The Courier 1404 by The Courier Online

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Film Why videogame adaptations on the big screen need to level up Page 27

Arts How did a 16-year-old come to draw Billie Eilish for Vogue? Page 29

Monday 24 February 2020 Issue 1404 Free

Beauty Can just drinking water improve your skin? Page 17

The independent voice of Newcastle students

Est 1948

Students Against Strikes counter-rally UCU Alex Gervas & Amy Brown On the commencing day of the UCU strike (20 February), Students Against Strikes joined supporters on the picket line to counter-protest. The UCU’s recent decision to continue strike action over 14 days through February and March up to this point has been met with wide student support. Caitlin Hurley attended the strikes at Newcastle University and took the image below, posting it to Twitter with the caption: “Imagine loving licking boots so much that you spend your student days protesting AGAINST your striking staff?!”

The students held up the banner close to the official UCU picket lines Image: @Cait_Hurley_

The post has been widely shared on Twitter, amassing over 1300 likes and almost 200 shares at the time of going to print, and the reaction to it has shown the polarised attitudes towards the strikes.

“The UCU needs to know about the discontent as well as support that exists on campus”

Students Against Strikes spokesperson

Students Against Strikes (SAS), a nonhierarchical political organisation, is aim-

ing to express their dissatisfaction about the ongoing industrial action to the UCU. A spokesperson for SAS stated: “We’re all working towards an end to this kind of thing happening, but the UCU needs to know about the discontent as well as support that exists on campus, hence our campaign.” On its Facebook page, SAS similarly argue that the “UCU want to cause ‘substantial disruption’ to students and we can’t let this happen. We’re calling to end these strikes and for the dispute to be resolved.” In conversation with the Courier, the UCU said: “We recognise that students are frustrated. We do not do this lightly – the union has been brought to this point by the lack of movement by vice-chancellors. There is a move to destroy the purpose and value of

higher education by making it all about profit. Universities are learning communities and educational charities, first and foremost. “It is hard for students to hear this but this isn’t about one person’s single degree – this is about what the value of those degrees might be in a society which does not value higher education. It is really hard for students and we recognise that. It is really hard for staff, who are going without pay for 14 days, to stand up for the future of higher education, and for the value of a university education. The strikes have been the source of discomfort for students, who are worried about their tuition fees ‘going down the drain’. Emily Johnson put forward a petition on change.org for partial compensation for missed contact time.

Students Against Strikes explained their position regarding their desire for refunds. The organisation commented that while they did not have any involvement with this petition, “we do support the general call for refunds. It goes to show the grassroots discontent at this round of strikes,” adding that they felt that “the strikes are too high a cost to our education.”

“Our working conditions = students’ learning conditions”

Newcastle UCU

The UCU is an organisation of academics across the UK that addresses “pay, precarity, workload, mental health, gender/BAME pay gaps, pensions.” Its justification for the industrial action and the problems it may bring to students are in the long-term benefits for all stakeholders that striking can achieve: “our working conditions = students’ learning condition.” On Twitter, Newcastle UCU similarly argues that, while “students SHOULDN’T be deprived of the quality education they deserve, the University overworks staff, stretching them too thinly, forcing them to cut corners. This is not the education our students deserve.” Thomas Leach, supporter of the strikes, offers a counter-argument on the situation. Despite agreeing with SAS’ position on strike compensation, he counteracts their stance, stating: “If students are unable to graduate, this would be extremely unfair. However, the striking lecturers are not at fault here, or at least not entirely.” But the argument Leach criticises most heavily is SAS’ slogan “Stop playing politics with our degrees!” Leach defends the apolitical roots of the UCU strikes. “The UCU is a trade union asking for improved working conditions, rather than a political party looking to gain some sort of power.” While agreeing with some of SAS’ points, Thomas Leach believes that the approach of blaming lecturers is “based on some preconceived notion of strikes being a malicious act against students, a position the university management would love us all to take.” Newcastle UCU has, however, expressed that, despite four students holding up the SAS poster at various points, they have been generally wellsupported on campus, with groups such as Newcastle Staff-Student Solidarity becoming increasingly popular. A UCU spokesperson praised the “many, many students who have stopped by with biscuits and coffees, and whose parents have reached out in support via social media”.

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thecourier Editor: Grace Dean

Deputy Editor: Molly Greeves The Courier, NUSU, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 Email: editor.union@ncl.ac.uk

Current Affairs Culture News 3

courier.news@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Aimee Seddon, Carl Smith Valdez, Em Richardson, Emma McLaren & Sophie Wilson

Comment 8

courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Aastha Malik, Joe Molander & Kelly Corcoran

Life & Style

Life & Style Editor: Nimra Rafique

Lifestyle 11

Culture Editors: Charlotte Boulton & Ella Williams

Music 22

c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Dom Lee, Jagoda Waszkowiak & Joe Smith

Television 24

c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Amy Brown, Kate Dunkerton & Sophie Hicks

Film 26

c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Elisabetta Pulcini, Joe Holloran, Lucy Lillystone & Steven Ross

c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Catherine Entwistle, Cecilia Adamou, Holly Margerrison & Jess Herbert

Arts 28

c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Kajal Patel, Phoebe Eyles & Shamara Mohsin

courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Alex Darbyshire, George Boatfield, James Troughton & Shawn Khoo

Fashion 14 Beauty 17

courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Ellie James & Rashida Campbell-Allen

Travel 18

c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Caitlin Rawlings, Charlotte Slinger & Lauren Sneath

Gaming 30

Science 32

c2.science@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Eleanor Gratton, Patrick Harland & Seshadhri Subramanian

courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Amy Harris, Beth Robson & Meggie Williams

Puzzles 35

editor.union@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Amanda Goh & Cayla Viner

Sport 36

Food 21

Online Editor Tom Hardwick Social Media Managers Alicja Dryer, Holly Agar and Rose Hinds

editor.union@ncl.ac.uk Editor: Emma Dawson

Head of Sport: Rebecca Johnson courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Editors: Rory Ewart, Stan Gilyead, Toby Bryant & Tom Moorcroft

The Courier is printed by: Trinity Mirror Printing, Barton Road, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT 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.

Get involved in student media

Established in 1948, the Courier is the weekly student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University produced by students, for students. Any Newcastle University student can write for the Courier and it’s never too late to get involved as a writer, illustrator or photographer. We hold our drop-in writers’ meetings on Wednesdays during termtime in the Planning Room of the SU from 1:30pm to 2pm, so come along to find out a bit more about us. Our next meetings are on Wednesday 19 and 26 February. Unable to attend? All our leftover articles get posted in our Facebook groups; simply search ‘the Courier 2019/20’ and the name of the section you’re interested in. For more information, visit thecourieronline.co.uk, or email editor.union@ncl. ac.uk or the relevant section email listed above. Our next print edition will be available on campus on Monday 24 February.

Monday 24 February 2020

Musings from the editor

I’m writing this very late on a Friday night as I prepare to send the paper off to print, and while doing so I am naturally drinking a cup of tea. As a Yorkshire gal this is nothing out of the norm, but my choice of mug is somewhat unconventional. My mug, while a basic shape, is adorned with the somewhat “unique” face of a prominent Leave politician. I am not a fan of Nigel Farage, but the mug that my brother got me for Christmas (and matching coaster that he got for my dad) does have a certain charm with its chaotic energy. Sometimes I forget that I’m using this mug at work, and feel very embarrassed when I realise - especially when I bring it with me to meetings. Whoops. The worst, however, is when a colleague saw me with me mug and innocently asked: “Does that have your face on?” No greater insult has ever been heard.

Newfess of the week

This is it. After searching and searching, this was the only Newfess I found that wasn’t about gonorrhea, rahs or Sunderland FAC. This is the best we, as a University, can come up with. 23,864 students at this institutuion have been gifted complete anonymity by this page and this is the best that I have to offer you. Even the angry political debates were better than this. Goodbye for now I guess, love Molly :)

NSR Show of the Week

STEREOTYPES DECODED WITH HA

Sat 4-5pm I have been doing this show for three years now and it has been such a great experience. As an international student from Vietnam, I came up with the idea of the show to bring the voices, experiences and stories of international students, and I was amazed by the diversity of the students’ cultural backgrounds. From the very first show to now the content and my presenting have greatly improved. However, the best thing is this one-hour show is like a catch-up with my friends in a very very special setting. The show is very casual and chilled but I’ve got to know my friends better, and the guests and myself included have a great time sharing stories, our favourite tunes.

From the archives Grace Dean looks through the archives to trace Newcastle’s campus history

27 YEARS AGO

30 YEARS AGO

The Courier printed a mixed review of Radiohead’s 1993 debut album Pablo Honey. Described by others as “the future of Brit guitar pop”, the reviewer offered a much more cynical perspective, describing ‘Creep’ as the album’s highlight but arguing that “all the other tracks detract from it”. Even then, ‘Creep’ was described as “merely the best of a baffling and sometimes mediocre collection”. The reviewer concluded that “Radiohead are not dogs’ cock, but they could clearly do better and this record suggests that there is more to come”. That certainly was the case, with OK Computer released four years later which reached top spot in the UK album chart.

In 1990, sales of Nestlé products were banned from the Students’ Union. A motion calling for the boycotting of Nescafé, Coffeemate and Dairy Crunch in Union shops was passed at the Union’s General Meeting with 103 votes in favour to just one against. Proposer Richard Bellamy said the aim of the motion was not so much to affect retail sales but to raise awareness of Nestlé’s aggressive marketing tactics, where poster and leaflet campaigns within hospitals encouraged mothers to use bottled milk rather than breastfeed, which contradicts guidelines produced by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation. A proposal was also made for the Union to affiliate with the Baby Milk Action Confederation. The Union’s Vice-President Finance, however, questioned why Rowntree Mackintosh products – including the brands Polo, Yorkie and Aero – were not also being boycotted, as the company is also owned by Nestlé. He reported his concerns that the Nestlé ban was “merely political posturing in order to get the motion passed”, as a ban of Rowntree Mackintosh goods was deemed likely to be much more controversial among students.

Radiohead slated

29 YEARS AGO

Windsor Terrace opposed

Students were outraged to discovery that new “luxury halls” were to be built on Windsor Terrace. The en-suite rooms were predicted to cost up to £35 a week, and at the time the location was on the very edge of campus and far away from the University’s catering facilities – a concern at a time when self-catered student accommodation was still somewhat uncommon. The Students’ Union actively campaigned against the development, arguing that it did not provide affordable accommodation.

Nestlé banned by SU

32 YEARS AGO

Anti-Star Wars

The Courier reported on the establishment of an Anti-Star Wars Action Group on campus in 1988. This, much to your Editor’s disappointment halfway through writing this article, had nothing to do

with the George Lucas franchise, with Star Wars simply being an alternative name for the American Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), a proposed missile defence system intended to protect the US from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons, first announced by President Reagan in 1983. The University had been shaken by rumours that research for the SDI was being carried out on campus, with the University however repeatedly denying that the three-year, £117k contract for the Department of Electrical Engineering was directly linked to the Star Wars programme. The Vice-Chancellor addressed the allegations, claiming that “there is one contract with an American university, not the American Government, to do work which could be made relevant to SDI. That is not, however, the immediate purpose of the work, which is of general scientific and technological interest.” This contract, however, from Auburn University Alabama, was funded by the Innovative Science and Technology Office, which was an SDI body, indicating that the SDI programme was indeed financing Star Wars-related research at Newcastle. The writer argued that “this inevitable conclusion is indicative of the secrecy and evasiveness surrounding such projects in a supposedly open establishment such as this University”.

Newcastle Student Radio (NSR) is our award-winning radio station run by students, for students. On air since 1997, NSR runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week with shows ranging from music to comedy, politics, sport and news. We have a wide range of opportunities to learn the tricks of the radio trade, from hosting your own show to event organisation and live punditry, and you don’t need any experience to get involved. For more information visit the NSR Facebook page and listen live at thisisnsr.co.uk. NUTV is our high-action, fast-paced television branch. Founded in 2007, NUTV produces both on-demand and live broadcasts, covering current affairs, entertainment, music and sports, allowing students to experience the world of TV production. Whether you want to present on camera, direct and produce from behind the scenes, flex your editing muscles, or write and develop ideas, check out NUTV. For more information, email nutv.union@ncl.ac.uk.

Windsor Terrace: Steph Feng, clone: Pixabay, R2D2: U.S. Army photo by Marlon Martin, Thom Yorke: Radiohead on YouTube, nibbles: Grace Dean

news 70% of Newcastle students report 3

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Monday 24 February 2020

@TheCourier_News courier.news@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/news News Editors Aimee Seddon, Carl Smith Valdez, Em Richardson, Emma McLaren & Sophie Wilson

‘unacceptable’ housing conditions Molly Greeves Deputy Editor According to a recent survey by the Courier, 70% of students who have lived in

Newcastle have arrived at their new homes to find unsatisfactory or unacceptable living conditions. Examples of “unsatisfactory or unacceptable” conditions included mould, damp or general uncleanliness. When asked to elabo-

rate, the issues included broken windows, missing furniture, food left behind from previous tenants and, in one case, faeces on the floor. After continuous horror stories circulated about the state of student housing, we took a sample of 110 students who have lived in Newcastle. The survey asked students whether their landlords had ever been unresponsive, whether they had struggled to get back deposits and what the quality of their housing was.

One student claims to have arrived at a property with faeces on the floor

One former student told the Courier: “We had rats living in our student house for more than a week before our letting agent finally sent pest control round. We had a leak from both our bathroom light and extractor fan for months before our letting agent finally had it fixed, meaning that it was not only a massive electrocution hazard but we had to shower in the dark for months because we

One student claimed that their house had rats living in it Image: Pexels

were scared to turn the light on. “Because students aren’t as aware of their rights, letting agents and landlords continually exploit them. Students aren’t as naive as they are thought to be, however, and this may come to bite the landlords back.” Housing conditions were not the only problems that were reported. The survey illuminated a wide dissatisfaction with student housing, with 73% of students dealing with unresponsive landlords during their tenancy and 42% struggling to reclaim their deposit once they move out. Walton Robinson, a somewhat infamous letting agency among Newcastle students, was one of the companies that survey-takers were the least satisfied with. 32 students who took the survey had lived in a Walton Robinson property. Of those 32, 18 reported that their landlords had been unresponsive and 14 claimed that their property was in an unacceptable condition when they had arrived. A tweet was published in September 2019 by user @TEasby stating: “If you live in Newcastle as a student and you’re looking for a estate agents AVOID Walton Robinson. Been waiting months for our deposit to be refunded (£2326). After

bullshit reductions. They finally send some of it today. This is split between 7 of us as well. Not even 6p each.” The user then clarified: “Just to be clear our full deposit was over £3000 but we got charged £360 for a full house clean. Even after we cleaned it top to bottom. Now they are willing to part way with 40p. Madness. Avoid them”. The original tweet retweeted 319 times and liked by 1.1k people.” Postgraduate student Charlotte Paige Boulton believes that Newcastle University should be doing more to protect students.

“If you live in Newcastle as a student AVOID Walton Robinson”

Twitter user @TEasby

“The University and the Union should help students find fair landlords and not promote companies that are known for ripping off students and providing unsafe living conditions.”

Government owes £28m in student loan overpayments Tom Hardwick Online Editor

Recently released data indicates that the government is holding more than £28 million in loan overpayments made by UK students over a nine-year period. Over 500,000 students inadvertently continued to make payments to the Student Loans Company (SLC) despite their debts being cleared, which totalled to a surplus of almost £308 million. On average each student affected had overpaid by £597, and despite much of this being refunded, there are many who have yet to claim their share of the £28 million still in government hands.

The publication of this data by Research Professional News has highlighted flaws in the SLC’s repayment system. The SLC would gather repayment information annually, with this occurring at the end of the tax year in April. The sporadic nature of these checks resulted in many graduates, who may have cleared their debt earlier in the year, continuing to make unnecessary repayments until April. By the time the SLC were aware that debts had been cleared months prior to their annual check, some had overpaid by hundreds of pounds. A spokesperson for the SLC has responded, highlighting that they have made progress in reducing the amount of overpayments. Greater integration has enabled HMRC and

the SLC to share data weekly as opposed to annually, a move designed to “help to prevent customers from over-repaying and provide them with more up to date information about their loan repayments.”

On average each student affected has overpaid their student loan by £597

There were also efforts to reassure any graduates worried that they too may have overpaid. The SLC spokesperson reminded those concerned that “we proactively contact

all customers who have over-paid to make arrangements for a refund.” However, this process of refunding has been hampered by the outdated contact information tied to some SLC accounts. Graduates who had set up accounts using old emails and phone numbers may not have received details of their excess payments, making it difficult for the SLC to proceed with refunds in every case. Although the SLC have implemented changes to reduce the risk of overpayments, there are still questions concerning the automatic loan repayment system. Currently, payments are made automatically through the tax system once a graduate earns over the threshold of £25,725 per annum (according to a plan 2 loan for post-2012 students). This

system is supposed to ensure that repayments are made with ease, but the SLC’s failure to process payments correctly has financially affected half a million graduates.

SLC have implemented changes to reduce risk of overpayments

In spite of the criticism they have received, the SLC has reiterated their commitment to ensuring that all graduates make the correct repayments, with their spokesperson stressing that “we want all customers to repay the right amount and not to over-repay.”

Linda France announced as Climate Writer Imogen Davies

In 2019, Newcastle University and New Writing North declared a climate emergency with both organisations coordinating to tackle the ongoing crisis. Part of their joint effort concerns the year-long Climate Writer residency which was recently unveiled.

France will use the arts to raise awareness and respond to this global crisis

The poet Linda France has been selected to assume this crucial role. France aims to channel the power of the arts into the positive change required to raise awareness and respond to this global crisis. In addition to writing her own material, France will inter-

act with a whole plethora of artists, readers and writers, seeing how they engage in discourses about climate change. In anticipation of the new role, the poet has voiced her thoughts on writing and its place in the climate movement. France said: ‘I’ve been thinking and writing about our dependence on the natural world for over a decade now and the climate emergency is just getting more and more urgent. If we only have ten years left in our carbon budget, as the scientists are telling us, we need to act now.” Responses to the announcement have been positive. Professor Julie Sanders, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Newcastle University has welcomed the decision and stated: “Engaging our imaginations, regardless of our expertise, discipline, background or context, to shape the future in the context of the climate emergency is both a practical tactic and a deeply needed act of hope right now. We look forward to all the conversations and encounters that her role will enable.” Similarly, Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive

of New Writing North offered encouragement as she said: “We couldn’t be happier that Linda France has answered our call to action and we look forward to working with her over what we feel will be a very important year.”

“We are looking forward to working with her over what we feel will be a very important year”

Claire Malcolm, Chief Executive of New Writing North

The organisations are now looking for people to attend a Climate Reading Group which will be lead by France herself and hosted in central Newcastle every six weeks. For more information see: newwritingnorth. com.

France believes that writing has a crucial role in the climate movement Image: NU Press Office

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Monday 24 February 2020

Liverpool student asks lecturer to stop using ID scanners Hannah Bentley The Liverpool Tab received an email from a third-year Computer Science student at University of Liverpool asking his lecturer to suspend using the ID scanner. The unnamed student expressed concerns with the possibility of spreading the coronavirus over use of a handheld scanner. The email stated that “over 100 people each lecture” use them. Some of whom are “coughing, sneezing and blowing their nose throughout”. The NHS website reports “similar viruses spread through cough droplets” and advises individuals to prevent catching the virus by “try[ing] to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.”

Among those who contracted the virus, the mortality rate remains at only 2%

The risk to individuals from coronavirus remains low according to the NHS. Among those who contracted the virus, the mortality rate remains at only 2%, indicating a disconnection between the small risk of catching and possibly dying from coronavirus. As of 16 February, only nine people in the UK have been tested positive for the corona-

virus despite more than 2000 people having been tested. The first case recorded was a student at University of York.

Newcastle University has over 1800 Chinese students

The incident may have contributed to concerns over the spread of the virus at universities. The high proportion of Chinese international students on the Computer Science course at University of Liverpool was considered by the anonymous student as an “all the more important” reason for implementing safety measures. The concerns has led to some Chinese students to have experienced xenophobia as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Newcastle University's student body contains students from 120 countries, including over 1800 Chinese students. One Chinese student told the Courier: “When I was on my way to the Metro station, I heard three English girls saying “here comes a Chinese virus”, and they hid their faces under the jumpers. I was disappointed and sad about being in such a situation as I don’t really think the virus is an excuse for racial discrimination. "It’s kind of showing me that Orientals need to cover their eyes rather than noses and mouths because it seems that people care more about if you’re Oriental than whether

The concerns over the coronavirus has led to cases of xenophobia in various universities Image: Newcastle University

you’re carrying the virus or not.” Chris Day, the Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University has reported in a “Message of support” last 5 February that he has been “appalled by some alarming reports on social media of racial incidents within the city aimed at [Newcastle University] students.” In the message, Day reiterated that students

Edinburgh students have beef with banning beef

should focus on supporting students who may “be worrying about family and friends who are still in China”. However, not all students are worried about the coronavirus. When asked about their fears of the risk of catching the coronavirus, Ellen Lawrence, a second-year student studying English Literature at Newcastle University

Newcastle sees second majo Alex Walker

On 14 February at 11am, a strike was held in awareness of climate change. They were supported by university students, as they were on 29 November last year. This round of climate strikes comes at a complex time in environmental politics. The defeat of Labour’s Green New Deal at the election, coupled with a decline in support for Extinction Revolution and the failure of the Green Party to translate their wins at local elections into wider holdings, has resulted in some commentators arguing that the movement built up over 2019 losing some of its momentum.

The Council came under fire for excluding the public from the inviteonly climate summit Edinburgh SU has rejected a beef ban on campus Image: Flickr

Monika Song Earlier this month, students at Edinburgh University voted against the ban of beef products for sale on campus. The proposal was raised on 30 January during a Student Council meeting, receiving 51 percent of votes in favour of the ban among the present elected representatives. Following this result, the motion was proceeded by an online ballot open to all matriculated students on 7 February. Nearly 6000 students participated in the ‘Cease the sale of all beef products in Students’ ballot and the final result ended with 58 percent of students voting against the motion. Due to this, the University will continue to sell beef produce in its cafés and

restaurants. The motion was proposed as a way of reducing the University’s carbon footprint, in addition to other measures that have been taken to improve sustainability on campus. The Edinburgh University Students‘ Association (EUSA) have issued a number of reasons for the ban including issues regarding animal welfare, water pollution and the increase of methane, nitrous oxide and CO2 emission caused by the livestock industry. The Edinburgh Farm Animal Veterinary Society (EFAVS) has released an oppositional statement in response to this proposal: “The media and many other campaigners are pushing an anti-ruminant or anti-meat rhetoric, communicating the idea that all meat is bad and plant-based options are always a better alternative. This is a massive

oversimplification - production methods and their environmental impacts vary hugely within foodstuffs for both livestock and arable. We ought to be far less concerned with what we eat and start to consider how and where what we eat was produced.”

The final result ended with 58 percent of students voting against the motion

The referendum followed the decisions of the University of Cambridge and Goldsmiths, University of London, who have both discontinued the sale of beef on their campuses.

stated: “Asian students don’t pose any more risk than any other students on campus”. This has been echoed by Evie Garvin, a third-year Geography student at Newcastle University. She considers the coronavirus as “something I [do not] think about when walking around campus”.

However, this did not seem to perturb the event organisers, UKSCN North East, who cited fires in Australia, Zambia, and flooding in Indonesia on their Facebook page as reasons the climate strike remained relevant. Council bosses have come under fire for excluding the general public from the inviteonly event, while allowing 100 academics, environmental campaigners, businesses and community leaders to take part. Climate events have also gained reportage closer to home, where a major climate summit on how to make Newcastle carbon neutral by 2020 received negative press attention. Council bosses have come under fire for excluding the general public from the invite-only event, while allowing 100 academics, environmental campaigners, businesses and community leaders to take part. Thousands of residents were disappointed to be “shut out” of the conference, which will have a marked influence on their future. Council Leader Nick Forbes described the summit as: “an important opportunity for many different groups, organisations and businesses within key industries that create so much of our greenhouse gas emissions to get together and have these difficult conver-

sations” and highlighted the fact that “over 1000 people took part and I’m proud that so many of our school children did as their voices need to be heard.” ‘We were really happy with the climate strike turn out! So interesting to hear many people, all ages, all backgrounds coming together to discuss the crisis we are facing.’ Despite these complicated ongoing cir-

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Monday 24 February 2020

Nearly half of sixth-formers feel pressure to go to uni Ruby Story Dartford

A new study commissioned by IBM has found that nearly half of sixth form students feel pressure to go to university, with 20% of students asked stating that they would feel like ‘a failure’ if university education did not follow sixth form. The study found that parental pressure contributed to this expectation. More than one fifth of graduates surveyed did not think their parents would have been supportive if they had chosen to pursue an apprenticeship rather than university. Research found that nearly four in ten parents of children in ducation would not be completely supportive if their children chose not to go to university, and instead pursue an apprenticeship. A further one third of parents held the belief that you would not get paid as much when you enter the workplace without a degree, and 16 percent thought that their children would struggle to become independent unless they studied at university. Newcastle University Politics student Sam Bunting comments: ‘I know of many students pressured into receiving a University education as they’re told it’s the only way they’ll receive a well paid career... if their parents have gone to University, then it’s expected that they should follow a similar route’. IBM’s research considered awareness of other alternatives to University study, finding that 47% of sixth formers were not aware of

the option to pursue a degree apprenticeship – completing both a degree and an apprenticeship simultaneously – rather than living and receiving higher education as a full-time student. 57 percent of parents were not aware of degree apprenticeships as an alternative option.

57 percent of parents were not aware of degree apprenticeships as an alternative option

There are several degree apprenticeships that are able to cover all tuition fees whilst the candidate is paid. It is claimed that businesses are missing out on a large talent pool as a result of people’s lack of knowledge of degree apprenticeships. Jenny Taylor, IBM’s UK foundation leader, said : “Young people either fail to receive the correct information on the routes available to them, or are presented with so much that it can become overwhelming. “There are different ways to get into the same career path – it just depends on what’s right for you and this does not always mean university.” Graduates were also surveyed, with 65% claiming that they have regrets about going to university, due to increasing student debt and rising graduate unemployment rates.

or climate strike in 3 months cumstances both local and afar, the climate strike was considered a success, with numbers easily rivalling the protest in November. The continued striking may offer greater opportunities to grass worms protesters, who may find opportunities to join in solidarity with other groups, whom oppose the powers of financial groups and big business. The Courier reached out to the organisers

of the climate strike, People & Planet Newcastle, who said: ‘‘We were really happy with the climate strike turn out! So interesting to hear many people, all ages, all backgrounds coming together to discuss the crisis we are facing.’ People & Planet Newcastle also conceded that “More positive action is needed to continue the fight for climate justice.”

Climate strike at Monument Image: Carl Smith Valdez

Newcastle College is an institution that teaches A-levels Image: Wikimedia Commons

Auschwitz survivor speaks on campus Aimee Seddon News Editor On Thursday 20 February, Auschwitz survivor Arek Hersh delivered a talk at Newcastle University. Taking place in the Hershel building, the event was originally planned to be held in Lecture Theatre 3, but after an unprecedented amount of interest was expressed, it was moved to the Curtis Auditorium, with the 400 seat lecture theatre reaching nearly full capacity. Both Newcastle University’s Jewish Society and the History Society were involved in the organisation of the event. 91-year-old Arek, who in 2009 was awarded an MBE for voluntary service to Holocaust education, was also joined by his wife, Jean. The latter expressed her surprise at the size of the audience, explaining how they had been told only to expect around 25 students. Born in Poland, Arek was 10 years old when the Germans attacked in 1939. After his father was taken in 1941, Arek too was sent to his first camp called Otoschono, near Poznan. Jean commented: “On that day, when Arek went into his first camp, he was ten and a half, and that day, he lost his childhood, he was no more going to be that little boy because he had to learn extremely quickly how to survive in this camp.” Arek described being sent back home in 1941, however their ghetto was soon liquidated. Arek was then sent to another ghetto, called Łódź, where he spent two years in an orphanage, however this was liquidated as well. In 1944, aged 14, Arek was sent to Auschwitz, along with the remaining residents of Łódź. Arek recounted how, upon arrival, he realised that they were split into two linesone made up of the young, the elderly and the disabled, whilst the other included fitter and healthier people- with Arek belonging to the former line. Taking advantage of a disturbance, he was able to move to the other line;

a move which saved his life. In Auschwitz, Arek pretended he was a 17-year-old locksmith, something which later Arek declared his astonishment at, saying, “they would have killed me if they had asked me to change a lock!”. Arek was also tattooed with the number B7608, which from that day onward replaced his name; he still has this tattoo today. Later, when an audience member asked if he had ever considered removing the tattoo, Arek replied in the negative, saying “I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Arek still has his tattoo from Auschwitz today, with the number replacing his name while in the camp

Nearing the end of the war, the Germans decided to clear Auschwitz camp. Arek recounted his forced undertaking of a threeday death march, the prisoners wearing only their thin uniforms in minus 25-degree weather. Arek was eventually liberated in Czechoslovakia in May 1945. And later, he was included in a group of 300 Holocaust-surviving children sent to Windemere, in the Lake District, as part of a rehabilitation plan. Airing in January 2020, a BBC film was made about their experiences at Windemere, called The Windermere Children, with both Arek and his wife urging the audience to watch it. In the end, Arek lost 80 members of his family in the Holocaust, and only had one surviving elder sister. The siblings were reunited years later with the help of the Red Cross. Arek published a book, recounting his life story, called A Detail of History in 1998, with Jean describing the book as “saving” her

husband. When asked to explain the reason behind the book’s title, Arek said it was a reference to Jean-Marie Le Pen’s dismissal of the Holocaust as merely “a detail of history.” Proceeds of the book go towards the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, which was founded in 1995 by brothers James and Stephen Smith. During their talk, the couple had acknowledged the Smith brothers and celebrated them for all they have done for the Jewish community, and to Holocaust education. Following Arek and Jean’s speech, an hour of questions ensued, with multiple members of the audience keen to get involved; topics ranged from religion, to politics to personal stories about the couple’s lives. Jake Hadden, the President of Newcastle University’s Jewish society, ended the event, saying “We cannot comprehend what happened in those days, but the main thing is the message that you can take away from this story.” Eleanor Killner, Newcastle University’s Ac-

"To still be able to hear his experience told in person was very special"

Eleanor Killner, NUSU Activities Officer

tivities Officer commented: “Last Thursday evening with Arek Hersh was very moving and to still be able to hear his experience told in person was very special. The room was packed out with at least 300 people and everyone was fully engaged, which I think just shows how important [learning about] the Holocaust still is in today’s society.” More information about Newcastle University Jewish Society can be found on the NUSU website.

