Courier 1379

thecourier thecourieronline.co.uk Beauty Laura Buckle shares details of James’ Charles makeup colab Page 16

Gaming Does this hat-clad cutie melt your heart or grind your gears?

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Monday 26 November 2018 Issue 1379 Free

Feature The Courier pays tribute to the MARVEL legend Stan Lee Page 22

Campaigners clash in live NUS debate The independent voice of Newcastle

Ally Wilson Features Editor On Friday 23rd November, a student-organised debate over the upcoming referendum on Newcastle University Student Union

The debate focused on four main issues: representation, finance, politics and the future relationship between NUSU and the NUS

(NUSU)’s membership of the National Union of Students (NUS) took place.

NUSU voted to leave the student-led organisation in 2016, entering into a minority 5% of universities in the UK who are not members.

Constitutionally, NUSU must have a referendum on its membership of the NUS at least every three years, however a referendum can also be called through a petition signed by at least eight trustees.

The debate was chaired by Harry Parsons, station manager of NSR. Emma Dawson, leader of the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign and Welfare and Equality Officer, Jack Green, spoke for the student body to re-enter into the NUS. Speaking against NUSU’s becoming a member of NUS were leader of the ‘Vote No’

Est 1948

campaign, Scarlett Rowland and Education Officer Johnny Hall.

The debate focused on four main issues: representation, finance, politics and what the future will hold for the relationship between NUSU and the NUS. Emma Dawson began by highlighting the achievements of the NUS, including the introduction of 16-25 railcards, council tax exemption for students and the implementation of postgraduate loans.

Scarlett Rowland’s response was that these were brought into effect during the 1970s and 1990s. “In more recent years, what have NUS actually achieved for the wellbeing of students?” she asked. According to NUS’ website, the most recent policy response is from April 2017, a response to their ‘Building our Industrial Strategy Green Paper’.

The financial discussion over the referendum was one of the most prominent of the debate. “We’ve invested a lot in our union in the past few years, with refurbishments and campaigns for people like our course reps and part-time officers. We wouldn’t be able to run these as well without the £50,000 we would have to pledge to the NUS,” argued Education Officer, Johnny Hall. “The money can be better spent on students here.”

In January this year, an email was sent to all presidents and chief executives of students’ unions across the country, informing them that the NUS was “looking at a £3m deficit for the group in this and future financial year.”

However, the NUS also offers financial benefits for students, with initiatives such as Totem Cards, which offers over 42,000 international commercial discounts on the likes of travel and clothing for paying members.

Sabbatical officers Jack Green and Jonny Hall joined the campaigners on opposing sides Image: Haaris Qureshi, NUTV

Search engine motion provokes tense council dispute

Student Council took place at 5:15pm on Thursday 15 November in the History Room at NUSU. This was the second Students’ Union Council Meeting of the year, the first having been held in October.

The first motions to be proposed to Council were three Constitutional Motions (those that change the constitution of the Students’ Union), and they all passed by an overwhelming majority. The first was to mandate all Sabbatical Officers elected in the Easter term to attend the Executive Committees that they will

be Chairing when they formally start their role in September. The second constitutional motion updated Officer Job Descriptions to list RAG (Raising and Giving) as a society rather than a fundraising arm of NUSU. The final motion formally allocated time during meetings for students to give notices to Council. All Constitutional Motions require a 2/3 majority, but these three motions passed with an outstanding 95%, and 4 abstentions.

Next, Scrutiny Officer Jamie Cameron proposed an Ordinary Motion (requiring a simple majority), to change the default search engine of NUSU computers to Ecosia.

The motion also proposed to mandate the President to lobby the University to make all

A deadly home

Degree disparaging

Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor

Inside today >>>

Can where you live affect your likelihood of contracting certain diseases like obesity and cancer?

News, page 4

Our lifestyle writers delve into the world of degree-shaming Lifestyle, page 14

University computers use this same search engine. Ecosia uses ad revenue from web searches to plant trees and was proposed in an effort to reduce the University’s negative impact on the environment. However, after considerable debate, the motion failed to pass as there were concerns that more research was needed into the possible practical ramifications of the change.

The new Student Notices section of the meeting proved popular, with a number of representatives from clubs and societies letting their peers and Sabbatical Officers know about the important work they had been doing recently.

The council moved on to the first open

Louis Theroux love

Find out what our TV editors think of Louis theroux’s latest controversial documentary Altered States TV, page 26

debate of the academic year. It was centred around the new role of a NUSU Postgraduate Sabbatical Officer, which will be introduced in the academic year beginning in September 2019. They will join the six other Sabbatical Officers working at the Union, and the Council discussion was to determine what the priorities of the role should be. The debate was lengthy but lively, with a number of different students standing up to discuss some of the key issues faced by Postgraduate students at the University. Despite there being only a small number of Postgraduate students in attendance at the meeting, they were vocal in outlining the problems they felt Postgraduates experienced, including loneliness and diffi-

Dodgeball DMC

Harry Parsons meets with the president of Dodgeball Society to discuss their year so far Sport, page 39

culty getting involved with activities aimed at Undergraduate students. It was also raised that some of the issues faced were not exclusive to Postgraduate students, as struggling to get involved or feeling excluded from university life are difficulties experienced by other groups, such as mature students and students who are parents or carers.

NUTV filmed the whole meeting, the video for which can be found on YouTube.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 6 December at 5:15pm in the History Room, on the 1st floor of the NUSU building. Students interested in attending can register for a casual place through the NUSU website.

Movember showdown

try your hand at this week’s puzzles, featuring a tash-tastic teaser Puzzles, page 35

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the courier

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

Editor Louise Hall Deputy Editor Isabel Sykes News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsett and Steven Ross Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken and Alexandra Sadler Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, and Ella Williams Fashion Editors Poppy Couling Joe Hood and Miranda Stoner Beauty Editors Laura Buckle, Susanne Norris and Nimra Rafique Travel Editors Jenny Franken and Bianca Ionci Culture Editors Alex Moore and Carys Rose Thomas Feature Editor Ally Wilson Arts Editors Rosie Mccrum, Julia McGhee Russell and Scarlett Rowland Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis and Jess Taylor-Weisser TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney and Chloe Mullins Film Editors JImmy Athey, Helena Buchanan and Joe Holloran Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Kelly South and Matthew Neville Sports Editors Sydney Isaacs, Rebecca Johnson and Harry Parsons Online Editors Rory Cameron, Jodie Duddy, Amanda Goh, Thomas Hardwick, Max Hobbs Orestis Katsoulis and Chris Wilkinson The Courier NUSU King’s Walk Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 The Courier is printed by: Trinity Mirror Printing, Barton Road, Riverside Park Industrial Estate, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT Established in 1948, the Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge.

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

Monday 26 November 2018

NSR show of the week: Tara & Eve Wednesdays 3pm-4pm

Eve Blears Bursting with tunes from around The Toon, gal pals Tara Twine and Eve Blears have teamed up to bring you the highlights of Newcastle’s music scene.

We all know a Geordie night out is the best of the bunch, bringing you both absolute melodies and massives: the ultimate musical melting pot.

From Think Tank’s indie rockers to Worldies’ dirty boppers these two have scoured the streets of Newcastle for the most poppin’ playlist. Whether you love belting a ballad (come on Eileen!) or raving and misbehaving, these girls have you covered with an hour of the best Newcastle has to offer. Music-

aligned features (can we think of better phrasing?) and witty banter that’ll give you a chuckle, this dynamic duo have your musical discovery covered for Wednesday afternoons.

So click play, sit back, and get ready to ride the rollercoaster that is Phat Jams FM for a musical journey like no other.

Fill your ears with the sounds of the streets that will take you from doing the worm in the Robbo, to the perfect soundtrack for your hangover. These girls are hot off the block and always ready to tantalize your musical tastebuds.

STU BREW beer of the week: Maglia Nera £3.50 per pint Tom Nesfield Stu Brew have recently had the opportunity brew a house beer for one of Newcaslte’s most iconic pubs, The Free Trade Inn. Located in Ouseburn, the Free Trade Inn sits looking over the Quayside. With roaring fires it’s the perfect place to be during the winter months.

The Maglia Nera was the black jersey awarded to the last man to finish the Giro d’Italia between 1946 and 1951. Our inter-

Student Spotlight It Happens Here talk toxic masculinity Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor On Friday 30 November, It Happens Here Newcastle are hosting a discussion on toxic masculinity.

The informal discussion marks the last day of men’s month and invites people to debate concepts of toxic masculinity, what they mean, and how they impact men in our society (and male survivors in particular).

Anyone wishing to attend the discussion can simply turn up on the day

It Happens Here Newcastle is a group founded in 2016 that works with Newcastle University and the wider city to raise awareness for and help to tackle sexual violence.

The event will take place in the Alnwick Room of the Hadrian Building on campus.

It will begin with a short talk by Dr Clifton Evers, who will introduce the topic, before the discussion is opened up to attendees.

According to the Facebook page for the event, anybody is welcome and there are no tickets needed. The event page reads: “Please come along, whether you wish to express your opinions or simply observe what will undoubtedly be both an interesting and informative discussion!”

Anyone wishing to attend It Happens Here’s discussion can simply turn up on the day, but more information about the event and what the society do can be found on their Facebook page and on the NUSU website.

pretation of Maglia Nera is a rich oatmeal stout which packs far more flavours than its 4% ABV may suggest.

This smooth, dark, luxurious stout packs subtle roasted flavours and has plenty of body.

With its permanent residency on the bar, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to go have a pint of Maglia Nera at the Free Trade for the reasonable price of £3.50.

Whats on near you:

Monday

Tuesday

Arts: 9:30am-3pm: One-off Art Volunteering Opportunity. Location: Byker.

Lifestyle: 12pm-2pm: Food Co-op stall. Location: NUSU near reception.

Sport: 5:15-7:15pm: GIAG Golf. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance.

Societies: 6:30pm-7:30pm: Inflataspace with Speech and Language Therapy society.

Location: Benfield Business Park.

Film: 6:30pm: FilmSoc Hidden Figures film screening. Location: BSTC, Room 1.46.

Societies: 8:30pm-11:30pm: Battle of the Engineers. Location: NUSU.

Sport: 12pm-2pm: GIAG Table Tennis. Location: Venue, NUSU. Lifestyle: 12am-12pm: Newcastle Christmas Village opens. Location: Times Square, Scotswood Road.

Music: 6pm-11pm: The Interrupters live.

Location: Venue, NUSU. TV: 7:30pm-10pm: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Quiz Night. Location: No.28, Nelson Street.

Wednesday

Arts: 11am-3pm: Bracelets for Kenya. Location: Kate Aide room, NUSU. Sport: 12pm-2pm: GIAG Table Tennis. Location: Venue, NUSU. Sport: 2pm-2:45pm and 2:45pm-3:30pm: GIAG Horse riding. Location: Stepney Bank stables.

Friday

Student Reps: 12pm-2pm: Networking event and free lunch for student reps. Location: History Room, NUSU. Lifestyle: 1pm-3pm: Food Co-op stall. Location: NUSU near reception.

Arts: 5pm-10pm: Newcastle Fine Art Postcard Auction. Location: Newcastle Universtiy School of Fine Arts and Cultures.

Lifestyle: 5:30pm-8pm: GIAG Cocktailmaking masterclass at Revolution. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance.

Societies: 5:30pm-7:30pm: It Happens Here discussion on toxic masculinity. Location: Alnwick room, Hadrian building.

Thursday Sport: 6:30pm-8:30pm: GIAG Mr Mulligan’s Space Golf. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance.

Sport: 7pm-11pm: Fight Night 2018: Feed ‘em to the lions. Location: Venue, NUSU.

Saturday

Lifestyle: 10am-3pm: Christmas Fair at Ouseburn Farm. Location: Ouseburn Road.

TV: 2pm-4pm: Editing for TV, NUTV workshop. Location: NUSU. Sport: 3pm-6pm: NUFC vs West Ham. Location: St James’ Park.

Music: 11pm-3am: Basshunter live. Location: Venue, NUSU.

Sunday

Sport: 11:30am-12:30pm: GIAG Swimming lesson. Location: Royal Grammar School, Jesmond.

Music: 7pm-11pm: Mabel live. Location: Venue, NUSU.

news

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the courier

Monday 26 November 2018

@TheCourier_News courier.news@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/news News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsent, Steven Ross Online Editor Jodie Duddy

Former Newcastle student threatened with deportation

Nat Makin When Chimezie and Robert first met in Newcastle city centre, they could not possibly imagine the agony they would be put through over the next seven years.

Chimezie first came to the UK from Nigeria with a visa to study at Newcastle College, and was planning to study Health Psychology at Bedfordshire University when she became romantically involved with Pavel Gabco, her future fiancé.

When the couple sought out vicars to begin the marriage process, they were reported to

the Home Office for not being British and allegedly intending to carry out a sham marriage. This issue had faced widespread media coverage following the jailing of an east London vicar charged with carrying out hundreds of sham marriages from 2007 to 2010.

President of the Newcastle University Stand Up To Racism Society, Anna Kerr has this to

Newcastle city centre is where the couple first met Image: Wikimedia Commons

say: “The fact that Chimezie Emeronye is facing deportation simply for wanting to extend and further enhance her degree and career opportunities is abhorrent and is a blatant example of the structural and systematic racism which is so deeply embedded within this government”.

Chimezie was arrested in January 2011.

It was after this first arrest that Chimezie, on bail, met Robert of Benwell (East Newcastle), and the couple married in 2012 after a ninemonth long relationship. The same year was Chimezie’s trial, which heard that she entered UK lawfully and had not cost the taxpayer, having paid her students debts.

Robert thinks the court favoured the prosecution, claiming statements from the diocese were presented despite Gabco’s statement being disallowed due to his absence.

The question of where Gabco is, and why he is not being looked for, has been left unanswered. Chimezie has reportedly lost touch with him and he is yet to appear in court. As the other half in this supposed crime, many are wondering why the police have not made more of an effort to find him.

Kerr states “it’s shameful that the police have made few attempts to arrest the man Chimezie was going to marry and have instead poured all their efforts into trying to ruin this young black student’s future.” A future that after this trial included 18 months in prison.

When Robert wanted to visit her, he had to pass through as many as six checkpoints. This was the environment that Chimezie was subjected to when the alleged sham marriage did not even take place.

Although Chimezie has been released, her situation is no more secure. She is not legally allowed to work, claim benefits or open a bank account, so must rely solely on Robert’s income and Universal Credit. She also has to go to Middlesbrough every two weeks to a reporting centre where they have tried to detain her.

Additionally, she is not entitled to free treatment on the NHS, and is expected to pay

“It’s shameful that the police have... poured all their efforts into trying to ruin this young black student’s future” Anna Kerr, President of the Newcastle University Stand Up To Racism Society

£4344 for maternity care, a figure that accounts for the birth of just one of the couple’s two daughters.

Chimezie claims they have not been given any indication as to what they can do to prove that the marriage was legitimate. Visas have been refused on claims that the paperwork has not been filled out correctly, or payment has been missing (despite the Home Office later refunding it). Robert believes they rely on deferring questions that they do not want to answer so they become lost in the bureaucracy and forgotten about.

Reduction of tuition fees under review again

Swetha Vasan

The cost of education in UK is increasing day by day. The maximum permissible fee amount for an undergraduate student is £9,250 per year but no limit has been set for post graduate students. Though the 2018 review guarantees a reduction in fees, nothing has been implemented so far.

A student pursuing arts and humanities will usually pay the same in fees as a medicine or engineering student, despite the majority of university funding being spent on STEM subjects. This flat fee system is hardly justified. It may be surprising to many students that universities teach undergraduate students at a loss. The governmental review, which considered cutting university fees to £6,500 per year, has worried some universities that such changed would drastically affect their finances.

“Young people are half as likely to progress to higher education as their peers. Widening participation funding exists to help close this gap ”

Joint statement by Higher Education charities

The situation is worse for international students. They end up paying more than double the amount as compared to a UK or European Union student. For instance, a post

graduate degree in Journalism at Newcastle University costs £8,610 per year for the English students but for the same course, international students end up paying £17,370.

Miminy Wang, a student from Taiwan said,

“We are only here for the international exposure but a reduction in fee amount would make our lives easier”

Pooja Gowda, International student at Newcastle University

“The fees are too much. Plus, we need to have an extra £10,000 per year for day to day living. We come to the United Kingdom to gain something out of our course but end up burning a big hole in our pockets”. No doubt, international students have to pay more for an education in any country, but the disparity is much greater in the UK. Pooja Gowda, a student from India studying at Newcastle University said, “If a student has to pay £3000 for a course back in India, it’s around £6000 for an international student.

The quality of education in India is great and cities like Mumbai offer a great quality of living. We are only here for the international exposure but a reduction in the fee amount would make our lives easier” Universities argue that if they are not being able to charge some of the highest fees in the world, it would also mean that they cannot help the most disadvantaged applicants, as the higher fees cover outreach work and access grant, as well as other essential univer-

sity services. But this only means that some students are paying high fees that do not go directly into their university experience. This questions the University’s effort to increase student satisfaction and extended welfare.

Six charities which are involved in helping poorer students access higher education releaed a joint statement which said, “we have a big and persistent social mobility problem in the UK - young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are half as likely to progress to higher education as their peers.

“Widening participation funding exists to help close this gap and is vital to the work that we do to support young people from underrepresented groups to progress and succeed in higher education.” The Russell Group endorsed the charities’ statement and argued that a record number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds were in higher education because of the success of the current funding system.

If enacted, The Times has estimated that this measure will cost the government £3 billion and could leave universities with a third less income.

Tution fees have been on the political agenda since they were tripled under the coalition government in 2012. In September 2017, chancellor Phillip Hammond proposed reducing tution fees to £7,500 a year.

These proposals were justified by suggesting that universities did not offer students value for money, however the changes were never implemented.

It remains to be seen whether the proposals of the post-18 review which Theresa May launched in February, will be implemented in the future.

Tuition fees could be slashed to £6,500 a year Image: Grace Dean

the courier

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news

Monday 26 November 2018

'Where you live can kill you': Insights lecture Joe Molander

“Health divides: where you live can kill you”: it’s an arresting title, which was fitting for a lecture delivered with the exact same sense of urgency and passion. Part of the Insights series, Clare Bambra – professor of Public Health at Newcastle University, and former lecturer in Health Geography at Durham – gave a talk on 13th November about the relationship between place and health, or how one’s location can affect things like obesity and life expectancy.

Bambra’s research is thorough, and damning: she points to novels written as far back as

the 19th century, such as North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell and Charles Dickens’s Hard Times, to suggest that the ‘north-south divide’ has existed for hundreds of years. She then links this to Edwin Chadwick’s 1842 report to show that such a divide has long since extended to life expectancy, when it was found that southerners and those living in rural areas could expect to live longer than northerners and city-dwellers, even when controlling for profession (the divide was present amongst the gentry and professionals, tradesmen and labourers). Today, those living in the north-west, north-east and Yorkshire and the Humber all experience “worse than England average” health outcomes, while southerners enjoy above average health standards.

Stockton-Upon-Tees, where life expectancies can vary drastically Image: Wikimedia Commons

Such ‘health inequality’ is not just visible on a national scale; Bambra’s analysis of Newcastle showed several years’ difference in life expectancy depending on which Metro sta-

Bambra’s analysis of Newcastle showed a drastic difference in life expectancy depending on where you lived

tion you lived closest to. Those lucky enough to live near the airport can expect to live to around 74.8 years old, far older than the average Fawdon resident, who will die at 66.1 years, nearly nine years younger, despite living just five miles away. Even more extreme is the case of Stockton Town Centre and Hartbum, which, despite being two miles away from each other, have a difference in life expectancy of 15 years. Across the Atlantic, the story is not much better: once “the tallest and the healthiest”, Americans now have one of the highest levels of obesity in the OECD. The reasons Bambra offers for poor health and health inequality are myriad. She explains that traditional explanations for a location’s healthiness focus either on composition or on context. Composition is influenced by the population of the location; a high drinking or smoking rate will naturally lead to a place being deemed less healthy. Context is determined by features of the location itself, like socioeconomic position, that are largely outside the wider population’s control; a polluted city is a less healthy one, for example, while parents living in an area that isn’t safe

aren’t going to let their children play outside, perhaps contributing to their poor health.

However, more recently, scholars have tried to offer up explanations that incorporate both composition and context; in America, Bambra points out, the average citizen eats 20% more calories than in Sweden (an issue of composition, or the habits of the population), but poverty (an issue of context) is also an issue, cutting off low-income Americans from affordable, nutritious food, leaving them marooned in ‘food deserts’. Even something as trivial as poor-quality pavements can reduce the ‘walkability’ of an area, making driving the less healthy but more popular mode of transport. As for the north-south divide, Bambra points to higher poverty rates in the north and a larger area of ‘brownfield land’, which is previously developed but now vacant (and often derelict) turf, as explanations for lower health standards.

The final part of her lecture focusses on the political causes of health inequality. Bambra makes no secret of her own political views, happily calling David Cameron a “plonker”, and referring slightly more seriously to austerity, the name given to the series of cuts pursued by the Conservative Party since 2010 as a “project to take from the poor”. She points out that America was left less scarred

by WWII than Europe, and so never set up as large a welfare state as many of its western European cousins; as a result, 30 million Americans now live without health insurance, with another 100 million ‘underinsured’. America also has significantly less red tape, a term often used to describe regulation derisively, but Bambra puts up a strong case for it; she explains that red tape can refer to public healthcare rules that stop cigarettes being advertised to minors or protection for workers’ rights – including holiday time, sick leave and

maternity leave, all areas in which America lags behind Europe.

Indeed, for all her talk of inequality, Bambra is far from a doomsayer; she talks excitably about how the seemingly insurmountable gap in life expectancy between East and West Germany in 1990 (four years for both men and women, when the two countries were reunified in 1990) was eliminated in just two decades (the difference stood at just six months for men, and was practically closed for women, in 2010). She is willing to ruffle Old Labour feathers and praise Tony Blair’s Health Inequality Policy, which decreased the gap in the Infant Mortality Rate between the most deprived local authorities and the more affluent majority. In short, she has seen change before and seems convinced it can happen again; in talking with her after the lecture, she already has ideas.

After hearing her talk so enthusiastically and articulately, it was plain to see that her loyal following was well-earned

The scrapping of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which many feared would open the NHS up to privatisation, is top of her priorities, followed closely by an increase in healthcare spending in poorer and northern areas. After the lecture, she signed books, and after hearing her talk so enthusiastically and articulately, it was plain to see that her loyal following was well-earned.

Musical Medics win Society of the Month News Editor Grace Dean chats to President of the Musical Medics society, Persia Bowater, about the production Hello Persia. First of all, congratulations on Musical Medics winning Society of the Month!

Thank you so much! It felt really good to win, especially as we put so much work into our production of Legally Blonde last month. We all love musical theatre and so it was great to get recognition. We also all really care about the charitable causes we fundraised for.

Why do you think your society won?

Well we got a wonderful nomination with lovely words from you yourself, Grace Dean [laughs]. We put on a full musical in just seven weeks and raised so much money for charity [approximately £3500]. We feel very honoured.

How has the rest of the committee reacted to the news?

All the committee are incredibly happy about the news, especially our Director Jo Haxworth. Ultimately this success was the result of a lot of very hard work and it was wonderful to see our creative vision realised on stage.

How big is the committee, and what are the

The society’s Legally Blonde production was the result of hard work from many parties Image: Lewis Palmer Photography

roles? How does your role as President differ from that of your Director Jo Haxworth?

The Director ultimately has creative control of the production. As President I was much more occupied with the organisation side of things and had to delegate roles. The rest of the committee did an incredible job too and it really showed!

Everyone put so much effort in and I am really proud of the committee and all the members. The producers, the musical director and the choreographers all worked very hard – the whole team did.

What surprised many spectators was that the production took place in the Jubilee Theatre of the St Nicholas Hospital in Gosforth – how did this come to be?

The production has actually taken place there for the past few years. It is an incredibly beautiful theatre and very well priced, which is important as we wanted to ensure we raised as much money for charity as possible.

A tech worker was also included with the venue hire, and we were able to use the theatre’s own sets and props. It is particularly

apt for us as a society of mainly medics.

How did the society make the decision to have Legally Blonde as its production this year?

The committee all pitched their own musical ideas, so there were ten proposals altogether.

Our Musical Director Michael pitched Legally Blonde and after discussing it as a committee we felt it was the right choice. It is a very fun musical based on a well-recognised film, which would appeal to spectators.

The main roles in the musical have a very even gender balance which makes it more inclusive, and the opportunities to be in the chorus meant that there were chances for people to have their own small solo singing and speaking roles. This allowed everyone to have their own moment in the spotlight!

The musical is your main activity each academic year; does the society have any other plans for the rest of this year?

We are developing plans to have at least one cabaret night this year, which will take place after Christmas – this will give previous musical stars and members the chance to

sing and either raise money for charity or funds for our show next year. We all love musical theatre!

As Society of the Month you won £50.

What do you plan to spend this money on?

This money will either go into the pot for next year’s musical, or be used to pay MTI, which is the licensing company who gave us the rights to produce Legally Blonde.

What originally inspired you to apply to be the President of Musical Medics?

When I was in the second year of my degree Jo and I noticed a Facebook post asking for band recruits. I contacted them saying I could play the saxophone, but due to their difficulty in finding a French horn player I ended up playing the French horn part on my sax! I loved it – the month of rehearsals was very intensive and the musical took over my life but it was great fun.

I enjoyed it so much that I attended the society AGM in May, in which I applied to be in the committee. I decided to go for the role of President as I wanted to be able to feature in the musical but also make decisions.

Finally Persia, what are your plans for the future? Do you hope to stay involved with Musical Medics after this academic year and continue your musical theatre legacy?

If I have time I will definitely play in the band again for the society’s production next year.

At the very least I will definitely be in the audience! I already can’t wait to see their next show.

I also hope to find other ways to stay involved in musical theatre in the future – one production per year just isn’t enough!

Thank you so much for speaking with me today Persia, and congratulations once again on your very well deserved success!

Musical Medics President Persia Bowater Image: Lewis Palmer Photography

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news Tributes paid to victims of transphobic hate crime the courier

Monday 26 November 2018

Molly Greeves News Editor To end Transgender Awareness Week, Newcastle University students gathered by the SU to commemorate the lives lost due to acts of transphobic violence.

“We received lots of support from various societies, student media and Jack Green, Welfare and Equality Officer"

cially important for cisgender people to take note of this and use their compassion to help support trans and non-binary people in their everyday lives.”

After the names were read out, everyone took a minute of silence to pay their respects.

After the minute was up, people were given the opportunity to speak if they wished. In this time, a prayer was said by NUSU’s Faith and Belief Officer Grace Algar. One student also called into attention the fact that many of the people who had lost their lives were trans women of colour.

NUSU's Welfare Officer, Jack Green, at-

tended the event, claiming that it is "really important to show solidarity between all students regardless of characteristics. I think it (is) clear that transphobia is still a huge issue... which is why education and campaigns like Trans Awareness Week are so important."

He emphasised how important it is that cisgender people help to defend the rights of transgender and non-binary people.

"We must remember the privilege that we have as cisgender people, and try to use that to support the fight for trans rights and respect."

The vigil ended what was a “really success-

ful” campaign. Charlotte Boulton, one of the organisers, said: “All I wanted to achieve from the campaign was to have one person say they have been educated by the week, and I’ve had multiple people tell me that. That’s what it’s all about, raising awareness and providing solidarity for the many trans and non-binary students at university.

“We ran two well-attended events, with the panel on Friday 16th being especially wellreceived. Our videos have received over 1.5k views in just a week; considering the difficulty in engaging students in SU campaigns, this is incredible.

“The week would not have been possible without the help of trans reps from LGBT+ Society and Feminist Society, and the help of vocal trans activists on campus.

"Grace Algar, the Faith and Belief Officer for NUSU, has been a particularly amazing help and their videos are well worth a watch to learn more about gender identity.

"We’ve received lots of support from various societies, student media and Jack Green, Welfare and Equality Officer, and it means so much to have people care about this campaign.”

Charlotte Boulton, NUSU’s Marginalised Genders Officer

International Transgender Day of Remembrance is on the twentieth of November. To pay tribute, LGBT+ students and allies met on Sunday the 18th which marked the end of NUSU’s campaign for transgender awareness.

The vigil began with everyone standing in a circle holding lit candles as Charlotte Boulton, NUSU’s Marginalised Genders Officer, read out the names of over two hundred people who lost their lives this year due to transphobic hate crimes. Hearing so many names was emotional for many students and some tears were shed as people thought about the lives lost. When reflecting on the event, Charlotte described how the list felt “never-ending”.

“The vigil is such an important event to memorialise the trans lives lost due to transphobic violence and hate crimes.” She told The Courier. “These things shouldn’t be happening, and it continues to shock and horrify me that people are actually being murdered because of their gender identity.”

The aim of the vigil was, in Charlotte’s words, “to take notice of these atrocities that are happening right here, right now. It is espe-

Candles were lit for the people who had lost their lives Image: Molly Greeves

Residents told to recycle fewer items Vaishali Ramesh

Newcastle citizens may soon be told to recycle fewer items with their rubbish bins. New statistics report that Newcastle city council lost around £500,000 due to mismanaged waste.

The council must spend extra money when wrong types of waste goes into recycling and landfills respectively.

They must cover the cost of separating wrong types of rubbish from the recycling waste. Hence, a new proposal has been considered for implementation to reduce the number and type of items that a household can recycle. This would mean that more items that go into landfills could potentially be recycled but it would also lessen the burden on the recycling plants.

Contamination can cost the council millions of pounds. Contamination occurs

Students recycling in Newcastle Image: Sidney Plusnet

Under the new plan, people who do not sort their rubbish will have their bins tagged and be given warning letters

when there is mixing of two kinds of waste and even slight leakage of food waste into paper could slow down the recycling process or simply cause waste to be rejected from recycling. This would ultimately leads to

more money being spent on waste treatment.

Currently, under the new plan, people who do not sort their rubbish or even put wrong waste in the wrong bins will have their bins tagged and be given warning letters, followed by a fines if problems with their rubbish persist.

New statistics report that Newcastle city coucil lost around £500,000 due to mismanaged waste

Such instructions may only serve to confuse Newcastle residents further and it is not always obvious which items can or cannot be recycled.

For example, margarine boxes, yoghurt and fruit punnets are non-recyclable, whereas food and drink cans can be recycled if they have been washed out and crushed. Biscuit tins, rinsed glasses, bottles and batteries can be recycled but they have to have been placed in a clear plastic bag first. Cardboard, papers and plastic bottles without caps can all be recycled.

There is a danger that ambiguity over these recycling regulations may lead to people receiving warning letters for trying to recycle well and inadvertently creating waste management problems. This may also push people to recycle less in order to avoid making any mistakes. In trying to encourage better recycling, this system may turn residents from recycling altogether.

