www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 31 October 2016 Issue 1337 Free
HALLOWEEN PHOTOSHOOT 2016 p. 18
The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students
Est 1948
GAMING HYPE TRAIN ROYAL TV SOCIETY The lowdown on November’s gaming Coverage of their latest event: ‘Drones or line up, p. 30
Helicopters; Truth Or Lies?’, p. 28
Albion House student accomadation Image: Louise Hall
Student accomodation costs criticised By Chris Middleton
Judges at the inaugural Student Accommodation Awards have refused to pick a winner due to lack of affordable housing available for students. Property Week invited the 10-student judging panel from various universities across the country to choose the company that provided the best overall ‘student experience’. They were asked to judge a shortlist of student accommodation providers, but instead chose to criticise the entrants for “driving the social cleansing of education”. In an open letter to the organisers, the student judges were dismayed that “none of the entrants could demonstrate that they are meeting the urgent need of students to live in accommodation that will not force them into poverty”. The panel’s objection stems from a perceived gentrification of higher education in which poorer students are being priced out of potential opportunities. These high costs will inevitably disadvantage poorer students, who will either have to take a job alongside their studies, or not go to university in the first place.
The students, who had never met before, came to a unanimous decision and said that “most entrants price their cheapest rooms above the national average of £146 per week, and certainly above a level which student maintenance loans will reasonably cover. Many charge rents of more than £300 per week.” Student Accommodation providers are being accused of pursuing profit at the expense of student wellbeing. One company in particular rated shareholder satisfaction as more important than student satisfaction, and even boasted of £20 million revenues. Other criticisms outlined by the panel included very high administration fees as well as some entrants not being fully accessible for disabled students. “We are not satisfied knowing our student debt is lining the pockets of millionaire shareholders,” said the panel. The organisers of the Student Accommodation Awards responded to the students saying: “Our student judges have sent a clear message that the industry needs to do better. In light of this, we have taken the decision
to remove this category for this, our inaugural event, and review it for 2017.” According to a 2015 study published by the NUS, rent for university halls had increased by 18% over a two year period, to a nationwide average of £146 per week. Critics have argued that this
all’” and goes on to say that each type of housing will come “with its own potentially high price tag.” But this is no consolation to students who are living miles away from home in a brand new city. For students attending university outside of London, the national average cost of rent would require more than 90% of the maximum maintenance loan, dropping to 70% for students in London. But of course, the average for London alone would be much higher. There is a clear divide across the country in terms of median weekly rent with smaller towns like Stockton and Walsall coming in at less than £50 per week. On the opposite end of the scale, London boasts a median rent that is closer to £140. Students are big business for the real estate markets. Empiric Student Property regards students as a “robust asset class” that provides “stable yields” which “suffer less volatility than other real estate sectors”. The student accommodation market has grown rapidly over the last 10 years, and has performed better than all other
“The most expensive accommodation offered by Newcastle University is Albion House for £155.19 a week” has been due to an increase in privately owned halls of residence which now account for over 40% of the student halls market. For today’s students there is a wide range of term-time accommodation to choose from, from smaller and cheaper multi-cluster flats, to luxury studio apartments in the city centre. Ian Harrington, a building surveyor at Eddisons, argues that “student accommodation is not ‘one size fits
real estate markets. Total investment in student accommodation across the UK was £4.2 billion last year, but rather than making the market more competitive and driving down costs for students, the reverse seems to be happening. The maximum student maintenance loan that is available to students starting in 2016 is £8,200. The most expensive accommodation offered by Newcastle University is at Albion House for £155.19 a week. This accommodation is privately owned but is managed by NUstudenthomes, and the yearly cost will total £7936.86, leaving students £80 per term to spend on food and everything else. The most expensive student accommodation available in Newcastle costs a whopping £357.50 per week, which works out to £18,232.50 annually – more than twice the maximum maintenance loan. There should, of course, be a wide range of student accommodation across many price brackets. But when most students rely solely on their maintenance loan to pay for rent and everything else, it is understandably insulting that some companies will charge more than twice the maximum possible loan.
News
2.
thecourieronline.co.uk/news
NEWS
5 7
International community day
NUSU students in INTO Outreach scheme
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Deputy Editors Ollie Burton & Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson, Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall Kotryna Kairytė & Helena Vesty
Disability and Neurodiversity society launched on campus
COMMENT
11
UKIP: Nothing left to fight for
CULTURE
12 13 17 22 25 32
How to Halloween on a budget Blind Date:
Katherina and George
The Disability and Neurodiversity committee members Image: Errol Kerr
The Courier photoshoot:
Behind the scenes
Shade of England’s event
Album Review:
Walls Kings of Leon On this day:
Little Curly
By Isabel Sykes Newcastle University Disability and Neurodiversity Society is a new society for people who have a disability, are neurodiverse, or are carers for these groups. They are currently liked by 70 people on Facebook and are very close to being ratified by the Student Union. The group stresses that anybody who cares about someone with a disability or is simply interested in this topic are welcome to join, and are encouraging people to sign up through the NUSU website. Throughout the year they will be holding events to spread awareness of the issues surrounding these groups and encourage discussion. On the 28th of October, the founders of the society – Daniel Wood, Errol Kerr and Zoë Godden – spoke to blog project Verbal Remedy to give an insight into how the group started, what it
NUSU, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940
The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Just visit thecourieronline.co.uk/getinvolved for more information.
hopes to achieve and importantly, how people can get involved. When asked why they started the group, Errol said that his inspiration stemmed from “hate speech” and “slurs” used during the Brexit campaign this summer, followed by events such as the killings in Sagamihara. He saw a need for a “solid, representative body” for students who are disabled or neurodiverse, to form a strong community he said could have helped him with his own undergraduate experience. Verbal Remedy asked Daniel what kind of experience disabled and neurodiverse students have at university, and he pointed out the importance issue
that disabled students without much confidence can experience loneliness, and going out for social events is difficult due to problems such as inaccessibility. DaNSoc events are all going to be accessible for disabled students and at suitable timings, Daniel says, so that people who are “all in the same boat” can easily get together in a social environment. DaNSoc are aiming to change university life for disabled and neurodiverse students. Errol tells Verbal Remedy that at first the society is about bringing people in these communities together, but he says that “this is only the beginning”. DaNSoc plan on tackling some campus-wide
“Anybody who cares about someone with a disability or is simply interested in this topic are welcome to join”
Editor Jade Holroyd Deputy Editors Ollie Burton and Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall, Kotryna Kairytė and Helena Vesty Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad Corkett-Beirne and Sunil Nambiar Culture Editors Jack Oliver Parker and James McCoull Lifestyle Editors Ana Beretsos, Antonia Coleman-Harvey, Ruth Loeffler and Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward Fashion Editors Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins and Zofia Zwieglinska Beauty Editors Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent and Miranda Stoner Arts Editors Johnathan Hastings, Meg Holtom, Tamsin Rees Film Editors Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden and Simon Ramshaw Music Editors Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj and Ben Grundy TV Editors Luke Acton, Dominic Corrigan and Alison Scurfield Science Editors Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer and Ciara Ritson-Courtney Gaming Editors Errol Kerr, Jared Moore and Jordan Oloman Sports Editors Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin and James Sproston
issues surrounding disability in the future once members feel comfortable talking as a group, and for the moment they hope their society can be “confidence-building” for people both in and out of university life. As part of their endeavour, on Friday the 28th of October DaNSOc teamed up with Mind the Gap – Mental Health Society to discuss how having a disability can affect students’ mental health, and about the consideration of mental health problems as disabilities in themselves. If you missed the discussion, check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with upcoming events. It seems that the Disability and Neurodiversity Society have had a very positive response from students so far, but they are eager for more people to get involved. If you’re interested in joining this society you can sign up on the NUSU website, or for more information like their Facebook page and follow their Twitter and Instagram.
The Courier is printed by: Print and Digital Associates, Fernleigh House, 10 Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE3 0DA. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.
The Courier
news .3
Monday 31 October 2016
#Melanie’sMissionToLive By Valentina Egorova
Newcastle University graduate, Melanie Hartshorn, who has been bed-ridden for the past two years, hopes her appeal for help will be heard. Melanie, 26-year-old from Cramlington, Northumberland, needs to raise £150,000 to undergo surgery in the US that can save her life. The former Newcastle Un ive rs it y student suffers from a rare Ehlers Danlos syndrome that causes her joints to dislocate, including the spine, neck and skull. The UK surgeons lack experience of performing the complex and delicate neurosurgeries on patients, who have as complicated condition as Melanie does. Melanie explained: “It’s a collagen defect, collagen is like the body’s ‘glue’, but mine is like chewing gum - I have very stretchy skin, and ligaments.” “My skull is the biggest problem currently as it’s slipping out of joint and compressing my brain stem. “This causes a host of neurological issues from paralysis to agonising headaches and dangerous seizures. “My neck instability is called Cranio cervical instability, and it’s deteriorating rapidly. “I now have to wear a rigid neck brace day and night, and even lifting my head off the pillow triggers it to slip out of joint. She added:“I’m bed bound and catheterised as it has affected my bladder now too, and I am loosing the feeling in my
arms as time goes on.” Melanie has to take fentanyl and ketamine to ease the intractable pains and keeps home oxygen within reach. After realising that UK doctors will not be able to help, young woman launched the “Melanie’s Mission campaign” that she hopes would pay for fusing the skull to the neck and preventing it from slipping out of joint. So far the campaign has raised £15,750. Melanie said that it would be “amazing if the students could do some fundraising”. The former Newcastle University student told the Courier that her Biology lecturer, Mark Whittingham has held two sponsored runs raising £732 online. Before completing the run along the Tyne Green to Warden&Fourstones he published an online statement: “I am a slow ginger runner. “I recently found that Melanie - a former student, who endured my statistics teaching at Newcastle University - was very ill. “I remembered Melanie as one of those students, who made teaching enjoyable (clever, witty, engaged with peers and staff ). “I am doing this to raise funds for #MelaniesMission.” Whittigham added that without having the funding for the surgery Melanie “will die”. Earlier this October, Melanie’s disability support advisor, Christine Summerley along other members of the Disability Team at Newcastle University raised over £1,400 by partaking in a Zip Wire off the Tyne Bridge. The Hartshorn family are currently in
“This summer Melanie graduated from Newcastle University completing a Biology degree, for the most part studying from home”
Melanie Hartshorn on her Graduation day Image: ODN
desperate need of a carer - most care agencies have refused to take on Melanie’s case on the grounds that their staff cannot do it. Melanie commented: “My needs are too “complex.” Melanie told the Courier that her mum, Molly, has to work as her sole “Carer 24/7” in a bid to save the daughter’s life. “My godmother helps my mum to shower me as we have no carers to help and gives my mum a break, when I’m in
hospital so she can nip home for a sleep and a shower.” Melanie has her niece’s support, Katiya, to pull through the emotionally and physically difficult time. She said: “My niece, who attended graduation with me - 4year old - is what keeps me going and gives me a reason to smile on the darkest of days, when I feel like giving up.” This summer Melanie graduated from Newcastle University completing a Biol-
ogy degree, for the most part studying from home. The university made the necessary arrangements for Melanie attending the graduation on the stretcher. She said: “I loved Uni - especially, when I was in a wheelchair and attended full time.” For those, who are wishing to donate or help in any way, visit: www.gofundme. com/melanie-s-mission or facebook. com/melanies.mission.eds.
ficer said: ’‘The campaign is super simple but it’s often the most simple things that are the most effective. “You Want It, We Got It is an easy way to get your voice heard and see action. The ‘Sabb’ team really do care a lot about student feedback.’’ Sophie Matthews, the Athletic Union Officer remarked: ‘‘It does what it says on the tin’’. Amid growing concerns for Newcastle
Taylor said students should unite under the banner hoisted by his premiership. In an effort to sculpt a fresh bedrock of political philosophy at the university, Taylor said: ‘‘ I think this campaign is a great way to try and make some on the ground, relevant changes that students want to see. “I personally found as a student that there were often small changes I wanted to see, but I just needed someone to look into it for me. “I really do think this campaign is the vehicle to do that.’’ Known as Motion 302 to the political elite of the university, the policy will include the layering of responses. This means that some of the suggestions will be taken on after a brief review, while others will be debated in the Student Council. As an incentive for participation, Taylor will donate two iPads to the authors of two proposition picked at random. The deadline for ideas is December 9. If there are any changes that you want to see in your Students’ Union, University or Community, visit the official website for the campaign and leave your feedback at: www.nusu.co.uk/wegotit.
You want it? The Sabbatical team got it By Cameron Charters Newcastle Students’ Union’ campaign ‘You want it, We got it!’ has replaced ‘Change one thing’ that was run during previous semesters. The radical change to university life comes on a tide of uncertainty and political turmoil. The aim of ‘You Want it, We Got it!’ is too scoop up a multitude of suggestions made by students and implement them. Spearheaded by Jack Taylor - President of Newcastle University Student’s Union - the yearlong scheme will encompass the entirety of Newcastle University’s Student Body. The strategy comes as the university is set to experience the first year outside of the National Union of Students (NUS) since voting to leave last term. Taylor said: “ ‘You Want It, We Got It!’ is a new feedback campaign designed to make the changes that students want to see either in their Union, University or Community.’ Taylor has secured the support of the five other NUSU Sabbatical officers. Rebecca Walker, the Student Activities Of-
“You Want It, We Got It! is a new feedback campaign designed to make the changes that students want to see either in their Union, University or Community”
Jack Taylor, NUSU President Image: Newcastle University Students’ Union
University’s prominence on the national stage, the Student Union President, has decided to turn to the internal affairs to solidify the student movement in Newcastle. It has been reported that some students now fear that Newcastle University is to face a period of isolation in a barren wilderness. To avoid it, however,
Pho Offi
4. news
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
University mental health support falls under criticism By Jaymelouise Hudspith Last week the UK’s Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) thinktank published a report on the rise in student mental health issues urging universities to take action and increase funding in this area. The upsurge in student’s mental health has significantly increased over the years - 8 out of 10 students (78%) said they had experienced mental health issues during the last year. A survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) in 2015 also revealed that 33% of polled students admitted having suicidal thoughts. The 2016 Unite survey found that among students, who had strongly considered dropping out of higher education: 46% reported feeling down or depressed; and 43% - feeling isolated or lonely. Newcastle University was ranked 25th out of 30 surveyed universities, with a score of 46.99% for student satisfaction with the university’s mental health services. Newcastle received a ranking of 29th for finance and 18th for outreach, according to a 2016 survey posted by The Tab, in co-operating with the Sunday Times and the Young Minds campaign. PR officer for Mind the Gap society, Saffron Kershaw-Mew said:“That is a saddening, yet not a surprising result. I have heard a plethora of horror stories concerning schools choosing not to acknowledge PEC applications, outrageously long waiting lists for wellbeing services, people being turned away for counselling, compassionless personal tutors, who have not received training for pastoral assistance for students and therefore have no idea what to do when
their tutees are in times of psychological crisis.” The student wellbeing service at Newcastle university aims to support students’ emotional needs and general wellbeing. They offer face-to-face assistance aiming to see students within five working days of first contact and online therapy. An average number of assessment appointments per week is 40. Students receive six sessions per academic year with a counsellor or therapist and can be advised to see a GP or psychologist instead. Alternatively, the Student Wellbeing team offer a group session, ‘Butterflies and Knots – how to cope with anxiety’ to help identify and determine, where insecurities manifest themselves and work with resources to relieve those tensions. HEPI claims that the pressures put on students increase the likelihood of experiencing some form of mental health. Whether that be the pressure of no longer having a support system of close friends and family – contributing to isolation and loneliness - an attempt to peruse perfectionism or financial aspects. The rise in living costs and tuition fees is causing more and more anxieties among students. NUS reported that 63% of students were worried about finances; and 33% were considering work that may affect their mental and physical wellbeing, such as night shifts. Newcastle University provides a student financial support team that provides assistance and information regarding eligibility criteria, how to apply for funding, money management, bursary eligibility, applications and general student finance matters such as student banking, council tax or help with health
costs and TV licensing. Newcastle University’s marginalised gender’s officer, Saffron Kershaw-Mew said: “When it boils down to it, university is an emotionally challenging time for most students – it is a change in lifestyle, scenery and routine. “For those who suffer from pre-existing mental health conditions, the change is amplified tenfold. Newcastle University needs to step up its game in terms of mental health support, if only to ensure our students feel comfortable and able to approach pastoral workers when they require assistance.” NUSU’s Welfare and Equality Officer, Rachael Kitching commented: “Given the increase in student numbers and student fees, welfare resources will face increased strain if greater funding is not afforded to the wellbeing service. I am working closely with Sally Ingram, Head of Student Wellbeing, as she undertakes a review of the counselling service in the university, to ensure that positive change is made. “I’ll be consulting with students to realise the effects of these changes. It’s also important that students are given more options in where to go for support, in recognition that not all students suffering from mental health difficulties will take that first and vital step in asking for counselling, sometimes due to personal withdrawal, but also because attitudes towards mental health vary massively cross-culturally. In recognition of this, there should be mental health support not only in university and social clubs and societies, but also within the schools.”
Mind the Gap at the NUSU Mental Health Conference in April 2016 Image: Mind the Gap society
University develops new revolutionary stroke device By Liam Carson A revolutionary device has been developed by neuroscientists at Newcastle University, which is hoped will help stoke patients to regain control of their hands. The device, similar to the size of a mobile phone, functions by sending a succession of electrical shocks to the affected area in order to improve damaged spinal and brain connections. The patient will also be able to wear the device and an extended use of the device could lead to a significant recovery of a patient. If a person has a stroke, it can destroy the main connection between the brain and spinal cord. The new device has shown in tests on primates that, following a stroke, the body can adapt and find other pathways, and could lead to a recovery. The discovery has caused shockwaves across the world of medical research, even momentarily stunning the innovators leading the development of the device. The Professor of Movement Neuroscience at Newcastle University, Stuart Baker, said: “We were astonished to find that a small electric shock and the sound of had a click had the potential to change the brain’s connections.” Stroke survivors have to endure the, often lifelong, effects of a stroke with simply the hope of medical research producing breakthroughs, such as this, which could considerably improve their quality of life. The potential of this research has already given cause for optimism among
stroke survivors, such as Chris Blower, 30, a third year Biomedical Science student at Newcastle University. Chris was only a child at the tender age of seven when he had a stroke and suffered the immediate effect of paralysis of his right-hand side, which triggered slurred speech and an inability to move unaided. Though Chris has recovered from the instantaneous effects of his stroke, he now experiences much more persisting effects; the slow and limited movement of his right arm and leg. When asked about the impact of Professor Stuart Baker’s research, Chris said: “(Professor Baker’s work) gives me a lot of hope for stroke survivors. “My wrist and fingers pull in, closing my hand into a fist, but with the device Professor Baker is proposing my brain could be re-taught to use my muscles and pull back, opening my hand out.” In order to alleviate the long-term effects of his stroke, doctors have proposed many treatments for Chris, including Botox injections and surgery, however it was the new new technological treatment being tested by Professor Baker, which Chris favoured. Chris said, “Professor Baker’s electrical stimulations is certainly a more appealing option, to me, as it seems to be a permanent solution that would not require an operation on my arm.” The new device will now be put to the test in a clinical trial following a successful trial using primates and healthy human subjects. The trial will involve 150 stroke patients in an attempt to see the full effects of the device in improving hand and arm control.
The Courier
news .5
Monday 31 October 2016
Newcastle ranked in top 100 Settling in to Toon Best Student Cities in the world life: International By Emily Keliher
Newcastle came 67th in the worldwide QS Best Student Cities rankings - eighth out of UK cities. The survey ranks the world’s urban destinations for international students based on five categories, which include employer activity, desirability and affordability. Up from the previous years, when Newcastle failed to get a place in the rankings, this time The Toon has been praised as a “diverse, vibrant and welcoming” student city, and awarded with the 16th place for the size and diversity
of the student community. Specific shout-outs went to our award winning architectural structures such as the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and the “thriving cultural hub” of the Quayside. The regional dialect also got a special mention with the love for Geordies being truly international. Newcastle came in 58th for desirability, and a respectable 60th for affordability that was calculated by comparing the cost of a Big Mac across the board - it is $4.51 in Newcastle. “It is easy to see on any night out why Newcastle has scored so high”, said third-year Nutrition student, Cecilia
Grundy. “It is such a diverse and friendly city, and I truly believe we are the coolest students in the country, and probably in the world.” Both Newcastle and Northumbria were noted for being “among the world’s best” universities, though largely overshadowed by Durham University that was praised for being 61st in the world. London, Manchester, Nottingham, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Coventry all beat Newcastle in the table. London came in the top five, amongst other sizeable cities such as Paris, Melbourne, Tokyo and Sydney.
community day By Xinran Zhang
Newcastle’s international community day will be taking place on Wednesday 2nd of November at the civic centre, aiming to help the newly arrived international students to fit in better in their new home city. The event involves numerous local organisations and individuals who will be promoting many different volunteering and community involvement opportunities in the city, as well as the social and leisure attractions around Newcastle. International community day is an annual event in the city, collaboratively held by Newcastle University, Newcastle city council and International Newcastle. Despite the fact that Britain has just voted to exit EU and the Conservative Party is now proposing tougher immigration policies, but the city of Newcastle still remains a welcoming place for international students. Last year’s event began with the lord mayor giving an official welcome speech to those who had just moved into the city. This was followed by a number of presentations and interactive sessions throughout the day. Previous participants have described the event to have ‘a great atmosphere”. Chinese architecture student, Shelley Xiong, who attended last year’s international day, says she specifically enjoyed a session named ‘learn to speak Geordie like a local.’ “After that session, I finally understand
what local people are saying!” She said, “This event helped me a lot in terms of settling down in Newcastle.” It would definitely worth going to the civic centre next month if you are interested in learning some local phrases. Not limited to language sessions, the event also provides information regarding community volunteering and work opportunities. As an international student who has been studying in the UK for 3 years, I have found that these chances are some of the best ways to integrate into a new environment. It enables you to make friends with the locals as well as getting involved in what is going on in the city. Many international students come to the UK with the intention of staying in the country to seek employment. However, with Britain’s vote to leave the EU, new Prime Minister, Theresa May is strongly in support for tougher visa and immigration policies. If these proposals, which were raised in the 2016 Conservative Party conference, are implemented, the competition in the employment market for international students would become ever more intense. In order to stay ahead in this competition, getting familiar with the local community is said to be very useful for further personal development and would potentially increase success in the job application process. Tickets to the event are now available online.
“This event helped me a lot in terms of settling down in Newcastle”
The Tyne Bridge Image: Elvin, Flicker
Renewed focus on tackling hate crimes at UK universities By Toby Bryant Earlier this month, University UK published a document that advised vicechancellors and staff of Universities to take actions against hate crimes focusing, in particular, on anti-Semitism. The research reports on a general positive experience on campus with a “relatively low number of reported incidents”, which also seems to be the main problem with the “concern that students are not coming forward”. Universities across the country are being prompted to improve ways for anti-Semitic attacks to be reported and to train staff to deal with them. Jessica Brand, President of the Jewish Society, admitted that she “does not know anyone who has experienced anti-Semitism on campus”, but accepted it did exist and pointed to a “lack of knowledge and awareness of Judaism” at the university as a root cause. She added: “At Freshers’ Fair sometimes people would walk past, laugh, or give a funny look of confusion”. But Brand thought it was not the students’ fault but rather “a lack of interaction with Jewish people” and unawareness of Judaism. In an attempt to enlighten students, the Jewish society has been organising events – Holocaust Memorial Day will be held in January. The recent report has a very similar format to one conducted in 2014 by a group of cross-party MPs that focused on anti-Semitism on a national level. That investigation was
prompted by a rise in racist incidents during the Israel-Gaza war of July and August 2014. The 2014 report forced police to access the national data - in March 2015 the National Police Chief ’s Council agreed to share the hate crime data with the
At Newcastle University, students are encouraged to come forward, when they feel they have become victims of an attack. The University offers a reporting scheme, which is headed up by the Casework Team (casework@ncl.acl.uk), while the Press Office encourages students to report “all formal complaints, including those related to harassment and racial equality.” The university tries to solve a problem within the school, service or area concerned, if unsuccessfully, a complaints form is submitted with supporting evidence and appropriate action taken. A formal review can be requested if there has been a “procedural irregularity on the part of the Authorised Person, Complaints Officer, Complaint Adjudicator or Complaint Committee”. Alternatively, Newcastle Students’ Union runs the “It’s Not Ok” reporting scheme, which “encourages students to come forward with any bullying, harassment or discrimination they have faced.” Welfare and Equality Officer, Rachael Kitching said: “At NUSU we have a zero tolerance policy to discrimination and hate crime. “As part of the “It’s Not Ok” campaign we introduced an online reporting system for harassment and discrimination and survivors can enter a complaint either named or anonymously. “Even if the report is anonymous, the data will aid police intelligence to help us improve the safety of our student campus.”
“Even if the report is anonymous, the data will aid police intelligence, the data will aid police intelligence to help us improve the safety of our student us” Jewish and Muslim communal bodies to aid in understanding of offences. The 2014 research also suggested increasing funding for security in the Jewish state schools. It was followed by David Cameron’s announcement of £11.9 million going to funding for Jewish communal security in 2015. University UK expects to get a similar response this time round. The 2016 report by University UK happened amidst fears that anti-Semitism could once again be on the rise given the intense media scrutiny that Jeremy Corbyn’s labour party had come under this year. The party leader had to deal with a number of high-profile accusations including Lord Mitchell’s one, a longstanding Jewish politician in the party, who attacked Corbyn for allowing anti-Semitism to “fester at the highest level of our party”.
International Flags Image: Penn State, Flickr
6.news
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Lunch Time music returns to Kings Hall By Kotryna Kairyte News Editor After a yearlong refurbishment, Lunch Time concerts organised by the International Centre for Music Studies (ICMuS) come back to King’s Hall, Armstrong Building this season. The new programme began on Thursday 27th of October when Prince Bishops Brass performed a selection of music by English composers. Student performances followed after this with a start time at 4pm where three performances too place: a 3rd year guy band (cello, guitars), young female pianist and a four people band (saxsophone, keys, guitar and drums). The young talents had a chance to showcase their latest work and share it with their peers - King’s Hall was nearly pack with people interested in listening to the concert. Professor Eric Cross, Dean of Cultural Affairs, Newcastle University said: “After a great year at Brunswick Methodist Church, we’re delighted to be back at the newly-refurbished King’s Hall with a varied programme of Lunchtime Concerts.” These performances will offer an opportunity for music students to showcase work in progress on a public plat-
form and for the students to see their peers’ progress. Mr Cross also promised: “As ever, there will be an exciting and diverse range of music, covering a variety of genres so there’s something for everyone.” Newcastle-based folk group Pons Aelius will be among the highlights of the new season. Formed in 2014, the six-piece band is made up of graduates from the Folk and Traditional Music degree at Newcastle University. The group won a prestigious Danny Kyle Award at the 2015 Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow. Also featured in the new programme will be mezzo soprano Stephanie Marshall and pianist Somi Kim who will perform works by Schubert, Fauré and Michael Head on Thursday 17th of November. After making her debut at the Royal Opera House, Stephanie went on to become a company principal at English National Opera. Lunchtime Concerts start at 1.10pm and student performances start at 4.00pm. All are free and open to the public. The free lunchtime concerts are made possible largely due to the contributions made by members of the audience.
“There will be an exciting and diverse range of music covering a variety of genres”
Students performing at King’s Hall Image: Kotryna Kairyte
The Courier
news .7
Monday 31 October 2016
Four Corners will transform photography By Meera Vaidya Open Lab, collaborating with the World Press Photo Foundation in Amsterdam and the International Centre for Photography in New York has now developed a ground-breaking technology called Four Corners, which will transform photojournalism by providing context to images. Four Corners, powered by Authograph, is being described as the biggest step forward for photography since the caption is being demonstrated in New York at a symposium of industry leaders. With the idea first presented in 2004 at World Press Photo by the Dean of ICP School for a simple tool that would be used as a standard template to gather the context of a picture and ensure its accuracy, the idea remained undeveloped until October 2015. It is seen to be very useful and user friendly when looking at articles containing images. These images have symbols in each of the corners. The bottom left contains the backstory, the bottom right, the copy right details, the top right links for further study and top left to see the previous and next pictures taken.
One can also use it on their mobile phones while reading the news. The information about the photo drops down and is divided into sections like details about the photographer, the story, further images, locations and even the technical details from camera model to
tograph: the photographer, the subject and the audience. Keeping this in mind, they have let the audience engage directly with the subject that the photographer has captured and authored. Tom Bartindale, also a researcher at Open Lab, added: “Giving journalists the chance to contextualise their images gives readers a richer understanding of the story. We want users to be able to contribute their own content and know where the information is coming from.” While Four Corners has already been released and is available as a free and open source download, Four Corners Plus will be releasing in 2017. It will allow readers to add their perspectives and share audio and video footage. Newcastle University is home to the Open Lab, a Human Computer Interaction research group established in 2008 and led by Patrick Olivier. Their work revolves around unbiquitous computing and the experience-centred design of digital technology and the applied challenges within this area.
“It enables photographers to include much more contextual information with their pictures which readers can use to explore the story” the aperture for the photography enthusiast. Jonathan Worth, a researcher at Open Lab, described Four Corners as “a great authoring tool.” “It enables photographers to include much more contextual information with their pictures which readers can use to explore the story,” he explains. Open Lab has recognized the three important stakeholders in every pho-
Image: Daniela Dawson Flicker
NUSU helps students venture INTO schools By Errol Kerr Into Schools works as an outreach scheme to allow students to utilise their university or society experience whilst involved with their old schools – or locally based schools – to expand the knowledge of students in the North East from Year 5, up to Year 13. Into Schools holds the belief that each society and student has their own unique interests, methods of communication, capabilities, and something they are able to bring to these conversations. Hence, Into Schools encourages students and societies to get involved with their program, pitch in ideas and gain NUSU support through this. This support can come in the form of training, transport, event planning and coordination, and creation of event materials. On the NUSU website, Into Schools indicates that their aims are to “inspire the next generation of Newcastle University students whilst also equipping our current students with important graduate level skills”. Indeed, Into Schools achieved considerable success in the last academic year (20152016), with 180 students completing outreach work in schools and community groups, which NUSU states that the student knowledge reached over 2,400 young people. Certain societies, such as the Teddy Bear Hospital, NUCATS and Sexpression, are focused primarily on getting involved with schools. Teddy Bear Hospital works to educate children on hygiene, dentistry and healthy life skills. Last year they hosted a free health fun
day for children at the centre for life. NUCATS teaches advanced coding and computer science to the next generation and Sexpression combats the lack of sexual education across schooling. In addition to these examples, other societies have also pitched ideas towards NUSU and have conducted events with schools through the union, including Mind The Gap, Newcastle University’s mental health society. Mind The Gap runs a series of mental health awareness sessions for Key Stage 3 to 5 students. Their mental health awareness program uses i nt e r a c t i v e one-hour workshops in order to examine mental illness at a young age, helping to combat the stigma throughout education and beyond. Alongside this, NUSU Into Schools also runs a ‘widening access’ scheme, to change the North East’s incredibly low youth participation rate into higher education. This program focuses on targeting working class children, children in the care system, as well as those with disabilities or those who are BAME (British. Black, Asian, and minority ethnic.) All of these projects are easily accessible, and it is possible to contribute or set up your own project for underrepresented people via the NUSU website, either through joining a society involved with Into Schools or submitting your own idea for an Into Schools mission.
