated university politics page. Increase sports coverage across student media. Appoint specific editors to cover BUCS, nonBUCS and intra-mural fixtures.
Hello! I’m Scarlett Rowland, a third year Classics student, have been editing the Arts section of the Courier for the past two years and also have a radio show. During my time involved with student media, I have gained an understanding of the needs of both the audiences and creators of NSR, the Courier, and NUTV. Voting Scarlett means an improvement in: Engagement: Social Media positions for each section Paper specific deals for the union and around Newcastle Meet the Editors/Hosts evenings to support the community Return of the puzzles page prizes Employability: Developing your writing skills with feedback
from your editors A page dedicated to local and graduate job advertisements Reintroduction of paid distribution role More workshops and talks from people working in the media Accountability Semester Roundups including reports from PTOs and Sabbatical officers Support for investigative journalism and extended pieces Box within the union for anonymous feedback in the form of letters to the editor Facilities: A separate space for NUTV Kettle in the Courier office Editor specific deals in the union and access to the union out of hours
Improve our multimedia presence. Increase print, online, TV and radio coverage of society events. Build the student media brand. Host events on campus throughout the year: debates, talks, music events and workshops. Facilitate more reader-led features. Boost the print and online presence of blind date, puzzles and reader contributions. Revamp distribution. Societies, fixtures and events on campus need to be read about. Under my leadership, NSR has hosted events, covered matches and diversified our membership including more voices and greater student representation. Give Harry a go to give a voice to every single student.
EDUCATION OFFICER Adam Warner
My Aims University Continue to lobby the university to introduce a week off after exams Ensure that schools take on greater responsibility for the welfare of their students Improving Learning Alternative forms of assessment to seminar participation and group presentations to accommodate those suffering from anxiety or other such conditions. Diversify assessment methods: Exams and essays don’t give a fair opportunity for students to prove their knowledge Ensure greater feedback for assessments such as exams. Create a ‘Think Forward’ scheme allowing students to draw upon and learn from the work of previous studentsSchools to demonstrate how they have responded to student feedback Reducing student’s costs
Allow for transferable printer credits between years and to peers. Printer credits to pay for the cost of binding Support: Learning difficulties outreach programme Improving study spaces to support student’s learning Representation Continue to promote Council and increase student engagement Set up a forum where Chairs of Student Voice Committees and course based societies’ Presidents can meet with the Education Officer My Experience, Chair of Council, RAG supervisor, Chair of Student Voice Committee for Politics, President of Debating, Peer Mentor, Treasurer for Politics Society, President and founder of Stand up to Injustice, Programmer Director for Voice-It .
Melanie Anne
I’m Mel and your ideal candidate for Education Officer! You might have already seen me working at Luther’s or in lectures doing Academic Rep work. My experience and enthusiasm will help me represent your views while I strive to implement the following: Your University Continue working towards a week off after January exams. Ensure study aboard opportunities are not jeopardised by changes following Brexit. Provide more group study space during the Daysh and Claremont renovations. Abolish hidden course costs oFairer printer credit distribution Support Student-lead tutoring for each degree Academic skill sessions for university-level work
Pablo Charro De La Fuente
Hi, I’m Pablo Charro de la Fuente, a third year Marketing Student, and I believe I am the most ideal candidate to be your next Education Officer. In this role I want to focus on affordability and employability, giving at the same time a great importance to mental health and wellbeing. Some of the points I aim to achieve are: Microwaves in the Libraries!! Students have always demand this to the University and it is time they listen to us. Create a cumulative and transferable printing credits system. Digitalise the Student Card to register the attendance and access the library using the app, while keeping as well the physical card
option available. Puppy days at the library during exam periods. Typed exams option for all Schools. ReCap. Do a further identification of the modules that don’t do ReCap and impose the use of superior value alternatives (e.g. extended text scripts of the lectures) when ReCap it’s not used. Computer clusters open 24/7, especially those with specific software installed. Create designated silent study computer clusters. Create studying spaces during exam periods at unused seminar rooms and lecture theatres.
Quicker and easier PEC form submission Collaborate with Equality and Diversity team to increase mental health awareness in all schools Feedback Return of your exam scripts. Revision sessions providing examples of first class exam answers. Implement a university-wide baseline standard of assignment feedback Your Voice Establish stronger links with course societies. Regular updates on HE policy that might affect you. Better Course Rep recognition My Experience Academic Representation team in NUSU Uni Boob Team Social Media Officer Vice-President of the SU in my previous university
POSTGRADUATE OFFICER Chris Murray
Uni-M8 I want to implement a new buddy system for postgraduate students, where students are placed into small groups based on shared interests and field of study. This intends to make it easier for students new to the university to attend NUSU events. Flexible Fees I will press the university to allow for more flexible payment options for postgraduate students when it comes to tuition fees to ease pressures on rent costs. Often, students have to pay 6 months of rent from the first loan instalment - spreading the cost more will make managing money easier.
Postgraduate Spaces I’ll work to make sure there are more communal and study spaces targeted at postgraduate students to help foster a sense of community. Mental Health I’ll lobby the university to subscribe to digital services such as SilverCloud, which offers a range of therapy programmes tailored to individuals to help students deal with stress, anxiety, depression and more. Many universities already offer this and we should follow suit. Representation I’ll work to create a postgraduate executive body to plan and implement campaigns that benefit the postgraduate student experience, along with ringfenced seats for postgraduates at Student Council.
Karina Sorrels
I’m Karina Sorrels, a Master’s of British History student, and I’m campaigning to be your Postgraduate Officer. I believe that I’m the best candidate there is to not only represent your views on the postgraduate experience but also strive to implement the following to aid your experience and the future. University: Ensure the university recognises the postgraduate experience fairly in comparison to the undergraduate experience. Continue to provide ongoing funding for research projects. Encourage schools to adopt experiential learning opportunities Support: Establish a centralised feedback form for all programs, ensuring the success of assessments. Form a group for students to help combat mental health issues, assignments, and PEC
Mikesh Lukka
I am Mikesh Lukka and I am running for Postgraduate Officer because I will bring vibrancy and energy to the role. I am hard working, organised and personable, due to this I think I am more than qualified for this role. I am currently a Postgraduate student, so I know what deficiencies there are within the university when it comes to Postgraduates. My main aims will be to make the university experience more enjoyable for Postgraduates through holding numerous activities and events focused specifically for Postgraduates which will vary to incorporate different cultures. For example, holding socials such as rock-climbing, social nights out or celebrating the Chinese New Year. In addition, I would help students who
have come from different universities integrate better with everyone at the university and the city in general. I would also aim to make sure that there is a larger space for Postgraduates to work in in the library as the space is very limited for Postgraduates. If you do vote for me, I will ensure that I will take on this responsibility with great enthusiasm and pride thus delivering a great experience that will meet expectations for Postgraduates who are starting or continuing next year.
Forms. Provide more active resources, events, alumni connections, talks, and activities aimed for postgraduate students to build on their career opportunities, network, explore, entertain, and learn Experience: Modify the student wellbeing services to host events designed for postgraduates’ wellbeing. Adjust societies to be more inclusive to older students and postgraduates Your Voice: Build a stronger relationship between each school, and postgraduate students. Reform the student council to spread awareness of the voice postgraduates have on the Council and Union. Encourage consistent feedback amongst all My Position: Student Ambassador, Course & School Rep
EDITOR OF THE COURIER Sidney Pinsent
Hey, I’m Sid and I’m a third year Politics undergraduate. I believe my three years of Courier experience, fresh policies and enthusiasm for the paper make me the ideal candidate for editor of The Courier. I will make The Courier attractive to everyone, whether that be something lighthearted like the Agony Aunt or something more significant like in-depth news features. I want every student to pick up a paper that is proactive, bold and relevant to everyone, but crucially, my policies have the depth and personality to make The Courier the greatest paper it can be. These include: *New*Agony Aunt, Library Crush, Horoscopes Jobs page: Part time, Graduate, Internships and Work-Experience. Dedicated Investigative News Team.
Introduction of an International Students editor. Bold cover with bigger headlines, pictures and RED theme. Improved What’s-On page with strong society promotion. Campaigns editor to help promote student causes. Pictures of writers above articles. Academic of the Week Column. Bargain section including exclusive deals and discounts. A vote for Sid will be a vote for fresh new content and exciting changes, while adding depth to the paper and promoting the student cause. Vote Sidney Pinsent for Editor of The Courier.
Xin Li
My name is Xin Li, from China.I am a postgraduate student studying International Multimedia Journalism.When I came to Newcastle University, I was attracted by the media branches of NUSU and took part in NUTV and NSR immediately, and I started to write for the Courier.In my undergraduate year in China, I had done some internships in TV station, newspaper, and I also have my own blog and channel.I believe I have great passion and experience on media and help students to give their voice through journalism.I wrote a feature article of Bonfire theme for the Courier before, in which I introduced one of the famous fire shows in China.If you vote for me to be the editor, I will
encourage and provide more opportunities for students from different countries to introduce their hometowns and connect their culture with the local culture to make the newspaper more international and interesting.Besides, I also joined the fashion society and I wish to invite the members of different societies to write more about their activities and attract students to find their favourite one.The webpage and online articles will be promoted in a more abundant way.So please vote for me, vote for your sincere friend!
PART TIME OFFICER ROLES RACIAL EQUALITY OFFICER Alexander Cantave
Rabeeyah Cheema
The Cosmopolitan Events Initiative This is an initiative to push students out of their comfort zones to engage and interact with the many cultures and peoples living in Newcastle. Racism often comes from ignorance and fear that is driven by a lack of interaction and engagement with other cultures. This initiative would ensure that students in Newcastle get the chance to be cosmopolitan and leave ignorance and fear behind. These events would be organized to show off the many cultures on campus from East Asian cultures, Middle Eastern, to British culture. Anonymous Reporting of Racial Incidents
Hi! My name is Rabs, and I am running to be your next Racial Equality Officer. In my two years at Newcastle, I have been involved in numerous societies, as well as being the BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) Rep for two society’s committees. This has given me insight into representing people of colour, communicating our needs and organising events that create a place for us to talk about our experiences. My aims in this role would be to: Promote a safe space where people can contact me with any issues concerning racism or racial prejudice Work closely with not only liberation societies
The continuation and expansion of anonymous reporting put forward by the current Racial Equality Officer, Chris Wilkinson. This expansion would involve spreading a link to the entire student body to report, without fear of reproach, their personal experience with racism on campus. Monetary Help to Students Lowering the Student Card price to £3 for people who lose it twice in a school year and bringing Society insurance back down to £2. This is to help many students for whom £10 for a card can mean less food for the week to not been harmed by sudden misfortune.
but all societies in creating an environment that is accessible and inviting for PoC Focus on different University Campaigns such as Black History Month, to celebrate PoC and different cultures I acknowledge that I cannot represent every BAME person and promise to make every effort in stepping back and listening to those people of colour that I do not represent. I believe my experiences and passion will allow me to help create not only a safe environment but also one that celebrates all cultures, races and ethnicities in our University.
SCRUTINY OFFICER Alice Fish
Jamie Hampton
Hi, I’m Alice, a 2nd year Biology student and I’m campaigning to be your Scrutiny Officer. Why I want to do this: I love picking things apart and analysing information. I believe accountability is incredibly important in all contexts Especially in a democratic institution like our Students’ Union. I care about the Students’ Union and the people it serves. I want to enact change and make sure motions passed through council do make a difference. What I aim to do: Increase engagement in Student Politics. Ensure the voices of PTOs and students are heard. Increase freedom of information concerning University and Union actions. Make sure students aren’t viewed as consumers. This is a community, not a business. Support staff concerns. Experience: I have been judging people my entire life. Secretary - Creative Writing Society. Treasurer - Feminist Society. Learning Intern for the University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences.Volunteered in several museums. The most important thing to me is ensuring all voices are heard and that the University and Union support student and staff interests.
My Aims: Review and update the current complaints procedure for studies; Modernise the procedure in order for a better, fairer university. The current system of email based complaints is inefficient and outdated. A voting record of PTO’s and Sabbatical Officers: Stored for 12 months for a more transparent and democratic union. Students have the right to know how their elected representatives are voting on matters. ‘Honest Representation’ - Any member who intentionally or unintentionally misleads those present at the Student Council, should be required to apologise and clarify truthfully what they had been thought to mislead the Council on, this can be requested from any voting member of the Council to the Chair who will decide if there has been any misleading statements. I will fight for napping areas in the Robbo; In order to allow students to recharge and destress. Similar to the University of Manchester’s initiative in 2015, and the University of East Anglia’s nap room. Given the demands and stresses students face. Votes on small modern art projects such as the Headless Ballerina or the construct outside of the SU, this is due to the fact that these projects often prove highly unpopular and visually unappealing.
Emma Dawson
Hi , I’m Emma , a politics postgrad and I’m running to be your next Scrutiny officer. I’ve already got experience of the role, having been scrutiny officer 2017-18 and was nominated for the part-time officer of the year award for the work I did in the role. My knowledge of the role as well as the Students’ Union is hard to beat. I’ve sat on 6 executive committees and have attended every student council in the last two years as well as supported various SU campaigns and initiatives. I’m proud of my achievements as part of my work with It Happens Here ,a society that raises awareness of sexual violence, which I co-founded in 2017. I’ve also worked hard as part of DaNSoc to advocate for issues affecting disabled and neurodiverse students. If you elect me as your next scrutiny officer, I’ll continue to build on raising awareness of the accountability processes, raise the profile of the work of both scrutiny and disciplinary committees and work hard to inform students on how they can hold their elected representatives accountable and how they can find out more about what their representatives are doing to reflect student issues.
DISABILITY OFFICER Georgina Corbett Kahina Grant
Thomas Atkinson
Why me? Disability and Neurodiversity - Treasurer 18/19 . It Happens Here President 18/19. LGBT+ - Two Representative Roles 17/18. Three years dealing with disabilities at Newcastle. Next year being my fourth I would love to pass on the knowledge, to the next generation coming in. Useful connections to charities and support services within Newcastle and nationwide. If successful I will aim to: Introduce accessibility classes including BSL, open to able and disabled persons. Work closely with the Students Union to provide awareness days. My primary aim will be to redefine what it means to be disabled; displaying the intersections and complexity of the community. Engage with University to support students, and provide information eg on DSA. Contact schools to offer help in improving their standards for disabled students. Create a page on NUSU to be a guide of accessible locations in Newcastle. Work to improve campus accessibility. Reach out to students struggling with their disability and provide a middle ground to allow people to access resources. It is of high priority, that disabled students, including individuals with mental health issues, know what available support exists.
Vote Thomas for your next Disability Officer. I aim to: Develop and sustain drop-in sessions in locations close to where students study and learn, providing a first point of contact for students with queries who are unwilling or unable to attend conventional campus-based support services. Improve student and staff advice on mental and emotional health, working with existing societies and support systems, across the University – especially in traditionally poor-health degrees such as Medicine, Dentistry and Engineering. Represent and support people with all disabilities, from improving access to University services for those with poor mental health to holding the University to account for overrunning repairs to lifts and other access equipment. Work with schools and faculties (especially those with non-standard disability policy or who host off-campus students) to improve access to support services for all students. Work with schools and staff to champion the increased usage of ReCap, a service which benefits everyone but especially those with disabilities. Work with the University and Union to fix currently inaccessible campus features, such as the NUSU cluster at night and accessible toilets in the USB. Experience:Founding member and 2017-18 Publicity Officer of DaNSoc. Worked with multiple previous Disability Officers on University-wide campaigns.
My name is Kahina, and I want to be the Disability Officer. I’ve had lupus since I was 6, which has left me with physical difficulties, mostly mobility issues. As well as this I’m neurodivergent. As my condition increased my mobility issues, I became increasingly aware how unfriendly the world is for the disabled, it’s a world which isn’t made for us, but I don’t believe it needs to be this way. I spent 4 years doing my undergraduate at Newcastle University and have returned to study my PhD, I’ve interacted with a number of people with various disabilities during my time here, but there’s still plenty more to learn. As each person’s needs differ I want to hear from you. I welcome contact by anyone who’s identified an issue they want tackling, the door to my office is always open. I aim to set aside half a day each week where I will be in the office for anyone to drop by and chat. As making trips across/to campus can be extremely difficult/ impossible for those with disabilities, I will provide my phone number or email and deal with these queries during this time. There’s plenty more progress to make.
CHAIR OF COUNCIL
MARGINALISED GENDERS OFFICER
LGBT+ OFFICER
TOBIAS LAWRENCE
If I am elected to chair of student council I will aim to: Be impartial and fair: To best create an environment where students can put forward and discuss ideas freely by acting in accordance with strict and fair regulations. Ensure your elected representatives attend student council: Keeping a public register and record of attendance, stored for 12 months, of elected council positions to create a far more transparent Student Council. Create more workshops and drop in sessions about student council: So that as students we can get the most out of our union. Provide greater Accessibility: To allow those students who are not able or who have extenuating circumstances to participate in council remotely or by proxy. Invite more public figures: We are a world leading university and Union and we ought to reach out and invite more public figures, celebrities and politicians to our great university to the benefit of our students. Be a strong advocate for the will of council: Motions passed by council must be upheld, as chair I would do all within my power to make sure that the will of council is not ignored.
MARIA MARR
Hello! I’m Maria Marr, a part time MA Professional Translation for European Languages student, and I’m running to be your Marginalised Genders Officer! Now in my fifth year at Newcastle, I’m incredibly active in various societies, especially as Vice President of Anglo-Japanese and President of Sober Socials, which I’ve grown into inclusive societies for all students. Having led an #AlcoholAwarenessWeek campaign and created resources for past Trans Awareness Week stalls, I’m passionate about improving the lives of marginalised students, so I would love to make a change on a larger scale. If elected, I will aim to: Improve awareness of sexual violence at university by working with It Happens Here and staff to provide consent workshops and engaging campaigns throughout the year, with an emphasis on believing those who have experienced sexual harassment. Promote equality for all genders and raise awareness of issues facing trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming students so that their concerns can be heard and we can offer solutions. I will provide clubs and societies with resources on how to be more inclusive of all genders.Vocally oppose sexism and transphobia to create an equal, fair Students Union where everyone is treated with respect and support, regardless of gender.
