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Bournemouth University students join campaign for Al Jazeera reporters’ release
The fight to free jailed journalists
Hollie Wong
DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @HollieWong STUDENTS at Bournemouth University have joined a global campaign to free three Al Jazeera journalists imprisoned by the Egyptian government. As part of the campaign, students have been popularising the #FreeAJStaff hashtag on Twitter and tweeting pictures of mouths taped shut in defence of free speech. #FreeAJStaff is a global campaign fighting for the release of three journalists, working for the international broadcast network Al Jazeera in Egypt. They have been imprisoned in Egypt after illegally meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood, which
has now been classified a terrorist group by the country’s military government. Bournemouth University journalism lecturers Mat Charles and Vanessa Edwards have championed the cause among students, as both have worked with jailed reporter Peter Greste. Mat regards the campaign as a huge success. “It’s really important that the journalism industry comes together when something like this happens. “When you have networks like the BBC, Sky and CNN all coming out and joining the campaign to call for the release of these journalists in Egypt, it helps people realise the importance of journalism and what can happen when journalism isn’t allowed to operate freely,” he said.
Continued on page 5
Protests on behalf of the jailed Al Jazeera reporters are quickly spreading around the world
PA
Rogue landlords tackled over mould concerns Nikita Lewis NEWS EDITOR
@nikitalewis
A SURVEY has revealed the poor condition of rented homes in
Bournemouth. The figures show the alarming number of students currently living with mould and damp, whilst highlighting other problem areas tenants are facing. Students have complained that landlords and estate letting agents are failing to resolve the problem,
and instead are ignoring the issue, or making empty promises. As a result students have felt ill and become distressed by the conditions they live in and the lack of help they have received. Both the Bournemouth Borough Council and Bournemouth
University have launched numerous schemes to tackle the growing issue, and to make students and residents well aware of their rights as tenants. The council has been given a large sum of money to aid tenants with their housing problems. The university is running an
ongoing campaign to make sure all students are aware of the help that’s available. They are also offering advice to people who are affected by housing issues concerning mould.
Full story on page 6-7
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Thursday 13 February 2014| The Rock
Pay row lecturers continue to strike Hollie Wong DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @HollieWong
THURSDAY, 13 February 2014
News
Students face more cuts
8
Opinion
WWE loses the support of fans
10
Features
One student’s unique brand
14
Sport
Thompson is raring to go
22
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LECTURERS at Bournemouth University have staged another strike in their ongoing dispute over cuts to their pay in real terms. Members of the University and College Union (UCU) at Bournemouth University are protesting about the unequal and poor salaries they claim to have been receiving in the course of the last four years. Protests locally have been fuelled by the recent news that Bournemouth University’s Vice Chancellor, John Vinney, received a 19% pay rise in 2013, when lecturers have had their pay cut in real terms by 13% since 2009. John Brissenden, Chair of the UCU at BU and a leading figure in the strikes, said: “A lot of people are still unaware of this industrial dispute happening and the cuts to our pay over the last four years. “We need to start seeing hardworking, professional staff being properly rewarded at a time when we’re all trying to work harder to make Bournemouth University better for our students and for people who work here.” Lecturers previously took strike action in 2006 and also conducted an assessment boycott, leaving some students concerned over whether they would be able to graduate. Mr Brissenden said: “That was
Lecturers from UCU stage strike over long-running pay dispute outside BU’s Talbot Campus H. WONG the only time in the last ten years when the national employers have done anything other than cut our pay.” Following the recent pay rise, John Vinney’s salary package is £244,000 according to the UCU. The reported salary means that Professor Vinney is the highest paid public sector boss in Dorset. The UCU also claims recent construction developments at the campus are at the expense of pay increases – a point disputed by the University. The new Student Support Centre at the Talbot Campus is set to cost over £10 million and there are plans to construct another building on
campus at a cost of £22 million. Mr Brissenden suggested that these investment plans are at “the expense of staff pay” and that higher tuition fees are being spent on buildings instead of on “the people who you see every day who are involved in university life.” Mr James Donald, Press and PR Manager of Bournemouth University dismissed claims tuition fees were being spent on construction projects. He said the increased fees helped “make up for the loss of income from other sources”. He added that the new Student Support Centre “is going to be a fantastic building” and “will improve the student experience”.
The UCU campaign also focuses on closing the gender imbalance prevalent in higher education wages. The gender difference now stands at 17%, which Mr Brissenden says is “ridiculous”. Staff are furthermore campaigning to protect those at the university receiving the lowest pay, who Mr Brissenden said were “feeling the 13% pay cut particularly acutely”. Lecturers have organised twohour strikes and have been handing out leaflets at the Talbot Campus to inform students and other staff of the situation. Three strikes of two hours have already taken place during the first two months of this year.
New student night launched at Revolution Hollie Wong DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @HollieWong REVOLUTION night club has introduced a brand new student night featuring guest DJs and celebrities every Monday. SYNC Mondays began on January 27 and was launched with a DJ set from Danny Jones of pop band McFly. In the following weeks, the event also featured Natalee and Carley from MTV series The Valleys, and Tom Parker from The Wanted. The event was first established in the Cardiff branch of the night club, and it soon spread to Loughborough. Now, at the beginning of 2014, the student event has launched in Bournemouth. Climax Promotions are the main company behind SYNC Mondays. Area manager Jason Curtis, 27, asaid: “The opportunity arose to come down
to Bournemouth and we decided to take it with both hands. “We found that there was a gap in the student market on Monday nights and saw the amazing venue that Revs really is. “The launch was absolutely jam-packed and we reached full capacity.” “We were then hit by the two week exam period, but even then we were just short of capacity on the first week and reached full capacity again the following week.” According to Jason, SYNC Mondays will be a “modern cultural phenomenon” with its popularity growing every week as students wait to see which act will appear to wow them next. Jason believes that the real key to SYNC Monday’s success is due to the “student vibe” which it has. Unlike other clubs, student promoters and recruiters for the event are able to recommend the kind of acts they would like to see in the future. He says that this positive relationship means that students feel more involved and so they’re more “encouraged to come to the event”.
McFly’s Danny Jones launched SYNC Mondays in January
PA
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
WIN WITH THE ROCK
Win a £25 ODEON gift voucher Think you know movies? This is your chance to win a cinema gift voucher with The Rock. Interested? All you need to do to win is predict the winners of the Oscars, from Best Picture all the way down to Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Simply head to the website below and fill in the online form to be in with a chance of winning.
www.bournemouthrock.co.uk/oscarscomp To enter, you must be a UK resident aged 18 or over. For full terms and conditions, look online. Closing Date: March 1 2014
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Over half of Bournemouth adults overweight Joe Nerssessian ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @joenerssessian MORE than half of Bournemouth adults are overweight, according to the latest figures published by Public Health England (PHE). They show that 58% of adults aged 16 and over in the town are overweight or obese. The figures, published last month, are shocking nationally with 64%, almost two thirds, of adults being out of shape. In Dorset, Purbeck is the heaviest local district with 69% of residents being overweight. Christchurch, in comparison, weighs in the lightest with a proportion of only 57%. Last month, Mid-Dorset and North Poole MP, Annette Brooke spoke out about the rising problem of obesity. She said: “The scale of the obesity problem in this country is growing, and we must do all we can to raise awareness and encourage people to tackle the problem.”
In 2010, the councils in Bournemouth and Poole teamed up to launch a joint adult obesity campaign, aiming to reduce the number of overweight adults in the area. Professor Kevin Fenton, The Director of Health and Wellbeing at PHE, backs the campaign, and praised local authorities who are “already working hard to reduce obesity levels”. He said: “This new data will help all local areas monitor their progress in tackling these longstanding problems. “People who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of developing type two diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Excess weight can also affect self-esteem and mental health. Overall health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the NHS over £5bn each year.” Copeland, in Cumbria, is the heaviest town in England. 75% of its residents are overweight or obese. The full national statistics can be seen at www.bournemouthrock. co.uk alongside an interactive map. To contact the Obesity Knowledge and Intelligence team call: 01865 334 900.
Purbeck is the heaviest local district in Dorset according to the statistics released last week T.ALTER
4 news
Thursday 13 February 2014| The Rock
Green light for BU building
Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief Tom Beasley Deputy Editor Michael Seymour News Editor Nikita Lewis Deputy NE Hailey Hammer Deputy NE Hollie Wong Assistant NE Joe Nerssesian Opinion Editor Chris Fay Assistant OE Priscilla Ng’ethe Features Ed Emma Baker Assistant FE Anna Hayward Assistant FE Ross Maffey Sports Editor Jack Cozens Deputy SE Ben Fisher Chief Sub Marcin Bryszak Assistant Chief Subs Anna Pujol- Mazzini & Ross Took Online Editor Poppy Jeffery The Rock needs you. We still have many jobs available on the editorial and business staff, as well as online. To find out more and register your interest, visit: www.bournemouthrock.co.uk/getinvolved/ Letters to the editor must be signed (including the course of Bournemouth University students, the working title and school for staff members, company name, or home address for individuals outside BU). Prior to the publication, letters will be verified for authencity by the editor. Anonymous letters will not be published. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters in regard to libel law, length, taste, grammar and punctuation.
Letters to the editor: editor@bournemouthrock.co.uk
Hollie Wong DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR @HollieWong
A NEW college for BU’s international students is to be built in the Lansdowne area. Bournemouth Borough Council has granted planning permission for the new higher education preparatory college, which will cater for up to 600 international students. Bournemouth University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim McIntyre-Bhatty said: “We are delighted that the building has received planning permission.” The redevelopment of the site will create ‘Bournemouth University’s International College’ (BUIC). This brand new facility will provide pathways for international students making the transition to university by preparing them for their course and also helping them with any language barriers. “Our international diversity plays an important role in equipping all of our students with global employability skills to give them a competitive edge before they even enter the job market,” he said. The building, when complete, will be 16 storeys high and contain over 300 standard rooms
and 44 studio rooms. According to Bournemouth Borough Council, the scheme will also benefit the town by bringing in economic benefits worth up to £7m each year. Construction of the new college will result in a greater number of jobs being created, more spending on the local economy and will potentially reward international students coming to Bournemouth. Council planning board chairman Cllr David Kelsey said the new college is part of the continuing plans to “regenerate” this area of Bournemouth. Demolition of the previous Finance House building has been underway for the last two months. The college is being built in a highly concentrated student area where five other halls of residence are already situated near or on Holdenhurst Road. Students of Lyme Regis House, next door to the demolition site, are supportive of the scheme. The new college will provide accommodation for around 392 students and will comprise mainly of academic and office space. In addition to accomodation, the facility will also feature a canteen, a car park and a cycle bay, with storage for over 90 bicycles. The large cycle bay is an attempt by Bournemouth Borough Council to promote alternative modes of transport within the area. The new building is due to open in September 2015.
