www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 7 November 2016 Issue 1338 Free
The results of your The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students Est 1948 top 10 horror films EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW MYTHBUSTERS An interview with Ex-Courier writer Can staring at the sun actually make on the release of his novel, p. 20 you blind? p. 33 vote, p. 28 RAG announces charity partnerships Raising and Giving (RAG) society to fundraise for six charities Selected charities include two international, two national and two local organisations
By Jade Holroyd Editor Newcastle University Students’ Union’s Raising and Giving (RAG) society have officially announced the six charities they will be supporting this year: Water for Kids, Anti-Slavery International, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Mind, Great North Air Ambulance, and The Alan Shearer Foundation. The charities include two international, two national and two local organisations and were selected by the 2016/17 RAG committee through process of vote. The 32 strong committee is led by co-presidents Harry Young and Liam Day. Young said: “Every year RAG supports six individual charities. This year we opened up the process of selection to the whole of committee to guarantee maximum student consultation. “There were numerous other organisations that were also shortlisted by the committee and although these charities won’t feature as part of our annual RAG Week, we will be donating the proceeds made at the events throughout the year.” For their first event of the year, the society ran a pub quiz at the Charles Grey in early October, in aid of Cardiomyopathy. Approximately 250 students attended the quiz, raising £280 in total. Young commented: “The quiz was a great success and also a great way to start the year - hopefully it will be a sign of things to come.” RAG’s next event will be held on 21 November. “Last year we hosted a speed dating night at the Union and it went down really well so we’re doing the
same this year,” Young said. Day added: “I’m looking forward to Speed Dating and we’re hoping for a fairly big turn out. It’s all a bit of fun and at the end of the day, we’re raising money for charity. “This year we’re wanting to be a big emphasis on RAG as a social society. We want to raise money and have a good time doing it so we’ve got some great events lined up for the year. Sign up to RAG and come along to the speed dating event, who knows, you might even find love!” This year will also see the return of ‘Take Me Out’ and the RAG Fashion Show. Last year both events attracted a large number of students and raised a considerable amount for the selected charities. RAG is the biggest charity based society within the Union and is set to hold it’s annual ‘RAG Week’ from 28 January to 3 February 2016. Young commented: “Last year RAG Week was really successful but we’re hoping that this year we can exceed our previous achievements. “RAG Week is open to all students that become paid members of the society. It’s a week full of fundraising across a range of different activities, some of which directly relate to the six charities we will be raising money for during the week.” Day went on to say: “Like Harry said, we’re hoping that this year RAG Week will be the most successful year yet. It’s also a really great way to meet people.” RAG events will be posted on the society page on the Students’ Union website. For more information, see www. nusu.co.uk/RAG or @NUSUrag on Facebook.
“Last year RAG Week was really successful but we’re hoping that this year we can exceed our previous achievements”
Liam Day, Co-President of RAG Image: Harry Young
News
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Monday7 November 2016
Deputy Editors Ollie Burton & Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson, Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall Kotryna Kairytė & Helena Vesty
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What’s the difference campaign on campus
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Newcastle iGEM 2016 team. Back row (left to right): Rupert Truman, Josh Rushby, Dr Tom Howard, Kerry Lewis, Dr Jem Stach, Prof Anil Wipat, Jake Burton, Ollie Burton, Dr Dana Ofiteru, Dr Martin Sim Front row: Emilija Kopūstaitė, Lauren Mills, Michael Martyn
By Ollie Burton Deputy Editor Last week a team of eight undergraduate students from the Schools of Biology, Biomedical Sciences and Computing Science set off for Boston, Massachusetts to present their summer research in the iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition. The team consisted of Josh Rushby (Biology), Lauren Mills and Ollie Burton (Cellular & Molecular Biology), Jake Burton, Rupert Truman and Kerry Lewis (Computer Science), Kristina Marko and Emilija Kopūstaitė (Biomedical Sciences). iGEM is an annual event in which students from all over the world try to solve a problem affecting the world using synthetic biology, an approach combining facets of molecular biology, computing and genetic engineering. All teams then attend the Giant Jamboree to give presentations to the iGEM judges and other teams, with the possibility of being award bronze, silver or gold medals as well as special prizes.
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The Newcastle team had the goal of creating a modular breadboard system which could combine biological and electronic devices to create electrobiological circuitry, combining both reactivity and specificity with reliability and consistency. They created a number of biological analogues of electrical components, including a lightbulb, a battery and a variable resistor. These devices could be integrated into electrical circuitry in the future, and become useful in areas where resources and engineers are sparse, such as remote monitoring stations. These biological devices are created by taking standardised genetic components from the iGEM parts registry and attaching them together, much like LEGO bricks. This approach was
put forward by computer engineer and synthetic biologist Tom Knight, which eventually gave rise to the iGEM competition in 2003. In addition to their biological parts, the team produced novel pieces of hardware, including their breadboard which magnetically attaches together and allows integration of genetic constructs into circuits, as well as a new type of miniature microbial fuel cell. Furthermore, the computer scientists on the team leveraged their skills to design a thought experiment which encouraged users to consider and reflect on the ethical implications of using biological cells and tissue in electronic systems, which are often expendable and replaced. Some highlights from the conference
“The Newcastle team took home a bronze medal and received a nomination for the best hard-ware award”
Editor Jade Holroyd Deputy Editors Ollie Burton and Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall, Kotryna Kairytė and Helena Vesty Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad Corkett-Beirne and Sunil Nambiar Culture Editors Jack Oliver Parker and James McCoull Lifestyle Editors Ana Beretsos, Antonia Coleman-Harvey, Ruth Loeffler and Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward Fashion Editors Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins and Zofia Zwieglinska Beauty Editors Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent and Miranda Stoner Arts Editors Johnathan Hastings, Meg Holtom, Tamsin Rees Film Editors Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden and Simon Ramshaw Music Editors Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj and Ben Grundy TV Editors Luke Acton, Dominic Corrigan and Alison Scurfield Science Editors Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer and Ciara Ritson-Courtney Gaming Editors Errol Kerr, Jared Moore and Jordan Oloman Sports Editors Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin and James Sproston
included the work of TUM-Munich, producing a means of 3D printing using biological tissue, and the undergraduate team from the University of Edinburgh, who worked out a means of storing and archiving data within the DNA molecule itself. This could represent the next generation of data storage technology, as a single gram of DNA can store approximately one billion terabytes of information. The Newcastle team took home a bronze medal from the competition and received a nomination for the best hardware award. They would like to extend their thanks to their supervisors Professor Anil Wipat, Dr Tom Howard, Dr Dana Ofiteru and Dr Jem Stach, as well as their advisors, Dr Martin Sim, Dr Matthew Peake, Dr James Skelton and Mr Michael Martyn. Further thanks to Tom Nappey and Jekaterina Maksimova in OpenLab here at Newcastle University for their assistance in hardware design.
The Courier is printed by: Print and Digital Associates, Fernleigh House, 10 Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE3 0DA. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.
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Monday 7 November 2016
Brain drain: drop in EU students applications By Valentina Egorova News Editor The number of EU students applying to UK universities has fallen by nine per cent reversing the trend of annual increases. UCAS released figures of the early undergraduate applications for the next academic year (2017/2018) that included medicine, dentistry, veterinary degrees and some programmes at Oxbridge. The fall comes as one of the first responses to the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. For two months after the referendum no clarification on the funding was given to EU students applying to UK universities this year. This September, Dame Julia Goodfellow, Universities UK president, was urging ministers to provide immediate reassurance for EU students with the application deadlines fasts approaching. The Government’s announcement on the continued financial support came only on October 11, which was four days before the application deadline. Many speculate that the sharp drop in EU students’ applications could have been avoided if the annoucement had been published a month earlier. Nicola Dandridge, chied executive of Universities UK, said: “This fall does,, however, highlight the importance of ensuring that prospective European applicants are made fully aware of the fees and financial support arrangements well in advance of the applications window.” Mary Curnock Cook, UCAS chief executive said: “We will be watching the numbers of EU applications in the runup to the January deadline, especially now that the government has confirmed arrangement for continuing access to student loans for 2017 courses.” Medical schools seem to be particularly affected by the Brexit vote.
The British Medical Association told the BBC that the decrease in EU students’ applications for medicine was alarming. Three lecturers from the University were contacted in relation to the decrease in EU student applications: Dr Martin Farr, Senior Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary British History. Is it just the beginning of the country’s decision to vote ‘leave’? Yes. It doesn’t feel like it, but Brexit not only hasn’t happened yet, it won’t happen for over two years. So very much only the beginning. Did you expect this number to be higher or lower? I didn’t have expectations, but 9% strikes me as about right. A considerable shortfall. No government has given such discouraging and confusing signals about a major aspect of HE policy. The problem is that it’s not an area which has great public salience. Will there be a decline in international students? Well, it’s hard to say that some will fold because of it, but it will be harder for many to exist as they have, and there may be more mergers. Institutions in Australia/New Zealand, the United States/Canada will be keen to step in for students wishing to be taught in English, and increasing numbers of institutions in Europe now teach in English as well. Could UK universities benefit from Brexit? My personal view – and I express it personally rather than publicly, may I stress – is that UK universities will not benefit from leaving Europe. I cannot see what benefits there are, but there are very many disadvantages, both material and cultural. Will universities be able to survive in terms of finance? Over UK HEI (Higher education institutions) as a whole, yes; Russell Group unis, no.
Professor Anthony Zito, Professor of European Public Policy. Is it just the beginning of the country’s decision to vote ‘leave’? We do not know how the EU negotiations will play out, so, just as was the case with the referendum debate, we can only speculate. Nevertheless, if we take the best case scenario, in which the new EU and UK relationship involves a considerable scope for EU funding for universities, exchanges, it will take at least two years and probably a lot more to negotiate that. In that best case scenario, you will therefore have UK universities and people interested in them facing a lot of uncertainty. So this will be just the start of the consequences, even if the best case scenario happens. Did you expect this number to be higher or lower? I think it will be higher as the negotiations progress, particularly as these negotiations have not even started out, and so people do not have the sense about the manner in which they will be carried out. Will there be a decline in international students? There is a general decline in international student numbers, and the UK referendum debate and outcome will make that worse, but that decline actually is a separate issue, and the decline was happening, from what I can tell, before the result was announced. The Government changed some of its policy toward international students entry, and engaged in rhetoric that probably have decreased numbers. Will universities be able to survive in terms of finance? We can only speculate without knowing the agreement and future government policy.
Twitter hopes to use Periscope to broadcast lectures after the success of an experiment at University College London where a lecture by Daniel Miller, Professor of Anthropology, was live-streamed and reached around 2,700 views. While watching the video, viewers would also be able to submit comments and ask questions live.
While the views achieved by University College London seem to be a successful figure, Miller identified some problems with broadcasting lectures. For example, there is an issue with lectures being available for free online whilst most students pay to receive them. Some issues also raised surrounding online safety and privacy: Sofie Sandell’s
Dr Alejandro Quiroga, a reader in Spanish history. Is it just the beginning of the country’s decision to vote ‘leave’? It is certainly just the beginning of
many negative things to come for UK universities. One of the aspects that will be affected is research. The UK contributes with 9000 million Euros per year to the EU research budget but receives 12000 million Euros. The British government is not going to replace this money so the loss will be of roughly 3000 million Euros per year. This is massive. On top of this, many EU researches will not find the UK an interesting place to work, once the country is out of the EU and therefore unable to access European projects. Did you expect this number to be higher or lower? Lower. 9 per cent in three months is huge. Will there be a decline in international students?
Yes. This is already happening with Chinese students for reasons related to China´s economic growth and the creation of new universities there. However, the current policies of the British government, forcing international students to leave the country right after they finish their degrees, and the anti-foreign rhetoric of Theresa May’s cabinet are very rapidly reinforcing the view of the UK as a xenophobic, unfriendly country. Perceptions are crucial for students and lecturers and the UK is increasingly seen abroad as a nasty country. Will universities be able to survive in terms of finance? Top universities will suffer quite a lot financially and in terms of human resources, but lower-ranked university will most probably struggle to survive.
Huffington Post article “The Destructive Use of Periscope Concerns Us All” voiced concerns that there is “no function on Periscope to stop harassment and grooming” and “vulnerable people” may be exposed to harmful content. Sandell also stated: “Many teachers feel unsettled by the idea that what they say and do can be watched online by anyone.” The use of Periscope for teaching purposes is therefore a controversial issue and staff and students of the university have had mixed reactions to its potential usage. David Baines, Degree program director of Media Culture Heritage, said: “One of the subjects I teach is media law and I could see some big problems if that lecture was being broadcast live. We might be discussing a sensitive case in which some material was not to be published.” Mr Baines outlines problems with broadcasting legal information, and echoes concerns for student privacy in that making a mistake in a lecture broadcast online “would not be much of a boost to anyone’s self-confidence.” Dr Gareth Longstaff, Media and Cultural Studies Lecturer and Head of Teaching and Learning for MCH, also
notes issues with “intellectual property, miscommunication and the ethics of teaching” with particular reference to the controversial topics that arise in lectures. Dr Longstaff however was not entirely dismissive of the possibility of using Periscope as he said there is also “a great opportunity and space here for the free flow of intellectual information and ideas.” Newcastle University Student Union’s Education Officer Chris Duddy also spoke positively of the potential of Portfolio to help lecturers reach wider audiences and advance online-only courses at universities, but was sceptical regarding the benefit to on-campus students: “We still aren’t at a point where ReCap is universally used and applied. Some universities still don’t even use ReCap at all.” Student’s perspective of this was also mixed: Lucy Fairchild, a first year Cellular and Molecular Biology student, said it would be unfair for people to get free information online that on-campus students pay for, while Hollie Murray, a first year Biomedicine student, thought that “it could be interesting to watch lectures from other universities country-wide.”
Peri-scoping out streaming lectures live By Isabel Sykes Periscope, Twitter’s live video streaming application, has been earmarked as a potential method of live streaming university lectures, around the country. As Times Higher Education identifies,
“Teachers feel unsettled by the idea that what they say and do can be watched online”
Periscope Schedule Image: Vincent Brown
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Monday 7 November 2016
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New education campaign launched on campus By Laura Higgins Chris Duddy, NUSU Education Officer, introduced a new campaign called ‘What’s the Difference?’ which has been met by a wave of success from students. The campaign aims to make students aware of the challenges they may come across as they transition from school/ sixth form through to University. In the future, he hopes to add bespoke versions to assist PGt/PGR students, mature students, and international students with their respective transitions. Where did the campaign originate? After thorough academic research, it was apparent that there was a lack of transitional support in British universities. From an academic perspective, it is often easy to forget the great leap that undergraduates must take when they arrive at university from sixth form. They have to adopt a cult of independence, adapt to living in a new city and adjust to a new method of teaching; all of which are daunting. Sadly, this can frighten undergraduate students and therefore a mode of reassurance is fundamental. Consequently, the primary goal of ‘What’s the Difference Campaign’ is to provide a universal voice which encourages fresher’s not to worry about change but to embrace it. Can you summarise the campaign? ‘What’s The Difference Campaign’ is an educational programme with a welfare purpose. The aim is to raise awareness of the complications of transition-
ing from sixth form to university. In particular, from an academic perspective, it is important that ‘we take the sting out of the first 40%’. As the campaign highlights, the university marking system is a stark contrast to the A-Level mark scheme. At college, it was satisfying to achieve top marks on a regular basis yet at university this will not be
What are your plans for the future? How do you propose to cater for PGR students, mature students and international students? Recently, ‘What’s the Difference Campaign’ has been added to Newcastle Student’s Union website. This has been met by a wave of approval and therefore it has been proposed to expand the programme further for example on the university website under the ASK tab. Moreover, there are plans to make the university transition a universal concept. Not only will leaflets be distributed to every fresher but also to sixth form colleges and parents so that any anxieties are settled before beginning life at university. In addition, it is important to note that there are long term amendments already in place which aim to cater for postgraduate, mature and international students. It is highly recognised that they also may face obstacles in their transition to Newcastle University and so will require academic and social guidance via social media and marketing. Thanks to colour coded pamphlets, it is easy to seek specific advice depending on your problem, for example the transition from communal to independent living is in red, and therefore in the future there is hope that students will not face such a hurdle when faced with a new academic setting. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, Chris encaurage students to get in touch with him trough email: education.union@ncl.ac.uk
“What’s the difference campaign provides a universal voice which encourages freshers not to worry about change but to embrace it” possible straight away. You are graded as a percentage which initially will not be very flattering (and reflective of your hard work!) yet it takes time to adapt to the academic transition that you face. It is important to remind students not to place pressure on themselves as everyone is experiencing equal academic struggles. How will the campaign help students? In theory, the campaign will provide students with universal advice that they can apply to their unique situation. Theoretically, this will then relieve panic. Thanks to the printed pamphlets (which will hopefully be distributed to all freshers) and easy access to the webpage on the university website, it is easy to seek clarification.
Hard at work, Education Officer, Chris Duddy Image: Jade Holroyd
Maintenance Grants abolished for students By Cameron Charters The abolition of maintenance grants for students has plunged the numbers into the spiralling calamity of unpayable debts. A fearsome spectre was hanging over the students’ heads throughout the summer — from the first days of 2016 students have been raging at the government. Sorana Vieru, NUS Vice President, ranted to BBC Breakfast: ’It’s a disgraceful change that basically punishes poorer students simply for being poor, so they have to take a bigger loan than those students from privileged backgrounds.’ The decision was first aired in the tenure of David Cameron in 2015, but was continued into Theresa May’s administration. Philip Hammond has altered certain aspects of Osborne’s economic plan but the cuts to grants remain in place. The cutting of financial aid has led some people to concerns that our society is filtering out the poorest students, while reserving education for the rich. Sorana Vieru added: ’It could put off students from underprivileged backgrounds from applying, who might not understand how the loan system works, or are very debt-averse. “We also know that mature students are way more debt-averse than younger
students and BME (black and minority ethnic) students perceive student debt on a par with commercial debt.” Still in the process of organising a response to the economic changes enveloping Newcastle University Jack Taylor, Newcastle Student’s Union President said: “The cutting of maintenance grants is obviously incredibly detrimental to students as those from low income backgrounds now don’t have access to money they previously did. “This means some students will struggle to cover the cost of living while at university which is a huge barrier to them coming in the first place.” Determined to tackle the cuts, Taylor revealed the plans: ‘Both the Union and University are working to help as many students as possible. “This year, the Union has handed out Participation Bursaries to 275 first year students, giving up to £200 each to allow students to cover membership and kit costs for clubs and societies. “The University has also committed to continuing to pay bursaries and scholarships for those of low income backgrounds.” Though the government has attempted to buffer the impact of the maintenance cuts by establishing apprenticeships, they have yet been unable to navigate around the moral quagmire of charging for the sweet fruit of knowledge.
“Cutting of maintenance grants is incredibly detrimental those from low income backgrounds”
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news .5
Monday 7 November 2016
Hatton Gallery refurbishment By Ghangaa Mano The Hatton Gallery is undergoing a £3.8m makeover for redevelopment and refurbishment by Surgo Construction Ltd (Surgo), one of the region’s leading building contractors. The work is has been planned to be carried out in two phases: the first phase will continue until the end of October 2016 and phase 2 will end mid February 2017. The gallery is due to reopen in September 2017. It was a tight race among other contractors vying for the job as Surgo was appointed after a competitive tender and interview process. Their responsibilities include, refurbishing the galleries, carrying out internal modifications and upgrades, renovating listed roof lights, installing steelwork to carry new mechanical equipment, undertaking some re-roofing and creating new meeting and seminar rooms. The appointment will also come with some challenges for Surgo’s team. Since the Hatton Gallery is situated within a constricted area where only a small area for deliveries are available, the team has to share access with another building contractor working on the adjacent site. Surgo’s director, Jeff Alexander did not let these upcoming complications undermine the appointment and said: “We are delighted to be appointed to another Newcastle University project where we have successfully completed a number of projects. Our knowledge of working on ‘live’ tight sites, our listed building expertise and supply chain network combined to make us well qualified for our appointment to the Hatton Gallery.” “We are working closely with building users and other contractors to carefully schedule deliveries while the University will undertake regular inspections to ensure that the contract goes according to plan.”
Surgo’s project associates with the Hatton Gallery are Newcastle University, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, Turner Townsend and others. Newcastle University’s project engineer manager, Andy Ransome, commented: “Work is already progressing well on the project as we seek to conserve the historic and architectural elements of this Grade II listed building, while creating a modern exhibition space with improved visitor facilities, improved lighting and more efficient environmental controls. Surgo’s previous experience made them the ideal choice for this project.” The multimillion pound redevelopment project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund together with added support in the way of other grants and donations secured by Newcastle University and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums with the common aim for the Hatton Gallery to continue being a vibrant and exciting gallery long into the future. The Hatton Gallery forms part of the University’s Fine Arts department and being home to the iconic Merz Barn Wall by Kurt Schwitters and a diverse collection that includes more than 3,000 works from the 14th-20th centuries. The collections include extensive archive material including paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings and textiles together with materials linked to the history of the Gallery, such as exhibition posters designed and printed in the art school. The Hatton Gallery is situated at the centre of campus near to the arches. For more information see: www.hattongallery.org.uk.
Hatton Gallery before refurbishment Image: Ghangaa Mano
Jamnesty! Music for Human Rights By Helena Vesty Monday 14th November marks the first ‘Jamnesty’ to be held by Newcastle University’s Amnesty International Society. The society has planned the acoustic evening in order to raise awareness, and money, for human rights abuses around the world, featuring performers from across the city. This year, Amnesty members are shining a light on three main issues, which cover both international matters and problems closer to home. The chosen topics involve the continuing use of the death penalty in many countries, a renewed focus on women’s rights, and the refugee crisis. The latter is a concern which has captured the attention Newcastle in particular, as the city has seen marches from antiimmigration groups such as Pegida UK and the English Defence League in recent years. The executive of the society came up with the idea of the open-mic night as “a brilliant opportunity, not only to showcase some of the fantastic talents of both students and the wider community, but also a chance for people to get
together with friends for a fun evening, whilst also supporting a worthy cause”. Performing at Jamnesty will be Newcastle favourite, Martha Hill, who has an upcoming new single and music video, with a release date to be revealed. Acts also confirmed for the night include James Gibbs, Jenna Ho Tsz, Charlie Isaac and Benson Ho. President of Amnesty International Society, Sophie Glover, has said that the group has had “a great start to the year, with a real growth in membership and enthusiasm for our meetings”. In the past few weeks, the Amnesty team has played host to a number of events, which have included AmnesTEA discussions, pub quiz socials, and a film screening of the new, Netflix documentary 13th. Glover also commented on the “brilliant ideas new participants have had, especially lectures with some really interesting guest speakers, which will be making an appearance in the Amnesty calendar soon”. Amnesty International Society invites you to join them for Jamnesty at Mr Lynch’s from 8pm, on 14th November.
“A brilliant chance for people to get together with friends for a fun evening, whilst also supporting a worthy cause”
Members of the Amnesty team at the International Fresher’s Fair Image: Newcastle Amnesty International Society
6.news
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Heated political debate with Model United Nations By Meera Vaidya Model United Nations, which is a simulation of the United Nations, held a Give it A Go session last Wednesday to introduce students to what they do and invite them to join the society. “Delegates”, as participants are known in the forums, discussed topics like the abolition of capital punishment, the eradication of the illegal drug trade or elimination of the Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant involving student in a hot political debate. Through this forum the delegates get to represent a certain country on issues and topics that were debated. MUN provides students with public speaking, critical thinking, leadership abilities and teamwork skills. It lets students see how the United Nations works in practice and how representatives of nations work with each other. Newcastle University’s Model United Nations Society was founded in 2015 gaining over 50 members for their first year and even being one of the three societies to be nominated for the Best New Society award. The idea for the society came from the president, Abhishek Jani who said: “Since I had enjoyed MUN in my high school I thought it would allow students at university to do something other
than their course which would also look good on their resume and keep up with the current affairs in an ever-changing world.” The sessions are held every Tuesday and are also open to non-members who don’t have any experience. New member Elena Senica felt “very welcomed into the society!” She said: “Even though it was there in my high school I never attended it but decided to try it out in university!” MUN society attended the Leeds Model United Nations Conference with one of the Newcastle University’s delegates receiving an award. The Society also took part in three day Scotland Model United Nations (ScotMUN) conference held by the University of Edinburgh which had students or delegations from all over the world. Tiernan Welch, a member of the society last year and this year’s Vice- President said “I thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions and both the conferences I attended, since I study maths it’s a nice change to do this” There is a number of serious competitions held all over the world with the Harvard Model UN and The Hague International Model United Nations being the most popular. Many participants have gone on to become world leaders in law, politics and diplomatic relations. Although a very popular extracurricular activity, many schools have started offering this as a class.
“MUN lets students see how the United Nations works in practice”
MUN forum voting at Give it A Go session Image: Meera Vaidya
The Courier
news .7
Monday 7 November 2016
iDay event to encourage health innovation By Kotryna Kairyte News Editor On Saturday, 19th November, Newcastle Career Service will be organizing EIT Health Innovation Day (or iDay), which is aimed at boosting the entrepreneurial spirit among students and kick-starting innovation in the area of health and ageing. The European wide event will be held in parallel with Imperial College London and Oxford University, and a day before in Sweden and Denmark. Charlotte Warin, Enterprise Adviser from Career Service, who is working in collaboration with Graham Armitage and Sharon Denley from the Institute for Ageing to organize the event, says “it will be an intensive day where students from different disciplines will come together for a day of inspirational talks and health innovation training.” Students will be invited to come up with a creative health innovation projects & pitch them for a chance to win £1500 to develop their project ideas & enter the European competition. Ms Warin also explained: “Participating students will be provided with
practical innovation tools and guided through the development process, with this knowledge then being applied to the creation of projects.” The iDay will also provide students with a chance to listen to inspirational speakers who are flying over from Europe to share their experiences of the possibilities and rewards of health innovation and help with design thinking and pitching. Ms Warin particularly encourage students to attend that have an interest in entrepreneurship and would like to learn how a bright idea can be developed into a real life product and applied in everyday life. Innovation Day is open to all undergraduate and Masters students, and while it is focused around health and ageing all students are encouraged to attend and develop projects from real industrial and commercial problems. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel and ticket price costs £5. Content will be accessible to those with little or no knowledge in health innovation and provides an excellent introduction to this field.
“An intensive day where students from different disciplines will come together for a day of inspirational talks and health innovation training”
Crowne Plaza Hotel Image: Andrew Curtis
Free condom finder app launched By Valentina Egorova News Editor
Young people in the North East will soon be able to find places with free condoms and sexual health information available, thanks to a new app. The C-Card Condom Finder was generated through Newcastle University’s Open Lab’s app platform with all interested parties involved in the process.
The app has a simple concept - it allows users to find and review outlets, where free condoms and sexual advice can be obtained. The C-Card is a free service available for young people aged 13 to 25 in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. Saffron Kershaw-Mee, marginalised gender officer at Newcastle University, said:“It can be an awkward experience
trying to find cheap condoms – the amount of times I’ve loitered around condom aisle in Boots, trying to find the cheapest box of condoms in the most discrete way possible. “The C-card app takes away the issue of price and potential embarrassment.” In addition to the different types of condoms, the C-Card users are offered a free and confidential test for chlamydia, the sexually transmitted infection.
Image: Shawn Latta
Young people are also advised on what to do and where to go if a condom split or was not used. The scheme was launched in an attempt to prevent the rise of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly, among men having sex with men. It is also aimed at reaching people, who live in poverty or in need of sexual health help. Mark Hedley, the C-Card Coordinator for Newcastle upon Tyne, said: “The C-Card Scheme is often the first experience young people have of accessing a service to discuss relationships and sexual health with a trained professional. “Many young people coming along to local C-Card outlets are not having sex but appreciate the opportunity to talk things through with an understanding member of staff and have access to free condoms as and when they need them.” The scheme has sparked many heated discussions about underage children given access to condoms that undermines the role of parents. It also contravenes the law of consent, which states that only teenagers aged above 16 can agree to a sexual relationship. The organisations that provide CCards in Newcastle can be found online on www.newcaste-hospitals.org.uk. Andy Garbett, a researcher at Open Lab and developer of the App Movement platform, said: “The partnership between the C-Card scheme and Open Lab is a great opportunity to have a positive impact on the sexual health initiative in the North East and enable young people to be more actively involved in the delivery of their C-Card service.” According to Open Lab, the C-Card Condom Finder app can become the unique single network of free condom providers. Kershaw-Mee said: “I feel so proud
that Newcastle University’s own Open Lab was involved in producing the CCard finder app. “Transmitting STIs can be easily prevented and this app ensures that students find the best and nearest location in Newcastle for getting condoms. “However, I feel the NHS and Open Lab could expand the C-Card condom finder concept to finding other free contraception, such as dental dams, condoms specific for vaginas rather than just penises, and even places to take the morning after pill in a time of crisis. “This way, the app will be accommodating for all genders and sexual preferences.” The App Movement platform allowed young people to get involved in the design of The C-Card Condom Finder. Garbett added: “Our digital civics research at Open Lab focuses on enabling citizens to take a leading role in the provision of community services. “The App Movement platform allows a bottom-up approach to commissioning mobile applications and supporting communities in sharing their experiences with others. “The C-Card Condom Finder app is a great example of how service users can shape the design and delivery of the services they utilise.” Open Lab introduced the App Movement platform in 2015 – since then more than 40,000 users have registered and 18 apps have been launched. Anyone can launch an app by starting a campaign - it should gather 150 supportes, who are willing to commission and design the idea. The team then decides on the name, colour scheme and criteria for rating locations. Open Lab states the platform fits their interest: “using technology to empower citizens”.
news .9
NEWSTACK Manchester
Social Science fair Universities in both Manchester and Salford have built a partnership with varieties of art galleries, museums and community groups to celebrate the importance and the impact of social sciences. As it attracted thousands of people last year, the event takes place in the same city for a second time. The attractions will continue for a week (5th -12th November) and include over 40 exciting and engaging events in many different
venues across Manchester. There is something for every taste: debates, film screenings and family days will take place throughout the week. Manchester strand includes a huge variety of topics, such as sociology, business, law, anthropology, education and social care. Some of the activities will include an interactive street game and a workshop about what it will be like to live alongside robots!
Northampton
‘Wall of silence’ exhibition The Office of Police and Crime Commissioner and Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ) are bringing ‘Wall of Silence’ art exhibition to the University of Northampton. Its conception aims at encouraging discussions around the subject of child abuse and child sexual exploitation. It mainly focuses on children groups over the age of 14 and is an impressive
piece of artwork that is free, welcoming everybody who is willing to see it. The display is visible at University’s Avenue Campus, Newton building, (Wednesday 2 November–Wednesday 30 November) between 8:30am and 4:30pm. People are able to visit it outside these hours as well, by arranging a contact with Jonathon Delaney at the University of Northampton.
Westminster
Negotiation champions Graduates from Westminster Business School travelled to Beijing, China, for a prestigious international negotiation competition and became the runner-up team. The Future Top Business Negotiation Contest is an international competition organised by the China Association of International Business Negotiation and Beijing Foreign Studies University. During two intense days, each team had to prepare a negotiation plan to enter the final stage of the competition.