Hello! I’m Tobias an Environmental Science student currently on placement. I would love to be LGBT+ officer and elevate the voices from the LGBT+ community. My Aims: Employment: Collaborate with Careers Service to increase awareness of LGBT+ related issues in the workplace. Increase resources for LGBT+ student applying for placements and graduate schemes. Monthly blogs showcasing LGBT+ role models from different employment sectors. Tackling Stigma: Increased visibility of LGBT+ students, from ALL intersections, on campus. Collaborate with LGBT+ Society, Feminist Society, It Happens Here, and other liberation societies to combat issues that affect many within the community. Celebrate the achievements of LGBT+ people by exploring LGBT+ History. Engage with Rainbow@ncl to better reach PGR students and staff. Mental Health: Work with the elected Welfare and Equality Officer to improve resources for LGBT+ students with mental health concerns and needs. Provide resources to LGBT+ students for appropriate mental health services, collaborating with numerous societies and academic schools. Increase the number of LGBT+ specific counsellors. Engagement: Quarterly dropin sessions for LGBT+ students to voice concerns while at Newcastle University.Work with the Marginalised Genders Officer to help express the concerns of Trans and Non-binary UG and PG students on campus.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OFFICER
STUDENT PARENTS GUARDIANS AND CARERS OFFICER
STUDENTS WITH FAITH OR BELIEF OFFICER
CHINYERE EMEKA
AMANI ALROSSIES
CHRISTOPHER WINTER
STEPHEN DAWES
My name is Chinyere Emeka and I am running for the role of the 2019/2020 International Students’ Officer at the Student Union. Being an international student myself, I understand what it means to be living and studying in a foreign country; especially if English is not your first language. This is why I also empathise with students like me. Having attended an international high school, I was fortunate enough to be able to socialise and appreciate the various cultural backgrounds around me. This is why if elected as the International Students’ Officer, I aim to promote diversity on campus through awareness events as well as campaigns. I will ensure that the interests of international students are adequately represented - including those of EU students. That they are protected amidst fears of Brexit; if necessary. I would also like to work alongside INTO to promote opportunities and support international students in their integration into Newcastle University. Currently, I am the Academic Course Rep for the Law School and prior, a high school prefect. This shows that I am a social person and I believe I have acquired the fundamental skills which prove I am suited for the role.
I would like to nominate myself to be a students’ parents, guardians and carers officer. I am international students of PhD program in institution of cellular medicine. I am also mother for two little boys. Previously, I was an academic supervisor at college of pharmacy for five years. From my previous experience, I gain skills of understanding students’ views, dealing with students individually needs, funding, and handling difficulties. We working on that because student’s satisfaction is an essential element of education quality monitoring; therefore, students have right to study without obstacles that might effect on educational attainments. I am in a position that I fight for my educational accomplishments as I’m responsible for kids. Sometime, I suppose to work at night for my research, but I cannot do that as my responsibilities stop me to be creative as a learner. Similarly, a number of students need support to pursue their effective education. From my experience and recent situation, I strongly believe that I should stand up for students who they are suffering from their situations. Hence, if I can be selected, I will do my best to help everyone in NU. And most importantly, always listen to your voice.
As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I have often felt like an outsider in most mainstream circles. This is why, as Faith and belief officer, my main aim is to be as inclusive of all faiths and denominations as possible. I will aim to promote faith and religious values in Newcastle University. I will work hard to make sure that religious resources are made more easily available to students through the university so students can explore their faith. I will meet regularly, work, and discuss with students of different faiths to get to know your views on the university and develop strategies with the Students Union to make sure that the University is working for you on those matters. I will demand more spaces around the campus for students who wish to pray within university hours, and I will go the extra mile to ensure that students with a faith and their religious practices are properly respected by everyone at the university. Most importantly, I will safeguard the freedoms of minority and majority religious groups within the university to practice their faith free from obstruction.
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feature
Monday 11 March 2019
Feature Editor Ally Wilson
Music in T
The winning scores
The best movie soundtracks of all time? Amy Brown tells us her top contenders and why they deserve their spot
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Image: YouTube
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Image: YouTube
here would movies be without music? The music that accompanies films can make or break it. It’s a vital part of the experience. If the soundtrack becomes as successful as the film, it is twice as memorable. Music has added emotion, depth and overall atmosphere to the movies we love. The best ones out there are a matter of opinion and this list could probably go on forever but here’s just a few of the best (discounting musicals because that deserves a whole other list for itself). Looking back to the iconic releases of the 80s, Dirty Dancing definitely comes to mind when thinking about strong soundtracks. The songs immerse you in the 60s. With the break-out number ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, the ending to Dirty Dancing became legendary. Lead actor Patrick Swayze also featured on the soundtrack with his song ‘She’s Like The Wind’. In terms of memorability, the soundtrack from Good Morning Vietnam with Robin Williams definitely deserves a mention. This already great film was accompanied perfectly with songs from the era. When you listen to the soundtrack in isolation, you even get the breaks between songs with dialogue from Williams’ character Adrian Cronauer which immerses you back into the movie without even watching it. Some highlights include Louis Armstrong’s ‘What A Wonderful World’ and Martha Reeves & The Vandel-
Pulp Fiction’s soundtrack is one of the reasons it became a cult classic
las, ‘Nowhere To Run’.
Image: Instagram
Image: Wikimedia Commons & Instagram
The soundtrack from Pulp Fiction is undeniably brilliant. It is the perfect mash up of genres that work with the film from start to finish. Neil Diamond’s song ‘You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ (covered by Urge Overkill in the film) was the perfect match to the scene with Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman). Another popular hit was ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’. one that always reminds people of Pulp Fiction. This soundtrack was another reason why this movie became a cult classic. A few more quick mentions are Baz Luhrmann’s stunning modernization of the Shakespeare play Romeo & Juliet, featuring great music including ‘Talk Show Host’ by Radiohead and ‘Kissing You’ by Des’ree. The independent film Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, an already beautiful and complex film, is enhanced by an equally emotional soundtrack, including Beck’s ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’. Overall, the soundtracks that go hand in hand with our favourite movies are arguably just as important as the visuals. We not only gain new favourite films, but also favourite songs and artists. It also provides a platform for not only new songs/artists, but older classics from past decades that live on through film.
Singin’ in the screen Musicals aren’t just for the West-end and Broadway- they’re on the small screen too, Ellie Simmonite names her top four
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t would be fair to say that I am drawn to musical theatre like a moth drawn to a flaming inferno, so having musical TV shows is one of the best things in the world. I mean who doesn’t want to see the Flash and Supergirl sing a song about friendship while tap dancing? So, whether you’re in the mood for watching melody loving demons or physicians doing jazz hands, here’s a list of some of the best musical TV episodes to put a smile on your chops. 1 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer – ‘Once More with Feeling’ - We’re talking musical loving demons for this episode people, I mean what more can you expect from Buffy, eh? Yet again the Scooby Gang find themselves in a pickle thanks to the unfittingly named demon Sweet, who makes them sing the truths that they’ve hidden. There are songs about mustard stains, smoking performances and just a few vampire smooches – the ultimate
There are songs about mustard stains, smoking performances and vampire smooches
Buffy ep. 2 - Scrubs - ‘My Musical’ - Ever wondered what it would be like if you got a giant aneurysm in your temporal lobe and life turned into a musical? Fear not, because Scrubs did it so you don’t have to. Despite the slightly more serious topic for this episode it’s filled with giggles, songs about poo and plenty of dance breaks so there’s no need to grab a box of tissues or ice-cream
Image: Instagram
for this one. 3 - The Flash – ‘Duet’ - Any episode with a cast list that includes Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoit, Darren Criss and John Barrowman is destined to be a juicy one and that is what we get in this jam packed forty-three-minute musical extravaganza. This time, the Flash and Supergirl are sent to a world where life is a musical by The Music Meister (what a name by the way) and the only way to escape is singing and dancing, it sure is a wild ride. 4 - Riverdale - ‘A Night to Remember’ - While this isn’t a classic musical TV episode it is the only one on this list that puts a spin on an off-Broadway show, as Riverdale High’s students perform ‘Carrie the Musical’. Not only do we get some lyrical bops, especially Casey Cott’s glorious one-line solo during ‘In’, but there’s also plenty of teen drama, a touch of murder and of course one blood drenched gal.
Image: YouTube
Image: Devia
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feature
Monday 11 March 2019
TV & Film T I thought the Grammys
antart
Theme-tune triumphs Abbie Rose reveals the secret to the perfect TV theme tune
were last month? Is is appropriate to have music awards and performances at
ceremonies designed to celebrate film? Will Nsieyanji decides
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he risk with putting more emphasis on music at film award ceremonies is that it may quite literally steal the spotlight from the main event. Award ceremonies, like the Oscars or Golden Globes, commonly do include live music from a variety of genres and even have music-based award categories, like best musical score or original song. To put more emphasis on music in these ceremonies could potentially alter the atmosphere of the soirees and distract from the actual point of the award show, to celebrate the best motion pictures of the year. Who would care about best picture if Drake and Kanye West had a rap battle at the Oscars? Another issue with adding more music to award ceremonies is that it turns the hosts into glorified MCs; they will not have as much screen time to shine as the executives need to compensate with extra music, putting their talents to waste. And we could have missed out on Chris Rock at the 88th Academy Awards, who had an edgy, topical and hilarious monologue which was not afraid to address the racial tensions of the #OscarssoWhite movement at the time. Moreover, the music industry does not have a shortage of award ceremonies and is equally as busy (arguably more) as the film industry during awards season; with nights like the Grammys, Brits and a bunch of MTV affairs. So, Beyoncé & co do also participate in 24 carat gold statuettes sharing. Having said that, awards season is all about appreciating creative indi- vid- uals and their masterpieces.
Although incorporating more music into the awards would take focus away from the films, that is not necessarily a problem. Hollywood is overflowing with multitalented human beings who can shine just as bright with a mic on a stage as they do on the big screen and can help the unification of the arts.
The music industry does not have a shortage of award ceremonies
The audacious popstar Lady Gaga for instance, was nominated for best actress and won best original song at this year’s Oscars for her remarkable work on A Star is Born, her and Bradley Cooper even performed the winning song ‘Shallow’ live for Hollywood’s finest. This year’s Oscars had no host due to Kevin Hart dropping out/ being sacked, enabling more emphasis on music, including Queen and Adam Lambert’s rendition of Queen’s classic ‘We Will Rock You’ which blasted the Dolby Theatre with energy and enthusiasm and set the mood for the evening. The advantage of having more music at film award ceremonies is that everyone loves music. However, it must be executed with balance: the night
he best TV shows find a way to creep into our consciousness, quickly becoming part of our daily lives and routines. From soaps, to quiz shows, to documentaries, to fiction, the rise of Netflix and online streaming makes it even easier to indulge in our favourite entertainment. A memorable theme tune can become a significant part of our investment in a show, but what makes a good TV theme tune? Honourable mentions of classic TV show theme tunes include Doctor Who, The Addams Family and The Simpsons. But what is it about these TV tunes that make them the best? Each theme tune provides an insight into the show, with a catchy pop-culture hook-line that you feel obliged to sing-along to. The introduction of each show establishes the mood and aesthetic that is carried throughout the storyline.
Image: Flickr
Considering the classics, the most famous shows of all time consist of two timeless 1990s American sitcoms, both airing on NBC, Friends and The Fresh Prince of BelAir. Love them or hate them, they both have memorable theme tunes which have shaped our expectation of what a theme tune should consist of. From The Rembrandts’ ‘I’ll Be There For You’ to Will Smith’s hip-hop version of The Beverley Hillbillies, both provided the puzzle pieces to the audience, allowing them to connect the storyline, informing a description of the basic plot. The theme tunes were representative entities of what was to come in the shows, from a group of friends that relied on each other for support, to a teenager being sent to live with his aunt and uncle after a fight.
Image: YouTube
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Image: Instagram
Image: Pixabay
Image: Flickr
Contemporary classic TV shows with memorable theme songs include that of Stranger Things, American Horror Story, Suits and Game of Thrones. Two considerably memorable TV theme tunes of the twenty first century cement CBS’ Big Bang Theory and web-television series Orange Is the New Black.
The theme tunes were representative entities of what was to come in the shows
From Barenaked Ladies’ ‘The Big Bang Theory Song’ to Regina Spektor’s ‘You’ve Got Time,’ both themes inform us of the subject of each series, from the scientific perspective of the creation of the world, to the mundane life of women behind bars who have time to serve. Regulation of TV series being streamed through various sites means that consumers can binge-watch these in bulk, rehearing the theme tune each episode. This influences our ability to absorb and memorise the lyrics and melody of a theme tune, making it more likely for us to remember it, as opposed to being spoon-fed weekly episodes. So, what makes a great TV theme tune? The musical conclusion consists of the consumer’s expectation of being briefed about the TV show and being able to sing- along to a memorable hook-line.
Image: Flickr
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culture music
c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis, Max Hobbs Online Editor Dominic Lee
Monday 11 March 2019
20 years on: Time to take the spotlight Black on Both W Sides
Finlay Harbour takes us back to 1999 in our musical time capsule
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ater this year it will be the 20th anniversary of Yasiin Bey’s, the artist formerly known as ‘Mos def,’ debut solo album, Black on Both Sides. Released in 1999, it represents nothing less than the Golden era (the 1990s) of hip-hop’s swan song, its crowning glory…Let the credits roll. Black on Both Sides was a culmination of everything good about 90s hip-hop sprinkled with a refreshing dose of religiosity and the sincerest of reflections on a state of affairs. Mos Def was considered a sort of hip-hop Messiah by critics at the time, and 20 years on we can learn even more from his preachings.
Mos Def was considered a sort of hip-hop Messiah by critics at the time, 20 years on we can learn even more
A number of tracks off the album could fit snugly into a Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang Clan or even an MF Doom discography. In this accord, Black on Both Sides demonstrates an eclectic palette for east coast boom-bap, ‘jazz-rap’ sampling‘Love,’ ‘Know That’ or ‘Mr. N***a’ to name a few. More experimental tracks such as ‘Got’ and ‘Brooklyn’ take the album underground; ’Brooklyn’ creates a cinematic jazznoir atmosphere eventually trademarked by Madvillainy in 2004, hip hop’s subterranean Bible. ‘Mathematics,’ and ‘Ms Fat Booty’ have garnered classic status, and finally, if you add ‘Do It Now,’ which ups the tempo a little. to the equation, you now have the all-in-one 90s package thoughtful, experimental and club-ready. Setting this album apart from its predecessors requires a closer look at the lyrical content. The artists I’ve mentioned are all socio-conscious in their own right as hip-hop in the 90s truly harnessed a political influence, typically concerning racial inequality. Mos Def, with God by his side, took a slightly different approach. On ‘New World Water’ he delves precariously into a typically unhip hop discussion of global-warming, water shortages and capitalist alienation. The album opener ‘Fear Not of Man’ is Mos Def’s prophecy on everything from hip-hop to materialism and self-worth. Listen up. “Mind over matter and soul before flesh… the hip hop won’t get better until the people get better.” Oh dear, if he was thinking this in 1999, I wonder what he thinks of Lil Pump… In 2012, Mos Def dedicated himself to Islam by changing his name, finally disassociating from all the darker, ungodly connotations of hip-hop. A few years later he water-boarded himself and posted it on the internet in protest against torture treatments at Guantanamo Bay. Most recently, during his ‘final show’ before retirement at the O2 Forum Kentish Town, he spent half the time sitting on a bed of roses, externalising a whimsical, disjointed monologue like the protagonist of a modern Shakespearean tragedy. Granted, after 20 years, he might have lost his edge, but in these uncertain post-modern (Trump-Brexit?) times, maybe we can still learn something from Yasiin and his seminal work.
ith Newcastle being the place for everything indie, here is an indie-pop band you don’t want to miss out on! Fans of Two Door Cinema Club or The Wombats will most certainly love this four-piece from Essen, Germany. Lukas, Jonah, Moritz and Niclas aka DOTE have been making music in this constellation for roughly three and a half years now. Having met at choir practice, a future in music was pretty much inevitable.
DOTE is new, DOTE is exciting, DOTE is refreshingly different. But they still sound familiar.
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We have started to incorporate more electronic elements and synths, which to us was a natural progression away from “classic” indie to a more experimental sound.” Their latest single ‘Mango’ is perfect proof. This song about looking for some sort of connection to fill a void starts off slow with a soft dreamy melody until the beat kicks in and you feel like breaking out your best dance moves. With their unique and danceable sound, DOTE are revolutionising the German indie scene and I sincerely hope that they make it across the pond to prove that German music is more than Rammstein and Cascada.
The most notable thing about their music is that it’s very versatile. There is no single style nor the generic “Hi, we’re an indie band” sound that we’ve all heard a million times before. DOTE is new, DOTE is exciting, DOTE is refreshingly different. But they still sound familiar, like your old favourite song transported into the 21st century. ‘Swim’ for example channels all the best of guitar music while ‘Bottles’ could easily sit on an old Two Door Cinema Club record. In the past year, DOTE have evolved massively. Talking about this change, the boys explain: “We have started to move away from the defined structures of being a band. If a guitar doesn’t sound right to us in a song, we don’t use it.
