Courier 1360

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Monday 27 November 2017 Issue 1360 Free

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Beauty Breaking the mould with make-up Page 12

Arts 50 years on: MLK's legacy on Newcastle University Page 29

Comment Trump's failure to commit to protecting our planet discussed Page 8

The independent voice of Newcastle students

Est 1948

All dyslexic students' allowance reassessed House of Lords peers agree review is overdue Zoe Crowther On 13 November peers in the House of Lords discussed the reassessment of the provision of allowance for dyslexic students attending university. Lord Addington, president of the British Dyslexia Association, called for a review of the system as he claimed it discriminates against students with dyslexia.

According to the British Dyslexia Association, 10% of people in the UK are dyslexic, meaning the issue concerns a large proportion of the Newcastle University student body and students throughout the UK. Inequity is particularly marked by the costs incurred: in this academic year, Newcastle University students can typically access a full diagnostic assessment for dyslexia at £275, although this can vary according to the type of assessment.

The Student Wellbeing website states: “It is the student’s responsibility to pay any costs. However, there are subsidies available of up to £300, which are nonmeans tested and can be claimed following the assessment, regardless of the outcome."

This issue also affects students with other learning disabilities, as students with dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders are being similarly assessed. The House of Lords debate raised the importance of reassessment to ensure the fair distribution of finance and resources across all those with disadvantages.

A Newcastle University spokesperson explained how the institutation in particular can assisst these students: “Newcastle University offers students with specific learning difficulties a range of support throughout their studies. For example, specialist study skills tuition is available to students who have identified difficulties such as memory, processing, attention, organisation and time management typically associated with a specific learning difficulty.

"This support is tailored to meet individual learning needs with the aim of developing study strategies and skills

that will be of benefit not only for academic study but which may also be transferable to some work placement opportunities as well. In addition, all students with disabilities are considered for appropriate examination adjustments; extended library loans; access to quiet study spaces; and access to computers with assistive technologies.

"This is alongside support and guidance from a Student Wellbeing Adviser.

This support is arranged and funded directly by the University."

The consensus among peers was that a review of the system is overdue, in order to reduce disparities between disability assessments. In the mean time, the 2010 Equality Act ensures that students with specific learning disabilities are eligible for particular allowances, and Newcastle University provides options for both UK and international students.

“No one should be expected to apply for a Hardship Fund just so they can prove their disability is still valid" Zoë Godden, Students with Disabilities Officer

Reid speaks: NUSU President Ronnie Reid on the Students' Union's role in the prayer space saga p4

Zoë Godden, Students with Disabilities Officer at Newcastle University Students’ Union, said: “Dyslexic students should never be expected to pay such a high fee to be reassessed for a condition they have already been confirmed to have, especially when for many other disabilities, a doctor's letter is the only evidence needed.”

They further added: “It's important to note that Disabled Students Allowance does not offer monetary aid, but instead funds equipment, tutoring and other services that can help students, so if a dyslexic student is having to pay around £600 to be reassessed, the items they then would be eligible for via DSA may actually not be of equal value to their assessment cost.

"No one should be expected to apply for a Hardship Fund just so they can prove their disability is still valid.”

Students call for week off after exams

This Girl Can, and did

Discover our city's markets

Reviews of the week's This Girl Can action, with in depth reports and analysis News & Sport, page 5 & 35

From the Quayside to Jesmond, the delights of Newcastle's market scene are uncovered Lifestyle page 12

Volunteers not always a blessing

Alex Hendley Deputy Editor A survey questioning students over their interest in a January break after exams has closed, resulting in a significant majority in favour of the extra holiday.

The poll, proposed and distributed by Education Officer Rowan South, closed on Friday following 1023 votes, 62% of those in favour. With the survey now concluded, South, who was elected with the proposal as a key manifesto point, will be looking to use the results as a mandate to take to the university in January.

The result comes after months of communication with faculty deans and

University heads in order to gauge the interest and the viability of the proposal. Now with the backing of the student body and plans to submit a formal paper to the university on the matter in the new year, South will hope to get the change implemented before the end of the academic year.

Student surveys are rarely well responded to, but with over a thousand votes, the Education Officer is hopeful that it will prove to the university that the change is necessary. Speaking to the Courier, South said “It's great to see so many people voting on this idea; clearly there is a significant majority of students that agree with the proposal so I'm looking forward to bringing this to the university in January!”

Students currently complete their exams and assignments during the January exam period, before beginning the university’s second semester in early February.

Music to our ears?

Doctor Who's new shoes

The importance of movie soundtracks is put under the magnifying glass by Sophie Hicks Music, page 20

Jodie Whittaker's new look Doctor is adored by Whovians across the galaxy TV, page 23

1023

votes were cast in the Union's survey

This, in turn, throws up the possibility of sitting an exam on a Saturday and restarting lectures the following Monday – a potential inconvenience which South is keen to rectify in order to aid students’ mental recuperation following a commonly stressful period.

Full interview on page 10

Inside today >>>

Katy Prophet gets to the heart of 'mindful' tourism across the planet Travel, page 18

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

Editor James Sproston Deputy Editor Alex Hendley Online Editor Jared Moore Copy Editor Laura Staniforth Current Affairs Editor Sunil Nambiar News Editors Valentina Egorova, Hanson Jones, Louise Hall, Laura Higgins and Isabel Sykes Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken and Alexandra Sadler Life & Style Editor Izzi Watkins Lifestyle Editors Sophie Henderson, Jaymelouise Hudspith, Lauren Sneath and Victoria Young Fashion Editors Chloe Bland, Sophie Schneider and Zofia Zwieglinska Beauty Editors Laura Greatrex, Lois Johnston and Susanne Norris Travel Editors Charlotte Hill and Talia Gillin Culture Editors Zoë Godden and Errol Kerr Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland and Carys Thomas Music Editors Toby Bryant, Charlie Isaacs and Ally Wilson TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Joel Leaver and Alex Moore Film Editors Helena Buchanan, Daniel Haygarth and Christopher Wilkinson Gaming Editors Gerry Hart, Georgina Howlett and Richard Liddle Science Editors Jack Coles, Christopher Little and Ciara Ritson-Courtney Sports Editors Tom Shrimplin, Courtney Strait and Mark Sleightholm The Courier NUSU King’s Walk Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 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.

From the archives 26 YEARS AGO

Mens Bar renamed amid Lib-Lab feud Tim Farron’s time as president of the Students’ Union was nothing if not controversial. In the midst of a feud between the Labour and Lib Dem societies, a vandalised door and a proposal to rename Mens Bar created a perfect storm where the Courier’s letter page became a battleground of backstabbing and bitchiness.

As one of several Lib Dems in prominent positions in the Union, Farron could not escape the drama, as accusations and counter-accusations of vandalism, homophobia and corruption threatened to tear the Union in two.

Allegations that Labour Club members had broken down a door in the Union in order to print some last-minute election posters generated several weeks’ worth of angry letters to the Courier.

Meanwhile, the Union’s decision – believed to have been initiated by Lib Dem officers – to rebrand Mens Bar as the Stonewall Bar prompted a tense Student Council meeting where a homophobic crowd forced the name change to be reversed. Farron again attracted criticism, this time for appearing to laugh at some of the homophobic jokes.

40 YEARS AGO ‘Punk is here to stay’ So said “your friendly neighbourhood Anarchist” at the height of punk culture.

Long before he felt the need to explain his butter-buying habits, Johnny Rotten was a genuinely shocking figure. So much so that in their review of the Sex Pistol’s debut (and, as it turns out, only) album, the Anarchist felt that printing the Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols title “shattered your illusions about this paper being decent”. 40 years on and decency has evolved, but the Anarchist’s review, while not offering much in the way of musical analysis, demonstrates why the Sex Pistols were so important in 1977.

“Throughout the album young Johnny’s vocal chords are in fine form,” the reviewer continues, with an admiration for the band’s ability to make “great new songs” with so little skill.

“They could have faded from sight as one-hit wonders but no one would have ever forgotten the Sex Pistols. Step aside Jagger, Rotten and his rabble are on their way to Rock ‘n’ Roll heaven, and punk is here to stay whether your Mum likes it or not!”

61 YEARS AGO

Fighting on the streets of Budapest

The usual debates around NUS disaffiliation or what to name bars in the Union were put on hold as Newcastle students took on a more global perspective.

The Suez crisis had already divided campus, with fights breaking out during an anti-war protest in the city, before student protests in Hungary grew into a full-blown revolution, electrifying the student population of Newcastle.

George Odling-Smee organised a swift fund-raiser in support of the Hungarian students. “One would expect a collection coming so soon after Rag Week to be a complete failure,” Odling-Smee wrote in the Courier, but he exceeded his expectations and raised £72 – nearly £2000 in today’s money.

Odling-Smee, in cooperation with students from other British universities, was also keen to organise an expedition to Hungary to fight alongside the students there, although was unable to provide any firm plan of action for this.

Monday 27 November 2017

CROSS-CAMPUS NEWS

Bath VC survives no-confidence vote

Glynis Breakwell will remain as the vice-chancellor of Bath University after a no-confidence vote in the University’s senate went in her favour.

Breakwell has faced calls to resign after it was revealed that, on £468,000 a year, she is the UK’s highest-paid vicechancellor. The University’s secretive decision-making processes have also come in for criticism, with Breakwell herself part of the committee that decided to raise her own salary. She also stands accused of obstructing investigations into the matter.

19 senators voted in support of Breakwell in the secret ballot, compared to 16 against and two abstentions. The vote followed an emergency meeting of over 300 members of University staff that unanimously called for her resignation.

Manchester united in boycotting buses

Students voting to keep the Mens Bar name, in the nowdemolished Debating Chamber Image: Paul Seddon

Students in Manchester have launched a campaign to boycott First buses to support striking bus drivers.

University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University students have united to encourage students to avoid using First buses. 96% of First drivers voted to take industrial action after they discovered they were paid less than colleagues doing the same job in other locations in the city.

As well as boycotting the buses, students are encouraged to join the strikers on the picket line, with strikes taking place every Monday in November and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday during December.

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@TheCourier_News courier.news@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/news Current Affairs Editor Sunil Nambiar News Editors Valentina Egorova, Hanson Jones, Louise Hall, Laura Higgins & Isabel Sykes

Former PM Gordon Brown visits Newcastle Scott Houghton Last Friday, the 17th of November, the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited Newcastle University to promote his new book My Life, Our Times. With all proceeds from the book going to charity.

Gordon Brown was Chancellor of The Exchequer from 1997 to 2007 and Prime Minister from 2007 until 2010 for the Labour Party. Under what commonly became known as ‘New Labour’ where the party moved away from traditional Labour statism and towards a more liberalisation economic philosophy.

The central theme of his address was the issue of social justice, and his book intertwines his own personal life and struggles whilst mixing this with issues in global politics As Chancellor, Brown was one of the longest serving and arguably one of the best chancellors in UK history, instituting a minimum wage and tax credits.

After becoming Prime Minister in 2006 Brown saved the UK economy, alongside the new Chancellor Alastair Darling, during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression by bailing out failed UK banks, such as Newcastle’s Northern Rock – which then pushed other international leaders to do the same such as Barack Obama’s bailing out of Lehman Brothers and JP Morgan in the United States.

This was before losing out to the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats at the 2010 election, leading to the coalition government which lasted until

2015.

During his speech at the Herschel Auditorium last Friday, Gordon Brown, joined by local Labour MP for Newcastle East and lifelong friend, Nick Brown, began his speech with anecdotes from his early years before moving into his time in opposition and then his time in government under New Labour beginning in 1997.

The central theme of his address was the issue of social justice, and his book intertwines his own personal life and struggles whilst mixing this with issues in global politics and where we find ourselves in the world today, a world partly reeling from the global financial crash of 2007 – 2008 and its discontents, which he can partly gain credit for stopping its worst effects by intervening and bailing out the banks.

Another central tenet of Gordon Brown’s speech was how to achieve social justice during an era of globalisation.

One question from an attendee, was how we can tax corporations without leading to investment leaving the UK, with Brown replying that co-operation was key in coordinating efforts to clamp down tax avoidance. In fact, along with social justice, co-operation was key to Brown’s speech.

With regards to Brexit when asked about Brexit and referendums Brown criticised not referendums per se but criticised the way that they’re fought, saying “[Brexit] was all negative. It was all about are you going to be more afraid of losing your job or of immigration and people coming into the country?” and insisting that positivity is essential in any political campaign whether during a general election or a referendum, and that our message should have been that “we are an open outward looking country who believes in co-operation.”

When an audience member asked Brown “what was the hardest part of being Prime Minister?”, Brown quickly replied “being Prime Minister.” Afterwards university and non-university students alike met him for a book signing and to take photos.

Gordon Brown at the Annual Meeting 2008 of the World Economic Forum Image: Andy Mettler

“Let’s remember to look forward not just back” Jordan Davidson Political nostalgia seems to be rearing its head a lot of late, with many lauding over the days of liberal leadership in an

We got a sense of reminiscence with little constructive discussion increasingly right-wing leaning west.

Some figures have chosen to take advantage of this fact, with Tony Blair choosing to emerge from obscurity to complain about the state of the Labour party leadership under Corbyn and even old school right-winger, and former US President, George Bush Jr found himself resurrected in the form

of US chat show appearances; suddenly the darling of everyone who longs for the days before Donald Trump and austerity riddled Britain.

But one figure I never thought I’d see again is Gordon Brown.

The former Prime Minister’s legacy is mixed to put it kindly, but his talk at Newcastle University aimed to somewhat set the record straight about his term at No. 10 and promote his new book at the same time…

As a speaker he isn’t half bad, entertaining anecdotes and interesting snippets of life behind the scenes at parliament, of which Mr Brown has many, are always worth turning up for.

And rightfully so, serving as chancellor for an inordinate amount of time before his stint as PM, he racked up an impressive history and many laudable achievements along the way including his efforts at domestic reform.

Ultimately though, the topic of the

2010 election emerged and the inevitable justifications followed for the unrecovered losses.

Few acknowledgements of past errors are offered, or failings of the party admitted, instead we got a sense of reminiscence with little constructive discussion.

Some interesting recent trends were highlighted however, including his opinions on the popularity of Trump in the US and the need to address offshore banking, which he made very clear was an issue his party raised to deaf ears during his tenure.

The future of British politics however lies in, you guessed it, the future.

The older powerhouses of the UK’s political system hold the keys to great knowledge and experience that we as a country should draw from, but let’s remember to keep them at arm’s length and remember to look forward not just back.

Barack Obama and Gordon Brown Image:Flickr

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Monday 27 November 2017

NUSU’s president on faith space controversy Deputy Editor Alex Hendley speaks to NUSU President Ronnie Reid about the Union’s prayer space decisions Can you give us an overview of what’s happened since I last spoke to you, when the prayer space had just had its opening hours reduced?

I think we can close the loop on the previous decision made. The situation is now, that the prayer space will be open to encompass all of the daily prayers, all week. Prior to this change, the space had very limited opening hours, so it is now open for all five of the daily prayers.

So how closely has this change taken it back to what it was previously?

Previously it was total, 24-hour access. It’s not quite that now, but in the request in the Student Council motion that went through on 16 November, the request was that the opening hours must encompass the five daily prayers.

The University has now met that request, and the Students’ Union has been very positive as we supported ISoc [Newcastle University Islamic Society] on that request, on that specific issue in Council.

When the opening hours of the prayer space first got reduced, were you taking that same opinion/stance then?

When it first got changed, our arguments were primarily focused around weekend access. We felt that students do not keep a normal five day working week, students are here on Saturdays and Sundays – there is that necessity to pray – so we said that was unacceptable and supported the Islamic campus community on having access on weekends.

I wrote to John Hogan [Newcastle University Registrar] and we had negotiations and conversations and eventually we worked with the Islamic Society, and at the task and finish group las Friday it was decided that the university would open the prayer space to encompass the five prayers, seven days a week. So, it was changed from a restricted set of opening hours to a satisfactory set of opening hours.

There are still issues that need to be ironed out, especially in terms of the separate entrance for the brothers and

sisters to the space, due to the use of a fire door, which an issue which needs to be worked out by the task and finish group. However, the biggest issue that faced them was the opening hours, and we’ve got that sorted.

Do you think the university was wrong to have ever changed it in the first place? Is changing it back, or unrestricting the opening hours, almost an admittance that they were wrong?

I sympathise on the University on this: I sympathise with the fact that the space needed to be managed by the University itself, and previously it was managed by the Islamic Society. We think the University should manage its own space – from a legal liability perspective – that’s how the University should work. The University needed to work out the best possible way that they could manage a space used by a wide variety of people.

They decided that they couldn’t commit 24-hour access to a universityowned space, as they would then have to staff that space. To staff a space like that would be incredibly expensive and they needed to evaluate how this would work in the future.

They made a decision in late September when everyone came back – and that decision was restricted access. The Islamic Society were clearly unhappy, and protested. The Students’ Union was very supportive of them on that and assisted in their communications with the University.

We all worked together to come to an end goal, which works for everyone.

That end goal, the final straw, was that Council motion which showed that the student body was behind the Islamic Society and their ambition to get that space back. That takes us onto the next issue, which is other faiths.

At the same Council I put forward a motion to lobby the University to create a multi-faith centre – built to the specs and demands of every faith, like the one they have in Preston for UCLAN. We want to do that because in 2015 Windsor Terrace was closed off, which was the old faith centre for many different

ISoc’s protest on 13 November Image: Qiushi Song groups of people. What we’re saying in 2017, the year of Freedom City 2017, whilst legacy projects are being considered, this morning I presented the first real vision of how legacy should be presented, with this multi-faith centre.

Next week a survey is opening for any student to take part, based on faith spaces and how they are run.

Using the survey, we will make a proposal and report in the new year, take that to the University and the Estate Capital Strategic Planning Committee – who decide what the next big construc-

tions are that they want to undertake, and try and get a link between Freedom City legacy and estates planning committee, and get it signed off as a priority for the next five or six years, then that would be a real success of the Union.

Back to ISoc more specifically – now the protests have stopped, would you call it cynical to say the University have gone back on their decision just to end them for the time being?

We need to closely look at the multifaith situation and I think that can only be solved with a purpose build multi-

faith centre.

As to the University changing its mind on the matter, which it did, I think it shows the power of the student voice. I think it shows the power of the Students’ Union to mediate the opinion of students and the University.

Also, it showed the passion and the ingenuity of many, many Muslim students to get out and protest, peacefully, for what they wanted.

I was astounded and pretty honoured to be a member of a student body that does that. I was incredibly impressed.

Learning to use the power of words Sophie Spence The university hosted Francesca Baker, creator of the blog ‘And So She Thinks’, this Thursday 16th November, for a workshop aimed at exploring the power of words to affect positive change in our mood and wellbeing.

“The biggest barrier to progress is our own inner critic and negative voice” Francesca Baker, ‘And So She Thinks’ creator

Ms Baker, who is involved in outreach for the wellbeing association Lapidus, advocates expressive writing as a cathartic process proven to have not only mental but also physical benefits.

The evidence for this is grounded in studies by the likes of James W. Pennebaker, eminent social psychologist and pioneer of writing therapy who discovered a positive correlation between the

process of writing and an improvement in the immune function of patients suffering from physical illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, asthma and arthritis.

To begin the workshop, Francesca addressed five key steps towards positive wellbeing: to keep learning, connect, take notice, be active, and to give.

On this premise, attendants were led through a series of activities designed to work towards these goals and the process of self-actualisation.

This included a visualisation technique for defusing unwanted negative thoughts, in which you envisage yourself as the driver of a ‘mind-bus’ and imagine your negative thoughts as passengers riding this bus with you. You then conceptualise a dialogue between driver and a passenger, the final outcome being that you have a concrete image of these different sides of yourself and understand how they might come into conflict.

Francesca revealed that it was her own experience with self-discovery and reflection that drew her towards wanting to share some of these techniques with others, after finding solace in writing during a tough time in her life: “I’ve always done loads of writing, and being in hospital for quite a long period I definitely found therapy in keeping a

journal […] I’d recommend people get themselves a journal and every evening write down what made them feel good, what challenged them, and what they hope for tomorrow.”

“I’d recommend people get themselves a journal and every evening write down what made them feel good” Francesca Baker, ‘And So She Thinks’ creator

Winter can be a trying time for all of us, both physically and emotionally, so what better opportunity to get the creative juices flowing? For those not feeling too imaginative, Francesca suggests that something as simple as putting pen to paper is a start: “The biggest barrier to progress is our own inner critic and negative voice, so the more you can just let words flow uncensored, the better.”

Those who would like to see more of Francesca’s work can visit her blog at www.andsoshethinks.co.uk.

Francesca Baker leading the workshop Image: Sophie Spence

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Monday 27 November 2017

Team Newcastle promotes This Girl Can Louise Hall News Editor Team Newcastle has hosted a number of free events this week in name of promoting the organisation This Girl Can across Newcastle University and the North East.

This Girl Can is a national campaign developed by Sport England to encourage and enable women in the UK to take part in different areas of sport more frequently while sending an empowering message to increase female confidence and overall desire for participation.

Their ultimate mission is to advance gender equality through and within sport.

Their ultimate mission is to advance gender equality through and within sport On their website This Girl Can define themselves as: ‘a celebration of active women who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.’

This year Newcastle University was highly involved in the campaign and collaborated with a large variety of sports societies at the university to offer several free sports events for Newcastle Students through the week from 20-26 of November. Memberships to the societies were not required to participate in any of the events.

A host of different events were on of-

fer throughout the week from familiar activities such as fun runs and football as well as some more unusual sports for students to try their hands at like Ultimate Frisbee and pole dancing.

Educational non-sporting events were also held to spread This Girl Can’s message and engage with women in sport at the university. FemSoc’s panel celebrating women in sport as part of their own Women in Sport campaign invited women from various sporting societies across the university to discuss their experiences in sport at university level.

Clara Pettitt, the Students’ Union AU Officer, gave her views on the week: “This Girl Can is a national campaign aimed at empowering women in sport.

This year Newcastle University have been an active partner in the campaign and it has been incredibly inspiring to see so many individuals getting involved in the week.

“Working closely with Liam Isaac and the university on this, we were able to host many sessions open to all students.

Many students took part in events that they haven’t previously before and it is for this reason why the campaign is so powerful.

“As well as inspiring women to take part in sport, it has been thoroughly enjoyable to highlight the achievements of what ‘This Girl Did’ and empower the women already taking part in sport. Throughout the week many female teams took part in BUCS events across the country with some remarkable achievements.

“I am so pleased to see so many people engaged in this week and I hope it has a strong legacy for the future.” reflection on page 35

Badminton was one of many sports on offer in a packed This Girl Can Week programme Image: Newcastle University Badminton Club

SHAG week on the up Student loans frauds revealed Isabel Sykes News Editor

The 13th to the 17th of November was Sexual Health and Guidance week at Newcastle. A range of events offering information to students and raising money for sexual health organisations and charities took place on and off campus during the week.

The week saw bake sales outside the SU, information stalls, discussions on sexual consent, and various other activities aimed at raising awareness for and offering guidance on sexual health topics.

One highlight of SHAG week was the STI testing Cube, stationed in the SU from Monday to Friday 11am-3pm.

This is an annual event for SHAG week and has proved particularly successful this year.

The concept is that clubs and societies encourage as many of their members as possible to take part in STI tests con-

ducted by representatives from the New Croft Centre. The group with the most members tested wins a prize of £200 for their club or society, with £100 available for second place.

“I am positive about the student engagement of this week due to huge increase in students being tested” Sarah Craggs, Welfare and Equality Officer

Cheerleading came first in the competition, testing the most members throughout the week and winning the £200 prize.

The water polo society came in second place, and other runner up societies included trampolining, NUAFC, and dance. Overall, 59 clubs and societies

took part throughout the week. A total of 509 STI tests were conducted, beating last year’s figure of 267.

Welfare and Equality Officer Sarah Craggs said: “I am positive about the student engagement of this week due to the huge increase in students being tested.” Going forward, she said: “We are looking into New Croft coming into campus regularly to offer STI tests.”

Another highlight of SHAG week was the Night of Controversy on Friday the 17th. In collaboration with RAG, the evening featured a ‘scandalous’ dress code, team games, and a bachelor/bachelorette ‘auction’.

The event was conducted to raise money for the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity providing services relating to HIV and sexual health across the UK. The event was a hit with students and, reflecting on the week, Sarah Craggs confirms its success: “SHAG all went to plan, and our Night of controversy event, joint with RAG raised £211 for Terrance Higgins Trust.”

Deborah Akun

Following a thorough investigation, the BBC’s Panorama has revealed that several students and education agents had commited fraud in the Student Finance System.

Through the student loan system, the government provides about £400m every year to 112 private colleges.

BBC’s Panorama has exposed, after ten-months long investigations, some “dishonest” education agents’ actions.

They were illegally targeting private colleges, which are known to be offering courses eligible for student loans, in order to get admission for students, who would then apply for loans.

“One education agent was secretly filmed offering to get bongus students admitted into a government-approved private college for a £200 fee”, Panorama stated.

“These are horrible people who are exploiting our education system.

The student finance is ultimately broken” Shakira Martin, NUS President

The Night of Controversy was hosted by the RAG Society Image: Flo Black

The intention of these agents is to get the students admitted into a course, help them claim for a student loan and then take an equivalent of £1500 from

their first instalment. For this amount students were told not to worry about assignments, course work or attendance.

The agents were filmed providing false documents and qualifications, in order to get students admitted into a course of study.

Panorama used some undercover students to expose Imran Saeed Sheikh, a fraudulent agent from east London who claimed he could get the BBC’s undercover students into a Higher National Diploma (HND) business course, at Grafton College in central London.

The man claimed he would take care of everything once the students got admission and would only need to take £1500 from their first loan instalment.

Imran Saeed Sheikh would then use this money to fake attendance for the students and to provide someone to complete their course work for the academic year.

For an additional £600 Imran Saeed Sheikh provided fake qualifications for Panorama’s undercover students, who claimed to have left school at the age of 16.

The man and his assistant then provided an equivalent to A-levels false certificate, which was essential in order to get the students admitted into a private college.

The agent revealed that he has a relationship with the college and is able to “make the system work from the inside”.

“These are horrible people who are exploiting our education system,” said NUS President Shakira Martin.

“The student finance system is ultimately broken.”

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Monday November 27 2017

Reduce, Reuse, Re-style: charity through fashion Hannah Vernon Newcastle University Fashion Society has teamed up with NUSU Go Volunteer to head a charitable campaign, involving the re-styling of recycled clothes into new garments.

Already underway, the period of collection runs from the 31th of October to the 30th of November, with the likelihood of being extended. Students and staff of the Newcastle community are encouraged to donate their materials, such as T-shirts, Sweaters, Socks, Pillowcases, Bedsheets and Belts.

The unique, studentled project aims to support disadvantaged communities through an environmentally friendly practice Any other interesting fabrics lying about the house would also be greatly appreciated by the NUFS, who are keen to repurpose it for a good cause. From Sweaters, old or new, the society plans to create Mittens, Arm-warmers and Snoods. They also intend to transform T-shirts and ornamental shirts into Headbands, Scarves, Tote-bags and Kimono shirts.

These new garments will be distributed to various charitable societies of the university- notably, RAG; Helping

the Homeless; Women for Women and N.E.S.T- providing people in need with gifts this Christmas.

In collaboration with the university’s volunteering sector, the restyling sessions provide all students with the opportunity to participate in charitable work. Go Volunteer, the centre of Volunteering at Newcastle, prides itself on ensuring that students get the most out of their time at the University.

