Vibe Magazine

VibE

ISSUE 1

Febuary 2012

WELCOME Welcome to the first ever issue of Vibe Magazine! Back in September the Students’ Union launched its all new student radio station, L:39 Radio, and now we are further developing our student media with the launch of this magazine.

Firstly I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has written for this issue of the magazine, we’ve been overwhelmed by the quality and number of articles, and a special thank you to Grace McEwen who came to the Students’ Union way before Christmas wanting to start a magazine, and it was from that discussion we have Vibe today.

You’ll find included in the magazine a range of stuff, from an opinion on the Hub, game and film reviews to a discussion on cocaine!

In the future we hope the magazine will grow to become bigger and better. If you want to get involved get in touch via my email supresident@edgehill.ac.uk Vibe is launched on the 1st of every academic month, based for now just online, but we’re not ruling out printed copies one day.

Hope you enjoy.

Colin Wills Gibson

VibE

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Contact: Edge Hill Students’ Union St Helens Road Ormskirk L394QP www.edgehillsu.org.uk 01695657301

(c) Edge Hill Students’ Union.

The views expressed by contributers and correspondants are their own and responsibility for the contents rests soley with themselves.

On the cover: Compilation of interior pages Editor: Colin Wills Gibson (supresident@edgehill.ac.uk) Designer: Dan Lindsay Design assistant: Jessica Barnett, Rebecca Nelson Editorial board: Paul Malone Chief Executive Edge Hill Students’ Union, Phil Jackson Associate Head of Media, Andy Tibbs Lecturer in Media.

Contributers: Jack Unwin, Nicola Vinyard, Daniel Murphy, Emma-Jane Samworth, Amy Harrison, Claire Unwin, Samantha Williamson, Alex Brooke, Mark Gould, Aimee Miller, Mark Williams, Colin Munro, Mollie Taylor, Nadia U, Rebecca Panks, Joe Cox, Sian Holmes, Patrick Shield, Alexander Goldsmith, Luke Deveney, Paul Molloy, Abigail Skinner, Grace McEwen, Jessica Fox, Peter Hughes, Adam Bond, Michael Stewart Photography: Christian Nboko-Sisko, Joanna Lynn

CONTENTS Click to jump

CONTENTS Febuary 2012

4-5 6-9 10-12 13 14-16 16 17-20 21-25 26-29 30-31

What the Barack?

A `Hub’ lot of money!

2011 year in music A day in the life: a PR Student Need to know: cocaine and hangovers `Celebrity Big Brother’ Films and reviews Games and reviews Fashion Sport

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What the barack?

Barack Hussein Obama:

From the Second Coming to Bush the Third. government to obtain wiretaps in secret (such a practice is at an all time high). Having

“Obama signed the National Defence Authorization Act, an act which in many ways is indistinguishable from any of his predecessor’s draconian laws.“

O

h how we cheered him on in 2008. After the catastrophe of Bush jr and his henchmen Dick Cheney this Illinois senator who had served just 3 years catapulted himself into our hearts and minds. Charming, intelligent and a good orator, his simple catchphrases ‘hope’ and ‘change’ filled us with the belief that with him in office the disastrous policies of Bush jr would be reversed. However 3 years later this great illusion has been shattered, Obama’s presidency has been no different to Bush’s. He has further desecrated the US constitution, attacked civil 4

allowed the Patriot liberties, increased the Act to continue in a police state, furthered different form President the so called war on Obama is also presiding terror and assassinated over a massive police US citizens without trial. state. A Washington Post report called ‘Top Under the presidency Secret America’ outlined of George W Bush civil the extent of this police liberties were attacked state. 3,202 government in the Patriot act. organizations and Such things as wire private companies tapping were deemed working on counter necessary to fight the terrorism and homeland war on terror. On May security, 33 new 27th 2011 President security complexes in Obama approved a and near Washington congressional four year since September 2001. extension of parts of The report alleges that the Patriot Act, which the National Security of course included Agency ‘intercepts and the right of the US stores more than 1.7

billion emails, phone calls and other types of communication’.

This system; the report starts with ‘Has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exists within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.’

On December 31st 2011 Obama signed the National Defence Authorization Act, an act which in many ways is indistinguishable from any of his predecessor’s draconian laws. It reaffirms the right of indefinite detention of suspected terrorists without trial, but now extends this right to U.S citizens as well. Such an act, as pointed out by numerous human rights groups like the ACLU is a gross violation of the sixth amendment which gives the right of the accused to a speedy and public trial. This act however should not

whAT THE BARACK? be seen as anything out of the ordinary, one of Obama’s election promises was to close the despised Guantanamo Bay torture facility. However on March 19th 2009 in a filing to a district court Obama broke his promise. As Joanne Mariner points out ‘the Obama administration adopted the Bush administration’s position that persons allegedly involved in terrorism were participating in a war and could be held indefinitely without trial’.

Barack Obama’s foreign policy has been no more successful or above board than his domestic policy.

The alliance between the United States and Pakistan completely shut down on Obama’s watch thanks to a weapon which will be most associated with his presidency, the drone. During the 2nd term of George W Bush’s presidency there were just 9 drone attacks on Pakistani territory, up until the 15th November the number of drone attacks under Obama was 274.

This policy has however for the moment been suspended, due to an attack on November 26th which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. These abuses of Pakistani sovereignty have led to the near breakdown of Pakistan itself, a country which has a nuclear

weapons programme funded by the United States.

Having seen his attempts to broker a peace on pre 1967 Israeli-Palestinian borders shot down angrily by Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu Obama has reverted to classic US policy in regards to

administration now beats the drums of war against Iran. A highly dubious report was published by the IAEA in November outlining the state of Iran’s nuclear project, such things as former Soviet nuclear scientists being on board has been debunked by Gareth Porter, who revealed the man in question

“President Obama does one thing and Brand Obama gets you to believe another’. He will surely go down as the biggest fraud of this short century.” that region; overlook any Israeli crime and help maintain their brutal repression of the Palestinian people.

Having barely protested over Israel’s disgraceful attack on the Mavi Mamara ship on May 30th 2010 (on which a US citizen was killed), 2011 saw President Obama veto a vote for Palestinian statehood and cut funding to UNESCO just for making Palestine a full member of its organization.

Obama oversaw the withdrawal of U.S troops in Iraq (whilst leaving thousands of private military contractors there). His

was a Ukrainian nanodiamonds specialist called Vyacheslav Danilenko.

Even a former IAEA inspector Robert Kelley denounced claims of an explosives chamber as ‘highly misleading’.

This new more critical report is thanks to IAEA director Yukiya Amano, appointed in November 2010 who told Ambassador Glyn Davis that ‘he was solidly in the U.S court on every key decision, from high-level personnel appointments to the handling of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program’.

The war on terror also has shown no signs of going away, U.S drones now have bombed Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen as Obama expands this costly war. In Yemen Obama explicitly ordered the assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US citizen who had no charge or arrest warrant against him. The drone attacks in Somalia and Yemen will only increase, The Washington Post reported on September 21st 2011 of U.S plans to build drone bases in Ethiopia and the Seychelles in order to advance their policy of remote controlled terror.

There are so many other examples of the real nature of Obama’s presidency.

Caving into big business, cracking down on medical marijuana, re-invigorating the nuclear weapons industry, helping crush democratic protests in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, selecting China to be the next enemy and others. He is best described by Chris Hedges who states ‘Brand Obama is a marketers dream. President Obama does one thing and Brand Obama gets you to believe another’. He will surely go down as the biggest fraud of this short century.