“Into Schools indicates that their aims are to inspire the next generation of Newcastle University students whilst also equipping our current students with important graduate level skills”
Teddy Bear Hospital teaches youngsters about health Image: Debbie Preston
news .9
What’s on Campaigns
Housing Week Monday 31st October A chance to learn the ins and outs of renting in the private sector. Look out for the giant ‘House of Horrors’ this Halloween and take part in one of the information sessions aimed at giving you all of the tools you need to have a stress free move in. Full program coming soon.
S.H.A.G Week (Sexual Health and Guidance) Monday 14th November Take part in the annual STI testing Competition with the chance to win £250 for your club or society. Come along to one of the information stalls or workshops including ‘Body Image’ and ‘A Little Respect’. Full program coming soon.
Give It A Go Ice Hockey Wednesday 2nd November Meet outside the Hatton Gallery, beside Northern Stage, NUSU £2.00 per person Did you know that Ice Hockey is often regarded as the national sport of Canada? Come and join us for a session of Ice Hockey that is sure to be an experience to remember. This session is suitable for those who have never tried the sport before, or those who have a limited proficiency in the sport. So what are you waiting for, get your mates together and book on this fantastic session!
Chinese language class Wednesday 2nd November Language Resource Centre, Old Library Building, Newcastle University £5.00 per person Have you always longed to try learning Chinese but never got round to it? Now is your chance to get started! Come and have a free taster class for complete beginners at the Language Resource Centre. You’ll learn useful words and phrases with a native Chinese speaker.
Taekwando Wednesday 2nd November Multi A, Newcastle University Sports Centre FREE It has been an Olympic sport since 1992 and is characterised by its head height kicks. Are you up for this challenge? Our Taekwondo session is perfect for beginners or those who have a limited ability in the sport. Why not grab some friends and try out this relatively new, but hugely popular Korean martial art?
Badminton Sunday 6th November Eldon Leisure Centre, High Friars, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE17XY £2.00 per person Notable by its racquet type and iconic shuttlecocks, Badminton has its origins in British India. Join us for some friendly games to let off steam, relax or simply play with your friends. It’s casual, fun and completely chilled. We can think of no better way to relax after a hard week at university! To book onto one of the Give It A Go activities and to browse the full programme, go to: www.nusu.co.uk/getinvolved/giveitago.
10.
Comment
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad CorkettBeirne & Sunil Nambiar courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Comment
Syria: Is military intervention needed?
The war-torn country is a hotbed of conflict and any move is precious, but when people are dying must the US intervene? Thomas Hussey says
I
YES
t is monumentally clear that Assad will never wllingly negotiate away his power and Russia will never fully cooperate with the US. The coalition of the two simply has no incentive to make concessions within the interests of the West. Russia, ruling out any plans for a new ceasefire in Aleppo, clarified the September ceasefires were a mere façade to please the international community. The targeted bombing of civilian areas, UN aid vehicles, un-armed ‘White Helmet’ volunteers and even hospitals cannot be tolerated. It’s time for the US and its allies to act more assertively in Syria. Forget about negotiation – it’s pointless. So, what should the US and its allies do? The first option is obvious, and not very militaristic: send more armed UN aid convoys to stricken areas, especially Aleppo and under their protection create openings for civilians to flee. An alternative option is making aggressive but strategic diplomatic moves; expulsion of Russian diplomats in the countries that oppose Assad’s regime, as well as cutting off trade with Russia, could prove effective.
“We absolutely need to step away from this collective fear of upsetting Russia” This may seem like an idealistic concept but, with the correct execution this idea could work. However, on the flipside these measures could have adverse effects. There is no easy answer but some form of diplomatic action is important. Another option is directly a military one in the creation of ‘Safe Zones’. These are areas in which fighting forces in the conflict are militarialy
prevented from entering. These proved highly successful in Kurdish regions of Iraq during the First Gulf War, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. If forces of ISIS, the Free Syrian Army,
or Assad’s government attempt to enter they would have to be engaged in combat. Interestingly, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton supports the concept of Safe Zones. Many object to the idea, arguing that Safe Zones merely lead to further military intervention. For example, if a Russian jet flies over a Safe Zone, is it shot down? Is it ignored? These are all questions that must be considered with this concept. Yet, deliberating Safe Zones are a step in the right direction. We absolutely need to step away from this collective fear of upsetting Russia. It would do no justice to the millions affected by the atrocities committed by the coalition to do nothing when we have the means to do so much. Step back and ask yourself, how can we sit there and do nothing? How much blood must be shed to justify intervention? How much horror must take place before people wake up and realise this war in Syria is unjustified violence, bypassing all international law – these are crimes against humanity and failing to act now would be a crime in itself. I call on the USA to begin.
T
he United States has long seen itself as ‘the policeman of the world’. Often, with seemingly good intentions, its military holds no qualms about wading into foreign conflicts. Let’s think for a moment about America’s role in the Afghanistan conflict. Whilst they succeeded in a sense, replacing the Taliban’s grip with the the elected President Hamid Karzai, the war itself left millions dead, infrastructure ruined, and intense instability within the country. In recent years, resentment has fuelled the Taliban insurgency. Meanwhile, Iraq has been weakened in a similar conflict, setting the stage for ISIS. Successful interventions? Overall, a resounding no. Yet, it seems the US may be insistent in acting the same way in Syria. Convinced that it is acting for the greater good, it has no real tactics other than airstrikes against IS. An extreme solution, airstrikes can only ever have broad rather than specific targets. By bombing towns that are IS strongholds, the US puts innocent civilians caught up in the conflict at fatal risk. Civilian causalties are completely inevtaible with bombings. As a result, entire families are having their entire lives torn apart by the country that is supposed to be helping them. A lack of coherent planning is causing civilians to die whilst oppressors continue to terrorise their country. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that the US should sit back and do nothing. But, fighting fire with fire is not the solution. The US needs to adopt a means of defeating IS that takes into account the
Caitlin Disken says
NO
everyday people. It needs to be actively working with its allies to make sure the people most at risk can seek refuge in safer countries. It needs a long-term plan that will not leave a power vacuum in Syria. We have seen how deadly, with ISIS, that is. It needs to ensure that it doesn’t create a new generation of Syrians who resent the US for inadvertently ripping apart their lives.
“Entire families are having their entire lives ripped apart by the country that is supposed to be helping them” All this is possible – but the US has ignored this for the ‘easy’ solution.There never will be a right answer about how to defeat ISIS. The Syrian conflict is so complex a web of allies and enemies that it would not be possible to act in the best interests of all involved. However, the US is ignoring the cries of innocent people – and, are perhaps more intent on the blind bombing of beautiful towns and cities. These resources could be put into saving people and de-escalating conflict.
“Fighting fire with fire is not the solution”
Humanitarian aid, training of moderate rebels, helping civilians seek refuge, ending a cycle of poverty and terrorism, thinking for the long-term. This is what the US should really be doing, instead of wasting time, money, and lives on a solution that has been proven throughout history to only fuel more ruin.
Wear sunglasses, speak freely
Sophie Chapman backs Gary Liniker’s refugee defence on Twitter and discusses possible damage to BBC’s reputation
G
ary Lineker, a sports broadcaster and retired footballer, isn’t entitled to voice his own persoanal opinions on social media. Or at least, that’s what the Sun newspaper is telling us. The tabloid called for Linekar to be sacked by the BBC after he tweeted ‘the treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist.’ Despite gaining plaudits and over 13,500 retweets, Lineker’s Twitter account was also inundated with abuse. A campaign for his dismissal as a host of Match of the Day quickly gained momentum, particularly with the backing, unsurprisingly, of UKIP officials.
“The Sun manipulated Linekar’s words, accusing him of proclaiming that the UK was full of racist people” The reasoning behind The Sun’s remarks were that Lineker should not be allowed to use his fame to voice his ‘emotive and controversial views.’
Granted, some people argue that celebrities do not use their fame for the right reasons. When one attempts to do so but they are greeted with such animosity then why would they bother in the first place? There is nothing wrong with celebrities using their profile to address serious issues. The problem lies with the press twisting and manipulating words, which is the case here. The Sun accused Lineker of sitting in his ivory tower and proclaiming that the UK was full of racist people. How they reached that conclusion completely and utterly baffles me. Despite many people jumping to Linekar’s defence, the BBC presenter has encountered abuse and excuses from people motivated by prejudice, yet still concerned about schools, housing, and jobs. There is an intense debate burning over the best way to approach the migrant crisis. With contrasting opinions being bandied around, one individual should not be targeted and victimised by the press simply for expressing a bit of compassion. The same thing happened to Lily Allen after she was criticised by the press for visiting the Jungle camp in Calais and apologising to a 13-year-old
Afghan boy on behalf of the UK for the situation that he is in. Obviiously, the discussion surrounding the migrant crisis has become poisoned, meaning that having any opinion on the matter is an open invitation for heated debates and criticism. Relatedly, a question of ethics has arisen over whether BBC employees are obliged to remain neutral or are they allowed to express their own opinions? Do they have an obligation to tow the party line? There have been many attacks on the BBC’s ability to remain neutral, with those on one side of the fence brandishing them as being liberal. Those on the other side of the fence, meanwhile, claim that the BBC has a right-wing bias. One Conservative MP referred to Lineker as a political activist, destroying any notion of neutrality that the BBC claim to represent. However, the BBC has been savvy in their approach to the situation, defending Lineker by explaining that he is a freelance employee and therefore has the ability to express his own personal opinions which will not be of any detriment to the organisation. The damage caused to the BBC’s reputation as a result will be minimal, although the situation has
raised awareness of how much their employees can sit on the fence without letting their personal opinions be known. We can expect that this will spark further debate on how much public figures working for neutral organisations should speak about their opinions. I, for one, see no problem with Liniker making his voice be heard on the migrant crisis.
“The BBC has been savvy in their approach to the situation, defending Liniker by explaining he is a freelance employee” Gary Lineker, famous but loved for his quiet, uncontroversial nature as a footballer seems to have caused quite the buzz off the pitch by being compassionate to vulnerable people. I suppose there are worse things you could get in trouble for.
The Courier
comment .11
Monday 31 October 2016
Turing Bill is too little, too late SOAPBOX COMMENT’S HOME OF WEEKLY RANTS
Tamsin Daisy Rees argues pardoning those convicted of being gay doesn’t heal wounds
L
ast week our Tory government put forward the ‘Alan Turing Bill’. The intention is to pardon gay people historically targeted and charged as criminals by the government for their sexuality. After a load of pointless parliamentary faff, it’s finally been passed, but it still does far too little. Yes, gay and bisexual men convicted for consensual same-sex relationships, before homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales in 1967, will be pardoned posthumously, as well as around 15,000 men still alive. This has only come about as a result of decades of campaigning, and, as many have commented, it is effectively an apology from the
have increased with a direct correlation to the austerity cuts made to services. LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to experience mental health problems, and make up an inordinate 24% of
“Make access to mental health services and shelters for LGBTQ+ people available, and just have a care for the most vulnerable in our society”
youth homelessness. This same government that has effectively made a (reluctant) public apology to all men convicted of consensual same-sex relations, are deliberately and systematically destroying LGBTQ+ communities. So Theresa May is allegedly “committed” to this legislation? Well, thanks Theresa, thats swell. If we could also have your committed support to remain in the EU, make access to mental health services and shelters for LGBTQ+ people available, and just have a care for the most vulnerable in our society... well that would be great too. Why the EU? Let us not forget Brexit, Brexshit, Bregrexit. A monumentally stupid power play instigated by David Cameron which has not only fucked over our futures for the unforeseeable future, but as we have seen has also disturbingly fuelled LGBTQ hate crime. So; how dare this Tory government hijack and utilise this bill as a way of demonstrating how very much they care about the LGBTQ+ community. I do not have a problem, inherently, with the bill. I am very much pleased it has been passed, as it should have done decades ago. Nonetheless, it does nothing to viscerally improve the lives of many gay people and will likely be used by this Tory government as an ‘example victory’ for our community. We need apologies; but we also need actual, physical support and services. Is that too much to ask?
“We need apologies; but we also need actual, physical support and services”
government. However, let’s not thank the Conservatives for doing the bare minimum after all these years. Like with every momentous event in 2016 I would be incredibly reluctant to string up the balloons just yet. Yes, it is a victory, but a hollow one, and I remain sceptical. There are so many unsettling (and unsettled) issues with this bill that we can hardly allow the Tories to take the least bit of credit just yet. I would firstly point out how arbitrary it all is: It will only pardon men who apply to the Home Office to have their conviction ‘disregarded’ and their criminal records then deleted. Secondly, it’s 2016 - almost 50 years after homosexuality was decriminalised and only now is there recognition those convicted did nothing wrong. This itself highlights the inherent homophobia and prejudice the government is riddled with. In my eyes, the government is using this bill as a distraction, and a dangerous one. I am worried that they will use this bill as a way to gloss over and overlook current LGBTQ+ issues. Over recent years, mental illness and homelessness incidentally
UKIP: Nothing left to fight for Post-Brexit, the party has nothing to unify it and keep it alive, writes Benjamin Eckford
U
KIP is dead. Time of death: 24 June 2016. As the sun rose that morning on a country that had voted to leave the EU, people were slow to realise that UKIP had died with that eventful night. Some still haven’t realised this yet, and are trying to prop up the corpse and make it speak, but UKIP’s 24-year crusade to leave the EU was its lifeblood. The factionalism we are now seeing is symptomatic of a party robbed of its raison d’etre. The party is now irrelevant. When UKIP was created in 1992, its founder and leader was Alan Sked, a professor at the London School of Economics. Sked regarded himself as a moderate liberal and centrist who simply wanted out of the EU. He resigned as leader in 1997 and left the party, citing growing factionalism and the rise of far-right influence in the party. Sound familiar? Another founding member from 1992 began to rise to prominence. Elected as an MEP for South East England in 1999, his name was Nigel Paul Farage. His new strategy of simple populist messages, endlessly repeated ad nauseum, ground down the establishment’s resistance to a referendum. He won. His task complete, he retired, and bitter factionalism immediately broke out.
“UKIP finally achieved their unifying purpose. Leaving the EU was the one policy they could all agree on”
Thatcherites, libertarians, social conservatives, splits over immigration, devolution and LGBT+ rights are now coming to the fore in a crowded seven-way contest; it’s second leadership battle in two months after the 18-day reign of Diane James. Partisan manoeuvring by the National Executive
Committee (NEC) leaves a divided inheritance for the next leader. UKIP finally achieved their unifying purpose. Leaving the EU was the one policy they could all agree on. Now, they have nothing to contribute to the national conversation on any other subject because they cannot agree on what their stance will be. On issues of health, education, transport, welfare, civil liberties, devolution, climate change and the environment – UKIP have nothing to say and nothing to contribute, and largely they don’t care. For most UKIP members, they got involved in politics in general, and the party in particular, solely motivated by a desire to leave the EU. There, their interest in politics ends. This was best exemplified by the leaders’ debate last year – Farage linked every single issue back to membership of the EU, because that’s all he and his party were interested in. Now this crowning issue appears dealt with, Theresa May has stolen UKIP’s image as a party of the radical right. On 16 September, the Guardian reported that Alexandra Phillips - a former aide to Farage - was defecting to the Conservatives. She was joining what she described as a mass exodus. May has adopted a harder line on the EU and immigration, robbing UKIP of much of its voting support, along with its political elite. By pitching a broad tent, the Tory party is swallowing up UKIP and robbing it of relevance. Only the twin influences of Farage, a hugely popular leader for the movement, and the common aim of leaving the EU were capable of holding this fractious group of people together. UKIP had a
marketable frontman, and a shared anti-EU and anti-immigration position that was politcially speaking unique among parties anywhere near the mainstream. Now, Farage is set to retire, perhaps sensing the end of his movement. Its aim has been achieved, and its fire has been suffocated. What remains of UKIP? We see seven competing vultures, beady eyes scanning each other closely, ready to attack if they must. There’s not much meat left on the bone now. Those seven redbeaked birds are merely picking over a corpse.
HISTORY UNDER ATTACK
E
Timothy Lewthwaite
arlier this year the Independent warned that, due to austerity, Northern England was at risk of becoming a “cultural wasteland”. Such phrases sound hyperbolic, conjuring dramatic images of violent destruction. The cultural sabotage the article describes is actually much more insidious: the mass closure of museums and other public treasures because of funding cuts to local government. The closure of Jarrow’s Anglo-Saxon Bede’s World or West Cumbria’s new coalmining museum may seem trivial but our access to cultural heritage, our very history, is being undermined by a careless Tory Government hell-bent on rolling back the state. The areas where this negligence is hitting hardest are communities with struggling education and high levels of poverty; they have little means of resistance to the Government’s austerity agenda.
GENDER DISTRACTIONS
W
Alexandra Sadler
e’ve never been closer in history to having a female President of the United States. Unfortunately, some people are busy taking issue with the fact that Hillary Clinton is female. Of all things to be concerned about - racial issues, environmental issues, election fraud and so on - why does the gender of a prospective President matter more than their policies? I understand that being this close to having a woman in the White House is historic. However, I don’t think that people should be fixated on her gender nearly as much as they are. It’s demeaning to Hillary, and to other women in promoting the idea that the only appealing or important thing about her presidential run is the fact that she’s a woman. From paid family and medical leave to fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, and tackling energy poverty, to closing the education achievement gap - there’s so much more going on. Placing her gender at the forefront of her campaign continues to undermine the gender parity that she’s fighting for.
GREEN-ISH PASTURES
T
Emma Kate Bancroft
he next person who uses the phrase ‘it’s alright for some’ when I tell them that I’m doing a year abroad and studying in France, Spain and Italy ought to reconsider their statement. Sounds exotic… Exciting… Adventurous…? It’s not exotic unless you think that the fact that many Frenchmen do indeed walk around wearing berets and carrying baguettes with a fag hanging out of their mouth is exotic. Its really not exciting unless you count arguing in the Orange shop about phone contracts as an exhilarating experience. It’s certainly not adventurous, because by the time you’ve spent all day frying your brain by studying in another language, you’re so knackered that the most adventure you can muster is cooking your food fresh instead of eating your dinner out of a packet. Imagine settling into university for the first time - three more times than most people - in a language that isn’t your own. So the next time somebody tells you that they’re doing a year abroad, please don’t make it out like they are swanning around France drinking wine, sunbathing in Spain drinking sangria or riding around in Italian gondolas eating pizza.
Culture
12.
thecourieronline.co.uk/culture
Rant of the Week:
My personal Hell(oween)
Halloween is just too much for Charlotte Winspear
Culture Editors: James McCoull & Jack Oliver Parker Sections: Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, Arts, Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Science courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk | @CourierOnline
Sarah Davies goes beyond spice lattes with some spooky recipe ideas on how to make the most out of Halloween, while Ciara Clarke demonstrates how to carve pumpkins like a true pumpkin legend The Perfect Carved Pumpkin
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Classic winter warmer! Chop one whole pumpkin into chunks, coat in oil, cover with foil and roast in the oven until the pumpkin is soft (about 45 mins). Scoop out the flesh and puree. Fry an onion and garlic with a sprinkling of Cajun spice/curry powder and salt and pepper in a deep pan. Add a litre of chicken stock and add the pumpkin puree, add a dash of cream and simmer for 10 mins.
H
Pumpkin Pie:
“The 31st of October is nothing but a night of false hope and fallacies”
An American tribute! Chop one whole pumpkin into chunks, cover with foil and roast in the oven until the pumpkin is soft. Once cool puree until smooth. In a bowl mix the pumpkin, 1 tin of evaporated milk, 1 egg & 3 yolks, 5 oz brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp of Chinese five spice & 1 tsp of ginger. Pour into a ready-made pastry case or simply on top of crushed digestive biscuits. Bake in the oven for 30 mins at 180c (there should be still a wobble in the middle).
Problem number one – costumes. The pinnacle of Halloween. From what I have learnt, Halloween costumes can go one of two ways: a sexy cat or a pumpkin. To quote mean girls “in girl’s world, Halloween is the one night a year girls can dress like a total slut and no other girl can say anything about it”. It becomes ironic that each year I spend more and more money on costumes for the outfit to consist of barely any material. With this comes the problem of makeup. For months in advance I watch countless number of video tutorial to achieve the most gruesome, goriest special effect makeup, to end up in a club full of half-hearted cats and bunnies. Not only is it difficult to apply, it is even harder to remove it after the night has endednot to mention the arduous task of trying to get fake blood stains out of EVERYTHING.
Not only is Halloween a disastrous night, but it appears that Halloween starts earlier and earlier every year. Summer ends, and for some reason, this subsequently means that Halloween has begun. Which means it is near impossible to walk into a supermarket or local shop without there being a massive mannequin which scares the shit out of you when you walk near it since its usually accompanied with an unnecessary spooky ringtone. Why on Halloween does it suddenly become socially acceptable to scare random strangers? On what other occasion would it be allowed to chase a stranger down the street with a faux chainsaw? Halloween is not just starting earlier, but it’s also becoming increasingly scarier, especially with this year’s latest craze - clowns. You have no idea whether they are going to squirt you with a plastic flower or kill you in your sleep. I think it’s time Halloween returned to its true origin: an excuse for children to dress as cutesy ghosts and bats and parade round the neighbourhood for free sweets, on this I also think it should be illegal for anyone above the age of 11 to go trick or treating- just because you are hidden under a sheet (in a pathetic attempt to look like a ghost) does not mean that I cannot see that you are basically old enough to be my grandad (okay maybe not but you get the idea). To conclude, Halloween is a holiday for kids- and that is how it should stay.
The Courier
Smashing Pumpkins
alloween. One word which has the potential to send children everywhere in to a frantic state of screams and cheers, and rightly so - what kind of child loathes over the thought of free sweets? So, do I hate Halloween? No - however, do I love Halloween? Definitely not. If you had asked this question 8 years ago, I would have jumped for joy at the thought of knocking on stranger’s doors whilst parading round in a DIY bin liner contraption. However, the past couple of years have taught me that the 31st October is nothing but a night of false hope, fallacies and plenty of misconceptions.
“I spend more and more money on costumes for the outfit to consist of barely any material”
Monday 31 October 2016
Toasted Pumpkin seeds
If you are not the biggest pumpkin fan, roasting the seeds can be a great way to get the most out of carving a pumpkin this Halloween. Pop the seeds into a bowl of water and separate from the flesh. Dry with kitchen paper and roast in the oven at 170c for 40 mins. For a savory finish: toss in a splash oil and top with salt and pepper and bake in the oven again until golden brown. Or for a sweeter touch, toss with a little sugar and cinnamon and bake until golden. (Make sure they do not burn!)
What you’ll need: -Metal spoons and a sharp knife- spoons for scooping and knives for carving. You can also buy a carving kit from the supermarket if you wish. -Newspapers - it makes things so much easier to clean up. -Black marker pen -Kitchen Roll -One candle- battery operated candles work -Some Halloween tunes (see the Music section fro some solid recommendations - ed.) -An extra pair of hands! Get your flatmates involved - the more the merrier! And of course: -One Pumpkin! Pumpkin 1: 1.Get set up- newspapers down and tools at the ready let’s get started! 2.Draw your design (including the lid). Be sure to make it big as it will seem smaller once you begin carving. You want some spirals for the eyes and a wibbly mouth. The crazier the shapes the better. Go wild! 3. Cut out the lid at the top of your pumpkin 4. Scoop out the pumpkin filling with your spoons (save it for some pumpkin pie if you’re feeling like Mary Berry). Be sure to dry off the inside of the pumpkin with kitchen roll to get rid of any excess. 5.Cut out the eyes and mouth using your knife. (make sure to cut a small hole in your lid for the smoke of the candle) 6.Clean up! You’re done - all set for Halloween! Pumpkin 2: 1.Follow steps 1-4 from the previous pumpkin. 2.To get the glowing through the pumpkin effect, don’t put your knife all the way through. Carve in small stages if you have to just so you leave a layer of pumpkin to get the eery glowing effect. Use spoons to smooth any uneven areas. 3.Clean up and you’re good to go Final Step! Put in your candle and enjoy your Halloween!
How to treat your bank balance Victoria Affleck shares ideas on how to get spooky without scaring your bank balance completely
T
here are countless ways to decorate your halls or house this Halloween; being at university doesn’t mean you can’t still be a big kid and relive your younger years – fully immerse yourself in the American tradition and throw a party. You might as well go big or go home as they say, whilst keeping a tight rein on the budget! There are a number of ways to add some eeriness to your homes, by being ultra-creative and making your own decorations, or buying cheap décor from shops – which ultimately is definitely going to give you the fear factor!
“With as little as a few pieces of paper, and a pair or scissors you could have yourself a scary Halloween decoration”
The key to good Halloween décor is pumpkins – and lots of them. Halloween is focussed primarily around pumpkins; not only for décor, but to eat and make something appetising – and they’re fairly cheap too. You can grab them for as cheap as £1 in major supermarkets. Currently in Tesco you can
get 2 large pumpkin’s for just £3! They are incredibly easy to carve into scary (or pretty, whatever takes your fancy) designs, and they can make your home look very festive and autumnal. One way you could spruce up your home for Halloween is by making decorations yourself if you’re feeling particularly creative. With as little as a few pieces of paper, a pair of scissors and a pen you could have yourself a scary Halloween decoration. For example, you could cut out bat shapes or ghosts and stick them to your walls, doors or the windows of your home, or even create them from leftover egg cartons. There are various printable templates you can get online which do the job, taking up very little time or effort. Alternatively, you could create your own bunting with coloured paper and print out/draw pictures to place onto them, or create banners reading “beware” or “keep out”. Another option is buying decorations – there are a large number of cheap decorations out on the shelves ready for Halloween right now to make your home look very mysterious to your guests! Major retailers such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco have many decorations available to buy, although the most cost-effective ones for students can be found
at Poundland and Wilko. Here you can buy glow in the dark balloons, Halloween bunting, floating ghosts, skulls and skeletons in varying sizes and large spiders for your housemates and guests to jump-out-of-their-skin to, for prices as little as £5, allowing you to make your home feel very Halloween-y, without breaking too much into the student loan!
“Major retailers such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco have many decorations available to buy”
Despite the fact these decorations can help to bring your home to life (or Wthe afterlife…), fairy lights are arguably the most important for helping to set the eerie ambiance for your home. You could put fairy lights inside pumpkin’s for example, or hang them everywhere to create light, yet creating a dim light that creates a supernatural feel – perfect for those Halloween pre’s or parties!
The Courier
.13
Monday 31October 2016
Katherina Bruh, 3rd Year Architecture meets George Naylor, 3rd Year History
Katherina on George First question, where did you go? We went to 97 and social, or 85 and social? I don’t know I’ve never been there before. He chose, but I said he definitely couldn’t choose Bar Loco because the last two people have been there. He didn’t even know what Bar Loco was though, so it’s probably a good thing. Maybe we should just tell everyone to go to Bar Loco, make it an even playing field... What was your first thought when you met George? It was weird, a group of guys came in at the same time so I didn’t even realise it was him until he stopped in front of me… I was on the phone to my friend so I had a bit of an awkward hellogoodbye-hello again situation. So you didn’t Facebook stalk him or anything? I couldn’t, you only gave me his first name! George is the only thing I had and there’s quite a lot of Georges. That didn’t stop the girl last week… That was so sneaky… I wanted it to keep mine as a blind date! Apparently one of his friends stalked me and gave him the okay sign. I was actually in Digi last week and a girl turned round to me and said ‘You’re going on a date with George!’ I was like ‘Who are you?’- it turns out she was a friend of his. What do you think he thought about you? A short Asian girl? Pretty standard assumptions to make. Did you talk about anything interesting? We talked about loads of things… mainly how he thinks his parents love his dogs more than him, which was interesting, but quite heart breaking. He knows a lot more about Disney and Dreamworks and Pixar than I do. Are you interested in that kind of thing? Not to the same degree as him, apparently! Interesting you were talking about dogs earlier… if George was a dog what would he be? Jack Russell! He’s quite a normal little guy, but he’s got a lot of energy behind him. Did it matter that he was quite a little guy? Hahaha no not at all, as long as he was taller than me I’m happy. That’s the good thing about being short, everyone is taller than you! Did you fancy him at all? (long pause) I think he’s got a really nice… personality Wow… I know that sounds like a cop out, but he did! I’m gonna guess you didn’t kiss then. No, sorry! Disappointing… are you going to see him again? I don’t think so? I’ll probably run into him on a night out, that’d be nice. As friends? As friends, because honestly we had a really good time, it was really funny. Most of the time we were just parring each other off and having a laugh, and exclaiming about how stupid the situation was. Its not the most natural of situations… Weirdly it did feel really natural! I didn’t expect him to be as friendly as he was Do you think he fancied you? Maybe… But I don’t think so. Did he fulfil your hopes and dreams about the date? He made me feel so comfortable, and that’s all I cared about. It’s the first date I’ve been on that’s not within a relationship, so as first dates go it was good. I’d give it a good rating. If you had to put a number on that rating what would you give him? A 7.5. A good sturdy 7.5. Wonderful… Cheers Katherina!
George on Katherina Okay, first thing’s first; what did you think of Kat when you met her? (Long pause) Oh dear, I hate interviews, this is going to look really bad isn’t it? But saying ‘oh she was nice’ is really boring. She was wearing all black, black coat, black leggings I think. Where did you go on the date? We went to 97 social just for drinks though, not a meal. I was drinking pints all night. We did it in rounds like I got the first and the third - because I’m a gent obviously - and she got the second. She was drinking beer too. Whose idea was 97 social? Mine. I’d never been before either but I thought, I’m the guy I need to take charge and organise the whole thing. Did you stalk her before meeting her? We only gave you each others’ numbers but did you refrain from Facebook? I actually didn’t. But my friends somehow found her profile through Jade so they knew more than me. How did you know who to find in the bar then? We said we’ll meet in a specific place and then it’s quite obvious. That’s quite scary, were you nervous? No. I don’t get nervous on dates, I’m pretty good really... unless I’m being interviewed like right now. She said she was nervous at the start but didn’t really seem it. What did you talk about on the date? Well what didn’t we talk about! All small talk though, not like past boyfriends or anything. She was really nice and chatty so there wasn’t really any awkward silences which was great. Conversation kept flowing which was a relief. How long were you there for? Umm... like two and a half hours? It was good. Okay so it’s all sounding promising, how did the date end? Well I walked her home and there was a hug. Did you not kiss? No, no I don’t kiss on the first date. Are you still texting? Will there be a second date? We’re still texting but no plans as of yet. Maybe though, in the future. Has this experience made you want to do another blind date? (Laughs) Maybe, not straight away though, that would be weird. Okay, last question, if Kat was an animal what would she be? Okay we talked about this on the date because we knew it would come up. Damn, I can’t remember what we said but we tried to make it really boring. I’ll say an Asian animal, a panda? She’s half Singaporean although that’s a stretch because I know pandas are Chinese. It’s not just because she’s Asian though, it’s because we were talking about her Asian flush. Okay, last question I promise! How would you rate her out of 10? Okay I don’t rate girls on how they look or anything, but I’ll rate the date as a whole as a 6.9. Thanks George!