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news 6

Monday 24 February 2020

'It's OK to be white' posters spark controversy at Bristol Lucy Adams

Backlash against “It’s okay to be white” posters distributed around the University of Bristol and Bristol city centre has culminated in vandalism of the original posters, as well as the appearance of new anti-racism posters in their place.

The posters have received support from white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups

Posters reading “It’s okay to be white”, which were discovered around the city and the university campus at the end of January, appear to be part of a larger movement, and have received support on social media from white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups. The slogan was popularised on website 4Chan, and similar posters have been spread widely around US Universities, before making their way to the UK. They were spotted in Dundee in September 2019 and in Perth in December, where they were condemned by MP John Swinney. In response to the posters appearing, Swinney said “We must stand together to resist this unacceptable material.”. A spokesperson for the University of Bris-

tol commented “The University of Bristol aspires to be a community where everyone should feel safe, welcomed and respected. We would ask that if anyone sees one of these posters on university premises, they take them down and contact security services.” Avon and Somerset Police responded to the incident, and said “We will be looking into this matter, and recording a hate incident due to the effect it is clearly having on members of the university community.” A spokesperson for the BAME Network at the university said that the phrase “presents ethnic minorities as intruding ‘others’, whose equality, and even existence is detrimental to white people.” The original posters have been modified to state instead: “It’s not okay to be racist”.

Police have recorded the posters as a hate incident

New posters have been put up by students quoting Dr Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela,with the main message: “It’s okay to be white, non-white, pink, green, orange, purple…Polka dots and stripes are also okay. But being a racist is not okay. What matters is not your skin colour, but whether you have a good heart, beautiful mind, kind soul and fine character. So please kindly respect everyone. Thank you. Love & hugs”.

The posters have caused controversy across UK city centres Image: Wikimedia

Great North Museum awarded £24k Cambridge students pass motion banning guns at Freshers' Fair Lilla Marshall

Cambridge University Students' Union (CUSU) have passed a controversial motion to ban the display of firearms at their annual Freshers' Fair, due to concerns that their presence would upset some students. In a Student Council meeting on 3 February, CUSU Welfare & Rights officer Stella Swain tabled a motion that would prevent firearms from being displayed by societies at the Fresher’s Fair. The motion also aimed to prevent the presence of “external military organisations” from attending the fair, although this part of the motion was removed by an amendment. Swain’s motion states that Freshers' Fair should be an opportunity to learn and explore student societies, and not an opportunity for military organisations to recruit. CUSU has also stated that it believes the presence of firearms can be detrimental to students mental health – particularly for some international students, who may have

Great North Museum was built in 1884 as a national history museum Image: Newcastle University Press Office

Alex Downing The Great North Museum: Hancock has been granted £24,000 by the Sir James Knott Trust. The museum will receive £8,000 per annum for three years. This will be used to create twelve interactive museum displays for children between the ages of five and seven. Four displays will be produced per year based on the grant period. The Sir James Knott Trust is an independent charitable trust aiming to help improve the conditions of people living a working in the North East of England. The instalments will support the development of children under 5s with ‘Mouse House’ play space and the

rest of the museum exhibits. The interactive displays are designed to stimulate multisensory development in young children. The interactive displays will be trialled alongside children and their parents to enhance lifelong knowledge, learning and confidence. Caroline McDonald, The Manager at the Great North Museum: Hancock, said: “The Great North Museum aims to be with children of every age at every step of the way as they learn about the world around them. We are extremely grateful to the Sir James Knott Trust for funding our gallery interactives, helping us to support family learning and inspiring our youngest visitors.” The Executive Director of the Trust, Jo Curry, stressed the importance of early learn-

ing by “shaping children’s understanding of culture and their environment. Challenging families in and around the museum and the city in a fun way will also potentially make it more memorable.” The £24,000 award follows from Great North Museum: Hancock’s success in 2019, which attracted thousands of visitors for the Dippy on Tour exhibition. The museum also won the Best Medium Museum at the Family Friendly Museum Awards. Great North Museum: Hancock was built as a national history museum in 1884. It is currently managed on behalf of Newcastle University by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.

grown up in war-zones. The controversial motion passed by 75% to 25% despite outcry from the Cambridge University Rifle Association. One committee member argued that a rifle “is no different from any other piece of sporting equipment”, especially since they are chained and deactivated at the fair. She also criticised the Students' Union for not informing societies of the motion before it was passed, meaning they could not voice their opinions on the matter before the motion was implemented. A platoon commander of the Cambridge University Officers Training Corps described the ban on firearms as “sensible”, although criticised the student union for trying to use the ban to force through anti-military legislation, that would “restrict the way in which students enjoy their spare time”. Asked whether other universities should adopt similar policies, Sociology student Charlotte Paige Boulton said "I see no reason why a university would ever need to display a firearm in the first place - students don't need to see a gun in order to join a rifle club!"

The council motion prevents military organisations from attending annual Freshers' Fairs Image: Canon Air Force Base

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campus comment

Monday 24 February 2020

Guest Editors: Joe Molander & George Boatfield @courier_latest courier.news@ncl.ac.uk courier.comment@ncl.ac.uik

That'll be the Day Joe Molander casts his mind back to the Newcastle University Vice-Chancellor's recent Student Council appearance

f you think back to your open day for Newcastle University, when you asked about fun things to do in the city, it’s very unlikely your guide recommended Student Council. Having attended a few meetings, it’s not difficult to see why: the appeal tends to start and end with the free pizza. You can imagine, then, the excitement generated among more regular attendants when they were told Vice-Chancellor Chris Day would be coming to a session. It was a timely appearance, given the controversy

in which the University has been embroiled in recent months. At the end of last year, a student convicted for stalking and revenge porn was allowed back onto the same campus as his ex-girlfriend and victim. Chris Day’s response via email was to worry about “another ‘Warwick’ about to happen on our own campus” – a reference to the infamous group chat where rape jokes were exchanged – and the damage that would inflict on “our precarious reputation”. The opportunity to ask him what was going to change, and to hold him to account, was desperately

needed. It was also entirely squandered, thanks to two main problems. First, the questions were all given to Chris Day in advance, meaning he had time to prepare answers. What might have been answered with awkward silence – which would have had the double advantage of revealing the lack of action being taken against sexual harassment and shaming Day into action – was instead filled with buzzwords. Without even any questions from the floor, the odds of shocking Day into more genuine replies were practically nil.

Chris Day's attitude was nothing more than herd mentality

Second, there was Day’s attitude. His excuse for not taking a tougher line against harassment and assault was that no other

universities were doing the same. Herd mentality is no way to enact effective social change: the boldest direction of travel is often the one without precedent. Chris Day’s appearance at Student Council made attendants almost miss the discussions over recycling bins. Student Council next meets on Thursday 12 March from 5.15pm7.15pm in the History Room, on the first floor of the NUSU building. More details can be found (and casual voting places obtained) at nusu. co.uk/yourvoice/council/attend/

Image: Chris Day on Twitter (left) and Needpix (right)

A livestream of the meeting this article describes can be found on the NUTV YouTube channel

Should we petition for strike refunds? Two students share their thoughts on the ongoing strike action, and consider where our loyalties ought to lie this time around

Imogen Birkett

versity and ask the important question of, ‘Where’s our money going?’, we can both show solidarity to our lecturers and show our anger at the effects of the strikes on us. Thousands of students will lose days of teaching and will suffer increased stress and disruption. For third years, the strike effects them in the crucial time of writing their dissertation. Perhaps most important to consider is how many students worry about their excessive student debt and its effect on their future, and how when we are not receiving what we pay for, it increases these anxieties. Although many like myself would prefer not monetary compensation but a return of teaching, we should petition for a refund in hope of a change for the future.

ince Newcastle University has shamefully failed to offer concrete solutions in favour of vague promises, as students we are forced to petition to make our needs heard. The focus of the petition should not be only on refunds: it should request a clear plan of action for accommodations for those whose learning was affected by the strikes. In fact, especially for third year students, whose future depends on the exams, a simple repayment does not fix the impact the missed contact hours have on the education. Although other universities have offered compensation to the students, these are not necessarily examples that should be followed. The mere sum of £100 offered to Sussex students is unaccepta-

e : Jo age Im der lan Mo

ewcastle University is one of the seventy-four UK universities to be hit with 14 days of strike action across February and March. The second set of strikes of the academic year is set to be controversial, as many students struggle between giving their support to their lecturers’ cause and their frustration of not receiving the service they pay for. There has certainly been an active student response to the strikes. A change.org petition set up by Newcastle University student Emily Johnson which calls for compensation for missed teaching has reached a hefty 2500 signatures as of the 16th February. Students frustrations are warranted. UK/ EU student’s pay £9000 or £9250 a year for their education, with international students often paying double the price. With Universities nowadays being ran increasingly like a business, if you pay for a product you expect to receive it. Statistics have been floating around social media over how much students should be refunded for missed teaching days, with estimates laying between £800900. I, alike others, struggled at first with shouting for my refund. Whilst I believed that I should be refunded as I’m missing essential contact hours, I sympathised with my lecturers and worried that I may undermine their plight. I was shocked by how insecure their contracts were, the amount of hours they worked without pay to fulfil all their duties and the cuts to their pensions, and worried that petitioning for a refund may distract from this main focus. Yet now, on evaluation, I realised that students petitioning for a refund actually does act as another form of pressure for change. If we direct our grievances towards the Uni-

Elisabetta Pulcini

ble. This is not only because it was clearly less than the students were entitled to, but also because they had to demonstrate having suffered because of the strikes, which is absurd. This move was clearly aimed at avoiding legal action, rather than looking out for the students. In fact, regardless of whether they were materially affected or not, the students are not getting a service they are paying for. This alone makes us entitled to compensation. But simply paying back is not enough: no one should feel like their education is up for bargain. People choose to go to university to improve themselves: to take away from this process is not acceptable. In fact, the university has a duty to ensure the learning environment for the students is as its highest potential. This is clearly not the case when the staff is forced to strike due to pay inequality, job insecurity, rising workloads and pay devaluation. We shouldn’t have to petition to make our complains heard. Every university student has enough on their plate without having to worry that their education is being threatened. However, because the University has consistently ignored this fact, we find ourselves in a position where petitioning might be the only way to voice our concerns. In doing this, it should be emphasized that petitioning for refunds does not take away from the support for the lecturers. How can we claim we are getting a world-class education, when our lecturers are not working in optimal conditions? However, it does mean looking out for those whose future is unwillingly being affected by the strikes. Given how much we all pay for our education, having to petition to have our and the staff’s needs heard is an absurd condition to be in. Yet given that so far we’ve only received empty promises, the more pressure is put on the University, the better.

comment

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

@courier_latest courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/comment Comment Editors Aastha Malik, Joe Molander & Kelly Corcoran

Altogether now?

In light of Sinn Féin's success at the Irish general election this month, our writers discuss the renewed case for reunification Alec Wilson

Alex Walker

reland’s general election results from 8 February 2020 rocked the Irish political landscape. Sinn Féin (24.5%) broke the duopoly of Fianna Fáil (22.2%) and Fine Gael (20.9%), who up until then had dominated Irish politics. A key question hanging over the coming coalition negotiations will be Irish reunification. Sinn Féin is most strongly committed to seeing it happen, and their demand to hold a referendum on unification is central to any coalition partnership. However, the issue of Irish unification lies less with the Republic than with the people of Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998 to bring an end to the Troubles, states that a referendum on reunification can only be called by the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland should they feel a majority of people in Northern Ireland support it. Whilst the success of Sinn Féin will give encouragement to those in the north supporting unification, it is but one of several reasons that Irish reunification is now becoming a real possibility. Brexit looms large in the debate over reunification. Although the UK has now left the EU after voting 52-48% to leave, 56% of Northern Ireland voted to remain. A majority of people feel that their European identity has been taken away from them; reunification provides a route back into Europe. Furthermore, predictions for the 2021 census point towards Catholics becoming the majority denomination for the first time. Natural decreases in the numbers of Protestant Unionists – who generally want Northern Ireland to stay part of the UK – and increases in Catholic Irish nationalists – who generally want Northern Ireland to leave the UK and rejoin the Republic – will make the prospect of Irish reunification all the more likely. Sinn Féin’s gains in the Republic are important to the prospects of Irish reunification, but remain just one aspect. Coupled with the Brexit vote and important demographic changes in Northern Ireland, the stage is set for the thirty-two counties of Ireland to become whole again.

Images: Wikimedia Commons

inna Fáil has ruled out forming a coalition with Sinn Féin, blocking their path to power, but the election result still marks a continued transformation in Irish politics. The former political wing of the IRA remains the largest party in the Irish Parliament, and have a larger presence than ever before in the Northern Irish Assembly. Something Irish Republicans have been predicting for years seems to have come true: Ireland has no popular left-wing parties other than Sinn Féin. Young Irish people don’t feel as closely tied to conservative, Catholic values as their parents and grandparents, as seen in the 66% ‘yes’ vote for the legalisation of abortion in 2018. Young people both in Britain and Ireland also value the concept of the Union far less than they did a few years ago. Those raised in Northern Ireland after the Good Friday Agreement have seen the Brexit referendum pass without their support, making British identity less attractive than it used to be. The wins Sinn Féin are seeing across the Republic of Ireland hint at a growing unity and anti-British tendency, the intensity of which hasn’t been seen since the 90s. Brexit is not popular on either side of the border, and the majority of both peoples want to be European citizens. The Brexit question threatens to overwhelm the divides in Ireland, and we might see – one day very soon – a united Ireland. Perhaps this is as it should be. If the Union is no longer as important as it used to be to the young people in Ireland, why would they want it to remain? Religion, while not as powerful as it used to be, is still important. In a 2018 study, 54% of Irish people described themselves as Catholic, but another 39% said they didn't have religion. Influential or not, being Protestant doesn’t necessarily mean being British. Will Sinn Féin’s rise continue? Will the party one day see their dream of a united Ireland? As a Brit, I can only say one thing: I hope so.

The bare truth of the Commons controversy Faye Navesey discusses Tracy Brabin's shoulder criticism

ith the Labour leadership campaign, Brexit, and many other issues constantly thrusting British politics into tumult you would think that the media would have a bit more to discuss than an off the shoulder dress. Yes…an off the shoulder dress! The way women look has always been policed far more than men, and women that stray from these expectations are hounded, and their contribution to the discussion disregarded. Tracey Brabin, Labour Co-operative MP for Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire, was the most recent to fall victim to this criticism. This supposed scandal however isn’t about the level of professionalism displayed by Brabin, but about policing women and devaluing their positions of authority.

Female politicians are not there to look nice and professional, they are there to create legislation

Why is it clothes only seem to be an issue when it comes to women? The idea this would happen to a man is unfathomable. But whether it’s Theresa May wearing brightly coloured heels, or debates about whether women should be forced to wear make-up and heels to work, women’s appearances are constantly under intense scrutiny. If you wear flat shoes it’s criticised for not looking professional, if your heels are too bright then its too

much. These arbitrary rules mean that women are not simply allowed to exist in the world of politics and business without their appearance being constantly brought up and used to undermine them. Female politicians are not there to look nice and professional, they are there to create legislation, and the constant abuse that they receive only makes this more difficult for them.

This isn’t legitimate political criticism, it’s just old-fashioned sexism dressed up

This also has more lasting consequences. We already know that women who wish to pursue a political career face many barriers, and issues like this only worsen our political culture and make it so women don’t feel comfortable being outspoken about politics. If there was any doubt over the motivation of this criticism, look at some of the messages that Tracey Brabin has received, notifying reporters that people have branded her a ‘tart’ and a ‘slapper’. This isn’t legitimate political criticism, it’s just old-fashioned sexism dressed up. And until more is done to combat the toxic way in which we discuss female figures of authority then their work will continue to go undervalued, to the detriment of all of us. Images: Loose Women on YouTube, UK Parliament

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comment

Monday 24 February 2020

Debunking the myths around sexual assault

Pheobe Hurst demonstrates the dangerous weight of Rotunno's comments about Weinstein

arlier this month Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno, made a shocking statement when asked if she had ever been sexually assaulted; Rotunno stated she had never been assaulted as she would “never put herself in that position.” What we fail to realise, in our mass consumption of Weinstein’s trial, is the way in which it has reinforced the myths that our society possess around victims of sexual violence Weinstein was first charged in May 2018 with rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse and sexual misconduct, by the New York Police. Since then, his trial has rarely left the public eye, with a simple Google search resulting in hundreds of articles focused on this topic. What we fail to realise, in our mass consumption of Weinstein’s trial, is the way in which it has reinforced the myths that our society possess around victims of sexual violence. The hashtag #whyIdidn’treport has worked to emphasise how there is no typical victim. The movement has shared stories of women, men, and children, sometimes alongside photos of the clothes that they were wearing at the time. The hashtag works to

undermine the stereotypes and myths that surround victims of sexual abuse; that they were somehow responsible or accountable, or that it could have been prevented. However, despite its profound influence we are still seeing time and time again, a cycle of disbelief towards sexual assault victims.

Rotunno’s comments highlight how we still hold preconceptions of what a sexual assault victim should look like

Rotunno’s ignorant comments, which have been thrust into the public eye due to the trial, highlight how we still hold preconceptions of what a sexual assault victim should look like, while also holding strict judgments of how they should react and respond to such trauma; victims reacting outside of our expected response being accused of false reporting. Weinstein’s trial, what with its plethora Image: ABC News on YouTube

of celebrities and high-status individuals involved and commenting on it, has perpetuated the myths surrounding sexual assault victims through the constant reinforcement of such misconceptions by high profile individuals, Rotunno being one. The general public is unable to escape the constant bombardment of victim stereotypes, and thus, the cycle of disbelief or suspicion towards a victim’s story remains unbroken. As a result, it becomes very difficult for the trial’s consumers to break away from the myths surrounding sexual assault survivor’s that they are constantly being told to believe, hindering our progress of the treatment and response to such a vital issue.

SOAPBOX GETTING DRUNK

TOAST OF THE WEEK

Image: David Shankbone on Wikimedia Commons

The real problem with celebrities coming out

Patrick Young discusses the issues of public scrutiny faced by celebrities when they come out

any people have made their own responses to Jameela Jamil and Philip Schofield’s coming out. Yet they seem to be missing the big picture- It absolutely nobody’s business but their own. First, Philip’s coming out took a lot of guts, coming out at any age is hard, but coming out later in life is a challenge I will luckily never have to go through. The response to his coming out has been overwhelmingly positive, with even his wife and daughter’s saying how “proud” they are for him. However, some people have made allegations that he only came out to avoid being outed by The Sun, due to an alleged affair he had with and aide that he “pressured” into sex. This, as of writing this, has no real credibility, and seems to undermine the beauty of Schofield finally being able to accept who he truly is. Moreover, many people, have rightly commented on how his wife must be feeling, but instead of looking at it from the perspective of a Philip, they seem to be vilifying the man, and implying his marriage was purely selfish as he is gay. Similarly, the response to Jameela Jamil coming out as queer, has garnered mixed responses. The star of The

Alex Walker

used to love getting drunk. I did it every weekend, dancing until 5am, sleeping all day. During Freshers, it reached a new level. Every night a new club, new drinks, new one-night stands, a bigger debit card bill. Constant hangovers, replacing drunkenness, replacing hangovers. But now it feels different. Sure, the Arctic Monkeys comes on and I dance like a freak, and sure, I’ll get nice and tipsy now and then, and feel great. But the rest of it’s just boring. I wake up dehydrated, hungry, tired, and stinking of booze. And worst of all, full of regrets. All I seem to do on a night out is make mistakes, and they always end up coming back to haunt me. Sometimes, I’d rather just lie in bed alone, or cuddle up with my girlfriend in front of the TV, and save myself the trouble. Then again, I’ll still put myself through it, all over again.

Good Place came out as queer following her announcement as a judge on a new Voguing dance competition. This was met with a lot of people moaning that she isn’t a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and shouldn’t judge a competition with its roots in the Harlem ball scene of the 1980s. She responded to this by coming out as queer.

At the end of the day, they are just people, so please let them live their lives

This, shockingly, didn’t help, despite her acknowledgement of the fact she is a member of this community, people accused her of lying because she dated a man prior to coming out. This has raised questions as to whether the negative response is due in part to Jamil’s status as a female POC, who is known for championing causes regarding equality. At the end of the day, they are just people, so please just let them live their lives. Image: This Morning on Youtube

Storm Ciara response: what about the north?

PHILLIP SCHOFIELD

Em Richardson

ver since coming out as gay, it seems Phillip Schofield has been met with endless questions. Why did he wait so long to come out? Did he know that he was gay when he married a woman? How do his family feel? Obviously, someone announcing that they are gay after 27 years of seemingly happy, heterosexual marriage comes as a big surprise. However, it also takes courage, especially for someone in the public eye. Standing up and making such a big, unexpected announcement is tough. This is particularly true in this day and age, when someone’s every move can be scrutinised on social media. Luckily for Philip, it seems most people responded to the news kindly. However, he had still no idea that this would be the case when he chose to share it. He had simply decided that now was the time to live his truth, and that is a sentiment we can all appreciate.

ROAST OF THE WEEK

Victoria Osho examines the differences in governmental aid for natural disasters in the UK

ast weekend, Storm Ciara took England by storm (literally), with heavy rain and extremely trembling wind felt throughout England and many people left at a disadvantage as a result of this horrible weather. Because of this, the government went to quick action to aid with things like food and shelter in the emergency financial aid package for areas devastated by Storm Ciara.

The response towards these tragic floods was immensely delayed while the response to Storm Ciara was immediate

Local government secretary Robert Jenrick said, “I have activated the emergency Ballwin scheme to support communities affected by Storm Ciara in West Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire.” It is completely evident that, as the storm was a national tragedy in most cases, the Government was quick to respond with adequate aid. But how about natural disasters that have affected the north alone that the Government conveniently ignored? Not too long after Christmas 2015, York faced the worst flooding in a generation, and by Monday 28 December,

the Ouse peaked at about 5.2m above its normal summer level. This was not the first time that York had been flooded, as it has consistently flooded regularly over many years. York is not even the only location in the north. In winter 2015 and 2016, floods all over the north, such as Northumberland, Cumbria, Durham and Yorkshire. Government responses being to commission up to £500 for each home affected, £20,000 to rebuild agriculture, and other forms of budgets to curb the effects of the storms, which even to begin with, was a result of constant rallying by northern protests and officials. There has been a significant cut of funding for floods over the years, and northern parts of England are more affected by these floods. Even so, the response towards these tragic floods was im-

mensely delayed, while the response to Storm Ciara was almost immediate. It has been a long-known fact that people outside the UK are only familiar with London, and maybe Manchester. However, the Government has always turned a blind eye on issues that involve the north, such as natural disasters and the direct correlation between natural disasters and poverty in the north. The Government must address their role in the fully apparent divide between life in the south and life in the north.

Image: Evening Standard on Youtube

LAUGH TRACKS

Lorcan Flahive

loophole for comedy, and therefore a noose for quality. Laughter tracks sound little more than a half-hearted apology from a writer who has chosen a paycheque over a credible legacy. They should not be discredited altogether, as there is valid argument for them: they add a lightness to many sitcoms, with which the genuine comedy of a script is able to play. However, the tragedy comes from when these programmes begin to substitute real-life chuckles for the slightly sinister alternative of canned laughter. One quick Google of the Big Bang Theory opens up a dangerous wormhole of flat lines and awkwardness. The function of these ghoulish giggles is different in shows like this. Rather than drawing from jokes themselves, they instead highlight the fact that these occasionally strange comments are intended to actually BE jokes. Surely comedy should be able stand up without them.

life&style

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk @Courier_Life thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle Life & Style Editor Nimra Rafique Lifestyle Editors Catherine Entwistle, Cecilia Adamou, Holly Margerrison & Jess Herbert Blind Date Editor Holly Mawdsley

Blind Date meets

Dom Lee

Second year English Language

Hello Dom, why did you sign up for Blind Date? My friends were already looking for a girl for me, so I thought I’d make it more formal. They put a lot of pressure on it going well but I went into it with no expectations because at least that way I can’t be disappointed. At Monument there was someone in a very very similar outfit to me - the same jeans, the same jacket, the only difference is that his shirt was checked instead of plain, so I had this vision that she would turn up and walk off with this other guy. Your celebrity crush is Ellie Rowsell, but if Liusaidh was a Wolf Alice song which one would she be and why? She’d be ‘Beautifully Unconventional’ because she is beautifully unconventional.

Liusaidh Owen

Second year Maths

What were you looking for when you signed up for blind date? When I signed up for blind date I was looking forward to meeting someone new and stepping outside my comfort zone.

What’s your normal type and how did Dom compare? My usual type is someone who is easy to talk to and that I have a lot in common with. Dom was definitely up there, he had good chat and we had a lot to talk about. What were your first impressions of Dom? My first impressions of Dom were that he is very friendly and dressed well.

What were your first impressions - apart from that you thought she’d walk off with another man? She seemed really nice, quite quiet at first but she opened up as the date went along. I didn’t find it that hard, maybe a bit awkward but I’m part of the paper anyway so from my perspective it’s a bit different.

The best part of the date was his music recommendations and the cocktails

If Liusaidh was a cocktail what would she be and why? She’d be a strawberry daiquiri - sweet and fruity, not the icy part.

If Dom was a flavour of crisps which one would he be and why? Prawn cocktail because it is a very interesting flavour and it’s a classic favourite with a bit of edge.

We talked about everything - I was with her for four hours Did you have a lot in common? We had a bit in common but not loads. We talked about everything - I was with her for four hours so we had a lot to cover. We talked a lot about the Courier, she was interested in the insider perspective. I was going out with my friend after and he kept trying to convince me to bring my date along, he couldn’t believe I was there for so long. What are three words to describe Liusaidh? Pretty, bubbly and funny - oh wait, doesn’t bubbly encompass funny? You’re a music editor at the Courier, Courier, but if she was a radio station which one would she be? And don’t say Radio 4. I think 4 is pretty good! You can’t tell me that as a kid when the Archers’ theme tune came on you didn’t buzz off your tits. But Liusaidh was quite into hip hop so maybe Capital. Will there be a second date? Yes I think so, or at least I hope so. We added each other on Snapchat so we’ll see.

What were the best and worst parts of your date? The best part of the date was his music recommendations and the cocktails and I couldn’t say a worst part, the whole night was very enjoyable. What did you get up to on your date ? We went for cocktails at Tokyo then went to The Mile Castle for a few more affordable drinks. Tokyo looks lovely - but would you rather have a trip to Japan or a second date with Dom? A trip to Tokyo because it’s on my bucket list but a second date follows closely behind. What are three words to describe Dom? Friendly, adventurous, smart. Do you think they’ll be a second date? We have already arranged to see each other again next week to go for some lunch. How did you find your blind date experience? Would you recommend it? It was a fun and refreshing experience to talk to a complete stranger and I would definitely recommend it.

life & style lifestyle

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

Should we ditch the drink? Sophie Wilson discusses whether Dry January is a cocktail for disaster or a shot of success as she debates the pros and cons

ry January-the new hip thing to do for when you’re needing a ‘new year, new you’ kind of vibe. But are the benefits worth the full month of self-restraint? After failing to give it a go this year, my research has told me that it is definitely on my todo list for next January. Here are the top three reasons to try it out yourself. Firstly, the process of not drinking from 1 January (that IS right, you will have to stop drinking whilst on your new year’s night out), to 1 February will improve your health. ‘BMI Healthcare’ states that dry January gives you an increased amount of sleep, more energy and aids weight loss. We have all had those nights where we have had a few too many drinks, and we lie awake in bed staring at the ceiling, frustrated at our inability to sleep. With alcohol damaging your quality of sleep, stripping out alcohol from your diet can help you get those well needed hours of sleep. More rest inevitably brings more energy, and that is why Alcohol

Image: Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash

Concern have said that 71% of people who undertook it had better sleep and 67% had more energy. Considering weight loss, the reduction of liquid calories is going to make you shed a few pounds. A bottle of wine, a few pints, mixers - they are all high calorie drinks. If losing weight after Christmas is something that you want to embark upon (not that you should necessarily do this because you all look perfect as you are), then dry January can help you after Christmas. Secondly, there may be a change in attitude without alcohol. With alcohol being a depressant, when those January blues hit it can be easy to reach for a beverage to lift your mood. But if alcohol gives you a high and then leaves you feeling worse off, surely cutting out that depressant in a month where many feel at a low-point anyway can only be a good move? Restraining from alcohol is not just about physical health, but your emotional and mental health

Alcohol is not a secret potion to enjoying a social occasion

(which is always of the upmost importance). Finally, the long-lasting effect of it may be that you realise alcohol is not a secret potion to enjoying social occasions. When going out with friends and not drinking is proven to be just as good as getting really drunk and spending time with them, your perspective might just shift regarding your dependence upon it. Even if the effect is a few less drinks at pres, or a few less drinks at a bar each night you go out, then your body will be thankful. So all in all, dry January is such an appealing concept, and I definitely need it to help me in my January slump next year. Why don’t you join me for next January?