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Monday 26 November 2018

Angel of the North artist explains work outside the Students’ Union Sidney Pinsent News Editor

The sculptor of The Angel of the North, Anotony Gormely, and ‘Clasp’, the sculpture outside the Student Union, has given a lecture on his career and inspiration for the much debated sculpture. The lecture was engaging, insightful and though-provoking yet as I look down on the notes I made during the talk I find nothing but grand generalisations and cliché. “Sculpture is heavy, silent, brooding”, he opens. “I’m just showing you the winding path of one-ness and two-ness”. All true but impossibly, even annoyingly, vague. Could it be the crowd was raptured simply because of his status as an international superstar of the art world? Probably, but if you want to understand what ‘Clasp’ is, you had to go to this talk.

Gormely’s work is based around the body, specifically his body, and Clasp is part of his recent exploration into the body, using pixelated blocks as representations of bodily parts. All are of the human form but some are made of many small cubes and some are of very few large ones, inflated to the point of abstraction. Clasp is somewhere between the two, in fact Clasp is original in the sense it is of two bodies embracing rather than a lonesome figure. A trope he borrowed from a previous work called Mountain and Sea which shows a figure hugging another while one is stiff, arms aside and lifted slightly off the ground from the powerful embrace from the other.

It’s through this embrace that Gormely hoped students would find its meaning in its educational context. He says it’s about “how thoughts get transformed from old minds

and bodies to new minds and bodies” and “It was important that is was in the path. By being in the path is asks, what can sculpture do?”

Despite this, the thousands of students and lecturers who pass the sculpture each day will still see the sculpture as an undecipherable monstrosity that represents all that is wrong with the art world. Abrupt and unpopular, Clasp remains a riddle that only Antony Gormely has worked out, whispering the answer to those who understand his art of go to his talks. It’s no surprise that as I was walking into the SU to write this I passed an undergraduate Fine Artists, Cameron Jarvie, putting a gnome on top of the Clasp a “collective reclaiming of the campus space”.

So the conflict between artist and non-artist remains with most people unable to breach its metallic core. In fact, Gormely is “trying to use the sculpture not as a place of exclusion but as a place of danger”. Its classic, confusing Gormely, but it won’t stop the university exalting him to Godly heights, because, at the end of the day, he’s famous. And his fame will always dominate his artistry and the University will always try to raise its profile. It’s an ugly relationship for a controversial sculpture to find its place in the world and when asked what it all means, Gormely gives an answer as confusing as he is, “what does your breakfast mean?”.

Antony Gormely was speaking at Newcastle University Images: Sidney Pinsent

Newcastle University to lead climate science collaboration

Joe Molander

Global warming is affecting Siberia. Truckers who rely on ‘ice roads’– frozen rivers and lakes that provide access to otherwise remote oil and mining towns in the Russian region– grumble that they melt earlier and earlier each year. Meanwhile, from their considerably toastier offices, academics have warned that from as early as 2005, Western Siberia is thawing, possibly leading to its peat bogs releasing the billions of tonnes of methane gas contained within, bringing drastic consequences for the environment.

It’s reassuring, then, that something is being done. Earlier this month, the Developing Innovative Multiproxy Access (DIMA) network was announced, bringing together researchers from three research institutes in

Britain and sixteen in ‘Siberia and the Russian Far East’. Until now, climate change in Siberia has been noticed, but poorly understood: field studies are hard to carry out in unforgiving tundra or polar desert, and while research centres do exist in Siberia, they’re scattered across its gigantic 13 100 000 square kilometre land mass, making coordination difficult.

The network aims to change this by advancing “studies of long-term environmental change across Siberia and the Russian Far East”, according to its website. Language barriers can also make it harder for Russian scientists to share their findings with their Englishspeaking counterparts, hence the network’s other aim of fostering scientific connections between the UK and Russia. The network’s English arm is made up of the Universities of Newcastle, Plymouth and Southampton, and Professor Mary Edwards, of Southampton, hopes that UK and Russian researchers

who are at the start of their career and make friends collaborate further down the line, as they “tackle the major changes that are likely to occur in the 21st Century”.

While encouraging, many see the network as too little too late: academics have been concerned about the Siberian climate for well over a decade, and the network’s efforts to understand and combat climate change may well be hampered by one of its own participants.

Newcastle University has continued to invest in oil and gas, whose use is a key driver of global warming, despite pledges to divest; the university have actually increased its investments since making the pledge, as reported

by The Courier in October. The Siberian ice is an important issue, and we can only hope that the ice road truckers’ complaints were exaggerated, and that there’ll be some room left for DIMA to study.

“Never been rejected so quickly”: RAG speed-dating Tasha Bowers The Students’ Union might not be the most romantic place on campus, but on Tuesday 13 November, 150 students gathered to take part in Speed Dating with the Raising and Giving society (RAG).

Red and Green wristbands indicated those looking for friendship and those who were ‘single and ready to mingle’. The lights were dimmed, fake candles and rose petals littered the tables for a very steamy set up, and the speed dating began. Each time eager participants had just two minutes to find out as much as possible about each other; and after a few party games hosted by Sam Mead and Hannah Finney it was late enough to go into town and get our groove on.

“The event was more popular than we imagined and we were really lucky to raise so much money for such a good cause”

Martha King, one of two Presidents of RAG

The Baikal Lake frozen over Image: Pixabay

Fourth year Modern Languages student and keen bean Lucy Joyce said, “I had a really good night considering that it could have been incredibly awkward…Thank God the bottles of wine were only £6.”

Martha King, one of two Presidents of RAG, deemed the night to be a success, with £810 raised. She mentioned, “The event was more popular than we imagined and we were really lucky to raise so much money for such a good cause – with it being one of the opening events of the year, hopefully it’s a good sign of things to come.”

The Raising and Giving society is all about raising money for chosen charities and giving back to the community in a fun, social way.

Are you inclined to fancy dress and socialising all in the name of charity? Then think about taking part in RAG week from the 25th January to the 1st February 2019; signups for this are on the 26th of November.

Pub quizzes, a murder mystery event and the annual RAG fashion show are on the horizon

On the 6th of December a brand new event comes to RAG, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ where dance teachers teach novices how to cut some shapes: which let’s be honest, will probably be later recycled in Sinners.

As well as this, pub quizzes, a murder mystery event and the annual RAG fashion show are on the horizon.

Naturally, the events are not just for members, anyone can attend and help collect some pennies for worthwhile causes.

If like me you are yet to buy next year’s calendar, or a 2019 diary, their Facebook page will have all the details of future fundraising events and socials.

The Speed Dating was a huge success in terms of raising money for a great cause, Contact the Elderly, which specialises in organising tea parties for older people in order to combat loneliness.

Find love & fundraise Image: tOrange

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news

Monday 26 November 2018

Students campaign to stop investment in fossil fuels Rebecca D’Andrea

On Wednesday 21st November, the Newcastle University Fossil Free student group launched its campaign for the year ahead, demanding that the University commits to removing all its investments in the fossil fuel industry by 2021. The group conducted a banner drop from a window by the arches and gathered signatures for its petition to the University, which currently has over £6 million invested in fossil fuel companies such as BP and Shell.

The event formed part of the Fossil Free National Day of Action 2018, in which student

“Newcastle University should be at the forefront of international efforts to shift to a zero-carbon society”

Joanna, a fifth-year student

activists across the UK and Ireland took action to make the same demand of their own universities. The theme of this year’s Day of Action was ‘Time is Up!’ in order to stress the urgency of halting climate breakdown.

Humanity is facing an unprecedented existential threat in the form of climate breakdown – a direct result of our unbridled con-

sumption of fossil fuels and resultant release of climate-altering greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. This is no longer alarmist speculation but established scientific fact.

Scientists have been calling for international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for more than 30 years. In June 2018, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that underscored the need for the significant and rapid reduction of fossil fuel use globally, warning that if we fail to do so, we face catastrophic ecological and societal breakdown.

Seventeen UK universities have now committed to complete fossil fuel divestment, including many of Newcastle’s closest competitors (e.g. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Durham Universities). Fossil Free Newcastle University is urging our institution to follow suit by extending their existing commitment to divest from coal and tar sands to cover all fossil fuel companies.

Joe, a PhD student and member of Newcastle University Fossil Free, said: “It is morally unacceptable that a supposedly progressive institution such as Newcastle University continues to invest in an industry which is already causing deaths and devastation, particularly to the world’s most vulnerable communities.

That is why we are demanding that it commits to full divestment from fossil fuel companies by 2021.”

Although climate breakdown will ultimately affect everyone, in the short-medium term its impact will not be experienced equally by Earth’s inhabitants. Those likely to be affected first and most severely are people already living in poverty. Climate breakdown also perpetuates racial and gendered inequalities.

We are already experiencing the effects of climate breakdown. Heat waves in the UK are now twice as long as they were 50 years ago, island nations around the world are disappearing under the waves, and the west coast of North America has experienced a string of record-breaking forest fire seasons in recent years. In some cases, these fires have been deadly. For example, California’s latest wildfires have killed more than 50 people, and have forced over 50,000 people to flee their homes. There is also evidence that climate breakdown has become a key driver behind increased forced migration globally. People are already losing their homes and lives and many people feel delaying action is not an option.

Joanna, a fifth-year student and member of the Newcastle campaign said: “Newcastle University claims to be a world-leading academic institution. If this is the case, then it should be at the forefront of international efforts to shift to a zero-carbon society, which we know is an environmental necessity.

While the University’s existing commitment to stop investing in coal and tar sands is a step in the right direction, it is simply not enough given the severity of the situation we face.”

The Newcastle University Fossil Free campaign is currently trying to open a dialogue with University officials in order to articulate their case and move the process of divestment forward. The Student’s Union was mandated to support the Fossil Free campaign following a motion that passed through student council in 2014. A range of student societies on campus are also in support of the campaign, including the Feminist Society, EcoSoc, Labour students, and Young Greens.

The event formed part of the Fossil Free National Day Image: Robert Magowan

Tiger Tiger set for rebrand

Toby Bryant Tiger Tiger, one of Newcastle’s most popular nightclubs, is set for a rebrand having been sold to the Deltic Group.

The nightclub on Newgate Street, opposite The Gate, has been a constant in Newcastle University students’ clubbing habits in recent years with some high-profile celebrity appearances bringing in huge crowds. Currently the host of Tiger Wednesdays, Newcastle’s sports

night, the Tiger Tiger brand has clubs in cities across the United Kingdom including Manchester, Portsmouth and Cardiff.

The deal with Deltic Group sees the company reach a total of 55 clubs owned across the country, the fee for this latest acquisition still undisclosed. As the deal is completed in the coming weeks, exactly what the changes will mean to Tiger Tiger remain to be confirmed.

Peter Marks, chief executive of The Deltic Group was quoted in Chronical Live: “We’re delighted with this acquisition. Lo-

cated in dynamic, vibrant cities, each of these sites perfectly complements our existing portfolio, and will see us enter the Manchester and Newcastle markets for the first time. We look forward to welcoming the current Tiger Tiger teams to the Deltic family.

“Our intention is to trade seamlessly through until the summer next year, whereby each of these sites will be rebranded to a new concept that is currently under development.

It will reinvigorate and modernise the very essence of the original Tiger Tiger vision, a

multi-roomed, cross-occasion, food, drink and dancing all-day venue.”

Tiger Tiger boasts “seven spectacular party rooms”, including the likes of The Groovy Wonderland which plays music from the noughties and a karaoke room called Lucky Voice.

The club is open on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as being available to hire on other days.

Tiger Tiger is a popular nightclub among many students Image: Molly Greeves

Students support abortion reform Ella Williams

The Newcastle University Amnesty International Society, invites you to support us in our campaign on Monday the 26th of November between 12:30 and 1:30 at the arches on campus.

Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK where women can face up to life in prison for having an abortion. This day of action will be calling attention to the cruel and dehumanising abortion laws in Northern Ireland.

We will be calling upon Westminster to legislate in the absence of a Northern Irish Government.

We will also be showing solidarity with the Northern Irish activists who fight daily for abortion reform, and also to the women and pregnant people oppressed under this law.

Act now and sign our petition for Northern Irish citizens to have access to free, safe and legal abortions.

The society will be campaigning under the arches this Monday Image: Ella Williams

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news

The NUS Referendum Monday 26 November 2018

On November 3 2018, Newcastle University Students’ Union will hold a referendum to decide whether or not they should rejoin the National Union of Students, in the run up our writers the vote we discuss both sides of the argument

Joe Mollander considers pro’s and cons of NUS membership This year, students at Newcastle University are being asked on 3rd December whether or not to join the National Union of Students (NUS). A confederation of higher and further education unions, the NUS represents around 95% of the UK’s student unions purportedly to “promote, defend and extend student rights”, according to its website. Notable SUs that belong to the other 5% , other than Newcastle’s, include the ones representing stu-

The NUS represents around 95% of the UK’s student unions purportedly to “promote, defend and extend student rights”

dents at Imperial College London and the University of St. Andrews), Those inclined to agree that the NUS is a force for good would point to its Fairtrade NUS Campaign, started in 2005 to get all affiliated student unions to sell all hot beverages on Fairtrade terms, a drive now supported by Oxfam.

And of course, no student movement would be complete without some form of protest, and on that front the Union delivers. The Union runs campaigns relating to Brexit and abortion in Northern Ireland (the #TrustUs campaign), as well as conducting research into working class students’ access to further and higher education through its “Poverty Commission”. Perhaps most famously, the NUS co-organised a 50 000-strong protest in 2010 to condemn ongoing education cuts (at the time, the largest British demonstration since the Iraq War Protest in 2003, which was attended in London by between 750 000 and 1 000 000 people). On a more day to day level, NUS membership – the cost of which would be covered by the Newcastle University SU, not students themselves – would come

with goodies like the NUS extra card, which provides student discounts similar to the Unidays app. The Union also runs “Liberation Campaigns” for LGBT+, women, black and disabled students respectively, and a “Learning Academy” for developing leadership skills. It also encourages students to register to vote.

It’s not all good, though. The Union’s recent history is tainted by its association with Malia Bouattia, president of the NUS until July 2017, whose description of Birmingham University as a “Zionist outpost” was described as “outright racism” by the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee in 2016 (the comment drew criticism from 300 Jewish student leaders). She has also made reference to “Zionist-led media outlets”, a possible allusion to the discredited conspiracy theory that Jews control the media. As a whole, the Union has also been accused of a strong left wing bias, with its Liar Liar campaign (aimed at unseating MPs who broke education promises at the 2015 general election) accused of disproportionately targeting Liberal Democrat politicians, who belong to a centrist party (which, in all fairness, did break a very high profile promise made in the run up to the 2010 election not to raise tuition fees; then again, Labour went back on the exact same promise, made separately to the Lib Dems in 2009, and received far less attention from the NUS campaign). Its ‘No Platform Policy’ for extremist viewpoints saw it campaign so aggressively against a debate being held at Durham University on multi-culturalism – threatening a largescale demonstration and telling the university that “if any students are hurt in and around this event responsibility will lie with you” – that the University voted to disaffiliate from the NUS (though they re-affiliated ten months later, in January 2011). A more recent headache for the NUS are its financial difficulties, widely reported earlier this month, that could lead to a scaling back in its activities (see page X).

Its past is mixed, then, and in voting on whether or not to affiliate (which will continue until 6th December), students at Newcastle University will be able to decide whether or not it wants to be part of its future.

Shakira Martin is the current president of the NUS Image: Wikimedia Commons

NSR and NUTV broadcast live student NUS debate Chris Wilkinson discusses his experience of attending and organisisng the NUS debates...

Harry Parsons, NSR Station Manager, Chaired the Debate Image: Haaris Qureshi, NUTV

On the 3rd December, Newcastle University Students Union will hold a referendum deciding whether or not to re-affiliate with the National Union of Students.

Alongside many other students, I thought it was necessary, and not just an option, to encourage conversation around this deeply important issue. This referendum is one which will influence Students Union as long as the Students Union exists, and the discussion that takes place over the next week is some of the most important that the Students Union will see in a long time.

Harry Parsons (Station Manager of NSR) and I, therefore, organised a debate: ‘Should the Students Union Reaffiliate with the NUS’. Leading the no campaign, Scarlett Rowland spoke eloquently about the virtues of staying out the NUS, referring to the ongoing financial issues and infighting which has taken up so much space in the news.

Emma Dawson, equally as eloquent, spoke about why we should rejoin, mentioning the history of liberation in the NUS, and the changing culture of the NUS and how past issues are being addressed.

Joined by these two were two sabbatical officers, Jack Green and Jonny Hall, who kindly came in and gave the sabbatical officers point of view. What was interesting, however, and something that was mentioned and keenly felt during the debate, was the absence of an NUS representative.

All representatives contacted were unable to take part, while others simply didn’t reply. Whether this effected the debate itself, and the final conclusions of the audience, I am not sure, but it was something to think about nonetheless. All in all, it was pretty good.

Continued from front page...

This however, according to Welfare and Equality Officer Jack Green, is missing the point. “We need to look at the bigger picture,” he explained. “Unless we are willing to join the NUS we won’t have a voice on the reforms on how it works. NUSU was in debt about ten years ago- did everybody leave our union? No. We worked together to make it better.” However, student politics has suffered across the country, with NUSU’s own student council struggling to reach its full 82 voting members attending meetings, which, according to ‘Vote Yes’, is a result of no longer having a national voice as a student.

Racial Equalities Officer, Chris Wilkinson, who organised this debate thanked those who attended, but commented that, “it was incredibly difficult to find people to speak in favour of the NUS, we asked Northumbria students’ union who are affiliated with the NUS if their sabbatical officers would like to sit on the panel, but they were unable to provide representation.”

Despite the importance of this issue and its potential for significant impact on the future of our students’ union, attendance for the debate was very poor. There was widespread concern across the panel that the 5% voting threshold in order for a constitutional change to occur would not be met. Voting opens for the referendum on Monday 3rd December and all students are eligible to vote online at www.nusu.co.uk/vote. The debate is available to watch NUTV’s YouTube channel.

Voting opens on Monday 3rd December and all students are eligible to vote at www.nusu.co.uk/vote

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student voice

Monday 26 November 2018

Shout out to my rep: raising academic rep awareness Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor

From Monday 26 to Friday 30 November, NUSU Education Officer Jonny Hall is running a campaign called ‘Shout Out!’ to raise awareness for the work of Academic Representatives at the University.

The week is aimed at encouraging students to feed back to their Academic Reps, whether they be Course or School Reps, with anything they would like to say about their course, the University in general or the Students’ Union.

Students can talk to their reps in person if they know who they are, or contact them via email through the ‘My Reps’ section of the Newcastle University app. During the ‘Shout Out!’ campaign week, anybody wishing to make a comment about any aspect of university life will also be able to write them on feedback flashcards, to be available throughout the week. Students who fill out these cards will also be in with the chance of winning an Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Course Reps represent their individual courses, and there is a rep for every 20 students

On the Academic Reps page of the NUSU website, Jonny Hall details the job role and work of Course Reps, chairs and secretaries, and School Reps. Course Reps represent their individual courses, and there is a rep for every 20 students. They sit on a Student-Staff Committee (SSC) and discuss feedback from peers with other staff and students. Volunteer student chairs and secretaries help to run these councils. For every academic school at the University there is a School Rep who attends the Education Executive Committee with Jonny Hall. He then helps to make changes using feedback that has worked its way from individual students across all courses up to the highest levels of decision making at Newcastle University.

Raising awareness for the work of Academic Reps is essential in the process of letting students have a say in their own education at Newcastle University.

Isabel Sykes, 3rd year Course Rep for English Literature and History, said: “The difficulty of getting our names out there to the students we represent and encouraging them to give us feedback on issues in the school is something that comes up time and time again in our commitee meetings. It’s great that our Education Officer is recognising the importance of raising this awareness, I look for-

“What we want to achieve is more students who are aware of the voice they have through their academic reps and NUSU”

Jonny Hall, NUSU Education Offcier

ward to getting involved in any way I can next week.”

NUSU Education Officer Jack Green gave some more information and his thoughts on the upcoming campaign: “Throughout the week you can find reps stationed across campus making themselves known and listening to the issues that you want to see tackled in your course, at NUSU or at the University. For a full timetable of rep activity head to nusu.co.uk/shoutout. We’ll also be holding a rep lunch at the end of the week at 12 PM in the History Room, where students and staff can feedback on what they’ve found this week and the importance of the student voice.

“If you don’t get the chance to meet one of our academic reps, once again head to nusu.co.uk/shoutout to leave your feedback on our online form there. What we want to achieve is more students who are aware of the voice they have through their academic reps and NUSU. “We also want to use the feedback that students provide to support our Big Academic Wins campaign and deliver real change to the Newcastle student experience.

The Shout Out campaign is led by NUSU Education Officer Jonny Hall Image: Jonny Hall

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the courier

Monday 26 November 2018

@CourierComment courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/comment Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken & Alexandra Sadler Online Editor Rory Cameron

Orangutans, oil and an outcry Following the release of Iceland’s ‘banned’ Christmas advert, our writers discuss palm oil and if corporations can truly be ethical

Sophie Hindhaugh

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ou’ve probably seen it - the ‘banned’ cartoon Iceland advert, that’s narrated in a really, really sad voice in an ABAB rhyme scheme, complete with a terrifying black and white flashback featuring deforestation and the baby orangutan’s mother dying.

It’s almost like a mini Disney film, and we all know how mass marketable and consumable that is.

Up until now, Iceland has had the worst rating for palm oil

The fact that the advert is labelled as ‘banned’ generates even more interest and outcry, generates more comments and views and likes, and all I’ve got to say is - hats off to Iceland’s PR team. They knew exactly how much of a fuss labelling it as ‘banned’ would cause, and they were right, it’s probably cost them nothing to post it online, compared to how much they would normally pay for a Christmas advert. It’s the coup of the year. Especially considering that up until now, according to campaign group Ethical Consumer, Iceland has had the worst rating for palm oil.

Ouch. Surprisingly, Waitrose, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury’s are currently the best.

Don’t take my dismissive tone for disinterest in the environment, I am incredibly passionate about the rainforest and I wrote about my upset about Jair Bolsonaro’s election, and the devastation that his policies will cause for the Amazon. However, Iceland’s virtue signalling advert advocating to just ‘ban Palm oil’ is actually going to leave us worse off, and it frankly leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

A recent report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature concluded that boycotting palm oil would merely shift, rather than counter, losses to the rainforests caused by agriculture. Palm oil, simply put, would need to be replaced, and its replacement is much more damaging and terrifying. Palm oil crops yield four to ten times more oil per unit of land, and require less pesticide and fertiliser than other common sources of vegetable oil, such as rapeseed and soybeans.

Soybean farming is already responsible for twice the amount of deforestation caused by palm oil. And by boycotting palm oil and looking at these more harmful alternatives as solution, we will

only increase that statistic. This is especially considering that another major rainforest region, the Amazon, is a major soy-producing region. Many orangutans already die from deforestation, due to palm oil production, and by boycotting palm oil and picking the more harmful alternatives (Iceland certainly neglects to mention they will also be removing them), that death toll will just increase.

You do not get to pick an alternative to palm oil on your weekly shop, Iceland does not get to say it is removing palm oil (only from its own label products, and not all the products they stock) and pat yourself/itself on the back, because you are actually making the problem ten times worse in your ignorance. The best we can do is buy SUSTAINABLE palm oil, because it’s the best choice out of an evil consumerist bunch. Certification, where we pay higher prices for reasonably sourced products, is one way we can help the rainforest and the wildlife. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is the leader that we should look to when it comes to environmentally and socially responsible palm oil sourcing that doesn’t contribute to mass deforestation. Less than 20% of the world’s palm oil, according to them, is certified as sustainable. THAT is what we should be focusing on. That is what we should be changing.

We need to make palm oil sustainable as the alternatives are even more frightening for the environment, and our home. We should be bullying these irresponsible, corporate companies like Iceland into paying the premium for sustainable products, not lauding them for spreading a reckless message such as boycotting palm oil, which is an incorrect, basic solution (read: terrible idea) to a very complex problem. But hey, I’m glad people finally care about the environment, I guess all it took was a Disney-like short and an anthropomorphic animal.

Molly Greeves

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to a relevant issue. However, the main reason that the video has gone so viral is because of Iceland’s claim that it was ‘banned’ from TV for its political message. RangTan then made headlines as people furiously demanded that this ‘ban’ be overturned; a petition to get the advert on TV gained over half a million signatures. Who knew that a video about an orangutan in a little girl’s bedroom would cause such a stir? Well, Iceland probably did.

We shouldn’t forget that campaigns like this are ultimately self-serving

The main issue with the whole controversy is the fact that Rang-Tan’s story was not technically ‘banned’ from TV. The advert couldn’t be cleared because it broke wellknown rules. Despite this, the narrative that has been built around this story places Iceland as the victims, a well-meaning company that were punished for trying to do something honest and daring. But the advert being banned was the best thing that could have happened for the campaign. The rage of the public is a powerful force and if a company can tap into people’s rage about issues of global warming and even censorship, they can benefit massively.

And if you ask me, Iceland knew this.

It’s tempting to believe that this advert came from a genuine concern for the environment, but I just don’t buy it. More and more, companies are profiting off of social issues: a quick Twitter search will lead you to hundreds of million-pound corporations that supposedly care about global warming, about LGBT rights, about feminism.

But companies don’t care about anything. By their very definition, they exist to turn a profit, and if supporting these causes will benefit them today, they’ll do it. But the minute that supporting these issues doesn’t line their pockets they’ll exploit people and the environment, as Iceland and many other British supermarkets have before.

Sure, environmental issues definitely need to be addressed and anything that provokes conversation is a good thing. However, I don’t think we should forget that campaigns like this are ultimately self-serving. When coming from corporations that profit off of our emotions, they should be treated with a degree Image: Flickr, Pixabay, PxHere, Wikimedia Commons of skepticism.

arlier this month, Iceland released an advert that was deemed ‘too political’ to appear on TV. Originally released by Greenpeace, the video featured a cute orangutan that had taken refuge in a little girl’s bedroom due to its home being destroyed by the harvesting of palm oil. It was used to promote the fact that the supermarket has recently vowed to stop using palm oil in any of their products.

Unsurprisingly, the advert has been a huge hit, no doubt owing to its general adorableness and its reference

Rising homelessness: an ignored youth?

Stanley Gilyead assesses the impact homelessness has on young people, and the lack of tangible support our councils provide

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omelessness is on the rise across the UK, with rates of rough sleeping having risen by an alarming 134% since 2010. Shelter statistics suggest as many as one in 200 adults in the UK is homeless. The social problem also disproportionately effects young people, with almost 10% having sofa-surfed for over a month.

Less than half of the 100,000 homeless 16-24 year olds who approached local councils last year received meaningful support, with only 13% deemed eligible to be housed by their local authority. There have been reports of councils housing homeless people in tents and paying for them to take trains to other local authority areas, whilst Crisis estimate 9,000 people are left sleeping rough.

With a permanent address needed to apply for benefits, and cuts leaving homeless shelters oversubscribed, the future for rough sleepers looks bleak. One in three have experienced violence and 440 people died last year whilst homeless. The life expectancy for a street sleeper is just 49.

Affordable housing is desperately needed

Around 80% of homeless people report mental health problems, making it challenging for them to navigate the bureaucracy designed to help them into housing, 26% cite their mental health as a reason for their homelessness.

Many rough sleepers turn to crime and substance abuse to make their plight bearable, 62.5% have misused substances and 30% committed a minor crime in the hope of spending the night in custody. This results in homeless people being funnelled into an already overstretched legal system, often exacerbating their problems.

Whilst the government’s decision to reinstate housing benefits for 18-21 year olds has been widely applauded, not all government policy towards homelessness has been quite so warmly received. Crisis expect the full roll out of universal credit ‘to trigger significant increases’ in homelessness.

The Homelessness Reduction Act, which is designed to ensure that those at risk of homelessness get support 8

weeks before they become homeless, has received significant support. However there are worries that this scheme is underfunded and will face ‘growing structural difficulties… securing affordable housing for their homeless applicants’.

Whilst aspects of policy designed to help the homeless have been encouraging, significant funding is needed to ensure their success. Money also needs to be allocated to mental health and legal rehabilitation services to help solve the problem. This lack of funds is also compounded by a lack of affordable housing, which limits the help councils can provide. Councils should therefore take advantage of the lifting of the cap in council borrowing to help build desperately needed affordable housing.

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Monday 26 November 2018

Fire and fury at inmate labour

Our writers discuss the ethics of prison labour after inmates were used to fight recent US fires Joe Holloran

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he USA today is a land of divisiveness, where everything is viewed through a party political lens. This includes the aftermath of the recent devastating wildfires in California. While the current White House squatter sat back and did nothing as a ‘Blue State’ burned, the world watched with admiration at the work done by the states firefighters, the vast majority of whom are citizen volunteers.

However, among the 9,400 volunteers and professionals were 1,500 current inmates of California penal system. Their involvement has sparked a renewed debate around prisoner rehabilitation and labour conditions within the American prison system. These convicts are part of a DOJ program called ‘Conservation Camp’, where those who volunteer to take on environmental clean-up work get credit and occasionally time off their sentence. On the surface this program seems to be a positive one, something you’d expect from a Scandinavian system rather than one in the States. There are however issues. As reported by Time, inmate firefighters are four times more likely to be injured in duty compared to vol-

unteers. In fact over an eighteen-month period between February 2016 and July 2017, three of these inmates died in the field. They are often pushed into the front-lines of the most dangerous fires, resulting in dozens of injuries since the program began. This story highlights the wider issue of prison labour in the USA, a system that some myself included - have compared to modern day slavery.

There is an enslaved underclass in the land of the free

America has the largest prison population on Earth.

According to 2016 DOJ data, 2.6 million Americans are currently incarcerated. To put this into perspective, that number was 500,000 in 1986. Since then, successive Republican and Democratic presidents have continued to sell off federal prisons to private for-profit companies.

These companies earn more money from the state per inmate. Is it any wonder that the rates have gone up?

Within these prisons the inmates are forced to manufacture a whole range of goods often for as little as $1 per day. Most of these items are military based. For instance much of the helmets, ammunition, belts, bulletproof vests, ID-tags and uniforms for the US military are produced by prison labourers.

There is no clearer example of the toxic military-industrial complex that forms the backbone of right-wing political thought in the US. What is disappointing is that the Democratic Party has not highlighted this as an issue. The Republicans are the entertainment arm of the arms-production industry, no change will ever come from them. Certainly not with the bloated-Wotsit occupying the Oval Office. The only hope comes from this new generation of ‘woke’ and diverse senators and their ability to recognise and end this form of new slavery.