Fancy a date? We’ll set you up. Contact us! Send an email to c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
14.lifestyle
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Lifestyle Editors: Ruth Loeffler, Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward, Antonia Coleman-Harvey & Ana Beretsos
Eat4LessVs. KFC Amanda Yap debates which bargain busting lunchtime lifesaver is best
H
ave you ever stopped to reflect on how fortunate you are to be studying in Newcastle? I’m not preaching from an international student perspective. I am referring to simple pleasures like the ease of buying food when you’re between classes being in a university city, and at an affordable price too! Imagine if you were studying in London, meal deals as good as this would be few and far between. Hence, I present to you Newcastle’s favourite lunch time student dealios: KFC & Eat4less.
“KFC is continuously improving on their fried chicken range”
What would we do without our weekly Kentucky Fried Chicken? When KFC opened its doors for the first time earlier this year on Northumberland Street, the lines were incredibly long, from dawn till dusk. What makes it even more popular on a Tuesday is the 9 pieces for £5.99! The most value-for-money deal right at your doorstep! It is admirable that KFC is continuously improving on their fried chicken range for the convenience of their busy customers. For those who adore their US-style chicken but absolutely hate picking out the bones, the finger-lickin’ good Deluxe Boneless Feast is already on the menu! If school hit you hard that week, you can be assured that your inner being will be restored after chomping on those salty fries and tearing off the succulent flesh of the perfectly seasoned chicken.
“Imagine studying in London...meal deals as good at this would be few and far between”
There should be an Eat4less branch in every city and town in the country. We should consider ourselves lucky. Its baguettes and paninis are a lifesaver during exam season and in between back-toback classes. In fact, it is so ‘value-for-money’ that some people remain wary of its contents… but at prices this low, it’s definitely worth it! A baguette meal deal costs only 1.75 pounds which includes a can of soft drink and fries, and the paninis are especially comforting on a cold day. My favourite are the steaming hot jumbo jacket potatoes with a choice of cold fillings or hot fillings- I’d recommend the Thai Green Curry and Peri Peri Chicken with cheese.
“There should be an Eat4less branch in every city and town in the country”
Real friends or real regret? India Copely tackles the age-old question: Are relationships better between friends or are perfect strangers better? And sets out the boundaries between friends loud and clear
I
n the words of Rachel Green ‘what’s the big deal? People do it all the time!’ And it’s true; most people have at one time or another gotten with at least one of their friends. For a lot of people the act itself is entirely non-serious. We get with our friends because it’s funny, much less scary than getting with strangers, it gets us attention and, for some, it’s even a seal of approval. Let’s be honest, when you look to make friends you are much more likely to approach someone that you find attractive. Following on from that you are much more likely to form strong connections with those people whose personalities compliment your own. The process of making a friend isn’t that different from the process of dating a new partner, it’s really only missing the sexual chemistry. Is it surprising then that in certain social situations, such as those created by drunken lack of inhibition, we find ourselves facing the urge to get with our friends?
exciting even, knowing that what you’re doing errs on the side of taboo, but it’s not worth losing friends over. Make sure you can keep it platonic and aren’t the kind of person who let’s themselves get carried away. I’ve also heard some terrible stories of housemates getting together and the result can be seriously messy. All in moderation. Let’s face it, we’re not living in the same age as our grandparents and so a cheeky snog is barely shocking anyone as long as you can deal with the top-class BANTER the next day. This line between drunken fun and possible mistake is arguably what has led to the increasing
“The process of making a friend isn’t that different from the process of dating a new partner, it’s really only missing the sexual chemistry”
There is nothing wrong with a quick drunken smooch, as long as you both know that’s all it is. No one wants to be that person that kissed the friend harbouring feelings and unknowingly led them on. Yes a quick kiss in town can be fun,
number of girls getting with their girl friends in town. Whilst we can’t always know exactly how our friends feel about us we usually have a strong
indicator of their gender preferences. And with our generation’s increasing sexual liberation, same-gender embraces are becoming less and less cause for notice. So whilst some people may argue that kissing your female friend degrades the liberation of women, really it’s just the safest bet when you’re a bit tipsy and wanting a little no-strings-attached affection. Plus, who wouldn’t
“With our generation’s increasing sexual liberation, same-gender embraces are becoming less cause for notice”
rather kiss someone that tasted like strawberry flavoured lip-gloss? That isn’t to say that getting with your guy friends isn’t just as acceptable. Most guys will admit to finding their female friends attractive, but very few of them will initiate any kind of sexual encounter unprovoked. They don’t want to give us the wrong idea and if they don’t want to date us they’re not going to push the issue. So, make sure you know what type of guy your guy friends are. If they’re the type that gets easily attached, steer clear. But if they’re the type that can kiss without feelings then have at it, all the fun, none of the fuss. So, is okay to get with your friends? Yes, just be careful to avoid mixed signals, hurt feelings and obviously, people in relationships. Other than that just remember, everything’s better with friends!
Dearest Grainger Market
Grace Dean dedicates a letter to the one and only Grainger Market and epitomises the true bond between the student and the cheap food market - it really is quite a fairy tale
W
e first met when I was a mere fresher. Young, hungry, and with very few pennies in my pocket, I was tired of the lack of affection Tesco, Morrisons and ASDA showed me, and wanted to meet someone a little more rustic. When I first set eyes on your juicy braeburns I was instantly wooed. Plump, juicy, the perfect size to fit in my hand, and eight for 50p; I knew I had met my Mr Right. You had that little extra oomph that I wanted.
“Plump, juicy, the perfect size to fit in my hand, and eight for 50p; I knew I had met my Mr Right”
You have so many of the essential characteristics that I appreciate in a man and encompass
everything that I need in a relationship. You enjoy diversity just as much as I do – grocers, butchers, cheesemongers, haberdasheries, tea shops, you have the lot. You know exactly how to satisfy me. The French Oven, with your blissful beetroot loaf, Slice, with your immense freshly-baked pizza portions that could occupy me for hours. Ah, Sausology, with your unique custom sausage offerings. You’re ever so charming and friendly, with all your smiley traders and their musical Geordie twangs. You’re adventurous and love trying new things – you even introduced me to the culinary delights of avocados, and I know this relationship is just going to be a rollercoaster of self-exploration together. You like to grab a bargain too – “three punnets of strawberries for a pound” is something I can never refuse, and as a result you’re irresistible to me.
How many hours have we spent together, as I wonder down your many aisles, browsing your fine array of products with eager anticipation? Alas, it seems like but seconds; time flies when I spend time with you.
“You’re adventurous and love trying new things- even introduced me to avocados”
What will the future hold for us, my marvellous market? Only more hours spent together, I hope. You can grace me with more half-price blueberries and I’ll bless you with more of my Student Finance; seems fair, does it not? All my love, Grace Dean
So who will we reign champion? For me, it’s got to be Eat4less! The affordable meals they roll out are a genuine life saver, but their incredible ability to clear the huge lunchtime queues in under 5 minutes deserves a special mention. KFC can be slightly pricey if you were to eat it every day and there is only so much oil you can deal with- Just saying! Eat for less all the way!
Editor’s pick - Eat4Less
I can probably count the amount of times I’ve been to KFC on one hand, so this one is kind of a no brainer for me. I’m also very much aware that Eat4Less isn’t rated all that highly with some people HOWEVER there’s no denying that a cheeky trip to Eat4Less when it’s getting near to the end of term and your student loan is very much lagging, isn’t an absolute blessing. Eat4Less is cheap and cheerful, on the other hand KFC is fairly pricey for pretty average food. Eat4Less, you are the one for me. Jade Holroyd
Spotted! Spotted this Halloween!! If anyone was in Osbourne’s this weekend you may have seen the fellow dressed in nothing but his underwear and a ‘Make America Great again!’ hat... Not sure what political message he was trying to put across, but we salute you mystery man... He certainly ‘trumped’ the competitions halloween outfits!
Have you seen something weird and then wished your friends were there to witness it? Have you seen a bizarre outfit or plain shifty behaviour? Have youu seen any bizarre things on the metro - any snoozing tube sleepers? We’d love to know who/ what you’ve seen around campus that has made you chuckle in the last week. The weirder the better. Just facebook us and let us know, because chances are we’d love to have a chuckle too.
The Courier
lifestyle .15
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @CourierLifestyle
Marked for life with one decision Dayam Ali shares the hilarious story behind his decision to get inked for life #noragrets
I
f you’ve done something memorable and successful in life or just went on a #lads holiday then you undoubtedly must have got a tattoo, whether it was a drawing of you completing the marathon or a drawing of a kettle on your left butt cheek, at the end of the day you still have a tattoo to remind you of the time you either accomplished something or were just plain drunk and stupid. “No carbs after 4pm! Cut out gluten and dairy! No fat, no sugar, no salt!” There seem to be so many strict rules surrounding food nowadays that it’s impossible to know who to listen to. Eating has transformed into a regulated, regimented exercise now rather than simply fuelling our bodies’ daily needs. Of course, a healthy lifestyleshould be encouraged, but can strict diet plans make us look and feel better?
Now this so called Sandra decided during her first year she was going to climb Kilimanjaro during the summer, so she signed up to raise thousands of pounds for charity before she attempted to climb the Volcanic mountain in Tanzania. During the summer she successfully climbed the mountain, before having a brainwave that she needed to get a tattoo to remind herself of her successful trip and all the good she has done . The only
problem she had was that when she went to get her tattoo she forgot what date she climbed the mountain. Maybe the different altitude brain washed her or maybe dates don’t exist on top of Kilimanjaro who knows.
“I am not too sure that the ‘Maga 2012’ stamp will have the same effect in a conversation”
Moving on, after the tattoo was designed onto her left arm, she realised that the date was incorrect. Although she had accomplished something huge, raised a lot of money, and climbed one of the biggest mountains, she diminished it all due to a miniscule mistake that will haunt her for the rest of her life. People will walk by and ask ‘That’s a nice tattoo, how was it climbing kili on the 27th of March?’ rather than the 27th of August. Luckily, she will be getting it changed soon to the correct date so all those with OCD don’t you worry. Hopefully no one else will make that mistake like my good old friend Sandra did. Now at least when Sandra tells her story she gets to name drop that she did actually climb Kilimanjaro. I am not sure if the ‘Maga 2012’ stamp will have the same effect in a conversation.
“If you have done something successful or been on a #lads holiday you must have got a tattoo” I must say, I have been somewhat lucky as I have experienced both a memorable tattoo which was also just plain stupid at the same time. This is where I introduced you to my ... what can I say, a dimwit flatmate called Sandra (Made up name for confidential reasons).
Come dine with me... student style Laura Whitwam shares her top easy dinner party recipes that will make your friends really wonder how you’ve created the menu of the millennia on such a small budget
H
i Guys, I’m back again to let you in on my top secrets on how to throw the best student friendly dinner party.
I know what you are thinking, what could possibly be student friendly about a dinner party!? Fear not I am going to show you how to throw the finest, swankiest, budget dinner party of the year. It’s all about trying to avoid the Bridget Jones’ style blue soup and achieving something more Nigella-esque with a cheap and cheerful twist. Affordable class is what I am getting at.
“Affordable class is what I am getting at” Starter Rather than doing a full-blown starter you might want to opt instead for little nibbles or ‘canapés’, if you’re feeling fancy. You can acquire tiny toasts from Tesco for just £1.30 for 200g which can act as the base to your nibble. To create the topping, you can simply spoon out one decent sized avocado (make sure it’s ripe unless you have good mashing action) into a bowl and add store cupboard ingredients like a little olive, garlic, salt and pepper, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lemon or lime. Once all the ingredients are added, mash the avocado with a fork. Try not to over-mash so you are left with some chunks of avocado rather than an avo-paste. Spoon the mashed avocado onto your teeny tiny toast and finish with a couple of thin slices or grated radish.
Main course I would suggest cooking something that is relatively easy to make in large quantities. Curry is a good option because it is so easy to double or triple the recipe measurements. As a non-meat eater and complete wuss when it comes spice (stop judging) I love mild creamy curries and hopefully you guys do too! Sweet potatoes and chickpeas are a match made in heaven and taste so yummy alongside spices like garlic, chilli and cumin and amongst other ingredients like tinned chopped tomatoes and onions. If you’re weird and like spicy curries then you can always add more chilli and possibly buy a pot of soured cream for people like me who have a sensitive tongue.
Dessert How else to finish a huge meal than with an incredibly sweet, creamy dessert like banoffee pie? Not only is banoffee pie the nicest pudding in the world, it also the easiest to make yet still has that “wow you are so talented” factor. All you need is a suitably greased cake tin or something similar, digestive biscuits and melted butter for the base, followed by individual layers of tinned caramel, a chopped banana, whipped cream and a sprinkling of broken up Flake chocolate.
“How else to finish a huge meal than with an incredibly sweet, creamy Banoffee pie” Drinks I recommend kindly asking guests to supply their own alcohol, suggest wine if you want to avoid your dinner party turning into a very lavish pres. If you have a large jug you could fill it with tap water and add lemons and limes to make it look more dinner party worthy. But if you aren’t a typical Newcastle student you could buy a few bottles of prosecco to offer guests at the start of the night.
t DieDisasters
Siobhan Fuller analyses whether there is actually any truth to these notorious diet claims.
I
t seems like every personal trainer, celebrity, blogger and YouTuber has their own “unique” way of losing weight in the quickest way possible. Everyone is weighing in with their tips and tricks to shed the pounds, promising fast results as long as you follow their plan. But do these fad diets actually work? “No carbs after 4pm! Cut out gluten and dairy! No fat, no sugar, no salt!” There seem to be so many strict rules surrounding food nowadays that it’s impossible to know who to listen to. Eating has transformed into a regulated, regimented exercise now rather than simply fuelling our bodies’ daily needs. Of course, a healthy lifestyleshould be encouraged, but can strict diet plans make us look and feel better?
“Eating has transformed into a regulated, regimented exercise rather than fuelling our bodies’ daily needs”
Starting with arguably the well known 5:2 diet, which involves eating “normally” five days a week and consuming between 500 and 600 calories on the other two days. It has no shame in promoting its philosophy of “intermittent fasting” to aid weight loss and yes, to an extent, it works. One of the benefits of this diet is that it doesn’t place restrictions on food all the time, allowing people to eat the foods they enjoy five days out of seven. However, on fasting days, energy levels can be significantly depleted and the evidence shows no difference between results for intermittent fasting and regular daily calorie control, so the long term effects on the body are still unknown. The 5:2 diet is still safe to try, particularly if you struggle with restricting your eating all day, every day. It’s the more radical fad diets that promote rapid weight loss which are the most dangerous. One example is the Military Diet Plan that has seen a boost in popularity over the past few years. It claims weight loss results of up to ten pounds in a single week, which is evidently unsustainable. When you break down the calorie consumption over the three days, it equates to less than a small child needs to function. Scarily, fitness bloggers and personal trainers are singing the praises of this diet, only serving to promote quick fixes rather than healthy, nutritional lifestyles.
“When you break down the calorie consumption over the three days, it equates to less than a small child needs to function”
Juicing diets, meal replacements and ‘teatoxes’ are equally frustrating in this unhealthy mindset towards eating as they try to substitute real food, ultimately damaging our digestive systems. Even at a more basic level, there has been an increase in websites offering advice to cut out specific food groups to lose weight. This may seem a lot safer but more often than not, these bloggers aren’t professionals and are normalising an unhealthy attitude towards our nutritional needs, such as shunning carbohydrates or demonising anything with fat, sodium or sugar content. Restrictions like these lead to cravings, obsessions with food and possibly even binging behaviour. Fad diets go beyond simply being impossible to maintain; they affect our organs’ functions and endorse distorted thinking about how we eat. Scrap the diet, eat to fuel your body and focus on nutritional balance rather than a rigid regime: guaranteed you’ll be so much happier about it!
16. fashion
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Fashion Editors: Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins & Zofia Zwieglinska
H&M and Kenzo collab
Chloe Bland introduces the hottest high street collab this year
A
s some of you may already know, H&M has recently collaborated with KENZO to create a new winter collection, hitting stores November 3rd 2016. The collaboration announcement in May aroused both excitement and harsh criticism. After the original twitter revelation many followers responded negatively, complaining about the clash of patterns and colours. Despite this, the collab appeals to both the high-street market and a high-end audience, with a clear format of diversity from the outset and throughout, including pieces for both men and women. Prices start from as little as £7.99, with more expensive items reaching £299.99. In charge of this collection were the creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon - previously known for their focus on bright and vibrant colours. Lim (creative director at KENZO) states that this collection was inspired by ‘a fascination with newness and a reverence for tradition.’ With this motive, she expressed how well the two brands managed to merge and work together.
“These unique characteristics of KENZO’s animated trend, cleverly combined with H&M, a popular high-street brand, enables customers to shop out of their comfort zone and explore new styles”
H&M, £49.99
Photographer and French graphic designer, JeanPaul Goude was chosen to shoot the collection. Not only have the designers pushed boundaries with their choice of photographer and clothing, they have also used an abstract mix in choice of models, including certain celebrity faces; Chance the Rapper, Chloe Savigny, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Rosario Dawson, Iman, Suboi, Xiuntezcah Matinez. In an interview with Vogue, Lim states that these people were chosen as they ‘stand for more than meets the eye’ and she believes their association with the brand will create a deeper meaning for the collection itself. In terms of the clothes, as mentioned before the style has a prominent focus on colour, shaped to light up any catwalk. The loud and fierce clothing combines vivid neon colours with unique patterning, often surrounding animal print. Whilst remaining vibrant, this collection also manages to accommodate the cold weather of the winter season with over-sized jackets and warm materials, such as fur and wool. The collection is both energetic and fun creating a youthful taste to the style. KENZO as a brand of it’s own is a fashion icon, introducing a new way to dress combining a casual style with a variant of bright colours and unusual pairings. I think these unique characteristics of KENZO’s animated trend, cleverly combined with H&M, a popular high-street brand, enables customers to shop out of their comfort zone and explore new styles. It also brings the KENZO brand to a more affordable, high-street price scene for all of us students. One of my favourite pieces from the collection has to be this over-sized leather jacket with pink fur lining. Not only does the item look extremely warm for this freezing Northern weather, the striking pink against the navy blue of the leather can be sure to add colour to any outfit you piece together. Throughout this collaboration, the designers have taken simple looks and made them diverse and exciting. Another of my favourites is this gorgeous, dynamic blouse. I especially love the detail of the sleeves, with high shoulders and frills combined. H&m, £199.99
Underwear as outerwear Emily Atkinson discusses how underwear has become the new must have item
F
or the past fifteen years, underwear has been at the heart of a fashion phenomenon: we must turn our outfits inside out! Designers such as Balenciaga, Chanel, and Celine have inspired women to reverse their wardrobe routine, and transform their underwear into outerwear. Madonna’s outrageous cone-shaped bra and Ri Ri’s dress-in-less style have taken this movement further, encouraging women to be more daring in their everyday outfit choices. A great look has become less about disguising a woman’s body, and more about embracing it. Stefano Gabbana suggests that, ‘lingerie is the maximum expression of a woman’s femininity’, so why not show it off ? The point is not to bare all, but to make a woman feel powerful and sexy in whatever she wears, through giving a hint of what lies beneath. In the words of British Vogue, ‘how best to break free?’ Be it courageous corsets and camisoles that take your fancy, or sleek sheer baby dolls and busty bralets, there truly is something for everyone. Balenciaga’s SS/16 Collection took a most elegant approach to bringing underwear to the surface; inspired by the iconic nightgown-style dress, that emerged in the 1970s, the show had its runway spectators memorized by the sheer splendour and ethereality of its pieces. Not only did their designers portray a major shift in the lingerie department - from handy to high fashion, but they also transformed the look from taboo to tasteful. Meanwhile, Chanel has carried the lingerie look from season to season, in both its Pre-fall and A/W Collections, showing that this transformation is chic whatever the weather. With a multitude of lingerie brands fast emerging in today’s market, there is no excuse not to experiment with this risqué trend. Labels such as With Love Lilly, Boux Avenue, and Victoria’s Secret provide high-street alterna-
tives to the exceptionally beautiful pieces that feature on today’s catwalk. Underwear appears to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds this year, as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London have recently dedicated a whole showcase to the concept of getting undressed in the form of the exhibition: Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear. The showcase is described as one that ‘explores the intimate relationship between underwear and fashion and its role in moulding the body to a fashionable ideal, […] revealing issues of gender, sex and morality.’ Incredible, right? Sponsored by Agent Provocateur, the exposition educates its viewers on the ins and outs of underwear, and its periodic development across the ages. It is undeniable that underwear has had a remarkable impact within the realm of fashion and art in recent years, however there is much more to it than this. The breast cancer Charity, CoppaFeel, have also recently turned their attention to the power of lingerie. Their campaign: ‘Bra hijack’, has enabled the charity to collaborate with various well-known fashion brands, such as Asos, Cosmopolitan, Curvy Kate, and Next to ensure ‘boob checking reminder labels’ in all of their bras. The campaign kick-started in October 2013, with Cosmopolitan’s first lingerie fashion show, it was subsequent to the success of this event, that brands such as Curvy Kate committed to adding the labels to every bra sold from January 2014. Claire McDonald, a behavioral change expert within the team, deems the label ‘an important and constant reminder for women, when they are most able to put this life saving advice into practice’; the charity has channelled the realm of fashion as a medium, to unite and empower women in taking control of their own futures. I think the majority of women would agree when I say: it’s mastermind!
vogue.co.uk
“Stefano Gabbana suggests that, ‘lingerie is the maximum expression of a woman’s feminity, so why not show it off ?”
TOPSHOP 1. Lovejoy Bralet £24 2. Floral Lace Bralet £24
2.
1. instagram: @with_love_lily
Facebook: CoppaFeel Newcastle Uni Boob Team Text UBT NEWCASTLE to 70500 for monthly reminders
Celeb halloween costume inspiration Molly Macnamara takes a look at some of the most daring celebrity Halloween looks to date and explains how you can make an equally as bold statement
H
alloween is approaching imminently. We all plan to wear the best costume in the whole of Newcastle, but will our student loans stretch? And in all honesty can we really be bothered to go traipsing around the town centre scouring fancy dress shops for the perfect costume? Wouldn’t it be nice if we had someone to sort it all out for us? Every year, magazines shower their pages with celebs wearing outlandish and extravagant Halloween costumes. Though inspiration is aplenty, are these crazy get-ups really achievable for us- mere students? The supermodel Heidi Klum, whose Halloween relevance never seems to fade, holds a huge Halloween blowout every year where she seems to find an infinite number of ways to impress her posse with the most inventive Halloween costumes you could ever imagine. From gracing her guests with Heidi Klum, the crippled granny, to rocking up as a dead body with a layer of skin peeled off (she was basically naked). She never seems to fail, so how are we supposed to replicate this epic feat of attire? Body painting, like in the imImage: Pinterest age above can
cost anything from £100-£1000. So obviously it’s a tad out of our price range. In addition, intricacy like this can take up to 10 hours- I think honestly we’d all just prefer to be down at the pub instead of waiting for our paint to dry. Celebs seem to try to knock the ball right out of the ball park when it comes to spooky fashion. Riri annually brings a lot to the Halloween table. In 2015 she showed up as one of the turtles of your childhood action fantasies- a Teenage mutant Ninja Turtle, adorned with no less than two samurai swords. However, this outfit may be a little more approachable than you think. As shown in the picture, all you really need is a bit of green paint, a red mask and a makeshift shell. You probably won’t be at the same level as Rihanna and you’re most likely to be questioned throughout the night as to why you’re green, but who cares? You will definitely be the only person in Newcastle attempting this daring embodiment of a talking turtle. Contrary to what seems normal to most celebs on Halloween, some girls play it somewhat safe. Gigi Hadid imitated everyone’s favourite American sweetheart - Sandy. Though her outfit doesn’t really coincide with Halloween being loaded with
Image: Pinterest
scary festivities she looks like a bombshell and really, nowadays, whose main objective is to dress scary on Halloween? All you need is some black Lycra and a perm and your off. It’s so much easier and cheaper to dress as a celebrity or a character in a film. But where would be the fun in that? My favourite costume by far has to be the ones that really think laterally by using phrases or play on words. They are definitely not your expected costume choice but they can be hilarious. Katy Perry is infamous for not caring about how people perceive her image and this completely comes across in her Halloween outfit choices. I mean who else would dress as a Cheeto (a luminescent orange American crisp)? This year she really thought out of the box, staying true to her performing roots. She put in the Halloween performance of the century as the literal manifestation of the phrase ‘Drop the mic”. Though you won’t be able to manifest pretty much all of these celebrities’ attempts to outdo each other if you’re i mag i nat ive it’s easy to create a stir this Getty Images Halloween.
The Courier
fashion .17
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion
The Courier’s Halloween Shoot Fashion Editor Zofia Zwieglinska goes behind the scenes to give us the low-
Slutty vs. scary: the great debate
down on the shoot and explains the inspiration behind the Halloween theme
J
oining my co-editors for this year’s Halloween photo-shoot, we wanted to explore the theme of the ‘circus’. With evil clowns running amok around Newcastle, it seemed like a perfect theme to bring in a little of the morbid into Halloween styling, getting ready for the Halloween fashion for day and night! With our four models, some face paint and make up and circus-themed fashion we channelled Halloween in our Jesmond location.
“Our shoot locations had been carefully scouted to bring out the full features of the beautiful surroundings and the eerie nature of the graveyard” Our models easily took on their adopted personas- the Pierrot circus ringleader, the forlorn clowns and the half-faced woman. With clowns and skeletons we were sure to evoke a Halloween theme! We had been fortunate enough to borrow clothes from Topshop Eldon Square to outfit our
models, which had given us circus themed outfits for our models. Our beauty editors covered the make up looks, inspired by haunting Halloween make up and our creepy shoot locations. On the day of our shoot, we had arrived and gotten ready with all the clothes laid out, the beauty section armed with liquid latex and face paints for make up. Our inspiration for our male models was a smoky, sad skull face, while Ellen (model and editor) brought her own creativity in to separate her make up with latex, leaving one side as a jagged and melting skull face and the other perfected with a smoky eye. This didn’t seem like a hard look to try and it would be a great look for the Halloween night out! Our shoot locations had been carefully scouted to bring out the full features of the beautiful surroundings and the eerie nature of the graveyard. Clad in futuristic silver boots, dotted tights and a red dress our Pierrot kept a sombre attitude flanked by her skull-faced companion in suitably dark and simple attire as they ambled down the alley between the tombstones. Our evening looks were shot at the bridge near Jesmond Dean, where
Nicola Bennell tells us why she thinks Regina George wannabes are ruining Halloween “With clowns and skeletons we Instagram: @marikai_official the beautiful leaves accentuated the glittering leopard party dress and the burgundy jacket of our second male model. Who knew that the russet leaves would provide such a beautiful natural backdrop?
were sure to evoke a Halloween theme”
Derelict places seemed like the perfect location, and we chose a garage back door as our final location, with the greying peeling paint and the darkened brick adding a grunge feel to the clothes. For this part, we had chosen checkered trousers for three of our models, with the circus ringleader in hot pants, top hat and a bright red-cropped jacket with golden buttons. The theatricality of the outfits together with the startling make up really brought out our Halloween theme! A big thank you to everyone involved with the shoot: Topshop Eldon Square, TCTV, the models: Yasmine Jessy Amr, Ellen Walker, Charles Mason, Max Fosh, and our fellow fashion and beauty editors.
R.I.P. skinny jeans
Siobhan Fuller marks the death of the skinny and the rise of the straight-leg
E
very girl has their goto pair of skinny jeans: they’re comfy, fit perfectly, and go with everything in your wardrobe, but is this the beginning of the end for your old faithfuls? The past twenty years have seen a takeover in fashion like no other, with denim only seeming to get tighter and more closefitting with each passing season. Arguably, this trend truly took off in the nineties, when models like Kate Moss promoted the skinny, even boyish, body type. Flares, bootlegs and anything loose became a thing of the distant past as designer after designer competed to make jeans that sucked in and shaped our legs. Any trousers that were remotely baggy were hastily shunned from high street shops in what seemed to be a fundamental case of the skinnier, the better. So what has happened to this wardrobe staple? Surprisingly, we seem to be harking back to the days of comfort, and jeans have stretched, loosened and simply relaxed. Although skinny is still celebrated Instagram: @lucywilliams02
Instagram: @lucywilliams02 Instagram: @camillecharriere
Instagram: @helenabordon
Instagram: @thelondonchatter
in fashion, there is a definite shift as denim is now being favoured in more chilled out styles. Replacing our trusty skinnies are the revived straight leg jeans and I think it’s about time too! Denim doesn’t need to look sloppy just because you haven’t had to spend five minutes of your morning squeezing into them; on the contrary, the straight leg style looks tailored and classy as well as effortless. The best way to pull off this more androgynous shape is to splash the cash and invest in a good quality pair because no doubt soon enough you’ll be living in them. Levi’s are the ultimate option as they’ll last all yearround as well as being fitted to your shape. In order to look and feel your best away from the safety of skinnies, make sure yours suit your body type to a tee. And with Levis offering 10% student discount, it wont hurt your bank account too much either!
“Denim doesn’t need to look sloppy just because you haven’t had to spend five minutes of your morning squeezing into them” The fashion bloggers and Instagram stars are, as always, leading the way with their on trend streetstyle. Camille Charriere, a well known adovate of the straight leg, recently teamed her pair of light wash jeans with a dusty pink cable knit and a thick black belt for a perfect smart casual look. Similarly, if the straight leg look feels too adventurous, a pair of pointed heels balance the style out with something a little more dainty, take inspo from Helena Bordon’s polished outfit (shown left) .She shows off exactly how to combine the more masculine style of these trousers with some-
thing delicate. Follow her lead and work it with pastel colours like pink, baby blue and lilac. Kelly Eastwood pairs her jeans with statement western boots as a nod to two key autumn trends. I think this is the easiest way to work the style into a student wardrobe as the boots and straight leg jean mix is versatile enough to match everything that you already own. Jumpers and sweatshirts look great for lectures, whilst a shirt creates a smart contrast and a high neck crop top is ideal for lunch out with the girls. It’s incredibly easy to switch these jeans up for any occasion, which is great for those of us on a budget. So pack away your skinnies for this season at least and don the newest denim kids on the block.
TOPSHOP, Embroidered jeans by Glamorous Petites, £20
TOPSHOP, Reclaim half and half jean, £50 TOPSHOP, Embellished Pom Pom Hem Straight Leg Jeans, £45
H
alloween, for me, is the best holiday of the year. Unlike other festivities it doesn’t involve the stress of cooking extravagant dinners, planning family time or spending a fortune on gifts. Instead you can dress up, get smashed and just have a laugh with all your friends. The best part of halloween is the fun you can have truly embracing the spooky theme, dressing up as whatever you want. There is nothing better than walking around town come the thirty-first of October and being surrounded by creepy zombies, vampires and ghosts. So why is it that year after year the whole atmosphere of halloween is ruined by those few bores that just can’t be bothered to dress up scary, those rare few that aren’t even willing to put a bed sheet over their head. I get the fact that through it all, we want to look nice; girls still want to look pretty and the boys want to look buff but this is one night of your life to go crazy and be as terrifying as possible! Can you not hold in your pride for one night?
“This is the one night you can go a little crazy, so why wouldn’t you?”