In the final round, students were given two trade scenarios and had to negotiate with an opposing team in front of a panel of judges. In each round one team acted as a seller company and the other team as a buyer company – both teams trying to bargain for the best deal. The group consisted of five alumni from the Strategic Perspectives module. Gregorio Davico was also recognised with a personal award as a great negotiator.
Glasgow
Global genomics initiative The existing partnership between AstraZeneca and the Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre will offer the unique chance for researchers using patients’ genetic information to develop innovative new treatments. At the NHS Research Scotland conference in Glasgow, Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “We are confident this will create new knowledge and understanding on some of the major diseases affecting people in Scotland. It is a good example of Scotland’s industry-led life sciences strategy in action, and how the Innovation Centre programme has linked
effectively with the NHS.” Dr Ruth March, Vice President, Personalised Healthcare and Biomarkers at AstraZeneca, also said: “Using the power of genomics is at the heart of our ambition to understand the causes and drivers of disease and to develop new medicines. Earlier this year, we launched a 10-year integrated genomics strategy across all of our main therapy areas.” It is hoped that the new genomics initiative will help doctors target specific patients with the right medicines increasing their chance to get better.
By Yoana Cholteeva
10.
Comment
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad CorkettBeirne & Sunil Nambiar courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Comment
Disunited States: who is worthy winner? Benjamin Eckford for Hillary Clinton
Jamie Cameron for Donald Trump
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n 8 November, the American people will go to the polls and elect their new president. I hope and pray they vote for Hillary Clinton. Her candidacy has been much maligned. I’ve heard a lot of people say that America is faced with the worst two candidates in history, and that all they can do is choose the lesser of two evils. But, I don’t think that’s true. If I were American, I would vote for Hillary with great enthusiasm. Both my head and my heart say the same on this one. I will be honest, she wasn’t my first choice. I wanted Bernie Sanders to win in the primaries, and if Elizabeth Warren had run instead of him I would’ve supported her. But, loyalty to party is more important than individual personalities. Sanders and Warren understand that and are now among her most vociferous supporters. I concur.
‘‘‘‘She’s tough. Even this year, impressive as Sanders’s campaign was, she polled far more votes’’
This time, the Democratic candidate is Hillary Clinton. She has withstood tremendous criticism. The right-wing American media have despised her for years, ever since her husband Bill began his run for president way back in 1991. 25 years of vilification and abuse pertaining to her gender, and yet she has maintained a large number of loyal supporters. That is a testament to her strength and resilience. She’s tough. Even this year, impressive as Sanders’s campaign was, she polled far more votes than him. Hillary is often accused of personifying the insider Washington elite, of enjoying far too many advantages. But, to those who say that, I would remind them that her opponent is a billionaire businessman who has made his money through exploiting the working class. He represents the excesses of the elite far more than she does. Besides, I see a different version of what Hillary represents. This is most clearly defined in opposition to her opponent. As Jeffrey Isaac wrote in The Nation on 31 October, Clinton is a centrist liberal. She’s not a socialist like me and Sanders, but I’d rather have her centrist liberalism than Trump’s quasi-fascist offering, which has disgusted moderate Republicans like John McCain, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colin Powell. America wasn’t left-wing enough to vote for Sanders. But, Hillary is the one person in the Democratic Party who can appeal to sufficient
range of voters, including those who are conservativeminded and big business, to support its most progressive manifesto in history. Only she will maintain the rhetoric and substance of taking America in a more liberal, more progressive direction, continuing President Obama’s good work. People talk of ‘Reagan Democrats’, but 2016 could see the emergence of ‘Hillary Republicans’. George Bush Sr. already is one.
‘‘Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict. It’s a simple but powerful idea’’ but I support the Democrats, pure and simple, and will always support any Democrat against any Republican. But, most of all, as the manifesto says, this election is about more than Republicans and Democrats. It’s about who America is as a nation. Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict. It’s a simple but powerful idea: we are stronger together.
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either of the t w o main candidates on offer in this disgraceful election are remotely deserving of the office of President. Americans face a choice between one of the most corrupt narcissists to ever grace the political stage, and Donald Trump. He’s a terrible person and politician, but there are real arguments to vote Trump. “But please, vote Trump? Be objective!” Yeah, Trump is incredibly stupid. He’s also a racist employer and speaker, and everyone being objective knows that. However, a little research will tell you that Clinton has done plenty of racist things too. She called black kids from deprived areas ‘super-predators’ that ‘need to be brought to heel’, while defending drug war legislation that ruined the lives of thousands of destitute AfricanAmericans. She was a self-described “Goldwatergirl”, a supporter of one of America’s most racist politicians. She’s also no progressive, and only supported gay marriage in 2013. So sure, let’s be objective. Clinton is a deranged warmonger, supporting always-disastrous military intervention at every opportunity, spurred on no doubt by her millionaire donors in the arms industry. She stupidly talks up the possibility of war with Russia
at every opportunity. Clinton voted for the Iraq War and is partly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, while helping to ruin the US Economy with war debt. Now she wants to start again in Syria. Trump has never voted for a war, and his flippant support of Iraq in the past is not equal to a vote as a Senator. Trump’s rhetoric is all over the place, but he consistently supports staying out of new wars, and wants to reform the department of Veterans’ Affairs to help American victims of war. Hillary Clinton is also steeped in corruption: This constant email-scandal, putting national security at great risk; approving an arms deal with Saudi Arabia – now bombing civilians in Yemen - in return for donations to the Clinton foundation; rigging the Democrat primaries two years in advance with the help of the DNC, as shown by wiki-leaks. She’s a corporatist puppet of the billionaires and millionaires that have propped up her entire political career. If Clinton weren’t one of the most well connected people in the world she would be completely disgraced, if not imprisoned. Trump may be corrupt in office, but he hasn’t shown that yet. Trump is an outsider who fought to be here, and he represents real populist interests that aren’t just xenophobic. He wants to put an end to the free trade deals that have hollowed out entire swathes of the country and left people on food stamps, and when he opposes immigration, he is preventing inflation of goods and protecting the jobs market.
‘‘Trump is an outsider who fought to be here, and he represents real populist interests’’
I implore you to check Wiki leaks and independent media to check my arguments – do your own research. These are the two worst presidential candidates in American history and there can be no winners here. Still, I am a progressive, but I would have a reason to vote Trump. Why? Firstly, corruption and warmongering cannot be rewarded. Secondly, Hillary will shift the Democrats further right and destroy any chance of progressive politics for at least 8 years. Trump, however, is a useful idiot: His disastrous presidency will immediately hand over the Democrat party to its left in Clinton’s wake, and potentially destroy the Republicans as we know them from inside while he comes to blows with a hostile Congress.
Declining path forward for America Leana Tajkov suggests that no matter who wins this weeks election, the next four years aren’t looking good for the U.S
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atching the U.S. elections and political campaigns in the past year felt almost like watching a boxing match: painful, unpredictable and dirty. The fight between a reality TV star and a lying Secretary-of-State has been intense and brutal. Both final competitors demonstrated great strength in avoiding answering the questions, disrespecting the opponent and covering their scandals. One simply has to wonder: out of 350 million people in the United States, how did American nation end up with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the final round? Regardless of who wins on November 8th, United
States of America is…screwed. On one side of the ring we have Mr. Trump: a successful, but insulting and racist businessman who had zero years, months or even days of experience in politics. Being President of the United States is the highest position an American can apply and qualify for with zero experience required apparently. But, for an entry-level job at ordinary company, recent graduate students need 3 years of experience in the field to serve coffee to their boss and shred paper on the daily basis. On the other side of the boxing ring we have Mrs. Clinton, a woman with 30+ years of experience in politics, but a lack of credibility. In case the future president of the United States
is Donald Trump, we can expect a few major changes: the removal of foreign people who came to America illegally since 1492, for instance.
“seems like an overseas migration of half of the American nation will be inevitable’’ It seems like everybody will be moving out in weeks following his election. Those who make the
final cut and succeed to stay will most likely be fired. If elected, the owner of Miss Universe will not greet his people with a princess wave, but with a regular sniffle. In case Mrs. Clinton wins, we can expect legalisation of all against the law activities as well as lying to general public about this information. If Hillary Clinton wins, we expect the official greeting to start with one little shimmy to cheer us up. Regardless of the winner of these elections, seems like an overseas migration of half of the American nation will be inevitable. So, let’s be welcoming and supportive of all the Americans who decide to take a four-year vacation from the United States.
The Courier
comment .11
Monday 7 November 2016
The Pill: it takes two to tango SOAPBOX
Tamsin Daisy Rees discusses the complete double standard in hormonal contraception
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ame: The Contraceptive Pill. Purpose: Preventing pregnancy and the end of your independent life. Side effects may include: Headaches, nausea, mood swings (read: depression), bleeding, blood cots, cancer. The side effects above are well known to many women, but hopes have recently been raised for a male pill or injection to help share the burden. However, last week it came to light that a trial for a male contraceptive injection, which had proven to be almost as effective as the ‘female’ pill, was stopped early due to 20/320 of male participants of the study dropping out of the trial after their side effects were too severe to continue. Side effects included: depression, acne, and… heightened libido?
‘‘To acknowledge the side effects of the men’s contraception, but not the female’s is essentially to say that women’s suffering is not as valid as men’s’’
Now, many of my male friends on Facebook are reluctant for a male contraceptive because of the side effects. I applaud their honesty at least for acknowledging how sexist this is. I remember discussing male contraceptives with my first boyfriend. He said of course he would share the burden, abso-fucking-lutely… as long as there were absolutely 100% no side effects at all and it wouldn’t affect his mental health, physical health or sex drive. I should have laughed in his face. You see, at the time I was on the implant and into the fourth month of a six-month long bleed. Hell yeah, you heard me (read me?), and at the time I didn’t even really talk about it. Now I’m not saying I’m a badass, but my GP even gave me the pill ON TOP OF IT, so who knows how my poor teenage body coped with that amount of hormones fucking me.
There are plenty of women’s horror stories like this to go around, and every person with an experience of birth control, I am sure, has their tale to tell. Now, this doesn’t mean I’m saying that men should just get over the side effects of the male contraception, or that they should just ‘man up’ as some of my Facebook feed suggests. Women like me aren’t saying that we want male sexual partners to be suffering the same, as we are - of course not! We know the side effects; we know how debilitating they can be; we don’t want more in pain like we! Yet, it cannot be denied that the double standards around this issue are obviously formed by a gendered, sexist, and downright misogynistic agenda. To acknowledge the side effects of the men’s contraception but not the female’s is essentially to say that women’s suffering is not as valid as men’s suffering. The side effects of contraceptives for women are either ignored, go generally unnoticed, are unspoken about, or are just considered an unimportant ‘common side effect’ they will just have to put up with. This all goes hand in hand with how women are not taken as seriously by doctors. Earlier this month, a study by the University of Copenhagen confirmed a link between hormonal contraceptives and depression. Depression is sure as shit not an ‘ok’ side effect if there ever is one.
To pie depression off as ‘mood swings’ is idiocy, demonstrating how misogynistic this world we live in is when it does not take women’s physical and mental health seriously.
‘‘Women like me aren’t saying that we want male sexual partners to be suffering the same, as we are - of course not!’’ How, then, do we move forward? Well we can’t assume contraception is just women’s responsibility. It takes two to copulate, and the idea that contraception is solely down to one partner (and that is generally the woman in a heterosexual relationship) is simply false. We need to share the burden. We need to discuss openly, frankly and honestly about birth control and understand the side effects our partners are burdened with. We need better sex education. More generally, we need to take better care of women’s mental and physical health, because gender is no barrier to humanity.
from voting then it is difficult to listen and take into account their views on the current government. How can you complain about the politics and the
mandate to the government. Even if an individual voted for a candidate that did not successfully make it into government following an election, the attempt to influence the electoral process by casting a vote has been recognised.
‘‘How can you complain about the politics and the government if you purposely chose not to vote?’’
‘‘Many people have given their lives to fight for the right to vote, particularly women whose sex discriminates them from being able to vote in some countries’’ The right to vote, therefore, is a privilege available to those who are fortunate to live in democratic societies. For this reason, those entitled to vote should value its worth and exercise it carefully to give the mandate to a government that will benefit all, especially those who cannot vote. Many people have given their lives to fight for the right to vote, particularly women whose sex discriminates them from being able to vote in some countries. If that doesn’t emphasise the importance of voting then what does? If individuals make a personal choice to abstain
Tom Hussey
I
f I see another brain numbingly boring flyer I am going to self-combust. I’m talking about these edgy ‘start-ups’ that seem to be plaguing our university. The very companies that advertise their poor existence on flashy flyers have armies of brainwashed deluded student promoters who wear ridiculous caps and genuinely think they are selling you this ‘lifestyle.’ No one really cares. I look at these people and feel sad that they have the time in their lives to pawn themselves out like this and act as ambassadors for this capitalist drivel. You don’t need these companies in your life and you certainly don’t need the lifestyle that they are trying to sell you. Their existence is pointless. Their intentions are transparent all they want is what little money you have as a student. It’s intangible. It’s a façade. Case closed.
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Alexandra Sadler argues that political participation in voting is key for active democracy
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BAD-BASSADORS
BOOKS > FILMS
Holding your vote back? olitical participation is arguably one of the cornerstones of a democratic society. If citizens do not partake in using their vote, how can they expect society to function in a democratic manner? Voting influences the political process enormously, however the issue of political apathy continues to exist. I would argue that it is extremely important to vote, almost an obligation. Whilst I firmly believe that voting is a right that should be exercised by all, unfortunately this is not available for everyone universally.
COMMENT’S HOME OF WEEKLY RANTS
government if you purposely chose not to vote? Abstaining from voting is a conscious decision to not participate in the electoral process, and in doing so you’re removing yourself from giving a
The UK is not alone when it comes to individuals abstaining from voting. Shockingly poor turnouts have been experienced in the US Presidential primaries, for example, with the Republican Nevada caucus in February being notable for having a record turnout of 8.2%. Australia, meanwhile, have tried to tackle the problem by introducing mandatory voting which suggests that the government believes that voting is an obligation. On the other hand, some argue that by introducing mandatory voting the democratic side is invalidated. Voting should be an option – people should choose to participate, not be forced to. I have to agree with this argument to an extent as while I strongly believe that voting is an obligation, it should not be forced upon us. There are other ways to participate in the political system such as through interest groups and lobbyist firms. The influence of interest groups within the political sphere is generally limited. I still firmly believe that voting in elections is the best way to influence the direction of politics. Abstaining from voting hurts no one but yourself in the long run.
Dayam Ali
here has always been a debate about books always turning out to be better than the film adaptations. But, is this really the case? Books can be a lot more intense and more pleasing to the mind than a film, but that only happens if you really connect with the book. The Hunger Games trilogy is a thrilling set of books; it is incredible to read. The films were spectacular as well, but they didn’t quite bring out the same feelings the books did. The books were way more intense, darker and far more detailed than the films. While directors and producers can’t put everything in a book into a film, The Hunger Games movies did its best. It ticked all the boxes – yet, they still weren’t as good as the books. We live in a digital era with less creativity and engagement. It’s because watching stuff is so much easier than flipping page after page. It’s easier than actively imagining. Let’s not take the easy route; let’s start reading more and watching less.
OBAMAS’ DIGNITY
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Ben Glaister
ost rational humanoids agree that the 2016 US Presidential election has descended into a mudslinging, playground contest of unrivalled proportions. I’m still waiting for Hillary to tell the teacher on Donald and for Mike Pence to pull Mr Trump’s hair (or indeed lack thereof) to let him know he has a crush on him, while Tim Kaine stays typically silent in the corner, afraid he might be bullied. One thing that has however been overlooked is the fact that the Obama Administration is sadly drawing to its inevitable close. For the last eight years there have been no scandals, no tax inquiries, no public arguments, no suspicious stains on secretaries’ dresses, no fuss and no mess – quite simply, elegance and poise personified. While Clinton might teach her kids how to one day become senators themselves and Trump might teach his the secrets of being savvy and of ruthless business acumen, instead President and Mrs Obama have taught their daughters how to be good people. As a planet we need fewer tycoons and ladder climbing politicos and a few more genuinely decent human beings.
Culture
12.
thecourieronline.co.uk/culture
Rant of the Week:
Rustling in Robbo
Keep munching to a minimum
Says Antonia Coleman
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ong are the days of late morning lie-ins, cosy cups of coffee and napping til noon. No no. The work has finally caught up on you and the last minute to-do lists just aren’t cutting it. You’ve dragged yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn, you’ve given yourself a quick spritz of... dry shampoo to wake yourself up, raced to the library in order to nab your favourite spot. For hours it’s perfectly peaceful; you have a little boogie on your lonesome ones to some music (of course listened to through the wonderful invention: earphones) and can quietly ask a mate about the lecture you missed... (Not have a chat, I hasten to add).
“The dissonance is enough to give a misophone a heart attack”
So here’s a little word of advice for all you guilty lunchtime lip-smackers: go downstairs? Please? There’s a perfectly decent cafeteria with plenty of seating space so you can ingurgitate your Subway or £3 meal deal in peace, while giving others peace, too! Win win, right? The dining area was designed so that you can have a chat as you eat anyway, and it’s a nice way to catch up with friends between revision - or in many a case, learning - sessions. And for the crabby anti-chew folk amongst you, like myself... I guess it would’nt be too much of a hassle to invest (and I mean invest!) in a pair of earplugs? They’re probably only a coupla quid in Boots!
“There’s a cafeteria where you can ingurgitate your Subway or £3 meal deal” Being considerate to those around you is just a nice thing to do... Which reminds me, if you’re going to crinkle a your pack of crinkle cut McCoy’s, put it in the bin when you’re done? Cheers. You people - you who dare rustle then LEAVE your rubbish - it is you, who are the worst. Ah. I feel so much better now.
The Courier
Culture Editors:Jack Oliver Parker & James McCoull Sections: Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, Arts, Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Science courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk | @CourierOnline
Long Live rubble Ricky Jodie Harrington- Bragg reminisces about halls, Ricky Road and how it’ll always be in our hearts
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ith its bleak brickwork and odd angles, Ricky could have been plucked from the pages of some 1970’s scifi novel. “There’s nowhere else like it”, my dad, a former Ricky Roader, had promised. I had to agree with him, but not in the admiring way he had meant. However, I was soon converted. And with hundreds of rave reviews left for Ricky online, including ‘Ricky is love, Ricky is life’, I wasn’t the only one. Most recently, the review sites have filled with students leaving their goodbyes. As, after surviving four decades of student antics, Ricky Road is no more.
“Long are the days of late morning lie-ins, cosy cups of coffee and napping til noon” This picture is rather bliss really. Being set for the day, “Working 9-5” as dear Dolly would have put it. ‘What could possibly go wrong,’ one might ask. Lunchtime. In fact, any time any person deems reasonable to have a “quick revision snack,” is what could go wrong. The cacophony of cups clanging on the desks, the racket of rustling wrappers, the chewing is. All. So. Distracting. The dissonance is enough to give a misophone a heart attack! Misophonia is the term given to a condition where people HATE certain human sounds. In my case, it’s chewing. Who wants to hear your pasta bake or left over fajita churning around in your mouth? No one. If the sound of chewing and chomping doesn’t send a shiver up your spine, then I guess you’re relatively normal - good for you. And I know what you’re thinking, ‘Put your headphones in,’ but I guarantee you that more often than not you can hear the noise through your music, which you have on full blast.
Monday 7 November 2016
es was often better than battling in the cramped kitchen. The shower room had the look and dimensions of a portaloo, and one unfortunate roommate would be stuck with the inexplicably shaped, hexagon room.
“One unfortunate roommate would be stuck with the inexplicably shaped hexagon room”
Despite resembling a fortress, Ricky’s safety was also questionable. It was widely known that your keys could work on other flats. A fact that my roommate discovered, one hungover morning, after accidentally walking in on six shocked faces in the flat below. You weren’t even safe when showering, once the attaching block discovered the ability to invade through the adjoining shower walls.
“Nothing was too far for Ricky”
This was taken in the 1970s... not much changed The £75 million re-build aims to re-invent the ‘slumming it’ experience of previous student generations. Former residents hold no false illusions about Ricky’s rough edges. Sharing its communal area with six roommates was attune to a yearlong social experiment on the effects of no personal space. A dinner of Londis sandwich-
Debbie Dumpling to The Chamber of Secrets being opened in Block 17. All rounded off the next morning with a monster hangover and a scolding from Tracy the cleaner.
In a flat where you were never more than one floor away from pre-drinks, Ricky offered little opportunity for the studious. Despite earnest attempts to tackle mounting assignments, they would be abandoned at the mere mention of Sinners. By 10pm, you would find yourself amongst the drunken herd, roaming to find trebles. Any visitor to ‘Spotted: Ricky Road’, the notorious Facebook page, can tell you than nothing was too far for Ricky; from a birthday visit from stripper,
With so many flaws, what inspires such loyalty to the late halls? It may turn out that going back to basics is the best way connect at University. ‘I think Ricky’s failings created a community that couldn’t be found elsewhere,” reflects former resident, Jak Blakey. Ricky Roaders viewed their comical living arrangements as a rite of passage; “Everyone was in the same boat and you had a common talking point.” The cramped quarters inevitably resulted in closer friendships. If none of your flatmates were for you, luckily, there was a whole micro-village of flats to meet. You may have scraped 40% and be banned from the Sinner’s cage, but you’re a stronger person for it. Ricky road demonstrated that the best things don’t always come in the shiniest packages.
Break ups and Break downs
When it all goes wrong with the one you love, Bettina Cataldi will see you through the restless nights
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ights spent dancing with strangers in the Sinners cage, the hottie who sits in front of you in lecture and the never ending supply of singles on tinder are just some of the benefits of uni that aren’t in the introductory pamphlet. Now is the ideal time to meet people and begin dating if you haven’t already, and it’s the only time in your life you’ll be surrounded by people your age with similar interests. However, with this surplus of young love and new relationships, comes the inevitable prospect of breaking up. Whether it be via text message, screaming at each other for hours, or the new millennial favorite of “ghosting;” everyone endures a break up at some point in their life. Although seemingly impossible to get through at the time, you can and will survive. Although you may not be going through one right now, you might have a friend going through a break up that you can spoon feed Ben & Jerry’s and relay some advice to. And realistically – you’ll probably go through one at some point in the future.
“Although seemingly impossible to get through at the time, you can and you will survive”
Firstly, you’ll experience a range of emotions. You may first feel sadness and disbelief, eventually evolving into seething rage, which finally becomes cutting off all communication with your ex (along with three inches of your hair). It’s important to realize there’s no one particular way to feel. The most vital advice to consider is to let yourself grieve without apology or limitations. In order to relieve yourself from loss, you have to grieve. Let
yourself watch Bridget Jones’ Diary in your comfiest pair of undies, have your favorite desserts delivered to your flat and vent to your best friends until the early hours of the morning. And remember – there are no time limitations. Some people can bounce back in a matter of minutes, while others may experience a rollercoaster of sadness and anger for a few months’ time. Whichever route it is; you just have to let it happen.
“Some people can bounce back in a matter of minutes, while others may experience a rollercoaster of sadness and anger for a few months time”
Another great method of dealing with your emotions is making a “Post-Break Up” playlist on Spotify. Add all your favorite hype songs to lift you up when you’re feeling low. A few of my favourites include “Too Good” by Drake, “Work” by Rihanna, and of course “Sorry” by Beyonce. On second thought, it’s probably best to listen to all of Beyonce’s “Lemonade” album on repeat until you feel like yourself again. On a similar note, getting yourself to the gym can be extraordinarily beneficial; whether it be yoga to clear your head or running to a heavy electronic playlist to get out your rage. An additional benefit of working out post-break up is that you can make your ex’s jealous with your sixpack or re-perked butt.Now that you’ve successfully gotten through all the stages of breaking up, you’re ready to take your new haircut and hot bod on the town. In the words of Jay-Z, you’ll be back in the club and “on to the next one.”
BO YB
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The Courier
.13
Monday 7 November 2016
Victoria on Harrison
Victoria Thewlis, 3rd Year English Literature meets Harrison Standish, 3rd Year Marine Engineering
Hey Victoria, so firstly where did you go? I think we met at jam jar, a pretty solid starting point, and had a few drinks. We wSo we went to Pleased to Meet You, had a few gins there. Then we were really drunk and really hungry so we went to fat hippo at 9pm on a Sunday. That sounds quite romantic! Haha not really, we were covered in greasy food… It really wasn’t Was it a romantic kind of date? I don’t know really. I mean, it was a date so I guess it felt a little bit romantic, but it was a blind date so the romance wasn’t really there. What do you think he thought about you when you first walked in? I have absolutely no idea… First he took the mick out of my accent quite a lot, I don’t think he was expecting such a broad Yorkshire accent. What did you think about him when you first saw him? I really liked his glasses, he had a really nice sense of style. He was very hungover though, that was very apparent. He was shaking he was that hungover! Something with an expensive ingredient in it… Was he pretty expensive? He was wearing a rolex so I’d say he was… hmm what’s an expensive sandwich Smoked salmon? Yeah we’ll go with smoked salmon, with a little bit of dill and lemon on top, something extra Did you fancy him at all? Errm… Its hard to say, we were very different, we had very different personalities. But I did quite like him yeah Does this mean you kissed him? We had a little goodbye kiss at the end, nothing crazy, don’t get too excited. But yeah it was nice, a good date Did he fulfil your hopes and dreams about the date? Yeah he did actually… I mean I wasn’t expecting much from the date, I mean the chances of finding love are pretty low. But yeah it was really nice, he was a lovely lad Did you do a little Facebook stalk of him beforehand? No I didn’t look him up. But apparently, his flatmates looked me up and said I that I was quote ‘a fat ugly hippopotamus’ Outrageous! He said they were joking, he said they were just trying to wind him. Up which is fair enough, I probably would’ve done the same Finally what would you rate him out of ten? A very solid 8 of 10 Oh my god, that’s high! Is it? I hope he gave me the same. Well he did pay for nearly everything… I think he deserves it how chivalrous... did you like that? Well I wasn’t complaining, we did go to a lot of places... he took the mick out of me quite a bit so it was pretty nice that he paid. I didn’t ask him to! Sounds like a real knight in shining rolex... thanks Victoria!
Victoria on Harrison
Where did you go? So I think we met at jam jar. I was a bit flustered cos it was Halloween, and I’d been out Friday night and Saturday night. Thought Sunday at 3:30 would be a good idea, if we start earlier we could finish earlier. We went quite a few places. We went to Oktoberfest, and I found out she didn’t like beer… Was that a turn off ? Ermm… I wouldn’t say it was a turn off, but it wasn’t a turn on either. It was fine, I got to drink her beer. So we went to Pleased to Meet You because I like gin, she likes gin. And then fat hippo and we were the only people in there. It was good fun, we talked for hours! What did you talk about? Courses, coursework, school, life… not much about family. We’re very different, she’s pretty into Sylvia Plath … that doesn’t sound that interesting, but it was like 7 hours of talking, and we had interesting conversation for the full time What did you think when you first saw her? I didn’t really know what was going on, I was very flustered, I only just managed to shower. and put some clean clothes on in time. I was dressed as a Dalmatian the night before so I had to really scrub my face to get the make up off. It took a drink or two before I was fully relaxed. It’s hard when you meet someone new, when you’re trying not to look like a fool. What did you think of her? That she was very Yorkshire… I accidentally knew what she looked like because she popped up on suggested friends, but I just scrolled down really fast. My flatmates bullied me about it quite abit, as you do. Actually, that’s what we talked about, our flatmates and houses. She has two floors in her bedroom, and I’ve got a little box room at the moment! If she was a sandwich what would she be? I don’t know if I’ve got any emotional connections to sandwiches. I don’t know, maybe something Halloween themed? What’s a Halloween sandwich? Pumpkin I guess? Is turkey Halloween or is it too early for turkey? Why don’t you put them together, a christams and halloween combo? Okay, a turkey pumpkin sandwich. Oh I can’t say that, it sounds terible. she was nicer than a sandwich. High praise indeed... did she fulfil your hopes and dreams about the date? As long as I didn’t throw up, and she could hold a conversation I wouldve been happy about the date. She was good in that way. I’m not really into dating, this is all for the jokes right? Did you fancy her? I don’t know if I’d use that word. The last time I was asked that was when I was about 12 in the playground. So I think it’s ingrained in me to say no automatically, even if it was yes I’d still tell you no. But she was a really nice girl What would you rate her out of 10? A 7 and a half Great stuff, bye Harrison!
Fancy a date? We’ll set you up. Contact us! Find us on The Lifestyle Writers 2016/17 facebook page
14.lifestyle
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Lifestyle Editors: Ana Beretsos, Antonia Coleman-Harvey, Ruth Loeffler & Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward
Love, Laura
Our Agony Aunt, Laura Whitwam, is here to answer your questions about any worries or issues you may
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ear readers, I hope you had a fab bonfire night filled with fireworks and toffee apples. If your weekend had the wrong sort of bang, I am here to make all your headaches go away. Hi Laura, I am really struggling with work at the moment. My assignments are due in within three days of each other. I want to make sure all three essays are done to a high standard but I am finding it hard to juggle my time. Thanks for your help! Hey! Depending on how long you have to do the essays and what your subject is I would firstly write down what you need to include in order to do well in each essay. Then, I would begin researching. Write a reading list and then allow half an hour to an hour to go through each book. In terms of juggling the two that are in for a similar time, I would dedicate equal amounts of time to each essay (unless one is considerably longer or harder). If you are really tight for time you could do a plan, then read and write at the same time. So read a few books on your individual topic ideas then write that section and repeat until you have finished the essay. Hope this helps! Love, Laura
“University can help you decide whether someone is right for you”
Hi Laura, I’m worried that me and my boyfriend are no longer compatible. We don’t have much in common anymore and clash on literally everything. He’s at St. Andrew’s university so we don’t see each other enough to sort things out. Please can you give me some advice! – Holly, 2nd year.
Walking in a winter wonderland Perhaps you want to explore the beautiful toon more, fancy a winter walk or just want to get out of your house, Sarah Davis has discovered the perfect places for you to go
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hether it’s an effort exerting hike across Northumberland Park, or a tranquil stroll along the North East coast line, a winter walk is certainly an opportune moment to burn off that festive gluttony. With beautiful views, a crisp chill in the air, a mug of mulled wine at the end of a rewarding walk will hopefully warm your frozen fingers.. While the sun becomes an infrequent visitor during autumn/ winter and the weather decides to sulk unnecessarily, the odd day of wall-to-wall blue skies and sunshine needs appreciating. With winter comes an extra effort to wrap up against Jack Frost, but pull on your Jesmond puffer, woolen hat and mittens and breathe some of that beautiful Newcastle fresh air.
Quayside If a short jaunt outside of your halls/house is calling, the beautiful Quayside is located in the center of Newcastle by the river Tyne. Start possibly just past the Quayside Wetherspoons and walk all the way to the Tyne Bar located past the Millennium Bridge. If venturing on a Sunday the market starts just under the Tyne Bridge and runs all the way till the Pitcher and Piano. While the river may not freeze make sure you wrap up, as the wind in Newcastle can be unpredictable!
“While the river may not freeze make sure you wrap up... Newcastle wind can be unpredictable”
Tynemouth Longsands Hankering to fill your lungs with sea air? Newcastle is ideally located 20 minutes from the sea front! Why not hop on the metro with your flat-mates, visit the seaside and feast on the most splendid fish and chips the North East has to offer. With the clue in the name, Tynemouth is located at where the Tyne joins the North Sea. It’s chilly ambience, is added to with an extremely bitter wind especially in the winter months.