Varying from one-off to long-term opportunities, the NUSU brings together over 150 different volunteering projects, making it possible to fit volunteering around the busiest of timetables.

The Upcycling scheme is just one of the many volunteering project’s Go Volunteer offers that stands to be both enjoyable and highly rewarding.

The unique, student-led project aims to support disadvantaged communities through an environmentally friendly practice. Dianne Odede, Fashion Society Treasurer, told The Courier: “The Campaign came to mind when I took note of an issue of consumerism and waste. Its use of donated materials supports the renewal of abandoned items and hence encourages the reduction of clothing waste.

“Even unused material collected during the restyling sessions is taken to H&M on Northumberland Street for their own Upcycling scheme! Not a scrap is going to waste.”

Newcastle’s Fashion Society states that it ‘aspires to inspire’. Dianne Odede, on behalf of the Fashion Society commented how their aim ‘is and always has been to bring out unseen talent’. The restyling sessions are open to all Newcastle students, regardless of whether they have

any experience in Fashion or Volunteering.

The campaign intends to create a space in which people can exercise creative freedom and expression, with its focus on design and simple sewing.

While members of the Fashion Society man the sewing machines, everyone else is encouraged to get involved in the preparation process.

The society plans to create Mittens, Armwarmers and Snoods, and transform T-shirts and ornamental shirts into Headbands, scarves and tote bags Bringing together students from across the University, the project provides the perfect opportunity to meet new people. The close-knit community created will be able to enjoy themselves in a fun, dynamic environment, while working to help those in need.

To donate materials towards the Upcycling scheme, deposit your unwanted garments in the drop-off box outside the Go Volunteer office.

Restyling sessions will be taking place at weekends throughout December and January. Members of the Newcastle University community are encouraged to bring scissors, markers, pencils and enthusiasm.

Image: Creole Sha

the courier

7

news

Monday November 27 2017

Comp-sci dept joins renowned Turing Institute Grace Dean To celebrate Newcastle University’s world-renowned computing and mathematics expertise, the University is joining the Alan Turing Institute.

The Alan Turing Institute, founded in 2015 and based at the British Library, is the UK’s national institute for data science, which focuses on multi-disciplinary mathematics, statistics, computing and engineering research from a network of universities, industry partners and government associates. The Institute aims to use data science research advances to innovate at a sustainable rate. The group is named after Alan Turing, who was a key early contributor to the development of data science as a subject area.

This development reinforces Newcastle University’s status as a world-leading institution in the field of data science following numerous recent developments Alan Wilson, CEO of the Alan Turing Institute, said that, “We are delighted to be in discussions with [Newcastle and four other universities] about joining the Institute network.”

Professor Brian Walker, PVC Research Strategy and Resources at Newcastle University, described how “This is a

special chance for leading universities to join forces across the UK, creating a critical mass of expertise, experience and energy to support the Turing’s influential data science research.”

Joining the Institute allows the University to utilise its assets in the field, including expertise, financial assets and technology, to work alongside other organisations to support the Institute’s data science research.

Current estimates suggest that Newcastle University will be working in collaborative research alongside the Institute from early 2018, which Alan Wilson says “will enable the UK to undertake the most ambitious, impactful research possible.”

This development reinforces Newcastle University’s status as a world-leading institution in the field of data science following numerous recent developments. In August, the University’s £58m Urban Sciences Building official opened its doors, whilst in November it was ranked as a top university world-wide for its renowned computing science faculty.

The University has also been awarded the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Data and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Cloud Computing for Big Data, worth a collective £35m.

Professor Paul Watson, Director of Newcastle University’s Digital Institute, spoke of the global influence of data science developments.

“Extracting value from the vast quantities of data now being collected in all areas of society and industry has the potential to transform the economy while improving our health and quality of life: Newcastle University is at the heart of world-wide efforts to achieve this.”

Commemorative statue of Alan Turing Image: Wikimedia Commons

Understanding blockchain basics Newcastle top for student experience Matthew Mcilwham

“Blockchain”, the buzzword surrounding institutions across all sectors at the moment. Take this to any careers fair, open evening or interview and you’re almost certain to grab an associate’s attention.

On 28 November, in the Herschel building LT3 at 7 pm, the Cryptocurrency and Blockchain society are hosting an open guest appearance with “Blockchain for Beginners”, an organisation that educates the masses on how blockchain works, how it retains monetary value, how it returns power to the individual and what we will be seeing in our future careers.

Since 1981, the birth of the internet, tech-savvy individuals have consistently fought to improve internet security, privacy and efficiency - only to have thirdparty interference leaving doors open to the public – you may have heard of Uber’s recent scandal of stolen user personal information! This, accompanied by the recent failure of banks to manage risk in the global financial crisis gave birth to the blockchain and Bitcoin, a step in removing third-party error and malpractice.

Image: Flickr

Now, you may have heard of Bitcoin, the digital currency which breaks its all-time highest price several times a day, loses forty-percent of its value to only increase eight-fold within one year.

This currency allows the holder to be their own bank, to fully control their own funds. While it may be thought of as the Myspace of the impending digital revolution, it is agreed that blockchain is here to stay with artificial intelligence and machine learning also benefitting from its innovation.

To put the hype around blockchain into perspective, check any large institution and their plans to incorporate or partner with a decentralised application. In particular, IBM and Intel have created a hub dedicated to the growth of blockchain - The Hyperledger, which is an open source Linux foundation with over 100 active members, sharing ideas and promoting the growth of blockchain technology.

Furthermore, we are seeing ancient ideas finally coming into play. The Internet of Things is a concept to allow machines to interact with each other and automatically enhance our daily lives without our input. However, with all devices linked, one backdoor provides access to the whole network!

Again, blockchain has been adapted to IOTA and the tangle ledger, allowing smart contracts to make coffee in the morning and send client texts if we are late.

It is not possible to ignore the cryptocurrency sector any longer, Bitcoin is evaluated at over $8,000 a coin while the entire market capitalisation is over $250 billion.

Large financial institutions, like Goldman Sachs, are preparing to enter the Bitcoin futures market and Australia is opening a smart city with Powerledger.

We are hitting the institutional phase in the technology adoption cycle.

Still unsure why is blockchain so important? Or you want to know more?

Come down to the Herschel building tomorrow where there will be a Q&A at the end to quench your thirst for knowledge.

Can’t make it? Find us on the Cryptocurrency and Blockchain NCL facebook page!

We meet every Tuesday to discuss an application of the blockchain, run trading and coding workshops, have further guest appearances with Oracle and IBM in the new year and will soon be initiating our local digital currency development project. Hope to see you there!

Rebecca McGarry Newcastle University has received first place for Overall Student Experience in a survey by University Compare, a UK wide university comparison website.

Around 10,000 current students and recent graduates from 425 institutions were asked about four key areas of university life: institute and course, accommodation, employment prospects, and social life.

“I can feel myself growing as a person, and I feel like I couldn’t have chosen a better university to help me do so” Olivia Mavers, 2nd year English student

Newcastle topped the poll with an average of 4.36 out of 5 stars. Nottingham Trent came second place, while Loughborough came third, with Leeds and Dundee in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Newcastle was also voted first place for Student Social Experience with a rating of 4.76. This study took into account the variety of social opportunities available for students, including societies, sports, and nightlife.

Despite coming out top overall, Newcastle came in 11th place for accommodation, 12th for future employment prospects, and 22nd for institute and

course quality.

Owen O’Neill, CEO and founder of University Compare, urged prospective students to do their research when choosing a city and university. “There are highly rated universities in every part of the UK. In fact, today’s students are blessed with great options wherever they go. While this means there is plenty of choice, it also means it is more critical than ever that students do their homework, and make the right choice for them.”

O’Neill encouraged students to consider not just the academic aspects of university but also the social, cultural and geographical factors, all of which “have a telling influence on a student’s ability to settle-in, perform well in the classroom and ultimately enjoy their experience.”

Students’ written responses celebrated both the academic and social aspects of their experience at Newcastle University. Second year English student Olivia Mavers described her experience as “Everything I ever dreamed it would be.

I have the freedom to study areas I am interested in, so my academic journey is never dull. I also have great balance in terms of social life – my friends are my world. At Newcastle, I can feel myself growing as a person, and I feel like I couldn’t have chosen a better university to help me do so.”

Many students praised the varied nature of student life. Third year Dentistry student Halima Koleoso described university life as “Filled with ups and downs, making friends, taking part in social activities, and balancing all that with studying dentistry and managing patients. It’s a crazy world but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

comment 8

the courier

Monday 27 November 2017

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

Growing our way into oblivion Mark Sleightholm takes our insatiable culture to task. Growth isn’t always good, and when it is the proceeds need to be shared

N

egative economic growth hurts the poorest in society the most, but this doesn’t mean the opposite is true. It’s about eight years now since the UK economy started growing again after the recession, but most people aren’t seeing the benefits of that growth. Instead, inequality is rising and more and more people a r e reliant on food banks and charity. Maybe economic growth isn’t so helpful after all.

Our current economic system is broken, and it’s encouraging to see new ideas gaining traction, most notably the universal basic income.

An unconditional cash payment to every citizen would avoid the chaos of Universal Credit and give people more flexibility over when – or if – they wanted work. It would also massively simplify our bureaucratic (and therefore expensive) benefits system which systematically humiliates and degrades those most in need of help.

A basic income has long been advocated by the Green Party, and it is encouraging to see the policy debated within the SNP, Labour and the Lib Dems. Finland and several other European countries are already trialling the idea.

Other ideas that could shake up our economy and shift the balance

back towards people rather than profit include a shorter working week, more robust parental leave schemes and more support for flexitime and working from home. At the heart of all of these ideas is the belief that forcing people to work as hard and as long as they

possibly can is wrong, and that there is more to life than money.

The same arguments can be extended to the wider economy, though.

What is the point in the UK getting richer if this is making its popula- tion more miserable, tired and unhealthy, not to mention poorer? For far too long politicians have been measuring their success on the basis of economic growth, crudely shown through a rise in GDP, but this ignores so much of what’s actually going on in the country.

For example, huge amounts of work, from volunteering to housework and caring duties, are unwaged and therefore uncounted in economic reports. And in even in 2017, this work dispropor-

What is the point in the UK getting richer if this is making its population more miserable? tionately falls to women. What kind of message are we sending out by literally not counting these contributions to our society?

But the problem is wider than just which arbitrary system we use to measure ourselves against.

Economic growth, by definition, is based on everincreasing consumption, production

and exploitation. Our planet can no longer support us, and our onwards march towards economic growth is taking us over the cliff-edge.

So much of the rhetoric around recovering from the recession has been about encouraging us to buy more stuff, but this hyper-consumption is growing the economy while accelerating environmental destruction.

Economic growth is putting our future in jeopardy, and I’m not convinced that that’s a good thing.

Our planet can no longer support us. Economic growth is taking us over a cliff edge

On Trump and other toxic emissions Trump’s America is now the only country not to have signed the Paris Climate Agreement. Is the USA still a leader of the world?

Christopher Little

I

t’s safe to say that Donald Trump is an image-conscious kind of guy. To achieve his signature hairdo, he takes hair-growth supplements, colours it and lacquers it up to high heaven. But when it comes to the image of his nation, Trump couldn’t give a toss what people think.

With Syria having now joined the Paris agreement on climate change, the United States are the only country not part of the accord – and they’re getting some pretty bad press for it. Trump may not care, but perhaps he should, because history shows that America’s status as leader of the free world must be carefully managed.

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis was only averted because President John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev brokered a deal. The Soviets agreed to dismantle their missile sites in Cuba if the United States pledged not to escalate their tensions with the Caribbean island. Kennedy was lauded for his acumen in diffusing the perilous situation and averting a global nuclear catastrophe.

However, 25 years later it came to light the United States had also agreed to remove its nuclear missiles from Turkey.

This part of the deal was kept hidden because

America wanted all eyes to be on Cuba. The missiles in Turkey were in fact obsolete, and were about to be replaced by the far more advanced Polaris submarines, but Kennedy played hard ball – and potentially risked the lives of millions of people – to keep this part of the deal secret. It was important the world thought the Soviets were the threat to world peace, not the Americans.

He has self-exiled the United States In essence, it was all about brand management.

That’s because how the world perceives the United States is very important to its role as a ‘world leader’. For the past hundred years, regardless of whether the country’s actions have been amoral, its PR management has been second-to-none. Trump, however, has lit a match to all that hard work.

He has self-exiled the United States from the international community by ensuring they are the only country not in the Paris accord. Because of his volatile and irresponsible actions, all eyes are now on the US. They are now seen as the ‘bad guys’ risking the safety of the planet.

If this is the new image for brand ‘America’, then their leadership prospects are slim, which does not bode well for democracy or the planet.

Louis Vanderlande

T

he USA is still the legitimate world leader, how can it not be? It is the world’s largest economy which has such a global reach that when the housing market crashed in 2008, it triggered a world financial crisis. Trump starting the process to remove the USA from the Paris Climate agreement has done nothing to the legitimacy of its world leader status.

Trump has done nothing to the legitimacy of its world leader status However, with the advent of Syria joining the Paris climate change agreement it does highlight the abnormality that is Trump. The worlds recognised states have universally agreed to target greenhouse emissions within their respective borders and work towards reducing our carbon output. But when a state in the midst of a civil war with its own people can afford the time to join such an agreement, it starts to make a fool out of the one nation that refuses it terms.

However, I question the political motivations of the Syrian government. Call me a cynic or a conspiracy theorist but I wouldn’t be surprised if Russian influence was behind such a manoeuvre.

The Syrian state is currently killing its own citizens with chemical weapons and refusing medical aid into war zones. So I find it hard to believe that it’ll respect the agreement it has signed up to. Nevertheless, the political move has seen the USA becoming further ostracised from the world and has triggered a fierce debate within the country itself.

The political move has triggered a fierce debate within the country A group, which includes former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, has come forward representing a collection of cities, individual states and corporations which count for an accumulated worth of $10 trillion dollars whom wish to take part and respect the agreement signed under Obama. Furthermore, the USA isn’t going anywhere fast as under UN procedure, the withdrawal process will take till at least up to 2020 to finish but by that time we might see a change in administration in the White House and potentially a change in direction.

the courier

9

comment

Monday 27 November 2017

One small gaffe for man...

Boris Johnson recently jeopardised a British national’s chance of freedom: should he step down?

Caitlin Disken

A

nother week, another catastrophic blunder for Boris Johnson. From his remark about dead bodies in Libya to his most recent blunder regarding Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe, it seems Johnson can’t open his mouth without putting his foot in it.

Considering the press around Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s case, it’s astonishing that Johnson managed to mess up so badly. Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe holds dual British-Iranian citizenship and is currently being detained in Iran after visiting on holiday, under charges alleging she was involved in orchestrating a soft overthrow of the Iranian government.

Whilst the official stance from her family, employers and British government is that she was visiting on holiday, Johnson apparently either didn’t get the memo or is incapable of picking up a newspaper. In a Westminster committee, Johnson wrongly stated Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran training journalists. The Iranian government jumped on this statement, taking it so seriously that Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s five-year sentence could be doubled to ten years. For anyone, this would be deeply distressing, but even more so for Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe who has a young daughter currently also unable to leave Iran, and who is growing up separated from both of her parents, as her British father is stranded, wife and daughter-less, in England.

Johnson can’t open his mouth without putting his foot in it Johnson’s gaffes are so unbelievably immense that they would be almost laughable if they didn’t have a very real effect on the people he has an elected duty to protect. As Foreign Secretary, Johnson should be working round the clock to ensure Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release. Instead, he leaves her with the possibility of an increased sentence, and the weak promise that he will try to visit Iran ‘be-

fore Christmas’. Johnson should be ashamed of himself, and so should Theresa May for not having the acumen to recognise that Johnson needs to go.

But Johnson is clever. He utilises a carefullymanaged image of a lovable buffoon to distract the public from the fact that he is a dangerous man.

With his father Stanley Johnson entering the I’m A Celeb jungle this week, the public is once again entertained by this family of blundering clowns, leaving Johnson able to mask his irresponsible behaviour. He is ‘funny’, he is a ‘joke’, yet behind this façade he is ruining innocent lives.

Alexandra Sadler

A

s Brexit continues to teeter uncertainly in the background, we can always count on Boris Johnson’s particular brand of savvy political operation to distract us.

Boris is almost universally known for his ability to blunder about and make tactless comments, yet none of his remarks have ever been as damaging as this. Johnson’s habitual brand of diplomacy usually involves putting his foot in it and insulting others, but they don’t usually have immediate and severe negative consequences for Britons abroad.

His comment that Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe was ‘simply teaching people journalism’, undermines her central defence, that she was doing exactly the opposite. His latest political blunder can hardly be called that, as it’s less a case of speaking without thinking, and more a case of not thinking at all.

Despite the insistence of Johnson and his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, that his comments have not influenced Nazanin’s case, it seems suspicious that they were cited in court against her, during the latest round of accusations. Furthermore, the Iranian High Council’s website and state TV are using Johnson’s

comments as propaganda, calling them an ‘unintended confession’. How can Johnson argue that he ‘clarified the matter…perfectly’, when the judiciary, state media and ruling government body itself uses his misstatements against Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe?

Johnson’s brand of savvy political operation Boris Johnson clearly isn’t responsible for Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe being imprisoned in the first place, but his tactless and frankly undiplomatic comments are a threat to the hope that she could be released expeditiously. Beyond the fact that Ms Zaghari Ratcliffe is now facing a doubled sentence, what’s most rankling about this is the complete lack of accountability that Johnson faces. He sidestepped an actual apology, instead choosing to claim that there was no ‘connection’ between his comments and new charges brought against Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

His comments only serve to undermine any confidence that he might treat the role with the poise and grave responsibility that it demands. Sure, Johnson poses a roguish figure with a discernible sense of humour, and is far more intelligent than people give him credit for, but his inability to take responsibility for his own actions is classic of a Teflon politician. Somehow the shit he’s flung around sticks on everybody but him.

Theresa May may look weak by not removing him from the Cabinet, but consider the damage that Johnson might do if he were not even mildly restrained by what minimal executive responsibility or authority remains. Boris Johnson should step down, but not before he’s managed to rectify the damage that his words and actions have caused. Which, considering the number of them, will take about as long as Brexit.

Red, white, and blue woes

Jamie Cameron struggles to reconcile his love of a glorious Brexit future with slow negotiations

T

he sweet summer days that marked the Referendum campaign and our glorious independence day now seem so far away.

Instead, I now see eyes glazed over in the street, disguising crushed hopes; dreams of an invigorated British Empire riding high on an economic wave of Dyson vacuums and Wetherspoons pints - shattered.

Yes, it appears our patriotic leaders are having a great deal of trouble negotiating with the foreign devils across the channel. Now, with the Germans struggling to form a government we can expect negotiations to go even slower. If only they had a strong and stable government like us, May would have smashed out a deal in an afternoon and been back in time for tea.

As I warn our god-fearing readership of this trend, seditious and controversial elements of the British public spread toxic rumours that this government is somehow “too incompetent” or “too divided” to accomplish basic tasks. Poppycock.

Why, our fair Conservatives this week passed an amendment to the EU bill recognising the completely scientific truth that animals can’t feel pain. I look forward to the exciting animal torture oppor-

tunities after Brexit, which until now I hadn’t even considered. Just think of the economic benefits!

Yes, negotiation progress has been a little slow, but don’t let it be said there is no vision here.

Our patriotic leaders are having trouble negotiating with the foreign devils This government has a lot on its plate. Not only does it have to organise a crash landing out of the EU, but now every other minister is busy covering up their last sexual assault, and, don’t forget, these poor people aren’t just going to economically murder themselves. Don’t be so quick to judge our government, because there really isn’t any rest for the wicked.

Some might also say it’s rather difficult to approach one of the most important political events in recent British history when the whole thing is used as an excuse to steal your boss’ job before dumping their body in a shallow grave. It’s a testament to May’s character how well she has defied

the knives sticking out of her back. She’s certainly dead, but she still manages to keep walking around, and she even manages to gurgle the occasional soundbite about “making work pay” or “craving the blood of the unborn” - although I’m not sure what the former is meant to mean.

I look forward to the exciting animal torture opportunities after Brexit But hey ho, maybe this is all part of the plan?

Considering the stunning intellects of the Tory party, not to mention the divine prophets of the DUP, there must be some proverbial ace up May’s leather trousers. One might even be so bold to suggest that certain elements wish negotiations to fail so we can have a hard Brexit Britain without pesky things like taxation on the rich or a minimum wage. Then again, maybe they’re all just quietly hoping someone will be the first to suggest taking this collapsing government to Dignitas so Labour can sup from the poisoned chalice instead.

SOAPBOX COMMENT’S HOME OF WEEKLY RANTS

SITTING ON ARGOS’ LAP

A

Christopher Little

rgos is running a social media campaign where parents can Tweet photos of their children and let them star in their own ‘Christmas advert’. I for one am not amused.

When I was a wee nipper my parents got me a personalised letter from Santa Claus, and even though the illiterate drunk spelt my name wrong, it was one of the best days of my childhood. Santa knew who I was, he knew who my best friend was, and better yet, he didn’t know I’d broke my brother’s x-wing and buried it in the garden.

This new capitalist charade from Argos, however, is very different. It exploits the near mythic status Christmas adverts have acquired and demands parents pay homage with their children, procuring their cute little faces so they can be used in a nefarious marketing strategy. Now we all know that capitalism usurped Christmas long ago, but this is just taking the piss.

HEART OF MINE

I

Megan McManus

n 2016 the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob Dylan, a singer-songwriter from Minnesota, USA. Upon hearing this news I was delighted – he is a great hero of mine, but later I was struck by how many people don’t know who he is, and how easy it is to bypass his work despite really quite recent releases. If you haven’t heard or listened to Dylan properly, I urge you to do so now. Never have I been so affected by such strong pairings of lyric and melody. The sincerity of feeling threaded into his songs, as well as the intelligence and depth of his writing, (particularly in the mid to late sixties I find) is unrivalled by anything like it today.

I can honestly say that listening to his music and reading his writing has changed my life.

He remains a spokesman of generations past but also of those to come. The relevance of his work and its enduring appeal in the face of current issues makes the messages behind his writings all the more important to take heed of. There’s nothing to lose by listening, and all to gain.

IGNORANCE ON ISRAEL

T

Greg Rosenvinge

he West’s wilful ignorance on Israel represents shows no sign of abating. The threat to close the Palestinian mission in D.C. demonstrates a typically brash and ill-conceived means of foreign policy for Trump, but crucially one that only serves to validate Israel.

Their reasoning was to pressure the Palestinian Authority into peaceful negotiations with Israel, as if the onus is on Abbas and not Israel. On a similar note, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ recent action against ‘the silencing of artists’ by playing in Tel-Aviv recently has been rightfully condemned by pro-boycott musicians Roger Waters and Brian Eno. What Nick Cave doesn’t seem to realise, is that the Bad Seeds, or any other musician’s music for that matter, are irrelevant to the issue. Israel is an apartheid state, structurally set up to discriminate against the resident Palestinian population. To cite Eno, it’s an offensive whinge on Cave’s behalf, given the systematic silencing of millions of Palestinians every single day, and it is time the West wakes up to this too.

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student voice

the courier

editor.union@ncl.ac.uk Student Voice Editor: Alex Hendley

Monday 27 November 2017

Big Chat: Rowan South

The Education officer Rowan South met Alex Hendley to discuss a January break, PTO elections and typed exams

Hi Rowan, first of all – how have you been doing?

How far into the job are you now, a few months?

Five months I think! It’s been interesting making a start into all the things I really wanted to do.

I do feel I am making some inroads into some of the projects, such as the week off after January exams. I’ve been meeting with all the heads of school around the university and the various undergraduate and postgraduate deans in all the faculties basically gaining their insight into the idea. A lot of them have been suggesting further improvements that could stem from the original plan, so overall it has been a very positive reaction. The only people who perhaps had an issue were some people in Humanities and Social Sciences as they don’t tend to have many January exams, but they do have lots of hand in deadlines so I do think it would work for them too. Like I say there have been a couple of concerns but those concerns are things that can be worked around, they’re not something that will put a stop to the plan. It’s a relief because I thouht initially that this could be very difficult to get off the ground, as the university usually likes to be slow about changing things! I think we’re making real progress – we’ve recently had our student survey on the matter, where we’ve had 882 votes cast and a 61.5% approval rating for a week’s holiday after January exams. Ideally we would like to get closer to two thirds by the time it closes, but I think this and the fact I was elected with the idea as a manifesto point shows a strong case for there being a real student demand for the break.

Great, how will you be using the results of the survey to implement your plan?

Well, by January I will have written a formal paper to propose the idea to bring to the university and put it up for discussion. I don’t see there being many issues with it making it to senate, with these results as my evidence of a student demand. If it gets approved at senate it would happen, so it simply depends how long it takes to get passed – hopefully by March or April, just before I leave! That can be my legacy.

Sounds promising. In terms of the survey, are you happy with the amount of responses to it that you have received?

Well we were hoping for around a thousand, and we’re currently sitting at just shy of 900 which is still fantastic. It would be nice to get to a thousand but even with what we have now we have a significant response rate compared to the usual low responses given to student surveys.

We’ve just had a student council – what did you get up to there?

Well we didn’t need to bring up the January break at council as it’s not a student council matter. In October we did put through two motions, for example we changed how Part time Officers are elected if the place wasn’t filled in the March elections. Previously, and the way it has worked this year, there has been a by-election in November.

We felt that takes a signicant amount of time out of that PTO’s schedule, as by the time they are elected almost half of the year has passed. Now, students will put themselves forward before a council meeting, which will then act as a hustings where the candidates would face questions before the voting opened for five days or so afterwards. That should allow us to have the PTO position filled before the summer, so they have plenty of time to plan.

Sounds logical! What about the council coming up just before the Christmas break?

Yes, it’s on the 7th December. Honestly, I don’t have anything I really need to bring up at the moment, we need to have a sabbatical meeting soon to discuss it, but I’ve nothing pressing as the stuff I’m working on doesn’t really need a council motion. The next thing I’m working on is a feedback campaign at the start of February. This will be to raise awareness with students and lecturers of what feedback students can ask for. There is a policy written about what feedback students can expect and can individually request from staff, which neither party really knows about, so I feel it will be important to raise awareness about that. It could be a really powerful campaign, with lots social media and activity around the library.

Fantastic, I didn’t know about that either, can’t wait for that to get going. Anything else coming up that you’d like people to know about?

Yes, just one last thing! There will be a written exam survey – asking students whether they would like to begin typing their exams or not. It will be going out on social media and through email, so please fill it out! At the moment, it’s being trialled in seven exams, formative so they don’t effect students’ degrees, to see how people find it. There’s been a few contrasting opinions on the idea from the different schools, so at the minute it will just be a pilot, followed by a larger pilot next year. This won’t be anything that will change exams radically, as it’s the type of policy that will need a few years to get right, and we’re hoping to lay the foundations.

Internship Case Study: Computer Science student Hannah McIntosh at Nissan

T

here have been quite a few things that have surprised me here at Nissan. The one that has probably surprised me the most would be that there’s such a flexibility to what you can do. If you’re not happy in your team, then they’ll change your team. If you’re not happy with the work you’ve been set, then they’ll give you different work. If there’s a specific project you want to be on, then they’ll get you on it.