Every year we see countless numbers of girls in the same outfits. What irritates me is that some girls’ number one concern seems to be wearing as little as possible, endless scrolling online for “hottest outfit”. No, no, no; this is not the way forward girls! While you may look cute turning up to halloween dressed as Little Bo Beep or Minnie Mouse, you’ll induce less fear than a 9am lecture. Worse yet, is when an entire friendship group don the same kids TV show attire, putting in as little effort as possible. This is the one night you can go a little crazy, so why wouldn’t you?
“While you may look cute turning up to halloween dressed as Little Bo Beep or Minnie Mouse, you’ll induce less fear than a 9am lecture”
Although purchasing a full blown zombie costume may break the bank, covering yourself in fake blood or a bit of loo roll isn’t going to have you reaching for your overdraft but will undoubtedly have that desired deadly effect. I understand that for some the fun of halloween is getting to lose their inhibitions and wear something a little more racey, but for those of us who have spent weeks covered in papermaché it can be a little disheartening. Girls I admire the most are the ones that have really thought outside the box or at least gone to the effort to make themselves look really gruesome and scary. Not only does it contribute to that unique atmosphere for that special one night of the year, it’s also fun to feel involved. If you’re willing to set aside your fake tan and contour kit to make yourself look truly unappealing for a night, it lets people know that you Instagram: @flyywit2ys don’t take yourself too seriously. So please, if you’re looking for ideas for halloween costumes this year, make an effort to stick to the theme, because after all, whats halloween without a little fright on the night.
18. fashion&beautyfeature
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Fashion & Beauty Editors: Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins & Zofia Zwieglinska, Ellen Walker, Miranda Stoner & Ellie Trent
Halloween photo shoot 2016
When the lights go down on the fair of fun, there’s nowhere to hide and no place to run. Step right up if you dare, who knows what horrors you might find there...
The Courier
Monday 31 October 2016
fashion&beautyfeature .19 thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty
Clothing by TOPSHOP Eldon Square Models: Ellen Walker, Yasmine Jessy Amr, Maximilian Fosh and Charles Mason Hair and Make-up: Ellen Walker and Miranda Stoner Photography: Fiona Leishman, Fay Jang, Kevin Wth, Meera Vaidya, Irene Lu
20.beauty
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Beauty Editors: Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent & Ellen Walker
Back to beauty school
Come rain or shine
Laura Greatrex takes us Sian Dickie uncovers the secrets behind make-up setting and shares her top three back to basics with the defini- personal favourite products to ensure your face is always perfectly primed at all times ’m no stranger to battling with my makeup in the in the warmest of clubs. tive way to perfect foundation
I
Image: @nikkietutorial on instagram
W
hen purchasing foundation, you first need to identify which formula suits your skin type. Matte foundations, like Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation or L’Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation, are great for oily skin as they minimise the appearance of pores and banish shine. For dull or dry skin a moisturising and illuminating product, such as L’Oreal Lumi Magique Foundation or Maybelline Dream Satin Liquid Foundation, will give a beautiful bright and dewy finish. As combination skin is more difficult to combat, I would recommend using a full coverage foundation that boasts a variety of qualities, like Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation or L’Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Foundation. For days when you don’t want to wear a full face of makeup, BB Creams are perfect for covering any blemishes or imperfections without weighing down your skin. Foundation can be a difficult product to shop for so hopefully the following tips can help to make this process a little easier! I would definitely advise taking the time to find the right product for you - foundation isn’t something you should quickly grab on your lunch break dash to Boots! I confess that I am guilty of testing the shades on the back of my hand; however, to find the best match for your skin tone, try testing the product on your jaw line or neck. When choosing your foundation, don’t shy away from the exposing lighting and mirrors of beauty stores - these are beneficial for selecting the best product for you. Always take a small packet of wipes in your handbag so you can remove the foundation from your hands/face/clothes/phone/ bag/jacket/purse! With regards to application, my Beauty Blender is my favourite tool for flawlessly blending my foundation - if you can afford it, a Beauty Blender is a great investment as they perfectly apply foundation and last for months. However, I know they’re pricey so a student-friendly alternative is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. The best way to use these tools is by wetting the sponge under running water and then squeezing out the excess water with both your hand and some tissue. Dot the foundation around your face with your finger, and then with a dabbing or stippling motion, use your sponge to distribute and blend the product evenly and flawlessly into your skin. If you prefer to use a brush, I would recommend using a buffer or flat top brush, like the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, to achieve that perfect finish. Make sure to frequently wash your sponge or brushes for the best possible foundation application. Always apply your foundation in good lighting, and definitely make sure to properly blend the product around your ears, temples and jaw line for a natural look. For your hairline, weird as it sounds, try a clean toothbrush to blend away any contrast. If you’ve accidentally purchased the wrong shade of foundation and it’s too dark for your skin, mix it with some moisturiser or use a translucent powder on top to lighten the colour. Alternatively if your foundation is too light, mix it with a drop of liquid bronzer, or use a matte bronzer on your temples, forehead, jaw line and nose. If you want to make your foundation more illuminating, mix it with a small amount of liquid highlighter to Image: @beautyblender brighten up on Instagram your skin.
mornings but when I get it right its really annoying when I make it to uni and my face is already a mess (not great when you’re meeting people and you look like the joker!). But fear not for I have found three holy grail products which really work in the fight against the North East’s winter weather. I used to think that waterproof mascara was the only way you could have fluttery, long lashes without the panda eyes at the end of the day. Whilst waterproof mascara is a great product for the tempestuous British weather with the likes of Rimmel 100% waterproof playing a vital role in my makeup bag and for years my favourite mascara Maybelline’s The Rocket, has been a loyal product and one of my favourites. It lasts a long time and was a bargain at £7.99. However after a night out or a long day at uni getting the mascara off was a total chore (RIP My pillow cases).
“Instacurl lash mascara is something I can no longer imagine living without” Then I was shown the light in the form of I a much appreciated MAC voucher, and thus I was introduced to the Instacurl Lash mascara, something I can no longer imagine living without. The formula is amazing, it glides on your lashes and doesn’t budge, the adjustable wand head will make your lashes extra curly too! It will stay put all day whether the sun shines or you’re being hit by a freak monsoon. It doesn’t clump or flake , so I recommend you at least take a look for yourself in store. The mascara itself has the weirdest packaging ever, with an adjustable wand and the case which looks like a troll head. The only drawback is the price, at £19 it’s not exactly the most budget friendly product but a great investment for day and night time looks. If you’re student loan wont stretch that far then make it one for the Christmas list!
In terms of stopping your hair from frizzing in the rain, on those days when its not a bed-head surfer look you’re after then Bumble and Bumble invisible oil is the one. Apply this before you blowdry your hair for an ultra sleek finish and wtach as your hair remains flawless for days. Whilst at £32.00 for 100ml this seems pricey, you only need a drop each use so it will last. If you can’t justify the price then superdrug’s own brand hair therapy oil £3.99 or Moroccan argan oil are reasonable substitutes.
“One of my favourites is the NYX Setting Spray”
Image: @gigihadid on Instagram My second product is definitely on budget for everyone. Since their arrival to Boots in Eldon square two months ago, I have been obsessed with NYX cosmetics. The American brand sells such a huge range of cruelty- free makeup, including cosmetics to help you battle against the elements. One of my favourites is the NYX Setting Spray. It’s excellent as a face primer as well as a setting spray. I spritz it on before and after my makeup is complete to ensure that it doesn’t move in the winter weather. The product gives a dewy look to the skin which is great as the months get cooler as it avoids dry skin which nobody wants and is totally on budget at £7. Much cheaper than some of the other setting sprays like Urban Decay’s All Nighter (£22) or MAC’s Prep and Prime Fix Plus (£17.50). If you aren’t used to using a setting spray than this is definitely a good one to start with because not only is it easy to apply but it also give satisfying results not only in the day time but also a great product for fixing make-up in place
Finally, the ultimate holy grail product for weather proof makeup is Rimmel’s Stay Matte Powder. It’s the cheapest product at £3.99 and has saved my makeup from the British meteorological system more times than I can count. I first bought this product when I was 15 and have used it ever since. It has a light texture gives a silky appearance on the skin. I don’t know about you but I find my cheeks take on more than a rouge glow in the cold so this is great to pop on after the morning commute. It fixes my makeup in place perfectly and wards off those under eye creases. It doesn’t dry the skin which can be a major issue in winter and the price is ideal for anyone needing to save those pennies’. So when the weather is testing your look, be sure to have these products in your makeup bag to fight back the elements!
Image: @rimmellondonukb on Instagram
Tricks and treats Beauty Editor Miranda Stoner discusses the hottest Halloween beauty trends this year
Liquid Eyeliner
Dark Lipstick Coming into winter is the perfect time to put those coral tones to the back of the drawer and move onto richer more vampiric shades. Rich purples are perfect for a Halloween theme night out and chocolate browns are the perfect accompa- Images: @ niment to a day time look, taking lips_r_us on nude to the dark side. Deep red is instagram another option; great for most skin tones and, as a closer match to your natural lip colour, probably the easiest look. One of my favourite witchy tones is MAC Ariana Grande Viva Glam because despite looking almost black in the tube it comes out a velvety purple with enticing brown undertones which set it apart from other purple lipsticks on the market. To ensure an even coverage and lasting look I fill in my lips with lip liner before applying the lip stick. Barry M lipliner in wine is a perfect match for AG Viva Glam and at £2.99 each I would also recommend the mulberry, plum and chocolate pencils as a great accompaniment to any dark lip. Finish with gloss for an ultra glamorous look. For a glitter finish prime your lips and use the tip of your finger to apply your sparkle of choice.
Whether you’re after the smokiest cat-eyes, skeleton features or the most gruesome Frankenstein stitches, a liquid eyeliner is your best friend to achieve precise and striking lines. My advice would be to avoid anything that looks like a felt-tip pen as although these work well in the shop they dry out quickly, you’re better off in my experience with a gel liner pot such as NYX Gel Eyeliner with a very thin brush. These come in a whole range of colours. I find they are more precise than pencils and last much longer than other products but check online reviews or ask a friend for the truth about whether the product will flake or not because a lot of them whilst being stunning on an Instagram feed do not have the staying power for a day at uni. Hold the brush flat against your lash line and glide outwards to achieve the perfect wings. Just a swish and flick from barely there to beware! The best products tend to be waterproof as these last better throughout the day.
Lush Halloween
This is like the pumpkin spice latte of the beauty world, all of our favourite products are revamped with spooky names and tempting smells. Lush products are gentle on the skin and whilst they aren’t the cheapest in the market they will get your skin ready to glow pre-party or relax you on one of your nights off. This year there is a moisturising Lord of Misrule shower cream with an earthy but sweet smell and a sparkly pumpkin bath bomb to reenergise you after a tiring day. Whilst student accomadation may not accomadate bath baombs you can still enjoy the fresh and fruity scent of Lush’s
magic wand or the rich almond scent of the goth fairy shimmer bar for a truly magical glow.
Eyeshadow Palette
If you’re one of the few people to have the original idea of going as Harley Quinn for Halloween then listen up. I would highly recommend the Sleek MakeUp i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Ultra Matte 1. Whilst it’s not necessarily ideal for your day to day look this eyeshadow palette boasts all of the colours you need to smash the look. From baby blue to purple and 3 tones of pink, perfect for blending up a storm. Apply the eyeshadow and then use a damp brush to draw the colours away from the lid and down the face. true superhero style. The 12 shades of this palette create a rainbow of possibilities- greens and blues for a mermaid look, grey and white for the walking dead and even orange and yellow for a pumpkin themed look. What’s more is the versatility of this palette will see you through any number of Wednesday night costumed socials. There us so much opportunity for experimentation and at £7.99 is a reasonable investment for the year to come.
Image: @fryonce on Instagram
The Courier
beauty .21
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty Instagram @courier_beauty | Twitter @CourierBeauty
Terrifying tutorials
Ellen Walker fills us in on the best Youtube channels for step-by-step tutorials to help you achieve the ultimate Halloween make-up and give you that edge over all other looks
W
ith Halloween just around the corner, you might be starting to think about how you’re planning to impress your mates with your ghoulish make up skills, or starting to panic that you’re not going to be able to create a convincing zombie face. Luckily for you, I’ve found some people who can give you a helping hand and inspire you to create your creepy look.
Desi Perkins - Melting skull This look combines beautiful glam makeup with face painting skill and special effects to create an incredibly terrifying look. The best thing about it is that it’s totally versatile, both in the sense that it will work for near enough any Halloween outfit/character and that you could change the skull aspect to something else, such as a cyborg or a burned skin look. Desi’s tutorial is one of my favourites out there at the moment because she makes it so simple to recreate by explaining each step in great detail as well as talking us through each product she uses. This one’s a winner for those of you who love experimenting with make up and want to give special effects a go!
Chrisspy - Werewolf
Chrisspy is the queen of Halloween make up looks so if you’re looking for a channel to give you plenty of inspiration, she’s the one to check out! This werewolf look is incredibly effective and is perfect if you’re going for that sexy/scary vibe. The eye make up for this look is beautifully smokey and sultry and the heavy contouring not only creates a convincing werewolf look, but adds to that smouldering make up effect. If you’re not planning on going all out on the blood and gore this year but still want to be part of the pack, this look is for you. Whilst the yellow contact lenses won’t be something already in your make-up bag the rest of the look is achievable with your everyday products.
‘This werewolf look is incredibly effective and is perfect if you’re going for that sexy/ scary vibe”
For hair to match use a salt spray or messy hair look spray before blow drying , then use a frizz taming brush to scrape back the hair from the front of your face so everyone gets the full effect of your face. A half-up half-down look will allow your hair to radiate around you like a werewolf ’s shaggy fur coat. The best thing about this is that as the night goes on this will only get messier and more dramatic. Just stock up on conditioner for the long detangling process the next day. If you have short hair finish the look with an ear headband to scrape hair back and add finesse to the whole look. A further way to complete the look is with fake nails. Primark sell cheap Halloween nails resembling claws for a killer costume or the Magic Box in town have a small selection. When it comes to
The Beauty Editors share their tips on how to give your look a refresh
N
Image: @chrisspy on Instagram
MakeupbyJaack - Smokey skull
nails though the longer the better. Simple yet effective, this look is definitely the quickest, easiest and the most minimalist look. It’s warm toned and only uses make up, therefore no need to buy and fancy face paints or expensive special effect products. All you really need is a bronzer and some liquid eyeliner Like Desi’s look, it’s incredibly versatile and will complement most fancy dress outfits. It’s simplicity makes its perfect if you’re going as a group as you can easily adapt it slightly for each person, giving you uniformity as well and individuality. If you’re one of those people who start getting ready half an hour before you leave the house, this speedy look is the one for you! For long hair gel it back and use a quick spritz of coloured hairspray for ultimate drama or rub in some coconut oil to create a straggly wet look to give that will give you that back from the dead look.
Men and makeup? Image: @desiperkins on Instagram
Press the restart button Hair mask
othing says ‘fresh’ like soft, luscious looking hair, especially if you’ve been colouring, straitening or curling it on the regular. The easiest way to restore health and shine to your locks it to use a hair mask. These sound incredibly fancy but can actually be made in the comfort of your own home from ingredients you may already have in your cupboards. Simply blend 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Dampen your hair with either a wet towel or by quickly rinsing it under a tap and apply the blended mixture evenly all over our hair. Once applied, wrap your hair up in a shower cap and leave it for half an hour to work its magic! When the time’s up, rinse in the shower and then use shampoo and conditioner as you normally would. Your hair will feel noticeably silkier and stronger afterwards, repeat once a week for the best result.
Exfoliating scrub
Exfoliating is feared by many, including myself up till quite recently, due to the misconception that it will strip off your tan, (or any remnants of it) leaving you ghostly pale. This is, however, not the case. Exfoliating removes the top most layer of skin cells, these are all dead and is the cause of dry and flaky looking skin. Removing these cells with expose the fresh and healthy skin underneath, leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated. The really boost this effect, finish off by moisturising your skin to give it that extra boost of hydration. My favourite exfoliator is the Soap and Glory ‘Scrub of your life’, its amazingly foamy and scented with their signature ‘original pink’ fragrance.
Perfect your routine
Rachel Baker delivers her opinion on whether, like women, men should be free to wear make-up without feeling attacked or discouraged to do so by society
P
ersonally, I think the question of whether boys can / should wear make-up is ridiculous. Because of course they can. The issue is whether boys wearing make-up is acceptable to the people around them or not, and whether wearing make-up renders some assumptions about their personality, sexuality etc. etc. Of course you have the Pete Wentz wannabes that wear eye-liner in a vain attempt to look like the man that throbbed any scene girl’s heart back in the day. This group identify as men, but are simply adhering to a bizarre craze that means you have to wear eye-liner to a scene gig. You also have those that are part of the transgender community who wear make-up to express their true gender identity. Then, right slap-bang in the middle of these two you have a new type of man wearing make-up. These men do not identify as women, but wear the same amount of make-up you would expect to see
“These men do not identify as women, but wear the same amount of makeup you would expect to see on a woman because they enjoy the art of make-up”
on a woman because they enjoy the art of makeup. At the forefront of this craze is Manny Gutier-
Manny Guitierez
rez, known as MannyMUA on his hugely successful Youtube channel. Over 2.7 million gawp at this beautiful man on Instagram and Youtube,: he initiated his online career after he began after 5 years
working as a makeup artist for Mac and then Benefit. His Instagram description box states ‘I think boys deserve just as much cosmetic recognition’,
of your masculinity to wear makeup. So to sum up, whether a boy wears makeup or not is entirely their choice. It seems wrong that it should only be acceptable for women to cover up their flaws without being subject to ridicule. But I know that if 2 million people can follow a man who wears lipstick on a daily basis then, in the years to come, hopefully other men will find the freedom to do so also, without the criticism that may entail.
MAC and Brant Brothers Collaboration
MAC have shown their support for unisex make-up by doing a collaboration with the Brant Brothers- Peter and Harry.b They are the famous offspring of the Amertican supermodel Stephanie Seymour and art collector/billionaire Peter Brant, best known for their gorgeous wardrobe instagram shots, they starred last August in the campaign for UNISEX.
Image:@mannymua733 on instagram and I believe that this couldn’t be more true. Manny looks better in false eyelashes than I ever will, and he does so whilst also sporting a pretty great beard. So if having a stalk of his Instagram doesn’t convince you of whether it is acceptable for men to wear makeup I do not know what will. It’s undeniable that wearing makeup for a man implies you are either gay or transgender, but I feel Manny’s fab combination of a metallic contour and a fierce beard prove you don’t have to surrender all
“...whether a boy wears makeup or not is entirely their choice”
Harry states that ‘The point of the whole collection is that it’s for you. It’s not about doing it for anyone else, to please anyone else, it’s just because you like the way it alters your appearance. It’s hot.’ It includes eyeliner (guyliner) brow finisher, cream colour base and a conceal and correct palette. It fills the gap in the market and shows that the world is on its way to accepting men for liking makeup.
Your facial routine is an incredibly important part of your day and while its easy to half heartily go at your face with a makeup wipe at the end of the day, it’s really worth investing a couple more minutes to really take care of your skin. Not only does this keep your skin healthy and clear, it dramatically prevents aging. Start by removing your makeup with a wipe or miscellar water and a cotton pad. After this, use a cleanser and a cotton pad to smooth the skin and remove any bits of makeup you may have missed (you’d be surprised at how
‘Not only does this keep your skin healthy and clear, it dramatically prevents aging’
much comes off after you thought you’d got it all). If you’re feeling like a proper pamper, use an exfoliator scrub and really work on getting all the grease and dirt out of your pores. This can be harsh on the skin so i wouldn’t recommend doing it every night, but once a week will do your skin the world of good. Finally, use a moisturiser to keep your skin feeling soft and hydrated.
22. arts
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Arts Editors: Meg Holtom, Jonathan Hastings & Tamsin Rees
Spotlight:
Times they are a-changin’ for Bob Dylan
Little parts of Musician Bob Dylan has won the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature 2016. Amy Baird creative arts from your calls bullshit, but Christopher Wilkinson argues this is a deserving win for white men student hearts he most prestigious and hundred acres’, while she ‘emptied the ashtrays on a now on par with T.S Elliot, Samuel Beckett and
ROSIE MINNEY ARTIST
For: T
distinguished award in the Literary world has this year been given to a singer. And, just to make that troubling sentence a little more distasteful, a white, male, dilapidated singer at that. Now in any ordinary circumstance I would simply blend in with the legions, and whilst furring my brow and crossing my arms, send out a righteous tone of disapproval that once again, the self-sustaining literary establishment has elected as its Champion an old scrotum that is supposedly ‘radical’. Here is why I will not join these legions. When Robert Zimmerman was adopting his nom de plume of Bob Dylan in the late 1950s (lovingly pinched from the great Dylan Thomas), the state of Americana was in a very strange way. Although great chroniclers such as Faulkner and Steinbeck documented what it was to be an American in the 20th century, the catastrophe of war had marked a new point. American politics became world politics. And in the years to follow, the strife of the Civil Rights movement, the hellstorm of the Vietnam war, the brilliant march for Women’s Rights and all that followed were digested by the world, and more often than not they were through the words of Bob Dylan. Now it isn’t a question of whether Bob Dylan can sing, but it is indisputable that he is a poet. Lines like ‘you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows’ and ‘don’t follow leaders they’ll watch your parking meters’ served in neat and tidy dishes, sayings which could inspire dissent in a whole generation. And in cases of loathsome racial segregation, such as the case of Hattie Carroll - a black barmaid murdered indifferently by a rich white man - he ‘owns a tobacco farm of six
whole other level’ could sum up a whole country’s issue in a single breath. The ingrained privilege of white men is wrong, but to disadvantage them for simply holding this quality is also wrong. Bob Dylan deserved this prize. Bob Dylan is America’s Poet.
Against: L
ast week Bob Dylan won the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature, a tradition going back to 1901. Yes, that’s right - the category was for Literature. Therefore, I want some answers from the judging panel: why has Dylan been merited worthy of this prestigious award? It’s an outrage. He is
Alice Munro. In his will Alfred Nobel stated that the prize should be awarded to an author from any country who has created ‘in the fields of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction’. Dylan is not a member of any field of literature, he is a musician. Yes, his music was a breakthrough in musical genre, however, this does not justify his encroachment into the literature world. Nor can he really be justified as producing ‘the most’ outstanding work. There is a vast choice of authors much better and more qualified to win (Virginia Woolf, Margaret Atwood or even Hilary Mantel, for example). There is a difference between progression and blurred lines, and as Jodi Picoult tweeted following the decision‘#butdoesthi smeanicanwinagrammy?’ Probably not. This is only part of the reason for my anger and bitter disappointment. Once again we have a male winner. The Nobel Literature Prize has been awarded just 14 times to female writers between 1901-2016. And to add salt to the wound, all this year’s Nobel Prize category winners, (Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, and Peace) are male. Isn’t it amazing how not one woman, in the entire world, could be awarded for their contributions to any of these fields? To summarize, between 1901-2016 only 48 women have been awarded a Nobel Prize across categories, in comparison to 822 men. Surely this alone is evidence of gender inequality and unequal access. In the past century we may have come a long way in the manner in which our society views and values women, but it evidently demonstrates we still have an awfully long way to go.
Support your local drag
Scarlett Carroll went to the local, and latest, Shade of England’s event at the Prohibition Cabaret Bar to listen to some comedy, and tell us what all what the fuss was about
A
Rosie Minney, a Surrey born artist, uses a range of mediums, including oil, acrylic and watercolours, to showcase her beautifully mesmerising, abstract work. She is currently studying Fine Art at Newcastle University, and, previously, received a foundation degree from the Royal Drawing School. She would kindly request that people stop making fun of Fine Art degrees! Want to see more of her beautiful work, check out her blog: http://rosieminney.blogspot.co.uk/
s an avid watcher of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, it is often easy to only focus on American drag queens and overlook talent from England. Though the show has helped raise the profile of drag, English drag performers frequently go ignored due to audiences attention being drawn towards the fame rather than the art; only interested in those with a following in the hundreds of thousands. But Instagram followers and Facebook likes do not necessarily equal skill. There is no reason that local drag acts should be overlooked, especially when there is such a wealth of talent. Drag collectives such as the Shady Bunch bring illumination to such talent, hosting events in venues all over Newcastle. Held in the Prohibition Cabaret Bar in Gateshead, their most recent Shade in England event saw a performance from Joe Black, UK Drag Ambassador Finalist, supported by members of the Shady Bunch. Joe Black is a British drag artist, described as ‘a gin drinking cabaret darling, musical comedy misfit, drag clown and acid tongued ringmaster’ – a statement he certainly lived up to during the show. Compered by Mutha Tucka, the evening began with a tight lipsync performance from Anna Morphic, using a track mixed with spoken word sections from famous films – such as the iconic scene from The Devil Wears Prada in which Miranda
Priestly (Meryl Streep) explains the importance of the colour cerulean within the fashion industry to Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway). This was followed by a performance of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’.
“There is no reason that local drag acts should be overlooked, especially when there is such a wealth of talent”
The first act was finished by a Harley Quinn inspired performance, involving both spoken word and a strip tease by the fantastic Elle O’Buoys. After a short break, Joe Black entered the stage. Beginning with a mashup of famous cabaret opening tracks, Black’s twisted vaudeville style performance was filled with music from his latest album, Satan in a Sunday Hat. Alongside this he played haunting renditions of well-known tracks such as ‘You are My Sunshine’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ by Eurthymics. The Prohibition Caberet Bar is a venue designed with a 1920s aesthetic. Located in Gateshead, the bar’s speakeasy décor invokes a cosy vibe, making it the perfect location for intimate performances. This Halloween marks its 1st anniversary, and although it may be a young venue it has already
managed to make its mark. The quaint peculiarity of the location made it perfect for the show – if you haven’t been there for a drink yet, you need to check it out. Though Shade in England is over, the event is being replaced by Shade House Parties; a bring your own drink, red cup, open stage extravaganza. The first of these events will be held during December, so check the Shady Bunches’ Facebook as more details will be following soon. Elle O’ Buoys commented, “Joe Black was an amazing end to our SHADE in England events! Coming up next we have SHADE house parties.... and we will be opening up our stage to new performers. Follow the SHADE facebook page for event updates. It will be a new format with an open stage from December so literally anyone can perform with us if they want to! It’s very rare new queens get the opportunity to set foot on a stage unless it’s in a competition, so this will let them give it a go as well as seasoned performers trying new material.” SUPPORT LOCAL DRAG - FB: @shade.newcastle Twitter: @shadenewcastle SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES – FB: @prohibitioncabaretbar
The Courier
arts .23
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk | Instagram: @CourierArts
If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it Phoebe Clothier explains how cutting A-level art history is a cataclysmic move
T
hroughout the history of the world, you can trace conflicts, comments on class and people’s social status reflected by the art created at the time. The umbrella term ‘art’ seems to provoke a knee-jerk rejection among education ministers, and many young people will never get the chance to experience the joys of studying A level Art History after AQA, the last exam board offering the subject, scrapped it due to pressure from the education secretary, Michael Gove.
people who can afford to take ‘soft subjects’. I had never thought about History of Art before being offered it at A Level. It was something I, too, did not appreciate the relevance of. I got to see an-
“When you learn about sculpture, architecture and paintings, you see more of what is around you”
“Doing the qualification changed the way I look at everything”
I care about art history because I feel that it opens up a new part of the world that we live in, a part that would otherwise remain under the radar. Suddenly, when you learn about sculpture, architecture and paintings, you see more of what is around you, and that’s fundamentally what it’s about. It’s about actively engaging in the world we live in. You can walk through your city and see the history in it’s architecture, and although being able to identify a Doric column or a Greek pediment on your Neoclassical library building isn’t always the coolest fact to pull out of the bag, it shows that History of Art is still relevant; contradictory to the thought that its out dated, stuffy and just for posh
Art modules had my teacher not inspired me to beforehand. Doing the qualification changed the way I look at everything. It encourages me to visit new cities every year, and see how their economic, political and social standings have changed with their art. Now when I see a piece that I have learnt about, studied and toiled over, I feel emotionally connected to it. It’s rewarding; moreso than any feeling I ever got from reading a textbook.
other side of education, one that functions around one of our most primary instincts: art and creativity. Just pick it up at university? I would never have thought once about researching History of
With many museums and galleries being free in this country, studying History of Art makes visiting and supporting these institutions so much more important - and the fact that we’re squandering these resources is alarming. You can go to the National Gallery in London, or the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, or the Arnolfini in Bristol (all currently free) and understand what you see in front of you. It’s not just a painting of some people by a river; it’s a reflection of the French Industrial Revolution. You can see history in its true context. The arts have provided so many young people with the motivation to pursue their creativity. Not everyone is cut out for a STEM lifestyle; I know I’m certainly not.
Unique Picks of the Week from the North-East CONTACTLESS VANE GALLERY
T
he Contactless exhibition is held alongside (and part of) the International Print Biennale – a prestigious print event that has become a major showcase for this art form. This celebration of print presents a diversity of work, although a recurring theme this year is the relationship between art and nature. Many of the pieces themselves are woodcut prints, so already unify these two worlds. Printmaking is a medium which has recently gained more interest and now has a high degree of acceptability in the art world. Prints transcend photography and instead of simply recreating an image, each impression is unique and expressed differently – the marks created in this process are part of the beauty.
MURDER MYSTERY NUTS
P
erformed across the 22nd and 24th of October, NUTS and the RAG society returned with a bang with their annual charity murder mystery event. The Hancock pub served as the high end Bleak art gallery where artist Harvey Harrison was ‘murdered’, with the cast of this year’s Cinderella the Pantomime serving as the suspects in the case. The event, held for The Sunshine Fund (providing specialised equipment to children with disabilities in the North East of England) was written by Josh Turner and directed by Louise Nicholls and Mark Bryan, and raised over £700.