Hi Holly, I always say if you can think of more reasons why you shouldn’t be together than reasons why you should, then maybe he is not the guy for you. University can really help you decide whether someone is right for you; if it’s meant to be then it will work. Remember most relationships go through rough patches. I think the best thing you can do is meet up to talk about what you are struggling with. Good luck and I hope you sort things out. Love, Laura
Jesmond Dene
Quayside
Corbridge Yearning to travel even further out of town? Corbridge stands almost as the gateway to Northumberland Park, and is located at the fifth stop on the Newcastle-Carlise train service. Characteristically a quaint village east of Newcastle, it is a perfect base for a wintery walk into the hills and far-far away. Channel your inner Keats/Wordsworth and relieve the stress of exams and essays by a day worth of romantic power walking into remoteness.
“Relieve the stress of exams and essays by a day worth of romantic power walking into remoteness”
Hi Laura, I was wondering if you had any general tips on saving money at university? Thanks, Henry. Hi Henry, tips for saving money include writing down all your expenses and create a workable budget for you. In your budget you could have sections on food, social, bills and essentials. Your budget could be weekly or monthly depending on what works best for you. Another tip is to avoid food shopping at mini supermarkets. Instead, if you don’t live near a big supermarket you could try online shopping, where you and your friends can all chip in for the delivery, which can be as little as £2. I hope this helps! Love, Laura
Jesmond Dene If you are more in search of woodland surroundings Jesmond Dene can satisfy the longing to be back home in the countryside. Just north of West Jesmond the Dene starts at the Jesmond Dene house and runs alongside the Ouseburn River ending in High Heaton just west of Shortridge Terrace. Jesmond Dene is the perfect location for a minimal effort winter walk, especially as the trees begin to change colour and with a slight gust of wind it resembles an autumn wonderland. Make sure you also check out the world’s most pathetic petting zoo, with 3 chickens and 1 pig it makes for interesting viewing!
“Write down all your expenses and create a workable budget for you” Thank you for this week’s emails! I wish you a carefree week but if you have any problems just email me at lovelauraagonyaunt@gmail.com.
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Spotted... Well not exactly but no doubt you have a few similar pictures on your phone after you thought mounting these things would be a great idea. However, in your delighted and drunken state you probably didn’t realise that each dog has adorable names based on where they are placed. Have a look at the ‘Westie Jesmond’ one. You also probably didn’t know what they all form a huge trail around the city and will eventually be auctioned off for St Oswald’s Children’s Hospice. Who knew these things were there for more than the spectacular selfie?!
Have you seen something weird and then wished your friends were there to witness it? Have you seen a bizarre outfit or plain shifty behaviour? Have youu seen any bizarre things on the metro - any snoozing tube sleepers? We’d love to know who/ what you’ve seen around campus that has made you chuckle in the last week. The weirder the better. Just facebook us and let us know, because chances are we’d love to have a chuckle too.
The Courier
lifestyle .15
Monday 7 November 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @CourierLifestyle
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
Victoria Affleck lends some words of wisdom on how to keep your head above the incoming flux of deadlines heading your way before Christmas.Winter is definitely coming!
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eing organised is easy to master once you put a few small things in place, and it will save you a whole lot of stress and time if you keep on top of it all. Here are a few tips to help you manage your time, avoid stress and ultimately lead you to success. 1) Use a diary or academic planner Using a diary can help you to easily see what is going on in your life and when, so you can consult it whenever you want to remind you of your looming deadlines and when you should be at a lecture, a seminar or studying independently. For example, I find colour-coordinating to be useful you could highlight all of your upcoming exams/ deadlines in yellow, your study time in green, and time for going out and socialising in blue.
“I find colour-coordinating to be useful”
2) Write To-Do lists Writing to-do lists help you to have a clear vision of what you want to get done. The idea of creating goals to smash is very rewarding, which can make you want to work (even if you don’t want to), and as a result keeping you on top of your work load. But don’t forget to set realistic goals you can actually stick to and achieve. There’s no point in trying to set yourself 101 things to do in 3 hours for example! 3) Compartmentalise Keeping your work tidy and organised is extremely important. Avoid clutter and losing vital information by buying folders – it can be useful to colour coordinate these for your different modules – allowing you to know where everything is when you need it, saving any unnecessary stress.
5) Reward yourself You should always find time to reward yourself. It’s the key to keeping yourself happy and motivated! Although it’s crucial to say ‘no’ sometimes, even though it’s difficult and you want to go ‘outout’. 6) Finally, try not to panic if things don’t go to plan! Getting yourself stressed out and worried over your work is not going to help the situation or solve anything. Take a deep breath, look at what you need to get done and think of a way to tackle it. Believe me, you are not the first person to be in a panic but if you think rationally about what needs to be done, it you will realise it is possible!
“It can be helpful to set aside specific times to study everyday so you get into the mindset of working hard”
his at t d i o bo! ly, av Ideal in the Rob 3am
4) Manage your time It is important to schedule consistent study times so you can get your work done effectively. It can be helpful to set aside specific times to study everyday so you get into the mindset of working hard, avoiding any last minute studying or cramming – a big no no. Whilst you are studying, it is important to have breaks to keep your brain feeling refreshed. It’s not good to study for hours on end and it’s not effective either, so make sure you have regular breaks, such as every hour. It can also be beneficial to make bigger tasks into smaller ones – if you have a lot of reading to do, break it up into a few chapters a day.
Grace Dean shows you there is much more to Newcastle than just the clubs and the library. When was the last time you just explored this awesome city in your down-time?
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“The SU offers comfy seating and Starbucks, allowing you to get the caffeine kick and motivate yourself through your next lecturer”
To grab a bite to eat - if you’re feeling a bit peckish, head over to Eat@Central with legendary popcorn chicken and chips, which are literally, as cheap as chips. Want to splash the cash? Campus Coffee offers a panini and hot drink for under £5, while Subway and Domino’s in the SU offer a little post-
lecture pick-me-up. To impress your parents when they visit – your parents know about Newcastle’s infamous nightlife – what they want to be reassured of is that you’re in a enriching cultural environment in which your learning will thrive and you have more to do than simply waste hours away on Netflix. A visit to The Great North Museum will prove to your parents that you came to Newcastle for more than just the trebles. Similarly, the Northern Stage showcases various comedians, plays and music acts at affordable prices, and maybe your parents will even treat you to a meal at the restaurant inside.
“Grab a Domino’s in the SU for a post-lecture pick-me-up”
To grab some fresh air – if you want a breather in between a busy day of lectures then there are many green spaces near campus to explore. If you’re feeling adventurous then you can go further afield to Jesmond Dene, Tynemouth or Durham for a walk with beautiful views, however equally as enjoyable is a quick trip to Leazes Park (though we are up north so this is very weather-dependent!). With geese, sports facilities and a view of St James’ Park,
Jaymelouise Hudspith ventured to the Butterfly Cabinet in Heaton to try out their tempting menu
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he butterfly cabinet – a Bohemian, art-filled cafe serving burgers and all-day breakfast, plus weekly live Blues music. This quirky little café is located on Heaton Road and is the perfect place to stuff your face with the humongous portion sizes and reasonable prices. As a frequent visitor of their establishment I can vouch for their food, and they don’t do a bad cup of coffee either. The décor is just as quirky as the staff, while the vintage and the modern art tie perfectly together. I will never understand how they have made what should look like a bad jumble sale look like an artistic cosy hide away from the world but they have, and I personally love it. The staff are perhaps even more quirky than the décor. They are a credit to the restaurant on each of my visits, incredibly polite and seemingly lovely people who have a unique sense of style and fashion to say the least. That being said if they were dressed like any other person they would clash with the café itself. The odd match works!
“The decor is just as quirky as the staff, while the vintage and the modern art tie perfectly together”
Newcastle’s very best chill-out spots ewcastle’s big campus can be quite daunting as a fresher if you’re just looking for a place to relax, meet for a coffee or do some work. Luckily the campus offers a variety of spaces perfect for studying, chatting and grabbing a bite to eat, including plenty of outdoor seating if you’re prepared to brave the October winds and get some fresher air to blow away your hangover. To chat with friends – if you have a two-hour gap between lectures and want to procrastinate from your essay due in tomorrow, then Men’s Bar in the SU offers comfy seating and Starbucks, allowing you to get a caffeine kick and motivate yourself through your next lecture.
d o o F Review
you can never go wrong with a stroll around Leazes Park. To explore the city – as beautiful as campus is, sometimes it just doesn’t cut it. Newcastle is abundant with eateries, cultural hubs and stunning architecture. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of campus, Quilliam Brothers just round the corner offers a tranquil haven where you can study, natter and satisfy any tea-related needs, while Mog on the Tyne allows you to destress by literally drinking coffee and stroking cats. And ultimately, if you need to just get away from it all and calm down from the stresses of the day, the view over the Tyne, Quayside and city centre from the viewing platform at the Baltic Gallery just can’t be beaten.
“The viewing platform at the Baltic Gallery just can’t be beaten”
On my first visit with two friends, I had the house burger with chips. All burgers on their menu are hand-made and cooked fresh to order. After making a special request to have my patty served pink, not well – which the staff were more than happy to comply with, it was cooked to perfection. The meat was tender and juicy, the salad was fresh and crisp, the bun nicely toasted; while the chips were your typical homemade chunky chips – just like my mum used to make. It was a meal most definitely worth the £6.50 price, especially as I had to admit defeat and take half of it home in a doggy bag.
“After making a special request to have my patty served pink, not well- which the staff were more than happy to comply with, it was cooked to perfection”
Upon my last visit, this time early for breakfast. I indulged in triple chocolate pancakes and a side of chocolate dipping source with a skinny latte by my side. At first I was apprehensive as I thought it was a little bit expensive for pancakes, that was until they brought out my plate. Four overly generous sized pancakes on a plate half the width of the table. There was a much longer wait this time but that is to be expected as it was the morning rush, my food was still piping hot and well delicious. My housemates who ate the left over pancakes I took home in a doggy bag agreed too. This is a hidden little gem just waiting to be discovered by more people.
The Butterfly Cabinet can be found at 200 Heaton Road, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 5HP. Their website reassures that although it may look like a front door to a home, it is in fact the entrace to the cafe!
16. fashion
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Fashion Editors: Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins & Zofia Zwieglinska
The death of Richard Nicoll Emily Higgins remembers one of Britain’s most successful young designers
Gym clothes on the streets Katherine Rawlings shows us how to bring athleisure to the forefront of the wardrobe
TOPSHOP New Balance U420 Trainers, £69.99
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conic sportswear designer Richard Nicoll suffered a fatal heart attack last week aged thirtynine in Sydney, Australia. The modern and minimalist designer was part of a renaissance of young London designers who revitalized The Capital’s Fashion Week in the early 2000’s. The young designer graduated with an MA in menswear from prestigious London Art school of Central Saint Martins in 2002. His meteoric rise to fame began when Dolce and Gabbana purchased his entire graduate collection. He then went on to work for Louis Vuitton and Cerruti Paris before taking an alternative route in designing an affordable bridal collection for Topshop in 2012.
“Not only a notable and talented expert in his field, Nicoll’s death has induced an outpour of sadness from celebrities and fellow designer alike” Initially aiming for a career as a sculptor, Nicoll used his heavily art-based groundings to influence the gentle sportiness of his pieces that embodied artistic simplicity through sublime attention to detail. This keen attention to the finer details was a double edged sword for Nicoll; whilst attracting A-list celebrities such as Julianne Moor and Keira Knightly to his brand, it’s high costs of production meant his line was unsustainable as a stand alone business model, and thus he turned to freelancing. Working for numerous notable labels such as Marc Jacobs and Fred Perry, he adapted his unique style on a range of high and low-end projects. This was including one of his most iconic collections featuring a range of pastel bomber jackets with metallic accents and bold prints with rich orange tones. Nicoll’s degree in menswear influenced his early womenswear designs allowing his eventual style to evolve into a finely tuned and balanced feminine collection with an edge. In June 2012, Nicoll ventured into menswear for the first time. He did however stay true to his roots in womenswear, using his previous collections to influence his collections. Versatility, practicality and simplicity were maintained as the foundation, his most notable pieces included his denim sportswear and heavy inclusion of the colour blue in a variety of shades. This venture was unfortunately short-lived and ceased in 2015 as Nicoll pursued further projects, becoming the creative director of Jack Wills in Spring 2015. This unlikely collaboration came as a surprise to some. However, Nicoll’s stated that he had no intention to give the brand an “overhaul”, he wanted to maintain its roots as a lifestyle brand. He had become used to applying his own style to existing brands from his notable freelance work with big fashion brands. Nicoll did in fact apply his fun sense of colour while subtly changing the logo placements; making all collections he designed for the brand a success. Not only a notable and talented expert in his field, Nicoll’s death has induced an outpour of sadness from celebrities and fellow designer alike. Vogue’s Australia editor-in-chief, Edwina McCannhas described him as “an extraordinarily talented designer and a wonderful, warm, generous human being, at Vogue we will celebrate and remember his unique talents, always” and Lily Allen said it was “a privilege to have known him”. He was an important contributor to the British Fashion scene.
TOPSHOP Biker Mesh Ponte Leggins, £22
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Instagram: @alexismeranyc
ou may have noticed how gym-intended clothing has recently started stepping out of the gym and into our everyday fashion choices. No longer is it necessary to feel embarrassed for wearing your gym outfit for a pre-workout coffee date – or in fact, even if you aren’t planning on a workout at all. Instead, feel proud as you participate in what has become one of the latest fashion trends. Of course, there will be some shouts of protests to this fashion movement: perhaps arguing ‘this is not appropriate daywear!’ or asking ‘how it is possible to pull-off your old, baggy, exercise clothes?’ But worry not! Why should we be ashamed of wearing this oh-so comfortable clothing outdoors? And with the now ever-growing range of sports wear to choose from, you can rest assured that you will never need to wear those old, unflattering pieces to your next daily errand. I think we have all had those days where we stare at our tight, restricting jeans with dread, or panic at the thought of coordinating that awkward skirt. How much easier would it be to simply reach for our favourite gym clothes? And with their breathable and antibacterial properties, you’ll likely feel more comfortable, and won’t need to worry if you suddenly receive an invitation for a quick run…
Instagram @nadiafairfax
Gym clothes don’t have to be ‘shabby’ either; with many shops joining in on the trend, you can easily find options you would be confident to wear anywhere.
“No longer is it necessary to feel embarrassed for wearing your gym outfit for a preworkout coffee date - or in fact, even if you aren’t planning on a workout at all”
If you’re in the need of some celebrity confirmation of the trend, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid also offer some inspiration and show us how to flawlessly ‘slay’ this look. With bright orange bomber jackets and designer bags, they swiftly take their look from gym to catwalk. Although we may not all own the same range of designer accessories as these two, we can still take their advice on how to dress up our own gym wear. It would seem that the best way to copy this look is to cleverly combine your gym and daywear. My personal favourite athleisure pieces to use in such looks are the be-
Instagram: @andeelayne
loved yoga pants and of course, trainers. Trainers are a super easy way to add an element of sport to your look, and I’m sure we’re all aware of the various styles available from brands such as Nike and Adidas, meaning there’s something for you whether you’d rather choose a classic monochrome pair or integrate bold block colours into your look. And of course, if these brands are a little past your budget, many high street shops offer practically identical options for a fraction of the price. Trainers also offer the added positive of actually being beneficial for your feet. Who said fashion had to be painful? Leggings and yoga pants are also easy to integrate into your outfit. Again, on choosing a simple black pair, they can often look very similar to the wellaccepted black skinny jeans, whilst a bolder colour or pattern can provide a quick fashion statement. They can also be effortlessly matched with an oversized jumper or crop top, depending on your wanted look. And finished with a handbag or jacket? Perfect. You can now throw out the restrictions of many alternative daywear outfits and embrace the lazygirl fashion statement, all whilst proving how very much not lazy you are with your apparent readiness to got to the gym at any minute.
Bonfire Night Dressing
With Guy Fawkes Night just around the corner, Sally Mu shows us what we should be wearing this November when we are trying to brave the outside but still look fashion ready Kenzo x H&M Bomber Jacket, £99
Asos, Warehouse Wool Beret Hat, £22
ZARA Super Soft Scarf in Camel, £19.99
Asos, Elbus High Chelsea Ankle Boots, £ 38
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he Bonfire Night is that festive time of year which not only celebrates Guy Fawkes but also gives the best excuse for us to transition our wardrobe from autumn to winter. Whether you’ll be watching the fireworks on a city rooftop or out in a field, dressing for Bonfire Night is all about keeping warm and toasty. Think cosy jackets, heavy stomper boots, and soft scarves— these are all firework-friendly staples that will also be a a long-term wardrobe commitment. Here I have you covered for what to wear on Bonfire Night... get ready to embrace the magic of fireworks with them! Jacket: There’s nothing better than cosying up in a timeless jacket as the cooler days roll in. Forget transitional trench coat, that’s so last year! It’s time to rock a statement bomber jacket. This KENZO X H&M oversized wool jacket is this season’s ultimate festival cover-up, and it is on the top of our hit list (they go VERY quickly). It’s so cosy and chic that will surely make a bang on Bonfire Night. This shaggy collaboration piece reveals KENZO’s adoration of all things cool and unique that’s reached a new level—the cocoon shape with a clash of blue and red leopard prints adds a modern twist to it and a little pop for dull winter days. Plus the nipped-in waist design will reveal your curves and avoid you looking like a marshmallow! Your styling rule: to outsmart the weather in a stylish way, it’s preferable to play with textures. Team it with slick PVC/leather leggings for a modern take on the rock ’n’ roll look, or layering a simple tee underneath it for a fresh makeover. Hat: Your outfit will keep you snug and super
toasty at Bonfire Night, but don’t forget to top off your look with a hat. You can never have enough hats— yet this time, opt for a classic beret, as they are pretty trendy these days. If you’re after some eccentric style, wear this cute and quirky beret from ASOS that will soon give your outfits a dash of retro glamour. This is not just simply a seasonal one-hit wonder as its versatility allows it to go with anything, anytime. Geek chic isn’t something for you? Go for softer
“Dressing for Bonfire Night is all about keeping warm and toasty”
toned bobble hats, they are also must-have winter staples. Invest now, treasure forever. Scarf: What’s not to love in an offbeat scarf that’s super snug and comfy? If you’re always on the hunt for a great scarf, wear this on-trend caramel piece from ZARA to glam up your look and it will definitely keep you warm when it’s freezing! Footwear: The most important bit to dress up with for Bonfire Night is to choose the ideal footwear that’s both practical and snazzy. Take your catwalk cues from Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton to finish off the look with a decent pair of stomper boots. These trend-led winter warmers are huge this season and are the key to toasty toes when you’re out in a field to watch the fireworks. It’s a guaranteed style win! One more thing, to ward off the evening chill, don’t forget to get yourself a warm pair of gloves!
The Courier
fashion .17
Monday 7 November 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion
Rise of ‘Social Influencers’ Lauren Sneath questions the reliability of celebrities as real influencers on social media
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Eleanore Wallace tackles the fiction of fashion Photoshop Jason Kibbler/W Magazine
ocial media has become akin to a huge, om- ter extensive reading of reviews of experts, I have niscient being under whom young people gleaned that this niche product, so fitting with toall live without choice or exception. It seeps day’s weight-loss obsessed culture is nothing more into and controls almost every aspect of our lives; than prettily packaged tea with no long term value. it’s reached the point that even a beautiful sunset, It can aid your metabolism temporarily, due to caffor example, cannot be enjoyed until the contrast feine-filled ingredients like “guarana” and “oolung has been altered, any minor flaws airbrushed out wu yi tea”, but will not help in any way with long and the brightness ramped up to 100% (because term, healthy weight loss. sun just isn’t bright enough). Oh, and that’s not forThe uncontested queens of social media are, of getting that we must share each and every image course, the Kardashian/Jenner clan. Khloe Karon various forms of social media until the world is dashian in particular is a very enthusiastic promotsuitably envious of our excellent evening. er of the waist trainer; a sort of modernised corset Yet even the all-conquering giant that is social intended to artificially force your body into a more media is losing its meaning. Sites like Facebook, “appealing” shape. I suppose I’m ignorant for asInstagram and Twitter were suming that the days of created for communicative “I am so intensely irritated by society forcing women purposes; for people to be the numerous celebrities who to aspire to unrealisable to share the everyday tic beauty goals in the sell their souls to multiple form of barbaric, ribhappenings of their lives with others. It began as a simple companies for the sake of more crushing tubes were (and simply wonderful) idea. over a long time ago. money, constantly posting Silly me. It is because this high ideal is being undermined that I am advertisements for products on The fact that social so intensely irritated by the media has been innumerous celebrities who their social media accounts” fected by celebrities’ sell their souls to multiple need for more and companies for the sake of more money, constantly more money is sickening- but not as much as the posting (often unauthorized) advertisements for effect they have on young, impressionable minds. I products on their social media accounts. feel physically angry that young girls squeeze into Of course, here one could point out that perhaps spandex waist trainers while attempting to look these influential people have simply found a prod- as good as airbrushed images of people who have uct that works for them and, out of the goodness their entire appearance perfected by experts every of their hearts, wish to share this with us, mere day, and that boys gulp down protein shakes like mortals. The facts that these items usually cost they’re a cure for disease because they are so desinordinate amounts, and that these celebrities are perate for larger muscles. sponsored ridiculous amounts to advertise them, I suppose that social media must constantly are purely coincidental, right? evolve, as the world did in order to accommodate Let’s look at an example. Amber Rose, an Ameri- it in the first place. However, I will never agree with can reality TV star known for her curves, has re- the indoctrination of such unattainable images and cently promoted the brand “Fit Tea”, a deluxe tea goals for young people, and I am ashamed that brand claiming that their blend of ingredients such influential members of society would take will cause the drinker to quickly lose weight. Af- part in this, all for a bit of extra cash.
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Instagram: @amberrose
Instagram: @khloekardashian
Pick of the Podcasts Molly Macnamara tracks down the best of the fashion-pack’s podcasts this November sykes
anrepeller Instagram: @m
ora Instagram: @pand
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Instagram: @manrepeller
Instag ram
: @doll
yaldert on
: @lucky8
f come the weekend you’re feeling those lazy Sunday morning vibes when all you want to do is just chillout in bed but your still in need of your fashion fix then why not indulge in one of the cyberspaces’ new novelties; the fashion podcast. We’ve got the down-low on the best two podcasts from the fash-pack to kick back and cosy up too... no one will even know you’re donning your snuggliest but ugliest PJs whilst tuning in! The first podcast you need in your life is The Sunday Times Style’s contribution; the short and sweet 30-minute long ‘Pandolly Podcast’. This chatty affair is co-hosted by the ever-chic Fashion Features Editor Pandora Sykes and the Style’s dating columnist, Dolly Alderton. In the podcast humorously named ‘Shakespeare was the Fat Jewish of his day’ Dolly describes herself as ‘a lover of thick black mascara, a 60’s flick, a nail chewer and an avid fan of a beard.’ These two quirky writers bulldoze through the often-uptight walls of the fashion world, ensuring listeners feel more like they’re having a chat with their gal-pals as than behind the scenes of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. The dialogue flows from one unrelated topic to the next, ranging from opinions on Kanye West’s Yeezy fashion show (in which Pandora likens the rapper’s exclusive de-
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signs to ‘condom lounge wear’) to first hand experiences of a new online dating site where you can set your profile picture as a video of you dancing to your favourite theme tune! Although the majority of this stylish chat consists of random weekly round-ups via the witty and wonderful minds of both Pandora and Dolly, the devoted fashion cohort out there need not fear. These podcasts are laced with a multitude of fashion tips and Pandora
“These two quirky writers bulldoze through the often-uptight walls of the fashion world, ensuring listeners feel more like they’re having a chat with their gal-pals”
even features a ‘High Street buy of the week’, which undoubtedly is bang on trend every episode. This is definitely worth a listen to if you’re up for a relaxed, fun approach to the world of fashion, with plenty of lols along the way. If you haven’t heard of the blog Man Repeller, you need to jump on that bandwagon as of right now! Leandra Medine who’s grounds for starting
Photoshop: Altering our perception
the blog was that ‘women dress for other women not for men’ has just expanded her fashion empire further and produced a podcast like no other. ‘Oh Boy’ whilst not being exclusively fashion based is hosted by Leandra who has one of the most progressive and iconic styles on the blogging scene. These podcasts have some serious substance, Leandra cleverly diverts away from the routine fashion rants and instead the podcast features “cool women” who discuss their work, life and of course views on fashion. This has to be my ultimate fave podcast; it’s so interesting to understand the views and thoughts of these inspiring guests who’ve done something that differs from the well-trodden paths most seem to take. Leandra’s funky personality really carries the interview, she regularly interjects about how she herself climbed to the top of the social media ladder, adding even more depth to the podcast. She’s invited an array of engaging characters from Emily Weiss (The founder and CEO of Glossier and Into The Gloss) to the ultimate British style queen, Alexa Chung. Throughout the podcasts you begin to learn the perspectives of these successful, career-driven women and often realise just how relatable they are. This podcast is perfect if you’re needing a refreshing injection of stylish flare into your day.
hile the term ‘PhotoShop’ came about in the 1980s, people have been editing photos since their invention in 1827. With the development of computer software, and pressures from 21st century society, photoshop has allowed photographers and editors to ‘perfect’ the appearance of models. A couple of weeks ago Kendall Jenner and supermodel gal pal Gigi Hadid appeared on the cover of W magazine, in a unique photoshoot for the magazine’s 10th anniversary art issue. The spread, by Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin, used Photoshopping techniques to give the models animalistic facial features. However, their extended ears and enlarged noses weren’t the only odd things about this shoot and the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that they were both lacking in knees. Of course, this was dubbed a ‘photoshop fail’ and the internet proceeded to mock the ordeal, however, it does pose the question of whether photoshop has gone too far.
“It seems that, as a society we seek to be perceived as ‘perfect’ and consequently, we’ve become obsessed with changing ourselves, even if that means having no knees”
With every image in the public eye being altered to look as attractive as possible, human error will intervene. While editors seem adamant to remove every freckle, mole or sign of life, they often leave models with missing limbs or an extra hand. It seems that, as a society we seek to be perceived as ‘perfect’ and consequently, we’ve become obsessed with changing ourselves, even if that means having no knees. Whether the image for W magazine was a legitimate editing error, or not, is up for debate. Regardless, someone somewhere down the line decided Jenner and Hadid’s knees looked unfit for publishing and covered them up. It follows the pattern of viewing anything other than smooth, clear skin as imperfect and in need of being fixed. Hadid’s fans have, in the past, criticised editors for removing her moles from images of the model, arguing that these ‘imperfections’ are what makes the model individual and beautiful. It seems magazines and photographers disagree with this, as they snip, stretch and cover any and all signs of individuality so that we all look like squeaky-clean Barbie dolls with perfect bodies. At the end of the day, people are seeing the funny side of it. Videos have circulated social media mocking photoshop, such as one showing a model being snipped and tucked so much that she ended up looking like a pizza slice, and then reversing the process turning her back into a model. Perhaps people are growing wise to the artificiality of images in the public domain, and perhaps photoshop has been reduced to a joke. However, it’s doubtful that businesses will stop using photoshop anytime soon. With beauty standards set so high and the pressure to look good increased under the microscope of social media, it’s unlikely magazines will risk portraying anything other than their idea of perfect, even if this idea of ‘perfect’ is so vastly unobtainable. Makeup and clothing brands will continue to profit from female insecurity, reinforced by unrealistic beauty standards. They tell us to look beautiful, we want to look beautiful, but how can we look beautiful if doing so requires the absence of knees?
18. beauty
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Beauty Editors: Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent & Ellen Walker
Just brows-ing Miranda Stoner shares her top tips on keeping your brows in check for those coming winter months
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yebrows have been plucked for centuries for fashion or to get rid of the dreaded monobrow. Whilst in the past eyebrow pencils and wax has been reserved especially for the elder generation, it is only in recent years that the trend has really kicked off, starting with the small caterpillars resting over Cara Delevigne’s eyes. I’m sure if we haven’t had one ourselves we have all witnessed the mistakes of a friend who has overplucked or plain shaved off half an eyebrow so here is all the advice you need to keep your brows in check and stay on top of the trend.
Plucking
With eyebrows it is important to remember that they are twins not sisters, eyebrows are not always naturally even so when plucking it can mean you pluck in different places and different amounts. Before plucking always brush your brows out in order to achieve an even trim. The best tool to use is slanted tweezers as straight tweezers or razers aren’t precise enough. To decide where your eyebrow should begin place the tweezers with the open side pointing down against the side of your nose, follow the line of the tweezers and use eyeliner to mark the spot where this is in relation to your eyebrow. Repeat on the other side and pluck in between the two lines you’ve drawn. Take your time with plucking and make sure to take them from the root. Next to mark the outer perimeter of your eyebrow, place the tweezers at an angle between the bottom of your nose and the outside of your eye. Where the tweezers and your eyebrow cross is the end of the brow, mark this with your eyeliner and pluck away.
Image: @eyebrowsperfection on Instagram
Get gorgeous in the gym
Siobhan Fuller shows us how sweating it out could be the vital key to looking beautiful
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e are inundated with advertisements, articles and everything in between linking beauty and exercise. Although this can promote unhealthy attitudes towards and motives for exercise, there is a lot of new research emerging which supports the beauty benefits that come from hitting the gym. So, aside from the obvious results of toning, weight loss, or strengthening that come from it, how can exercising make you feel beautiful?
“One mistake people always make when they head to the gym is not taking off their make-up first”
way, you’ll drink more water during a workout so your skin will start to glow from all that extra hydration. In addition to the eating habits that often accompany exercise, there is evidence supporting the correlation between getting active and reduced stress. This is because of the hormones that come into play as you get your body moving: cortisol and endorphins. Cortisol is spiked when you’re feeling stressed and there are some links shown between bad skin conditions and high levels of this hormone. In contrast, endorphins like serotonin are produced during exercise, which boosts your mood. This doesn’t really have much effect on your
First and foremost, your skin will thank you for taking to the treadmill, both directly and indirectly. Sweating is a fantastic way to rid your body of toxins, such as the nasty bacteria that causes spots to appear. Your pores open up to flush out everything that’s been building up and leaves you feeling incredibly fresh -faced. Cardio will be your best friend in this instance: try out the elliptical, a high -energy exercise class, or even a HIIT (High ¬Intensity Interval Training) session from YouTube in the comfort of your own bedroom. Also, as the heart rate increases, oxygenated blood reaches your face much easier and improves circulation, which has the effect of rejuvenating dull skin. That means that your red cheeks after a run are actually a good sign! In a more indirect sense, an active lifestyle often leads to a healthier eating plan too, as your body craves the energy from more nutritious foods. Naturally, a balanced diet is going to have an amazing impact on your skin as it has the vitamins to replenish itself and look fantastic. In much the same
skin’s condition but it does elevate self¬ esteem and battles against cortisol production. So when deadlines are looming, it might actually benefit you to pull on your trainers and do something active; you’ll end up less stressed and looking gorgeous. It may sound like exercise will be your beauty saviour, whether you’re blemish¬ prone or looking to brighten up your skin but there are a few negatives, albeit small ones.