Is rock ‘n’ roll dying? Our writers debate whether rock music genre is dead or whether it’s going through another regeneration
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Gerry Hart
love Rock Music. Literally, the louder and less listenable the better. But even I can’t deny that the myriad genres that comprise it no longer hold the same cultural clout they once did. Whereas guitar music once dominated both the charts and the cultural zeitgeist, such acts have now fallen by the wayside in favour of other musical styles like hip-hop or EDM.
rock has simply fallen afoul of changing cultural trends
So what happened? I think by and large rock has simply fallen afoul of changing cultural trends. Despite constituting a vast array of genres, rock music has been traditionally partisan, with various subcultures forming around certain genres. However in recent years these subcultures have been on the decline. Sure you still get goths, punks and metalheads but musical taste and identification therewith is far more fluid than it was twenty years ago. Nevertheless, I don’t think rock has necessarily been helping itself by simultaneously adhering to conventional wisdom as opposed to pushing the envelope. Contrast this with hip-hop, which has only gone from strength to strength with a vast array of diverse, vibrant and highly politicised artists who don’t feel the need to rely on their genre’s history to warrant respect. So rock music is no longer the cultural powerhouse it once was but is that necessarily a bad thing? Chart success doesn’t necessarily amount to good music (see Mr Blobby) and I don’t think rock music was well served by the popular yet painfully generic legion of cookie cutter nu metal acts that plagued the early ‘00s. Indeed I think rock might benefit from some time out of the limelight. By way of comparison, jazz has never reached the heights it attained in the ‘20s and ‘30s yet it still remains a vibrant genre full of experimentation. And there are still plenty of decent rock and metal acts out there like Power Trip, Full of Hell and Turnstile if one is only willing to dig a little. Rock’s not dead, but it’s not the cultural force it once was. And as a rock fan, I’m ok with that.
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Dominic Lee
ing an impact on summer festivals with Fleetwood Mac being tipped to headline Glastonbury alongside Stormzy. So really rock isn’t dead, it perhaps had a small dry spell but with so many exciting things going on in the genre it may be creeping back into listeners downloads again some time soon.
usic has long been dominated by hip-hop and many believe that so-called “guitar music” has had its day. With Guns ‘n’ Roses recording their first album since 2008, it begs the question of whether rock is still relevant in 2019. Though GnR may have been one of the biggest names in music in the 80’s and 90’s, rock bands such as themselves may not have the same power they once did. Nonetheless, while rappers appear to have a monopoly over streaming platforms, good old rock and roll is more alive than ever and is arguably experiencing a resurgence. Rock is one of the most - if not the most- varied genre there is with numerous subgenres such as punk, which is experiencing its best period in a number of years with bands such as Shame and IDLES leading the way. Hip-hop in comparison is currently swamped with auto-tune ridden tracks which show very little in the way of originality. One of the most exciting developments in rock over recent years is the psychedelic movement in Australia, which has produced forward-thinking acts such as Tame Impala and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard who are redefining what “guitar music” can be in the 21st century. Additionally, the return of vinyl has breathed new life into the rock genre with more young people diving into their parent’s old record collections and emerging inspired. So bands such as Guns ‘n’ Roses and others in the classic rock genre are most likely being kept alive by LP sales. This is even havImage: Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11 March 2019
@CourierMusic thecourieronline.co.uk/music
music culture
Hozier: Wasteland, Baby!
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his album has been long awaited by so many. Hozier’s debut was one of those albums which wasn’t just lacking in bad songs, but abundant in very very good ones. So, when Wasteland, Baby! came out (questionable title first of all) we were all hanging on the edge of our seats, willing it to be a good one. And it kind of is. On first listen, mind. The initial threesongs meld into each other in such a predictable manner I was half tempted to skip the rest until my Spotify switched back to Hozier. But I persevered, and I’m glad I did. Although the album opens with first single ‘Nina Cried Power’, which, as a power anthem singing about famous jazz singers coming from a lanky pale Irishman is an interesting listen to say the least.
The initial songs meld into each other in such a predictable manner I was half tempted to skip the rest
However it should not have been placed so close to two songs which sound very similar. ‘Movement’ and ‘No Plan’ are all angry echoey room fillers about how crap the world is and set up the album to seem pretty monotonous, which just isn’t the case. Were these songs spread out across the record a bit more, more people would realise that. But these are all of the same ilk. ‘Nobody’ is a slightly more up beat, funky number with some truly astronomical notes hit by the man himself. Very impressive stuff. This is followed by the appropriately named ‘To Noise Making (Sing)’, which has an almost annoyingly catchy chorus featuring some gorgeous help from a female gospel choir. With some interesting percussive backing, it could easily have featured on Ed Sheeran’s Divide, but we’ll forgive Hozier for that. This one will be received live well.
Modeselektor Who else?
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odeselektor is an iconic German duo consisting of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. They are the representation of Berlin’s electronic scene within the mainstream. The group are the best known from their collaborations with Thom Yorke and Sascha Ring aka. Apparat. Together they are Moderat – the group behind the iconic ‘A New Error’. Who else? is Modeselektor’s 4th full-length solo album. It premiered on February 22nd 2019 - eight years after their last release. Only 8 tracks - 35 minutes of new music, after such a long wait. They definitely aimed for quality over quantity. The opening ‘One United Power’, a very dynamic, varied track, combines all the iconic sounds, that a techno fan will surely recognise. As is the case with the whole album, Modeselektor challenged themselves to create something new out of some classic beats and current trends. It is visible especially on ‘Prügelknabe’, which means ‘whipping boy’ in German. Not only is it a return to their language, but also to the original topic matter: catharsis, expressed by dark sounds and crushing beats. Even in such a short album, the duo managed to feature some fresh faces. On ‘Wealth’ they collaborated with Flohio – a female British rapper. They created an absolute banger, stumbling a bit into trap and grime. ‘I Am Your God’ featuring OVS is a very hard, intense track, even for Modeselektor. My absolute favourite is ‘Who’ featuring Tommy Cash. Hats off for combining the distinctive ‘Kanye East’ style with their instrumental so perfectly. The end result is something between an experimental hip hop and hard trance. Unfortunately, not all songs felt as exciting as this one. Who else? is an excellent, bold, challenging album. It has much less pop appeal, instead, it relies on Modeselektor’s club roots. However, in the long run, the album has only 2 or 3 truly memorable tracks. Jagoda Waszkowiak
After this relentless pop / rock stream, we’re given the beautiful vintage Hozier in the form of ‘As It Was’. The gorgeously delicate acoustic guitar strumming with the carefully arranged strings echoing in the background, we are reminded of the quieter moments from his debut which we know and love (and probably went on to make him plenty of dollar, they feature on so many TV shows). ‘Shrike’ keeps to the traditional irish-folk-music style guitar playing and crescnedos perfectly into a haunting melodic interlude. Sadly, the only other truly gentle and quiet moment on the album after this is the title track, ‘Wasteland, Baby!’. Although the strange vibrating effect on his voice is slightly jarring, it’s not unpleasant to listen to and the lyrics are really very sweet. Inbetween these moments are five songs which are all good, but once again, all very very similar. Although the likes of ‘Talk’ introduce us to a new, darker, rougher guitar sound, the song doesn’t really go anywhere and the organ in the background is almost vampiric. It’s clear Hozier wanted to try out lots of different sounds on this album, which is ambitious and should be respected, but only when they work. And on ‘Be’, it doesn’t. With a voice as excellent as his, and with guitarplaying skills as accomplished as his, there is no need to rely on effects and distortion to sound interesting. The same can be said for ‘Dinner & Diatribes’ although to a lesser degree. The gradual development of this track is very impressive; it’s the kind of song you’d want to stick on in an angry rant after an argument when all the world seems hopeless. Love those kinds of songs. ‘Would That I’ scrapes the album back from its angry tantrum in the middle, with
some heavier rhythm whilst simultaneously retaining the sweet melodies and achieving the same catchiness whith ‘To Noise Making (Sing) enjoys; a good effort here. ‘Sunlight’ opens with very Imagine Dragons-esque clapping and foot-stomping, and we get that organ back again, with very churchy choral arrangements behind. But it works beautifully in this song and were it performed in a cathedral, it would really use its acoustics to the full with the various textures going on. But I imagine a cathedral tour is quite difficult to arrange. Overall, this album is a good one. It would be a great one were it not for the fact that Hozier was such a hit and this one just doesn’t quite reach teh same levels of ingenuity. Nonetheless, I would encourage everyone who enjoyed the first album to give it a listen, because there are some fantastic moments on it, just lower your expectations. Ally Wilson
2 Chainz Rap or Go to the League
The Japanese House Good At Falling
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ive studio albums, 10 mixtapes and a shedload of high-profile guest verses have taught us not to expect anything too left-field from a 2 Chainz release. His M.O when in album mode has tended to be to create moody, wacky and wall-towall Southern trap bangers. Rap or Go to the League, while still displaying some of these signature brushstrokes, is easily his most nuanced and artistically adventurous effort to date. From the outset, the ex-basketballer experiments with bolder instrumentation choices. The darkly ethereal vocal loop on ‘Forgiven’ and the airy chipmunk-soul sample on ‘Threat 2 Society’ accommodate more subtle lyrical performances from an introspective and nostalgic 2 Chainz. He muses cathartically on being unjustly overlooked by the industry as well as the guilt and anxiety instilled by his former life as a drug dealer in Georgia. There is still a bevy of wilfully obnoxious and incisive club anthems (‘High Top Versace’, ‘Statue of Limitations’, ‘NCAA’), but they are executed with a virtuosic flourish. This astute approach extends to his handling of abundant guest verses, an ever-present throughout 2 Chainz discography. 2 Chainz seems content to let his A-list friends borrow the spotlight. Kendrick’s whisper flow on ‘Momma I Hit a Lick’, Travis Scott’s cowbell accompanied autotuned vocals on ‘Whip’ and Chance’s sleepy delivery on ‘I’m Not Crazy, Life Is’ all being examples of letting his superstar contemporaries take the wheel. The commercial life-span of a rapper in today’s musical climate is fleeting, Rap or Go to the League exhibits a streetwise 41-year old 2 Chainz prepared to make compromises in order to maintain his relevance. While it might not be as loud or abrasive as his previous work, creatively, it makes a great deal more noise. Adam Williams
What’s In A Name? ‘Angels’ Robbie Williams Last year, Robbie
sparked fans’ outrage after announcing that he won’t be performing ‘Angels’ anymore during his live shows. It is truly such a shame – the track is an absolute classic. It was even voted the Best Song in 2005 and was Williams bestselling single that kick-started his career back in 1997. The reason behind his was that he gets too emotional and I can definitely see why. ‘Angels’ is an incredibly powerful ballad, that retains its tear-jerking abilities after all those years. Compared to other picks, this one carries definitely the most profound meaning. Through its beauty and lyrics, but also the whole story surrounding it.
Tom Walker ‘Angels’ by Tom
Walker is a soulful pop track. It’s another emotional one as it is delivered with passion and honesty. It is the youngest out of all the picks but somehow feels the least original. The vocals are exceptional, however, its instrumental is a default pick for an ‘emotional song’. The chorus: ‘don’t give up… ‘Cause there must be angels…’ is also mediocre at best. The reason behind this effect might be also that Walker was awarded the biggest breakout UK global star of 2018. As a result, his version of ‘Angels’ has become a bit overplayed by now.
the XX
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he Japanese House’s long awaited debut album, Good at Falling, is now with us. With some of the album being recorded in a cabin owned by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and with production help from The 1975’s George Daniel, the album was set up to be nothing less than brilliant, and it’s fully delivered. Amber Bain keeps nothing behind closed doors on this album as she sheds light on her recent breakup with Marika Hackman. An incredible mix of sad synths and strings, this album is her finest and most bold work yet. The albums opener ‘went to meet her (intro)’ sets off the record perfectly, Ambers mellow vocals being enhanced by a haunting auto tune effect sinks us slowly into Good at Falling, enveloping the listener in a curious melancholy as they eagerly await for the next track to quietly transition in. Track number five ‘You Seemed so Happy’, begins with an acoustic chord progression that wouldn’t be out of place on a Kooks record. However this façade is quickly diminished as the drums and lyrics kick in. Although sang to an upbeat melody the lyrics tell another story of confusion and heartbreak at thinking you know when someone is okay, when in fact they are not. Perhaps the most powerful track on the album is ‘Lilo’. The song tells of how Amber felt at the start and throughout her relationship with Marika Hackman. The music video for this particular song evokes even more emotion, due to both Amber and Marika being in it, both as lovers and as those who have separated. The album finishes with an acoustic version of the previously released ‘i saw you in a dream’. This new version of the track is a lot more relaxed than its predecessor and is a fitting end to an absolutely incredible album. Joe Smith
It’s the opening song to the XX’s second album. However, with the perspective that time gives, it turns out to be a much more boring song than it was in 2012. Especially compared to the other tracks by the band, like ‘Chained’ that comes up after it on the record or the other iconic ‘Intro’. In contrary to those, I do not think that ‘Angels’ works as a track by itself. It is also much less exciting than the others feels standard in terms of sound. Of course, we love (the old) the XX for their minimalism and ingenuity with their style.
A$AP Rocky
One of the now forgotten tracks from Rocky’s first full-length album. Despite this, it is still a banger with an amazing, simple beat. As well as a lovely composition of background vocals. The production is exceptional, as it combines soft choir with hard A$AP’s rap. This one definitely has the most experimental and original sound out of the 4 picks. However, the lyrics are pretty standard for a rap song. They are mostly about how much money he has, how successful and cool he is. Despite that Rocky’s delivery is excellent as always. Jagoda Waszkowiak
/The CourierMusic @Courier_Music
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culture TV
c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors: Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney, Chloe Mullins Online Editor: Dominic Lee
CharmedReturns Lucy Lillystone dissects why the reboot is an insult to fans
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t was nostalgia that made me sit down to watch The CW’s recent reboot of Charmed and let’s just say, I should have stuck with the original. But was I shocked? Not in the slightest. It is The CW after all. While it is not the worst thing I’ve ever watched – it doesn’t even come close to Riverdale and has potential for young clueless teenagers, unfortunately, the bad overrules the good. Firstly, the family dynamic – do these sisters even like each other? What made the original Charmed so compelling was the relationship between the Halliwell sisters and the clear portrayal of the ends to which they would go for each other. This is severely lacking in the reboot. Sisterhood is placed on the back burner as, dare I say it, feminism takes the forefront. When we first got the description of the show that this would be a new “feminist” take on our beloved witches, the writers really weren’t kidding. And then there’s the dialogue. Did someone say messy?
Did someone say messy? From the minute the sisters opened opened their mouths, I was cringing so hard at the screen. From the minute the sisters opened their mouths, I was cringing so hard at the screen. Every single line feels forced and over the top, to the point that I found myself laughing at one sister, Mel. I didn’t empathise with her as I did the original Halliwell sisters and I know for a fact if she were to die, it wouldn’t make me cry one bit. Not like Prue’s death in the original that had me sobbing into tissues. I find myself detached from these girls and no fault to the actresses who are attempting to do a wonderful job with what they’ve given, the dialogue is just cheesy and wrong.
5.1K
The number of dislikes the trailer for this reboot currently has on YouTube, greatly outnumbering its 3.6K likes
From the get-go, though, this show let itself down. In the original, viewers are left watching three women attempt to live their lives with these new, irritating, on-the-verge of dangerous powers and it is endearing, watching them attempt to come to terms with this new reality. This was ripped up, torn to shreds and thrown in the bin in the reboot. The pilot begins with Mel, Maggie and Macy being kidnapped by their Whitelighter who gives them the Book of Shadows and explains their powers to them, to which the girls’ reactions lasts all of 5 seconds? Maybe 10? For me, it felt rushed and out of place. It lacked independence and in one word, it was simply: wrong.
the courier
Monday 11th March 2019
To stream or not to stream? Natalie Chigariro and Lou Siday battle over which format provides the best TV experience
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here is a myriad of logistical and practical reasons why physical box sets are superior to streaming. Firstly, boxsets don’t have the bloody auto play feature. There’s no opportunity for any of that ‘just one more episode’ nonsense. Once a season is over, it’s over. You’re forced to take a break from the TV binge and re-evaluate your life, which is impossible in the 6 or so seconds Netflix gives you before plunging you into the following episode. The faff of swapping discs over means you’ll opt for slumber instead, hereby saving you from the inevitable, self-destructive sleep deprivation that is enabled by auto-play. A 2017 survey by Ofcom revealed that 32% of British adults lose out on sleep (and subsequently productivity) because of streaming services. Whether you like it or not, physical box sets create boundaries which stop you from binge-watching until you hate yourself. Furthermore, physical box sets don’t and can’t live in your pockets the way streaming apps do so are far less likely to encroach on your productivity. Secondly, with physical box sets, you don’t have to wait for your shitty Wi-Fi to buffer as all your housemates simultaneously attempt to stream things. With a trusty DVD or Blu Ray, you can enjoy immersive, uninterrupted viewing experiences. As an added bonus, over and above their entertainment function, physical box sets are great for their decorative value when they’re sat on your shelf. The pink hues of The Sex and the City box sets; the metallic shimmer of Orange is the New Black. As students, our finances are tight so finding a product with multiple possible uses is essential and ingenious. Also, what a great conversation starter for new houseguests. No one (other than psychology students) can read your mind to know what shows you might both be into! Ditch the streaming, head back to old school DVDs to save your degree! Natalie Chigariro
obody owns a DVD player anymore. I think I am the only person I know whose laptop has a disk drive, and that’s only because I bought it years ago. So who is still buying boxsets? People obviously are. Go into HMV or a supermarket and shelves are stacked with recent releases. On amazon you can buy the complete boxset of The IT Crowd for twenty quid. The most recent series of Luther sets you back thirteen pounds if you want the cardboard box with Idris Elba looking suave on the front. I mean, fair enough, who doesn’t want a picture of Idris Elba looking suave, but do we want the DVDs that come with it? For the twenty pounds you have spent on the complete boxset of the IT Crowd you could get a takeaway, a few bottles of wine, and enjoy them while you stream the IT Crowd on Channel Four’s website. For free. Luther can be found on the internet, also iPlayer has every single episode available to stream. Most people are buying these DVD boxsets as a gift. Stop. It is the equivalent of buying soap or bath bombs. Yeah, thank you, but this will sit on my shelf for years until I finally chuck it out or give it to a charity shop. Nobody who is a fan of Luther wants to get the most recent series on DVD, because they have just watched it on telly. Buy them something else, anything else. Nobody who has never seen the IT Crowd wants the entire boxset because, if they wanted to watch it, they would have. And, they probably don’t even have a DVD player to watch it on. It will go on their DVD shelf with the other boxsets still in cellophane, by the TV, where they stream good telly they want to watch for free. Lou Siday
Images: Wikimedia Commons, pixabay, pngimg
Will Disney save the day? Joe Holloran is in favour of Disney reviving ex-Netflix shows Jessica Jones and The Punisher
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Image: YouTube Because I’m petty, the little things also ruined this show for me. For one, the girls don’t even have the same powers or names. What’s the point in a reboot if you are going to completely disregard the original in terms of key plot details? For example, Phoebe’s premonitions in the original was an integral part of their survival. And yet, Maggie’s ability to read minds comes across as satirical and more of a joke than a serious power. Of course, there are things to applaud in the reboot, for example the representation of people of colour, the story around sexual harassment and other current issues at play in society, but sadly this show is not for me. I give it to the CW for having the balls to take a well-loved show and attempt to bring it back with a fresher outlook but from the start, it was little more than a flop.
ate February saw the arrival of more unfortunate news for Marvel fans when Netflix announced that its final two superhero shows – Jessica Jones and The Punisher – were to be cancelled. They will join Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist in the scrap pile of TV history after the release of Jessica Jones season three later this year. With the exception of Iron Fist these Netflix superhero adaptations have received critical acclaim and fan adulation for their engaging-challenging narratives, dark aesthetics and layer representations of both the titular heroes and their antagonists. So, why have Netflix done this and what does the future hold for the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the small screen?