Image: Authority Dental

Television’s Phillip Schofield comes out as gay Em Richardson discusses the This Morning host’s courageous announcement and how it’s actually none of our business

elevision presenter Philip Schofield recently announced he is gay, despite being married to a woman for 27 years. Naturally, this has led to a lot of speculation… about whether he knew he was gay when he married a woman, about why he didn’t ‘come out’ sooner, and about how his family might be feeling at this time. As far as I’m concerned, there is a single answer to all of these questions: none of our business. We can speculate, of course. Maybe he genuinely believed he could suppress his feelings for men at the time of his marriage. Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable coming out earlier in his career because LGBTQ+ people were less accepted back then, and he worried about how the public might react. Maybe his family can happily accept that he is still the same person he was before he came out. Ultimately, however, Schofield has every right to keep the answers to these questions between himself, his wife, and his daughters. With regards to his wife, she is the only person who really knows how she is feeling. She might be devastated, and she might feel deceived, as online commentators keep claiming.

the massive changes her life is currently undergoing. Let’s stop telling her how she ought to feel.

The darkest depths of Twitter have seen fit to make some rather unpleasant allegations

The majority of reactions to his news have been positive - as they should be, in this day and age

Yet, she could just as easily feel happy that he is finally able to be true to himself. After all, this is someone with whom she has a long, shared history. Regardless of her feelings towards her husband in this moment, at some point, she loved him. Only she knows the extent to which this is still true. Rather than people speculating about her feelings online, she needs time, and privacy, to allow her to process

Image: @PhillipSchofield on Instagram

As for Schofield himself, the majority of reactions to his news have been positive - as they should be, in this day and age. The majority of negativity comes from the belief that he has misled his wife and daughters which, whilst unpleasant and hurtful, at least doesn’t mock him simply for the fact he is gay. His personal appeal has not been diminished by the news about his sexuality, for the majority of people. That being said, the darkest depths of Twitter have still seen fit to make some rather unpleasant allegations. Several conspiracy theories have emerged, claiming Schofield has ‘pursued’ younger men, despite very little evidence. I firmly believe such allegations are rooted in homophobia. A certain breed of person doesn’t seem to want to believe that Schofield kept his sexuality private simply because he wasn’t ready to speak his truth. They are convinced there must be a darker, more unpleasant reason for his silence. Such theories stem from the appalling belief that being gay is a ‘dirty secret’, and the evil stereotype that gay men have a tendency to ‘pray’ on younger men. In the wake of Caroline Flack’s suicide, I think we need to remember that the consequences of constant, cruel speculation about one’s private life can be devastating, and call out such behaviour. Personally, I think we should just be glad that Schofield finally felt comfortable enough to come out whilst in the public eye, regardless of how long it has taken him to reach this point.

the courier

lifestyle life & style

Monday 24 February 2020

The dangers of DIY teeth whitening Phoebe Eyles explores the lengths people go to look good and the risks that comes with that

under Creative Commons 2.0

t is no secret that in 2020 the world has no limits in terms of extreme methods people use to alter their appearance. However, with recent reports that many teeth whitening products are damaging to our health, how far are people willing to go to look good? From the ‘Real Life Ken Doll’, who has had surgery to remove multiple ribs in order to achieve a smaller waist, to influencers such as Molly Mae admitting they took it too far with facial fillers, the beauty industry now offers a wealth of cosmetic surgery and treatments. According to the General Dental Council figures, illegal teeth whitening increased by 26% last year. This is through the use of unqualified practitioners conducting teeth whitening and many at home teeth whitening kits containing dangerous chemicals. The British Dental Association (BDA) recommends that the safest way to obtain whiter teeth is to see a qualified professional. But with many influencers promoting at home teeth whitening kits, the draw of pearly whites at an affordable price is too good to resist for many, despite the dangers attached. Instagram has a lot to answer for when considering why these teeth whitening products have gained popularity. With users such as Khloe Kardashian promoting teeth whitening products by hi-smile to her 104 million followers, it is clear why followers who aspire to look like her may want to buy beauty products she promotes.

There is an argument that now celebrities and influencers have to disclose when their content is an advert, we are less likely to buy into the product they are promoting as the sceptics among us will assume Khloe didn’t actually use hi-smile.

Image: @usmilewhitening on Instagram

It would take a lot to alter our culture of longing to look our best

However, through the masses of influencers now gaining popularity on Instagram, from Love Island stars to upand-coming models and fashion bloggers, our society has normalised cosmetic procedures. There are countless videos on YouTube where women share their boob job experience, and many influencers are paid to post their experience with chemical facials and teeth whitening on their Instagram stories - we cannot escape the fact we are obsessed with learning about how we can better ourselves physically.

Instagram has a lot to answer for when considering why these products have gained popularity

Through being exposed to media that promotes cosmetic procedures, we are normalising this practice which often leads to people putting their bodies at risk in order to achieve results at a more affordable price. There is nothing wrong with undergoing a cosmetic procedure - if it will genuinely make you happier and you are doing it only for yourself, I don’t see any issue with it. Nonetheless, it is important to note that a cosmetic procedure should be seen as an investment as rushing to get the most affordable treatment may put your body in danger.

Image: @usmilewhitening on Instagram

Importance of a happy tummy Coping with chronic illnesses

ippocrates once said, “all disease begins in therefore lead to gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of the gut” and it would appear that his words gut microbes. couldn’t be more pertinent today. Intermittent fasting Microbes start populating our guts the day we’re born Fasting is often seen as a great way to loose unwanted but many people’s microbiome in 2020 are lacking diver- weight but it is also another way of improving gut health. sity thanks to our overuse of antibiotics and poor diet. Intermittent fasting allows your digestive system to rest The trillions of bacteria and other microbes that occupy properly and helps to replenish gut bacteria. every single human gut have a vital role to play when it comes to metabolism, immune system and mood. It Catherine Entwistle therefore comes as no surprise that doctors and gut health experts are trying to educate people on how to improve the number and variety of microbes in your gut. Here are some simple ways to give your gut the boost it needs: Eat fermented foods Fermented food such as kimchi and tempeh are a great way to improve your gut health and as exotic as they may sound, they Image: Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash are fairly easy to get hold of. You should also give Kombucha a try, a fermented tea that originated in East Asia. It is now homebrewed worldwide and also widely available on supermarket shelves. The drink is produced by fermenting sugared tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) and is full of good bacteria that will improve your microbiome. Eat a huge variety of fruit and vegetables The more colourful the better when it comes to fruit and veg, as different types of bacteria like different types of food and it is important to feed them all the right things. This is also beneficial for increasing fibre levels, something that is also needed to feed healthy bacteria. Eat cheese and live yogurt You should incorporate yogurts such as kefir and Greek yogurt into your diet, as they contain high levels of probiotics, which are great for improving gut microbiome. Avoid excessive amounts of sugar Eating excess sugar tends to feed the bacteria that we want less of in our gut and can

f we’re lucky, most of us don’t have to think much about our health, bar a yearly cold. But today I want to talk about a disease which goes under the radar and is not talked about enough, despite having a huge impact on hundreds of thousands of lives across the country. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is an incurable, chronic condition coming in two main forms: Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. In the UK, 300,000 people

are diagnosed with these conditions, and about a quarter of which are children and young adults. So, what is it like to live with this condition, especially as a young person, and how can we remove the stigma the surrounds this severe and debilitating condition? I first learned of IBD four years ago when my dad was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. I had never heard of this illness before and had no idea what it would mean for my dad and his day-to-day life. The symptoms of IBD are varied, but loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhoea, and extreme fatigue are common. One of the hardest parts of living with IBD is its unpredictability - it is a lifelong condition during which time people may experience periods without symptoms (remission), but likewise, flare-ups and more severe symptoms can occur, making it difficult to manage. One of my friends here at Newcastle spoke to me about his experience of IBD and what it is like to be a young person with a chronic illness. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 16, after he experienced a loss of appetite and an inability to retain food. This resulted in extreme weight loss, reaching a worryingly low of 40kg. IBD is often seen as a ‘hidden disability’ - that is one which other people would be completely unaware at first sight. Unlike some disabilities IBD does not speak for itself, and so people have to make the decision to open up about their illness and start that conversation. This can be a difficult task at the best of times but especially as the British culture is one of the ‘stiff upper lip’, which can have a negative effect on our discussion (or lack thereof) about health. IBD often comes with feelings of embarrassment or self-consciousness, and avoiding conversations about health only furthers these worries. Therefore, as a student, it can seem quite a daunting task to discuss health issues. IBD sufferers have to face challenges on a daily basis, such as judgement for using a disabled toilet as their disability is not immediately obvious. I hope that in opening up discussion around IBD and health we can increase awareness for and understanding of this serious condition. If we continue to treat chronic illnesses as a ‘taboo’ topic, we will only isolate further those affected. The more we talk, the easier it gets. Cora Herbert

life & style fashion

c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Kajal Patel, Phoebe Eyles & Shamara Mohsin

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

New ASOS feature: a sizeable problem?

Deputy Editor Molly Greeves reviews ASOS' new tech feature that shows items of clothing on different body shapes

n fast-paced, internet obsessed world, online shopping has undoubtedly changed the game. But trying to get clothes in the right size has always been a massive issue, particularly for people whose bodies are considered to be outside. Buying clothes that fit well and look good has always been easier for people whose bodies fit into a rigid mould. Hopefully, ASOS’s new feature could change all of that.

I'm not sure I'll trust it to be reliable

ASOS are, in their own words, “always testing new technology that can make our customers’ experience even better.” In the past, however, the company’s solution to sizing problems have been pretty problematic. Their clothes aren’t usually sold in regular UK sizes (6, 8, 10, 12, etc.) instead opting for waist and length measurements which, unless you have a tape measure, is useless. In 2017, they released a solution to this called the Fit Assistant Size. This asks you to submit your weight, height, body type and age in order to predict your size. Whilst this idea is good in theory, I’ve found it to be super inaccurate; I have a pair of unreturned trousers that are a foot too long for me as proof of this. It also asks a million questions that can be uncomfortable

to answer about yourself (I’ve gotta say, putting my weight into this thing hasn't always been the most fun experience). ASOS’s latest scheme, however, sees them working on AR to “show products on different size models, so customers can get a better sense of how something might fit their body shape.” If this works, it could be great. The issue with clothing sizes online aren’t just whether they’ll fit, but whether they’ll look good, and being able to see models with similar body types to us will massively help with this. How this AR technology will work is the important question, as if it’s anything like the Fit Assistant Size I’m not sure I’ll trust it to be reliable. It seems

Victoria's style game Charley Moran discusses the best of Posh Spice's looks

ictoria Beckham has transformed from the iconic pop singer to a successful business and family woman. Throughout the decades she hasn’t fallen shy of following the fashion trends and even introducing her own either way she was always

Instagram: @victoriabeckham

slaying. Here’s a look back at five times the talented Beckham slayed the game.

Even being pregnant with baby Harper she still slayed

First, is her stunning look from the Royal wedding in 2011. Her Philip Treacy hat, which wasn’t ready until last minute, looked amazing as it resembled a blue Werther’s original toffee shape scored through with a long naturistic decoration. Matching this she wore a midnight blue tunic dress from her own collection, which personally designed, that was able to hide her bump. Even being pregnant with baby Harper she still slayed, managing to wear the Christian Louboutin heels completing this elegant look and making it a classic, perfect for the royals. Next are two red carpet looks from The British Fashion Awards 2018 and 2011 where she wore two stunning outfits. 2018 saw her slay in a top to toe black dress, taking a classic halter neck gown and reimagining it on top of a pair of the signature tailored trouser that brought back the 00’s ‘ Dress over Trousers’ look, that came from her own collection. 2011 saw her win designer brand of the year and she absolutely slayed in a long black gown because what else would Posh be wearing? The combination of design being pleated from hips to floor and then balloon style from hip to neck, the sleeveless dress was stunning. The lesser-known look that nobody talks about is how much she slays in colour! Looking at 2017 in New York she wore a tangerine jumper and mint green trouser creating a statement colour clashing look which she slayed by giving off brightness to the streets of NYC. Back in 2016, she was rocked the low waist pleated flowy skirts wearing a mint green one and baby pink in late 2016 which brought back the classic 50’s look to the 21st century with her own twist. Finally her iconic ‘posh spice look’ which slayed the game for decades to follow, that even remains popular now! The look would most commonly be the statement mini dress in a dark colour and changed the world of fashion. It became known as the ‘iconic little Gucci dress,’ and now everyone needs a classic black dress in their wardrobe. This is thanks to Victoria absolutely slaying her posh spice look and creating something timeless.

to me that the best way of doing this would be to get different models to wear the clothes, but this is probably unrealistic as most people know that the clothes get edited onto the models in post to make them look good. Whilst this scheme has the potential to be an inclusive step forward, the photos will probably still make the clothes look better than they actually are, leaving customers disappointed when they arrive.

Becoming more inclusive is important, but the reality is that fast

Becoming more inclusive is important, but the reality is that fast fashion is deceptive. The clothes that these models wear (or don’t wear, if they’re edited on) are not the clothes we’re receiving, and no matter how many body types are featured, they probably aren’t going to look as good. If brands like ASOS really want to limit the number of returns being made, they need to focus on producing quality clothing with a variety of clear, understandable sizes. Maybe then we would have more of a clue of what’s actually going to come through the post box.

Images: @ASOS on Instagram

'Shouldergate' in the workplace

Rashida Campbell-Allen discusses controversies concerning clothing in the workplace and how this can impact women Image: Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

racy Brabin gave her critics the cold shoulder following an onslaught of comments and criticisms over an off the shoulder black dress she wore in parliament. Some may even say if only parliament cared more about real social issues and inequalities than what a woman wears. The situation shed a bright light over the sexist attitudes clearly writhe not just in parliament but also on social media as her tweet in response to the criticisms prove the gendered nature of many comments. But what I fail to understand is why does attire matter? Why are women held in positions where yet again men are not held to the same standards or expectations of appearance? Heck, even Boris Johnson’s bedraggled aesthetic has been accepted and coined as somewhat of a “brand” - his look, turned into a comical personality trait. Following the events of Brabin’s shouldergate, she took to the internet and as any classy, unbothered, professional woman would, she’s turned the dress into a lucrative charity gig by placing it up for auction on eBay and giving the 20k proceeds to GirlGuiding UK. In a society that has become so individualised and appearance driven, dress codes often only serve to perpetuate and reinforce sexist ideals. The very fact that

many workplaces have regulations for the length of a skirt or dress ought to not speak to a woman’s professionalism but instead the problematic patriarchal behaviours and attitudes that surround them. In 2020 it’s not unheard of to see an off-the shoulder dress, it’s called fashion. But it seems in professional spaces women are safest if they don a full three piece suit or cover themselves head to toe quite literally because don’t even think about wearing an open toe heel. Dress codes are necessary to some extent in the workplace as they can be used to create a company culture, avoid distraction and create a level playing field, it bears no indication of a company or employee’s work ethic, it really is just for keeping up appearances. The underlying issue is the consequent unequal and unfair judgment of women. Let’s take Nicola Thorp back in 2016 who was sent home from her temp job at PwC for not wearing heels. Many offices today use the term ‘business casual’ or ‘smart’ in their policies but the issue here is the subjectivity of its implementation. My personal take on dress codes is that people should wear what makes them feel the best version of themselves whilst being respectful of others. Surely staff should be judged on their work not their dress.

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

Fashion Week fight: LDN vs NYC

Chloe Buchan compares London and New York Fashion Weeks biggest highs and lows

he Fall/Winter shows of New York and London Fashion Week have both been vibrant and enticing in their own ways. With New York Fashion week featuring tributes to the city itself as well as sweeping new trends, London Fashion Week has exhibited a surprising new model, subverting the usual rigid body dimensions of runway models.

NY Fashion Week provided some very wearable new trends

New York Fashion Week provided some beautiful new trends which would be very much wearable come Autumn and Winter. Flowing shapes were central to many of the shows, with capes taking centre stage. Proenza Schouler’s collection was one of my personal favourites, with asymmetrical capes draped over the models in muted colours, making this a very sleek and wearable collection. Michael Kors also paraded capes within the collection, with a focus upon classic buckle fastenings, rendering this a very sophisticated look with an outdoorsy, countryside focus. As high street trends have recently been leaning towards looser flowing shapes, the cape trend could very well be one which flourishes come Autumn/Winter 2020. New York Fashion Week also boasted a huge variety of colours, particularly neons and jewel tones, such as orange, red, fuschia pink and lime green. New and upcoming designer Christopher John Roger’s collection particularly stood out to me. Its evening wear featured a huge array of vibrant colours, as well as delightful fabric textures that set off the colours and succeeded in creating a truly eye-catching collection. Not only this, but the use of ruffles, high necks and puffed sleeves meant this collection oozed femininity, whilst simultaneously refusing to adhere to the expectation that dresses shouldn’t contain a bit of everything. Understated doesn’t seem to be a word in Christopher John Rogers vocabulary, and this

is what makes his collection so breath-taking. Ruffles and puff sleeves seemed to be the popular theme throughout New York Fashion Week, with Ulla Johnson presenting a collection filled with ruffles, taffeta and balloon sleeves in rich jewel tones, as well as Oscar De La Renta, who also incorporated a bold red lip. The final show of the Autumn/Winter New York Fashion Week 2020 was Marc Jacobs, who presented his show in an unusual way; guests sat on small wooden table whilst models walked around them like pedestrians rather than walking the catwalk as in traditional fashion shows. This was something of a tribute to the city of New York, thus rounding off the show in the most appropriate way. In my opinion, New York trumped London Fashion Week, however, London still presented some magnificent collections, with a few similarities to those exhibited in New York. Ruffles and puffed sleeves seem to be a huge upcoming trend, with Preen presenting some beautiful party pieces with crisp tailoring and evening wear that is both classic and slightly unconventional. The most significant thing to me about London Fashion Week was the rule-breaking that occurred, thus suggesting a possible rebirth of fashion, a thrilling concept. Actress Lena Dunham modelled for 16Arlington, a surprising modelling debut that many may not have expected. This sparks a suggestion that the body standard for models may be gradually being subverted in favour of bodies that more accurately reflect the shape and size of women as a whole. In general, 16Arlington is really pushing for body positivity and inclusivity, incorporating larger sizes into their collections and stocking up to a size 16 in their ready-to-wear collection. Finally, Matty Bovan’s collection stood out to me as one which displayed creativity and individuality, as well as being fun and fresh. Models wore large hairpieces, with some exhibiting sheer curtains suspended above their heads. The unusual silhouettes and use of contrasting fabrics made this a collection that would be very hard to forget.

Image: @marcjacobs on Instagram

I mean sure, each new collab might offer a new pattern, trend or style, but most of it is literally the EXACT same as every piece the site already sells -except with a less than thrilling countdown with various shots of the micro-celeb influencer posing in them. Do the influencers even like what they’re selling? Because most of it I can guarantee even they wouldn’t be seen dead in.

Do the influencers even like what they’re selling? Because most of it I can guarantee even they wouldn’t be seen dead in

It’s just another ploy to suck us into the fast-fashion world

Personally I never usually buy into any of it. It’s just another ploy to suck us into the fast-fashion world when our interest starts to slip from another influencer’s greatest collab yet *rolls eyes*. So maybe I’m being a little harsh, maybe Beyonce’s Ivy Park was new and tasteful and got the fans excited. Or possibly, these clothing collabs allow celebrities to venture into other industries they otherwise would have no opportunity to in another life. But when every Love Island winner that manages to capture the nation’s attention for 365 days until the next season hits our screens, collabs with any brand they can get their claws into just to have the chance to slap on ‘#Ad’ beneath their insta posts gets kind of predictable and boring.

Image: @prettylittlething on Instagram

Beyond Retro

Beauty Editor Ellie James shares her thoughts on the production of celebrity fashion lines

Brand we're loving:

Images:@beyondretro on Instagram

Do influencers steal designers' thunder? ew celeb fashion lines are announced often – perhaps too often – usually with that somewhat overly extended social media countdown and a glossy name which isn’t actually all that glossy other than an ‘X’ between the celeb’s name and another fast-fashion brand. Original, right? The thing is, this buzz about a new range of clothing being released seems a bit OTT for my liking, especially when there’s barely anything other than a label that differentiates the new clothing from another influencer’s that was only released a few months prior. So are new celeb fashion lines really all that big of a deal? We all know what I’m talking about here. The likes of Love Island’s Molly-Mae joining up with Pretty Little Thing in 2019 after leaving the Majorcan villa, along with Little Mix bringing the snakeskin to our online PLT shopping January of this year. Along the higher end of the spectrum, we’ve got Beyonce’s ‘Ivy Park’ partnering with Topshop briefly back in 2016 and Rhianna’s ‘Fenty’ last May. But when it comes down to it, what really sets these pieces of clothing apart, other than a name on a label?

life & style

It seems society has become obsessed with becoming as close a fit to an influencer as possible, which everyone seems to believe is achieved through wearing clothes made out of cheap fabrics that a celeb most likely had no creative input apart from being presented designs they gave a yes or no to – a bit like Tinder but for clothing. The sadder side of this fact is that there are so many creative individuals out there producing incredible new lines that would shake the fashion world. But they’re stuck in the shadows of those who are currently being manufactured through reality TV shows or sporting a higher Instagram follower counts. The reality of today’s fashion industry isn’t a pretty one. Creative talent is useless if you don’t have a pretty face and someone to pap you for your social media along with it. And even then, you could get away with just the latter if you manage to be launched into fame through other means. Want to know how to produce a successful fashion line? Scrap your university Fashion or Art degree, you should be writing an application form for next season’s Love Island instead if you ever want a chance to get noticed in the fashion world apparently.

he student – often wearing flares, usually in a big puffa jacket, or faux fur coat. Doc marten style shoes often also part of the mix. As I walk around the town it is not hard to spot the students of Newcastle University. However with the daily life of lecture attendance comes the fatal problem of what one must do when one inevitably decides their wardrobe has become too basic, and the savings pot is looking a little too large. I personally try and avoid shopping at high street brands, simply because their convenience results in your lovely new trousers being worn but an army of others, and in our modern age individuality is key. I therefore turned to ‘beyond retro’ and my love of the moment. A perhaps less known brand, stocking vintage styled clothing, a perfect fit for the ever back tracking fashion style today. The brand offers a range offers a selection of different eras, such as 70s 80s and 90s, all with affordable clothing tailored to this particular era. So weather your feeling flares or vintage dresses there is something for everyone’s different style taste bud’s. While the brand may not be Primark cheap, it is certainly priced reasonable for the items on sale, another reason to love their brand, as one thing I have found with the high street shops is their ability to increase their prices without people taking any notice. Another element of the brand I find particularly noteworthy is the individuality that comes with purchasing any one of their garments, people around campus seem to rarely clash with any of the clothes I have brought from there over recent months. Something increasing hard to find as many people flock the shops for the sales currently on! The brand also has such a range of clothing, and while it is an online shop is really is tailored to everyone’s needs, weather your looking for a cosy jumper, or a top to hit the toon with! Iona Lowe

Images:@vintageheartsuk on Instagram

the courier

beauty life & style Watering down the myths of skincare Victoria Osho questions whether water is a myth or truth in the world of skincare T

TheWiredUrban Decay collection

Nimra Rafique shares the new neon spring beauty releases

he sincere answer is no. It has been a longbelieved myth that drinking gallons and hether it’s fashion or beauty, we always gallons of water immediately means that seem to look back to the past for inspiration clear skin is a result. And while drinking copious and this year is no acception. In fact, despite amounts of water could aid the journey to clear it only being February, the big 2020 trends are all about skin, it simply won’t just fix it. that vintage, nostalgic vibe. From the Brigitte Bardot Firstly, it is important to be aware of the fact that curtain fringe, to the increased craze of blusher, it’s clear water is extremely hydrating. This that past trends always have a way of rising again. Although means that water, if anything, the natural makeup look is a favourite in recent days, there’s will hydrate your skin. Now, just no doubt that colour will never go out of style, and Urban because your skin is hydrated, Decay’s new limited edition Wired collection is giving us all does not mean it will those retro, 80s vibes we love. When thinking about Urban be clear. It is easier Decay the first thing that comes to mind are their popular to reach the Naked eyeshadow palettes, known particularly for their array of neutral, warm tones. On the other hand, Urban Decay also has a collection of colourful and bold products, from their much loved Heavy Metal glitter to their dazzling Moondust Palette. Their new limited edition Wired collection, however, takes it that step further, as it boasts vibrant electric neon colours. The collection includes the Wired Palette consisting of 10 bright pressed pigments, 4 Wired 24/7 Eye Pencils, 5 Wired Vice Lip Chemistry glossy lip tints, and 5 Wired Transforming Liner. On one hand, bright, bold colours can add a fun and exciting twist to your makeup look. Even using just one vibrant colour can take your look to the next level and make it look like a lot of thought went into your makeup. On the other hand however, such daring colours are not always wearable and can be difficult to create a look with. You don’t want to spend a steep £39 on an eyeshadow palette just for it to sit at the back of your draw, untouched. So, in my opinion, the Wired collection by Urban Decay might give you an instant buzz, with all the festival looks sparking your creative brain, but in reality you’ll probably only use these products once and never touch them again. But hey, this is coming from someone who wears the same one brown eyeshadow all the time. So each to their own.

heights of clear skin with hydrated skin, but without the work and effort it takes (for most people) to get clear skin, it probably won’t happen. It must also be made known that different skin types require different things. It is more a matter of sampling the products that work for your skin, and the products that do not. I’m sorry, but contrary to popular belief, washing your face with dish soap, being un-problematic and downing a gallon even three hours just might not cut it for your skin. Or maybe it does, and you’re doing a lot more than you should be doing to your skin without realising that your skin is actually sensitive and only responds well to regular soap, yet you wonder why your £400 skincare routine plus your immense w a t e r drinking isn’t doing much for your skin. Different things work for different people, and whether your oily, dry or combination, you need to play around to see what works for you. There are many other lifestyle choices that could make or break your journey to good skin. Firstly, the effects of a poor diet on skin cannot be cancelled out by downing a gallon or two.

Secondly, that pillowcase that you sleep on, when was the last time you washed it? Are you allergic to the fabric? Do you potentially have acne prone skin? Could you possibly be allergic to certain things in your makeup/ skincare products? Other factors could be stress, hormone changes, weight fluctuations etc. All of these are not null and void simply because you followed Brenda’s ‘drink four gallons of water a day’ challenge.

Drinking water can help, but won’t simply fix, bad skin

All in all, despite the fact that the myth has been busted over and over and again and water might not directly lead to clear skin, it is important to drink as much of it as you need to. Good skin cannot be obtained by a good skincare routine alone. Everything in combination such as a good skincare routine, good diet and exercise regimen, washed bed sheets, and of course, water, works together to (most likely, not in all cases) give you the clear skin you desire. Just keep striving, and keep experimenting with different products, and do not get discouraged if one skincare line does not work for you, because as said before, skincare is not a onesize-fits-all.

Image: Pencil/urbandecay.co.uk

Ins tar gra m: @u rb an de cay co sm eti cs

Pixabay: wikiImages

n 2 January John Lewis & Partners became the first high street outlet to have permanently opened male beauty products to its stores and online. The concession is run by ‘War Paint For Men’, a brand founded by Daniel Gray in November 2018. The brand was developed by Gray to overcome body dysmorphic disorder, wherein one worries about their appearance regularly. He uses makeup to deal with his insecurities. He emphasises his brand is not about perfection, but of building selfconfidence through their appearance. ‘War Paint For Men’ was supported by two investors from BBC’s Dragon’s Den for £70,000, with a 12% share in the business. It was successfully tested in January on John Lewis’ Oxford Street store. The demand has exceeded 50% higher than the company’s expectations. This recent announcement raises questions about the male body image and cultural gender roles.

War Paint For Men: has the war against a gendered cosmetic industry really been won?

Carl Smith Valdez discusses John Lewis' newest partnership with War Paint For Men

The concept of men wearing make-up is nothing new. It traces back from 3000BC onwards as men used plant-based products to paint their skin and fingernails. Ancient Celtics also painted their bodies in blue to represent ferocious fighters and was feared by Romans.

'War Paint For Men’ offers a good beginning to challenging gender stereotypes

In recent years makeup has been transformed by ordinary YouTube stars. James Charles started his own makeup tutorials at the age of 16, illustrating how to do complicated contoured looks and completely changing his appearance. Charles has accrued 16.7

million subscribers and was the first male cover for CoverGirl. The increasing recognition of makeup in the LGBT+ Community expands further to makeover series such as Queer Eye and RuPaul’s Drag Race. In 2019, David Beckham wore a teal eyeshadow for the cover of Love Magazine. Make-up now is as a symbol for self and artistic expression by breaking gender boundaries and redefining societal standards of beauty. ‘War Paint For Men’ has encouraged the expansion of make-up to the male demographic. From the outset, the brand deconstructs the stigma surrounding make-up and masculinity that has lived throughout decades. Make-up was usually targeted for women and men who subverted such mindset were deemed flamboyant. In department stores, cosmetics were usually seen in women’s counters. This positioning reinforces binaries and signifies make-up as a feminine product. This historical shift suggests a demand for wider representation for gender fluidity within more products. However, the binary is not fully denounced. The term ‘war paint’ conjures visions of armour, camouflage and strength. This encapsulates how make-up can be liberating, whilst simultaneously echoing traditional masculinity. The brand becomes ironic with its aim to give men some choice. It generates values that men ‘must’ aspire to be. The words ‘for men’ limits spaces for experimentation, liberated from any social constraints. ‘War Paint For Men’ offers a good beginning to challenging gender stereotypes. It highlights that men are also interested in beauty and skin care.

It is an outstanding start to normalising male beauty products and enhancing positive self-image. By raising awareness on this topic, the rigid meaning of masculinity can be provoked, so the future generation do not have to face them.

Image: @warpaintforment on Instagram

Pixabay: Clker-free-vector-images

Monday 24 February 2020 courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Rashida Campbell-Allen & Ellie James

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Become a worldwide yogi

Travel Editor Meggie Williams shares some of her favourite yoga spots from across the world

e all need a refresh, and what better way than to take up yoga? If you're sick of trying to stretch out poses in a small box bedroom, or are completely uninspired by the four walls of your living room, why not add some of these fun yoga spots to your bucket lists!