Written by Jack Unwin

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A Hub lot of Money A

t the centre of all things that occur in the world there is always an opinion to be heard and with that comes controversy.

In the centre of our University is The Hub, and if you haven’t heard by now, it’s a bit like marmite. You will either love it or you’ll hate it.

Controversial as it is, for the last five months it has seen students walk in and out, eat, work and socialise.

With the most common comment regarding The Hub as an ‘airport terminal’, it is no surprise that we were all a little disappointed and had a few higher expectations for something so costly and at the heart of our University campus.

Some could argue we were given a wrong description of what it was meant to be and some could say we all were led astray by one too many rumours. But who was really to blame for such a poor effort? Was it our Students’ Union, our Chancellor or someone else?

With the launch of The Hub so eagerly anticipated, since arriving back in September, the questions have never stopped pouring in about why our opinions were undervalued and why in reality The Hub is no more than a posh food court. As one student said “I see The Hub as a visually stunning building but the space seems empty and cold. When the food has gone and the day is up, the space seems useless and lacking in the Edge Hill spark”.

So let me introduce to you a few simple facts about what it actually is and the purpose of why it was built: 6

Photo by Christian Ngboko

“But who was really to blame for such a poor effort? Was it our Students’ Union, our Vice Chancellor or someone else?”

• John Cater clarified that The Hub is meant to be a catering space, a place of social learning and the heart of campus.

• In July 2010 the old buildings were in the process of being knocked down.

• The official opening of The Hub was on the 11th September 2011 just in time for the arrival of Welcome Sunday.

• The final cost of development was over 13 million.

Along with the negative comes a minority of positive feedback and with The Hub newly built, perhaps it will hold a brighter future. 3rd year student Amy said that “the concept of a central ‘hub’ is a fantastic way to

bring the students together. Being able to sit, eat and work together in this building is inspiring, from the fossils in the floor to the grand Edge Hill crest and motto. I love the way they have combined the old into the new, remembering history” But continuing to remember the controversial issues we move on to the catering outlets. Edge Hill offers a catering package for some halls of residence and serving high quality food is an expectation of not only those students who live on campus but those who are coming from off campus too. As well as other catering outlets available in the University, The Hub now offers a hot food server, a Grab & Go outlet and a coffee shop.

The arguments about the exterior of the building are followed in

“The Hub is certainly failing even in the terms of being an airport terminal”

a HUB LOT OF MONEY succession by those of the interior. When defining the concept of a Grab & Go you imagine yourselves picking up a sandwich, handing over your loose change and running off to your next lecture. Have you been lucky enough to do this? I certainly have not! You don’t imagine standing around for a Panini for 10 minutes and then by the time you have queued at the tills and found a seat you would be eating cold melted cheese on chewy bread. Perhaps this should be considered and maybe I will risk using the service again.

In fact, the same can be said for ‘Starbucks’. As a previous coffee shop worker, the early morning rush for a coffee means desperate people wanting a quick caffeine fix. And correct me if I’m wrong, but most of us students are so tired from the night before, we need all the energy we can get before we run to lectures.

Notice the word run and put it together with the slow process of frothing the milk and designing your hazelnut cappuccino and you’re probably falling asleep at the till. The Hub is certainly failing even in the terms of being an airport terminal.

‘Sages’ which was known as ‘The Terrace’ to former students before the opening in 2011, serves hot food cooking various dishes.

I rarely eat here but the

Photo by Joanna Lynn

comments are still as varied as they were since I began in 2009.

To give some credit where it’s due, with the quality of building, the quality of food has changed substantially with some food even being sourced locally. The sausage barms are definitely a positive change!

Along with catering facilities, where would we be without McColl’s?

Remember those vouchers in Fresher’s Week? Who could possibly turn down free food - a free sausage roll, coffee and a hot dog caused mayhems of queues. One student said “I think it’s bad for my bank account the amount of times I go in there”

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a HUB LOT OF MONEY whilst another said “It has become a mess so quickly. everything you need. If you But forgiving all colour clashes, the Apple can’t be bothered to walk Macs and the group computers are great. to town to buy milk or you Rather than sitting in the library, it is just need some chocolate nice to have a change of scenery and to get you through the technology is far more a lecture – it’s “I think it’s bad advanced in The Hub than fantastic”. places like the LINC and the for my bank Then we proceed library. Classroom space has to the second floor account the also been created ensuring – a learning space classroom clashes are a thing amount of and The Students’ of the past.

Union. On arrival And finally perhaps the times I go in you meet a big main disappointment - ‘The there” television screen, Venue’. In all honesty it would usually projecting have been great to have a the news as all students new bar, to own our own bar and to have need to know what is the bigger space but it was never going to going on with the world. happen as the budget was not big enough In contrast to the small to develop an underground bar. Although television downstairs some for the record, we would have been the could argue that it is more first University to have an underground intellectually stimulating bar. Instead the Students Union have just than showing Dancing made the move into new offices. This on Ice on a Saturday and move was to enable the team to be more Sunday evening. visible and accessible to students than they Some of you may question were previously. This is the place to go if the disastrous taste in you want to get involved with campaigns, furniture and in answer to the horrendous fluorescent green and orange chairs; these are our informal University colours. Our cooperate colours are purple and green. Although wouldn’t it of been easier just to have a normal black chair - where you can’t see all the scuff marks and pen scribbles? Believe it or not we are all responsible to keep our University tidy and hearing comments about how cheap, untidy and nasty it looks makes me wonder why it cost so much in the first place for it to only Photo by Christian Ngboko

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if there is anything you think your Students’ Union should be doing for you, if you want to start a society, or if you want to buy a hoody or an NUS card. Feedback is really important and if you have any concerns about The Hub or think something should be done to add to its value, this is the place to go.

So what do you think about The Hub? Was it a whole waste of

a HUB LOT OF MONEY should have been exciting in the first place. To describe it as the heart of the campus is potentially taking away the real historical concept that in fact it is the beautiful surroundings and architecture that make Edge Hill. As many have said and many have thought “something is missing and we hope that overtime the Hub will change and evolve with its future students.

After all it is for the students”. time and money? Is it the heart of our campus? Is it a building we could live without? Why not go on Twitter and have your opinion ‘#vibemag’.

This building described as innovative and sustainable will need to improve, to exceed what Photo by Christian Ngboko -Sisko

By Nicola Vinyard

W

ith a quick fire Q+A session, I asked our SU President, Colin Gibson a few questions…

What do you most like about The Hub? The 3 new teaching spaces, besides from that- not much!

Brutal but honest…what about the rumour of the underground bar?

It was looked at but was far too expensive.

What is your most memorable moment in The Hub so far?

Freshers Fair- 5000 visitors, over 130 stalls and the most successful Freshers Fair in Edge Hill SU history.

If you could improve The Hub for the future, what would you do?

I would have lower prices in all outlets and develop spaces to have more of a purpose for example a Stage for performance space!

MUSIC

2011- The Year In Music A

dele’s 21 clung onto number 1 for the majority of the year, the first girl-group won The X Factor, Coldplay hit the mainstream, Jay-Z and Kanye collaborated, Amy Winehouse sadly passed away, Example had his first number 1 and Beyoncé headlined Glastonbury. In short, it was huge. The following five hand-picked songs are just a taste of what was a monumental year in music:

Coldplay- Paradise

Euphoric anthem that is the perfect soundtrack to a summer festival, Coldplay eventually scored a ‘number 1’ late on in the year and rightly so.