The biggest problem I foresee is that the shows recast and start their arcs afresh While fans express their dismay at the end of the shows' runs - including Eminem, who railed against the streaming service on Twitter - there may actually be a logical reason behind this seemingly counter-intuitive decision. Netflix is the undisputed king of streamed TV, with Amazon Prime TV a distant second. Soon however, there will
be a new challenger in town when Disney launch their own service, 'Disney +', in the autumn. Given that they own Marvel studios, the hope among fans is that they will simply resurrect these cancelled shows on their own platform. After all, it makes no business sense to have one of your biggest assets in the hands of your greatest rival. The biggest problem I foresee is that the shows recast and start their arcs afresh. This would be a massive mistake. There has never been a better Daredevil than Charlie Cox, a better Jessica Jones than Krysten Ritter and definitely no greater Punisher than John Bernthal. Fans of these shows, such as myself can only hope that the powers that be at Disney simply transfer platforms, while keeping the shows as intact as possible. Besides, they know already that the format of these shows work and are hugely popular, so there is no risk there. Another
worry is that the shows featuring some of the more interesting and damaged characters, such as Jessica Jones and Frank Castle may be shelved entirely due to their more gray morality and challenging back-stories, while the more complex characteristics of heroes like Daredevil (religious struggles for instance) are dropped as the characters get 'Disneyfied'. In the past Disney could have their cake and eat it by keeping their brand name off-of teen+ oriented products they owned the rights to, by using the house names Marvel Studios or Lucasfilm, watching the money roll in while keeping the Disney brand clean for twee kids television. The challenge now is whether or not they can maintain this distinction between kid’s productions and the more grown-up shows like Punisher or Daredevil on a platform that carries their name and houses them together. Let's hope they can for the sake of great TV. Image: YouTube
the courier
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Monday 11th March 2019
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TV culture
Time to go back to Bikini Bottom? Sophie Hicks questions Nickelodeon's decision to make a spinoff of SpongeBob SquarePants, a show well past its prime
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ollowing the trend in reboots, Nickelodeon has announced that they are currently developing SpongeBob SquarePants spin-offs. I researched it assuming that the show ended, but no, it’s still going after 20 years. Whilst I’m not exactly Nickelodeon’s demographic anymore, I did spend a decent portion of my childhood watching re-runs of SpongeBob, so I have opinions on the reboot.
understand why Nickelodeon would create a spin-off series; although the show may be losing views, SpongeBob still very much so exists. From the campaign for the Super Bowl to play ‘Sweet Victory’ after the death of Stephen Hillenburg, to the extremely successful Tonynominated musical adaptation and multiple theme park attractions, SpongeBob is still popular. However, I think even children can see that the quality of SpongeBob episodes drastically declined over the years. So, is a spin-off series a good idea when the quality of the show has rapidly declined? Nickelodeon hasn’t shared much about the spin-off but have stated that it will probably focus on stories of the other characters of SpongeBob, such as Plankton or Sandy Cheeks. Image: YouTube However, even Brian
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Previews
Celebrity Apprentice Coming soon to BBC One
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his week the BBC announced the line-up for this year’s Celebrity Apprentice, as part of Comic Relief 2019. As always the show will be hosted by Lord Sugar, with the help of Baroness Karen Brady and Claude Littner, however the battling castmates will of course look a lot more familiar than normal. The twopart Comic Relief Special is making its comeback after a ten-year break, with the two groups battling to raise the most money for Comic Relief.
Image: YouTube Making up the girl’s team is TV Presenter, actress and Britain’s Got Talent host Amanda Holden, who said “I’m ready to take a step away from the judging panel to compete, and I’m thrilled to be taking part. I’m sure the girls' team will be victorious!” Fellow talent-show judge, Ayda Williams of the X Factor, and wife to Robbie Williams, will also be taking part, as will Kelly Hoppen, interior designer for the stars and ex Dragon’s Den Dragon, as well as journalist and broadcaster, Rachel Johnson, sister to Boris Johnson. Having been the second to be evicted on last year’s Celebrity Big Brother, will Rachel be more successful this time round? The final contestant is actress and
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The number of years break between this Celebrity special of the Apprentice and the last Celebrity Special
comedian Tameka Empson, best known for playing Kim Fox on BBC’s EastEnders, who boldly stated “I am ready to prove to Lord Sugar that I’m someone not to be messed with when it comes to a business challenge!” On the opposing team there’s comedian and actor Omid Djalili, who has appeared in smash-hit films such as The Mummy, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Joining Djalili is fellow comedian Russell Kane, a likely fan favourite, and Richard Arnold, journalist and TV presenter, who says he will take on the battle of the boardroom “with all the bombast of a seasoned showbiz veteran of 25 years”. Television presenter Rylan ClarkeNeal will also be hoping his gift of the gab will work in the boardroom. Completing the boy’s team is ex-manager of football teams such as England and Everton, Sam Allardyce. Newbie to reality TV, ‘Big Sam’ says he hopes his “managerial experience” will help him succeed. With an impressive fleet of celebrities, from an interesting array of backgrounds, viewers are surely in for an entertaining show. Let’s just hope they raise enough money for Comic Relief! Celebrity Apprentice for Comic Relief will air on BBC One on Thursday 7th and Friday 8th March at 9pm, as a two-part special ahead of Red Nose Day. Aimee Seddon
His Dark Materials Coming soon to BBC One
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he 30 second preview for His Dark Materials was packed with more intrigue than 2007’s the Golden Compass film. Maybe that’s unfair, but for someone who read the books, the fact that this BBC series is opting for the longer format, and using a title that assures viewers it will tackle the whole plot from the trilogy, is a comforting thought.
Within 30 seconds, this preview builds excitement for the series to come Executively produced by the author of the series, Philip Pullman, and helmed by a company that’s proved itself in its literary adaptations, the preview gives off a hint of how well the expansion and detailing of Pullman’s worldbuilding will come into effect. With season two already announced, the faith in the series seems to be high. The preview showed a slew of familiar faces- from James McAvoy (Split, X-Men) to Ruth Wilson (Luther, The Affair) and Lin Manuel-Miranda (Hamilton, Mary Poppins Returns). The most exciting in the list, however, is the main character, Dafne Keen (Logan), who is playing Lyra in the series. Although the preview doesn’t show much of the plot, the stylisation of the story in the brief flashes we are given seem dramatic and fast paced. Starting slowly, the music in the preview builds until gunfire, people falling out of windows and the sound of roaring can be heard.
Image: YouTube However, the one thing missing is one of the most intrinsic parts to the story- the dæmons. Animal companions to all the characters that can shape-shift before children grow up and arguably making for the more interesting visuals, the preview shows neither hide nor hair of them. Visual effects take time, but their exclusion was noted- by more than just me; the BBC YouTube channel adds to the information box below the clip: ‘We’re keeping our daemons close'. Another omission was the ‘golden compass’ itself that begins the drama, but even with these omissions, the intrigue presents itself well. Within 30 seconds, this preview builds excitement for the series to come. Jennifer Cooke
Robbins doesn’t seem to know what it will be about either. If the president of Nickelodeon doesn’t even know what it’s going to be about, then is it needed? Even children can see when a network is just dragging a show on for too long.
the quality of SpongeBob episodes drastically declined over the years
Personally, although Nickelodeon hopes it will increase their viewership, I don’t think it will. If it was on Netflix, maybe it would be popular. But I just don’t think the TV format will ever get the views it once had. The popularity remains because of nostalgia and how genuinely funny the show used to be, but now Nickelodeon need to move on with new concepts (or do re-runs of Avatar: The Last Airbender instead).
Image: YouTube
Reviews
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Soon Gone
The Swingers
Available on BBC Four
Available on Channel Four
oon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle is a powerful, poignant and timely lesson on Black-British history. Following a fictional West-Indian family living and growing up in London, from the 1940s through to present day, over four generations. The eight-part BBC4 series is made up of 15 minute monologues, consisting of intricately written and emotively performed stories of various family members. It is original storytelling at its finest. In collaboration with the Young Vic Theatre, this project was curated by Kwame Kwei-Armah, working alongside a diverse and fresh team of British actors, writers and directors including the notable Sir Lenny Henry who worked as the executive producer. Together they have created a beautiful and striking method of storytelling about human life and experience, leaving the viewer reflecting on their own sense of identity and heritage. The series addresses a plethora of topical themes such as status, diasporic culture, colourism and race politics - complex tropes skillfully dissected.
Every episode is resonating, profound and melancholy yet the writing injects real humour The first episode is set in 1949, one year after the arrival of the Empire Windrush, and tells the story of nurse Eunice Daley, played by Danielle Vitalis, a young Jamaican woman with a new-born child - living within the four walls of an empty, dull room. She is perhaps the embodiment of illusions of grandeur; her hopes, dreams and expectations proving far from reality, given the hostile reception and loneliness upon arrival, all in stark contrast to the utopian vision of a new life in Britain. Nevertheless, she is optimistic and hopeful, reflecting the attitudes of many others in her position at the time. The episode ends with the line “God is good to those who wait.” which perfectly sets the series’ tone. Eunice starts the family tree, with ensuing stories from subsequent family members. Soon Gone is not simply a series of anecdotes, but stories of truth and authenticity which often go unheard and untold. Every episode is resonating, profound and melancholy yet the writing injects real humour and personality making it a truly entertaining watch. What I find most impressive also is that the episodes are set against the backdrop of key historical events that provide rich context. For example, the case of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 and the New Cross fire of 1981 in which Yvonne, played by Vinette Robinson, gives us a resounding performance of passion and anger in response. In some ways paralleling the Grenfell Tower fire, with the emergent debates surrounding socioeconomic dismissals, inequalities and racial tensions. This short-series is provocative and compelling, honouring the past, present and future. Kwei-Armah has said he hopes that the series will draw viewers to question their own story and how we collectively move forward and I absolutely wish for the same. Rashida Campbell-Allen
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escribed by the Guardian as a “camp Dutch export”, The Swingers is proof that the Netherlands has more to offer than just cheese, windmills and space cakes. The Swingers is a Dutch crime drama series which is available on Channel 4 through their Walter Presents collection of foreign-language television series, known throughout the Netherlands as De Nieuwe Buren (The New Neighbours). The series encompasses an incredibly broad range of topics including love, affairs, perverts, miscarriages, drugs, lies, IVF, and, obviously, swinging. Young couple Eva and Peter have moved to a cosy Dutch suburb to settle down and start their family, when Eva is soon struck by tragedy and suffers an abortion, casting her into deep misery as she realises that her dream of a fairy-tale family life is just a fantasy. Desperate for comfort, Eva and Peter seek solace in their neighbours Rebecca and Steef, who embody everything Eva and Peter aspire to be. Rebecca works as a fitness instructor and Steef works as a cop; they have a loving young son and an apparently perfect family life; and their sex life puts Eva and Peter’s to great shame. Their sex life is however somewhat unorthodox, with Rebecca and Steef ultimately admitting to being swingers and inviting their new neighbours to join them in a desperate bid to save Eva and Peter’s crumbling relationship.
Image: YouTube Against this backdrop are a series of subplots. Despite working for the police anti-drug squad, Steef is working in liaison with a drug cartel, putting not just his job but also his life as a free civilian at risk. Rebecca is being spied on by her perverse elderly neighbour, who goes to extreme measures to elicit sexual relief from a woman who has never expressed romantic interest in him. Eva battles with her religious family who argues that she deserved her abortion because the baby was conceived through IVF. Peter is ashamed by his lazy sperm, indeed the reason that the couple sought IVF, and seeks revenge on the sperm donor with whom he believes Eva is having an affair. What justifies the show’s genre as crime is the one-minute segment prior to the show’s introductory sequence. Each episode begins by showing police detectives questioning an alternating member of the series about a murder they are solving, followed by footage of Rebecca and Steef’s son walking hand-in-hand with a clown through a forest and stumbling across a bloody murder scene. The Swingers is a gripping show that continues to surprise in each episode. Its unpredictable plot combined with incredible production make this an intriguing, thoughtprovoking series that I would not hesitate to recommend. Grace Dean
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culture film Animation Station
Image: FreePhotobank
Image: YouTube
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(2008)
t’s rare for a film to come along that can make a moody, Gothy teenage-boy devolve into a ball of nonsense at the cuteness of an animated children’s character. But that was the case back in 2008 when I went to see the latest offering from the undisputed master of movie anime Hayao Miyazaki, called Ponyo. If you have heard of any Japanese director, then it is likely to be Miyazaki. The protégée of Toei Animation grandmaster Isao Takahata’s, Miyazaki is best known for creating some of the most beautiful animated films of all time. While Princess Monoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001) have rightfully received their share of adulation. The same cannot be seen of Ponyo, originally called Gake no Ue no Ponyo (literally "Ponyo on the Cliff" in English). It's time this changed, and Ponyo receives the attention it deserves in the West. The film tells the story of a young boy named Sosuke who finds and falls in love with a sentient female goldfish who has adopted the name of Ponyo, despite the protestations of her father. Ponyo longs to leave the sea and live on the land among the humans. Along the way Ponyo must use her magical powers to achieve her dream of living happily-ever-after.
Image: YouTube
If this story sounds familiar that is no surprise. It is based on the story of The Little Mermaid by Danish author Hans Christian-Anderson and serves as an ‘reimagining’ of the story within a Japanese mythological context. It is testimony to respect for cinematic anime felt by Hollywood by the new-millennium that the talents of Matt Damon, Cate Blanchette and Liam Neeson all lent their voices to the Western dub. There is a bit of contention surrounding Ponyo due to the involvement of Disney’s Bueno Vista Home Entertainment. This coupled with the calibre of voice-talents for the dub led to a fear among some of ‘Disneyfication’ of Japanese anime. However, watching the movie dispels this fear straight away. It is purely from the mind and hand of Hayao Miyazaki. For my money Ponyo is behind only to Spirited Away & Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies (1988) as the third best anime film of all time, and one that perhaps needs a re-release on a streaming service like Netflix or even back to the big screen to get the audience recognition to match its critical appraisal. Joe Holloran
Image: YouTube
c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Film Editors: Jimmy Athey, Joe Holloran and Jack Gill Online Editor: Lucy Lillystone
the courier
Monday 11 March 2019
Trolls Marvel over female captain
Elisabetta Pulcini gives her views on the doxing of this latest online abusive trolling campagin
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he world is divided. There is no denying that. Evidenced by the rise of populist parties controlling the narrative with extreme views, social media’s has contributed to creating starkly split groups, through algorithms keeping users in their "bubble". From climate change to Brexit, polarization seems to span a variety of issues, while often retaining one concerning characteristic: the demonization of people perceived to be on "the other side". It is therefore inevitable for these circumstances to not have an impact on cinema. Movies like Star Wars: The Last Jedi have displayed how many different factors outside of the film’s quality can impact its reception. The narrative around the release of widely anticipated movies is more often than not entrenched in toxicity. The case of Captain Marvel is a perfect example of this: with the movie not having been released yet, trolls have targeted the Marvel movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Several factors can be pinpointed as the reason for the trolling. Firstly, Captain Marvel is a highly anticipated Marvel property. With an increasing volume of blockbuster hits being based on recognizable IP, a lot of reactions seem to be driven by nostalgia: a movie will be based not on its own merits, but rather on the resemblance it bears to the original creation. This can often be an unfair comparison, due to it relying on personal feelings rarely replicable. Factoring into this already complicated issue is people not being capable of accepting social progress being somehow affecting their beloved childhood properties. This is reflected in vicious comments being made about Brie Larson. In fact, the Oscar winning actress has been an Image: YouTube outspoken advocate
for diversity and inclusion not only on the screen, but in the entertainment industry as a whole. More specifically, she acknowledged the fact of journalist being mostly white male, and subsequentially decided to actively include people like Keah Brown, a disabled woman of colour, to cover the release of the movie. These actions, paired with Kevin Feige’s remarks about Captain Marvel being the most powerful hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have caused a section of the audience, who is used to be catered to, to feel somewhat left behind. Similar sentiments were thrown at movies like The Last Jedi and Mad Max, for displaying women in power over the beloved male hero type. This worrisome lack of empathy towards the goal of empowerment, driven largely by sexism, can be identified as the main cause of the nasty comments left on Rotten Tomatoes. With the movie not being released yet, many have targeted it using the now removed ‘Want to see’ feature with, according to Rotten Tomatoes, ‘non-constructive input, sometimes bordering on trolling’. Considering the widespread influence the site has gained, the decision to remove this feature is commendable. While some have criticized the action labelling it as a ‘silencing’ of people’s opinions, the legitimacy of the comments is called into question: knowing that the people had not seen the movie yet, Rotten Tomatoes ultimately decided that the harm of this tool being used for political purposes was too significant, and decided to remove it.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Film editor Joe Holloron share with us his review of British actor Chiwetil Edjifor's directorial debut
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he directorial debut from Doctor Strange star Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a stellar example of great British talent going back to his ancestral roots to explore a story that is mostly forgotten in his homeland. Set in the African nation of Malawi in the early years of the new millennium, the film is a retelling of the true story of William Kamkwamba, a teenage schoolboy living during a time when a particularly bad famine is devastating crops and lives in his village of Wimbe. Witnessing first-hand the damage done to the livelihood of his farmer family, young William takes it upon himself to find a solution for the good of all Malawi. Along the way the young man must face the challenges of youth and will also shoulder the burden of his ambitions against those who don’t support his initiative.