Hot Pod Yoga - Newcastle As we race through our busy university lives and battle bitterly cold winds from the North Sea, Hot Pod Yoga is the ultimate act of self love. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, yoga in the hot pod creates “an otherworldly cocoon of glowing lights, heady aromas and enveloping soundscapes, taking you a million miles from the everyday”. The 37-degree temperature eases your body quickly into the Vinyasa Flow yoga and the sense of exclusion from the outside world calms the mind. The instructor’s personality shine through each practice creating a happy, safe environment that instantly expels any newbie nerves or self-consciousness. I leave each practice a recharged and relaxed (albeit very sweaty) version of myself; ready to face the trials, tribulations and temperatures of everyday life once more. With a studio at the Northumberland Club in Jesmond and a free taster session available when you use the code 6ELSKS followed an introduction offer of 3 sessions for £15, treat yourself to a little self-care this February.

Eco-Yoga - The Scottish Highlands EcoYoga, situated in the wildly beautiful scenery of the Scottish highlands, is an entirely off-grid yoga and sustainable eco living retreat. The retreat stands out for its understanding that one of the best things in life is a ‘good long soak, chin deep, in hot water’ and following this Japanese-style bathing philosophy the retreat is scattered with wooden hot tubs, an artisan sauna, natural spring water plunge pools, hot water riverside baths deep in the forest, wild swimming spots and rainforest showers. Hannah

MacInnes summed up the experience perfectly, “looking up through the canopy of trees, hot water enveloping my tingling skin and rain drops plopping into the tub, I felt entirely at peace – the waterfall rushed loudly in my ears but my mind was quiet”. EcoYoga has an entirely optional policy meaning that each guest can do as much, or as little, yoga as they wish so you are entirely free to spend the day cozied up with a good book, wandering through the hills or simply practicing yoga till your hearts content.

Algarve, Portugal The West Coast Algarve in Portugal is the perfect wellness escape for those craving some sunshine, waves and yoga; all a stonesthrow throw from the UK. The West Coast Algarve is surprisingly wild, untouched and beauitful with dramatic coastal cliffs, huge expanses of forests, rugged dirt tracks leading to secret beaches and quaint whitewash villages. Tourism in West Coast Algarve is predominantly geared towards

sun-seeking surfers which means there is an abundance of surf and yoga retreats, each I’m sure each exceptional in their own right. So if sunset yoga sounds like the perfect way to ease your aching muscles after an adrenalinefueled day in the ocean, start searching sky scanner for that (one way?) ticket.

Rishikesh, India If you’re a yogi in search for a more far-flung adventure, add Rishikesh to your bucket list. Rishikesh is situated in Northern India; a valley nestled within the Himalayan foothills. Since the 1950s, the small town became an integral part of the “hippie trail” and attracted backpackers, The Beatles, adventurists and yogis alike, dubbing it the ‘yoga capital of the world’. Rishikesh is the epitome of Zen and my time there passed in a happy myriad of yoga classes, hopping between cushioned balcony cafes overlooking the bright blue Ganges, bathing in waterfalls, trekking in the mountains, writing, meditating, shopping in bustling street markers and nourishing my body with delicious healthy meals. From Ashrams to yoga teacher training to casual drop in lessons; you’re bound to find a yoga practice to match your desire. Rishikesh is actually very accessible from Delhi too, just hop on the direct train to Haridwar followed by a short tuk yuk drive then follow those carrying yoga mats.

Image: publicdomainvectors.com

The naked truth behind Chalet Girl

Is working in the Alps really all naked hot tubs and corporate clients? Katie Partridge deliberates

f you don’t know the story of Kim Matthews, who left her life of fast food and skateboarding behind to travel to the Austrian Alps in a plea to earn some cash and to deal with her mother’s death, you must have been living under a rock. It is the ultimate feel good winter film with the perfect mix of romance, comedy and to top it all off it’s filmed in the picturesque ski resort of St. Anton. Whilst working in this affluent area of the Alps, in the chalet of dreams, to a mega rich businessman and his family, Kim still manages to become a slopestyle snowboard champion (despite never setting foot on

snow before), throw house parties with fellow Chalet Girl Georgie and fall in love with the chalet owners’ very handsome son, Jonny (played by Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick). Oh, and let’s not forget the generous tips from corporate guests, helicopter trips and being befriended by slopestyle prodigy Tara Dakides; Kim really does seem to have lucked out. Of course, the reality of being a Chalet Girl is not always quite how it appears in the movies; you would be pretty lucky to be working for Bill Nighy and Brooke Shields for starters. In fact, the truth of working in the Alps can be very far removed from the sugar-coated story you see on the big screen. The Chalet Girl emerged in the 60s, offering rich property owners cheap cleaning and cooking services in exchange

Monday 24 February 2020

courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk Travel Editors: Amy Harris, Meggie Williams and Beth Robson

for a season long stay in the alps and generous tips from the guests. More recently it has emerged into a gap year experience for the stereotypical ‘posh’ girl; a convention portrayed in Chalet Girl through the character Georgie. Georgie, a seasoned chalet girl, is described by the actress Tamsin Egerton, as “a very privileged young girl who has had the good fortune to be able to go on skiing holidays from a young age.” But is this happy-go-lucky life that Georgie seems to live just a myth? If Kim, the stereotype defying Chalet Girl, can experience this then surely it is possible for everyone. After speaking to Anna Ludnow, who worked as a Resort Manager in the Austrian Alps for over a decade, it is clear that an experience commonly looked at through rose-tinted glasses is not always as amazing as Chalet Girl leads us to believe. She tells me of the trials and tribulations that come with the job; and it’s not all as rosy as it would appear in filmdom. “For me, there were massive highs and lows. Something specifically bad is dealing with death in the resort, remember you are in your early 20s in a highpressure environment.” These tragic occurrences unfortunately come with working in the Alps, although in Chalet Girl, the most unfortunate thing which happened to Kim was hurting her wrist and being rejected by Jonny in favour of his American fiancé, Chloe. While Anna’s experiencImage: Wikimedia Commons es at times were stressful,

especially times where bad weather, cancelled flights and road closures lead to unhappy customers, Anna spoke about this making her “more independent and able to cope with the most stressful of situations.” Despite this Anna was quick to speak of the many positives of working in ski resorts. “I made friends for life and got to ski loads”. The latter being one of the main enticements of the Alps’ hospitality industry, a justifier for the time spent hundreds of miles away from their families.

The truth of working in the Alps can be very far removed from the sugar-coated story

But is this main draw to the job really a draw? Chalet girl turned blogger Aoibhe Devlin spoke about the lack of skiing and the surplus of work involved in the job, and it’s a far cry from Kim and Georgie’s workload, as outlined in her blog post, ‘The Real Life of a Chalet Girl’. “I have been working tirelessly six days per week, waking up at 6.30am every day and not finishing work some days until 10.30pm. Yes, we did get to snowboard during the day however only after we finished our four hour shift doing breakfast service for the guests and fully cleaning the chalet. After our few hours snowboarding, it was back home, in the shower and ready for evening service in the chalet.” Aoibhe’s real-life run-through of the sheer workload involved is not something that is mirrored in the blockbuster. Kim first arrived in the Alps expecting it to be on par with Aoibhe’s experience, something which Georgie was quick to correct her on. “This is the best job in the Alps. They use the place to entertain clients plus a few family weekends. Apart from that, they’re hardly ever here.” A situation that real-life chalet girls could only dream of. Maybe Georgie was right, her and Kim did have the best job in the Alps’, so before you start hastily applying for jobs, just remember it’s not all naked hot tubs and corporate clients. That is sadly a reality that only Kim and Georgie can live out.

Leap Year traditions Rachel Lee shares some global Leap Year traditions ahead of this Saturday

Image: IMDB

life & style travel

ccurring once every four years, 29 February is a compensation for the rounding down of the earth’s orbit around the sun. Julius Caesar in 45BC first introduced adding a day to February every four years. Without Leap Years, today would be 27 June 2021. The solar year is approximately 365.24 days long, so there is not an even number of days, we therefore ignore that quarter of the day three times until it is inserted back into the year to make up for this. A Leap Year is celebrated differently around the world and holds many superstitions both happy and harmful. A tradition that started in Ireland was that the woman can propose to the man only on a leap day. This is said to create a balance to the roles of men and women much like the balance that a leap year creates with the calendar. This is the same in many European countries. In some cases, If the man refused, he was supposed to pay a penalty, such as a gift or money, or in Denmark, 12 pairs of gloves for her to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. On the contrary to luck and love, It is considered unlucky in Scotland to be born on a Leap day and unlucky in Greece to marry on a leap day. In Italy in the Roman times, February was associated with the dead, and a leap year was a prolongation of an already morbid month, instilling an aura of bad luck around 29 February to this day, many choose not to get engaged, have children, or buy houses at all on a leap year. The same goes for Russia, who associate leap years with freak weather and a higher risk of dying. In Taiwan, parents are thought to be more at risk of dying in a leap year and their daughters must bring pig trotter noodles to their parents to with them good health. On the Texas-Mexico border in 1988, Mary Ann Brown and Birdie Lewis, both leap babies, asked for the introduction of a leap day festival in 1988. Anthony, Texas is now the ‘Leap Year Capital of the World’, with a four day long affair that has become global. This festival includes a guided trip to Aztec Caves and square dancing, among other things. Many countries have a different calendar to our Gregorian model and so adjust their calendar differently. In the Jewish calendar, months are based on the phases of the Moon. A new month begins on the day of the Crescent Moon after the New Moon phase. In a Jewish leap year, which corresponds to a frequency of every two or three years, an extra month is added called Adar, said to be a lucky and happy month. This Lunisolar-based leap month is also used in Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Buddhist, Hindu and many others cultures. In any case, a leap day is a day of rarity. Whether it is the perfect time for a woman to propose or whether it is extremely unlucky to be born or get married on a leap year, it is significant. Some people write themselves a letter every February 29th to remind them of where they were four years earlier. So maybe attempt something you’ve never tried before or visit somewhere you wouldn’t usually go! Why not make it a tradition…

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travel life & style

Monday 24 February 2020 Capricorn - Jenny Kinnersley

Aquarius - Patrick Young

Pisces - Amy Harris

Aries - Madeleine Raine

Capricorns are known as the hardest working sign in the zodiac, but they still need time to unwind on holiday. While they won’t want anything too adventurous from their holiday, they are not the type to sit around lounging on the beach all day. They will most likely enjoy the planning process as much, if not more than the holiday itself. A good travel destination for those under the Capricorn sign is St. Petersburg. Regarded as the cultural hub of Russia, St Petersburg offers hundreds of museums and worldclass opera and ballet. The architecture of the Romanov empire within the city will appeal to a Capricorn’s love of tradition and opulence. Prague is also a good option for Capricorns who do not want to travel as far. It is rich in culture; from its stunning historic architecture, varied music scene, and collection of the finest beers in Europe. With thorough planning, Capricorns will not miss an inch of this beautiful city.

We Aquarians are known for being inquisitive and freespirited, as such we deserve to find a holiday destination that befits our nature’s and fulfils our need to learn. Therefore, I believe that the ideal location for us to visit, as an Aquarian is Japan. Japan is renowned for its unique culture, architecture and history. Its stunning pagodas and beautiful zen gardens would pique our creative interests, and the booming technology and science sectors will astound our intellectual and inquisitive minds, as they are filled with new information. Moreover, a trip to Japan will broaden our horizons, and allow our minds to expand and become more aware of other cultures to our own, and as such, creating a sense of unity with the rest of the world- playing into the humanitarian nature of our star sign.

If your star sign is an Aries then you probably already know that your current planet is Mars and this means action! You are dynamic, independent and in many cases sporty. You are free in spirit and therefore very spontaneous. You are not one for planning holidays but rather likes to see where life takes you. You want somewhere where you can easily relax and enjoy the fresh air. For an Aries, their holiday destination tends to revolve around a tropical region that basks in the sunshine. That is why for all you Aries out there Brazil is the place for you! What country is more exotic than this? Adorned with extravagant beaches this is the perfect place to both relax and unwind as well as trying your hand at something new and exciting. Catch your ride on the waves with surfboarding, or take to the beaches and try beach volleyball? Brazil is home to so many natural wonders offering both relaxing and thrilling activities that it is a paradise for any Aries.

Taurus - Patrick Harland

Gemini is most commonly known as the sign of the twins. And what better place to visit than a city that has two faces? Among the younger generation, Berlin is famed for its nightlife. Public transport that runs 24/7, clubs like Berghain, and bars and pubs that just never seem to shut. Berlin does, however, have another side; the capital city is oozing with culture, ranging from the Berlin Wall that commemorates the sufferings and hardships of the Iron Curtain, to the range of museums and art galleries. Another interpretation of Berlin as a dream holiday destination for Geminis is naturally the physical and metaphorical divide still evident in the city; even post-reunification, one can still identify the remnants of the formerly divided city. Not only is the economy in the West still more booming and the East boasts Soviet-style tower blocks, but also the unique traffic lights make East Berlin easily distinguishable.

Pisces are described as open-minded, curious, joyful, imaginative, artistic people and are said to be the intense dreamers of the zodiac. As a result, we require a holiday destination that allows us to reset, explore and let our creative juices flow. There are many destinations that would suit our personalities. There is Spain, the American Coasts, beaches of England and the tranquil islands of Greece. Hence, choosing a destination can be a challenge. For us Pisceans, we prefer to be near water – not only because we are a water element but also because we find water refreshing, are often mysterious like the ocean and are able to go with the flow. The glaciers, lagoons and mystic cliffs of Iceland are where we will feel most at home. Whether you enjoy it with some of your closets companions or even a solo trip to have some you-time. We do not need to have a lot of stimulation. We like to sit back and relax so a day in the hot springs can give us the peaceful tranquillity we enjoy and we can reset our minds. Sitting back and enjoy the dream-like state Iceland offers its visitors.

Cancer - Rebecca Johnson

As a fire sign and being ruled by the Sun, it comes to no surprise that the perfect destination for a Leo has to be somewhere hot, passionate and full of big adventures. The first place that comes to mind is Italy, full of culture, history, idyllic scenery and romance. The opportunities are endless in Italy, from Rome, Venice, Verona, Milan etc. However, the perfect spot for a hopeless romantic Leo has to be the beautiful and picturesque cliff-side village, Positano, located in southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast. This destination just oozes romance, passion and beauty, from breathtaking boat rides, to hand-in-hand walks around the colourful town, and ending each day watching a sublime sunset. It’s every Leo’s picture-perfect dream, like something straight out of a movie. The flamboyant Leo will fit perfectly into the excitement and enchantment of Positano.

Upon a quick Google for Taurus destinations, you find quickly suggestions for places close to home, a familiar environment in which they are comfortable with lots of good food and alcohol. I however mostly disagree with this, being a Taurus myself, I will base it off the holiday I know I like the most.. Any destination that invites a sense of exploration, and promotes challenging new experiences is a far more appropriate destination for a Taurus. For this reason any sort of adventure holiday allowing a person to explore the world and themselves is the only suitable holiday. I would suggest Peru, trekking the Inca trail as the ideal Taurus holiday destination, a place with rich history and beautiful scenery, incredible food and most importantly a challenge, to test and intrigue a tourist as no relaxing holiday will help a Taurus as much as a difficult and interesting one would. However if you as a Taurus disagree it’s of no issue as it’s a common theme amongst Tauruses (Taurusi?) of being head-strong and knowing themselves so in truth any destination is perfect for a Taurus as long as they have had hand in choosing it.

Virgo - Beth Robson

Libra - Amanda Goh Libra is an air sign and we focus on others and love doing things with them. For us, everything is better done as a pair. This would mean travelling with someone you love – whether it be your friends, family or partner. Not only that, we love balance, even on holiday! As Libras are known to be friendly and social, why not travel to Portugal, known as one of the most welcoming places to visit? Not only will you be welcomed by the warm smiles of the Portuguese, you will also feel the warmth of the sun, which we rarely get here in England. As are many things to do in Portugal, from shopping to sightseeing to relaxing to eating, you will be able to get a full tourist and local experience! Take a day trip to Sintra and explore the mountains and palaces, then have a relaxing evening by the beach! You will get the best of both worlds!

If you’re struggling to decide where to visit this summer, why not base your decision on what the stars apparently say? A quick Google search informs me that people with the Cancer star sign are emotional, loyal and sensitive, they need somewhere relaxing and incredibly calm to go on holiday to. One of the best places to go to would be the Nordfjord in Norway. The Nordfjord region is home to some of the most breath-taking views in the world. It boasts the sixth longest fjord in Norway as well as Europe’s biggest mainland glacier and Europe’s deepest lake. If these stunning sights aren’t enough for you, don’t fear. The region offers all sorts of action-packed activities including skiing, a skylift tour and places of historical interest, including the Nordfjord Folk Museum. There’s also the opportunity to go storm watching and to visit sites where local natural catastrophes happened. If this is a bit too much, there’s always the tours of the glaciers and surrounding areas, to bask in the natural beauty of this remarkable area of Norway.

Scorpio - Joe Molander Where better to send a water fan than a water park? There’ll be slides, wave machines and lots of children who are of a similar mental age to the people who believe in star signs. In a recent article from Cosmopolitan, Kerry Ward describes Scorpios as “the big, bad elder sister of the Water sign crew”. If Scorpios really are the big sister of the water signs, they’ll love a day out at the water park. My siblings and I spent an afternoon over the summer crashing into each other down waterslides as we went in all at once. Scorpios are famously intense, so shouldn’t be fussed about safety regulations. Of course, failing my initial plan, I’d be more than happy to take them elsewhere. The Scorpio sign is associated with Mars and Pluto, and as such, I’d be more than happy to pay for an all-expenses paid trip to Mars. 277 million kilometres from Earth, they might finally stop being able to hear my self-righteous rants about star signs.

Leo - Nimra Rafique

Sagittarius - Isabel Ellis It’s always lucky to be a Sagittarius when it comes to travel. Us Sags live and breathe to travel and will allow nothing to get in our way of experiencing the four corners of the globe. Being Adventurous, Independent and lovers of the great outdoors; backpacking Peru is the perfect holiday destination for a Sagittarii! Whether that be hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu to witness one of the seven wonders of the world or trekking to the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Intuition leads our every movement and we desire to feel and explore the world freely (even if this means straying off-the-beaten-path). No dirt nor late night bush wees puts us off anything, as our gritty determination to explore the depths of the world takes centre stage. We are always the perfect travel companion and other zodiacs are queuing up to bag a fun-filled trip with us. So, don your walking boots, set your 4:30am alarms and apply your factor 50 sunscreen and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

Image: background frompxhere.com

Image: Zodiac signs from Wikicommons

Hi my fellow Virgos! I hope this semester hasn’t been too stressful (who are we kidding, we’re always stressed!) and you’ve had some time to kick back and relax. As the days are getting longer and the sun is starting to peek through the drab winter clouds, I’m sure your feet are itching to go on a (meticulously well-planned) adventure! As an Earth sign, the theme of our trip is nature and letting loose! GASP! We live in a beautiful country so our trip is going to be pretty close to home; the Scottish Highlands. With never-ending mountains to climb, lakes to visit, and valleys to venture in, visiting the Highlands is going to be a great way to look after yourself and your own mental health first this year! As creative control-freaks, this is also the prime opportunity to perfect your art – there’s a reason so much art is inspired by the Scottish Highlands. Naturally analytical creatures, we Virgos have a keen drive to learn and I can’t think of a better opportunity to go somewhere beautiful and learn about the rich history of our Scottish neighbours. Make sure to relax on your trip; Lord knows we need to!

Gemini - Grace Dean

Image: World from pxfuel.com

Zodiac traveller: your 2020 picks Something is stirring in the cosmos...It looks like...a boarding pass? Our writers share their astrological travel destinations

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food life & style

Monday 24 February 2020

Food Editors: Cayla Viner & Amanda Goh

Five Swans: a love letter Eating healthy on a budget The George Boatfield praises the recently revamped student pub F I

Amy Harris discusses how to eat healthily without breaking the bank

The idea of eating healthy isn’t usually at the top of the list for priorities, it seems more of an expense and inconvenience. However, by finding a good recipe book or some recipes online that appeal and include ingredients you enjoy it’s a game-changer. A recipe book I recommend is Nosh for Students – A Fun Student Cookbook by Joy May. There are some great healthy meal suggestions, it’s easy, you don’t need any fancy cooking utensils and they are simple recipes to follow. Perfect for students such as ourselves.

Bulk cooking

By cooking large portions and freezing them you can save money and also time. When you come home from a long day of lectures all you need to do is defrost a portion in the microwave or heat it up from out the fridge without having to spend ages cooking every night. By bulk cooking two nights a week you’ll be saving lots of time and you will have the time to prepare and cook healthier meals full of vegetables and protein. Maybe dedicate a Sunday evening when you aren’t doing uni work to make a weeks’ worth of meals. Eating healthy can become much easier on a student budget when you know which ingredients last the longest and you have fun recipes to cook.

Freeze fruit

Fruit always goes off so quickly in the fridge. Then it seems such a waste to have bought it for it to go off a few days later. So, instead why not freeze them. Get some freezer bags and cut up fruit to then freeze and enjoy later. Grapes are the best straight from the freezer.

And then we noticed the new staircase, which led to a mysterious new land: upstairs, otherwise known as heaven. As we ascended, it was even clearer how old and tatty the old flight really was and remains – it’s now relegated to an alternative, undesirable route despite the spruce-up. Five swan-themed lights greet you to the new quarters of a completely fresh upstairs, which is clearly the biggest improvement of the refurbishment. Joe was similarly enamoured with the renewed Five Swans, describing it as “nothing less than incredible. The all-new top floor brought things to Five Swans that the establishment has never seen, such as lights, service and enough seats.” There’s no denying that a trip to The Five Swans is made great by the company you go with, but nevertheless, this pub will always be my Valentine. It only seems right to end this with a haiku, so without further ado… Beautiful Five Swans Hallou – it’s – mi, here for fries For they will save me

Review: Bar + Block Cayla Viner shares her experience of the stylish modern steakhouse

Image: Anna Pelzer Unsplash

Rashida Campbell-Allen gives us her dish of the week

Swan-themed lights greet you to the new quarters

eld

I'm dreaming of lasagne

ho doesn’t love a hearty homemade lasagna? Layers upon layers of pasta, sat in a rich and delicious tomato sauce packed with succulent vegetables, perfectly accompanied by cheese running through the white sauce and bubbling beautifully on top. It is perfect for the stuImage: @garfield on Instagram dent diet, budget and lifestyle as it can provide up to three days worth of meals for one person or can serve up to a whole house (depending on the size of your baking dish). Especially in this stormy, cold weather, nothing beats a lush lasagna to warm the cockles and remind us of a good ol’ home cooked treat. Why not pair the serving of lasagna with a fresh salad or some slices of cucumber and tomato? Or if you are feeling adventurous, add a dash of red wine to the tomato sauce for maximum richness! Ingredients: - Hot pepper sauce or - 2 peppers crushed chilies - 4 mushrooms - Sugar - 1 onion - Pasta sheets - 500g mince (Quorn - White sauce mince works perfectly - Tomato/pasta sauce too) or make your own with - 2-3 garlic cloves tomatoes and spice - All purpose seasoning - Cheese and lots of it - Salt and pepper - Oil

upstairs, which is clearly the biggest improvement of the refurbishment.

Boatfi George Image:

Buy frozen

Buy bags of spinach, broccoli, peppers and mixed veg from the supermarket. This can save space in the fridge; reduce waste and they

t’s safe to say that it’s been a difficult few months. Day after day, I walked past her but she just wouldn’t open up to me. She said she’d be back in time for Valentine’s Day, but getting my hopes up just wasn’t worth it. But there was a glimmer of hope – a meal tog ether, someday, maybe, and perhaps a drink too. The date was set, Tuesday 11 February, and my goodness was it a day to remember! Of course, what else could I be talking about here other than The Five Swans, the popular watering hole perfectly situated between campus and the town centre? I couldn’t keep my cool and turned up early. A whole twenty minutes before the set time of 8am, in fact. It’s safe to say I was eager: it’s the most reliable my timekeeping has been for some time, but this was important. As the final group of people to leave The Five Swans before its refit (either shameful or a point of pride depending on how you look at it), we’d arranged a group breakfast to mark the inaugural visit appropriately. My good friend and a Comment Editor for the Courier, Joe Molander, was part of the breakfast party, and speculated that perhaps our memories of the old pub decor could just be “a drunk fever dream.” But, as we walked through the doors for the first time in months, it was clear that was anything but the case. Beginning downstairs, a fresh carpet was immediately noticeable, with other improvements remaining subtle, though appreciated nevertheless. The wood panelling and paint of the walls must have had some deep cleaning, as years of chip grease and burger sauce remnants made way for a much more hygienic appearance. Clearly, this bastion of booze had needed the TLC. Five swan-themed lights greet you to the new quarters of a completely fresh

Method: 1. Preheat oven to 200º/400F 2. Chop up vegetables into even sizes pieces 3. Chop up onion and garlic finely 4. Pour some oil into the pan and heat up to a medium heat 5. Add spices, onion and garlic. Simmer until softened. 6. Add the vegetables and simmer on a high heat. 7. Add the mince shortly after and cook through until browned. 8. Pour in the tomato sauce bit by bit, stirring regularly. 9. Sprinkle over some sugar, hot pepper sauce/crushed chillies (to taste) 10. Leave to simmer for approx. 10 minutes, occasionally stirring. 11. Boil some water and in a pan or dish place the lasagna sheets in the water to soften them. 12. Get your dish and start layering up…Tomato sauce -> pasta sheets -> white sauce -> tomato sauce -> pasta sheets…and so on until you reach the top of the dish. 13. Grate some cheese over the top, be as generous as you like. 14. Cook for 25-30 minutes (until you can poke a knife through and feel little resistance from the pasta sheets) 15. Leave to sit for 5 minutes then serve.

ubtly situated outside The Gate in the town centre is Bar + Block – a light and modern steak restaurant. The first thing you notice is the light wooden décor surrounding the walls and leading you up the stairs into the slightly higgledy-piggledy yet quirky layout. The bar area is the first thing you see and is bright and airy, completely juxtaposing with the restaurant area which is far more moody and atmospheric for evening dining. We were seated in a little booth and the waiter was quick to recommend the Chilli non Carne to my friend who was immediately put at ease for being a vegetarian at a steakhouse. From the drinks menu, I ordered a glass of the Vistamar Matinal Merlot to go with my meal; the smooth, fruity red with a hint of oak, paired perfectly with the rich and heavier meat dishes. I would recommend this as a very enjoyable and affordable wine which adapted effortlessly across each course. As we poured over the menu, our waiter presented us with a small pot of popcorn which had been cooked in beef dripping. They were extremely moreish and admittedly had to hold myself back on countless occasions oth-

erwise I would have devoured the whole lot. The beefy flavour was not at all overpowering, and instead made for a very interesting amuse-bouche. For our starters we had olives and the house breads. Initially that sounds like a very standard choice, however what arrived was far from what I expected. The generous selection of white breads were stacked around a rather peculiar looking butter. After reaching for the first piece of bread which was lovely and warm, I dived into the spread. What I experienced was a rich, creamy and slightly smoky beef-infused butter, and I have to say, it ended up being my favourite dish of the night. I was secretly very pleased that my dinner guest was vegetarian and therefore couldn’t share my meaty bread. Following some more very sound suggestions from our friendly waiter, I settled on the 8oz sirloin cooked medium rare, and the chilli was selected across the table. I have to be honest, I was more excited when I saw the vegetarian dish arrive, as the chilli – placed in a round pot in the centre – was surrounded by salsas, hand-cut chips, pittas and vegetables. It was an extremely impressive colourful display for a heavily meat-orientated restaurant. In no way did my friend feel overlooked for having the meatless option. My main came with a steak, elegantly decorated with samphire on top and sided with chunky chips and peppercorn sauce. Possibly because I was directly comparing my plate to the rainbow array opposite, I thought the display could have included a salad. That said, the steak was cooked exactly how I like it and had a nice peppery finish. The chips had a crispy outside and if I hadn’t filled up so much on bread beforehand I would have eaten them all gladly. Lastly, I finished with the apple and blackberry crumble where I had a choice of vanilla ice cream or custard. I chose custard due to the rather cold, wintery weather outside and instantly felt a satisfying warmth as I enjoyed the fruity pudding. Overall, I had a lovely experience at Bar and Block and would not only recommend to meat lovers but to anyone who loves good quality food and excellent service. Block

Look up fun recipes

aren’t expensive either. I always recommend frozen broccoli as it cooks within 4-5 minutes and can bulk up a lot of different meals. Aldi also does some great fruit mix bags, which they recommend adding to smoothies. They are inexpensive, tasty and last for ages.

Image : Steve n Joyc e at B ar +

ood is an essential part of a student’s lifestyle. We go through Boots and Tesco meal deals daily, have a Greggs in our library breaks and put everything we have in the freezer together to make a somewhat substantial meal. Eating healthy at university seems like an impossible task when you combine a student-friendly budget and having the time. Spending hours cooking a healthy meal never appeals and the healthy choices in the supermarket are always expensive. With this in mind, I have created a Student Survival Guide to Healthy Eating with a few tips and tricks. Eating healthy isn’t as difficult as it seems. With a small budget, you can still buy a lot of nutritious food that will last and can make a lot of scrummy meals.

the courier

culture music

Monday 24 February 2020

c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Music Editors Dom Lee, Jagoda Waszkowiak & Joe Smith

Reading & Leeds: the UK’s

Image: Instagram (@radvxz)

Tom Moorcroft expresses his dissatisfaction at the distinct lack of female a

fter seeing the Reading and Leeds lineup, which got announced a couple of weeks ago, I voiced my excitement in a Courier article. In this article, I talked about how I thought the lineup was perfect in its blending of genres. It had something for everyone. All acts and all people could appreciate the music that was on show. Then I did a double take, after someone voiced their disgust at the lack of female inclusivity in the lineup. Could this be true? A festival which I’ve been to a couple times since 2017, which I always saw as a hub for political open mindedness, engaging in misogyny? Well, Instagram page @ bookmorewomen showed that the proof is truly in the pudding. Posting a reviewed lineup poster, with only the acts which include at least one woman

or non-binary member, showed their scarcity in the August bank holiday festival. On the main stage, one of the more popular locations for fans, only three acts over the weekend fit into this category, all early on in their respective days. Looking at a few stats, the festival in 2018 had 19% of acts in this category, raising slightly to 21% in 2019 and 22% this year. This brought up a big argument, ranging from industry professionals and music connoisseurs, to modern feminists understanding of the current social climate.