Foster The People- Pumped Maroon 5 ft. Christina Up Kicks Aguilera- Moves Like Jagger Viral track that burst into the mainstream this year, Pumped Up Kicks sounds like a perfectly upbeat piece of indie pop, with the dark psychotic undertones seeping in through the controversial lyrics.

Avicii- Levels

Huge dance floor hit of the moment, Swedish DJ Avicii proves he is one of the biggest DJ’s on the scene with this incredibly infectious track that reached the Top 10 late on in 2011, and is the ideal song for a night out.

The song that has been impossible to escape from, Moves Like Jagger has dominated radio airplay, music channels and music play lists throughout the year. Having missed out on the top spot, it is undeniable that the song has been one of the standout tracks of the year.

Rihanna ft. Calvin HarrisWe Found Love 2011 has arguably been the year of Rihanna.

Having released her sixth album Talk That Talk, the collaboration with Calvin Harris has been one of her biggest releases yet, and has an equally amazing video to accompany it.

By Daniel Murphy

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MUSIC M

usic has always been a way for people to express themselves, whether they want to sing about how much they love someone or how much they can’t wait to get so drunk they forget their own name. Generally (as clichéd as it sounds) I listen to pretty much anything. If you were to scroll through my IPod, you’d find anything from pop to punk and screamo to slow ballads. I listen to music because I find some sort of connection with the songs, whether it’s because I simply find the music catchy or that the lyrics have a deep personal meaning that I can relate to. I’m willing to give any song/ artist a listen but I simply refuse to take The X-Factor seriously.

These people are not singers. They’ve been dragged in off the street, had a camera forced in their face and been asked to prance around in front of Simon Cowell while he tries not to choke on his ridiculously high pants.

These ‘artists’ have forgotten that it’s about the music and they think it’s all about them. If you have a pretty face but sound like a cat being slapped then you’re immediately a singer. If you look plain but could belt out an opera on one breath, you’re pushed aside for the next “popstrel” to make her entrance. Personally, I don’t care what Simon/Louis/Cheryl/Gary/ whoever says – it’s four no’s, it’s time for them to leave the stage and get real artists to come and take back music!”

“It’s a no from me!”

Written by Emma-Jane Samworth

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MUSIC

Little Mix – the first group to take the ‘X Factor’ crown 1

1th of December 2011, saw the final of `The X Factor’ hit our television 12

screens on ITV1, with Amelia Lily, Marcus Collins and girl group Little Mix battle out to be crowned the winner of the X Factor 2011, with Little Mix becoming the winners at the end of the series.

Little Mix, made up of four girls; Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Jade Thirlwall, were the first girl group in the history of the show to ever get to the final and the first group ever to win the X Factor.

Little Mix, who were at first called Rhythmix

and later changed their name in the middle of the series, were formed at boot camp when their mentor Tulisa, decided that they were suited better as a group rather than solo artists. Week after week the girls performed different numbers such as E.T by Katy Perry and Superbass

by Nicki Minaj and were voted in by the public every week.

Their final song, and later their single, was a cover of Damian Rice’s ‘Cannonball’ which they performed in the final

against Marcus Collins who also sung his version of the song.

Cannonball reached number one in the UK singles chart on the 18th December 2011, but were knocked off the top spot and missed out on the Christmas number one by the Military Wives Choir..

So now the curse of bad luck for the groups has been broken thanks to Little Mix, will we see them much in the coming year? I have a feeling they will be quite successful in 2012.

Written by Amy Harrison

TALK A day in the life of a PR student I

t only seems like yesterday I was embarking on my first year at Edge Hill University studying Public Relations, and now I’m in my final year with only a few more months left of student hood in front of me! The course has been very exciting over the years, whilst learning marketing and PR skills needed in the industry and tricks of the trade; we’ve also been able to use the knowledge we’ve learnt practically. This has been in the form of live campaigns we have worked on every year throughout our degree, liaising with charities to help produce some amazing campaigns.

Whilst putting our knowledge to good use we’ve also managed to make a difference and gain experience which will no doubt be valuable once we graduate.

Every year all of the PR students group together and get placed with a charity, in previous years these have been either small local businesses such as West Lancashire Women’s refuge, or more nationally

based children’s charity which is currently seeking funds to help build a new health and wellbeing centre. By doing this they are hoping to sell calendars from the famous artist Banksy, which they have a huge stock of. They also are promoting birthday books which include facts about every day of the year. The Edge Hill PR students are hoping to promote as many sales as possible and increase awareness of the charity, whilst applying skills they have learnt.

Currently the students are in the planning stages, and are working hard to come up with ideas for the charity. The one thing they are definitely set on though

centre provides a place for children to go to enjoy everyday activities whilst learning basic skills such as gardening and cooking. All funds raised are contributed to the maintenance of the centre, and the renovation of the currently derelict building which is going to be the new health and wellbeing building.

Hopefully with the success of the student’s Steven slavin, Ormskirk Cryer, Holly Windsor raising £200 in December campaign, the health and wellbeing centre’s doors known charities such will be opened earlier than as The National Blood anticipated.

Association. The It’s not just the PR students work directly students who want to help with the charities to the charity, they’re hoping help deliver integrated that the university can join campaigns which in too they will be evaluated Students can do a small bit by and help on at the end of the module. Whilst gaining following and adding them- the support KIND. experience practically, more the merrier! They can be Currently it also gives students the tastes of how campaigns found on Twitter @KINDPR charities are ran and gain a hands have a Facebook and on understanding of is increasing the sales of Twitter account, and are how the industry works. the books to help raise as trying to gain as many This year, a charity much money as possible followers as possible to chosen for the students for KIND. The charity does raise awareness of their to work with is KIND invaluable work for under current fundraisers.

(Kids in need and privileged families within Students can do a small distress) It is a Liverpool Merseyside, and the KIND bit by following and adding them- the more the merrier! They can be found on Twitter @ KINDPR and on Face book at ‘KIND’.Keep an eye out for upcoming KIND promotion on campus!

By Claire Unwin

Jess Cooper fundraising

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TALK Cocaine

S

o, you have just moved into student halls. It is the first time you have had to fend for yourself and you are feeling exhilarated, nervous and independent. Your parents have always dictated the choices you make and you are finally free from their clutches. Your new flatmates ask you if you fancy going out on the ‘lash’. You say yes, before you have had chance to unpack your life from your suitcase, you are already in the first bar! About two hours of drinking alcohol, one of your new found friends ask to go the toilet. While in the toilet, your friend pulls 14

money being spent. This can lead to empty shelves in your food cupboards. Then, swallowing your pride and calling your parents (that you were dying to get away from) and asking them to bail you out! Next, cocaine is known to be addictive, can you hear the alarm bells ringing!

Furthermore, (yes, there is more) the ‘comedown’ is long and depressing which can last for a number of days. Yes, days not hours...