Image: YouTube
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is impressive in many ways, first and foremost are the excellent performances of its stars Ejiofor and the highly talented youngster Maxwell Simba as the titular William.
A bit like watching a two-hour long TED talk
Writer/director Ejiofor takes some stylistic risks in his directorial debut. For instance, most of the films dialogue is spoken in the native language of Malawi. This is no small feat and one that is commendable, considering authenticity is often cast aside in favour of audience concerns too often in foreign set films. The film looks beautiful and is clearly shot by someone who wishes to portray
the natural beauty of Africa alongside the resilience of its people. Credit here goes to cinematographer Dick Pope. In some ways the film is a testimony to the modern Africa of the 21st century, one that is seldom seen on film, while not failing to show the myriad of problems still facing that part of the world. There are some big issues however. At times the drama between William and his father comes across as melodramatic, a way to add some drama into what might otherwise have been a fairly straight-forward ‘feel-good’ story. Its uplifting nature and inevitable happy-ending means it sometimes struggled to hold its momentum and my attention over its run time, a bit like watching a two-hour long TED talk. Ejiofor has shown he has the potential to be as impressive behind the camera as he is front of it and I look forward to seeing what he can do on a future project that is free from the narrative constraints of retelling a ‘true story’.
Images: YouTube
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Monday 11 March 2019
@Courier_Film thecourieronline.co.uk/film
Academy Awards 2019: The Aftermath
Comment Editor Alexandra Sadler gives us the lowdown on the highs and lows of this year's Oscars
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he 91st Academy awards were already somewhat mired in controversy, even before the awards began. The revelations of Kevin Hart’s homophobic comments, and initial refusal to apologise, ensured that the Oscars hit the headlines in the most negative light. Criticism surrounding plans for a ‘Popular Film’ category, the presenting of several awards during adverts, and lack of diversity, created greater controversy around the Oscars. Despite this, the ceremony itself did feature some positive moments. Best documentary short went to Period. End of Sentence., signifying a milestone moment in the effort to destigmatise menstruation and ensure accessibility sanitary products. Although there is clearly a way to go, as one anonymous male member of the Academy offered the completely unnecessary opinion that the film is ‘just icky for men’. Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler became the first black women to win in the costume design and production design categories respectively, although it is slightly woeful that it has taken so long for the Academy to reach this point. Similarly, female directors were completely left out in the category of Best Director. Other notable moments included the chemistry displayed between Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper during their emotional performance of ‘Shallow’ from A Star Is Born, and Olivia Colman’s acceptance speech for Best Actress, an award that was widely predicted to be Glenn Close’s accolade. Roma received three awards, the most notable of which was Best Foreign Language Film, the first Mexican submission to do so. The awarding of Best Short Film (Animated) to Bao was significant as the film is a culturally specific and emotive portrayal of familial love from the perspective and experience of a Chinese Canadian filmmaker. Director Domee Shi mentions that she ‘rarely get[s]' to see these types of stories on the
Paddleton (15)
Image: YouTube
memorable wins since, such as Moonlight, for which Mahershala Ali won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor alongside Viola Davis, and Jordan Peele’s win for Get Out. Spike Lee won an Oscar for Black KkKlansman, and commented that ‘They opened up the academy to look more like America and look more diverse’, but noted using a sports analogy that he thought ‘the ref made a bad call." It seems that the industry has a way to go in reflecting on how Hollywood tells and considers stories that don’t centre on the perspective and experience of white men. The 91st Academy Awards can be summed up as consistent. There were a few surprise awards, some expansion of diversity in the list of winners, coupled with the inevitable controversy. Until these award ceremonies seriously consider a more diverse range of films, cast, and filmmakers, their attempts to show diversity and variety will persist laboriously and lethargically.
big screen in North America’, stating that it’s important to tell different stories that have a universal message. Considering the issues that the film industry has had with recognising varied and diverse experiences, it’s a message worth noting. One of the most divisive moments of the ceremony came as Green Book won Best Picture. The film has been criticised by many for evading the real issue, and history, of racism in America, and perpetuating the ‘white saviour’ trope. It’s been four years since #OscarsSoWhite, and there have been
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Fighting with My Family (15)
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On the Basis of Sex (15)
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addleton breaks your heart. Director Alex Lehmann captivates with a stunning yet bleak picture of two best friends dealing with one’s diagnosis of terminal cancer and that, instead of dealing with the pain of cancer, the friend chooses an assisted suicide. Of course, the subject matter is one that brings tears to many. However, Lehmann, as well as main actors Ray Romano and Mark Duplass, bring a certain poignancy to the table. Pair this with the bleak setting of a small two floor apartment and the greyish cinematography, and you have a recipe for some moody cinema. The first hour of the film is fairly boring, with some dark comedy and a little character development of the two friends Mike (Duplass) and Andy (Romano) but I definitely felt unfulfilled in both aspects. You meet the unlikely pair, who play the titular made up game together (similar to squash) and repeatedly watch a cheesy kungfu flick. There are a few jokes about their dynamic being similar to that of a gay couple while staying at a hotel, but I didn’t get that feel from them at all. However the last twenty minutes of Paddleton are agonising to watch, and are honestly worth the hour long wait (spoilers lie ahead). The penultimate scene, where Andy administers the lethal dose of medication to Mike is one that will stick with audiences for a while. Even though I didn’t feel that connected to Mike or Andy throughout the film, seeing Mike go through the multitude of emotions, from fear, to regret, to love for his best friend and finally to peace, was one of the most heart wrenching scenes I’ve ever watched. I feel that this is largely down to Duplass and Romano’s incredible performance, and I feel that their dynamic finally clicks in the climax of the film. Overall, I would recommend Paddelton, but only if you do fancy a good cry in the middle of the night.
ighting with my Family takes what could have been a played out message, and turn it into an unexpectedly heart-warming story. The central theme of the movie revolves around identity. Being a part of a close family does not negate our own character; this is because being guided by the influence from our loved ones reveals more about us. This felt truly refreshing. English and American movies tend to focus on how families are a restraining entity that needs to be defeated in order to fulfil one’s true destiny. However, the fact that Paige’s purpose is rooted in her family’s history of wrestling feels liberating. It also serves for some truly touching scenes: the movie draws a beautiful parallel between her being physically distant when she goes to America, and her emotional distance from her brother Zak. It is only by reconnecting with her brother that she is able to find herself again. The movie also draws parallels between success and failure: both can be hard to settle into; both can be either a blessing or a curse. In this regard, Zak’s arc is particularly relevant. He struggles to find purpose in his life, while at the same time being a part of his new family. His story of discovering newfound meaning from unconventional places completes Paige’s story of finding her confidence. The movie subverts the trope of the ‘makeover’ to tell the viewer that their own self-worth cannot rely on external factors, but rather has to come from a meaningful place. The movie is also commendable for the way it portrays friendship between women, particularly in a competitive context and turns the expectation of the ‘mean girls’ on its head. Fighting with my Family is inspiring, direct, and incredibly funny, and should be watched by anyone looking for a positive story.
uth Bader Ginsberg is an incredible woman. On the Basis of Sex celebrates her life and incredible contributions to gender equality law in the United States, however I’m unsure how successful the execution was. I loved the concept of the film but I think it suffered in its perspective. It felt long, and there was a lot of screen time dedicated to moments that in my mind didn’t warrant inclusion, whilst completely rushing over the significant court cases that established her reputation. The film is centred on the beginnings of Bader Ginsberg’s career, studying at Harvard Law and the moving personal circumstances, which accompanied this, and her first major success in amending a tax law so that it could benefit both men and women equally. Havard in the 1960’s is depicted as misogynistic, with the Dean asking his female students to justify their place there. I worry that Feliciy Jones only exists in these very forgettable biopic roles; she lives in the 1960’s. I also didn’t like the indecisiveness of Bader Ginsberg’s depiction. The producers it seemed, couldn’t make up their mind whether she was a strong intelligent woman subjected to misogyny and gender discrimination, or a character who made people doubt her because of her own recklessness. I didn’t find it particularly exciting, I think they could have made it more dramatic. It struck me as an odd case to have presented as well, because the film depicts a lot of the misogyny that Bader Ginsberg is subjected to, and yet the major victory we see on screen is for the benefit of men in society. There is no real victory shown for women, we only hear about her later victories for the women’s rights movement which are severely rushed over. It was a moving film albeit a bit forgettable, which is a shame because it didn’t do real justice to a figure so incredible.
Kaitlyn Maracle
Elisabetta Pulcini
Jodie Duddy
film culture Golden Oldies
The Birds (1963) Image: YouTube
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he Birds is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 highlyacclaimed horror-thriller classic. Based on Daphne du Maurier’s 1952 novel of the same name, The Birds explores a series of attacks in which birds suddenly begin to attack residents of Bodega Bay, California for unknown reasons. Following deveoloping a romantic interest in attorney Mitch after meeting in a pet shop, protagonist Melanie travels to Mitch’s hometown of Bodega Bay to gift a pair of lovebirds to his younger sister Cathy. Very soon after, though, Melanie is unexpectedly attacked and injured by a seagull; such incidents then begin to accumulate throughout the film, including guests at Cathy's birthday party being attacked by seagulls and sparrows invading Mitch’s family home. It becomes apparent that the birds’ actions are motivated by some kind of resentment towards humans, who bear/bare the brunt of their manic behaviour, leading to a farmer living in the Bay being pecked to death by his chickens. This violence only intensifies as the film draws to a close. The Birds is truly deserving of its reputation as a classic; its brilliance is evidenced by its continued popularity despite its use of now outdated special effects. Most birds seen in the film are actually real, including seagulls caught in a San Francisco dumpsite as well as birds bought from pet shops, although more than $200,000 was spent on the creation of mechanical birds for the film. Rather than focus on the supernatural as seen in many other horror films – see films featuring aliens, vampires and witches, alongside those focussed on semi-religious threats such as The Exorcist and The Nun – The Birds is scary because its predators are indeed a realistic threat. The Birds thus hits very close to come and will leave viewers feeling uneasy upon observing a cluster of birds in a desolate park or graveyard. It is no wonder that in 2016, The Birds was classed as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress, and was consequently selected for preservation in its National Film Registry, evidencing its continued legacy.
The Birds is truly deserving of its reputation as a classic
Having recently commenced watching Bird Box, I was surprised to notice a few similarities between the films. Both revolve around a threat that leaves residents scared to go outside – in Bird Box out of fear of the unknown, and in The Birds out of fear of being pecked to death. Both films additionally show behaviour being inexplicably altered; in Bird Box people suddenly begin to display intense suicidal tendencies, and in The Birds extremely violent and manic behaviour is observed in our feathery friends. Finally, both films hone in on real-world possibilities, which intensifies how unnerving the threats are; suicide is real, and birds are real. The themes explored in Hitchcock’s classic are therefore evidently continuing to influence the film industry today. Grace Dean
Image: YouTube
/NewcastleCourierFilm @Courier_Film
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culture arts Book Review
YOUTH Winifred Hewitt-Wright
c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland, Julia McGee-Russell, Rosie McCrum Online Editor Sophia Kypriotis
The art of gaming
Gaming editor, Alex Darbyshire, and gaming alumni, Gerry Hart, discuss the impact of art on our interpretation of games alongside their favourite art and artists within the games industry
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M Coetzee is notoriously metaphorical, and Youth is no different. Both Youth, and a novel of his which won the Booker Prize, Disgrace, are really talking about Apartheid in South Africa, but, somehow, Coetzee manages to stealthily talk around the truth. His protagonists appear to be babbling and delusional fools, obsessing over every thought and running off on tangents about beautiful poetry. Both David Lurie and John, based upon John Maxwell Coetzee himself, are privileged academics who view themselves in their own narcissistic historical and literary narratives. Their imaginations move far away from the urgency of revolution, instead, Coetzee explores the political through the personal.
This bildungsroman text is ultimately an autobiographical reflection of JM Coetzee’s own struggles migrating to England in the 1980s Youth’s protagonist leaves South Africa for reasons he only vaguely details: due to danger, or that there is no longer anything left there for him. It is only through meeting other migrants while living in London that he rejects his self-delusion about the reasons why. When they have fetched Ganapathy they may as well come and fetch him too.” Ganapathy, a fellow migrant he meets while working as a computer programmer, has a poor diet and approaches his job with lethargy and a lack of commitment, while John is dedicated to his post, eager to keep up with those more naturally inclined to the sciences (he sees himself more as a poet). Both migrants are struggling just the same, no matter how they appear. Their proud abandonment of their country, their families, was a smokescreen disguising their discomfort toward themselves. The blinding simplicity and delusion at the beginning and throughout the novel is slowly abandoned, he recognises the reality of migration, and the reality that, really, he wanted an escape through poetry, his imagination, lust and his nomadic lifestyle. His ‘Sunday Supplements’ of reading the paper and busying himself with reading, become “too transparently a way of killing time”: this bildungsroman text is ultimately an autobiographical reflection of J M Coetzee’s own struggles migrating to England in the 1980s, where both the protagonist and he experience a coming of age, from delusion, evasion and distraction to knowledge, self-acceptance and realism. John’s call for the ambulance to also carry him away in a body bag is not a cry for help but an emancipatory realisation for him that the reader can only assume will be hopeful. I would recommend this novel whole-heartedly.
@TheCourierArts @thecourierarts
the courier
Monday 11 March 2019
he collaborative nature of game development has never been more apparent than in 2019, when we have a better insight into the sausagefactory than ever before. However one of the more unsung aspects of game development is the person or persons who create the artistic style of the game. As such a visual medium, our eyes get the first impression of what a game is like- and if we like it or not. Think of the first thing you usually see when going to purchase a game- some (hopefully) snazzy box art. And no other artist has won me over more thoroughly than Japanese artist Yoji Shinkawa- artist for the Metal Gear Solid franchise. This is not his only claim to fame, however. Additionally, he has created art for other Konami franchises such as Zone of the Enders. Fans of monster films may also recognise his work in promotional art for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim. What makes Shinkawa such a brilliant artist in my opinion is his use of a simple medium -ink- to its fullest potential. Shinkawa works mainly in brush pen (or fudepen) which gives all of his work a wispy, deconstructed feeling, while the boldness of the dark ink creates a powerful, commanding style. Shinkawa is unafraid of leaving large amounts of white space in his art, which paradoxically makes this negative space provide detail to many of his concept pieces. His work is featured on much of the box art for the Metal Gear Solid series and it’s not difficult to see why. Shinkawa’s art is honestly one of my favourite aspects of a series that I already love very dearly. And if an artist can achieve that, then something must be said about the power they have over the authorship of games.
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Alex Darbyshire
ideo games are a weird medium to analyse. On the one hand, its fairly evident that they disseminate their core message through their mechanics yet, at the same time, those mechanics themselves need to be rendered meaningful through audible or visual elements (after all, most of us can’t really engage with raw code). Naturally, the interaction between visuals and mechanics opens up a number of interesting gameplay opportunities, and few games take advantage of them as well as Lucas Pope’s Return
of the Obra Dinn. The visual differences between Return of the Obra Dinn and Pope’s previous title Papers, Please are readily apparent. Departing from the pixel art of its predecessor, Obra Dinn is not only rendered in 3D but also adopts a firstperson perspective. Even more striking however is the colour palette, or the lack thereof. In an interview with PC Gamer, Pope stated this monochromatic art style drew inspiration from early Macintosh games. In terms of visual appeal, I personally like it. Despite being deliberately reminiscent of older games, Obra Dinn doesn’t really look like anything on the market today and its art style goes a long way to establish an uncanny, almost foreboding tone that fits perfectly with the game’s narrative. But for me, the true artistry in Obra Dinn’s visual style lies in how it informs the gameplay. The game centres on the titular Obra Dinn, a ghost ship you must investigate with the aid of a magic pocket watch which allows you to relive moments of death. Through these haunting frozen scenes, the player must then deduce who particular crewmembers were and what fate befell them. Here, the monochromatic art style necessitates the player pay close attention to their surroundings, observing what crewmembers were doing and who they were interacting with. As a fascinating example of a game’s visual style effectively becoming part of the mechanics, Obra Dinn is a truly memorable experience. Gerry Hart
Image: Instagram @santiago.d1
A Parisian poetry love affair
Year abroad student Lauren Sneath on Cole Swensen’s poetry reading in Parisian bookshoop
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mid teetering stacks of dusty books, crammed into the warren-like upstairs of Shakespeare and Company bookshop on the bank of the Seine, around 40 people waited for Cole Swensen to begin her reading. Ink drawings of scenes from Alice in Wonderland were scribbled on the sections of wall which peeked between bookshelves. The shop had a beautifully cosy air, contrasting with the rainy Parisian evening I fought against to get there. This was the first event I attended here in Paris, at its most famous English bookshop, as I complete a placement here as part of my year abroad.
Swensen’s soft, American voice lilted and lifted educative elements to rhapsodic planes I didn’t know much about the poet before arriving, so it was with relatively fresh eyes and objective ears that I watched and listened to her work. Swensen is native to California, and currently a literary arts professor at Brown University, though she splits her time between America and Paris. She founded a small poetry translation company called La Presse, which translates contemporary poetry from French to English. She has been a finalist for the US National Book Award and has won Sun & Moon’s New American Writing Award and the San Francisco State Poetry Center Book Award, among others.