Image: Flickr

Sean Simpson

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oday in the United States, perhaps in the same city or neighbourhood, two children are being raised by their families with the intention that they will one day move out, go to college, or start a family of their own. According to the NAACP, the future of one of those children will be five times more likely to end in imprisonment because they are black.

This trend, although not as extreme, applies also to Hispanics and those of other ethnic minorities, particularly working-class males.

Consider for a moment the implications this has on the ubiquitous practice of forced labour in US prisons. Last week, international attention was drawn to the many firefighters who helped deal with the California wildfires, many of whom were prisoners. They were compensated meagrely, or not at all, with threats as severe as solitary confinement for non-compliance. The odds are that a large portion of these ‘volunteered’ firefighters are from the American underclass of working class minorities, enlisted to risk their lives in strenuous conditions to protect some of California’s wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Inmate firefighters are four times more likely to be injured

It would be a stretch not to call these people ‘slaves’ to a system that is designed to trap them. The 13th Amendment to the American constitution, which allows penal servitude, even calls this slavery. The unnecessary privatisation that plagues every aspect of American society has once again created a demand to be capitalized upon through the exploitation of a group that few care to advocate for. A diminishing prison population should be reason for celebration in any healthy justice system. Why is it that, just four years ago, the Californian Attorney General Kamala Harris, had to be ordered to release non-violent prisoners, fighting against this on the grounds that ‘prisons would lose a valuable labor pool’?

The truth is that private prisons - and the practice of forced prison labour - were started as a direct result of economic decline in the southern US following the abolition of slavery. The result is a modern slavery system that is simply the descendant of the old one. America did not abolish slavery, it simply legitimized a much smaller version of it. It is no wonder that while America holds roughly 4% of the world’s population it has 22% of the world’s prisoners, and a hugely disproportionate amount of those are from ethnic minorities. In a word, the California fires showed us an enslaved underclass in the land of the free.

A monopoly on Westminster?

Sesha Subramanian analyses Westminster Council’s proposals to deal with the housing crisis

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estminster Council in London recently came up with an interesting proposal to deal with the housing crisis. The Council, which has areas like Mayfair and Belgravia under its purview, is planning to ban new supersize properties for the rich and wealthy in order to make way for homes that are more affordable to Londoners. The ban is part of Westminster’s 2019-40 plan which was released earlier.

From an economic point of view, there is not going to be much diversity

“We want Westminster to be home to thriving, mixed communities, not empty super-prime properties,” said Councillor Richard Beddoe, who oversees planning in Westminster. “That’s why we will be restricting the size of new luxury apartments and introducing a new extra bedroom policy to make it easier for families to extend their homes so they have enough space to stay living in Westminster and are not forced to move out.” The new restriction would apply to homes that are larger than 150 square metres. Speaking of the measure, Councillor Beddoe also

pointed to the larger housing crisis, saying, “There’s a national crisis and we have to play our part in fixing that.”

The 2019-40 development plan, in addition to reducing supersize homes, also plans to develop over 10,000 affordable homes in the borough by 2040. Councillor Beddoe’s well-intentioned aims of establishing a “thriving, mixed” community might prove to be harder to accomplish.

Westminster remains one of the prime areas of London and, even with the proposed ban on supersized homes, I am not sure if prices will come down significantly enough for there to be a diverse community. It is most likely going to be the affluent who are still able to buy and sell property.

From an economic point of view, there is not going to be much diversity given that most people are probably going to be upper middle class. Yet, even that much is a step forward compared to before.

The housing crisis is a complex problem and so far many organisations have tried various different ways to solve it. In 2013, Stoke City Council announced that it would sell homes for £1 in a bid to regenerate streets of the city that had been left for dead. There were clauses that went with the deal but it just goes to show how complicated the problem is. The move by Westminster Council is yet another one in that long list. But it is one that could be very good. It makes use of a large amount of space and

increases the number of occupants that can live within that space. In that respect it makes sense as a possible solution to the housing problems in the UK.

It makes sense as a possible solution to the UK’s housing problems

Financially, too, this could be much better for those particular areas of London. The average household income in Westminster is £52,199, yet the median house price was £1,054,400 in 2017. Converting what would otherwise be super-prime “Monopoly” properties into affordable homes would attract more residents to the area and help lower the median price of homes.

All in all, despite some of the mixed reactions, I think the proposed redevelopment of the Westminster is a unique and cost-effective way of addressing the grander issue of housing problems. Of course, this might be specific to London and in particular to areas like Mayfair and Belgravia but going forward, some innovative solutions like these could be applied to any city if you think about it hard enough.

SOAPBOX LET’S BIN BREXIT

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Philip Armstrong

hy is Brexit still a thing? It seems that everyday when watching the news, there’s yet another problem with the process, the people managing it or those opposing it.

Theresa May and the Conservatives are falling apart from the inside, Jeremy Corbyn and Labour are complaining without offering any useful solutions and it’s now gotten so bad that we don’t even have a proper Brexit secretary. It seems the only options today are a shambles of a Brexit deal, where the people get nothing they were promised, or a second referendum with no clear leaders, goals or even a guarantee that the result will mean anything.

Maybe we should just call it off, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint and wait for this all to blow over. Give the EU a go again in a couple years after our ineptitude has faded from recent memory.

ROAST OF THE WEEK MUSK YOU COMPLAIN?

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Sam Webber

he past 12 months have given rise to a new observable phenomenon I like to call ‘The Elon Musk Paradox’, of how a billionaire can date a popstar, design spacerockets and take acid in his spare time and yet still somehow be uncool.

Just like his driverless car prototype, Musk’s popularity has taken a rather large dent in recent months. In another episode of his perpetual mental breakdown, Musk branded one of the divers who helped rescue 12 children from a cave in Thailand a ‘pedo’ on Twitter, which was seen by many as a cheap blow; almost as cheap as buying a Tesla share on the stock market.

With an eerie demeanour and blank stare, I find it surprising more people aren’t questioning Elon Musk’s motives for building a massive space-rocket in the first place. I for one wish him the best of luck in finding his way

TOAST OF THE WEEK CLEMENCY FROM CLEMENT

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Caitlin Disken

heresa May’s premiership has not been the greatest. Characterised by chaos, cuts and resignations, the current political moment will not be remembered fondly. So, let’s cast our minds back to one of the greatest prime ministers who ever lived: Clement Atlee.

I love Atlee. Growing up, there was always a focus on Churchill as ‘the man who won the war’. Atlee, despite implementing the Welfare State, always seemed to be cast out of the limelight. History has sidestepped Atlee, yet he was one of the most important people of the twentieth century.

It was revealed this week that Atlee looked after Paul Willer, a Jewish child refugee who escaped Nazi Germany. Atlee never used this as political capital, and never even publicised it.

So this is a toast to Atlee, a man whose achievements need to be remembered more fondly. In comparison to what we’ve got now, you were the best.

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Monday 26 November 2018

@CourierLifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, Ella Williams Online Editor Amanda Goh

Blind date

Anna meets Josh

Josh on Anna:

Anna on Josh: What were you expecting of the blind date?

To be honest it was my friend signed me up so I wasn’t thrilled to be going but thought I’d give it a go to get the experience.

Thats really brave of you. Where did you decide to go for the date?

Went to Jam Jar because it was close and usually avoided by the Wednesday sport socials. Also conveniently 2 for 1 cocktails.

Bargain. So did you get along okay, his burger eating didn’t terrify you or anything?

We only had drinks, avoided the akwardness of eating! Yeah I guess we did, had a fair amount in common and shared the same opinion on a few things.

What sort of things if you don’t mind me asking?

Both have siblings of the opposite gender a few years below who we share good relationships with, go to the same clubs, did the same kind of A levels etc.

Nice! And how did the date come to an end? Would you like to see him again maybe?

Well we checked with each other whether we were getting any more drinks but I hadn’t eaten yet so thought that would be a bad idea and it had already been 2 hours by that point.

We added each other on facebook, not really sure what the overall vibe was but he was a sound guy who I got on with so if I see him about then thats that.

So, did you have a good time?

Yeah I enjoyed it, had a good time

“Not sure about the vibe”

Was there any awkward moments ?

No it was not awkward at all. We had a lot in common.

Was there anything you guys chatted about in particular ?

We talked about the clubbing scene, it’s quite diverse.

Would you take her out again?

“If i see him about then thats that”

I’m not sure to be honest, probably not.

She was a really nice girl but not sure about the vibe.

How did the date come to an end?

Oh we just decided after a few hours that that was long enough.

Are you unlucky in love? Email us at c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk

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life & style lifestyle Weekly rant Coffee, cake and crippling procrastination to study in Footpath etiquette Emily Rose Jackson works her way around Newcastle’s best vibey coffeeshops ‘working from home’ Joy Sansom rants about D can quickly take the human ineptitude when it

Monday 26 November 2018

comes to footpath politics

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t is entirely baffling to me that we can direct complex traffic systems better than our own bodies. It seems only logical to suggest that we follow similar systems on the footpaths. Walk on the left side of the path! What a lack of pedestrian forethought there is!

An oncoming group of four friends walk side by side.

How nice! They’re 20 metres away, I meander to the left.

10 metres, they’ve still got time. 5 metres, I move to the very left, shouldered by a wall. I slow. Halt. My most immediate on-comer meets me toe-to-toe before sidestepping.

We are higher beings, right? There is something unique about mankind that makes us mankind.

Intelligence seems to be one of the markers of humanity.

According to UNICEF Data, literacy is at an all-time high.

Yet for all this intelligence, we cannot manage to walk from one building to another without having to pause in front of someone else to do an awkward smile and shuffle until a pathway compromise is achieved! Absurdity! In-efficiency! Annoyance!

But, do we crave these serendipitous inconveniences? At least, in that one moment of the day, we can make genuine and understanding eye contact with another human being.

eadlines are fast approaching, and you can avoid them no longer. There is much work to be done. As much as the Robinson library has become something of an unconventional second home (I’ve spent a small fortune on the cafe paninis), I’ve found that productivity increases and jobs get done in a less crowded and often unfamiliar setting. Also, the other option of ‘working from home’ can quickly take the form of a Netflix binge in your pyjamas followed by a 3am meltdown upon realising the most work you’ve done is constructing an empty to-do list.

My number one suggestion afte three and a half years of uni (two of which I indeed spent *studying at home*, AKA watching the whole back catalogue of Gilmore Girls) is to get yourself out to a cafe.

Fantastic coffee shops are in abundance in Newcastle; each with a unique setting and all with free wifi.

If spending money is putting you off going out to a cafe, then the best way to stay on budget is to buy a pot of tea, whether that be good old English breakfast or a herbal concoction. Pots of tea normally only come in at £2-3 and you get 3 strong cups out of it. Considering a decent cup of coffee is now priced at around the £3 mark, tea is definitely the way forward for a student budget.

Here are some of my favourite cafes in Newcastle to achieve work goals, and have a great refreshment at the same time…

Camber Coffee Hidden away upstairs in the Start Fitness sports shop on Market Street is a serene study spot. Camber coffee has a super chill atmosphere perfect for catching up on coursework, as well as having great views on to the Christmas Markets at this time of year for a little festivity without too much distrac tion!

The drinks are fairly priced in comparison to chain coffee shops and they also have a few large tables that are excellent for group work meetings or studying with your pals.

If you do take a study break, they have a huge stack of board games as well as some pretty delicious vegan brownies; who can say no to scrabble and a traybake?!

Flat Caps Coffee Now, you will probably need Google maps to find this hidden beauty but once discovered it will be your absolute go-to.

With the ceiling lined with hanging plants

form of a Netflix binge

and the whole room decorated with fairy lights against industrial decor this cafe is not only a great place to study, it’s also worth an Instagram post or two. In my opinion, it does some of the best coffee in town and it’s daily food specials are a must-try; many of which are vegan.

Tea Sutra What if I told you that you could feel completely zen and still be within walking distance of Uni? Pretty unbelievable during deadlines but this little gem of a teahouse will calm your nerves and allow for some breathing time. Nestled on Leazes Park Road, here you can enjoy ‘artisan teas’ from around the world served beautifully in cast iron teapots and glass tea cups. The decor is to die for, with lashings of colourful tapestries, textured throws and oriental ornaments; the perfect place to get some reading done. They also have a fully vegan kitchen, serving up a range of daily specials and a super tasty falafel pitta.

@TheCourierLifestyle @thecourierlifestyle

I study geography... hold my colouring pencils while I measure stone henge How much more grief do we have to take for studying a subject others look down on? Rae Farren explores the debate further

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remember my dad telling me that when he was doing his chemistry degree at Durham, he saw graffitied on the side of a toilet cubicle “sociology degrees, please take one”. Snobbery over socalled “fake” or “doss” degree subjects has been around for a while and although we like to think we’re the generation of open-mindedness and ac-

ceptance of unfamiliar concepts, this isn’t always the case.

Image: flcikr and pixabay

I, for example, study folk and traditional music. “What?” I hear you say, “you can do a degree in that???” Yes indeed. The vast majority

It’s a big mistake to assume we don’t work as hard as other people of people are all about

not snobbish at my choice of degree, simply slightly baffled by the concept of it and surprised that I managed to come up with a subject they haven’t heard of. However, I still get asked the usual questions regarding what I plan to do with my degree af-

ter I graduate, which are often asked with an air of scepticism about my career prospects. Instead of quizzing someone endlessly over their potential future riches (or lack thereof), I would suggest bearing in mind that we actually study incredibly important things – like the musical traditions that have come so close to being lost – and our work complements that of more “conventional” fields of study. It’s also a big mistake to assume we don’t work as hard as other people. I’m pretty sure our courses and degrees wouldn’t exist if we didn’t have to work bloody hard for them, just like everyone else. We’re all doing degrees here!

More prevalent, I would argue, is snobbery over which university one studies at. I have heard many Newcastle University students say derogatory things about Northumbria University, just like some oldfashioned Oxbridge types look down upon literally everyone else. I have myself been guilty of this contempt for ex-polytechnic universities – to anyone I have insulted in this way I sincerely apologise. The stereotype is that ex-poly universities are less good because the entry requirements tend to be lower.

However, there are plenty of students at most universities who didn’t meet the requirements of their offer – the fact that top universities even claim to have such high expectations of prospective students is simply due to a metaphorical arms race to keep up old delusions of exclusivity. There are also matters of personal context to be taken into consideration.

Intelligence is far from being the only factor that decides one’s academic achievement – social background (i.e. “class”), disability and family responsibilities can put people at a huge disadvantage when it comes to traditional definitions of “achievement”.

While these barriers are still prevalent, it’s inevitable that the abilities of working class students and those with disabilities and/or health problems will often go unrecognised by the system.

Most important of all is that comprehensive life lesson: Don’t be a dick. Nobody should have the right to judge someone for their choice of course or university, and as doing so will simply alienate people, it’s in everyone’s interests to be polite and open-minded.

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lifestyle life & style

Monday 26 November 2018

What it means to be a man today

Film editor and “man” Jimmy Athey tackles the sterotypes of being man in the 21st Century

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nternational Men’s day on the 19th November caused quite a discussion; on the one hand it is a way of celebrating all the important work men have contributed, but on the other people have argued that why do men need a day for that? If you believe the shocking statements by Piers Morgan or Donald Trump about how “men get it bad” nowadays or how “radical feminists” have ruined being a man, then you’re deluded. To be a man in today’s society may be harder than ever before, but look at the bigger

Trump is only concerned for the young men who are accused picture here; we still have it easy.

Men are not oppressed. I want to make that clear, (white) men never have or never will be oppressed.

It is laughable to hear the president of the United States make such silly remarks as “it’s a scary time for young men” following the #MeToo movement.

Is that really what you took from that Donald? That after hundreds of women coming forward and admitting having been sexually abused by their colleagues or employers, Trump is only concerned for the young men who are accused. To a degree he has a point; that some men will be falsely accused, but when you weigh those numbers against the number of women being abused, there is no comparing.

It is hard to answer the straight question of what it is to be a man. In Piers Morgan’s case it will be to crush the “radical feminists” and to act tough, but I don’t subscribe to that. I call myself a man, and I am proud to be one, even with all that our gender has done in the past. I am a proud feminist and I will always fight for equality, but in society today I think that people struggle to correlate the two. If I argue with a female about something relating to gender, I feel I always become the enemy, even though we are both on the same side. I scroll through twitter and I see men hating tweets, generalising our entire gender on an individual’s performance. The whole generalisation is what women have been fighting against (among many other things obviously), so doing the same will only alienate, and even radicalise the other way. I hate to hear about a man’s detestable behaviour and think that I will be lumped in with him. To gain equality

we need to rid of this idea, on both sides.

Manliness and masculinity is also a problem

Piers Morgan will defend manliness untill the day he dies facing men. “you need to man up” What a toxic phrase to say to a man these days. Yes, I have masculine qualities, but I don’t strive for them, and not even for my feminine qualities either. People should not care about what look they may or may not give off, and they shouldn’t have to conform to a certain type. I have struggled with my emotions for years, whether I should be open about them or just to bottle it up, and I know a lot of other men do too. Suicide rates are at an all time high for young men, and part of that is because it’s not “manly” to show weakness, or our emotions. Piers Morgan will defend manliness until the day he dies, and to him I say fuck off; just live your life and don’t worry what others think, that’s how to be a man.

Tums and peachy bums: the fitness phenomenom

Caitlyn Rawlings discusses social media’s latest frenzy for food and fitness #gymbunny

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part from the gym, the second most common place to see people working out is on social media. We are living in an era which is seeing the rise of the fitness phenomenon as the western population strive for perfectly preened bodies and aesthetic dishes to post all over their social media accounts.

As a generation, we have experienced the growth of social media before the age of Snap Maps and 24-hour stories. Over this time we have learnt to understand the tags #transformationtues- d a y and #fitspo. Over 60.7M photos of perk bums and bulging muscles appear on our phone screens as the fitness world infiltrates our lives whether we want it to or not. Whether this inspires us to sign the dotted line on a gym membership or if it actually fills us with guilt for feasting on a midnight McDonalds remains debatable…

The 2018 State of the UK Fitness industry report reveals that there are over 7,000 gyms across the UK, with 1 in 7 people holding a gym membership and the net worth of the fitness industry being £4.9 billion. Fitness stars across the world have risen to fame throughout social media platforms such as Instagram. Famous names such as Sommer Ray, the 22-year-old American fitness fanatic has over 19.3M followers and is allegedly paid over £20,000 per Instagram post. It has quickly become a trend to brand yourself a ‘gym-en-

thusiast’ in your Instagram and twitter bios as you strive towards the goal of the ‘perfect’ body.

It is now a familar sight to see people stand up on their seats to get the correct angle of their avocado salads

Arguably, the rise of fitness wear infiltrating everyday fashion has seen a surge of brands such as ‘Gym Shark’ and ‘Good American’ appearing on millions of gym selfies worldwide. These brands have ended the days of neon sweat pants and smart Marks &

Spencer sports bras and have now deemed ombre twin sets the fashionable gym attire. This change of making fitness fashionable has been documented on social media as the message continues to reach users globally.

Another emerging craze is the supposed ‘dream diet’. It is now a familiar picture to see people stand on their seats to get the correct angle of their avocado salads or to hold up their detox juices in front of shop windows to get that perfect Instagram shot.

In this era, it’s not socially acceptable to hate avocados and kale. Social media has decided that salads are the in thing and fatty fries are going out of style.

At this rate, social media will remain part of our society for the rest of our lives. The glamorisation of a healthy lifestyle is productive when seen as a means of motivation towards a balanced diet and remaining confident in your body regardless of what the scales say. However, the fascination with fitness should not be seen as a time when what you eat and how you look is more important than how you feel.

Images: @Rawvana on Instagram

Cooking with Hope Coke Shakshuka Pasta

This recipe is a bit of a culinary mash up, bringing together the North African and Middle Eastern favourite shakshuka — which consists of eggs baked in a spiced tomato and pepper stew — and everyone’s favourite Italian staple, pasta. It’s fancy enough for a weekend brunch but simple enough for an easy weeknight dinner, and the comforting pasta and warming spices make it just the thing for this time of year.

Serves 2- Ingredients: 2 red or yellow peppers 1 aubergine 4 tbsp olive oil 1 large red onion 2 tsps cumin seeds

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp harissa paste (or 1/2 tsp chilli powder) 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 x 400g tin chickpeas 140g penne or rigatoni (I like spelt or wholewheat) salt and pepper, to taste 2 - 4 eggs Optional, to serve: a few sprigs coriander or parsley, chilli flakes, avocado chunks, lime wedges Directions: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Halve the peppers and remove the cores, seeds and stem. Halve aubergine lengthways, cut off the leafy top, then chop both the aubergine and peppers into chunks roughly 3cm big.

Transfer to a baking tray, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then place in the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the aubergine and peppers are tender and just starting to brown and crisp in places.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Peel, halve and finely dice the red onion and add into the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes. Add in the cumin seeds and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the cumin seeds are toasted and fragrant and the onions are soft and starting to brown in places. Add in the tin of chopped tomatoes and the remaining spices (the harissa paste or chilli powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg). Cook, stirring occasionally, at a low simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly.

While the tomato is simmering, cook and drain the pasta according to packet instructions (leave it slightly al dente side as it will cook a little more in the sauce).

Once the aubergine and peppers are ready, remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add into the pan of tomato sauce along with the roasted vegetables and pasta, and stir together until everything is well combined.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Tip the mixture into a medium sized baking dish or a large, deep frying pan. With the back of a spoon, make 2-4 hollows in the mixture for the eggs, depending how many eggs you’d like. Carefully crack an egg into each hollow, sprinkle the tops of the eggs with a little more salt and pepper, then place the dish or pan in the oven and turn on the grill. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the egg whites have set but the yolks are still runny.

When the eggs are ready, remove the pasta from the oven. Roughly chop the coriander or parsley, if using, then scatter over the herbs, chilli flakes and any other toppings you’d like; I love mine with crumbled feta cheese, avocado chunks and lime wedges. And you’re ready to eat! Ladle into bowls or plates, being careful not to break the eggs as you go, or just dig in straight from the pan.

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ake have

16

life & style beauty

courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Susanne Norris, Nimra Rafique Laura Buckle Online Editor Molly Taylor

the courier

Monday 26 November 2018

New in: Morphe X James Charles James Charles is the newest internet sensation to bag a makeup collaboration. Beauty sub-ed Laura Buckle shares the details

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n 2018, it really seems like every relevant Youtuber under the sun has a makeup collaboration beneath their belt. Whether you’re an avid subscriber or not, it’s now incredibly difficult to internet shop or trail Superdrug or Boots without seeing some kind of “influencer collaboration” series or inspired products. It’s true, the makeup industry is now overflowing with them and there is no denying the success these collaborations can produce for both “influencer” and brand; big or small. And for globally recognised brand Morphe, the newest on their collaboration scene is “sister” James Charles.

Recognised for his internet personality, vibrant makeup looks and for being CoverGirl’s first male spokesperson, Charles is next to reap the benefits of Morphe’s empire with a 39-shade palette (£39) and 35-piece brush set (£152). Inspired by the phrase “Unleash your Inner Artist”, James preached to his Youtube subscribers how this palette was designed in homage to his passion for “crazy, colourful, outside-of-the-box makeup” and to encourage people to escape their comfort zone with makeup.

First of all, it is definitely fair to say that his palette has something for everyone.

Ranging from bold mattes to

shimmering metallics and creamy transition shades, there is no doubt that this product could be your best friend during the day, throughout the evening and even for next year’s festival season. Whether you prefer a dark smoky eye, a rainbow cut crease or opt for the more natural look, the possibilities really are endless with this palette.

Although, like many of Morphe’s palettes, James Charles’ addition is also without a mirror *eye roll*, we can almost let him off with how unique the palette design is. Following in the footsteps of Morphe’s “Dare to Create” 39-shade palette, Charles has designed customers an extra 4 shades, in comparison to their standard 35 shade palettes, with 7 much larger pans which people are expected to reach for the most. Whilst these 7 will help us makeup lovers create the more “natural” Image: @jamescharles

and “everyday” looks, it is the surrounding colours which really steal the show.

Also, hats off to Morphe for attempting such vivid shades. Whilst other brands prefer to shy away from blue and purple shadows specifically, it’s impressive to see Morphe continuing to dare the brighter and more technically complex formulas in influencer collections too; with a total of 5 blue shades, 5 pink/purple shades and even several greens and yellows in James’ palette.

But if the palette alone isn’t enough for you, the brush collection (retailing at £152 yet valuing at £250) also partners the palette perfectly including some of James Charles most favourite signature Morphe brushes and some even designed by the influencer himself. With some of the most iconic MUA-loved brushes included, for example their M441 Pro Firm Blending Crease Brush, M433 Pro Firm Blending Fluff Brush and E4 Contour Angle Brush to name few, the value of the collection itself seems too good to be true.

I guess the only thing we can question now is whether this “influencer” collection really meets up to it’s mark. Throughout his YouTube reveal video, Charles continually mentions how “iconic” his Morphe collaboration is and how long his “unleash your inner artist” slogan has been in the making for. The advertisements, YouTube promotions and endless social media posts has made his release the most anticipated of late 2018. But will his release be as “iconic” as Charles says it is or will it be overshadowed by Jaclyn Hill’s continuous success with Morphe? And the main thing to ask is

whether his collaboration will still have that signature Morphe quality we love so much? Yes this collection may be one to add to the “influencer” collaboration empire but will it really be one of the most popular? The makeup world can only wait for the PR packages to go out and the reviews to roll in.

You can find the Morphe X James Charles collection via the Morphe UK site but be quick, with his “sister” empire growing, the limited-edition collection won’t be around for long.

Hairy situations Christmas picks Sophie Hindhaugh shares why we should learn to love our body hair and stop allowing society to rule our appearance

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air. I spend at least 10 minutes in the shower, at least once a week, contorting myself into ridiculous positions (mainly due to the constraints of my tiny Uni shower), removing it. Why? Because even though it’s ridiculous, I find my body hair unattractive. And I know that’s purely because of society - I definitely didn’t see my hair as ‘bad’ when I was younger, it was just there, as part of me as my eyebrows. It wasn’t until secondary school, when in the PE changing rooms, that I was exposed to the attitudes that hair, or being hairy, was unattractive. My classmates lamented over shaving or how ‘horrible’ their hairy legs were. It was only then that I started meticulously shaving myself bare, seeing my hair as ‘ugly’ and something that needed removing.

It also wasn’t just a cosmetic choice- it was also a hygienic one, because of course hair is only unhygienic when it’s on girls. Over the years I have outgrown that stupidity, and I’m not fazed by being a little bit ‘stubbly’ or hairy- though I still feel the need to apologise to my boyfriend for not being perfectly shaved and smooth 24/7, even though he definitely does not care. And I certainly don’t see body hair on other women as being ugly. In fact I admire it, and love that they celebrate their natural body.

In a world where visible body hair on a woman is seen as shocking enough to warrant articles (think Miley Cyrus, Drew Barrymore and a few other bold women) having

thinking it’s attractive? If I’m being honest with myself, probably not.

I don’t mind the hair so much now, but I definitely enjoy the feeling of being as smooth as a baby dolphin. I’m not going to waste every other day making sure a hair doesn’t sprout up, but, if I want to do some self-care, I’ll shave my legs. It makes me feel put together, it makes me feel sexy and that’s all that matters.

Whether you want to shave or not, you do you - but it’s worth examining your relationship with your body and your hair. It's you, it's natural, and a naked hairy bod is just as sexy as a hairless one.

Feminism is and always has been for me, about having the power to make your own choices - to shave or not to shave body hair is seen as a political statement. It’s seen as being a feminist choice.

However, it’s important to remember that being hairless is also feminist - feminism is and always has been for me, about having the power to make your own choices - to shave or not to shave.

How many of our choices are driven by society? Would I still shave if I hadn’t been manipulated by others into

Image: @noa.vee

Image: @jamescharles

Ellie Irving takes a look at some of this years latest Christmas beauty collections and shares some of her absolute favourites

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t’s time to pull out your cheap can of artificial snow spray and recycle your terrible festive jumper of choice because it’s Christmas! This season is a time of giving and treating your loved ones to a special something.‑‑ And, this year is sure to bring festive cheer to everyone's hearts. So, here’s a run down of some of the beauty Christmas ranges for this year. For secret Santa and stocking filler ideas try Burt’s Bees’ Tree Hanging gift set (£6.99) featuring a 100% natural lip balm and cuticle cream. The set comes in three various scents including pomegranate, beeswax and coconut and pear.

For a bigger gift try the Bag of Treats gift set featuring Milk and Honey body lotion and three different 100% natural lip balms all wrapped up in a cosmetic purse (not yet available to buy but coming soon). Or, try the Honey Jar gift set which features a trio of natural lip care inside a cute glass honey pot (£9.99). Lush’s vegan Christmas range has also landed. The classic snow fairy scent is now in a body spray form (£20) while their famous bath bombs include: The World’s Smallest Disco (£5.25), Shoot for the Stars (£4.95), Butterbear (£2.75), Puddy Holly (£4.95) and Santa Bomb Bomb (£9.95). Or, why not give the Sugar Plum Fairy Body Scrub (£2.95) a try and finish with Christingle Body Conditioner (£10.95). Lush claim it's perfect for if you’re ‘’single and ready to tingle’’. Lush also do a selection of pre-wrapped gift packages ranging from £9.99 to £275 so there really is something to suit every budget.

BOD’s Shake That Bod Mermaid Treats and Glitter Goodies (£8) tree hanging gift sets contain two veganfriendly products including Mermaid Shimmer Sorbet, Blue Mermaid Glitter Gel, Pink Glitter Body Scrub and Pink Mermaid Glitter Gel (containing only biodegradable glitter). Or, for bath fiends, try BOD’s Prosecco Bath Salts (£9.99) – these gold sparkling salts will add some shimmer to anyone’s bath-time. Equally, Molton Brown’s Festive Bauble (£12) comes in a variety of different scents including muddled plum, frankincense and allspice and elderflower. Or you could grab their Embracing Hand Cream gift set (£28) which features the Rhubarb & Rose Hand Cream, Alba White Truffle Hand Treatment and Orange & Bergamot Hand Cream.

For luxury Christmas gift ideas, This Works' Christmas gifting range includes Sleep Tight bauble (£13), Big Bang Cracker (£13), The Big Sleep (£70) and Dream to Sleep

(£35). This Works products use a super-blend of natural actives, botanical oils and therapeutic fragrances to help you get your best night sleep. Charlotte Tilbury’s cosmic Christmas gift range includes luxury eyeshadow quad ‘Starlight’ (£39) featuring a range of light to dark glitter shades. Her Bar of Gold highlighter palette (£49) is sure to make any beauty lovers face light up this Christmas.