DAYS!!!! Now I’m not going to continue rambling on and destroying your new found freedom of becoming independent. HOWEVER, I care about you and the choices you are about to make. So, if you know all the information you will be able to make a sensible decision, based on the FACTS (yes facts, not myths) here is a out a small bag of white the myths? Well here legitimate website: http:// powder and asks if you are the facts... the www.talktofrank.com/drug/ want some? substance your friend cocaine has just offered you is It has the facts on most Your reaction is powder cocaine. For curious, and as we all the effects to work you DRUGS you may ever come know ‘curiosity did kill have to ‘snort’ it through into contact with!! You will the cat.’ You ask what it nose. Now I am quite ‘a be informed and perhaps is and your friend says cleanliness is godliness’ (ten years down the line) protesting about drugs ‘Coke’, you ask what it type of person and before you know it!! Good does and your friend for me, snorting white luck and choose right, replies ‘heightens your powder up your nose remember your choices senses’. After being and sharing the same will have an impact on your given this incredibly instrument as your future. dangerous and incorrect friend has just used, information, you choose? doesn’t cut it! The Written by Samantha Without your parents ‘high’ you get off it, is influence what do you short lived... short lived, Williamson choose? What is right means, you need more and what is wrong? to ‘get you off your What are the facts and head’, equalling more

TALK

Hung over from the night before?

Never drinking again?

THE

FRY UP Everyone including your grandma will try to convince you that having a big fried breakfast is the best cure for your hangover. And who can resist the smell of fried bacon in a morning? Mhhmm bacon.

But how many times have you ordered that big breakfast and only been able to eat a single slice of toast before giving up and passing out at the table? Yes quite a few! Well that’s because a fry-up is full of saturated fats which in turn make it hard for your body to digest and you’re in fact pumping food into your system which will later slow you down in the day. So as tempting as it seems, try and avoid.

COFFEE

Ever heard the phrase ‘wake up and smell the coffee’? Well it would be strongly advised that you don’t! Coffee is the worst thing you could reach for because whilst it contains caffeine which will temporarily boost your energy levels, it is also know as a diuretic which means that it will cause you to become more dehydrated than you already were; not ideal when dealing with a killer hangover.

HAIR

OF THE DOG The myth of the hair of the dog cure has been around for decades.

It revolves around the theory that a hangover is the body’s reaction from the withdrawal of alcohol, and so therefore having a pint the next morning will satisfy the need.

However, whilst some scientists would agree that this myth is arguably one of the most valid cures, the danger is repeating the possible excessive consumption of alcohol. This in turn will accumulate with the toxins from the night before, and so it will only cure your hangover for a temporary period of time, before bringing you back down to earth with a loud thud. So stay clear of the pubs the next day!

FOODS

WHICH COMBAT A

HANGOVER The key element to beating a hangover is firstly staying awake (especially through your lectures!).

To do this you are going to need to eat foods which give you energy and help to return your insides back to normal.

Now being a student your cupboard probably consists of several tins of soup, some sort of pasta or rice element and possibly a half-empty bottle of Vodka you have stashed hidden at the back; all of which certainly wont help.

One of the best cures which

remains cheap and easy to make is scrambled eggs on toast (on whole wheat bread if possible) or an omelette. This is because eggs are high in cysteine, which is commonly associated with many high protein foods and it aids to break down the acetaldehyde which is often seen as a result of hangovers.

For a quicker option, you will need to make sure you stock up on some honey before you go out. Honey contains sodium, potassium and fructose which contain the perfect combination to help your body fight the toxins which are circling your body from the night before.

So consider spreading some on some toast before you go out of the door.

One of the best proven cures for a hangover however is cabbage. Urgh cabbage! I hear you cry. Well first hear me out. Cabbage is a rich source of folic acid, which to me and you means whilst giving you a boost of energy, it also helps with the production of red blood cells, which are imperative for pumping oxygen round your body.

A good way of managing to get cabbage in your diet is to use it in a soup. This not only will provide you with the nutrients you need, but will also aid you in keeping yourself hydrated throughout the day. Numerous recipes can be found online and the best contain chicken, garlic, onions and chillies (go easy on the chillies if you are feeing a little tender).

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TALK

TAKING

PARACETAMOL BEWARE! It’s quite tempting when you have the hangover from hell that you have no choice but to resort to painkillers. However, taking Paracetamol can cause further strain on the liver and kidneys and Ibuprofen can similarly irritate the stomach (not best advised after a heavy night out). Try to stick to Aspirin if entirely necessary, as it is considered one of the safest forms of pain relief, when dealing with a hangover.

EXERCISE

The argument of doing exercise the day after a heavy night’s drinking is still in dispute. Some people believe exercising increases your oxygen flow which in turn improves your metabolic rate, and therefore (in theory) speeds up the process which gets rid of the toxins within your body.

However some argue that exercise causes more strain on the body and further dehydrates it, often causing you to feel worse than you did before. Therefore, even if you did manage to get to the gym by some miracle, you may end up feeling worse as a result, so take this remedy at your own risk.

AND

FINALLY …

Make sure you keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.

Drinking water is the obvious choice but also trying natural fruit juice drinks can also help as they provide you with the daily vitamins and minerals you will need to give yourself the best possible chance of survival.

Remember to get a good nights sleep at the end of the day! Brain and muscle needs to have time to recover and neglecting your sleep will only slow your recovery.

By Alex Brooke

C

elebrity Big Brother returned in January with a brand new line-up of housemates, but do they really qualify as genuine celebrities? We may have heard of Natalie Cassidy and Denise Welch however most of us would have needed to head straight to Google to find out who many of the others were. The likes of Georgia Salpa and Romeo Dunn followed in the footsteps of former unrecognisable ‘celebrity’ housemates in a quest to raise their profiles. In the 2006 edition of Celebrity Big Brother the producers created a twist by allowing civilian Chantelle Houghton to become a housemate as part of a secret task which was for her to convince her fellow housemates that she was a genuine celebrity.

Houghton succeeded and ultimately won the competition beating Michael Barrymore in the public vote. In recent series it has become apparent that the producers of Big Brother favour little known celebs, possibly a decision made in order to keep the show’s costs down or maybe a choice made based on Houghton’s success? In the 2011 series we saw Paddy Doherty of Big Fat Gypsy Weddings fame crowned as the champion, ahead of Kerry Katona and Jedward. Doherty himself could barely be classed as a celebrity but following his victory he has become a household name appearing on many TV shows including Celebrity Juice. With this trend continuing perhaps the show has found a new purpose in creating celebrities as opposed to inviting celebrities into the house. As the programme’s slogan says “You decide!”.

By Mark Gould

FILM

3D Films W

hen I first went to the cinema to watch a film in 3d, James Cameron’s Avatar, to be honest I was disappointed. The 3d was hardly noticeable and when I did eventually notice it, it gave me a headache. However I recently went to see Disney’s The Lion King in 3d and I have to say it was amazing!

Not only was the 3d brilliant but it gave me an excuse to go and see one of my favourite Walt Disney films on the big screen, 15 years after it was first released. New technology has given these children’s classics a new lease of life and is allowing younger generations to experience the magic of Disney. Beauty and the Beast 3d is being released into cinemas later this month as well as Monsters inc. and The Little Mermaid in 2013, you can guarantee you will see me lining up to catch these Disney classics in 3d!

Written by Aimee Miller

Hangover II W

ith much hype surrounding the long-awaited sequel to legendary slapstick hit ‘The Hangover’, I was unsure as to what to expect from my trip to Blockbuster.

Had we another ‘Grease 2’ on our hands? Well, no. But I’m not entirely sure we had an unforgettable box office smash either. We see a delightful development of the character of ‘Mr Chow’, a coke-snorting crap-talking comical gangster (who seems to spend much of his life lacking clothes) and has somehow become best buddies with Alan. And of course, the re-introduction of our favourite ‘wolfpack’, who manage to attract the usual array of mishaps and misdemeanours without having any particular idea of what they’re doing.