She read from several of her new, unpublished works, as well as some earlier oeuvres, about which I could run away on tangents for hours, but the most intriguing to me was her ‘essay slash poems’, centred mostly around artists. Her friend Atel Ednan, who was supposed to also be in attendance but couldn’t make it, was the feature of the first, and the second focused on Agnes Varda, a documentary realist French filmmaker. The last hybrid took as its subject Joan Jonas, a performance artist, and her 1974 piece Merlot. As she read these pieces, I was as struck by their attention to factual detail and sheer volume of classic, informative content as I was by the expressive, descriptive language and the lyrical way in which they were read. Swensen’s soft, American voice lilted and lifted educative elements to rhapsodic planes, and the creative language, rather than taking from the information, instead made it more accessible and served to really do justice to the excellent women she chose as her muses. The poetic essay is a form of literature I really love. As the creative world grows ever more progressive, writers are more able to blur the boundaries between forms in order to convey more clearly their creative point of view. It can be so hard to control work- my essays so often wander off and trip and skip like naughty children into the realm of poetry- something my university professors haven’t so far appreciated. Reigning work in to fit into a box created by society and history did always seem necessary, but Swensen’s hybrids were a perfect example of why we should transgress, should combine, should imagine new ways to inform and illuminate. I could say so much more about her use of sound, her mixing of languages and her newer works which focus on
the Palace of Versailles. I would especially recommend reading her essay from the book Noise That Stays Noise and listening to recordings of her work online (Penn Sound is a good resource that she recommended) as my ideas around her work were altered after having listened to it aloud. Her rhythm, tone of voice and fusing of the lilting and the staccato imbibed her poetry with music, which added so much for me. I very much enjoyed the reading, and look forward to now becoming more deeply acquainted with her work. In fact, I’m going to find Ednan’s artwork, watch a film by Varda and further research Jonas.
Image: Instagram @dheissler
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arts culture
Monday 11 March 2019
World HQ owner opens NU Festival of culture
NUSU’s Racial Equality Officer Christopher Wilkinson on club owner Tom Caulker’s talk at NUSU’s Festival of Culture launch
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n the spirit of multiculturalism and solidarity among the human race in which all good hopeful civilisation rests, Newcastle University Student’s Union (through the work of Activities Officer Sophie Mcdermott) has decided to put on a grand show of culture and education to take place over the next couple of weeks. The International festival of culture will host a variety of different activities, workshops, talks, evenings and gatherings, ranging from Japanese Calligraphy Lessons and food-tasting to Jazz nights and guest speakers. While the first event was technically a guided tour around the Great North Museum (something which I as a classicist especially appreciate), events were truly and ceremoniously kicked off on Monday 4th, with a guest talk and evening featuring one of Newcastle liveliest and most recognisable characters, Tom Caulker.
possibly the most iconic club in Newcastle for the past 30 years – World Headquarters. Tom wanted a club which represented people who had no representation, to be a place of safety for those who encountered insecurity and danger on an everyday basis, and to celebrate cultures which weren’t permitted to see the light of day in the presence of racists and xenophobes. After the tremendous success of WHQ, and after the general normalisation of multiculturalism and diversity in society as a whole, Tom
was given the opportunity to work on significant projects with the council to improve the accessibility of Newcastle, shaping it into the city-form that we see it today. And even after all of this, Tom managed to continue to enterprise his way into setting up one of the most popular and fast-growing institutions in Newcastle today, Wylam Brewery. Tom is a quietly spoken, humble and unobtrusive man, someone who says himself that public speaking is simply
not his forte, something that is still the case even after receiving his honorary doctorate. But when speaking to him as I did after, it is hard not to think that this is someone deserving to kick off what the Students Union has labelled the festival of culture. We have to celebrate multiculturalism and diversity in the present, but we also have to remember those who allowed us to be able to speak about and celebrate such things in the first place.
Tom has worked prodigiously throughout the years in the name of multiculturalism Tom has worked prodigiously throughout the years in the name of multiculturalism and diversity to bring real change to the city of Newcastle, something which was brilliantly reflected in the words he gave on the night. Imagine a Newcastle where there was almost no diversity, no wider cultural recognition, and just a whole lot of racism. This is the city in which Tom grew up in. That is why when he spoke first about once bringing a small pub not too far away from St James’ Park and Castle Leazes into one of the most distinctive pubs in Newcastle, it is not too impossible to believe that people once used to know Tom by the name as Tommy Trent. From then on his business moved onto higher and higher popularity, and from there he was able to establish
Something New Miranda Stoner comments on Art Student Jon Rolph’s DJ set
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ewcastle Fine Art student Jon Rolph (23) performed his latest show Something New on Friday 1st March. It took place at the Cluny 2 to an audience of fellow art students, friends and even some complete strangers. Supporting Rolph was artist Moth Boy (Tom Lines) a talented audio-visual artist whose poem interspersed with videos of dogs and a hypnotic audio journey engrossed the audience.
The artist manually widened and narrowed the frame to fit his material
Like a multi-media DJ, Rolph led the audience through an audio-visual landscape. His vast catalogue of video tapes, cassettes, magazines, adverts and even the odd crossword puzzle were reimagined into a hypnotic sequence. Rolph used a projector to exhibit the different media onto the screen behind him, whilst the recordings
and tunes from his cassettes emanated from the Cluny 2’s sound system. The Cambridge born artist manually widened and narrowed the frame to fit his material, elevating each clip and sound bite into a new context, which often created jarring contrasts. The eyes were confronted with everything from skateboarders to fairground organs, a Jane Fonda tai chi workout video as well as iconic sequences from Bad Boys 2. Each artefact was layered or looped, then paused, removed and replaced; all at such as speed that the audience was always left guessing what would come next. Aside from the mesmerising film footage accompanied by the entrancing soundtrack, the artist himself was a joy to watch. His energy was enchanting as he bopped along to the beat, moving through his set, throwing off video covers, plugging in and unplugging appliances to the rhythm of the art. In this way the artist became an element of the visual impact of the artwork as well as bringing a smile to the faces of everyone who had come to watch. To keep up with Jon’s work follow him on Instagram @ jon.c.rolph.
Image: Miranda Stoner
Image: Sophie McDermott
I’m not afraid of Virginia Woolf
Rosie Minney reviews NUTS’ latest American set production
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he prospect of a three-hour play to someone who only bought a theatre society membership to get the Hancock discount card is an ominous one. The added knowledge that the entire cast comprised just four people and thus I should expect something of a monologue onslaught only served to dampen my zeal further and, frankly, had some of my close friends not made up fifty per cent of the aforementioned four characters, would I have gone to see it? Probably (definitely) not.
The thought of learning those lines put me off my dissertation, hats off to the cast’s time management As someone whose theatrical enthusiasm does not regularly – or ever – extend past high-budget West End musicals, where I’m utterly enamoured by the glittering sets and a belting score, plays of more literary acclaim scare me somewhat. I did also have the overwhelming feeling of having shot myself in the foot for not having at least scanned a synopsis of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf prior to stepping into Northern Stage. I have never been so pleasantly surprised. It can be difficult when you actually know the play’s protagonists to extricate them from the personality you know them to have in real life, but I have to say the acting was compelling to the point that I could barely recognise them as the people I know them to be. Simultaneously humorous, witty, dark and emotionally charged, I sat enraptured across the three fifty-minute acts and only had to ask a handful of questions at the end concerning some of the more obscure symbolism. Maintaining a believable American accent is incredibly impressive given the sheer quantity of lines the cast had to memorise – the majority of whom are in their final year. Just the thought of learning all those lines put me off my dissertation, so hats off to the cast’s time management skills. Furthermore, even in some of the heaviest scenes – covering human afflictions from alcoholism to abortion – their characters did not falter, and as ever, I must commend those who are able to cry on demand. The actual set adhered to the high quality of the acting,
the imperious clips of John F. Kennedy relaying information of the Cold War were effective in elucidating the tumultuous times in which the play was set, and which were mirrored in the embittered mind games between the characters. Original paintings by first year Fine Art student Frances Darwin also gave the actors a run for their money for star of the show. Don’t get me wrong. This glowing review is not the result of my knowing half the cast – truly no part of me was excited about going to see this play. It was genuine shock at how much I enjoyed it that incited me to write this review, and just goes to show, never judge a play by its cover – or three-hour running time.
Image: Phoebe Clothier
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culture gaming
the courier
courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Shawn Khoo, Kelly South & James Troughton Online Editor Alex Darbyshire
Monday 11th March 2019
Pokémon Gen. Eight Announced Georgina Howlett delves into all the information we have on the first main Pokémon games for the Nintendo Switch console
T
o celebrate Pokémon Day 2019 on February 27, Nintendo streamed a seven-minute Pokémon Direct, providing trainers around the globe with their first look at the upcoming core Pokémon RPG entries, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. Slated for release later in 2019, these titles will see you explore the all-new Galar region in pursuit of Pokémon, chasing your dreams to become the champion – and there will be plenty of new Pokémon for you to encounter and capture (as well as many from previous generations) as part of your mission to catch ‘em all.
There will be plenty of new Pokémon for you to encounter
This time around, the starter Pokémon are Grookey, Scorbunny and Sobble, each bringing their own unique personality to the table: Grookey, the grass-type starter, is a mischievous chimp Pokémon, full of
boundless curiosity; Scorbunny, the fire-type starter, is a rabbit Pokémon bursting with energy; and Sobble, the somewhat timid water starter, is a lizard Pokémon that loves nothing more than hiding away in the water and shooting out attacks at passers-by. You’ll find these starter Pokémon waiting for you in the Galar region – arguably based on the United Kingdom – which is a huge region with all kinds of terrain to explore, including mountains, forests, caves, bustling cityscapes and idyllic countrysides. We still have much to
learn about Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield before release, including what legendary Pokémon they’ll feature and what story they will follow, but perhaps their announcement wasn’t the most intriguing part of the Direct.
1996
the release date of the first main series
Pokémon
If you weren’t paying attention throughout, you may have missed the sly announcement that “we've got plenty in the works for the Pokémon brand that we hope will delight you”; could we finally be about to see remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl? Is there a new Mystery Dungeon or Ranger title on the horizon? We’ll just have to wait and see…
Images: YouTube (GameTrailers) & IGDB
Games for all , and all for Games?
After the Metro controversy, George Boatfield and James Troughton go head-to-head in a debate about platform exclusivity
T
For George Boatfield
here’s no doubt about it: the situation surrounding Metro Exodus’ removal from Steam and subsequent exclusive release on the Epic Games store was poorly handled. Customers were given short notice of the switch to the Fortnite publisher’s rival platform following a lengthy pre-order period on Steam. Overall, the whole ordeal ended up causing more inconvenience for the consumer than was necessary, all while tainting a wake-up call to Valve’s monopoly.
30%
The cut that Valve take from developers when they sell on the Steam store
But that’s exactly what has been needed for some time. Valve has become lazy, with their latest releases being the occasional VR project and patches for 5+ year old games. Steam has become the standard for PC gaming, and players would benefit if Valve were forced to give them
greater incentive to spend their time playing games on their platform. Messy Metro Exodus aside, that’s exactly what the Epic Store has achieved so far. Heck, for all their anti-consumer moves, even EA are doing some good with their Origin platform - the occasional free game goes a long way! Similarly, as a firm believer that console exclusives give publishers greater incentive to provide developers the resources they need to make a game the best it can be, I think this can also be the case with store exclusives on PC. Overwatch, DOTA 2 and Fortnite are prime examples of their genres, and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that these have driven users to a specific platform while continuing to achieve high player counts and critical acclaim. Every new platform has its teething problems, and I think Metro Exodus is Epic’s first sign of one. Hopefully that is the last time something like that will happen for consumers, as I think this emerging competitor to Valve could well mean that PC players can look forward to a much more vibrant gaming ecosystem.
I
Against James Troughton
n February 2019, Metro Exodus was released to the world. It sparked controversy and reignited the flicker of light that was the debate of exclusive store games, something that hasn’t been discussed in the spotlight since the days of Origin’s inception. To give some context, Origin is EA’s PC gaming platform and, after it was unveiled to gamers, they stopped placing their own IP’s onto Steam which sparked its own controversy similar to when Metro Exodus was pulled from Valve’s platform at the last minute to be placed onto Epic’s own launcher - which has a design more fitting for an iPad, security worse than Windows Defender, and an x-button as useless as their own social features. Steam isn’t a perfect platform by any means, and it needs a lot of work. Valve take too big a cut from developers, don’t handle the greenlight system very well, and have terrible customer support. While fighting back against the monopoly seems like it would be a great way to improve Steam in the long haul, so far, with Origin, Uplay, Razer, Microsoft, Battle.net, Discord and others, nothing of the sort has happened. All that the exclusives are doing is driving players to download new platforms which clogs
their system with way too many launchers, rather than allowing them to have a universal library held in one place. The sea of anger from gamers, which can be seen on the Steam store reviews, shows that many view these exclusives as fundamentally anti-consumer. The current model of competing stores would be like having numerous shops on PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo rather than a singular one. It makes storing all of your games messy and cumbersome, and a lot of these launchers are half-arsed with little care or thought put into their designs. They all pale in comparison to Steam which has been carefully crafted over a decade with superior social features, security and pricing for consumers with constant sales. The only true rival to Steam, in my opinion, is Origin, and even that has not caused a reduction in Steam’s take from developers. Steam needs competition to improve as, right now, they are riddled with flaws but I don’t believe exclusivity is the right option as, evidently, it punishes the consumer more than it does Valve.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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Monday 11th March 2019
@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming
gaming culture
Welcoming in the new wave of gaming editors
Instead of agonising over starter Pokémon, trust in this group of freshers to lead you through the highs and lows of gaming
I
James Troughton
’ve been writing for the Courier since October 2018, which coincided with my second week at university. I took interest in the gaming section in particular because something that was prevalent in my childhood, all the way through my teenage years and up until now, was my love for video-games.
I'm often found slaughtering the demons of Doom
My earliest gaming memories come from Jak and Daxter, Sims 2 and Half-Life. The library available to me was incredibly diverse and home to some of the highest quality games ready to be explored. I may have been absolutely terrible at the platformers and shooters but that didn’t stop me from experiencing prestigious, beloved titles of genres that shaped my views on gaming forever. Now, at eighteen, I play different games but the genres that I find myself jumping back into are pretty much the same. I’m often found slaughtering the demon’s of Doom, jumping across the landscapes of Ratchet and Clank and building elaborate worlds in Cities: Skylines. I’m predominantly a gamer but I do have a lot of other hobbies and I’m very excited to take this leap from writer to editor and I hope that is reflected in the gaming section going forward.
H
Alex Darbyshire
ey all! I'm Alex, and I'm the online editor for The Courier's gaming section. I handle the uploading of all articles to the newspaper's website (which you should all be checking for articles, and if you don't, I might cry). I'm currently studying English Literature with Creative Writing, and am in my first year. I started writing for The Courier in my second week too. At first it was a helpful way to keep me writing, but coming to the writers' dropin quickly became a highlight of my week. I also enjoy a variety of music and learning to play the guitar in my spare time, much to the dismay of my flatmates...
I'd love to see some new faces on the Wednesday drop-ins
Gaming for me hits a lot of the right spots - it's a nice escape and a relaxing pastime, but also a hearty challenge that is really enjoyable to overcome. In my opinion, every game has its place, even the bad ones. I'm looking forward to continuing being an editor and I'd love to see some new faces on the drop-ins every Wednesday. It's genuinely something I think so many people would enjoy - so why not pop down and take an article or two?
I
Shawn Khoo
’m Shawn, and like many of the people reading this, I’ve played video games for as long as I can remember. The first game I really got into was Softnyx’s Rakion, an online RPG that mainly focused on PvP with some PvE elements in it. Thinking back now, that might have been my gateway into enjoying more competitive aspects of a game. As Rakion’s population died down, I was forced to turn to other games, and after meddling around with various MMORPGs like Neverwinter and RaiderZ, I found a home in Digital Extreme’s Warframe. While Warframe is still going strong today, I’ve burnt myself out after having spent so much time on it and exhausting the game content. As of the present, I’ve taken up first-person shooters, starting with Overwatch. Although I can’t say I’m too good at it, especially with my inability to aim, FPS games are certainly a mainstay for me, especially with the growth of the battle royale genre and my interest in the Overwatch League. During my time with The Courier, I hope to bring you more interesting updates on mostly PC gaming related news, and perhaps some on esports too!
Image: IGDB
Overwatch adds a new hero to its growing roster
Georgina Howlett shares the details on the latest character introduced to Blizzard's popular team-based first-person shooter
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he origin story video for Overwatch’s 30th hero, Baptiste, was recently released online by Blizzard Entertainment – and if you dare watch it, be sure to bring some tissues. Baptiste’s backstory is an emotional one, driven by his desperation to survive and fear of being left behind. Orphaned during the Omnic Crisis, he did whatever he had to do to survive, including stealing, fighting, and – against all his core principles – killing, both as part of the Caribbean Coalition’s special ops and as an elite Talon operative. Having abandoned Talon, disgusted at the choices he made, Baptiste now works to improve the lives of those who have been impacted by war, aiding in humanitarian
efforts around the globe wherever he can. With a three-star difficulty rating in-game, Baptiste
Baptiste now works to improve the lives of those impacted by war
looks to be a new and diverse Support character with a lot of potential for shaking up the meta. His primary weapon is his three-round biotic launcher, which in the
right hands, deals significant damage to enemies whilst also healing allies. Baptiste’s range of abilities appear incredibly flexible: his regenerative burst heals himself and allies over time; his immortality field ensures that “heroes never die!” (until the generator is either destroyed or expires); his amplification matrix doubles the damage and healing effects of friendly projectiles that enter it, and his Exo boots allow him to jump higher and further for great manoeuvrability. If you’ve ever wanted to play a Support character but also go toe-to-toe with the best of ‘em, Baptiste seems a viable choice going forward. Better yet, he’s playable right now over on Blizzard's PC Public Test Realm (PTR), so if you
are interested in giving him a try, you can do so before his public release. Be sure to check out the official Overwatch
Baptiste’s range of abilities appear incredibly flexible
website, too, for an in-depth insight on Baptiste’s past, abilities, and appearance.