The new college will replace Finance House’s current site H. WONG
Antisocial order approved Nikita Lewis NEWS EDITOR @Nikitalewis BOURNEMOUTH Borough Council has approved an order to tackle anti-social behaviour at a Cabinet meeting on January 29, in an effort to improve safety of communities across the Bournemouth area. This followed a public consultation, where implementation of a boroughwide Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) was recommended to councillors. The order will further empower police in their fight against antisocial behaviour caused by street drinking. “We are seeing an increase in antisocial street drinking in some areas of Bournemouth, often outside of the areas already covered by DPPOs,” said the Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment, Cllr David Smith. “By extending the powers to cover all of Bournemouth, the council and the police will be able
It is hoped that the new Designated Public Place Order will limit antisocial behaviour to deal with antisocial street drinking more quickly and effectively,” he added. The consultation showed strong support for the proposed order, with 89% of respondents agreeing to the introduction of a DPPO which would cover the whole of Bournemouth. “From the consultation feedback it was clear that the public felt strongly about taking firm action
against antisocial street drinking and supported the proposed boroughwide DPPO,” added Cllr Smith. “We currently have a number of DPPOs in Bournemouth which cover specific areas including the town centre, Boscombe and Charminster.” Superintendent Charlie Eggar of Dorset Police said that DPPOs are used to good effect to deal with those who drink and act in an anti-social
M. TURNER
manner, whilst “allowing those drinking responsibly to continue unaffected”. “By taking a borough-wide approach it will be clear to members of the public where the power applies, allows our officers to adopt the same approach in all parts of Bournemouth and sends a strong message to those who wish to drink irresponsibly,” he added.
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
Brutal kebab shop thriller comes to town Tom Beasley EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TomJBeasley AN innovative feature film described as ‘Sweeney Todd in a kebab shop’ is set to begin shooting in Bournemouth this month. K-Shop, produced by Dorset studio White Lantern Film, tells the story of a Kurdish kebab shop owner who takes matters into his own, violent hands when he is appalled by British binge drinking culture. Writer and director Dan Pringle, 27, says he was inspired to make the movie when White Lantern moved into new offices in St Peter’s Road. “It was actually identified, whilst we were there, as something like the sixth most violent street in the UK. “That was purely down to the number of drunken crimes that were committed over the course of a couple of years.” The team then began to conduct research by going on nights out whilst sober to observe binge drinkers in their natural habitat and even worked in a number of local kebab shops. They observed the bizarre fallout from drunken revellers and the disrespectful way in which people like the film’s protagonist are treated by the British when they’re out for the evening. “It was at that point where I thought that this would be an amazing backdrop for a movie.
“Not just because it would be so entertaining, but it is also a chance to flag up and explore how, as a society, we have got to this point where this sort of behaviour has become acceptable.” Despite the ‘exploitation movie’ premise, Dan is keen to confirm that this isn’t just a by-the-numbers slasher movie of the kind that have been filling cinemas across the country for many years. “At face value, the premise is very horror and the way that we are positioning the film commercially is using that horror streak. “It has that sort of horror face to it, but underneath the bonnet, it’s definitely more of a thriller.” Dan compared his film to the likes of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and the Shane Meadows drama Dead Man’s Shoes, and is keen to distance himself from the standard tropes and trappings of the crowded horror genre. “It’s almost verging on social drama because, at times, the pace of the film really slows down to sit and soak up the message that is being communicated as opposed to just having you on the edge of your seat the entire time.” Starring Ziad Abaza in the lead role, supported by The Office’s Ewen MacIntosh and a great roster of British talent from the big and small screens, the film is set to begin shooting in an empty shop in Gervis Road on February 27. K-Shop will be released at the beginning of 2015, following a marketing campaign that will kick off at the end of this year. For more information on K-Shop follow the film’s team on Twitter at @KShopmovie.
Poster for brutal vigilante thriller K-Shop, filming in Bournemouth this month
WHITE LANTERN FILM
BU students support #FreeAJStaff campaign Continued from front
Bournemouth University students have promoted the campaign’s slogan, #FreeAJStaff
MAT CHARLES
The Twitter campaign has had a huge impact in creating awareness of the imprisoned journalists. One former Bournemouth University alumni, Simon Torkington, now programme editor for Al Jazeera, tweeted: “Your support means a great deal to us”, in reply to a photograph on Twitter of Bournemouth students brandishing the hashtag and duct tape. Mat also emphasised the importance of students engaging in the campaign. He said: “It’s great to see students here supporting the campaign and showing support for those journalists who are on the front line of the fight for press freedom. “When you’re on a course in Bournemouth and you’re busy with assignments, you forget about the global issue of press freedom.” The imprisonment of journalists
has also encouraged first year students at Bournemouth University to think about the industry. Tomás De La Rosa, one of these students at BU, said: “The importance of the campaign for trainee journalists lies in the fact that campaigns such as these develop a sense of awareness of our surroundings and colleagues. “It teaches students that injustice is far more common than we believe and exposes the reality of the profession.” The three journalists have been detained since December 29 after the Egyptian interior minister said they had illegally met with the Muslim Brotherhood, declared a terrorist organisation by the military government that ousted previous President Mohammed Morsi. In January, Egyptian prosecutors said the three Al Jazeera journalists were being detained on suspicion of using unlicensed equipment, broadcasting false news and possessing fake footage.
6 news
Thursday 13 February 2014|The Rock
Shock figures show grim living conditions across Bournemouth
A student survey has revealed that a high percentage of students have significant problems with their properties and the condition of their rented houses
Nikita Lewis NEWS EDITOR @nikitalewis
A student’s bedroom in Bournemouth shows severe mould damage to the windowsill M. SEYMOUR
BOURNEMOUTH Borough Council and Bournemouth University have both launched seperate schemes in the hope of improving housing conditions for tenants. A recent survey of 330 students conducted by the housing review site Move’m has revealed that 41% of students in Bournemouth are living with mould problems. Move’m founder Peter Ramsey believes that mould is one of the main issues with student homes. He said: “Mould is more common than estate agents would like to admit, and often students are left without heating for months on end. “What’s more surprising is that the majority of the students affected claim they have told their landlords about the problem, but no action has been taken. “If it were a regular letting, action
MOVE’M
would have been taken immediately. Students feel that they are ignored. “Estate agents will tell you that you need to keep your house ventilated, however you shouldn’t be living with black mould. If there is black mould it should be the landlord’s responsibility,” said Peter. He adds: “If it was there before you moved in, and it’s an outstanding problem, keep pressuring them to sort it out.” In the wake of the survey, Bournemouth University’s student union (SUBU) are making students aware of this issue, and have launched a series of campaigns such as ‘Home Sweet Home’ and ‘Don’t Rent Yet’. Toby Gray, SUBU Communications Assistant, said: “Mould is the common disrepair problem SUBU Advice handles. We are working alongside the council to offer free consultation for students on their rights as tenants. “We’re encouraging simple measures people can follow to reduce mould problems such as proper ventilation and regularly
news 7
The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
Dark, dingy and a health hazard, mould can engulf entire rooms and remain for years M. SEYMOUR heating the house, but also not to accept being treated as second class customers by letting agents and landlords if the problems persist.” A Bournemouth student who is letting privately has been affected by the unsanitary condition of her bedroom. She said: “The first two weeks of moving in I was really ill. “I’ve complained to my estate agent and they have said there’s nothing more they can do, even though I’ve heard from other students that they have been given dehumidifiers and had their walls reprinted. “Instead my estate agent has said that I need to buy the dehumidifier and mould spray. I’ve had to clean the wall myself, and I haven’t purchased the dehumidifier because I don’t believe it’s my job to get it.” A 20-year-old Digital Media Design student studying at Bournemouth University has said his main issue has been mould and damp. He said: “My room has a door which goes out to the garden and there’s a patch of mould which is crawling across the floor coming from it. The room smells of it. “We keep the heating low in the house to save money, but my room gets so cold I can see my breath. My friends said the other day they were worried about my health. “We’ve told the landlord and he said he would try to come round to check it out, but I still haven’t seen him. Also over Christmas our back fence was ripped apart by the wind, and it’s only just been replaced last week”.
David Stock, SUBU Advice Manager, explained problems involving students privately renting arise every year. “We see dozens of students each year who are experiencing problems with damp or mould in their homes We recommend they ensure their behaviour isn’t making things worse, but we certainly encounter a reluctance from landlords and agents to do anything about the issue. “Whether it is inadequate insulation or poorly performing radiators, there is often something that can be done about the issue if the willingness is there.” Students and residents will also be getting support from the council. More than £130,000 has been allocated to Bournemouth Borough Council and the Borough of Poole to support the councils’ joint work to tackle rogue landlords in the area. The government funding has been awarded following a successful joint bid by the two councils to help fund specific work, targeting landlords who poorly manage their properties and to help protect vulnerable tenants when renting properties. The news will come as a relief for many people, and also Bournemouth University in the wake of its campaigns against student housing issues. Cllr Robert Lawton, Bournemouth Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “More needs to be done to clamp down on those landlords, known to be operating across the area, who are sub-letting poorly managed and often overcrowded properties to vulnerable tenants and foreign nationals. This successful bid will mean that we can increase our
targeted work to raise standards in the private rented sector and, where necessary, we will prosecute those landlords flouting the law,” he said. The funding will be used to further intelligence on rogue landlords to determine how they are operating. It will also help to take action against landlords whose properties are poorly managed and who treat tenants badly with actions such as illegal evictions or not returning deposits. There are also plans to use the money to raise awareness of how tenants in Bournemouth can access support and advice about their rights when renting property, and encourage those with complaints to seek help. Cllr Karen Rampton, Portfolio Holder for Health, Well-being and Housing, Borough of Poole said: “Landlords that are acting in this way are exploiting vulnerable tenants who are unaware of their rights. “This funding will provide additional resources to help fully investigate these complex cases enabling us to prosecute the worst offenders. “Action such as this will help promote awareness for vulnerable tenants and their rights and also send out a warning to other landlords who think it is acceptable to operate in this way.” Students who are suffering from mould problems have been advised by SUBU to visit them for a free consultation. McConnell Property Group, who featured in the survey, was contacted for a response but was unable to provide a comment.