However, for me there simply weren’t as many roars of laughter as we were hoping for. Vegas becomes Bangkok, but it seems simply more of the same. Of course, I couldn’t keep a smile from my lips at the sight of a drug-dealing monkey in a Rolling Stones jacket, but on the whole I felt slightly underwhelmed.

Written by Mark Williams

Animated Film

Classic Film

he New Year with a bang with a great selection of animation treats to look forward to in 2012. To get everyone in the mood for the incredible line-up, here are a few of highlights.

The enchanting1991 Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast makes its triumphant return to the big screen in glorious 3D. PIXAR introduces their first princess, the feisty and courageous Merida as she confronts her fears to undo a beastly curse in BRAVE. The Madagascar gang are back and after escaping from Africa find themselves stranded in Monte Carlo and on the run across Europe from animal control in Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. Stop motion and 3D animation are cleverly combined in The Pirates, as The Pirate Captain battles his foes in an attempt to win ‘The Pirate of the Year Award’.

Also coming soon: Monster in Paris, Wreck it Ralph, The Lorax, Ice Age 4, Dorothy of Oz, Hotel Transylvania and Frankenweenie.

rading places is one of those rare films that manages to combine well acted comedy with social commentary with equal effective measure. Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy, both of Saturday Night Live fame, provide the laughs and assume the lead roles.

They begin as polar opposites in social terms and, in what is a modern take on the prince and the pauper, are switched by two Wall Street kingmakers (played by Hollywood legends, Don Amechie and Ralph Bellamy) so as to satisfy their mischievous interest in (and settle a petit brotherly disagreement over) the nature/nurture debate. What follows is a well paced expose of the plot which hits all the right notes and is mainly down to a great script expertly delivered by Murphy who gives it the ‘3/4 blood technique’ treatment. Notable support comes in the form of prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold Jamie Lee Curtis (don’t blink) turning in a performance good enough to see The Academy award her for her efforts.

By Stacey Gardner

Written by Colin Munro

T

T

17

FILM

Film adaptations of books S

omeone said to me once, ‘If a book is that good, it will be made into a film.’

Fair point, and mostly true. I love film and books and don’t understand when people get defensive over film adaptations of books. I say this, and then contradict myself by being furious when I hear Myleene Klass referring to ‘The Green Mile’ as “The Tom Hanks film.”

I’m not a book snob any way, I love books; I just don’t take them too seriously. I will freely admit that I just couldn’t be bothered reading the last two Harry Potter’s, and to be honest, ‘Jane Eyre’ was a bit of a drag. I love books, but for me, nothing compares to films. Apart from the fact that they always leave

the best bits out of the film adaptations, (Anyone who’s ever seen and read Misery or The Shining by Stephen King knows this more than most.)

Without books being made into films, the Harry Potter series would be without half its success, Daniel Radcliffe would be working in Curry’s, and so many GCSE and A Level students would fail their English Literature exams on ‘Of Mice and Men’, ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘In Cold Blood’.

My favourite adaptations are films which have had most of an impact on me and are some of my favourite films of all time. The fact they have been created from books just shows how the two art forms go hand in hand so well.

So if you want my opinion, here are my favourite film adaptations of books: Fight club- Originally written by Chuck Palahniuk, now one of David Fincher’s finest.

Nothing like a film with a good twist, the world truly would have missed out if this adaptation had never been made.

If you’ve never seen Fight Club, you’re a bad person.

A Clockwork Orange- Originally written by Anthony Burgess. It’s disturbingly brilliant and easily one of the must watch classics of all time. If you vomit, you’re doing it right.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest- Originally written

by Ken Kesey and brought to life by Milos Forman, a powerfully touching film that gets better every time you watch it. And you can’t knock anything with Jack Nicholson in it.

Misery- Originally written by Stephen King. It would have been a crime not to make this into a film, and if you let slide that the best, but most gruesome bits were left out, it’s a brilliant adaptation, and no one could have played Annie better than Kathy Bates.

So if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, you do that thing where you read a page then forget everything you’ve just read, or are just plain lazy and don’t mind admitting it, then don’t bother reading the book, just watch the film.

By Mollie Taylor

FILM

Does 2012 really spell the end of the word? …

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ot likely. It seems that superheroes will be out in full force..

This year, brings the last in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises, starring (the now academy award winning) Christian Bale and excitingly Tom Hardy (as Bane) who if anyone has seen Bronson, does disturbed brilliantly. True, Dark Knight will be hard to beat, (pencil trick anyone?) but from the trailer alone it looks sure to be a brilliant end to the series. Released 20th July.

There is also a re-boot this year with Andrew Garfield as Parker in The Amazing Spider Man. Garfield himself doing swinging/climbing stunts rather than CGI scenes seen in the first three films. Released 3rd July.

What Marvel has been building up to for years now finally comes to fruition in 2012 with: The Avengers. Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Thor’s adopted brother Loki who seems out for revenge. With an awesome cast including Samuel L Jackson bringing them altogether as Nick Fury; all looks set to be the best Marvel movie yet. Released 27th April

By WWNadia U

1408 B

ased on a short story by none other than the master of horror Stephen King, 1408 brings us chills of the classic thriller/horror genre with the visionary impact of director Mikael Hafstrom. We follow the story of Mike Enslin (played by John Cusack), a writer who specialises in belittling rumoured “haunted hotels”, who finds himself staying at ‘The Dolphin’ in the ‘evil’ room of 1408: that has been responsible for 42 horrific deaths in 68 years. No-one has lasted an hour. The simple storyline wields itself into an intelligent array of impressive effects, dramatic events and strong acting, with an excellent supporting cast including Samuel L. Jackson (known from films such as Pulp Fiction and Star Wars). Being one of the better film adaptations, 1408 comes as a big relief of King-fans (being a grand improvement on Stanley Kubrick’s devastating make of ‘The Shining’). Its visual appeal and the frightening menace of 1408 is a fine addition to any horror collection.

By Rebecca Panks

19

FILM

2 views, 1 film Who do you agree with??

G uy Ritchie pioneers an all star cast led by Robert Downey Junior, Jude Law and Noomi Rapace. Therefore to expect Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows to prove itself as an excellent film would be elementary my dear readers. Instead Holmes’ second adventure proves to be bland and unoriginal, nothing more than an extension of the visual style and idiosyncrasy that the first achieved.

Holmes (Downey Junior) finds himself pitted against a more familiar villain to the fans of Arthur Conan Doyle, this time in the form of Moriarty

(Jared Harris). Sherlock’s brother also makes an appearance, played by Stephen Fry, in which possibly the highlight of the film comes in the form of him in all his natural glory. Quality performances salvage this film, making it watchable. Rapace takes her first steps into Hollywood, however despite being paired with the ever faultless performance from Downey Junior, does nothing to rescue the franchise from redundancy, and begs the question: how many more adventures does Hollywood have left for Holmes?

20Joe Cox

T

he occupant of 221B Bakers Street is back.

The new film ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ was released on 16th December 2011. The wonderful partnership of Robert Downey JR and Jude Law as Holmes and Watson bring you the tense yet comical side to all of the murders intrigue.