“If you focus on how amazing your body feels when you move and push yourself to new physical goals, the rest will follow suit”
One mistake people always make when they head to the gym is not taking off their make up first. Sweating it out with a full face of foundation means that as your pores open up, they become clogged with product and end up trapping dirt, oil and bacteria under the skin. Also, if you don’t wash your face immediately after exercising, the toxins the sweat flushed out linger on the skin and are reabsorbed pretty grim stuff. Make sure you’ve got some make up wipes in your gym bag to avoid reversing the benefits of detoxification. A final point that needs to made is that you should exercise to feel good in your body and as a form of stress relief, not to try to look good. Of course weight loss and other beauty benefits are results of working out but they shouldn’t be the end goal. If you focus on how amazing your body feels when you move and push yourself to new physical goals, the rest will follow suit. Beauty starts with health, so focus on leading a balanced lifestyle and you will become the most beautiful version of yourself (cheesy conclusion over).
The style that keeps cropping up Fiona Leishman dares to brave the chop and tells us all why she thinks we should too
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Grooming
Once you’ve plucked your eyebrows to perfection you can’t expect them to stay in place 24/7 so it’s important to have a spoolie brush to keep all the hairs in line and make sure they are all going in one direction. Once they’ve been brushed you can begin filling in and shaping eyebrows. Grooming is especially important for people with thinner eyebrows. For a natural look the best product to start with is an eyebrow pencil or wax and small angle brush, use this to follow the top line of your brow as if you were lining your eye. Then line the bottom and use the pencil to fill in the gaps. Try not to fill the head of the eyebrow too much to give a gradiented illusion, to achieve this you can use your eyebrow brush to spread the product through the brow. Once you’ve mastered this you can experiment with the length of your eyebrows, flicking them out or changing the thickness. You can also experiment with colour using lighter or darker than your natural colour to find what suits you best, this is especially useful if you have dyed your hair. Just remember that no two eyebrows were created equal and it’s important to find the style which suits you best as what looks fleeky on someone else might not fit in with your face shape, but most importantly have fun with it, what’s the worst that could happen…
f there are two trends that seem to be dominating the celebrity hair changes this year so far, it’s the lob (long bob) and full fringe. From Celine Dion to Melissa McCarthy and even Cara Delevingne, celebrities have been seen braving the chop, so I thought I’d find out what was so good about cutting your hair short. I’ve never had incredibly long hair, it took me around three years to grow it from my collarbones to ‘boob-length’. Getting my hair cut to my collarbones was the shortest it had ever been, and that was more out of necessity than a style choice- dipdye is great until it refuses to come out before you go back to your strict Church of England school…
That haircut was a massive change for me and it terrified me, but since then I’ve been through over half the rainbow with hair colours so nothing really phases me any more; it’s only hair, it’ll grow back, right? So after a bit of a rough week I decided to book myself a cut and blow-dry as a treat. For a halloween social I had donned a short green wig in an attempt to transform myself into the Joker from the Batman franchise, and I loved it! I couldn’t stop thinking about how confident I felt with shorter hair, so I decided to go for the chop. As I woke up on Thursday morning I was filled
“I’ve been through over half the rainbow with hair colours so nothing really phases me any more; it’s only hair, it’ll grow back, right?”
with nervous flutters. Since I rarely get more than my fringe cut up at university I decided to help my stylist by taking in some pictures for reference, of both random people and of celebrities- including Emma Stone who has been my idol ever since I first saw her in Superbad and The House Bunny in 2007 and 2008, respectively. As soon as I told my stylist that I wanted to go for the lob she reassured me that it would work with my face shape and pinned my hair to show me the sort of length it would be. After that it was off to the basin for what was probably meant to be a relaxing wash, but really ended up being me worrying about my hair not growing back. Once my hair was squeaky clean I was back in the chair, my stylist double-checking that I was sure about this, and I was; the ends of my hair were dead from being dyed for the last four years, so I thought it would at least make it healthier. As I saw hair fall to the floor I felt as though every-
thing negative that’s happened over the last year just fell away. Once my hair was dried and styled I couldn’t stop running my hands through it, it had bounce and shine again! There were no dead or ragged ends- I loved it! So, the overall verdict? Short hair is brilliant! You save so much time in the shower and getting ready- even if just trying to condition the ends is a little difficult. My hair feels strong and healthy again, I can still tie it back if I need to. The best part? If I get bored of this look or decide it’s too short, it will just grow back, and this time healthier.
The Courier
beauty .19
Monday 7 November r 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty Instagram @courier_beauty | Twitter @CourierBeauty
Such a smooth operator
Here comes autumn
Abigail Walker guides us all through the best mositurisers to achieve silky and fresh skin
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he weather is getting colder and the central heating is being cranked up, which can only mean one thing: dry skin is about to become your worst nightmare. Keeping your skin soft and moisturised can be difficult through the winter months, but here are my top moisturiser picks from tip to toes to get you smoothly through these testing times.
The all rounder Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser is a fantastic moisturiser for the colder weather. It keeps your skin feeling incredibly soft all through the day, and with the classic Liz Earle spa-like scent, this moisturiser has a luxury scent and feel. This retails in at £20.25- which is a tad on the pricey side, but with this moisturiser a little really does go a long way. A great choice for normal/ combination skin, but also available in a ‘Dry/ Sensitive’ option for a really intense moisture boost and it’s honestly worth it for how much better your skin will feel.
For oily skin Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser is amazing for those who have skin on the oilier side. The light, gel like formula of this leaves your skin moisturised, but not greasy. Although you may be applying this on a dark morning in November, the gorgeous citrus scent will leave you feeling like you’re on your summer holiday still. This costs £24
so it’s not the cheapest, but it’s definitely worth investing in if you’re looking for a fun and fruity moisturiser which doesn’t leave your skin feeling slippy.
Tinted moisturiser For those lazy days when foundation is out of the question, BB cream is your new best friend. The Garnier BB Cream + Blur (£8.66) is perfect for keeping your skin soft and moisturised throughout the day, whilst also giving you a little bit of coverage to hide any imperfections. For less than a tenner it’s definitely worth investing in, it’s great quality for the price and gives you the perfect base for a ‘no makeup’ makeup day. Moisturising the face is also a great way to keep yourself looking young, which although as a student wrinkles aren’t top of the list in terms of your life problems your 30 year old self will thank you in the furure!
For the body It’s often tempting to skip out moisturising and just throw your warm clothes on in the colder months especially if you’ve invested in Lush’s Christingle body conditioner and have had an in -shower moisture boost. So whenever this time of year rolls around it’s worth treating yourself to a body butter that you WANT to apply after your shower. My all time favourite is Soap and Glory’s Sugar
Crush Body Butter Cream. If you love citrus scents, you will love the gorgeous smell it leaves on your skin all day. For only £10 you get a huge 300ml tub which I promise you will never end up finishing. If this smell isn’t for you, it’s worth having a browse at other body products from Soap and Glory- they have tons of different budget friendly body creams which your skin will thank you for. What’s more, the punny names are sure to make you smile as you lather them on.
For the hands Hands are one of the most exposed parts of the body during the autumn months before it becomes socially acceptable to dig out the thick woolly gloves so keeping your hands moisturised is important. When your hands get cold and the skin starts to chap not only does it not look great but it can also cause be really painful. One of my favourite products is the Body Shop hand cream, at £4 each you can afford to have a different scent in each handbag and the new Christmas fragrances Vanilla Chai, Spiced Apple and Winter Berries are something else. Long-standing ecsma sufferers will no doubt know of the Hemp hand cream from the Body Shop. Although the smell isn’t the most luxurious the quick drying formula makes this a hand-bag essential for emergency application after chilling your hands in a spontaneous snow-ball fight.
Just braids for days Susanne Norris gives her opinion on this new trend and provides us with a guide for two of the best braids: the popular fishtail and the classic french braid
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hen someone says the word ‘braid’ to me, I think 90s girl bands galore. Be it Mel B sporting completely braided hair whilst bopping along to ‘Wannabe’ or Hole trying to prove braids can be totally punk, braids were the hair trend of the nineties. Thus, as a lover of all things nineties, it breaks my heart to admit braids kind of got left behind by the early noughties. Yet, just a mere sixteen years later, the braids are back and have proved themselves to be the biggest hair trend of 2016. Whilst this fills some people with horror, all is good because this time round you don’t have to wear your braids alongside jelly shoes and halter necks (although for a total throwback look you can if you wish to of course). Here we’ll look at how to do fishtail braids and French braids.
Fishtail perfection So, let’s start with the fishtail braid. Sported by the likes of Blake Lively and Beyoncé this year, there’s no way you’ve escaped without seeing this style all over Vogue. The only problem with this braid is just looking at it messes with your brain; it appears so complicated that it’s best left to Hollywood hair stylists to try. But don’t get scared off too easily, because as follows is a pretty simple guide for achieving fishtail perfection.
Your step-by-step guide: 1. Brush your hair and push it all behind your shoulders. Then, separate it into two sections. 2. Take a small piece from the outside of one of your sections. Cross the small piece over and add it to the inside of the other section (remember to keep this crossed over piece tight to ensure your braid doesn’t get loose).
“These plaits aren’t just perfect for festivals though, you can glam them up for nights out or do them the night before uni”
3. Make the exact same crossover motion but this time with the other section of hair. So, take a small piece from the outside of the section and cross it over to the inside of the opposite section. 4. Continue crossing small outer pieces over to the inside of the opposite section. The smaller you make your sections, the better it will look! 5. Ta Dah! Finish off by tying with an elastic (I find loom bands work well too).
The French braid - Kylie style Moving onto the French braid. Whilst this is an old-school braid it has seriously made a comeback this year. Kylie Jenner rocking rainbow coloured French plaits at Coachella (serious heart eyes just thinking about it) seemed to inspire girls everywhere to rock these plaits for festivals everywhere this year. These plaits aren’t just perfect for festivals though, you can glam them up for nights out or do them the night before for uni.
Your step-by-step guide: 1. Divide your hair into two sections and pick the side you want to start with 2. Divide the section you have chosen into three equal places and begin braiding at the crown as you would for a normal plait. 3. As you continue with this motion, begin scooping up hair from the side of your head too. Incorporate this into the plaiting motion. 4. As you braid further down your head, just carry on incorporating any hair you have to the sides until you reach your nape. 5. Once you reach your nape, pull the strands around the side of your head and continue plaiting normally in a downward motion. 6. Finish by tying with an elastic and ta dah you’re done! Repeat the process with the opposite side of your head.
Laura Greatrex suggests the best ways to update our make-up for upcoming season
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or this autumnal-inspired tutorial I tried to choose affordable pro ducts to help those on a tight budget/running out of their first loan instalment/saving for the upcoming festive season. I started by applying the NYX Studio Perfect Primer all over my face, an amazing-feeling product that creates a really smooth base and helps makeup to last all day. I also primed my eyelids with the Revlon Photoready Primer to create a base for my eyeshadow and prevent the colours from creasing throughout the day.
“Warm tones remind me of hot chocolate, fallen leaves and cosy sweaters”
Next, I chose to use the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, because, as the temperature drops, using a revitalising and hydrating foundation brightens and moisturises the complexion. I covered any skin imperfections and pesky breakouts with the NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer. This product is very thick and creamy but it blends seamlessly and has flawless coverage. To hide my dark under eye circles, and create the illusion of nine hours sleep, I used the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in a shade lighter than my skin tone. For creating that chiselled look, the easy-to-use NYX Wonder stick is amazing for carving out cheekbones and slimming the top of your forehead. It blends amazingly and you can build up this product to avoid going overboard. Next I used the Rimmel Clear Complexion Transparent Powder to set my liquid makeup and banish shine. To create a beautiful rosy glow, I swept on the Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in the shade ‘Sweet Cheeks.’ I then used the highlighter from my current favourite autumnal-themed palette, the NYX Go-To Palette in ‘Wanderlust.’ This palette is extremely affordable and pigmented, and the stunning warm-tones remind me of hot chocolate, fallen leaves and cosy sweaters. Using a crease eyeshadow brush, I buffed the matte brown shade into and along my crease, building up the colour and defining this part of my eye. I also swept a little onto my lower lashline, about two thirds of the way. Next, I went in with the shimmery brown shade to do the same, but focused the product more on the outer third of my eye. I then applied the deep rich brown shade to the outer-V of my eyelid and built up the product for a dramatic effect. I packed the shimmery pink shade onto the centre and inner part of my eyelid to brighten and widen my eyes. Using a small brush, I focused the lightest shimmery shade onto my inner corner, and the first third of my lower lashline. When using shimmery shadows like this, you can spritz your brush with setting spray (or a little bit of water) to help increase the pigmentation and pack on the product. Finally, to remove any harsh lines, I blended all the shadows out with a fluffy blender brush.
“I packed the shimmery pink shade onto the centre and inner part of my eye-lid to brighten and widen my eyes”
For my eyebrows, I used the NYX Eyebrow Gel, a waterproof product that will withstand the wind and rains of the autumn months. I also set my eyebrows with the L’Oreal Brow Artist plumper for maximum longevity. My current favourite mascara is the lengthening, volumising and nourishing Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara. A gorgeous nude-brown lip colour, like NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in ‘Soft Spoken,’ perfectly completes this autumnal look. For a more dramatic brown you could try this product in the vampy shade ‘Vintage,’ or the deep colour ‘Club Hopper.’
20. arts
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Arts Editors: Meg Holtom, Jonathan Hastings & Tamsin Rees
Immortality
DeadDogsandSplinteredHearts
Little parts of Christopher Wilkinson interviews Tom Ward: ex-Courier writer, recent recipient of creative arts from your the GQ Norman Mailer award, features editor for Men’s Health and short story author. student hearts he process of becoming a well-established young writer in England today’. A vibrant environment means all the world when
MICHAELA HALL ARTIST
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writer is, I have heard, a very grinding and laborious one. There are stories, passed down through the generations, of rejection letters stacked in piles like subway vouchers, and of last-chance story drafts that were more deserving as paper aeroplanes than being on a bookshelf. Stories like these can often discourage young people (myself included) from going into the business. Especially as it’s almost impossible to make a living out of it, unless of course you’re prepared to smear faeces on paper as in the case of E.L James and Dan Brown. So when I spoke to Tom Ward, the author of A Departure and Dead Dogs and Splintered Hearts, it was slightly encouraging. Mr Ward who studied English Literature at Newcastle University, would write articles for The Courier, and in his spare time he would write short stories. Now he is the feature editor for Men’s Health, has written for GQ and The Huffington Post, is the recent recipient of the GQ Norman Mailer award, and has met Mohammed Ali. Attempting to avoid the question-and-answer route, I asked him how it was that he ascended this mighty leap. His answer? Refer to paragraph 1. His advice however, is to stick through it. After leaving university with a 2:1, Ward applied himself as much as he could to becoming a writer, usually through entering himself for as many writing competitions as possible. After a while he struck gold through the Norman Mailer Award, a prestigious prize which, alongside the reputation it brings, allows the recipient to travel and spend a while in the old curmudgeon’s house in Brooklyn. This kind of exposure gave Ward the chance to meet other writers, one example being the Journalist and Novelist Tony Parsons who now describes Ward as ‘the best
After releasing his first book however (A Departure – a book about the apocalypse and a devastated world), he soon would realise that simply writing novels does not bring home the proverbial bacon, and under the advice and good auspices of Tony Parsons, he set off into the world of journalistic London. Yet unlike those who set off on the same path and are never to be seen again, Ward pushed through that unremitting circle of death that is internship and redundancy and was eventually offered the feature editor position of Men’s Health.
you want to find things out about yourself. In case my didactic waffling bored you, I’ll bring you all back to the short stories published by Tom earlier this year. Dead Dogs and Splintered Hearts is a collection of stories written between the time Tom was at university up until present, and is full with stories that one reviewer described as ‘violent, heartbreaking, and perverse’. If you’re looking to find the violent and perverse side of you jump in. If not, buy it anyway.
“There are stories, passed down through the generations, of rejection letters stacked in piles like subway vouchers, and of last-chance story drafts that were more deserving as paper aeroplanes than being on a bookshelf ”
Thus Tom Ward’s story. After relaying all of it to you, we find the moral of the story really is to stick through it all. It is a nice thing to think on that someone in exactly our position has managed to ‘make it’ in a world that is seemingly impenetrable. After all, as Tom says, university can bring independence, and nothing allows creativity to flourish more than independence. Intellectual and emotional intelligence is founded upon this, as it is only when we are given the freedom that university permits that we can intuit our way through whichever path we choose.
Sexism running wild in our theatres
Carys Rose Thomas discusses the super reinforced triple-glazed glass ceiling of theatre
T
heatre has been something I have been passionate about for as long as I can remember. Performing was what I excelled in at school; it was my favourite hobby and seemed then an obvious route to go down regarding a degree. But two combined factors totally deterred me from pursuing a career in theatre. A) on average, one in three acting course applicants are men, and B) on average one in three acting roles go to women. Notice the disadvantage this puts women at?
“We should make it known that women can be the faces of theatre too and - shockingly they can do a bloody good job of it”
I’m not saying that we should allow women to totally dominate over the world of theatre and have all-female casts with all-female characters on every stage up and down the country (although originally, that was the world of theatre for men). Diversity on stage is a good thing across gender, race, age, sexuality… the list goes on. Imagine a 100m sprint, between men and women in which the start whistle is blown and women are
Michaela Hall: “I’m interested in being playful with ideas of kitsch , juggling around bright poppy colours and popular imagery in new or unusual contexts. I would say I take a collage/assemblage style approach to the two dimensional and end up with compositions which aren’t always clear and can be a bit of a puzzle.” Follow Michaela’s work on Instagram @michaela_hall24
held back for the first five seconds of the race. Well that’s the world of theatre. Men were given this head start into an industry where all roles were written by men, for men. Doesn’t it make sense to possibly give women a bit of a leg-up in this situation? We should make it known that women can be the faces of theatre too and - shockingly - they can do a bloody good job of it. It is ridiculous how many lead roles in the theatre are male. Since I was 9, not a year has gone by when I haven’t been in at least one play. Speaking from experience, I can tell you extensively about the sheer frustration that comes with working relentlessly hard for something only to realise that you can’t reach your full potential because - once again - there “just aren’t any lead women in this one”. The super reinforced triple-glazed glass ceiling of theatre really does exist. It’s not just acting roles in the theatre than are still very male-dominated, there are other areas such as directing and tech, so I was over the moon to realise that Emma Rice had taken charge as Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe in January this year. It was exciting to see a woman interested in shaking things up at The Globe, who seem far too set on upholding their traditions and avoid anything “new” with a ten foot barge pole for the sake of conservatism. Sadly and unsurprising to me, Emma Rice is due to leave The Globe in April 2018.
I struggle to sympathise with the Globe’s take on this matter. They argue that Emma’s innovative vision conflicts with the authenticity of the theatre and their productions. But what “authenticity”? Surely to be truly authentic, the theatre wouldn’t even use female actors or tech workers? Surely for this sacred authenticity they strive for, Rice would have been turned away before she even got into the building on the grounds that her chromosomes are XX instead of XY? In this fight for “true” authenticity, why not go the whole hog and strive for a nice slice of authentic sexism while you’re at it, Globe? Emma Rice had it right, things need shaking up. We should remind ourselves that change is mostly good, and fully free ourselves from these sexist shackles we supposedly shook off years ago.
“Imagine a 100m sprint, between men and women in which the start whistle is blown and women are held back for the first five seconds of the race. Well that’s the world of theatre”
The Courier
arts .21
Monday 7 November 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk | Instagram: @CourierArts
Unique Picks of the Week from the North-East
JESS AND JOE FOREVER
LIVE THEATRE
W
hen I arrived I was, to my surprise, early; so I bought a copy of the play script, a glass of wine and settled down in the cosy Live Theatre bar. I read on the back: “This is a story of growing up, fitting in (or not), boys, girls, secrets, scotch eggs and maybe even love, but most of all, it’s about friendship.” Written by Newcastle University’s very own creative writing lecturer Zoe Cooper, and co produced by A Farnham Maltings and Orange Tree Theatre, ‘Jess and Joe Forever’ has been enjoying a successful tour. It starts off light, funny, and you’re taken with this fast pace, absorbed into their story, enjoying their quirks, personalities and light banter between the two actors. But there is a shift; the secrets are revealed, and it is bitter and haunting.
“It’s this eloquently drawn parallel, of the future and the past self, that is at the heart of Jess and Joe forever, and rationalises it as a perfectly written coming of age story. ” Jess and Joe Forever, how to put this, is a tenderly spoken, prescient, and timely, story about the lives of Jess and Joe, who are coming to terms with their sexuality in a small town where nothing really happens. The narrative so heavily draws on this that the very story is delivered by their future selves, almost as if their lost setting can only really be formed by their own minds. It’s this eloquently drawn parallel, of the future and the past self, that is at the heart of Jess and Joe forever, and rationalises it as a perfectly written coming of age story. The actors hold their own in a sea of scene changes, given by the change in lighting, and deliver a haunting performance that resonates youth so readily and honestly. They manage to capture love without settling on the age old troupe that adults can’t see past, that maybe kids do realise that the love they feel may not last forever, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less significiant. It was mesmerising, quick witted, funny and hauntingly beautiful.
PIPPIN’
MUSICAL MEDICS
E
ver struggled to find your place in the world? Ever tried so hard to fit in, only to feel rejected time and time again? Ever tried to rectify this by going to war with the egocentric king, by working on a farm with a young boy and his duck or by sitting through a pep talk given by your saucy, slightly promiscuous grandmother and her band of young lovers? I thought not. Enter Pippin. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the musical, it focuses on the eponymous protagonist (portrayed by Max Lafferty) who searches for meaning in his “empty and vacant” life. Throughout the play, he is joined by the Leading Player (Isabelle Fenner), who mischievously influences him and attempts to lure him into her “grand finale”. The play, which was constructed solely by Newcastle University medical students, was held at St Nicholas Hospital, a psychiatric institution in Gosforth. This former asylum tied in nicely with the themes of the play and set a dark undertone throughout. 100% of the profits from the show went to Mind, a charity which supports those with mental health issues, so St Nicholas seemed like the obvious choice. Despite a few minor blips, the show went smoothly and it was clear how much work had gone into the performance. Fenner’s vocals undoubtedly stole the show, and, coupled with impeccable performances from the rest of the leads, this made for a truly hypnotic form of escapism (and some comedy gold). The music, thanks to Molly Nielsen’s direction, was absolute perfection and was, for me, one of the highlights; the orchestra was sublime. “I’m just so impressed with the performance they’ve put on,” said Cat Lyth (Director) after the show, “they’ve done themselves proud and I’m in tears of joy.” It’s true that, with all of the money raised for such an important charity, the students have plenty to be proud of. Exceptional music, a talented cast and a great cause made this amateur performance stand out from the rest. Although not perfect, the enthusiasm more than made up for it and added to the fun. Pippin was colourful, laugh-out-loud funny, a little bit naughty and (spoiler alert) contained lots of shirtless men. Just the way I like it. Natalie Farmer
JACOB POLLEY
NCLA
O
n attending this collaborative event, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I didn’t know much about the poet, or the accompanying musician, so it was all a bit chaotically intreging. I entered with open mind, somewhat, as to what I would be watching. However, a brief description of the show, which I had read beforehand, alluded to a ‘darkly atmospheric intertwining of voice, birdsong, and ukulele,’ which certainly piqued my interest. Suffice it to say, the performance went above and beyond my expectations.
Polley and Alder’s collaborative dramatic performance was a multitude of brilliantly haunting poems, accompanied by an equally thrilling musical compilation. Polley’s performance fluctuated between eerily commanding whispers to sinister choruses that paid tribute to the dark enigmatic figure of ‘Jackself ’ - the book’s reoccurring character. Encircled in vicious corporeal imagery, Polley’s descriptions of the menacing ‘Jackself ’ throughout the poems explored, and at times embodied, a elegant, barren wilderness, which all brought an almost mystical edge to the performance – leaving the audience mesmerised. The haunting nature of these wickedly enchanting poems was deepened by Alder’s musical accompaniment, which was a chilling medley of thrumming bass, computerised organ peals, soft intervals from a ukulele and birdsong. The music really brought to life the images that the author was trying to convey, transporting the audience right into the setting of each poem with menacing descriptions and soulful melodies beautifully juxtaposed against each other. Polley and Alder’s combined performance made for an intensely impressive viewing. The experience was truly engaging and the performance was one of the best I have seen and I will definitely be purchasing Polley’s previous publications in the near future. If you are looking for poetry that is intensely dark and rich with creative ingenuity, then I would recommend Jacob Polley’s ‘Jackself ’ wholeheartedly! Madeleine Robinson
Helena Buchanan takes a look at the most inspirational women of colour in the North.
I
now very firmly believe everyone should visit Bamburgh House if they wish to engage with Newcastle’s contemporary culture. If nothing else go for the bar on the top floor for a bangin’ view of the Tyne and fabulous wallpaper. ‘BAM!’ hits you, ‘Sistahood!’ links arms with you - tells you you’re safe, that you’re with friends. The name of this project says we are strong. It says there are people here for you. The idea of unity permeates this exhibition; unity which is, however, faithful to self, which does not efface the individual. This sense reflects the efforts of the various groups showcased here, which have provided women of colour with a safe space in which to be themselves. This is felt in the photographs, where the women are dressed in a manner they have chosen showing their unique style. There is sparseness to the exhibition, the photographs and shots themselves, however this gives them a legitimacy and professionalism. This formality helps elevate the women, and the work they haven’t done yet, without divorcing them from the compassion, which is the essence of their work, or making them appear removed. The women are recognisable and familiar: one mentioning, amongst other things, sharing Jollof rice at a group meeting.
The combination of professionalism and familiarity conveyed reminds of the nature of the work they have done and highlights their appropriateness for the job. This also, however, shows that they were creating work, which had to be done and that no one else was doing it.
Shocking statistics concerning help available for women of colour punctuate the tales these women tell, showing how rare these services are provided and highlights what an achievement the projects is. Running an exhibition put a much needed and belated spotlight on these women. The exhibition felt frank and overwhelmingly positive, not dwelling on the struggles of the
11 November
The Winter Launch The Biscuit Factory @ 18:00
8 - 12 November Sticking Alphabetti Theatre @ 19:00
9 November
Newcastle University Lecture Series The Lit and Phil @ 18:00
8-12 November
“A ‘darkly atmospheric inter- Beauty and the Beast twining of voice, birdsong, and Theatre Royal @ 14:00/19:00 ukulele” 12 November
BAM! This is a Sistahood! Tommy Harees
what’s gannin’ doon in the toon
women they help, or the difficulties they faced in starting and running the project. The sense that these women are not to be pitied, patronised or belittled.
“‘Sistahood!’ links arms with you - tells you you’re safe, that you’re with friends. The name of this project says we are strong. It says there are people here for you.” For me the exhibition was a privilege check. I do not consider feminism which is not intersectional to be feminism. However, this exhibition made me remember what I forget everyday: that though I am a woman, I am a middle class/cis-gendered/ able-bodied/ heterosexual white woman. It is all too easy to forget or ignore suffering you don’t know. I have never felt helpless and am not used to being turned away. The spitting outrage that is inspired, when I have experienced discrimination, perhaps says something about how little it occurs, as I have energy to passionately rant and rave against the patriarchy. For women of colour, however, the story is very different and this exhibition reminded me of that.
Yoga Workshop kommunity (formerly ¡VAMOS!) @ 14:00
SALTY CLASSICS PHOEBE CLOTHIER
1. What classic do you tell everyone to read, and why? The Odyssey (the E.V Rieu translation). Mythology, classical civilisation, epic journeys of homecoming and love all feature. Also read if you want to learn that the Greeks cried a lot, they can make and assemble a boat in an alarmingly short amount of time, they’re huge fans of the tunic and cloak combo. 2. Most overhyped, awful classic? Wuthering Heights is my current hated classic. Maybe I’m just bitter because I found it so hard to read and I subconsciously fancied Heathcliff. 3. Which classic have you lied about reading and why? I usually lie about having read Harry Potter because it’s just easier. Don’t get me wrong, I know the basics of the saga, and having even attempted to listen to the dulcet tones of Stephen Fry, I think I’ve made a pretty good attempt. I usually lie because the times that I’ve confessed my dislike of Harry Potter And Friends I’ve been punished, ostracised, and usually suffered some form of verbal abuse. My childhood was Lemony Snicket and Jacqueline Wilson. Thanks very much. 4. Shag, marry, kill the characters in the last classic you read? I’d marry Jane Eyre, and we would bond over our mutual love of talking about our own problems. I’d kill Rochester. For obvious reasons. And St. John would probably be a pretty good one night stand. What with all that emotional unavailability. 5. From 2 different classics, what is your unlikely but excellent ship? Anna Karenina and Holden Caulfield. Both wronged in life, to varying levels of bitterness, they would bond immediately over the unfairness of love and the impossibility of ever being happy.
Read a good book and want to write for us? Email us! c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk
22. music
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Music Editors: Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj & Ben Grundy
Toon In Finlay Pelling hones in on Newcastle’s Shoegaze scene and discovers local talent in a remote Argentinian town
Cape Cub
C
ape Cub first came onto my radar in March with the release of their four track EP ‘Closer’, but it was upon hearing one of their songs in a bar in Argentina that I began to realise their credentials. The song in question, entitled ‘Swim’, is raw and delightfully simple, revolving around a languid, reverberating guitar riff and an intimate vocal line. Quite why I was so surprised to hear this Northeastern band on the other side of the world is a mystery, as Cape Cub have all of the attributes necessary to receive their fair share of radio air play, so much so that they were featured on the prestigious Made in Chelsea soundtrack. With catchy hooks, delicate, rolling guitar lines and rousing lyrics, there is a lot to look forward to from this band, fronted by Chad Male, who has described their sound to be “like a clear night on the coast”. It is hard to argue with this, as their music is produced superbly, and their sonic style lies within its simplicity – the gradual layering of guitars and synths is mesmerising at times. Cape Cub are in the midst of recording a second EP, named ‘6AM’, on which Male has promised a more developed sound and claims that ‘the bigger moments are more intense and more visceral, and the quieter ones are more intimate and close’. Two tracks from the EP, ‘All I Need’ and ‘Lifeline’, have already been released and promise more of the same exciting sound from the upcoming release. For fans of: James Blake, Foals, Temper Trap, upbeat indie synth-rock When to see them: Cape Cub are currently touring the UK, including a show at the hallowed Glaswegian venue, King Tut’s. They are playing at Jumpin’ Jacks, in Newcastle on 19 November. Tickets are £6.