“This celebration of print presents a diversity of work” Nick Christie is based in Newcastle and recently earned a Fellowship in Printmaking at Northern Print. His exhibition contrasted to the other artists’ works due to the smaller size of print, and his marks obscuring the print are actually celebrated in his collection, as after the etching process he adds smeared thumbprints. The exhibition is set up in a small, minimalist space and there are only a few prints in his collection. Although this could sound vaguely underwhelming, it allows the viewer to focus on the individual print, and the only non-monotone piece is highlighted on the first wall on the left. There isn’t a whole lot of information on the prints, which was a bit disorientating (and not helpful for someone reviewing it!). However, some of them are interesting to view without prior information, ‘Whisky the Manual’ is an example of this. In his work, the whirls and tracks of the thumbprints help form images that allude to the fact that instead of physical interaction nowadays, we are more used to contact through smart phones and tablets. Sophie Schneider
The format of the event had each team on separate tables, each interviewing one suspect at a time after a dramatic entrance from Sue, played by Georgina Greenwood, upon finding the body of her beloved Harvey. Each suspect carried around some form of evidence to every table, some acting as decoys, to allow the participants to piece together the mystery and discover the murderer. The fantastic Inspector Basket (Gemma Fernie) and her assistant Darren (Adam Thompson), alongside the forensic investigators probing around with fingerprinting brushes made the whole experience feel more procedural, and was also very very funny. The characterisation from the actors was unparalleled, especially Luke Bateman as Reggie Staples and Harriet Rawson as Bettie Brush, who turned out to be the murderer. All in all, it was a fantastic evening which raised a lot of money for a fantastic cause, and set a great precedent for the NUTS shows- especially the pantomime, and RAG week. Katie Cruci
Toon Happenings 31 October
Soundboy Halloween MSA @ 22:00
3 November Great Northern Slam Northern Stage @ 20:00
4 November Ouseburn Fireworks Display City Stadium @ 17:00
3-5 November
The Suppliant Woman
Northern Stage @ 19:30
5 November Pester & Rossi: Bodytalk Baltic 39 @ 16:0
SPICY Classics
KATIE MYERS ON CLASSIC LITERATURE
THE FUTURE OF SEX NORTHERN STAGE
T
here’s something spectacular about a show that so openly offers its viewers a sense of vulnerability, anxiety, excitement, enthusiasm, and, of course, sex, all in such a perfectly crafted time piece. The Future of Sex, from the Wardrobe Ensemble, tells the tale of four couples, all of whom are tracking through their minimalist setting and discovering sex in one of the highest sexual liberalised times: 1972. Each character, even slight, it seemed in the hour performance, managed to resonate so perfectly with major themes in love and sexuality. Whether it was the recluse who took a bet, and asked a girl to a dance; the teacher-student dynamic; or the Bowie, confidence-inspired, Tony, what his friends call him, who was struggling with his own sexuality; each and every character bursts to life with their own witty comments and beautiful choreographed set dynamics, which includes the actors dubbing thoughts of the visible characters, to their own hilarious dismay. Listening to these characters personal accounts struck a real heartstring with me. Whether it was the account of a person slow decline into infatuation, leading to their suicide; the final betrayal of two lovers through time; or the personal attack of a gay man by a person unable to understand the capacity to love regardless of gender. The truly honest accounts of these characters gave the cast a true dynamic and agency, multiplied by the claustrophobic set and the lighting effects. What really made this truly memorable, in addition to the quality acting and writing, was the sound production. One stage, throughout the play, was a guitarist who was messing around with effects pedals, perfectly timing smooth riffs and edgy staccatos, they even played some Bowie, which I was very pleased about, I mean Ziggy basically represents the perfect dichotomy between all of these characters. This play was incredibly crafted and totally inspirational. The Future of Sex messes with time, characters, and lighting, to give a masterpiece in performing arts. Tommy Harees
What’s your favourite classic? The Waves by Virginia Woolf. Woolf is an exquisite writer, and The Waves is nothing short of linguistic perfection. Every other line is a tattoo-worthy quote. What’s the most overhyped classic? Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. I’ve been on board with some pretty odd protagonists in the past, but I think Humbert Humbert was just a little too far out there for me for obvious reasons. Not only that, but he’s also way too smart for me. Too many long words, not enough time. Sorry Vlad. Whats the most underhyped classic? East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I know, I know, I was planning to avoid him forever too after two GCSE years spent with George and Lenny. But trust me on this one, Curly’s wife’s got nothing on Kate Trask. Which classic you lie about having read? Ulysses… but making it to the halfway point has to more than most people, right? What is your next future read? I guess I should say the second half of Ulysses, but if we’re being realistic then either Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or Hamlet by Shakespeare.
Read a good book and want to write for us? Email us! c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk
24. music
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Music Editors: Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj & Ben Grundy
Toon In
Halloween Hearing
Charlie Issac carefully compiles a playlist of terrifying tunes by a range of different Tom HarrowSmith reviews Jamie artists including Billie Holliday, Slipknot and more, for your Halloween sound track ban legend that countless people have committed – ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’: Penderecki – ‘Threnody to the Victims T’s sold-out show at Balahaus The genre of Gothic Rock can be directly traced suicide while listening to this song. Coincidence? of Hiroshima’: back to this 9 ½ minute post-punk epic. Taking its Probably. But, that hasn’t stopped it from gaining What self-respecting Halloween playlist would be the O2 Academy namesake from Hungarian horror-film star Bela the nickname ‘Hungarian Suicide Song’. complete without some ultra-avant-garde classical
I
will be the first to admit that I am no Jamie T expert. My knowledge extends little further than the hits he produced in his early work, ‘Sheila’ and ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’, you know the drill. Therefore, for those diehard fans who are probably reading feeling a mixture of nausea and anger that I went to review this gig that sold out in minutes, I am truly sorry. If anything, I was extremely curious to see what Jamie T was like now. Nobody needs to mention his five-year absence from the British music scene, but his emphatic return saw the release of Carry on the Grudge in 2014 featuring acclaimed singles such as ‘Don’t You Find’ and ‘Zombie’. No matter what happened in that period, it helped produce a fantastic new sound, one less raw in parts, but it demonstrated his musical talent was now unquestionable. I have always hugely admired the ability of artists to mix it up, and that is exactly what Jamie T has done. So, with that in mind, I was keen to see what was next for the boy once hailed as the saviour of British music.
“His musical talent was now unquestionable”
‘T’ had to cancel his shows immediately prior at Bournemouth, Brixton and Liverpool, however, there was no sign of this during his ninety minute plus performance in Newcastle, even more of a feat considering this was straight off the back of a concert in Leeds which marked his return after the three missed dates. If anything the crowd were extremely lucky, as it appeared as if he was making up for lost time with an electric performance which provided fans with the perfect balance of new releases and old favourites. He played ‘Salvador’ and ‘Operation from Panic Prevention’ inside the first 20 minutes. This was not an artist who wanting to bombard his fans with all his latest releases immediately after coming on stage, as so many who are on a new album promotion tour tend to do. Instead, the crowd were gripped from the off as T’s relentless energy infected the entranced fans who followed his every move. What was great here though was that the performance was not just an individual one. It is typical to see a solo artist live who ends up completely cut off from their supporting band, however, this was not the case here. At times, it was just like watching a band, with all corners capturing T’s spirit. For two songs, Jamie T performed just on his own, the stand out track ‘Back in the Game’ as his penultimate encore. From the new album particular highlights were ‘Tinfoil Boy’ and ‘Crossfire Love’ – the latter arguably one of the best of the night. Inevitably, T’s classics still stole the show, ‘Sheila’ played with almost funk like guitar rhythms and ‘Sticks ‘n’ Stones’ was as emphatic as I had hoped and expected. Best of all, it was being played by a performer who still loves to play what he is known and loved for.
“A performer who still loves to play what he is known and loved for”
I had heard about what a fantastic live act Jamie T was and this will most likely push me from a part-time fan to full blown convert.
Lugosi – the quintessential Count Dracula – this song encapsulates the atmosphere of an old-fashioned vampire tale. Despite all its gloom, ‘Bela Lugosi’ nonetheless has a hell of a groove to it, making it hard to resist getting up and shuffling around a bit (preferably while wearing entirely black and smoking a cigarette).
Sisters of Mercy – ‘This Corrosion’:
Pure, unadulterated 80s Goth-Rock in all its glory. ‘This Corrosion’ is objectively an incredible song that will have you longing for the days when fishnets, black leather and massive hair were an acceptable combination.
Arthur Brown – ‘Fire’:
“I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE”, proclaims Arthur Brown, before launching into one of the grooviest psychedelic nightmares to have ever graced the earth. The best part, however, might well be the video, which sees Brown don corpse paint and a flaming helmet and dance like a madman, cementing him as a trailblazer of both Shock Rock and Metal.
music? A truly harrowing composition, ‘Threnody’ artfully crafts Psycho-esque strings into sheer auditory terror. Perhaps not one for a Halloween party, but chilling enough to have made it into The Shining.
Mayhem – ‘Freezing Moon’:
Conceived in the desolate depths of Scandinavia, ‘Freezing Moon’ is old-school Norwegian Black Metal at its finest. The history of Mayhem reads like a bad horror movie in itself, involving church burnings, murder, suicide and perhaps the most poor-taste album cover in history.
Slipknot – ‘Purity’:
Nu-Metal legends Slipknot have built their careers on their aggressive, horror-inspired imagery and brutal music. ‘Purity’ is certainly no exception, telling a delightful tale about some poor girl getting buried alive. To crank the creepiness up to 11, I would highly recommend combining with its intro track ‘Frail Limb Nursery’.
Cannibal Corpse – ‘Hammer Smashed Face’:
The musical equivalent of a B-grade horror movie, Cannibal Corpse’s sludgy brand of Death Metal is certainly not for everyone, but ‘Hammer Smashed Face’ is a wonderfully brutal tune with a killer bass break as a bonus. It is perhaps a blessing that the growled lyrics are largely indecipherable however, containing gems like “Draining the snot, I rip out the eyes, squeezing them in my hands nerves are incised.”
Black Sabbath – ‘Black Sabbath’:
From the album titled, you guessed it, Black Sabbath, this slow, doom-laded track is considered the definitive birth of Heavy-Metal. From Ozzy’s eerie vocals, to the iconic guitar riff, to the spectacular dénouement, ‘Black Sabbath’ is just as striking and fun as when it first spawned an entire genre
Billie Holiday – ‘Gloomy Sunday’:
Bobby Picket – ‘Monster Mash’:
Sung by perhaps the greatest and most tortured voice in Jazz, it isn’t the melancholic lyrics or Holiday’s harrowing delivery that has placed ‘Gloomy Sunday’ on this playlist. No, it is the infamous ur-
Does this one really need an explanation?
American Avalanche of UK Charts
Victoria Young discusses how Britain’s transatlantic musical success has been reversed as American artists like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber now dominate the U.K. charts
I
t has recently come to my attention that the UK Big Top 40 and other British weekly chart lists are becoming heavily dominated, even pioneered, by American musicians. Don’t get me wrong, our charts have pretty much always been influenced by music from The States (how can we forget Bill Haley or The Beach Boys?) but now it almost seems as though we are giving up our own musical individuality in exchange for the likes of Bieber, Drake and Ariana Grande; names that were not so long ago a ‘cringe’ presence on the iPod. In 1958, Vera Lynn was one of the first British artists at that time to make it onto the United States’ Billboard Hot 100. She held the top spot in the US charts for nine weeks with ‘Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart’. At the time, it must have seemed like a lucky escape onto the US listings following a heated and very successful American driven Rock ‘n’ Roll period, however, this was arguably the embryonic period for the British invasion of America that sparked in the 1960’s with the Merseybeats.
“British legendary musicians pioneered the way in Westernised music .” Britain provided legendary musicians such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elton John and David Bowie who pioneered the way in Westernised music for almost thirty years until the mid-90s. These were joined by the likes of The Monkees, The Bee Gees and Queen who also filled massive chunks of the US Billboard Hot 100. With 20 American number-one singles, The Beatles are probably the most memorable British presence in the history of the American charts. They spent more than 60 weeks at the top of US charts in total, not including their separate chart entrances from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr
and George Harrison. The evidence of British invasion was further evidenced with the death of David Bowie who passed away January this year. American online users responded with great remorse on music platforms and social media, while others in places such as New York and LA held memorials in the streets for the renowned musician.
“We are giving up our own musical individuality in exchange for names that were not so long ago a ‘cringe’ presence on an iPod”
So my question arises; why are we allowing America to dominate our UK charts and music industry with pop, rap and R&B, when we clearly have the individual potential to form our own hits lists? At what point did the Britain-America music relationship reverse?! Whilst it’s only fair to acknowledge that some UK artists such as Adele and One Direction seem to have still done very well in The States, I can’t help but notice that their music is becoming very much ‘Americanised’. Independent and unique British artists such as Ben Howard, Foals and Wolf Alice (amongst others), surely have the ability to make a creative and quirky UK chart that is home based. How interesting it is to see that the country, who once stormed America with music, is currently being completely stormed by music from across the Atlantic. If we begin to show a greater appreciation for our UK artists, perhaps we could even take the US by storm once again! Victoria Young
The Courier
music .25
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk
Album Review: WALLS
Kings Of Leon T
o me, it seems like only yesterday I was eagerly slotting Mechanical Bull into my laptop. I’d been tantalised by ‘Supersoaker’ and couldn’t wait to hear what Kings of Leon had in store for the rest of the album and was I in for a treat. I hadn’t believed they could improve on Come Around Sundown - the epitome of mellow Southern charm distilled into an understated and sublime package - and yet they’d done exactly that. So imagine my surprise to discover they’ve gone and trumped themselves again with WALLS. The boys have been teasing their seventh album through Twitter and Instagram snippets for months now, with viral marketing challenges to represent the number seven as creatively as possible, and four of the album’s tracks on YouTube by release, sustaining a hype upon which the finished product has well and truly delivered. ‘Waste a Moment’ brought a strong, energetic start to the excitement, with the
“They’ve gone and trumped themselves again” titular track ‘Walls’ thereafter bringing the sensitive, melancholic side we’ve come to know and love in the Tennessee-born Followill brothers. Sceptics and die-hards might yearn for the angsty young Caleb responsible for ‘Soft’ and ‘Charmer’, but frankly I’m ready to put the screechier side of the Kings to bed; like a fine wine, the band have matured wonderfully, but also like a fine wine, there are always people who prefer a fiver bottle from Tesco’s. Or something.
Gameshow Two Door Cinema Club
I
t’s been a long three years since we’ve had anything new from Northern Irish band Two Door Cinema Club. Their last release, Changing of the Seasons, wasn’t quite enough for fans who hadn’t heard a new full album since Beacon. It’s no easy task to move forward from the songs that were constantly heard on the radio, in adverts, games, and films; and, sadly, Two Door Cinema Club don’t seem to quite make the transition. Despite this, there is something undeniably fun and feel-good about Gameshow, especially in the opening tracks ‘Are We Ready (Wreck)’ and ‘Bad Decisions’. The vocals are more experimental this time round and the album doesn’t feel hyper-produced or overdone - despite added effects. In this manner, it sets itself apart from anything they have ever done before.
“The album doesn’t feel hyperproduced or overproduced”
It is the album’s inspirations that make it feel so enjoyable; the 80s disco, pop-funk feeling that they have injected into their songs will undoubtedly make it popular. ‘Ordinary’ has an intro which calls on Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’ before transforming into something completely different entirely. To some extent, there are too many different sounds within Gameshow and the band’s own familiar sound gets lost amongst the variety. It can be difficult for artists to make themselves heard in a music scene where indie music isn’t quite as underground as it once was. However, Two Door Cinema Club manage to plant themselves firmly in the mix with an album that becomes more likeable with every listen. It may not quite compare to their previous albums but it is definitely a solid effort and a fun return for the Northern Irish trio. Katie Eddison
The thing is, if you enjoyed Sundown and Mechanical Bull, there’s no way you could possibly dislike WALLS. It’s lively and mellow in all the right places, and they’ve lost absolutely none of the abundant charisma that’s endeared them to fans all over the world in their 13 year run. If you thought the band died with Only by the Night, then nothing here will please you. Also, get over yourself. Alright, that’s a bit harsh, but still. Highlights from WALLS include ‘Muchacho’, a melancholic ballad with a bossa nova beat that’s perfect for a moody walk into uni. ‘Conversation Piece’ brings a dramatic flair that shows off Caleb’s legendary, whiskey-voiced range; mention must also go to the gorgeous bookending melodic hook in ‘Reverend’. Admittedly, naming highlights is a little unfair; the album has no weak tracks and each stands with a character of its own without compromising the tight overall sound. WALLS is an album of motion and emotion, of homesickness and nostalgia, of reflection and progress. This couldn’t be a better fit, as although Kings of Leon goes from strength to strength with no signs of slowing down, there remains the notion that their thoughts are firmly fixed on their origins. In ‘Wild’, we hear “you come round, I come a-running”: a distinctive throwback to ‘On Call’ from the Times era, ‘Muchacho’ echoes ‘Mi Amigo’ thematically if not aurally, and Caleb’s relationship with his everdistant rural homeland remains as much a source of tension for the aging rockstar as it has been since the hidden track in ‘Holy Roller Novocaine.’
Superwoman Rebecca Fergusson
O
ne of the most talented and promising artists coming out of the X-Factor is back with an intensely personal album that stirs up the soul but, musically, is a little bit lacking. At a glance, it might seem a tad overconfident to name your latest album Superwoman but Ferguson never fails to live up to that name. This record is not only an enjoyable listen, but also a statement in defence of single mothers and, of course, women. That said, as I’ve mentioned before, the album is far from perfect, even though it certainly shows that the people backing it are extremely talented, and know what they’re doing. As the record spins, we’re treated to almost perfectly written blues compositions - sometimes with a hint of gospel - which suits Ferguson’s lush voice immensely. It is a well oiled machine, sometimes even to a fault. Although the lyrics can stun the listener with their deeply personal themes and messages, the music is not always on the same level. It is too comfortable in places and sometimes so perfect in its execution that it becomes utterly boring and repetitive.
“The album is far from perfect, though it certainly shows that the people backing it are extremely talented”
It isn’t that you are not going to enjoy the record, which is amiable enough to let it spin in your player once or twice. It’s just a little bit too conventional to get stuck in the listener’s head. Superwoman might not be ‘super’, but it’s certainly ‘great’. Because under all the imperfections, there is an extremely talented and lovable singer who has opened up for us completely this time and who deserves to be admired. Ferenc Orosz
“Like a fine wine, the band have matured wonderfully” Ultimately, WALLS is an album that gives exactly what it promises: an escalation from a band who can only go up. Only a shame it hadn’t come out a few months ago – it would have been an absolutely perfect summer album. James McCoull
Did you know..?
The song ‘Cold Desert’, from the boys’ 2008 album Only by the Night was written after lead singer Caleb had finished drunkenly wandering around the desert somewhere in Southern America (as you do). Completely off his face - because of the legend he is, Caleb stumbled back into the recording studio in the early hours of the morning and began singing. What’s incredible is that only the first verse of the song had been written; the rest he had improvised. When he woke the next day, he was greeted with a blinding headache and a track he had no recollection of singing. They used this original recording on the album because of it’s raw and passionate emotion.
Simple Forms The Naked & Famous
T
he Naked and Famous can be seen as being a victim of their own success. You could easily be forgiven for assuming that Simple Forms is their second studio album, but, in fact, it is their third after the release of In Rolling Waves in 2013. The album fell into the same bracket as MGMT’s second album Congratulations - better as an album than the first, but with no ‘radio applicable releases’. This album is really make or break for the New Zealand indieelectronic band.
“I was left with a rather unsatisfying taste in my mouth”
Immediately, the listener is thrown into the track ‘Higher’ with its warped techno pulse running through the heart of the album. Consequently, it is easy to see why it was launched as the albums lead single back in July earlier this year. The next song ‘The Water Beneath You’ demonstrates the power of Alisa Xayalith’s vocals and is another great listen. However, after doing such a good job to pull the listener in with the first two tracks, it wanes over the next six songs. Thom Powers’ rather cheesy sounding voice takes centre stage and led me to be reminded strangely of Evanescence (remember them?). The album does not pick up again until ‘Laid Low’ but, all of a sudden, it is all over and I was left with a rather unsatisfying taste in my mouth. Simple Forms is not a bad album but is it sufficient enough for a band trying to revitalise their reputation? This is a band with a banger in their locker but they have let me down again in constructing a complete album. I cannot help thinking that, for a group which wrote one of the greatest songs of my teenage years, what has stopped them from fulfilling their potential? Tom Harrow-Smith
Electronic Blanket Ellie Phillips shares her EDM Freshers’ nightmares and bigs up the mighty Leftfield
U
pon moving to Newcastle, I was scared that the term “electronic music” was going to be interpreted as a completely different culture compared to down south. When all I had to base the potential music scene on is the pop culture EDM mixes featured in the likes of Geordie Shore, it’s safe to say the fear was real- especially after the atrocities I witnessed on the floors of Tiger during Freshers Week, not to mention Kings of Leon’s ‘Use Somebody’ being mixed into ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ at the SU one night. I can thankfully say that since moving past club promoters and fresher reps, I have done my research and scouted out the places I need to go to ensure my nights are filled with good vibes and beats.
“I’ve scouted out the places to ensure my nights are filled with good vibes and beats” Following the advice of second years, first on my hit list was World HQ – home of peace, love and unity, and mash up of grime, jungle and techno across two floors. Just last night I got to witness Lively Up’s 5th birthday, with General Levy, Randall and Electrikal Sound System. It can be argued that this line up was way more Jungle than Electronic, but the way these lot mixed up their tracks made it feel like an infusion of the two. Witnessing classic bangers such as ‘Bricks Don’t Roll’ by DJ Hazard, and ‘Dutty Wine’ by Burga Boy made me feel like I was at a Year 11 house party again, but in the absolute best of ways, jaws swinging and dutty basslines left right and centre.
You need to hear: Leftfield Potentially you could view these guys as some of the founding fathers of UK electronic music, bringing us old school techno and synthesised beats since 1989. Their first album Leftisim released in 1995 is what put this group on the map, attracting a massive following into the world of underground techno with head bopping tracks such as ‘Afro Left’ getting everybody moving in a new way. These masters of music are still at it though, with the release of Alternative Light Source just last year, and it is a masterpiece. I was blessed enough to witness them live at Bestival in September, and ‘Universal Everything’ was one of the most incredibly hypnotising things I have ever seen. If you haven’t listened to this, get your YouTube app up right now and tune in, you won’t regret it.
Listen to: Leftfield - ‘Universal Everything’ Preview: NOVA Presents: Artwork, Friday 11th November at World Headquarters Circa 1990’s, Artwork started off as a garage music producer with nothing but an old school sampler keyboard. Now, he’s progressed his independent sets into a fusion of disco and techno, whilst also working alongside the Magnetic Man project with the likes of Skream and Benga - proving the total diversity of his skill set. Newcastle is lucky enough to be graced with his presence this coming November, and I expect both floors of World HQ to be an absolute sell out for the night. If you’re looking for a guaranteed night of raw talent and charm, I’d bag yourself a ticket now before it’s too late.
Listen to: Skream B2B Artwork Boiler Room DJ Set - Red Bull Music Academy Go follow us on intagram for live gig updates, fun pictures and the latest music gossip- @courier_music
26.filmfeatures
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Film Editors: Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden & Simon Ramshaw
The perfect Halloween concoction
GUILT TRIP Troll 2 (1990) This week in our column of shame, Will Capuano trolls us with so-bad-it’sgood crapsterpiece, Troll 2. Is it spookily shit, or absolutely awful?
I
t’s a tradition among me and my friends from sixth form to get drunk and watch films that are so bad they’re absolutely hilarious. I was introduced to this hobby with The Room (2003), which I’d love to talk about in another Guilt Trip column one day, but since this week’s issue is Halloween-themed, I’ll discuss the sorry excuse of a horror film that is Troll 2 instead. Where to even begin describing the phenomenon that is Troll 2? An Italian-American low-budget B-horror movie which was released in 1990 straight-to-VHS, Troll 2 neither has any trolls in it nor is there any connection at all to Troll (1986), as the sequel was named so purely to capitalise on that film’s relative success. The Italian filmmakers spoke virtually no English yet wrote the script in very poor English anyway, and the cast was made up of people with no acting experience applying for an extras casting call.
“Troll 2’s filmmakers were convinced it provided an erudite commentary on modern society”
The result of all this is a film so diabolical, so utterly nonsensical and of such implausibly abysmal quality that it is unintentionally one of the most hilarious films ever made. To quote a fan from the aptly named documentary on Troll 2, Best Worst Movie, “this film is like aliens saw what movies were like from our transmissions, and then tried to make a film themselves that Earthlings would like.” The best exemplification of Troll 2 is the most iconic scene – boasting 5 million views on YouTube – in which a helpless teenager shrieks, “They’re eating her…and then they’re gonna eat me! OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD!” Please, watch it on YouTube ASAP, and if that doesn’t sell this film to you, I don’t know what will. Without spoiling anything, the plot is the story of a family holidaying in a seemingly tranquil country village which unbeknownst to them is the secret kingdom of an ancient shape-shifting vegan goblin cult who terrorise visitors by turning them into salad and eating them. “I had many friends who’d all become vegetarians and it pissed me off,” explained writer Rossella Drudi on her inspiration for the story. The hilariousness of the mediocrity of Troll 2 is rivalled only by the filmmakers’ insistence that it is a parabolic masterpiece providing an erudite commentary on modern society.
Needless to say, Troll 2 was a flop and has remained mostly unknown to the public. Yet it has gained a cult following in the years since its release which I consider well-deserved. Even if watching ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ films isn’t your thing, I couldn’t recommend enough that if you’ve got 90 minutes free or are having pre-drinks for some Halloweenrelated festivities, grab some mates and some alcohol and give Troll 2 a watch.
It’s Halloween, and it’s time to scare ourselves silly with the most terrifying, gory movies under the moon. But does Elena Trayanova agree with this spooky tradition?
O
ctober is finally here and as we all know, it’s already time to start thinking about an extremely original Halloween costume that would make an impression, and of course, ways to subtly but surely make people give us candy. Along with all of these we also need to start thinking about which movie will be the perfect supplement to a perfect Halloween night. To me, this Halloween is going to be very special, since we don’t celebrate it where I come from. With this said, it’s safe to say that I’ve had quite some time to think about what would make my first real Halloween celebration memorable, so my modest plans include the mandatory transformation into a scary creature and going trick-or-treating with friends, and right in between those two events, it’s the perfect time to gather around a laptop and watch a Halloween movie.
job in giving us chills and a night of no sleeping, the latter create a cosy Halloween atmosphere that goes perfectly with the smell of roasted pumpkin. For me, the perfect Halloween movie consists of light-hearted spookiness, the type that makes you feel like a child hiding under the blanket on a Halloween night, reading a spooky comic book, as opposed to the feeling of grimness and true terror we’re getting from a man with a chainsaw. While a good horror movie is supposed to give us chills throughout the whole year, a good Halloween movie is supposed to have that subtle feeling of fakeness that would make us think of the monsters with a smile on our faces, instead of terror. Recently, people have been talking about how hard it has become to make a good horror movie these days, because we’ve already seen quite a lot of it on TV, and for a horror movie to be scary the
element of surprise is needed. However, instead of surprise, a great Halloween movie needs to be able to create an idyllic atmosphere, a feeling that a friendly gathering around a campfire with pumpkin pie and scary stories would give us. Watching a Halloween movie, I like to feel like any moment my friends will start laughing at me because I got startled by a ridiculously unreal dead bride costume. I like to feel frightened but in a way that will make me chuckle afterwards. The perfect Halloween movie is spooky, but not horrific and at the same time it’s comical but not funny. The thing that makes a perfect Halloween movie is being able to laugh with the monsters, instead of being terrified of them. After all, Halloween is all about us turning into monsters to chase away the real evil spirits, and not about us running away from them.
“For me, the perfect Halloween movie has a lot of light-hearted spookiness, the type that makes you feel like a kid on Halloween night” When it comes to Halloween movies, many people seem to be unable to make a difference between a Halloween movie and a horror movie. Usually, the first thing that comes to mind when the time comes is “time to scare each other (and ourselves) to death”. Also, BRAAAAINS. But instead of watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween, this year I’m going to watch Trick ’r Treat or The Bride of Frankenstein. Seemingly similar movies, they are very different, mainly because of tone. While the first are doing a perfect
Uncaged Nic Cage hunts Bin Laden
Bizarre real-life comedy Army Of One got an offbeat first trailer last week. Is this a new chapter in the holy book of Cage? Errol Kerr tells us what he thinks about this pressing matter.
A
hh, Nicolas Cage. The Walking Meme. A man who is, truly, a jack of all film trades, and a master of… well, something, probably. Well-known for taking serious roles and making the utterly hilarious, Cage is the posterchild for how not to play a stern character. His film achievements are many – stealing the most important document in the United States of America in National Treasure, becoming a slave to Satan in Ghost Rider (God, the CGI was disgusting in that film…), really not liking bees in The Wicker Man, and pulling the strangest faces in Vampire’s Kiss. Oh, he also kidnapped the President in the second National Treasure film. So, how is the most memorable actor on the internet going to top this list of film achievements? Well, he’s going to go and hunt down Osama Bin Laden. It’s genuinely the most Nic Cage thing you can imagine him doing, and he’s bloody going for it. Based on a true
story (YES REALLY), Army of One, the newest satirical film from Borat director Larry Charles, has Nic Cage as Gary Faulkner – an American who believed himself sent by God to go on a solo mission to travel across the globe to find Osama Bin Laden, and therefore made several trips to just, well… go hunt him down. It sounds like a perfect comedy already, doesn’t it? Cage must have realised the sensation around his acting by this point, and in comparison to his more recent serious films such as USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (don’t bother watching it) it’ll be quite refreshing to see Nic Cage stepping out of his “serious” roles. How to accurately define whatever this mess is, I’m not entirely sure, but if Borat is anything to go by, I do hope you guys don’t get offended too easily.
“Putting Russell Brand and Nicolas Cage in the same room will most definitely result in...something” As if this complete mess couldn’t get any better, God is portrayed by Russell Brand, who randomly appears in Faulkner’s life. Yay for sacrilege and/ or heretical depictions of religious deities! On as serious a note as I can get, however, in comparison to other, more wellknown portrayals of God (Morgan Freeman and Whoopi Goldberg come to mind), I feel the erratic natures of Brand and Cage are going to create one hell
of a strange chemistry on-screen. Whatever religious satirical point Charles is trying to prove (if there is a point…) I’ve got faith that putting Brand and Cage in the same room will most definitely succeed in… doing something.
“I’m simultaneously terrified, incredibly offended and really damned excited for this film”
Honestly, for me? I have a feeling that this is going to be peak Nic Cage, and I’m simultaneously terrified, incredibly offended, and really damned excited. Just picture something along the lines of “I’m going to steal the declaration of independence” in that gravelly, serious tone that you can’t help but laugh at, or the screams of “No! Not the bees, no!” that are meant to send shivers down your spine, but tend to make you laugh to the point of hysterics… but for an entire feature-length film. It’s going to be awful – who’s coming with me to see it?
The Courier
reviewsfilm.27
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Film
Golden Oldies Presents...
I, Daniel Blake (15)
T
Tomas Alfredson’s
wo years ago, after the premiere of Ken Loach’s latest film, rumour had it that the British living legend would end his filmmaking career with the enjoyable, but slightly mediocre effort, Jimmy’s Hall. This year, however, he made a comeback with I, Daniel Blake, which secured him his second Palme D’Or after 2004’s The Wind That Shakes the Barley. It is easy to see, why he loved the script so much: the film is an original Loach-film, one that no one else can make but him. The one, that could shake him out of his retirement. But it is not just a trademark Loach-film: it is an enormously powerful masterclass in socially aware filmmaking, that would shake you up, make you laugh, and most likely will leave you sobbing. After the Newcastle premiere of the picture, many started talking about how it is so much more than a movie, addressing social issues that no one else would, and also being unique in its execution, and unique by nature. Although these statements are mostly true (it is incredibly eye-opening), these are not the best qualities of the film: these are not the factors that make it so great due to Loach (or in fact, many other British legends, including Mike Leigh) have made movies like this before. In fact, it would not be an overstatement to say, that he is the king of kitchen-sink. Yet what makes I, Daniel Blake stand out, is its execution. It is a strikingly well-made and earnest piece of work, that lures you in first, and then packs a punch that you will have a hard time forgetting.