This brilliant sequel will not disappoint. The intriguing storyline and mind-boggling conclusion will

have any ‘Cluedo’ fan stumped. The amazing camera angles and the slow motion explanation of Sherlock’s thoughts, (a technique that follows from the prequel), give you a rare view into the mind of the famous detective, emphasizing how much thought went into the film during production. The setting and the dramatic action scenes are both well thought out and shot outside the comfort zone of London switching it for Paris and Switzerland. Overall I rate this as a must see for any murder mystery fanatic.

Sian Holmes

GAMING I’m a Metal Gear Solid geek.

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by Platinum Studios of Bayonetta fame.

It’s unwise to make judgements too quickly; we only have a couple of short trailers released at the moment and series canon aside it looks o doubt about it. I was very pretty. Also with the change in style of late to the game, first playing gameplay and the fact Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PlayStation 3 in 2008, but since this is the first Metal Gear title designed then I’ve played pretty much with an Xbox console every Metal Gear title there is. I love everything about the in mind, it could draw many gamers new to series; the intricate plot, the the series. However the gameplay, the voice acting, decider for Revengeance all of it. But like many fans of will be, in my opinion, the series, I’m a little worried whether it works with about Metal Gear Rising: the motion controllers of Revengeance. the 360 and PS3. Support With the recent release of for either has been the new ‘Revengeace’ trailer pretty lacklustre, but I’d (http://www.youtube.com/ happily give them a try if watch?v=5SNo8h-KfAU), it seems as though the story, and Revengeance let me prat about in my room like a certainly the gameplay, are going in a completely different kickass ninja.

We’ll have to wait until direction to what fans were the end of the year to find expecting. Revengeance is also now being created not by out…

Kojima Studios who have made Written by Patrick Shield. all the other MGS titles, but

The Gaming Scene: February

W

ith the Christmas gone, electricity suppliers around the UK ready themselves for an influx of gamers, pulling and trying out their new games. With Christmas money burning a hole in your pocket, here is my guide of what to buy.

For the casual gamer you look for few things, something that’s nice to look at and tells you a good story. The latest instalment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise does all this and more. With a play style that is easy to pick up and some beautiful graphics, the riveting story will keep you enthralled for hours.

For those of you who like more depth and freedom to their games. Then the elder scrolls fifth instalment gives the gamer over three hundred hours of monster bashing fun. With the storyline giving you over thirty hours of dragon slaying, you can very easily loose yourself in a magical world and find that your social life has disappeared.

For those of you who like little more from your games than something to shoot at, I offer Brink another game from Bethesda. This game is a far cry from the Battlefield 3 and Call Of Duty games you will here so much about. Brink combines the classic shooter style with a free running movement and a sense of humour to make a thrilling fast paced shooter for everyone to enjoy.

Finally I turn to my sports game NBA 2K12. A hugely diverse game that couldn’t be more user friendly you can explore the intricate details of the NBA’s infrastructure or you can simply pick up and play it offers endless entertainment for all.

Written by Alexander Goldsmith 21

GAMING

FIFA Vs Pro. The eternal football gamer argument.

O

nce upon a time the seasonal gaming battle between Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA football was somewhat of a titanic tussle; touch and go for the ascendency. However in recent years the latter has taken complete control of the footballing market, so much so that the 2012 edition of FIFA outsold its rival by 25:1.

FIFA’s recent dominance over PES owes much to their regular advantage of full licensing for each and every team and league they offer on their titles, combined with the introduction of fresh and ultrasuccessful game modes such as Online Clubs and Be a Pro. The proof is in the pudding with regards to much superior sales in the last few years but has the gap between the once dominant PES and the new king FIFA been scaled on the pitch?

With FIFA 12 hitting the shelves before PES this time around it gave the latter an opportunity to

showcase its new focus upon improved defending, whereas Pro Evolution Soccer has stuck to its roots (attack is the best form of defence) and improved the slickness of passing considerably from the previous year. Counter attacks are regularly the most effective way to break down an opponent’s defence but the weight and direction of a pass must be correctly employed or else the ball will fly harmlessly out of play. Once in on the keeper the game can sometimes fall into the ludicrous category as even the best forward contrives to fire the ball much closer to the corner flag than the target itself; this is thankfully a rarity and shooting is reasonably consistent once the controls have been grasped.

The lethargic playing style of many attackers on older PES games meant possession was difficult to maintain but a better balance between the pace and control of a player, coupled with the difficult nature of defending on PES 2012, means attack most certainly takes precedence and makes for some exciting games. The slide tackling within PES is once again vigorous and can result in some meaty collisions, but staying on your feet and winning the ball can often be difficult; top player difficulty can particularly testify.

Players first touch and dribbling is much more realistic than previous PES titles, with the world’s greatest players such as Messi and Ronaldo able to beat players at will. Goalkeeping is its usual self,

GAMING with experienced PES campaigners all too familiar of the crippling pain your goalkeeper causes when he fumbles a 1mph toe poke from Cattermole into the bottom corner of the net.

With goalkeeping almost mistake-free on FIFA with even the most average of stoppers never dropping a high ball or cross, the realism that a goalkeeper

offering more variety this time round. The licenced efforts of both the Champions League and Copa Libertadores are particularly pleasing on the eye, with unlicensed English sides the only minor blip within the impressive competitions. The age-long classic that is the Master League

are successful then the world’s best may soon come your way.

The new addition of Club Boss feels somewhat out of place with the rest of the game as it attempts to put a player in the shoes of a chairman, managing finances while attempting to

With both PES and FIFA having lifelong fan groups, many players will stick to what they know on a yearto-year basis. As a gamer that has played both titles each year since I was a youngster, I can honestly say this is Pro Evolution Soccer’s best effort for a number of years. It has most certainly closed the gap on FIFA in terms of gameplay

actually does make mistakes in real-life lends itself to the PES school of handling; however extreme it can and will be.

The core gameplay of PES 2012 is the series strongest since the Adriano/Terry laden casing of Pro Evolution Soccer 6, with the choice of game modes also

returns alongside Become a Legend, with Master League Online a different tact on the original in where your competitive games are played online against other users of the game mode, making money in order to sign players to improve your squad.

Each player is available to all, so providing you

push your club up the ranking ladder. The online gameplay is now almost always lag-free and offers a competitive gaming experience against players from all across the world. PES has many European players so the differing styles of play are always interesting to pit yourself against.

and goes closer to matching the glory days of PES 4 and 5; further licensing may convince others however and therefore reflect this improvement in worldwide sales next time round. Roll on 2013.

Written by Luke Deveney

23

GAMING W

hen the Uncharted series first hit Playstation 3 with “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune”, it introduced us to new things, combining dangerous treasure hunting with heart-racing gunplay, and very likeable protagonists. “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” improved upon these things; and it was so good that it even managed to win Game of the Year.

Is it possible for Naughty Dog to have improved the series even further by releasing the third game in the series; Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception? The simple answer is; Yes. Uncharted 3 takes the mechanics of Uncharted 2; see’s what could be done to make them better and improves upon them.

The combat in the game has never been better, the story is one of the best, and the graphics in the game are technically awesome.

whatever location you are currently in.

As soon as the main menu loads up, you are greeted with an outstanding theme, so you immediately start to realise that the soundtrack in the game is going to mean business.

Protagonist Nathan Drake, once again, is in search of some immense fortune.