The survey says 41% of students live with mould
Mould can also spread to the ruin of personal items
M. SEYMOUR
S. ROGERS
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Thursday 13 February 2014 |The Rock
Community coffee shop saved from closure Samantha Jenkins @ SLJjournalism THE Community Coffee Cup in Westbourne has been saved thanks to help from two local organisations. The coffee shop, which was due to close at the end of last year due to a lack of funding, will continue to run thanks to help from two organisations in the South. The community group has been awarded sponsorship by Liverpool Victoria (LV) for the hall hire for the duration of 2014, and has also been offered sponsorship from BBC Solent towards refreshments. Anne Robertson from the Westbourne Neighbourhood Watch Team set the group up in March last year. She noticed a lot of people in the area were lonely after delivering winter warmer packs to those who could not get out of their houses. She said: “I was so worried that if we couldn’t get the funding to continue they would return to their loneliness. “The group has been very successful with 15-30 attendees
every week up to the age of 94 who come for a free coffee and have a chance to meet others. “The group isn’t religious in any way. Our aim is just to provide a meeting place for people looking to make friends.” The group runs every Wednesday afternoon at Our Lady Immaculate Church in Westbourne to allow local residents and people passing through to come inside for a drink and to meet others in the community. Samantha Preece, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at LV, explained how the Community Coffee Cup approached the Bournemouth Community Committee in the hope of obtaining funding. “For the whole of 2014 it was around £1800 so it was a small amount for a good cause,” she said. Liverpool Victoria has set up 13 regional community committees, one of which is Bournemouth, and they are run entirely by LV volunteers. “We distribute a budget to each of the committees, and it’s these people that make decisions on where best to invest it locally,” said Samantha. Volunteers at The Community Coffee Cup have also been responsible for setting up winter warmer packs again this year, to help people who are unable to get
The Community Coffee Cup has been sponsored by local groups to help continue out of their house during the colder months. Amanda Caitlin, Neighbourhood Warden and volunteer, said: “As a result of a grant from Age UK we’ve also got some winter warmer kits
consisting of fleece blankets, hats, gloves, Thermos flask, soup and all the rest of it. “Annie [Robertson] has also managed to get some more funding from local councillors to fund things
CHICHACHA
like UHT milk and salt in case it’s icy outside peoples houses, and that will all be added to what we’ve already got,” said Ms Caitlin. Meetings are held every Wednesday at midday.
Student Opportunity Fund facing cuts Nikita Lewis NEWS EDITOR @nikitalewis A SIXTY percent cut to the Student Opportunity Fund (SOF) is being planned by the government, according to the National Union of Students (NUS), and there is a possibility that the fund could even be scrapped altogether. This has alerted Bournemouth University Student Union (SUBU) who say some students rely on the fund and any cuts will harm future and current students prospects. SUBU President Murray Simpson said: “BU’s allocation for next year’s fund is just short of £3.5 million (£3,474,122), which if cut, will significantly harm the university’s ability to recruit students from low-income or less advantaged backgrounds.” The reductions are reportedly coming from the Treasury who feel the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) haven’t made enough cuts to department spending. £100m has already been cut from the National Scholarship Programme – another Higher Education fund designed to help social mobility - and the plans to cut the SOF are being read as
a direct agenda to not prioritise or improve social mobility in Higher Education. Applications for full-time undergraduate degrees at university are at all time high, but young people from the most advantaged areas are still two-and-a-half times more likely to apply for courses than those from disadvantaged areas. Murray said: “Cuts to the fund would further widen this gap, and therefore potentially undermine the government’s commitment to increase social mobility in education. “Money from the SOF goes into enrolling and supporting students from low-income and less advantaged backgrounds. BU have a good track record of widening participation, and things like summer schools, ambassador programmes, mentoring schemes and school outreach work are all funded by this money. “The assumption is BU will have to cover the funding shortfall at the expense of other activities the university implement to promote fair access,” he added. Despite funding cuts, BU will still be expected to commit to widening participation requirements from the government, and spend a proportion of their budget on such activities. However the cuts are yet to be formally announced and an NUS campaign to lobby the government is being supported by SUBU.
Students marching against education cuts in London at the 2010 DEMO-lition protest They are also asking Dorset MPs to lobby Business Secretary Vince Cable and Universities Minister David Willets. “We have a strong relationship with our local MP Conor Burns, and have met with him to ensure he
represents our views to Vince Cable and David Willetts in Parliament,” said Murray. SUBU are encouraging students to get involved by sending a letter to their MP, asking them to rally against the plans in Parliament.
TOM BEASLEY
Students can also tweet their support for the campaign with the ‘#saveopportunities’ hashtag on Twitter. Students interested in learning more about the SOF should visit www.subu.org.uk
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Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
OPINION
Editorial An unpredictable Academy Awards is a great thing for the film industry...
Tom Beasley
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @TomJBeasley
Oscars
Hoping for the unexpected is good for film
9
Perfection Plastic does not always mean fantastic
10
opinonseditor @bournemouthrock.co.uk
Usually, predicting the winning films at the Oscars is as easy as angering Christian Bale or confusing Michael Bay with a teleprompter. Last year, for instance, there was no doubt at all that Daniel DayLewis, Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway were going to walk away with trophies under their arms and, the year before, Meryl Streep’s performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady was a dead cert to snatch the milk of victory. This has led to a depressing stale feel around the Academy Awards ceremony. In stark contrast to the glitz and glamour of the evening, the actual presentations feel like something of an anti-climax. The people over at the Academy have taken drastic action to try and reverse this trend, culminating in last year’s hiring of controversial Family Guy and Ted creator Seth MacFarlane as host. Audiences received MacFarlane very poorly after his more edgy take on presenting the Oscars drew huge amounts of press criticism. So unfortunately, it seems that changing the host and the feel of the ceremony isn’t the best way to inject some fun and originality into a tired, creaky format as long as the actions of voters remain achingly obvious and predictable. However, as if by magic, the Oscars this year are harder to predict than they have been for a very long time. Almost all of the categories could go a number of ways and the awards are likely to be spread across many of the biggest and best films released in the past year.
When the ceremonies need invigorating and generic sequels are overrunning multiplex cinemas, a genuinely open awards season can only be a great thing for the movie industry. The leaders in terms of nomination quantity are David O Russell’s conman caper American Hustle and Alfonso Cuaron’s virtuoso space thriller Gravity, each recognised in ten categories, including Best Picture. Following closely behind with nine nods is the harrowing slavery drama 12 Years a Slave, which is flying the flag for Britain courtesy of London-born director Steve McQueen. Any of these three films could walk away with the prize for Best Picture when the statuettes are handed out, as all three are very strong, very interesting films with good bases of support. Crucially, they are all also very different. American Hustle is a light, comedy caper with glitz and glamour at its heart. In that sense, it couldn’t be more opposite to the gritty realism of 12 Years a Slave, which highlights suffering and is unremittingly bleak, and Gravity – a meditation on loneliness. The other six films in the category, from Captain Phillips to Philomena are also in with a chance of scooping the top gong. This variety of nominations mirrors the variety of cinema in all of its forms, which is not something that the Academy Awards is known for. The fact that there is a madcap comedy and a special effectsdriven sci-fi in the same field as the usual raft of historical biopics is something that can only encourage genre filmmakers to shoot for the proverbial stars. Awards season has long been barren of anything resembling genre filmmaking. Weighty biopics
(see Lincoln and The King’s Speech) and worthy dramas (see Argo and Crash) are usually the big winners, with populist hits either snubbed completely or relegated to the categories that reward technical achievement rather than general success. With that in mind, it is refreshing this year to see a film as commercially successful as Gravity mixing with the more traditionally
Oscar-friendly movies. There are very few certain winners this time around, making for a very intriguing ceremony. This could be the year that the Oscars become essential viewing again for those outside of industry commentators. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to hearing the winners announced on March 2. It will be nice to go in, for once, with no idea who is going to win.
The coveted Oscar - highest award in film CASTLES,CAPES & CLONES
...but the Oscars don’t actually matter that much Chris Fay
OPINIONS EDITOR @JChrisFay Oscar time! Red carpets, low cut dresses and Jennifer Lawrence. What’s not to love? Well the complete sham that are the awards themselves. The awards are not based on the best film, the most innovative, the most creative and certainly not the most original. In 1998, one of the single greatest films to ever grace cinemas across the globes was released. This epic, emotional, heart wrenching tale is watched lovingly and mournfully by viewers 16 years later. It inspired two HBO TV mini-series which in themselves have become
classics of television. I of course am speaking of the monumental Saving Private Ryan. And the award for Best Picture went to? Shakespeare in Love. That’s what defeated Saving Private Ryan. Which film has had a longer legacy? Which has made the biggest impact on western culture? According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “Miramax spent an estimated $16 million (about $2,700 for each Academy member) on its Shakespeare (in Love) campaign.” Miramax also pushed journalists to criticise Saving Private Ryan for being historically inaccurate, which is impressive considering Shakespeare’s mentioning of the state of Virginia before there was a colony of Virginia. Anything goes in the dirty world of the aggressive awards campaign. Saving Private Ryan was a master piece. Much in the same way Citizen
Kane was for Orson Welles. Speaking of which, it didn’t win Best Picture either. Do you know what did? No? Me neither. Find someone who does without Googling it. Star Wars (the good ones) and Raging Bull were snubbed too. The Dark Knight earned Heath Ledger a Best Supporting Actor award, but was conspicuously absent from the other main prizes. Enjoy the awards though. Enjoy the annual circle-jerk and patting each other on the back that Hollywood considers so important. Just don’t use it as a benchmark for how good a film is. Was Argo really better than Lincoln or Life of Pi? Or Django Unchained? Or perhaps I’m thinking about all this too much. Perhaps I am just cynical and jaded, worn out by sequels and
prequels and Channing Tatum. Whether the awards matter or not is pretty inconsequential. They are entertainment. Glitter and glam to sum up the year in cinema. Yes, films will be ignored, some of which deserve at least a nod to say they existed, that politics and money are not all that matters in the craft of filmmaking. Perhaps I need to just look at the positives of all of this. Ellen DeGeneres is hosting, which should be passably funny. And most importantly, Jennifer Lawrence will be there. All will be well.
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10 opinion Neck and nominate hits Bournemouth Charlie Souter-Phillips
The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
It’s time for a Royal Grumble Patrick Wilson @foxholeboy
@CharlieSouter Over the last few weeks my Facebook has been flooded with people uploading videos of their Neknominations, and the trend has most definitely hit Bournemouth. The game involves a person being nominated, which means that they have to drink a pint of whatever they like and then have 24 hours to post this video and nominate other contenders. The videos that I first saw contained different types of alcohol, being put into a pint glass, and being drunk rather quickly, but the latest videos are getting more outrageous by the minute. Now people are getting more creative. An edition I saw involved two friends doing a Mr and Mrs quiz, having to answer questions about each other. If they got them wrong items were added to their drink, such as mushy peas and cold baked beans. Pretty grim. Other videos involved drinking underwater, or snorting lines of protein powder. This need to adhere to peer pressure and outdo each other is becoming very dangerous. One man in Northern Ireland drowned after taking part in the game. This promotion of binge drinking and peer pressure, asks an important question: how far will these people go to compete for attention? It’s clear that social media can have an impact on people, but I don’t think its being used in a productive way at all. I’m happy to see that a group of South Africans have used Neknominations in a positive way, and have filmed themselves doing a good act of kindness and nominating their friends to do the same, with the ethos ‘change one thing, change everything.’ Therefore I urge you to stop using these Neknominations to show off how much alcohol you can swallow or what condiments you can put in your drink. Instead lets use the platform and soaring popularity of Neknomianations to promote good deeds and show that there is more to life than drinking dangerous concoctions.