The best thing about my placement is that the projects I’m working on include other placement students and it is great being able to help each other out. Also there are 18 placement students in total and because Nissan hold a week onboarding process and a 2 week Software Academy, it’s given us a chance to really get to know each other The biggest challenge of my placement is, without a doubt, having to be in work for 7.55am. I’ve never been a morning person or a coffee drinker and suddenly I’m becoming both! The work I do here can also be quite challenging but there’s a lot of support and I’ve never felt too over-whelmed with it.

I decided to do a placement because I wanted experience in the industry so that I could not only be more of a competitor in the application for jobs but also to be able to have more of an insight into the type of career I would like to pursue. One of the reasons why I chose Nissan is because they have a variety of different teams in the Information Systems & Technology Department which have roles of varying degrees of technical skill. This appealed to me because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be more involved in development or more involved in project management and it turns out I can do

a bit of both here on the Sales Operations team. I also liked how it is not far from Newcastle which means I haven’t had to relocate and I can continue to live with friends who didn’t take a placement year.

The skills I am developing in my placement are definitely my programming and team working skills. In the time I’ve been here I’ve already got involved in Angular and NodeJs as they are used in the projects I’m on and I will be needing to learn Spring soon.

The work I am doing on my placement will definitely help with my final year dissertation as I’m already more confident in my abilities and have been able to get ideas on interesting topics which I might explore further to base it on. Furthermore, due to being able to learn new programming languages and using a range of technologies, I would say that it is also putting me at an advantage when it comes to applying for graduate schemes.

The advice I would give to any student thinking of a placement is to 100% do it. I’ve already learnt so much and instead of dreading third year, I’m looking forward to it as I already see such a difference in my capabilities and also my mentality in approaching tasks has improved significantly.

Not to mention, I’m also getting an idea of what I want to do career-wise and what I definitely don’t want to do. I originally was not going to do a placement year as I had the mentality of “just hurry up and finish the degree” but now I see that was definitely the wrong thing to be thinking. This experience has already been extremely beneficial to my studies and also my career that I know I’ve made the right decision.

Go Volunteer: Uni Boob Team, in aid of CoppaFeel!

I find my role as Uni Boob Team Leader really rewarding. As a team, we put on fun events whilst raising money for CoppaFeel!. Our main aim is to raise awareness of breast cancer and how to spot the signs and symptoms amongst the student population. CoppaFeel! are a fun charity with a serious message and the work we do on campus reflects this.

Our first event was a Pub Quiz where we managed to raise a huge £157. The night was well attended and enjoyed by everyone. We are currently planning a club night, bake sales on campus and a potential Boobball championship.

I have gained many skills in my role. As Team

Leader, I am able to practise leadership and teamworking skills, as we are constantly working together to organise our upcoming events. I feel my communication skills have also improved after approaching businesses to request raffle prize donations. The UBT have to be creative, we are given a lot of freedom with our missions and we try to organise fun events for all on campus. We have recently been awarded a grant from Go Volunteer which will help us to promote our campaign on campus and we’re really looking forward to using this money to make a positive impact.

Lucy Spink, Uni Boob Team Leader

Members of Newcastle Uni Boob Team

life & style

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the courier Monday 27 November 2017

@CourierLifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle Life & Style Editor Izzi Watkins Lifestyle Editors Sophie Henderson, Jaymelouise Hudspith, Lauren Sneath & Victoria Young

Blind Date

Jack on Victoria

What was your first impression of Victoria?

Really pretty, very friendly and seemed chilled and game for a laugh so was perfect really What did you do?

It was a Tuesday so we decided to take advantage of the 2 for Tuesday drinks offers all over Ozzy road. This included a bar crawl having a drink at every bar on Ozzy’s which was as a first date I can’t think of anything better to be honest Who paid?

We did rounds Will there be a second date?

Hopefully, see no reason not to!

Do you think you were her type?

I’m not really sure to be honest; you’d have to ask her

Funniest moment of the date?

She was running a bit late and messaging me saying “I could be anyone” resulting in me giving quite a few poor passers-by quite intense eye contact trying to figure out which one was her. If any of you are reading this then I apologise profusely for being the starey creep outside Waitrose.

Pretty awkward at the time but we had a good laugh about it when we finally saw each other If Victoria were a sweet, which one would she be?

Any sweet that doesn’t dissolve in water as she can handle a drink Any awkward moments?

She was running a bit late and messaging me saying “I could be anyone”. Pretty awkward at the time but we had a good laugh about it when we finally saw each other After the date, would you swipe left, right or superlike?

Superlike

Fancy a date? We’ll set you up.

Find us on our 2017/ 2018 Facebook page or email at c2.lifestyle@newcastle.ac.uk

Victoria on Jack Where / what did you do?

We headed out to Ozzy road for a little bar crawl, smashing some G&T’s to celebrate handing in 3 assignments

Did you have much in common?

We bonded over our childhood abuse from our siblings, he definitely won - he has a scar from where his brother split open his head. He told me a lot about his year abroad in South America which sounded amazing compared to the wet cold English weather, I also have Hispanic heritage and so it was nice to see how he experienced the different way of life

Would you see him again?

Yeah I’d see him again, he was so easy to get on with, the date was casual and comfortable

If he were an egg what kind would he be?

He would be a poached egg; once we cracked into the first bar the conversation flowed easily and it was a good night

Have you spoken since the date?

We’ve text a little bit since the date but nothing too intense

Any awkward moments?

My only awkward moment was ballsing up the ‘push the button’ at spy bar, where I ended up getting full price for drinks though my odds were a solidly in my favour, I think my reputation as well as my ego dipped there

How was the date?

The date was really simple and sweet

Was he your type?

He had four major checks, he was very tall (perfect for my 5’6 tininess), he dressed nicely and had a great smile, but most importantly he said he shares peep show videos

After the date, would you swipe left, right or superlike?

Swipe right

Jack Scott-Gatty, 21, 4th Year Modern Languages

Victoria Wilson, 19, 2nd Year English Literature

VERDICT: JACK ON VICTORIA

VERDICT: VICTORIA ON JACK

Really pretty, very friendly and seemed chilled

Personality

Conversation Overall

9/10 9/10 10/10

Yeah I’d see him again, he was so easy to get on with

Personality

Conversation Overall

8/10 8/10 7/10

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12

life & style lifestyle

Dating Delights and Disasters

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DISASTERS

he first ever meal my boyfriend cooked for me was a really, spicy curry. It was actually so spicy and hot that I couldn’t eat in the end (despite trying my best and suffering for it) because it was too hot. In the ended I ended up just eating all of the rice and naan bread...

He doesn’t make a curry for me since then after that incident, I think its scared him for life.

Rowena Tylden-Pattenson

S

o, I had the worst luck on the first three dates I went on with the guy I’m currently dating. Date one we went for a walk along and I was desperate for a wee but there wasn’t a toilet for miles so mortifyingly I had to go in a bush while he looked the other way.

Date two came and mother nature paid me an unexpected visit while I was sat on his cream sofa... if that wasn’t bad enough it also got on his leg.

Just when I though surely nothing worse can happen, on our third date his toilet blocks and wont flush so bright red with embarrassment I tell him and he has to put his hand down the toilet to unblock the drain (it still hadn’t flushed). Didn’t think I would see him again after that but he’s stuck around so he much be a keeper.

Anonymous

Monday 27 November 2017

Newcastle’s market scene

Charlotte Cooper explores the best of the city’s local market scene to guarantee you a bargain

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hether you want to explore more of what Newcastle has to offer or you’re looking for that perfect Christmas gift. Checking out the markets in around the city is a must this winter.

From locally supplied food, gourmet treats and sweets to woolly hats and leather bags the markets have you covered.

Quayside market

Enjoy a scenic view of the Tyne as you wonder along the quayside market, capturing an array of smells in the crisp winter air. Sound good? Well the quayside market is exactly that. Every Sunday from 9.30-16.00 the quayside is covered with stalls hosting local produce of food and household gifts.

With so much choice of both sweet and savoury goods to buy, it will soon get your taste buds salivating. A variety of street food from around the world including Greek, Mexican, French, Indian and more are all on offer. If you are in the mood for a sweeter treat, why not try out the delicious macaroons from Le Mini Macaron’s. It is not just food that makes this market so appealing, there are also photographers selling pictures taken all around the region, hand crafted jewellery stalls, and mosaic art. So why not get your flatmates together this Sunday and head down to the quayside to see what this fantastic market has got on?

Grainger market

The vibrant Newcastle hotspot when it comes to getting your locally supplied and fresh produce.

The Granger market has been around for nearly 200 years! So, this one definitely has a good reputation with the locals, and I see why. With opening hours of 9.00-17:00 Monday to Saturday the Granger market offers some of the most delicious fruit and veg and at a much cheaper price than supermarkets - a student’s goldmine. Not only that, but stalls of bakers and butchers to hairdressers and cafes can also be found in the market. Being located just down from monument with entrances on Nun Street, Clayton Street and Nelson Street, it’s a prime location. If you’re looking for something a

I

DELIGHTS

live almost five hours away from Newcastle so I have a long distance relationship with my boyfriend.

A few weekends ago, it was a difficult family weekend. My mum drove me to the train station, but we arrived around half an hour early. I was texting my boyfriend just to say we were at the station etc, when suddenly I see his car come whizzing around the corner and onto the station car park.

He ran out of the car and over to mine and gave me the biggest hug (those lovely squeeze hugs you get when you haven’t seen someone in ages – even though he had seen me the day before). He waited with me and helped me onto the train with my huge suitcase and waved goodbye.

For most out there I know it may sound ridiculous and perhaps you wouldn’t appreciate or think anything of that. But I believe it’s the little thoughts and effort he makes that makes him such a delightful boyfriend.

Ellena Jackson

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o, on my third date with my boyfriend and he decided to be adventourous and try and cook us a meal based on a video he had seen on tastemade or one of those facebook videos.

What I didn’t know until after he finsihed, was that he had no idea how to cook anything other than chicken and rice. The pizza bombs he tried to make ended up being more like garlic dough balls and we ordered Deliveroo.

He was so disheartened and embarrassed it was absolutely adorable. It didn’t put him off, hes tried and failed at several other dishes and is just as adorable each time.

Safe to say I do almost all of the cooking but I love that he tries every once in a while.

Jaymelouise Hudspith We all have or have heard some hilariously disastrous or heartwarming sweet dating stories.

Whether it restores your dating faith or just makes you laugh send in your stories to c2.lifestyle@newcastle.ac.uk

Image: thegeordiefoodie

bit different then this is the place to go, make sure to check out the retro game shop or the Turkish lamps sold at Turkish Bazaar.

The Christmas market offers a worldwide range Jesmond Food market

What overlooks the whole of Jesmond Dean, a foodie’s monthly fix is all here in one place. From local Geordie Bangers to international Middle Eastern street food, the Jesmond food market has it all. Occurring every third Sunday of the month, this market caters to vegans, vegetarians and even gluten-free customers. Breads, meats, cheeses, pastries and pies…do I really need to say anymore?

Local restaurants are also involved in the market on Armstrong Bridge with the likes of pop-up

stalls from Jam Jar and Ouseburn Coffee Company.

This market is brilliant if you want to try some new cuisines, so get yourselves down to the next eventtaking place on the 16th of December

International Christmas market

That time of year is looming, the International Christmas market has arrived back in Newcastle.

Grey’s monument has been transformed into a magical market full of wooden cabin houses. Open from 9am-8pm Monday to Wednesday, 9am-9pm Thursday to Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday.

The Christmas market offers a worldwide range from Spanish paella to currywust from Germany and sweet treats like French crepes and Belgium waffles. Global trades don’t stop there, leather bound notebooks, winter hats and scarves as well as hand-thrown pottery can be purchased from the stalls. This winter market is the best place to find some rare and unusual Christmas presents and best of all its free.

Mindfulness apps: will they work?

They’re the latest trend but are they worth your time? Laura Bolden shares her experiences

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indfulness apps are the newest lifestyle trend of the year. With promises to help combat anxiety and to help you sleep better, it is no surprise thousands of people have downloaded and tried the apps.

By practicing mindfulness, you pay more attention to the present moment, to the world around you and to your own personal thoughts and feelings. The results mean that you are more in sync, and more aware of your own mind, helping you to improve your mental wellbeing.

As students, there are plenty of times throughout the year that we feel under a lot of pressure, whether it’s the lead up to deadlines, a presentation or an exam. Improving self-awareness and cognitive control can be beneficial.

Research from the University of Oxford in 2013 found that people who completed a mindfulness programme for a one month period reported a 58% reduction in anxiety levels, 57% reduction in depression and a 40% reduction in stress. With statistics like those it can be hard to ignore the trend.

58%

reduction in anxiety levels, 57% reduction in depression and a 40% reduction in stress

I have been practicing mindfulness now for just over two months and I can vouch for the benefits, but finding the right app for you can be frustrating. I began by downloading a few of the top recommended apps, if you have an IPhone the health section has a list of the best apps or you can simply search on the app store.

The ‘Calm’ app that is rated five-star, there are options for a range of different lengths of sessions, such as daily calm. I instantly felt relaxed when completing my daily sessions, although this app is

described as free the in-app purchases can only be made in bulk at either £10 a month or a whopping £300 for a lifetime subscription.

There are cheaper options, I swear by the slumber app. There are five free audio clips, three sleep stories and two bed time meditations. Day to day life can be too busy to fit it in, before bed is sometimes the best option.

Five free audio clips, three sleep stories and two bed time meditations Struggling to sleep, is an issue many of us face.

I would constantly play the day’s events over in my head and worry about how much I had to do the next day, tossing and turning all night, mindfulness apps help you switch off by giving your mind something else to focus on.

There is also The Mindfulness App which contains a guided meditation over 5 days to get you started, and if you’re a bit forgetful you can set reminders and timers to keep you on track.

It may seem stressful to get started, with such a multitude of different apps offering similar things it is confusing to find what works for you. The breathing techniques they teach you can help to calm you in any situation, a skill that is desirable.

It is important to remember that the act of mindfulness has been around for years, it is simply that technology has made it more accessible than ever before. So, if you want to learn how to appreciate life more or if you simply want a way to destress once a day then give it a try.

They may not be for everyone but they’re a trend that I will stick to. They truly make a calmer more tranquil you.

Image : Pinterest

the courier

13

Monday 27 November 2017

Shopping and selling: how to make a start in the wider online marketplace Want to sell items online, but not sure where to start? Alexandra Simpson is here to help out

W

ith the rise in popularity of vintage clothing, it’s unsurprising that sites such as Depop, Etsy and Ebay have become as much of a fashion go-to as long established high street shops.

They can also offer something that main brands cannot- the possibility to earn money. Not every student has the time to work a part-time job, so these sites offer an easy solution to student poverty.

Here are some simple tips to follow to make sure you’re not buying clothes for higher than their value, and to get the clothes you’re selling noticed in an overwhelming forum:

Always check eBay first

Sites like this can save you from the dreaded overdraft if you treat it wisely. I can’t stress enough the importance of eBay; granted, Depop is a little easier to scroll through aimlessly and actually see things you’d realistically wear, but popular Depop sellers are now so established that they can mark up their prices. I tend to use Depop as my first point of

Image : iStock

reference, scrolling to find something specific.

However, how people waste money is by clicking that big red ‘buy’ button without checking eBay first. This is fine if you have unlimited funds but, unfortunately, the average student does not.

The step to take in between is to copy the key words from the description of the item you want, and paste them into the eBay search bar. It will take a little more time, but often I find the same or very similar item to the one I liked on Depop for a fraction of the price.

Take the pictures in good lighting with a clean mirror

If your mirror is dirty, people will mistake it for the item of clothing being dirty and if the lighting is poor quality the item will not stand out. It doesn’t matter how great the item is that you’re selling, if the shopper can’t really see it, they will not buy it.

Wear the item in the pictures

When posting clothes online it can be a fairly long process, depending on how many items you’re planning on selling.

It might seem inconvenient to have to keep trying on each item and taking well-angled photos but it will make a huge difference.

It will also save you time later when you have an interested potential buyer asking for you to post pictures of how it looks on. You’re better off posting these to begin

with rather than having to go through the whole process again later.

How people waste money is by clicking that big red ‘buy’ button Include the price of postage in the price of the item

This one is potentially less obvious, we’ve all felt the sadness of going to check out and finding that you’ve got to pay another four pounds for delivery.

A shopper will be far more inclined to buy the item you’re selling if it’s ten pounds rather than eight pounds and then discovering there’s a two pound delivery fee.

Use hash tags

If you tag similar brands or styles to the item you’re selling, it will be far easier for shoppers to locate your items with one or two key words.

This will make sure that your clothes are actually being seen rather than overlooked. The longer the clothing description, the more likely shoppers are to come across it.

So whether you need to pay your bills or you’re making room in your wardrobe to treat yourself to soemthing new. whot to make the most of the apps.

Review: dAt bAr vegan menu Charlotte Butter visits restaurant dAt bAr to sample the best of their brand new vegan menu

L

ocated on Market Street, this upbeat urban bar and restaurant is the place to be. It offers a huge range of meal choices, catering for vegans, vegetarians and meat-lovers alike. After a full review, I can confirm that dAt bAr is the perfect place to bring your family and friends.

The menu features a whole range of exciting and unique dishes. The purpose of our visit was to sample the vegan menu, and so this was our focus, but there were plenty of other options available, including burgers, steaks, pasta, and sourdough pizzas.

As a vegan, it can be challenging to find a restaurant that caters for you as well as your carnivorous friends. Sure, I can often make it work by asking for a pizza without the cheese or picking the veggie burger again. But often that takes the enjoyment out of a meal, and I end up eating something that I could have easily made myself.

DAt bAr was a different story.

My face lit up as I came across the ‘Sweet Potato Mac ‘n’ Cheese.’ I always daydream about macaroni cheese, an old favourite of mine before I converted to a vegan. Using ‘MozzaRisella’ and vegan blue ‘cheese’ breadcrumbs, as well as caramelised onion and cherry tomatoes, dAt bAr were advertising the perfect vegan alternative to this old classic.

After reading some of the other items on the menu, I was struggling to decide what to pick

Image: Charlotte Butter

because they were all so unique and something different to what I would have at home or at another restaurant. However, I decided to stick with my gut instinct of the Mac ‘n’ Cheese whilst my friend picked an adventurous ‘Coco’ pizza, consisting of walnuts, caramelised onion, butternut squash, rocket and vegan MozzeRisella on a sourdough base.

When our food arrived, we were not disappointed When our food arrived, we were not disappointed.

My dish was so creamy with a delicious crispy topping. You would never have guessed that it was not ‘real’ cheese. My friend, who has tried but disliked vegan mozzarella alternatives before, was very impressed with her pizza. The crisp sourdough base worked well with the creamy MozzeRisella. The butternut squash and sweet onions worked really well as toppings.

We were also lucky enough to sample two of the other vegan dishes. One was the white bean and butternut squash risotto, served with a deliciously fresh almond pesto. The other was Pappa Al Pomodoro - a chunky soup containing tomatoes, borlotti beans and small pieces of sourdough bread. This had a tangy, rich flavour from the basil and garlic, giving it an authentic Italian taste. It was by far the best tomato soup I’ve ever tasted!

We had a brief chat with one of the friendly waitresses before our food arrived, who said that dAt bAr have had their vegan menu for just over a month and that recently this has been even more popular than the regular menu. By spreading the word using social media, their vegan menu has brought a lot of success to the restaurant.

We then spoke to Cristina, the manager of dAt bAr. She explained that whilst vegetarianism is something that restaurants are very comfortable with, vegans are not well catered for in Newcastle.

Cristina and her brothers took ideas from old family recipes, which naturally use a lot of vegetables and little meat, to create the perfect, unique vegan menu.

Cristina explained that it had been a long process to find the best vegan mozzarella alternative and after a lot of experimentation, they had finally settled on MozzeRizella. I don’t know how it is made, but I do know that it tasted great!

Overall, I had a great experience at dAt bAr and I am sure that I’ll be visiting again very soon. I would give an overall rating of 9/10 because although the food and service offered was almost faultless, one exciting development that I’d like to see is a vegan dessert menu.

Few restaurants offer vegan desserts so this would set dAt bAr apart from the crowd even more - especially for vegans with a sweet tooth, like me!

With such a creative choice for main courses, I look forward to seeing what the future might hold for dAt bAr in terms of vegan desserts.

lifestyle life & style Rant of the Week: Bad Weather in Newcastle

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h, the North. Home of Greggs, Geordie Shore and a myriad of geography-specific delights that the South cannot steal, and that I cannot live without. What I would like to lose, however, are the menacing, mood-ruining clouds currently threatening Newcastle with floods of torrential rain.

Not only do we have to compete with deadlines, projects, extracurriculars and a functioning social life; now we must complete this obstacle course in driving rain and painful wind, hampered by heavy waterproof coats and inside out umbrellas.

You know what’s never a good look? Arriving to a lecture with a patchy red face, wet hair plastered to your scalp, eyes streaming from struggling through what may as well be a hurricane. I face this humiliation daily- though perhaps what is more irritating is the group of students who got an Uber in and are coiffed to perfection. Damn you, forwardthinking big spenders.

Imagine the horror of, following hours of tiresome lectures or mind-numbing library study, reaching into your bag only to find that your treasured Gregg’s chicken slice is sodden. What cruel spirit of fate brought such disappointment to your Tuesday? That’s right- rain.

Now we must complete this obstacle course in driving rain and painful wind With Christmas drawing even closer and my internal festive junkie raring to be released, all I want to do is go Christmas-crazy. But how can I, when the weather is so disgusting? Christmas markets really aren’t the same when you are so wrapped in layers that it’s impossible to see mince pies over your third scarf. The light switch on is always fununless every time you look up to appreciate the twinkling beacons of the festive season, you are temporarily blinded by gigantic drops of water.

What’s more, with this climatological onslaught of terror, the people are divided and confused. No longer can we abide by certain Newcastle clichés put away your suede Adidas superstars and hang up your hoop earrings- neither are practical in the veritable gale we must fight through to get to campus. It’s every man for himself; I find myself scowling at those sensible enough to invest in Doc Martins as they smugly step through puddles, and they in turn may envy my completely superficial decision to buy a puffer jacket. Not such a waste of money now, is it, mum?

My puffer jacket, not a waste of money now, is it mum?

The diabolical meteorological conditions thrust upon us by some cackling deity can also sever friendships. There may be an altercation over who gets to hold the umbrella, whilst their cohorts are drenched on either their right or left shoulder.

Perhaps, with this barrage of freezing wind, housemates will argue over whether or not to finally turn on the heating. Who knows what arguments may occur, but a piece of advice? Blame Lauren Sneath the rain.

Image : Paul Douglas, Star Tribune

@Courier_life Image: Charlotte Butter

@courier_lifestyle

14

life & style fashion

LET’S GET ETHICAL Should we avoid buying leather?

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eather is a staple fabric in the fashion industry, and is used for a variety of products ranging from handbags, shoes, jackets, and gloves. The material proves popular with many luxury designers due to its resistant and durable nature. Doc Marten’s has established a reputable brand through its pride in using high quality leather.

Their products are renowned for satisfying users over several years - a feature that arguably could never have been achieved with faux leather. The brand also offers a wide range of shoes in different styles by exploiting the material’s versatile nature, as leather can be bonded in a variety of ways.

Despite Doc Marten’s high-end prices, leather is surprisingly cheap to produce. This means there are plenty of cheaper leather products available in high-street stores which offer the same desirable qualities. Unlike other materials, it’s lint and dustfree and so it needs little maintenance yet keeps intact, often leather items can simply be wiped clean. Also, genuine leather doesn’t peel or crack, which keeps its original luxurious look for years.

This quality simply cannot be replicated with synthetic materials; hence why many brands have and still rely on leather.

Using vegetable dye to tan the material rather than chrome, is much less damaging to the environment Recently, however, designers have been criticised for using the material - the industry has been exposed as unethical and cruel. Many wearers of leather assume that the material is simply a byproduct of the meat industry. In some cases, this is true as the otherwise wasted animal skin farmers can use it for profit. However, to produce leather of the highest quality, the skin from young or even unborn calves is used as this achieves a much softer finish. Therefore, in some instances this proves the more brutal aspects of the leather industry, as it is so overshadowed by the meat industry and many ignore the leather making process. Moreover, the process of tanning leather is incredibly toxic to the environment. Carcinogenic chromium is often used to colour the material which in turn results in this dangerous chemical permeating the water table. In response, many big name designers have chosen to bypass the use of leather in their designs.

Stella McCartney, an active PETA supporter, refuses to work with fur or leather and encourages other designers to do the same. There are many alternative fabrics such as PU or PVC which can be used as substitutes to the sometimes criticised ‘unethical’ material.

Despite this, there are ways to meet in the middle when it comes to buying leather. Using vegetable dye to tan the material rather than chrome is much less damaging to the environment. This process has been employed by brands such as Terra Plana for their products. Alternatively, you can reduce the production of leather itself by simply buying second hand or vintage items. The leather industry is consequently becoming a much more controversial trade, but by recycling leather made products it can be argued that much of the brutality can be avoided.

Lydia Speight

Image: ASOS

the courier

c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Chloe Bland, Sophie Schneider and Zofia Zwieglinska

Spotted on Campus

Monday 27 November 2017

Federica Mazzilli finds us the most fashionable coats around campus, ready for winter 2017

Name: Imy Hurley 1st year Marketing Coat: Topshop

Rebecka Duren 1st year Journalism Coat: Asos

Cameron Jarvie 1st year Fine Art Coat: Alpha Industries

Imy Mobley 1st year Zoology Coat: Depop

The Look: FAKE FUR

The Look: UPTOWN CLASS

The Look: SHEARLING

The Look: SLOGAN

One of the key trends for the season, a fake fur coat can instantly elevate your outfit. This sleek grey number from Topshop is elegant by itself, but when paired with classic black leggings it earns serious cool points.

Looking suitably put together at university can seem hard, but all it takes is a mid-length camel coat to add instant class to your outfit.

Whether you wear it with suede boots or trainers, you’ll be equally well-dressed for a date and lectures.

Shearling is making a comeback this season and with the treacherous northern winds, its a trend to welcome with open arms. Perfect for an off-duty look, shearling will go best with loose, 70’s trousers for a double winter trend.

With badges and embellishments galore on the catwalks, this is the perfect unisex trend. The bomber coat provides a perfect backdrop for them to take centre stage.

Throw your slogans on your coat and advocate your cause with pride.

The versatility of velvet

Rory Cameron explores the history of our favourite winter fabric, and why it’s made a comeback

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egrettably, form and function often do not have the most successful of marriages.

Actually, rumour has it, that they were both spotted getting into different taxi outside Soho Rooms last Wednesday. And frustratingly, this mismatch of practicality and functionality often extends to the world of fashion. The common creed may be ‘beauty is pain’, but it doesn’t have to be.

Velvet is making a return to the trendiest of wardrobes, and with this versatile fabric, we really can get the best of both worlds. Velvet is both as comfortable and warm as Ugg boots with Jack Wills tracksuits, without being such an eyesore.

The thickness of the fabric makes it perfect for the cold Newcastle winds, or your freezing student house where your flatmate refuses to turn on the boiler, even to thaw out the icicles dangling from your nose.

Velvet is both as comfortable and warm as Ugg boots with Jack Wills tracksuits, without being such an eyesore Whether you choose velvet, velour, or crushed velvet, they all offer warmth and comfort, which means they go perfectly with other cosy loungewear materials such as wool. Look no further, for when you want to go out and make a statement this fabric is the perfect solution. Whether it be the rich depth of darker tones, or the shimmering variety of shades offered in electric blues, and daring burgundies, you will be certain to turn heads at house parties from Jesmond to Heaton with this snazzy addition to your wardrobe.

fabric. It remains to be seen whether contemporary styles of plastic chokers, nylon tube tops and high waisted jeans will stand the test of time quite as well.