This time around, he is in search of a lost city located somewhere in the Arabian desert, while solving clues about its location along Whether you are the way. Of course, it isn’t shooting some bad guys, as simple as that. There is solving an intriguing competition for the prize, as puzzle, or escaping from a scheming villainess is also a burning chateau in after the lost city, hampering France, the game never Drake and his friends along loses pace and very the way. The way that the rarely becomes boring. story is laid out, the emotion The music in the game the characters give, all works so well with seems very real, like it is a

movie instead of a video game. Motion capture and stellar voice acting is the sole reason behind this, and it is done remarkably well.

Combat in the Uncharted series has been brilliant, but in this game, it is the best. Mixing hand-to-hand combat, stealth mechanics and great gunplay make for a very entertaining game. The great thing about this game is that you can dispatch foes in a variety of ways; either go in guns blazing or sneak in and dispatch them

GAMING out quietly. The levels in the game are expertly designed for flexibility, so you always are given the choice about how you approach them.

Some small inconsistencies occur during combat however.

Sometimes, if you are being stealthy, the enemy will tend to see you, even if you are in cover. Another instance is the fact that you may end up losing a fight which seemed like you were playing on a harder difficulty, even if you are playing on an easier mode.

This is merely an annoyance, and it barely takes any of

the fun out of the game.

If you want to take a break from single player, you can look forward to some online multiplayer action. You can play a range of competitive and co-operative modes with friends online, like Deathmatch, original storylines including past antagonists working together against you and more. Playing online with real people offers an even greater challenge than single player and a great rewards system in multiplayer only extends

the challenge and can possibly extend the life of this particular game.

The sound used in the game and the soundtrack are all done perfectly. The voice actors perform superbly, and even do motion capture as if they were shooting a movie. That makes the game a complete experience. The soundtrack is inspired, and always works well wherever you are up to in the game. If you are in combat, heart-racing music will play, making fights sound much more serious. If you are solving a puzzle, then quiet, slow paced music will be heard; to suit the current situation.

In all honesty, Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception should not even be considered a video game. The game is a full experience; it is like a really long movie, with entertaining action, a great story, terrific music and outstanding acting. Miss this game, and you will miss one of the best games from 2011.

Written by Paul Molloy

Fashion Cheryl’s Fancy Footwork N

ow, I completely understand that Cheryl Cole divides opinion; you either love her or you hate her. I, for one, am not afraid to admit that I am probably among the few that love her. Okay, I think she’s a little bit amazing. She might not be the world’s greatest singer or role model, but you cannot deny that the woman has guts. Mainly, to keep on going strong when her life seemingly falls apart in front of the entire country and the people around her stab her in the back (not wanting to mention names, Simon Cowell and Ashley Cole). As well as her career as a solo artist, she has toured Europe with the Black Eyed Peas, was one fifth of one of this country’s biggest girl bands, the X Factor’s most popular and all time favourite judge, a celebrated fashionista and now, she is able to tick ‘shoe designer’ off her to-do list.

The collection was created for the website Stylistpick.com shortly before Christmas. It includes twelve different designs and each one is individually named, giving them somewhat of a ‘personality’.

The names range from ‘Your Royal Hotness’ (a nod to Pippa Middleton) to ‘RiRi’, which is commonly used as pop star Rihanna’s nickname in the media. Cheryl has never been quiet about her admiration of the singer.

Although there are only twelve to choose from, Cole has managed to include a pair for every occasion, including comfy, warm, flat boots, biker boots and sky high glittery heels. She was involved in the complete manufacturing of the shoes, from the initial ideas to the final designs and packaging.

Even if you don’t manage to find a single pair you like, the collection will almost certainly bring your

attention to the website that houses the shoes, Stylistpick.com. A slightly revolutionary way of internet shopping, Stylistpick.com lets you complete a quick survey of how you prefer to dress; what you like and what you don’t. Their team of stylists then choose items from the site that fit your personal preferences, including everything from jewellery to special occasion dresses. When I gave it a go, I found the process quite fun and interesting. Knowing that I didn’t have to scroll through every page to find what I wanted definitely made the whole thing more enjoyable. You are, of course, allowed to browse the entirety of the site.

I have yet to decide on my favourite pair of the Cheryl Cole Shoe Collection, although I think ‘RiRi’ or ‘Glam Slam’ are both worthy contenders. Do I feel like paying in between £80 - £150 for a pair? It’s a definite possibility, although maybe not while I’m still a student!

by Grace McEwen

Fashion V

alentine’s Day: a time to get our swag on ready to impress that special someone. For a lot of you it’s about making a good impression so it’s time to dress for the occasion!

Girls, it’s all about the bright reds, pinks and purples; the symbolic colours of this romantic occasion. Get out those floral dresses too as spring is just around the corner!

Not into the girly colours? The little black dress will never let you down. Just match it up with some killer glittery heels and some bright chunky jewellery and you’ll be right on trend!

Don’t forget those smoky eyes and long lashes to make your eyes stand out.

Add some pink blusher and lipstick and that special someone won’t keep their hands off you!

We all know what it’s like when we’re shopping for hours and can’t find a dress that fits! The solution is here, dressipi.com, it’s completely free! You just have to sign up and click on which body shape you have, whether you’re an apple or a pear shape they’ll find clothes that look great on you from your favourite brands, in your favourite colours and they’ll tell you which styles to avoid as well. It’s a brilliant way to find that perfect dress this Valentine’s Day and all from your local high street!

Now, lads, if you’re out to get that special girl you want to be looking your absolute best. If you’re out for a more casual occasion then you’re safe to keep on the jeans but make sure they’re dark and add a smart shirt to match it. Bright reds and purples are a must if you want

Dress To Impress This Valentine’s Day to make the most of the valentine occasion. Avoid wearing too much black though; it’s the day you want to be noticed and scrap the trainers, girls want to know their lad can make the effort with some smart polished shoes.

If you’re dressing up more formally then wear some smart black trousers with a nice bright shirt and tie. If you already have a date, find out what she’s wearing and match the colour of her outfit, that’ll really impress her!

‘Don’t forget those smoky eyes and long lashes to make your eyes stand out’ Burton, H&M and Debenhams are just a few great high street shops where you can find your smart shirts and ties at reasonable prices.

Spiked hair is also in this season but don’t over-do it with gel, try Fudge Urban Matte Wax which is easy to apply and non-sticky leaving your hair looking naturally spiked and styled.

Guys and girls, don’t forget your perfume and aftershave so your smelling as beautiful as you look and remember, looking good is nothing without confidence! Have fun!

By Abigail Skinner 27

Fashion

How to cheat the High Street

We’re students. Therefore, unless you are fortunate enough to have won the lottery at this wonderfully young age, a large proportion of the time; we’re skint.

That’s not to say that we don’t spend endless amounts of money on creating home-made cocktails and buying far too many drinks! However in terms of our wardrobes; the Primark label becomes our best friend in price, but our worst enemy when it comes to style. I can’t express how gutted we, as girls, feel when we go out in our new dresses, feeling all glamorous and self confident, only to be faced with several other students with the same outfit. By this time the dreaded doubt worms its way in, as you picture yourself in a poll of ‘who wore it best’; but then

Everything old is new again H

as certainly become extremely applicable in the fashion world, where we say a massive welcome back to the 90’s! The spring of 2010 marked the aspiring comeback, where we saw the return of clogs, neutral tones and blouses in the Chanel country collection. D&G made a strong statement with their over the top denim and khaki selection, whereas 28

`The Primark label becomes our best friend in price, but our worst enemy when it comes to style’ when you think it is bad enough, it’s only made worse by your tactless friend (more than likely a male) point and shout “that girls got the same dress on as you”. For the more self-conscious of us out there, this would then give us two options: a) spend the night removing oneself from this person’s proximity, to relieve you from any further embarrassment or b) go home and change. To help prevent this feeling, putting your own creative stamp on an outfit is recommended.