It will be interesting to see how festival goers and musicians acknowledge this inequality

Let’s take a look at what some industry individuals had to say. Annie Mac, the BBC Radio 1 DJ, stated her distaste at the lineup. She tweeted: “Feeling so disheartened about this Reading and Leeds line up. At the blatant lack of want to represent women. For all the 16 year old girls going to their first festival at Reading and Leeds 2020. Just know that you DO belong on those stages.” Similar words were voiced by other professionals, such as Maggie Rogers, who jokingly tweeted “omg i love dudes plus dudes with more dudes and side of dudes”. However, one of the more interesting perspectives, and perhaps linking in to how we can evolve the future of festival lineups and music, was the words of The 1975’s Matty Healy. Healy has never been one to silence his opinions on many political injustices, and he even headlined the festival last year. On Twitter, after initially voicing his happiness at seeing Rage Against The Machine headline the festival, he responded to The Guardian’s Deputy Music Editor, Laura Snapes. Laura stated: “Rage would be a dope booking if they

used their leverage to demand equality on the bill”, and Matty respond with “Shit that’s so fucking true”. Further discussions resulted in Healy stating his approval of a new contract for his band, in the hopes to better the future. This contract would see the band only play festivals committed to 50% on the lineup being women and nonbinary performers. He tweeted: “Take this as me signing this contract – I have agreed to some festivals already that may not adhere to this and I would never let fans down who already have tickets. But from now I will and believe this is how male artist can be true allies”. Sadly, during the time I’ve been producing this article, we’ve seen the backlash of a certain musician at the NME Music Awards this year. Slowthai, who’s listed to be performing at this year’s Reading and Leeds, engaged in rather physical and unwanted actions with the award host, Katherine Ryan, stating “[Katherine] wants me to tend to her flower” and constantly referred to her as “baby girl”. This was before someone in the crowd accused him of being a misogynist, to which he jumped into the crowd, having a scrap, and getting kicked out. For someone in such a privileged position, his seemingly bulletproof nature on stage sets a dangerous precedent for men in the industry. Some made links between the rapper and R Kelly. Personally, I hope that the act didn’t reflect his true intentions, and a combination of the stage and alcohol inspired him to make such a horrendous error. He voiced his apologies on Twitter, stating “@nme please forward my award to [Katherine] or she is the hero of the year. what started as a joke between us escalated to a point of shameful actions on my part. i want to unreservedly apologise, there is no excuse and I am sorry. i am not a hero.” However, it’s important to know that a single tweet won’t correct this mistake, and with some twitter users urging him to be taken off the Reading and Leeds lineup, and cancel culture in full swing, only the next few days will show how the consequences of his actions. Looking back to the Leeds lineup, many twitter users voiced clashing opinions. Many appreciated the arguments of Healy, Mac and Rogers, admitting that Festival Republic should evolve from their masculine bias. On the

The 1975 'That rock and roll, ey': is it still electric? Live at the Utilita Arena Elena Corcobado discusses whether guitar music can still appeal to the mainstream crowd

n Sunday 16, The 1975 performed at the Utilita Arena with Beabadoobee as an opening act. Around half seven Beabadoobee came to the stage. I did not know the band before the concert, but I was glad I got a chance to see them. The 40-minute set was too short and left me wishing to hear more of the band. Then, The 1975 made a grand entrance (as expected), playing with the lights and the music. They began playing the piano minutes before coming onto stage and then “burned out” the stage lights until there was absolute darkness. After opening with ‘People’ and the words “Rock and Roll is dead; God bless,” the band moved on while Matty Healy smoked and sung at the same time. I was surprised to see many young teens amongst the audience, which is why I felt like he could have spared the cigarettes. Still, most of the audience were in their 20s or even older for what I could see. While dancing to ‘Sincerity Is Scary’, Matty recreated the video clip with a treadmill, which I thought was engaging and original. The back vocals and dances of the Jaiy twins made the instrumental breaks even better. In the end, it encouraged everyone to dance, as well. But if there is anything that should be praised is the use of lights. The 1975 can play with backgrounds and use them very effectively in live shows. In the songs ‘Fallingforyou’ and ‘Somebody Else’, the songs built up together with the special effects on the background. For ‘People’ and ‘Love It If We Made It’ the images in the back are mostly controversial, especially for the latter. Like every time they play ‘Love It If We Made It’, the song was preceded by Greta Thunberg’s speech. Displaying the lyrics in was also a nice touch for understanding the lyrics better. Altogether the concert was well organised, even if at some points the setlist did not make much sense. The energy of the band and dancers on stage balanced the order of the songs. Additionally, ballads were made beautiful, mixing the acoustic guitar and the violins, mainly with the ode to their friendship, while playing old clips of themselves. Alex Gervas

he mainstream market in music has always been subject to different trends that have developed throughout the decades. One of the most commercially successful genres in the world is guitar music, especially with rock music’s pinnacle during the 70s. I love guitar music and I think it has had a colossal impact in music history and culture across the decades. But the question is, is it still appealing to the mainstream market, is it still commercial like it used to be? The panorama in music has made a shift in the 21st Century, especially in the last years. Rock stars are not as idolized as they used to be anymore, and the excitement and adoration of guitar virtuosos has left the popular sphere to become a part of more niche music cultures. Guitar music is traditionally associated with white male bands, and nowadays, the new digital technologies have provided a platform for new genres to access more mainstream markets. In this way, the music industry has become more diverse and inclusive, and these traditional white male bands have shifted towards a more niche

still maintained by guitar bands such as Foals, The 1975 and the Arctic Monkeys. Since the audience tendency in listening has shifted towards a playlist and single-oriented culture, guitar music’s popularity has relocated towards a more specific audience. However, the fact that guitar music has left the mainstream it does not mean that it is dying or in decline. There is amazing guitar music being made and, as I have mentioned, there are many bands and artists that keep it alive. Bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Foals, The 1975, Catfish and The Bottlemen and many more are making guitar music that appeals to big crowds and wide audiences. Guitar and rock music is still out there as it has always been, but nowadays it is required for the listener to actively search for it. This is due to this music appealing to more niche audiences that are

passionate about specific genres and that are music fans; people who usually make their way out of the mainstream music offer. We can’t forget that, also, there are many ways of making guitar music. Artists like Tame Impala, Rex Orange County and Tom Misch all use guitar in different ways from what traditional rock would produce. Guitar is a very versatile instrument that can produce more rocky, jazzy, bluesy, psychedelic, poppy and many more sounds. Regardless of what is in the Spotify Top UK playlist, we will keep on listening to guitar music because we love it.

The music industry has become more diverse

panorama of either older listeners, passionate fans, or music lovers. Nowadays, listening habits have also changed, shifting towards a single-orientated culture. It is most common for mainstream artists to produce and release music in singles. Guitar and rock music from older generations was created in full-length albums, and it is a trend

Images: Instagram (tommisch), (goatgirlofficial). Flickr Anna Hans

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

@culture_courier thecourieronline.co.uk/music

least inclusive festival?

and non-binary artists on the line-up for Reading and Leeds festival other side, many Twitter users suggested that the lineup isn’t a result of misogyny, but the fact that the majority of popular acts are male. One of these twitter users argued “Reading and Leeds has historically been a rock festival. Gotta be honest there aren’t a great deal of female rock artists alone let alone ones big enough to headline”.

Festival Republic should evolve from their masculine bias

Personally, I can see both sides of the argument. Whilst many acts of the lineup are male and, subsequently, only 22% are female or including a non-binary member, whether this is a result of the festival or the music industry in general is significant. Similarly, the fact that of the acts in this category in this lineup, they’re much lower down and playing much smaller stages, hence their public appearance and image will be affected. With Reading and Leeds yet to fully respond to the allegations, and with 7 months until the festival starts, it will be interesting to see how both festival goers and musicians acknowledge this inequality, and how we can hopefully adjust the industry to become more inclusive. We’ve already seen movements emerge in the industry, such as ‘SafeGigs4Women’, and at Leeds last year Frank Carter, during his set, urged the crowd to appreciate the women in the crowd and allow them to feel safe during the festival. However, with this recent lineup, it’s clear that more has to be done. Image: Instagram (@mahalia)

La Roux Supervision

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decade ago, La Roux were a musical duo, producing Grammy winning 00’s floorfillers, heard everywhere from Radio 1 to school discos, and characterised by energetic electronic basslines. However, the third studio album, Supervision, reinforces a sharp transition from this commercial and dance-focused sound. After an internationally successful first album, Ben Langmaid decided to leave La Roux, turning it into a solo project for Elly Jackson. Since Langmaid’s departure, La Roux’s music has developed a buoyant beachiness, which was first encountered on her second album, Trouble in Paradise, and continues now on Supervision. The last album marked an innovative rejection of disposable chart music and so the potential for Supervision was huge. But sadly, the new album seems to regurgitate the mood and techniques of Trouble in Paradise, thus making La Roux’s exit from electro-pop slightly less exciting. With every song stretched out for a minute longer than necessary and the relaxed beats growing frustratingly repetitive by the third track, it makes it difficult to fall in love with the album. This doesn’t mean Supervision is an unenjoyable listening experience. ‘Gullible Fool’ layers synths, piano, drum loops to create a feel-good summer barbeque track, while ‘International Woman of Leisure’ pairs a feminine vocal with feminist lyrics to formulate an empowering anthem just ahead of International Women’s Day. There are remnants of New Wave fossilised into all her melodies, but these aren’t quite subversive enough to surpass a restrained coffeehouse sound. After the first album, Jackson told NME “I’m not going to stop writing until we’ve got songs that can compete on the same level as ‘In For The Kill’ and ‘Bulletproof’” so this updated sound, which prioritises vibrancy and relaxation over commerciability, demonstrates a healthier headspace and less competitive writing process. But perhaps Supervision lacks a little fighting spirit. It seems La Roux has struggled to situate herself in the dichotomy of her two previous albums, but if you’re looking for some music to unwind to, this could be for you. Jess Herbert

Living up to the hype: are re-formed bands still good? Finlay Holden examines My Chemical Romance and Bombay Bicycle Club’s recent comebacks

e’ve all had that artist who we follow as they release new release, each time getting more and more excited until it climaxes with an LP, which we rave about for months. Eventually, after a while of listening on repeat, we get bored of the same tracks and yearn for more – but, alas, no more seems to come. At this point we move onto new bands, finding fresh sounds and developing our taste over the years. We completely forget about the artist we were once in love with as we discover recent content to replace it. Then, years down the line, the old favourite rises once again with a sudden announcement of a new record. How to react can be confusing – are we still as excited as we used to be to hear more? Whatever material is presented years later, it is important that it doesn’t just invoke a feeling of nostalgia, as this is a short-lived emotion that is not the same as genuine appreciation of the artist moving forward, and can often result in brief success before another relapse period. The

artist has to reignite interest in their music career going forward, while at least honouring

The artist has to reignite interest in their music career

their roots. Taking on some specific ‘case studies’ as it were, the hype around returning artists tends to be biggest for bands that are reuniting from a long-time split, with My Chemical Romance being a prime example of this. Their 2019 shows brought the group back together for the first time since their 2013 split, exciting the teenage emo in all of us. Bombay Bicycle Club went above and beyond for their first album in 6 years dropping last month, followed by a flurry of shows including a sold-out gig at Newcastle’s 02 Academy. After splitting for years to pursue solo projects, there were no complaints that they rebranded and produced a plethora of great new content in the same vein of their classic tracks. Both these groups latest actions are examples of a comeback done right, and a lot of that is down to the hugely positive fan reaction. For certain musicians, things might not have gone so smoothly. It is genuinely difficult for artists to make a comeback after a long period of absence – they may lose old fans for one reason, or gain new ones for another. It’s a difficult minefield to navigate, and those that slip may lose some integrity, but those that succeed can triumphantly return to the forefront of the music industry, rejuvenating their discography and performances.

Green Day Father of All Motherfuckers

n life, we all endure hardships; I – a middle-class white man – know this better than anyone. One Sunday afternoon, instead of calling my parents, doing laundry or watching two-thirds of an episode of Doctor Who, I had to force myself to devote twenty six miserable minutes to listening to the new Green Day album. Father of All Motherfuckers is proof you absolutely can judge a book by its cover. The title alone approaches Music to be Murdered bylevels of cringe, and the cover art looks like a drug trip scene from Bojack Horseman that’s been drained of all self-awareness. What is left is a soulless attempt to revitalise Green Day’s once-great offerings of angst-filled rock.

It’s clear that the band is no longer fit for purpose

As the 2000s drift further and further away and fade increasingly into memory, it’s clear that the band is no longer fit for purpose. Those who would once have described themselves as fans of Green Day have been radicalised. Now, they are split between two camps, and are either into harder rock and metal, or are currently compiling Spotify playlists with “aesthetic” anime covers. Green Day has been left behind. Of course, to lose a hefty chunk of your audience is no bad thing: everyone – albeit secretly – decries that at least one band they used to like has become too popular. Having a leaner fanbase comprised only of loyal listeners – to be playing to the wheat, not the chaff – can be incredibly liberating.

What is being rebelled against, or who’s rebelling, or how, isn’t considered

This is not the case, though, for Green Day. Once, the band’s lyricism was genuinely, shockingly countercultural: back in 2004, no-one who was looking for applause claimed to be “the faggot America”. No more. The opening track – ‘Father of All…’ (which is the album title without the naughty word; it’s dazzlingly clever) – is a vapid homage to rebellion. What is being rebelled against, or who’s rebelling, or how, isn’t considered. A similar blandness – and adherence to cringe-worthy tropes we all hoped had been left behind in the naughties – haunts Green Day throughout the release. ‘Sugar Youth’ bemoans how the narrator will “never ever, ever, ever fuck the prom queen” (the lead singer is 47); ‘I Was a Teenage Teenager’ is promising, but still has to remind us that “school is just for suckers”; and ‘Take the Money and Crawl’ encourages the listener to “suck my cock”. If you don’t, you needn’t worry, seeing as we are also hurriedly reminded that “I don’t give a fuck”.

Green Day seem to be experiencing musical fatigue

The album is not without flare: ‘Junkies on a High’ manages to combine timely concern for the future of earth with a deeper-seated nihilism, for example. The issue arises when the entire project is held together by loweffort production and chord progressions, twin testimonies to the lack of passion that’s gone into the release. Now on their 13th album, Green Day seem to be experiencing musical fatigue: they know that if they discuss the same three or four themes, they’ll sell enough CDs and downloads to make another album that’s just as soulless. Father of All Motherfuckers is what the band’s more virulent and misinformed detractors thought American Idiot was. Rock was and is an opaque genre full of critics who have no sense of what is trying to be achieved. It seems a shame that those detractors have been fed an album that confirms every one of their misconceptions. Joe Molander

c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors Amy Brown, Sophie Hicks and Kate Dunkerton

Buffy and complex characters

Tilly Williams talks her top pick of an anti-hero on television

lot of TV shows start off with characters that we can’t stand, but then as the show progresses, you end up loving them, and that was certainly the case for me with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Warning: spoilers ahead! Spike, one of my favourite anti-heroes in all of TV history begins as a soulless vampire who ends up saving the world. In his first episode he plans to kill the current slayer and open the gates of hell. His alliance swiftly shifts in this season as his rivalry with Angel strengthens, deciding he only wants to run away with his girlfriend instead of causing hell on earth, joining the slayer. We start to learn more of his backstory, in which he starts off as a failing poet in 1880 known as William “the bloody” because of his “bloody awful poetry”. A key difference between Spike and other vampires is his ability for love, which according to lore he should not be able to experience, and this is Image: IMDb shown numerous times with

Drusilla and eventually Buffy. When Buffy learns of his feelings she un-invites him from her house, hurting him to the extent he has a robot of Buffy built. Buffy’s sister has grown close to Spike and he risks his life saving hers, which regains Buffy’s trust and allows him back to the group. Season 6 however shows a new, darker side to Spike. Buffy starts to use Spike for sex which leads to her calling it off as she realises how much it’s hurting him. He becomes desperate to win her back and attempts to sexually assault her and flees to Africa to earn his soul after his unforgivable acts.

Ultimately he committed crimes we can't forgive

Doing this turns him insane with guilt, begging Buffy to stake him, although she refuses. In the final fight, it’s revealed Spike is the chosen one and can close the Hellmouth, but it will destroy him in the process. As this takes place Buffy turns to him and tells him for the first time “I love you” to which he replies, “No you don’t, but thanks for saying it” and dies saving the world from hell. It’s admirable that he sacrifices himself, redeeming himself a little, but ultimately he still committed many crimes which can’t be forgiven, so his character had to die off.

Review: Locke and Key

or someone who is an obsessive fan of magical realism, supernatural drama is a near-amazing neighbour. The new Netflix release Locke & Key secures its place within this genre but remains insufficient in fully embodying its tropes. Adapted from a comic book series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, it follows the story of Tyler, Kinsey and Bode Locke who have just shifted to Matheson following their father’s cold blooded murder. Locke family shifts to their father’s ancestral home, one of the oldest buildings in town which has witnessed World War brutality, especially the Well House.

In a world of whispering keys, things start to take a turbulent turn

Named appropriately, Locke House is filled with magical keys which can take a monstrous turn if put in the hands of a wrong person, or as the narrative suggests an “echo”. In a world of whispering keys, things start to take a turbulent turn after Bode ignores the warning of his family by helping out his lady friend. Caught between trauma and teenage drama, the show follows the three Locke siblings trying to retrieve, explore and

safe-keep the keys which have unlocked a new world to them. As if high school was not hard enough already, the kids, on one hand, are battling a supernatural creature whilst making sure that their social relationships remain intact. Even on the home front, the situation is tumultuous as their mother Nina, in an attempt to understand her husband’s past is falling down a rabbit hole and is fighting her sobriety. However, Locke & Key has a familiar scent which nostalgically makes the viewers reminiscent of a Stranger Things world mixed with the supernatural horror flicks of Netflix. The narrative lacks a sense of danger and thrill by playing it too safe for its own good. Problems occur but seem to get resolved on their own, without much effort on the part of the Locke siblings. The supernatural horror premise which involves a grieving family and a magical ancestral home, promises a lot of thrill but fails to deliver it. It’s not the Locke’s but the narrative which seems to have become the saviour by downplaying its potential. Thanks to Netflix’s high budget production and design, the grotesque is polished to gloss and presents a world of not-so teenager-looking teenagers. In addition to the background score and visual effects, the shots of Lunenburg and Nova Scotia are better parts of the show. However, the safe and sound plot adds the show to the list of disappointing Netflix series which fail to deliver. Arnojya Shree

Ima ges: IMD b

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the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

Embodying autism on the small screen: Sam Gardner Joe Holloran discusses the hit show Big Bang Theory and if it accurately depicts the autistic spectrum or is a victim of clichés B ack before the winter break I wrote a piece on the character Sheldon Cooper from the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory and how he is represented in terms of his (unofficial but clear) Autism Spectrum Disorder. As I stated in that article I myself have Aspergers Syndrome (AS) and felt that perhaps I could share my perspective on how accurate or not that portrayal was given my own experiences as an aspie. This time I am focusing on Sam Gardner from the US Netflix comedy/drama series Atypical. Sam is portrayed by actor & Death Metal vocalist Keir Gilchrist. First a bit of background on the show. As the name sug-

gests a major element of the show is the life of 18-year old high school (later university) student Sam Gardner. Sam has an unspecified form of high functioning autism and when he turns 18 decides he is ready to have a girlfriend and prepare for adult life. The show was created by Robia Rashid. Rashid, to her great credit, conducted much research when creating the character of Sam. Similarly, the actor she chose to play the role, Kier Gilchrist, met with dozens of people on the spectrum to more accurately capture what he saw. Because of this effort the portrayal of Sam’s autism is nuanced, changing and, most importantly, not his defining feature. Here are some specific elements I noticed that I feel are both portrayed accurately and that I can relate to from my own experiences. For instance Sam has

Image: IMDb

many comfort and calming techniques to help him cope when he is overwhelmed. I can relate to many of these.

Sam does these things to maintain a sense of control and order

Sam is sensitive to sound so always carries a pair of noisecancelling headphones in public. I have my earphones on hand at all times for the same reason. Sam repeats words internally, wears the same clothes and follows a strict routine. All of these things he does to maintain a sense of control and order in a world that often feels chaotic to those of us on the spectrum. Sam, like myself, has a sanctuary where he can get away from people, something I also had when I was at school. However, when Sam does have a meltdown the show uses clever cinematography, sound design and editing to accurately portray what that feels like to go through. When I saw that scene for the first time I must admit it made me emotional. Sam quest to find a girlfriend and lose his virginity is not initially successful. He goes back to a girls neon-lit, loud dorm room only to throw her off him when she touches him. She responds by calling him “retarded”. However, mid-way through the first season, Sam meets a fellow high school student named Paige. She quickly establishes herself as his girlfriend. This

in itself is fairly groundbreaking as autistic people having any type of romantic relationship on screen is very rare. Some people have problems with the relationship between Sam and Paige, feeling that her intentions with him are not good. Sam’s sister Casey even asks Paige outright “Are you desperate, or do you think you’ll get extra credit for dating the weird kid?” to which Paige is offended. Paige does love Sam and while at first, her interest in him seems to be more with his mind, it quickly becomes clear that those qualities that make it clear Sam in on the spectrum are the very same reasons she loves him. One of the best things this show does is dispel the myth that autistic people don’t care about others or have empathy. Sam – like many ASD people – has trouble recognising peoples internal feelings and reading social situations. He/we can’t help that. However, once he knows he has upset someone he feels the guilt deeply and goes out of his way to make amends. Often to Paige. This is the main problem I have with Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory; he is constantly told what he says upsets or offends people but rarely apologises or strives to do better in the future. Sam is the opposite. Believe it or not, when you spend most of your life with people treating you like your some kind of alien weirdo, you know how bad that feels and in the black & white world of autism: why would you treat others in a way you would not want to be treated?

It is important to remember that autism is a wide spectrum

Sam’s best (only) friend is his co-worker, the extroverted ‘women’s man’ Zahid, who acts as Sam’s guide into the aspects of adult life that his therapist, school and parents perhaps don’t want him to know about. Zahid accepts Sam instantly and never talks down to him. The shows funniest moments come out of their conversations. Overall I think Atypical is about a good a portrayal of high functioning autism as there has ever been. It is compassionate, funny and truly insightful to both those with autism and without. It is important to remember that autism is a wide spectrum. No two autistics are alike so there can’t be one ‘true’ portrayal. Kier Gilchrist himself is keen to point out that he based Sam on the traits of dozens of different autistic people he met while researching the role. As he put it “He [Sam] is one person that is on the autism spectrum. He’s a very specific character”. What matters is the care taken to create a character that doesn’t fall victim to cheap stereotyping or is simply someone without their own will or agency. Atypical succeeds on all these fronts and for that, I commend it deeply.

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

@culture_courier thecourieronline.co.uk/TV

Has horror ever succeeded in TV?

TV culture

George Bell talks scares on the small screen, and whether they spook us as much as the films

orror is a genre that has shown that it can work time and time again as seen in movies like Ari Aster’s Hereditary, books like Stephen King’s IT and games like Outlast. So why is such a massive genre, in comparison, not as widely discussed in TV? In a time where people are obsessed with horror, there seems to be no buzz in that area, despite such shows being successful. The only people who seem to be capitalising on this are Netflix with numerous shows in production, the latest being Ares. Horror has been the basis for many groundbreaking TV shows that became fan favourites. The Walking Dead, before becoming more action-oriented, was primarily a horror show and the first season is what put it on the map. In its more recent seasons, the show seems to be trying to recapture some of that fear, and critics have loved it. American Horror Story is another great example, the anthology series still widely watched with its most popular season, Asylum, gaining a staggering 3 million+ views for its pilot episode. These shows have been cultural phenomenons that millions have loved to watch and discuss.

Streaming giant Netflix has taken the lead in creating horror TV

upon the texts of Henry James and won’t follow the Crain Family, similar to how AHS does its seasons. Some of the scares in the first season have become iconic works of horror so hopefully, the second season will keep this trend going and show how TV can scare the pants off anyone just as much as a movie, if not more. Clearly horror can work in television for several different reasons, like fearing for the safety of characters that we’ve had time to become attached to and building tension expertly throughout. But at the same time, horror TV can fail, and fail hard. Horror on TV fails when it tries to explain too much and ends up becoming boring. A great horror movie only has to keep up

In more recent years, Netflix has taken the lead as far as horror goes. Most prominent is the terrifying Haunting of Hill House which not only was a critical success but showed that horror can work on TV, the show successfully scaring audiences from start to finish. The show will return this year so get your pillow ready to hide behind! The two seasons of Scream were also wildly popular and a faithful adaptation of the iconic 1996 slasher. Stranger Things is another fantastic example of horror in television with some intense moments and monsters, especially in the first two seasons. One of the scariest moments came from season 2 episode 8 with the climax of Bob’s attempted escape. Thanks to the show having the time to build up the fan-favourite character, which is harder to do in a movie, we had the fear of wondering what is going to happen to him. Netflix is set to continue this trend of horror shows/ shows set to give us all kinds of exciting projects, including the recently released Ares. The Dutch psychological horror follows two best friends who join a secret student society with deep secrets, not just about the school, but their country as a whole. While some reviews for it may be a bit iffy, Rotten Tomatoes has an audience rating of 76% showing that this is a show that may appeal to fans of other horror shows on the streaming service. As mentioned earlier, Haunting of Hill House is set to get a new season called Haunting of Bly Manor. The sequel, similar to how the first season was based loosely on the novel by Shirley Jackson, is apparently based

Images: IMDb

The Staircase: Live Q&A in Venue

n Thursday 13, Native Talks organised a Q&A with defence attorney David Rudolf at Venue in the Student’s Union. David Rudolf was Michael Peterson’s lawyer, accused of killing his wife in 2001. The case was widely covered, and Netflix produced a short series about the case called The Staircase, directed

tension for 2 hours but a show has to try and keep that throughout an entire season, rebuilding it every single episode. While making a horror show is hard, if done right it can succeed in more ways than one. If it successfully builds tension, provides us with complex characters (both scary and not), and has the continuous ability to shock, it can be a great horror show. Netflix has proven itself a force for the alternative genre. The capacity to binge watch arguably helps these types of shows because it keeps the suspense.

3.85m

Number of viewers on the pilot episode of American Horror Story: Asylum

on the ‘good science’, hidden from the jury and judge. After multiple problems with the presentation, the Q&A section began, and it did not take long for the most controversial topic to come up: “The Owl Theory”. This first question sent Rudolf into the alternative theory that Kathleen Peterson could have been killed by an owl as opposed to being beaten-up. The following questions focused mostly on the justice system. Rudolf was asked if he thought juries and judges should have technical knowledge in order to evaluate experts’ opinion. Rudolf believed it is necessary and that it is the lawyers’ place to do it. He added that during Peterson’s trial he “offered and they didn’t want to spend the time”.

"After that, I started to take wrongfully convicted cases"

by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. After a delay of approximately half an hour, the doors were finally opened, and not long after that, Mr Rudolf came onto the stage as charmingly as he appeared in the documentary. Rudolf blamed the delay on “technical difficulties” with the PowerPoint presentation, and referenced the series, to when before the first trial, Rudolf and his team had trouble making the presentation work. The session started by Rudolf addressing what he called “Fake Science”. In the light of the results of Peterson’s trial, the lawyer decided to talk about how jurors should take experts’ opinion with a grind of salt. As portrayed in The Staircase, the testimony of blood spatter analyst, Duane Deaver, was crucial for jurors to make up their minds about the verdict.

Questions sent Rudolf into discussing alternative theories

Rudolf explained the scientific theories in an understandable and clear manner for everyone to understand. He ran through the holes of Deavers statement focusing

During the session, Rudolf expressed regret and disappointment when referring to the proceedings of the Petersons’ case. During the Q&A he said: “It took me a long time to get over,” and while he reassured it had not affected his other cases, he added: “After that, I started to take wrongfully convicted cases. Despite the delays and technical difficulties, Rudolf, manage to keep the show going with sense of humour. Alex Gervas

Charmed

ith the recent reboot of Charmed on the CW, it has brought me nothing but nostalgia and a desire to re-watch the Halliwell sisters and all their adventures in the original series. Charmed ran for a total of eight seasons, from 1998-2006 and unfortunately, unlike all great shows it had to come to an end. At the time of watching, I’ve always wanted more episodes but for me, I’d rather have it end than continue it and drag it on until it becomes a shell of a TV show, not worthy of my time. On top of this, the show ended with a melancholic but happy ending that resolved all the ties and gave you the finality and resolution you desire in the finale. Yet, despite this, I miss this show. Following three sisters – Piper, Phoebe and Prue before actress Shannen Doherty left the show and was replaced by another unknown and surprise sister Paige, Charmed is set in San Francisco, telling the narrative of this trio of women, known as The Charmed Ones, the most powerful GOOD witches of all time as they attempt to defeat the evil around them. Each sister has their own power and in the first season in particular, we get to watch them attempt to navigate and control these dangerous powers that will eventually help save their lives in multiple ways. What makes this show so unique though, is the family dynamics, the female empowerment, the relationships and the characters. If the show were to get rid of the demonic villains and plot, I’d still love it because it is the characters that bring the entertainment with their struggles, their difficulties and their friendships. And then there’s the dialogue. Differing from the reboot that is all round just cringey when it comes to the dialogue, the Halliwell sisters have confidence, sarcasm and sass. They are funny, they are dramatic, they are empowering but most of all they’re relatable. Not a single character didn’t have depth and development, even in the later seasons with the introduction of Piper’s son from the future (one of my favourite seasons and favourite characters), every single character had an interesting arc that you just didn’t find yourself bored or wanting to turn the show off.