The brand’s Dreamy Box of Magic (a whopping £275) includes a giant Magic Cream moisturiser and Scent of a Dream perfume, tucked away in a luxurious crimson display box clad with the words ‘‘may all your dreams come true’’.

Finally, OUAI haircare’s Christmas range features the Three OUAI Kit (£25) which includes a Dry Texture Foam, Volume Spray and Wave Spray to help you achieve your “#hairgoals”, while their Swing Both OUAIS Kit (£40) includes a Texturizing Hair Spray and Hair Oil. So, why not take a trip down to Northumberland Street this festive season and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Image: @lushcosmetics

the courier

17

beauty life & style

Monday 26 November 2018

Festive looks for the party season

With Christmas soon approaching it means lots of parties, Beauty sub-editor Nimra Rafique considers at different looks that you could try and will inspire you this season’s festivities

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he festive season is just around the corner and with it come lots of celebration and many parties to attend. With the ongoing evolution of makeup over the past few years there is so many looks to choose from it can make finding the right look for the occasion a bit overwhelming. No need to worry, I’m going to give you a few different options that will bound to give you inspiration this festive season, no matter what your preference, whether it be glam or natural, I’ve got you covered.

Let’s start with something simple and classic. Why not choose a natural eye, a blend of neutral shadows, maybe add a winged eyeliner to get that timeless, elegant look and a beautiful bold lip? You can’t go wrong with this look.

It’s perfect for any occasion, but especially in the festive season when dark, berry lips are the trend. Put a brown shadow on the lid, maybe add a bit of bronze shimmer to make it pop, even if you put it on the inner corner of your eye if you want to keep the lid matte. Add some false

Image: @patrickta

lashes for that dramatic effect or just coat your own lashes with mascara, either will complement this look. Then wear a dark, burgundy or red on the lips. Red is of course the perfect colour for a Christmas party, and with so many ones to choose from there’ll definitely be one right for you.

Now, for those of you that prefer to go a bit more glam glitter is the way to go, especially for the festive season.

Maybe try a cut-crease, or half cut-crease, it’s the perfect option for those of you who want to play around with glitter. Use a range of different shades to create a beautiful blend of colours, maybe go for a classic bronze smoky using some brown shadows, or if you’re really feeling in the festive spirit use a range of reds and burgundies to get a bolder look. Then use a concealer to carve out the cutcrease and pop on some glitter of your choice. Another option is the spotlight eye, basically the same as the cut crease but you only put the concealer just in the middle of your eyelid and add the glitter there. If you’re not in the mood for too much glitter, why not just put a little on the

Image: @shophudabeauty

under-eye area instead and leave the lid matte? Or how about just put some glitter on the inner corner of your eye? No matter what your preferences or makeup abilities are, there is a look for you.

With a bold eye look you might want to go for a more natural lip, a nice nude or taupe colour. However, you could always go all out and do a bold lip too. There’s really no rhyme or reason when it comes to makeup, it’s all about what you like and feel comfortable in. So if you want to go for a dramatic eye look and bold red lip, go for it. Another lip option that is perfect for a festive occasion is gloss. Lip gloss complements many different makeup looks, both glam and natural. There are many different gloss options on the beauty market to choose from. Some of my favourites are NYX Butter Gloss, which have a wide range of colours to choose from, and Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb, especially the latest one called ‘Shimmering Pearl’ which can be applied on top of any lipstick shade.

Image: @tinahalada

VS show:beauty and hair It's that time of year again, where all the VS angels take the runway - Emily Matthews tells all

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n November 8th, New York City became host to one of the world’s most renowned fashion events – the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. In the city that never sleeps, the angels gathered for what would be considered the biggest fashion show event of the year. Snippets broadcasted of the show highlighted the likes of Adriana Lima, Winnie Harlow and Elsa Hosk – an exciting and diverse cast of models from all around the globe.

Harlow's debut not only exhibited her natural ability to walk a runway but diversified a cast of beautiful angels to show that beauty doesn’t just belong to one specific ideal All hair and make-up showcased by the angels was inspired by world renowned beauty guru Charlotte Tilbury – “It is so incredible to see so many sexy, brilliant women sharing the power of makeup with the world."

Firstly, let’s talk about the Hadid sisters. It is no doubt that Gigi and Bella Hadid, the supermodel sister duo, were cast again in the show this year and blew the minds of thousands. They both exhibited effortlessly beautiful walks and showcased their styles carefully and with class.

After Bella’s first debut as an angel last year, she certainly has followed her older sister Gigi’s footsteps and has truly wowed the world of fashion with her elegant style and incredible figure.

Bella graced us with a dewy, and bronzed glow that emphasised her natural tan body and skin tone. With the make-up inspiration this year being a natural, angelic look, it is no doubt Bella looked as gorgeous as ever. Her hair looked natural, healthy and glowing as she strutted down the catwalk. Both Hadid sisters showcased their consistently natural beauty and worked well together

whilst highlighting their differences too. Like they say, a brunette and a blonde make an unbreakable bond.

Winnie Harlow hit the Victoria’s Secret runway for the first time and it was no doubt that she turned heads and dazzled the crowd. Her unique style and beauty shone right through from her impressive runway walk to her gorgeous make-up and hairstyle. Harlow showed off her stunning dark locks with a simple, yet elegant makeup look that truly highlighted her natural features. Her Victoria’s Secret debut not only exhibited her natural ability to walk a runway and own it but diversified a cast of beautiful angels to show that beauty doesn’t just belong to one specific ideal.

A Victoria’s Secret favourite and returner of the iconic show, Taylor Hill, wowed audiences not only with her stunning hair and make-up look, but her enviable figure which, if you follow the angel on Instagram, you’ll know the star worked incredibly hard for. Days prior the big event, Taylor captured what it truly takes to become an angel, from gruelling exercise regimes to strict beauty routines, it is no doubt that her skin looked as flawless as ever on the runway. Taylor certainly worked the natural hair look, inspired by Conair stylist Anthony Turner, who opted for a healthy and smooth look that was an aspiration for a ‘real look’.

Finally, she graced us with her incredibly fierce and effortless stunning strut for the final time this year. Adriana Lima, the Brazilian goddess and ultimate supermodel, walked her final runway as a Victoria’s Secret angel this year and celebrated hanging up her wings after 19 years of loyalty to the brand. No doubt that the angel will go on to do incredible things after her successful career in modelling, audiences were treated to her iconic poses and one final strut. Lima showcased a gorgeous shimmering silver lingerie set that accentuated her incredible figure and truly brought out her deep light blue eye colour. The star’s iconic bombshell waves floated behind her as she showcased a gorgeous natural look that highlighted her tan. Adriana Lima certainly is a force of nature and not one to be reckoned with.

Image: @ctilburymakeup

Big-up beauty brand lovin'

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ver 15 years ago in London, Pixi was created by makeup artist Petra Strand, who has over 20 years’ worth of experience in the beauty industry. The brand creates formulations (in both skincare and makeup) that make the skin look youthful and flawless in a fuss-free way for women onthe-go. Detailed on their brand website “Pixi’s mission is the same now as it was on the first day the Pixi store opened: simply to bring out the natural beauty in all women – to make women look like themselves, only better.” The brand is divided into two elements: Pixi Skintreats (skincare) and Pixi by Petra (makeup).

A winner of a multitude of awards for their infamous Glow Tonic, the Pixi skincare line has proven its success.

All of the skincare products pioneer glowing, younger looking skin but in different ways. Their Glow range, which includes cleansing pads, a mud cleanser, tonics, serums, sprays and face masks, uses glycolic acid to cleanse and freshen the skin and helps to reduce signs of aging. Pixi have also newly introduced a retinol tonic which is scientifically proven to be ACE for reducing signs of aging. Their Rose range, which similarly includes what the Glow range does but also a unique caviar essence and rosehip oil, uses rose water and accompanying botanicals to reduce redness and cleanse the skin. Amongst these wider ranges, Pixi have sun care on offer, eye creams and little sets that are amazing value for money (around £20.00 for 3 mini products) that have their bestsellers in. You really can’t go wrong with their skincare range because there is something for everyone, even though they keep it simple. My personal experience is with the glow range (in particular Glow Tonic and Glow Mud Cleanser) and it has really helped clear my acne scarring. It seems to be working for others too given it won a Teen Vogue acne award in 2017!

Admittedly, I was sceptical when the brand released a makeup line, as their skincare was so successful, I doubted that their makeup range would live up to such high standard products – but as you can guess, I was wrong!

Their packaging isn’t the most luxurious, but I like how the brand are consistent with keeping it simple and not over-complicating skincare and makeup like some brands do. From the get-go, eye, skin and lip products were launched, championing the ‘natural’ makeup look, so they are perfect for everyday products. They have even expanded to makeup brushes now. Just like the skincare range, the makeup line focuses on women being comfortable and feeling good in their own skin. I love this ethos about the brand, as it so clearly runs through their products. Having said that, I have had personal experience with their eye pigments and I can say that they can be used for both natural and more wild looks. Thus, the brand is also versatile, and that’s what I love.

The brand is also completely cruelty free and vegan, so it is inclusive of everyone. The shade ranges of the makeup could undoubtedly be improved upon but given that their concealer is only 6 shades and 3 are for lighter skin and 3 are for darker skin, I would say Pixi really does try to include everyone, however like I said before this is something that can definitely be improved, so that it can appeal to a more diverse group of people.

I think you really can’t go wrong with this brand, and with the price range averaging just over high-street prices while not entering those ridiculous prices of high-end products, it is definitely one you should try.

Emily Cartwright

Image: @sammyillustrates

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18

life & style fashion

c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Miranda Stoner, Poppy Couling, Joe Hood Online Editor Molly Taylor

Monday 26 November 2018

Monki-ing around Accessory edit Carys Rose Thomas maps out Eldon Square’s latest addition

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have been an avid fan of Monki’s funky patterns and comfy clothing ever since I first discovered them when I was 14 in Amsterdam. Much like iced tea and mosquito bites, Monki has become something I exclusively associate with being on holiday. As lovely as it is to have things like this that you always associate with being abroad, I’ve never been able to help being a bit disappointed that I never get a glimpse of Monki outside of European cities unless I venture to Glasgow or London in the UK, both very far from my hometown. Albeit a popular brand on the continent, Monki is yet to make a big name for itself in the UK or Newcastle more specifically until now, with a brand new shop having opened in Eldon Square on Thursday 15th this month.

The first 100 customers were treated to 40% off. A deal which, after getting myself down there 15 minutes before opening, I managed to bag for myself. The atmosphere in the queue was lovely, I happened to bump into a pal from uni and we were all give cake pops, which literally sweetened the deal.

striving to become more ethical which is easily accessible for those who are interested. In terms of sizes, the shop definitely come out on top out of all high-street brands I know of. Their mediums are genuinely medium, rather than marking their size 10-12 clothes as L or XL as many brands do. This makes the brand feel far more inclusive and welcoming of all body shapes and sizes.

Since it opened I have already been back to the shop twice, and plan to make it a regular stop on my shopping route round town. Although it is on the pricey side, the shop caters well to those looking for clothing which doesn’t shy away from being something a bit different.

Much like iced tea and mosquito bites, Monki has become something I exclusively associate with being on holiday

The shop itself isn’t massive, but makes good use of its space with a second floor. The shop was filled with music as well as a wave of keen bean Monki fans there to finally get their hands on their clothes without having to pay the pricy fee of delivery. The shop hosts a range of stuff from casual and comfy overalls and jumpsuits, to patterned blouses, blazers and other clothes that err more on the side of trendy work wear. Some personal favourites out of their current stock are their corduroy trousers, zebra print mesh top and their excellent range of stripy jumpers.

It’s no Primark when it comes to its prices, but it isn’t as extortionate as Urban Outfitters and frequently has deals or sales on, so it is worth looking out for Christmas and January sales at the shop.

The brand are also taking some positive steps towards sustainable fashion by using organic cotton and advertising the more ethical products they make.

As far as sustainability goes in the fast fashion world, they’re doing a pretty good job. There is also a wealth of information on their website about ways they are and are

Instagram: @monki

Louise Hall advises fashionistas on how to shop for all the must-have accessories on the high street at this time of year

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aking a travel down Northumberland Street this year it’s become pretty obvious that fall season collections are officially in full swing, and amongst all the fluffy jumpers and puffer jackets are a wide array of accessories to help make your wrapped up winter looks pop with originality.

One of the hardest trends to ignore this season is the comeback of the hats. While the old faithful bobble hat has made its timely resurgence in a number of variations across the high street, there are many other interesting style’s to choose from. Berets in a multitude of colours can not only help to cover up a bad hair day, but add a sense of put together sophistication to any look. The resurgence of the fascinatingly named ‘bakerboy hat’ reminiscent of 1970’s individuality, has also become a staple. But in its exuberant bright yellow, cord and tartan patterns, is perhaps more of a look for the bold.

Scarves and clutch bags in leopard print seem to be redefining the boundaries of the once somewhat typecast pattern, giving it a fresher more edgy life and positioning itself as a rival to the classic winter tartan accessory trend that has held down the fort for as long as we can remember.

The popularity of dainty necklaces and rings on offer this season offers a modest contrast to overstated earrings and hoops, of which warm gold metal is the prevalent trend. Despite this, rose gold accessories also seem to have persevered for another season, maintaining its popularity in the faces of understated wrist watches with large faces and simple styles.

The light hearted fashionistas in Newcastle are also in luck however, as graphic accessories continue to be a hit this season. Faux fur pom pom bag attachments also seemingly refuse to die out as we move into autumn winter, despite their impracticality and generally cheap appearance. From bold text prints to llama’s, unicorns and Christmas themed gear, you can unleash your inner child while still maintaining a stylish and mature personal brand.

In terms of a clutch bag for the party season, it seems that circle cross body bags are the most recent update, and that as usual glitter and sequins never go out of style.

With this mixture of reworked classic styles and standout original pieces available the high street this autumn/winter, it’s safe to say that there’s an accessory trend for any look this year for any student, no matter what your taste.

topshop.com

brownsfamilyjewellers.co.uk

Taking a walk down the Hire Street Instagram: @eminamasovic

Fashion Editor Poppy Couling catches up with Isabella West, 25, founder of Hirestreet. The online fashion-rental site offers all kinds of outfits for low prices. It was built to ensure that you never have to be culpable of outfit repeating, and its sustainable

What advice would you give to young girls who too have a fashion forward brand idea but don’t know how to develop it and take it further?

When you have a good idea, there is always a worry that someone might do it first, so the temptation is not to tell too many people. Whilst I completely understand this perspective, I would advise against it. If you have an idea, talk to as many people as you can about it (especially if you know and trust them). There are lots of reasons for this, when I was thinking about launching Hirestreet, my family, friends and colleagues all gave me feedback that helped me shape the idea into what it is today. Honestly, sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to make you wonder how you hadn’t thought of something so obvious.

Another plus of taking this approach, is that it actually puts pressure on you to get moving and execute your idea sooner rather than later!

What do you think are they key attributes that someone looking to get a foot into the industry should have?

I think it’s so important to love what you do. As a graduate, I wouldn’t expect much in terms of prior industry knowledge - I would be looking for a strong work ethic and a passion for the subject. This could come across in any number of ways, from being able to talk about your favourite brands in an interview, to having your own blog on the subject. It’s a hugely competitive industry, anything you can do that is different is going to help you stand out.

Do you have any further plans for the website?

So many! We are currently investing in a lot more stock (in multiple sizes). It’s amazing, but also frustrating to be in a situation where you can’t grow quickly enough to

meet demand. Some of the key changes we are looking to implement include; improving our exchange service, personalised rental recommendations, flexible delivery dates and variable rental periods. It’s going to be a really exciting couple of months. We are always so grateful for customer feedback - this drives a lot of the changes we make.

Did you find social media a helpful platform to promote your brand?

Absolutely! Lots of people have never tried renting before and many of them wonder if there is a “catch”. I think seeing our community of renters on social media helps people to over come that worry. We are really lucky, our customers are amazing and many of them go out of their way to promote the service - I think it’s because they are proud to be part of a fashion movement that is both environmentally and financially sustainable.

How have you incorporated sustainability as a USP into your brand?

By extending the lifetime of a dress from being worn once to being worn 10 or more times we are able to reduce its environmental impact by up to 70%. Sustainability is a natural part of the service we offer. A lot of our customers care about their environmental footprint, but because environmentally friendly brands are often more expensive and have smaller ranges than the big high street players there hasn’t really been a cost friendly, easy alternative before now. Our motto is ‘memories over materials’ essentially this captures the fact that by using our service you are saving money to spend on making memories (on the day of the event) rather than investing it in materials that will only be worn once.

Instagram: @hirestreetuk

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19

fashion life & style

Monday 26 November 2018

Debate: Angels from all angles Sian Dickie shares her opinion on diversity on the runway and if designers are going far enough to promote body positivity

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n recent years the term ‘Body Positivity’ has become a buzzword in the media, liberation circles and in the fashion industry. I feel it is necessary to define the term body positivity as people tend to equate this to the sole inclusion of ‘plus-size’ women in these fashion spaces, particularly on runway’s. While this should be celebrated if this occurs, the term ‘body-positivity’ doesn’t just mean plus size, it actually means the inclusion of people of colour, people with disabilities, trans people and any other marginalised group.

So, if we are to look at body positivity in this sense, I don’t believe that designers are doing enough to promote a diverse range of bodies. There has been some progress, particularly with the advent of brands such as Rhianna’s Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty (their lingerie line).

However, Western beauty ideals still seem the dominant norm with white, cis gender, thin models representing many brands in fashion shows world-wide.

The most recent brand which has came under-fire for this is Victoria’s Secret, with the CEO Jan Singer resigning recently, after holding the post for two years.

Her resignation was not a surprise to many, as, after the most recent Victoria’s Secret show, Ed Razek, Chief Marketing Officer for the brand said some offensive and controversial statements with regards to the inclusiveness of the show. In an interview with Vogue, Razek, said “It’s like, why doesn’t your show do this? Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should.

Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.”

Razek is only perpetuating the idea that people who are trans cannot be seen as desirable to the audience of Victoria’s Secret. The notion of fantasy being that of a thin, cis, white woman, only repeats the discourses of Western

Instagram: @savagexfenty

beauty standards and hegemonic ideals of ‘femininity’.

Munroe Bergdorf tweeted and posted stories on the comments made by Razek. The trans activist and model said in Nylon magazine “It just sounded like someone trying to save their job after being caught,” Bergdorf tells us. “He said ‘sorry it came across as insensitive,’ but failed to acknowledge that it WAS insensitive, furthermore it was transphobic.”

The use of the term ‘transsexual’ is incredibly outdated and Razek failed to correct himself in the apologetic tweet, highlighting the fact that large industries like fashion, have failed to educate themselves, their staff and social media networks about the importance of using the correct terminology. In this sense, Victoria’s Secret could be endangered of falling behind with the times. Not only is their physical representation of ‘Women’ on the runway fulfilling the hegemonic ideals, but it also doesn’t reflect the people buying the products.

Despite many people denouncing the brand on social media, the brands strongholds, its stores, have continued to do well. This can be seen most recently in the Metrocentre, Gateshead, with Victoria’s Secret creating quite the buzz in the large shopping centre and people queuing to get a peak at the American lingerie brand.

Unfortunately Razek, who said the transphobic comments, has not resigned from the brand, with Singer taking the fall. In my opinion, he should have been fired, especially for the brand to progress and move forward in the future. However, with dwindling sales records, and no CEO, Victoria’s Secret could struggle to reform its image.

Edward Enninful Back to Black Helena Hussey does a close reading of the changes the new editor of Vogue has brought to the world-famous publication

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s we roll into the December issues, there is one very important thing to remember: Edward Enninful has now been Editor-in-Chief at British Vogue for a year. And, my, what a year it’s been.

Although Enninful has been a prominent figure in the fashion industry for a long time, working at W and starting his career at i-D, this move thrust him in the lime light.

It’s been a year chocca block full of impressive covers, stunning editorials and thought-provoking articles, and yet not without a sprinkling of controversy (who can forget Lucinda Chambers’s open letter in Vestoj). This year at #newvogue seems to have had everything that Shulman’s Vogue was lacking – the new covers are hotly anticipated; the models and cover stars are endearing for both their relative anonymity and their superstardom, and we are finally, finally, seeing diversity on the front

It seems that Enninful is the one who is changing the climate surrounding magazine culture, for the better

cover.

When that Adwoa Aboah cover dropped, it felt like my Instagram broke. It did not matter how much I scrolled, but I just couldn’t get away from her. And thank God for it, because that image is stunning; and was the perfect starter for what was to be the main and desert throughout this years’ worth of magazines. This happened again when Ariana Grande appeared on the cover, in a way unlike any of us had seen her before. Once more it seemed that Enninful had broken the internet. So, with the first two courses finished, Rihanna is then revealed as the September cover girl, and quite frankly, I cannot think of a better September issue in a long time. In these covers we can also see Enninful’s versatility as a stylist: he can do hyper glam or stripped back. I think this is what we are all thirsting for in magazine culture – people as we’ve never seen then before. With the bombardment of images on social media to see celebrities completely transformed is like a breath of fresh air.

Another huge impact Enninful has had is diversity.

Genuine diversity; not a curvier size 6 girl, or a black model on one cover of the twelve throughout the year.

Instead Enninful is making diverse covers the norm, not the exception. Seeing the likes of Oprah and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and not just the same girls that Shulman had on repeat – here’s looking at you Kate Moss – on the front cover creates a genuine sense of excitement when the cover is revealed. The sense of excitement is sustained even when the covers are of fresh faces like Adut Akech and Fran Summers. Enninful’s beginning to make it feel like British Vogue is really giving new models their career defining moment, which couldn’t be more important for the fashion scene and credibility of London as a fashion market.

All in all, British Vogue couldn’t have asked for a better reception: its circulation has increased, but most importantly its cool factor has increased tenfold. It also seems as if Enninful’s influence is ricocheting throughout the magazine industry, as Porter, Vogue US, Elle Canada and Elle UK all placing women of colour on their front covers. As the New York Times fashion editor Vanessa Friedman recently wrote: “climate change is not just about the environment” and it seems that Enninful is the one who is changing the climate surrounding magazine culture, for the better.

Instagram: @edward_enninful

Phoebe Eyles tips our readers off on all the best ways to make the most of the biggest sale season of the year

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lack Friday is a craze that has only hit the UK in recent years, providing us with a variety of deals and discounts on goods just in time for Christmas. A trend that originates from Thanksgiving in the United States, we have now become accustomed to the footage of stampedes of shoppers at early hours of the morning. It is undeniable that the discounts in stores and online are incredible, with many using the sale to buy a whole range of household goods, not just clothes and Christmas presents. But is Black Friday more trouble than its worth? Is it worth parting with some of our student loan by rushing through hectic shops next Friday?

On the one hand, Black Friday could not have come at a better time. We are far enough into the term that money is running low, yet there is a need to buy outfits for Christmas celebrations and purchase Christmas presents.

Black Friday sales will extend over the whole weekend and online it continues for Cyber Monday, meaning there isn’t even a need to frantically rush to the shops to pick up the best deals. Clothes shopping online is particularly stress free as you can add filters and see exactly what is in stock in your size as opposed to trawling through messy clothes rails in stores.

miss out on. Online fashion retailers such as Pretty Little Thing and Missguided often do incredible deals, with Missguided offering 50% off site wide last year. Pretty Little Thing have had Black Friday ‘warm up’ deals all this week, with discount codes changing every day. This is not just occurring on clothes sites, companies such as Amazon and Beauty Bay are currently holding pre Black Friday sales as well. Online sites are often a relatively stress free way to find good deals on Black Friday. On Friday Eldon Square is open from 9am and it is expected that a large amount of stores will have good discounts available.

However, this is nowhere near as hectic as the US, where shopping malls will open at 4am. It is a good idea to browse deals at more expensive high street stores such as Urban Outfitters as this is often where you can save the most money on a high quality product.

If you are in the market to buy some new clothes, some Christmas presents or even just large household items, Black Friday is the best time to do it. Love it or hate it, the deals brands advertise seem to get better and better every year making Black Friday the perfect time for students to have a shopping spree.

Clothes shopping online is particularly stress free as you can add filters and see exactly what is in stock in your size

However, Black Friday does have clear downfalls.

Whether it is in store or online, the best deals do sell out incredibly quickly, making the experience often a waste of time. It often leads to buying items you do not really need, we all tend to buy that outfit for a non-existent event just because it was on sale, don’t we? Even on online clothing stores all the best pieces go out of stock incredibly quickly meaning the you are not left with the widest selection. In the UK Black Friday is much more of a clever marketing ploy by brands than a tradition – we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving after all!

Whilst some may say Black Friday is overhyped in the UK, there are too many good deals that you don’t want to

Instagram: @ _merry_and_bright_

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travel life & style The Interrail What makes a good airline?

Rebecca Doneghan discusses the ups and downs of her experience as an airline passenger Tale Nell Constantinides U luckily received a Monday 26 November 2018 courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk

Travel Editors Jenny Franken, Bianca Ionci Online Editor Amanda Goh

pon asking my mother what she thinks makes a good airline, she replied with an obvious answer that most of us would agree with; wine!

She’s not wrong, but we should probably take into consideration other factors that can make a flight with a particular airline a memorable one.

Asking my mother what she thinks makes a good airline, she replied (...) wine!

First, before you’ve even booked your flight, there’s one major aspect that shouldn’t put you off – the cost. Of course, I’m sure none of us would turn down a super cheap seat in a sale, but all that we ask is that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to go somewhere new and exciting. A great range of destinations is always exciting too.

Numerous airlines are known for extra seasonal options they make available, from sunnier climates in summer to cosy ski havens in winter.

Following on from this, a decent hand luggage and baggage allowance is always appreciated. The recent changes introduced by Ryanair clearly haven’t gone down well with the general public, as passengers are now only allowed to take one single handbag sized piece of luggage onto the plane, lowered for the second time this year. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the sound of either having to pay a considerable amount to take even a small suitcase with me, or having to wear all of my outfits at once on the plane!

Another highlight of a good airline has to be the food

and snacks on offer. Whether you’re going short haul or long haul, we all get peckish and it’s always a bonus when the food is something to get excited about. EasyJet, for example, offer a varied menu of sweet and savoury snacks, from meal deals to muffins and pastries. British Airways is also known for offering a free drink and snacks on short haul flights. Airlines offering longer flights, such as Emirates and Cathay Pacific, provide a varied platter also, often including dishes of the country you’re headed to.

Furthermore, entertainment is definitely a highlight, especially when going long haul. It’s always best to carry a book or magazine to turn to if need be, but who wouldn’t want to take advantage of hundreds of films, old and new (often still in cinemas!), full box sets of countless series,

and every genre of music? There’ll always be something to help you settle in and relax.

Finally, how could I not drop my favourite airline into the mix – Australian airline, Qantas. I took an internal flight from Perth to Alice Springs several years ago during a cross country trip. The airline staff were polite and accommodating throughout, and it was as stress-free and relaxing as it could have possibly been. The best part of this whole journey – the legroom! At 5 foot 10, never have I ever had so much room to stretch my legs and actually get myself comfortable when travelling, what a dream!

Comfortable planes definitely make for a good airline, may you always have decent legroom on your travels!

free Interrailing pass

Unsplash @ashim-d-silva

Travel insurance: a worthwhile purchase?

Arts Editor Julia McGee-Russell questions the worth investing pre-trip in travel insurance O H nce you add up all the costs of travel; flights, hotels, activities, and spending money, many travellers are hesitant to add the often-expensive fees of insurance. What are the odds that something bad enough to need insurance will happen to you anyway? Maybe you’re certain you won’t take big risks, or you’re familiar with the destination, and think yourself a generally responsible and sensible person. But no matter how savvy you are, you can’t always get yourself out of a sticky financial situation without help.

I have never had to claim on my travel insurance. Oth-

That £200 spending money for cocktails won't literally save your life

ers, however, are not so lucky. A schoolmate of mine decided to travel through the Australian outback with some friends. He hired a truck, and went off for his adventure.

They were involved in a crash. He broke two ribs, a collarbone, and his back in seven places. He had blood in both lungs, and his right lung collapsed. He also had a small bleed on his brain, and a severely bruised heart, in addition to extreme whiplash. He needed an emergency

flight to hospital. The costs of medical care for these injuries in a country without a healthcare agreement with the UK would have been astronomical. You truly never know when the worst is going to happen, so my motto is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. In terms of travelling, if there’s a way to reduce the risk for bad experiences, I believe you should do so.

Moreover, it isn’t only in medical emergencies that travel insurance can save the day. All your belongings were stolen or lost? You’ve suffered a bereavement, or have to cancel your trip for another reason? You’ve damaged property or injured someone else and need money to pay personal liability? In each of these situations, a highquality travel insurance arrangement will ease the monetary strain, or pay for them entirely. When something that could ruin your trip has happened, the last thing you need is the added fear of wondering how to pay for it all, especially when stranded in a foreign country where everything is unfamiliar. The few hundred pounds or less spent on insurance is truly tiny compared to the amount available for emergencies – millions usually for personal liability or medical expenses.

Not all travel insurance is made equal, however. It is always worth paying special attention to the ‘excess’, a fee many insurance policies require you to pay up front to make a claim. These can be from £50 to over £100, so in some instances, such as claiming insurance for lost or stolen belongings, the total you’d have to pay in excess fees

is actually more than the money you would receive. Depending on the destination country, insurance prices vary greatly. But there are alternatives, such as bank accounts.

Several ‘premium’ bank accounts have insurance included, meaning you pay a monthly fee for the account, with the added bonus of insurance. Paying a smaller monthly fee for the duration of a long-term trip is far more manageable than a large lump sum, and often these accounts include free worldwide withdrawals, saving you money on those pesky conversion and ATM rates.

People get injured, lose important belongings, and cancel plans all the time. Accidents, clumsiness and illness don’t stop just because you’ve booked a holiday to Majorca. No matter how soul-cleansing or relaxing your next trip will be, that £200 spending money for cocktails won’t literally save your life. However, in the worst-case scenario, travel insurance will.

Unsplash @hubert-mousseigne

Is large group travel for you?

Arts Editor Scarlett Rowland weighs in on the benefits of travel with a large group of people

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f you’re planning on doing a big trip this summer, it’s probably good to start thinking about it now.

There’s so much to organise: locations, how long, and then it comes down to who. If you’re not certain on who to invite yet, maybe this article can persuade you to think more is in fact more.

Probably the best thing about travelling in a large group is that you never have to be worried about doing anything alone. If it’s just two or three of you, it can get pretty tense trying to decide what to when you all want to do different things. This is a little less of an issue if it’s a longer trip with a few people – then you’ll all be able to get to do what you want.

But if you’re planning on staying at a couple of places for a shorter amount of time, it can get a little tricky. With a larger group, you can all pair up over the day travelling around separately, then getting back together in the even-

ing over drinks.