Nintendo says goodbye to Reggie Fils-Aimé
James Troughton bids farewell to the beloved President, and welcomes his suitably named successor at Nintendo of America
A
fter fifteen fruitful years with Nintendo of America, the iconic and beloved Reggie Fils-Aimé is stepping down from his role as President, leaving his shoes to be filled by the aptly named Doug Bowser. Before taking the role, Bowser was, surprisingly, not a kidnapper of princesses but the VP of Sales for
Image: YouTube (IGN & Nintendo Official)
Nintendo of America - he’s someone who employees are already familiar with, and someone who has already earned respect from his predecessor Fils-Aimé.
2003
Reggie joined Nintendo in December of 2003 as the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing
According to the Regginator, the Koopa King is a “passionate and powerful leader” which indicates that the keys to the kingdom are being passed on to safe hands but, hopefully, this is something we come to see for ourselves this April which is reportedly when Doug will become the new President. Growing up with Nintendo, just as the fans have, is perhaps the most useful tool for understanding their desires and their problems — which is something Reggie touched on, claiming that he sees Bowser as “a guy, who in his youth, probably spent too much time in front of a Donkey Kong arcade machine.” The President of
Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa, commented on Reggie’s retirement, saying that he “really appreciates everything Reggie has done” for the company. He said that Fils-Aimé was “an exceptional leader” but they are “pleased to have such an able successor ready to step into the role.” Prior to working for Nintendo, Doug Bowser was the Vice President of global business planning at the controversial Electronic Arts. However, according to Bowser, he was “mentored by Reggie for four years at Nintendo of America” which makes him the perfect candidate for the role as he has worked closely alongside Fils-Aimé. He understands Reggie’s goals for the company, his vision, but most importantly, his appeal to the fans. Following the announcement of his retirement, the
According to Bowser, he was “mentored by Reggie for four years at Nintendo of America”
Regginator left a heartfelt message for fans on Twitter, singing high praises of Bowser and ending his tenure on a high-note. He spoke directly to Nintendo fans, thanking them for their support and passion, writing that they have given him “a Mushroom Kingdom full of incredible memories” that he will “never forget.”
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Monday 11th March 2019 Science Editors Eleanor Gratton,Cecilia Adamou Online Editor Orestis Katsoulis
@Courier_Science thecourieronline.co.uk/science
science culture
Is this the end for the Great Barrier Reef? Lily Holbrook wonders if the dumping of one million tonnes of rubbish means death for one of the world's greatest beauties
K
nown for its diverse corals and array of marine life, The Great Barrier Reef has long been revered as one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth. However, with relentless human activity pushing this delicate underwater ecosystem to breaking point, will Australia’s plans to dump one million tonnes of rubbish into the coral reef ecosystem be the final nail in the coffin? Coral bleaching, pollution, overfishing; over the last few decades, the Great Barrier Reef has been subject to a lot of damage at the hand of humans. In spite of this, Australia’s plans to dump one million tonnes of industrial sludge have now been given the go-ahead. The proposed dumping would take sludge contaminated with trace metals from Hay Point Port and smother corals and marine life. But this latest venture is only one of a multitude of other stressors threatening the future of the reef. So what else is putting the reef at risk? Following the global bleaching event of 2016, there is concern that the blanketing effect of sludge on the reef will block light from reaching the important algae upon which corals rely for photosynthesis. When corals are exposed to such stress, their algae are ejected causing
the Australian summer. Another symptom of climate change known as ‘ocean acidification’ is brought about by more acidic carbon dioxide being absorbed by the ocean in response to rising levels in the atmosphere. This threatens the ability of reef-forming corals and to deposit their calcareous exoskeletons, calling into question their future in acidic seas. Furthermore, in the wake of recent floods from Queensland’s rivers, freshwater input is likely to affect the delicate salinity balance required by corals for survival. Increased nutrient input from land-based sources has also been linked to invasions of C r o w n of Thorns
starfish, which in large numbers, have proved a voracious coral predator. With plans for industrial and urban development to support an ever-growing human population, the effects of land reclamation and waste disposal are problems that will only continue to worsen in coming decades. However, while coral reefs are being pushed to the edge, they may be more resilient than we think. Reef ecologist at James Cook University in Townsville, Terry Hughes, suggests that ‘the gloom and doom
scenario is overstated’, with evidence from the fossil record suggesting that corals can adapt to increasing ocean temperatures. So, should we be worried? The short answer is yes. In recent decades, the effects of climate change have become visible perhaps nowhere
Australia’s plans to dump one million tonnes of industrial sludge have now been given the go-ahead
more so than in the oceans and particularly on the Great Barrier Reef. If we continue to abuse the ecosystems upon which we rely, we may be stuck in the deep end with no way of returning to the shallows.
them to turn white. This dramatic phenomenon is known as coral bleaching. With the dumping set to commence as soon as this month, concern has been raised by Dr Simon Boxall, scientist at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, who warns that bleaching may also be heightened by the increased risk of algal blooms in
Image: Toby Hudson
Revolutionary new diabetes pill Flat Earthers are ReSURFACING Toby Bryant reports on the new pill that is set to change lives
B
y 2050, 5 million people are expected to be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes sufferers develop the disease genetically and are not able to produce insulin, the hormone that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. As a result, diabetes sufferers must inject the insulin either through syringes or a pump multiple times a day. However, a new pill developed by a MIT-led research team might put an end to this. The pill capsule contains a small needle of compressed insulin which is injected to the stomach when the capsule arrives there. About the size of a blueberry, the capsule has been tested in animals with researchers proving the pill’s ability to inject enough insulin to lower blood sugars just as well as the injections diabetes-sufferers use today. One of the senior authors of the study, Robert Langer, commented:
5,000,000
People in UK to be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetets by 2050.
“We are really hopeful that this new type of capsule could someday help diabetic patients and perhaps anyone who requires therapies that can now only be given by injection of infusion.” Once the capsule releases its contents, it moves through the digestive system to disintegrate like any other pill. The idea has a lot of support from scientists across the world. Maria José Alonso, a professor of biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain said the following: “We are not talking about incremental improve-
Image: Pixabay
ments in insulin absorption, which is what most researchers in the field have done so far. This is by far the most realistic and impactful breakthrough technology
This is by far the most realistic and impactful breakthrough technology disclosed until now
disclosed until now for oral peptide delivery.” It’s a step forward from needle-coated pills created to deliver drugs to the small intestine years ago. The needle tip is made of nearly 100% compressed insulin whilst the shaft is made from biodegradable material. Given that the stomach wall has no pain receptors, researchers believe that users will not suffer any discomfort from the injection. Furthermore, the capsule is designed so that no mattehow it enters the stomach, its orientation is suitable for the
needle to contact the stomach lining. Now, the MITE team continue to work with Novo Nordisk to further enhance the technology and work on the manufacturing process. There’s belief that this technology could potentially be used to deliver any sort of protein drug that is normally injected, and it looks like diabetes sufferers may be the first to benefit.
Seshadhri Subramanian thinks YouTube videos are to blame
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esearchers from Texas Tech University believe that things such as the flat Earth theory are nothing more they have identified the main reason behind the than fiction. But such videos may not be easily accepted increased number of people who believe that by people. A famous example was when a US astrophysithe Earth, contrary to scientific proof, is flat. The an- cist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, made a video explaining how swer might be surprising at first glance, but on deeper a spherical surface, such as the Earth, appears flat to small examination, the fact that YouTube drives a lot of these people on it and he was branded patronizing and dismisspeople towards accepting the flat Earth theory, makes ive. sense. The researchers’ interest was piqued when a number of prominent YouTubers attended the world’s largest gath29/30 interviewees ering of flat-earthers in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2017 said that they had been and in Denver, Colorado in 2018. Interviews with attendees revealed the reasoning behind their acceptance of the converted to being flat theory. Earth theorists after Twenty nine out of thirty interviewees said that they had been converted to being flat earth theorists after watching watching YouTube YouTube videos promoting the theory. Only one person who responded otherwise was influenced by his daughter videos and son-in-law who watched the YouTube videos. YouTube, like Google, uses the tendencies of a user’s searches to suggest similar videos to watch. There are always going to be some people who are very Most of the thirty participants were convinced that the Earth is flat and watching other conspiracy theory that everything from the Moon videos, such as those on the 9/11 landing to the Earth being attacks, when YouTube sugspherical is a governgested videos on flat earth. mental conspiracy. On Some watched the videos the contrary, there to reinforce beliefs they are always going held before and othto be people who ers watched initially to prefer hard scilook for holes in the flatentific facts over earth theory but eventuthose provided in ally turned into believers. YouTube videos. Asheley Landrum, who It’s the people in led the research, said, the middle who “There’s a lot of helpful need convincing information on YouTube in order for such but also a lot of misinformisconceptions to mation.” She stated that be nipped in the YouTube needs to look bud. And while at its algorithms to try and asking questions suggest videos that do not and questioning the Image: Wikimedia Commons promote such of mistrust of order of things is genauthority and misinformation. erally good for science, Another solution that she sugasking ridiculous quesgested was for scientists to upload tions is not. videos which would provide evidence
the courier
Monday 11 March 2019
arts feature
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Photography Society competition: winning snaps
Winner Yew Zhi Xuan and runners up Lydia Thomopoulou and Jinhee No based their work on the theme of shadows
Every month the Photography Society have a competition. The theme for this month was shadows, so we caught up with the winner and two runners up to hear about how their photos came to be...
Lydia Thomopoulou: This is not a face shadow, but Yew Zhi Xuan (winner): I was with a friend at Dusseldorf’s Christmas Market, just clothes in a chair accidentally placed so it looks and saw the reflections of the Christmas lights off the ground. like an actual human face
Jinhee No: Through the shadow, we don’t see her face, and we don’t know what she is feeling or thinking.
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sport
Monday 11 March 2019
Is he a keeper? The Olympics: Weird sp
Phil Etchells and Stanley Gilyead debate on whether the Chelsea keeper has crossed a line
Stanley Gilyead
Phil Etchells
Kepa’s behaviour in refusing to be substituted last week was nothing short of disgraceful. Players are often visibly angry when substituted but the manager’s word is final and however much a player disagrees with it, they must obey. The incident has been blamed on miscommunication, something many dismiss as an excuse, but even if true Kepa’s reaction was disrespectful, childish and entirely unacceptable. The bizarre incident overshadowed a fine performance by Chelsea and the day will
Words can’t describe the madness that happened in last Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. Deep into extra time, Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Kepa, went down injured. The ensuing chaos has had many people questioning whether the player was right to stay on the pitch. However, Law 3 of the International Football Association Board’s rules (IFAB) states that “If a player who is to be replaced refuses to leave, play continues”. Kepa stayed on and his side eventually lost on penalties. Manager Sarri has since come out and said “I was wrong” and “it was a misunderstanding”. There’s a chance Kepa was perhaps ‘milking’ his calf injury to time waste. You also have to question what the other senior players in the team were playing at. Captain Azpilicueta didn’t back his manager or convince his team mate to walk off. Only German defender, Rüdiger acted, although he was trying to calm Sarri down. Ex-Man City goalie, Willy Caballero, noone’s first choice replacement, was primed to come on but it has since come out that Kepa argued he was the better keeper anyway in
2
The number of penalty shots that got past Kepa after he refused to be substituted
now be remembered for a spoilt millionaire having a tantrum, ruining the occasion for the fans. If Caballero had come on as planned the result of the shoot-out may have been different, he spent 3 years at City and would’ve presumably known many of their players’ preferred penalties. Instead Chelsea lost their last chance of silverware this season.This shameful display could hardly have come at a worse time for Sarri. Already under pressure following a poor run of form it has led to claims that he’s lost control of the players. It’s the latest in a long line of acts of player power at Chelsea, with players having forced managers out in the past. The only way to stop these player revolts is to sack Kepa, showing once and for all who is boss. But having cost Chelsea over £70 million just last summer this is unlikely to happen. The economic value of top players mean they will continue to rule to roost at Chelsea, with the ensuing instability a fact of life at the club.
He needs to stay on the pitch if he hopes to justify his €80 million price tag anytime soon
a rumoured post-match bust up. Whether it was dissent or a ‘misunderstanding’, Kepa was well within his rights to remain on the pitch according to the IFAB, and he needs to stay on the pitch if he hopes to justify his €80 million price tag anytime soon.
Rebecca Johnson and Rory Ewart take a look back at the alternative sports to h
The Arts By Rebecca Johnson
When you think of the Olympic Games, what springs to mind? Athletics? Swimming? Rowing? Literature? Admittedly the latter probably isn’t the most commonly thought of Olympic Sport. However, up until the 1948 Olympics in London, the arts were considered to be an
1912
The year architecture debuted at the Stockholm games
integral part of the Olympic Games. Categories included: architecture, sculpture, literature, music and painting. In order to be considered for a medal, these categories had to have some relationship with the Olympic concept. Architecture made its debut at the 1912 Stockholm Games with Swiss duo Eugene- Edouard Monod and Alphonse Laverriere scooping the first ever gold medal for their town-planning project linked with the Games. Literature was a complex category within the Games. All entries had a 20,000 word limit and was divided into a range of sub sections including dramatic works, epic poetry and lyrical works. Painting was also another diverse category. This was split into paintings, prints and watercolours/drawings. The 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany saw this particular area being used as a propaganda tool, with five of the nine medals being awarded to Germany, whereas they’d only won one in the previous two Games. The introduction of the arts allowed for participants to compete in two disciplines. For example, Walter W. Winans won Olympic medals in shooting in 1908 and 1912. Winans then went on to win Olympic gold in sculpture, “An American Trotter”, which was essentially a sculpture of a bloke riding a horse (to be honest I am a sport editor- cut me some slack if I don’t get the deeper meaning of this art- if there is one). The arts is a category that I’d personally love to see reintroduced into the Olympic
circuit. You can bet that I’d absolutely pay money to see Jason Kenny do the cycling sprint whilst reciting a poem of his own works. I’d love to see Dina Asher-Smith finish her 200m sprint then jog along to finish off a painting. The campaign starts here, let’s
Roller Hockey By Rory Ewart
get the arts back on track. Roller hockey, not to be mixed up with its winter cousin Ice Hockey, was introduced in the Barcelona 1992 Olympics as a demonstration sport with the rules being the exact same as its ice equivalent. The timing of this being introduced into the Olympics was unsurprising, due to its widespread popularity in Spain already, with teams in the Catalonia region of Spain being particularly enthusiastic toward the sport, leading to the Organizing Committee to se-
The four early favourites, as well as Brazil and the Netherlands each progressed ino the semi-final league
lect the sport for the games. The sport only consisted of a single event for men’s teams, with a total of 12 nations entered to participate. Pre-tournament favourites included hosts Spain, Argentina, Italy and Portugal, the latter of which were the 1991 Rink Hockey World Champions, quite the feat. The preliminary rounds of the tournament saw two groups of six compete against one and other, with the top three teams from each qualifying for the semi-final league. Home advantage saw the Spanish outfit come away with a perfect record, a perfect five wins from five, 45 goals scored, just four conceded, La Furia Roja had shown face on the big stage. The four early favourites, as well as Brazil and the Netherlands each progressed into
Another world cup run
Rebecca Johnson Sport Editor
Tuesday night saw the exciting climax of the SheBelievesCup in the USA, with England Lionesses lifting the trophy after beating Japan 3-0 in Tampa. This is the first time the Lionesses have ever won the competition, and there are certainly positives to take away from this competition as England’s focus shifts to prepare for the summer World Cup in France. Arguably the biggest take-away of this tournament is England’s draw to the USA. The USA are the dominant power in women’s
3-0 Kepa had played 119 minutes when the incident occured Image: Youtube
The scoreline between England and 2011 world champions Japan in Tampa
football, placed first in the FIFA rankings. England played a decent first half of football, with the US side struggling to break through and score that crucial goal. Admittedly the USA did draw first blood, with a Megan Rapinoe goal attempting to get the US more settled into the game. However, England’s
quick-fire response was commendable, with captain Steph Houghton scoring a fantastic free-kick that curled right around the US wall to pull England level. The response to the US goal is a promising sign of a confident team, who can only continue to grow under Phil Neville’s stewardship. It shows that the side are not only strong physically, but also mentally- which is especially key in the modern game. It is very easy to consider the prowess of the US team in recent years, and for morale to fall. However, the Lionesses performance in that game was excellent. They were very unfortunate to draw, considering the amount of opportunities and chances that arose to get the winner in the final twenty minutes. Although this was incredibly frustrating, it’s also fantastic to get a draw against the best team in the world, and to have been the better team. Furthermore, the performances of individual players was especially encouraging for the Lionesses, considering they were missing key players such as Millie Bright and Jill Scott. As ever, Steph Houghton didn’t fail to impress, displaying an all-round solid performance at the back and netting a goal. Additionally, Ellen White was incredibly impressive, being that nuisance that defenders despise.
Laura Staniforth also stood out, creating chances and scoring a goal. Plus England are in no danger of having any goalkeeping problems for the World Cup, with Karen Bardsley and Carly Telford providing reassuring performances between the sticks. The Lionesses have also proven their worth in the World Cup qualifiers, with seven wins and a draw under their belts. Going into the World Cup, England are in a group with Argentina, Japan and the “auld” foes Scotland. This should prove to be very lively group, with Scotland entering their first ever World Cup. Additionally, England will be confident going into their game against Japan having beaten them 3-0 in their latest competition. The Lionesses will be looking to pit themselves as the main contenders for World champions. Overall, England should be very hopeful in this upcoming World Cup. The SheBelievesCup has seen England manage and deal extraordinarily well with the top sides in the world. With the return of players such as Bright and Scott, England should be very confident going into France this year. The Women’s World Cup this year will be the eighth running of the competition, with the tournament taking place in France from 7th June until 7th July. Teams included in
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Monday 11 March 2019
ports of yesteryear and what’s to come
have featured at one stage of Olympic games in days gone by. Sydney Isaacs looks at a new sport, hitting the shoreline at Tokyo 2020 the semi-final league, with the top two sides from this reaching the gold medal match, and third and fourth competing for the bronze medal. Spain once again dominated, winning all but one game, drawing the other, averaging an impressive four goals per game; they were lined up to play Argentina in the final. Meanwhile, World Champions Portugal was forced to settle for a bronze medal play-off against the Netherland, with the Italians winning this to claim bronze. The gold medal game resulted into a 14goal thriller, which culminated in Argentina completing a shock victory against the clear favourites Spain to win the gold medal. A home upset may have put a grey cloud over the final proceedings to the tournament, though competition itself was rewarded with, by in large, positive reviews in the aftermath. Despite this, Roller Hockey was dropped from the next games in Atlanta, with no real concrete talks being made to see it return since.