Whilst the opulent style of fur and ermine capes, with bejewelled velvet crowns and velvet gloves may not be with us any longer, nor be within student budgets, we are lucky enough to not have to rely on Silk Road trading routes, or fragile allegiances with the merchant state of medieval Venice to secure velvet items. On the high street, look no further than vintage stores such as Hip Cat, Thrifty Beatnik, or Buy the Bag. Alternatively, New Look and H&M also offer a lot of reasonably priced items to jazz up your winter wardrobe.

Image: Wikipedia While campuses across the country have witness true renaissance of vintage clothing in jazzy windbreakers, Tommy Hilfiger jumpers and Nike Air Max 95’s and much more, velvet can boast a heritage which eclipses almost all other fads.

Indeed, the origins of velvet go back much further than the 90s. Beyond the velvet flares of soul parties the 70s, beyond the smoking jackets of playboys in the 50s, beyond the extravagant ball gowns of 1880s, or the clothing of Medieval European nobility. In fact, velvet first appeared in the dynasty of Caliph Harun al-Rashid of Baghdad at the end of the 8th Century, at the height of the Islamic Golden Age. Over hundreds of years, aristocrats and monarchs across the world fell in love with the luxurious fabric, which has helped attach a certain distinguished connotation of class and sophistication to the material. Impressively, such connotations have been retained over the past 12 centuries of our love affair with the

Bag: Asos mens velvet flight bag, £18 Top: Urban Outfitters velvet raceback cami £19 Jackets: Light Before Dark (Urban Outfitters) gold velvet puffa jacket £99

the courier

@CourierFashion c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk

Monday 27 November 2017

The Pirelli Christmas Calendar

Natalya Baranovskaya tumbles down the rabbit hole for this year’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ issue

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fashion life & style

FASHION NEWS

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Barbie Gets a Hijab

btihaj Muhammed, the first American Olympian to wear a hijab whilst competing, has now become the first hijab-wearing Barbie doll. She joins the likes of model Ashley Graham, fellow Olympian Gabby Douglas and film director Ava DuVernay in Mattel’s Shero’s collection. The Shero Barbies are based on ‘female heroes who inspire girls by breaking boundaries and expanding possibilities for women everywhere’. Graham, who is breaking boundaries in the fashion industry by proving size doesn’t define beauty, presented Muhammed with her smaller, yet equally inspiring self at the Glamour Women of the Year Summit.

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he release of Pirelli Calendar has been one of the most anticipated events for more than 50 years and is equal in importance with the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or even with Cannes Film Festival.

This year, Pirelli has revealed that the theme of the new calendar is based on ‘Alice in Wonderland’

by Lewis Carroll. However, the story of Alice was depicted in a way opposite to how we are used to knowing it. In 2018, the Pirelli Calendar has turned its attention towards diversity and the depiction of the black beauty.

I think, it is important to remind people that black models are still struggling to be accepted by the fashion industry. The reason for this is linked to the stereotype that a magazine with a black face on the cover will not sell out. Thus, the release of new Pirelli Calendar will help fight racism in the fashion industry by capturing empowered black models on its pages.

All 18 models for the 45th edition were black and among them there were also well-known stars such as Naomi Campbell, Duckie Thot, Whoopi Goldberg, Lupita Nyong’o and Sean Combs.

The calendar pictures were shot in London

by English photographer, Tim Walker. The

Instagram: @pirelli

photographer is well-recognized for his work with British, American and Italian editions of Vogue.

He first shot for the fashion magazine when he was just 25 years old. In 2008, the talented photographer received the ‘Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator’ from the British Fashion Council.

In 2009, Tim Walker was nominated again and got the Infinity Award from The International Centre of Photography. Moreover, in 2012, the photographer received a Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society.

In 2018, the Pirelli Calendar has turned its attention towards diversity The style of Tim Walker’s works is difficult to mix up with someone else because of the extravagant and romantic motifs in his works. His photographs, like Carroll’s stories, are not logical: they subvert our expectations and entertain, excite and intrigue.

All costumes were chosen by the stylist and now Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful, with the set being designed by Shona Heath.

The Calendar was first created by Pirelli’s UK subsidiary in the 1960s, which portrayed women in a decidedly un-feminist way. Although it gained in popularity, the publication was paused for 10 years in 1974 due to the recession, but it was reborn again in 1987. This time it hired the fashion photographer Terence Donovan for a photoshoot with 17-year-old Naomi Campbell. After that, the Pirelli Calendar began to gain popularity by gradually including photographs of semi-dressed supermodels such as Gisele Bündchen, Natalia Vodianova, Sophia Loren and Cindy Crawford.

Though the calendar is mostly famous for its provocative images of celebrities, Pirelli has decided recently to make extraordinary changes in the style of the Calendar. Thus, in 2013 Pirelli’s new look began with a collection of photographs shot exclusively in Rio de Janeiro. This time models were clothed – some were VS models like Adriana Lima and Karlie Kloss.

Today, Pirelli again surprises us with a new magical style. So, we can now tumble down the rabbit hole into the new Pirelli Calendar.

Kickstart your festive period Miranda Stoner offers her opinion on the best looks for Christmas parties and wear to find them

Image: Pexel

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alloween was almost a month ago which means your Facebook notification feed should now be filling up with invitations to Christmas and New Year balls, events and parties. Of course, you want to take advantage of the one time in the year when it’s acceptable to go overboard on sequins, beading and extravagant materials such as velvet and satin… but which party dresses should you invest in?

One of the most popular materials for the festive period is velvet. Not only does it look luxurious and chic but it is also so comfortable, it almost feels like you’re still wearing your reindeer print pyjamas! Velvet has the added advantage of being stretchy, meaning you can enjoy the Xmas buffet to your heart’s content, the outfit will work with you. Combined with a faux fur coat and metallic jewellery, velvet is perfect for any Christmas-do.

Although it traditionally comes in dark colours like black, navy or green, 2017 has seen brighter colours such as red, yellow and pink. For example, Zara’s pleated velvet midi skirt in fushia pink (£24.99) is a great investment for the Christmas scene.

The versatility of this piece means you can adapt it to any style; it can be accessorised with a warm cardigan/jumper and snow boots or styled with

Left to right: Asos, silver sequin dress £65 Topshop, black ruched dress £32 Zara, pink pleated skirt £25.99 UO, red mini dress £42

a leather jacket and heels, to suit every occasion from mince pies with the family, to champagne and cocktails with the girls. The stunning pink is a playful colour whilst the movement of the skirt gives it a sophisticated look.

Nothing says Christmas sparkles like metallics Of course nothing says Christmas sparkle better than metallics. Whether you opt for fearless all out shimmer or choose more subtle metallic appliqués, you are bound to spread Christmas cheer. With metallics there can be a danger of looking tacky so try pairing over the top pieces with a casual jacket and avoid wearing too much jewellery. This Topshop dress (£32) is a great option as the dark colour makes it very wearable. Unless it’s a cosmic theme event keep your make-up matte, either keep it classy with neutral colours or steal the show with brights, but if you have pale skin try warm colours to avoid looking washed out.

This year as well as the usual sequins, the shops are full of feathered items too, so why not swap your faux-fur jacket for a feather textured coat to stay on trend. The feathered hem is a particular festive favourite, a style that can add detail and class to an otherwise plain outfit. This creates a hypnotic bounce when you walk and can transform a normal party dress into a Christmas party dress.

Just be warned this is definitely going to be a dry clean only affair.

One of the best things about Christmas is that it suddenly becomes acceptable to wear sequins, all day everyday. The sparkle looks lovely on all body shapes as they catch the light and dazzle. For loose fitting garments larger sequins are great as they move with the fabric, whilst tighter fitting dresses are better suited to smaller sequins as these will accentuate your figure.

A final tip for dressing the Christmas season is to mix textures. This will help avoid looking like a 9 year old at a birthday party. Sequins, mesh, feather, velvet and metallics can all be combined to create awe-inspiring looks. Don’t be afraid to be too bold with your Christmas party looks, there is no such thing as over-the-top during the festive period!

Muhammed has gained Shero status, but girls all over the globe have gained a choice The world is needing sheroes now more than ever. In the face of sexual harassment, Mattel’s identifiable figures are vital in showing that every girl and every woman can be a shero (meaning she hero). For Muslim girls, Muhammed’s doll is especially important considering the rising number of Islamophobic incidents across the UK and US. The Tell MAMA Project, which tackles Islamophobia in the UK, reports that the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes on the streets rose by 47% in 2016. Muhammed’s doll is not just a revolutionary advocate for women, she is a revolutionary advocate for Islam, religious tolerance, human rights and equality.

Muhammed has gained Shero status, but girls all over the globe have gained a choice. They have gained another possibility. When I was three, I wanted to be a palaeontologist. Whilst the other girls would be cradling their Baby Annabelle’s, I would be pushing my baby dinosaur in a pram, sat with my reptilian toys watching Barney the Dinosaur. Barbie, Bratz and the other ‘girl’ toys would strut onto my TV in the ad-breaks, staring down at me through their pink-rimmed sunglasses, flashing their white smiles lined with fuchsia pink lipstick and swinging their hot-pink handbags. I wasn’t a ‘pink’ girl and I didn’t want to be a ‘pink’ girl, yet the images on the screen were telling me this was what I should be. I would watch the Barbie adverts and hear the slogan ‘Be who you wanna be’, except I wouldn’t see anyone that I wanted to be.

I could only see the skinny, pretty, smiling, white girl. And I didn’t want to be her, I wanted to be more, but I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t given a choice.

Today, Barbie is giving girls a choice. In Mattel’s ‘Imagine the Possibilities’ advert, which features five girls roleplaying their dream jobs (including a palaeontologist!), young girls see the slogan ‘You can be anything’…but they also believe it. With the new, revolutionary Barbies, girls believe that they can be palaeontologists, business executives, vets, professors, presidential candidates and hijab-wearing Muslim Olympic champions. The possibilities are endless and they are reachable.

By reaching for Muhammed’s Shero doll, a girl is reaching for her future. She is reaching for everything that Islam stands for, she is reaching for Olympic medals, and she is reaching because she believes she can. The new release of this doll has offered new opportunities for young children and is the beginning of a hopefully, more representative future for our younger generations.

Holly Stanford

Instagram:dawah_soul

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life & style beauty

the courier

courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Laura Greatrex, Lois Johnston & Susanne Norris

Monday 27 November 2017

Making your make-up last In a battle of the make-up bases, beauty editor Susanne Norris talks us through her top picks of the best face and eye primers

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inding the right primer for your skin type can be as challenging as finding a perfect foundation match. What works miracles for someone else may be wrong for you as everyone’s skin is different. So, I have put together a collection of the best primers for oily, dry and combination skin types, and the best eye primers too.

Image: @bobbibrown

For Oily Skin: The Ordinary, ‘High-Adherence Silicone Primer.’ I personally know it’s an absolute nightmare finding primers for oily skin. That constant shine those of us with oily skin suffer from can make us very conscious about the look of our foundation, so primer is a must. I tried loads of primers before which always left me looking shiny by the end of the night; that is until I found this

one from The Ordinary. The perk of this primer is that it’s mattifying and hydrating at the same time.

This means it doesn’t give you the really heavy matte look lots of primers for oily skin do. It’s matte enough to keep the shine at bay but also hydrating enough for your skin to be able to breathe. What’s more, it’s super student budget friendly, with prices ranging from £3.90 - £4 depending on where you choose to buy it from. It’s available online at Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS. For dry skin: NYX, ‘Studio Perfect Primer.’ This primer is silky in consistency, so is perfect for skin that needs hydrating. When applied to skin, it creates a smooth and moisturised base that’s amazing to work with, perfect for those who suffer from drier skin. The other perk is that it comes in three formulas/colours; ‘Clear’ to cover large pores, ‘Lavender’ to brighten sunken/yellow undertones and ‘Green’ to counteract any redness in the skin.

All these colours will make your skin smooth and moisturised. If that’s what you want in general for dry skin, then opt for ‘clear’. However, if your dry skin causes other issues, look at the other colours.

Opt for ‘Lavender’ if lack of sleep makes your skin appear dry and sunken, or opt for ‘Green’ if having dry skin leaves you with slightly irritated red patches. This primer is £10.50 from Boots, Cult Beauty or Feel Unique.

For combination skin: Revlon, ‘PhotoReady Perfecting Primer.’ This primer has been a beauty staple and cult product since it’s release. It is loved and raved about by everyone with combination skin who uses it. Its formula makes it perfect for use under foundation, but also evens-out skin tone when used alone. It instantly softens skin

and reduces imperfections such as large pores and fine lines. The formula leaves your skin feeling smooth, but not oily. It is also talc, oil, paraben, and fragrance free so will not irritate combination skin in any way. You can buy this primer at Boots or Superdrug. It’s a tiny bit pricier at £12.99 but look out for ongoing 3 for 2 deals at both Boots and Superdrug.

The primer has been a beauty staple and cult product since its release Eye Primer: Urban Decay, ‘Eyeshadow Primer Potion.’ Okay, I’m going to jump right in and admit it is pricey at £17. However, it is well worth the investment. It’s worth remembering your eyelids are small so you won’t need a lot of it and that you really can’t put a price on keeping that eyeshadow you work oh so hard on in place. It keeps your shadow in place and ensures creasefree application. This primer comes in an amazing six different shades depending on the desired look/ finish. My personal favourites include ‘Original’ for an invisible and flawless look, ‘Freebase’ for a white undertone (amazing for giving bright colours that extra pop) and ‘Eden’, a matte that completely covers redness. In terms of where to buy it from, Urban Decay and Feel Unique both do year-round 10% student discount, but keep an eye on Feel Unique as this is often boosted to as high as 20%.

Ready, set, spray Feeling the powder

Emily Cartwright puts setting sprays against each other and tells us which she thinks will make you make-up last all day

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elieve it or not, there was once upon a time where no such thing as setting sprays even existed. Make-up was something that looked good for a few hours until it slid off your face like melting plastic. With those days long gone, I bring you the battle of the setting sprays which one will win?

MAC Fix+ Rating: 5/10 The infamous mist that 99% of beauty lovers have owned at some point in their lives, MAC Fix+ is likely to be a setting spray you’d consider when looking to purchase one.

Having used it myself multiple times, I find that it makes the skin look extremely dewy and fuses with your base to look like skin - or as close as it will do with makeup on. For this reason, I am here to bash why it shouldn’t be labelled a setting spray. Yes, it makes your skin look beautiful but after a few hours the skin appears greasy, in my experience anyway, and the makeup slides off your face as it would without a setting spray. So, a pointless £18, in my opinion, unless you use it to refresh your skin throughout the day (I must admit this is amazing while abroad) or to spray onto your brush when enhancing your shimmer shadows or highlight. So, do I hate the product? No. Do I hate the fact it’s often referred to as a setting spray? Yes. So, we can rule this one out.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray Rating: 8/10 (for dry/combination skin) With an admitted bias in favour of this spray, especially during the summer months, I have to say I love it. At just £7 a bottle that will last a good few months, I’d say it was a bargain. Like MAC Fix+, it makes the skin look natural and dewy and it can also be used to enhance highlighters or shimmer eyeshadows. The difference is, however, that it actually makes the makeup last. Admittedly, with skin that’s sometimes a little oily but more on the ‘normal’ side, this spray might not work for you very oily-skinned gals out there. So, even though I, quite frankly, adore this spray (and brand), it isn’t for everyone and therefore can’t stand a chance against the other setting sprays out there that suit all.

Smashbox Photofinish Primer Water Rating: 7.5/10 As a slave to the Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer, I was desperate to try this.

Claiming that it can be used as both a primer and setting spray that primes, hydrates and elicits radiance, I had high hopes - and I wasn’t disappointed. This spray made my makeup last for hours and wasn’t at all too mattifying nor too dewy. I really enjoyed how this made my skin look generally, but I did find that not using a siliconebased primer made my pores very apparent. So, the fact it advertises itself as a duo product, yet didn’t satisfy me as a duo product, meant my search for the best setting spray continued.

Image: @urbandecaycosmetics

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray Rating 10/10 Though pricey, I cannot give this setting spray enough praise. It sets my face like a dream, all day. I mean, the Smashbox one lasts all day, but this, this really could make your makeup last 48 hours (if you manage to stay awake that long). It smooths and airbrushes away those imperfections while making your skin look like skin that’s not overly dewy or greasy. I know for a fact, too, that this spray works on all different skin types. My flatmate who has oily skin in contrast to my combination skin swears by it. I cannot recommend this enough! If you feel the price is a bit steep for one spray (I did at first too), there is a travel-size version for £10 so you can try before you buy. This is also handy if you’re low on cash and need a new spray; because trust me, once you go there, you’ll never go back.

Not sure which setting powder to choose? Nimra Rafique has you covered with a run down of the best in the market

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hat skin type do you have? Oily, dry or combination? My skin type is oily, so for me setting powder is a must.

But I think setting powder should be a must for everyone, even if you just use a little bit, to set your concealer, for example, so that it doesn’t crease throughout the day. Since I have oily skin I have tried my fair share of setting powders, both high end and drugstore.

Let’s start off by talking about my favourite setting powder, which is also a beauty cult favourite, the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Believe me when I say that when you use this setting powder your makeup will last all day. It feels incredibly soft and silky on the skin and sets your foundation in place resulting in a perfect matte finish, but does not look cakey. As it looks so natural on the skin, you can apply as much or as little as you want until you get your desired outcome. I think this Laura Mercier setting powder is especially great to set under eye concealer, because there’s nothing worse than concealer that has not been set properly and begins to crease throughout the day, making you look like you have wrinkly under eyes. I’ve just noticed on the Laura Mercier website that this setting powder comes in two shades now, translucent and translucent medium deep, so if you’re worried that the original translucent setting powder is too light, there is now a darker shade so now everyone can enjoy it.

Another one of my favourite setting powders

Image: @lauramercier

is the BenefitPOREfessional: Agent Zero Shine Mattifier, which is especially great if you have oily skin. The peachy coloured powder minimizes the appearance of pores and leaves the skin looking smooth with a matte finish. I guarantee every time I use this setting powder I do not have to touch up on my makeup all day. I like to use this powder on my entire face, particularly focusing on areas where I tend to get oilier like my T-zone. I don’t use this for setting my under eyes as I find it can cause them to become a little dry and patchy. So if you have dry skin, maybe this isn’t the best option for you, but if you have oily skin I would definitely recommend trying this powder.

LAURA MERCIER French make-up artist Laura Mercier originally began her training at the age of 17 in a Parisian painting school.

Her brand, Laura Mercier Cosmetics was launched in 1996.

Image: @lauramercier

A pressed setting powder I’ve used since I first started wearing makeup and still go back to, especially when I need an extra bit of coverage, is MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium Dark.

The Mineralize Skinfinish range comes in various shades and has an easily blendable formula, so it applies onto the skin effortlessly. Again, this setting powder is great for setting foundation on the skin and perfect if you want a powder that will also give a bit of extra coverage too, however it may be a bit too heavy for setting your under eyes. I find that this powder would be great for all skin types, as it can be built up as much or as little as you’d like.

A drugstore setting powder which I love and is a favourite among many beauty lovers is Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent. This is the powder I would lean more towards for every day, natural makeup as it’s light yet very effective. It leaves my skin looking smooth and matte, and feels and looks very light and fresh. It’s also great for setting the under eyes and comes in many shades other than translucent for those that want a bit of extra coverage.

the courier

@CourierBeauty thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty

Monday 27 November 2017

Debunking make-up myths Applying make-up should always be a form of personal expression. Miranda Stoner tells us the make-up “rules” we should break, and how we should experiment with beauty products

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The next myth I want to disband is that you have to contour. Whilst I enjoy defining and highlighting my otherwise unchiselled face as much as the next person, some days I don’t see the need to go in with mathematical precision and a make-up palette of red and grey toned browns. My favourite way to contour the face is through tactically using blush.

This is a tip I picked up from Pat McGrath who says, “backstage at the fashion weeks, we’ll often use a blush across the apples and temples, and sometimes even on the chin and forehead, working it almost like a bronzer to give more life to tired

beauty life & style

What is your make-up made of?

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ith advice being thrown at us from all angles - magazines, YouTube, Instagram etc - it can sometimes be hard to work out what the real make-up dos and don’ts are. My fist tip would be to give any and every new tip a go - who knows when you could stumble across a spark of brilliance.

However, do not take it as the Bible because your favourite beauty blogger advises it - see what works best for you. Everyone is different and what can look amazing on some face shapes can have the opposite effect on others, so remain open but sceptical. There are a few rules, however that I wholeheartedly advocate.

The first is, just because you now know how to work a washing machine and you buy Asda smart price spaghetti hoops instead of Peppa Pig spaghetti snap pots, that doesn’t mean you’re too old for glitter, shimmer and sparkle. In fact, glitter is a festive season must have. Mix a matching glitter shade in with your lipstick for a softer holographic effect, or pack it on the eyelids for undeniably starry eyes. If you’re looking for something a little more subtle, then glitter nails are the look for you.

Some days I don’t see the need to go in with mathematical precision

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Image: @melwatergirl

skin.” It creates a softer effect, which is perfect for a more natural day time look. You can then curve darker brown tones under the cheekbones later to transform it into a dramatic night time deal. Using blusher instead of bronzer can often look especially flattering on pale skin, as sometimes more tan or orange tones create too much of a contrast.

The next rule worth breaking is one you’ve probably heard a million times before: you can do the eyes or the lips but not both. Why not both though? Cast your mind back a few months to the Chanel 2017 fall show where the smokiest eyes met the reddest lips. The models looked stunning. The trick they used was to slick back their hair, away from the face, with a dewy texture foundation and cream highlight to create a glowing complexion.

This meant the burnished eyes and French lips looked dramatic yet balanced and not trashy. This is just one example to prove that there is absolutely nothing wrong with going all out. In general though, it’s best to use a precise eyeshadow brush to create a really well blended look and use a lip liner to keep the lines clean.

Finally, don’t be afraid of bright colours - green and blue eyeshadow is bold but applied above a cut crease or under the eyes can really bring out the colours in your irises. Get stuck in with the My Little Pony Palette from PUR or the Clover Palette from Too Faced and try blending dark to light, or use a single colour and apply it with a sweeping motion for a consciously unstructured look.

his week I will be dicussing the ins and outs of what I’m told is a fundamental product in every make-up lovers’ collection.

Mascara isn’t really something that has blipped on my screen, to be honest. It’s black, it’s sticky, and you shouldn’t brush your teeth with it. From what I can gather, there are two main types of mascara; water-based, which tends to run down your face in the rain or during a hard-hitting episode of Game of Thrones; and emulsions, which are hardwearing and could be used to make impromptu candles due to their high wax content.

Right, let’s get one thing out of the way first; no, your mascara does not contain bat plops. (There’s a sentence neither of us expected to ever read.)

Mascara contains guanine, a chemical that forms about 22% of our DNA. Meanwhile, bat fæces is also called guano, but isn’t used as a source of guanine; instead, that guanine is harvested from fish scales (vegans beware). While we’re at it, there’s no broken glass, tar, monkey bollocks or anything like that in your mascara either.

So what does your WWmascara actually contain?

Well, there’s a black dye. It’s called “carbon black”, but you may recognise its more common term, “activated charcoal”. This is the stuff they give you if you swallow a load of morphine. I wouldn’t recommend you use it as an antidote (mostly because it’s got all sorts of other things in it), but it’s still a cool bit of trivia.

Carbon black might not be the only pigment in your mascara. Iron oxide (Fe(II)O) is sometimes added to give them a more natural brownish tint, while ultramarine blue (Na8-10Al6Si6O24S2-4, bloody hell) is sometimes added to provide a blue tinge. Neither of these is particularly toxic, or indeed particularly notable (besides the latter’s weirdly long chemical formula).

Panning saves pennies Scarlett Carroll introduces us to the concept of Project Panning, and explains why it is rapidly growing in popularity amongst countless members of the beauty and make-up communities

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s a make-up lover, I’m often found scrolling through Beauty Bay and browsing through the aisles of Superdrug and Boots. However, when I became a vegan I realised that many of the brands I had been purchasing from were not cruelty-free, and most products were not vegan. I knew I needed to be a better, more conscious consumer. But, I didn’t want to throw all this make-up away, so it sulked around the edges of my collection never really being used.

Recently, I discovered a new trend popping up on beauty blogs and YouTube channels called Project Panning. Project Panning is where you focus on finishing products you already have in your collection, rather than buying new products.

Many of the bloggers and content creators who are doing these panning projects have incredibly expansive collections which otherwise would need decluttering. Something often not spoken about enough in the make-up community is what is colloquially known as ‘Make-up Addiction’.

Like any shopping addiction, it is where the thrill is buying and receiving new items rather than

Image: @ kivircikbirblog

getting any joy from using the products. Due to the excessive promotion and advertising of makeup, people often become tied up in purchasing all the new products released without thinking about whether they already own something similar. To own the new becomes far more important. Though this is not something I have ever experienced, I can understand how in this sort of situation starting a panning project would be incredibly helpful to reduce a collection size.

Something often not spoken about enough is colloquially known as ‘Make-up Addiction’ Having read about and watched many other make-up lovers panning projects, I have started my own project. As part of my own project panning, I have decided that I am not allowed to buy any

new products until I have finished ones in my collection. My main focus is on finishing all my non-cruelty free or non-vegan products, so I don’t have to feel bad having them in my own collection.

To start my project, I grabbed a make-up bag and selected the products I wanted to pan, and I will add new items in from my collection as I use up these selected products. What I have noticed while doing this project is that I’m forced to work with products I would otherwise have ignored, meaning that I am having to be more creative with my looks.

An added bonus to this project is the benefit on my budget. No longer am I running to grab the latest products (which can often be quite pricey if it is a higher end item) but I am confronted with a plethora of products that will perform the same job - they are just tucked away in a drawer. One important thing to note though is the use by dates on make-up. Though often many of us, myself included, ignore these warnings it is something to keep in mind. When digging through my collection I discovered some old mascaras that I thought I should put in my project pan, but they were incredibly out of date. Any out of date makeup should, unfortunately, just be thrown away as they can really damage your skin. Any products you use around your eyes you should be extra careful about.

Project Panning is really just about loving the collection you already have, and who knows, you might find some hidden gems you had forgotten about! For more information about Project Panning, I would check out Lauren Mae Beauty’s video called ‘What is Project Panning and the Project Pan Community?’. I personally found this video incredibly informative and helpful when I started and developed my own project.

Image: @toofaced

What about the rest of mascara, though? So far, all I’ve mentioned is powders that wouldn’t stick to your eyelashes by themselves. No, what you need is some kind of binding agent, like a wax or oil (i.e. esters and fatty acids). And that’s where mascara gets complicated. These fatty compounds aren’t well regulated and manufacturers can pretty much put whatever they like in these. Oil from flax/ linseed? Fair enough. Turpentine? Sure. Oil from the castor bean, which is arguably one of the most poisonous plants on Earth? Yeah. It’s a good thing none of these things are in high enough quantities in mascara to be dangerous!

So is mascara safe? Yes. Sort of. If it starts smelling funny, or you’ve had it for more than three weeks, then get rid of it, because there could be bacteria feasting on the waxes within which can then give you conjunctivitis. The biggest risk with mascara is having some sort of allergic reaction to one of the ingredients (especially turpentine or phenylmethanol), but chances are you’ll already know if you have an allergy to it. If it dries out, don’t try to rehydrate it; especially not with your spit. Just chuck it.