Travelling in smaller groups counteracts one of the biggest problems – and that’s getting annoyed with your fellow travellers. On a long trip, remembering to give yourself a second before you snap back at someone and giving other people space is going to get you a long way.

In smaller travelling groups, you’re less likely to have the opportunity to get out of each other’s hair – you can’t ever escape that one person that’s really getting to you. With this sort of arrangement, more likely than not, you’ll be able to hang out with different people every day.

If you are going to separate into smaller groups, it can also be frustrating to keep in touch with each other. Best chance? While we’re still in the EU, take advantage of your service provider’s Roam like Home deal and download WhatsApp. Keep in contact like that and hope that the one friend

that’s always a liability at home, doesn’t stay like that abroad.

The biggest issue comes down to organising yourselves into hostels. With groups over five or six, there’s a real possibility that you might not all squeeze into a hotel when booking a couple days before you land in your destination. The best way to avoid this problem is by all getting together before you travel and planning out where you’re going to stay.

Although booking in advance might make the trip a bit less spontaneous, it can make it a bit easier and definitely will make it a hell of a lot cheaper.

At the end of the day, you’ve got to travel in a way that’s best for you. If you’re planning a shorter trip, you’ll probably do fine with just a couple fab friends, or if you’re feeling brave - go for it alone!

Instagram @travelling._together

olidays are supposed to be relaxing. For me, one of the most stressful aspects of travelling abroad is flying – from the airport to the flight itself. So why not let the train take the strain?

In my summer break from university, I was fortunate enough to win a free Interrail ticket through DiscoverEU which allowed me to experience European train travel.

It was always something that had interested me as many friends and family members had given high praise to the alternative to flying, and I am an advocate for train travel in this country.

I embarked on the journey alone, which at first was a daunting prospect. But, I cannot recommend solo travel enough if you feel confident enough to do so. It was a pleasure to be on my own watch, doing things I wanted to do when I wanted to do them. Being alone does not constitute being lonely either; I chose to stay in hostels which allowed me to meet people from all over the world, as well getting to know the locals.

My first destination was Brussels, arriving on the Eurostar from London. The irony of being in the home of the EU headquarters set in as I considered the ease of travel I had as a result of free movement, which may not be the case for much longer. This made me appreciate my fortunate position as I continued my journey through to Munich. Much the same as Brussels, I only spent one night in Munich – just enough time to get a feel for the city through my favourite method; eating and drinking.

As a student of Classical Studies, I spent the majority of my trip in Italy, hence my hastiness to travel south through Belgium and Germany. One of the highlights of my trip was the train journey between Munich and Venice, through the Austrian mountains. Snowy tops still present even at the beginning of August, which reflected the sunshine straight down into the deep valleys. The views were ones you would never experience 12,000 metres up in the air.

After Venice, a spectacle in its own right, I proceeded to Rome, Florence, Bologna, and Milan. I spent two to three nights in each location, but could have happily stayed two to three weeks. The beauty of interrailing is it leaves you wanting more, gaining a small insight into each destination. You are inspired by those you meet on your way; where they are from, have been or are going. You decide where you would revisit and where else you would go next time. For me, there will definitely be a next time.

So, swap planes for trains and experience it for yourself.

Whether you go solo or as a group, with your friends or family, under 21 or not. And if you are lucky enough to be 18 this year, look into DiscoverEU for yourself. Bon Voyage!

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feature

Monday 25 November 2018

Feature Editor Ally Wilson

A TRIBUTE TO

Image: Flickr

Image: pexels.com

An outStanding contribution

James Troughton shares his love and admiration for the great man who made such a huge impact on the world of video gaming

S

Image: Pixabay

tan Lee i s one of the brains behind the Fa nt a s t i c Four, Black Panther, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Captain America and so many more. Even before his death, he was working on a new hero who, like his other

creations, had a very intriguing and questionable name – Dirt Man. Whilst he started writing comics about a patriot punching Hitler in the 1940s, his work remained influential until the day he died. His characters may have originated in comic-books but they exceeded the medium as many talented people worked to bring Stan Lee’s creations into cartoons, television, literature, music, movies, and video-games.

The first ever Marvel game was based on Stan Lee’s Spider-Man. It was published by the Parker Brothers in 1982 and was playable on the Atari 2600. It was a fairly basic game about defusing the Green Goblin’s bombs as you scaled a building but seven years later, in 1989, Marvel picked up momentum in the gaming industry. This year marked the beginning of their streak of yearly releases. The most recent entry was the Spider-Man game created by Insomniac which made more money than the web-slingers latest movie Homecoming proving how lucrative gaming can be for Marvel. Stan Lee even made a cameo as

a bartender.

Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro was released in 2001.

This was Stan Lee’s first video-game cameo as he played the part of the narrator. However, his first physical cameo in gaming was in 2009 in Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance 2 as he played a politician who the main team of heroes had to save from Titanium Man. He continued to make appearances, albeit much less than in the movies, even being a part of the Lego games as a collectible and playable character.

His characters may have spawned a plethora of movies that release every year and have dominated the industry making even more than Star Wars but his impact on gaming cannot be understated. Many people, including myself, grew up playing Marvel games whether it was causing mayhem as the Incredible Hulk or swinging across New York as the Amazing Spider-Man. Stan Lee not only span stories that told us it was OK to be flawed but he also helped to entertain an unbelievable amount of people.

There was nothing better than booting up your console after school and being able to truly become your favourite hero.

STAN LEE’S IMPACT ON THE GAMING WORLD CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED

Image: svgsilh.com

An editor’s impression

Lifestyle editor, Phoebe Fielder pays tribute to Lee’s style with her own works of art

Image: Wikipedia

Image: Wikimedia Image: Pixabay Comons

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feature

Monday 25 November 2018

O STAN LEE Image: Flickr

What a MARVELlous man Image: Flickr

Image: Flickr

With over 24 film cameos, Stan Lee’s presence in the film industry is deeply founded, and Lucy Lillystone takes us through her highlights

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n the 12th November 2018, at the age of 95, comics and the film industry lost one of its most treasured heroes and arguably the godfather of the Marvel Universe: Stan Lee. Known for his creation of hundreds of favourite characters who were not only flawed but relatable in more ways than one, Stan Lee was the man who made a difference to millions of people’s lives and will continue to do so in his passing. It is from the likes of Spider-man and X-men that generations of children and adults have found hope in themselves and sadly, with the loss of such an icon, the future of Marvel is unknown.

Although his passing is not only sad but worrying for the next phase of Marvel, it has inspired millions of tributes on social media with the creation of the hashtag #StanLee showing respect and celebrating his achievements. To go on Instagram and find many of the actors who are proudly representing his characters post pictures of themselves with Stan Lee, capturing his memory and his spirit is inspiring. Stan Lee has left a legacy we will never forget.

One such legacy being his cameos. From the start of the production of comics onto the big screen, Stan Lee’s presence has always been there; even if you didn’t notice. With appearances in the Sony Spiderman Universe, a universe we all like to have believed we erased from our memories, to the pre-Disney marvel movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee has made many memorable appearances with favourites of mine including “are you Tony..

Stank?”

FACTBOX

It was with these Cameos that Stan Lee brought the much needed humour to the Marvel films

HIS CHARACTERS WERE NOT ONLY FLAWED BUT RELATABLE

and without a doubt, there was ALWAYS laughter in the Cinemas when he finally appeared. I remember for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 1, I turned to my dad at the start and said “don’t forget to look for Stan Lee”.

The man is imprinted in everyone’s minds and without a doubt, he will be remembered. And it is not just film in which he has made such a huge impact. Having recently watched The Gifted and Stan Lee’s Lucky Man; Stan Lee has integrated himself into the TV industry. With this being so, his passing has created a huge hole not only in the movies, but in television and undoubtedly, in millions of fan’s hearts.

It will be an honour to search for his final cameo in Avengers 4, coming next May. On top of all of these accomplishments and his

the amount of issues MARVEL comics have published over 70 years

Iron Man

as the hero created by Stan Lee after being challenged to create a hero that should not be liked, but force people to like..

56,000

the number of entires on Wiki’s MARVEL page under the category of ‘characters’

Throg

A MARVEL-created hero who is a frog with the power of Thor, who’s part of the ‘Pet Avengers’

Image: Wikimediaia Commons

1939

Lee is hired by Timely Comics as an assistant, where he made his comicbook debut with Captain America

1950s

Arguably Lee’s most successful period, known as the ‘MARVEL Revolution’, when he co-created the likes of Hulk, Iron Man and Spider-Man

28th December in Manhattan, New York City, Stanley martin Lieber was born.

Image: Wikipedia

1942

Lee joins the US State Army, repairing communications equipment, but continues to write for comics

Image: Flickr

The life of Small-screen superhero a legend Our TV Editor, Jacob Clarke, eulogises TV’s comic legend

W $4.2 32,000 the amount in billions that the Marvel enterprise is now thought to be worth

wonderfully humorous personality, Stan Lee has also had an impact on other producers and creators in the film industry a s we see many starting to take on the spirit of Stan Lee and entering their own movies. Examples of this are James Dashner who was seen in his The Maze Runner trilogy and Jenny Han who made a cameo in her recent film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

So, I ask for one thing as we enter into the next phase of Marvel movies: when we see Stan Lee, let us sit and reflect on his impact on the film industry; let us raise our hands in the cinema for a man who has changed the landscape of cinematic history in more ways than one and let us never forget the man who brought hope and the future to our screens. So, till then – Excelsior!

1922

ith News of his death in the past week, it is time to reflect on Stan Lee’s influence in all areas of entertainment, and whilst film is one of the most obvious benefactors of Lee’s genius, the small screen has been turned around by the world of superheroes in recent years, definitely for the better.

Personally, Lee’s influence on TV started for me in childhood with cartoon adaptations of his best creations. And these weren’t adaptations that dumbed themselves down for children. These were true, witty, action-packed superhero stories such as the Amazing Spiderman, battling Doc Oc and the Green Goblin every week to epic theme tunes and web slinging fun. Or the X-Men teaming up to take down the latest rogue mutant (I can still sing along to the X-Men cartoon theme tune today).

Lee’s creations show they can transgress any medium and any generational bounds. These supposed children cartoons are still something that could keep me entertained even in my 20s. These cartoons were a staple of mine and of many children’s TV fanaticism in the early 2000s. Come home from a hard day of school, sit on the sofa and watch some Spiderman?

What a life!

In recent years the occurrence of superheroes in television has increased exponentially, with Marvel expanding its incredibly popular MCU to the silver screen, with very popular results. Shows such as Jessica Jones and Daredevil, whilst not the most obvious heroes in Marvel’s alumni, has shown that Lee’s influence has led to these seriously intriguing mystery superhero dramas that even can cater to adults too.

Many people who claim to not be fans of super-

heroes have claimed to love Jessica Jones due to its brilliant depiction of mental health issues and its role in female representation on TV. What some people don’t see when viewing these programmes is that Stan and Marvel have influenced it all. It’s because of his original intent to entertain everyone with these incredible characters that these shows now exist in all kind of formats.

It is not just Marvel’s expansion onto TV that we have STAN AND to thank Stan MARVEL for, we can thank him INFLUENCED for the success IT ALL of almost all superhero TV and media. Stan Lee has been a constant face in the media, actively involved in all things hero since their first introduction into western culture. His mark will be left on all things hero and all things comic book whether we notice it or not. We see this in the outpouring of emotion from DC stars, The Walking Dead stars and others that aren’t affiliated with Marvel itself. Lee will forever be the father of the genre, and no one wishes to take that away from him.

Stan Lee’s death is a difficult one for all fans to deal with, the intelligence of his character design knew no bounds. It is now in the hands of the big studios to not let his vision of heroes for all die too. With many of these studios being run by fans of Lee and his work, I believe his influence on media will continue for years to come.

1972

Lee stopped writing monthly comic books to assume the role of publisher

Image: Wikipedia

2010

Lee sets up the Stan Lee Foundation, supporting literacy, education and the arts.

1966

The Amazing Spider Man becomes MARVEL’s top seller, addressing issues such as the Vietnam War, drug abuse and racism.

1981

Lee moves to California to begin developments in the Tv, film and gaming industries

2018

Stan Lee died at the age of 95 on 12th November in hospital in California, after fighting pneumonia.

24

culture music

the courier

c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis, Max Hobbs Online Editor Max Hobbs

Monday 25 November 2018

Spice Girls reunion - Zig-a-zig-nah?

Orlagh Husband and Sian Dickie discuss the revelation of the new Spice Girls tour and Posh’s unwillingness to participate

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o here’s the story, the Spice Girls are doing a reunion tour, but Posh won’t be in tow. Do we really blame Posh for turning down the opportunity to relive her youth? As the Spice Girls get set to tour the country on their new Viva Forever Reunion Tour, Posh says Viva Never. The Spice Girls have always been everybody’s childhood favourite, with the girl who knew all the words to the Wannabe rap being the coolest kid in the class.

It is true that bands love a reunion tour, arguably in a last ditch attempt to make some more money, with Steps, McBusted and Take That all undertaking sold out tours, the Spice Girls aren’t any different. But why are they doing it? Is it really to please the fans?

With the tour deeming so popular, they have added extra dates and rumours of it going global, are their fans naïve to think it’ll be like old times? The reunion tour has the potential to let a lot of fans down, reminding those revelling in the reunion of their childhood idols that the novelty wore off twenty years ago.

Victoria Beckham, now one of the most famous names in fashion, has no need to re-join her girls on stage for a desperate attempt at regaining fame. VB is allegedly worth over 10 times the amount of her fellow Spice Girls, with a reported network of $450 million, Posh no longer needs to pretend she can sing.

The Spice Girls have remained in the background of current news, with Gerri Halliwell marrying

one of the biggest names in Formula One Racing, and Mel B’s airing her own reality show ‘It’s a Scary World’ in the US. But always shadowed by the success of Posh’s fashion empire, could this be the girls’ attempt at regaining some fame in their later years?

Admittedly, Take That’s reunion was just as, if not more, successful than the first time around leaving Robbie to deal with his own eccentricities.

However, at Spice Girl tickets starting at an astronomical £77, for a seat so far away from the stage it may as well be out of the arena, the band won’t be short of a few bob after they’ve finished with their Viva Forever tour. Fans are so desperate to get their hands on these tickets; they’re buying from resale site for almost

Image: Wikimedia Commons

12 times their original price. There is an overwhelming demand from the fans for a reunion reflected in the almost instantaneous sell out of tickets, but will they sing any of their classics? Or will it be a new image?

Call me a pessimist, but will four women in their mid-forties singing ‘if you wannabe my lover’ in a union jack dresses and leopard print catsuits have the same impact it did 22 years ago?

All I have to say to the Spice Girls’ attempt at reuniting is, stop right now, thank you very much.

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Orlagh Husband

n recent years there has been a resurgence in 90s nostalgia, from fashion to music, reunions of all kinds are happening and the Spice Girls are no exception. Minus, Victoria Beckham (otherwise known as Posh Spice) the band plan to tour Summer 2019, with various shows across the UK. Tickets sold out in minutes, after being released last Saturday, the band’s lowest price seat was around £63, with the resales, going into triple figures. I feel like this is an unfair price to pay for a band that hasn’t released new music in nearly 20 years and I have to wonder how the women of the Spice Girls feel about this. All of them, aside from Posh, come from a working-class background, and doesn’t this alienate a significant amount of their fanbase if they can’t afford the tickets? It makes me feel like the women aren’t doing this for their fans, but only cementing their wealth for the future, when they can no longer “swing it, shake it, move it, make it” without breaking a hip.

I have to wonder whether the band is worth this price, don’t get me wrong, I love the Spice Girls but are they truly the Spice Girls without Beckham? I would argue, no. Victoria has fully moved on from those days, with her fashion brand taking off in the States. The other girls have clearly had successes too, but Beckham didn’t reach her peak during the ‘Spice’ days and therefore, I don’t feel like she desires the nostalgia for her 20s like the others.

She has also commented on her lack of musicality and her stage fright, recently explaining on Bustle.com that “I hung up my microphone some time ago and I get scared when I get up on stage and see a mic.”

I feel that there is a market for the band’s live tour.

Other band’s from the 90s such as Steps have reunited with great success. However, I feel like there is another level to which the Spice Girls are able to appeal to, with the youth demographic learning about their mission of ‘Girl Power’ from 20 years ago. I wouldn’t exactly call the Spice Girls’ brand of feminism perfect, especially considering that the girl’s considered themselves ‘Thatcherites’ during the 90s. However, the light hearted dance music and resurgence of 90s culture makes it the perfect time for them to reform.

Sian Dickie

California wildfires coverage: the suffering behind the screen

Emily Rose Jackson and Carys Rose Thomas share their opinions on the treatment of the victims of the devastation in LA

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alifornia’s deadliest wildfire started on the 8th November, roaring through the state destroying homes, nature and lives. At the time of writing the death toll has reached 71, with the number of people unaccounted for totalling up to a terrifying 1,011.

This is a horrific event, that many will never recover from and has taken many lives. However, the depiction of the event in the press has had a very celebrity-centric representation. News coverage around which Kardashian household has been evacuated has circulated more than information about the missing, which if shared with same volume could mean people are found faster and reunited with their families, bringing peace to many people.

I can sympathise that it must be truly devastating to have your home destroyed, your safe place (a sanctuary for celebrities who are hounded by the paparazzi) full of memories and treasured sentimental possessions destroyed. I also recognise that sat in my flat now, I cannot relate to those horrors, and I’m eternally grateful for that and I have full empathy for the celebrities who have lost.

Nevertheless, they can afford to rebuild homes and their overall livelihood as an actor/musician etc. will be much less affected than that of say the teacher from Malibu whose home and workplace destroyed, someone who maybe doesn’t even have home insurance.

Overall, I believe that we really need to overhaul the way that we report news; giving every citizen the same amount of attention and remembering to always treat victims with respect and giving them the well wishes they deserve. It is also important to raise awareness of the phenomenal work the emergency services due at the point of any disas-

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ast Friday’s Woolsey fire has since been declared the most destructive fire in L.A. county’s history, with at least 50 people killed and 200 initially reported missing following the blaze.

Reading the coverage of the wildfires, you would be easily forgiven for thinking that the only people who live in these villages in the Santa Monica mountains are A-list musicians and actors, as they seem to be the only names getting any recognition. It isn’t particularly surprising, given the media’s fascination with celebrity culture that much of the focus of this event has been around celebrity musicians and the likes who were affected by the fire. None for those who lost their lives, none for the firefighters and locals who came out to battle the blaze.

Even amongst celebrities, focus has been moved away from those like Gerard Butler and Miley Cyrus whose homes have been left in ruins, and turned towards Kim & Kanye, the couple whose house went unscathed in the fires.

According to TMZ, the couple forked out $50 million to pay for private firefighters who protected their home and surrounding homes with hoses, as well as digging a trench around the mansion to prevent the spread of the fire to the area. The pair are receiving much praise for helping and protecting their neighbours, but the only thing I can see coming out of this is the glaringly obvious and frankly Images: Instagram @liamhemsworth; Twitter @gerardbutler; Wikipedia terrifying realisation of what climate

ter, they are the heroes. We are a generation obsessed with the ‘celebrity’, and as much as they can do fabulous work to raise awareness and highlight important issues, we need to be increasingly careful not to give them God-like status.

That being said, I wish anyone affected by the California fire all the best, and I sincerely hope that those blessed with wealth use their power to help those suffering or whom have lost.

Emily Rose Jackson

change is going to look like under neoliberalism.

In a society where everyone’s best interest is themselves, billionaire musicians like Kanye can afford to shell out for private protection from natural disasters like wildfires in a way that other poorer people can’t. Instead of putting that $50 million towards protecting their own home, why didn’t Kim and Kanye shell that kind of money out to hire private firefighters to help those already working to strategically stop and contain the fire where they could, protecting the homes of all in the neighbourhood? I wonder if that idea ever even occurred to them as an option.

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, whose house was completely destroyed in the fire have donated $500k to Wildfire Relief in light of losing their home. These are the kinds of steps big name musicians and actors should be taking. Not only because it is good of them to donate to those who can’t afford the luxuries they can, but because it sets a precedent to those who look up to them that it is right to help those less fortunate than themselves whoever the opportunity to do so is afforded to them.

Sadly, there is no real way to shift mainstream media’s focus from the lives of famous musicians to those who came out and helped in the wildfires when it was not demanded of them to do so. There’s also no way to make the media care more about those regular people who did die than the rich and influential who went completely unscathed. I do, however, hope that more celeb musicians follow Miley’s approach, using their wealth and platform to promote helping others, not just themselves.

Carys Rose Thomas

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Monday 25 November 2018

@CourierMusic thecourieronline.co.uk/music

Muse

music culture

Simulation Theory

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efore Simulation Theory, Muse released two singles - ‘Dig Down’ in May 2017 and then ‘Thought Contagion’ in February of the next year. The unusual timing of these tracks didn’t correlate with the lead-up to a fully fledged album, so I was ready to assume that they were experimental one-offs.

And yet, the band seems to have gone all-in with both the blandness of ‘Dig Down’ and the excitement of ‘Thought Contagion’, as Simulation Theory is as much of a mixed bag as the singles that came before it.

Muse are known for approaching the idea of a concept

The album does touch on the current political landscape, but does so through the lens of airy, ‘80’s inspired synth

album to some degree with all of their releases, most notably in 2012 with The 2nd Law and in 2015 with Drones. Simulation Theory continues this trend, but mostly in terms of style and less so with the thematic weight of something like global warming or dehumanisation via mechanisation.

The album does touch on the current political landscape, but does so through the lens of airy, ‘80’s inspired synth infused with Muse’s classic operatic flair. This merging of styles is perhaps most evident in ‘Algorithm’, the album’s opening track.

This stylistic experimentation works to great effect, with ‘Pressure’, ‘Propaganda’, ‘Something Human’ and, of

Mumford and Sons Delta

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umford and Sons are one of the British alternative rock bands, which rose to fame around 2010. Their style can be described as folk rock.

Delta is their fourth album following Wilder Mind, which was a commercial flop.

‘42’ is a very nice opening to the album. Decent instrumentation, nice progression, and alright vocal. It complies with the specific Mumford and Sons style and made me interested in what they will offer us further. Unfortunately, after that songs seem to merge with each other. However, ‘The Wild’ and ‘Rose of Sharon’ stand out from the mass.

Both quite beautiful and very relaxing.

‘Picture You’ has a very weird production – I think they attempted to copy Coldplay, as a desperate attempt to appeal to the widest audience possible. The end result is painful to listen to, which is a shame because the lyrics are actually quite catchy. Next song, ‘Darkness Visible’ is so inconsistent, it’s annoying. This track channels Jai Paul, as they wanted to produce something more modern and edgier. It could work if it was produced better, however, it still wouldn’t fit the album overall or even band’s style for that matter.

This album has 14 songs and maybe five are decent

The lyrics in ‘If I Say’ and ‘Forever’ are banal and sloppy.

The instrumentation is alright, but again the production is quite poor. The additions of violin and piano could have been mixed smoother with the drums and the beat. ‘Wild Heart’ has a strong Mark Knopfler vibe, a bit too similar for my taste. However, it’s probably the best song on the album.

So, have Mumford’s improved on their mistakes? They definitely tried, but the result is as bland as the album’s cover. In my opinion, ‘Delta’ shows that Mumford and Sons should work on the balance between quality and quantity.

This album has 14 songs and maybe 5 are decent.

Jagoda Waszkowiak

New Fender guitar shape rocks opinion

course, ‘Thought Contagion’ all being standout tracks on the album. Across the board, these tracks incorporate

2015

The year in which ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry

references to ‘80’s pop culture, most notably in the music videos - ‘Thought Contagion’ pays homage to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, and ‘Pressure’ parodies the school dance scene from Back to the Future. On top of all that, the Terry Crews cameos are a bonus.

It’s not all good though. As previously mentioned, ‘Dig Down’ is a clear misfire, and songs like ‘Get Up and Fight’ and ‘The Void’ are further examples of this. ‘Get Up and

Fight’ in particular has ended up as nothing more than a discount version of 2015’s ‘Mercy’. Serving as uninspired, paint-by-numbers Muse, these efforts come across as lazy ways to build up an already meagre number of tracks (eleven in total, with varying alternate mixes bolstering the deluxe edition).

It’s clear then that what’s there is a mixed bag, and the reception from fans seem to have mirrored this. It’ll be interesting to see how many of the new tracks make an appearance in Muse’s upcoming tour or if the band decides to fall back on their extensive catalogue of tried and tested hits.

And while songs like ‘Thought Contagion’ have proven to be fantastic in front of a live audience (Muse even included a recording of an arena performance on the deluxe edition), it remains to be seen if they can sit alongside fan favourites like ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ and ‘Psycho’.

Jaden Smith The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story

Little Mix LM5

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f you can believe it, Little Mix have been together since 2011. That’s 7 years … Not to make it sound like a clickbait-y article but, feel old yet?

Which does mean, that embarrassingly or not, I have loved Little Mix for the last seven years. The main reason I’ve always had this love is the fact that they’re always sending out good messages to women, with words of body positivity and self-care. And LM5 their latest album is no exception.

We start with ‘The National Manthem’, an a capella track about how to treat women. I understand that they were trying to set the album off with a key message about feminism, by ‘praying to the goddess’, but this stripped back track really doesn’t gel with the next. This weird juxtaposition is found throughout the album, making it quite difficult to listen to as a collective work.

Skip down a couple tracks and you’ve got ‘Strip’. This song is probably one of my favourites, it could not be any less obviously body positive, every single line is about loving your body, no matter what. I’m all down for a song which yells from the rooftops ‘Sexiest when I’m confident’.

‘Love a Girl Right’ is wonderful and weird. Sort of sounds like a classic RnB track, but with nods to some of my favourite 90s tracks – think Scandalous and Livin’ da Vida Loca. I’m kinda getting old school Justin Timberlake vibes and I love it.

‘Wasabi’ is the most confusing song on the album. It seems to be a billion different genres glued together. The beginning starts similarly to ‘Strip’, and then all of a sudden it sounds like the song is being sung through a loud speaker, and then it’s super grungy. Weird.

Having come from X Factor and being incredibly young when they started out, I feel like Little Mix have struggled to change their image and be taken more seriously by the music industry. With this album, I think they’re attempting to try lots of different things to see what sticks with their audience. The album is not one cohesive work, but it’s a collection of absolute bangers. I’m still ready to memorise all the words to every song on this album and belt them out in Powerhouse.

Scarlett Rowland

George Boatfield

The evolution of guitar: a 100-year crash course

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A

continuation of the Cool Tapes series by Jaden, The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape is the new mixtape release from Jaden. Released one year after his debut album Syre.

The production on the mixtape is excellent, ranging from dreamy, 808 based ‘SOHO’ to ‘Plastic’ which emulates a Travis Scott sound. The production is what is expected of Roc Nation project. This is due to the small army of producers on this mixtape, with Southside Legend Fuse of 808 Mafia and rising star Ayo the producer.

The weakest element of the project is Jaden himself which can be narrowed down into two big issues. The first is lyricism and song themes, or lack of. I don’t come to Jaden for lyricism, but I do expect catchy hooks and a vibe. This mixtape lacks this, especially when compared to Syre.

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uitar players are a stubborn bunch when it comes to innovation, usually opting for tried-and-tested designs; Staples of the instrument, from the stratocater to the Les Paul, date back as far as the late 50s and early 60s. Needless to say, fender’s recent announcement of a brand-new guitar shape, dubbed the Meteora, has invited a mixed reaction.

Personally, I’m a fan. Its certainly different, but it’s still fundamentally conservative in its inspiration, taking cues from two of Fender’s most popular shapes: the telecaster (think Jeff Image: YouTube Buckley, Joe Strummer) and the jazzmaster (think Johnny Marr, literally any indie rock band). The result is something that is traditional whilst still being distinctly new.

Whilst I feel that the criticism is unfair, I don’t blame guitar players for being cautious. After all, they’ve been burned before. Never mind the garish trends of the 1980s that saw guitars become increasingly pointy and angular until they looked more like weapons. The real crimes started when technology started being abused.

In 2010, Gibson released the Firebird X: a computerised crime against music that had wireless connectivity, an onboard effects unit and robotic automatic tuners. Naturally, it was a complete commercial failure and was quickly removed from Gibson’s catalogue and never mentioned again.

Flash forward and guitar manufacturers seem to have a better handle on what a novel guitar should look like.

The meteora may divide opinion, but in my book it’s a welcome change, and one that’s sure to be embraced.

The debut album chart position for Syre in 2017

Moreover, when we examine the tracks themselves, we find little substance. The songs vaguely cover break up but are mainly just vague points Jaden throws out, such as on ‘SOHO’ where he congratulates himself on not leaking a girl’s nudes. The mixtape feels like Jaden is just reading out his tweets at some points, with him talking about being ‘woke’ and people wanting to shut him up.The second issue is down to influences, or more accurately, copying. This mixtape sounds like a karaoke version of your favourite new school rappers. On ‘Plastic’ we get a Travis Scott impression, later in the mixtape we get Lil Uzi Vert impressions; throughout the entire project Kid Cudi is mimicked and even when Jaden tries to rap, we get a watered-down Tyler, The Creator or A$AP Rocky if he is trying to floss.

The mixtape doesn’t have anything original or unique and the only thing to like is the production.

Callum Trainor

he electric guitar has been around since the late 1930s, but it was only with Leo Fender’s solidbody Esquire model (right) that the invention really made sense. Musicians were playing to larger and larger audiences and, increasingly, acoustic guitars weren’t cutting it volume-wise.

The Esquire was loud, bright and resistant to feedback, so solved the problem Image: Wikimedia Commons perfectly.

However, electric guitars soon pivoted from being about volume to being about tone, with Gibson’s Les Paul diversifying the market with its warmer, bassier sound. By the time the 80s came around, there were thousands of models and as many manufacturers. Hair metal was all the rage though, and Guitar became about who could shred the fastest and with the most sex appeal.

Steve Vai’s signature creation,The Ibanez Jem (left) fit the times like a glove, with a whammy bar, easy playability and lairy design.

Now, don’t get me wrong, technology is a wonderful thing. That said, you wouldn’t computerise a violin or a classic car. Nor t he n , ladies and gentlemen, would any Image: Wikipedia vaguely selfrespecting person endorse the Firebird X (right), with its self-tuning pegs and a light-up control panel that is designed to be used alongside a laptop. No. Image: YouTube Go away.

Max

/TheCourierMusic @Courier_Music

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the courier

culture TV

by Satanists: Another Chilling Adventure Netflix: Sued Elisabetta Pulcini reports on the second round of Sabrina vs Satan as the Netflix show is sued Pick ‘n’ Mix B

Monday 26 November 2018

c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors: Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney, Chloe Mullins

Joe Hollaran watches Love Credit: CMetalCore (Wikimedia)

e it for a PR stunt or a powerful conviction, the Satanic Temple is suing Netflix show The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina over the statue portraying Baphomet, an important deity of the satanic religion.