The films hook is arguably the lead, Dave Johns. His endearing and down-to-earth performance makes you love Daniel instantly: no matter how grumpy he is you relate to him, from the first second. Partially because you have probably been through at least some of his experiences, but also because you can recognize him right away. He is the angry, yet lovable old man with a big heart who lives just down the block. The slightly funny, light-hearted opening makes the rest of the film even more unbearable. You quickly realise that the tone of the first quarter was just a kind of lure. The film marches on as Loach tells his story with bare simplicity, yet striking efficiency. There is no place for too much talk, the storytelling harmonises with its main character
beautifully. They are essentially the same: lean and straightforward. By the time we reach the end climactic end, you are invested in the story. Partially because it is so relatable, but mostly because Loach’s work is so efficient, his direction is so invisible, it seems, that the story just unfolds by itself naturally. It makes the ending even more shocking and eye-opening. So yes, in fact, you can say, that the film is amazing because of its social awareness, and essential in the turbulent times we’re living right now. But none of it would be this effective, if Loach wasn’t behind it. More like this: Brassed Off (1996)
The Girl on the Train (15)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (12A)
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (PG)
he adaptation of Paula Hawkin’s The Girl on the Train has left bookworms rolling their eyes as the grit and gore of London is swapped for the all too glamorous back drop of New York. This matched with Emily Blunt’s all too pretty ‘I’m hungover’ face which is meant to bring to life our beloved, but frail and frumpy divorcee, Rachel. However, for those who jumped aboard before reading the book, The Girl on the Train keeps you hooked throughout the movie. We watch through the same window as Rachel as she stares in at the seemingly perfect lives of Megan (Haley Bennett) and Scott Hipwell (Luke Evans), and her ex-husband Tom (Justin Theroux) and his new wife Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), looking at the people who seemingly have it all, whilst she has nothing. The film takes us through a series of moody vignettes, in which the three main female leads take us through the events of their tattered lives. Through their perspectives, we see them carry out their forbidden lusts, betrayals and transgressions, and are fed through a tangled web of tracks that weaves us through the events leading up to Megan’s murder. Like the novel, the film maintains these perspectives as unreliable, with the audience being told about and shown events that may or may not have happened. In the end, more so than the book, we feel cheated. Despite the ending that could have been executed better overall, the film achieves its aim in making us question how well we can ever really know people. Through the seemingly perfect lives being dismantled, everything we think we know about the characters, is flipped on its head. Whilst the film may be more of a slow burner than an intense hit, the casts’ turbulent company makes it definitely worth buying a ticket for this train.
et four years after the events of the first film, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) travels to Washington DC to meet with Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), his successor in the Military Police. After Turner is arrested for treason, Reacher attempts to exonerate her and uncover a conspiracy at the heart of the military. As a fan of Lee Child’s gloriously pulpy novels, accepting Tom Cruise as the man-mountain Jack Reacher has been a difficult task. Regardless of the much-publicised size issue, Cruise’s clean-cut, movie star image and boyish charm are at odds with the rough around the edges literary Reacher. However, it is testament to Cruise’s skill as an actor that he has laid claim to the cinematic interpretation of the character. He captures a sense of makes Child’s eternal wanderer so popular and plays to his own physical strengths, there is a lot more running on show here than is seen in the books. Like his predecessor, Christopher McQuarrie, Edward Zwick directs efficiently and handles the action very well, with Cruises’ numerous brawls and a chase through the streets of New Orleans being the film’s highpoints. However, the 12A rating does attenuate the violence and weakens the impact of the fight scenes, in comparison to the books. Cruise and Smulders have excellent chemistry and are the standouts from a disappointingly bland cast, which sorely misses the presence of an established character actor, in the vein of Robert Duvall and Werner Herzog in the first film. Holt McCallany and Robert Knepper lack the screen time to elevate their roles above generic military villains, while Patrick Heusinger fares well with the action, but is ultimately nondescript as a foil for Reacher. Entertaining, taut and action-packed, Zwick’s film is worthy successor to the original, but does not reach the heights of the novels. Although another Cruise film would be welcomed, it would be great to see a faithful adaptation of Child’s gargantuan hero brought to the screen. More like this: Collateral (2004)
t’s safe to say from the get-go that this is automatically the best Batman movie released this year. Not really a bold statement considering the mixed reception all of Warner Bros’ superhero films received in 2016, but Return of the Caped Crusaders far surpasses these low expectations with one simple addition – it doesn’t take itself seriously. Of course, being based on the infamous 1960s TV show, you’d expect a camp, over-the-top hour and a half of silliness and Bat Shark Repellent Spray. Yet the film is crafted with such passion for its source material that it actually offers a far more compelling story than the original show could accomplish in its 25-minute runtime. Screenwriters Michael Jelenic and James Tucker are evident Bat-Fans, poking fun of both the series’ kid-friendly tone as well as modern depictions of the Dark Knight, the latter of which hilariously shows Batman’s brainwashing in the film’s second act. Original stars Adam West and Burt Ward return to voice the Dynamic Duo, delivering as much energy and humour in their performances as they did 50 years ago. The only let down here is Julie Newmar, also reprising her role as Catwoman, who although offers a sultry, playful take on Miss Kyle, her older voice is a complete mismatch to her character design. Unfortunately, homages to the show like these are often the movie’s downfall, with most of the fight scenes annoyingly blocked off by the iconic onomatopoeia taking up the screen. The animation is some of DC’s best in recent memory, perfectly lending itself to the hyperbolic tone the TV series was so known for, so why cover is up with ‘BAM!’ and ‘POW!’ so often? Unashamedly proud of its heritage, sometimes to its detriment, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders is a must-see for fans of the original show, but may go over Ledger lovers’ heads.
Dan Haygarth
Zoë Godden
T
More like this: Gone Girl (2014) Holly Cowan
Let the Right One In
S
Ferenc Orosz
I
More like this: Batman: The Movie (1966)
For the penultimate screening in the Tyneside Cinema’s World of Horror season, William Johnson takes a look at the not-so-Oldie Swedish horror cult classic for our spooktacular Halloween edition. Does it truly reinvigorate the dying vampire genre, or has eight years of aging made it an Edward Cullen?
W
hat has already been deemed a classic despite only being released in 2008, Tomas Alfredson brings a unique and raw take on the vampire romance genre that has trended our cinema screens in recent years. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In tells the story of a bullied 12-yearold boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, in the early 1980’s. It builds around every day concepts of bullying, divorce and the feeling of being an outsider in society. Driven through a fantastic variation of haunting cinematography and a chilling score, Alfredson’s skill as a director shines creating a frightening and intense picture without the use of cheap scare tactics. Its impressive aesthetics, apart from a couple of near terrible CGI cats, and minimal dialogue aid the defining of the central characters, Oskar and Eli, as lost and isolated individuals looking for solace in a place where they are deeply misunderstood. Combine this with enriched and compelling lead performances from Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson the film succeeds in making the audience empathise with the central theme of the film, tugging on everyone’s own experiences of feeling lost and alone.
The lack of dialogue does contribute to the film being slow-paced at times, which it has been criticized for. There are moments when you are waiting for a burst of action to move the story on and quicken the pace, but it doesn’t. Its creators have been brave enough to ensure the film stays true to itself and doesn’t follow the classic horror film trend, and subsequently their mistakes, that we so often see. Alfredson’s decision to tone down and move away from the dark fantasy story of the book and focus primarily on the relationship between the two central characters does perhaps make it lose that “jump out of your seat” terror which many of us seek from movies, especially at Halloween. Instead its untiring intensity leaves you gripped, forcing you to keep watching even if it is whilst peering between your fingers. If however the idea of watching a foreign language film does not tempt you an American version, called Let Me In, was released in 2010. Although receiving positive reviews, like most remakes, I doubt that it will stand up to this fierce and mould breaking original that is a must see classic.
28.tvfeatures
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
TV Editors: Luke Acton, Alison Scurfield and Dominic Corrigan
ck a b w ro h T Our weekly column where we look back at cult favourites and other atrocities from the past. This week, FOX space drama, Firefly.
A
nyone who loves stories about cowboys or enjoys the science-fictions set wherever in the galaxy should watch Joss Whedon’s Firefly at least once in their lifetime, because who doesn’t love a show about a bunch of space-cowboys trying to survive in the unknown darkness of another star-system, years after the Earththat-was could no longer sustain the vast amount of human beings? Well, FOX obviously didn’t - curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! They cancelled the series after the broadcast of eleven episodes, leaving the final three episodes unaired, to the anger and frustration of its many fans. Despite the pain that is still felt, fourteen years since it was first shown, when I re-watch the episodes in the order in which they belong, I still long for more. Why there isn’t more goes beyond all of us, as this show might be Joss Whedon at his best. It is original, witty, intelligent, and above all emotionally investing – trust me when I say that you will cry. It focuses a great deal on the characters and their developments and relations, and you will fall in love with every single member of the crew of Serenity, because all of them are wonderful and interesting in their own way. There’s Mal, the captain of the ship who doesn’t mind a bit of smuggling or stealing to keep his freedom. Then there’s Zoe, his second-in-command who makes everybody wish they were as fierce as her. Wash is the lovable, dorky pilot and husband of Zoe. We have Inara, a Companion who just needs to kiss Mal, already! Then there’s Jayne, who will probably be in his bunk. Not forgetting sweet, sweet Kaylee, who takes care of the ship. Also Simon, the doctor who takes care of his little sister, River, who is a traumatized prodigy. Finally, Shepherd Book keeps the balance between violence and morality. Watching this will make you wish you were part of the crew. The impact of the show was huge. Of course, the few episodes we have are not enough, but the Universe was given a feature film in the form of 2005’s Serenity. Multiple comic series and one-shots followed too, as well as an online RPG. Many TV shows have references to Firefly, like NBC’s Community, in which two characters love the show, and ABC’s Castle, in which Nathan Fillion (who portrayed Mal) plays the lead character. A huge fandom has appeared that celebrates the cult status of the series, and the original cast members would just as much love to see the show return. Thankfully the episodes that do exist are right there on Netflix, though the follow-up movie, Serenity, sadly isn’t, and we can re-watch them as many times as we want. But every time I start an episode, I am reminded that the show was supposed to run for seven years, and in the end all we got was fourteen episodes and a movie. That doesn’t take away how shiny the show is. Firefly is a leaf on the wind, watch how it soars. Becky Van Leeuwen
Shots from above
We sent TCTV’s Head of Production, Haaris Qureshi, along to The Royal Television Society’s latest event, ‘Drones or Helicopters; Truth or Lies?’ Here’s what he thought...
T
he latest talk of the North East branch of the Royal Television Society was by David Baille, an Emmy Award winning cinematographer, as well as director, producer and photojournalist. The talk was titled Drones Or Helicopters; Truth or Lies? – Confessions of a grumpy old cameraman. After gorging myself on the complimentary breadsticks and olives, washed down by my free drink (who says being a Courier writer doesn’t have its perks?), we went up to the presentation. After starting as a teacher and social worker, Baille worked as a photojournalist and writer for the travel section of The Cosmopolitan and The Guardian. Sparking an interest in current affairs lead to Baille spending some time in the Soviet Union, writing books and reporting for Radio BBC World Service. This job required working out a way to outsmart the KGB from taking reports they didn’t like, which he did by putting music at the beginning of
“Pretending he knew what he was doing, Baille successfully directed a few commercials and displayed on-the-spot problem solving ” tapes, so the KGB believed them to be music tapes. Wanting to make a promo video for his insulation company, Baille lied to British Gas about being an experienced producer in order to convince them to give him money and a camera (and also perhaps a helicopter to film from). Despite knowing nothing about filmmaking, he managed to bag a job running British Gas’ awardwinning crew, directing their famous presenter Brian Redhead and being in charge of their filming helicopter. This was not Dave’s initial plan. Pretending he knew what he was doing, Baille
successfully directed a few commercials and displayed on-the-spot problem solving. The Head of British Gas PR then gave him money for his own crew. Baille set up his own production company, and moved into broadcasting by finding his niche – going to places no one else will go. He filmed in the Western Sahara, Bosnia, Sudan, war in Nicaragua, and was the first person to ever film footage of the India-Pakistan war. He was able to do this using his contact – the then President Benezi Bhutto. Some years previously, when the Pakistani government refused Bhutto publicity, Baille was able to interview her. Using the techniques he learnt in Russsia, he placed footage of an interview with a British climbing team in front of the tape, and was able to feed it back to ITN. He also lied to the Pentagon that he was with the BBC in order to get footage to use for a report on biological weapons – a lie that got him into a boardroom full of high ranking officers. Beginning to make his own documentaries and direct drama, one of Baille’s first films cast a boy they found in a Scottish drama club – that boy was a then un-
known James McAvoy, in his second film role. Tiring of the stress of running an indie film company, Baille turned to being a freelance DoP. This meant dealing with production managers and directors who used words like ‘edgy’ without actually knowing what it meant. He got involved in science documentaries, including one which featured a guy with a fetish getting a scrotum inflation – footage he decided to share with everyone at the event. After this, Baille discovered that filming from a helicopter was quite comfortable, being able to work sitting down, and so moved into aerial photography, including work on David Attenborough shows. He concluded the talk on what was, scrotum inflation aside, a really enjoyable evening. Baille was a funny and charming host, and hanging out with him and my fellow filmmakers in Tyneside Cinema after, I immediately signed up to an RTS membership. It’s free to students, gives you discounts at Cotsworld and Tyneside Cinema, among others, and keeps you up to date with events. If you have an interest in filmmaking or TV production, I’d urge you to go on the website and sign up!
Seizing the means of production
TV Editor Luke Acton shares his views on the rapidly shrinking size of Netflix’s library and discusses their big money moves into producing their very own content library
N
etflix’s library has shrunk by 31% over the last three years according to Allflicks, and I’m sure you’ve seen the adverts plugging the Netflix originals everywhere, and on the website. The quality of these productions was initially spotty, but recently Netflix hasn’t missed a step with it’s recent productions. With every channel that owns intellectual property becoming more proficient at marketing it’s shows on the internet, the function of Netflix as the primary on-demand service is no longer as relevant. What is relevant, is the company’s realisation that it might be more lucrative to produce and own the media they put on their platform. Even though the Marvel television universe is still the property of Disney, those shows most likely would not have happened if the apparatus of piloting and broadcasting hadn’t become obsolete in terms of actual television. Save for primetime, broadcast television is the domain of the 24-hour news cycle, daytime television and reruns. Sure, shows still have a presence on that medium, but it is not revolutionary to say that on-demand is the future.
“Aziz Ansari’s Master’s of None would not exist without platforms like Netflix, who gave him free reign when writing the show.” All of the most notable shows for a while now, at least for this year, have been on-demand. Stranger Things, Marvel’s TVU, The Get Down, Mr. Robot (although on the USA network now, it got it’s start online) have been online. Although this writer has a bias towards Netflix (because it’s that or ~the in-
ternet~), the point is not the quantity of the viewers, for which sports broadcasts are still king, but the fact that the nature of the production pipeline has change. Technology has changed how we watch things, but also how programmes are conceived and executed. Aziz Ansari’s Master’s of None would not exist without platforms like Netflix, who gave him free reign when writing the show. Although this move is unsubstantial for people who consume television, it poses a substantial risk for Netflix in terms of investment. The hiring of talent, the production, and the procuring of intellectual properties all add expensive step to a process that used to be ‘buy show then put that show on the internet’. However, this does address a dif-
ferent problem they have: their crackdown on the use of proxies to get the best library has reduced the proliferation of the content they provide, making them less money. But what is certain is that if a company doesn’t change, it will stop being demanded (BLOCKBUSTER). By producing their own shows, they don’t have to negotiate licencing because they have the sole rights to distribute. Netflix changed the nature of television and films, but now that world is hitting back through channels withholding their distribution rights in favour of in-house streaming. The move into production isn’t one to innovate, it’s to survive.
The Courier
highlightstv.29
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/tv c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_tv
Back from obscurity
American Horror Story Netflix
H
aving been an avid watcher of American Horror Story since the first season, the smallest hint of a new season gets me excited. In the run up to season 6, my social media pages were teeming with the teaser of the house with the smoke. I couldn’t wait. Come 10pm on the Friday of the first episode, me and my housemate were ready for it, wine in hand. The first bit was confusing to say the least. The documentary style didn’t make sense to me at first and it took me a while to figure out that there were interviews and re-enactments. I was also annoyed to see the legendary opening theme, which usually creeps me out more than the programme itself, was missing. There’s nothing like those first few seconds of the eerie theme song to get my blood pumping. However, seeing the familiar faces of Angela Basset, Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe made up for it. Storylines in the past have been epic, with the likes of Coven and Asylum, but this season’s sto-
ryline was not so great. A couple, Shelby and Matt, moved into an old house in the middle of a forest, following an attack that left Matt hospitalised. In true AHS style, the house was haunted by the spirits of those that had been killed there since it was built. Shelby and Matt are terrorised by these spirits with strange happenings and classic ‘bump in the night’ stuff. Viewers then find out Matt’s sister and Lee’s daughter has been taken by the spirits, as they believe they own the land the house is built on. It’s all very Paranormal Activity. The flashbacks into the spirits’ time living at the house and their deaths were cool, but not that exciting. The final few episodes didn’t seem to fit with the
“The latest episode was basically just a frantic blood bath with a lot of the characters ending up dead within about twenty minutes ” rest of the series, coming across as fillers. The idea behind this was that the documentary My Roanoke
O
ur favorite geeks are back again for the tenth series, and everybody seems to have a different opinion. The show has been suffering from a major backlash for years now, with the critics saying that it has changed too much, become too repetitive, unfunny, and just plain boring. Will the tenth season bring some revitalizing change? Will they listen to their annoyed fans? The short answer is: no. But the long answer is a lot more complicated than that. Because if you have always loved these guys, and been with them since the very beginning, you are going to love this season (or at least, the opening of it) just as much. It has everything that you’ve grown to admire: our characters are as funny as ever and new players rising on the horizon, as the guys are becoming (or at least trying to become) more and more adult, with the series starting at Leonard and Penny’s wedding. There is much to love in this series, so even if you expect to hate it, maybe you should give it a try. But if you are resolutely among the naysayers, keep in mind that there is nothing new here. The series stays the same, and it certainly does it with confidence. Because at the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with the show. Yes, sometimes it can seem a little bit outdated and it’s also true that it has drifted far away from the original concept. But that is part of the charm here: it is lovingly old-school. It’s comfortable, and coming back to it almost feels like coming home. Also, it is simply unfair to ask that a series, a sitcom especially, leave their characters in the same state forever - that would lead to truly boring storytelling. Ferenc Orosz
Meg Holtom
Atlanta
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Big Bang Theory E4, Wednesday 8:30pm
Nightmare was so popular that the production company behind it created spin off reality show, Return to Roanoke: 3 Days in Hell. This essentially put real people and the reenactment actors in the house together, during the blood moon. An interesting idea - but no, just no. In true reality TV show style, it was revealed that one of the couples had broken up, another had married, one an alcoholic and another having been put in a mental hospital. It just felt a bit, bleh. They hadn’t been in the house five minutes when the murders began. The latest episode was basically just a frantic blood bath with a lot of the characters ending up dead within about twenty minutes. The rest were kidnapped and fed the body parts of the murdered. Just carnage. By no means am I saying the season is awful, it just doesn’t compare to other seasons which have been truly awesome. It just seems to struggle to compete with what we have seen before. The haunted house, things-going-bump-in-the-night thing seems overdone now, we had it in Murder House. And as for the latest episode, there’s only so much blood and guts a girl can take.
A
4OD
s the curtain falls on another season of Drag Race, fans of the show have been left up in arms as the series delivered some of its’ most shocking twists to date. The fan pages have been showered in shade and reddit has been raging over some of the seemingly underhand tactics of the queens this year. It all started off so well, with Ru telling the queens that they would be the ones eliminating each other if they won the lip sync that week– the tops booting off the bottoms- and that each week’s winner would receive an additional ten thousand dollars! If only this season hadn’t had been an absolute shitstorm. Heinous crimes were committed against Alyssa Edwards, the rising star and the one who should have won, and Tatianna, the queen who came back from the brink and became a firm fan-favourite was sent home to keep Rolasatox alive. It makes you wonder whether she felt that she’d made a mistake letting the queens decide their competitors’ fates? In the end, it was Alaska who won the crown as America’s Next Drag All Star. In her defence, she has put in a solid effort, winning many of her challenges. However, it was her hilariously stroppy outburst during week 6, where, so desperate to make it through to the final four, she attempted to bribe Detox with $10,000 via PayPal. In all honesty, this season has been a double-edged sword, whilst it has been absolutely gripping, with twists and turns that we’ve never seen before, there has been the disappointment that has been the old cliques slowly coming back. The show tried to offer us something fresh, yet it also feels like a rehash of what has gone before. Jack Parker
A
FX, Tuesdays 10:00pm EST
lways the polymath Donald Glover has extended himself into the field of television with his new show on FX, Atlanta. The main character, Earn, Princeton drop-out for unknown reasons is back in his hometown Atlanta (hometown for Donal Glover too) living with Vanessa and his daughter. To make money to support his daughter he goes on to manage his rapper cousin Paper Boi. The show is complex in plot and emotion and despite a couple of missteps the show holds up. This is unsurprising for Glover in that his career has been built on his creative talent across mediums (rapper, comedian actor, writer). The show experiments with episodes like B.A.N., a parody of the Black Entertainment Network (something done by Mr. Robot this year too, but for VERY different reasons – the start of a trend?), as well as with the plots of the characters, the serious and violent becoming farcical, the domestic heroic, the funny tragic. There is not doubt that this is a show of substance, the characters’ stories playing out over the episodes, with no shortcuts taken or clichés. The biggest achievement of the show so far is the normality in the nuanced plot and characters. There is nothing sensational or explosive, even the crime in the opening episode is shown through a sober eye, the lives affected around it have a realness that gives them gravity without pretence. With only a bit under 25 minutes per episode, and only ten episodes slated for this season, I’m worried I’m not going to be satisfied when it finishes. Though, too little is better that too much I guess. Luke Acton
I
The Amanda Knox Trial
am by no means a lover of the “documentary”. For me, television represents an escape from the mundane everyday- so why on earth would I choose to watch an hour-anda-half long, hard hitting, graphic murder trial? If Poldark is the closest you come to cultural drama on a regular basis, a serious murder trial may seem daunting, or even boring, to you. But seriously, give it a chance and you will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised. I know I was. Every now and again, even the most devoted reality TV addicts (yes, I’ll admit it, and I have no shame) must venture into the unknown jungle of the documentary. The Amanda Knox Trial, which covers a massively publicised murder trial in Perugia, Italy, is of course perfect for those studying law, or those with an interest in current affairs. It is also a great way to gain an interest in the documentary as a genre; something I can vouch for, as a viewer who is usually heavily biased towards The X Factor end of the spectrum. Netflix is currently popularising documentaries such as Making a Murderer, where the truth of the story captivates viewers all over the world, and causes just as much, if not more of a buzz than the likes of House of Cards. The significance of programmes like these is that they give a voice to those
perhaps prosecuted for something they didn’t do. In The Amanda Knox Trial, viewers witness, from differing angles, the Italian legal system and how easily an investigation can become corrupt. The Perugian Police were under intense pressure to convict someone, leading to rushed decisions, unprofessional behaviour and some fatal assumptions of character. At one point, a forensic evidence expert guides viewers through footage showing the many mishaps of the evidence collection team, and the later contamination in the laboratory, which led to the evidence being discounted from the trial. The documentary chronicles the year-long murder trial through clips, theories, interviews and more. Interviews with both the accused and their opposition make the programme truly objective; a rare quality when it comes to a sensational murder trial. Viewers empathise with both the victim’s family and the university student accused of murder. The narrator pulls no punches when describing the horrific nature of the murder and we see footage of spilled blood and the victim’s clothing, so fast-forwarding may be necessary for the more faint-hearted. The story of the murder is as good as any novel by Agatha Christie, full of obnoxious and unconvincing suspects, suspicious lovers and bizarre plot twists. Even the fact that the case remains unsolved adds another thrill of mystery, though this pales in comparison to the fact that the entire story, from beginning to end, is real. Documentaries may seem boring, but don’t overlook this thought provoking and eye opening programme because of a well-cultivated stereotype. It is a chance to learn a lot, and will soubnd super intelligent at a law school social. Lauren Sneath
30.gaming
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Gaming Editors: Jordan Oloman, Errol Kerr and Jared Moore
Hype Train Sam Blackburn gives his take on November’s gaming line-up Final Fantasy XV (PS4/XOne) 29th I’m going to make a confession here and say that I’ve never actually played a Final Fantasy game. I know it’s a bit of a cardinal sin, but this has not stopped me from being excited for XV. Originally known as Final Fantasy XIII Versus being announced back at E3 2006, the game has finally been given a release date and boy does it look good. An open world action role playing game set within the Final Fantasy universe looks like a great way to waste away your hours next month if you’re a seasoned veteran, or just a newcomer like myself.
Football Manager 2017 (PC) - 4th Bit of a stark contrast to Final Fantasy, but there’s a new Football Manager game out this year. Updated squads, better animations, improved AI and the ability to make Newcastle United rightfully win the Champions League, Football Manager is a football game for the thinking fan, who wants to go beyond FIFA and take real administrative control of their favourite club. A true simulation game at heart with absolute tons of content to get invested in, this is a great alternative for those who want something a little bit different next month… if you haven’t already played the other 48,553 Football Manager games.
Watch_Dogs 2 (PS4/XOne/PC) 15th I’m going to make a confession: I liked the original Watch_Dogs. In fact, I REALLY liked it. Sure, the game was far from perfect, full of glitches and unable to live up to the mass hype set for it, but I was fortunate to never over-hype it. I wanted to play it because it was an open world game with decent stealth mechanics and a somewhat engaging story, which if you blend together makes a pretty good pizza pie. Despite the shortcomings of the original, I feel that Watch_Dogs 2 is going to make the vital improvements to help truly kickstart the franchise. Also, please feature more Screeching Weasel on the soundtrack.
Pokémon Sun and Moon (3DS) 18th Every time there’s a new Pokémon game coming out I get overly excited believing it will live up to my high expectations set by Gold/Silver/Crystal to only end up feeling burnt out on a franchise which has barely innovated in twenty years. Despite being disappointed multiple times, I am so excited for Sun and Moon. I am excited to explore a new tropical region as opposed to the boring urban ones seen in the past, and the new Alola Pokémon are such a cool idea to make old favourites feel new. Replacing the basic concept of attaining gym badges with ‘The Island Challenge’ will hopefully help Sun and Moon feel like a fresh new take on the franchise.
Dishonored 2 (Ps4/XOne/PC) 11th One of my favourite games of 2012 was Dishonored. I would say it was the game that really got me interested in stealth games. Set in a steampunk world, Dishonored 2 looks to improve massively on its original. New abilities, a new location based on South Europe and the choice of playing as either Corvo or Emily Kaldwin, Dishonored 2 looks like it will be more than just a basic sequel to its original, but a massive improvement with a fresh new feel. I am so excited to try and finish this game without being spotted, and you should be too!
Red Dead Redemption 2
Chris Duddy saddles up for the next instalment in Rockstar’s famous series
W
ith this week’s announcement of Red Dead Redemption 2, I have found myself looking back through the 6+ years I have spent playing the original. At the time of its release, little did my younger self know that RDR was not only about to define the Spaghetti Western genre in video games, but to earn its own place amongst the best of Wild West media in general.
The story takes place around 1911-1912 (at the demise of the “Wild West”) and followed John Marston; a man who had left his old gang to settle down, set up a farm and raise a family, only to be blackmailed by Government lawmen and thrust back into his old life to hunt down his former gang mates. The story leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the harsh realities of the West – a world where no matter your effort, you may never reap what you sow. The game itself takes you through its world through a number of paths. The main quest being one, “Stranger missions” being the side quests, and challenges / random encounters making up the rest. The balance that RDR strikes between portraying the classic “light-hearted” Spaghetti Western feel and still making no apologies about the realities of the Old West is what made the game so great. In
creating this balance, RDR avoided “shoehorning” references into its game, instead building them into the story in a subtle yet satisfying manner. From shooting the rope of a noose from afar being a direct nod to Tuco & Blondie’s antics from GBU, to Colonel Allende’s storyline mirroring that from The Big Gundown, spaghetti western references were aplenty. As for a darker example, one “Stranger Mission” began when you happen upon an elderly man picking flowers for his wife, Annabel. Those of you who have read Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem “Annabel Lee” will be able to guess how that quest played out. Rest assured the inclusion of 7 figures in the RDR2 promo poster is no mistake. As with any Western, the music is as defining as the story. The score composed by Bill Elm & Woody Jackson (supplemented with tracks by the likes of Ashtar Command) went on to win numerous awards including “best original score” and “best song in a game”. Beyond the music, you had the environment. From “MacFarlane’s Ranch”, to the vast snowy hills of “Tall Trees”, the magic of Red Dead
Redemption’s environments wasn’t in their appearance, but in their contents. Each of the games areas had their own ecosystems, towns, and unique wildlife that you could hunt, skin, and sell. RDR also received the Undead Nightmare expansion – so huge that it could be purchased on a disc in its own right. The game followed John on a quest to repel a zombie apocalypse, but also involved the player encountering mythical creatures such as yetis, unicorns, bigfoot and each of the 4 horses of the apocalypse (of which you could become the horseman). From watching this week’s trailer, we ought to be encouraged by the similarities we can already see to the original game; from the way the characters are animated, to the music that plays throughout the trailer. Whether Rob Weithoff will reprise his role as the captivating gunslinger John Marston is yet to be seen, with the actor being mysterious as the character he played.
Playstyle Pariah:
Developaper:
First Impressions:
“The story leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the harsh realities of the West”
Oblivion
Jack Coles takes an unorthodox approach to Tamriel
L
ast week, I exhausted Morrowind’s landscape, so now I turn to its sequel: Oblivion. Oblivion has the best mechanics out of the three most recent Elder Scrolls single-player RPGs. Morrowind has a nasty tendency to make some skills simply much worse than others, and in Skyrim all play styles tend to eventually merge into one when your level reaches about 55. Oblivion locks you into a single playstyle, but there are some particularly interesting combinations available. This past week, I’ve been playing as a Breton mage born under the Atronach. Or in English, I have a character whose only method to regenerate magicka (or mana) is to be hit by incoming spells.
“It’s quite funny to imagine my character being the nemesis of powerful demons and necromancers, but then gets easily brought down by common bandits” Firstly, this means that I can save time on dodging. I now actively want to be hit by fireballs. 50% of the time, I absorb the fireball and regenerate some magicka. At all other times, I just get set on fire. The innate magicka resistance Bretons have comes in handy then. The playstyle also means that armour with “spell absorption” effects is now higher priority than anything else. My character is wearing three pieces of clothing that offer this effect right now, bumping overall absorption chances up from 50% to about 84%. This still means that I must manage my magicka reserves. I pray at chapels, not for bonuses granted by the Gods, but to absorb their gifts to fuel the fires. Stones that fully replenish magicka gain the market value of one human soul. There is one main problem with this playstyle: It is completely useless against anyone that isn’t lobbing spells at you. It’s quite funny to imagine my character being the nemesis of powerful demons and necromancers, but then gets easily brought down by common bandits.