YOUTUBE
Wrestling is weird. Really, really weird. I’m not just talking about the soap opera dramatics and the occasional worm eating boogeyman, the entire concept is bizarre. It’s probably the only instance of sports entertainment. Everything is scripted. It’s not like MMA where one person is objectively better and therefore the best in the company; the best is chosen by two factors. One of those factors is the creative team and the other is the power of the fans. Professional wrestling relies on fan reaction and allows the vocal nature of its fanbase to dictate who is successful. If the crowd hate the good guy, the story is probably not going to work. This was a driving force for the business in the late 90s with the Monday Night Wars between the companies of the WWE and WCW. However, WWE have no competition now as WCW is as dead and buried as the loser of a Casket Match. At this point, it really doesn’t matter what the WWE writes or who they decide to push to the forefront because the fans are going to watch it anyway.
There’s nowhere else to go. Shows like Impact Wrestling just don’t have enough clout to even dent the huge juggernaut. There’s been a huge amount of fan unrest around the WWE for some time now, but the real tipping point was the recent Royal Rumble. For some background, people love Daniel Bryan. They go crazy for this guy, and rightly so. Daniel Bryan is a phenomenal wrestler who worked his way up from the independent promotions and has become a firm fan favourite. This is why people have become so angry that he has been repeatedly prevented from reaching the top of the company. Fans have started to frequently chant Bryan’s well known phrase “YES YES YES” en masse, even derailing some segments of the show because of it. The Royal Rumble though, is where the fans turned. Not only did Bryan not win the Rumble; he wasn’t even in it. The rage was palpable, the crowd was ready to riot and booed all the way through to the end of the show. And who won, you ask? Batista. This is a man who had literally been back for one week after a long leave of absence and he also happens to have a new film coming out this year in the shape of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. I, for one, welcome the derailing. The WWE may not hate their fans, but they seem to not care about what they want. And really why should they? They have no real competition,
Bryan’s populairty has caused problems for the WWE no reason for them to not do as they please and let who they want take the top spot. This vocalisation is a welcome way of letting the WWE know what fans want. From outside the pure wrestling perspective, this is an amazing case of fans rallying and actually affecting a show. Recently on the WWE’s Monday Night Raw programme, the fan reaction actually forced the company to stage a script rewrite. Granted, sudden changes are common place with the WWE, but it’s still impressive that the audience directly forced the hand of the creative team. The recent departure of CM Punk has added another log to the fire, as have rumours of Alberto Del Rio
K. BOGNER
leaving the company behind. The product is becoming stale and it’s turning the fans off. Even wrestling legend Mick Foley called the Royal Rumble result “disgusting”. I’ve been a wrestling addict since I was a kid and, despite everything, I’ve stuck with it. But now, even I am getting tired of it. I’m getting sick of the product, I’m getting sick of the pandering and the attitude of not pushing the next stars who work themselves to the bone every week and just regurgitating old talent who turn up whenever they want to promote their latest action movie. Things need to change and the only way it’s going to happen is if our voices are heard. “YES YES YES.”
Sometimes plastic is far from fantastic Priscilla Ng’ethe
ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR @PriscillaNgethe Why do people spend so much money in the name of vanity? This is not Ancient Egypt where the Pharaohs and Queens had their bodies mummified in strips of fine linen and enchanted oils. The harsh reality is that people spend thousands of pounds on plastic surgery ignoring all risks just to have their bodies decay away at the end of it all. I was watching Botched Up Bodies the other night and I thought to myself ‘how far do we go for the sake of vanity?’ For those who don’t watch this TV series, it is a documentary following people who have had horrific, (and believe me, ‘horrific’ is an understatement) cosmetic surgery disasters. Luckily for them, Britain’s top plastic surgeons are able to correct the catastrophes into something you can hardly describe as bearable. It amazes me that people pay thousands to change their eye colour, get bigger boobs and
butts, bleach their skin and receive liposuction. The worst thing about it is that all this is just to try to fit into a group in a society or to impress other people. Statistics produced by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) concluded that the top surgical procedures were performed 43,172 times in 2012, an increase of 0.2% and figures continue to rise each year. Why is it that more people feel the need to have cosmetic surgery? Is it the era in which we are living, assaulted by the influence of the mass media and the idolisation of celebrities? As humans, we are always going to find something we want to change about ourselves and once that’s changed we will find something else. But in saying that, I do not ignore the fact that some people are forced, or should I say encouraged, to have plastic surgery. I know because I am one of them. I was born with a tongue-tie or, as it’s medically known, Ankyloglossia. This is where a piece of skin and tongue are joined together. The condition is minor and only affects a person’s speech. Luckily, it did not affect me at all and I successfully had the surgery
completed when I was about nine years old. From what I remember it did not hurt much and I did not feel much different afterwards. The main reason for this piece is to hopefully encourage the readers to fall in love with themselves - flaws and all! Be appreciative of what you already have, try not to focus on what other people may have. But put all that energy into bettering yourself from the inside
and it will begin to show on the outside. Plastic surgery can be successful, but it can also go terribly wrong and cause unnecessary complications. Ultimately, it is your decision as to whether the procedure is worth the pain and money, or whether you would rather put your money into something different. If someone genuinely loves you, they fall in love with you and what is on the inside. Remember that.
The beauty industry is worth billions of pounds MISLAV MAROHNIC
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
FEATURES
Say Nǐ hǎo to 2014 As we gallop into the year of the horse, Chinese New Year celebrations are bigger and better than ever. The Rock explores some different New Year traditions and events around the world Natasha Buetow Malou van Rooij @TashaBuetow
Valentine
Gifts, dates and illustrations
12 Stranded Apparel Inspired by purpose
14
featureseditor @bournemouthrock.co.uk
With the arrival of Chinese New Year, the festivities are as big and bright as ever. The Chinese New Year is noted for its incredible displays, and the celebrations are no different around the world. Known for their extravagant displays, each year Chinese people put on exhibitions which far surpass their previous endeavours. Places such as Beijing hosted elaborate and colourful carnivals, Peking Opera, tea culture displays and fireworks, and the spectacle did not disappoint. The event, also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, lasts for 15 days, and is a time for families to come together - much like our own Christmas traditions in the West. Families wear red, and put up decorations around their homes such as red lanterns, calendars, poems, and posters. The age old practice of ‘luck money’ is also not forgotten as children are given money inside red envelopes - one of the more popular traditions. The festivities also conjure up the more famous events such as the dragon dances performed around streets worldwide, the striking of the gong and spectacular fireworks. The traditions of the New Year are not solely based in China either. Many of these traditions and celebrations have been adopted across the world, bringing masses of people together to celebrate. From China to the USA, the festivities are bright, raucous and a lot of fun, with London’s events being one of the biggest and best outside of Asia. For the vast majority of people, New Year’s Eve is an evening that involves reflection on the last year, a time to sum up the high and low points, and concludes with how we envisage the next year to pan out. It is a time of celebration, which although celebrated differently, involves the same thought process amongst everyone. The annual celebrations in London saw the New Year’s parade, ending up in Chinatown. The opening ceremony in Trafalgar Square witnessed a variety of entertainment such as songs, theatre, street performances, and artists. Expectations are always sky high and the occasion is one of the
Chinese New Year is celebrated by various cultures around the world throughout February
IQREMIX
biggest cultural events of the year. Away from western cultures lie many more obscure traditions across the globe. The Spanish eat a grape for every chime of the clock when midnight approaches. More superstitious Danish measures see jumping off furniture as a sign of good luck, and smashing plates against a friend’s front door to show popularity. German traditions see melted lead being poured into cold water, and judging the new year and its events on the shape in which the lead is formed (Bleigießen). The shape of a palm tree would connote a long-cherished wish being fulfilled, but the more unfortunate individual may be presented with a pair of underwear, resulting in a bombardment of jokes and mocking for the upcoming year. Writing a wish on paper, burning it, and sprinkling the ashes into a drink of champagne is Russia’s alternative. And finally, a more practical method of bringing a fresh new year in South Africa is to discard all the old, broken appliances and items in their households. New Year is hugely important for many cultures across the world, but they all have one thing in common: the hope that 2014 will be an absolutely great year.
IQREMIX
Chinese New Year celebrations are colourful and vibrant
12 features
Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
A wacky guide to having Inspired by other artists, student illustrator Claire Joines has developed her passion into a business. Claire speaks to The Rock about her amazing artwork Emma Baker
FEATURES EDITOR @memmabaker Claire Joines is a 20 year-old illustrator and graphic designer studying Philosophy at the University of Southampton, producing quirky designs. After years of having an interest in art and graphic design, she has started comissioning her work and has gradually turned a hobby into a profit. Claire has kindly illustrated some Valentine’s Day themed designs for The Rock to showcase her talents for our Valentine’s feature, ahead of the big day on February 14. Claire is Head of Design at Southampton’s Entertainment Mag ‘The EDGE’, and Head of Marketing for Surge Radio. During her time in these roles, Claire has rebranded both of these organisations with her own style. She says: “It’s been really tough, but I’m happy with the result. “It’s really helpful working with other people on a committee because I can’t give myself objective criticism “Having other creative minds to bounce off is so important.” As well as offering her beautiful images, Claire also agreed to speak exclusively to The Rock about the creative process, her career and the people who inspire her to continue to pursue artistic excellence in everything that she does.
Where does your interest in graphic design and art stem from? I love how powerful and expressive images are. Drawing is my way of putting things I want to express into a tangible form. When I was younger, I was alone a lot of the time - I’m an only child and I lived with my Dad who worked a
Having other “creative minds to bounce off is so important
”
lot, so drawing and painting were how I occupied myself. Artistic creation has pretty much been the love of my life ever since. Something I love about art is that no one’s bad at it. Anyone can pick up a piece of paper and a pen and whatever they produce will be beautiful and unique in some way, no matter how abstract it is. When we’re little we have no inhibitions or self consciousness and the art we produce in childhood is completely liberated and free of constraint.
When did you start showcasing your work? I started off on deviantArt around the age of 11. It definitely opened up my eyes to the immense number of other artists - there’s a lot of competition and always will be.
It’s one of those things that will make you miserable, or you can turn it into a goal - ‘I’m gonna have more pageviews than this guy!’ I started posting my work online in a professional manner when I started university. I was surrounded by motivated people, I had my own space for the first time in my life, and I was able to finally purchase a graphics tablet for my work. University has allowed me to start charging for commissions through meeting bands who wanted promotion, working for pubs making gig posters, and helping out friends with start-up businesses and campaigns. It’s been a great experience, and now I’m working with people all over the world on a bunch of crazy and strange commissions!”
Which artists inspire you? Joan Cornella, who makes dark humour comics, is great. Daniel Williams has a unique drawing style which encouraged me to start using pencil again. Dale Crosby draws funny birdseye views of things like people worshipping a giant leave and other weird stuff. He also sells his art on eBay which I’d never considered as a selling platform before. Leif Podhajsky designs the most iconic and gloriously stunning album art I’ve ever seen. He’s designed for Tame Impala, Mount Kimbie, Bonobo, and some other great artists.
Claire Joines, thank you!