And above all, make sure you don’t actually get it in your eyes.

Jack Coles

Like us on Facebook @TheCourierBeauty

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life & style travel

courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk Travel Editors Charlotte Hill & Talia Gillin

The real truth of ‘mindful’ tourism

@Courier_Travel thecourieronline.co.uk/travel

Words of the Week Arabic:

Katy Prophet tells of the unseen harm of volunteering abroad

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e all assume that volunteering abroad, whether it be to help locals or the environment, is extremely beneficial to everyone involved. The tourist gains valuable experience, can travel at lower cost and the place benefits as projects can be completed and local people are often helped. However, often we don’t take into account the harm that can be done in attempt at being a ‘mindful’ tourist.

Every year thousands of Westerners venture out to places they have never been in an effort to ‘help’.

However, sometimes, our ulterior motives can get in the way of actually giving aid. Would tourists actually travel out to these far-off places if they were not able to capture and upload these moments to Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, just to show they have done the project? In our individualistic society, most of what we all do, whether we like it or not, is to benefit ourselves, and sometimes (I am not saying always), this can limit the assistance tourists provide when they volunteer.

Many people are guilty of volunteering overseas thinking of it as a ‘holiday’ People are flown out to many under- developed parts of the world, to, for example, assist in healthcare, to build schools, to farm and much more. Yet, the travellers being sent over are not necessarily skilled at all in the areas they are volunteering in. Someone who has never even thought of building a wall is suddenly on a task building a town hall. Someone doing a degree in English Literature may be working in a hospital.

Of course, all these areas need support, but by providing unskilled work, in the long term we may be more of a hindrance than help.

Another issue is that there is always a possibility that Westerners (including a lot of us who already have part time or full time work / education) are threatening the availability of jobs for locals. A popular place to volunteer is Ghana in Africa.

Many projects such as village by village, plan my

gap year and original volunteer focus largely on work in Africa and especially Ghana. However, in a place where the unemployment rate is so high at 11.9% (over 1.2 million people), compared to England’s unemployment rate of 4.4% from a much larger pool of people [Ghana Statistical Service 2015 Report], surely some of the jobs we pay to do could be providing paid work for those who actually live in Ghana? This raises the question that if we didn’t go over as mindful tourists, perhaps the unemployment rate of these countries wouldn’t be so high.

Strong bonds can be formed between tourists and locals. However, after the short duration of their stay is over and the project is completed, what is actually left behind once they have gone back home? Many countries wait for the next project to go ahead, and these bonds often have to be made all over again, so in fact little impact is made on people’s lives and on these communities.

For example, if the volunteering project involves working in a hospital or in healthcare, once the volunteer leaves, so do the skillsets that they took with them, and so there is no real lasting benefit in the long term.

Having acknowledged the risks involved with ‘mindful’ tourism, of course we can recognise that there are also benefits for both the tourist and the community, if the volunteering is done in the correct way. For example, it should be done as a genuine effort to help others, rather than for person to wholly focus on their image and self-benefit.

A great way to ensure you are making an actual impact is to analyse your own skillsets and only volunteer for the jobs you feel you can make a real difference in. There is no point volunteering in something you are not passionate about at all– for example, why choose farming or construction if your skill sets are in language and teaching?

A great deal of focus should be placed on the community and on making a real impact in the long term rather than just in the short term. Many people are guilty of volunteering overseas, thinking of it as a ‘holiday’. It needs to be remembered that these are real people who trust us to help and respect them. Westerners cannot just enter into volunteer projects, cameras at the ready, waiting to snap pictures the whole time. A real difference will be made when we are dedicated to the cause.

Travelling when you’re young Amanda Yap on why there’s no time like the present to take a leap of faith and embark on your own travel adventure

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he advice that has been hammered into my head ever since I started university is ‘“You won’t have time to travel after you start working, so travel now!”. I sigh whenever I look at my bank account balance, so is it still possible for me to enjoy the perks of travelling when I’m constantly living on a budget? Despite the difficulty, I do believe in the advantages of travelling when I’m young and have time- hopefully after reading this you will too.

You will learn independence You could argue that we learn independence during our time at university, by leaving our homes and traipsing across the country to a new place.

The fact is though, you are still on semi-familiar ground, and in the same time zone as your loved ones. What if you were halfway across the world, among people who don’t look quite the same as you? Where the food is nothing like the pub food you are used to, the roads are tricky to navigate, and to make matters worse, you encounter language barriers with the locals. Will you still be confident enough to say that you are truly independent? Sure, you can say, “I’ll just go to a place where the people speak the same language as me”, but is travelling about staying in your own comfort zone?

Youth will not be on your side forever Our good looks and fitness will not last forever, so while our bodies can still tolerate the crappy budget accommodation and those half-day bus

rides, we should make the most of it! Or else where will we be able to relive those memories that make us shudder yet reminisce time and again? Also, on a more sombre note, remember life can be taken away at unexpected moments and when that time comes you will sorely regret the travelling chances that you never got to take. Afterall, you only live once.

Hello: (marhabaa)

Goodbye: (wadaeaan)

Thank you: (shukraan)

Please: (raja’)

Image: Helena Buchanan captures the cats in Marrakech, Morocco

Amazing Alpujarras Jack Coles reveals his personal highlights of Southern Spain

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he Alpujarras is a small, mountainous region in the far south of Spain, known for its natural beauty and cured meats. If you’d like to visit this place, there’s a few things you should be aware of: you’re going to need a car and a driving licence to do anything, vegetarians (and anybody else with meat-based dietary requirements) are likely to have a bad time due to the sheer volume of pork products consumed here, and regional pronunciation of words can be very different to what you might expect from GCSE Spanish.

Órgiva The big attraction of Órgiva is the market they have there every Thursday. It’s very different to, say, Grainger market; for one thing, they use gazebos

instead of any permanent structure. What really sets it apart is the sheer variety of stuff there: spices, olives, knock-off designer clothing (I bought some sunglasses for €5), hand-drawn postcards, dreamcatchers, those plastic toys like the ones you get in Poundland, and even a puppy.

Haza del Lino Haza del Lino has a bar that serves drinks that might seem expensive, however, you get free food with them. Not just a packet of crisps, either, but things like liver and potatoes, or migas (fried breadcrumbs with garlic and onion). Just up the road towards Rubite there’s a partially ruined house that once served as a hideout for communists during the civil war. You can still make out the drawings of Lenin and Stalin, as well as the bullet holes.

Well worth visiting if you’re interested in history, as it’s free to enter (i.e. abandoned).

Pampaneira

You can be surprised by the things you are capable of

Not many people realise this, but southern Spain can get really, really cold. Maybe not as cold as midwinter Newcastle, but still cold enough for there to be occasional snow. Pampaneira does its bit to mitigate the cold by producing some really thick carpets that are heavier than most duvets.

There’s also a specialist shop that makes all sorts of weird and wonderful chocolate combinations

Embark on your own journey We can all go to the same places, but what each person gets out from it can be totally different. I am not referring to the mantra of “finding yourself ”, but sometimes you can be surprised by the things you are be capable of. For example, you may actually be really good at bargaining for lower prices, or your tolerance for spiciness may be higher than you thought. Until you are pushed to your limits, you will never discover your true potential.

Money is never excuse enough not to not travel; the worst punishment you can inflict upon yourself is to deprive yourself of the freedom of exploring.

the courier Monday 27 November 2017

Trevélez

Image-Wikipedia

At an altitude of 1476m, Trevélez is the highest village in all of Spain (compare that to just 463m for a place called Flash in the UK). So, the views are pretty great, and you’ll get to appreciate these on the drive up. Near the main road there’s a restaurant that has some of the best-tasting hams I’ve ever had. Hanging on the ceiling, these are a real sight.

culture What’s on 19

the courier Monday 27 November 2017

student activity

editor.union@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk Culture Editors Zoë Godden and Errol Kerr Student Activity Editor: Alex Hendley

NSR SHOW OF THE WEEK Row Z Radio Show Wednesdays 3pm-4pm

There are many fantastic shows on NSR but Row Z, fronted by the deputy editor of the Courier Alex Hendley, has managed to create a fantastic brand around it as well. The Wednesday afternoon team have created a distinct and informative hour of sorting analysis.

The team, including Louis Ainley and Liam Hanna, review and preview the upcoming week and weekend of football which help make them an unmissable hour in your sporting week.

Fan quizzes, forgotten footballers Twitter pages and European tours give the show a unique edge on informing the listener.

Self described ‘patter’ alongside the occasional bit of cricket, assisted by some special guests, make it an unmissable part of Wednesdays on NSRLive.

STU BREW BEER OF THE WEEK University Porter Available now!

Having looked last week at Red Brick, a Stu Brew classic, we’re continuing the theme with the University Porter. This was one of the first brews to come out of the brewery in Merz Court, but has been re-visited for a special 2017 edition.

Porters are part of an old British tradition from the Industrial Revolution. From London to the centres of manufacture that powered the Victorian era in Manchester and Newcastle, the porter was the British choice – sitting at around 6% abv and with its characteristic brown and black hues there was a time when you’d find, and settle for, little else in a pub. Over time though, trends change and the market for strong dark beer was filled by the Stout, leaving the slightly thinner and less intense porter unwanted. However, this style has been undergoing a Renaissance for the last thirty years or so, and this offering from Stu Brew is a fine example.

At first taste, the beer is mild and creamy, with a slight hint of Christmas spices and maybe a note of mincemeat or dried fruits. As you swallow, the magic of a porter is worked – with a rich roasted flavour evoking coffee, wood and toffee. You’ll never get the harshness or intensity of a stout here, but this makes it eminently quaffable. The University Porter is perfect for Christmastime as it pairs wonderfully with any kind of roasted meat or rich pudding (as well as being delightful on its own). As for trying it, a new batch has just been brewed, and will be able to find in all good pubs and bars within Newcastle. If you are interested in joining or working with Stu Brew; you can reach them at contact@stubrew.com. Being a member of Stu Brew means that you can have a go at brewing any one of the beers mentioned so far, or even try out your own recipes – or a project all of your own!

Join on the NUSU Societies page or contact the Go Volunteer offices in the Student’s Union.

Dan Jordan

POETRY IN ACTION POEM OF THE WEEK Knowledge, Fill their brains with knowledge, Literature can be their morning porridge And as for their break time snack, How about a few bars of maths?

Despite the fact that many parents Can’t afford breakfast for their children, The government have included this conundrum In this years exam: “If George had five meals, and you take away all five, How many is he left with?”

No laurels of knowledge; instead, an ache in his head For the emptiness of his stomach flummoxes all learning.

The answer to the question is not zero, The answer, is that George is not fed.

Union University Campaign Society Monday 27 November

All day Hendo’s Birthday Location: Runwell’s Chop Suey 2.15pm Cupcake Decorating at Pudding Parlour Meet: Outside Hatton Gallery 7pm MSF Charity Gig Location: Mr Lynch 7.30pm MLS Pub Quiz Location: Bar Blanc

Tuesday 28 November

5.15pm Christmas Cookery Class Location: Venue, NUSU 7.30pm Movelabs Research Presentation Location: Barbara Strang G33

Saturday 2 December

Location: The Hancock

Thursday 30 November

7.30pm Fight Night - Winter Has Come Location: Venue

Friday 1 December

All day Megan and James’ Anniversary Location: Somewhere Italian 5pm NUTV News Training Location: NUSU

1pm Upcycling Restyle Session Location: Venue 1.30pm First Showing of ‘It’s a Beautiful Life’ from 1946 Location: Tyneside Cinema

Sunday 3 December

9am Josie’s Dragonfly Trust Street Collection Contact: govolunteer.union@newcastle.ac.uk 1pm Upcycling Restyle Session Location: Venue

Wednesday 29 November

2-4pm Business School Master’s Open Day Location: Newcastle University Business School 2-4pm Distinguished Chinese Lecture from Professor Robert Bickers Location: 2.21, Research Beehive, Old Library Building 5.30pm Celebrating Student Research Scholarships and Expeditions Location: Lindisfarne Room, Hadrian Building 7pm Red Raw Comedy Night Meet: Outside NUSU 8pm Philosophy Winter Ball

Student spotlight INSIGHTS LECTURES

Events: Tuesday 28 November - Thursday 7 December On 28 November we welcome Professor Charmian Brinson from Imperial College London and on 29 November we have the Celebrating Student Research Scholarships and Expeditions 2017 talks 30 November we hear from three earlycareer researchers from the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering at Newcastle University, who explore new ideas through their research. On 5 December we welcome Professor Michael Storper to deliver this year’s Lord Patten Lecture on Social Renewal and on 7 December we hear from Kerry McCarthy with her talk ‘In the footsteps on Thomas Tallis’.

Further details about these and other upcoming talks can be found on our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/events/publiclectures

TEDx CONFERENCE COMPETITION

Competition: Thursday 7 December Ten talenTED students will battle it out to take over the TEDxNewcastleUniversity stage – but only one will make it to the March 2018 conference!

Are you crazy about cryptocurrency, or serious about subconscious programming? Maybe you’d like to delve into selfdiscovery or maybe you’re sceptical about social change? These are just some of the amazing talks we have lined up for you!

Listen to these geniuses impart their ‘ideas worth spreading’! Feeling exciTED yet?

The event is open to ALL - but only members can vote for a winner!

Be there at BSTC B.32 (Barbara Strang Teaching Centre) at 6pm! Register now by clicking ‘Going’ at Bit.do/SeizeTheStage Bimasal Tabassum

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culture music

the courier

c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Music Editors Toby Bryant, Charlie Isaac & Ally Wilson

On Campus Danny Aspinall

Monday 27 November 2017

Soundtracks: more than background music

Sophie Hicks stands up for the importance of film soundtracks and why they deserve the same amount of respect as conventional records - which movie musical marvels will top her list? whole film was imagined from the soundtrack.

Baby Driver is particularly amazing because the entire film is in-sync with the music - every turn of the wheel, every step, every conversation. The soundtrack ranges from slow-pace songs like ‘Easy’

by Commodores, to high-pace car chase music such as ‘Neat Neat Neat’ by The Damned.There’s a song for everyone in this soundtrack due to the diversity!

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hird year English Lit. student and regular Courier Music writer Danny Aspinall is leaving his mark on the Newcastle music scene, having dropped his debut single ‘We’ve Gotta Try’ on November 17th. We approached him for some words on his track, here’s what he said...

I guess I’d fall into an ambiguous mid-section between the ‘acoustic singer-songwriter’ and ‘rock’ genres, and the track ‘We’ve Gotta Try’ perfectly encapsulates this. It’s a song I’ve had laying around for a long time, musically and structurally coming together very quickly based around the opening riff. I consider lyrics an integral part of what I do, and as such the time consuming part of the song’s construction lay in the constant redrafts during the writing process.

Without soundtracks, films would lose their soul

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Image: Danny Aspinall For me, Bruce Springsteen’s album Born To Run is the holy grail of musical greatness, with tracks such as ‘Thunder Road’ and ‘Born To Run’ poetically capturing inspiring thematic ideas. I was keen to replicate these grand motifs (ideas of existentialism, youth and carpe diem-fuelled desire) and familiarise them into a contemporary colloquial voice, approaching the lyrics in various different ways and consistently editing right up to the morning of recording.

The recording process itself was quite a simplistic one. Though I write and perform my songs as a solo acoustic act, I find that subconsciously I construct songs around a full band arrangement, meaning arranging the tracks with Cieran (Bass) and Travis (Drums) was a relatively easy process, given my already clear sense of direction. The idea of the production was to make it sound as a genuine and authentic as possible through capturing a ‘live’ sound and avoiding unnecessary overproduction; the words and music should be able to speak for themselves. As such, I believe all the instrumental parts and the majority of the vocal parts for ‘We’ve Gotta Try’ were recorded in one take, with me playing and layering both the acoustic and electric guitar parts.The track was completed in less than three hours, along with two other songs that were all completed within the day to try and achieve this feeling of authenticity.

‘We’ve Gotta Try’ is the first of three upcoming singles, released last Friday and peaking at number 18 on the iTunes singer songwriter chart on its first day of release. The other two singles, ‘The River’ and ‘The Ghosts of You and I’, will be released over the next two months, accumulating in an EP including all three songs, and being released in physical format. ‘We’ve Gotta Artwork for Try’ is available on all ‘We Gotta Try’ digital and streaming services now!

Danny Aspinall

@dannyaspinall music @Courier_Music @TheCourierMusic

ilm soundtracks don’t get enough credit. Just as mainstream albums do, film soundtracks convey a story. It revolves around an entire film and sets the tone. The dynamics of a film pivot around the soundtrack and create the pace and atmosphere. Can you imagine a film without a soundtrack?

I don’t think I can write about film soundtracks without mentioning the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. These soundtracks represent the playful nature of the 80s and play a backstory in the film; music from Peter Quill’s home pre-space. This makes it nostalgic, not only for those listening, but

Image: Flickr also gives sentiment in terms of the film. It includes classics such as ‘I Want You Back’ by the Jackson 5 and ‘Moonage Daydream’ by David Bowie. The Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack is particularly special because it actually topped the UK charts.

A rare soundtrack was taken seriously, seen as an actual album rather than just background noise in a film.

Another great example is from Baby Driver. Edgar Wright was actually first inspired to make the film because of a song, ‘Bellbottoms’ by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, imagining a car chase.

This song is then the initial opening song, and the

A film score that can’t go unrecognised is the entirety of the Lord of The Rings works. The OscarWinning Best Original Score by Howard Shore is truly a masterpiece. The film score completely embodies Middle-Earth, with beautiful symphonies of violins in ‘The Fellowship’, and flutes in ‘The Shire’, creating the atmosphere for the beautiful scenery. This score can either be really relaxing or extremely intense, and that’s what makes it great.

It embodies the conflict and resolution of the trilogy throughout each film, creating happiness or sorrow. A lot of the raw emotion comes from the score, and I feel like that’s why it’s important as a film soundtrack. It’s a prime example of a film where you don’t need lyrics, only a symphony to send you into tears.

Without soundtracks, films would lose a lot of their soul. Music is in almost every scene to convey an emotion and set a tone. A lot of film soundtracks get pushed to the side as people view them as background music and choose to focus on the storyline.

However, the soundtrack is itself part of the storyline, an art form, and should be treated with the same amount of respect as any other album.

Lyrics: underappreciated or irrelevant?

Music awards shows are hotly accoladed, but lyrics are almost always missed off the list. Is this because they’re not important or because we’re ignorant? James Davies tackles the debate

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atching the Brits or the Grammy’s, you’ll see awards being handed out such as ‘Best artist’ and ‘Best Song’ obviously, but one thing you’ll never see is an award for ‘Best Lyrics’.

This seems rather strange to me. We hear a lot about an artist’s inspiration for their music, like Ed Sheeran for example, who, along with other artists, uses inspiration from his past relationships. This clearly demonstrates that the amount of passion that goes into such songs goes largely unrewarded.

‘Best’ song is frequently won by such artists, but they are never complimented on their lyrics.

It’s time that we changed award shows to highlight the passion, and sometimes pain, that artist put into lyrics. Another notable example is Taylor Swift. She commented on using the media coverage of her to her advantage. The result was ‘Blank Space’, a song that is (arguably) audibly pleasing and with catchy lyrics used such as my personal favourite ‘darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream’.

Some songs that win awards literally sound like there has been no effort put in at all. The first ex-

Image: YouTube ample that comes to mind is ‘Blurred Lines’. I don’t think I need to say what the song is about, but it won a good handful of awards. Frankly though, the record has no lyrical value what so ever, in fact it is quite offensive, it simply sounds catchy. It doesn’t seem fair that these songs win over others which have had raw passion poured into them in an effort to make them sound good and relatable. What is far worse and less commendable, is when the artist uses controversy to sell their records, like Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams.

The amount of passion that goes into songs goes largely unrewarded On the other hand, when it comes to listening to music, it’s debatable as to what we’re actually listening for. Even when we’re singing along to songs in a club, I’m not sure we’re genuinely paying at-

tention to the lyrics and what they mean, so it’s questionable as to whether there’s a point in having an award for lyrics that people may not actually be appreciating. What really sells records seems to be how catchy the tune is. Bringing in another Taylor Swift example (sorry) ‘Look What You Made Me Do’, I think we can all face the fact that the lyrics are dreadful, but it’s one of the best-selling songs of the year. No passion went into the song but the tune (if you can call it a tune), is catchy.

On the whole though, I actually think an award for lyrics would be a good idea, and it might encourage artists to put more effort into their songwriting. Novels are usually critiqued on how good the story is and how good the writing is, with notable exceptions where a ‘shock’ factor seems to sell the book. Having said this, any creative pieces of work are judged based on how well they read and how interesting they are. It must be admitted that this rule is more difficult to apply to music in the same way, perhaps it’s because music is more widely available (with Spotify and the Radio), or perhaps it’s simply because we, as a population just don’t pay enough attention.

the courier

Monday 27 November 2017

Reputation

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shade-throwing, head-bopping affair after singles ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ and ‘Ready For It’.

These tracks are high-quality pop and insanely catchy. The music video for the former sees Swift shed her skin of past personas, whilst the latter’s video is a Ghost in the Shell-inspired re-birth.

Those releases were misleading. It’s half a rebirth, stuck somewhere between a cutting-edge pop sound and the more stripped-back material of old.

Two years ago, Reputation would have confirmed Swift’s status as Queen of Pop

Pop producer phenomenon Jack Antonoff lends a hand on Reputation.

Image:Wikimedia Comons

Synthesis Evanescence

That said - it’s far from a bad album. Hate or love Swift, there’s a reason she’s got to the top of the game (besides her high profile relationships) – she knows how to write a good pop song. However, more was expected than just ‘good’. Today, if an artist refuses to release their record on streaming services, it needs to be something special. As good as Reputation is, it isn’t anything special.

There are the same moments of the brilliance that we’ve come to expect from Taylor Swift. ‘This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ is superb with condescending lines such as, “did you think I wouldn’t hear all the things you said about me?”, delivered with a wink and cackle. ‘Delicate’ could well be one of her best, and most vulnerable, efforts to date with the lyric, “my reputation has

What If Nothing

WALK THE MOON

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4 years on from the smash debut album Fallen, Evanescence release Synthesis, an orchestral rework of some of their songs. Although Evanescence is not one to shy away from dramatic music this album takes their musical drama to whole new levels.

The album starts with 2 minutes of piano and strings; it’s hard to tell if you’re listening to a very theatrical opening interlude or a Chopin masterpiece. However, once lead singer Amy Lee starts singing we are reminded of all the reasons this band has a place in the heart of so many people.

This does not feel like an album it feels like a musical, and Lee is the star.

The album begins with ‘Never Go Back’, and Lee sounds almost like an opera singer. However, despite her incredible vocals, for those who are not die-hard Evanescence fans, listening to much of this album can feel a bit mundane, and not at all like the Gothic rockers that we love. The use of instruments is interesting and the string solo in ‘Hi-Lo’ is a stand out moment musically. But Lee’s vocals just fit in perfectly and certainly stand out above the music.

It is not something that is easy to listen to and often feels boring If it weren’t for Amy Lee’s incredibly breathtaking vocals it would be a little far-fetched giving this album much praise at all. The stand out moment for a fan of debut album Fallen is the rework of ‘Bring Me to Life’ which throws you right back in time.

Although this is an interesting rework of some of Evanescence’s best songs it is not something that is easy to listen to and often feels boring. This is clearly a very talented band but this is not a record many will remember them for producing.

Tom Cox

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hat If Nothing is a perfect album to listen to on the walk home. It’s infectiously catchy, with solid beats and interesting effects throughout the tracks.

Album opener ‘Press Restart’ gives a strong sense of what’s to come, featuring synthesiser and voice distortion which is characteristic of their sound.

The lead single, ‘One Foot’, reminds me of older albums, whilst ‘Headphones’ is certainly a standout similar to their previous album’s hit single ‘Shut Up + Dance’. Nicholas Petricca’s vocals have always been some of my favourites, and they’re consistently great; he moves easily between the fast spoken word verses of ‘All I Want’, to the high ranges of ‘All Night’.

The slightly frantic ‘Kamikaze’ blends a musically intense chorus with more stripped back verses.

An interesting choice for a single release just days before the album dropped, this track shows the more rock side of WALK THE MOON. This is followed by the comparatively mellow ‘Tiger’s Teeth’, a contrast that shows the diversity of the band and showcases Petricca’s voice.

‘Sound of Awakening’ is one of the most musically interesting tracks, beginning with electronically distorted a capella lyrics. The effects give it a futuristic, eerie feel, before the beat drops and it gains an extra dimension. Wait until the last minute of the 6 minute song, and you’ll hear it kick up another notch. ‘Feels Good To Be High’ doesn’t quite interest me like most of the other tracks, but it’s still a pretty good listen, if somewhat repetitive.

The album closes with ‘Lost In The Wild’ and it’s a great note to end on, combining all the best parts of what they have to offer.

The last few tracks bear similarities with the band’s older style – which isn’t a bad thing. There are signs of growth and experimentation but they’ve clearly found a sound that works to stick with. Although some of the songs took time to grow on me, the album shows how fun, talented and enjoyable WALK THE MOON can be.

Charlotte Boulton

music culture

A Love Letter

To...

Rock In Opposition

Taylor Swift

aylor Swift whips up a frenzy of aggressive pop on Reputation, but in a groundbreaking year for pop music, this record could get lost.

Rising stars such as Lorde, Dua Lipa and Halsey have created faultless albums in 2017, spearheading a new pop movement. Swift has tried to jump on that trend with Reputation, but narrowly misses the train.

It’s a confusing listen. Fans were expecting a

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@CourierMusic thecourieronline.co.uk/music

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never been worse, so he must like me for me”. No doubt a nod to current boyfriend of a year, Joe Alwyn (queue break-up album in two-years time).

‘Getaway Car’ and ‘Call It What You Want’ are two other standouts which see a return to the sound heard on 1989. This isn’t so surprising when you see Jack Antonoff, the man behind much of 1989, has played a hand in both writing and producing the back and better end of Reputation.

Ed Sheeran and Future are roped in for ‘End Game’, which does open the album well after ‘Ready For It’. The three stars reflect on the nature of fame and its effect on their reputation in what is a pleasant collaboration. Really though, the two very biggest popstars on the planet on the same track should be stratospheric – ‘End Game’ isn’t.

Within days of release Reputation had shifted over a million copies in the US alone and is now already confirmed as 2017’s top-selling album, taking the crown of Sheeran’s Divide. The record’s commercial success is incredible. Although, quite frankly, that is Swift’s name and not her new sound carrying it.

Two years ago, Reputation would have confirmed Swift’s status as Queen of Pop. In 2017, eyes and ears will instead be turning to the industry’s new faces.

Toby Bryant

Editors’ Picks

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ach week, The Courier’s Music Editors are working with Newcastle Student Radio to bring you the best new tracks from the week before...

‘Home’ Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassador & Bebe Rexha Machine Gun Kelly is a hugely talented rapper and vocalist. His latest track was penned on the day of close friend Chester Bennington’s death and is completed X Ambassadors and Bebe Rexha. One for down days.

Toby Bryant, The Courier ‘Golden Slumbers’ Elbow It is Guy Garvey’s emotive lyrics and Elbow’s perfect balance between the gentle and the epic which saves this year’s otherwise very average John Lewis Christmas Advert. It is certainly the beauty of the song rather than the novelty of “Moz the Monster” that ought to be remembered from this.