Phantom Manor
Georgina Howlett takes on creating a soul-shifting puzzleplatformer
I
n the spirit of Halloween, I would like to present a concept perhaps resembling a weird fusion of Luigi’s Mansion, Professor Layton, and Super Mario – a spook-tacular game I have dubbed Phantom Manor. With the choice of either a single-player or two-player mode, the game is a third-person, 3D platformer with various floors to defeat and progress through. In single-player mode, you are a human who gains the ability to transform into a ghostly likeness of yourself at will. You become trapped in a labyrinthine haunted manor, surrounded by ghosts and ghouls of all descriptions, and in order to fight and defeat them, you must seek out the hidden weapons and armour stashed in chests throughout each floor. The chests containing these items are well-hidden and closely guarded by ghosts; in your human form, you cannot see or even detect them, yet you are the only one able to defeat them. Therefore, the only way to expose and defeat them is to transform into the ghostly version of yourself and solve the various puzzles and riddles they present to you. If successful, the chests will open, the ghosts will become corporeal, and the items available for use in the subsequent battles. If unsuccessful, the ghosts spook you and send you running right back to the beginning of the floor… Weapons in the game would be based from traditional Halloween paraphernalia, so naturally you could either find yourself with a Pumpkin Rifle, a Bat Flock or a Candy Cannon to use against your enemies – or you could discover non-offensive, equally useful items such as Broomsticks, Bags of Eyeballs, and White Sheets. Armour, in kind and when completed, takes the form of your favourite traditional Halloween costumes; so yes, you could end up dressed as a witch or a zombie or a werewolf in order to out-spook your phantom opponents. As you progress through the floors, chests and enemies will be located in even more discrete and perhaps seemingly inaccessible locations, and will be harder to defeat, so it is up to you to use your two forms to explore the full map and see what it has to offer. Your end goal is to defeat the Lord of the Manor and escape with your life. Careful negotiation between forms, and in co-op play between players, will determine failure or success. Good luck!
Image Credit: Rockstar
Civilization VI
Will Capuano gives his take on the newest Civstalment
B
eing a history student and having already spent 623 hours on Civilization 5 (yes, I’m ashamed), I was eager to get my hands on the next instalment of the turn-based history simulating franchise. On starting the game and watching the introductory video, one is immediately greeted by the voice of Sean Bean in a cutscene true to Civ’s usual awesome style of CG animation and epic soundtrack. I was surprised that Sean Bean didn’t die at some point in it, though glad that he survives as the game’s narrator. Once you start playing, it’s apparent that Civ 6 has brought back the depth of Civ 4 and previous titles while retaining Civ 5’s accessibility and innovating that game’s aesthetic charm, complete with a tidier UI. The difference between Civs 5 and 6 is a bit like the jump from college to university; it’s initially a bit baffling, but the depth is ultimately more rewarding. I’d recommend players both new and old to play the tutorial.
“I can’t wait to play more, though I’m worried I might relapse into ‘One-More-Turn Syndrome’ at the detriment of my uni work” In my 3 hour playthrough so far it might seem I didn’t accomplish much; I settled some cities, explored a bit, and slew some barbarians. But the real delight of Civ 6 lies in its introspective gameplay; meticulous city planning with the new district system, customising your governmental ideology at will with the new policy card system (a feature that makes the game feel all the more real), and engaging in diplomacy. That in particular is a huge improvement on the mess that was Civ 5 – though Gandhi will still probably nuke you at the first opportunity. I can already speculate that Civ 6 might be the best yet. I can’t wait to play more, though I’m worried I might relapse into ‘One-More-Turn Syndrome’ at the detriment of my uni work. But it’s a game about history - playing surely counts as revision, right?
The Courier
gaming.31
Monday 31 October 2016
What I’m Playing: Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Sophie Holt takes us through the strangest Cthulhu simulator imaginable
O
ctodad: Dadliest Catch is what it says on the tin, or in my case, on Steam. The game is about an octopus pretending to be a human to escape being cooked by his nemesis, Chef, and in the process, he has somehow gotten married and had two 100% human children, and all without being discovered (even by his wife). Yeah, this isn’t a game for people who like ‘realistic games’ like COD (notice the inverted commas). The previous game was a project by university students, which became so popular that they decided to develop another through Kickstarter funding (see, we can be successful). I know what you’re thinking. This sounds pretty far-fetched and a little childish – which is exactly what’s so brilliant about it! Octodad organises his tentacles into four ‘limbs’, and, in the game, you control each ‘limb’ independently (either by controller or, my personal choice, by mouse). They tend to flop around everywhere regardless of which direction they’re meant to actually go, which in all honesty is how I imagine having a penis to be, except in this case you have four. So if you’re not used to handling lots of long, dangling members, you should find the door.
tones with the occasional sarcastic subtitle. Most tasks in the game involve picking something up, or climbing somewhere, which would be simple if you didn’t have four ‘limbs’ to
control at once. The dialogue between Octodad and his family is pretty realistic considering the circumstances – a wife suspicious of his hatred of aquariums, a daughter who out-sasses him at every turn and a son who is generally a little shit. Relatable as heck. My only real issue is how short the game is, although considering that it was funded by Kickstarter and only costs £11.99 on Steam, I can’t really complain much. I completed the game in maybe 3 hours, but I admittedly spent another 3 replaying for all the achievements and the collectables (there are three themed ties per level). Its saving grace here is its extra features. First, it has two ‘Shorts’, ie extra levels that aren’t relevant to the main story but are still funny as heck. One involves a date-gone-wrong, the other involves a hospital trip narrated by his bickering children. Secondly, Steam Workshop, which allows players to make their own levels. Some are creative, some are shit, it’s a mixed bag really.
“If you’re not used to handling lots of long, dangling members, you should find the door”
“In the process, he has somehow gotten married and had two 100% human children”
In all seriousness, I really enjoyed playing ODC.. As a character, Octodad is very likeable. He wears a suit, has a long moustache and his voice is literally a sequence of blubs in various
Image Credit: Young
Nonetheless, Octodad is a hilarious game. Maybe the limbs bug into walls/objects sometimes, but that frustration is half the fun. It’s so ridiculous that it’s good. The script is so witty that you can’t help but laugh. Admittedly, it is somewhat short, but the price-tag and extra features make up for that. A great time-waster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, whilst having a genuinely heartwarming conclusion.
Editorial Excerpt: Favourite scary games Our three Gaming Editors tackle their favourite terror-filled titles Jordan Oloman: Errol Kerr: Jared Moore:
I
’m an unabashed pillow hider and proud of it, so gratuitously scary games are something I choose not to indulge in. Enter stage left, Bioshock. 12 year old me thought this was simply a brand new actionadventure, but underwater! I have an affliction for all things nautical, so why not, right? Little did I expect the horror of Dr Steinman’s dystopian cosmetic surgery, Being frozen in ice at the mercy of the gruesome claw-fisted Spider Splicers, and of course, the madness of Sander Cohen’s theater in Fort Frolic. Running back through the remastered version in 2016, I still feel specific nostalgic chills at his wax puppets, designed to make you think they’re just set dressing, yet becoming sentient at your most vulnerable moment. It’s like they mashed up the angels from Doctor Who with an even more gruesome body-horror twist. Ken Levine and the team at Irrational are also seasoned professionals at crafting atmosphere. There is no safe place in Bioshock, no hub for you to return to when the fear sets in too deep. All you have left is your moral conscience, and a lack of control over your surroundings. Each locale has a distinct art style with new horrors hiding around every corner, and the characters, although limited by technology and locked behind screen doors, serve an almost unbeatable story that will chill you to your core. That sinking feeling when you hear the warped cries of the splicers may be fleeting, but the images will haunt me forever...
Image Credit: Jordan Oloman
Y
ou’re walking through a once-busy alleyway in Raccoon City. For once, it’s entirely silent. And yet, you’re still utterly terrified. You step into an opening, and as you hear that guttural moan of “STAAARS...”, the camera shifts to the Nemesis T-Type bearing down on you. It takes some serious work to make me this uncomfortable. I tend to go into Survival Horrors with the knowledge that I’m going to die, but relatively quick. In Alien: Isolation, your fear is that you’ll be too careless, and the Alien will switfly dispatch you. In Dead Space, you’ll have a tough time taking down Necromorphs, but they’ll stay put with enough rounds. You can’t get away with any of that in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Capcom’s titular Nemesis T-Type is a very different unstoppable force to other villains in survival horror. It’s not going to instantaneously kill you, yet no matter how far you run from it, no matter how many bullets you put into it, it will come back for you.
“I tend to go into Survival Horrors with the knowledge that I’m going to die”
O
Title Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
utlast combines two of my favourite characteristics: horror and incompetence. The lead, Miles Upshur, is a freelance journalist with an apparent death wish. Ignoring the warning signs that come with entering a supposedly abandoned psychiatric hospital, Upshur embarks on a journey to discover the truly horrific mystery surrounding Mount Massive Asylum. Paired with the world’s most unreliable camcorder, Outlast is a game that rewards players for their intrepid nature. When it comes to horror games, I usually spend an equal amount of time weeping on the pause menu as I do actually playing. Outlast was no different, its frequent jump-scares and selection of insane patients at points tested my resolve, but at the same time the game’s well mapped out narrative and unpredictable nature kept me hooked throughout. In fairness, some of the finer details are difficult to comprehend. It seems unrealistic that scattered around the site of an abandoned mental hospital would be a collection of fullycharged batteries that just so happen to fit the same camera that you’re carrying around. But hey, maybe the murderers that take residence in the derelict building have their own YouTube channels on the side or something.
The fear in never knowing whether rounding a corner will result in coming into contact with a slow, shambling zombie or the monstrous Nemesis is a kind of fear that the tank-controls and the awkward camera angles make all the more terrifying.
Image Credit: Capcom
Image Credit: Red Barrels
thecourieronline.co.uk @Courier_Gaming
Top 5 skeletons in gaming
Gerry Hart unearths the spookiest skeletons in the gaming closet The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Truth be told, the skeletons in Skyrim are fairly unremarkable. They don’t do much damage nor do they look all that impressive, but at least they’re easily dispatched. They’re certainly a damn side more convenient to fight than the titanium skeletons from Oblivion, given the amount of hits those bony bastards could take. By contrast, Skyrim’s skeletons come as a relief, a slight breeze could make them fall apart. This meticulous dedication to more realistic bone physics really adds to the game’s overall quality in my opinion.
Bonies - The Binding of Isaac Anyone who’s played The Binding of Isaac or Rebirth will know of Bonies. You’re clearing a level when suddenly you enter a room covered in rocks and full of these skeletal pricks who proceed to throw their own bones at you faster than you can dodge them. For all my righteous fury I have to respect their tenacity. It takes guts to quite literally throw parts of one’s own anatomical structure at one’s nemesis (well maybe not guts in this case but you catch my drift)
Morte - Planescape Torment I was going to place Grim Fandango’s Manny Calavera here but I’ve yet to play it and I couldn’t run the damn thing on my laptop, so instead I’ve gone for Planescape: Torment’s Morte. Morte is the first character you meet in the game after you wake up following a nasty bout of death. He proves to be strangely endearing for a snarky, disembodied cranium. Plus he can deal a surprising amount of damage by just biting foes (and you can even equip him with new and better teeth). Imagine that. Bitten to death by a spooky skellington. Kind of poetic really.
Kel’Thuzad - World of Warcraft So technically speaking, Kel’Thuzad is a lich and not a skeleton, but he has a visible bone structure so he’s going on the list. Anyhow I find Kel’Thuzad’s tale to be something of an inspiration. Despite his death and subsequent undeath, he continues to diligently serve the Scourge of the Damned under the very same aristocratic wanker who killed him. Now that’s dedication. It’s just a shame so many wannabe adventurers took umbrage with his whole “cleanse the world of life” thing when all he really did was just chill up in Naxxramas.
Sans and Papyrus - Undertale Oh, come on. You knew these lads were going to show up. Again I know I’m cheating here by including both of them, but honestly they make such a great double act it’d be a crime not to. Take Papyrus, the super cool dude and aspiring royal guard who at heart just wants to be friends with everyone. Then there’s Sans, Papyrus’s brother and super chill enigma who provides the game’s metacommentary. These two form a substantial portion of Undertale’s charm and comic relief, especially when they’re together. That said, I’m convinced Sans is secretly a massive stoner...
32. science&technology
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Science Editors: Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer & Ciara Ritson-Courtney
On this day
3rd November
1957
Georgina Howlet tells all about Little Curly’s journey into space
O
n November 3rd 1957, Laika the dog, or Kudryavka (“Little Curly”) as she was formally known, was launched into space by the Soviet Union aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft. In doing so, she became the first animal to successfully enter the Earth’s orbit. Although many animals had been sent into space before, including monkeys, mice and other dogs, no mission with an animal on board had been successful in securing a position of orbit up until this point. As such, the mission is regarded as one of the most famous steps in space exploration history. Like the majority of the dogs sent into space by Soviet scientists, Laika was a stray mongrel who was found wandering the streets of Moscow. Approximately three years old and weighing eleven pounds, she was hastily trained for spaceflight by space-life scientists Vladimir Yazdovsky and Oleg Gazenko, and placed into the capsule of the satellite three days prior to launch on October 31st. Sputnik 2 was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the early morning of the 3rd November. Prior to launch Laika’s fur was coated in a weak alcohol solution and carefully groomed, and the sensor sites on her body prepared with iodine so that her bodily functions could be carefully monitored for the duration of her flight. The Soviets did not prepare a strategy for re-entry due to a lack of time, and though controversial, it was therefore widely accepted that she would perish aboard the flight.
“Her journey both proved that a living organism could tolerate the harsh conditions of space habitation” Following lift-off and at peak acceleration, Laika’s respiration rate was three to four times greater than it had been prior to launch. Her heartbeat was recorded as 103 beats/min before launch, but increased to 240 beats/min during early acceleration. This was one of the first indications of the extreme stress that her body was under, with the fault in the thermal control system being largely to blame. For decades Soviet officials claimed that Laika lived for up to a week aboard the spacecraft and died painlessly, however in 2002 Sputnik 2 scientist Dimitri Malashenkov publicly announced that Laika lived for only a few hours after reaching orbit, dying during her fourth circuit around the Earth. The cause of death he attributed to the increased humidity and increased temperature of the cabin to 43 degrees Celsius, with telemetry data from the spacecraft now available to reinforce this diagnosis. Despite surviving for just a few hours, the information gathered by scientists regarding Laika’s journey into orbit paved the way for human exploration of space. Her journey both proved that a living organism could tolerate a substantial length of time in weightlessness, and that it was possible for them to adapt to the harsh conditions of space habitation. As a result, a number of memorials were established in her honour. In the years immediately following the mission, several countries issued stamps in tribute to her sacrifice and service to science. A statue and plaque dedicated to her legacy can be found in the Russian Cosmonaut training facility in Star City, as well as a monument at the military research facility where staff trained Laika for her flight which features her poised atop
My spidey senses are tingling now Christopher Little worriedly talks us through the spiders’ special sensations that allow them to hear us
I
f you are one of the many people who have a fear of spiders, you may want to stop reading now. Or at the very least, you may want to make sure you are not reading this aloud, because they might be listening. In a recent discovery that is sure to dismay many, scientists have found that spiders can hear you from across a room. What makes this even more remarkable, is that they don’t actually have any ears. What they use instead, is their hairy legs. It had been believed that the tiny hairs on spiders’ legs were only receptive to vibrations arriving through air or solid objects from a few centimetres away. But new research has now shown that their senses are far more acute, and allows them to hear sounds from up to 5 metres away. Paul Shamble, who led the research at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, says that the findings are exciting as it upends the belief that spiders rely mainly on sight and touch to navigate the world around them. Shamble and his colleagues made the discovery partly by chance. They had set out to study how a type of jumping spider, Phidippus audax, processes visual information, only for the sound of a moving chair to change the direction of their research. The team was using microelectrodes implanted in the spiders’ brains to monitor neuron activity
when they noticed that the spiders were responding to the sounds of scraping chairs from several metres away. To even obtain these electrical recordings was quite an achievement. Previously, any attempt to drill a hole into a spider to record brain activity had caused the creature to explode. This is because spiders are filled with highly pressurised liquids that allow their bodies to function like a hydraulic system.
“You may want to make sure you are not reading this aloud, because they might be listening.”
Whilst the thought of exploding spiders may fill many arachnophobes with glee, it would not of been an efficient means of study for the research team. To prevent this messy end, a tiny hole was made in the spiders’ heads and allowed to self-heal around an electrode as thin as a hair. The researchers could then observe the workings of a brain the size of a poppy seed. This revealed that the spiders were most responsive to low-frequency sounds of around 80
which is about the to 400 hertz, deep male voice. This pitch of a with the wingbeat corresponds parasitoid wasps and frequency of jumping spider. flies that prey on the on the tiny hairs that The deformations register the sounds are found on all spiders, so researchers believe it will be a common trait. Having already begun testing on other species, Shamble’s colleague, Gill Menda has even tried the experiment outside of the laboratory. “When I see spiders at my house or anywhere else, I find myself trying different tones to see if they respond, and sometimes they do.” Why not try the experiment at home? There’s probably no better time to try and communicate with spiders than Halloween.
Can the vocabulary we use predict future mental health?
Louis Hudson psycho-analyses current research that sugegsts there is a valid link between that the words we speak to our current, and future mental states
P
sychiatry is the field of medicine concerned with mental health and encompasses everything from anxiety to paranoid schizophrenia. It is often criticised for lacking in objective measures with which to diagnose these conditions; you can’t just do a blood test and diagnose someone with OCD. For this reason, psychiatry has the largest sections in the diagnostic manuals and psychiatrists have to spend a lot longer with each of their patients in order to get the best understanding of what is going on. And diagnosis isn’t the only problem. Predicting the course of some of these conditions which are notoriously tumultuous can be nigh on impossible - leaving both the doctors and the people with these conditions to deal with problems after they arise. What if there were a way to predict the course of, say, schizophrenia? Surely that would be useful. Any means of predicting problems before they arise would certainly stand you in good stead for dealing with them. Well that’s what Mariano Sigman, a neuroscientist, and his partner Guillermo Cecchi set out to do, seeing if the words people use could be an indicator of future mental health.
“They looked at the words that were being used and looked at whether this could be predictive of developing psychosis”
But how do you objectively analyse words to meaningfully get a prediction? Sigman and Cecchi had a cunning solution that had been used in other fields before. They used what Sigman describes as a ‘Space of Words’. This Space of Words is a hypothetical space in which words are organised
according to their relationship with other words. Words that are known to be used together often, and thus are likely to be more connected to each other, are grouped closer together and words infrequently used together are separated by a distance. When developing the Space of Words he noticed it was very easy to delineate areas within this space into their own ‘semantic neighbourhoods’. Words such as ‘sun’, ‘star’ and ‘planet’ would be in their own semantic neighbourhood relating to astronomy, but other words like ‘proton’ and ‘molecule’ would be close by but in their own semantic neighbourhood relating more to physics. Sigman and Cecchi then took 34 young people at a high risk of developing schizophrenia and recorded them speaking. They looked at the words that were being used by these young people, the topics they were talking about, and looked at whether this could be predictive of developing psychosis within the next three years. Alas, it could not. The things people say are only part of the picture though. How people put words together and how people link topics can give great insight into how a person’s mind is working. In fact, this is a technique psychiatrists already use to gauge someone’s current mental state. So Sigman took another look at the way the people put their words together and how they
linked up topics and found that by analysing ‘semantic coherence’, the ability for people to stay within one ‘semantic neighbourhood’, they could predict who would have an episode of psychosis with 100% accuracy. Pretty impressive.
“How people put words together can give great insight into how a person’s mind is working”
We have to remember its limitations though. It was only a small group, it was only in people with an already high risk of schizophrenia, and it was only predicting one outcome within schizophrenia. With all that being said it still looks incredibly promising. Can the words we use predict our future mental health? Not yet, but maybe one day.
The Courier
science&technology.33
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/science
Are the world’s reefs repairable?
Mythbusters:
T
medicine go down?
Does a spoonful of Errol Kerr writes his eulogy to the Great Barrier Reef, but explains how its demise may not necessarily be the end for this mammoth breeding ground of life sugar really help the he world went into hysterics when Outside Magazine published an obituary for the Great Barrier Reef on the 11th of October. In May, surveys revealed that in the northernmost section of the reef, about 35% of coral has been killed off after environmental impacts have left the reef unable to thrive. Claiming “The Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness,” the article sparked off a notable, and heated, argument between environmentalists who claim the Reef is beyond repair, and scientists who feel there is still a chance for recovery. The Reef itself is an extraordinary part of the natural world. One of the largest living structures on the planet, the expansive coral system is home to more than 1500 species of fish, 125 species of sharks and rays and near 5000 mollusc species, amongst many more. The islands surrounding the reef are again home to over 200 species of birds, and the Reef is used as a mass breeding ground for mammalian, avian and aquatic life.
“The Great Barrier Reef of Australia passed away in 2016 after a long illness”
Since 1985, however, the reef itself has lost more than half of its cover of coral, leading to increasing concerns in regards to the survival of not only the reef itself, but the life within it. Climate change is recorded as the most significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef, but there are other environmental impacts that are threatening the life within it. As the water temperature gradually increases, a phenomenon known as coral bleaching occurs. The algae on which coral feeds on, and which provides the colour of the reef, produces higher amounts of oxygen in warmer climes, which is toxic to the coral. In their ejection of the algae, the reef loses its colour, and whilst the coral may save itself from oxygen toxicity, instead their death is slow as they starve to death in months. A report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation predict that a temperature increase of 3 degrees Celsius would bleach 97% of the reef within years.
“Should efforts not truly focus on recovery of the reef, we may see a genuinely accurate obituary of the full Great Barrier Reef within our lifetime.” To further complicate the situation, water quality, an issue first recognised in 1989, has worsened in the years since it was identified. With human agricultural development occurring nearby rivers that run into the Great Barrier Reef ’s waters, the decline in water quality has dropped with the increased deposits of fertiliser, farming byproducts and industrial and mining pollutants such as nitrate-heavy waste water and copper. Copper, in particular, damages coral growth, and leaves it unable to grow further, or repair after damage. Whilst the acidic content of waste being deposited into the water further increases water temperature and weakens the coral itself. Intense weather such as tropical storms and hurricanes themselves may damage or disturb the reef itself, and with this on the increase, it may only be a matter of time. But is the Great Barrier Reef dead? No. Whilst it’s all currently doom and gloom from mainstream news, the obituary has succeeded in one thing, at least: drawing attention to the reef itself. Several groups and campaigns have been working far harder towards conservation of the reef itself in the past few years, and their efforts have doubled since the article was published. The reef itself is incredibly durable, and there is always the option for recovery. Members of the public are getting involved: learning how to count fish and capture images of bleached coral in order to document the impact of bleaching across the Reef. This helps assess the current situation much better than a magazine obituary can. In May, whilst we
Killer Clowns
Feeling the fear? Ellis Charlesworth investigates the psychology of clown phobias and all their effects
C
lowns are typically portrayed as figures of humour, a form of almost excessive slapstick comedy in many cases. And yet, people have been terrified by them for years. Given the recent “killer clown” phenomenon, the fear of clowns is probably at an all time high, but the wide scale presence of a fear of clowns has been present in society for a much longer period. In fact, the fear of clowns has become prevalent enough that it’s been given a scientific name: coulrophobia. Some of the more recent causes of coulrophobia can be found in the media. Clowns are present in sinister roles in several modern films and books. Notable examples include the Joker from the Batman franchise and the title character of Stephen King’s It, though there are also dedicated clown horror films such as Amusement (2008) and Clownhouse (1989). However, these roles probably came about due to an already pre-
sent fear of clowns. Part of the reason we fear clowns appears to be their make up. There is a fear of the unknown because we don’t know what lies behind the mask and the perpetual smile. Their make up drops clowns into an uncanny valley; the face is familiar but just far away from normal to become terrifying (perhaps something for you to bear in mind when choosing a Halloween costume).
“Given the recent “killer clown” phenomenon, the fear of clowns is probably at an all time high”
Clowns also operate outside of the established systems of social behaviour, and interact with complete strangers with ease. People may be disturbed by this abstract behaviour as it leaves them unsure of what to expect, which leads back into the fear of the unknown. There is also a historical aspect to the possible root of this fear. Medieval clowns, while used as entertainment, also often had a certain level of truth in their performance that may have disturbed others, reminding them of their own mortality and pettiness. This appears to have continued for some time and can be seen in some of the works of Shakespeare such as the Fool in King Lear, where clowns and jesters can often be associated with uncomfortable truths and in some cases, even death.
realised the extent of environmental damage, Australian political parties started heated debates as to the extent of their protection of the reef. Mildly bleached coral is recoverable, and algae can return to it should efforts to repair damage be focused. To announce the death of the Great Barrier Reef at this point is an incredibly sensationalist point to make, and its publishing is incorrect at best, but should efforts not truly focus on recovery of the reef, and some eventual halting of the rising temperatures of the ocean, we may see a genuinely a c c u r ate obituar y of the full Great Barrier Reef within our life-
Áine Wilcox analyses the impact of sugar free diets
I
magine this, you’re dressed to the nines as the spookiest skeleton in town. You have been waiting exactly 365 days to get your treat on yet here’s the trick you’ve all but forgotten. You’re on a sugar free diet! So while everyone else is stuffing their faces with sweets you might as well have been Bugs Bunny for Halloween if the carrot you are chomping on is anything to go by. But here is the question, do sugar free diets actually work? Well if by ‘work’ you mean help improve diet, aid weight loss and boost energy levels then the answer would quite simply be yes. But there is a little more to it than that. In actual fact the body does need sugar; energy in our body comes from the breakdown of glucose (a sugar) in our cells. However, this does not necessarily need to be obtained directly from sweet foods. Natural sugars are found in almost any consumables and surprisingly even carbohydrates are made from sugars.
“Well if by ‘work’ you mean help improve diet, aid weight loss and boost energy levels then the answer would quite simply be yes”
Word of the Week: Lycanthrope
Jack Coles explains this week’s wicked word
T
he word “lycanthrope” is a combination of the ancient Greek words “lykos” (wolf) and “anthropos” (man). A lycanthrope is usually defined as a person who is cursed to transform into a wolf, either at will, or when a particular set of circumstances are met (such as a full moon). It is sometimes given a broader definition to accommodate other cursed shapeshifters, such as were-bears and were-tigers. Werewolf legends exist throughout Europe, whereas were-tigers are predominantly East Asian. Were-bears also feature as monsters in some games, particularly those with a Norse theme. There exist some real-life diseases which can appear to be lycanthropic in nature. Hypertrichosis is a condition where hair grows abnormally thick across all or parts of the body, giving a werewolf-like appearance, while some forms of schizophrenia can result in someone believing they are a beast for some time.
Now it may seem as though there is no such thing as a sugar free diet if most foods contain these natural sugars. Especially when the recommended daily sugar intake is 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Yet what most people mean by “a sugar free diet” is cutting out the added sugars that occur largely in processed foods. And it might just be with good reason, according to a BBC Health article published in 2015, people between the ages of 18-26 are consuming an added intake of 58.8 grams of sugar per day. That is 21.5 kilograms of sugar a year on top of the recommended intake. The equivalent to 596 cans of coke too many. This can lead to serious health risks associated with weight gain and poor diet, including an increased risk of heart disease. So maybe a spoonful of sugar won’t help the medicine go down after all.
“What most people mean by ‘a sugar free diet’ is cutting out the added sugars that occur largely in processed foods” The aim then of a sugar free diet is to obtain our daily sugar intake from sources where it occurs naturally. Meaning not so shockingly, your Mum has been right all along fruit really is a great alternative sugar source. In the right quantities it not only provides fructose but also a variety of vitamins and nutrients that are brilliant for your insides. It is clear that a sugar free diet is going to work if you are cutting out the cakes (and everything else that brings joy). The bottom line therefore is this, a sugar free diet is going to do you all kinds of good but only as long as you stick to it and get the sugar you need from elsewhere. But I say maybe let yourself have a cheat day on the 31st.
The Courier
Puzzles Across
puzzles.35
Monday 31 Cocktober 2016
1 A popular German Meat snack (5) 5 Doors have them (4) 7 ‘It was Colonel Mustard, in the Billiard room, with the ______’(6) 8 A typically Yorkshire variation of the word ‘knob’ 9 Often part of a team or club, you can’t be one on your own(6) 11 Shortened name for a male chicken (4) 13 Boris ____ - a man who likes a bit of Wiff Waff (7) 16 Not Out (2) 17 Something that is of a great size (5) 19 The symbol that is seen to represent the zodiac sign Aries (3) 21 A decorative item made from fabric, that can adorn anything from a pair of curtains to a pair of nipples (6)
Down
1 This shit is ‘______s’ (Stefani, G, 2004) (6) 2 The flagship product of popular, if not slightly overpriced, fast food chain Burger King (7) 3 Often essential during warfare (7) 4 Just like two hour seminars, this word is too ____ (4) 6 To pierce something slightly, conversely, you could call someone who is being annoying one (10) 10 Something that is often large, warm, hairy and can give you a big fright if you’re not expecting it (7) 12 Money (which can be licked?) (5) 14 Mines have them (5) 15 Without one your craft will be adrift at sea (3) 18 In the gospels, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on one (3) 20 Often found alongside Myself and I (2)
1
2
Puzzles Edi(ck)tor: Jack Oliver Parker Creepy Co(ck)nsultant: Mark Sleightholm 4 3
5
6 7
8 10
9 11 12 13
15
14
16 17
18 19
20
21
Completing this crossword will be proof that you have slaved over this especially long and hard edition of the puzzles section. You have certainly come out of this feeling hot, sweaty and tired. Bring proof of your long, hard slog to the Courier office, where we shall gladly hose you down.
36. sport
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston
Blood, sharks and ears
Since it’s Halloween, we’ve decided to compile some horror injuries from the world of sport
Evander Holyfield
Fearless: Bethany Hamilton hasn’t let a brutal shark attack hamper her career Image: Wikimedia Commons
by the 14 foot-tiger shark, regarded as one of the most dangerous species of shark to humans, which was sighted in the area a few days prior to the attack. Hamilton, considered ‘a rising star’ before her attack, didn’t let the shark attack stand in the way of her dreams. After an intensive course of physiotherapy and strengthening exercises, adjusting her balance and movements to compensate for her missing arm, she pursued her dream of becoming a professional surfer. Her surfing career has seen her beat six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore and world number one Tyler Wright, with no other concession than a slight adjustment to her surf board to compensate for her missing arm. Despite suffering one of the most horrific and life-changing injuries imaginable, Bethany continues to a remarkable and courageous role model by proving that anything is possible.
In 1989, during an Ice Hockey game between Buffalo Sabres and St. Louis Blues a three-person collision resulted in a horrific injury for Sabres goalkeeper Clint Malarchuk. On 22nd March, just 16 days after Malarchuck had joined Sabres, Sabres’ Uwe Krupp and Steve Tuttle, rightwinger for St. Louis Blues, crashed into Malarchuk in the goal during play. The blade of Tuttle’s skate slashed Malarchuk’s neck open with a deep 6-inch cut and split open his jugular vein, whilst also severing the carotid artery and damaging surrounding sheath muscle. The effects were immediate, and Malarchuk later described the loss of blood as traumatic and terrifying: “As my heart would beat, it would squirt”.