Claire’s art suggests some quirky gifts for you, your partner, and even the environment
C.JOINES
Claire’s cupid is the bringer of both romance & chicken
C.JOINES
History and origins of Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is celebrated all around the world by couples who lavish each other with love and gifts. However the origins of the day are not nearly as romantic. St. Valentine’s Day began in ancient Rome as a celebration of Lupercus, god of fertility. The celebrations undertaken at this time involved Roman priests slaughtering goats as an offer to the gods, and running with their skins through the streets. Hordes of girls would crowd on these streets because they believed the goat skins could bestow fertility. The first official Valentine’s Day was declared by Pope Galasius on February 14 in 496 AD, which is why Valentine’s Day is celebrated on that day now. The notion of ‘a Valentine’ was first established by a Roman bishop who married young women and men in secret because the Emperor
felt it made young men weak. He was beheaded for his crime, but he had fallen in love with the jailers daughter and just before his execution sent her a note saying “from your Valentine”. The first recorded Valentine was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans in 1415 to his beloved wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London. Valentine’s Day had its popularity cemented in the mid-18th century, where the passing of love notes became popular in England, and in 1847 Esther Howland started producing cards using paper lace. Valentine’s Day is now officialy seen as a feast day in the Anglican Communion. Although the history of this popular day is steeped in blood and ritual rather than love, it has now become one of the most popular celebration days of the year around the world.
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
a different Valentine’s Day
It is predicted that, this Valentine’s Day, Britons will spend £978m on partners and admirers. The Rock explores the quirkier ways to enjoy the big day including ideas for dates, Valentine’s traditions around the world and the orgins of this celebrated day Anna Hayward
DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR @hayward94 Valentine’s Day is celebrated by millions around the world, and it can be hard for the celebratory activities not to seem repetitive year after year. Here are few ideas of things you can do to make your Valentine’s Day special. The Chocolate Boutique Hotel 5 Durley Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5JQ www.thechocolateboutiquehotel. co.uk While chocolate is a traditional Valentine’s Day staple, if you like to go the extra mile then take your partner on a small break to the world’s first chocolate themed hotel. This hotel is a chocoholic’s dream – but it’s real. When you arrive in this chocolate paradise you can dip strawberries into chocolate martinis or dip marshmallows into cascading chocolate fountains. Each room is provided with a daily luxurious spread of handmade chocolates to go with the chocolate themed rooms that are bound to have your taste buds in a frenzy. If you are feeling really chocolatecrazy, you can immortalise themselves in chocolate in a portrait painting session. The hotel also holds masterclasses inspired by famous chocolatier Laurent Gerbaud. Oceanarium Pier Approach, West Beach, Bournemouth, BH2 5AA www.oceanarium.co.uk A visit here is a unique date idea that will submerge you into all things underwater. This is a perfect ice-
breaker for a first date, as you will be too busy looking at the beautiful fish, massive sea turtles and colourful iguanas to notice the first-date nerves. The aquarium hosts a whole variety of animals such as menacing sharks and piranhas, turtles, stingray, otters, and there are times when you can feed some of the animals too. To make the Valentine’s even more quirky, you can dive into the virtual interactive dive cage where you get to discover what it would be like to see sea creatures up close. Couples can test their mental strength and face their fears by holding snakes in the reptile sanctuary. Bournemouth Balloon Lower Gardens, Bournemouth, BH1 2AQ www.bournemouthballoon.com The way you may feel about your partner this Valentine’s Day may make you feel like you’re on cloud nine. If so, why not actually go there for a unique date by taking a trip up to the clouds in Bournemouth’s famous giant helium balloon? You and your partner will be able to see an amazing panoramic view spanning 20 miles of the beautiful surrounding area such as Bournemouth’s beach. Go Ballistic Paintballing 12 Hurn Road, Christchurch, Hurn, Dorset, BN23 6AE www.goballistic.co.uk For an unconventional Valentine’s Day that is still fun, paintballing may be just the thing. Go Ballistic Paintballing is a 14-minute drive from Bournemouth where the competition will fire up the chemistry between you and your partner.
It is regarded as one of the best paintballing facilities in the South West. With a variety of woodland and urban game zones, it is the perfect way to spend this year’s Valentine’s Day. Starz Diner 110 Charminister Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8UT www.starzdiner.co.uk Add some glitz and glamour to your Valentine’s Day night by eating at Bournemouth’s American diner Starz. It combines a menu of American classics with the glamour of Hollywood. The decor is littered with posters of film stars and television screens showing classic works of cinema. The menu sweeps customers off their feet with classics like American pancakes and hearty burgers. Their atmospheric lighting and surround system transports customers to a night at the movies where you sit down with Hollywood’s biggest actors. Starz Diner is a movie lover’s paradise. Go Sky Dive Hanger 3, Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6DZ www.goskydive.com If you’re a couple that enjoys pushing your limits, skydiving is a perfect Valentines activity. Jumping from 15,000 ft will give you a rush similar to that of when you first fell in love. The nearest venue to skydive is Go Sky Dive who are just under an hour away in Salisbury and are offering a Valentines discount of £50 per couple that skydive. For an exhilarating Valentines Day skydiving is the activity for you.
Cupid is portrayed holding a unique Valentine’s Day cake C.JOINES
Special Valentine’s Day traditions from around the world... JAPAN It is traditional and expected in Japan that women give chocolate to men even if they do not have feelings for them.
ENGLAND
Along with Valentine’s customs, women used to pin four bay leaves to the corners of the pillows because they believed it would make them dream of their future husbands.
DENMARK/ NORWAY
Men send women a Valentine poem called a ‘Gaekkebrev’. Women have to guess who sent it and if correct are given an easter egg.
WALES
In Wales as well as Valentine’s Day, the Welsh also celebrate St Dwynwen’s Day on January 25 where parties are held and the tradition of love spoons is given.
FINLAND
Valentine’s Day is seen as a day of friendship called ‘Ystävänpäivä’ in Finnish which means ‘Friends day’.
14 features
Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
Taking fashion to the street
NATALIE JADE READING
Bournemouth University student Jordan Bunker has created his own unique clothing range that is both stylish and charitable - donating 10% of its proceeds to Bournemouth’s homeless through charities, Crisis and Shelter Emma Baker @memmabaker A Bournemouth University student has launched his own fashion range to help the town’s homeless population. Jordan Bunker is the brains behind Stranded Apparel, a unisex streetwear brand that uses simple, yet bold, designs on its products. The fresh and affordable range donates 10% of its proceeds to prevent homelessness. Stranded Apparel was founded by Multimedia Journalism student Jordan Bunker whilst he was at college and was officially launched in the summer of 2012. “It was a graphics project that was all about homelessness. “We could do anything we wanted for our final piece, so I decided to come up with a clothing brand that donated 10% of its profits to Crisis and Shelter. “Not only are the designs fresh and bold, it’s also nice knowing that your money is going to help someone other than you. “The high volume of homelessness in Bournemouth is pretty shocking, so it’s definitely
nice to see us helping.” Jordan said: “Before moving here, I didn’t realise how many people were homeless in Bournemouth, so it’s nice to be helping in a way. “The brand has come a lot further than expected.” The development of Stranded Apparel takes a while because the creators and designers want to keep their ideas fresh. Stranded has a fully customised, easy-to-use website that is as bold and eye-catching as the designs on their clothing.
Stranded Apparel is “taking an active part in
helping fix a problem that is prominent locally as well as around the nation
”
Stranded want to make sure their designs and items available don’t resemble what already exists out here. Independent clothing brands are growing in popularity every day, so the importance of high standard, original clothing is important to Stranded. When coming up with new ideas
and designs, Stranded Apparel takes its inspiration from street culture. Jordan states that he takes his ideas “from where I’ve been and what I see”. Different cities and towns trigger new ideas as the members of Stranded travel. He also states: “We’re a brand that takes pride in being ‘outside the circle’ of many streetwear brands that reproduce the expected ‘tie-dye and triangles’.” Stranded Apparel can be seen as fashionable, but also meaningful. It’s great to see that the brand appeals to more than just one audience. Jordan says: “We have people who buy into the brand because of the designs we create, but then we also have people who will support the brand due to our affiliations with Crisis and Shelter.” The brand plans on growing as far as possible. Stranded is looking into expanding into stores across Bournemouth as well as making it known to students of BU and AUB. At the moment Stranded are finalising a collaboration with Tom Winslade, the former head designer of the independent clothing companies Honour Over Glory and INDSCN. They are also looking into collaborating with as many designers and brands as they possibly can for
upcoming collections. The expansion of the independent business in the last 18 months shows promise that it has the potential to become a big name and competitor
to other clothing lines with its fashionable output alone, regardles of the affiliations to local charities. Visit Stranded’s website at http:// www.strandedapparel.bigcartel.com
HOLLIE HARGOOD
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
Our 4,000 mile cycling mission The incredible trip that saw two university graduates cycle across Europe for charity Marcin Bryszak @marcinb93 They have cycled 4,000 gruelling miles and completed some of the most punishing mountain climbs in Europe. Now Matt Scott and Matt Wallis, 22-year-old university graduates from Bournemouth, are home after their amazing adventure to tell the tale. They travelled through France, Spain, and Italy from August until November last year to raise money for Mustard Seed Communities. This organisation, which operates in Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Zimbabwe, cares for children and adults with various physical and mental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, as well as those affected by HIV/AIDS. “I had always wanted to travel after university, so I asked Wallis whether he fancied joining me on a cycle ride round Europe. “Not thinking he would say yes, I suddenly had to stick to it after he agreed,” says Matt Scott, who before starting his university
degree in Sport Management at Loughborough University, went to Jamaica for six months in 2009 as a volunteer sports coordinator. Matt said the experience of working with the organisation was an inspiration for the trip. He said ”The children of the charity are just amazing and really talented.” Matt added that he felt moved when watching the children express themselves through sport, making it one of the true highlights of their lengthy trip.