Listen to: ‘Swim’, ‘Closer’, ‘Lifeline’
High Tide 15:47 Perhaps the most obscurely named band in the North East, High Tide 15:47 are a throwback to the early 90s genre of shoegaze, named as such due to the heavy use of pedals, which left musicians constantly staring at their shoes. This Newcastle based band, however, combine this ethereal and sonically complex style with more modern indie rock to create a more feel good, catchy vibe. They seem to masterfully toe the line between the two quite contrasting styles. The sextet released their first, selftitled EP in January 2015, which tended towards shoegaze and was a bit too fuzzy and dreamy at times, and have supported the likes of Wolf Alice and even Primal Scream since. They are well rated among the emerging music industry; they have received fair amount of airplay from BBC Radio 6 and played at Newcastle’s prestigious Evolution Emerging festival over the summer. Their new EP will be released on 11 November, and from the two tracks already released, ‘And the Bubble Burst’ and ‘152 Miles’, it seems that the band have stripped down some of the immense sonic fuzz, which was occasionally slightly excessive in the previous EP, to create a more simple, accessible sound. For fans of: The Verve, Foster the People, The Horrors, Radiohead When to see them: High Tide 15:47 will play at
Listen to: ‘And the Bubble Burst’, ‘Headclouds’ and ‘152 Miles’. Make sure you follow us on Spotify at - https:// play.spotify.com/user/ thecourierdoesmusic
Getting Giddy about Glasto
Robin Wainwright reacts to the first headliner announcement for Glastonbury and offers her predictions for the other coveted top slots
R
adiohead are confirmed as Glastonbury’s first headline act. Although some of the band members; Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood played in 2010 and the band performed a special guest set in 2011, this will be their first headline appearance for 14 years. The last time Radiohead headlined Glastonbury, they played alongside REM and the Flaming Lips. The line-up of the 2003 Glastonbury festival was hailed as ‘the best yet, with the tickets being only £105 including a programme. The tickets sold out within 24 hours in contrast to the two months they took to sell in 2002
“they will rip apart the Glasto stage”
Their newest album, Moon Shaped Pool, is the band’s ninth studio album and has been met with positive reviews. The last song on the album ‘True Love Waits’, a particular fan favourite since the 1990s, has only ever been performed live but has finally been studio recorded for listeners to enjoy at our own leisure. Nearly every year since their amazing 2003 headline, the band Radiohead has been rumoured to be returning, however this year it is happening and it is incredible. Their rich and successful history with Glasto means I have no doubt that they’ll rip apart the stage yet again.
Who else could headline..? Foo Fighters: After the disappointment of last year’s broken leg and subsequent drop out by Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, it wouldn’t be crazy to presume that this year they would make up for that with an epic headline performance. As reporter Neil McCormick said in his 2015 interview with Grohl for the Telegraph; ‘There is a reason Grohl got up and played in Gothenburg while in physical pain. It is the same reason that he is sure to be back next year, headlining Glastonbury at last’. Kasabian: there has been an album brewing for some time now, and having successfully headlined in 2014 I believe it’s time for them to come out of Glastonbury hibernation. Lady Gaga: her new album ‘Joanne’ has had some positive reviews, with NME commenting ‘It’s a simple, warm and vital message from a high-concept pop star who’s reminded us that, if she’s definitely not like the rest of us underneath it all, she’s certainly all human’. She is coming back into the limelight, and after her carpool with
James Cordon, she is getting pretty damn popular. Greenday: the new album release, ‘Revolution Radio’ is a shout back to their old form, but after wait of 15 years, is it too little too late? It’s difficult to know whether the Glastonbury organisers will deem them ‘popular’ enough to be considered a headline act.
Ruled out options... Genesis: Phil Collins, in a recent interview with the Rolling Stone magazine said about a Genesis reunion “Never say never…but there are no plans”. Fingers crossed there are pans by the beginning of the year. It is very unlikely, but Genesis would be a dream headline act. The Stone Roses and Daft Punk: rumours have been squashed by Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis who said in an NME interview ‘There was a story that said Daft Punk and Stone Roses. That’s not true. I don’t know where that’s come from’.
“The Stone Roses and Daft Punk rumours have been squashed”
I can’t sing, if singing is without you...
Ashley Clay discusses the a selection of all the very best and worst artists to have broken away from the comfort of their band members to pursue a career all by themselves
T
his month saw the release of Niall Horan’s first solo single, ‘This Town’ as he flies the nest from the One Direction family. Whilst One Direction have four number one singles under their belt, and ‘This Town’ only just briefly made it into the top ten, Horan has received positive feedback for his debut single. Albeit Simon Cowell is not a fan, arguably because Horan did not follow in the footsteps of ex-band member Zayn Malik and sign onto Syco’s record label. All of these One Direction changes have inspired us to delve into the previous examples of artists going solo from former bands and evaluate the successes and flops.
“My two favourite examples of successful artists who have left their bands and gone solo have to be Queen B and Justin Timberlake ”
So, let’s move away from the most successful boy band of the 21st century and go back to all our mum’s favourite band of the 90’s: Take That. It is confusing enough to keep track of how many members of Take That there are, with the current figure being a measly three members consisting of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. It is safe to say Take That are past their sell by date, and should have called it quits a while ago, after their most successful four-piece album ‘The Circus’. Robbie Williams left the band twice, in 1995 and in 2012, and established himself as a solo artist with hits like ‘Rock DJ’, ‘Candy’ and, our favourite karaoke song, ‘Angels’. Whilst Gary Barlow has now come onto the scene as a rather successful solo figure, let’s not forget his complete flop when he tried to follow in Robbie’s footsteps in 1996. Perhaps now that he has received an OBE, Barlow will focus on Queenie instead of solo singles. Here’s hoping! My two favourite examples of successful artists who have left their bands and gone solo have to be Queen B and Justin Timberlake. Timberlake’s infa-
mous blonde perm from his NSYNC days is gone and now the artist has nine Grammies to his credible name since his successful solo career began in 2002. Similarly, I often forget Beyoncé was ever in the group Destiny’s Child because she is so well established as a solo artist and every girl secretly wishes she could unleash her inner Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé’s famous alter ego. Both of these artists have starred in successful films like Dream Girls and The Social Network. So, perhaps the formula to their success has been their popular film careers which have helped boost their profile in the public eye. Timberlake is still combining the two, by releasing his single ‘Can’t stop the feeling’ to help promote his upcoming film Trolls.
I would like to end with listing my top 5 flops that should have stayed with their band and successes that were right to leave: Successes: 1. Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child 2. Justin Timberlake, NSYNC 3. Robbie Williams, Take That 4. Cheryl Cole, Girls Aloud 5. Phil Collins, Genesis Flops: 1. Geri Halliwell, The Spice Girls 2. David Lee Roth, Van Halen 3. Ringo Starr, The Beatles 4. Joe Jonas, The Jonas Brothers 5. Nicole Scherzinger, Pussycat Dolls
The Courier
music .23
Monday 7 November 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk
Album Review: Joanne by Lady Gaga
T
he past few years have not been very kind to the Monster Queen. She has been struggling to remain relevant in a constantly adapting industry, which has been leaving her behind, no matter how hard she was trying. She has proved that she can sing numerous times - let it be her several appearances on awards shows, or her collaboration with Tony Bennett. But they were not the real thing. They couldn’t really save her from oblivion after the scandal of Artpop. But with Joanne, things seem to be changing for the good. For a few years, Lady Gaga was the queen of pop, and also the entire musical world. With her lovable weirdness and modernization of the classic 80’s pop style, she managed to give audiences a mix of extravaganza, musical talent and sheer fun. Yet, after her peak album Born This Way, the highly anticipated Artpop was a huge disappointment (or as others soon renamed it ‘Artflop’); proving that even the queen can be defeated. When she broke into the scene, she represented something new a breath of fresh air in the growingly stale world of pop. After her emergence, everyone wanted to be like Gaga and everything just became so much weirder. When she came back in 2013, she was just one of the others, even if she was the originator of all the weirdness.
“With Joanne, things seem to be changing for the good” So the next three years have been spent in uncertainty, and Gaga was mainly in the background, fiddling with weird jazz collaborations and appearances on films and TV series. Now Joanne has a lot to prove. It not only has to be a decent album, but it needs to hit the level of her older records and virtually revive her career. To actually do that,
Who You Selling For
The Pretty Reckless
T
he Pretty Reckless have spent previous albums cementing their snarling, hellish reputation just to alter it with Who You Selling For. Musically they insert much more variety into their work; ranging from stripped back acoustic tracks like ‘Bedroom window’ and ‘Who You Selling For’, to the very different but more familiar sounding ‘Wild City’. Sulky and angry, Momsen is the perfect rock frontwoman and her rough vocals and energy encourage a Joan Jett comparison, one which she deserves. There’s no doubt that she’s spent years trying to shake off the ‘Little J’ image from Gossip Girl and she’s been successful in that; delivering an emotional, mature and strong musical performance. Momsen may be a powerful central image for the band but their music is the true talent. The album maintains the connection to classic rock but they put their own name to it while working in guest musicians that complement their own sound. Most strikingly, Warren Haynes appears on the track ‘Back to the River’ and brings in a Southern-blues-rock feel to the song. Interestingly ‘The Devil’s Back’ is very different, lasting over seven minutes long, it sounds distinctly like Pink Floyd which sets it apart from the others.
“Musically they insert much more variety”
The Pretty Reckless are slowly transitioning, their style maturing and developing, but they haven’t managed to completely decide on the album’s sound and it is a little confused. They’ve grown up in Who You Selling For; writing meaningful, confident and often more emotional lyrics but certain tracks are forgettable and it is missing a song with the same catchy, fiery feel of ‘Heaven Knows’, released two years ago. Katie Eddison
well (apparently, she’s a rock musician from the 90’s now). Although it cannot be considered as entirely ‘new’, because the record is pulsating her energetic, signature style and talent, Gaga is back, and ready to turn the world on its head again. Ferenc Orosz
she has selected a very interesting approach that is not entirely new to her. She’s chosen to go back to basics and deliver a stripped down album, with a reinvented Monster Queen that is entirely new, yet still originates from her.
“The first thing that strikes you about the album is its personal nature”
Tove Lo
Ellie Phillips talks about her real love for dance music, and offers advice on how to journey into the genre
I
can still remember my first electronic gig fondly, which continues to surprise me as 15-year-old me decided it would be an absolutely great idea to attempt to drink a 35cl of Glenns’ vodka all in one night- safe to say my mother was not pleased when I stumbled through the door at 4am, ranting and raving about how much “I love drum and bass”. It was Sub Focus playing down at the University of East Anglia’s student union. Security was incredibly relaxed, I was with a good ten of my mates, and the sound system for such a small venue was unreal- I don’t know if it was the drink or the bassline, but I was feeling vibrations going straight through my body all night long.
“I stumbled through the door at 4am, ranting and raving about how much “I love drum and bass””
The first thing that strikes you about the album is its personal nature, its brutal honesty and breezing swiftness. These qualities have been present in the first singles from the record, especially in ‘Million Reasons’ and ‘Perfect Illusion’ - which were even criticized for being too light on lyrics - and they are even more prevalent on the entirety of the record. The whole album just feels amazingly fresh and quick, just like an emotional gut-punch. After listening to ‘Perfect Illusion’ for the first time, I personally didn’t really like it that much, but after a few listens, it grew on me - and the same goes for the album. It is also a lot of fun as well. Songs like ‘A-YO’ manage to bring the groove you need for the dancefloor and this new style fits Gaga incredibly
Lady Wood
Electronic Blanket
You
Want It Darker Leonard Cohen
Lame as it may sound, but it was those simple yet all-time classic tracks such as ‘Turn Back Time’ and ‘Tidal Wave’ of the 2013 album Torus that truly ignited my love for real dance music. If it wasn’t for the bassline basics, I don’t think my admiration for electronic music genres ever would have progressed, meaning I would have missed out on so many unforgettable experiences, varying from drum and bass legend Roni Size on a tiny tent stage at Latitude Festival, to UK garage pioneers like Skream play the Spaceport at Bestival. Everybody has got to start somewhere on their exploration into new and exciting and genres, and it’s always a good feeling of nostalgia to look back and listen on where that journey began. And yes, that can even include the bizarre yet magnificent works of the likes of Vengaboys ‘We Like to Party’, an all-time guilty pleasure and crown jewel.
You need to hear: Purity Ring
“
It’s kind of like a voice in my heart, reminding me that there’s nothing to fear in the things I’m afraid of,” Tove Lo muses in the track ‘Imaginary Friend’, which sums up the Swedish singer’s second album, Lady Wood. It’s passionate, fearless and incredibly sexual. The connotations of the title are clear and the ‘O’s of the album artwork are shaped like a vagina so, even before hearing the first note, the album’s theme is clear. In 2014’s ‘Talking Body’ Tove Lo wants to “fuck for life” and this summer’s huge hit ‘Cool Girl’ talks of a purely physical relationship, whilst latest single ‘Influence’ opens with “First line, take mine; I’m fine as fuck”.
“Passionate, fearless and sexual”
Lady Wood may be too controversial and crude for many but the progression in Tove Lo’s sound cannot be denied. Last year’s debut album Queen Of The Clouds was a well-calculated piece of pop to get the singer on the map but Lady Wood is far more edgy. The structure of the album itself is atypical of mainstream pop. The record is split into two halves, the first about “that tingling sensation of sex” and the second about the come-down and wanting “to chase that feeling again”, describes Lo. Whilst there are traces of that over-produced pop sound that was so clear on Queen Of The Clouds, it is clear that Tove Lo has taken the reigns on this album’s production. ‘True Disaster’ is a highlight with a persistent thud of bass, making it a track to turn up loud and the instant transition from stripped-back guitar to a heavy electronic chorus on “Vibes” deserves recognition too. The album closes with “WTF Love Is”, a song which sums up Tove Lo’s Lady Wood well as she confesses to being a “handful” and finishes off with one last cuss, “Ugh, fuck, ugh, I need another”. Toby Bryant
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ime is about the best thing that could happen to Leonard Cohen, and You Want It Darker is the proof. Age has granted his voice a full-bodied rasp, fitting his ever-rapturous lyrics -- themed on the immortal questions of heartbreak, death and religion -- all the better. In a sea of generic folk acts, his composition continues to offer fresh air, recalling the reason he codified so many of the ‘singer-songwriter’s conventions. The opening track is steeped in hymnal melancholy, served well by the choir’s persistent minor chords. The following tracks’ major keys hint at bittersweet resolution, but it’s the songs that bask in the darkness (both ‘You Want It Darker’ and the latter half of the album) that draw the most interest. The blues are an obvious influence for Cohen, coming through most clearly on ‘On The Level’ and ‘Traveling Light’. Ironically for its name, the latter carries all the baggage of a bitter farewell, with the tremulous guitar and the violin’s sorrowful interjections.
“Cohen never threatens to betray his artistic roots ”
The songwriting is self-referential in places, as with ‘Treaty’s ‘Hallelujah’-esque melody, but it’s not repetition that keeps his fans coming back; it’s his total command over harmony. Though ‘Steer Your Way’ is the album’s standout track for its organic exploration of folk idioms and key, ‘It Seemed The Better Way’ proves that he can also do a lot with a song of only two chords, upstaging his imitators for whom limited harmony is not a creative choice but a necessity. Though he’ll continue to evolve with the times, Cohen never threatens to betray his artistic roots: You Want It Darker is a testament to his creative integrity and a satisfying continuation of his career. Jess Weisser
Moving past the old school drum and bass chatter, here is a band that brings something new to the electronic scene. Purity Ring are a Canadian triphop duo who released their debut album Shrines back in 2012, provoking rave reviews and admiration as UK listeners were hypnotised by hauntingly beautiful tracks such as ‘Lofticries’ and ‘Fineshrine’ with their creepy synth-pop beats. Their second album another eternity was released last year, and the duo have managed to maintain their eerily captivating sound-style with songs like ‘Begin Again’ entrancing all who listen. Not only do these guys sound good, but they are an utter spectacle to see live, with trippy visuals and constant strobe lights taking the crowd into a whole new fantastical realm.
Listen to: Purity Ring - Lofticries Preview: Dusky and Mella Dee, Friday 18th November at Digital
Now touring with their new album Outer, London based electronic music duo Dusky will be hosting a very special night at Digital this November in celebrations of the release, bringing us brand new tracks to keep our heads bopping all night long. You can expect to hear a real variety of beats on the night, from grittier grime based tracks such as ‘Sort it Out Sharron’ featuring Wiley, to slower more progressive ones such as ‘Swansea’ with Gary Numan. If that wasn’t enough to convince you already, Mella Dee will also be in the house that eve bringing us all the best that the UK house and techno scene has to offer- this is not an event to be missed.
Listen to: Mella Dee – ‘Keep On’
Go follow us on intagram for live gig updates, fun pictures and the latest music gossip- @courier_music
24.tvfeatures
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
TV Editors: Luke Acton, Alison Scurfield and Dominic Corrigan
ck a b w ro h T Our weekly column where we look back at cult favourites and other atrocities from the past. This week, another Joss Whedon classic, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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oss Whedon created the most developed female superhero of the 20th century. Buffy The Vampire Slayer starring Sarah Michelle Gellar (as Buffy) became a feminist icon in one of the most popular television shows of the late nineties. Buffy herself subverts the typical horror genre in this quirky series where she, as “the chosen one” fights against “the big bad.” The epic seven series rollercoaster finished in 2003. There are several reasons why Buffy is well worth the watch, it has something for everyone. I often say that it is a blend of both Jessica Jones and Gilmore Girls. The camaraderie, comedy and fast paced dialogue of the latter and the dark, girl-powered and feisty nature of the former. Considering that it is from the late nineties, the programme hasn’t dated too badly and several of the themes are still relevant in today’s society. Yes the CGI is a bit goofy and maybe the jokes are kind of corny but the storyline is still quality, old school television.
Women writing women
As Jessica Jones Season 2 will be directed exclusively by women, Errol Kerr writes on the presentation of marginalised characters by an underrepresented group in the TV industry
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here do I start with Marvel’s Jessica Jones? It’s arguably one of the best – and most real – of Marvel’s Netflix Originals. Not only does it tick all the right boxes for “great TV show” – hard-hitting, memorable and personable characters, engaging plot – it does all of these whilst exploring themes from the perspective of a central female protagonist – themes that are oftentimes ignored, especially in the *Superhero Film* genre. If you compare the relatively drab narration of the experiences that Black Widow explains in the Marvel film Avengers: Age of Ultron to the raw, emotional and… just very real experiences of Jones’ PTSD, you can see that the Netflix Original group are far better at tackling this. Which was why I was so pleased to see that the second series of Jessica Jones is to be directed solely by women. All thirteen episodes. Now, I’m not going to beat about the bush here, this is beyond remarkable. What made Jessica Jones as a series – and Jones as a character – so great is that all of a sudden, women weren’t a plot device (sorry, Widow…) and instead genuinely used their own damned agency. The entire series turned the PI
noir-esque genre on its head by placing Jones at the centre of this, and were able to tackle even more serious topics – such as Jones’ sexual assault and psychological abuse at the hands of Kilgrave – in a manner which did not sensationalise or even remotely picture it. Again, Joss Whedon’s tackling of Black Widow comes to mind in regards to how not to do this, but that’s a film and not a TV show, so, back to business…
“What made Jessica Jones as a series – and Jones as a character – so great is that all of a sudden, women weren’t a plot device”
However, the TV show was not without its criticisms, and I genuinely feel that with having all-female writers, this could be confronted. Throughout the series, Jessica Jones does indeed grow as a purpose, but seems to be above the trauma she has faced – and never confronts the
emotional side of things, instead focusing entirely on a more physical vengeance. Similarly, Kilgrave’s usage of his psychological manipulation powers is oftentimes criticised as more of a “party trick” power than ever genuinely tackling the level of abuse that characters such as Jessica and Malcolm ever indicate they’ve faced. Instead of being a human, Kilgrave is entirely demonised – which, when confronting emotional and sexual abuse, doesn’t do justice to the real victims of these events. With women at the head of all episodes of Series 2 of Jessica Jones, perhaps this could be changed. Towards the end of the first series, Jones becomes less isolated, more willing to seek the assistance of other people, and this could perfectly lead on to a character development whereby Jones directly comes to terms with the experiences she’s faced, rather than blanking them out as if that is the only – or best – thing to do in these events. Not only that, but the potential of having heroes, villains and relationships - that are more complex and grey than the good vs. evil perpetuated through the male-dominated superhero genre can only be a good thing!
“A new workplace, new characters and new secrets to keep mean this series is definitely worth watching” Monster or not, each character is relatable to someone you have met in high school or, dare I say it, uni. Buffy’s eclectic group of misfits allowed the series to explore various narrative directions. Willow is expertly played by Alyson Hannigan, shy yet opinionated, clever but never stereotyped, she, aside from Buffy herself, actually has one of the best character arcs in the programme, even showing her evil side in season 6 by nearly destroying the fictional town of Sunnydale. On the other hand, Nicholas Brendon who played Xander is like watching a young Chandler Bing fighting vampires and demons. His sarcasm and wit is usually overpowered by other characters plot lines but maybe it’s because he’s the most relatable and realistic character of them all, my favourite quote of his being “Man, Buffy! My whole life just flashed before my eyes… I gotta’ get me a life!” The longevity of the show was a testament to the creative writing of Joss Whedon. Not afraid to throw something new into the mix, Whedon created the most innovative of episodes including “Once More With Feeling” a musical episode where all of the dialogue was sung and “Hush” which only included 17 minutes of dialogue in the entire hour episode; it was nominated for an Emmy award. Love, hope, fear, death and grief are all aspects of Buffy which made the show popular in its time. Joss Whedon never forgot to make the horror genre actually relatable to teens that were growing up with the show. Many of the ‘demons’ were metaphors for issues which plagued the generation of its time and future generations to come; this format, the storyline and plot can be seen in shows such as Doctor Who and films like Harry Potter. Ultimately, without a feminist show like Buffy, female protagonists like Jessica Jones or Black Widow from the Marvel franchise may not have come to prominence. Sian Dickie
Is honesty always the best policy? Harry Young looks at Ordinary Lies, a show that might have slipped under your radar U sually when I mention a series that I’ve just started watching, it’s met with groans of ‘Oh, I watched that ages ago’ or ‘That’s shit you should watch this’. But whenever I asked my pals if they’d seen the new series of Ordinary Lies, they had no idea what I was talking about (and probably didn’t care, either). This series is the second written by Danny Brocklehurst, who’s other work includes classics like Shameless, Clocking Off and Accused. The show is focussed around a sportswear factory, with each episode being independent and focussing on a different person working at the factory (and they’re all massive liars). The last series, which was based on people who worked at a car dealership, was a massive success and enjoyed over six million tuning in every evening due to its clever intertwining storyline. The show tells us what can go wrong if we tell lies and how they affect more than just ourselves (albeit to the very extreme in the stories in Ordinary Lies).
“A new workplace, new characters and new secrets to keep mean this series is definitely worth watching” The first episode introduced us to Joe Brierley, who was an extremely (annoyingly) positive sales manager, played by the terrifyingly good Con O’Neill. Concerned about his wife’s sudden secrecy when he asks what she’s been up to, he decides to go full Big Brother and install secrets cameras hidden in the smoke alarms. When his suspicions that his wife Belinda (played by Jill Halfpenny) could be cheating on him looked like they could turn out to be true, his cool and calm persona slowly dete-
riorated into a mental paranoiac. Not only did this increase tensions at home, his work life felt the effect and slowly but surely everything and anything was going wrong for him. Eventually (and inevitably), the frustration and built up anger from watching his wife act ‘suspiciously’ he left work early one day. After following her into Cardiff city centre, it turned out that she wasn’t having an affair, in fact she was doing something very different. After their daughter was sexually abused by her gymnastics coach, Berlinda had taken it upon herself to hunt down supposed paedophiles. Whilst this might not be a very common story, it definitely wasn’t what I expected to be the
real reason behind her secrecy and definitely took me by surprise. But then that’s what I love about this program: I literally have no idea what is going to happen next. A new workplace, new characters and new secrets to keep mean this series is definitely worth watching despite being a similar type to that last. The characters are relatable (to an extent) and it has a clear message, that honesty is always the best policy. The show raises some moral questions about our relationships at work and at home, and how well you may know someone (or in this case how well you don’t know someone).
The Courier
highlightstv.25
Monday 7 November 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/tv c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_tv
Black Mirror Netflix
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hen Black Mirror first came onto our screens in 2011, its inspiration was clearly taken from the ever-growing world of invasive social media and technology. Now, five years later and onto its third season, we’re watching the same futuristic and technically advanced world, but this time one that doesn’t seem as far removed from the life we’re living in 2016. In the past five years we’ve had serious breakthroughs in virtual reality, as well as the increase of judgement we place on people through their portrayal on social media. All of these themes are incorporated into the new season and the standalone episodes as realistically and distressingly as they’ve been in the past, if not better. The easiest way to effectively sum up the impact of Black Mirror, not just as you are watching it, but after, is to label it an existential crisis. Nothing else quite makes you question your existence, morals and society as
deeply as Black Mirror does. Episode one, for example, follows Lacie, a social media addict attempting to get her online score high enough to be able to qualify for her dream house. We all know someone who’s Instagram is filled with black and white moody pictures of skinny mochas, and Lacie is no different; we see her upload the picture of her perfect drink, then sip it and recoil in disgust at the taste. Episode two delves into the world of virtual reality, paying the character of Cooper to test out a new VR game being developed. The brilliant thing about Charlie Brooker, the genius behind Black Mirror, is that he always leaves you questioning and analysing the idea explored; VR is a phenomenon the world is raving about, but Brooker shows us the negative side of technology and its rapid advancement, the side that could go wrong. Black Mirror poses the question just because we can, does it mean that we should? Episode three is a dramatic and fast-paced race against time when teenager Kenny is filmed by his webcam in a compromising act, and is demanded to follow instructions received by a withheld number under the threat this video will be leaked.
Episode four seems unique in that it is set in San Junipero, a bright and vibrant, seemingly happy (although this is Black Mirror) world in which the two characters, the introverted Yorkie and outgoing Kelly, can undergo a genuinely beautiful love story; but all is not as it seems in this ‘perfect’ universe. Episode five is another moral dilemma, the plot being the eradication and genocide of ‘roaches’, a race deemed lesser than that of humans, and episode six, the longest in the series at 89 minutes, explores the consequences of the popular hashtag #DeathTo, offering a condemnation of the lazy way we can hide behind our laptops screens to say things we wouldn’t in the real world. Too often is it said that TV shows will leave you thinking about them long after the credits have rolled, and in most instances we as audiences find it very easy to disconnect, but Black Mirror truly leaves you lying in bed at night contemplating a certain ending, character’s fate, or our own morals and the choices we would have made in that situation; after all, they might just come back to haunt us. Stacie Byers
Geek Peek
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Legends of Tomorrow
egends of Tomorrow returns, bringing the ragtag group of heroes and rogues back to our screen as they attempt to protect the timeline from catastrophic events that would rewrite history, usually creating a darker future in which some villain rules over the remains of our world. This is pretty typical superhero stuff, but the heavy sci-fi elements give it an almost Doctor Who-esque feel. The fact the show has an ensemble cast makes it unique to the CWTV shows, as opposed to the focus on the protagonists in Flash, Arrow and Supergirl. Often, this is a strength of the show as not only is the team’s natural chemistry pretty good but also it stops the show from getting stale as some characters are making the same mistakes time and time again, in order to continue a narrative journey that really should have finished, something that does occasionally happen in Legends’ sister shows. Having said that, the tonal differences between Flash and Arrow meant that some characters felt mismatched when put together. With a greater focus on the extended universe in all the shows though, this is becoming less prominent. The Legends now seem more like a part of their own show as opposed to being inescapably tied to their origins.
“Legends of Tomorrow can be a very enjoyable show, though it’ll take time to see if it is as hit and miss as the last season”
Tutankhamun
The Walking Dead
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FOX UK, Monday 09:00 pm
The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be’ was the much anticipated season opening that revealed which beloved main character would meet their end with Negan’s barbed wire baseball bat, Lucille. We had to say goodbye to two characters instead of one; firstly Abraham - a sad departure, however, one that could not prepare us for what happened next. Straight after his death, the producers yelled ‘Gotcha!’ before taking one of our most beloved characters away from us: Glenn. We watched as the scene cut between him being beaten to death, and his pregnant wife Maggie watching metres away. The graphic scenes showed no mercy; Abraham and Glenn’s deaths were arguably the most gruesome deaths in the series since the outset. Even Rick seemed to give up. The producers played on this bleak despair and even had the audacity to place dreamlike scenes of ‘what could have been’ between the torturous scenes that made up the rest of the episode. The characters and the viewers were tortured simultaneously. We all wanted ‘what could have been’ to be made a reality. By the time we got to the end of episode, when Negan taunted Rick, with the prospect of chopping off his own son’s arm, the sense of despair was the same for everyone. Glenn’s final words to Maggie: ‘I will find you’ added a tragic and bittersweet note to the episode. Ultimately, The Walking Dead isn’t meant to be a show that you can laugh at, it’s a show about departing from the world we live in. The emotionally charged narrative comes from the tragic lives of the characters, and those that die. The episode, and in fact, the whole show, is beautifully horrifying. Holly Cowan
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ITV, Sundays, 9pm
eplacing Victoria is the new ITV miniseries Tutankhamun starring Max Irons as Howard Carter. The four episode historical drama is about the famous British archaeologist who discovered the intact tomb of the forgotten Egyptian pharaoh, in 1922. Carter is a persistent, clever and sometimes grumpy young man who tries to succeed in Egypt, in the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately for him, archaeology is dominated by older and richer men who look at him as an inexperienced boy wanting to find the impossible. More than that, he is quite unlucky and his timing isn’t always perfect. That’s most likely why he took almost twenty years to find Tutankhamun’s treasure. The most interesting part of the show is the evolution of Carter’s career. His big break finally arrives with Lord Carnarvon (Sam Neill) who has the money to sponsor the excavations but no experience. But again, when everything seems to go well for Carter, the war hits Egypt and he joins the army. Tutankhamun is not the kind of series that glues us to the sofa. Not even Carter’s love interests Maggie Lewis (Catherine Steadman) and Evelyn Carnarvon (Amy Wren) - show the right dose of chemistry on screen because he just has eyes for that “bloody” tomb. This is Max Irons’ first main role on television since 2013 and I cannot deny it was a clever choice. Even with that moustache, people may still be interested in watching this sweaty man in the Egyptian desert. Tutankhamun might not be a must watch series, but with just four episodes, give it a chance. Marina Costa
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
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razy Ex-Girlfriend – possibly the most zany, offbeat sitcom on TV today – follows the romantically motivated musical misadventures of Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), a very talented young lawyer who, unhappy with her life, relocates to a small Californian town in order to hook up with her ex-boyfriend so that she can relive the happiest days of her life. After hiding this not only from herself but the people around her, the end of season one saw her come clean to her ex, Josh (Vincent Rodriguez III), after they finally hooked up. The second season begins with Rebecca instantly trying to bury the issue, feeling that it may have been better left unsaid. However, with some kind of relationship with Josh now existing, the show’s focus had narrowed in on some other characters. Alternative love interest Greg (Santino Fontana) is dealing with alcoholism and Rebecca’s best friend/ mother figure) Paula (Donna Lynne Champlin) has decided that now Rebecca and Josh are finally together, she has to find something else to focus on – the fact these characters seem to have less Rebecca-dependant storylines suggest a new direction for the show, though that is a gamble. The problem with having characters separate from Rebecca is that up until now she has brought out the most interesting (and humorous) sides of their personalities - though the viewer is invested in these characters after a season with them, the show’s narrative focus has to be Rebecca. Still, the show manages to cover a wide range of relevant and irrelevant issues, being funny while making pretty important points about the kind of stuff that comes up in day to day millennial life. Dominic Corrigan
The addition of new heroes also changes the game – one-time historian Nate Heywood (Nick Zano) reunites the team in the series premiere before developing powers of his own and Justice Society of America member Vixen (Maisie RichardsonSellers) investigates a suspicious murder related to time travel. However with the addition of these new heroes, a major (and much loved) character disappears early on. Hopefully the pay-off will be worth the character’s absence. But the protagonists are only one side of the equation. A superhero show is only as good as its antagonist, and after season one’s focus on the disappointing Vandal Savage (Caspar Crump), who did not have the presence, charisma or threat, the game must be upped. This season sees the (re)introduction of some fan favourites - Reverse Flash (Matt Letscher), Damien Dahrk (Neal McDonough), Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) and Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) as the ominous sounding Legion of Doom. Strangely, some of these villains are already dead, with the time-travel aspect of Legends allowing us to once again meet characters that we thought were gone for good. Perhaps the most notable member of the Legion is Captain Cold, who was formerly one of the Legends, having spent the first season becoming increasingly heroic before sacrificing himself for the team. His reappearance will not only bring back his snarky wit and cool charisma - not to mention some (n)ice puns – but should really hit some emotional notes as his former teammates will probably have to fight the man that saved them. Legends of Tomorrow can be a very enjoyable show, though it’ll take time to see if it is as hit and miss as the last season was. The episodes most focussed on character development are definitely the strongest, though some instalments were little more than filler last time around. Still, if the start of the second season is anything to go by, the episodes of tomorrow just might be legendary. Dominic Corrigan
26.filmfeatures
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Film Editors: Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden & Simon Ramshaw
Supertropes: Age of Unoriginality
GUILT TRIP Pearl Harbor (2001) This week Benj Eckford fills us in on why the much-snubbed Michael Bay epic, Pearl Harbor, will always have a special place in his ‘bro’ heart and soul.