Ally Wilson, The Courier ‘Little Moon’ Psychedelic Porn Crumpets Don’t let the (quite frankly awful) name fool you, Aussie rockers Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are a musical force to be reckoned with. New track ‘Little Moon’ is no exception, pairing headbangable riffs with a euphoric, Floyd-esque vibe.

Charlie Isaac, The Courier ‘Si t’étais là’ Louane The incredible French singer Louane’s new self entitled album includes a mix of English and French tracks. Si t’étais là is a highlight with its beautiful melody questioning what would be said if you were here (Si t’étais là).

Meg Smith, NSR ‘Kiwi’ Harry Styles This latest release from Styles’ debut album is definitely making an impact. The track shows how much Styles has matured as an artist following his days in One Direction with a heavier compared to his other soft-rock sounding tracks on the album.

Amy Woods, NSR Hear the Editors’ Picks first, as well as all the latest music news, reviews and gossip on NSR’s Music Show, Wednesdays at 4pm.

by Jess Weisser

ock in opposition is a genre rooted in progressive rock, with all its cheese and pretentious pomp... if you substitute cheese for a constant sense of existential dread.

The movement was originally started in the late 70s by a few forward-thinking prog rock bands across Europe, who were dismayed by the major record companies’ unwillingness to distribute or promote their music. It’s easy to identify the problem with how these bands were marketed: they had far more in common with contemporary classical than rock.

Image: Wikimedia Commmons Despite the use of riffs and rock grooves, the music almost exclusively features extremely dissonant, avant-garde harmonies, as well as a lot of orchestral instrumentation. Also, probably at least one vocalist scream-singing over the top, because how else are you meant to express the terror of the modern world?

Adjusting to the musical chaos is well worth the time and effort Like, don’t get me wrong, rock in opposition is one of my favourite genres ever. But, I also know it’s a bit of a hard sell, and can be quite inaccessible for a first-time listener. The five bands of rock in opposition’s original movement can be especially difficult listens. You may wish to try the jazzy Henry Cow or the filmic, horror-infused Univers Zero - depending how much anxiety you want to be afflicted with for the rest of your day. A later addition to the movement, Aksak Maboul, blends Turkish folk with punk rock among other genres; their eclectic style may be of interest for those with as short an attention span as mine.

Far more in common with contemporary classical than rock After members of the original movement began to split up or go into hiatus, rock in opposition became a catch-all term for all forms of prog rock that pushed the boundaries of the genre and played with the avant-garde. The band that first elicited my love was Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, a contemporary rock in opposition band more akin to Metal In Opposition. Their sound is characterised by cacophonous vocals singing pseudo-folk melodies, guitars screeching in microtones, and the strangest, most aggressively played improvised percussion you have ever heard. Like most rock in opposition artists, they make incredibly difficult music, but adjusting to the musical chaos is well worth the time and effort.

Newcastle Student Radio: nsrlive.co.uk @NSRlive

22

culture TV

Amy Gildert’s Gotham Image: Bruno Scramgnon (Pexels)

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the courier

c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Joel Leaver & Alex Moore

BITTER

he premise of FOX’s Gotham is a simple one. It follows a young James Gordon as he attempts to solve the murder of Bruce Wayne’s parents and fight the rampant crime in Gotham city. But what is intended as a gritty prequel story for a side character in the Batman franchise more frequently comes across as campy and emotionally shallow.

Although Jim Gordon is meant to be our titular character, he has the emotional depth of a puddle.

He begins with a strong set of moral codes that is essential to his identity. However as the series progresses he loses these codes, and the writers fail to give him any replacement characteristics, meaning that he increasingly comes off as cold and unlikable due to his lack of depth. Despite this, almost all of the female characters inexplicably have a thing for Jim. Aside from rugged good looks, Jim Gordon has zero qualities that make him a desirable partner. He’s married to his work, his enemies will probably kidnap you, and at this point I’ve forgotten the last time I’ve seen the man smile. Ladies of Gotham: you can do better. I question whether the writers have ever met an actual human woman, because this dilemma can only come across from male writers who think that their character is the be-all-end-all of male attractiveness.

Collaborative medium: on the works of accused actors

Callum Costello suggests shows are more than just an actor

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t seems like a day cannot pass without accu- the big picture, it doesn’t hide the ugly truth that sations and damning truths being revealed when you watch an episode of House of Cards about once beloved and prestigious actors. there’s the elephant of Kevin Spacey’s rape of a Off the top of my head; Louis C.K, Jeffrey Tam- child accusation is present in your mind. It debor, Kevin Spacey, Sylvester Stallone, David pends on where your moral compass points - I Cross, Dustin Hoffman, George Takei and Ben personally think it varies person to person. I can Affleck have all been accused of inappropriate watch Arrested Development - but, comparatively, I or disgusting behaviour in one way or another in haven’t been able to watch a Roman Polanski film the past few weeks. This has prompted dismiss- for a long time. I’ll still watch and enjoy the origials, cancellations and discussions as to whether nal Star Trek series - but the accusations directed the bodies of work of the aforementioned should towards George Takei don’t endear me to his porbe viewed at all. I don’t want to talk about the al- trayal of the Sulu character. legations, but I do want to talk about the content - because entertainment is the sum of its parts, Entertainment is the not a reflection on its stains.

If you’ve ever sat through the entirety of a film’s sum of it’s parts, not a credits you’ll be able to appreciate just how many reflection on it’s stains people are involved in the process. Making film and television takes an army - it’s all good and well hiring Jennifer Lawrence but without a design It’s tricky and without a doubt the legacy and team to make her look like a star, a tech crew to get work of these actors is irreparably tainted. What the best shot of her and a creative team to bring I would implore first and foremost is not to out her best performance, its money wasted. feel guilty for liking a programme that a Beyond set talent, there’s an army of figures disgraced actor is involved with - if for no behind the scenes, away from set, who are inreason other than they’re playing a chartegral to the process; without the honeywagon acter likely created by someone else, and driver there’s no toilets at location. that character and performer are separate Without the caterers nobody gets fed. entities. Also I would encourage you to If the power cuts out on the Big Bang take solace in the fact that the works these Stage at Warner Bros Burbank and actors belong to were made through the facilities technician isn’t prethe efforts of hundreds of hidden sent filming cannot take place. figures. I have no sympathy for Like I said - it takes an army, Louis C.K. - but I am devastated and most people involved beon behalf of all the innocent talent hind the scenes on the making who lost on the non-release of and of your favourite shows are cancellation of Louis’ work - they never acknowledged. did nothing wrong, and their efImage: Gage Skidmore Wikimedia Commons forts have been wasted.

Whilst it’s nice to consider

News channels: the best and the worst

Sidney Pinsent presents a selection of news available on TV

Monday 27 November 2017

Top of the Plot Twists Twin Peaks: “How’s Annie”

Image: BagoGames (Flickr)

Let’s start with the Daddy of plot twists (the Leland Palmer of plot twists, if you will). After a nightmarish stint in the Black Lodge we think good ol’ Coop has returned to us unharmed. Of course he hasn’t, this is David Lynch after all. He keeps up the masquerade, surrounded by friends, until he enters his bathroom. Seeing Bob’s face staring back at Cooper in the mirror is one of the most shocking and heart-breaking moments of television.

Game Of Thrones: “Hold the Door” Finding out Hodor’s true purpose was desperately sad. Here was one of the few truly innocent and good-natured characters in the series and his entire life had been pre-determined for him. It was a tragic yet fitting end for one of the undisputed good guys of the series.

Dexter: “Rita Meets Trinity”

Image: Qais Sarhan (Vimeo)

On a similar note, the villains of Gotham also all seem to be obsessed with Jim for no other reason than that he is the only competent detective in the entire police force. It’s no wonder that the city is overrun with crime when the police department is constantly in shambles.

The fourth season of Dexter was one of the real highpoints of the somewhat uneven show. When the show was good it was better than anything else on television and Rita’s tragic end was a perfect example of this. Trinity was a real threat to our beloved Dexter and the repercussions of his actions echoed for seasons afterwards. The image of Rita bathed in blood with Harrison by her side perfectly mirrored Dexter’s own tragic childhood and it was a harrowing scene to stumble upon.

SWEET

Star Trek TNG: “Picard becomes Locutus”

hile the plotlines sometimes come across as a bit campy and over the top, they do perfectly fit in with the theatrical plots of the Batman comic books. As the series progresses you can tell that the writers have felt more comfortable experimenting with the source material, and they combine the more whimsical side of the Batman villains nicely with the realistic aspect. Gotham is at its best when it embraces its whimsy without straying too far from the rules of believability it establishes in its world building.

From an acting point of view, one of the best things about Gotham is David Mazouz’s exceptional performance as Bruce Wayne. Child actors can often be hit or miss, but Mazouz brings a new depth to a familiar character that is very much welcome among the seriousness of Jim Gordon. By beginning the series with the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, we are dropped right into the action, and as a result we see Bruce at a heightened point of emotion that is normally only featured as a brief flashback in the films. This makes all the following character development so much sweeter, and I found it very easy to get emotionally attached to Bruce, particularly in his relationships with Alfred and Selina Kyle. The villains themselves are also a more captivating aspect of the show, and seeing their development from normal characters into villains really drives the narrative.

‘The Best of Both Worlds’ remains a classic cliffhanger in television history; it set a precedent for modern televisual drama that is still being utilised today. Back when The Borg were still a genuine threat, before they were overused in Voyager, seeing Picard assimilated was unexpected, distressing and left viewers eagerly awaiting the next season.

It’s a two-parter that is arguably better than many of the Star Trek films and well worth a watch, even if you’re not a ‘Trekkie’…

Image: BegoGames, (Flickr)

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VERDICT

espite questionable plot choices and Jim Gordon’s poor character development, Gotham ultimately remains SWEET due to how it delves into characters origin stories, and the expansion of the original comics.

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here was a time when 24 hour news shows were all the rage, signifying the immediacy of news delivery in the new millennia. But since the era of the smartphone began, they only entertain the elderly and critically bored.

If you were to choose there’s only one option, the BBC. Only they offer constant updates on all your niche interest; from The Papers to the Asian Business report. All the flashy animations and rolling news of Fox and Sky are no match for the steely middle-aged BBC news reader.

They’re a special bread of human; determined in their quest to deliver the news with perfect rhythm and timbre. They rely on the news to do the talking but remain unique in their field. Have you ever seen someone with a stage presence like Clive Myrie? Preaching truths like “you cannot be a dickhead and win sports personality of the year”. It was after the watershed.

This moves me onto the second best news channel which, I hate to say it, is Sky News. This may be seen as quite the accolade but as there are only two British 24 hour news channels so it’s no achievement. Previously there were three, with ITV News running for 5 years after it was launched in 2000. The fact that it was closed so more funds could go to CITV demonstrate how hard it is to make 24 hour news watchable. Ever since, like a non-stop Jeremy Kyle with celebrities, Sky have been spouting sensationalist crap over our airwaves. Sky News attracts only the very worst journalist, presenters, and guests. Kay Burley may be the most vile woman in television today. Their outlook is thinly veiled right-wing

Image: DAVID HOLT, (Flickr)

propaganda, easy on Tories and brutal on Labour, while bashing extremism in an attempt to look moral. The only comfort I can take from Sky News is that nobody watches it.

Unfortunately, Sky News isn’t the least watched 24 hour news channel. There’s a whole host of government owned TV channels from Russia, India, Qatar and Nigeria that broadcast in English. It’s no secret most of these channels are just facades that hide realities behind oppressive regimes. Saying that, RT’s (Russia) panel discussion can be fun, until they start reporting on international issues, then it can’t decide if they’re hard-core commies guarding the fatherland or neo-Nazi puppets of the Kremlin. Al-Jazeera (Qatar) has captured a huge youth audience on social media but the feeling you’re being sold a lie by a tyrannical regime lingers.

372m

Record weekly audience of BBC news and entertainment content 2016/2107

This leads me to what may not be the best but is certainly the most entertaining news channel.

MEMRI TV is a non-profit news agency that translates Arab and Iranian TV to “bridge the language gap”. However, it is now known as the most violent and offensive news channel around.

They brawl over whether Saddam Hussein was a martyr, throw shoes and claim beatings are the cure for wifely disorders. You won’t find that on the BBC.

The Simpsons: “Who shot Mr Burns?”

Oh come on, we couldn’t have a list of the best plot twists in television and not include this little gem.

This was another end of season cliff-hanger and an ambitious piece of television with its tongue planted firmly in cheek. The first episode of Season 7 documents the search for and discovery of the assailant. We finally discover that the shooter was in fact Maggie Simpson, it’s funny and ridiculous.

It’s The Simpsons at its best.

Beth Chrisp

Image: Trev Grant (Flickr)

the courier

@CourierTV thecourieronline.co.uk/tv

Monday 27 November 2017

23

TV culture

shows: have they gone too far?

The Dr Who costume reveal Panel Georgia Corbett asks if British panel shows are too laddish Georgina Howlett weighs in on the 13th Doctor’s new look

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he BBC have finally released their first promotional image of Jodie Whittaker (star of Trust Me and Broadchurch) as the Thirteenth Doctor, and my god, does she look good – but alas, still not ginger.

Her outfit could be seen as an amalgamation of nods to previous Doctors It was always going to be tricky imagining the Doctor in feminine clothing, or at least something other than the shirt/jacket combination of recent incarnations, but I feel that the BBC have captured a good middle-ground with this outfit of a long-coat, brown boots, braced trousers and a striped top (it isn’t clear whether this is a tank top, a t-shirt, or a long sleeve at the moment).

Her outfit could, arguably, be seen as an amalgamation of nods and references to previous Doctors; you have the stripes of the Fourth, the suspenders of the Eleventh, the long coat which Ten sported and even – if you squint – part of the colour scheme of both the Fifth and Seventh Doctors’ outfits in terms of the beige-grey and red combination. Some have even likened her outfit to one of Robin Williams’ in Mork and Mindy, and think it could be a sneaky tribute to his memory.

Whatever the inspiration for the design, I think that it perfectly captures the new direction of the show, and what Chris Chibnall’s vision for it is; Whittaker looks relaxed, down-to-Earth (down-to-Gallifrey?) and ready-for-action, and her clothing is both practical and refined. I do, however, notice that there aren’t any visible pockets on either her trousers or her coat – how will she cope? Where will she put her psychic paper, her sonic screwdriver, or even her TARDIS key? Here, ladies and gentlemen, we see the real struggles of female clothing, the lack of decent pockets, or the lack of pockets at all. I just hope that there are some secret pockets hidden away and we won’t have to see the Doctor with a huge bag in tow.

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hey said it’ll happen. In an press release tailored more towards generating investment interest than actually sharing any details, Rebellion and IM Global announced a big budget adaptation of 2000AD’s comic storyworld Mega City One - home of, amongst others, one Judge Joe Dredd. That was May. Fans buzzed - then, in August, speculation made the rounds that Dredd star Karl Urban was in talks to reprise the role of Ol’ Stoney Face, and the buzz began to swell into genuine excitement and belief - they said it was going to happen, and it actually is. Or so you’d think. So they’d hope you’d believe. And even if we get so lucky, can it live up to the hype?

Mega City One will be a huge investment for anyone willing to roll the dice I’m a lifelong 2000AD fan, and would love to see Mega City’s finest make the successful transition to live action. But that day feels a way away and even if it does I have to wonder if there’s any scenario where ‘justice’ could be done to the source material. In its fortieth year of publication 2000AD continues to tell and launch excellent stories. For the uninitiated; it’s an anthology of science fiction stories usually told in parts over multiple weeks.

Central characters include dystopian future cop Judge Dredd, Celtic warrior Slaine and mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha aka Strontium Dog - all three of which have been running for over thirty years in themselves. This year has seen a raft of great additions and half a century of storytelling seems likely - a successful series adaptation could only help ensure that.

Yet I’m pessimistic for a plethora of reasons. Firstly, there’s the logistical challenges of creating Mega

sponse to these complaints and The BBC Trust’s comments on gender inequality, past BBC director of TV Danny Cohen declared a quota of one woman to each panel show, a decision that brought up the usual issues that occur with quotas. As Milton Jones pointed out, the decision would end up being counterproductive due to many women being afraid to be branded the ‘token woman’. In October of this year John Lloyd (the man behind Blackadder) noted that many women, specifically Dawn French and Jessica Saunders, turned down the opportunity to be a guest on these shows for fear of ‘looking silly’.

It is time to prioritise quality over quantity It is clear this laddish brand of television scares away female involvement and with the addition of a quota, things hardly seem to have improved.

Yet, women need increased representation as seen with the positive outflow of comments following Jo Brand on HIGNFY this month. The solution, as far as I can see, rather than to do away with panel shows, is to reduce and improve them. Less Loose Women and more Female, BAME and other minority representation.

In spite of all I have said, it is easy to see that panel shows are a great and accessible comedic alternative to the standard news layout, but it is time to prioritise quality over quantity.

Image: BBC

Image: YouTube

Review

Preview

Mega City One

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n August of this year the BBC’s Entertainment Commissioning Editor Pinki Chambers said that the BBC were ‘not looking for… any more panel shows’. Is it simply that this genre of television has run its course? It is clear to any viewer that panel shows come in many different varieties: from quality television, to low-brow garbage and yet as a style of television it is intrinsically British. But are its days truly over?

Panel Shows have continuously come under fire for a number of years over a wide variety of issues.

This month alone saw the Dutch release a new panel TV shows named Raped or Not based around reenacting actual cases for a panel to judge, whether indeed someone was raped or not, a clear example of panel TV overstepping its bounds. This month also saw Jo Brand setting Ian Hislop straight on Have I Got News For You (HIGNFY) about the real and damaging effects of long term sexual harassment following his comment that some of the sexual harassment claims in the media at the moment were ‘not high level crime’: a concernedly blasé attitude in light of the media lately. Though this is hardly the first time Panel Shows have come under fire for sexism and lad culture. Jo Brand wrote an article in 2009 called ‘Women beware panel shows’ while Sandi Toksvig, the current host of QI, commented while hosting The News Quiz on Radio Four that female panellists are often edited out of the final cuts; Victoria Wood also made a comment in 2009 about the ‘maledominated’, laddish environment in these shows.

In re-

Callum Costello City One on the screen. Dredd largely took place in one of the hundreds of tower blocks that dominate the city. With a population of 72million - most of whom are either morbidly obese, part artificial and ethnically diverse, the extras casting alone is a mammoth task. Secondly, there’s the moral complexities of the story. There’re many great supporting characters populating Meg-1, but the star of the show is undoubtably Judge Dredd; a fascist police officer, who alone has a kill count in the millions (he’s committed multiple mass killing events in service of the law). Jack Bauer has nothing on this guy, and a mature audience rating will cripple the viewership. Furthermore, there’s the ‘weirdness’ of 2000AD wherein lies its identity. To lose it would be a great disservice to the material, but to keep it would jar the casual viewer. Case in point; the Fatties. A subculture of bored citizens who turn to competitive weight gain to pass the time. Satire is at the heart of Mega City storytelling, and that is a tough sell to sceptical audiences.

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onfession; I don’t really watch Big Bang Theory. In fact I don’t watch a lot of television in the traditional sense, tending to catch up series long after they’ve broadcast. I’m yet to start Stranger Things Season Two, I’ve never seen an episode of Black Mirror and I anticipate catching up on Luther around the mid-2020’s. So consider this a casual fan’s perspective on Young Sheldon. Those of you sharpening the knives to butcher my opinion - exhale. These ramblings are just that and in no way the definitive Young Sheldon primer.

Image: YouTube

CASTING FACT Karl Urban has been has pushed for Amazon and Netflix to run the series, fuelling rumours that he will reprise his role as Judge Dredd.

Young Sheldon

Image:Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons

So don’t hold your breath. Mega City One will be a huge investment to anyone willing to roll the dice, and even if it sees the light of day there’s a real chance it will be reshaped into something far from the material. Network executives will chomp at the bit to cancel the series and save money, collecting their dollars retrospectively through DVD sales and hardcore fandom ala Firefly. Here’s hoping they find a way to make it and make it right; in the era of storyworlds and interconnected storytelling, Dredd and his Mega City is rich in potential.

With Big Bang cruising in its eleventh season, prequel series Young Sheldon has just begun its maiden voyage, debuting proper on CBS, November 2nd 2017. A full series order followed the pilot in September, and with the runaway success of Bang-Alpha it was always a safe bet Young Sheldon would get a chance to find its audience. The series deviates from formula in multiple ways; what is presented as a standard sit-com is in a lot of ways a distraction from the true story at the heart of the Young Sheldon show - the rise and rise of an outsider. Set twenty years earlier and narrated by elder version Jim Parsons, it explores the youth of one Sheldon Cooper as he begins High School early on account of his genius intellect. Gone is the live audience and multi-cam, and instead it’s single camera on location ala The Middle. Jokes revolve around Sheldon’s inability to function in the hi-

Callum Costello erarchy of school and traditional society. Drama is found in shape of family relationships and the smart kid in the stifling environment of late 80’s Texas. Jokes could be cheap - but the show seems determined to take the road less travelled, and what unfolds is an oddly compelling drama.

16.6m

Young Sheldon premiere audience; the biggest comedy premiere since 2011

Knowing that Sheldon will succeed is key to the shows functionality. He will get out, make friends and find love. So many shows fall apart in the because the story struggles to get past the gimmick, but this one has a clear end point which works to Young Sheldon’s advantage. Furthermore, the impending tragedy adds a layer of intrigue to the show. Older brother George Jr. has yet to be seen on ‘Big Bang’, and Father George Sr. is due to die in five story years - there’s serious drama ahead. Furthermore, as seen in episode two when Sheldon befriends an Asian, there’s a great opportunity to explore the changing landscape of the 90’s in a time where, now, America struggles for identity. Problems lay ahead - Sheldon fatigue, a lack of supporting character storylines and the patience required to allow 9 year old lead Iain Armitage to find his feet, but Young Sheldon feels like it has the potential to be something between a Frasier and a Malcolm in the Middle, as oppose to a Joey by way of Ferris Bueller; the Series.

@thecouriertv @Courier_TV

24

culture film

the courier

c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Film Editors Helena Buchanan, Dan Haygarth & Christopher Wilkinson

Golden Oldies White Christmas (1954)

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ith Christmas just around the corner, what better classic to review than White Christmas. This film has everything a Christmas film should have. It has a heart-warming message; it has romance, heartbreak and blossoming friendships and a selection of brilliant musical numbers.

White Christmas is about two friends who met in the army, and now that World War II is over they carried on their much-loved double act and rose to fame.

After answering a favour from an old friend in the army, they go to see a sister double act, who they would both begin to fall for. They all go to Vermont together, to a lodge in which the girls were due to perform, to then discover that the landlord of the lodge was none other than the men’s Commanding General from when they fought in the war.

Give just a little bit back to those who gave you everything in a time that mattered The film shows that giving just a little bit back to those who gave you everything in a time that mattered; and even helping strangers when needed is important, it shows what the true meaning of Christmas spirit really is and delivers the festive feeling.

The film’s soundtrack is flawless. There are up beat numbers, and of course Bing Crosby singing a rendition of Irving Berlin’s hit White Christmas.

And the cast, well it just screams classic. You have Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen all together in one feature film.

With so many Christmas films continuing to be released, people can overlook older classics With so many Christmas films being released since and continuing to be produced today, I feel that people can overlook older films, and only focus on the newer releases, but even after 63 years from initial release, this would be a hard film to

forget, it is an absolute classic, but don’t just take my word for it, grab yourself a hot chocolate, some popcorn and a box of tissues and put your feet up and enjoy the seasonal magic that White Christmas has to offer, you will not regret it.

Danielle Brier

Monday 27 November 2017

Gal Gadot takes a stand for the gal-dem

Beth Chrisp reports on Gal Gadot sticking it to the man. In the midst of the the shit-storm which has hit the bleak landscape that is the Hollywood Patriarchy, this is welcome news for women

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war cry of victory sounds out from Wonder Women everywhere this week as Gal Gadot’s gamble pays off. Let’s be clear, this was indeed a gamble for the star as she proved that integrity and ferocity still exist in Hollywood. Gadot threatened not to return for the Wonder Woman sequel if Brett Ratner were to be in any way involved with production.

The best place to hit people is in the wallet Producer and director Ratner was accused of a number of instances of sexual harassment and abuse by actors and models such as Natasha Henstridge, Olivia Munn and Ellen Page. Martin Singer, Ratner’s attorney, has “categorically” denied all accusations. Melanie Kohler, a former marketing executive, wrote a damning Facebook post accusing Ratner of raping her over a decade ago, this claim has been denied and Kohler has been served with a defamation lawsuit.

The Israeli born actor took a bold stance in the wake of endless accusations of

sexual assault in Hollywood. It can only be hoped that she has set a precedent, giving actors the confidence to follow.

A source with Warner Bros. told Page Six that “She’s tough and stands by her principles. She [...] knows the best way to hit people like Brett Ratner is in the wallet. She also knows that Warner Bros. has to side with her on this issue as it develops.

They can’t have a movie rooted in women’s empowerment being part-financed by a man ¬accused of sexual misconduct against women.”

Gadot

confirmed that Ratner will no longer be involved in production of the sequel, it has also been reported that Ratner’s Hugh Hefner biopic has been cancelled and his contract with Warner Bros. will not be renewed in 2018.

In an interview on the Today show Gadot inferred that a decision had been made before the initial Page Six article came out, “Everyone knew what was the right thing to do”. This marks a huge shift and it becomes clear that this behaviour is no longer as easily brushed under the red carpet.

This behaviour is no longer as easily brushed under the red carpet This is an important move as Gadot is, arguably, the main drawing power for the hit and miss DC cinematic universe. Wonder Woman made over $800 million internationally and Ratner’s production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment benefitted heavily from their financial investment in the first film.

If more big-money names and well-known stars stand up to this behaviour it could mark a serious shift in the balance of Hollywood power. Star power is something we’re accustomed to being utilised as a way to get (literal) arses on seats but perhaps that power could be wielded for a good cause, to incite change.

In the meantime, I propose we position Patty Jenkins at the helm of the entire DC cinematic universe with Gal Gadot front and centre and we can let the ladies drive this thing for a while.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Netflix: finally stop flicking and actually watch

Callum Costello increases your capacity to procrastinate, giving us his top five recomendations of films on Netflix. With winter coming, it turns out you may never have to leave your bed again

1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

It’s been a seismic rise for Taika Waititi - from indie darling to director of Thor: Ragnarok in just ten years, he’s established himself as one of the unique talents working in film today. Before directing hammer wielding gods, he cooked up Hunt for the Wilderpeople which follows juvenile delinquent and amateur bad-boy Ricky Baker as he flees to the woods from child welfare. The highest grossing film in the history of New Zealand, this comedy road movie has a heart of gold and an unforgettable performance by young lead Julian Dennison.

If you’ve ever been outraged with the behaviour of the one percent then watch this 2. The Big Short

If you’ve ever felt outraged by the behaviour of the one percent then you owe it to yourself to watch The Big Short.. Concerning the global financial crisis of 2007, it’s a film that on paper shouldn’t work yet is hands down one of the most intelligent pieces of cinema you’ll ever see. Following a half dozen players in the investment industry, it spectacularly deconstructs how the markets crashed and why we live in a time of absolute corruption all the while being slick, poignant and digestible. The only film I’ve ever seen which left me astounded, entertained and infuriated all at the same time.

to watch on Netflix and with that in mind I want to offer up Japanese thriller Battle Royale. Set in dystopian Japan, it takes entire school classes of restless youths and pits them against one another in a fight to the death - last man or woman standing is the winner. As controversial now as it was then and still holding up well, it’s one of the essential titles of the Japanese new wave and an ultra violent cult classic.