The people who “helped us to get off
the mountains were amazing. They wanted to look after us
”
The ‘Matts’, who have been best friends since the age of 11, set out with a plan to travel for a full ten months across France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria and the rest of Europe, planning each day as it came. “The target destination was changing pretty rapidly due to the cost being a bit more than we expected,” says Matt Scott. The two ended up going from
They head to the finish line of their adventure trek MATT WALLIS
Bournemouth to Gibraltar and back to Rome, cycling through the west and south of France, and the whole of Spain. On the way, they visited such cities as Nice, Seville, Toledo, Lucca, and Turin, and cycled up some of the toughest mountains in the Apennines and Pyreness, including 2000-metre high Tourmalet, Ventoux and 1500-metre high Col d’Aspin. All this on two Surly Disc Trucker bikes, which included their repair equipment, cooking tools, clothes, sleeping bags, tents and medical kits, weighed over 30 kilograms. “Climbing the mountains was the hardest thing to do but we managed it,” says Matt. Their biggest problems came in the Pyrenees when Matt Scott’s bike chain snapped, putting out the rear mechanism and bending the back of the frame of his bike, while Matt Wallis’ bike had a broken rear brake. But they were met with kindness and openness of the local people. “The people who helped us to get off the mountains were amazing. They wanted to look after us and hear our story. Instead of renting hotel rooms, the Matts spent most of the nights camping in order to save money to keep going. “Camping and cycling is just such
A selfie as they take a break from their adventure a good way to see the world. You get to see everything” says Matt Scott. After four months of cycling, the Matts finished their journey in Rome at the end of November last year. So far, they have raised more than £1,500 for Mustard Seed Communities, and they both plan to further raise awareness for this organisation and their cause by going into local schools during the next few weeks to deliver talks and presentations. It’s an opportunity for the two lads to share their experiences with other people who may continue to
MATT WALLIS
support the cause “The trip was a great opportunity for us to raise some money for the charity. “Now we need to make sure we carry on this mission,” added Matt Scott. The first school the two visited was St Thomas Garnet’s School in Boscombe in January, for a small presentation, and they are planning further visits to local schools in the near future. Their trip is documented on their blog which you can read on www. wheeldealtour.me
Matt Scott and Matt Wallis at the very peak of Mont Ventoux, a highlight of their trek
MATT WALLIS
16 features
Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
Photography Showcase Tomás De La Rosa I have always been fond of capturing images, either through a camera or a pencil, and growing up with a dad whose hobby was photography obviously influenced my interest. It was not until I was 12 when I had my actual introduction to photography. My first camera was a Nikon 6006, a 1991 film camera that I still possess. It was the gateway of what is now one of the most important things in my life and career. Whilst black and white film photography was my entry level to the art, having an analog camera was far too limiting. This was due to the elevated price of film development and the fact that there are very few studios back in Caracas, Venezuela where I lived, taught the process and sold
the chemicals used. I did not really get into digital photography until 2006, and I did with what, at that moment, was the top-of-the-line: a Nikon D80. With it, my versatility grew strong and I began experimenting with various types of photography. After a few extra-curricular courses and several photography trips with my dad, my experience broadened and my confidence in that specific type of photography grew. I looked deep into myself and decided to combine my love for music and sports. Thus I aimed to work on live concert photography and sports photography. They are now the main components of my portfolio. I am now studying Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University and play rugby.
Top right: Tomás captures the beautiful Sagrada Familia stained glass window in Barcelona, Spain
Bottom left: Tomás captures the lady in red in Bournemouth
Bottom right: One of Tomás’s pictures depicts a squirrel in one of Bournemouth’s woodland scenes
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
Photographer’s Picks
Top right: Tomás captures a wild snowy day showing cars stuck in traffic in Woodstock, Vermont, USA
Tomás picks his favourite photos ‘Red Pride’ Taken at the 2013 Six Nations match between England and Wales, this photograph features one of the most stunning ambiences I have been able to capture at a rugby match. The photograph evokes the emotion fans feel when the Welsh players leave the tunnel at the Millennium Stadium and the tension that fills the air in the moments prior to a cracking match. It also features a combination of elements tinted in different shades of the intimidating red that characterises Wales.
Below: Seagulls fly high on Bournemouth beach
‘Sorrow’ Photographed in late December 2013 in the cemetery of the town of Woodstock in Vermont, USA, this photo is a visual representation of sorrow itself, particularly that experienced due to the loss of a loved one. The cold and the dark ambience accentuates this feeling whilst the packs of powdered snow provide a thought of the tombs being somewhat forgotten, as if they had not had been visited in a long time.
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Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
What’s On: Your entertainment guide The 1975, Rizzle Kicks, Russell Howard and Shane Filan headline this month’s live entertainment in Dorset Theatre Swan Lake 11.02.14- 13.02.14 Poole Lighthouse The Moscow City Ballet have brought this timeless classic to Bournemouth. Their interpretation of Swan Lake has already received outstanding reviews and their performance at Poole Lighthouse looks set to be no different. Rent in Concert 13.02.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent In Concert has been described as a pop cultural phenomenon and is coming to Bournemouth as part of its 20th anniversary tour. Award-winning West End and Broadway actress, Kerry Ellis heads up the cast. The Nutcracker 14.02.14- 15.02.14 Poole Lighthouse The Moscow City Ballet returns to Bournemouth with another of their spectacular shows, and this time they are performing The Nutcracker. This family classic suits all the family. Oliver! 20.02.14- 22.02.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre For the first time in almost ten years, Lionel Bart’s award-
winning musical Oliver! comes to Bournemouth. Audiences will once more fall in love with Dickens’s Victorian orphan Oliver who is befriended by street thief the Artful Dodger. The Shop of Little Horrors 22.02.13- 23.02.13 Poole Lighthouse This dark and twisted show is full of humour. It uses extraordinary puppets to tell the tale of obsessed shop owner, Grimlake, who sells strange puppets and magic tricks. He needs a successor to keep his eccentric shop alive and, when Eric comes into the picture, it seems the perfect solution, but he needs to learn a lot about running the shop. Anton du Beke - Ballroom to Broadway 23.02.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre Best known for dancing with famous names such as Ann Widdecombe and Fiona Fullerton on Strictly Come Dancing, Anton brings the glamour of Strictly to Bournemouth with his show. He will be dancing to classic hits such as ‘You’re The Top’, ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘Rhythm of Life’ as he brings the elegance of Ballroom and the excitement of Broadway. Dracula 28.02.14- 01.02.14 Poole Lighthouse John Ginman reinvents Bram Stoker’s classic adventure of the bloodsucking vampire that has
The raucous and fun hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks are set to headline the 02 Academy in Bournemouth PA scared audiences for years. The show blends Victorian gothic with the contemporary, scaring audiences in a whole new way. It depicts the struggle of a group of people who are forced to defend themselves from the menacing shadow of Dracula.
Music The 1975 14.02.14 02 Academy The well-loved Manchester boys of alternative indie rock band The 1975 are coming to play at Bournemouth’s 02 Academy. They have had huge critical and commercial success following the release of their two acclaimed EPs Facedown and Sex, which they will be performing on their tour. They will be supported by American rock band The Neighbourhood. The Meat Loaf Story 14.02.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre Steve Steinman performs Meat Loaf’s hits going back through 40 years of the rock legend’s glittering career that will have you singing and dancing along. Best known for his performance in hit rock musical Vampires Rock, Steinman will perform hits like ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ and ‘Bat out of Hell’ as he conjures a perfect tribute to a true rock stalwart. London Grammar 15.02.14 02 Academy
Russell Howard is one of the UK’s most popular stand-ups
PA
One of 2013’s most exciting new breakout bands is coming to Bournemouth following their debut
album, If You Wait, which peaked at number two in the UK charts. The Nottingham-based electronic pop three-piece will be supported at the 02 Academy by Lancashire electro duo Bondax.
Comedy
Rizzle Kicks 24.02.14 02 Academy
Russell Howard hits Bournemouth on his new tour Wonderbox, which is his first show in three years. Creator and star of award-winning TV show Russell Howard’s Good News, his new tour promises sharp, hilarious and laugh out loud comedy that everyone will enjoy.
Rizzle Kicks are coming to Bournemouth as part of the massive headline UK tour that follows the release of their critically acclaimed album, Roaring 20s. The platinum duo will perform a mix of classics and songs from their new album as they bring their infectious energy and engaging stage presence to the south coast. Elvis: The Ultimate Performance 27.02.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre One of Europe’s largest and most authentic tributes to Elvis comes to Bournemouth to perform his most famous hits such as ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. The show is led by famous Elvis performer Chris Connor and accompanied by Barisons Orchestra. Shane Filan: You and Me Tour 2014 05.03.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre Shane Filan is coming to Bournemouth as part of his first solo tour across the UK and Ireland. The new show from the Westlife star and experienced singer comes after his newly released debut solo album You & Me which hit stores in November. Shane will be performing songs from the new release, as well as classic hits, which he hopes fans old and new will enjoy.
Russell Howard: Wonderbox 21.02.14 -23.02.14 BIC Windsor Hall
Joe Lycett 27.02.14 Poole Lighthouse The award-winning comedian is bringing his comedic talents to Bournemouth as part of his new stand-up show. Joe has appeared on a number of television’s most popular comedy programmes, including Celebrity Juice, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Miranda Hart: My, What I Call, Live Show 28.02.14- 02.03.14 BIC Windsor Hall Described as original and farcically hilarious; the award-winning, lovable star of hit series Miranda is performing stand-up comedy for the first time since her self-titled show aired on the BBC. Steve Hewlett and Friends 15.02.14 Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre Steve Hewlett brings his cast of lovable and zany characters to Bournemouth. Fresh from Britain’s Got Talent he will wow audiences with his brilliant ventriloquism and comic timing.
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SPORT
The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
Jack Cozens SPORTS EDITOR @JCozensTCN
Hunter’s Student Cup win 20 Thompson sets his sights 22 Liverpool photo special 23
sportseditor @bournemouthrock.co.uk.
Welcome to this month’s edition of The Rock’s sport section. With my first words as sports editor, I’d firstly like to thank my colleague Ben for giving me the best possible experience before taking on this role, and I hope we can continue to produce the same quality of journalism that you grew accustomed to under his stewardship. Undoubtedly the biggest talking point in the world of sport this month is the Winter Olympics in Sochi. With the build-up to the event marred by questions about Russia’s human rights record and its attitude towards marginal groups, there were fears that the Games would be overshadowed. Google made their views towards the host nation clear by launching their Sochi ‘doodle’ in the style and colour of the gay pride flag, while Channel Four made a similar gesture by placing their programme listings in the same colours. Matters weren’t helped by the fifth Olympic Ring failing to light up during the opening ceremony, and journalists have taken to Twitter to reveal faults with their accommodation, making something of a mockery of the Games before they had even started.
Winter Olympics While attention pre-Games was on Russia, proceedings have now taken centre stage The pressure on Putin’s government in the past few months has been such that they have relinquised some ground, but it will take more to remedy the problems once the Olympics leave Sochi. Thankfully, with events now in full swing, all attention has now turned to competition, where Team GB are hoping to improve their medal haul from recent years. Jenny Jones’ efforts to win Britain’s first medal on snow – a bronze in the slopestyle snowboarding – should provide a catalyst for her fellow athletes to make it a memorable Games for the right reasons.You can find a guide to the remaining medal hopes on page 21.
CASEYYEE
Ben Fisher
Will Burton
Sochi had been largely overshadowed by negatives surrounding Putin’s Russia and moreso Putin’s man-made and idyllic Sochi base. But rightly so, as media have been left without facilities and without the fundamentals on any overseas trips. A crisis for journalists in Sochi is hotels short of space, full, without sanitation and without furniture. Sadly, Jenny Jones can’t cover up all of these gaps.
Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, politics and sport will always mix. From Hitler’s games of 1936, to the USA/Soviet boycotts of 1980 & 1984, political influence has been rife in major international sporting events. But rather than despair, we should accept it as inevitable and use the games as a platform to put pressure on Putin’s government to address their poor human rights record and treatment of the LGBT community.
DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR
CHIEF SPORTS WRITER
The only solution is education Marcin Bryszak
@marcinb93 In the UK, the organisation responsible for protecting sport from doping is UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). The body works with national governing bodies that administer anti-doping programmes for each sport through accredited coaches who educate athletes at all stages of their careers. But “a lot of the time, unless young athletes are actually reaching certain performance levels they won’t ever receive any anti-doping education. A lot of sports governing bodies take it upon themselves to wait for UK Anti-Doping to develop programmes, but these programmes are few and far between,” says Dr Lisa Whitaker, a researcher from Leeds Metropolitan University. In her research assessing why sportsmen consider taking prohibited substances, Dr Whitaker found that doping is more prevalent at the sub-elite level where athletes are striving to make the transition into elite sport. “Without education and knowing how to deal with things like
suffering an injury, having pressure to perform on you and losing sponsors, athletes are going to be more vulnerable to taking the quick fixes and going down the drugs route,” adds Dr Whitaker. Last year, speaking to talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong admitted he had taken numerous banned substances during his career without which his impressive feats, which include seven Tour de France titles, would not have been possible. “When you look at people who are aspiring to be great in sport and who are desperate to be as good as they possibly can be, they will often be tempted to think about illegal methods to enhance their performance,” says professor John Brewer of University of Bedfordshire, a board member for UKAD, who claims doping is often triggered by athletes’ big ambitions. “It starts particularly with people whose aspirations are greater than very often their technical and genetic ability, so they tried competing fairly and legally and they realised the rewards of getting to the very top. They can be tempted to take illegal measures such as banned substances to enhance their performance to get to the very top.” Russell Jolley, owner of Conditioning Centre in Poole, has worked with hundreds of local and
Armstrong confessed to doping throughout his career POWERIPICS national athletes. “I don’t think there’s enough anti-doping education, because you talk to a lot of people and they have no idea about the types of banned substances or the dangers of doping,” says Jolley, who admits that even with the hard work he puts in, awareness is still a problem. At the grassroots level, some evidence of UKAD’s work is noticeable. 2000 school-based athletes attended anti-doping education workshops at this year’s
UK School Games. A further 2000 received informational leaflets through newly launched parents and carers scheme. But Amanda Batt, Head of Education at UKAD, claims there is a lot more that can be done to educate young athletes with help from other parties. “Our work is never going to be done because there are always more athletes to educate and there will always be dopers to go and find and catch and prosecute.“
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VARSITY
Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
Maiden cup victory for volleyball men Ben Fisher DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR @benfisherJ
Former Olympian and Bournemouth University volleyball captain Dan Hunter led his team to victory in the Student Cup last weekend. The university first team celebrated victory after a final victory over arch-rivals Wessex LeAF, as they went through the competition without losing a set. Hunter says it is a heartening victory for he, his team and most importantly their coach Andy Jones who has been in charge of the side for eight years – without victory in this competition until now. “It is the first time that the university has won the Student Cup so it is a great win and it is great for the coach who has been here such a long time,” said Hunter. “It was a convincing win and it is a nice reward for a coach who has
trusted us. “We play with two of their key players for Wessex Volleyball so we knew about them and their strong points. “We were motivated against LeAF and we were very much aware of their confidence but we earned another 2-0 win in about 45 minutes. “It was very important that we were motivated because it was a rival team and a massive game for the university. “They train twice a week and it is a game that you simply do not want to lose especially because you are up against your rivals. “It is a national competition and to win it will give us great confidence going up to Edinburgh. “Regardless of opposition we could not turn up at a national final and not be motivated.” The volleyball team travelled to Norwich for the competition where they beat off other universities for bragging rights – until the BUCS Final Eights in Edinburgh in March. BU faced Loughborough,
BU’s volleyball side won the Student Cup in superb fashion Cranfield and Anglia Ruskin in their group, winning every game comfortably by a 2-0 margin. They then faced Cardiff in the quarter-final where Hunter dislocated a finger, before victory led to a match against Northern Irish
HUNTER
Belfast side Queens. It was the team’s third final in a row although a case of third time lucky as Hunter led his team to victory, largely thanks to the most valuable player of the tournament, Andrea Ivanov.
BU student invited on trip of a lifetime Will Burton CHIEF SPORTS WRITER @wjburton92 BU student Tom Webster has been invited by Warwickshire County Cricket Club on a trip of a lifetime - their 2014 pre-season tour to Barbados. “I was actually in Pizza Hut with my mates having some lunch and I realised I had a missed call from a manager,” said Webster. “He gave me the news that I was invited on the pre-season tour to Barbados. I was overwhelmed, it was brilliant news. “I am obviously going to work hard while I’m out there but it is simply too good an opportunity to turn down.” The tour, which takes place March 12-23, will be Tom’s first and will set fans back at least £1,455 to go out and support their team. However, all of his costs including travel, accommodation and food will be taken care of by the club. “I’ve never been on a tour, it is obviously a lot of money to take someone away who isn’t a necessary part of the squad so for them to invest in me is a huge honour and
makes me feel very proud and a part of the team again.” When asked about his hopes and expectations for the tour, Webster clearly knew what he was getting himself in for. “I spent my placement at Warwickshire and I hope that this opportunity will make me feel part of the team again. “I will be assisting Head Fitness Coach Chris Armstrong as well as helping the physiotherapist and the performance analyst. With it being a pre-season tour there is likely to be a strong emphasis on technique. “The only thing to be worried about is that first tour members can often have a surprise planned for them by senior members of the squad. I’m sure you can come to your own conclusions on what that will be.” The invite to the tour comes off the back of the 22-year-old being offered a full-time contract at the club as a sports scientist. He will rejoin the club upon completion of his fourth year having worked throughout the 2013 season as part of a compulsory work placement for his degree. “I can’t really put into words how happy I was to sign a professional contract with Warwickshire. I always knew there was a possible chance, but word of mouth doesn’t really
Tom Webster heads to Barbados as a physio for Warwickshire CCC WEBSTER mean a lot in sport. When I found out that the contract has actually been sent through I was very proud. “It’s such an honour to be appointed by Warwickshire,
one of the biggest county cricket club, as an assistant first team sport scientist. I can’t wait until May when I get back up there and hopefully we can have a good season.”
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
A world of sport FA Cup 5th Round (February 15 - 16) The FA Cup fifth round commences on February 15, with 16 teams battling it out to get into the quarter finals of English football’s most coveted trophy. This year’s fifth round contains some tasty encounters with Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City taking on Chelsea in what should be a riveting affair after José Mourinho’s side broke City’s unbeaten home record this season. The day after, Arsenal play host to Liverpool at the Emirates, to end what should be a superb weekend of FA Cup action.
Champions League (February 18-19) The Champions League last 16 has conjured up some mouth-watering ties that will no doubt be jam-packed with drama and entertainment. The last 16 commences on February 18 where, most notably, Manchester City face Barcelona in what should be a spectacle at the Etihad. Messi and co. will be looking to do better in the Champions League this year, after being humiliated by German powerhouse Bayern Munich in last year’s competition. Arsenal play host to last year’s winners Bayern Munich the following day at the Emirates. Arsene Wenger’s men will have to find their A-game if they are to come out victorious against the favourites for the competition.
Sam Rourke examines what’s happening across the globe this month
Winter Olympics (February 6 - 23) With the Games kicking off last week, Team GB has a host of athletes competing for medals in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Jenny Jones has already secured a bronze medal in the slopestyle snowboarding, making its debut as an event this year. With much of the focus pre-Games on Russia’s human and gay rights stances, the Games have so far taken centre stage with a further ten days of competition remaining.
Formula One Testing (February 19 - 22, February 27 - March 2) As a new era of turbocharged V6 engines and slimline noses slowly work their way into public acceptance, testing mileage has rarely been so important, with engineers voicing growing concerns about the reliability of the 2014 cars. The first test in Jerez was an eye-opener for world champions Red Bull and their Renault suppliers, who managed to complete a meagre 11 laps over four days of running. The two tests in Bahrain now provide them with their last opportunity to test before the start of the season, with the first round in Melbourne a little more than a month away.
Jose Mourinho’s football may not be pretty or exciting to watch, but there is no denying it gets the job done. When Chelsea travelled to the Etihad to take on the seemingly invincible Manchester City recently, not only did Mourinho’s Blues keep a clean sheet against Europe’s top scoring side but also beat them in convincing style, with a rigorous back line balanced by a strong attacking force. The players put a shift in but arguably no matter how well the players performed on the pitch, Jose’s tactics were what sealed the deal. Along with this impressive victory over City, Chelsea’s 3-0 demolition of Newcastle also saw Eden Hazard claim a hat-trick, the Belgian mirroring his manager’s upturn in form. The Portuguese maestro has not been beaten since December 17, and in this time, Chelsea have also acquired nine clean sheets in eleven games. If anyone was in doubt of what effect a manager can have on a club, just look at the Blues’ recent record under Mourinho.
WINNER
Rugby League: World Club Challenge (February 22) The 2014 World Club Challenge will be the fifteenth consecutive annual World Club Challenge and will be contested by Super League XVIII champions, Wigan Warriors and 2013 NRL Premiers, the Sydney Roosters. This is the first World Club Challenge match to be held in Australia since Wigan beat the Bronco’s in Brisbane in 1994. This is also the first time the teams will have ever met. The game marks Wigan’s sixth World Club Challenge final, and the third for Sydney.
Britain’s Winter Olympics medal hopes Peter Rawlins @PeterRawlins The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi began on February 6, and Britain’s Olympians have been set an ambitious medal target of between three to seven podium finishes. Jenny Jones became the first British athlete to win a medal on snow after her bronze medal finish in the slopestyle snowboarding on Sunday. So, who of those competing can match her feat and join her in the medals? Thanks to Amy Williams’ gold medal finish in Vancouver in 2010, the skeleton has been marked as Britain’s signature winter event. Lizzy Yarnold and Shelley Rudman, respectively world number one and world champion, arguably offer Britain’s highest hopes of securing a medal in 2014.
Will Kent takes a look at the latest sporting champ and chump
Team GB are hoping to improve their haul from the 2010 Games, where Amy Williams was the only medallist S.YUME James Woods participates in the freestyle skiing, and was a silver medallist at last year’s World Championships, showing he has the talent to deliver on the highest stage. Elise Christie was the first British woman to win a World Championship medal in short track
speed skating, when she finished third in the 1,000 metres event, and takes on the same distance. Eve Muirhead and David Murdoch offer Britain’s hopes in curling. After departing Vancouver in tears after her form deserted her, Muirhead and her teammates are world champions
and strongly fancied for gold despite opening with a to Sweden. In the bobsleigh, Jon Jackson ruptured his Achilles tendon last summer and was a doubt for the Games, but having recently achieved an impressive World Cup silver, he could cause an upset.