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s they play together as children at the start of the film, Danny tells Rafe, “You’re my best friend.” Perhaps that one quote best explains why Pearl Harbor is my ultimate guilty pleasure film. It fits perfectly into the Michael Bay stereotype – it’s cheesy, it’s melodramatic, much of the dialogue is disjointed and awkward, and many of the supporting characters (Kate Beckinsale and Jennifer Garner, I’m looking at you two) are wooden and uncharismatic. The romantic plotline is so sterile and uninspiring. It has come in for a great deal of richly deserved criticism and parody. The whole Cuba Gooding Jr. subplot is one of the most stark examples of a ‘token black’ character I’ve seen. The build-up to war between America and Japan, showing each side’s admirals and generals plotting and scheming, is given insufficient screen time. We all know Michael loves his special effects and thinks they are an adequate substitute for plot and dialogue. The battle scene is entertaining to watch, but it has Michael Bay written all over it. As Team America infamously sang, “I miss you more than Michael Bay missed the mark when he made Pearl Harbor – and that’s an awful lot girl. Pearl Harbor sucked just a little bit more than I miss you.”
With a huge amount of superhero films on the market, Jacob Clarke examines the exisiting tropes and questions whether they are improving in the light of new releases.
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uperhero films are now staples of our summer cinema experience; this all started with Marvel’s Iron Man back in 2008. Witty, charming, real, action packed, plot driven, philosophical - themes that make a superhero film. Jon Favreau knew it when he gave us Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, sparking Marvel’s Phase One of endlessly popular films. Iron Man was true to the source material, gave us action sequences difficult to forget, and an internal struggle over Stark’s own ego and warmongering morality. Overall it set the tone for the recent greats: The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy etc. However, there were excusable flaws in the film, expected for a new era of cinema. Yet have these flaws become tropes that run through our understanding of superhero films eight years on from Iron Man’s release?
“It leads us to such forgettable villains that we often confuse them - what were their names? Oh well, the good guys won at least”
Flaws such as a weak or uninteresting villain are starkly prominent when viewing such films. However witty or cunning they seem, they always appear to be beaten rather easily in the climax of the film. Take The Avengers for example; Joss Whedon’s 2012 mega film saw the god Loki beaten in the final battle in a matter of moments, despite his portrayal throughout the film as scheming and brilliant. He literally is the God of Mischief yet he is beaten rather rapidly by the brute force of the Hulk. This pattern continues into almost every recent
where seemingly for no reason the Hulk punches Thor across the room; it adds very little to any sort of character or plot development but is an expectation of superheroes on screen. Though this may be changing. After the hugely positive reception of the subversive Deadpool this year, filmmakers may be putting aside their convention tool kit for something different. With the announcement of upcoming titles, it appears they are ditching the charming white male protagonist with films such as Black Panther and Captain Marvel; introducing a complex black protagonist, and with a female protagonist such as Captain Marvel who will give an alternative outlook on the superhero universe, rather than the trope of the macho, womanising man we’ve come to expect from char a c te rs like Star-Lord and Stark.
overplayed, such as in The Avengers in the heat of battle
An All-Nightmare on Pilgrim Street
In a continuation of Halloween, Zoë Godden attends the Tyneside Cinema Halloween Cult-Classic All-Nighter and reports back to us with all of the horrifying and spooky details
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But somehow, it is strangely enthralling. What pulls you through is the compelling friendship between all-American hero Rafe (Ben Affleck) and unconfident, insecure Danny (Josh Hartnett, though it should have been Matt Damon). As close as brothers, dependent on each other and with the older, tougher Rafe often protective of the more vulnerable Danny, it pleasantly reminds me of my relationship with my own little brother. We’re introduced to them in childhood, and go through the trials and tribulations they experience in the build-up to war. I feel every emotional blow as they are separated, when Danny mistakenly receives the news that Rafe has been killed in action, when they’re estranged and when they’re reconciled. I imagine myself in their position and I’m totally gripped. The end, though drenched in cheesy melodrama (particularly the soundtrack), is utterly heartbreaking, and leaves you mourning for the death of a true bromance. As a bro myself, this one hits me right in the feels and leaves me reeling for hours afterwards. I hate the fact that I like a Michael Bay film, but I just can’t deny this guiltiest of pleasures.
superhero film, and leads us to such forgettable villains that we often confuse them. The most recent Thor film gave us yet another cloaked madman set on, what was it? Destroying the good guys, wait no, wasn’t that the villain of Guardians of the Galaxy? What were their names? Oh well, the good guys won at least. Another seemingly entertaining, but overused, trope is the charm of the main character. In almost every superhero film of the modern day, you will laugh multiple times at the impeccable comic timing of a group of people in an incredibly tense and stressful situation. Tony Stark’s wit is second to none, Thor’s deadpan rhetoric somehow seems to hit at exactly the right moment, and Captain America always knows what to say. It’s as if they don’t understand the dire situations they are in. The need for comic relief is understandable and plays a role in the source material. However, this is very much
loody Mary and dead Laura Palmer get into a taxi. No, really, this isn’t the start of some weird joke. My flatmate and I decided against our better judgement to dress up for Halloween, staying up until 8am to attend the Tyneside Cinema’s Halloween Cult Classic All-Nighter on Saturday 29th October. At only £1 per ticket, it’s a bargain, and a great excuse to watch the classics you’ve never gotten around to seeing. The choices this year were tough, being made up solely of spooky-season-appropriate films; hence yours truly had to hope their nightmares wouldn’t be too traumatic post-viewing. First up, Alien. Considering I’d only seen this film on a laptop doing A Level coursework, it’s unsurprising I found Cameron’s action-orientated sequel more engaging. Not that I disliked the original, but most of the film’s plot was spoiled for me, so the majority of frights left me unfazed. On the big screen though? Well, that’s a different story. Not only do both the set design and cinematography look stunning, but our titular antagonist is far more menacing when enlarged on a cinema screen. Of course, it’s evidently a man in a suit, but H. R. Giger’s Xenomorph still impresses nearly 40 years on, and Alien’s third act firmly cements its status as cinema’s greatest sci-fi horror. Poor Jones the Cat.
“An American Werewolf in London was nothing like I expected - but in the best way, it’s more a dark comedy than horror” Second on our list was An American Werewolf in London. Admittedly, this film was nothing like I expected – but in the best way. It’s honestly not a horror, but more of a dark comedy; I mean, it does essentially boil down to a bunch of corpses telling poor David to kill himself for the entire movie. But it’s this twisted humour, killer soundtrack, and sharp script that make the film so likeable, not to
mention Rick Baker’s iconic make-up effects that make this the highest production value I’ve ever seen in a comedy. What more can I say? It’ll leave you howling (and quoting “Fuck off Jack!” at every available opportunity).
“Alien’s titular antagonist is far more menacing when enlarged on a cinema screen” My most anticipated screening was A Nightmare on Elm Street. Despite choosing it for being hyperbolically goofy, I was surprised at just how little it frightened me. Freddy Krueger is simply not scary; heck, he has wacky expendable arms in the first full appearance. The film’s concept however is undoubtedly ingenious, paired with an addictively unsettling main theme, and a badass protagonist, Nancy. Seriously, why does nobody talk about her? She’s smart, brave, assertive – yet the most iconic
image of her is Freddy trying to grab her who-ha in the bath. Regardless, she’s definitely a future Halloween costume for me, and despite all its flaws, Nightmare is a true Halloween movie in every sense of the word. Last, and most certainly least, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. At this point, our costumes are falling apart, drunk attendees have joined us after their night out, and my Monster energy drink is all but a distant memory. And what do we get? A pretentious romance that sucks the life out of its source material, and Keanu Reeves giving the worst performance of his life. I was flabbergasted at how many consider this a gothic masterpiece, especially considering Francis Ford Coppola’s previous ventures out of typecast being… well, shit. I mean, sure, it has some interesting aesthetics and creative editing (somehow enough to earn 78% on Rotten Tomatoes), but it’s even goofier than Bela Lugosi in Plan 9 from Outer Space. A rather dead ending to an overall fantastic night of freaky films.
The Courier
reviewsfilm.27
Monday 7 November 2016
thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Film
Golden Oldies Presents...
Doctor Strange (12A)
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nlike many other Marvel films, I did not have many preformed expectations when I went into Doctor Strange. I was slightly skeptical about how good it would be with Marvel’s track record with its weak villains and its thus far clumsy handling of magic elements like in Thor and Thor: The Dark World. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this latest Phase Three installment, it does not disappoint. Doctor Strange follows the story of the eponymous Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), a celebrated neurosurgeon, who is involved in a brutal accident which leaves him unable to continue with his career. He seeks out a remedy for his injuries, all failing, until he is directed to Katmandu where he encounters a cult-like group with mysterious abilities led by The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Swinton gives yet another brilliant performance, her ethereal nature a perfect fit for the character of The Ancient One. However, she is slightly underused and it would have been refreshing to have seen more of her. Another underused talent is Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius. This is a man used to playing the antagonist, but this is another instance where chooses not to properly explain their villains. While Kaecilius is still miles better than the motiveless Malekith of Thor: The Dark World, he is nowhere near the realms of greats such as Loki, which is a shame considering Mikkelsen’s potential. Cumberbatch proves himself once again to be a
Trolls (U)
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rolls has been entering the subconscious of people from all walks of life through all manner of ways for months; from a high end make-up collaboration with M.A.C to the colourful stamp on Hovis’ Best of Both Bread. The marketing behind this film has known no bounds, which generally tends to mean a plotline lacking in, well, plot and poor character development. Yet surprisingly, even after watching all three teaser trailers, on viewing the full film there are more laughs to be discovered as Poppy and Branch embark on their rescue mission to stop their friends being made into ‘casser-troll’ by a group of grumpy Bergens who believe the only way to happiness is through their stomachs - we’ve all been there! It’s safe to say everyone in the cinema found some humour in the 93-minute feature film; all eight of us that is. The film is everything you’d expect it to be, both funny and emotional with those nail-biting moments of mild peril. The casting of Justin Timberlake’s angelic voice and Anna Kendrick princess tones were perfect especially in the film’s sometimes funny and often moving song scenes, of which there wasn’t an excessive amount. The animated bright colours and simple features of the troll creatures, set in a sparkling jungle of equally vivid backgrounds make the film visually pleasant to watch although there is nothing controversial to make the film groundbreaking. Moreover, the characters are about as developed as half-baked cupcakes but they are equally sweet and endearing and it’s nice to be reminded Russell Brand is still a thing, in his role as a very zen troll. The ending is somewhat predictable but still a satisfying and uplifting conclusion, perfect as a temporary distraction from real life. It’s maybe a film better seen with your younger siblings or immature friends, as despite numerous adult-orientated innuendos, it is exactly what it seems - another Dreamworks children’s film. More like this: Despicable Me (2010) Miranda Stoner
Brian De Palma’s
reliable talent with his solid performance as the titular Doctor Stephen Strange. I must admit I was worried when I saw the rather flat sketch on and episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but thankfully this was miles better. He pulls off the American accent well and channels Strange’s materialistic and arrogant nature wonderfully. I am very excited about Cumberbatch now being inducted into Marvel’s talent pool alongside the likes of Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth and many more. I am even more excited to see them all interact in future films. One of the most impressive elements of this film is its visual effects. With the literal reality-bending aspect of Doctor Strange I was excited to see how it would be handled onscreen, and I was not disappointed. The visual effects work seamlessly into the film leaving you with the feeling that you are actually travelling through multiple dimensions, or that the very world around you is being folded up
like a piece of old cardboard. Overall, Doctor Strange is another impressive installment by Marvel, and although it does not reach the heights of fellow off-the-wall epic Guardians of the Galaxy, it is more than worth a watch. The visual effects alone are grounds enough to see this film, but along with strong performances and a genuinely interesting and compelling story it’s definitely not one to be missed. The only thing I lament is Marvel’s decision to not bring in more unknown actors like they originally did with Hiddleston and Hemsworth. Although Cumberbatch is clearly perfect casting, it seems the studio is now beginning to act more like the Hollywood studios of old, rather than paving a path for the future.
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Keeping Up with the Joneses (15)
verage suburban couple, the Gaffneys (Zack Galifianakis and Isla Fisher) are thrust into the world of international espionage when they realise that their stylish new neighbours, the Joneses (Jon Hamm and Gal Gadot), are government spies. It is difficult to think of a bigger waste of a talented cast in recent years than Greg Mottola’s action comedy Keeping Up with the Joneses. While Hamm and Gadot may not primarily be associated with comedy, Fisher and Galifianakis are both adept comic performers and proven in the genre - a dynamic which should be perfect for the film’s central concept, allowing humour to arise from the stark contrast between the two couples. Yet Michael LeSieur’s uninspired script is almost entirely devoid of any wit or amusement and is simply not funny enough. The vast majority of the jokes do not land and the actors are rarely given anything interesting to do; the two female leads are resigned to discussions about lingerie while the men get drunk together – not exactly revolutionary comic material. Unfortunately, the film’s action is just as tepid. Its major set piece, a formulaic car chase, is about as exciting as a BMW advert, while the final shoot-out is instantly forgettable. This is another egregious waste of the cast’s skills, particularly Gadot, whose action talents were seen in her turn as Wonder Woman in this year’s Batman v. Superman. Here, she and Hamm are reduced to relentless shooting and shouting during the heat of the action. Greg Mottola’s direction is unremarkable and does nothing to elevate the film above its weak script. He displays none of the energy and warmth seen in his previous films, such as Superbad and Paul, and seems utterly unsuited to the constraints of mainstream, studio comedy. Despite a couple of reasonably funny one-liners and the cast’s best efforts, Keeping Up with the Joneses provides little more than dreary action and insufficient laughter – hardly great qualities for an action comedy. More like this: Dinner for Schmucks (2010) Dan Haygarth
More like this: Inception (2010) Emma Allsopp
Queen of Katwe (PG)
isney’s newest live-action drama Queen of Katwe is nothing like most sports movies, or in particular like any other chess movie. It is based on the true story of young chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi, who was born and raised in a slum in Uganda, and who saw an opportunity to never let go of again. The rest is history. Chess being the pawn with which Phiona finds her glory, it is played a lot in the film, but even if you don’t know the rules or understand the moves, the reactions of the competitors themselves and of the audience tells you enough. Yet it is not the game which is at the heart of the movie, but Phiona’s evolution to champion and her journey to gain a better life for her family. The plot is predictable as many sports movies before it, but is at the same time eight steps ahead. It makes you laugh, and then it shocks you, and then it makes you laugh again. Like all great Disney movies, it’s a rollercoaster of emotion. It is not a story to which many people will be able to relate, but instead shows a world of extreme poverty, as Queen of Katwe does not shy away from the reality of living in a slum. However, it is a Disney film in the end, and the dark and dust is contrasted with the bright colours and music of Africa, showing that there can be happiness within a harsh reality. It’s nice to have a film that has some genuine optimism to it when so many are so miserable. And with the stellar cast of Lupita Nyong’O, David Oyelowo, and particularly newcomer Madina Nalwanga performing wonderfully – and possibly Oscar-worthy – it’s hard not to love their characters. Queen of Katwe is not as much a sports drama as it is a true Disney family film. It is a predictable yet original feel-good movie, which tells a heartwarming but (above all) inspiring story, saying that even if you think your final move has been made, you should not immediately give up your queen. More like this: X+Y (2014) Becky van Leeuwen
Carrie
As part of the Tyneside Cinema’s Halloween Cult Classic All-Nighter, Rachel Baker saw Brian De Palma’s Carrie, at the ungodly hour of 2.45am in the morning (but the clocks went back, so technically, it was 1.45,am with one extra hour of All-Nighter to deal with). Did Rachel survive Carrie?
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lthough I first saw Carrie a long time ago now, what makes it unique is that I can tell you exactly my first impressions from the first time I saw it; it was that subversive and memorable. Carrie is a horror classic, but for the first 65 out of the film’s total 98 minutes I would describe it as more of a coming-of-age teenpic. On first viewing, I remember waiting and waiting to be scared for the majority of the film, and being confused as to why this was considered by many as one of the top 10 best horror movies of all time. It is, after all, based on a novel by Stephen King, who wrote the greatest coming of age story of all time, Stand By Me. In Carrie, King’s two talents, the ability to epitomise teenage angst and depict sheer horror, are combined to create a suspenseful masterpiece. The film follows the story of Carrie, a young teenager trapped within the laws of her strict, Christian mother Margaret. After the embarrassment of getting her first period whilst at school she is the subject of cruel ridicule and bullying from many of the characters. One of her classmates takes pity on her and insists that her boyfriend take Carrie to the prom. As Carrie’s confidence grows, thanks to this act of kindness, her mother’s wrath increases. Margaret often locks Carrie in a small, dark cupboard insisting that she reflect upon her sins, however this cruel treatment awakes a power in Carrie she did not know she possessed.
King’s clever intertwining of teenage angst with the supernatural means that throughout the film we are teased with the possibility of Carrie’s potential. A number of characters including Margaret and several insufferable school bullies mean that your anger increases along with Carrie’s until the film’s gory climax that still shocks today. It’s one of the most merciless finales in cinematic history, and it doesn’t give a damn about who meets their grisly end, hero or villain. As is probably clear from my synopsis, the majority of the film feels like a chick flick with only hints at horror and suspense; however, from prom night onwards the content entirely makes up for the slow build up, and redeems its reputation as one of the best horror films of the 20th century.
28.filmfeature
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Horrific horror films: Your top 10
As voted by readers of The Courier, here are your favourite horror films to get you over Halloween blues.
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10. An American Werewolf in London
hat use is gratuitous, throat-ripping, Nazi-mutant-massacre gore if it doesn’t leave you laughing and grinning once in a while? With the help of now-legendary movie magician Rick Baker (whose work on the film forced the Academy to create a new ‘best makeup’ category just for him), John Landis’ offbeat 1981 horror-comedy flick gleefully skips into its place among the ultimates of Halloween horror. Clueless American tourist David (David Naughton), having been attacked by a mysterious animal on the Yorkshire moors, receives unwanted visita-
tions from his gruesome, walking corpse of a backpacking buddy (a standout performance by Griffin Dunne) and learns the heavy burden of his new ‘carnivorous lunar activities’. Laugh-outloud funny yet strangely brutal, Landis twists the disturbing into the hysterical without relieving us from that niggling feeling of unease. Michael Jackson loved it so much he recruited Baker and Landis for his most classic video; you’ve had a taste of the blood with Thriller, now sink your teeth into the jugular with American Werewolf. Fiona Cunningham
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hen all it takes to make you shit your pants is a few violins, you figure out fairly quickly why Psycho is considered a horror masterpiece. Widely regarded as the original slasher film, Hitchcock’s signature slow build of tension makes most of the movie’s running time, intertwined with voyeuristic imagery and uncomfortable silences (bar the aforementioned string instruments, which know just when to catch you off guard). It was also innovative for filmmaking as a whole, setting a new precedent for violence and sexual imagery in America; who’d have thought this was the first film to show a flushing toilet? Norman Bates also remains to be one of cinema’s greatest
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8. The Conjuring
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he Conjuring was really that good because of the family of the 1970’s aspect. Their innocent involvement with the goings on in the house really extend the contrast between the witch on the wardrobe or the creepy doll, and their family life which is in turmoil because of it. The play on typical horror stereotypes like the hanging rope, the birds around the house or the musical box really solidify the idea of a haunted house. The atmosphere of the house is portrayed brilliantly in its design and I think that adds a lot to the film through the set creation. Wan’s horror films have always considered to be very good, and I believe that this one can make someone like me scared for days of being alone with the lights off. After I came out of the cinema, I thanked god I don’t live in an old house!
9. Psycho
antagonists, primarily due to Anthony Perkins’ chilling portrayal as the quintessential mummy’s boy – the film’s iconic final shot of his sinister stare is enough to make anyone want to take a shower from unease, but we all know how that turns out. Zoë Godden
7. The Blair Witch Project
lair Witch scares you simply, often, and well. The first time I saw this, as a wonderfully naive 16 year oId, I was so confused. Was this thing really a documentary? It looked so real. Were the three protagonists, hunting the legendary “Blair Witch”, actually student film-makers? It felt so plausible, in the sense that this was apparently “found footage” and a “true story”. These were almost original concepts back in 1999. There were no effects needed. It’s 80 odd minutes of pure urban legend. Every wrong turn. Every scream in the dark. They could happen to the most intrepid Duke-of-Edinburgh Award explorers. It’s the most effective film I’ve ever seen. This was the first mainstream film advertised almost solely via the web. IMDb listed the characters as “missing, presumed dead”. A sistermockumentary and investigatory website full of local hoodoo and ‘news’ reports layered the realism. Blair Witch is a proper suspension of disbelief, chilling you with your own confusion. David Naylor
Zofia Zwieglinska
5. Under the Skin
6. American Psycho
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ruth be told, I am not a big fan of horrors, I don’t like to be scared or feel uncomfortable, so for me to be endorsing American Psycho means it’s a pretty good movie. When I first saw it I was struck (and still am) by its lively social and political critique of the upper classes. It was the perfect illustration of money bringing power and benefit, so much so that people can seriously break the law. But despite this, it is not a film that is preachy or dense to watch, the fabulous performance of Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, the titular American psycho, adds comedy and lifts the film’s overall tone. The dark and downright terrifying tone of the story, contrasted against the sheer light-heartedness of Bale and the soundtrack results in a wonderful piece of cinema which I would name amongst my favourite films of all time. Now to see if I can snag a reservation at Dorsia… Emma Allsopp
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t’s difficult to put Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin into a genre category, and it’s even more difficult to say what makes it such a scary film. I’ll give you a rundown to try and rationalise it: Scarlett Johansson’s nameless, emotionless alienpredator travels round Glasgow in a transit van picking up men and doing unspeakable things with their bodies. Strictly neither horror nor sci-fi, it’s a whole lot less B-movie than it sounds, and a modern masterpiece to boot, not least of all because of Johansson’s fearless commitment
to the role. The realistic approach genuinely required her to drive round Glasgow in disguise and seduce men, and the entire process was filmed with secret cameras in the cab itself. The result is a fascinating, terrifying look at humanity through cold, alien eyes, and gets surprisingly touching as it takes an unexpected turn in its final stretch. As well as that, it’s probably the best film of the new decade. Jus’ saying. Simon Ramshaw
The Courier
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featurefilm.29
Monday 7 November 2016
3. The Thing
4. Alien
lien takes its time. It doesn’t bombard you with horror or frightening scenes, but when they do come, they’re not unexpected either. You’ll wait in dread the whole movie, knowing something is around the corner, but never knowing what form it’ll take when you see it. Whether you buy into the theory that it builds its horror through sexual imagery and that the movie is actually about bodily violations, it’s impossible to deny that Alien builds tension throughout the film masterfully, lingering on shots, never shying away from the gruesome, and by doing so, doesn’t need to use flashy editing or CGI to succeed in making the climax effective. It’s a film drenched in a weird retro-futuristic atmosphere (one very much a product of the 70s). I highly recommend seeing it in a cinema. Dated or not, it’s undeniably scary on the big screen.
“You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me.”
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Stephen Herring
2. The Exorcist
ohn Carpenter is renowned, most famous perhaps for his work on Halloween (1978), but the horror auteur surpassed this lofty bar five years later with The Thing (1982), his true masterpiece. The Thing, set in Antarctica, follows a small group of US scientific researchers stationed in almost total isolation. The film begins with this tight-knit but increasingly bored group going about their day. This all changes with the arrival of a Norwegian helicopter and a black dog. What
follows is two hours of truly claustrophobic, paranoid tension that could be cut with a chainsaw. The film feeds upon the cultural fears of the time but has lost none of its original terror for today’s audience. Few films match psychological horror and body horror so well and in a way that doesn’t feel over the top. Don’t watch with only one other person as your friendship may be tested after the credits role. Joe Holloran
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he Exorcist has to be up there as one of the best horror films not only because of its content but its impact as well. The film broke boundaries for cinema and opened up a multitude of possibilities for horror that defined the genre from there on out. At one screening a woman fainted and broke her jaw, and thus preceded to sue Warner Bros for the subliminal messaging within the film’s script. The film contains blood, gore, the ridicule of religion, the confirmation of religion, the gross treatment of the human body and also the incredible strength that can come from familial love. You leave it feeling terrified but also weirdly satisfied. As long as I don’t watch it in HD (which reveals some of the strings that make the possessed Raegan fly) I am still shocked every time that I watch The Exorcist, and I believe that says a lot considering it’s nearly half a decade old. Rachel Baker
The Graveyard of Honourable Mentions...
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1. The Shining
tanley Kubrick’s 1980 masterpiece The Shining is the consummate horror film. Tense, chilling and utterly disturbing, the film is an imposing study of madness that terrifies without a reliance on jump scares and leaves you with endless questions. Nicholson and Kubrick are the perfect match of star and director, as the latter’s notoriously obsessive and meticulous process draws a fiendishly brilliant performance from Nicholson, who seems revel in the unhinged insanity of Jack Torrance, while discernibly displaying the exhaustion caused by Kubrick’s perfectionism. No other horror film can compete with The Shining’s wealth of iconic and truly unsettling imagery, whether it be the deluge of blood flowing from the Overlook’s elevator, the petrifying Grady twins or the axe through the bathroom door and the subsequent, oft quoted, ‘Here’s Johnny!’, every frame of the film is soaked in Kubrick’s genius. Dan Haygarth
Next week: The return of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly column!
30.gaming
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Gaming Editors: Jordan Oloman, Errol Kerr and Jared Moore
Review: Battlefield 1
Animal Crossing Will Capuano goes forth and likes what he sees in EA’s latest war shooter. Update L Georgina Howlett turns a New Leaf on the big update coming to a town near you
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nimal Crossing: New Leaf was first released in the UK three years ago, and ever since then it has remained one of Nintendo’s most played and most popular 3DS games. Now, finally, updates regarding Amiibo compatibility, new minigames and new features have been announced in an exclusively Animal Crossing-based Nintendo Direct – and better yet, these updates have been made live immediately on the Nintendo eShop. You could perhaps say that the game is… turning over a new leaf. (I’ll leaf. I mean, leave.) The Direct opened with the director of the Animal Crossing series, Hisashi Nogami, speaking animalese in a scenic forest clearing. Once his translator to English was fixed, Amiibo compatibility was the first announcement that was made. In the update, you will be able to meet Wisp, the lamp-dwelling spirit, once again, and 50 brand-new Amiibo cards will be available for use with him featuring villagers that have never been available in New Leaf before. By tapping a card or figure to the NFC reader (built into New 3DS models, or sold separately for older 3DS and 2DS models), Wisp will become the character you have chosen, and you will be able to invite them to your town’s campground – and from there, to move into your town. What campground, you ask? Yep, that’s another update. Harvey’s Campground will now be available to visit in-game, with one camping space available for special characters to visit such as Jingle and Wendell, and another for regular villagers. So, essentially, you can finally pick and choose your villagers and not have to pray that your favourites show up one day by the luck of the draw. Additionally, Amiibo from other franchises – including Splatoon and The Legend of Zelda – are also now compatible with New Leaf, allowing you to introduce special villagers into your town that highly resemble your favourite characters.
“50 brand-new amiibo cards will be available for use featuring villagers that have never been available in New Leaf before”
Less substantial - but still very exciting - updates include the implementation of the Amiibo camera feature (you can take photos of and with your favourite characters against real-life backdrops, so don’t miss out on giving good ol’ Nook the punch you’ve been wanting to give him since the GameCube era), town initiatives (timed quests for you to complete that bear MEOW coupon – a new currency – rewards), the secret storeroom (purchasable from Nook’s Homes and accessible anywhere, where over 200 items can be stored) and – wait for it – the ability to move furniture using the touch screen. Hallelujah, the era of dragging furniture around is OVER! Two new minigames, Desert Island Escape and Puzzle League, are also accessible through the Wii U console and New Nintendo 3DS (XL) items respectively – both, in their own way, a question of survival. Sounds amazing, no? Nintendo have provided a full list of the new features in the Welcome Amiibo update on their Animal Crossing sub-site, so head over there for more information. As for me? I have weeds to pull, and a town to run.
ike many other gamers I was sceptical when news that the next Battlefield game would be set in WW1 first broke out – how could a fastpaced tactical first-person shooter possibly be based on a war that mostly consisted of being shelled and shot to oblivion in the trenches? Now that Battlefield 1 is out, however, my expectations of Trench Foot Simulator 2016 have been fully dispelled, and EA/ DICE’s gamble seems to have paid off.
“It’s incredibly satisfying to smite your enemies by impaling them with your bayonet” BF1’s’s gameplay and presentation is an effective synthesis of showcasing the retro feel of WW1 while preserving Battlefield’s’s characteristically epic tone and fast-paced gameplay. Having grown up with the WW2 Call of Duty games I love returning to bolt-action gunplay, and it’s incredibly satisfying to smite your enemies by impaling them with your bayonet, cutting them down with a sword on a horse, or having epic dogfights in biplanes. Apart from a couple balancing issues and lag (which is to be expected in the first week or so of release), the multiplayer is rewarding, consistent, and fun, especially when you squad-up with friends. I was pleasantly surprised by the singleplayer too, since that hasn’t exactly been Battlefield’ss strongest quality since Bad Company 2.. When you first launch the game you’re immediately thrown into an unwinnable trench battle sequence in which you die again and again in horrific, bloody combat. It’s a shocking and moving mission which is a perfect introduction to the game and is a great illustration of the utter madness that was WW1. The campaign is made up of a series of short stories based around the experiences of soldiers at the various different battlefronts of the Great
War, from the fields of France, to the Italian Alps, to the deserts of Egypt. The levels are fun and it’s a nice variety of settings and nations represented. However, while I love the direction of BF1’s campaign, I think the execution could have been better. It’s extremely short and could have been developed much more, and I was disappointed that you only play as the Allies. If it was possible to experience the German perspective, for instance, this would reinforce BF1’s thematic focus on the brutal futility of war as this would directly challenge players’ preconceived views on the ethics of the war we’re used
to being told and t r u ly immerse us in its unforgiving bloodshed. The Russians are missing too, and I suspect EA might pull their typical move of bringing out
an overpriced Russian/German DLC like they’re planning with the French. I know Battlefield is less about singleplayer than the multiplayer – which BF1 absolutely delivers on – however I think there was a lot of WW1 potential left unexplored in the campaign. BF1 is still an awesome game, though – I really appreciate its portrayal of the Great War and I hope this renews a trend of historical shooter games. If the next Battlefield – quite likely to be set in WW2– can finish what BF1 started and simulate the long, gruelling campaigns we’re used to in the WW2 Call of Duty games with better writing and combine this with Frostbite’s typically epic gameplay, then it could be one of the best shooters of all time.