High Street shops, like Topshop,

Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs reinvented the clog and reintroduced the biker shorts. It seemed that less effort had become extra effort.

The beginning of 2011 saw us enhancing the 90’s theme yet again, exchanging the leather jacket for the denim jacket, tights for acid-wash denim, fitted tees for the oversized shirts, piles of bling for a cute pendant and the resurrection of crop tops and body suits. 2012 looks set to follow in the same direction, the extensive collections of high wastedness, featuring skirts, leggings, jeans and shorts. Not to forget the bold, block colour combinations and the

overcharge on their accessories making it almost impossible for students to overindulge in personal style. Nevertheless, over the past few years I have used eBay to buy items at a tenth of the price. For instance, a necklace with a ‘teardrop mask pendant’ is being sold by Topshop’s online store for £7.50 (plus delivery); but by typing in ‘mask pendant’ on eBay I find an almost identical necklace for only £1.99 (free delivery). Yes, the only con is it’ll take eleven days to arrive, but unless you are in urgent need of the item, it is a small price to pay for High Street standard accessories.

On the plus side, you won’t see anyone else wearing identical accessories. So all I can say is’ try it ladies, you’ll definitely be surprised at how much you can save.

By Hattie Coyne

ever more popular onesies.

These current trends are undeniably bringing back the relaxed; less is more, cool approach to the way we dress.

By Jessica Fox

Fashion

The Golden Globes 2012 A

nd so, awards season has begun. I always love this time of year, but I’ve never really been able to quite put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the chance to see British cinema receive so many awards (as it so often does these days), or maybe I just enjoy seeing the stars dressed to the nines in some seriously covetable clothes. Either way, the Golden Globes didn’t disappoint.

As the night progressed, it seemed to pave the way for some of the most directional and stand-out dresses the red carpet has ever seen. Special mention goes to Lea Michelle (Rachel from ‘Glee’) who wore a stunning lace Marchesa gown; the top part of which was made up of some very carefully placed sequined leaves and sheer fabric. Likewise from the Glee clan, Diana Agron (Quinn) opted for a somewhat daring red

Giles gown, which steered in the completely opposite direction of ‘classic’, but managed to remain amazing all the same.

Every year, there is usually a ‘new kid on the block’; this year, it was in the form of Rooney Mara, who was up for Best Actress for ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’.

Mara has been a regular on the red carpet recently, attending several premieres for the film. In all of her appearances, her style has come across as incredibly minimalistic and modern, and her outfit at the Golden Globes successfully followed suit; she wore a floor length black Nina Ricci gown, which contrasted with her porcelain-white skin as beautifully as ever.

Kate Winslet dressed in monochrome Jenny Packham, Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli and Reese Witherspoon wearing Zac Posen.

By far my favourite, however, was Charlize Theron, dressed in a stunning Dior Couture gown. The colour was a gorgeously creamy pale pink, which made the dress incredibly pretty. The structure of it, however, made it sexy; a plunging neckline, fabric gathered at the waist and sealed with a diamond brooch, a thigh high split, and a train that draped fabulously at the back. Her look managed to include femininity, directionality and timelessness all in one, which is why I loved her choice of outfit so much.

by Grace McEwen

As well as a few newcomers, there were the red carpet regulars.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, the latter dressed in Atelier Versace, 29

Sports Give sexism the boot!

I

n Football today the way the media and most notably males act towards female officials in such a patriarchal game, gives us cause for grave concern. Football fans feel betrayed when a female is summoned forth to officiate a football game between two male teams.

A year has passed since, (now ex) Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray expressed their sexist remarks towards lineswoman Sian Massey, claiming because of her gender she was incapable of understanding the offside rule. Since this occurred, we are no closer for female officials being accepted in football, and never has there been a woman referee in the Premier League. Let us hope 2012 brings change in football, and a female referee can be given the chance to do the job they have earned on merit, and then finally sexism can be given the boot.

By Michael Stewart

Messi wins third Ballon d’Or L

ionel Messi again picked up the Ballon d’Or prize, for the best player in 2011. He beat team-mate Xavi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo in doing so, and becomes only the fourth player in history to win the prestigious award three times. With this, he is in great company alongside Johann Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco Van Basten.

Apart from wanting a change, you can’t really argue with the winner. The 24 year old gained 47,8% of the vote, Ronaldo taking 21.6% and Xavi 9.2%. Messi played 44 games last year, scoring 43 times with 23 assists and reaped the plaudits from Sir Alex Ferguson.

‘Messi can now be judged alongside the greats of football through the ages, despite being only 24.’

Fellow Team-mate Xavi went onto echo Sir Alex, in saying ‘I think he’s going to break all the records that exist in this sport’.

Written by Adam Bond

30

Sports A

s a genuine football fan, I take an interest in the game as a whole. The politics, the competitions, structure etc. However one of, if not the most important issue in todays game is that of finance. We are in the midst of the January transfer market, a time when clubs operating on a shoe string budget make huge gambles on players and with their finances to try and keep their head above water both in the league and with the accountant. Whilst the giants of the game dish out tens of millions of pounds on players of high calibre. As a society, we have and still are in the worst recession in living history, but despite this Real Madrid in the height of the recession forked out a massive 94 million euros (£80 million) on Cristiano Ronaldo; whilst their compatriots and great rivals Barcelona tried to keep up with the Jones’s by splashing out 72 million euros (£59 million) on Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The January transfers of 2011 were somehow even more crazy. Chelsea spent £50 million on Fernando Torres, a player badly out of form who can’t even get into his national squad, whilst Liverpool spent £35 million on Andy Carroll. Who at the time was 22 years old, and had only been playing in the top flight for 4 months. These players don’t command the

price tags but nevertheless, they are astronomical and when the honest hardworking fan struggles to get by, the contrast between those on the pitch and those in the stand is just as astronomical.

Genuine football fans will be aware of the plight of several football league clubs in recent years due to overspending and reckless debt forcing then into administration. In the 2000-01 season, Leeds United were in the Champions League SemiFinal against Valencia. Their chairman Paul Ridsdale had taken out huge loans that relied on Leeds’ success in the competition. After narrowly missing out on the Champions League the following season, Leeds went into freefall, having to sell their top players such as Rio Ferdinand.

They were relegated in the 2003-04 season and in 2007, after further troubles were relegated to the third tier for the first time in their history.

More recently Chester City F.C were dissolved after huge financial difficulties, the latest horror story is that of Plymouth Argyle. They have suffered successive relegations in

recent seasons, and are currently in the League Two relegation zone in serious danger of leaving the football league.

It is sad to see such grand old clubs in dire straights due to finance troubles, it is also sad to see clubs raising the price of season tickets despite being able to afford massive transfer fees, and massive wages, Wayne Rooney is reportedly on £200k a week. The ideal thing to do is for FIFA to clamp down on football clubs and show some sort of authority, and for the football league to look after their members more, don’t forget the Premier League did nothing in 2009-10 when Portsmouth had their own troubles and went into administration, the first time a top flight club in England has ever gone into administration. The problem with relying on FIFA to do their job is that sadly they are a corrupt and inadequate governing body currently, so don’t be surprised if we see more examples like Liverpool F.C hours away from going into administration.

By Peter Hughes

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