Not a single character didn't have depth and development

Finally, while I would love to go on about this show forever, the couples in the show have always stuck with me. I’m one of those people gets invested in love in TV shows – quickly, all at once and at a hardcore level I don’t like to admit. The main couple is of course, Piper and Leo. They were the longest-running and one of my favourite relationships in the entire show, spanning all eight seasons and giving me the right amount of ups and downs together. Charmed was a show that had it all: the romance, the action, the danger, almost always drama in every single episode but most of all: the characters that you instantly fall in love with. If you’re looking for a show to binge with a good amount of seasons and action, Charmed is the one for you. Although the costumes may make you cringe a bit now, it’s still one of my favourite and one of the best shows I’ve ever watched. Lucy Lillystone

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c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Film Editors: Elisabetta Pulcini, Joe Holloran, Lucy Lillystone & Steven Ross

Monday 24 February 2020

Fantastic titles and why they matter more than ever

Peter Lennon explains the increasing importance of titles in this era of streaming services

arlier this week, following a disappointing box office opening, it had been reported that Warner Bros. had elected for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to be re-titled Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. This was later clarified to be a kiosk and database change to make the film easier to find and identify – not an official change. Still, that didn’t stop the conversation over what makes a film title great or far from it.

Parasite (2009) Kicking of the list is the Best Picture winner of 2020s Academy Awards and like most Best Picture films, Parasite has a title that is deeply resonant with its themes. The film itself follows a lower-class family as they try to infiltrate an upper-class family as unrelated members of the help. The film’s title immediately echoes the film’s lingering feelings of drainage and struggle to take control of a host. Without spoiling too much of 2019s must-see black-comedy, “Parasite” is as much a question as it is a statement, allowing audiences to reflect on their own preconceptions before and after the film.

Blade Runner (1982)

When I think of Blade Runner I think of something very slick and very violent – the film isn’t overly either. But that’s beside the point, as the title sets up a shiny Sci-fi film and delivers a dirty, neo-noir, Cyber-punk thriller with morally grey edges and unanswered questions at its core. A “misdirect” to say more simply. The title itself refers to the “protagonist” Deckard (Harrison Ford), a retired “Blade Runner” that decommissioned the android 'Replicants.' Despite the tonal misdirect, the allure of the title never really fades but rather solidifies its place in the back of your mind, certainly a lot more so than its source material’s adorable title: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Phillip K. Dick, 1968).

The Breakfast Club (1985) The epitome of an era, The Breakfast Club is the quintessential coming of age film that remains popular 35 years on. But what makes the name so brilliant? Well, it immediately identifies itself as a high school romp,

which is exactly what it is (unlike Blade Runner’s misleading implications). But what’s better still is the undeniable fact that "The Breakfast Club" sounds like a young indie rock/new wave band from New York. This is undoubtedly brilliant when considering the film’s signature use of its soundtrack, as well as its angsty teen spirit, rebelling against all labels and implicit identities.

Let The Right One In (2008) I’m sure some will consider this cheating because it takes its title from the eponymous 2004 novel, by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist. Nevertheless, the title perfectly encapsulates the mood for this Vampire Romantic Horror, alluding to the classic vampiric lore that they can only enter your house once invited in. This doubles with the romantic plot – between a young boy and a vampire girl – as letting the “Right one in” conveys the emotional nakedness and risk that the boy engages with in this relationship. Not to lose its credibility as a horror piece, the beautiful vagueness of the title elicits an eeriness and paranoia that brings this entry in the vampire canon to life – at least as much to life as you can with a vampire.

Image:IMDB

To All The Boys II (PG)

Image:IMDB

ust in time for Valentine’s Day, Netflix released charming rom-com To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, the highly anticipated sequel to their unexpected smash hit To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018). Since its release in the summer of 2018, viewers have been pining for more of golden couple Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor, X-Men Apocalypse) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo, The Perfect Date), whose accidental romance thanks to five love letters put Netflix on the map for cheesy teen rom-coms you can’t help but enjoy. Following immediately after the end of the first film, P.S. I Still Love You opens with a musical sequence by Lara Jean as she prepares for her first real date with now-boyfriend Peter. The musical sequence fits Lara Jean’s personality perfectly: a girl who loves all things romantic but is now experiencing it in real life for the first time. After pledging not to break each other’s hearts, things are obviously going to go downhill from here for the pair when Lara Jean receives a response from childhood crush, and the recipient of her last love letter, John Ambrose McLaren (Jordan Fisher, Grease Live). Volunteering at an old folks’ home, I think you can guess who ends up being Lara Jean’s volunteering partner. That’s right, John Ambrose McLaren. Despite having not seen each other for five years, old feelings are reignited as they spend more time together, and because John took Lara Jean’s letter very seriously, making Lara Jean question her loyalty to Peter. Overall, the sequel is, like its predecessor, an easy-watch when scrolling on Netflix for hours trying to find something decent. Perhaps not as memorable as the first film, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is likely to please fans regardless as we wait for the next instalment of Lara Jean and Peter’s story. Kate Dunkerton

Emma (PG)

Sonic The Hedgehog (PG)

Hollywood's fas Katerina Vasilaki highlights and crit H ollywood is an industry that unfortunately, until quite recently, lacked representation. Although in past years great efforts have been made to promote diversity, in some respects, no progress has been made. This discrimination is particularly clear in the fascination Hollywood seems to have with the complicated male lead, who seems to be the preferred choice to comment on society’s cruelty. To illustrate my point, movies such as Joker (2019) are praised for their take on the ruthlessness of the modern world. By contrast the level of recognition for Us (2019) undeniably diminishes, despite being a production as interesting and allegorical as Joker. The question therefore is: why doesn’t Hollywood accept commentary from different points of view? Get Out (2017) is a film that successfully tackled racism and other sensitive matters in quite the original way, and got recognized for it. Nevertheless, there are many counter-examples that do not mirror the same success despite being critically acclaimed (The Hate U Give), creating the sense that Get Out is the exception to an unwritten rule about who’s story are you allowed to voice. Additionally, a distorted vision of the world seems to be tolerated only on condition that the character is male, which in this day and age should be simply unacceptable. In Hereditary (2018), a horror film that should not be missed, Toni Collette (Knives Out, The Sixth Sense) gifted us with an extraordinary performance. However, it failed to reach the success of another horror hit often compared to, A Quiet Place (2018). That creates the question of whether that is because of the lack of the male figure or simply because the movie is quite perplexing on its own. It has been often commented that the industry is predominantly ruled by men, which may have an effect on the stories that tend to get picked up or even those who get rewarded in the end. An interesting example of this is that even though Little Women (2019) was nominated for Best Picture, Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director, when the inextricable link between the

Image:IMDB

ove over Parasite, there’s a new best film and its name is Sonic the Hedgehog. This cinematic masterpiece is a video game adaptation done right and follows the adventure of one very fast and blue hedgehog. Many expected the movie about a CGI small blue person accompanied by a white guy to be exactly like 2011s The Smurfs (The similarity is uncanny) but they are fortunately wrong. Joking aside, I went in expecting the movie to be the equivalent of blunt force trauma and left pleasantly surprised at this adaptation of the SEGA character. First and foremost, this is a kid’s movie with loads of feel-good tones. But there’s also enough to keep the adults entertained and I actually laughed a few times. The people who will surely love this move the most are the fans of the games thanks to its ridiculous number of references that must require multiple viewing to get them all. By far my favourite part of the movie is literally any scene with Jim Carrey as Doctor Robotnik. His performance was as over the top as some of his older movies like The Mask. One of the biggest issues I had with the movie was the borderline cringe use of advertisements from things like Olive Garden and Zillow. While clearly movies are expensive and need funding, the blatant product placement completely broke my immersion. And while yes, it is a kid’s film, it was a clichéd kids film filled with fewer surprises than I have friends. But other than that, this is a solid family flick and a member of the exclusive “I’m a video game movie that doesn’t completely suck” club.

George Bell

or anyone who fancies literature and cinema, adaptations naturally become an engrossing piece of art. Emma, a Jane Austen classic is a beloved romantic comedy novel when it comes to its cinematic adaptations, and Autumn de Wilde certainly attempts her best to portray it as such in her latest feature directorial debut. Set in a fabulously verdant English countryside, the film stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Split, The Witch) in the role of Emma, who as the opening lines suggest is “handsome, clever and rich.” Away from the “vexing” of the world, social standing, matchmaking, female companionship and jealousy is the core of Emma’s world, where sincere feelings are realized after the ruckus has taken place. But our heroine is also quick to make amends and is eminently devoted to her ever so sensitive father, Mr. Woodhouse which is played by the very “chill” and fashionable Bill Nighy (Love Actually, About Time). Mia Goth (Suspiria, High Life) brings out an innocent delight through Harriet Smith; the warm centre of Emma’s world who embodies a fan and friend in one. Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Beast) validates the smouldering and dignified Austen hero, Mr. Knightley whereas Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Only You) brings out his comic side on-screen through his portrayal of the deluded Mr. Elton. The cinematography of the film is exquisite and portrays England in its vibrant best with its art of symmetry stealing the spotlight. The wealthy affair of Emma’s world is particularly evident through the Regency Era ensemble, courtesy of Alexandra Byrne’s glamourous genius. The hypnotic music score by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer attempts to fill in the emotional gap in the narrative of the film. It’s a sumptuous, perplexing and vibrant world “in this time of man’s great innocence.” Arnojya Shree

All images: IMDB

Twitter trolls and nost

Harriet Metcalfe discusses the impa

he Internet is a pretty powerful tool. Give Twitter the power to make a decision (Boaty McBoaty face scandal I am looking at you), and be prepared for either immediate regret or, on some rare occasions, actual advice. Admittedly I spend far too much time online, especially down one of the many gates to hell that is ‘film Twitter’. Predominately seen to be full of film critics from generations gone by who just can’t understand how you can call yourself a ‘film fan’ if you don’t know about La Jetee or actually liked Avatar – their aim isn’t so much as to spread the love and appreciation of film, but take it away from those who enjoy it by shaming them on how much others know about cinema. From this perspective, it’s a pretty depressing place to hang out (I swear I do have friends). Yet sometimes the internet can work wonders. When the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog was released last April, few people at Paramount (let alone anyone who had seen the trailer) probably slept well. The biggest problem the Internet had? The teeth. Sonics’ teeth were terImage:IMDB rifying. One headline on PC

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Monday 24 February 2020

@Courier_Film thecourieronline.co.uk/film

scination with the Joker type

itiques the industry's failure to recognize diverse critiques of society two categories has been made clear throughout the years. Another example of this is Lorene Scafaria’s case, a writer and director of Hustlers (2019), a critically acclaimed film that commented on society in an empowering way while being based on real events. One could point to Parasite (2019) was winning a multitude of awards: however, for a film that has won almost in almost all the categories that were nominated in, only one actor was nominated. Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) in Us was tasked to change her voice, switching between two extremes and nearly destroying her vocal cords in the process. Her performance was outstanding. Yet, she was not nominated for any awards, contradicting 2018’s win of Get Out. It seems strange that Joker is allowed to showcase raw violence and get rewarded for it, but other films that exhibit similar qualities get snubbed despite the praise they receive from critics. My guess as to why Hollywood has such a fascination with the white complicated male character through which we see the world, could be partly because of fear. To further elaborate, changing the viewpoint from an angle of a more disadvantaged person may create a more pessimistic feeling than the people who hold the cards in the industry are ready to face. Taking a step to embrace those narratives is essential for understanding in a nuanced way society and not base our opinions solely on the point of view of the white male character. However, it failed to reach the success of another horror hit often compared to, A Quiet Place (2018). That creates the question of whether that is because of the lack of the male figure or simply because the movie is quite perplexing on its own. It has been

often commented that the industry is predominantly ruled by men, which may have an effect on the stories that tend to get picked up or even those who get rewarded in the end. An interesting example of this is that even though Little Women (2019) was nominated for Best Picture, Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director, when the inextricable link between the two categories has been made clear throughout the years. Another example of this is Lorene Scafaria’s case, a writer and director of Hustlers (2019), a critically acclaimed film that commented on society in an empowering way while being based on real events. One could point to Parasite (2019) was winning a multitude of awards: however, for a film that has won almost in almost all the categories that were nominated in, only one actor was nominated. Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave, Black Panther) in Us was tasked to change her voice, switching between two extremes and nearly destroying her vocal cords in the process. Her performance was outstanding. Yet, she was not nominated for any awards, contradicting 2018’s win of Get Out. It seems strange that Joker is allowed to showcase raw violence and get rewarded for it, but other films that exhibit similar qualities get snubbed despite the praise they receive from critics. My guess as to why Hollywood has such a fascination with the white complicated male character through which we see the world, could be partly because of fear. To further elaborate, changing the viewpoint from an angle of a more disadvantaged person may create a more pessimistic feeling than the people who hold the cards in the industry are ready to face. Taking a step to embrace those narratives is essential for understanding in a nuanced way society and not base our opinions solely on the point of view of the white male character.

Should videogame adaptions level up?

Em Richardson critically assesses videogame adaptations

onic has become the latest videogame character to be immortalised in a movie, with the recent release of Sonic the Hedgehog. The film has proved exceptionally popular, becoming one of the most successful videogame adaptations of all time. However, critics’ reviews have been somewhat mixed. Historically, videogame adaptations have struggled to win over both critics, and the viewing public. On the movie reviewing website Rotten Tomatoes, only a handful have ever received a rating of over 50%. There’s an argument that videogame plots simply don’t translate onto the big screen. They tend to be either far too simple, or far too over complex. If a game revolves around a very simple objective, it can be hard to create a detailed screenplay based on the concept, with film-makers often resorting to including lengthy fight scenes to ‘compensate’ for a lack of plot. Afterall, it is arguably easier to hide a poor plot within a videogame, than it is to hide one within a movie. The interactive, high-speed nature of a game means players give the plot less attention than they would when viewing it as a film. Image: IMDB Dialogue is a particular problem, with one critic estimating that the entire 15-hour Tomb Raider game contains just 45 minutes of dialogue. That doesn’t provide much inspiration for a screenplay. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some games contain so much material that they are difficult to condense into a feature-length film. A prime example of this is Warcraft - the film’s creators tried to condense over 100 hours of game play into a single film. The end-result was described as ‘confusing’ for anyone who wasn’t familiar with the videogame. An obvious solution for the fact video-

stalgic fans: the internet and film-making

what growing up as a woman and a person of colour already taught me: that I belonged in margins and spaces, valid only as a minor character in their lives and stories.” This case of toxicity in fandom proves the need for more diverse film critics, who have a big influence online.

The more 'opinionated' members of the online film community become the loudest

I don’t what to know what Rose Tico meant to a middleaged man who doesn’t like the sequels – I want to know what she means to that young Asian-American women who hadn’t seen herself represented in that cinematic universe before. These are two contradicting examples of fandom online. I’m extremely lucky with the interactions I’ve had, but not everyone is. Fans are supposed to be united by a mutual love; there is no ‘rule-book’ on how to be a “proper” fan. But I do know that you don’t have to know every minute detail about the Millennium Falcon. You don’t have to have seen all the films ten times over, and you don’t have to have read every Marvel comic in existence. There’s no checklist to ‘become’ a fan – because as one, you’re not entitled to much, except sharing a love for cinema.

game plots rarely make good movies could be to stray away from a game’s original plot. Yet, this tends to lead to criticism that the plot is no longer appealing for fans of the original game. Plus, it can be difficult to find a way to transplant characters from a videogame into a film setting. This was shown by Super Mario Bros., a bizarre live action adaptation of the classic Nintendo game, which saw Mario and Luigi living in modern New York, as evil Nintendo characters who evolved from dinosaurs attempted to merge their parallel universe with real-life. Yes, really.

Videogame characters often end up seeming two-dimensional and simplistic

Videogame characters often end up seeming twodimensional and simplistic, when transferred to the big screen. Actors have found them notoriously difficult to play over the years, with fans often complaining that their portrayal differs massively from characters in the original game. This is most likely because of the limited characterization they are given to work with- it must be very hard to play a character who has very little dialogue. As for animated videogame adaptations, it seems animators must choose between changing the characters’ appearances, and risking disappointing fans, or leaving them the same and facing allegations that the animation is unrealistic, and retains its ‘gamelike’ quality. This issue was actually faced by the team behind the new Sonic film, with fans giving the film’s initial trailer a largely negative reaction. The titular character has since been redesigned, much to fans’ delight, and the updated version now appears in the film. Time will tell whether the redesign has managed to truly win over Sonic fans, or whether the new film will join a long list of other much-maligned videogame adaptations.

act fans on social media sites such as Twitter have on film-making Gamer put it best: it was “creepy as hell”, and the 46,000 dislikes it currently has on YouTube reflects that pretty well. Director Jeff Fowler, however, took the more constructive criticism on board, tweeting; “Thank you for the support. And the criticism. The message is loud and clear… you aren’t happy with the design & you want changes. It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be.” And everyone stayed true to their word; the release was pushed back, and the Sonic we see in cinemas at the moment is much more reminiscent of the video games and much less likely to give you blue-hedgehog induced nightmares. But, unfortunately, trolls loom round every corner. The more ‘opinionated’ members of the online film community somehow become the loudest voice in the room. In 2018, Kelly Marie Tran left social media, after the Internet backlashed against her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Despite her character, Rose Tico, being the first female lead of colour in the franchise, the “Wookieepedia” page for Rose was “altered by contributors with offensive, racist language” (as reported by Variety). But who was controlling the language and toxicity of the fandom? Who should? As Tran wrote when speaking out for the first time in her op-ed piece for The New York Times: “It wasn’t their words, it’s that I started to believe them. Their words seemed to confirm

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/NewcastleCourierFilm Image: IMDB

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culture arts

c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Arts Editors Caitlin Rawlings, Charlotte Slinger & Lauren Sneath

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

NUTS takes on the First Family of horror

Lucy Adams is curious as to the inner workings of the directive mind behind NUTS' latest creative project, The Addams Family

he Armstrong Building at night is another world – tap dance filters through the ceiling like a rhythmical hailstorm, accompanying the a capella harmony section who are warming up as they crouch along the floor of the corridor, while I catch blurred moments of different dance practices through the door windows of study spaces. I am here to meet Holly Chinneck, director of the upcoming NUTS musical The Addams Family, and before the interview I am invited upstairs to watch the dance rehearsal. Without any spoilers, I will say that watching students in tracksuits and gymwear inhabit the characters of Morticia and Gomez so flawlessly, whilst one drags the other across a classroom carpet, is definitely not something I will see again. It made me intrigued to chat to the visionary behind this, and eager to nab a front-row seat on the 28th February.

What kind of decisions are you responsible for? We’ve all got our domains, but everything has to be run by me first. Sam will send me a video and I’ll say: they need to exit from here, this person needs to do this at this time, I need this sound effect. You look at the ensemble in there in their gym gear, but I have to look at that and see

a live band too, smoke machines, UV lights, costumes, everything.

Why The Addams Family in particular? Is there anything about the story you connected to? The thing about Addams is it brings these characters that everyone knows to life in a way that they’ve never seen before. People know the characters, but don’t know the musical. It’s also… there’s singing, and dancing, but no smiling. The actors have to reverse all the things they’ve been taught. It’s like “You are dead, from the grave – but be funny.” It’s so hard to get right. With something as niche as this, if someone’s not doing it exactly right, it’s just so close and yet so far off.

Kooky, crazy, but lovable - everyone's got that bit of crazy inside them

My first question is basic: why directing, and why now? As an actor, you always offer your visions to people, so there’s always a bit of director in everyone, but this is a nerve-racking thing. But I thought: I’m going to uni and this is where the opportunities are. I’d seen other people directing and thought, I just want to do it, one time. In NUTS, we do one musical in each of the semesters. In some ways a musical is easier and in other respects it’s much harder.

What exactly were you looking for? Kooky, crazy, but lovable. You want the audience to be on your side but you’re also totally ostracised from what they are.

Talk me through the pros and cons there. Harder because you’re directing a larger amount of people, and because you’re looking for people who can act, sing, and dance, so you’ve already got a narrower pool for casting, and also because it normally has this buzz around it. The musical always sells out. It’s easier because my responsibility as a director is “thirded” already: I’ve got Sam (Choreographer) and Sarah (Musical Director) on board, as well as me. I’m the boss, but they’re both really creative talented people.

What is that human element that the audience can invest in? Everyone’s got that bit of crazy inside of them. Everyone puts out this perception of themselves on social media but when people let themselves be weird, they automatically go: Let’s do more of this! There’s a line in the show: “What’s normal for the spider is a calamity for the fly". This weirdness is what’s normal for these group of people, and I want to find our middle ground.

Has being an actor affected how you direct others? I do understand how difficult it is to learn lines or not connect with material but I have to crack the whip. The thing I’ve found hardest at times is not being a member of the cast- because I want to be involved, to wear the costumes, to be everyone’s best friend too, but the job I have to do is different. I have to monitor whether they’re taking responsibility. I’m playing a role here as much as they’re playing a role on stage, for these three hours of rehearsal. If you can’t hit a note, that’s fine. If you’re not trying, that’s when I’ve got a problem. Tell me more about all the different roles you take on as a director. I’m a stand-in cast member - if someone’s not there I’ll sing a harmony, I have help but I oversee costumes, I’m thinking about our budget, props, set, lighting design, projections, seating, smoke, things you wouldn’t even think about. You’ve got to create a world. How would you describe your directing style? I really try to create positive energy. I’ve been in shows where I’ve wanted it over and done with, and shows I haven’t wanted to ever end, and that’s the difference. It’s a hard musical to sing and dance, and no-one wants to feel stupid, so that friendly atmosphere is so so important. That’s why it’s so good to support your friends - theatre people love having others inflate their egos and tell them they’re great, because through six weeks of rehearsals they’re getting told “This isn’t good enough. This needs to be better”. When they eventually hear “That was perfect,” and get given their confidence back like that, it’s the most amazing powerful thing.

The Addams Family will play at Northern Stage on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 February.

LGBTQ+ History Month: 5 artists to celebrate Leonie Bellini throws five talented queer artists into the spotlight in celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month this February

n celebration of LGBTQ+ history month 2020, which began 1 February, I have rounded up five amazing contemporary artists to look out for... who are not straight white cis men!

pensive writings with reflective shots of the Scottish countryside she grew up in, creating deeply personal narratives that also speak to universal queer experiences.

Prodger is known as the artist who "won the Turner Prize with a film shot on her iPhone", something phrased quite derogatorily because it often seems like only really expensive films and rich artists should be taken seriously. But when you see past that discourse, Prodger’s films actually showcase loving, meditative thinking on queerness and nature; exploring what it means to be queer when you’re alone, or in the wild, the conventions of naming, and the blurring of ancient and modern voices. Her most recent work has combined poetic,

Victoria Sin works through drag, performance, film, and writing to create work challenging the construction of identities, particularly the feminine and the queer. Sin's films illustrate the lush make-up and immersive performances through which individuals take control of the exoticizing white, cis-male gaze and confront the established systems of being ‘female’. My personal favourite work of theirs is an ongoing series of prints in which, after every drag performance, Sin removes their make-up with a wipe and then takes a print of it, creating a watercolour-like rendering of their face as a relic of this changing, performed identity.

Charlotte Prodger

Victoria Sin

Zanele Muholi

Best known for their beautifully composed black-and-white photographs documenting the Black queer communities in South Africa, Muholi describes their artwork as “visual activism”, showing the beauty, tenderness and strength of individuals facing extreme homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination in the country despite its ‘liberal’ reputation. Their photography is both intimate and defiant, contrasting the safety and love of queer couples in their homes with the bold bravery of living in an unaccepting public sphere. As part of their activism, Muholi has also co-founded collectives for Black lesbian solidarity and queer media in South Africa, advocating for artistic representation as well as formal political change.

cel Moore, explored constructions of gender through Surrealist photography, costumes, collage and writing. Cahun used self portrait photography wearing masks and make up that more recent artists such as Cindy Sherman have taken huge influence from, questioning the violently constrictive binaries of gender while producing beautiful and gently humorous images.

Kehinde Wiley

And finally, the artist who painted Obama’s presidential portrait, Kehinde Wiley, whose queer identity was all-too-conveniently erased in much of his subsequent press coverage. Mixing historical and contemporary references, in particular in relation to the representation (and lack thereof) of people of colour in classical art, Wiley produces gorgeous large-scale, intricate canvases with trademark vibrant floral patterns that are both visually striking and highly symbolic. In placing young Black people in compositions historically occupied by white men, Wiley questions the meaning of ‘power’ in both a political and artistic context.

Image: Instagram via @sinforvictory

Claude Cahun

Image: Instagram via @sinforvictory

Not strictly contemporary but considered a pioneering artist and thinker of queer identity in the early twentieth century, Claude Cahun, along with their partner Mar-

Image: Instagram via @kehindewiley

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Monday 24 February 2020

@culture_courier thecourieronline.co.uk/arts

Books pulled over 'literary blackface' accusations Amanda Goh addresses the controversy surrounding Barnes & Noble's 'diverse' new series

arnes & Noble, the largest bookseller in the US has pulled a new series of ‘culturally diverse’ classic book covers off the shelves after facing widespread criticism. Critics claim they were supporting “literary black face”. The bookseller had launched a new ‘Diverse Edition’ of books which feature covers illustrating main characters as people of colour. Titles include Romeo & Juliet, Moby Dick and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

The bookseller has insisted on 'good intentions'

Earlier this week, the company announced a Black History Month event to sell the ‘Diverse Editions’ of the classic books, However has since received swift backlash. This was as the featured books were by white authors, starring characters who had been represented and interpreted as white. Author Frederick Joseph had stated that the feature was "essentially literary blackface". Instead of promoting black authors and protagonists, the bookseller merely changed the covers of classics and called it ‘diverse’. Further, a number of black authors took issue with the bookseller’s project, pointing out that it did not address the lack of diversity in the publishing industry. Author N K Jemisin tweeted: "Kids who read it will still know Ahab is white. The text screams it! But now they’ll also know somebody at B&N thinks blackness is just a meaningless veneer used to mock real representation. It’s literary blackface, and they WILL see through it. Kids aren’t stupid.” The initiative had revealed the struggles in addressing ongoing diversity problems in the publishing industry. While the bookseller had insisted on "good intentions" regarding the Diverse Editions, the story behind how these editions came to be a thing may spark some contro-

versy.

The project did not address the lack of diversity in the publishing industry

Doug Melville had been inspired by the casting of a black actress as Hermoine Granger in the Harry Potter sequel, the Cursed Child. Melville and Cal Hunter, of Barnes & Noble’s flagship location had a straightforward thinking: They assumed that changing the cover art for classics would change the way readers thought about those literary characters and their race. Backlash quickly followed, "this fake diversity nonsense is disgusting…’" author Nnedi Okorafor tweeted.

The ‘Diverse Editions’ were supposed to be on the shelves from early February, but has since been suspended due to the social media outcry. It was released in a statement on Twitter that the project is cancelled, also admitting that "the covers are not a substitute for black voices or writers of colour, whose work and voices deserve to be heard". Black History Month promotes the opportunity to recognise contributions by people of African and Caribbean dissent. This month, why not support by picking up a book by Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou? The publishing industry should give their cover updates instead of just representing them in the moment. "Feature black people, that should be the beginning and end of it", as L. L. McKinney states.

arts culture Poem Box Waves Waves crashing the shore Awakening the senses Of the crowd nearby Abundant wonders Lie from the blue frozen sea Meets the blazing sky Some rocks worn away Powered by mighty forces Slowly lost in time Carl Smith Valdez

Twitter: @BNBUZZ

The teenager who drew Billie Eilish for Vogue Seshadhri Subramanian discusses Anastasia Kovtun, the 16-year-old whose artwork drew the attention of Billie Eilish

ixteen year old Anastasia Kovtun thought it was a prank call when she was told that Billie Eilish had picked out one of her drawings as one of the four covers for the digital edition of the Vogue magazine for March. But one being given proof that it was indeed the actual Vogue magazine, she felt overwhelmed. Kovtun’s painting was one of two personally chosen by the singer with the other one being Kylie Young from Michigan, USA. Coincidentally, Young also thought the call from Vogue was a practical joke.

Kovtun had attended art school for three years but dropped out, wanting to keep her unique style

Instagram: @billieeilish

Hailing from a small town 900 miles away from Moscow and in the midst of the Urals, Kovtun had attended an art school for three years but dropped out because she didn’t want to feel pressured to draw a certain way and wanted to keep her own style. In yet another testament to the growing reach of social media, she said that even though she hadn’t been on Instagram – where she showcases her work – for too long, she

was aware that the singer had taken notice of her (liking two of her previous drawings). However, even that did not prepare her for what followed the reveal from Vogue that her drawings had been chosen.

I was given an extraordinary opportunity to share my art and I will use it

“Over the past few days my life has changed a lot. I have had some very interesting and tempting offers and I know it is an opportunity for me to realise myself as an artist. Still, I have to consider everything carefully. I don’t want to abandon school, for instance. I was given an extraordinary opportunity to share my art and I will use it. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.” she told the BBC. When asked what drew her to the Grammy-winning Eilish, she said that she takes to musicians who have a strong sense of style but also have the desire to change. Aside from Eilish – who has sung the new theme for the upcoming James Bond movie 'No Time To Die' – she is also a fan of Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus. She also admires Russian artists who do it for the love of music and not for the fame or the money. “Art is not about catching the hype or getting rich. It is not about popularity or reward. You have to do what you love and always have to speak from the heart.” she says.

Image: Instagram: @avoguemagazine

@Culture_Courier @thecourieronline

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culture gaming EA turn the steam back on

Monday 24 February 2020

courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors Alex Darbyshire, George Boatfield, James Troughton & Shawn Khoo

Beat the algorithm: the b

Alex Gervas talks business following EA's recent policy change Video games aren't just about playing. Our writers share the brightes

uring the first weeks of February, users of the intended to attract more users to the Origin platform. The digital storefront Steam reported an increase in increase in prices creates further disparity between Origin the prices of Electronic Arts (EA) games. and Steam, meaning that third-party platforms can’t use Reddit user MJuniorDC9 noticed how after EA’s games bought through Origin. comeback to the platform, many of the original games, such as SimCity 4, Crysis 2, and Mass Effect Collection. EA's price spike could These games have increased as far as 30%. Mass Effect Collection, for instance, has gone from €27.99 to €34.99; be due to Valve's SimCity 4 has seen an increase of $7; Crysis 2 went from commission on games €19.99 to €29.99. Other affected games are Battlefield: Bad bought through Steam Company; Command & Conquer: Red Alert; Dead Space 2; or Dragon Age: Origins. Secondly, EA’s price spike But the spike in prices could be due to Valve’s doesn’t appear to be commission on games consistent. Some bought through countries like Steam. Game Thailand and developer, Alva Indonesia have Majo, explains seen a higher that Valve increase in take a cut their Steam depending prices as on the opposed to country US users. and the However, importance E A ’ s of the distribution developer. platform, W h i l e Origin, has their cut on not been EA’s games affected by is allegedly these price now 30%, the alterations. c om m iss i on Eight years ago, varies depending EA stopped selling on the country. their games in thirdHowever, some party-platforms. Still, users appear to be Image: Wikimedia by the end of 2019, EA sceptical. While Valve’s announced a new partnership cut is now at 30% for EA, the with Valve, the publisher behind exact percentage before EA’s ‘hiatus’ Steam. The new association with Valve is unknown. This means that the price came with a new release: Jedi: Fallen Order. spike could be due to a change in Valve and EA’s commission.