Memory Card: Deus Ex
Image Credit: EA
Gerry Hart, unlike Adam Jensen, actually asked for this nostalgic retrospective
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evisiting older games is always a gamble, especially if you didn’t play them at the time (see my Baldur’s Gate “review”). However some games whether it be thanks to a particular art style or design philosophy do retain some of their shine. Deus Ex, an FPS/RPG hybrid released in June 2000 is one such game. Player choice is central to Deus Ex’s gameplay. Levels are designed so they can be navigated by multiple means but are still challenging enough to ensure there is no easy way to do so. One could risk combat, pick the lock to an alternate route or perhaps brave a radioactive side-path hoping you don’t ruin your future procreation prospects. Combat itself requires plenty of improvisation as you switch weapons for different situations and the augmentations you periodically receive allow you to tailor your character to suit your playstyle. This type of gameplay was revolutionary at the time and is just as gripping now as it was then.
“J.C. Denton endeavours to uncover a sinister conspiracy in a dystopian, cyberpunk future.” Equally as compelling is the story, which follows cybernetically augmented super soldier and walking Matrix-era -era cliché JC Denton as he endeavours to uncover a sinister conspiracy in a dystopian, cyberpunk future. Fairly standard stuff but this serves as the base upon which a more compelling story is founded. For example, I enjoyed how smaller narrative details are conveyed through newspapers and overheard
conversations in a manner reminiscent of games like Mass Effect. Philosophy also plays a major part in the story. The game opens on a quote from the 12th century Theologian Thomas Aquinas and goes on to namedrop Voltaire, Nietzsche and Milton at various points. At a superficial level this may seem like turn-of-themillennium cyberpunk pretentiousness but many aspects of the game are in fact designed to pose certain questions or present dilemmas in the context of contentious issues like state power or inequality. A personal highlight was an argument with a nightclub bartender over Montesquieu’s separation of powers, which as far as clubbing experiences go beats the time I had to stand next to a guy pissing i n
a sink in the gents back in Darlington. All that said Deus Ex does show its age in places. Though rebindable I initially found the controls unwieldy and despite the availability of non-lethal options, the game’s certainly no Undertale. Ammo for these weapons is typically scarce and eventually the game assumes you will resort to violence. Then there are the graphics which in a word or two are fucking hideous, and the voice acting which is bad to the point of being comedic, especially for non-American characters. None of these are deal breakers though. The shitty voice acting and dated graphics are more funny than off-putting and one should expect some unsightly wrinkles when playing older games.
“This type of gameplay was revolutionary at the time and is just as gripping now as it was then”
I started this review by mentioning that many revered games frequently age poorly and unfortunately this is often true of late ‘90s/ early ‘00s shooters. Deus Ex avoids this fate thanks to a combination of thoughtful gameplay and fascinating storytelling. It’ll take some getting used to but if you’re interested in gaming’s history, Deus Ex is a must play. Image Credit: Eidos Interactive
The Courier
gaming.31
Monday 7 November 2016
Nintendo Switch it up Georgina Howlett gives us the lowdown on Nintendo’s latest console function as miniature controllers for multiplayer purposes; in the trailer, a new Mario Kart title and an as-yet unnamed NBA basketball game are played in this fashion for instance – and the foldout stand on the back of the Switch allows it to be stood vertically so that all players can see the screen with ease. The Joy-Con controllers will not be the only controllers available for use with the Switch; a new generation of ‘Pro’ controllers will also be available for those gamers who desire them.
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he trailer for the Nintendo Switch revealed it to be the world’s first hybrid console, combining home gaming and portable gaming into one amazing, fluid experience. Nintendo have taken a step back from disc-powered gaming, returning to the use of cartridges, and these can clearly be seen in the trailer to be roughly the size (though in no way the shape) of a 3DS cartridge. The Switch itself is a handheld unit, reportedly featuring a 6.2”, 720p multi-touch screen, to which two ‘JoyCon’ controllers are attached to form the basic console.
“Nintendo have taken a step back from disc-powered gaming” These Joy-Con controllers, each featuring a joystick and four command buttons, were shown in the trailer to be removable and can be held by the player either as they are or attached to the JoyCon Grip, thus resembling a traditional controller. Joy-Cons can also be held sideways in order to
“You can dock the unit and instantly continue with your gameplay (and vice versa)” When not being used as a portable console, the Switch is placed into the Nintendo Switch Dock, transferring the display to the TV and creating the conventional home gaming experience. The trailer demonstrates this transfer of display to be instantaneous, meaning you can dock the unit and instantly continue with your gameplay (and vice versa), and it is speculated that graphics and overall performance will be boosted while the console is in docked mode. Interestingly, it is NVIDIA who have been revealed as the company powering the Switch with their custom Tegra processor – which they say includes a GPU based on the same architecture as their top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards for PC. Online multiplayer gaming is guaranteed, and Nintendo has confirmed that local wireless multiplayer will be possible using the portable Switch unit – meaning that many games which were previously restricted to online play can now be enjoyed in more social situations. There is speculation, given the large gaming arena in the trailer, that this may be the console that brings
Nintendo into the eSports world – but we’ll have to see about that. The games that have been showcased in the trailer have already established a lot of hype for the Switch; a new Mario title, a Splatoon sequel, and of course the much-awaited Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have been previewed – and perhaps most unexpectedly, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim made an appearance, revealing a whole new era of gaming partnerships and possibilities in store for Nintendo. With over fifty partners and publishers announced to be working on games and content for the Switch, it already sounds like a console to be reckoned with. Not much else is currently known about the Switch except that it is scheduled for release in March 2017, but Nintendo have announced that they will be hosting an official presentation for it on January 13th 2017, aiming to show off the games currently in development and reveal vital information such as its price, specs, and exact launch date. The presentation will be streamed live from Tokyo worldwide, and as such I know I’ll be watching and seeing what Nintendo has in store for me next. Though perhaps the most vital piece of information about the Switch has already been revealed: it has a 3.5mm audio port.
Images: Nintendo
TES V Skyrim: Special Edition
Chris Duddy used to be a student like you. Then he took a Sabbatical in the knee
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hen Skyrim Special Edition was announced, I remember thinking “oh that’s cool, but I’m sure I won’t bother getting it”. Fast forward to Friday 28th of this month, I head out to the pound shop to get the last bits of my Halloween costume and alas, I return with Skyrim Special Edition for my PS4. Before we start, just a couple of disclaimers. Firstly, I won’t be covering much around the story. The Special Edition has no story changes / additions to the original Skyrim (released in 2011), but similar to the Legendary Edition (released in 2013), it contains all of the DLC addons (Hearthfire, Dragonborn and Dawnguard). If you wish to more about the story, I recommend the GameSpot review that you can find online. Secondly, I won’t be mentioning anything about mods that are available on consoles for the first time. This is purely a review of the “vanilla” Special Edition on the PS4. First thing you notice when you boot up the game, is that the menu is exactly the same. The same iconic chanting begins as the Bethesda logo
appears, and that familiarity sets the tone for the rest of the experience. The UI remains the same, and when you start the game and begin trundling down the hill as an Imperial prisoner on the same old wooden wagon, you may actually be disheartened by the fact it doesn’t really look all that different. The issue here is that the character models are unchanged, their textures are just more detailed. So rather than thinking “wow! This looks good!” it’s more a situation of “Oh, I can see the character models’ flaws in more detail”. This doesn’t last long, however. Once you come to terms with that “Skyrim charm” of jumpy animations and awkward walking, your eyes wander to the environment. The changes to the foliage, the skyline, the terrain, the buildings, and the lighting, is nothing short of incredible. You know these places are familiar to you, they just seem far more beautiful and immersive. The change to water physics is particularly noticeable. No longer do the rivers look like puddles with a current. Instead, they genuinely flow and react to obstacles that lie in them. Water slows as it reaches a downed branch,
and speeds up as it flows around it. One (current) disappointment comes with the sound design. The dragons’ roars, for example, seem to cut out early. The audio itself is (according to reports online) compressed in a format inferior to the original game, but Bethesda have assured the community that a fix is on the way. Another slight disappointment comes with NPC’s. The game is now making use of extra processing power, but some inns and pubs remain quite empty. They are far more beautiful and atmospheric, but I can’t help but think that it’s a shame Bethesda didn’t spend a little time filling the world a little bit more. It seems like Bethesda have gone to great lengths to update the game, then decided not to use the extra available power to its full potential. So, is it worth buying the game? In my opinion, yes. If you want to revisit Skyrim where it works on an updated console and looks prettier, then definitely. If you expect a game with new content that not only looks different but feels different, I fear you may be slightly disappointed.
thecourieronline.co.uk @Courier_Gaming
Top 5 Celebs in Gaming James McCoull discusses his five fave famous faces featured in gaming 50 Cent (Bulletproof, Blood on the Sand) Few celebrities can boast their name in the title of a game, and fewer still can boast it in two. The rapper’s foray into video game franchising is, in itself, nothing special - a pair of perfectly standard third-person shooters piggybacking off the popularity of bigger, better urban crime simulators such as Grand Theft Auto. However, you have to admire the tenacity required to produce a game with yourself as the protagonist. Speaking of which…
Michael Jackson (Moonwalker, Space Channel 5) The legendary King of Pop had a long and storied career, and nestled in the decades of his fame was a Moonwalker tie-in game of the same name. In this arcade-style gem, players controlled Michael on his quest to rescue children, using an arsenal of (primarily dance-based) magical powers. Also, Bubbles the chimpanzee will turn you into a cyborg. What more could you want? The pop legend later loaned his voice and resemblance to obscure rhythm game Space Channel 5. His role can’t be summed up better than this quote from creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi - ‘we initially had five aliens who danced. One of them became Michael Jackson.’
Burt F*cking Reynolds?! (Saints Row the Third) Though this list could in fact be comprised entirely of entries from Saints Row (see Keith David reprising his role as Julius Little AND voicing himself, both in the fourth game) honourable mention must go to Burt Reynolds, the no-nonsense mayor of Steelport who appears suddenly towards the end of the game, much to the protagonist’s delight. He can also be recruited as a companion, during which he will fight with his bare hands and - for what Volition ambiguously and ominously refers to as ‘legal reasons’ - cannot
Katy Perry (The Sims 3) Mention here goes specifically to Katy’s dedication to everyone’s favourite family torture simulator: the pop artist didn’t just lend her image and credibility to the utterly surreal Katy Perry’s Sweet Treats expansion, but in fact personally rerecorded several of her own songs in the game’s gibberish language, Simlish. Check out ‘Last Friday Night’ in the language of llamas and Simoleons on Youtube – better yet, check out the video of her recording it in the studio with a straight face. Truly priceless.
Mike Tyson (Punch Out!!) Taking first place for the game’s iconic status is the man; the myth; the pixelly legend. The SNES port saw you take on the renowned boxer as the final boss of the World Circuit, the last fight of the game. This climactic showdown pits tiny rising star Little Mac against a colossal sprite of the man himself. It’s a hard fight, but a big prize awaits at the end: the dazed and bewildered face backwards on the ring as Mario rushes in for the count.
Image Credit: Bethesda Press Kit
Image Credit: Flickr - Marlon E
32. science&technology
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Science Editors: Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer & Ciara Ritson-Courtney
On this day
Wake up and smell the STD
7th November 1867 Áine Wilcox sniffs out all of the problems with our sexual education system Put on your protective gear as Christopher Little lifts the lid on a radiant individual
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othing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.” Marie Curie’s proclamation that understanding prevails over the terrors of the world could not be more poignant given her life’s work. She made groundbreaking discoveries in the study of radiation, earned two Nobel Prizes, and saved countless lives. But her pioneering work with radioactive materials ultimately lead to her death in 1934. Born Maria Sklodowski in Warsaw, Poland on 7 November 1867, she was the youngest child of two poor schoolteachers. After leaving school and moving to Paris to pursue the education she craved, she registered at Sorbonne University under the name ‘Marie’. Though her health suffered as she struggled to pay for food and rent, she finished top of her class and earned a scholarship to continue her studies. Whilst seeking a laboratory space she was introduced to another brilliant physicist by the name of Pierre Curie, whom she married a year later.
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood”
Marie was fascinated by Professor Henri Becquerel’s discovery that uranium ore emitted invisible rays that could pass through solid matter and cause air to conduct electricity. She devised a way to measure these emissions and discovered similar behaviour in thorium. Referring to this process as radioactivity, her hypothesis, that these emissions were occurring at an atomic level, challenged the long-held belief that there was nothing smaller than an atom. When Marie found that the mineral Pitchblende was more radioactive than the Uranium it contained, she suspected that there were undiscovered radioactive elements held within. Along with Pierre, they set about the arduous task of separating the different elements. Using an iron rod as tall as her, Marie would stir a giant cauldron full of Pitchblende, acid, and water for long hours. Eventually, their gruelling work was rewarded with the discovery of two new elements. The first they named Polonium, after Marie’s home country. The second was Radium, named after the Latin word for rays. Whereas Polonium was 330 times more radioactive than Uranium, they found that Radium was several million times more.
“In 1903, Marie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize” In 1903, Marie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, when along with Pierre and Becquerel they received the award in physics for their respective work on radioactivity. The nominating committee had objected to the inclusion of a woman, but Pierre insisted that the original research was Marie’s. Their brilliant work together was sadly cut short when Pierre died after being knocked down by a horse and cart in 1906. It meant he did not get to see her become the only woman in history to win two Nobel Prizes, when in 1911 she received the award in chemistry for the discovery of polonium and radium. When World War I broke out, Marie served as Director of the Red Cross Radiological Service. She designed small, mobile X-ray units and travelled to the frontline to help diagnose injuries. After the war, she focused on the therapeutic possibilities of radiation therapy and helped transform the Radium Institute (now the Curie Institute) in to one of the leading medical, biological, and biophysical centres in the world. Marie Curie’s discovery that radiation could cure cancer paved the way for new treatments to be developed and was emblematic of her belief ‘that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries’.
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ex education is a strange topic, and the reactions you get are mixed. In typical British fashion, a stiff upper lip and a PowerPoint by a mildly embarrassed middle-aged teacher are the two main ingredients. My own, involved a session once a year in which we heard the horror stories of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy, before putting a condom on a banana, and awkwardly explaining to the boys in the class what a period was. Suffice to say it was a funny but brief session. You could argue that sex education in the UK is not needed to be changed because, quite simply, we have it. That alone i s
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a progression on many countries and even some states in the USA (and yes, of course I mean Texas), who don’t make it a requirement to teach any Sex Ed at all. In the UK education system,
According to the Kinsey scale, which describes sexuality, at least 10% of the population identifies as something other than heterosexual in their lifetime. Yet when you look at our education, rarely is anything discussed other than heterosexual sex. Now, if all students hear is “when a man and women…” then 10% of the class are left without any kind knowledge relevant to them. Thus there may well be some fundamental issues in the way we are educating our teenagers about sex.
“In typical British fashion, a stiff upper lip and a PowerPoint by a mildly embarrassed middle-aged teacher are the “Contributing a large quantity two main ingredients” Sex Ed is compulsory from the age of 11 on- of study to sex education may wards, and students are given an education on con- seem counterproductive. After traception. It could be further argued that there are more pressing areas that need to be focused on and all, shouldn’t kids be learning funded within our educational systems. For exam- all that trigonometry we use so ple, linguistics is not exactly top rate, and contribfrequently?” uting a large quantity of study to sex education may seem counterproductive. After all, shouldn’t kids be learning all that trigonometry we use so frequently? Yet, from what I gathered when discussing this topic with friends, some genuinely did receive a first rate education in this area. They received sessions that included talks on sexuality, contraceptive demonstrations, and a balance of science with real life situations. Not so shockingly they went to a private school. However, as one of the leading countries in both teen pregnancy and abortion we might need to take a second look. In fact, the majority of students are left under educated in key areas, such as their sexuality.
It was suggested in an article published by the British Medical Journal that having Sex Ed in mixed classes leads to embarrassment and often results in children acting out. Alongside this, peer pressure that comes with having sex by a certain age leaves a lot of students feeling like they can’t ask questions. So maybe, it is not necessarily the quality of our sexual education that needs to be changed, but perhaps its consistency. If every child was given the same first rate Sex Ed that some of my friends had, we as a nation would have a far better education in subjects surrounding sex and perhaps maybe a better tolerance too.
Matrix madness
James McCoull discusses the very scary possibility of living in a virtual reality
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e’ve all thought it, right? Whether it was the first time you saw The Matrix, idle thoughts getting the better of you during a week-long binge of The Sims, or even just seeing two people on the street that you swear look identical. That oh-so existential of questions has occurred to us all some time or another: what if none of this is real? At its roots, this thought seems to be nothing more than the old adage of ‘life is but a dream’ dressed up in new clothes. However, as technology has begun advancing faster than we can really process it, as individuals or as a civilization, the line between reality and fabrication becomes thinner and thinner every day. No longer can you write off the idea of a fully immersive simulation of the universe as something belonging to the realm of science fiction; VR tech and neural interfaces grow closer and closer to that benchmark every single year. If we can simulate a universe, there’s absolutely no way we can ever prove we’re not already in a simulation of a universe. And isn’t that maddening? Well, when you get right down to it, not really.
“If we can simulate a universe, there’s absolutely no way we can ever prove we’re not already in a simulation of a universe. And isn’t that maddening? Well, not really” The thing is, if this universe is the only thing we know, then what difference does it make? Is it that much more terrifying to imagine that our lives and joys and traumas are all scrolling lines of code in some cosmic supercomputer rather than, say, left to the whims of a cruel and capricious deity, or set against the blank backdrop of infinite meaninglessness? Honestly, at this point the suggestion that we’re living in a species-wide permanent cyberspace slumber is the best-case scenario. It beats the hell out of believing Donald Trump is a real-life presidential candidate, that David Bowie is actually gone from the world, or that Harambe died for
nothing. And if it’s all on a computer, that opens up the possibility of just resetting this part of the simulation! Eat shit, 2016!
“What’s outside the simulation, if this is one?”
Another question you might ask is ‘what’s outside the simulation, if this is one?’ Popular theories tend to include very human-centric imaginings. For example, the aforementioned supercomputer, or some humanoid alien race above ourselves simulating a version of their own world. We like to imagine things that we’re capable of getting our heads round. What if it’s nothing so pedestrian as that, but rather something we literally couldn’t comprehend? It’s flattering to imagine that our universe is, if a simulation at all, an infinitely complex one, but there’s really no reason to believe that. ‘Reality’ (to put a fairly redundant name to it, in the context of this article) could consist of more dimensions than we can perceive, more states of matter than the ones to which we’re accustomed, more modes of existence than life or death, and so on. Our universe is only complex from our point of view; it might be that we’re in an extraordinarily simple simulation inside a vastly more complex universe than this one. Or, shit, maybe it’s not. On the far end of the spectrum, maybe it’s the spiraling daydream of a Korean gamer, or a Sri Lankan accountant, or a Canadian butterfly-collector. Or anyone. Or no-one. The unknowability of the universe’s origins and nature isn’t just an old mystery, it’s the oldest mystery, and the idea of a simulation is just another means by which human arrogance has placed itself at the center of reality. The best move is to shrug your shoulders, have a sausage roll, and think about something else. God knows that’s all you can do.
The Courier
science&technology.33
November 7 October 2016
An egg-citing leap for reproductivemedicine
Amanda Jane Yap talks about the major scientific breakthrough in fertilisation, reproduction and the implications for the embryos and families
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know what you must be thinking, as in chicken eggs? The ones we eat for protein? Unfortunately, science has not gotten that far yet. However, these eggs may signify renewed hope for infertile women around the world. Scientists have now successfully created live mammalian eggs from scratch which can be used to produce healthy offspring. Although this experiment was tested using only mice, it is highly possible that similar methods can be used on humans. At Kyushu University, Professor Hayashi (together with a team of Japanese researchers) used stem cells from embryos and mature skin cells taken from the tips of mouse tails. The stem cells of mature cells were used to create pluripotent stem cells, which can transform into a multitude of different tissues. Both types of cells were exposed to specific cocktails of chemicals and biological signals to transform them into egg cells. These eggs cells were then surrounded by “gonadal somatic cells” (cells taken from the testis/ovary); it was a celebratory and crucial moment when the scientists discovered that these cells surrounded the early stage eggs spontaneously, supporting their growth and development.
“This is the first successful try at forming fully fertilised eggs in a laboratory, starting from the earliest stage of egg development”
However, an egg cell alone is not enough to create an embryo. It needs to be fertilised; in nature, this is done by a sperm cell. In this case, the eggs were fertilised using sperm from mice via IVF (i.e.
when the sperm penetrates the egg in a dish) to create embryos. Despite only 11 live births emerging from the 316 twocell embryos, the scientists were lauded for their successful efforts. Professor Richard Anderson from University of Edinburgh declared that this is the first successful try at forming fully fertilised eggs in a laboratory, starting from the earliest stage of egg development.
“Researchers have expressed their uncertainty in introducing this to the public as there are many factors yet to be understood”
Hence, technically, it is possible that we would not need an egg from a female to form a healthy baby. The embryos may be created using skin cells from a male; if tweaked correctly, the sperm can be injected inside the egg, creating an embryo. The resulting baby would not be made up of female DNA, but all male DNA, which is good news for the gay community! Besides countering infertility, successfully fertilising eggs in a laboratory could mean greater advances in regenerative medicine and could potentially help to avoid genetic deficiencies before birth. Scientists also say that this process could even help to bring back extinct animals! We cannot expect this process to be used on humans in the near future until all aspects of this delicate procedure have been fully understood. For example,
Wallets watch out
Ellis Charlesworth delves into digital currencies
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any of us are familiar with the name Bitcoin, even if most of us have likely never used them. Bitcoin was created in 2009 as the first decentralised digital currency and is now the most prevalent cryptocurrency in the world. Bitcoin transactions are recorded using a blockchain, which is a public ledger of the transactions. This is maintained by the networks running the bitcoin software. These networks store an independent copy of the blockchain and can validate transactions and broadcast their copy of the blockchain to other networks. Approximately every 10 minutes, a new group of accepted transactions called the block is added to the blockchain and published on all networks. In this way, the software can determine when an amount was spent, which prevents double spending. The blockchain is maintained by “Miners”, who keep it consistent and unalterable by collecting and verifying blocks. This requires enormous computing power as each of these blocks contains an encrypted form of the previous block which links the new block to the blockchain. Miners are then paid according to the amount of computational power and work they offer for the mining process and can also receive transaction fees from service users.
“What this does suggest is that hackers are becoming more interested in attacking blockchains and digital currencies”
More recently, there have been hacking attacks on cryptocurrency startups. These businesses operate in a similar manner to bitcoin as they also utilise
the blockchain system. There have been attempts on Krypton, a Florida-based company and another currency called Swift. Currently, the amounts being stolen are relatively small – the hacking of Krypton resulted in a loss of about $6,000 of the virtual currency. What this does suggest is that hackers are becoming more interested in attacking blockchains and digital currencies. This is particularly worrying given that central banks are investigating the use of blockchains, and Visa plans to roll out a blockchain payment service in 2017. Such services used by wider audiences, and likely handle greater values, could be very tempting targets. There are however defences available, and hacking requires enough processing power to subvert the blockchain. As a result, it’s entirely possible these attacks could be limited to new crypto currencies, with established models already having large numbers of server farms processing the blocks, and models from large companies being initially run in a permission based way which can limit the usefulne ss of the system but makes the system much more resilient to attack.
thecourieronline.co.uk/science
Mythbusters: Can staring at the sun make you blind? Errol Kerr gives an insight into how the sun actually affects our eyes
W h u m a n eggs cells take over 10 years to fully develop as they do not start to mature until after puberty. Furthermore, researchers have expressed their uncertainty in introducing it to the public as there are many factors yet to be understood. As these eggs have not been produced in a natural environment, the deliberate manipulations they have undertaken may have produced abnormalities. If this fertilised egg were to be placed in the womb without in-depth research, the baby may be born with severe health complications or may have to live with abnormalities for the rest of their life. The pups created in this experiment had a different genetic make-up when compared to other mice, despite all of them being healthy. The implications of this are yet to be fully understood.
“We cannot expect this process to be used on humans in the near future until all aspects of this delicate procedure have been fully understood”
Science has come a long way in helping mankind solve the most complicated health problems. However it comes with multiple trials, errors and failures, so before this great research can be fully utilised for humans we must be sure there are no long term complications.
Word of the Week: Crapulence Jordan Oloman explains this week’s weird word
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very student worth his salt will have serious bacchanalian tendencies. Drunken revelry is a given when you have to deal with due dates, reading lists, and £1 drinks before 12 at Digi Mondays. The thing is, I’d posit that your vocabulary doesn’t really match your instinct, so let me help you with that.
“Drunken revelry is a given when you have to deal with due dates, reading lists, and £1 drinks before 12 at Digi”
You know that awful treble hangover where your head feels like you’re inside the washing machine of an engineer who left all his tools in his dungarees? We now have a word for that. Or we did, all the way back when we were dorks and all spoke in Latin. They came up with the word ‘Crapula’, which is not a poop loving alternate universe vampire, but it means intoxication. We transformed it into English to make ‘Crapulence’, which means to be sick from your filthy gluttony, you fun-loving heathen. Thank me later.
hen I took this mythbuster on, I initially thought the best way to test this out was in a practical manner. That is, stare at the damned sun and see if I go blind. Fortunately for present me, past me forgot that I live in the North-East, and the likelihood of seeing the sun behind ominous grey clouds is incredibly slim. Therefore, I decided to do the next best thing: research. So, does staring into the sun cause blindness? Yes, yes it does, and honestly don’t do it. The sun emits waves (or photons) from across the electromagnetic spectrum, including ultraviolet radiation. When your eyes are exposed to a large amount of UV radiation, what happens is essentially a form of sunburn, but inside your eye. Your cornea and conjunctiva are the clear protective layers of the eye, and looking at the sun can cause a condition known as photokeratitis. This can cause pain, redness of the eye, tearing up, further sensitivity to bright lights, headaches, and to prove this myth right, vision loss. However, this blindness won’t be permanent. Photokeratitis is usually only temporary, but colour changes in your sight can occur due to this.
“What happens is essentially a form of sunburn, inside your eye”
To make things worse, excessive UV intake can cause other serious issues, such as growths on the eye (eww!), cataracts in the eyes (eww!), as well as increasing risk of eye cancers. Yeah, eye cancers. I have no idea how they treat that, but I’m guessing you mightn’t be able to keep your eye or eyes if this is the case. I can’t see eyes being the easiest things to operate on, or the most fun. I just generally hate stuff to do with messing around with eyes, so I’m kind of squeamish in this regard. You know the worst bit? It’s not just staring at the sun; any kind of UV radiation can cause this. Whether it’s reflection from sand, mirrors, snow and ice (snow-blindness is a thing), or deciding to not use eye protection in a tanning booth (now I think about it, perhaps I should have done that to test this out. I’d probably be a bit crispy by that point too, though…) that can cause photokeratitis. Oh, and whatever you do, you know how you’re not meant to stare at eclipses without those weirdas-hell sunglasses? Seriously, don’t try it without them. It’s like having a death wish for your ability to actually, you know, see things.
“You know the worst bit? It’s not just staring at the sun; any kind of UV radiation can cause this”
There are several ways to treat photokeratitis, involving taking painkillers, eyedrops, or even just placing a cold wet cloth over your eyes (whilst closed) in order to relieve the burning and redness. However, with threats of eye cancer and cataracts being possible, I’ll be honest with you, the best way to not get blinded by UV rays is just avoid them. It’s not that hard to *not* look at the Sun. Besides, we’re in Newcastle, for pity’s sake, there’s no such thing as direct su n light b e tween October and May!
The Courier
Monday 7 November 2016
Puzzles
puzzles.35
Puzzles Editor: Jack Oliver Parker
We’ve decided to mix things up a bit this week, with the return of some old classics. But fear not - the crossword shall return!
“I’m Roy Walker and I heartily endorse this event and/or product”
List Out Berry
Connectword Find the word that connects these three words.
_____
Completing this puzzles page will be less exciting than if we’d done a crossword, but hey, fuck you. Bring proof of your achievement to the Courier office, or don’t. As if we give a shit about you or what you do in your worthless spare time, you hollow vessel of parental disappointment.
36. sport
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston
LGBT+ Role Models A study by Out of the Fields, found that 84% of its participants had experienced or witnessed homophobia within sport. In response to this shocking statistic, our writers present some of the LGBT+ role models involved in sport.