LOSER Not only did Kevin Pietersen play a big role in the England cricket team being demolished 5-0 by Australia in the latest Ashes test series, he has now also managed to lose his place amongst the side. Pietersen is undoubtedly one of England’s finest batsmen and would be a valuable player to any team, but the decision to relieve him of his duties was made primarily based on his off-field antics. It seems a peculiar decision given he was England’s highest scoring player during the Ashes in 2014. His England career has come to an end after an impressive spell which has even seen him break records. The verdict to remove him has definitely been taken with the long term future of the English cricket team in mind. He is like the John Terry of cricket; a great player, but one who brings with him a degree of off-field aggro. ‘No player is bigger than the team’, they say.
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Thursday 13 February 2014| The Rock
Poole Town boss happy to utilise near neighbours Ben Fisher DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR @benfisherJ Poole Town manager Tom Killick reckons the club’s link with AFC Bournemouth is earning the Tatnam club their stripes. Killick has benefited from the short-term signings of goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel and Jordan Chiedozie from the Cherries, while his defender Will Spetch recently spent time on trial at the Goldsands club. He said: “I have a good relationship with Stephen
Purches at Bournemouth who is the development coach there and I have dealt with Eddie Howe before – memorably over Charlie Austin. “If I have a cause to deal with Eddie he is very approachable and I have always found Bournemouth very helpful as a club. In recent years they have made a point about helping local sides and that is benefited us without doubt. “It is good because it is getting to the point where Bournemouth know that if players come to us, they know they are going to enjoy and benefit from it when they return. “It means that now things are more likely to happen between us because of the on-going relationship
we have.” However, Killick knows that with the Cherries improving on the pitch, it is not easy to draft in a player from Howe’s illustrious squad. He said: “In a way the link has also been detrimental to us because they have progressed so much that the gap between us now is so big. “The difference between Championship and non-league football means that many principles are not even applicable to us. “Players from League One and League Two on the fringes of their squad would be easier to bring in but now we are talking about Championship players.” The Poole manager also confirmed
that the club continues to support defender Spetch in his quest for fulltime football, since returning from trial periods at numerous clubs. Killick said: “He still has ambition to become a full-time professional footballer and unusually we are encouraging that to happen. “We are trying to help him as a return for what he has given us. I still feel that in the summer especially he can get the move and the opportunity will arise but at the moment he is very much a Poole Town player. “We have not had a formal approach from any clubs although he has had some encouraging words from a lot of clubs, including
Bournemouth who perhaps would have taken him if they were in League One or League Two.” Killick also lauded new signing Justin Bennett who netted a hat-trick on his Dolphins debut last week and is hoping for more of the same. He said: “He’s been very good since coming in and it was difficult at first because the weather hampered him getting game time. “We knew what he was about really and what he can offer as a footballer at this level – he has been scoring goals for years.” “We knew what he was capable of and he certainly made up for lost time by getting a hat-trick on his debut,” Killick added.
Racing Thompson eagerly anticipating new season Jack Cozens SPORTS EDITOR @JCozensTCN Motorcycling star Sam Thompson is confident that he can build on his 2013 title success this year, as he continues to progress in the world of motorcycling. After winning the Van Insurer Elite 600cc Superstock championship last year, the Ensbury Park resident moves into the Triumph Triple Challenge for 2014, competing at race weekends alongside the British Superbikes series - the United Kingdom’s most prominent national motorcycling category. The teenager was thrilled about the opportunity to compete in the same paddock that has previously produced stars including James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow. “It’s brilliant,” said the 18-yearold. “To be up against all of the top names and to be in the paddock with them, it’s all good, it’ll be great to be on track with them.” Thompson revealed that while he is currently unable to test his 2014 machine, he intends to get plenty of experience under his belt before the season begins on April 21 at Brands Hatch. “We haven’t even got on the bike yet. It’s being produced
and then we get it transported to a workshop, made into a race bike and then we’ve got to go to pick it up at the end of the week. “There are three official test days for British Super Bikes in the next three months, but we’re hoping to get a couple of track days in between as well just to get as much time on the bike as we can. “Obviously a lot of competitors are going out to Spain as well testing, so it’ll be nice to get on the bike the first few times to get used to it but whatever it is, it is, we can’t really change it, we’ll just get on with it.” Sponsorship has always been an issue for Thompson, but with his place secured for 2014 he is confident that the nature of the championship will allow him to thrive. “Budget wise, it doesn’t really matter too much because everybody’s paying the same price to be in the series - obviously they can chuck more tyres at the bike, but they’re [the bikes] all the same, it’s down to the rider so it should be a good year.” The end-of-season awards evening saw Thompson rewarded for his exploits as he scooped two pieces of silverware, an experience that he clearly enjoyed, and one which he hopes can spur him on. “It was probably the best night of my life,” said Thompson. “To get the sportsman of the year trophy and obviously the championship
Thompson is hoping that he can emulate his success of 2013 when he competes this season winning trophy was probably the best moment of my life. [It was] brilliant to stand and speak in front of everyone and pick up my awards, it’s what we’ve worked towards for the last four years, but now it’s time to step it up a level and hopefully do the same this year.” The motorcycling world was rocked earlier this month by the news that National Superstock rider Tommy Aquino died in a motorcross accident in California, but Thompson, a former sparring partner of Aquino, insisted that the news would not alter his approach on the track.
“He was a good friend of mine, we used to race with him a few years ago,” said Thompson. “It might sound a bit weird saying it but it’s not going to faze me at all. It happens in the sport, everybody knows the danger of it, we just have to get on and do the job.” With organisers of the Triumph Triple Challenge introducing an incentive for new entrants to the series, Thompson has set his sights firmly on continuing his ascent in 2014 and beyond. “This year if you haven’t run in the British Superbike series’ at all, or you haven’t scored more than five points
THOMPSON
in the British championships, you’re classed as a newcomer in the series. “We’ve never done any British rounds so we’re going to be classed as that. Our aim is to win the newcomer’s and if we do we get a discounted ride the following year for the same championship, and then if you win it overall in the second year then you get a fully supported, factory Triumph ride in British Supersport so hopefully in two years from now we’ll be there. “Going by our times from last year, we would have had the lap record at two of the tracks and about nine race wins, so it’s definitely doable.”
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The Rock | Thursday 13 February 2014
FA Cup Special: AFCB vs. Liverpool in photos Round-up
Action from AFC Bournemouth’s match against Liverpool at the Goldsands, where Eddie Howe’s men impressed despite losing 2-0
AFCB
After joining the club on an initial one-month loan, goalkeeper Lee Camp signed a permanent deal for AFC Bournemouth during the January transfer window. Camp also spoke of his desire to see goal-line technology implemented in the Championship after Leicester City’s Kevin Phillips was awarded a dubious 82nd-minute winner at the Goldsands. January was a busy month for Eddie Howe’s side, who also signed the highly rated Adam Smith - who spent part of the 2010/11 season on loan with the Cherries - from Tottenham, as well as capturing the services of Yann Kermorgant for an undisclosed fee from Charlton. Despite acquiring key players during the window, the Cherries were able to keep hold of a number of their star squad members, with Lewis Grabban sparking a fight-back against Bolton at the weekend with his 13th goal of the season. The Trotters had led 2-0, but were pegged back first by Grabban before Simon Francis equalised midway through the second half. Finally, defender Charlie Daniels headed to Rome last week to fast-track his recovery from injury.
Rodgers fancies Howe to go all the way Ben Fisher DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR @benfisherJ Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has tipped AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe to reach the top. Rodgers, 41, has managed fewer games than Howe, 36, and was headhunted for the Liverpool job after impressing at Swansea City. The Cherries impressed and dominated proceedings in the first half before Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge took control of the game. Rodgers, whose team have recently seen off the likes of Everton and Arsenal with great ease, spoke fondly of the way in which Eddie Howe’s side
approached the game - by taking the game to his Premier League stars from the get go. “When you have a team that want to play football they are the most courageous players on the field,” said Rodgers. “It is easy to coach a team to sit back, not want the ball and defend and then just wait for a hump up the pitch. “The courage that the Bournemouth players showed today was fantastic - they have got better, I have watched them as the season has gone on.” Rodgers believes that Howe - who spent two days shadowing Rodgers while at Swansea - share the same footballing mentality. “Eddie is similar to myself in terms of the philosophy of football he plays.
“It is not easy when you are a young manager to stick your head out to get your teams to play and pass the ball but he certainly does that.” “Bournemouth is a wonderful club and they have a great history and tradition here. Right the way through their history, they have played good football.” The Northern Irishman added that Howe’s passing style is the best way to develop world-class quality players. “In England it is deemed too nice but that is why we cry when we come to World Cups and wonder why the players aren’t technically good enough. “It is coaches like Eddie Howe who will take the game forward in this country because they believe in a way of working.”
Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers lauded Cherries boss Eddie Howe
AFCB
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Thursday 13 February 2014 | The Rock
Cook adamant new boys will do the job
I don’t believe it! Munich in religion rap with sponsor An unnamed Bayern Munich star has been banned from practising controversial religion Scientology by his sponsors Adidas. German daily newspaper Der Spiegel revealed details of the contract that the player had signed with the sportswear giants back in 2008, which would net him €400,000. However, clauses in the agreement explained that Adidas could terminate the deal if the player committed offences, including taking drugs, or belonging to ‘any organisation or association which represents the principles of L. Ron Hubbard.’ When asked, Adidas replied: ‘Diversity and tolerance are fundamental values and Scientology is incompatible.’
tweet -twoo Cherries centre-back Steve Cook reckons that his side’s January signings will help them to compete for a top-half finish
Will Burton CHIEF SPORTS WRITER @wjburton92 Steve Cook feels AFC Bournemouth’s January transfer business can lift them up the Championship table. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe completed the permanent signing of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Lee Camp as well as signing Charlton striker Yann Kermorgant on the final day of the transfer window. “We can win a lot of games, we are looking strong and have signed some good players in January,” said Cook. “We have cover in every area and competition is fierce. We will take every game as it comes but I think we can break into that top half.” Camp, 29, signed a two-anda-half-year contract having spent two months on loan at the Goldsands Stadiun after failing to make a single appearance for West Bromwich Albion since leaving Norwich City.
Cook heaped praise on the Cherries new number one stopper. “He has shown in the games that he has played that he is outstanding,” he said. “He can win us games and get us points by himself which lifts us up the table. It is a big confidence boost to have someone like him behind you.” Last weekend the Cherries fought back from a two-goal deficit to earn a point at Bolton Wanderers. Cook, on the season to date, said: “I think it is where we expected to be. Obviously we would like to be a few points better off but I think it has gone well. “It is a very difficult league to come into, but I think we have grown as a team and we are looking forward to have a strong second half of the season.”
Turn to page 23 for a picture special from the Cherries’ FA Cup match
AFCB
Aaahhhhhh !! Did I just get bronze at the friggin Olympics!! #ridiculous @jennyjonessnow
Useless at football in Bristol but we’ve produced the first British athlete to win a medal on snow. @StuartJamesGNM
Peter Crouch is so tall omg #LovrenLive I love how the fans singing beautiful #LovrenLive @SouthamptonFC