EA's distribution platform, Origin, has not been affected

Users have started reflecting on possible reasons behind this increase. The first explanation given was that EA

Too many sword fighters?

NakeyJakey Carl Smith Valdez

f you are looking for a YouTuber that surpasses simple analysis of video games, then look no further than NakeyJakey! He differentiates himself from other video essayists by subverting viewers’ expectations created by his thumbnails. At first glance, his videos might seem similar to many other content creators. However, he gives fresh insight on video gaming through his comedic style and content by injecting his own nuances, wit and critical theories, all of which intertwine seamlessly. His analyses highlight how subjectivity can be a powerful tool in understanding the concepts behind games. These emphasise how one does not require a university degree in order to be capable of insightful, critical thought. He also explores themes that are usually disregarded by many analysts, such as ideas stemming from clothing design, animals and alcohol in video games. He diverges from formulaic video essays

with his infectious personality and set design. He puts himself before a green screen for relevant “let’s play” videos, and sits on a yoga ball while discussing the game. This welcomes engagement in an odd, yet equally exciting manner. Furthermore, his rap reviews bring out another side of NakeyJakey. He demonstrates a plethora of talent with his creative and experimental analysis of video games, helping to bring his points across in ways that are simultaneously informative and entertaining. NakeyJakey’s presentation is truly unique, hilarious and surprisingly perceptive. His channel highlights how editing doesn’t need to be complex in order to foster a connection with online audiences. All an individual needs is authenticity, charisma and sincere opinions that reach the audience’s hearts.

Image: YouTube (NakeyJakey)

Coronavirus gets the

Jack Wallace-Hunter assesses the fan reaction to Byleth from Fire Emblem being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo delays console production, while Peter Lennon shows that

asahiro Sakurai, director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has acknowledged that a considerable portion of the game’s fighter roster contains characters from Fire Emblem, and specifically sword fighters. Since the announcement of Byleth as a new DLC character, fans have voiced their disappointment towards what has been interpreted as a bias towards the FE series. Many fans believe that other franchises deserve more representation. The latest issue of Famitsu magazine reveals that Sakurai “understand[s]” that “there are too many Fire Emblem characters”. However, shown in a translation from online news outlet Nintendo Everything, it is Nintendo who “brings their thoughts to the table”. Sakurai goes on to say that he’s “not exactly aware of what Nintendo’s future release plans are, so [he] [goes] along with what they decide.” Suggestions have been made that Nintendo pushed the introduction of Byleth into the game’s roster in order to add a character from the new instalment of the Fire Emblem franchise: Three Houses.

Fans have a second round of DLC fighers to look foward to from Sakurai and his team

Sakurai explains that “[f]or this fighter, an important factor was being able to turn the protagonist of a game that people are playing right now into a fighter that players

could experience immediately in Smash Bros.” Yet, the issue of sword fighters was in Sakurai’s power to consider, as he “ended up implementing the three houses’ leaders’ ‘Hero Relics’ as some of their moves to keep with elements present in Three Houses.” However, fans have more to look forward to, as Sakurai’s team is set to release a second round of DLC fighters. Although nothing has been confirmed yet, speculation and potential leaks suggest characters such as Dante from Devil May Cry and a DOOM fighter set to join the roster. With a Nintendo Direct a fair way off, fans will have to remain patient for the foreseeable future. Image: Twitter (Greninja3535)

ince its outbreak in Wuhan at the end of last year, the coronavirus has caused a wave of disruption all around the world, from racial fear-mongering – colloquially termed ‘coronaracism’ – to the mass closure of public spaces, such as cinemas, in East Asia. Now Nintendo has come out with a statement revealing that production for their Switch console has been delayed for the Japanese market. The delay comes from the mass production of Switch consoles that is done in China, which has been the most severely affected country by the virus thus far. While Nintendo has been migrating their production to Vietnam since the emergence of the China-US trade conflict, operations there are not yet sufficient to support the backload. Additionally, the Animal Crossing: New Horizonsthemed Switch console, unveiled at the end of January, has also been delayed, with a new release date in Japan

left unconfirmed. The console design has been met with a great reception online and is slated to be a limited edition release. New Horizons is the upcoming and highly anticipated follow-up to 2013’s Animal Crossing: New Leaf (released on the 3DS).

The Animal Crossing themed Switch console has also been delayed

Meanwhile, the global market, including North America and Europe, will remain unaffected by the fall of production in China. This is due to the fact that, unlike Japan, Switch consoles and accessories are not produced in China for these markets. Likewise, the Animal Crossing-themed Switch will make the 13 March

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming

gaming culture

best gaming YouTubers DDOS destroys EVE

st sparks of the gaming explosion on the world's no. 1 video platform Carl Smith Valdez details the cyber-attacks on this sci-fi MMO

Super BunnyHop Alex Darbyshire

eorge Weidman, in my opinion, is one of the most thorough and intelligent video game journalists in the business, or at least on YouTube. With a laser-focused attention to detail, Weidman’s videos are packed with information, joyfully edited and show a level of polish that puts many others working in his industry to shame. I first encountered BunnyHop when he was featured on TotalBiscuit’s Co-Optional Podcast. It’s a long podcast, but Weidman manages to keep things interesting alongside the late John Bain. It was here I discovered Weidman’s trilogy of videos on The Wit cher, which was an excellent analysis of both the games and the novels. Among his body of work are ludological analyses of the entire Metal Gear series, several video essays on the design of Resident Evil, and a deep look into the controversy around Hideo Kojima’s exit from Konami. You don’t see content like this every day. What I appreciate the most about George Weidman’s content is the sheer amount of energy he brings to each project he works on. It’s clear that his content is fueled by his passion for history, game design and pulpy, postmodern narratives. Weidman’s writing has a hyper-detailed, fanatic style that never fails to critique. It’s well-researched, consumerpositive and great watching. BunnyHop is much of what I aspire to be as a writer and critic, and you owe it to yourself to give his videos a try.

My name is Byf Shawn Khoo

hile other YouTubers in this article may be more hands-on with their content, there are certainly other types of content creators that deserve a mention. To me, Byf immediately springs to mind. Byf caters to a very specific part of the gaming community, dealing mainly with the lore behind Destiny 2, with a touch of Warframe, Borderlands and other assorted goodness. Although the thought of lore may, to some, be the equivalent of a sleeping pill, Byf’s passion for this niche shines through. This is perhaps most evident in some of his multiple-hour-long narrations and expositions about Destiny 2’s guardians and the stories behind them. Even as someone who enjoys Destiny 2 for the grind and for the first-person gunplay, I still leave Byf’s videos on in the background while I play. I must admit, even though I’m no fan of lore-heavy dialogues in games, the supplemental nature of Byf’s content is likely to grow on you as it has for me.

The supplemental nature of Byf's content is likely to grow on you

If you’re playing a game that has a lot of mindless grinding or repetitiveness, it may be worth it to turn down the music and give Byf a go – you may just enjoy the world he weaves with his words.

layers of space-MMORPG EVE Online continue to be affected by a DDOS attack that has shown no sign of stopping since it began on 31 January. The US is majorly affected, but forums from Africa and Australia have reported broken servers. For players able to log in, the servers for the popular MMO have their chat services disabled to ease the issues. However, many players continue to receive an “unable to login” screen despite multiple attempts to sign in. Gamers have reported the disconnects and lag errors with no timeframe of when it will be resolved. The attack has prevented gamers from playing the game, which includes completing ‘space jobs’ and keeping control of their grounds throughout the EVE universe. Its effects on player progress become difficult to reverse in a virtual game. While many are stuck at logging on, players in unaffected areas of the world are able to use the attack as an opportunity to claim more territory. DDOS attacks raise concerns to the gaming industry, particularly with games-as-a-service experiences like EVE Online - driven by players. Players on Reddit have demanded compensation and threatened to terminate their accounts after being unable to log in for days. ‘Lord’s Servant’, the co-leader of the ‘Forsaken Empire’ expressed on a Reddit thread the impact of the attack on small alliances within the game. He stated: “The hostiles have been able to establish themselves in a week in our region because we’ve been mostly unable to login and contest things like we normally would.” “This is an issue that we have no control over, and no amount of ISK (in-game skill) or mechanics will allow us to do anything if we cannot log in or play the game in a

reasonable state. We’ve tried everything we can in-game.” Regarding the attack, EVE Status advised players to contact their support inbox if they have lost any property during the downtime. As of 17 February, EVE’s support tweeted: “Our Daily Downtime is taking a little longer than usual. We expect TQ to be up and accepting connections in the next couple of minutes. Thank you for your patience.”

Image: IGDB

PS5 website quietly launched

Joe Holloran keeps his eyes open as Sony dripfeed console info

S Image: YouTube (Super Bunnyhop)

Images: Twitter (@MyNameIsByf)

e jump on Nintendo

t even the gaming industry is not safe from the outbreak of coronavirus previously set for both the US and European markets. Moreover, despite New Horizons itself having already been delayed from its original Q4 2019 release, it will continue to be released on 20 March for the Nintendo Switch worldwide. Unfortunately for Nintendo and Switch gamers, the disruption caused by the coronavirus does not end here. Obsidian Entertainment’s latest game, The Outer Worlds, was released on PS4, Xbox and PC on 25 October 2019 to critical acclaim and a slew of award nominations. Although the Switch port had been dated for 6 March 2020, it has now been delayed i n d e f i n i t e l y. This is down to

gaming studio Virtuous, which is overseeing the Switch port, having their main office in Shanghai, China. Both the Switch console productions and delayed Outer Worlds port could hint at the further financial strains on the market due to the latest epidemic. As aforementioned, the movie industry has already been greatly affected by the loss of the Chinese market, second largest only to the United States, with many films seeing box office slumps, such as Birds of Prey and Dolittle; China has previously saved films, such as the adaptation of the eponymous Warcraft. A similar slump may indeed be seen within the gaming industry very shortly as both the production and market of China have been stricken off the record for the foreseeable future.

Image: YouTube (Nintendo Mobile)

ony has quietly launched the official PlayStation for event coverage. 5 website, teasing the reveal of their much anticipated next-gen system. With a tentative PS5 players can again release date set for late 2020 and few official details to go on, here's what we know so far about the PS4 enjoy classic games successor. such as Shadow of the Early last year Sony's Mark Cerny, the man tasked with leading the team to create both the PS4 and Colossus and God of War PS5 , confirmed that the console will retain its disk drive, but also have a feature linked to streaming as well as new storage Fans can also take comfort in the that surpasses typical PC SSD fact that almost all PS4 games specifications.While only a will be backward compatible few games have been for the latest console, confirmed for including VR the console games. So thus far, expect players can the newest again enjoy additions of classics such as Sony's biggest Shadow of the franchises, Colossus & such as God of War Horizon and with the The Last of Us i mp r o v e d to be on their specs of the way. new hardware. In terms O t h e r of design we confirmed may know specs include: more than 3D audio, what’s usually an eight core the case AMD chipset, for console SSD storage & reveals. Back 8K TV support in August, tech capabilities. The website LetsGoDigital controller will also be released what they claimed updated, with the DualShock Image: Twitter (Eurogamer) was the patented design for the 4 rumble tech being replaced PS5. However, this turned out to be instead with haptic feedback. This is all the development kit, and such pieces of supposed to help with player immersion. equipment often bear little resemblance to the The final design has yet to be confirmed by Sony hardware that reaches customers. Nevertheless, the but, if gaming history tells us anything, it's that the build leaked image shows a V-shaped console (possibly a up to the release of a new console is just as important as reference to the Roman numeral for five) that features the console itself. Sony won the last round of the console multiple USB ports and extensive cooling vents, likely wars, and it appears they’re gearing up to do it again. needed to deal with the level of power the new console will consume, and the subsequent heat that will be generated. The Japanese media megacorp has also confirmed it @culture_courier will not be attending the gaming world's biggest tech and marketing event, E3 , this year. However, according to TechRadar, insiders suspect that Sony will release a slew of @thecourieronline information about the console around the same time, on their own terms, so as to avoid competing with Microsoft

culture science

c2.science@ncl.ac.uk Science Editors Eleanor Gratton, Patrick Harland & Seshadhri Subramanian

the courier

Monday 24 February 2020

Severe contraceptive shortage hits the UK Amy Harris reports on the current lack of availability of contraceptives in the market and the problems that result from this According to the DHSC the contraceptives Brevinor, Microgynon, Ovranette, Yasmin, Logynon , Qlaira, Norgeston, Femodene, Millinette, GedareL, Rigevidon, TriRegol, lizinna and Cilique, Evra patches, Nuvaring, Noristerat injection, Depo-Provera injection, Mirena (IUS) and Nexplanon injections still remain available to women. Due to these shortages, it has forced women to seek alternatives or to even stop using contraception entirely. Women are being sent away with prescriptions for products

sues Cilest, Loestrin 20 and Loestrin 30 have also been discontinued. The drug firm Pfizer was the first to report having supply problems with Sayana Press, the self-administered injection.

the number of millions of women which use daily contrceptive pills

The manufacturers of Noriday claim that there will be limited supplies available until the end of February 2020, while Norimin is still currently out of stock and has no resupply date. Supplies of the Sayana Press injection are expected to be restocked and available from early March 2020.

It has forced women to seek alternatives or to even stop using contraception entirely

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), British Menopause Society and Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock and additional ministers demanding for a working group to be set up in order to address the issues and ongoing supply shortages. The letter detailed the distress women are experiencing having to find alternative methods that don’t necessarily agree with them, which has resulted in some women going without contraception altogether. The UK government is said to be working with manu-

Images: Libreshot

t is estimated that around three million women take daily contraceptive pills, while more than 500,000 use a long-acting contraceptive such as injections, coils and implants. Now due to shortages, girls and women across the UK are struggling to access different methods of contraception. This could increase the risks of unplanned pregnancies and abortions, doctors and health bodies ha ve warned. A number of contraceptive pills and long-lasting injectable contraceptives are thought to have been affected, shortly after it was reported that there was a shortage of hormone replacement therapy last year. There are several contraceptives that have been affected by the shortage, including progestogen-only, combined and long-acting preparation contraceptives. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care) have confirmed the shortages of numerous daily pills. These include Synphase, Noriday and Norimin. Due to manufacturing is-

or the period of time there will be limited access to the products. The Royal College of General Physicans is said to be helping women find alternatives to their usual method of contraception. As there are still various daily pills that haven’t been affected by the shortage and are easily accessible to use as alternatives until the issue is solved and supplies are back in stock.

that aren’t available, and therefore aren’t getting access to contraception at all, causing issues and chaos for pharmacists, patients and clinicians. These issues increase the risk of unplanned pregnancy, higher abortion rates and risk increasing poor mental and physical health of females. With the concern that without access to contraceptives, the most vulnerable in society will be affected the most. There has been no clear reasoning behind what has caused contraception shortages. Manufacturers have made no indication of what has influenced the shortage

These issues increase the risk of unplanned pregnancy

facturers to determine the issues and expect the shortages to ease soon, with a chance that the current supply difficulties will soon be resolved as a key ingredient in contraceptives being manufactured again.

Ciara causes havoc in the UK Is science sidelining women? Amanda Goh talks about all that went on with the latest storm Lily Holbrook on why women need more of the spotlight

torm Ciara had swept across the UK, with winds have claimed more than 5 lives, in addition to as many as up to 80mph bringing down trees and power. The 16 wild dogs being killed after Storm Ciara had damaged storm had caused several disruptions, from the safari gates. The incident had happened at West Midland damage of property to train cancellations. Safari Park in Bewdley, Worcestershire. A pack of African Storms are a meteorological event and are used to de- wild dogs had escaped due to the damage. The staff were scribe large atmospheric disturbances. It ranges from or- ‘extremely saddened’ by the loss. According to the World dinary rain showers and snowstorms to thunderstorms Wildlife Fund (WWF), the African wild dog is ‘one of the and wind. Storms are created when a centre of low pres- world’s most endangered mammals,’ with only 1,400 left sure develops with the system of high pressure surround- in the wild. ing it. Water vapour can be seen as the ‘fuel’ for storms, as The UK’s national weather service, The Met Office, it releases ‘latent heat of condensation’ when it condenses had announced a ‘risk to life’ warning as Storm Ciara to form clouds and rains, which in turn warms the sur- approached. Meteorologist John Hammond stated that rounding air. Storms can draw in air from all directions. Storm Ciara is ‘ a violent start to a very wild spell, with poStorms used to be tagged with numbers, latitude and tential further… storms through the week’. Through the longitude, and some were named after where they came hundreds of transport cancellations and impacts on both ashore (like the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1800). Now humans and animals, it could be seen as one of the biggest the Word Meteorological Organisation (WMO) gives storm in seven years. short simple names, such as Storm Ciara. Since early Climate change is one of the main factors that has be1950s, the WMO and the National Hurricane Centre give gun causing events such as Storm Ciara. Scientific modelproper names to every storm. The WMO website states ling also suggests stronger winds and heavier rainfall for that “names are presumed to be far easier to remember the UK. The warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, than numbers and technical terms’. The names of tropical resulting in heavier rain and flooding. The 2017 Met Ofstorms come in alphabetical order, alternating between fice research shows that if global temperature increases male and female names. While the US had been naming by more than 1.5 degrees due to pollution and emission, its storms since 1950s, the UK has only adopted the same damage caused by storms are expected to lead to 50% practice since 2014. more damage. Storm Ciara can be seen as one of the worst storms, after the amber warning for wind across England and Wales was given. This meant that there may be expected damage to buildings, travel disruptions and power cuts. Storm Ciara saw wind gusts up to 93mph, recorded in Aberdaron. British Airways had also cancelled flights from Heathrow, while Network Rail imposed a blanket speed restriction of 50mph. There were also dozens of homes being evacuated and people were taken to a nearby leisure centre. Storm Ciara has been seen to Image: David Baird (Geograph)

f I asked you to name a scientist, who would you say? In light of a study conducted by Teach First, where just 2 female scientists were mentioned across 3 GCSE specifications compared to 40 males with concepts and theories named after them, there’s a good chance the person you were thinking of was male. While we all know the story of Newton’s apples, the lesser-known stories of female pioneers are barely touched upon in public consciousness. Rosalind Franklin, with her pivotal contribution to the structural understanding of DNA, Lise Meitner, the co-discoverer of nuclear fission and Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who unveiled the truth behind radio pulsars, have undoubtedly fallen under the radar while their male counterparts triumphed. This was the case for Franklin and Bell Burnell, both of whom lost out on formal recognition when their male associates were awarded Nobel Prizes instead. Following a fraught history of inequality, sexism in science is an age-old phenomenon. With even Charles Darwin believing that women were intellectually inferior to men, and female fellows excluded from the Royal Society until 1945, female scientists have long had a tough time proving that their work is of equal value to male colleagues. It may seem as if such inequality is a problem rooted in the past, however, the shocking revelation that 50% of adults today are unable to

Image: Whitehouse Archives

name a female scientist dead or alive (aka half of everyone who reads this article), makes it clear that the gender imbalance in science is still in urgent need of addressing. But just how valuable is women’s contribution to science? Results from a recent study suggest that the most financially successful businesses are those with a diverse team, supporting the case for women in science as an intrinsic part of economic success. Despite the need for females in science, only 22% of STEM-based (science technology engineering & maths) careers are occupied by women, with even less (13%) operating at management level. There are numerous concerns relating to this lack of female engagement in science, one of which begins in childhood where young girls may be overshadowed by boys. According to Teach First-trained science teacher Sylvia Lim, ‘Girls can sometimes struggle a bit more with confidence because they’re more apprehensive about getting things wrong.’ Such self-doubt among even the brightest young females may compromise their attitude towards science, with one slip up enough to put them off forever. The problem lies not only in a female lack of enjoyment and confidence for science. Science all too often cultivates a hostile culture of discrimination and harassment, placing an added burden on female scientists where many are forced to leave the profession. With 59% of survey respondents saying that a lack of female role models is holding girls back in STEM subjects, new measures are being put in place to change this trend for good. With school initiatives to overcome stereotypes, increasing female representation in lessons and incentivising STEM teachers to inspire the next generation of girls, inequality in science is being challenged. Female scientists do exist, with far too many to list in a single article. Whether it’s fashion, maths or computing, the possibilities in science are endless. Across all subjects, challenging gender stereotypes is a vital step for allowing every individual to pursue their interests and talents. Without it, we risk forming a society where not only our economy suffers, but our happiness does too.

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Monday 24 February 2020

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Earlier cancer diagnosis using 'dark matter' Lilla Marshall reports on the new groundbreaking DNA study

collection of 23 scientific papers, entitled “the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes” have been published in the scientific journal Nature. One of these papers provides significant new insight in to the genetic basis of the early stages of cancer. The findings of this study, based off of over 2500 tumours, have provided new knowledge that can help identify cancer earlier than currently thought possible. Identifying which specific mutations lead to the onset of cancer has become a key part of cancer research, as early detection of cancer can lead to better patient outcomes.

2500

A particularly exciting part of this research is its findings within “biological dark matter”. As Lincoln Stein, a member of the project’s steering committee explains, “The vast majority of work so far has been on the protein coding portion of the genome. That’s a mere 1%.” The non-coding segments of DNA (the

This research investigates "biological dark matter"

99%) have been described as “dark matter DNA” and has been an area of interest for modern geneticists, as the function of these regions is not understood. This study identified several genes within the biological dark matter that act as indicators for early onset cancer, which Stein believes will greatly help identify those with an early tumour. While this study does not allow for any immediate improvements to current cancer screening techniques, it provides a solid foundation for future work to build off of.

the number of tumours the study was based off

The study is the first to present a large-scale genomewide history of tumour evolution and provides key information regarding the timeline of tumour formation. A human’s DNA experiences billions of mutation throughout their lifetime, but only mutations in specific genes (such as genes involved in cell suicide) lead to the formation of cancerous tumours. One of the co-authors of the study, Clemency Jolly, describes the findings: “What’s extraordinary is how some of the genetic changes appear to have occurred many years before diagnosis, long before any other signs that a cancer may develop, and perhaps even in apparently normal tissue.” The study identified nine genes which account for half of the earliest mutations that lead to tumour formation, but do not lead to any immediate symptoms. This opens the door to screening for cancer-causing mutations through analysis of the cellfree DNA present within a patient’s urine.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

science culture

Human hibernation

Louise Elliott decides if we are programmed to sleep in winter

inter is hard, both on our mental health, our skin and our social lives. The short days and the usually miserable weather make even some of the most enjoyable tasks feel like a chore. This time of year, a lot of us want to just curl up in a duvet and ‘hibernate’. Surely this seems like a natural seasonal response? A study by Dr Thomas Wehr, a psychiatrist, artificially altered timings of darkness for participants to observe changes in sleeping pattern. This change of light was to mirror a ‘prehistoric night’ whereby the participants were deprived of any form of artificial light for 14 hours each ‘cycle’. The study found that a routine was appearing in the participants: after resting awake in bed for around 2 hours, they fell asleep. There were two ‘phases’ of sleep which were around 4 hours each with a couple of hours waking time between them. During the time awake, the hormones of the participants were significantly different to hormones that are usually found when you’re awake. One of the hormones elevated was prolactin, which is usually produced at high levels during breast-feeding. Prolactin has been linked to a reduced metabolic rate, stimulation of the immune system and stress reduction. This was perhaps reflected in the participants emotions as they reported that they felt reflective and calm during these periods of awakeness. This study demonstrated how seasonal changes in sun exposure could impact us and our sleeping patterns. With the early sunsets, it really does make the rest of the day significantly harder. I for one find these reduced daylight hours make me feel much more tired despite artificial light exposure. However, does this seasonal alteration in behaviour really relate to traditional hibernation? Hibernation is a seasonal Image: PickPic state for some animals where

Gorillas struck by lightning Gemisha Cheemungtoo discusses the fatal freak accident F our endangered mountain gorillas from Mgahinga National Park in Uganda were suspected to be electrocuted by lightning in early February. An international response team led by the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) found ‘gross lesions’ upon post-mortem, however confirmation of the cause of death will be determined in two to three weeks after a histopathology laboratory exam. The deceased gorillas comprised of three adult females, one of whom was pregnant, and one male infant. The other 13 surviving members of the family, named the Hirwa group, were in general good health and are continuing to be monitored by GTVC and its partners.

1000

the estimated population of mountain gorilla's worldwide

The mountain gorilla, one of two subspecies of the eastern gorilla, is estimated to have an overall population of 1000 in the world. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the habitat of one population of mountain gorillas. Mgahinga National Park, part of the Virunga massif spanning across Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to the other population.

The three females' potential contribution to the population was immense

Image: Flickr

the metabolic, heart and breathing rate, as well as body temperature, is reduced. Traditionally, hibernation is linked to long periods of ‘deep hibernation’ that can last for many months, but during this time there are short periods of increased metabolic activity restoring heart and breathing rates. Although the reason for this is unknown, it could be linked to immune system boosting. These periods of alteration in metabolic activity during hibernation could be synonymous to these short periods of time awake observed in the Wehr study. Although these changes in our sleeping patterns may not be classically defined as hibernation, these changes may have a positive and restorative effect on our physical and mental health like hibernation. Our commitments and deadlines unfortunately do not conform to the same decreasing activity levels during the winter months, making things particularly challenging at times. I personally have found that when the weather is particularly miserable, and getting to the library is not the most appealing prospect, having a good bright LED lamp at home can really make a difference in my focus and doesn’t cost a lot of money. On the bright side, the clocks will soon go forward and the days will be longer

In 2018, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) moved the mountain gorilla from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’ on its Red List of Threatened Species. However, the GVTC have called this incident a “big loss for the species”. Andrew Seguya, executive secretary of the GVTC, told the BBC: “The potential of the three females for their contribution to the population was immense.”

The preliminary cause of death was determined by post-mortem examination, field assessment observation and history. A Mgahinga Gorilla National Park tracker was reported by Gorilla Doctors to have heard the cries of surviving group members along with the sound of silverback gorillas beating their chest immediately after the lightning strike in the storm. It is likely that the electrical energy passed through the ground where it was struck directly by lightning and was absorbed by the four apes standing nearby.

The mountain gorilla moved from critically endangered to endangered

The report by Gorilla Doctors also states: “This case, while extreme, also highlights the fragility of the endangered mountain gorilla population.” Although the loss of the four mountain gorillas through fatal electrocution was a highly unlikely event, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which the National Park encompasses, is a common location for lightning to strike. Five out of the world’s ten lightning hotspots are within the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a study in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

the number of surviving members of the affected gorilla family

The long-term survival of the species is endangered by other more immediate threats. According to the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, mountain gorilla populations are most at threat by the loss of habitat, namely deforestation. The other two major reasons are poaching and close-contact exposure to viruses and illnesses which are innocuous to humans.

puzzles 35

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You thought I was gone? I’m never gone. I will always be Puzzles Dictator and Fleetwood Town manager on the side. You clowns have no idea what you’d be like without me.

Monday 24 February 2020

Puzzles Editor Emma Dawson

Solutions will be revealed in next week’s issue, available on campus from 2 March

MR TAYTO’S CROSSWORD 1

ACROSS

7 8 9

13 14

1. County in West Ireland (8) 5. Sport played on horseback (4) 7. US State, capital Montgomery (7) 8. Multicoloured gemstone (4) 9. Fluid found inside trees (3) 10. First letter of the Greek alphabet (5) 13. A group of musical notes, as a basis of harmony (5) 14. 2016 Carly Rae Jepsen song (3) 15. Animal representing the star sign Aries (3) 17. English royal dynasty which held the throne from 1485 until 1603 (5) 19. Orginisation responsible for space travel and research (4) 20. Female sheep (3) 21. Biblical garden (4) 22. Mixture of oats, dried fruit and nuts that is often eaten for breakfast (6)

#1403 SOLUTIONS 6 9 2 8 1 7 4 3 5

1 8 5 3 4 9 2 7 6

3 4 7 2 5 6 9 8 1

8 3 6 5 2 4 1 9 7

2 5 1 9 7 3 8 6 4

4 7 9 6 8 1 5 2 3

5 6 8 1 3 2 7 4 9

7 1 3 4 9 8 6 5 2

9 2 4 7 6 5 3 1 8

C H

O W

D N

N A Y

O W N

N F

E O

A D V E N T

U E

5 3 2 7 9 6 1 8 8

7 6 9 8

E S

1. Type of large water lily (5) 2. Propety based boardgame (8) 3. Sloping typeface (6) 4. Australian marsupial (5) 6. South American animal, similair to a camel (5) 11. Only landlocked South East Asian country (4) 12. Most abundant chemical element in the universe (8) 13. Shoes associated with The Netherlands (5) 16. - in Chelsea , British reality TV series (4) 17. - for Fears, 80s pop duo who sang Everybody wants to rule the world (5) 18. German car manafacturer (4)

A R

DOWN

SUDOKU

M D

The first person to find Editor-in-Chief Grace Dean with a completed copy of the crossword wins a mysterious prize from our puzzles drawer

3 1

4 3 6 2

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sport

Monday 24 February 2020

Barcelona baffle fans with bonkers Mart

Sport Editor Stanley Gilyead delves into Martin Braithwaite’s playing career to find out why Barcelona made him their emergency t Little more than 12 months ago Martin Braithwaite started in Middlesbrough’s 1-0 loss to Burton Albion at the Riverside Stadium. Next week he could be playing in front of almost 100000 people at the Nou Camp in the famous blue and purple of Barcelona.