The Temple was pretty clear, stating that they are not claiming rights over the representation of Baphomet, which borrows from the famous depiction by Eliphas Lev, but rather the specific layout of the statue. In fact, although not an exact copy, the show’s prop does bear an undeniable resemblance to the real life version: both feature the deity in the same position with children looking up to it.

The Church of Satan, not to be confused with the satanic group bringing the claim, has distanced themselves from this lawsuit, dismissing it as a childish publicity stunt.

However, to get a deeper understanding of this event, it is important to hint at the history that lies beneath this apparently futile issue. Before detaching themselves from this claim, even the Church of Satan, founded over 50 year ago by Anton Szandor LaVey, has expressed concerns over traditional, and in their opinion, inaccurate depiction of Satanists.

Both the Church of Satan and the Satanic Temple declare their affiliation to Atheism, and the acceptance of

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ver the course of the last fifteen or so years, many teen-centric comedy shows and films have dominated the scripted comedy genre.

This is largely the work of one man; Judd Apatow.

Apatows reputation precedes him, he is a master of the bringing the humour out of the awkwardness and pitfalls of being an average person in the world today. It was with this legacy in mind that I sat down to watch the first season of his Netflix rom-com Love.

Before I get into analysing the series as a whole I should at first establish that my expectations going into watching the series was mixed. I have, like many others, loved many of his movies (Anchorman, 40-Year Old Virgin, Trainwreck) and TV shows (Freaks & Geeks, Girls, Crashing), but I can't help but feel like Love would be just another of these formulaic - albeit funny - shows. My feeling was what can he bring to the party that we haven't already seen from him before?

The answer was obvious by the end of the first episode.

He gets the time and space to develop and showcase the story of one individual character, rather than his usual group. The show is Apatow’s baby entirely in a way that he hasn't had before, and it shows. Lead Gillian Jacobs portrays Mickey Dobbs. She is supported by a very strong cast including Paul Rust as Mickey's new friend Gus and the brilliant Claudia O'Dohery as roommate Bertie.

These three have what may be the best on-screen chemistry of anyone in any of Apatows works. The shows cast is undoubtedly its biggest strength, helped by the numerous brilliant comedic cameos throughout.

The show revolves around the work and love life of radio manager Mickey, as she struggles with commitment, intimacy and life- the responsibilities of life as a millennial all grown-up. Mickey is a heavy drinker, drug taker and all around mess when we meet her as the series enters its first few episodes. Her self-deprecation endears her to me as the series went on. Her social opposite, Gus, is in many ways the typical beta-male so often seen in Apatow’s works. My fears of repetition were proven to be true in this sense. But, Gus and Mickey's back-and-forth, ‘will they won't they’ relationship is far more gripping and hilarious than the simple pretty girl - geeky guy paradigm we see so often.

It manages to find the right balance between the absurdity [...] and the pathos With Love, Apatow - freed from the two-hour time constrains of the big screen - is able to showcase more nuance and emotions from his cast in-between the absurd and crude hilarity that is his trademark. It manages to find the right balance between the absurdity of his cinematic exploits and the pathos and social realism found in Girls.

Overall, series one of Love is a great example of how to do a romantic comedy that appeals all sensibilities. Although it starts pretty slowly and the characters at first can be irritating, as the series goes on everything about it improves and it quickly becomes addictive. Perfectly fitted to the Netflix platform. So, if you're looking for a show to watch with your significant other but find traditional romcoms too soppy or formulaic, then you will love Love.

Credit: YouTube

men’s true nature: yet the common depiction these shows bring is of total devotion to Satan, who is treated like a god.

Although the figure of Satan and other deities in these religions are understood as powerful symbols of free will and human nature, in these shows they are often shown as evil forces that draw men into all sorts of hellish affairs, such as ritual cannibalism and witchcraft. It is in these sorts of stereotypes that the satanic panic of the 80s and late-90s buries its roots.

With mass hysteria leading to the imprisonment of numerous people, most infamously the West Memphis Three, this sort of misrepresentation is not to be taken lightly, especially when it infringes the law while doing so.

All of this history has built up to the importance of the claim brought by the Satanic Temple. For organizations that want to distance themselves from such stereotypes, it is understandable how the use of one of their statues would strike as not only unlawful, but offensive. The show complies with the traditional view of the satanic practice, portraying it as the dark side.

£38m

Credit: YouTube

Reviews Louis Theroux's Altered States

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Available on BBC iPlayer

n his new three-part documentary series, Altered States, national treasure and husband of my dreams Louis Theroux travels around America to deal with the topics of birth, love, and death.

In the series’ first episode Theroux visits couples in polyamorous relationships, beginning with a terrible example of what ‘polyamory’ can become without communication. The documentary shows a man, Jerry, struggling to keep hold of his wife Heidi’s affections, agreeing for her to have sex with another man. Later in the episode, Jerry’s discomfort at the situation is furthered. After being prompted by Louis, he talks about how he would be happy to engage sexually with Heidi and her lover – but Heidi shuts this down, saying it’s not something that she’s looking for. It became clear that there are unresolved questions not asked by either Jerry or Heidi, leaving the viewer wondering whether these people are really happy in their multi-person relationship.

This episode did however create the one of the all-time greatest images of Theroux, which he then posted onto his Twitter account (see below). Who doesn’t want to see awkwardly precious documentarian at a sex party? As hilarious at this part of the episode is, it is admittedly one of the only points in the series so far that offers any sort of comic relief – a moment to catch your breath and think about what you’re watching.

The second episode deals with assisted suicide. I made the mistake of watching this in the library, getting a couple of strange looks for bawling. They probably assumed it was dissertation strife. Most people in this episode are suffering from chronic or life-threatening illnesses and are looking for a more civilised way to die. The most heartbreaking part of this episode is Debra, a woman who lost her husband and now, as she has aged, feels as if she’s losing her mind. She reaches out to Final Exit Network, an organisation that helps her organise her own death. Theroux really presses Debra, wondering why she wants to die – ultimately asking whether it’s because of the loss of her husband. It’s clear that he’s worried she’s making this decision based on her loneliness alone.

Who doesn't want to see an awkwardly precious documentarian at a sex party?

Credit: @louistheroux (Twitter)

Founded via a crowdfunding campaign, the meaning behind the statue is pretty interesting: not only did it serve as a religious symbol, but it was specifically meant as a promotion of freedom of religion, standing in contrast to a Christian monument in Oklahoma City. For fear of an excessive response, the statue ended up being moved to Detroit, where it currently stands.

Maybe this is still a childish PR stunt. Maybe the Satanic Temple just wants to take the entertainment giant for a ride. This doesn’t change the law: the prop bears an undeniable resemblance to the statue, and the meaning assigned to it by the show amounts to false description.

This is probably why Warner Bros. has agreed to reach an ‘amicable settlement’ with the group.

Derren Brown: Sacrifice

D Credit: YouTube

No other current documentary maker could have pulled off this exploration of such intense topics: simply put, Louis Theroux has mastered the art of asking questions. I thoroughly look forward to seeing how he will broach the topic of high-cost adoptions in the final part of the series.

Scarlett Rowland

The amount of money that the Satanic Temple is suing the creators of Sabrina for.

Available on Netflix

erren Brown is back with a new mind-bending special. Sacrifice sees the renowned illusionist subject Phil, an American with a highly dubious stance on immigration, to various psychological tests under the guise of a scientific researcher.

Culminating in an attempt to have Phil take a bullet for a supposed illegal Mexican immigrant, Sacrifice is an exploration of the power of the human mind and the underlying unifying nature of humanity.

The special episode was aired specifically for Netflix on 19 October, marking the magician’s first move away from Channel 4. It also featured a change of scenery for Brown, with much of the episode based in the USA, perhaps as his widespread fame in the UK risks undermining the legitimacy of his experiments.

Credit: YouTube Sacrifice has received mixed reviews, facing criticism from those who questioned the show’s ethics and labelled Brown’s actions as manipulative. However, all subjects involved in Brown’s experiments will have signed disclaimers agreeing to this supposed manipulation. Brown has also emphasised that ‘after care is an important part of [the show]’ and has remained in contact with Phil, introducing him to the subjects of Pushed to the Edge and Apocalypse, his previous two specials.

Ultimately, Sacrifice, with its focus on morality and the psychological over the mystical, is another fascinating experiment from the illusionist and well worth a watch.

Alex Moore

/thecouriertv @Courier_TV

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TV culture RuVeal! Meet the queens of Drag Race's All Stars Four Sophie Hicks comments on the unveiling of the latest set of queens appearing in the RuPaul-fronted spin-off show, All Stars T Monday 26 November 2018

he queens for RuPaul’s All Stars 4 were announced on a livestream hosted by Trixie Mattel, Detox and Katya. Farrah Moan was first announced to All Stars, and hopefully she spends less time crying and more time focusing on her performances.

Also from season 9 is Trinity Tuck, she showed a lot of growth through her season, so I think in All Stars she will really use every opportunity to improve herself.

I am not so hopeful for Gia Gunn because in her season she seemed to lack personality, becoming completely forgetful; but then again, the point for All Stars is to give

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performers a second chance at redemption. I am looking forward to seeing Jasmine Masters because she is hilarious, with many memorable quotes despite only being in her season for a few episodes. I am excited to see Latrice Royale return; however she has already been on the first season of All Stars so I feel maybe someone else should have had an opportunity of redemption.

The next All Stars contestant announced is another from the original season of All Stars, Manila Luzon. She has the same issue that she has already been on All Stars, but I think it will be interesting to see how both Latrice

Royale and Manila Luzon have grown together since their time on Drag Race and All Stars. Monét X Change and Monique Heart are both fresh out of season 10 and may have a disadvantage as they have been on Drag Race most recently, with little time to prepare and grow for All Stars.

Another queen I am very excited to see return is Naomi Smalls as she always had the best runway looks of her season, and was so close to winning her own season, with a huge fanbase behind her.

The one I am most curious about is the return of Valentina. I was fully convinced she was going to win her season

until her terrible lip sync. However, since her season people’s opinions became negative, as in her reunion episode she came across very cold. We want to see who the real Valentina is, especially since she has drama with Farrah Moan. I think this season of All Stars will be very entertaining to watch as many favourite queens are returning, alongside ones which have existing drama between them which I’m sure will unravel.

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Four begins on 14th December this year, on VH1 in America. The show has yet to be picked up in the UK.

Credit: YouTube

Disney's Marvellous addition

Jacob Clarke discusses Disney's plan to introduce Marvelbased programmes into its brand new streaming service

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ast week Disney announced plans to add some MCU-based shows to its new Netflix competitor. This is in light of the cancellation and declining interest in Netflix’s own MCU shows such as Luke Cage and Iron Fist, suggesting Disney is aiming for a monopoly on all Marvel themed entertainment productions.

Despite some definite flops (see Inhumans), Marvel’s recent TV quality has been well above standard, from the intriguing Jessica Jones, resurrecting the dead Daredevil franchise and looking into a more obscure, politically inclined series such as Cloak and Dagger. This means Disney has a lot to live up to in creating their own series based on the popular superhero universe. And let me tell you, they’ve started off big.

Disney has announced that Tom Hiddleston’s Loki will be receiving his own show. However, last time we saw the God of Mischief he was, well, dead. If we are being honest, being dead has not stopped Thor’s brother from returning before, however recently Mar-

vel has been receiving a lot of flak for always bringing their characters back from the dead, lessening the impact of onscreen deaths.

Disney does certainly have a lot to live up to with these new series

This new venture would give Marvel a chance to look at Loki’s backstory instead: his tragic upbringing as the hated spawn of ice giants, leading to his role as the outcast in the royal court of Asgaard would certainly be an interesting storyline to follow.

Loki is not the only fan favourite to receive his own series. Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlett Witch will also be gracing the small screen with her mutant magic.

This is an odd choice by Disney as Scarlett Witch’s backstory has already received some decent explanation with her hatred of Stark industries and her relationship to Quicksilver in Age of Ultron. Marvel could follow the two mutants in their adolescence as teens just finding their powers for the first time.

This would also be a great way to bring back Quicksilver as a mutant now that Disney is on its way to owning Fox’s Marvel properties such as X-Men.Disney does certainly have a lot to live up to with these new series, especially with some of the controversial characters they have chosen.

However, with the success Disney has had with the Marvel name in the last decade, fans should certainly Credit: YouTube be excited for some more

I'm A Celeb 2018

Lucy Lillystone gives us the low-down on this year's line-up

I

’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! is always something I look forward to and this year, the line-up looks AMAZING. And although we won’t have our favourite duo Ant and Dec, with Ant being replaced by Holly Willoughby, I’m sure the contestants this year will definitely make up for it.

Joining the jungle this year, Corrie’s wonderful Sair Khan will be leaving the luxuries of her actress life to live among the crocs and I for one am super excited to see how she behaves outside of her role on the famous soap.

Will she be as funny as her co-star Helen Flanagan? I can’t wait to find out.

And that’s not everyone. Our wonderful, intellectual chaser, Anne Hegerty will be strapping up to fly in a Helicopter this Christmas to endure the nightmare that is the jungle: will she be as scary as she is on The Chase? Will we get some feisty arguments over intellectualism? Who knows but I am sure excited to see if she is willing to eat a Kangaroo penis.

Joining these two will be the Deal or No Deal star, Noel Edmonds who, although not apparently entering the jungle from the start, will be one of Holly and Dec’s ‘secret’ contestants. With Noel Edmonds practically known by EVERYONE, this definitely will be a shock for the other celebs and will hopefully be a great entertainment for many viewers.

Out of the Tardis and his role in the former brilliant show Torchwood, it was announced later than the other contestants that John Barrowman, the man, the myth and the legend will also be

joining this years contestants in the jungle and boy, am I excited for this one. Having been interviewed on his participation, Barrowman said: “I want to do the trials for sure. I want people to vote for me. I want to keep myself busy.”

And I for one truly hope he does get to do as many trials as possible as no doubt it will be hilarious! Can you imagine him underground with millions of spiders? I love it.

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The number of years that the show has been running, and this is the first without Ant McPartlin.

This year ITV have truly outdone themselves with the contestants. Usually, I never know who anyone is and yet, I still find it entertaining but this year, with many of the participants being famous icons, I will be relishing in the tasks.

I’m A Celeb started on 18 November 2018 and is on every day. Get yourself on that sofa and watch the likes of these celebrities and more go through hell on live TV!

Credit: YouTube

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culture film The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Image: Pixabay

George Miller Image: Wikicommons

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eorge Miller is honestly one of my favourite directors, known most notably for the creation of the Mad Max franchise. Yet every director has their bad day. Let’s take a look at three of Miller’s films, one good, one bad, and one plain awful.

Starting off on a high note, let’s have a look at Mad Max: Fury Road. This film’s sense of spectacle is simply marvellous. Practical effects blended seamlessly with CGI create a powerful, kinetic story. Miller deftly creates a world to envelop us despite minimal writing, hooking the audience through just their eyes alone. The ballet of action films, Fury Road visualises the apocalypse in masterful beauty. Seriously, go watch this movie.

Image: YouTube

This film as ‘the Bad’ of this article may be controversial.

The original Mad Max is by no means a bad film. It’s simply suffers from being the first in a very successful series. Being released in 1979, Mad Max holds up to its age surprisingly well, despite its $400,000 budget. The film falls short in only being inferior to most of its sequelswith Mad Max 2, Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road all matching if not exceeding its storytelling power. Mad Max is damn good, but suffers a little from having to introduce us on such a low budget.

c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Film Editors: Jimmy Athey, Joe Holloran

Is it time for J.K. Rowling to close th

Lucy Lillystone and Sophie Hicks debate whether the Harry Potter universe has the potential for mo

Yes: Lucy Lillystone

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n my opinion, the Harry Potter franchise is a classic because it was a great series and framed many people’s childhoods, but with each reboot comes a huge sigh from fans as it continues to disappoint.

I understand that Harry Potter basically prints money and everything related to it does extremely well, but I think for the franchise’s reputation it should stop. The Cursed Child received mixed reviews, as has Fantastic Beasts, with multiple controversies surrounding decisions in casting and the plot. I think after the lukewarm reception of the Fantastic Beats franchise Harry Potter should not continue.

There may be loose ties in the original plot, but I think the series was long enough and ended well, only to then be wrecked by spin-offs such as The Cursed Child. With each disappointment, the fans become more enraged and distanced.

Of course I love the universe and would love to see it expand, but they never seem to do the spin-offs well, with frankly lazy and unnecessary writing.

I would much prefer if they left the franchise alone in its glory rather than tarnishing its name further. Fantastic Beasts already seems unnecessary and is clearly a cash-cow rather than actually adding anything significant to the series. It lacks the heart of the original franchise and is replaced Image: YouTube

continue, because no matter what they do it won’t be able to compete with the originals, always in their shadow and subject to intense criticism from fans, especially since the current reboots of Fantastic Beasts and The Cursed Child have such lazy writing they sound like fanfics. Fans are getting tired of disappointment and if the filmakers don’t bother to put the time in to make plots that are substantial in depth and creativity, then I think they should just stop continuing the Harry Potter universe.

Image: LongPlay (flickr)

Steven Ross discusses his top five Oscar winning mistakes. Do you agree with his choices?

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S

omewhere between All Quiet on the Western Front and Schindler’s List, Hollywood realised that if you make a movie about a depressing period in history, then you’ll bag a load of Oscars.

Unfortunately, unlike the former films, the only thing 12 Years is worthy of is the term Oscar Bait.

Yes, the film is really sad, and yes it has a few moving moments spread thinly throughout its 2 hours and 15 minute run time, which felt more like 12 years…

'Remember Me' (Coco): Best Original Song (2018)

have an axe to grind with this one. I put a few bets on this year’s Oscars and not one of them came in. I thought that a few quid on 'This Is Me' to win best song was a sure thing. A song about the importance of self-acceptance sung by a bearded woman who does not give a damn about what anyone thinks. And it was beaten by this repetitive, irritating song from a mediocre Disney film, which no one has been playing full volume in their car with their windows down. Ironically, no one will remember this song by next year’s Oscars.

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12 Years A Slave: Best Picture (2014)

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Finally, the ‘ugly’ film in Miller’s repertoire is Happy Feet Two. I’m going to be completely honest, I am nineteen years old and I still enjoy the original Happy Feet. Coming after the fun, jukebox musicality of the first film, this sequel simply did not need to be made. It almost makes me sad, to see such heartily animated scenes grind against writing that is all over the place. Miller really dropped the ball with this one. For once I'm glad he likely won’t be making another entry to this series.

Alex Darbyshire

with soulless characters that lack depth.

With each universe spin-off, the great writing and complex characters that made the franchise so great are lost and fans are left underwhelmed. It is such a loved franchise that people hold significant value to that I don’t think it should

Top 5 Oscar movie mistakes

Image: YouTube

Monday 26th November 2018

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A song about the importance of selfacceptance was beaten by a song from a mediocre Disney film

Leonardo DiCaprio: (The Revenant): Best Actor (2016)

’m not denying that Leo definitely deserved an Oscar, just not for this film. He was very good at acting cold and tired in his role as bear attack survivor and Tom Hardy killer, Hugh Glass.

However, this role didn’t exactly require a full repertoire of acting ability. The Wolf of Wall Street, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Aviator, all these saw far more diverse acting from this nomination veteran, and his Oscar in 2016 felt more like an apology for overlooking him since 1994.

Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook): Best Actress (2012)

ilver Linings is probably one of J Law’s better performances, but when one considers that she can’t actually act, the point becomes irrelevant.

Having been nominated against Naomi Watts there’s really no excuse for Lawrence’s win. With her more recent performances in Passengers and Red Sparrow, there seems to be little danger that she’ll be taking an Oscar home again any time soon.

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Dances With Wolves: Every Oscar it recieved - and there were seven... (1991)

et’s focus on best director for this one. In a year when Scorsese was nominated for Goodfellas, how the Hell did Costner take the Oscar for this one. It’s difficult to make a film that feels longer than 12 Years A Slave, but here is proof that it can be done. The plot of this film sounds pretty good on paper; a Civil War soldier posted to the American Frontier bonds with Native Indians and has to choose between his military orders and his new friends in the tribe. The problem is in the execution.

A drawn out, boring film, this really should not have added to Costner’s trophy case.

Image: YouTube

/NewcastleCourierFilm @Courier_Film

Image: YouTube

Image: YouTube

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Monday 26th November 2018

@Courier_Film thecourieronline.co.uk/film

he book on the Wizarding World?

more films, or if J.K. Rowling should quit now following Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald

No: Sophie Hicks

F

rom the books to the films, the Harry Potter franchise has had a huge impact on people’s lives, mine included. It has provided children with a magical universe in which they can escape.

And despite the mixed reviews, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is making just as much money, as pop vinyl’s and other merchandise are being made of Newt Scamander and his little creatures. But should the recent Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald be the film that ends the Harry Potter saga?

Personally, I want to see the series continue. Whether it be another prequel where we enter the world of Harry Potter’s parents at Hogwarts, or even a sequel which, as

and their magical beasts? If Star Wars films can continue to be made, surely Harry Potter films can too.

The increasing popularity of the London Harry Potter Studios in addition to the American parks only further emphasises how much people are still invested in these films.

However, I do believe that if we are to make more movies in this franchise, there will have to be some significant

changes, one being the casting of Johnny Depp! When he first appeared as Grindelwald, I actually cringed in the Cinema.

So, with some minor changes, I believe that the Harry Potter franchise has every reason to continue it’s production of films. For the children, let’s continue the magic so that there will always be a place at Hogwarts for us to return.

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Image: YouTube

Outlaw King (18)

Image: YouTube

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This new film series explores that unknown wilder world of magic

Johnny Depp manages to create a wonderful accent mixing in soft Germanic tones with English to become the European villain. There were however a few problems.

J.K. Rowling has irratated many fans by using certain characters or backstories which did not need any further adding too, and by adding to these she has created great big plot holes. A professor Mcgonagall is for some reason at Hogwarts when she would have been -8 years old.

Hopefully throughout the five part series some of the wider plot holes will be attended to and fixed unfortunetly for mistakes such as Professor Mcgonagall's very early appearance, we will just have to pretend they never happened. . .

Pheobe Fielder

(2002)

tre et Avoir (To Be and to Have) is a 2002 French documentary film made by Nicolas Philibert. It explores the life of children ranging from ages four to eleven, who are all taught in one classroom.

The documentary opens with the cold hills of Auvergne, a small village in the heart of France. This is starkly contrasted with a warm, welcoming classroom.

Their teacher, Georges Lopez adds to the inviting atmosphere with his extraordinary dedication to teaching. Despite the noisiness and chaos around the classroom, Lopez continues to be patient. His remarkable vocation charmingly captures his genuine affection to the youngsters.

rumour has it, The Cursed Child is hitting the box office, anything would satisfy the big hole in my Harry Potter heart that needs to be filled.

And with J.K. Rowling admitting that she will not be writing anymore books for the series, it is only fair that future generation's childhoods can be imbued with the magic we all got to experience. What better way to do that than to continue making movies that include these wizards

was delighted to learn about the return of the very beloved character Newt Scamander and his fantastic beasts in this second film to the five- part series.

Many of us Harry Potter fans became more curious about the 'world' of Magic when book four The Goblet of Fire introduced a whole variety of wizarding cultures during the quiditch world cup. This new film series explores that unknown wider world of magic, and even better we see some of the old mixed in with the new.

Albus Dumblerdore, a teacher at Hogwarts in the 1920s (although for some reason he is teaching the dark arts and not transfigaration), sends our beloved Newt on a rescue mission to find the troubled Curtis and stop him from being converted by the charismatic and dangerous visionary Grindelwald.

Documentary Corner

Image: YouTube

It has provided children with a magical universe in which they can escape

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (PG)

film culture

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (15)

Image: YouTube

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Image: YouTube

The footage apeaks for itself, without the aid of narration

Philibert’s filming approach is painstaking, yet tremendously rewarding. He filmed over 10 weeks, ending up with 60 hours of recording. This subtly adapts the camera to the classroom environment to the point that the children no longer notice it. Philibert prevents distracting the learning by utilising natural lighting from the classroom.

The long takes pay off in capturing the most authentic behaviour in the classroom. Different to contemporary documentaries, the footages speaks for itself without the aid of narration. We simply sit back and observe.

T

etflix’s retelling of the herculean feast of Robert the Bruce is a welcome addition to British historical films. Blood, mud and a full frontal of Chris Pine are what you sign up for. Obviously, I prefer one of these more than the rest. It is however refreshing to see that nudity and beauty aren’t used to sell this film.

The Bruce’s brilliant characterisation is done through aversion to nudity and sex, along with a lack of dialogue (probably due to not being able to get that Mel Gibson ‘trans-Gaelic’ accent, although Pine manages to hide his American one perfectly).

Both a blessing and a curse are its predecessors. The connection to Game of Thrones is uncanny, probably due to the number of actors from the franchise showing their faces in Scotland. For those who loved 'The Battle of the Bastards', the climactic battle in Outlaw King surpasses it.

There are no wide-open spaces, no pauses, no surveying the damage, just absolute brilliant muddy, bloody carnage.

Even if at no point do you expect a dragon to appear, the English costumes do at times look more at home in a Disney live action atrocity. However, the Scottish costumes, especially the coronation scenes, more than make up for this.

While Outlaw King will not and cannot win five Oscar’s like Braveheart, the two films are connected just by topic.

I’m a historical inaccuracies person and I don’t like liberties that should tell you which film I prefer. So, when a film comes along where its greatest historical inaccuracy is the presence of artichokes a few hundred years too early, it helps to repair Mel Gibson’s butchery of history. This lack of deviation from history produces an amazingly refreshing film. Although the only disappointment is David Mackenzie didn’t go further rightly bestowing the title ‘Braveheart’ to Robert the Bruce.

Outlaw King should not be used as evidence Netflix films should be included in the Oscars, but it is both testament to the prowess of Chris Pine and David Mackenzie

he latest feature from the Coen brothers, the industries foremost sibling writing / directing partnership, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a brilliantly crafted and humorous series of short tales set in the Old West. Its litany of stars shine brightly in what is maybe Netflix's most 'respectable' outing to date.

The ensemble cast included Tim Blake Nelson as the titular Buster Scruggs, Liam Neeson as an unnamed Impresario, James Franco as a Cowboy, and a welcome return to the screen for Tom Waits as a grizzled prospector. The film is split into six twenty-ish minute stories all of which are only loosely connected.

Despite this the film flows as a whole and doesn't feel like a group of disparate tales crammed together for the sake of convenience. Somehow, the Coen brother have managed to create a series of shorts with no weak link that build on each other.

Nelson and Franco are the two stand out performers in this exceptional cast. The score provided by longtime collaborator Carter Burwell also deserves a special mention. It is both sweeping and majestic, but frames the quieter scenes perfectly. The musical numbers when they happen are brilliantly executed - goofy yet somehow fitting. Goofy yet touching is an odd combination, but that sums up the film perfectly. It is smart enough to know how to make a point, but self-aware enough to know it needs to be coated in the absurd. This is the key to its success.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is, for my money the best comedy-Western since the legendary Blazing Saddles.

In the end, six stories don't feel enough, and hopeful the brothers will embrace their new platform fully and roll-out more bingable anthologies sometime soon. The most pleasing aspect of this film is that the brothers, even this far into their illustrious careers, are still willing to take risks and defy expectations in an industry that too often relies on repeating the tried and tested to turn a quick buck. Long may the Coen brother’s ingenuity continue.

Benja Townsend

Joe Holloran

Image: YouTube

A key moment is when one of the new kids, Valentin, cries looking for his mother. This is somewhat nostalgic.

Surely, some of us must have felt crying when we first had to go to primary school, without the presence of our parents. The kids encapsulates the freedom we have at a young age, whilst also showing the tough times in childhood. This commonality brings intimacy between the audience and the children.

Philibert interestingly utilises seasons to encapsulate the passing of time. This bares resemblance to the children slowly learning and developing throughout the school year. This visual metaphor expresses the persistent support Lopez is willingly giving to the children.

Etre et Avoir is a compelling, warm and truly moving documentary. It offers a new perspective to education and demonstrates the life-changing effects an excellent teacher can have to their students.

Carl Smith Valdez

Image: YouTube

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culture arts

c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland, Julia McGee-Russell, Rosie McCrum Online Editor Scarlett Rowland

the courier

Monday 26 November 2018

Paint with pain: is sadness necessary for art?

Libby Shaw and Ella Williams discuss whether or not sadness is an inescapable part of being a talented and successful artist

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t is undeniable that sadness is the inspiration for many great pieces of art, literature and music. As Ernest Hemingway wrote,“writing is easy. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” The theory that great art is inspired by suffering dates back to ancient history, with Greek philosopher Aristotle arguing that “no great genius has ever existed without a strain of madness” and continues today with the labelling of ‘tortured artists’ such as Amy Winehouse and Kurt

This is not to say that people who want to create art should aspire to sadness, but that those who are sad should aspire to art Cobain. It is the idea that a person who is sad (or even suffers from mental illness) has a higher level of creativity, and therefore has a higher quality of artistic output.

There is a strong case to be made for the connection

writing was inspired by the death of his wife; Charles Bukowski’s experiences of alcoholism and depression heavily influence his poetry. These are just a few examples- history is filled with tortured, creative geniuses whose suffering lead to great works of art.

Sadness is often associated with introspection and thoughtfulness, which translates itself to art very well.

This is not to say that happier emotions can’t inspire art, but that art inspired by sadness often has more depth and is perhaps more insightful. Art comments on what needs to change in the world, and often this kind of understanding is motivated by a sadness about the way things are.

For example, Bob Dylan’s music in the 1960s frequently references a dissatisfaction with the world and a desire for change. As such, sadness seems to offer a more interesting insight, which makes for better art.

Although this kind of thinking runs the risk of romanticising mental illness, the idea that sadness can inspire great art might encourage people who are suffering to find an outlet in art. This is not to say that people who want to create art should aspire to sadness, but that those who are sad should aspire to art. Art is often used as a form of therapy, and a lot of people who are suffering naturally turn to art as a way to express themselves. Art is the way in which a negative emotion like sadness can be transformed into something valuable and brilliant.

Libby Shaw

T Image: wikimedia commons

between sadness and art, including many examples throughout history: Van Gogh suffered with mental illness while painting The Starry Night; Sylvia Plath’s Ariel poems famously anticipate her suicide; Edgar Allan Poe’s

Photo Box

Greek Scene ROSIE McCRUM

o deny the abundance of mental illnesses we see expressed in art would be naïve: Sylvia Plath was renowned for poetically recording her experiences in a mental institution before her suicide at the age of thirty. Viewers are certain they see sparks of Van Gough’s dwindling sanity in his most famous works. Frida Kahlo has recently become the subject of multiple exhibitions that present her paintings alongside their increasingly painful and tragic biographical context. But this link between artistic ability and mental suffering has become over-simplified; one is not caused by the other, nor are the two mutually exclusive.