Nicola Adams
Tom Daley
Daley at the 2012 Victory Parade Image: WikiMedia Commons
After starting diving at the tender age of 7, Tom Daley has had a multitude of successes in representing Great Britain on the world stage, including his most recent bronze medal at this year’s Olympic games. But just like many high-profile sportspeople, Tom Daley’s private life has frequently been a hot topic in the media, especially after he publically ‘came out’ by releasing a very personal YouTube video in December 2013 announcing that he was in a relationship with Dustin Lance Black, and that he had “never been happier.” Though Daley now lives with his fiancée, he has since commented that it was a tough decision to open up about his private life and unfortunately, it hasn’t necessarily been easy for him. Following his disappointment in the men’s 10m platform, Daley was the target of homophobic abuse that implied that his performance in the games was
In December 2009, Gareth Thomas publicly came out, becoming the first openly gay professional rugby player. He first started playing at his hometown club, Bridgend with another stint later in his career. He also enjoyed two spells at Cardiff Blues, as well as stints at Celtic Warriors and Toulouse. Achievements during his club career include captaining Bridgend to a Welsh Premier Division title in 2003, winning the Heineken Cup in 2005 and helping win the European Challenge Cup with the Blues in 2010. Thomas is probably more well-known for his successful international rugby union career. In fact, he was once the most capped Welsh international play-
er with 100 test match appearances. Whilst playing for Wales, he famously captained them to a Grand Slam in the Six Nations in 2005. Later that year he joined the British and Irish Lions team for 3 matches, captaining them in the latter two games. After coming out, Thomas switched codes from Union to League to play for Crusaders and, again, represented Wales internationally. However following a broken arm in July 2011, which caused him to miss the rest of the season, he announced his retirement from professional rugby in October 2011. Since then he has become a vocal supporter of the NSPCC and the telephone counselling service, ChildLine. He now
Clare Balding has become a household name, synonymous with presenting horse racing, The Olympics, The Paralympics, and almost every other sporting event in between. She has won the nation’s heart with her intelligent, likeable and down-to-Earth personality, prompting some to consider her one of a new generation of national treasures. Balding has worked in radio broadcasting since finishing at Cambridge University in 1994. Coming from a family steeped in horse racing history and, loving equestrianism herself, her enthusiasm for the sport secured her position as the face of horse racing at the BBC within a mere four years. Since then, she has reported at six Olympic Games, four Paralympics and Winter Olympics and three Commonwealth Games amid presenting at Rugby League games, Crufts, royal events and heading her own sports chat show. Her charisma and professionalism has been central to creating some of the best TV moments at the 2012 Games, such as the heart-warming interview with swimmer Chad Le Clos’ father after his son unexpectedly beat Michael Phelps to Gold in the men’s 200m. Clare Balding is be the embodiment
of an award-winning broadcaster, with an overwhelming number of accolades, such as (deep breath!) a BAFTA and a ‘Women in Film and Television’ award for her work at the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, two Royal Television Society awards, and an OBE for services to broadcasting and television, to name but a few. She is a remarkable example for women and the LGBT community in sport, overcoming the prejudices and discrimination often restraining such role models in a working environment dominated by heterosexual men. She acts as a patron for the charity Diversity Role Models, aiming to prevent homophobic bullying in schools and challenging stereotypes. Throughout her success on national television, Balding has had the support of her wife, Alice Arnold. Arnold, writing in the Guardian, said, ‘gay, female national treasures are quite rare, I think… we have a responsibility’. They strive to show that being gay is not something to fear and sexuality does not define an individual. They are a truly inspiring couple and I hope to see more idols like Clare Balding in sport in the future. Krisitan Rutenberg-Houchen
linked to his sexuality. Some went even further, with one Christian group even suggesting that his “turning gay” had directly impacted his athletic abilities in a negative way. Many came to the defence of Daley by denouncing the homophobic comments, including author J.K. Rowling. Other famous figures have also praised Daley, such as basketball player John Amaechi who named him as “an important role model for the LGBT community”, proved by his appearance at number three on the 2014 World Pride Power list. Homophobia is still a prominent issue in sport, but hopefully with role models like Tom Daley, more young people - whether they are involved with sport or not - will feel able to state their sexuality at whichever point in their career they feel ready without the fear of abuse over who they are. Emma Bancroft
Gareth Thomas
Record breaker, Olympic medallist and Britain’s most successful female boxer, Nicola Adams (MBE), makes it easy to think of reasons why she is a role model in sport. An icon of the 2012 Olympic games, Adams has continued to dominate in her sport ever since, and at the Rio Olympic Games she became the first British boxer in 92 years to defend their Olympic title. She was Britain’s poster girl, after becoming the first ever British female to win gold for boxing in the Olympics in 2012. She is now the first, and only, female boxer to have every major title available to her: Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth. Adams, who is bisexual, is an inspiration to sports people, women, children, the LGBT+ community and almost any Briton you ask. On top of all the firsts in her career and all the records she has smashed, Adams still makes time to work with charities to promote sport for women and children. In 2012 she was voted the most influential and in-
has an established a media career, having been a pundit for ITV during the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups. Ultimately, Thomas doesn’t believe that being gay should be an issue, stating when he publicly came out “I am a rugby player first and foremost” and that his sexuality was “irrelevant”. Indeed, despite breaking the taboo of sexuality and the brutal, masculine sport of rugby, his leadership skills, strength and passion should not be forgotten either. It is these qualities that make him both a great LGBT+ sports role model and one of the greatest rugby players in Wales’s rich history.
Clare Balding
Tom Shrimplin
Balding reporting from the poolside Image: Flickr
spirational LGBT+ role model in The Independent on Sunday Pink List- this being just one of the many accolades she has received for her contribution to sport and the LGBT+ community. Perhaps her greatest recognition was being granted an MBE and a place on the 2013 New Year’s Honours List. Proof of the impact she has had is all over Adams’ social media where she receives messages regularly telling her how her openness about her sexuality has helped them come out and be comfortable in their own skin. She advises young LGBT+ sportspeople to not let anything stop them and work hard to achieve their goals in their sport, just as she has done in her career. Adams has made sure she is first and foremost considered an athlete, and her sexuality just a part of who she is. Her positive attitude, determination and resilience can be recognised by everyone, and this is what makes her an exceptional LGBT+ sports role model. Josie Baugh
Nicola Adams beats China’s Cancan Ren to book her place in the final at London 2012 Image: Flickr
Ian Thorpe A multiple Olympic and World Championship Gold medal winner, Ian Thorpe is arguably one of the most successful swimmers of all time and is also a key ambassador for his sport. During his professional swimming career he has won 9 Olympic medals, 16 World Championship medals and 11 medals at the Commonwealth Games. Across all his professional competitions he has won a staggering 37 Gold medals and has set 13 individual long course world records throughout his career. In 2001 he became the first person to win six gold medals at a single world championship, which helped Australia to top the medal table at a global event for the first time since 1956. In 2000, Thorpe won Young Australian of the Year, and in 2001 he was awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to sport. He has also been named Swimming World ‘Swimmer of the Year’ three times. More recently, he has also received much recognition for his charitable work with children and Indigenous peoples, including a Human Rights Medal and two honorary Doctor of Letters. Growing up, it didn’t seem likely that Ian Thorpe would ever progress to become an International swimming
champion. As a child he suffered from a chlorine allergy so didn’t begin competing until the age of 7, and he would often swim with his head above the surface, to minimise contact with the chlorine. However, with a lot of perseverance he eventually overcame the allergy and quickly excelled. During an interview with Michael Parkinson in 2014, Thorpe came out as gay. After several years of denying his sexuality, he stated that he was finally “comfortable saying I’m a gay man”. He went on to say “I hope this makes it easier for others now, and even if you’ve held it in for years, it feels easier to get it out”. The interview, which Parkinson has since described as one of the best he has ever conducted, and Thorpe’s comments have resonated with many people worldwide who recognise him as a role model and ambassador for LGBT representation in sport. For many young people, he is seen as a figure of respect and admiration. He has battled his own demons, but has shown that it is possible to overcome such things. His achievements in swimming and as a philanthropist are a reflection of the amazing person and role model he is. Ellen Clifton
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Monday 7 November 2016
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Sailing’s season begins with a boom
Sports Editor, Lucy Brogden, spoke to Sailing captain, Freya Macdonald, about their latest competitive performances Last weekend, 12 members of Newcastle’s Sailing and Yachting club embarked on the two and a half hour journey to Scotland to compete in the fourth annual Glasgow Grouse team racing sailing competition. The event, hosted by Glasgow University, and held at Bardowie Loch, was the club’s first competition of the year. 21 teams from across the country gathered to compete, with Newcastle sending both their first and second team to represent the Toon against such stiff competition. In team racing, each team has three boats in a single event, and two teams compete directly against each other. This means there are six boats in the water at any one time. Boats are made up of two crewmembers, and each boat is given a score for their performance. The objective is to navigate the Sshaped course in the quickest time. The boat that crosses the line first gets the fewest points, and the one that crosses last gets the most. The points from all three boats are added together to give an overall score, and the team with the fewest points is declared the winner. The race begins when teams are given three minutes to cross the start line. They must use this time to ready themselves, ensuring they cross the start line as the three minutes ends, and not before. This is the boat’s responsibility, so timing is crucial, as crossing the line late would mean that the boat starts at a disadvantage, but crossing early results in
an infraction. Unfortunately, on Saturday, there was no wind, which meant that there was no racing. Instead, the competition actually began at 11 on the Sunday, when the wind picked up, and concluded at 5pm. Teams were randomly allocated into groups, with the top two qualifying teams in each group making it through to the next round. In a full weekend of racing, teams usually get chance to race against everyone in their group, but with the conditions this wasn’t possible, and qualification races concluded at 3.30 with the teams going through being decided on by their percentage of wins.
Draycote Water in Warwickshire to compete in the annual BUCS fleet racing championship. At the end of the month, they are hosting their own competition with Durham at Derwent
water, with Universities from all across the North of the UK travelling to compete. Qualifications for BUCS team racing championships are held in February, where the club hope to make
it through to Finals, which are held in the Easter break. We wish them the best of luck for the year ahead, and look forward to keeping up with how they continue to progress.
“Both competing Newcastle teams put in a stellar performance”
Both competing Newcastle teams put in a stellar performance, making it through the group stage, into the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, this was the end of the road for the Toon, as both teams lost out to strong Scottish sides, with Edinburgh A beating Newcastle A, and Edinburgh Import taking the victory over Newcastle B. All in all, it was a strong first performance of the season for the club, and something to build on for the rest of the year. This weekend, Newcastle sent two teams and two solo competitors to
Newcastle’s Will Hawkins and Vicky Gomm narrowly avoid getting hit by the boom Image: Image: Leanne Fischler at Fischler Photography
38. sport
Monday 7 November 2016
The Courier
Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston
Shrimpers Samples: Irish Dancing Our Sports Editor Tom Shrimplin on trying out the quirky and traditional dance from the Emerald Isle
By Sophie Matthews AU Officer Hey guys, I hope you’re all settling in to Newcastle University if you’re new here and if you’re a returner, I hope you’ve slipped back in to the swing of things smoothly! Things are going fantastically in the AU so far and it looks like we’re in for an absolutely cracking year. We have loads of events coming up and more teams than ever before, so it really is looking good. Clash of the Titans, the annual rugby match between Team Newcastle and Team Northumbria, was a great way to kick off the year. The first BUCS Wednesday of October definitely followed in the winning spirit, with team Newcastle winning a massive amount of fixtures and reaping in the BUCS points. Some notable performances came from football, badminton, table tennis, volleyball and golf, with the entire squad of men and women winning all of their matches. The wins have been rolling in over the past weeks at home and away matches, so to all the AU team members out there, keep up the good work and keep enjoying yourselves!
Keep up the good work and keep enjoying yourselves ” I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy these past few weeks with a lot of planning for the upcoming events in the AU. This includes the AU Ball for next yearbut I’m not going to give anything away just yet. I’ve also been making progress with Stan Calvert plans which I hope you’re all excited about. Next week it is national #ThisGirlCan week, and the AU is getting involved. Events going on to promote the event include an Ultimate Frisbee match between Team Newcastle and Team Northumbria. I am also coming to film some of teams in action on Wednesday and put this on the Union screens to show off Team Newcastle girls and that #ThisGirlCan! So, this week make sure you’re on twitter using the hashtag #NewcastleThisGirlCan to show off what you’re doing! Newcastle Girls Can is a campaign running in March so, look out for that! If you are a club member looking for promotion, you can take over the Students’ Union snapchat for the day ! Triathlon will be taking over on Sunday the 20th of November, so look out as they will be in Bath repping Team Newcastle. Another success has come from Squash at their BUCS premiership weekend President of Squash Club, Ryan Doran, commented “After losing to a very strong Nottingham side on Saturday morning, we rallied to beat Manchester in a fantastic win on Saturday afternoon. Jack Hunter played the squash of his life and Mike Mackay put an absolute shift in to win the decider. On Sunday morning the team played Loughborough who looked impressive on Saturday, but again Jack put in an incredible effort to go one up for the team. Chris Wiggins played an outstanding match to beat a classy opponent, whilst Mackay came through to clinch the match for Newcastle”. Fantastic effort from the team! I hope you’re all enjoying Uni and remember if you ever need anything (sport related or not) feel free to pop by my desk on the first floor of the Students’ Union for a brew and a chat. Good luck to all teams competing this week, smash it!
By Tom Shrimplin at the SU After trying out Sepak Takraw a couple weeks ago it was time to put back on my dancing shoes or rather dancing socks for some Irish Dancing. After a small technical hitch with the projector (because we all know that technology can be a bit temperamental at times) it was straight onto practice. As a couple weeks have passed since the start of the year, my fellow beginners already knew the basics so that put me a bit behind. Nevertheless I actually managed to pick up the spirit of not the skill of it all quite quickly. Our teacher for the day was also very kind and helpful, often going back to steps when needed. The first routine involved a couple of kicks, points and turns as well as stepping in a number of directions to
eventually get back where we started. Similar to Salsa Dancing, you moved in either 3 or 7 step patterns. First we did this with our right leg, then our left and finally put them together. Going right then left proved to be quite confusing, as you tried not to tie your legs together. However as we kept repeating it I started to get the hang of it, even keeping on time somewhat to what were some very fast, traditional Irish tunes. The technique was to keep on your tiptoes to easily move around. The second routine proved to be a lot more difficult. Especially a sort of gallop type step that was very tricky to do and that I never quite mastered. Although I did manage to be able to do a sideways jump type move quite After practicing this routine for a while, we then tried the first routine again for the last few minutes. Overall, it was a really fun hour session with a really pleasant atmosphere
in which to learn something new. The only thing that was slightly stressful was trying not to lose your balance as you have to kept your arms still in Irish Dancing. Thankfully I didn’t manage
pool 1sts in an uncomfortably tight (65) match, where George Perry showed off his skills and layouts. The rematch with Durham was the most fun and intense game of the whole tournament.
with his unbreakable force. Lottie frequently lost her defender, making score after score despite being marked by a 7ft Liverpool behemoth. Patsy was a saviour in the handler line, always fooling her mark with great handler movement and creating flow with beautiful up line throws. Rina showed her quality with massive layouts that were integral to our success, while Sam showed every defensive player up in the endzone with huge grabs and unpenetrable positioning in the wall. Finally Will left no position un-played as he showed off his precise throws, awesome speed and clever endzone cuts to score many goals. We loved every moment, and look forward to the season ahead. Newcastle 3: 3s started their tournament with a bit of an uphill struggle; Liverpool 1s and Manchester 1s (tournament winners) were always going to be tough matches for our yet-ungelled team. However, thanks to some spectacular defenfing, solid cuts from Anna and Lottie’s calm, collected handling we managed to avoid a pasting and finished both matches 8-2 down. Our main focus now was to stay calm, against Manchester 2s and then Durham 3s. The highlight of the day was beating Liverpool 3rdss 7-2 where the whole team delivered an excellent, spirited performance. Sunday started with a comfortable game against Liverpool 2s, with Tom developing his aerial grabs and Benji disco sliding his way through the end-zone. Manchester 2s proved too strong for us once again, but we
gave them a much better fight than the previous day. The weekend ended with a bang, allowing us to show how we developed individually and as a team. Against Lancaster 2nds we showed that overheads do win matches; with a hammer from Jellow to Ed, then Sid sending a smooth hammer to Jellow in the end-zone. Newcastle 4: The 4’s had a great weekend, despite remaining at the bottom of the standings. Highlights for our team include beating Liverpool 2 and scoring a point against Durham 1’s; an achievement that got more applause than them actually winning the game! Every member of our team had at least one moment of brilliance and we gelled excellently as a team.
Lacrosse M1 v Bangor 1sts M2 v Durham 3rds W1 v Nottingham 1sts W2 v Leeds Beckett 1sts W3 v Leeds 2nds
W*-W 4-4 1-21 9-3 10-16
Squash M2 v Manchester 2nds M3 v Durham 4ths M4 v Sheffield 4ths W1 v Leeds 1sts W2 v Bradford 1sts
4-1 3-0 0-3 1-3 4-0
Netball 1 v Liverpool 1sts 2 v Leeds Beckett 2nds 3 v Northumbria 3rds 4 v Durham 4ths
32-39 44-53 29-29 34-31
Table Tennis M1 v Northumbria 1sts M2 v Sheffield Hallam 2nds W2 v W3
12-5 15-2 4-1
Rugby M1 v Loughborough 2nds M2 v Durham 4ths M3 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts M4 v York 2nds W1 v Leeds Beckett 1sts W2 v Northumbria 2nds
33-10 22-17 21-22 17-0 49-40 15-15
Tennis M1 v Leeds 1sts M2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts W1 v Manchester 1sts W2 v Durham 3rds
8-4 0-12 6-6 0-12
Volleyball M v Lancaster 1sts W v Heriot Watt 1sts
3-0 3-0
“Overall, it was a really fun hour session with a really pleasant atmosphere in which to learn something new” to embarrass myself to much by falling over or clattering into someone. I did manage to kick myself in the shin once when jumping, but I didn’t fare to badly in the end. All in all, I’m actually pretty happy with my efforts. Who knows I might even be the next Micheal Flatley? Ah who am I kidding!
Look of the Irish: Shrimpers seems right at home Image: Tom Shrimplin
Ultimate fly high at mixed indoor regionals Ultimate Frisbee Newcastle 1
3rd
Newcastle 2
10th
Newcastle 3
11th
Newcastle 4
16th
By Pies Captains: I. Mladjenovic & D. Marquez Lopez; F. Davies; J. Westerman & C. Platten; J. Archer & R. Cross at UCLAN, Preston Newcastle 1: Saturday started strong as we dominated in the pool stages to get through to the power pool stages. This involved first playing Lancaster 1sts who simply couldn’t match our speed and agility on offense. Then we played Durham 1sts in a highly anticipated match, who demonstrated thier pedigree as last year’s mixed champions. A tight game saw both sides trading to 5–5, both utilising unforced errors. Unfortunately, Durham just managed to pull ahead to 6-5 lead, resulting in bitter defeat. In the last game against UCLan, twe dominated the first half of the game with some bold hammers, bringing their lead up to 9-2. After finally kicking into gear we brought the game back to 9–8, but before we could snatch the 2nd seed title the buzzer went. A frustrating game, but a big learning experience for everyone. Sunday’s action kicked off with the Pies taking on Liver-
Badminton M1 v Durham 2nds M2 v Leeds Beckett 2nds W1 v Durham 1sts
7-1 6-2 5-3
Basketball M1 v Worcester 1sts M2 v York 1sts W1 v Durham 1sts W2 v Hull 1sts
83-88 65-67 55-102 42-54
Fencing M2 v Durham 2nds M3 v Durham 3rds W2 v Keele 1sts W3 v Liverpool 1sts
89-135 71-135 90-135 46-135
“Durham took the first goal, but the Pies were clinical and pulled ahead to 4-1”
Durham took the first goal, but the Pies were clinical and pulled ahead to 4-1. However, after a quick time-out Durham came back stronger, taking back the game to 5–5 before the whistle blew, and we went to universe point. Exhausted but determined, we were able to bring the disc to the last third of the pitch to Beth Crisp. One fake, one cut and Beth flew past her woman down the open side to receive the game winning point. A good, final game against UCLan ended our day. Newcastle 2: The 2s had a great weekend and really bonded as a team! We had ups and downs- from coming very close to beating second place finishers UCLan 1sts, to chumping it against their second team early on Sunday morning. Alex played well in the ISO space, rinsing defenders to create huge spaces for the handlers. Brad was seemingly everywhere on the pitch, making gains with clever cuts and shutting his opponents down. Chris was the kingpin of the team, finding cutters with fantastic break throws and weakening morale Football M1 v UCLAN 1sts M2 v Sheffield 2nds W1 v Sheffield 1sts
3-0 4-1 2-1
Golf 1 v Leeds 2nds 2 v York 1sts
5-1 1.5-4.5
Hockey M1 v Birmingham 2nds M2 v Sheffield 2nds M3 v Durham 4ths M4 v Durham 5ths W1 v Nottingham Trent 1sts W2 v Leeds 2nds W3 v York 2nds W4 v Leeds 4ths
5-4 1-7 3-1 0-3 1-0 1-2 2-1 3-4
Rugby League 1 v Leeds 1sts 2 v Durham 1sts
28-26 22-23
Sending them into a spin: The Pies on the attack Image: James Sproston
Wednesday 2nd November Results
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Monday 7 November 2016
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Newcastle smash the table-toppers Men’s Table Tennis Newcastle 1sts
12
Northumbria 1sts
5
By James Sproston at the Sports Centre Newcastle’s elite table tennis side managed to overcome old rivals Northumbria to get points on the board for the first time this season. Going into the fixture, Northumbria looked the favourites on paper. They’d breezed past Lancaster and Liverpool to top the table, whilst Newcastle had lost against Sheffield in their only match of the season so far. Northumbria rocked up looking like they meant business. Though they were missing Anth Barella, the noisy neighbours had drafted in Lucas Senscheid, who plays semi-pro in the German Bundesliga. Although Newcastle won’t have to worry about him for Stan Calvert, he certainly posed the biggest threat for this fixture. The first round of games went as expected. Newcastle’s key man, Chun Yin Yu, eased past Adam Hardiman in three sets, whilst Senscheid beat Newcastle’s Tom Miller in similar fashion. Likewise, George Falcus, though not at his best, easily finished off Northumbria’s Blair Carmichael. Robin Francis faced the unknown quantity Mark Fodor, coach David Godbold’s replacement for Barella. Francis struggled to get into the game, falling 11-3 in the first and 11-7 in the second. Francis continued improving but was unable to take the advantage, losing 13-11 in the third. With the scores delicately poised at 2-2, the second round of fixtures gave both teams the opportunity to snatch an advantage. Chun Yin Yu once again wrapped up his match first, beating Carmichael in three sets. Falcus had more mixed fortunes in the second match. So far he’d relied on
his favoured style of playing on the back foot, relying on his excellent blocking to keep him in control. However, he needed to move up the table to keep him on top of Hardiman, demonstrating his technical ability with a backhand flick followed by a little drop shot. With Falcus having won in four sets, and Francis losing out to Senscheid, Miller stepped up to give Newcastle the advantage. The Liverpudlian put in a very competent display against Fodor to win in three sets and give Newcastle an overall 5-3 lead. After a laid back interval, the players were back in action for the third time. Despite some contentious calls, Yu swept Fodor aside in three sets, giving him plenty of time to prepare for Senscheid in the final round of matches. There was a sense of growing confidence in the Newcastle side, as Falcus, Francis and Miller all battled away against players that were favourites on paper. Miller dispatched Carmichael first, doing well not to lose heart after going one set down, followed by Francis, who sealed his first win of the day with a classy performance against Hardiman.
But it seemed that all the previous matches were merely the undercard for the top of the bill match-up between Senscheid and Chun Yin Yu. Senscheid started the better of the two, but the Frankfurt man got frustrated and gave Yu too many opportunities to take the advantage in the first set, as each mistake was met with sighs and groans from the Northumbria bench. However, the roles were reversed in the second set as Yu’s play was littered with errors. He had to adjust his favoured top-spin to a more forced fore-
hand to generate more power, but the shots weren’t coming off.
“Needless to say, Chun bounced back, winning the third set with a trademark smile” Needless to say, Chun bounced back, winning the third set with a trademark smile. Both seemed to hold their nerve in the fifth but Chun came out on top,
with a blocked winner and eleven-shot rally highlights in the fifth set. Chun Yin Yu’s 11-9 win in the fifth set gave Newcastle the impetus to go on and seal the 12-6 overall victory. It’s their first win of the season and potentially the start of a good run of form. The two sides will meet again in Stan Calvert, when Newcastle will face a side without Senscheid, but with Anth Barella.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH:
Chun Yin Yu
“There was a sense of growing confidence in the Newcastle side” Semi-pro Senscheid was supposed to brush aside Falcus, but the lad from Stafford stood firm. He pushed the German into five sets, only narrowly losing out 12-10 in the fifth. The momentum behind Newcastle was evident, with Falcus receiving rapturous applause from the Newcastle bench. With an 8-4 lead, Northumbria needed something special to overcome Newcastle. Unfortunately for the Poly players, they came up against lads brimming with confidence. Falcus battled away against Fodor, whilst Francis and Miller overcame Carmichael and Hardiman respectively.
Top-spinning: Newcastle battle hard agaisnt local rivals Image: Leana Tajkov
Late comeback gives Owls revenge Men’s Rugby League Newcastle 1sts
28
Leeds 1sts
26
By Bradley Cunningham at Heaton Two tries in the last 10 minutes secured a brilliant victory for the owls as they revenged the disappointing defeat from last week. Throughout the 80 minutes the game was evenly contested, with both sides looking strong. The first breakthrough came from the boys in blue, as work down the right saw Centre Aaron Levy feed Josh Catlett into the corner. A touchline conversion from Matt Hogg saw Newcastle take a 6-0 lead. Leeds cut the lead to two points after a cross field kick saw the team’s winger go over in the corner unhinged. Newcastle started to pick up momentum, and a break down the right saw half backs Hogg and Billie link up, with a kick from the latter putting Finlay Hutchinson over. Physicality from the men in the middle, noticeably Alec Levy and Ryan Major, brought the game to the Leeds pack. However, Newcastle’s inability to
keep hold of a strong lead looked like it was going to cost them. Strong runs from Leeds outside backs saw them break and go over, again cutting NURL’s lead to 2. Just before half time, a scramble form Newcastle, and interlink play between Jason Bass and Hogg, saw Sam Norris flop on the ball for the score. 16-10 at half time highlighted how well matched the two teams were, both physically and technically. Newcastle’s start to the second half did not go as planned and it seemed as though Leeds were in control of the match. From this Leeds started to take control of the scoreboard, scoring the first two tries of the second half taking it to 20-16.
was still ongoing and the physicality seemed to have taken everything out of both sides. A game changing moment came 10 minutes from the end as it looked as if Leeds had scored the match-winning try from a kick over the top. However the ref called no try and Newcastle were given a much-needed lifeline. From this Levy put in Josh Catlett who ran 30 meters down the right to score,
and give Newcastle some much needed second half points. Another touchline conversion from Hogg put Newcastle 4 points behind Leeds. The second lifeline came from Leeds knocking on after being gifted a set of 6 on Newcastle’s line. Newcastle’s resilience and hard work throughout the 80 paid off after Sam Norris worked his way into the corner, dodging the covering full backs attempted tackles. The
final touchline conversion from Hogg secured a 28-26 win for Newcastle. A truly incredible victory from the boys in blue and white who looked down and out for the majority of the second half.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH:
Matt Hogg
“The battle in the game was still ongoing and the physicality seemed to have taken everything out of both sides.” Newcastle at this point started to panic and the pressure looked to be taking its toll. Leeds snuck in another with 20 minutes to go to stretch their lead to 10 points, 26-16. The battle in the game
A dish best served cold: Leeds couldn’t hack the Newcastle climate Image: Bradley Cunningham
Sport
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LGBT+ ROLE MODELS, P.36
Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Twitter: @Courier_Sport | Instagram: thecouriersport
SAILING, P.37
BUCS MATCH REPORTS, P.39
Game faces: Newcastle Squash team made the most of their BUCS Premier debut Image: Ryan Doran
Newcastle Squash their opposition By Ryan Doran at The Northumberland Club Excitement had been building since February over Newcastle University Squash Club’s BUCS Premier debut, as the Northumberland Club played host to a weekend of incredible squash. On Saturday morning, the Newcastle boys were to take on Nottingham who finished 2nd overall in the BUCS competition last year. First on court was club president, Ryan Doran. Doran looked nervous in the 1st, but stayed with his opponent and narrowly lost the game 12-10. Nottingham remained strong through the second and third games to secure the first match. Next up was team captain Jack Hunter. Hunter put in a valiant performance against opponent, but unfortunately lost his match 3-0. Shortly afterwards Dave Daly, another key player in last season’s promotion campaign, became the third person to lose to a strong Nottingham team. Chris Wiggins, the team number 1, took to the court in what promised to be an entertaining battle. Wiggins played some exceptional squash and managed to take the second game off the Nottingham number 1, but unfortunately the visitor regrouped and managed to claim the victory. Last up was the elder-statesman of the club, Michael Mackay, who was up against it taking on a player whose highest world ranking was 151. Mackay started well, but his opponents experience was clear from the outset and he
took the match and concluded a 5-0 win for Nottingham. Saturday afternoon was to be the showdown between Newcastle and Manchester. Manchester had lost a few of their squad since last season, and so this was a real chance for Newcastle to secure a result.
“Mackay put in an incredible performance in a match which tested both players’ mettle”
First on court was Ryan Doran, but, in a dramatic blow to the Manchester team, Doran’s opponent went down with an injury in the first point and so conceded the match. Next up was Jack Hunter who looked determined to get a win for the team. The team captain and all-round club hero played some of the best squash of his life in a marathon battle of strength and endurance. Hunter finished his opponent with some beautiful drop shots to put Newcastle 2-0 in the match. Daly was next to take to the court, and it was obvious from the first few rallies that this was going to be another long tough match. Dave fought well, and it was anyone’s match by the 5th game, but the experience of the Manchester no 4 was the deciding factor and Dave eventually lost the 5th game to make the match 2-1 to Newcastle. Chris Wiggins took to the court, to play his opponent, an Indian international player. Wiggins again had a tough opponent, and both players played
some of the most precise squash of the weekend. The class of the Manchester number 1 was overwhelming however, and Wiggins eventually succumbed to his attacking squash. The crowd waited with baited breath as Mike Mackay went on for the decider with Luxembourg international Mark Radley. Mackay put in an incredible performance in a match which tested both players’ mettle, forcing them to cover all of the court in an enthralling test of endurance. The match could not have been tighter as the match went to the 5th game, but Mike did not disappoint and powered through to take the match with a convincing 11-4 win in the last. This was an excellent result for Newcastle, beating Manchester 3-2.
“Doran battled back however and took the third game, and looked strong at the start of the fourth”
On Sunday morning, Newcastle had their final match against a Loughborough side who had looked strong on the previous day. Jack Hunter was first on court on the second day. As always, Hunter’s dedication was admirable and played out of his skin against a very talented player to record a 3-1 victory. Second up and looking to continue Newcastle’s winning streak was Ryan Doran. Doran faced a tough battle and started slowly, losing the first two games. Doran battled back however and took
the third game, and looked strong at the start of the fourth. Once again however, experience proved to be a determining factor and Loughborough won the 4th game, taking the match to 1-1. On his final appearance for the weekend, Chris Wiggins took to the show court against Loughborough 1st seed Fergus Richards. Richards had looked impressive the day before, having some close games with the other 1st seeds. However, Wiggins was fired up for the match, and dominated Richards from the outset with some exquisite shots. Playing some of the most attacking squash of the weekend, and pushing his opponent around the court with some explosive volleys, Chris never looked in danger of losing, and in fact only dropped 2 points in the final game to take the match score to 2-1 in Newcastle’s favour. The penultimate match of the weekend was Dave Daly’s 4th seed match. Daly’s opponent had a huge height advantage, but Dave cruised through the first game, winning it in only a few moments. The second game started in a similar way, but Daly’s opponent used his reach advantage to get some outrageous pick-ups and level the score. In one of the weekends battles which could have gone either way, Dave and his opponent went to 5 games in an entertaining display of grit and determination. In the end, the visitor form Loughborough managed to grind out a win, and took the overall match score to 2-2. Once again, the balance of the match was in Mike Mackay’s hands. Mackay kept a level head and played a game
which was tactically faultless, and went one love up without breaking sweat. A tough opponent, the Loughborough player wasn’t going to go down without a fight and the second game was a blistering exchange of points.
“However, Wiggins was fired up for the match, and dominated Richards from the outset with some exquisite shots”
Mackay however took everything his opponent threw at him in his stride and won the second game, putting Newcastle only a few points from another premier league victory. The third game picked up where the second had left off, with both players exhibiting fantastic movement and shot choice. Mackay built a comfortable lead in the 3rd, and eventually took the match, giving an overall match score of 3-2 to Newcastle. A highly anticipated weekend in the squash club calendar, the squash that was played at the first BUCS Premier weekend far surpassed all expectation. Congratulations to everyone who played, win or lose you did Newcastle University proud. Thanks to everyone who came down to The Northumberland Club to show support for the squash club; achieiving 2nd in their BUCS Premier League debut. We look forward to the next Prem fixture, also at The Northumberland Club, on Wednesday 23rd November.