A quirk in La Liga’s transfer rules and a slice of luck have enabled Braithwaite’s rise

The transformation in Braithwaite’s fortunes comes after one of the most extraordinary chains of events in recent sporting history, as injuries to Suarez and Dembele, a quirk in La Liga’s transfer rules and a large slice of luck have conspired to enable Braithwaite’s meteoric rise. The Danish international started out with Esbjerg fB in 2009. He scored 17 goals in 89 games for the club and helped them to a Danish Cup and Danish first division title before moving to French side Toulouse. He achieved moderate success with the club as he scored 35 goals over four seasons and helped them to a string of midtable finishes.

From there he moved to Teeside, where he endured a disappointing few years, failing to nail down a first team spot and only scoring eight goals. Languishing as a Championship backup striker at the age of 27 Braithwaite must have felt that his opportunity to play for a major club had passed, but that started to change when he fell out with ‘Boro boss Tony Pulis and left the club. After a couple of loan moves he departed for good last summer, joining La Liga side Leganés. Braithwaite enjoyed an upturn in form at the Madrid based side, he’s scored six goals and made two assists so far this season. Whilst the Dane has been praised for his performances he’s been nowhere near good enough to attract the interest of Barcelona under normal circumstances. The circumstance that led to his move, however, were far from normal. Barcelona were dealt a blow earlier in the season as Luis Suarez was ruled out due to injury. Their situation worsened earlier this month as Ousmane Dembele suffered a serious hamstring tear. The French striker had to undergo surgery and was ruled out for six months, leaving Barcelona with only two fit forward players. The severity of Dembele’s injury, however, meant Barcelona were handed a lifeline due to an unusual La Liga transfer rule not seen in any other major league. The law states that

if a club has a shortage of players in a certain position, and are willing to deregister a player who has a long term injury, they are allowed to sign a player outside of a transfer window, as long as they are either a free agent or play for another La Liga club. Despite the fact that Barca’s two available strikers were Messi and Griezmann they qualified for the rule and were granted approval to sign a striker.

The law states clubs are only allowed to sign a player outside of the transfer window if they are a free agent or play for another La Liga club

Looking to spend as little as possible on the replacement Barcelona’s attention turned to Braithwaite and last week they had a bid of £15m accepted. Braithwaite, who is surely as surprised as the rest of us, jumped at the opportunity and signed a three and a half year deal with the Catalan club. Whilst many see the story as a romantic one that gives all lower league players hope that their time may come, not everyone is

The Nou Camp will be Braithwaite’s new home ground Image: Instagram @_campnou

Time to tackle ‘vicious circle of underinvestment’ Elana Shapiro investigates the funding differences between men’s and women’s professional sport

All around Newcastle, the bars and pubs are teeming with people. With rugby fans, more specifically, drawn in by the six flags outside the doors; England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and France. The Six Nations is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the average match is watched by 8 million people and the total prize fund this year is a not insignificant £16,000,000. The winner of the tournament will receive £5,000,000 with an extra million added on just for competing in the Grand Slam. Of course, these lucrative figures refer

strictly to the men’s side of the competition. For the women, it is a very different story. There is no prize money.

The total prize fund for the men’s 6 Nations is £5m. For the women, there is no prize money

In the midst of Storm Ciara, last weekend, Wales Women played Ireland, and lost the

game 31-12. The second half was unfortunately overshadowed by torrential rain and powerful winds, as Ciara swept over the Energia Park in Donnybrook. In the post-match interviews, the players were visibly cold and soaked to their skin. The Welsh side were in no hurry to escape the rain and winds, however, by fleeing to their changing rooms, as it was cold showers that awaited them inside. Whilst Ireland Rugby has since apologised for the lack of hot water, the situation clearly demonstrates the often unfair treatment of women in rugby, and perhaps more broadly,

the treatment of women in sport. Of course, progress has been made in creating better opportunities for female athletes. In rugby, Australia have begun paying the same wage to their male and female players. World Rugby have rebranded the Rugby World Cup, removing ‘Men’s’ or ‘Women’s’ from the title. They call this, “the ultimate statement in equality”. In football, significant investment has been made into the women’s side of the game and into securing the future of the women’s game with the Wildcats programme, which offers free football coaching for girls aged 5-11 in a fun and girls-only environment. In addition, the WSL, the highest tier of English women’s football, has been made fully professional. Lewes FC are a pioneering club who have committed to total equality between their men’s and women’s team and so offer the same wage, regardless of gender. There are positive signs. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of people who argue that we cannot ask for men and women to be paid equally whilst men’s sport often brings in so much more revenue than women’s sport. There are of course exceptions to this. In 2015, the US women’s national football team earned $20,000,000 more in profit than the men’s team. However, perhaps worryingly, recent statistics show that women’s sports receive only 0.4% of total sponsorships. Catherine Spence, 63 time capped England rugby player, suggests that this is a result of a “vicious circle of underinvestment”. This point is also raised by WNBA player, Elena Delle Donne, who states, “we absolutely do not get promoted as our male counterparts do”, as a result, “a fanbase cannot be built”.

$20 million The Wales team in a huddle Image: Instagram @womenssixnations

The American women’s football team brought in this much more profit than their male counterparts last year

For women’s sports to generate more revenue and engage more fans, more investment must be made. This will help close the gap between the genders and allow female athletes the opportunities that they deserve to excel in professional sport.

Coronavirus

Rory Ewart reports on the vir

The Chinese GP has been cancelled Image: Flickr-emperornie

COVID-19, better known as the Coronavirus outbreak, has now infected over 70,000 people across not only Asia, but also the world as a whole. Saturday 15th brought the inevitable news that it had taken its first victim in Europe, a Chinese tourist who’d visited France from the Hubei region of China. These latest concerns now bring the reality of sporting events being cancelled or at least postponed for the foreseeable future. In total, so far, 18 different sports have seen events moved or wiped completely from their respective sporting calendars. Included in the high-profile fatality’s are both the Chinese Formula One and Sanya Formula E Grand Prix’s, both being likely to have attracted thousands of supporters from Asia and further afield. Multiple golfing LPGA events have also been completely cancelled in Thailand, Singapore and China, with European Tour competitions in China and Malaysia being postponed for the foreseeable future. A huge blow to the Asian sporting calendar is the forced moving of the annual Hong

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Monday 24 February 2020

tin Braithwaite transfer

transfer replacement due to a bizarre La Liga rule after a spell of striker injuries

happy with the move. Leganés had little choice but to allow Braithwaite to move after his release clause was met and director general Martin Ortega has been vocal in his condemnation of the move. “We cannot understand the current regulation that a club, having a long-term injury, can perform this operation unilaterally and transfer their problem to our club,” he said. “We consider that there is a regulation that is unfair, from which Barcelona has benefited. The one who is damaged by this is Leganes”.

Braithwaite’s former club, Leganes, had little choice but to allow him to move after his release clause was met

Whatever anyone’s view on the fairness of the regulation, what can’t be denied is that it has ended up providing us with one of the most unexpected stories of the season, as Braithwaite becomes quite possibly the first player to go from ‘Boro to Barca in little over a year.

Alex DansonBennett retires

Head of Sport Rebecca Johnson discusses the impact of concussion injuries on sports stars

Former Team GB gold-medallist, Alex Danson-Bennett, has announced her retirement from hockey after suffering from long-term concussion. The hockey star banged her head against a wall whilst on holiday and has since suffered long-term effects such as headaches, light sensitivity and speech loss. Despite the Tokyo Olympics being around the corner, Danson-Bennett has described the risk of playing as “too high” with the challenge of returning to play after the head injury being “too much”. The former captain has 306 caps to her name, with 116 goals under her belt after an 18-year playing career. Danson-Bennett’s head injury raises more concerns about how head injuries are treated, both on and off the field of play. This comes as there has been a lot of changes to various sport recently about how head injuries are dealt with, both at a professional and amateur level. Rugby and football associations have also introduced new regulations to deal with concussion. Cricket have recently introduced concussion substitutes. Over the summer when England played Australia at Lord’s, Steve

Smith was bowled by Jofra Archer, a ball which hit him on the head. After receiving a concussion test and resuming play, Smith woke up the following morning suffering dizzy spells and was pulled from the rest of the test, with Marnus Labuschagne replacing him as a concussion substitute.

Recently there have been great change in sporting regulations about how concussions are treated

Whilst Labuschagne was used as the first concussion substitute in test cricket ever, it still begs the question of why Smith wasn’t watched closer for these signs. Smith is a stubborn player who will want to carry on no matter what, but his health must take priority. As the issue of concussion continues to be a debate within sport, Danson-Bennett’s injury raises questions about how concussions are treated by sporting organisations outside of the playing field and how they look after their players.

us causes cancellations Hat-trick super-star Shah

irus’ impact in the sport world and for upcoming events

Kong Sevens rugby tournament, it typically takes place in April of each year, attracting thousands of rugby fans from across the globe to watch the shortened version of the classic 15-aside format of the game. Why have so many events been cancelled you may wonder? Simply put, governments from around the world are trying to contain the transit of people from in and around Eastern Asia, especially from China and

Included in the highprofile fatality’s are both the Chinese F1 and Sanya Formula E Grand Prix

more specifically the Wuhan region of the country, where the virus originates. This has meant that sporting events have had little choice but to postpone events due to safety fears for fans. This mirrors the action taken by nations worldwide, who have postponed all travel to the Wuhan region unless essential.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office have recommended “UK nationals to leave China where possible. If the situation continues to escalate the pressure on the Chinese health system may intensify, and it may also become harder for people to travel”. The outbreak of Coronavirus couldn’t have come at a worse time for organisers of the 2020 Olympics taking place in Tokyo, the first time the country has hosted the biggest sporting event in the world since 1964. At present, the cancelling of the prestigious event, meant to play host to 33 different sports, “has not been considered” according to the 2020 Games chief Toshiro Muto. This, despite multiple qualification events being postponed already for the main games itself. The NHS has advised that travellers arriving in the UK from countries including China, Japan and the Republic of Korea to stay alert to “symptoms of cough or fever”. If discovered, the person(s) should stay indoors, as if they have the flu, and inform NHS 111 of their recent travel from Eastern Asia.

Sesha Subramanian profiles cricket’s latest rising star from Pakistan Sixteen year old Naseem Shah became the youngest player ever to take a test match hattrick when he dismissed the Bangladeshi trio of Najmul Hossain, Taijul Islam and Mahmudullah during the first test between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Rawalpindi. He needed a review to get Najmul out legbefore-wicket before trapping Taijul LBW as well. On the hattrick delivery, Haris Sohail took a smart catch to get Mahmudullah out, with Shah becoming the youngest test hat trick-taker at the age of 16 years and 359 days. The previous record was held by another famous Pakistani cricketer Abdul Razzaq who achieved the record at 20 years of age against Sri Lanka in 2000. Born in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunwala, Shah is a right handed fast bowler who made his first class debut in September 2018 in the 2018-19 Quaid-e-Azam trophy. Since then, his rise to the top has been nothing short of phenomenal. In October 2019, the Pakistan Cricket Board named him as one of the six players to watch out for ahead of their 2018-19 National T20 Cup.

Taimur Khan spotted Shah, he described the teenager as “exceptional”

He made his full international debut against World Cup semi-finalists Australia in November 2019. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact as in the next test series against Sri Lanka, he took five wickets in the second innings of the final test to give Pakistan their first home test series win since 2006. He is also the second youngest cricketer to get a test 5-for. He was supposed to be part of the ICC under-19 World Cup team for Pakistan this year but the PCB withdrew him for “cricketing reasons”. There were some doubts about whether they were lying about his age but the board

clarified that the ages of all the players taking part had been verified and that given Shah’s calibre now as a full international, they felt he was better off not playing in the World Cup.

Shah is also the second youngest cricketer to get a

Taimur Khan, who spotted Shah at a camp in Peshawar told BBC Stumped presenter Alison Mitchell, “You know when he was with me in the national camp for the under 16’s, he was down to earth, quick learner and he was listening to all the senior players, always asking them for tips. He was very good in training, always on time and diet conscious at that age. That

made him an exceptional case.” Pakistan is not new to the trend of handing extremely young players an international debut. Hasan Raza for example, made his full international debut for the country in tests aged 14 years and 227 days against Zimbabwe. There have been many others from the nation as well including Mushtaq Mohammad, Aaquib Javed (who won the 1992 World Cup with Pakistan) and Aftab Baloch. While it remains to be seen if Shah’s early international start and success can translate into a long and fruitful career, the teenager looks like one of the best youngsters in the game.

Naseem Shah with his match ball and man of the match award Image: Instagram @therealpcb

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Monday 24 February 2020

Calamitous coppers cause bother down in Barnsley

Joe Molander ponders on the under-investigation incident which took place at Barnsley’s home clash with Sheffield Wednesday ing for horse charities). It should, of course, come as little surprise that papers are keen to report on something that provides shock value. There is a perception that the press is in service of a higher purpose – namely the public’s education, information and intellectual enrichment – and while it is able of fulfilling this purpose, it is still comprised of private corporations.

It comes as little surprise that the papers are keen to report on something that provides shock

Like almost all private corporations, media outlets are looking to maximise profits or revenue, which means they release content designed to get clicks or to shift papers. More surprising, then, is why they don’t report on another similar issue. Something that receives far less coverage is violence started or exacerbated by the police. The Hillsborough Disaster remains such a sensitive issue in part because of the police involvement in the ninety six deaths. They were seen to be caused in part by a large influx of fans into the stadium caused by the police decision to open a large exit gate, for example. Worse was the cover-up that came later to shield the police from blame.

The Hillsborough Disaster is a focus point over police tensions in football Image: Wikimedia

A 16 year-old boy suffered a head injury following police clashes after Barnsley played Sheffield Wednesday at home. The 1-1 draw inspired the ire of fans and authorities alike: in dramatic footage that has surfaced on social media, two fans are seen scrapping outside Barnsley bus station after the game. Then, a police officer runs into frame and slams his baton into one of their heads. Someone who claims to have been there

said on Facebook that the policeman “must have run 50 yards and had time to think about the situation. He could have quite easily hit him below the head, that was calculated [sic], he knew exactly what he was doing. I insisted to another copper that i [sic] wanted to report an assault and got told to go away”. Meanwhile, the Temporary Chief Superintendent for Barnsley and ‘Match Commander’ Sarah Poolman said that “our officers responded to disorder outside the

transport interchange. A full, open investigation, including extended video footage, will take place to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the actions which led to a 16-year-old boy sustaining a head injury from an officer’s baton, and an officer being assaulted, sustaining injuries to his stomach and head. The 16-year-old boy was taken to hospital by ambulance. The police officer also attended hospital. Both of their injuries are not life-threatening”.

The incident makes for an interesting point about the discourse surrounding football violence. The term ‘football hooliganism’ is usually used interchangeably, creating the idea that it’s the fans who initiate and are responsible for aggression. Everyone’s familiar with the Chelsea Headhunters, the fabled ‘English disease’ abroad, and – closer to home – the 2013 horse-punching episode in Newcastle (the next Newcastle-Sunderland derby, Sunderland fans lined up collect-

The relationship of fans and authorities can be testy at the best of times

This is the latest incident that points to the police as an aggravating or destabilising force in dealing with rowdy fans. The relationship between fans and authorities can be testy at the best of times: it seems a poor operational move to make things worse unnecessarily.

Caving Club rock up to Sunset Hole Newcastle University’s Caving Club report on their explorations and abseiling at Sunset Hole, an active cave located in the wet Yorkshire Dales David Keegan at Sunset Hole

We decided that given the wet conditions in the Dales, we would tackle Sunset Hole, an active cave that is passable in all but the worst conditions. Our small group, consisting of Jen, Yasmin, Joe, Jacob and I set off from a layby in Chapel Le Dale, and we reached the cave entrance on the flanks of Ingleborough after about 30 minutes walking. Heading down, the first few 100ms of the cave were pleasant walking passages, until we reached the first obstacles, a short abseil down a waterfall, followed by a traverse and another abseil. In the pool at the bottom of the second abseil, I stripped off my SRT kit, and the team continued.

Jen and Yasmin decided to take some time to admire the majestic waterfall and set themselves up in the emergency shelter

Shortly after, we split off, with most of the group continuing down the main passage, leading to an 18m abseil into the main chamber, while I attempted the bypass. What fol-

lowed was a short awkward crawl through a bedding plain, before I reached the squeeze; climbing up to the top of a rift I was then able to wriggle my way through an extremely tight, 4m long squeeze, before dropping back down on the other side. Continuing through the rift passage, I then found myself on a ledge 4m above the main chamber.

The first few 100m of the cave were pleasant walking passages, but then we had to abseil down a waterfall

Once the rest of the group had got to the main chamber, they were able to pass a ladder up, which I rigged to enable them to follow. At this stage, Jen and Yasmin decided to take some time to chill and admire the majestic waterfall in the final chamber, and set themselves up in the emergency shelter. Meanwhile Jacob, Joe and I continued into the extension series, a section of low fossil passage, before abseiling down another short drop and heading through the corkscrew, a tight twisting squeeze leading to an eerily silent final chamber. Having reached the end of the cave, we headed back out, with everyone going via the main route, and heading back to the Bradford Pothole Club for Dinner and rest.

Newcastle Caving Club run trips to the Yorkshire Dales Image: Pexels

the courier

sport

Monday 24 February 2020

For fans’ sake... let the storm win For Jamie Armstrong there must be change in how football handles extreme weather days in light of Storm Ciara

BUCS RESULTS BADMINTON

W1 v Bristol 1sts W2 v Nottingham 2nds

2-6 0-8

BASKETBALL

M1 v Bournemouth 1sts M2 v Durham 2nds M3 v York St John 1sts W1 v East London W2 v Durham 2nds

FENCING

M1 v Leeds 1sts

FOOTBALL

83-70 71-60 74-75 73-86 27-67 125-130

M2 v Northumbria 2nds M3 v Hull 3rds W1 v York 1sts W2 v York 2nds Wisbech’s ground was destroyed by the storm Image: @wisbechtown fc (Twitter) As VAR, vast transfer fees and overt commercialisation suck the soul and tradition out of football, games played in horrendous conditions on slide-tackle conducive pitches, seemingly offer a lifeline to the days before players wore gloves and dived. The good old days some might say.

Regardless of the romanticism of muddied warriors clattering into tackles...

However, the football authorities’ handling of Storm Ciara’s impact on the footballing calendar questions their regard of fans, play-

ers and quality of football. Giving fixtures as much time as possible before deciding whether to cancel them might make sense to some, but these decisions negatively impact fans and potentially players. Warnings from the police and the Environment Agency forecasted 80 mph winds over the weekend. This should have led to the FA and WSL enforcing blanket postponements for all fixtures to avoid any potential danger for travelling fans and teams. Ash Head, owner of Isthmian League side Lewes FC requested a blanket postponement but claims to have been ignored. The lack of advice from relevant associations led to clubs and fans travelling around the country for matches that were then postponed. This then caused fans and teams to make potentially dangerous return journeys as Storm Ciara

caused nationwide disruptions.

80mph

The maximum speed projected for Storm Ciara

Head told the Telegraph, “Villa travelled at least part way to Durham and Sheffield were headed to London to play Charlton. Those teams now need to get home in dangerous conditions. A flag from the FA on Saturday morning could have saved a lot of wasted time and potentially unrecoverable costs.” The fact that only the Women’s National League issued advice to clubs on Saturday, warning teams and fans not to travel represents the disregard modern football has for fans. The juggernaut nature of modern foot-

ball, seemingly means that the show must go on regardless of whether it is dangerous or financially detrimental for fans. Had games gone ahead during Storm Ciara the quality would have suffered. Regardless of the romanticism of muddied warriors clattering into tackles or wind-swept goalkeepers rolling around in swamp-like six-yard boxes, football should have evolved past this. Holding out for games in such conditions not only shows contempt for fans whose safety is compromised, but also for players who wouldn’t reap the physical benefits of a winter break after playing in a storm. However, given the unstoppable force of modern football, it can only be forecast that those in power will keep trying to force fixtures to happen regardless of the weather, or fans…or players.

Women’s T20 World Cup underway Down Under

Rebecca Johnson assesses each team’s chances in the seventh instalment of the T20 World Cup

The Women’s T20 World Cup got underway on Friday, with India taking a surprise win over hosts and tournament favourites, Australia.

Australia are tournament favourites, arguably being the best team in the world

This is the seventh World Cup played since the tournament was founded in 2009, and been run biannually since 2010. Australia have won four World Cups, with England having won the first one in 2009 and the West Indies winning one in 2018. After winning in the West Indies in 2018, Australia are on hosting duties with the tournament lasting seventeen days, with the final being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on International Women’s Day. Ten teams will be playing over the next couple of weeks, countries that include England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka. Thailand also made their tournament debut against the West Indies last Saturday. Australia are the tournament favourites, with a good track record and arguably the best team in the world. Their side is jampacked with big names in Aussie cricket such as captain Meg Lanning, wicket-keeper and batswoman, Alyssa Healy and, of course, the best all-rounder in the game, Ellyse

Perry, who recently won the prestigious Belinda Carlisle award at the Cricket Australia awards. However, despite this all-star line-up, the Aussies had a dreadful start in their efforts to retain the World Cup. India won by 17 runs to kick-start their campaign to win their first ever World Cup. Efforts from Alyssa Healy, who contributed 51 runs to the Australian score were no match for India. An unbeaten 49 from batswoman Deepti Sharma set India up for a solid 132-4. Poonam Yadav, got 4-19 as the Australians struggled to get off the mark and failed to reach the target, falling for 115 all out.

Furthermore, left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone has burst onto the scene and cemented herself firmly in England’s bowling line-up after taking a series of wickets in the tri-series against India and Australia and producing consistent results. Whatever the outcome, this edition of the World Cup promises to be a good one. With hosts Australia fazed at the first hurdle, other teams will be sure to pounce on their moment of weakness. Sides like India and the

HOCKEY

1-0 0-4 11-0 1-1 2-0

M1 Sheffield Hallam 1sts M2 v Leeds 2nds W1 v Leeds 2nds W2 v Sheffield 1sts

W/O Ncl 5-1 5-1 13-9

LACROSSE

NETBALL

1sts v Northumbria 1sts 2nds v Durham 2nds 3rds v Sheffield Hallam 2nds 4ths v Leeds Beckett 4ths

44-66 41-39 39-40 33-38

M1 v Notthingham 1sts M4 v Leeds 2nds M5 v Hull 2nds W1 v Bristol 1sts W2 v York St John 1sts

10-17 10-22 0-52 78-4 41-6

RUGBY

RUGBY LEAGUE

1sts v Bath 1sts 2nds v York St John 1sts

SQUASH

M1 v Oxford 1sts M2 v Sheffield 1sts M3 v Leeds 2nds W1 v Bristol 1sts W2 Leeds 2nds

TABLE TENNIS

78-4 41-6 0-5 0-5 0-3 5-0 1-4

M1 v UCL 1sts 6-10 M2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts 10-7 M3 v Liverpool 3rds 16-1 W1 v York 2nds Walkover Ncl

TENNIS

M1 v Cambridge 1sts M2 v Leeds Beckett 6ths W2 v Sheffield 1sts

6-0 1-5 1-5

M2 v Northumbria 1sts

3-15

VOLLEYBALL

M1 v Imperial 1sts W1 v Coventry 1sts

WATERPOLO

M2 v Sheffield Hallam 2nds

ROY KEANE’S QUOTE CORNER

Australia are favourites for the tournament Image: Instagram @ t20worldcup

2.5 v 3.5 2.5 v 3.5

M2 v Sheffield 2nds M3 v York 1sts M4 v Hull 2nds W3 v Leeds Beckett 2nds W4 v Leeds Beckett 3rds

ULTIMATE

How many T20 World Cups Australia have won since the tournament was established in 2009

A shock Australian defeat will be reassuring to the rest of the competitors, proving that the top-ranked side in the world are only human and are capable of being defeated. England will be hoping to make a serious impact on the tournament, after winning the 50 over World Cup in 2017, and to showcase some of the talent within the squad. They go into the World Cup under new coach, Lisa Keightley, who will be aiming to see her side progress well to the later stages of the tournament. England are a side who have a lot of talent. Captain Heather Knight excelled in Australia’s Big Bash tournament over the winter, scoring 282 runs for the Hobart Hurricanes.

West Indies shouldn’t be dismissed as serious challengers, and a strong New Zealand side will be sure to try and quietly sneak their way to the final. Further still, it will be interesting to see how debutants Thailand fare at the tournament and whether they can successfully hold their ground against some of the biggest teams in women’s cricket. Hopefully England can capitalise on their recent good form, and with a new coach, try out some new tactics to win the tournament.

GOLF

1sts v St Andrews 1sts 2nds v Leeds 1sts

0-3 3-3 1-2 2-1

3-0 3-1 4-13

Despite Manchester United not doing well at the moment, I haven’t headbutted anyone recently, which is pretty decent for me. Anyway, here’s your quote: “I only ever hit Roy (Keane) the once, he got up so I couldn’t have hit him very hard”Brian Clough

sport the courier

Monday 24 February 2020 Issue 1403 Free

@Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Head of Sport Rebecca Johnson Sport Editors Rory Ewart, Stan Gilyead, Toby Bryant & Tom Moorcroft

Busy BUCS Championships for PB-happy NUAXC Newcastle University Athletics and Cross-Country President Shona Haston reports on their recent indoor competition

The team all smiles after a weekend of running Image: NUAXC

Shona Haston at English Institute of Sport, Sheffield BUCS Nationals sees the top university athletes from across the country brought together for a weekend of tough competition in Sheffield. Incorporated was the Indoor Athletics Championships at the English Institute of Sport, the highlight of the indoor season for NUAXC. There was disappointment for crosscountry as the arrival of Storm Dennis caused yet another race to be cancelled with a waterlogged car park, but luckily there was no fields in sight for the athletics squad, just a nice tarmac car park and indoor track. The team travelled down on Friday 14th February, ready for the sprinters to kick off the first of three days of athletics. The 18-strong team provided great support for everyone, along with the rest of NUAXC watching on the live stream back in Newcastle.

Day 1

All of the recent block practice clearly paid off, with strong starts for Sophie Thorpe, Alice Nottingham, Daniel Mc-

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Coronavirus

Rory Ewart looks at the virus’ impacts on the sporting world Page 36-37

Coy and Becci Ousby in the 60m and 60m hurdles races. A standout performance for Will Seed in his 60m hurdles heat saw him progress through to the final later that day. Liam Reveley also ran an impressive race, narrowly missing out on joining Will in the final by just 0.01 seconds. The hurdles final came with some added drama as a false start wasn’t heard until the end of the race, meaning it had to be re-run straight after. Even so, Will managed to break the club record, finishing 6th in 8.56 seconds.

1:46:42

Strickland, Nottingham, Ousby and Malpass’ recordbreaking time

The first day also saw the 800m heats for Bradley Wilsher, Maddy Squires and Shona Haston, with all three running strong races. Bradley managed a sprint finish to edge into 5th in his heat, Maddy ran a PB in her heat and Shona won hers, gaining automatic qualification through to the semi-finals, in what was a very tactical race. A long first day at the track was rounded off well in the field events, with Becci throwing 8.86 metres in the shot put and Harrison Whitfield

comfortably qualifying for Sunday’s triple jump final.

Day 2

The team were up early again on the Saturday morning to get to the stadium for the 1500m heats. Jack Douglas held his own against a strong field, crossing the line in 4:19 for 5th in his race. Jeanclaude Doukrou, Will Seed, Emily Strickland and Hannah Malpass were racing the 400m next. All four ran strong races, with Jeanclaude getting a PB, Will qualifying for the semi-finals and both Emily and Hannah finising 3rd in their respective heats. Shona’s 800m semifinal was the faster of the two, pushing her on to run a 3 second PB in 2:14.59, breaking her own club record and putting her 8th fastest overall. Following was the highly anticipated mascot race, unfortunately without Newcastle’s mascot however, which had been left back up North. It would be a tough act to follow, but Liam Reveley managed, qualifying for the high jump final in just one jump. The long jump saw some inter-club rivalry between Luke Whittington and Sam Pooley, with Luke just getting the edge over Sam by 0.02 me-

Gender pay-gap

Elena Shapiro discusses the differences in prize money for men’s and women’s sport Page 36

tres. The final event of the day was the 4x200m relay heats. The men’s team (after a lot of deliberation) consisted of Will Seed, Daniel McCoy, Sam Pooley and Liam Reveley. They finished 4th in their heat in a time of 1:35.59, with Liam running comfortably under 23 seconds to claim the fastest leg time. The women’s 4x200m team of Emily

Day 3 Strickland, Alice Nottingham, Becci Ousby and Hannah Malpass ran a club record breaking time in 1:46.42 to finish 2nd in their heat, with both Hannah and Emily running sub-26 second splits. A couple of ice baths and a good night’s sleep later, and the team were ready to take on the final day of the competition, which kicked off with the 200m heats. Ryan Stacey made a brief appearance in Sheffield to race, along with Sophie and Alice. All three ran seasons best times, unfortunately resulting in a quick lactic-induced chunder for Sophie. Next up was Will (who had already ran five races over the course of the previous two days) in the 400m semifinals. He still managed to produce another

good run, finishing in 50.38 seconds. The rest of the day consisted of watching the many track and field finals which saw top athletes such as GB pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw competing. The finals also included NUAXC’s own Harrison in the triple jump and Liam in the high jump. Harrison finished 8th overall with a best jump of 13.71 metres. It was bittersweet for Liam, who finished 4th with 1.99 metres, just missing out on getting a coveted BUCS medal. A special thank you must go to the athlet-

A couple of ice baths later and the team were ready to take on the finals

ics captains, Emily Davis and Emily Strickland, for organising and supporting over the weekend, despite Davis being too injured to compete herself. The indoor season might be over for NUAXC, but there’s still plenty of competitions to be working hard for, with the outdoor season starting soon, and efforts focusing towards BUCS Outdoors in May.

Cave explorations David Keegan reports on the Caving Club’s adventures at Sunset Hole Page 38

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