Instead, this trope of the tortured artist is a self-perpetuating stereotype that must be dismantled to protect future artists and their work.

The examples of brilliant ‘tortured artists’ throughout

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took this photo in Greece this summer on a tiny pedestrianised island. Around every corner was another postcard-worthy vista, nestled amongst narrow streets of soft stone overrun with plumbago. I like how the sky melts into the sea and is reflected in the tables. There’s a sense of intimacy in the way the scene is enclosed by the walls of the arch and the curves and shadows contrast with the heat and light on the other side.

Rosie McCrum

convoluted cycle of artists and their torment is exacerbated by social media, where communities build around the aesthetic of group suffering rather than as a means towards alleviating it.

While creative expression about mental illness can provide a vital outlet for sufferers, it treads a fine line between destigmatisation and romanticisation Mental turmoil does not necessarily create the possibility of great art, either. While suffering can be relieved via artistic expression by creative types, their inherent creativity is not caused by their struggling. Rather, Kaufman hypothesises that creative fields have a tendency to attract those who already suffer from mental illness. In other words, the two factors are correlated but not caused by one another. To have a creative flare and not a mental illness is both possible and preferable! Van Gough’s creative genius might have given the world more had his life not been cut short by his suicide. Plath’s poetry might have taken a new turn had she been able to fully recover from her terminal depression.

So, the relationship between artistic talent and mental illness is not directly causal. However, the conflation can be self-perpetuating; in a sense, the notion of a “tortured artist” causes itself. While creative expression about mental illness can provide a vital outlet for sufferers, it treads a fine line between destigmatisation and romanticisation.

The concentrated abundance of dangerous mental issues within creative industries can normalise their severity and create a group idealisation of the problems they were originally seeking to relieve through their art. This

Image: @the.stories.of.art

Mental illnesses are portrayed as a strangely beautiful and mysterious way of thinking that defines, rather than cripples, a person’s creative worth. In reality, they are undesirable and debilitating; artists create great art despite, not because of their demons. Painting a masterpiece is a stretch when depression makes leaving the bed and showering a difficult task. Writing deep poetry about your suffering is hard when your eating disorder means you are too malnourished to think straight. To be a creative unhindered by the dangerous symptoms of mental illness is the artsy aesthetic I’m striving for.

Ella Williams

Sampson sheds light on Shelly’s life

Claire Sansom discusses Newcastle Centre For Literary Arts’ talk with author Fiona Sampson about her newly released biography In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein

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n Thursday the 15th of November, the Newcastle Centre for Literary Arts hosted Fiona Sampson to discuss her biography In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein.

I anticipated a university talk about a female 19th century author to mention feminist interests. Rather, Mary was spoken of as a woman whose achievements were entirely self-explanatory. This seemed an authentic and appropriate take on both the novel Frankenstein and the girl

Sampson burst forth with intriguing philisophical thoughts about what Frankenstein gives to a reader

Image: @rmarchive

history are endless. If the link is so inarguably prevalent, how can we account for it? To begin with, we must examine the direction of this causation: according to psychologist Dr. James Kaufman, great artistic works do not cause mental turmoil. Rather, they outwardly express an already existing problem that would not otherwise be seen so publicly. This leads to a false conflation to be drawn between mental suffering and art, simply because artistic expression exposes a problem that is unexpressed but similarly suffered by the non-artists all the time.

herself. For full disclosure, I have not finished In Search of Mary Shelley yet. It gives the context of the troubled and condemned childhood and difficult adulthood that lead to the creation.

With the usual dismissal of the “generous introduction”, Sampson burst forth with intriguing philosophical thoughts about Mary and what Frankenstein gives to a reader.

Sampson concluded her introduction by asking the question “should we be poking around the backstages of the stories we love?”

She took a romantic perspective on biography, which, in her words, is “re-inserting the human” and Image: @it_came_from_beyond_planet_x much like Frank-

enstein: revealing “what it is to be human.”

Sampson aptly referred to Frankenstein as a “fictional nativity.” Shelley had faced many of the horrors of birth herself. The Thursday night talk and Sampson’s biography emphasise Frankenstein not because it was Shelley’s only piece, but because it was the birth of her writing career.

Sampson highlighted how Shelley’s writing naturally ties experience with writing.

Sampson demonstrates precision of language as she builds an image of this author and her influences. In the very first chapter, she drew a beautiful parallel between how Rembrandt and Mary Shelley use light in their respective arts. The audience of a work by Rembrandt are asked to trust the light. The light in Frankenstein reveals a scary and repulsive truth.

Thus far, In Search of Mary Shelley shows a balance between biography and imagery. Sampson’s intent for the book was not to write a complete biography of “halfdigested facts” but to look at the facts closely and see what person emerges. This was clearly and thoroughly expressed in her Culture Lab talk. When it comes to reading In Search of Marry Shelley however, there is no shortage of facts. To the reader with little knowledge (*ahem* myself) it can feel dense. Which is not bad, just more work. That work is rewarding. It’s nice to read a book and feel all the better for it.

Image: Fiona Sampson by @emjydingleybell

@TheCourierArts Image: wikimedia commons

@thecourierarts

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31

Monday 26 November 2018

Harry and Chris ‘Save the World’ Carys Rose Thomas interviews comedy duo Harry and Chris about their brand new tour

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s disjointed as a comedy-rap-jazz duo may sound, the unlikely pairing of Harry Baker (poet) and Chris Read (musician) fit together more than any solely comedy, rap or jazz duos I have ever come across. Bold claim, I know, but these two London lads really are top notch when it comes to mu-

Reading this collection of her work helped me rediscover my love for poetry sical comedy.

Both well-accomplished in their respective fields, Harry is an international slam poetry champion and Chris an accomplished jazz musician, the two have performed together in some way or another for the past ten years.

In recent years they have consolidated themselves as the witty, tuneful duo they are: ‘Harry & Chris’. The pair have championed sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as multiple appearances on Sky’s Russell Howard Hour, and it’s easy to see why.

Their End of the World Song and The World Cup Song they released this summer are just two examples of songs they have written in response to societal events. These, amongst others, showcase how quick-witted the two are. Their ability to match quick-fired wordplay lyrics to catchy melodies shows they have a real knack for creating their works. The way they both bounce off of one another, leaving you never truly sure what is genuine ad-libbing and what is pre-planned, shows how polished their presentation of an un-polished show is.

They don’t mind stopping mid-song to have a chat and laugh with the audience, it doesn’t feel like they take themselves or their songs too seriously - something which is crucial for musical comedy to work. Their songs are there to be played with, to be laughed at as much as they are laughed with. It is this laid-back, approachably funny attitude the two have onstage that make their interaction with audiences so successful. Audience participation, usually a rather murky water, which many performers shy away from diving into, appears to come naturally to them.

Their shows have less of an audience-performer divide, it feels more like you’ve just wondered into a random room with a couple of lovely lads making up songs plopped in the middle of it. Before you know it you’re shouting ‘you’re a flippin’ ten!’ at them with total glee. And that’s exactly what they are, a big flippin’ ten out of ten.

How did the two of you meet and start performing together?

We locked eyes across the room at our school battle of the bands competition. Chris won first place and Harry won a prize they made up that year for ‘most potential’ and we both wanted what the other had. We’ve played together in some capacity ever since school but only became ‘Harry and Chris’ as opposed to ‘Harry’ and ‘Chris’ about three or four years ago.

Image: @stevebestpics

You were both doing elements of what you now do together before you started working together. Was it easy making the adjustment from working alone, separately, to together?

Yes! I think because we had ten years of friendship to fall back on it made it a lot easier than other creative collaborations we have attempted to embark on. We both still

perform separately, but something about having your best mate on stage with you is hard to beat! It also means the train journeys to and from gigs are a lot more fun…

What’s the idea behind your tour’s your name? How are you going about saving the world?

Last year we wrote a song about the predicted end of the world and the world didn’t end, which we take full credit for, so we wanted to see what else we could apply our superpowers to, and immediately went straight for the important issues like the environment, Teletubbies and England’s world cup chances.

How do you write your songs? Does one of you take the lead usually? Is it one does music, one does lyrics?

It used to be one of us bringing an idea to the other.

Harry is more lyrically minded (in that he can’t play an instrument) but these days the whole process is collaborative. Once we have an idea we’ll both work on the lyrics together, and it often means it’s able to head in a direction that neither of us could envisage by ourselves.

Where do you think your ideas come from?

We often try to make each other laugh, and that always feels like a healthy starting point. We currently have 145 shared WhatsApp groups with different ideas with varying levels of success.

You remind me quite a bit of Flight of the Conchords, do you get that a lot? Are you fans of Jemaine & Bret?

We love them. We went to see them earlier this year and had a special moment. They didn’t explicitly say so from the stage but we think they felt it too.

What do you think the future holds for Harry & Chris?

What will you do once the world’s been saved?!

Well depending how you look at it it’s either good news or bad news but it feels like the world needs a good deal of saving still. While it would be lovely if everything sorted itself out after our last show it does however mean we’ve still got work to do. We’ve just finished a Eurovision song contest entry that was instantly rejected so we feel like there’s life in the old beast yet.

‘A nasty piece of work’: The Manchester Collective Louise Hall reviews a modern classical take on the unnerving Pierrot Lunaire by Schoenberg

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ow to say attending the performance of Pierro De Luniare was one hell of an experience, is a bit of an understatement.

When I arrived at Cobalt studio in Heaton last week to witness a live classical performance described on its website as ‘a nasty piece of work’ about ‘madness, death, sex, dreams, and trauma’ I wasn’t really sure what to expect, and I think it’s pretty safe to say anything I could have pre-

I sat, with a severely non-student friendly priced beer and an open mind dicted would have been completely mistaken.

Having only ever seen a handful of west end performances in London and a myriad of student theatre in Durham, I was interested to see some independent performance in the flesh and offer and outsiders opinion.

And nonetheless, as a graduate of English Literature and a fan of Freudian psychoanalysis, the themes of the performance seemed to be something I could get on board with.

So, in an intimate theatre setting made up of a collection of sporadic chairs and benches, immediately parallel to a modern four poster bed and surrounded by classical musicians in minimal black clothing, I sat, with a severely non-student friendly priced beer and an open mind.

For the first hour, BBC 3’s Elizabeth Alker spoke to the Director and Composer, giving some background context to the piece, and discussing their particular interpretations of it in this performance.

While the contextual information about Schoenberg and the 1912 Vienna from which he wrote, was both relevant and interesting, the in depth discussion of the directors interpretations of the work somewhat felt at odds with the core values of the piece itself.

It seemed a tad frustrating to have the meaning behind such a subjective performance clarified directly to the audience, before I’d even had a chance to form my own interpretations. If anything, this rather took away some of

the fun of individual analysis away.

This, alongside the fact that these conversations were presented in a faux interview style approach, where the interviewee’s obviously knew exactly what questions were coming, left me impatient to move on from the introduction and allow the chance for the musicians to speak for themselves.

In the second half it became very obvious very quickly that the collective are undoubtedly a talented set of musicians but also, through their erratic and volatile composition, this particular performance was not something to be enjoyed rather than something to be experienced.

The unpredictable hybrid speaking singing voice of Lotte Betts-Dean, meant to put you on edge throughout the piece, accomplished just that and her performance of the unhinged Pierro, darting about the room in unstable unpredictable movements, was both believable and arresting.

However, sat in a room who as Burke stated ‘must know a little bit about this piece otherwise you wouldn’t be here’ and being there nonetheless, it was difficult to feel that I was completely sensitive to its abstract significance.

arts culture Book Review

Anna Akhmatova - Selected Poems AMY BROWN

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few months ago, I stumbled upon a poem online. It was titled The Last Toast by Anna Akhmatova, translated into English from Russian. In just two short stanzas, I was gripped by the melancholy and existential tone of the poem and could not get it out of my head. This work remains my favourite poem by her, leading me to buy a full book of her work, Anna Akhmatova- Selected Poems.

Akhmatova, now considered one of the best Russian poets of the twentieth century, wrote a range of poems from short lyrical verse to long intricate prose verse, covering themes of love, sadness and conflict. Her writing is honest and vulnerable, reflecting her personal experiences during her strenuous life living through the Stalinist regime.

A collection of poems is also always a good way to go.

You can work your way through it at your own pace. This was great for me as I found myself dipping into it from time to time. I would say that for Akhmatova, this was a good thing. Her work is at times heavy and could be overpowering to read all at once.

This collection includes her most famous works including Requiem alongside some less well known ones that are still as beautifully structured as the others. Requiem, an extended piece, highlights a time in which Akhmatova spent seventeen months in prison during the Yezhov Terror, a dangerous and repressive time in Russia. She maps out her time in prison through a series of poems. This stood out to me as her writing, reflective of where she was and the time period, becomes very dark and each detail hauntingly specific. It was a fascinating but quite sad read.

Reading this collection of her work helped me rediscover my love for poetry I have struggled to think of any poem of hers that I didn’t like in some way. Her work, spanning over many decades, covers so many themes and ideas that I did not get tired of reading it. Even the short poems were compelling. For example, Fragment, a deeply strange and even mysterious poem in only two short stanzas.

Additionally, this book begins with a foreword by Carol Ann Duffy and an introduction that gives an insight into Akhmatova’s life and some background to her poetry.

This was helpful so I could engage with her writing on a more personal level.

Of course, her poetry is translated from Russian so it is perhaps difficult to understand them entirely, the way Akhmatova intended. The Russian language is challenging and very structured so some of her meanings may be lost in translation. But even in English, her poetry is captivating and highlights a dreadful time in history through an honest, hypnotic voice. I would recommend this collection to any poetry readers looking to explore something different, but be prepared for some painful and heart-breaking themes. Reading this collection of her work helped me rediscover my love for poetry and her praise is more than deserved.

While Schoenberg didn’t win me over, their talent as musicians certainly did As a result I found myself at some points caught between the opinion that this may have been a conceptual cultural masterpiece, or the image of stereotypical artsy theatre that people like my Yorkshire born parents may laugh in the face of. I’m still yet to decide which my final verdict is.

In summary, Pierrot Lunaire was probably the least light-hearted, enjoyable piece of music I’ve ever listened to, but then again I think that was kind of the point. And in terms of the Manchester Collective itself, I’d be more than eager to see what else they have up their sleeves in the upcoming months because while Schoenberg didn’t exactly win me over, their talent as musicians certainly did.

Image: Adam Zsabo

Image: wikimediacommons

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culture gaming

What I’m Playing:

VA-11 HALL- A

Monday 26th November 2018

courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Matthew Neville & Kelly South

SpyroReignitedTrilogy

Pour yourself a cyber-cocktail Can this scaled up collection reignite interest in platformers? James Troughton takes flight as Alex Darbyshire serves up he original Spyro is now twenty years old. It was incredibly well. Movement is very fluid, the controls Insomniac’s second ever game, and a spiritual are responsive, and I have yet to notice any subhis thoughts on this indie gem predecessor to the Ratchet and Clank games. stantial flaws in the way that the games handle

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yberpunk bartender action. While ‘action’ may not be the word I would use to describe the experience of playing VA-11 HALL-A (pronounced ‘Valhalla’) that doesn’t diminish the experience of playing this gem, and I’ll explain why.

Developed initially by Sukeban Games for the 2014 Cyberpunk game jam, the developers liked their project so much that they expanded it into a full game. Two years later the game was released on 21 June 2016. But what is the gameplay of VA-11 HALL-A actually like? Let’s have a gander.

From a gameplay perspective, VA-11 HALL-A is a fairly simple game. You play as Jill, a bartender in a playfully selfaware cyberpunk setting. Mechanically the game revolves mostly around mixing cocktails for the different clients that roll into the game’s eponymous bar, listening to their stories as you go.

Image: IGDB

The game’s narrative is delivered episodically, with Jill’s night shifts at the bar framing the story. This is where the game shines the most - its writing. The game features a distinct cast of characters, who are all written with an individual and inviting voice. Additionally, the stories each of these clients tell you are unique and told with a night-bynight tempo, which prevents the player from getting too fatigued - despite being a simulator of sorts, the designers definitely don’t want you to get bored while mixing cocktails and pouring pints.

This point encompasses the entire allure of VA-11 HALL-A: every aspect of the game’s design reeks of a unique chill atmosphere. From the slow pace to the mellow, synth soundtrack, every choice here was made by the designers to create a relaxing story experience. For example, at the beginning of every shift, the player chooses a playlist to set up on the jukebox, deciding the mood of the scene for themselves, with each track somehow matching the tone of the dialogue.

This leads me on to the most satisfying aspects of the

The game features a distinct cast of characters written with individual and inviting voices

game, that of player choice. Clients will usually be vague about their choice of drinks, and so will leave it up to the player to decide what to serve them. This in turn affects the dialogue of the client, for example adding optional alcohol to a drink will lower the client’s inhibitions, making them likely to reveal more of their character than they perhaps would normally.

Between shifts, the player goes to Jill’s apartment, where there is a plethora of story snippets to keep up with. In addition, Jill’s bartending performance will be better if the player purchases certain items each day for her. However, they then have to balance this with the rent they have to pay at the end of the month - this too affects Jill’s dialogue with clients, adding another facet to the player-controlled element of the story.

Really, VA-11 HALL-A is more of a relaxation simulator than a bartending action game, and it’s better for this fact, so pick it up, fix yourself a drink and some snacks, and sit down to play a shift or two. You won’t regret it.

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Thirteen years after the original, Activision and Toys for Bob began development on the Skylanders series, a continuation of the Spyro intellectual property.

They are the developers behind the remaster that just released in November 2018, and not only worked to bring Spyro’s graphics to the modern era of gaming, but they also allowed their own style to bleed in. This can be seen through the dragons in the first game which are filled to the brim with personality and character, unlike the generic clones found in the original.

The first area was both energetic and beautiful, a perfect representation of the three games

Whilst Toys for Bob are the developers responsible for bringing Spyro to the current generation of consoles, the third game, Ripto’s Rage, was handed off to Sanzaru Games. They are a controversial choice of developer, as they created Sly 4 and ported Secret Agent Clank to the PlayStation 2. With rushed development and a second developer working on the third entry, it unfortunately resulted in a string of bugs and generally lower quality.

My first reaction when opening the first Spyro remaster was that of amazement as the first area was both energetic and beautiful, a perfect representation of the three games.

This is mostly down to the excellent character designs, the vibrant colour palette and the wonderful cartoony style.

The aesthetic of the game has been perfectly modernised much like it was with Crash Bandicoot’s remaster. Aside from the astonishingly pleasing visuals, the game handles

or run.

The remastered Spyro trilogy has two fantastic new features (one of which I sorely wish the new Ratchet and Clank had) as they provide the player with the ability to switch back to the old soundtrack rather than the updated dynamic one. This is great for older gamers who are fans of the original, and allows new players to get a more authentic experience. The second new feature is something that was taken from Ripto’s Rage which is the Guidebook. It is now available in all three of the games and allows the player to keep tabs on their progress with the skill-points, gems, dragons and bonuses all tallied.

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The last year that a Spyro game reached the top spot on the UK game sales charts

Spyro has been brilliantly adapted to the new generation of consoles and, in an era where platforming is being neglected, it is a refreshing change of pace to be able to jump back into a classic title with the looks and handling of a modern game. Toys for Bob may have had a lot of creative freedom, but Insomniac’s humour, style and wonderful charm is still blatantly present in all its glory. Best of all, the two developers’ styles do not clash whatsoever but instead elegantly complement one another.

X018 Round-up

Image: James Troughton

Pokemon Detective Pikachu trailer

Have fans ‘gotta catch’ this in Alex Darbyshire reports on all the latest Xbox related news cinemas? Alex Darbyshire, ith the X018 event in Mexico City wrapped addition of keyboard and mouse support for Xbox One. up, it’s safe to say that big things are While not immediately available for many games (Fortnite "we choose you" to decide

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happening over at Microsoft. With new announcements, releases and numerous acquisitions, Microsoft weren’t pulling any punches this year.

Gamers were rapt watching titillating trailers throughout the event, which kicked off with a trailer for the long awaited Kingdom Hearts III, and the finale of the story seems to finally be upon us. Returning are paragon of good Winnie the Pooh (never thought I’d ever have to write those words), and the shady Organization XIII setting up for a beautiful, if goofy, finale.

Void Bastards, releasing immediately after it was revealed during X018, appears to be both mechanically innovative and visually beautiful. This ‘strategic shooter’ from System Shock 2 and Bioshock developer Jonathan Chey looks like a strong cocktail of FTL and countless tactical, class based shooters - clever bastard indeed.

Another small, yet fundamental announcement is the

and Strange Brigade are the biggest titles with support right now), Microsoft have confirmed any developer may enable this support in future. This news was both unexpected and impressive, suggesting Microsoft are beginning to fuse more PC-centric mainstays with home console gaming.

Last but definitely not least, Microsoft announced their acquisition of Obsidian Entertainment, the developers of Pillars of Eternity and Fallout: New Vegas, as well as inXile Entertainment (Wasteland 2). With two RPG giants in their arsenal now, I’m sure Microsoft have enormous plans for both the upcoming Wasteland 3 as well as the untitled RPG from Obsidian.

All in all, X018 shook the ground in many ways Microsoft are definitely in the public's good books for the time being and I’m excited to see what’s in store for their next generation console.

@TheCourier_Gaming @TheCourierGaming Image: IGDB

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ikachu in a hat… what could possibly go wrong? Recently announced, in a partnership between the Pokemon Company and Legendary Entertainment, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, is the first live action Pokemon film ever.

An initial trailer dropped on 12 November, giving us a glimpse into this adaptation of the Detective Pikachu game. With the titular character voiced by none other than Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds, as well as the high production values of the CGI creatures, one can be sure not a penny was spared. Director Rob Letterman, of Goosebumps and Monsters vs. Aliens fame is at the helm, meaning a strong director will be handling the production of this film, whose fans can be rather… sensitive at times.

In any case, they are likely more excited than any Monster Hunter fan was when seeing photography of that franchise’s respective film (yikes).

Needless to say, this trailer release has pricked up many ears for its release in May 2019.

Image: YouTube

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gaming culture Rage Quit: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II While this game may be from when movie tie-ins weren't limited to smartphones, Jack Coles is still ready to send it to Azkaban I Monday 26th November 2018

am on record (in this very publication, no less) for enjoying the early Harry Potter games, on PC at least.

The Philosopher’s Stone had a few design issues, but also had a nice mix of exploration, puzzles, combat, and sidestuff. The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban went from strength to strength. The Goblet of Fire did… well, I suppose you could say it did its own thing : it wasn’t

@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming

bad per se, just a bit of a lurch from previous titles. Then Elder Scrolls: IV Oblivion and Civilization IV came out and I lost interest in the Harry Potter games.

Then, a couple of years ago, I got Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II for Christmas. “Oh wow”, I thought, “I haven’t played a new one of these games for years, let’s see what it’s like!” Of course, I didn’t notice the EA logo on the box, which was a seal of quality back in

2002 but nowadays serves as a warning, like a pustule full of worms.

The game is bad. Not only that, it’s the competently designed but utterly unimaginative kind of bad. I reviewed Duke Nukem Forever once upon a time. That game is also bad, but at least it had enough variety and nonsense to keep me pushing through to see what garbage was going to come next. This game doesn’t have that. Every level (bar one fun section when you’re running down an exploding bridge) has waves of enemies and nothing else. No exploration, no collectables worth anything, just coverbased shooting that isn’t even particularly good.

8 Image: IGDB

The total number of playable characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

I’m not really one to complain about games circumventing established canon; you need to make some sacrifices to a world as complex as Harry Potter’s so you can put in some decent gameplay elements. In the first four games you could guess what some of the spells would do based off the books, and the rest were just made-up spells. Yeah, maybe "Lumos" conjuring up platforms of hardened light was a bit out there, but it

made sense from a game design perspective. Here, instead of having one or two offensive spells and a whole bunch for exploration, you have… seven offensive spells that thought “established canon” is a church song.

The EA logo, which was a seal of quality back in 2002, nowadays serves as a warning, like a pustule full of worms

“Stupefy” damages enemies and “Protego” shields you.

Fair enough. But… “Expelliarmus” breaks shields? When it was supposed to disarm instead? Wasn’t “Expulso” supposed to be explosive, rather than some kind of assault rifle? And who thought “Impedimenta” should be repurposed as a barrage of homing missiles?

I stopped playing when I was near the end of the game and I still could not give two squits about finishing it.

Instead of a fun return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it was a dip in the Hogwash Pool of Shit, Crap, and Dysentery.

Rainbow Six backlash over China censorship

James Troughton reports on Ubisoft altering game content specifically for Chinese audiences

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bisoft are currently receiving a large amount of backlash due to changes that have been implemented into their game, Rainbow Six Siege, in anticipation of branching out into China’s market.

In order to allow their game to flourish in such a giant market, developers must ensure they follow certain guidelines like removing gore and any signs of gambling.

This can already be seen in Rainbow Six Siege, as slot machines were removed from certain maps, and icons on the user-interface were altered. For example, the knife representing melee has been changed into a fist, plus the death icon, once a skull and cross, has now become a simplistic torso and head with an ‘X’ over the chest. Blood has also been toned down, and sexual content has been removed.

Players expressed outrage, which was evident by the game’s Steam page being infiltrated by an army of angry gamers and their weapons of mass negativity. Over 1,000 negative reviews were posted, and this dropped Rainbow Six Siege’s reception to ‘mixed’ on the store-page.

Blood has been toned down, and sexual content has been removed

Some gamers believe the solution would be for Ubisoft to have Chinese audiences play on a different build of the game - an option that many other developers choose.

However, it is easier for a developer to simply have one build, and with the changes being barely noticeable and having no impact on gameplay, the necessity of this expensive and time consuming alternative is dubious.

However, the main reason people seem to be giving as to why they are upset is supposedly due to the precedent it sets for the industry, and not the actual changes themselves. It raises the question of whether fans are overreacting to Ubisoft’s decisions? Either way, Ubisoft likely doesn’t want the controversy when Season 4 is right around the corner.

Review: Hitman 2 Image: IGDB

IO’s complex stealth-em-up returns and Haaris Qureshi wonders if it's a hitman or a missman

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ontinuing the reboot from 2016’s Hitman, the stealth game franchise allows the player to play as the enigmatic Agent 47, with his distinctive shaved head, suit, and barcode tattoo.

The 2016 game marketed itself very heavily on the idea that you could achieve a mission practically unbound by the numerous possibilities. It was this metric to which I wanted to judge Hitman 2 – which again led a marketing campaign on the ‘world is your weapon’, fronted by Sean Bean, who appears as the game’s first elusive target.

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Hitman 2's score on review aggregator site Metacritic, out of a total 100.

Hitman isn’t completely a sandbox, however. You essentially had two ways you could play a level. You could use one of the game’s standard mechanics, such as strangling someone, knifing them, or throwing a spanner in their face (I don’t know why, that always made me laugh), or one of the mission specific assassinations (kill the rockstar by causing his microphone to blow up). The issue with the former is that it’s limited and to a degree repetitive, there’s no excitement in killing everyone by

waiting for them to walk into a room on their own and then snapping their neck, but the issue with the latter is that to achieve these specific deaths requires you to follow linear objectives anyway. A stealth game needs restrictions to cause consequence but these don’t necessarily have to also limit gameplay.

Immediately, it’s clear how similar Hitman 2 is to Hitman. So much so that even the game treats them the same; the prologue is exactly the same in both games.

If you’re in to game narratives like me, it is a tiny bit offputting when you hadn’t quite finished Hitman to realise what was going on – important to a degree in a game which relies you to understand who your targets are to make the most of the ways to kill them. As follows, the gameplay is very similar, although the first actual Hitman 2 level is kind enough to give you a sort of tutorial of some controls. The main difference at this point is that IO Interactive have decided not to repeat Square Enix’s release strategy of Hitman's episodic content, although you can still download the levels independently.

The control mechanics do seem to have been subtly improved. I had always found Hitman’s controls to be a tiny bit clunky, and while combat isn’t meant to be the focus, it is a valid way to play a level and thus should

have a fluidity to it. This fluidity does seem to be present in Hitman 2, where moving the crosshairs to multiple targets doesn't feel dragging an old dying mouse across a desk. And in line with the goal of giving you freedom in how you perform your assassinations, the game does introduce a larger variety of weapons, devices, and methods.

Overall, Hitman 2 is much of the same, so if you enjoyed the first game and want to continue the journey, you won’t be disappointed, if you never really got into the mechanics of the first game, don’t expect mass changes or improvements here.

Images: IGDB & YouTube

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puzzles Crossword

Blue Suede Clues

the courier

Monday 26 November 2018

Puzzles Supreme Overlord Gone, I can’t believe she left me Puzzle Matriarch Rihanna Puzzles Editor Heartbroken Queries and Criticisms the.courier.puzzluzz@gmail.com

Across

1. Surrealist Artist 3. Bald, like an Eagle 6. Fictional Chinese villain 8. Large, toothy flippered mammal 10. Charlie the silent movie star 13. Cover light 14. Of Empire 15. Canine cleaner 17. Manage bar 18. Liberated manner 19. Pirate, nemesis of a boy 20. Cowboy tossing his weapon

Down

1. City in Texas 2. Frank, musician, Freak Out! 4. Large Egyptian Structure 5. HB/6B 7. Natian wanting Food 9. Luigi’s brother, really good 11. Monopoly man 12. French detective 16. Lucky like your sole

Name that Mustache: Can you name the famous person from only their facial hair?

Solutions Turns out the cabinet was full(ish) . Wonders will never cease, and nor will May...

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sport

Monday 26 November 2018

Noisy Neighbours: The best derbies The derby is the football fixture every sports fan marks on their calendar. Our writers comment on their favourite derbies

South Coast

Steel City

Jack Dugan

Tom Hardwick Sport Editor

Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday.

Let’s face it, if a derby isn’t inter-city, it just isn’t the same.

The people of Norwich and Ipswich, Manchester and Liverpool and, dare I say it in a Newcastle Uni newspaper, Newcastle and Sunderland, will rarely mix with one another.

The intensity of a derby is increased tenfold when it draws battle lines between husbands and wives, parents and children and the closest friends, turning loved ones against each other for 180 minutes each season.

This couldn’t be more resonant than in Sheffield, a place its inhabitants often refer to as the biggest village in the country. There is the feeling that everyone knows everyone, and because of this, everyone knows a United or Wednesday fan that they want to euphorically gloat to or hide away from, result depending of course.