Tug of War By Rebecca Johnson Tug of War was a staple part of the Olympics from 1900 to 1920. It was considered to be an athletic event on par with track and field. Over its short course as an Olympic sport, the amount of team members varied. It ranged from six pullers, to five before eventually settling on eight pullers per team. However, a country could enter more than one team in the event, meaning that countries
Tug of war featured in the Olympics from 1900 until 1920 Image: Wikimedia Commons
Great Britain won two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze, making them the best in history
had multiple teams competing across the board to win gold. Throughout its time as a small part of Olympic history, Great Britain won two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze, making them the best in history. Additionally, the USA ranked second, with one gold, silver
and bronze to their name. The great game of Tug of War came to a close in 1920, with Great Britain scooping a gold medal after beating the Netherlands in the final.
Future Entrants By Sydney Isaacs
Alongside baseball, karate, skateboarding, and sport climbing, surfing will be joining the Olympic line-up in 2020 following its unanimous favourable vote at the 129th International Olympic Committee session in 2016. The competition will take place at Shidashita Beach on Japan’s East coast, 40 miles from the capital, Tokyo. The break, known locally as “Shida” is wide and sandbottomed. It is one of Japan’s most popular surfing destinations and home to WSL pros Takayuki Fukuchi and Masakazu “Zucho” Kono. Despite plans for the event to take place in the ocean, two new artificial wave pools are being built in Japan, one of them by 11 time
2
New artificial wave pools are being built in Japan in anticipation of the new surfing event
world champion Kelly Slater, and the other by lesser known Japanese company Plan Do See Inc. This has sparked some speculation that, should they be finished in time, the decision to hold the event in the ocean may be overturned. Slater himself has expressed desire to compete in the Olympics but must first qualify. He told the BBC in September “I have won 11 world titles, but that doesn’t guarantee me a spot and I haven’t won a world title in many years so I will need to get my act together.” Slater also cited a broken foot as an obstacle he would need to overcome in order to qualify in the competition which will feature only 40 participants (20 men and 20 women). Eighteen (10 men, 8 women) contestants will qualify through the 2019 championship tour. The rest will be chosen from 2019/2020 ISA World Surfing Games, the winner of the 2019 Pan-Am Games in Lima, and Japan will be reserved two slots as host nation.
for SheBelievesCup England winners? the tournament include England, defending champions USA, 2011 champions Japan and, for the first time in their history, the Scottish national women’s team.
England are in a World Cup group with Argentina, Japan and “auld” foes Scotland
Overall, England should be very hopeful in this upcoming World Cup. The SheBelievesCup has seen England manage and deal extraordinarily well with the top sides in the world. With the return of players such as Bright and Scott, England should be very confident going into France this year. The Women’s World Cup this year will be the eighth running of the competition, with the tournament taking place in France from 7th June until 7th July. Teams included in the tournament include England, defending champions USA, 2011 champions Japan and, for the first time in their history, the Scottish national women’s team.
LIONESSES ROAR: The England team celebrate Image: Instagram
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Footballers fall to Nottingham 1s in the cup Sport Editor Tom Hardwick reports on the narrow defeat for Newcastle Men’s 1sagainst Nottingham 1s in the BUCS Trophy
The 1s had reached the semifinal of the BUCS Trophy Image: Tom Hardwick
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Newcastle 1sts Nottingham 1sts
1 2
Tom Hardwick at Longbenton Newcastle had already beaten Abertay, Glasgow and Derby on their march to the semi-finals of the BUCS Football Trophy, and Nottingham now stood between Newcastle and a place in the final. Nottingham, however, proved to be a sterner test than previous opponents, and despite playing some good football Newcastle ultimately fell just short against the visitors to Longbenton. Newcastle very nearly endured a nightmare start, with Nottingham’s Knox taking just 30 seconds to fire an effort from 20 yards that required a spectacular save from Macleod. However, after the early scare, Newcastle began to settle on the ball and look more composed in possession. Walden nearly capitalised on Nottingham’s inability to clear a good cross from the right wing, only to
draw a low save from the keeper. Newcastle enjoyed comfortable spells of possession throughout the first half but failed to create clear-cut chances, dealing well with the problems caused by the pace and strength of Nottingham’s Kwadu. Just as the first half seemed to be petering out without any further incident, Newcastle snatched the lead. Chilufya latched on to a through ball that dissected the Nottingham defence and calmly lifted it beyond the onrushing keeper, securing a 1-0 lead for Newcastle as the half time whistle blew.
Newcastle enjoyed comfortable spells of possession throughout the first half
Newcastle endeavoured to extend their lead in the second half and didn’t take long to
make their intentions clear, with Alambritis being mere inches away from latching onto a through ball. As the second half progressed Alambritis was increasingly prevalent in the thick of the attacking action for Newcastle, beating a handful of defenders and cutting the ball back across the box, only to find that the finishing touch from a teammate was lacking. Chilufya then nearly doubled his tally after being picked out by a sumptuous ball over the top of the defence, only to see his low effort well matched by the opposing keeper. Just as Newcastle seemed likely to bolster their advantage, Nottingham equalised. Newcastle’s defence suffered a momentary lapse in concentration, allowing Holden to find space in the box and rifle beyond Macleod. With the scores at 1-1 extra time was now a possibility, and the scores remained deadlocked in spite of Martinez’s increased creative output. Macleod did well to power off of his line to halt the advance of the onrushing Kwadu, denying what would have been a golden opportunity. In a frantic finish, Newcastle saw a
thundering half volley saved in style, Alambritis nearly lifted the ball over the keeper only to see his effort go agonisingly wide, and a vital, last-gasp block was made to deny a Nottingham winner. Newcastle certainly had chances to win the game, but after 90 minutes the score remained 1-1, forcing extra time.
As the second half progressed Alambritis was increasingly prevalent in the thick of the attacking action for Newcastle
The additional 30 minutes were a test of stamina as much as ability, and both sides appeared to undergo a decrease in creative output. The first 15 minutes passed by with few chances of note, and a penalty shootout
was looming. However, Nottingham struck early in the second half of extra time, with a stinging effort from Nottingham’s number 11 cannoning off the crossbar and in to put the Midlands side within reaching distance of the final. Newcastle launched wave after wave of attack in an effort to find a late leveller, even resorting to sending the keeper upfield as the crosses bombarded the Nottingham box. However, the away side produced the kind of resolute defensive display that wins games, and for all their efforts, Newcastle lost 2-1. Newcastle will undoubtedly be bruised by their defeat, but they should take pride in their battling performance, having exhibited some real quality that, on another day, might have won the game. Dreams of BUCS Trophy glory may be on hold for another year but, with the Northern 1A League title secure, an 11 point lead at the top of the Northern Alliance Premier Division and 2 cup finals to look forward to, the club can certainly be proud of their success this season.
Hardly Athletic takeover speculation mounts Sport Editor Rebecca Johnson speculates on the future of Hardly Athletic’s team as the managerial merry-go-round continues
The Courier Sport can exclusively reveal the latest twist in the Hardly Athletic takeover saga. Rory Ewart, Deputy Station Manager of NSR and Sport Editor of the Courier Sport is rumoured to be in line for the Hardly Athletic managerial position commencing from next year. The Courier Sport can reveal the possibility of a managerial vacancy arising at the close of this season. Being involved with Newcastle University Student Media may lead some to believe that Ewart is in a strong position to land the
If Ewart takes over the role he’s certainly got his work cut out as Hardly Athletic are in Division Three
managerial role. When asked about these rumours, Ewart gave his official statement: “No comment.” When pressed further for a comment Ewart replied, “I will not have these rumours banded around this office.” What’s for sure is that if Ewart takes over the role, he’s certainly got his work cut out. Hardly Athletic currently play in Division Three of the Newcastle University 11-a-side football league. A Courier intramural favourite, Athletic have had a difficult season. They are current-
ly sat fifth in the league, with two wins, a draw and five losses under their belts. Ewart was spotted donning the famous blue colours of Athletic as he played centremidfield for the prestigious side. This probably wasn’t the introduction the young Scotsman wanted to the Athletic ethos as they were defeated 4-2 to the Combined Honours side. Following recent high-profile managerial changes, it remains to be seen whether Ewart can do an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and turn the fortunes of Hardly Athletic on its head if he decides to take the position.
INTRA MURAL Football 11s Division Three
Pld
W
D
L
1 Combined Hons
9
7
0
2
21
2 SS Ladzio
7
6
1
0
19
3 ASC Tigers
8
4
1
3
13
4 Mech Eng 11s
10
4
1
5
13
5 Hardly Athletic
8
2
1
5
7
6 CompSci FC
9
2
1
6
7
7 CompSci FC
7
1
1
5
4
Pts
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Monday 11 March 2019
Water polo seconds on the crest of a wave WOMEN’S WATER POLO
Newcastle 2nds York 1sts
4 6
Sydney Isaacs at Sports Central Last Thursday, Newcastle’s women’s water polo 2nd team headed by vice captain Isabella Denn-White, scored a record 4 goals in their match against York 1sts, almost matching their opponents’ 6. Bar two, the team has improved their goal difference on every successive match that they have plaved this season, taking it down from 33 to just 2. The first quarter of the game was entirely inconsequential in terms of recordable activity. Both teams sized each other up and sparred to no avail, but beneath the surface antagonism was brewing. Each side was increasingly frustrated by the foiling of their efforts.
Vice Captain: Isabella Denn-White
Center forward Issy stood in as Captain for the game.
Simmering aggression reached boiling point in the second quarter, which saw York’s Verity McCoy and Newcastle’s Anna Turnbull temporarily excluded from the pool for committing major fouls before the thirst for a goal was quenched bilaterally. Newcastle’s Katy ‘Babyfish’ Fisher equalised York’s initial goal within just 15 seconds, bringing the score to 1-1.
Newcastle medic Helen Murray and York’s Astrid Morkot injected some drama into the game as each conceded two major fouls each towards the latter end of the quarter
Continuing the trend of mirroring the actions of their opponent, Newcastle medic Helen Murray and York’s Astrid Morkot
injected some drama into the game as each conceded two major fouls towards the latter end of the quarter. Despite the two man-up advantages enjoyed by each team, no-one was able to score. Just seven seconds prior to half time, when York slipped the ball past the Newcastle keeper. Newcastle asserted early on in the third
The ultimate result was eclipsed by the sheer class that was exhibited in Ellie Rogers’ match culminating goal
quarter, with Fisher again bringing the score line to balance. Newcastle’s rhythm was strong and their defence consistently impenetrable but for a couple of wavers taken advantage of by York. In the perfect apology for her earlier misdemeanours Murray produced a spectacle of a goal with a mere second left on the clock, leaving everything to play for in the final period of the game. The team from the toon suffered somewhat in the final portion. Murray’s contribution to the team was cut short by an unfortunate rapping, and the multi-talented Charlotte Duff was beginning to feel the pace as a result of competing in a strenuous golf tournament earlier in the day. York opened their lead to 3-6, but the ultimate result was eclipsed by the sheer class that was exhibited in Ellie Rogers’ match culminating goal. In a manoeuvre comparable to an iconic scene from Ice Age involving a Sloth and melon, Rogers epitomised the quality of the Newcastle seconds. The improvement curve for this team has been undeniably outstanding, and promises exciting times for the future. Women’s Waterpolo Northern 1A League
D
L
Pts
1 Manchester Met 1sts
Pld W 9
9
0
0
18
2 Northumbria 1sts
8
6
0
2
12
3 Liverpool 1sts
10
5
0
5
10
4 Lancaster 1sts
10
5
0
5
10
5 York 1sts
8
2
0
6
0
6 Newcastle 2nds
8
0
0
8
0
FENCING
W2 v York 1sts
FOOTBALL
BUCS RESULTS BADMINTON
M1 v Leeds Beckett 1sts
BASKETBALL
M2 v Bolton 1sts
M1 v Nottingham 1sts W1 v Liverpool 1sts
HOCKEY
M1 v Sheffield 1sts M3 v Durham 5ths W4 v Sunderland 1sts 5-3 64-70
LACROSSE
M1 v Sheffield 1sts W1 v Durham 2nds W3 v Durham 5ths
W/O YRK 1-2 2-1 4-2 3-1 W/O NCL
Back row left to right: Anna Turnbull, Emily Budd, Katie Trewick, Isabella DennWhite, Tilly Weetch, Pheobe Lloyd-Hazelgreaves. Middle row left to right: Ciara Simms, Zara Roche, Helen Murray. Front: Ellie Rogers (left), Katie Fisher (right) Image: Georgia Wisker
NETBALL
W3 v Newcastle 4ths
40-37
M1 v Bristol 1sts W2 v Teeside 1sts
7-21 35-10
RUGBY UNION
SQUASH
M3 v York 1sts M4 v Leeds Trinity 1sts
TABLE TENNIS
M1 v Loughbaorough 15-9 6-11 10-4
TENNIS
M1 v Leeds Beckett 4ths
3-0 W/O NCL 13-3 8-4
ULTIMATE
M1 v Durham 1sts
WATER POLO
W2 v York 1sts
8-12
SURF FORECAST Tynemouth Longsands
4-6
OVERALL BUCS POSITION Pos
University
Pts
8
Birmingham
2411.5
9
Newcastle ■
2070.2
10
N’ham Trent
1833.5
11
Stirling
1809
Well here we are again everyone. The Surf Forecast. Our usual surf forecaster is awave this week, so again the surf forecast is a bit of a washout. Not to worry, I’m hoping to make a splash on my surf forecasting debut! There is the sea at Tynemouth, so there will be waves... choppy waves, splashy waves, wet waves... What’s that? This forecasting debut hasn’t gone swimmingly has it? I’m going to have to wave goodbye for now.
sport the courier
Monday 11 March 2019 Issue 1386 Free
@Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sport Editors Rebecca Johnson, Harry Parsons, Sydney Isaacs, Jack Smillie, Rory Ewart Online Editor Tom Hardwick
NUAXC cross the end of year finishing line MIXED CROSS COUNTRY Shona Haston at Alnwick Castle Last weekend saw the end of the crosscountry season for NUAXC at the final North East Harrier League fixture. 8 members travelled by train and then bus to the scenic Alnwick Castle in Northumberland. Unfortunately, the sunny weather from Newcastle didn’t follow the team, and the wind, coupled with the long inclines on the course, made for a tough last race. Nevertheless, everyone was keen to put in a good performance to finish the season on a high.
The under 20 women were up first, which had Erin Gallagher racing a 2.5-mile loop
The Harrier League has a handicap system where each race starts in three packs, with slow going off first, followed by medium and finally the fast pack, who have to try to chase the rest of the field down. The pack each running starts in depends on previous performances in the league, as the top 10% of finishers in each race are promoted up into the next pack. The under 20 women were up first, which had Erin Gallagher racing a 2.5-mile loop; starting from the medium pack. She put in a great performance to cross the line in second place, earning herself a silver medal. Her time also meant she was the 6th quickest overall out of the 26 runners in the race. Next were the senior women, for which NUAXC had three members competing (four with Amy Fuller, who was running for her home club) in 2 lap race, which was just over 4 miles long. All of Newcastle’s runners had a while to wait at the start, as Aoife Smith was in the medium pack, meaning she set off 2.5 minutes
The event was a great end to the crosscountry season and the whole team put in strong performances
after the first pack, and Clara Pettitt, Shona Haston and Amy Fuller were in the fast pack, meaning they had another 2.5 minutes to wait on top of that. Shona crossed the line in 61st place (13th quickest) out of 440 runners, closely followed by Amy in 71st place (15th quickest). Next was Aoife in 96th place (38th
Inside Sport today >>>
FENCE AND FENCABILITY The strangest selection of “sports” to grace the Olympic Games Page 40-41
Cross Country took part in the final North East Harrier League fixture Image:Shona Haston quickest), and Clara in 134th place (24th quickest). Finally, it was the senior men’s race, which was 3 laps, making it 6 miles long in total. Newcastle had two runners competing in it: Dominic Head in the first pack, and Sam Hansen, starting from the medium pack. Dominic ran a strong race to finish in 28th place (77th quickest) out of well over 500 runners. Sam Hansen managed to just beat
his time to finish 137th (73rd quickest). Since it was the last race of the league, the final ‘Individual Grand Prix’ table was updated. For each race in the series, the athletes are given a score, with 1000 points going to the fastest time, 999 to the second fastest and so on, with 0 points being given if they don’t do that race. At the end of the season, the best four scores from each runner are added up, with the highest points tally win-
OPERATING AT FULL KEPACITY
Were Kepa’s cup final antics justified? Page 40
ning. NUAXC ended up with four athletes who completed at least four of the races each. Shona Haston finished 7th, Amy Fuller 12th and Clara Pettitt 13th in the league overall for the senior women. For the senior men, Sam Hansen finished 51st overall in the league. The event was a great end to the season, and the whole team put in strong performances. It was also the last away day organised by captains Aoife Smith and Sean Haycock who
have done a great job at leading the team this season. Cross-country may be finished for the year, but the majority of the members will now move their focus onto either track or road racing, with the first athletics outdoor competition of the season taking place at Lancaster next weekend, followed by NUAXC’s very own Cow Bell 5k road race around the Town Moor the week after.
FOOTBALL FALL OUT
Newcastle Mens 1s narrowly lose out to Nottingham Page 42