4. Tickling Giants

There are more documentaries on Netflix than any other genre of film and with that quantity of content comes a lack of quality control. Amidst the sub-par filler there are some hidden gems like Hoop Dreams, Thin Blue Line and Mea Maxima Culpa but my pick is Tickling Giants which follows the fate of political satirist Bassem Youssef during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. A preconception bursting thrill ride, it follows Youssef ’s quick rise from heart surgeon to ‘Egyptian Jon Stewart’ through to his censorship and ultimate exile - all against the backdrop of the Arab Spring at its peak. Documentary filmmaking at its absolute best.

Notorious on release and legendary in retrospect 5. The Warriors

I’d be remiss if I didn’t shine a light on one of the classics in the Netflix catalogue, and whilst I felt uncomfortable recommending any Woody Allen right now, I had no problem offering one of the all time greatest cult films, Walter Hill’s classic The Warriors. Set in gang infested New York, it follows the titular group as they have to fight their way thirty miles back to safe ground on Coney Island.

Notorious on release and legendary in retrospect, it’s, impossibly cool and hugely entertaining - the quintessential cult film.

3. Battle Royale

One of my favourite things about streaming is the access it grants us to world cinema.

There are some spectacular ‘international’ films available

Image: YouTube

the courier

@Courier_Film thecourieronline.co.uk/film

Monday 27 November 2017

Justice League (12A) Callum Costello reviews the newest installment in the DC Extended Universe

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C Comics’ heroes unite on the big screen and it’s been a long time coming - from Man of Steel to Wonder Woman all roads have led to this epic team up, but in the shadow of the MCU is it too little too late for Batman and company? The answer, from me, is yes - but that’s an oversimplification.

The story sees Batman and Wonder Woman calling upon Earth’s supers to unite in the face of impending alien invasion led by Ciaran Hinds’ baddie Steppenwolf. The death of Superman has left them light so they recruit Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg and Ezra Miller’s Flash as soldiers for the coming war. The supporting cast is filled with great character actors in the shape of Amy Adams, J.K. Simmons and Jeremy Irons. For all its stellar talent, budget, build up and source material though, Justice League is an unusually flat and vacant affair.

Poorly rendered and barely realised; this thin and forgettable story is placated by big bangs and snappy dialogue that land as crudely as the noticeably bad CGI. Where Marvel hires smart, DC instead follows the ‘bigger is better’ route. Robert Downey

Jr. owns the role of Tony Stark and James Gunn’s indie sensibilities make him the right fit to direct a film such as the Guardians of the Galaxy. With the exception of Gadot’s Wonder Woman none of the performers in the DCEU feel appropriate for, comfortable in and remotely familiar with the characters they’re playing. Momoa’s Aquaman is Point Break meets brooding idiot, Affleck looks utterly miserable in the middle of it all. Whilst Miller and Fisher are fine that’s only opposite their tedious teammates. Also, for all the criticism Marvel’s bad guys receive, Steppenwolf takes the cake as one of the worst screen villains of all time - looking absolutely shocking and making Dawn of Justice stomper Doomsday seem like Prospero in comparison.

Worried that I was just hating out of frustration I asked other audience members on exit what they thought.

Being a morning screening on the day of release I expected polarising DCEU opinion but the best review I heard came from a young couple; he, a fan of superhero films, went in with very low expectations and didn’t hate it as much as he thought he would.

She - an impartial film fan - fell asleep half way

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool (15)

Good Time (15)

Image: YouTube

through. And that sums it up for me - a supposed epic action film decades in the making that was so boring, so poor in quality that it can send a paying customer to sleep.

Next to the excellent Thor: Ragnarok, the gulf in quality between the two franchises is blatant, and in my opinion that comes down to understanding; Marvel listens to their audience and experiments with new things, DC presumes their audience and delivers a hot mess of little coherence. If they’re going to continue with the franchise DC could do far worse than handing the reigns over to Patty Jenkins and getting the hell out of their own way.

She can’t do worse than this dull mess.

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Steven Ross

Column 2 Electric Boogaloo

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ichard Linklater’s Before trilogy is arguably one of the finest trilogies ever crafted.

It is epic and sprawling yet, at the same time, personal and intimate. The three films chart the relationship of Celine and Jesse, each film separated by nine years, in both the story and in real time.

The first film, Before Sunrise, documents the chance meeting of Jesse and Celine, two endearing, intelligent and vulnerable post-adolescents. They fall desperately in love over one night of walking and talking around Vienna, classic Linklater in its understated charm. A glorious film, bettered only by the sequel, Before Sunset.

Ingrid Goes West (15)

Image: YouTube

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film culture

Before Sunset (2004)

Image: Youtube

he Safdie Brothers, of whom I had never heard until this week, direct this neonsoaked, indie thriller that manages to be both highly tense and hilarious.

Robert Pattinson who, since the end of the Twilight franchise in 2012, spent his time drifting through a series of average to crappy big budget flops, has finally found himself a decent role.

Pattinson plays Connie Nikas, a poor guy from Queens who decides to rob a bank with his mentally disabled brother, Nick (Benny Safdie) and make a new life in Virginia. When the robbery goes wrong, the shit and the film’s plot hit the fan, as Connie spends one bizarre night doing everything he can to raise enough money to bail his brother from prison.

Pattinson finally leaves Edward Cullen in the dust as he rampages through New York, breaking into a hospital, chasing after an acid filled bottle of Sprite, and beating the hell out some undeserving security guard. Fortunately, the scene where Connie gets over friendly with a staffy was (mostly) cut.

I was never ‘Robsessed’, but after seeing this film I have to admit that Pattinson has some serious talent. He plays the frantic paranoid antihero perfectly, becoming more desperate and dangerous as the film races on. Benny is equally great, but doesn’t get enough screen time; a few more minutes of Nick enduring prison life would have added to the immediacy of Connie’s side of the plot.

Then there’s Ray, played by Buddy Duress, the substance abusing repeat offender who Connie accidentally breaks free. Ray’s character is vital as it brings some comic relief, mostly in the form of hazy flashback, into an otherwise heavy and disorientating movie.

For something with a bit more original content than Jigsaw or Justice League, have a Good Time.

25

U

he hopeful nature of the title of this film is deceptive. What I imagined was going to be a love letter to both show-business and Merseyside was in fact a quite tragic star-crossed love story with an inevitable doom casting a shadow over it from extremely early on.

Its cast was on point, with Annette Bening playing the mysterious Gloria Grahame, who falls in love with the heart-warmingly adorable Scouser, Peter Turner, played by Jamie Bell. Supporting actors Julie Walters and Vanessa Redgrave, ensured an emotive performance all round. The transitions into flashbacks were well orchestrated, but obvious enough that audience knew what was happening throughout the character’s lives.

Despite the admirable efforts of all the cast members, Bell’s performance carried the film. He portrayed himself as a man whole-heartedly in love, while still retaining the hot-headed, arrogant persona that Grahame initially fell in love with.

The contrast between the happiness of their time together and the misery of Gloria’s fight with cancer was sometimes too stark, but this did not marr the film.

Bening’s performance was very impressive, considering the pressure that comes with playing an award-winning actress. The expressiveness of her body and face demonstrated the pain she was feeling inwardly and outwardly. However, happy, in-love Gloria was slightly too clichéd. But perhaps that’s the way Gloria was to Peter- it is based on a book written by him making the film a partial representation of her, as we’re see her from one perspective.

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool is an interesting concept, an unusual love story, and a banging soundtrack. There are moments when it slips into cliché, which detracts from the very real content of the plot, but overall it is a well-executed interpretation of the latter days of what swas a truly remarkable love story.

nhappy and unstable Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza) moves to California to stalk her latest Instagram fixation, Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), whose picture-perfect West Coast life has garnered a considerable following.

Winner of Best Screenplay at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Ingrid Goes West is a brilliantly observed and stylish dark comedy that takes a discerning approach to the problems of social media.

Director Matt Spicer has assembled an excellent young cast. Elizabeth Olsen is perfectly cast as ‘social media influencer’ Taylor, while Aubrey Plaza is given much more to work with than her previous film roles and she portrays Ingrid’s instability adeptly. However, it is O’Shea Jackson Junior, known for playing his father in Straight Outta Compton, who is the standout. He plays Dan Pinto, Ingrid’s landlord and a Batman-obsessed ‘screenwriter’. His unconcealed love for all things Batman plays as a nice contrast to the other characters’ veneer of style and sophistication.

Rather than using the easy target of Instagram fame to mock its characters, the film takes a enlightening look at the dangers and inherent vanity of the social media platform. While Spicer treats the façade fashioned by the app with disdain, he does not condemn his characters for falling into its trap.

Olsen’s Taylor treats people with varying levels of respect depending on their number of followers, while her husband Ezra (Wyatt Russell) ‘earns’ a living by emblazoning slogans over classical artwork. Spicer identifies the ridiculousness of this, but is far more interested in examining how social media takes such a hold than laughing at those who let it.

Don’t be fooled by its lightweight trailer, Ingrid Goes West is a brilliantly acted and pertinent film that treats the problems of social media in a perceptive and thought-provoking manner.

Ally Wilson

Dan Haygarth

The pair are given only a limited amount of time, making it all the more precious Before Sunset re-joins Jesse and Celine nine years after they parted in Vienna. Jesse is promoting his book in Paris, a hopeful Celine watching from afar.

It is revealed that Jesse has only a few hours before he must be at the airport and so, again, the pair are given only a limited amount of time with each other, making it all the more precious.

The main thing that elevates this film above the first is the growth in the characters. Both are disillusioned and lonely but a little too bruised to admit it. Their charming, youthful naiveté is almost gone, replaced with hard-won knowledge of the world and a certain amount of cynicism.

Before Sunrise is a film for the optimistic, romantic youth, Before Sunset is for those

Images: Wikemedia Commons who’ve had their heart broken and packaged their dreams away on a shelf to be re-opened at a later date.

The connection between the two is much more hesitant and tentative than the first film, frustrating for the audience who understand that Jesse and Celine belong together. Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke embody their characters completely, Delpy portrays one of the great female characters on screen, Celine is complex and contradictory yet utterly entrancing. Hawke manages to deftly portray the disenfranchised, 30-something without becoming tedious or melodramatic.

Conversation topics range from sex, death, philosophy, happiness, marriage and the future. The stakes are higher in the sequel, Jesse, unhappily married with a child and Celine, in a mediocre relationship.

They realise the significance of the time they wasted after Vienna yet life isn’t as accommodating when you have adult responsibilities and familial ties. Despite being a ponderous amble of mostly dialogue this film keeps you on the edge of your seat, it’s the epitome of “will they, won’t they” and I defy anyone not to fall instantly in love with the story of Jesse and Celine.

Beth Chrisp

the courier

26

culture gaming courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Monday 27 November 2017 Gaming Editors Gerry Hart, Georgina Howlett & Richard Liddle The top �ive glitches in gaming Georgina Howlett does her patriotic duty (or not) in analysing Activision’s wartime shooter

Our review: Call of Duty: WWII

Image: Wikimedia Commons

5. Backwards Dragons: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

When it comes to glitches, no one can beat Bethesda for sheer quantity. Really, I could’ve picked any single game of theirs from the past two generations and been spoiled for choice, but my favourite Bethesda glitch is in Skyrim. Skyrim in a place of many wonders. I vividly remember the first time I found a dragon. It was majestic; breathing scorching fire, looping gracefully in the air, all backwards. It truly was a sight to behold. I both couldn’t believe my eyes, and couldn’t breathe from laughing so hard. Though now sadly patched out, they will live on in legend.

4. FIFA Glitches: FIFA Franchise I don’t watch much football, but I would if the goalie was 30 feet tall, bow-legged with a tiny torso, and phased through the floor every time they jumped.

Or if a player’s face suddenly stretched across the pitch, transforming them into a terrifying spider monster hellbent on scoring the equaliser for AFC Wimbledon. Ever wanted to live out your 2011 Premier League fanfiction and have Andy Carroll kiss Fabianski? Well now you can, and so, so much more. Fifa glitches are EA’s greatest contribution to video games.

3. The Minus World: Super Mario Bros

One of the earliest well-known glitches comes straight from one of the most famous games of all time; the original Super Mario Brothers. The Minus World (also known as World -1) is an endlessly looping underwater level. Accessed via using a walk-through-walls glitch to gain access to the 1-2 warp room, and jumping into a pipe before the game properly loads. The pipe at the end of the level loops back to the start, thus dooming Mario to endure this underwater purgatory until the timer (and his lives) run out.

2. MissingNo: Pokemon Red & Blue

We finally come to what is possibly the most famous glitch in all of the video games. MissingNo (so called because of character limitations for names) is the most famous glitchy resident of the Pokemon world. A Bird/Normal type (Bird itself being dummied out, present only in code) that was rumoured to cause all sorts of chaos, from deleting your save file to possibly evolving into the MewThree of playground legend. All it really did was increase the item in your sixth slot of the bag by 128, allowing for some sneaky duplication of rare items. It also messes up the Hall of Fame, but no one ever clicked it. Free rare candies for all.

1. The Swingset of Doom: Grand Theft Auto 4

Deep in the Firefly Projects of Liberty City lies a secret. One so powerful, it can launch men with fishy Eastern European accents and cars flying into the sky. Lying in a park is a swing-set with some strange collision detection. Standing on, or between, this swing-set can catapult Niko (and whatever rare and fragile supercar he happens to have borrowed at the time) literally across the map, usually exploding in a giant fireball as it collides with the Statue of Happiness’ face. This one is very easy to set up, and well, well worth trying out yourself.

Michael Hicks

Image: IGDB.com

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y aversion to violence and squeamishness at graphic content has always put me off playing any Call of Duty games. However, having sat through my boyfriend playing games like Resident Evil 7, Mortal Kombat X and The Evil Within 2 right in front of me – for he has no such fear of violence as I do, and cares not for my pathetic screams of disgust – I feel that I’ve become immune to on-screen savagery. Equally, having played an obscene amount of Overwatch, another firstperson shooter (though one not so heavily reliant on guns), I figured I might have some transferrable shooting skills. So, I decided to give Call of Duty: WWII a shot.

My first impressions of the game were that it had great sound design (that M1 Garand reload noise, anyone?), sharp aesthetics, realistic weapon and character customisation and a plethora of training options to allow its players to tailor the experience

to their own strengths and skillset. In multiplayer, you also choose to join one of five divisions as an additional customisable element, each of which has their own unique perks and strengths. Those who join the Infantry, for instance, gain the use of a bayonet on the end of their gun; personally, I chose to join the Airborne, who can attach a suppressor to submachine guns.

Fast reactions and tactical play can make or break a match The core gameplay of WWII is fairly simplistic, going ‘back to basics’ and creating a truly classic Call of Duty experience. It leads with a strong single-player campaign; playing as Corporal Ronald ‘Red’ Daniels, you begin in the heat of the

battle on Normandy beach and from there traverse various landmark battles across France, Germany and Belgium. There’s never a dull moment, and the variation of level design, increasing difficulty levels and challenging storylines truly create a memorable experience.

I found the combat to be very fluid, rapid, and requiring a lot of attention to detail. Enemy players and your own team members often appear out of nowhere, and fast reactions and tactical plays can make or break a match. Team communication is also a deciding factor, though just as I feared, annoying teenage boys and screaming children are still prominent despite the game’s ‘18’ rating.

Though the combat can feel a little awkward sometimes – especially in terms of the maps available and the cover they provide – it is both satisfying and uncomfortably realistic. The game’s dedicated servers mean that interruptions and lag is at an all-time low, and while some weapons admittedly could do with balancing better, I’m sure that they will be taken care of eventually. As it took Activision long enough to realise that they’d left double experience gain enabled on the game, however, maybe we shouldn’t expect too much too soon.

The Nazi Zombies mode is a very different experience to the main game, and its unending waves make it a challenge for even the hardiest of players. The animated introduction, as well as the overarching storyline and prescribed objectives, make it interesting and fun to play. Nontheless, I don’t think Nazi Zombies is for me. It gets tiresome after a while, and there’s only so long I can stand to be with the same few useless, uncooperative teammates – especially as the difficulty curve of the mode seems to fall off. This mode is good to dip in and out of, but not to play to its ‘endless’ limits.

Overall, I think this newest instalment in the Call of Duty franchise is one well-worth trying out. Hopefully Activision will implement a better system for the Headquarters feature, and then we’ll all finally be able to watch people open their loot boxes and share in their dissappointment.

Guilty pleasures: BioShock: In�inite

Outstanding or Overrated? Gerry Hart explains why BioShock: Infinite holds up to criticism

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here are few games that have sparked quite as much debate as BioShock: Infinite.

Though it was a critical and commercial success, the game has faced multiple criticisms for both its gameplay and its narrative design, particularly from gaming’s self-appointed intelligentsia (which I pretend to be part of).

This is why, in spite of the praise it has received, I feel somewhat reticent to admit I like Infinite.

I kind of feel like I should know better.

Let’s start with the negative, as for all my later defences of BioShock: Infinite, many of its criticisms are deserved. I feel Infinite’s biggest drawback is its level design. Though linearity isn’t a bad thing, linear games need to make navigating from point A to point B an interesting challenge, something games like Undertale or the Half Life series master perfectly. However, compared to its slightly more open ended predecessors, Infinite plays along the lines of a typical “corridor shooter”, with restrictive levels interspersed by combat in more open areas. Little opportunity is afforded the player for exploration. Though the non-combat segments seem purpose built for it, exploration during the more linear, “combat” segments yield little reward, which is a shame due to the game’s uniformly gorgeous visual design. Nor for that fact is the combat helped by the fact you only have two weapons, again making the gameplay feel much more restrictive than previous games.

For all its flaws, BioShock: Infinite is still a compelling and powerful experience Some criticisms could also be made of the story as well. Despite depicting the in-game ruling elite as aloof, callous and cruel, the game has you fighting both their forces and that of the underclass

resistance, who are shown to be every bit as bad as their masters. And as if that weren’t bad enough both factions function the same as one another mechanically, with the same enemy types being reskinned to fit one faction or another. It is a quite literal mechanical and narrative realisation of horseshoe theory.

One criticism Infinite does not deserve however is the charge of ludonarrative dissonance (i.e. where gameplay and story contradict one another).

This stems from the game’s gratuitously violent combat and how, unlike the anarchic Rapture of the first BioShock, this feels out of place in the gentile civility of Columbia.

Such arguments fail to take into account that BioShock: Infinite’s Columbia is an inherently violent place. Like the early 20th century it is set in, the power structures of Columbia are predicated on a racialized, class based violence in order to maintain its status quo.

The stability of Columbia is maintained by the dehumanisation of and use of force against those who don’t fit within Columbia’s white, Christian worldview and all protagonist Booker Dewitt did was bring this violence out into the open.

Indeed this mirrors the real 20th century, where events such as the First World War and the Russian Revolution shattered the Edwardian veneer of peace to reveal how unjust the world truly was. Granted such charges might’ve been quelled if the transition into combat wasn’t so jarring, but that doesn’t mean they’re founded in the first place.

You know what, fuck it. I don’t feel guilty for liking BioShock: Infinite.

For all its flaws, Infinite is still a compelling and powerful experience that forces us to examine a hideous period of our history, albeit through a fantastical lens. Granted, it could’ve been better designed, and it shouldn’t have underclass as villains, but after giving it some thought, I have no compunctions about singing BioShock: Infinite’s praises.

Image: Flickr

the courier

@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming/

Monday 27 November 2017

IGN staff stage walkout protest in response to sexual harassment claims against editor George Boatfield investigates the latest industry scandal

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ollowing an unprecedented outing of sexual predators within Hollywood earlier this month, it seemed unlikely that the next set of allegations would come from within the video game press. That said, Monday 13th November saw a large group of IGN employees refuse to work until a statement was issued regarding alleged sexual assault occurring within the company during the summer of 2016.

On the Friday before, ex-employee Kallie Plagge took to Twitter claiming she and Chloi Rad, who still works at IGN, had been sexually harassed by a significantly older member of the editorial team for months.

Through this, Plagge said that she saw Vince Ingenito, the editor accused, as a mentor but grew gradually uncomfortable when he made sexual remarks and “manipulative and abusive comments” toward them. What follows is one example Plagge brought up on Twitter: “‘When I was your age I could go all night.’ He put his hand on my arm. ‘I just want one more night like that.’”

Ingenito, who was laid off by the company in March of this year, wrote an extensive response to the allegations on Twitter. He stated that he “overestimated or perhaps misread the degree of our friendship” and “didn’t graphically describe anything or force sexual conversations on her or anyone.”

But what bothered Plagge and Rad the most was IGN’s human resources department after they contacted them about the issue in July 2016. Plagge said that they were forced to sign a document stating that she had conducted herself inappropriately, without being told what she had done.

The document stated that “With regards to the investigation of harassment, evidence was presented to show a lack of professionalism in your part as well as others. Communication between you and Vince were both inappropriate, unprofessional, and violated our harassment policy.” Plagge described contacting HR as “an

Image: Wikimedia Commons

absolutely traumatic experience” that she deeply regrets.

Following the release of a statement regarding the issue, IGN general manager Mitch Galbraith then sent out the following email to staff at the company in an effort to clarify the moves that the company will make in addressing the problem. He began by stating “First, I will enlist an independent expert to thoroughly examine how we handled the matter in question and, more broadly, all other important aspects of creating a healthy workplace.” “Second, I will turn the findings and recommendations of that review into specific actions that I will share with all of you. I will be accountable to you for delivering results. Third, I will work to give HR a stronger presence throughout IGN, including outside the San Francisco office.”

The unexpected nature of this case only acts as a further indication that sexual assault is prevalent in many industries besides Hollywood. Although the experiences suffered by Plagge and Rad are unpleasant, the solidarity shown by the IGN editorial staff will hopefully inspire others to seek justice for the sexual assault that they may have endured in the video game press, or indeed any other industry.

A fresh lick of paint? New expansions for old games

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here was a new expansion announced for Total War: Rome II earlier this month, which was weird, given that the game in question came out in 2013. Rome II was like that kid that had so much potential, but ended up burning out and trying to sell you blood to improve its financial situation, all the while disappointing its parents Rome I and Medieval II. Not to say that it’s a bad game; nowadays it’s actually pretty decent, now that it has been thoroughly patched and all the rip-off DLCs that should have been included as standard now can be easily bought on sale.

Strategy games often seem to take their time with DLC This is what makes me suspicious, though. Sure, this new expansion is touted as such, but the price isn’t too different to one of those campaign DLCs you can get for Rome II. They name-drop various different unit types and factions, but in the end, I can’t help feeling that this more of a campaign mode, rather than a major expansion. Having said that (and as far as I know) there has never been a major base-game changing expansion in a Total War game; they’ve always been very keen on making alternative campaigns instead.

When you think about it, though, strategy games often seem to take their time with the DLC. Maybe that’s because strategies have more loyal fanbases, as the market isn’t as saturated as the FPS’. Consider Civilization IV, which had its Beyond the Sword expansion come two years after its release. Or, a more extreme example is Age of Mythology: Tale of the Dragon for Age of Mythology came out fourteen years post-release, and the Rise of the Rajas DLC for AoE II came out seventeen years after the base game’s release!

That’s insane. That’s like releasing a sequel to Blade Runner in 2017.

Jack Coles

What I’m playing: Resident Evil Revelations 2

Richard Liddle has a bit too much fun with the co-op in the sequel to the 3DS’ horror gem

which allows her to see enemies through walls and pinpoint their weak spots for Barry to give a good blasting. She can also crawl into small spaces and like Moira can execute a finisher on downed enemies with her handy brick.

This adds more depth to the simpler formula of the original Revelations, but more importantly it opens up the opportunity for split screen co-op.

This is a mixed blessing: while it’s great fun and cuts out some of the fiddliness of switching between characters in single player, it definitely dilutes the tense atmosphere due to the sheer amount of dicking around it allows.

The co-op is a mixed blessing: while it’s great fun, it definitely dilutes the tense atmosphere Image: Igdb.com

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was a huge fan of the first Resi Revelations.

It was my first real foray into survival horror and it turned out to be the perfect introduction; this was one of the rare games on the 3DS where the 3D effect really shone, emphasising the cramped, claustrophobic atmosphere of the zombie-infested cruise ship you spend most of the game on.

With that in mind, and having recently got myself a PS4 at long last, I decided to grab a copy of the second entry in the spinoff series. While not a direct sequel, it carries much of the same DNA as its predecessor; as in the first Revelations, the story follows two separate pairs of protagonists who navigate the same setting in their search for answers (and each other).

The story centres on series veteran Claire Redfield and her partner Moira Burton in one half of the game - kidnapped, injected with a virus which

mutates its host if they get too scared and trapped on a mysterious island crawling with gruesome science experiments. The other half follows Moira’s father Barry, another classic character from the Resis of old, and a young girl called Natalia who he meets on his mission to rescue Moira.

The main difference this time around is that you get to control both of the characters in each pair to make use of their different skills. Claire and Barry function as your usual gun-toting zombie-slayers, but Moira and Natalia handle a little differently.

Moira refuses to use guns due to some past trauma so instead uses a torch to blind enemies, giving Claire the chance to get an easy headshot in, and a crowbar to finish off downed enemies with a hefty thwack to the noggin. She can also find hidden items with her torch and pick locks on supply boxes.

Natalia, meanwhile, has some sort of ESP ability

In the course of the first chapter me and my flatmate pushed each other into flamethrowers and spinning blades of death, repeatedly threw bricks at each other and melodramatically re-enacted the ending from Of Mice and Men. We couldn’t stop laughing at the start of the Barry/Natalia half because of just how unbalanced the two are; as Barry, I had a small arsenal of beefy firearms to blast zombies to pieces with, while my flatmate’s only ability as Natalia was, at that point, to point at enemies and say “There’s a monster” (which he did *constantly*). While this is undeniably great fun, it takes a lot away from the creeping tension that the first game built up so well.

Still, so far it ticks many of the boxes that made the first Revelations so great. The story’s already thrown up a couple of plot twists on the same level as the first game’s “second ship” stinger, the environments are great (a lot more varied than the cruise ship of the original) and the enemy design is brilliantly grotesque. It’s a shame the co-op dilutes the atmosphere somewhat, but all in all Revelations 2 is well worth a go for survival horror fans.

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gaming culture

EA’s microtransactions PR Nightmare

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Image: Wikimedia Commons

ollowing the launch of Star Wars Battlefront II, EA have decidedly removed the “pay-towin” based microtransactions which led to a furious backlash from fans. Great, right?

Well, hopefully. On first glance this is brilliant.

It breathes the tropes of a compelling story portraying a tale about community. In particular, a community which stood up in the face of capitalist greed, found its voice and in its moment created the most downvoted comment in Reddit history.

Surely EA would look to ascertain information on audience trends and patterns across the industry So let’s talk about why nobody trusts EA. Upon the initial outcry, the publishers delivered a comment addressing the situation, in which they claim in a roundabout way that they had no clue that their actions would be received with such negativity. If we take this notion to be true, then EA have a lot of people to fire.

Surely a company with the financial backing and global reach of EA would look to carry out focus groups, surveys and ascertain information on audience trends and patterns across the industry.

If the average consumer can work out that the general attitude towards gameplay models with pay-to-win features is negative, then why can’t EA? EA’s main issue is its lack of transparency. If the company had issued an apology, taken the microtransactions from the game and then confirmed to the fan base that this was a permanent resolve as way of apology to its consumer base, then perhaps they’d be able to begin to rebuild the tarnished bridges that they’ve repeatedly blown up over the years.