Sabres announcers at the game, Mike Robitaille and Ted Darling, were noticeably distressed by the incident, where they described the scene as though “someone had a bucket of blood” and dropped it on the ice. Everyone watching was shaken, several players vomited on the ice and many fans fainted, with two even suffering heart attacks. Malarchuk’s life was saved by Jim Pizzutelli, the Sabres’ athletic trainer. A former army medic in Vietnam, he was on the scene in 10 seconds, grabbing Malarchuk’s neck and stemming the flow of blood by pinching the blood vessel. He didn’t let go until doctors arrived to stabilise the wound. Malarchuk managed to skate off the ice himself, while thinking “I thought I was dying then, I
Emma Bancroft
shield, but was caught out by the referee. Undeterred, Tyson bit Holyfield’s right ear within a minute, removing one inch of cartilage. After deciding to continue, Tyson bit Holyfield’s other ear. This time the fight wasn’t stopped, and the two continued to battle it out until the end of the round. When Holyfield returned to his corner, the bite was discovered and Tyson was disqualified. At the conclusion of the fight, a brawl broke out as Tyson went after Holyfield and his trainer, Tommy Brooks, but security held him back. Whilst Tyson argued that his actions were retaliation for the head-butt earlier in the fight, Holyfield believed that Tyson was looking for a way out of the fight, knowing that he was going to lose. Though Tyson’s life ban was rescinded a year later, his career was defined by ‘The Bite Fight’. Probably not how he would’ve liked to have been remembered, but perhaps the most fitting testament to his unpredictable character.
Champions, travelled to Madjeski Stadium to take on Reading in what should have been an incident-free, plain-sailing win for Jose Mourinho’s men. However, a mere 15 seconds into the match, Reading’s Stephen Hunt, starting a Premier League game for the first time, was all too eager to chase a loose ball down and managed to run directly on top of Cech’s head. It seemed like a normal injury but, in reality, with every second that went by the Czech keeper was a little closer to losing his life. He was eventually taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where a surgeon inserted metal plates into his head to save his life. As you can expect, the fall-out from the incident was vast and kicked off by the ever-controversial Jose Mourinho who moaned that “my goalkeeper was in the dressing room for 30 minutes waiting for an ambulance.” However this was proved wrong by the South Central NHS trust who said, “Chelsea medical staff called the ambulance at
5:45pm, at seven minutes to six the ambulance arrived.” Following this was a frenzy as to whether Irishman Hunt meant to injure Cech with the shot-stopper’s mother claiming that “he looked like he wanted to kill Petr”. The now retired Reading midfielder, maintained his innocence years after the incident but received death threats, with a Chelsea fan also once attempting to break into his apartment. However in 2013 Hunt admitted that he did mean to make “impact” but not to purposefully injure the keeper. Speaking to the Daily Mirror earlier this year Cech remembered that, “there were a lot of people saying it was probably the end and that I would not play again.” However, he only missed three months of the campaign and returned to action in late January wearing the protective helmet that has now become associated with his commanding figure between the sticks.
James Sproston
Petr Cech
Bethany Hamilton Snapped Achilles’ tendons. Dislocated joints. Bloody boxing injuries. We’ve seen many of examples of gruesome sports injuries, but when we think about horror injuries, a shark attack doesn’t necessarily spring to mind. On the Halloween morning of 2003, Bethany Hamilton, then aged 13, was enjoying a surfing session off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii with her best friend and her father, Alana and Holt Blanchard. Hamilton was relaxing on her board, dangling her arm over the edge whilst waiting for the surf to pick up. Suddenly she felt immense pressure and tugging at her arm before the water around her turned bright red. When she looked to her left, she noticed that her arm was gone almost up to the armpit. She began to paddle back to shore, before being pulled a board by another surfer whilst a tourniquet was improvised to stem the bleeding, having lost 60% of her blood. A huge, 17 inch-wide, crescent-shaped chunk was bitten out of her surfboard
On 28th June 1997, Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson fought in what became known as ‘The Bite Fight.’ Seven months earlier, Holyfield and Tyson had met in the ring for the first time. Despite Tyson’s strong start, Holyfield kept him on the back foot, leaving him dead on his feet. Holyfield finally won in the eleventh having delivered strong combination blows all night. Initially there seemed to be no bad blood after the fight. Though it was considered one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Tyson didn’t seem too fazed, addressing Holyfield to say “thank you very much. I have the greatest respect for you.” Altough Holyfield was now the title holder, Tyson was still the No.1 ranked heavyweight in the world and fancied his chances. At 2/1 he was favourite and boastful about it. “I lost the last fight,” he stated. “I’ll correct that by winning.” From the outset, Holyfield dominated Tyson. Then in the second round, whilst ducking under a right punch, Holyfield caught Tyson above the eye. Seemingly enraged, Tyson attempted to start the third round without his gum
A decade ago this month, the former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech sustained one of the most dangerous injuries Premier League football has seen. On October 14th the Blues, then reigning
Iconic: Petr Cech is barely recognisable without his headwear Image: Wikimedia Commons
Clint Malarchuk
really did. I knew it was my jugular vein and I thought I didn’t have long to live. All I wanted to do was get off the ice”. He described thinking of his mother, who he knew would be watching the game, saying, “I didn’t want her to see me die”, and had a manager call to tell her he loved her. Remarkably, despite losing 1.5 litres of blood and having 300 stitches, Malarchuk survived the accident. He was even awake and talking in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, where he asked the paramedics “Can you take me back for the third period?” Ellen Clifton
Petr Cech
Samir Ait Said
In Rio 2016, spectators at the men’s gymnastics qualifications were witness to quite possibly the most gruesome injury of the games, in the form of French gymnast, Samir Ait Said’s failed vault landing. Perhaps the most iconic, and grotesque accident of the games, Said garnered worldwide sympathy and attention for his quite horrifying ordeal, after footage of the incident went viral, and was graphically aired on practically every national news channel on the planet. The incident happened during qualification for the Men’s Vault. A botched landing, after a near- flawless performance, resulted in his leg shattering on impact, breaking in two places below the knee. The crack was so loud it was said to be heard reverberating through the arena,
and Said was left with his leg hanging at a nearly 90 degree angle, rolling around on the floor in agony as the medical team rushed to his aid. He was carried off on a stretcher to a standing ovation from the crowd, and after being dropped whilst he was loaded into the ambulance, he finally made it to hospital. Samir Ait Said wanted to leave Rio with a gold, but instead he left in the back of an ambulance with a shattered tibia and fibula. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first bad injury for Said, who broke his leg at the European games, which meant he was forced to withdraw from competing at the London 2012 games. Let’s hope there are no black cats in his path in Tokyo in 2020. Lucy Brogden
The Courier
sport .37
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Instagram thecouriersport | Twitter @Courier_Sport
Non-League Soc start on a high
Sports Editor James Sproston ventured eastwards to Whitley Bay FC with Newcastle University’s Non-League Society Someone once said that it’s the real fans that turn up to midweek games, and that’s why no one turns up to Champions League games at the Etihad. Such is not the case at Newcastle’s Non-League Society however, as sixteen people rocked up on a Tuesday evening to watch Whitley Bay face Northern rivals Guisborough. Once everyone had convened at Haymarket metro station, our first stop was West Jesmond, to get a few pints in at the Lonsdale before the long journey ahead. It gave all the football enthusiasts chance to get to know each other, and to share mutual appreciation of Alan Shearer’s hairline and Sean Dyche’s undying loyalty to the 4-4-2. Despite leaving slightly later than expected, we managed to bundle everyone onto the metro and get underway to Whitley Bay. Society president Hannes Read led his group of avid non-league supporters to Whitley’s stadium, Hillheads Park. Tucked away behind an ice rink, Whitley’s cosy stadium can officially host 4,500 people, but 7,301 managed to pack it out back in 1966. Needless to say there weren’t that many there to see The Bay play Guisborough, but the locals were still out in force with their usual friendly spirit. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by club director, reporter and photographer, Julian Tyley. He gave us a private
tour of the clubhouse, before running us through the history of the club. We were introduced to the club’s impressive past, and their recent hat-trick of successes in the FA Vase. Feeling full of Whitley Bay knowledge as well as a £2 burger, we took our place on the sidelines for kick off. By coincidence, we were stood next to the Guisborough travelling support, with 3 people having made the journey up from North Yorkshire for the midweek fixture. Guisborough started brightly, entertaining their away support, and were unlucky not to be given a penalty early on. However, when you’re mixed in with the home faithful, even the most stonewall decision is jeered, even if the lad left on a stretcher. The Seahorses took the lead through cult hero Adam Shanks, and appeared to have quickly added a second with the ball after the ball crossed the line, but the goal wasn’t given. Before half-time, Guisborough pulled level and Whitley responded swiftly, entering the interval with a 2-1 lead. To escape the chilly sea air, we were all ushered into the bar for 15 minutes of warmth. We chatted to the locals and caught up on the Champions League scores from the comfort of the bar until the teams emerged for another exciting 45 minutes. Whitley controlled the second half
Non-League Soc appeals to football fantatics Image: Hannes Read much like the end of the first, and Kyle Fryatt’s late goal was a testament to that dominance. At 3-1 the home fans were content, and made losing a couple of fingers to the cold that slight bit more bearable. Though I still don’t know how to pro-
nounce Guisborough, my first North East non-league experience was thoroughly enjoyable. The spirit of nonleague sides is unquestionable, and their hospitality is second to none. I’d wholeheartedly recommend heading down to one of the Non-League Society’s ven-
tures this year. It’s a cheaper alternative to league football, and still hasn’t lost that personal touch. Keep an eye out on Facebook and Twitter for their next outing.
38. sport
Monday 31 October 2016
The Courier
Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston
Intramural Insight By Jim Stacey Giroud Boyz This is Giroud Boyz’s second season of intramural 7 a side football. Although inspired predominantly by a love of Barbadian infused pop music and French goal scoring excellence, many of the team have played through multiple iterations of 7 a side football teams over the years we have been at university. In our first season, led by the charismatic and slightly portly Saman Khalid, the team was named Sons of Pitches. This was back in 2011, very much a different era, way back before the legalisation of gay marriage and beyond living memory of many of this year’s Freshers. That first season was very much about finding our feet in intramural football and aspiring towards the giddy heights of FC Jagerbomb, who dominated the league that year. The second season brought more success, with a first placed finish in the group and a magnificent run to the semi-finals before a loss to the eventual winners. It took us until our fourth year, however, to finally get our hands on some silverware, lifting the intramural 7s tournament trophy, thanks to some high pressure football and fluid attacking play.
“Giroud Boyz is more about football, it is a way of life” Yet it was apparent to all at the time that these halcyon days could not last. Many titans of that team passed away, into employment or further education elsewhere. Indeed, only four of that victorious team of just two years ago are still playing for Giroud Boyz today. Yet, against all the odds, survive we did. The secret to our success is simple and based upon one key tenet: you cannot take intramural 7 a side football too seriously. There is a 7 day no sex rule before matches, which has caused the breakdown of a number of long term relationships among the team. Players are also encouraged to follow personalised diet and exercise plans over the year. Giroud Boyz is about more than just football, it is a way of life. All of this preparation paid dividends last Wednesday with a handsome 13-5 victory, and I think we can all look to the season ahead with some confidence. With Ed, a safe pair of hands, in net, Pedro playing like a young Beckenbauer in the sweeper position, former captain Sean adding maturity to the right hand side, Stevie providing pace on the left, Ben in central midfield blessed with a left foot worthy of Charlie Adam, Sam alongside him finding space and time, Jonny being industrious, Rory being Rory and James and Greg up top being, respectively, faster and taller than anyone else on the pitch. This is a season where the sky really is the metaphorical limit. Even though its only early days, Jimmy Civil and Borussia ModernLangbach, appear set to provide our stiffest competition this year, both recording victories by five goal margins last week. For me, this will be my sixth and final season in intramural football. Points, prizes and million dollar transfers aside, I simply hope to shake the hands of Denis Murphy and Steve Catchpole, both integral to intramural football at Newcastle, on the last day of the season, and know, for one final time, that we left it all on the pitch.
Shrimpers Samples: Sepak Takraw
Sports Editor Tom Shrimplin discusses his first experience of the unique sport of Sepak Takraw By Tom Shrimplin at the Sports Centre Last Friday I tried out the sport of Sepak Takraw which is native to Southeast Asia. The best way to describe it is that it is a cross between volleyball and keepy-uppies from football. However you play with a small, hard wicker ‘rattan’ ball rather than a normal football. After a brief stretch of the legs, we were split into threes where we started to learn the basic technique. Rather than kicking the wicker ball as you would a football, instead you had to angle your leg up parallel to the ground, in order to try control it. To practice this involved someone throwing the ball while you tried to hit it back to them. It seemed simple, but keeping control of the ball proved to be a lot more difficult than at first thought. Especially with me, where my terrible hand-eye coordination often lead me to
miss the ball completely. We then moved on to trying to control the wicker ball with other parts of your body. However unlike volleyball you are unable to hit the ball with your arms, meaning you had to touch it with your head, chest or legs to help keep it off the ground. I did actually manage to control the ball once with my thigh and then kick it back, but I think this was a fluke more than anything else.
it for free first then there are a couple of sessions in the coming weeks, alongside many other sports that are available through Give It Ago, which can be found online.
After that we then learned how to kick the ball over the net. Again this led to many missed attempts, but at least I was somewhat getting a bit better at it. Finally we moved onto playing a few practice games, with three on each side. We each had a go of kicking the ball for
three tries in the middle before rotating around in all three positions. Although this being me the wicker ball usually either missed or hit my shin rather than my foot, meaning it skewed in random directions if I hadn’t already missed. Towards the end my technique was definitely starting to get a lot better though. The tip was to swivel your leg from behind and hit it with the bottom of your foot to get the ball over the net. I would certainly advise people to give Sepak Takraw a go. As we found out in the session, the club itself only started after one of its members went away on a gap year to Malaysia, meaning that the majority of members had to learn it from scratch. Therefore it’s a really nice, helpful club to learn an interesting and fun sport. For more information on Sepak Takraw then you should look at the Facebook page, which can be found by searching for Newcastle University Sepak Takraw. If you would like it to try
scores level. Edinburgh went close twice more in quick succession, but a combination of poor finishing and the efforts of Chadwick meant the game remained goalless. But the Newcastle defence held strong and the hosts began to grow into the game, with their midfield showcasing more encouraging inter-play as Edin-
the park leaving their defence isolated, and a through ball dissected the centre halves, allowing Kitching a one on one chance which he cooly slotted away. Edinburgh’s second and decisive goal came just five minutes later, with Newcastle again the architects of their own downfall as they failed to clear from the edge of the box. The ball fell again to Kitching and, as his shot cannoned
burgh’s earlier pressing wore off. Wallace gave a glimpse of what was to come later in the game with the final chance of the first half, as his speculative shot from 30 yards forced Bland into tipping over an effort that was destined for the top corner. After a promising end to the first half and the score level, Newcastle were not tempted to make any changes at the break, and it looked to be paying off as they looked a real threat on the left wing. It was Phil Rees causing Edinburgh’s right side a headache, twice beating his opposition fullback for pace as Newcastle began to gain momentum. On the second occasion, the winger burst into the box and appeared to be brought down in a tangle of legs, but referee Steve Catchpole, waved off the Newcastle appeals, discounting any possible accusations of a local bias. It was the finishing that was letting Newcastle down, and as Edinburgh regained a foothold in the game, they grabbed the opener which their first half display deserved. Newcastle lost the ball in middle of
off the crossbar, Threadgould was first to react as he headed past a helpless Chadwick. As the hosts’ heads dropped, an Edinburgh rout looked more likely than a Newcastle comeback as the visitors piled on more pressure to Chadwick’s overworked goal. But the hosts found an extra burst of energy as they threw on Olly Clink with around 20 minutes to go, and the striker made almost an instant impact
with a towering header that skimmed the angle of the bar. The visitors further retreated as they appeared to settle for their two goal lead, inviting pressure which tolled as Newcastle reduced the deficit to 1-2 and set up a nervous final ten minutes for Edinburgh. A free-kick was only half cleared to the edge of the box, and Wallace was there to unleash a sumptuous volley into the bottom right corner with Bland well beaten. Edinburgh were certainly rattled and there was a final chance for Newcastle to claim an unlikely equaliser. Again Clink found space in the box, but his weak shot was smothered easily by Bland in the Edinburgh goal. The visitors held off the late pressure to claim the first win of what is hoped will be a regular meeting between the two history teams, with Newcastle looking to reclaim the trophy when they make the trip over the border for the rematch next semester.
“It’s a really nice, helpful club to learn an interesting and fun sport”
Tiki Takraw: Shrimpers had mixed success with the rattan ball Image: James Sproston
Scots snatch victory in historic charity clash Charity Football
Newcastle History Society 1 Edinburgh History Soceity 2 By Elliot Bradley at Longbenton The inaugural charity football game between Newcastle and Edinburgh’s History societies ended in defeat for the English hosts, as the Scots earned a deserved 2-1 victory at Longbenton. All three goals came in a frantic second half, with Newcastle’s Jack Wallace grabbing what turned out to be the consolation after James Kitching and Theo Threadgould put the visitors two goals ahead. The game, in aid of Newcastle Marrow, featured the university’s History society, which has two intra-mural 7 a side teams, and Edinburgh’s experience in the 11 aside format was certainly evident in a first half which was dominated by the visitors. It was the hosts who started the brightest, with a run of successive corners ending when centre back Jake Harries went close with a header. Edinburgh’s patient possession began to pay dividends, however, as cracks in the hosts’ defence started to appear. If it wasn’t for the heroics of goalkeeper Nick Chadwick the game could have been out of Newcastle’s sight before half time. Kitching had the goal at his mercy after a mix up between the Newcastle centre halves allowed him acres of space in the box, but Chadwick somehow turned the ball wide to keep the
Badminton M2 v Leeds 2nds W1 v Northumbria 1sts
1-7 6-2
Basketball M2 v Manchester 2nds 51-56 M3 v Leeds Beckett 2nds 54-121 W1 v Loughborough 1sts 42-67 Fencing M2 v York 2nds
133-68
“But the Newcastle defence held strong and the hosts began to grow into the game ”
Football M1 v Liverpool JM 1sts W2 v Salford 1sts
1-2 2-3
Golf 1 v Durham 3rds 2 v Sunderland 1sts
4-2 4.5-1.5
Lacrosse M1 v Northumbria 1sts M2 v York 2nds W2 v Northumbria 1sts W3 v Hull 1sts
3-4 3-5 17-3 9-7
Netball 1 v Durham 1sts 2 v MMU 3rds 3 v Chester 3rds 4 v Bradford 1sts
46-45 56-24 35-21 29-13
Small margins: Edinburgh had to resist late pressure to seal victory
Image: Elliot Bradley Rugby M1 v Birmingham 1sts M2 v Stirling 1sts M3 v Leeds 2nds M4 v Sheffield 2nds
26-20 36-12 32-24 15-39
Table Tennis M2 v Teesside 1sts
16-1
Ultimate M1 v Teesside 1sts M2 v Northumbria 1sts
15-0 5-13
Rugby League 1 v Leeds 1sts 2 v Leeds Beckett 2nds
14-36 10-90
Volleyball M v Leeds Beckett 1sts W v Durham 1sts
3-1 0-3
Squash M2 v Liverpool 1sts M3 v Durham 2nds M4 v UCLAN 1sts W1 v Sheffield 1sts
3-2 1-2 2-1 0-4
Water Polo M1 v Manchester 1sts M2 v Sunderland 1sts
17-12 W
Wednesday 28th October results
The Courier
sport .39
Monday 31 October 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Instagram thecouriersport | Twitter @Courier_Sport
No cash in the aquatic for Toon Men’s Water Polo Newcastle 1sts
11
Liverpool 1sts
12
By Fleur O’Dwyer at Northumbria Sports Centre Following a narrow defeat for the Women’s seconds, the Men’s firsts didn’t disappoint their home crowd with an even closer game, which sadly saw them fall short by just one goal, allowing the Liverpudlians to leave the toon with two victories under their belt. Liverpool started the game strongly, with the first goal of the match coming just 50 seconds into the game, courtesy of Daly, to give them an early lead. This didn’t faze the Newcastle gentlemen, however, who kept their heads down and started fighting hard for possession. Their efforts were soon rewarded as both captain Andy Robinson, and Andy Burch scored in quick succession, gifting Newcastle a 2-1 lead.
“Both captain Andy Robinson, and Andy Burch scored in quick succession, gifting Newcastle a 2-1 lead”
As the quarter progressed, both teams worked the ball well, with numerous shots from both teams flying just wide of the goals. Yet again, it was Daly that found the target, scoring his second goal of the match, with Lawson following, seeing Liverpool lead 2-3 at the end of the first quarter. Just 90 seconds into the second quarter, Newcastle found themselves a man up, as Ansata was sent out for Liverpool. The Toon capitalised on this, sending four quick passes flying round the arc to Chiang who easily found the bottom right hand corner. Following a quick equaliser from Liverpool, Newcastle were once again a
man up. This time captain, Robinson, found the bottom left hand side with a crafty bounce shot to bring the score level at 4-4. The Toon were back in contention. After some great defensive plays by both teams (including a particularly strong block from Liverpool’s Lawson, which resulted in a ball flying into the unsuspecting crowd) Liverpool began to show their form. Two goals in a minute from the visitors- the second coming from Lawson with an amazing bounce shot from just short of the half way line, gave them a two goal advantage. This sudden performance from Liverpool didn’t dampen the Newcastle Men’s efforts, however. With only 1.41 left of the quarter, Newcastle scored two goals of their own. The first came in the shape of a rebound scoop shot from Adam Miller whilst the second came from Jack Hirst, bringing the score back to 6-6. The start of the third quarter saw Newcastle lose the swim off allowing Liverpool possession. This was soon won back Chiang who swam it back, passed it to Miller, who then crossed it back to Chiang, but his shot was met by the save of the match at the hands of the Liverpool goalkeeper. Within seconds, the ball was back down into Newcastle’s end in the hand of Liverpool’s top-scorer, Lawson, who found the back of the net for the fourth time. This lead was short lived, however, as within 40 seconds Robinson once again found the bottom right hand corner. Following the equaliser, there was a lot of backwards and forwards play between both teams, seeing some great steals from Harry Simpson and Liverpool’s Maguire. This exciting, but frustrating play saw both Robinson and Liverpool’s Daly sent out for 20 seconds, leaving both teams a man down, and a goal drought. Robinson soon redeemed himself, however, scoring one of the four goals scored within the next 3 minutes of play, with a crowd-pleasing lob shot which rolled into the right
bottom corner. Newcastle were to be denied the lead heading into the final quarter by a hair’s breadth, as Chiang’s shot fell just short thanks to a quick scrabble by the Liverpool goalie, who worked well to protect the ball from Newcastle’s attackers. With the scoreline equal at 9-9 it really was all to play for. Liverpool started
closing the four-point gap and beginning an unstoppable run of smashes that totally turned the game around. In particular, Durham’s number 11 looked absolutely unstoppable, hitting the ball with incredible strength and power. Newcastle tried to stay in the game as much as they could, thanks to the threat posed by Sareeta Nethersole. Nevertheless, the players in purple weren’t too impressed and kept control of the set with no real effort, allowing the home team to create only a few chances for precious points. The first set ended with 25-17 to Durham. Newcastle were hoping to kick off the second set as they did in the earlier stages of the match, trying this time to keep their consistency, but this wasn’t in line with Durham’s plan. The visitors wasted no time, and extended their lead to an impressive 11-3. This strong lead made Durham overconfident, and this meant Newcastle could start to put real pressure on the visitors, using to powerful smashes and strong, well-coordinated blocks performed by Nadelina Nesheva and Petra Jerakbova which created confusion in Durham’s lines. Although the home team seemed as though they could potentially snatch a win in the second set, the challengers stayed focused and closed every possibility for a
potential comeback, leaving Newcastle hanging on 20 points. Supporters were left disheartened as
lowed this with another impressive bounce shot that really got the home crowd going, but their celebration was somewhat premature, as it rebounded off the cross bar. With the clock ticking down, and both teams being awarded penalties for scrappy play, a time-out was called by Liverpool’s coach in the closing min-
“Luck seemed to shift in Liverpool’s favour with two minutes to go, as they were awarded a penalty” strong, with numerous on-target shots, though they could not find a way past Bashall, who played exceptionally well in his debut for the Toon. Robinson then produced an exceptional dodge, around Liverpool’s Winrow, giving Newcastle the lead with just over half the quarter remaining. He quickly fol-
utes. This brief team talk seemed to give them the edge as, after setting up a solid attacking arc, it took only 14 seconds after the restart for Lawson to score once more. Luck seemed to shift in Liverpool’s favour with two minutes to go, as they were awarded a penalty. Despite his
best efforts, Bashall’s fingertips were just not quite long enough to save the powerful left-hand corner shot, giving Liverpool the lead. Despite nerves on the sidelines, Newcastle’s players kept their cool, as Chiang equalised with 56 seconds left on the clock. Unfortunately, this was shortlived as 4 seconds later, Liverpool’s Daly scored the last goal of the match, handing Liverpool an 11-12 victory. Despite the result, the grit and determination displayed by all the gentlemen on the Newcastle’s Men’s 1sts suggests great things are to come, for the season ahead.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH:
Andy Robinson
Newcastle Captain, Andy Robinson, goes for goal Image: Lucy Brogsden
Unbeaten Durham triumph in northern showdown Women’s Football Newcastle 1sts
0
Durham 1sts
3
By Oliver Ross Assogna at the Sports Centre It was never going to be easy for Newcastle to follow up on last week’s crushing victory- an impeccable start to their BUCS campaign, as Durham showed they did not drive all the way to the Toon just to enjoy a stroll along the Quayside. Newcastle University’s Sports Centre
“Durham’s number 11 looked absolutely unstoppable, hitting the ball with incredible strength and power”
was the venue for the match, and home supporters lined the court to cheer their team on. Newcastle’s aggressive tactics seemed to work well as they took an early lead, which caught the Durham players by surprise. Though, it was not long before the visitors responded,
was much closer affair than the previous sets, with the hosts giving it their all, which brought entertaining and
“Durham’s victory means that their unbeaten run continues, leaving them sat comfortably at the top of the league table” the visitors looked confident; their defence impenetrable and their players concentrated. Nonetheless, the third set
spectacular points from both sides. Ultimately, it was Durham who emerged victorious, taking the third and final set
23-25. Durham’s victory means that their unbeaten run continues, leaving them sat comfortably at the top league table, following their demolition of both HeriotWatt and Edinburgh University.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH:
Sareeta Nethersole
Sareeta Nethersole makes things difficult for Durham’s defence Image: Oliver Ross Assogna
Sport
www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 31 October 2016 Issue 1337 Free
thecourieronline.co.uk/sport
Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Twitter: @Courier_Sport | Instagram: thecouriersport
HORROR INJURIES, P.36
NON- LEAGUE SOCIETY, P.37
CHARITY FOOTBALL, P.38
Pulling prowess: Will Mulvaney sets the Pies on their way Image: James Sproston
Teesside get Pied by Toon Men’s Ultimate Newcastle 1sts
15
Teesside 1sts
0
By James Sproston at Cochrane Park Newcastle top the table after their first fixture of the season ended in a 15-0 walkover in favour of the Pies. Before the match started, there were doubts that the fixture would go ahead due to uncertainties whether Teesside could field a team. Nevertheless, they managed to club together enough players to make the short journey up from North Yorkshire. Once both teams had turned up, it became clear that Newcastle had the advantage. Not only were Teesside an inexperienced side, but they also had little interest in the sport. In fact, they’d only been formed to fund their Ameri-
Newcastle wasted no time in getting on the scoresheet as Club President Will Mulvaney set up Brad Metcalfe and Nathan Rudge in quick success for an early 2-0 lead. Within another minute, Alex Thompson set up Sam Griffiths for the team’s third point of the game. Teesside seemed to have a typical American football-style quarterback playing, and he was instrumental in most of their attacks. Wearing the No.80 jersey, Andrew Warner distributed the disc well, but was more often than not let down by his teammates’ handling ability. Newcastle continued to play silky ultimate, as they employed the vertical stack to good effect during the game. Pies used this strategy to their advantage, finding pockets of space after small darting sprints. Through finding this space, Newcastle almost added a fourth, as Fred Frisbee Davies was inches from converting an eight-pass move in the end zone. Undeterred, Newcastle pressed Teesside high up the field, and after Warner
“Not only were Teesside an inexperienced side, but they also had little interest in the sport” can Football team. Though it was admirable they’d turned up, it quickly became apparent that Teesside were no more than a bunch of American footballers. Not only was it obvious due to their kits, but also due to the terminology they were using on the field. Words like ‘scrimmage’, ‘red zone’ and ‘safety’ were alien to most of the Newcastle players, but in no way did it distract them.
couldn’t find James Hurst, Eric Mussell Webber easily assisted captain Ivan Mladjenovic to extend their lead to four points. After yet another faltering start for Teesside, a fumble allowed Newcastle to seize the advantage. Mulvaney picked the disc up deep, moving it on to Thompson, who found Fred Frisbee Davies in space. Davies took one look up before picking out Sam Griffiths
with an inch-perfect pass. Pies’ next move involved every member of the team. Unfortunately, Mladjenovic threw over Rudge in the end zone, but quickly made up for it by receiving Mussell Webber’s pass moments later to make it 6-0.
Though Newcastle’s passing became a bit more wayward in the closing stages, Pies made it 14-0 at around the half-hour mark, as Fred Frisbee Davies assisted point-scorer, captain, and allround MVP Ivan Mladjenovic. Having dominated the match
BUCS REPORTS, P.39
“Pies made it 14-0 at around the half-hour mark, as Fred Frisbee Davies assisted point-scorer, captain, and all-round MVP Ivan Mladjenovic” Leading by example, the same man caught Mulvaney’s pass in the next play before Metcalfe wrapped up the half by scoring the eighth point of the game, following a lovely little pass from Mussell Webber. Needless to say, the half-time team talks were very different. Teesside’s Brian Keogh stressed the importance of man-to-man marking, whilst Pies largely wanted more of the same. Fortunately, it was more of the same, as Jake Hawkyard played a nifty one-two with Mladjenovic to make it 9-0. After Teesside’s Sheldan Noel dropped the disc, Pies countered quickly, as Mussell Webber picked out Thompson, who in turn found Hawkyard again in acres of space in the end zone. Thompson again turned provider a couple of minutes later, this time throwing to Ivan Mladjenovic in behind the Teesside defence. Again Noel struggled to find Warner in the centre of the field, as Mulvaney turned over possession. In the following two plays, it seemed like déjà vu as Thompson again picked out Mladjenovic and Hawkyard to put Newcastle another two points in front.
throughout, Newcastle scored their final point with a lovely fluid move. Sam Griffiths turned over possession, then shifted the disc on to Mulvaney. Rudge then received the disc, before releasing it to Griffiths and making a run downfield. Griffiths found Hawkyard, who then turned the corner, moving the disc on to Mladjenovic. The captain then spotted the run of Rudge, who caught the disc for the fifteenth and final point in the game. Afterwards, the two teams had debriefed and decided to play American football. It urns out Jake Hawkyard has a cannon of a throw on him, and Teesside aren’t actually that good at American football either. Pies will play York St Johns 2nds in their next fixture, having beaten their 1sts 15-0 last year, before facing their own second team at Cochrane Park. Realistically Newcastle should be aiming at nothing less than promotion, so it looks to be an exciting season ahead.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH:
Ivan Mladjenovic
SHRIMPERS SAMPLES, P.38