Both clubs are essentially dormant giants,

If you want to see a derby that is contested as though the lives of both players and fans depend on it, look no further

teams who have Premier League aspirations that in recent years they have struggled to fulfil, making the Steel City derby a game that can be season-defining. Both sets of players realise this, fighting doggedly to avoid defeat and the lambasting from their fans that would follow suit. Sheffield is full of passionate football fans and each encounter between United and Wednesday is a cauldron or noise (more so at Bramall Lane), with each set of fans determined to out-sing the opponents they so vehemently hate.

This is a derby that brings a city to a standstill, turns love into fervent hate and provides the opportunity for players to become immortalise themselves in Sheffield folklore. In short, if you want to see a derby that is contested as though the lives of both players and fans depend on it, look no further than Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday.

Sunderland player Kieran Richardson challenges former puzzles dictator Joey Barton Image: Flickr: Poakpong

Sunderland vs Newcastle Arguably one of the most vicious and nastiest matches in the sporting calendar, the Sunderland vs Newcastle is one of the best contests around.

Sunderland vs Newcastle dates back way before the football rivalry. Its roots lie as far

back as the English Civil War, when Newcastle sided with the Royalists and Sunderland sided with the Parliamentarians.

Furthermore, this intense opposition continued into the Jacobite Risings whereby Newcastle sided with the Hanoverians and Sunderland sided with the Stuarts.

Off the football field, the rivalry between the two cities has seen many an act of violence. Both sets of fans have been responsible for acts of hooliganism down the line, but the most famous set of fights must be after the 2013 derby in Newcastle.

After the Mags lost, seas of angry black and white fans trickled into the city and proceeded to smash it up. This horrific incident produced one of the most infamous images in football of a Newcastle fan punching a horse.

The first game between the two mighty cities was in 1883 in an FA Cup match which Sunderland won 2-0. Since then, Sunderland and Newcastle have both won and lost 53 games each when facing each other, and have drawn 49. The last fixture the two teams played against each other was in 2016, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. However, the way

with the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal- which allowed Manchester to supersede Liverpool as the main port in the region - with tensions between labourers in Manchester and dockworkers in Liverpool at an all time high when Liverpool met Newton Heath (Manchester United’s original name at formation) in a play-off game to determine the former’s entry into the First Division.

Since then, the two sides enjoyed many years of success. The clubs enjoyed a brief four year period when both sides were on top between 1964 and 1967 – both winning two titles each. Liverpool would then go on to enjoy more than 20 years of sustained success winning the league eleven times along with many cup competitions.

The cycle would go on to be reversed post1990 when Manchester United would win 13 league titles and in that process, surpass the

Reds as England’s most successful team in history under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The two sides, through a century of rivalry have met 200 times in all competitions with Manchester United having won 80 to Liverpool’s 65 with 55 draws between them. The matches have been characterised by bad blood, frequent altercations, rough tackling, celebrating in front of opposition fans and more recently, accusations of racism.

No player has transferred directly from one side to another since Phil Chisnall back in 1964 although players such as Paul Ince and Michael Owen have played for both clubs with spells at other clubs in between. It may not be an intra-city derby but with all this history, emotion and success packed into one ninety-minute game, Liverpool playing Manchester United is indeed the biggest fixture in English football.

Rebecca Johnson Sport Editor

Contrary to Tom Hardwick’s belief, rivalries between cities hold just as much intensity, ferociousness and anxiety as inter-city derbies- the Tyne Wear derby is no different.

The first game between the two mighty cities was in 1883 in an FA Cup match which Sunderland won 2-0

things are going at the minute, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both teams play each other in the Championship next season.

When Newcastle won that infamous 5-1 victory in 2010, Sunderland fans didn’t hear the end of it

For me, living in a town situated between both cities there is a mixture of footballing allegiance. There’s no knowing for sure who supports which side.

Living here has its ups and downs, when Newcastle won that infamous 5-1 victory in 2010, Sunderland fans didn’t hear the end of it.

We still don’t hear the end of it now, even though in the following years we went on to win six derbies in a row.

You may hear Premier League pundits claim that when the likes of Bournemouth and Brighton play against Southampton that it’s a “south coast derby”. Don’t believe a word.

The loathing, the ferocity, and the true rivalry in the south is between Portsmouth and Southampton. A rivalry often overlooked by those elsewhere in the country, despite the bragging rights between the Portsmouth and Southampton being just as valuable as anyone else.

The tale of the two teams is one of shifting fortunes. Ten years ago, Portsmouth were FA cup winners, and faced star studded A.C. Milan in the Europa league. Conversely, Southampton were battling to ascend from League one. But, due to financial issues, the south coast’s historically more successful side, Portsmouth, plummeted to League 2 as Southampton rose to become a top half Premier League side.

With friction originating from a divide between the Royal and Merchant Navy, the meeting has always been a heated affair. The rivalry had its hottest period in the 2004/2005 season with Harry Redknapp’s treacherous move from Portsmouth to Southampton.

Both teams wrestled with relegation and it ensued that Harry “Judas” Redknapp’s return to Portsmouth would not be a low-key affair.

The two sides met in April at Fratton Park in a day still regarded as “demolition derby” by the Portsmouth fans. Yakubu put a hattrick past Southampton in a 4-1 victory that asserted Portsmouth’s dominance, keeping them up and sending Southampton down. In fact, the hatred ran so deep that on the final day of the season, with Portsmouth already safe, Pompey fans arrived at the Hawthorns wearing West Brom shirts in hope that they lost to relegate Southampton.

The last meeting between the two sides was a 2-2 draw at St. Mary’s in 2012. A season where Southampton were promoted to the premier league, as Portsmouth continued to tumble. Characteristic of the fixture, it was filled with drama as David Norris scored a last-minute equaliser, volleying from outside the box. Etching him deep into Portsmouth folklore. Though it is approaching seven years since Norris’ screamer. Fate appears to be changing favour once again on the south coast, with Portsmouth top of league one and Southampton fighting at the bottom of the premier league, next season the Championship may be home to a fixture filled with bottled up resentment.

Liverpool vs Man United is a rivalry beyond football Sesha Subramanian “The biggest fixture in English football.”

That is a phrase that many journalists like to use when they describe the games between Liverpool and Manchester United.

Between them, the pair have won more than 120 trophies. They have had eras of domestic and European dominance like no other from the country. The rivalry is unique in that they are not from the same city, and even though local derbies against Everton and Manchester City matter to fans of the Reds and the Red Devils respectively, nothing is more satisfying than beating the other team down the M62.

The rivalry has its roots far beyond football.

Since the industrial revolution, the two have competed with each other to be the hotshot of the North West. Things came to a head

Manchester United have won 80 matches to Liverpool’s 65 in the rivalry Image: Wikimedia Commons

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Monday 26 November 2018

North-East football is a-Blyth and kicking

Sports Editor Tom Hardwick writes about his trips around the North-East and reports on their non-league football matches

With the international break and the absence of Newcastle United games, some might think that football in the area grinds to a halt.

The opposite couldn’t be more true, and over the course of 4 days I managed to get to 3 games of football at Gateshead, Hartlepool United and Blyth Spartans. The results were a mixed barrel, but each was an easy and affordable option, and a far better alternative to fixtures such as Moldova vs Luxembourg.

The first of my three games was Gateshead vs Sutton United. Both teams were hoping to claim 3 points and prove themselves against a fellow playoff contender, but the spoils were shared in a 0-0 draw. Greg Olley drew a good save from Sutton’s keeper after working some

space on the edge of the box and Rigg put the ball wide from a dangerous position, but

TOM HARDWICK

Tom is an editor for Courier Sport. He is currently the secretary for the Non-League football society

chances were hard to come by and a draw was a fair result. Despite attendances often being small, the Gateshead fans always generate as

good an atmosphere as they can. Many claim that the Gateshead International Stadium is a soulless bowl, and although Gateshead’s performance did little to invigorate the fans on this occasion, Gateshead are a team with vocal fans who are competing well in a league with much bigger spenders. Their next home game is against Solihull Moors on the 27th of November, and with tickets at a fiver there isn’t much reason not to head down and lend some support.

The next encounter was between Hartlepool United and Barnet on Sunday afternoon. Hartlepool have struggled somewhat since relegation from League 2, and these struggles were compounded when the visitors inflicted a 3-1 defeat. Initially Hartlepool

Hartlepool in action Image: Tom Hardwick

looked the better side, and when Peter Kioso capitalised on a goalkeeping error to give Hartlepool a 1-0 lead early on, all the signs were positive. However, this lead was let slip in a 40 second horror show. The equaliser

Victoria Park is rough aroud the edges but oozes with character and is filled wih loyal and passionate fans

came when a superb swinging cross found Manny Duku unmarked to head home, and then almost straight from kickoff Hartlepool conceded again. No more than 3 passes had been played when Hartlepool’s defender inexplicably lost the ball to Duku, who finished confidently to give Barnet a 2-1 lead.

The 94th minute brought more misery when a Pools defender tripped over thin air, allowing Josh Walker all the time in the world to dink the ball over Loach to secure a 3-1 win.

Hartlepool’s fans seemed discontent at the final whistle, but to their credit they backed the team until Walker hammered the final nail into the coffin.

Victoria Park is a ground that is rough around the edges but oozes with character, and when the team perform it is filled with loyal and passionate fans who create a great atmosphere. They too are at home on the 27th against AFC Fylde, a tough fixture against a good side but one that is well worth taking in.

Finally, I headed to Blyth Spartans vs Stockport County on Tuesday night. One of Blyth’s stands is emblazoned with the quote “Spartans ask not how many are the enemy, but where are they”, and it was clear that the enemy would be the weather.

It was a horrendously cold, windy and rainy night that made me question why I had bothered to venture out, but this question was answered quite conclusively by two teams who defied the conditions to produce an entertaining game.

Blyth took a 1-0 lead after a huge slice of look saw Stockport’s Cowan deflect an effort

beyond his own keeper, but their second goal just five minutes later required no luck. Sean Reid hit a brilliant strike from distance, guiding the ball into the top corner with the perfect balance of precision and power.

Stockport reduced the deficit to 2-1 with a header from a dubious free-kick, but Blyth went 3-1 ahead in the second half, with Connor Oliver receiving a through ball and stroking the ball past the keeper with great composure. Stockport found the top corner themselves, with Mulhern’s effort taking a deflection before hitting the back of the net, and they pushed for an equaliser.

Despite their efforts, Blyth held on for a hard fought 3-2 victory. Croft Park itself might seem basic to those used to the likes of St James’s Park, but with 3 covered terraces, a seated main stand and the benefit of not being charged ridiculous amounts for food, drink or tickets, there is more than enough to tempt football fans to visit for their next home game against Ashton United on the 8th Of December.

Football in the North-East is a lot of things.

If you get the opportunity, you should look further down the footballing ladder, you might find ourself somewhere else to enjoy a game

It is considering how many layers of clothing to wear, then adding another 2 just to be sure. It is endless shouts of “howay”, each in a different context and each with a different meaning that could range from anger to excitement and many things in between.

One thing is for certain, and it is that football in the North East is not just Newcastle United. If you get the opportunity, you should look further down the footballing ladder, and you might just find yourself somewhere else to enjoy a game of football. If you are interested in non-league football, follow the NonLeague Society on Facebook or at @NonLeagueSoc on Twitter for information on our next game on December 1st.

Blues buckle as Boks edge over the line to victory

Rory Ewart reports on a disappointing loss for Scotland after they were defeated by South Africa at the rugby internationals Scotland’s unbeaten 2018 at home came to an agonising end as South Africa squeezed past the Scots with a 20-26 victory at BT Murrayfield.

A pulsating first half saw first blood to the Springboks when fly half Handre Pollard broke through the Scots defensive line

In a game that was built as potentially being Scotland’s, “biggest win of the last couple of years” by coach Gregor Townsend, and it certainly lived up to its billing. A pulsating first half saw first blood to the Boks, fly half Handre Pollard broke through the Scots defensive line, sparking a set of scintillating offloads, which culminated in centre Jesse Kriel bombing over the line. Pollard nudged the conversion for a 7-0 lead after six minutes.

However, Scotland responded with rigorous flair, a flair which – contrary to the recent belief of many fans - is becoming second

nature to the team. Huw Jones, on this occasion, giving a ‘through the back door’ pass, unlocking winger Sean Maitland to burst into Springbok territory. A return pass to Jones saw him repeat the same maverick pass, releasing Pete Horne to cross over for Scotland’s equalising score. Game on.

As the midpoint of the first half was appearing on the horizon, a South African steal meant they were suddenly on the front foot in the Scotland 22. Handre Pollard quickly capitalised on this to cross for South Africa’s second score, and booted over the extra two points to convert his own try. A clever lineout move saw Scotland loose and forward Hamish Watson score, taking Scotland to within three points of South Africa at the break.

In a far cagier second half, it was Scotland who were made to rue missed opportunities.

Willie Le Roux, fullback for the Springboks, was sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-on.

Despite this, Scotland failed to capitalise on the man advantage, with South Africa maintaining their three-point advantage.

A nail-biting final quarter saw Scotland fly-half Finn Russell miss a long-range drop goal attempt, before a monstrous penalty kick from Elton Jantjies stretched the Boks lead to six. The Springboks then put on a notable final defensive push to inflict Scotland’s first

home defeat in a year. The final score was Scotland 20 – South Africa 26.

Scotland will be disappointed with this result, which says a lot about where this team has come in such little time. Not so long ago many Scottish fans would laugh at you if you had said you’d be dissatisfied to lose against a side that has beaten the likes of New Zealand, Australia, and England (twice) this year. Not anymore.

Scotland is well and truly at the dinner table with ruby’s big boys and is here to stay

Scotland should look at results like Saturday’s in irritation now. For years it has been Scotland playing catch up to the rest of the home nations, being branded as the ‘underdog’ all too often.

With an average age of 25 within the squad, Scotland is well and truly at the dinner table with rugby’s big boys and is here to stay.

Scotland have come a long way in recent years Image: Wikimedia Commons

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Monday 26 November 2018

Fantastic fortnight for NUAXC INDOOR ATHLETICS Shona Haston at Manchester Newcastle University Athletics and Cross Country club travelled down to Manchester to open their indoor season on Wednes-

day 14th November. After a very early start, 21 athletes took on Bristol, Manchester and Northumbria, amongst other universities at the Manchester Cup competition.

The first event of the day was the 60m hurdles, in which Izzy Fellows finished 2nd and Sophie Thorpe 5th. After a fairly quick turnaround, Sophie was racing again in the 60m, along with Megan Rigby, Lauren Kay, Will

Rogers and Will Beardshall.

Next up was the longest of the events, the 1500m, which featured some of the club’s cross country members dropping down in their usual distance. All ran great races, with Sam Hansen finishing 4th and Sean Haycock 9th out of 16 runners in the men’s race and Clara Pettit 4th and Megan Driscoll 7th out of 11 runners in the women’s race.

The 400m races were next, where both Emily Davis and Emily Strickland comfortably won their 400m heats, with the latter gaining the second fastest time overall, and Sarah Longshaw finishing a close second in her heat. Jason Ting also ran an impressive race in the men’s 400m.

Following this was the 800m, in which 4 of Newcastle’s women were competing. Shona

Haston finished 2nd, Ilona van der Giessen 3rd, Georgia Mulraine 5th and Harriet Thompson 6th out of 7 athletes.

The penultimate event was the 200m, which saw Will Beardshall, Will Rogers and Jason Ting all race well in very close heats.

For the women, Emily Strickland, Lauren Kay and Amy Wood also all ran great races, with Emily Strickland earning the fastest time of the day overall.

Medley Relay: 1 x 800m, 1 x 400m, 2 x 200m.

The final races of the day were the medley relays, involving 4 legs of 800m, 400m, 200m and another 200m. First up was the men’s team of Sean Haycock, Sam Hansen, Will Beardshall and Jason Ting, who posted a very respectable time of 4:12.1. In the women’s race, Newcastle had 2 strong teams competing. The A team, consisting of Shona Haston, Hannah Malpass, Emily Davis and Emily Strickland won overall with a time of 4:19.5, while the B team of Megan Driscoll, Ilona van der Giessen, Sophie Thorpe and Amy Wood also performed well to finish in 4:47.8 and 6th out of the 8 teams competing.

Emily Strickland easned the fastest time of the day overall

Athletes sport blue and red facepaint to match their kit Image: Shona Haston

A special mention must also go to Georgia McMillan who, although too injured to run herself, helped to drive the team all the way there and provided much appreciated support throughout the day.

Overall it was a fun, albeit long, day out which saw great performances all round and provided valuable race practice ahead of the big athletics competition at BUCS Indoors in February!

Nobody was cross at cross country

CROSS COUNTRY Louise Mills at Edinburgh

On Saturday 17th November, a whopping 44 members of NUAXC travelled up to Edinburgh, despite the fact that this is a sport partly associated with hills and rain, to compete in the annual Edinburgh Braids Cross Country race, and what a weekend was in store for them.

After successfully herding 44 people onto a train, the first hurdle was out the way for Cross Country Captains Sean Haycock and Aoife Smith, and the racing hadn’t even started yet. Arriving into Edinburgh with a glorious blue sky (yes really), the adrenline, nerves and anticipation were starting to build.

44

The number of athletes successfully herded onto the train

The Braids Cross Country race consists of both a 5km and 10km race, with men and women running together. It attracts a range of university teams, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Durham, Leeds and of course

Newcastle, as well as members from local running clubs, meaning there is a wide range of ages and abilities. The race is one of the most looked-forward to on the uni race calender due to its more relaxed atmosphere, and promise of stunning views from the top of Braids Hill looking down on the city of Ed-

A spectacular view suggests a hefty hill, which is precisely what this course involves

inburgh and across to Arthur’s Seat.

First up it was the 5k race, which was over a one loop course. The views from the top are spectacular, but a spectacular view suggests a hefty hill climb, which is precisely what this course involves. A steady 2.5km climb up, and you are rewarded with the view and the promise of some downhill. Callum Hanson was first home for Newcastle, and 3rd place in the overall 5km race, in an impressive time of 15.46- a great achievement, and Newcastle’s Meg Ellison was 8th lady home in a time of 19.05. A total of 288 runners took part in the 5km race.

After a nervous wait which was only intensified by seeing the grimacing faces of those crossing the finish line of the 5km, but at

least now coated with face paint, it was the turn of the runners who had chosen to race the 10km. What brave souls. I have never climbed a mountain so I’m not 100% sure what it is like, but I imagine the pain of running 10km around this gruelling course must be similar. This race consisted of 2 laps, so at least these runners got to see the view from the top twice! Callum Hanson was again first home for Newcastle, closely followed by Chris Larkin, who finished in 41st and 56th place respectively. Special mention for Lauren Beckett-Davies who finished 9th lady in an impressive time of 41.18. A slightly smaller field this time of 209 runners completed the 10km race.

Every member of NUAXC finished their race, and there was a top three finisher

Edinburgh Braids is not an easy course at all, requiring good pacing and strength for hill running, but every member of NUAXC finished their race, and there was even a top 3 finish. NUAXC did themselves and Newcastle proud, and despite the pain of the hills and the early starts, I think that some might even have described the weekend as ‘fun’.

A sunny yet cold day, good for runners who are prone to overheating Image: Louise Mills

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Monday 26 November 2018

Dodgeball Team Talk

“Sweat off those Soho hangovers” Sports Editor Harry Parsons chats to the media manager and president of the dodgeball club about all things ball dodging

When meandering down the long walkways of the fresher’s fair back in September two stall-holders took a slightly different approach. Two small red balls were being pelted at passersby in a unique approach to discovering new dodge-worthy talent. I sat down with President of Dodgeball, Liv Green and Media Manager Ollie Thomas.

Harry: You’re average Joe show’s up to dodgeball. They say “why should I join dodgeball?” Convince them.

Liv: If you can dodge a wrench then you can dodge a ball. At fresher’s fair all we had to do was chuck balls at fresher’s and if they dodged it then all we needed to say was “Oh my god we need you on the team!” and if they were bad we’d say “mate you need to come down and practice” H: What’s practice like?

Ollie: Normally we’ll just do just like games on a Sunday with no real format. Everyone will just play each other. On a Friday, because there’s less people, we’ll do a bit more serious stuff. I mean, the main point of the Sunday one is to get everyone down to the pub afterwards.

L: We randomly allocate teams, which means you meet new people. We try to make it casual though, it’s quite a serious game if you play it properly.

H: Do you make a happy balance between seriousness and more relaxed play?

L: We’ve got special rules for people to keep involvement up.

O: One thing we always say is that it is what you make of it. You can go to a Sunday session and take it super seriously if you want or you can go there and not take it seriously at all. But either way I think people still enjoy it.

L: Also we have got a good balance I’d say because about 50 of our members want to be competitive and 100 of our members didn’t want to. One third wanted to be competitive which means we’ve opened it up to University League. Everyone else comes along on Sunday and just plays.

H: How important is socialising?

L: We’ve got three social secretaries. [laughs] H: And you do your sports Wednesdays?

L: We are down tiger almost every Wednesday.

O: For a club that doesn’t do sport that seriously we take our socials very seriously.

When I joined last year I found that that was the cornerstone of it almost was the social side not the sport side.

L: My main reason for joining dodgeball was when I came to uni everyone was like “you’ve got to get yourself involved in a sport like sport is the best thing, you’ve got to get yourself. Involved in something. I chose dodgeball because i it’s an easy going game, big social, still gets me part of the sports night without all the training and being a sporty person. I think that’s why most people join.

H: What convinces someone to do this over something else?

L: Our committee, our ethos of the club makes such a difference. Because the boys that we had last year, they set the club up. We are a close knit committee and we’re nice and not judgmental. There’s a warm feel, if it goes wrong, or you mess up then it’s alright.

O: I think as well when we did PE in school if they were like “we’re gonna play dodge ball” you’d be gassed for it. I always liked dodge ball when I was little and like I think it’s a good work out as well. I’m knackered by the end of it, but I put a shift in in dodge ball, by the end I’m sweating. The next day I’m aching. You feel like you’ve done something with your evening.

L: I think the Sunday evening time-slot, 6:30 - sweat off those Soho Hangovers O: That’s our motto.

L: 10 am on a Sunday morning? No chance of making that. 6:30PM, most people have got through the worst of it by then.

More information is available on the NUSU website and Liv and Ollie present NSR Thursday’s breakfast Show. If you don’t laugh at anything they say you can laugh at the fact that they had to get up at 8am after a sports night out to present it. Thursday 9-11am on nsrlive.co.uk

M2 v Birmingham 1sts M3 v Bradford 1st M4 v Hull 1sts W2 v Glasgow1sts

FOOTBALL

BUCS RESULTS BADMINTON

M1 v Edge Hill 2nds W1 v Nottingham 1sts

BASKETBALL

M2 v York 2nds W1 v Edinburgh 1sts W2 v Cumbria 1sts

FENCING

M1 v N’ham 2nds

53-135 128-80 WO Hull 82-135

M1 v Abertay 1sts M2 v Bangor 2nds M3 v Sheffield Hallam 4ths W1 v Teeside 1sts

GOLF

Mix1 v Sheff H’m 1s Mix2 v Sheffield 1s 8-0 0-8 97-48 51-79 102-4 117-125

HOCKEY

M1 v Strathclyde 1sts M2 v York 1sts M3 v Manchester Met 2nds M4 v Bolton 1sts W1 v Nottingham 3rds

LACROSSE

M1 v Strathclyde 1sts

2-1 4-3 4-1 2-1 4.5-1.5 2.5-3.5 4-3 2-0 9-0 3-3 1-0 26-1

Liv Green failing to understand how a whistle works Image: Oliver Thomas

M2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts 1-23 W1 v St Andrews 1sts 19-0 W2 v York 2nds 26-1

NETBALL

W1 v Strathclyde 1sts

RUGBY UNION

M1 v Bishop Burton 1sts M4 v Bangor 1sts M5 v Cumbria 1sts W1 v Loughborough 1sts W2 v H’field 1sts

SQUASH

M2 v Sheffield 1sts M3 v Liverpool 3rds W1 v Leeds Beckett 1sts W2 v York 1sts W3 v Sheffield 1sts

RUGBY LEAGUE

M1 v Leeds 1sts M2 v Leeds 2nds

26-1 18-16 5-26l 64-12 22-45 WO Ncl 3-2 3-0 4-0 3-1 3-2 32-16 8-38

TABLE TENNIS

M1 v Aberdeen 1sts M2 v Leeds 1sts W1 v Liverpool 2nds W2 v Leeds 1sts W3 v Liverpool 3rds

TENNIS

M1 v Hull 1sts M2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts

VOLLEYBALL

M1 v St Andrews 1sts W2 v Durham 1sts

WATERPOLO

17-0 14-2 2-3 WO Ncl 0-5 12-0 2-10 3-0 0-3

M1 v Manchester 1sts 11-23 M2 v Stirling 1sts 2-31 W1 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts 12-7 W2 v York 1sts 1-17

OVERALL BUCS POSITION Pos

University

9

Cardiff

10

Newcastle ■

11

Sterling

12

Leeds Beckett

Pts 1425 1409.5 1298 1225.5

SURF FORECAST

Tynemouth Longsands

The waves next weeks are looking pretty up-and-down, with monday promising the biggest breaks, but swell peariod increaseing towards the end of the week. It may not be the best that we’ll have this winter, but shreddas cant be choosers, so dont be a drip, head out and get your carving practice in in time for christmas.

t e , t

h t

y y t

sport the courier

Monday 26 November 2018 Issue 1378 Free @Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sport Editors Rebecca Johnson, Harry Parsons, Sydney Isaacs Online Editor Tom Hardwick

Astro-nomically tight victory for Hockey 1sts

Newcastle 1sts 4 Strathclyde 1sts 3

Ben Cowlard at Stepps Playing Fields Very rarely are a group of 16 lads (predominantly from the Home Counties) filled with a sense excitement rather than dread when told “you’re going to Glasgow”, but with the first round of the cup upon them, this was one of those days.

Both teams started with a fire and determination matched only by The Governess’ efforts in the Tuesday night ‘I’m a Celeb’ bush-tucker trial. However much like her heartbreaking two star haul, Newcastle faced the heartbreak of watching the ball hit their own backboard within the first five minutes of play.

President/keeper/ Weight Watchers success story Tim Finnerty had other ideas as he expertly saved everything the Glaswegians threw at him

With Newcastle still reeling from the early goal, Strathclyde appeared to have the upper hand, winning two short corners in quick succession with ambition to extend their lead.

However, president/keeper/Weight Watchers success story Tim Finnerty had other ideas as he expertly saved everything the Glaswegians threw at him.

After the initial upset, Newcastle shook the

NOISY NEIGHBOURS

Our sports writers take a look at the best derbies across the country Page 36

CROSS COUNTRY

Newcastle Men’s second team also won their match last wednesday vs York Image: NUMHC

MEN’S HOCKEY

Inside Sport today >>>

journey out of their legs and started playing something that resembled good hockey, a slick piece of link-up play between the midfield unit led to P Cochrane sending a crash ball across the face of the goal, missing Fresher Adam Beese’s stick by a hair. The rest of the first half epitomised the phrase ‘end to end’ with both sides narrowly missing their chances at goal.

The ball pinged between them, to the midfield, to the forwards, smoother than a pile of silk on Luther Vandress’ lap

Towards the end of the half a questionable decision from an umpire with a suspiciously Scottish accent granted Strathclyde another short corner, which Finnerty saw off with ease to end the second half 1-0 to Strathclyde. Newcastle were going to have to come from behind to secure the win, a prospect that both excited and worried the boys in equal measure.

After a half-time team talk from Captain Dodd-Moore that was as inspiring as it was explicit, Newcastle walked out onto the pitch eager to right the wrongs of the first half.

As the starting whistle blew, it was almost as if a completely different team had arrived, the next ten minutes of hockey that followed could only be described as inspirational.

Centre backs S McTaggart and B Cowlard appeared to share a brain as the ball pinged between them, to the midfield, to the forwards smoother than a pile of silk on Luther Vandross’ lap, culminating in a short corner for Newcastle. After the routine fell apart, Belgian international and envy of the locker

room Nathan Bataille flew to the rescue and buried the ball in the back of the goal. Newcastle equalise, the Glaswegian crowd hushes.

As the clock ticked on Newcastle continued their attack. Determined to remedy their missed opportunity from the first half, Cochrane and Beese linked up once again, this time Beese connected and the ball deflected into the goal, the Scots didn’t know what hit them. 2-1. As the pungent smell of haggis and frowns grew stronger and stronger, it was clear the Strathclyde crowd was growing in number and provided the home side with a morale boost that carried them into the D to sink their second goal and bring the score back to level.

But fearful that the game was going to end in a draw, the umpire decided to spice things up a bit and grant Strathclyde a penalty flick, a decision that appeared to confuse even their own players. T Finnerty has been no stranger to penalty flicks this season and as Strathclyde’s rumoured Great Britain player stepped up to the spot, Newcastle were convinced this would be another in the ‘concede pile’. But like the big game player that he is T Finnerty saved the flick and kept the score level, Newcastle’s two-man sideline support go wild.

The scores remained level heading into the last 10 minutes, you could cut the tension with a spoon it was so tight. But suddenly that winds changed and Strathclyde ended up firing one in to be saved by Finnerty, but the plucky Scots were first to the rebound and put the ball over the line with 10 minutes to go.

The opposition celebrated like they had just won the super-bowl, but Newcastle remained composed, shifted the ball in and out of the centre and up the line not giving Strathclyde so much as a sniff at possession as the D was penetrated and a short corner was won.

Captain Dodd-Moore lined up at the top, and to everyone’s surprise scored his first

drag-flick of the season bringing the score to 3-3 with mere minutes left to play. You could see the realisation sweep across the faces of Newcastle as they thought “if Dodd-Moore can score a drag-flick then anything is possible” with this inspiring morale boost in the back pocket of Fresher James Burwell, he turned on the gas and found himself in front of goal, only to be brutally taken out by the Strathclyde keeper.

Cross Country record some good performances in Manchester Page 38

As the pungent smell of haggis and frowns grew stronger and stronger, it was clear the Strathclyde crowd was growing in number and provided the home side with a morale boost that carried them into the D

Even umpires as suspiciously Scottish as the ones holding the whistle that night couldn’t ignore the clear foul that just occurred and Newcastle were granted the penalty flick.

Strathclyde already missed their opportunity with the flick, questions were asked whether Newcastle could hold their nerve and snatch the victory. P Cochrane steps to the plate and expertly slots the ball in the side netting silencing the Glaswegian crowd once again and putting Newcastle one up in this seven goal thriller. The final few seconds trickle off the clock and Newcastle warmly welcome the feeling of victory once again as they advance to the next round.

NORTH EAST FOOTBALL

Sports Editor Tom Hardwick reviews Page 37