As a consumer of video games and fan of the Star Wars franchise, I won’t be counting my chickens too soon However, instead their way of apology included a temporary removal of microtransactions for the foreseeable future. Now, that’s not to say that this isn’t something positive, its great to see people so passionate about keeping games as free from paid DLC as possible and for that to create enough pressure to return a result of sorts.

Yet, in terms of EA’s public relations it seems like a no brainer. They generate a load of positive headlines by removing the purchasing model, which in turn convinces a larger proportion of consumers to purchase the game and then when the dust settles, they can reintegrate the system back in limiting the overall damage caused.

All I’m saying is as a consumer of video games and fan of the Star Wars franchise, I won’t be counting my chickens too soon.

Jared Liam Moore

Image: Igdb.com

the courier

c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Monday 27 November 2017 Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland and Carys Thomas

@CourierArts thecourieronline.co.uk/arts

Martin Luther King’s legacy

Christopher Wilkinson comments on the activities that have taken place to mark the 50-year anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King’s speech in Newcastle

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hen Martin Luther King said that ‘this day will remain dear to me as the cords of memory lengthen’ on November 13th 1967 in Newcastle University, he was expecting that these cords would not lengthen very long after. 5 months later, on the balcony of a Memphis motel, he was assassinated. The legacy he bequeathed to us all is something the world is still wrestling with, but the legacy he left Newcastle University lay untouched for years until only a few years ago.

It has now been 50 years since King came here for his honorary doctorate, and the tapes of his speech, now processed and accessible, show us the immortal words the man himself uttered standing inside the King’s hall. In association with the council, Newcastle University has worked to bring these words to the city again through the organisation of ‘Freedom City’ – a city-wide programme celebrating the great man and his noble cause.

The legacy he bequeathed to us all is something the world is still wrestling with Of all the events involved in the program, however, one notable project seemed to garner the most attention. Throughout Newcastle, in cafes and hairdressers, in libraries and bakeries, in Gym classes and on the Metro, the words of Martin Luther King were read out by members of the public.

The effect of this, I think, is greater than it initially seems.

As superb as the newly unveiled statue is, we must remember that it is the words of the man himself that hold such resonance. ‘Not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character’ is a quote that will live forever, not just in

What’s On: NUTS’ ‘Posh’ @ Northern Stage, 27 - 29 Nov

quotation, but also in everyday conversation. But that most famous of examples is only one example, and in this resurfaced footage this very same eloquence is once again carried into his words.

Among the many remarkable qualities that King had, perhaps his most prominent was his eloquence.

Brought upon the stage, the man offered to do an impromptu speech in gladness of his doctorate, and it is extraordinary how moving a speech it is. ‘It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can restrain him from lynching me’. The transition from the abstract to the very real is something that King was adept at doing, and it must have been an awful realisation for a Newcastle audience to be standing before someone who was genuinely fearing to be ‘lynched’.

But these words still hold grievous relevance, with the message that ‘the des-

Second year Fine Art student Maya Wallis invites you to a party in celebration of cardboard, collage, photography and film!

Ushering In @ GOLDTAPPED Gallery, 22 Nov - 13 Dec

Kate Liston has transformed the gallery in response to the history, location and presentday use of Carliol House.

@TheCourierArts @thecourierarts

SALTY COLUMN Fenwick’s Window GEORGINA HOWLETT

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o Christmas is just over a month away now, and that fateful time of year has arrived once again – the unveiling of the Fenwicks Christmas window display.

This year the window displays Paddington Bear at Christmas, and this means the death of my ability to walk from one end of Northumberland Street to the other without having to weave my way around a horrifically long line of people waiting to – you guessed it – just look at the window.

They stand there, muttering, inching forwards every few minutes and grumbling to themselves about why it’s taking so long to get to the front.

I honestly cannot comprehend the logic of these people. Why would you wait in line at midday for twenty minutes when you could come back at seven at night and see the entire thing in two minutes flat?

All the joys of a fifty-year-old fictional bear in a meaningless Christmas scene, instantly viewable and accessible for all in less than the time it takes for a tin of soup to heat up in your microwave.

Why stand there?

And, more importantly, why stand there when you have spent the last ten minutes complaining that Paddington ‘doesn’t even have anything to do with Christmas’? If that’s true, why do you care about seeing him so much, as part of an extensive marketing ploy no less?!

You’re all mad. Mad, and in my way.

Move.

Callum Costello comments upon the history of preservation and destruction of art, and what this means for us all today

Terminal Velocity of a Snowflake @ Live theatre, 22 Nov - 16 Dec

Cardboard Box Disco @ Keith’s Cafe (Fine Art Building), 7 Dec

arts culture

Thoughts on art preservation

The basis for the film ‘The Riot Club’, Laura Wade’s POSH explores a malevolent abuse of power through its depiction of wealth and priviledge.

This play takes a touching look at what it means to grow up, fall in love and how the tiniest, most seemingly insignificant detail can change eternity.

tiny of white and coloured persons is tied together’ still one needing to be heard. The next few weeks will be full with celebration. I remember when I was a little boy, sitting as the only nonwhite child among a classroom of white children, crying when reading the story of Martin Luther King. I already knew that there was hate in this world, and that people hated me for nothing, but I read knowing that hope was something that King celebrated in every word he spoke. And for this, we will celebrate this man and his words.

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remember earlier this year when Joe Corré burned five million pounds worth of punk memorabilia on a boat on the Thames.

I was conflicted between sorrow that historical artefacts had been destroyed, anger that they had been lost as a consequence and thrilled that their demise had come about in the most defiantly punk way possible. The burning of valuable punk art is an act of punk art in itself, and indicative of the fluidity of art - for art is subjective in its life, death, creation, exhibition and consumption.

Recently, amongst the clutter of swimming cats a video went viral of the cleaning of an antique artwork. Initially posted by ‘Fake of Fortune?’ presenter and author Philip Mould via his Twitter, the video showed Mould applying a gel based solution which removed two hundred years of dirt from a Jacobean portrait of an unknown woman in red - and the results were both spectacular and mesmerising. It re-opened the debate about art restoration and preservation, and by extension asked the question as to what role destruction plays in the art world.

For every ‘Unknown Woman in Red’ there’s a ‘Fresco Jesus’, but whilst the rescued portrait is flavour of the month there’s no doubt that the botched restoration of Christ by Cecilia Giménez also has its place in art history. Tourism might have been boosted for all the wrong reasons, but

the audience’s engagement with this artwork has increased. Should there be a stylistic footprint left by the work (I long for the Fresco Maybot) then it becomes beyond an argument that this failed fix is both popular and influential - and that prompts discussion in itself.

Recent years have seen a huge drive to preserve and rescue media art. The short history of film and television has been plagued by massive quantities of celluloid, tape and photography being destroyed after being seen initially as worthless. The industry hopes to rescue lost treasures, and technological advancements have been utilised to not only preserve but also improve classic films - sometimes even to a detriment (see; Star Wars Special Editions). What if this technology can be transferred to art - what if we can ‘fix’ Fresco Jesus? Do we rescue the original? I would argue that it has evolved - that the original and the botched fix are part of the new history of the artwork, similar to how the cleaned portrait is relevant only in the context of it being uncleaned.

What if we can’t ‘fix’ Fresco Jesus?

There’s no doubt value to cleaning and preserving artwork, but there’s an issue in where we draw the line. Expensive restoration is being done to Buckingham Palace in a time of austerity, and finance is at the forefront of Italian political discussion yet there would be no hesitation should a need to preserve the Sistine Chapel arise.

Whilst I’m not suggesting we burn any art that becomes financially burdensome, maybe its time we consider destruction and deterioration part of the life of art in the face of fiscal responsibility?

Is that not part of the journey of art? Would the Pyramids still be the Pyramids if they were made of sixty percent 3D printed bricks? It’s a fascinating discussion moving forward.

PHOTOBOX Watergate Forest JORDAN OLOMAN

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fter a bunch of pestering, I finally got my mitts on my dad’s old Nikon, and it’s been my first experience with a professional digital camera. Despite not really knowing what I was doing, I thought it might be a good idea to go to one of the pretty locations near my childhood home and find a spot to shoot.

I took my girlfriend to Watergate forest park near my house in Whickham, Gateshead, and decided to focus on the flora. Nature is by far the most beautiful thing around us, and in a rain-slicked forest it’s a true delight. This was the most compelling photo I took that didn’t have a messed up white balance or crap focus. I love the blur on a smiley Helena juxtaposed by the vibrant moss on this tree that we found growing branches in a star shape. A great memory and a great first shot.

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science & technology

Are you Tech-ing the piss?

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Apple OS Bugs

t comes around once a year, and as it draws nearer, some people can barely contain their excitement. They revert to pubescent kids counting down the days in anticipation. Then there are those who dread it. They think the whole thing is a farce. It’s the same old crap every year, nothing really changes, and if anything, it just gets worse. No, this isn’t Christmas, it’s Apple’s annual iOS updates.

When Tim Cook, Apple CEO, took to the stage this year in Silicone Valley to flaunt their new iOS software, he proudly declared it was: “A day to remember”.

The technology behemoth is getting a reputation for some very shoddy software And indeed it was. Just like all the other days that iOS updates were rolled out and they made us want to gouge our eyes out with a rusty spoon.

Take iOS 6 for example, which was so advanced it made Music libraries disappear in the blink of an eye, and even better, allowed anyone to unlock your iPhone without a passcode. Then there was the ridiculous battery problems with iOS 5, the malicious apps tracking user details on iOS 7, and iOS8 being so utterly horrendous that Apple actually let users revert back to the old software.

Whilst the technology behemoth is renowned for its simple, beautiful and innovative designs, it’s also getting itself a notorious reputation for some very shoddy software. This year’s iOS 11 update followed this newfound tradition and made users repeatedly bang their head against a wall.

Problems began quite early on for some – as in, before they even got the update.

After all the hullabaloo a n d hype over the launch many people couldn’t even get the damn thing to download. Then there were those who did manage to get the software, but it bricked their phone, a bit like the iOS 9.3 update did.

Everyone who w e r e ‘lucky’ enough to download it soon came to regret it. The new design layout was the first thing to be noticed. Of course, the jumbo-sized interface was hard to miss, but it was the minor design flaws that really irked the fanatics; headings not aligned properly and search bars that didn’t match Apple’s own rigorous style guide.

For the rest of us, it was just the fact it completely screwed up our phones that pissed us off. As well as the update causing it to overheat, to freeze, to suddenly fill up with storage, to stop 3D touch working, to mess up all apps, etc, etc, there were a few more innovative glitches rolled out by Apple.

Possibly the best has to be the fact the phone would not let you type the letter ‘i’. Though this little vowel is detrimental to Apple’s marketing strategy, the new iOS 11 had a bizarre tendency to replace it with an ‘A’ followed by a question mark.

700m

There are now over 700 million iPhones in use worldwide

Then there’s the fact the new Control Centre won’t really let you turn WiFi or Bluetooth off. Not a glitch per se, more a ridiculous design flaw, but definitely still worth a mention. Why in heavens sake would you ever just want to disconnect from your WiFi connection but still leave it running, entirely pointlessly, in the background? Did Tim Cook’s parents never scold him for leaving a light on when he left a room?

Perhaps we just set the bar too high for Apple.

Rolling +an update out every year, to the ridiculous number of phones they now have, is a bit of a challenge. But for the amount of money we pay them, they need to sort their shit out.

Christopher Little

courier.science@ncl.ac.uk Science Editors Jack Coles, Christopher Little & Ciara Ritson-Courtney

the courier Monday 27 November 2017

You’re my butterfly, baby

Jack Coles reports on epidermolysis bullosa (aka “the butterfly disease”) and a new treatment

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o jokes in this one, I’m afraid; I take genetic disease very seriously. After all, we’ve had the technology for editing out these diseases for a while now. Sir Robert Edwards (a pioneer in IVF technology) once said that soon it would be a sin of parents to have a child that carries the heavy burden of genetic disease. Many years later, however, g e n e t i c disease is still here.

Although Sir Edwards did have some dodgy views on eugenics, being able to replace actually diseased genes with healthy versions is something few people should really be against. If you are opposed to getting rid of genetic disease, I’d suggest you spend a few days with someone with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, or Cystic Fibrosis, and then get back to me. One of the more common complaints against this editing is that it could lead to the creation of “designer babies” by the rich by selecting preferred genes, in some kind of dystopian fantasy.

Look out the window. The average human life costs less than a single-bedroom flat. We’re already in a dystopia.

But anyway. Epidermolysis bullosa is another horrific disease where the skin pretty much just falls off if touched too strongly.

There are four different genetic versions of this disease, one of which usually kills within one month of birth. The other three don’t kill that quickly, but leave the patients with extremely fragile skin that can break simply by putting on clothes.

This is an impressive feat, making gene therapy useful and pushing it forwards This leads to a formation of painful blisters all over the body, as well as making these people more likely to develop skin cancer and die before their

18th birthday.

Epidermolysis bullosa (otherwise known as “butterfly disease” due to how delicate the skin becomes) is caused by a defect in one of three genes used by skin cells to stick to each other. These genes are used to produce proteins called “desmosomes” which allow skin cells to create a hard, waterproof coating called the stratum corneum.

Without these, individual cells can be accidentally rubbed off the surface, removing this protective layer.

In Germany, doctors managed to

successfully treat a patient with this disease by taking an intact piece of skin from the patient and infecting it with a genetically altered retrovirus. Wild retroviruses can easily enter cells and put bits of their own DNA into our genome to replicate more viruses; these customised viruses can instead add pieces of DNA that we have designed or isolated ourselves, such as a replacement for the dysfunctional gene. Researchers and doctors then replaced the child’s sub-dermal stem cells with the virally-altered ones, so that he could generate skin for the rest of his life.

The results are amazing. Previously the child couldn’t move a muscle without damaging his skin; now he plays football. There are no signs of the disease either; no blisters, reddening, or abra-

sions. Considering the treatment occurred two years ago and that this article is practically a glorified progress report, the results are far better than expected. Usually treatments for a disease need to be repeated every now and then, but there’s no indication that this will be necessary here.

Is there a realistic risk of the virus becoming pathogenic and wiping out our entire species by replacing our internal organs with skin? In a word, no. First of all, that’s the virus doesn’t replace your skin. It simply helps you produce a single protein, not entire skin cells. Secondly, the creation of transgenic skin was done in laboratory conditions and any remaining virus was removed before transplanting, so it didn’t get out into the wider environment. And finally, viral pathogenicity changes depend largely on the viral genome being made of unstable RNA, but this virus uses the more stable DNA. Are there any downsides? Absolutely.

Chief among these is the fact that you need to make these stem cells from scratch for every single new patient. It might also involve making new viruses, as there are three different genes that can cause epidermolysis bullosa. Adding somebody else’s stem cells isn’t an alternative option either, as these will likely be attacked by the immune system, making the condition much, much worse.

Percentage of world

with 0.0066% population epidermolysis bullosa The technique is also highly experimental. Although this is a real success story, it is still only a single story; new techniques tend to need several run-throughs before they get approved and rolled out. The disease is also quite rare, affecting around 500,000 people around the entire world.

Regardless, this is an impressive feat, finally making gene therapy useful and pushing it to the forefront of public consciousness once again.

Fighting antibiotic resistance Ciara Ritson-Courtney tracks down the FDA’s latest-approved technology; Abilify MyCite

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he FDA (Food and Drug Administration) are a well known organisation, from their beginnings in 1848, their job has been to protect and promote public health through the supervision and regulation of food, drugs, tobacco and pretty much anything you can put/get into your body. As they have such a huge impact over these markets and what they can or can’t sell, many companies find their conservative position on lots of products frustrating. However the FDA have just made a giant leap into medical tech.

As medical science is progressing the general public is becoming more and more health aware.

The need for continual data and stats on our wellbeing has become an obsession, with fitness trackers and phone data to tell us if we’re keeping in shape. So naturally, the medical market has jumped on board, but for an incredible reason.

The app displays the dosage, activity level, mood tracker, and quality of rest For people with schizophrenia, mixed episodes associated with bipolar-I disorder, depression, and manic episodes, one medication that is commonly supplied is called aripipiprazole. This needs to be taken regularly – however, due to the nature of these illnesses, it can be hard for patients to re-

member to take the medication at the right time with the right dose. The FDA has now approved a version of this tablet (The Abilify MyCite aripiprazole tablets) that contains an ingestible sensor (called an Ingestible Event Marker) embedded within them that records the medication that has been taken. The sensor is around the size of a grain of sand and is activated when it comes into contact with human stomach acid.

It does this through a small patch on the skin, which transmits the information to the p a t i e n t ’s smartphone or to a doctor if the patient wishes for the information to be shared. This sensor also records certain physiological data such as activity level. This would allow patients to have a regular update on if they have or have not taken their tablets and the reminder on their phone will prompt them to take it, while also allowing doctors to see the regularity of medication being taken and therefore gives them measurable data to determine how well a patients medication is working for them.

The system itself takes on average 30 minutes to 2 hours to detect the tablets ingestion. However the company making the drug have stressed that the device should not be used to track ‘real-time’ ingestion in an emergency as detection could be delayed and there is room for error.

The app that processes the data is called the MYCITE app and not only displays the dosage taken, but also the patients activity level, and also allows for a self-reported mood tracker and quality of rest, allowing further identification of any medication or trigger problems within the patients life.

The patient themselves can determine who see’s their personal data, with options available for them to also share their data with their family or care teams, and also the option to grant or deny access to anyone at any time instantaneously.

The principal of this tracker could also be transferred into many other areas. The ‘pill’ (one of the most common forms of contraceptive) is incredibly effective, however only if you take it at the same time everyday. By including a tracker in it could prevent many unwanted pregnancies. For people with vitamin deficiencies this technology could ensure they are getting the nutrients they need without them worrying about forgetting to take it.

The possibilities of the medications this could be implanted into are endless, nearly every person at some point in their lives has accidently forgotten to take some form of medication on time, or maybe been to busy to think about it.

The most important application of this technological breakthrough however of course is in antibiotics. As we hurtle head first into the oblivion of antibiotic obsolesce due to people not finishing their course of antibiotics, we need the ability to ensure people finish their courses more than ever.

Maybe just maybe, they’ll roll this out on a large scale soon enough to leave us with some form of an antibiotic to fight the resistance with.

the courier

@CourierScience thecourieronline.co.uk/science

Monday 27- November 2017

science & technology

The alternative 5-a-day

Brian Collige discovers ways to get fruit and veg in your diet that you’ve never even dreamed of

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et’s be honest, the NHS comes out with some right trollop in its guidelines. 30g per day of fibre? How are we supposed to manage that, eat fifty slices of brown bread? And let’s not speak of the unfeasibility of five portions of fruit and vegetables when you’re on a student budget and strapped for time; especially when the NHS says we should actually be eating ten bloody portions!

Literally none of this is recommended by dieticians So, for what it’s worth, this are my suggestions for alternatives to your 5-a-day. Please bear in mind that this was made entirely using Wikipedia and a calculator, and that literally none of this is recommended by dieticians. Also, I’ve ignored a load of the NHS’ rules for portions to write this. Go figure.

Branston Pickle Cheese and Branston sandwiches are one of my favourite lunch staples, second only to sausage with cheese and onion, and half-price pâté.

Both the original and the small chunk versions a r e 54% vegetables (but why anyone would go for small chunk is beyond me). When compared to the recommended portion size for cauliflower or carrot, you need about six heaped tablespoons of Branston pickle for a single vegetable portion. Yum.

Image: Wikipedia

Fanta Orange 150ml of orange juice can count as one of your 5-a-day, but it only counts once per day. You can’t chug a litre

of orange juice for 6+ portions, I’m afraid. Fanta Orange, on the other hand, is only 5% actual juice, so you can chug three litres of that for a single fruit portion! [This section was sponsored by an anonymous dentist who makes plenty of money off treating tooth decay.]

Chilli flakes I haven’t seen a good reason why chilli peppers aren’t included in the list of NHS vegetable portions. Do they assume the people of Britain are wimps? I get Extra Hot at Nando’s for pity’s sake!

Anyway, chilli peppers are very closely related to bell or “sweet” peppers, with the only real difference being the levels of capsaicin within. The NHS says that half a pepper (about 60g) is one portion, 94% of which is just water. Thus it stands to reason that about 4g of dried chilli flakes is enough for a vegetable portion.

You can’t chug a litre of orange juice for 6+ portions Corn-fed chicken “Corn-fed chicken” is a fancy term for saying “we use completely natural food as opposed to biologically optimised products so we’re going to charge silly amounts for it”, but whatever, using corn was easier to calculate. Anyone who remembers GCSE biology could tell you that a carnivore eating a herbivore only receives 10% of that animal’s energy – therefore it stands to reason that you need to eat 10x more chicken than you would corn for one of your 5-a-day. And that number is 900g. That’s insane. Do not eat all that as one of your portions.

Ketchup Did you know that Heinz Ketchup is only 21% tomato? I know, I didn’t believe it either, especially when it says that there’s 148g of tomatoes per 100ml of ketchup, and because the claim was made by a competitor. Assuming that it is 21%, though, means you’d have to consume roughly 570g for a fruit or veg portion (depending on how you per-

One grand human genome sequence Jack Coles asks whether you should make it rain double-helix

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n 1990, the US government began the Human Genome project; an ambitious attempt to sequence the genetic code found in every human being. Back then, genetic sequencing was still in its infancy; “Sanger sequencing” was still used, which capitalised on a quirk of DNA replication and probability theory to describe short sequences of about 50 base pairs each. Then you had to get these short sequences to overlap with each other over the entire human genome, which is about 3.2 billion (3,234,830,000) base pairs long. It cost about $2.7b to sequence the human genome, and took around 12 years to complete.

Since then, genome sequencing has vastly reduced in cost, outpacing early linear predictions.

In 2015, sequencing your genome cost about $1400 per person. Over the years the price has bounced downward irregularly, so the cost of sequencing your genome could fall to under $1000 (that’s about £760 at time of writing) within a year.

Before you start getting ready to “make it rain” to sequence your genome, there’s some things to bear in mind.

For one thing, who’s going to interpret all that data?

Me? Well yes, technically, I could, but I’ve only been studying Genetic Medicine for a couple of months, so don’t hold out much hope that I’d say anything of use. Of course, you could pay for someone with actual qualifications and experience to interpret your genome, but that’s going to cost you another $2000 or so.

If you want something a bit cheaper, you could

go for exome sequencing instead. This consists of looking at only the coding regions of your genome; about 3% of it. This already costs under $1000 and usually provides the most relevant information, as the vast majority of genetic diseases are caused by a malformed protein.

$1k

The cost of sequencing your genome could fall to under $1000 within a year

It won’t pick up on diseases caused by disruption of areas between coding regions (such as “splice sites”), nor will it pick up on any mitochondrial diseases.

Even then, less than 2% of people get a result that ends up with them making a change to their lifestyle. If a gene is going to have some sort of effect, chances are you already know from the symptoms, like colour blindness or a deadly aversion to warfarin.

On the other hand, you might find a susceptibility to lung cancer, but can’t do anything about it except avoiding smoke.

In the UK (and indeed across the world) there are various initiatives attempting to sequence at least a thousand human genomes to establish some sort of disease pattern. If you feel like splashing out on healthcare while advancing science, then you could do worse than getting your genome sequenced. Personally, I’m going to spend my money on alcohol and cured meats.

ceive tomatoes). That’s 52 of those little sachets.

Alternatively, McDonald’s has pots that have 66% tomato content, so you’d only need 180g of that, or six of those pots.

For a single vegetable portion you’d need to consume 22,000g of onion salt Tofu Tofu is made from soy milk, which in turn is made from soy beans. Soy milk is about 20% soy beans, and tofu is about 95% soy milk. 43g of soy beans is enough for one of your 5-a-day, so filtering it through all these percentages means you’d need to eat about 226g of tofu to get the same amount. If you’re going to Yo Sushi, that is going to be a lot of sodding Miso soup.

Onion salt Buckle up, because this one’s going to be a fucking journey. Onion salt is sometimes used as a cooking additive in the place of regular salt for an extra oniony flavour. Anyway, I found one manufacturer that only makes onion salt that is only 0.5% onion, with the rest being table salt and anti-caking agents. When you consider that a medium onion is a single portion and weighs 110g, that means that for a single “vegetable portion” you’d need to consume 22,000g of onion salt.

That’s 22kg. 3.5 stone. To put that into perspective, 254g would be enough per person to kill half of the UK population.

Image: Wikipedia We’re dealing with numbers here that are over 80x higher.

Word of the Week:

Retrotransposons

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etrotransposons are found in the DNA of both plants (such as wheat and maize) and humans, and share many characteristics with their neighbouring transposons.

They’re small components of DNA that infiltrate the cytoplasm of cells and seek to multiply and reproduce before moving onto the nucleus where the overall DNA of a chromosome is stored. Once there, they integrate into genetic material and become part of the genetic makeup of the chromosome, to be copied and multiplied endlessly with all other aspects of DNA. All retrotransposons use a direct copyi n g mechanism, where their elements are transcribed into RNA, then converted back into identical DNA sequences using a process called reverse transcription, and then finally inserted into the genomes of target chromosomes.

This process of infiltration and reproduction may sound scary, especially when you consider retrotransposons share a lot of characteristics with retroviruses; indeed, HIV is an example of a retrovirus behaving in a similar way to a standard retrotransposon – albeit one which probably has a lot more destructive power. Don’t panic, though: retrotransposons aren’t inherently bad.

The human protein Syncytin-1, for instance, is encoded by a retrotransposon, and is vital for human placental development, embryo attachment and growth in the womb.

Georgina Howlett

Mythbusters: Eye Colours

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hy do some people have green eyes while others have brown or blue? Isn’t it fascinating how the human eye colours can come in so many different colours and iris patterns?

Nowadays, with contact lenses coming in a wide range of colours, people can easily ‘transform’ into a red-eye vampire one day and a yellow-eye werewolf the day after. However, many of those who have preferences over specific eye colours can’t help hoping that one day, they can genetically engineer themselves so that they can have the desired eye colour without having to wear contact lenses.

Human eye colours are polygenic & the result of pigmentation in the iris around the pupil The secret behind all those different eye colours lie in our genes. Originally thought to be only controlled by a gene where brown is dominant over blue, the human eye colours are actually polygenic and the result of pigmentation in the iris surrounding the pupil. Iris has an important role in controlling amount of light entering our eyes; its colour is determined by genes involved in the production, transport, or storage of melanin pigment.

Eye colour is directly related to the amount and quality of melanin in the front layers of the iris. The amount of melanin pigment in the iris, together with white collagen fibres, gives rise to the eye colours that we are seeing. Two genes on the human chromosome 15 have a major role in determining our eye colour – OCA2 and HERC2. OCA2 gene codes for P protein, a protein involved in the maturation of melanosomes, which are important for melanin pigment production and storage. HERC2 gene on the other hand, plays important role in regulating the expression of OCA2 gene.

The P protein encoded by OCA2 gene determines the amount and quality of melanin pigment present in the iris.

A reduction in functional P protein production leads to less melan i n pigment in the iris. Similarly, for HERC2 gene, reduced function of HERC2 protein leads to reduced OCA2 gene expression and less melanin pigment. When light travels through a relatively melanin-free iris, collagen fibres in the iris scatter short blue light to the surface creating the blue appearance of the iris, which gives rise to blue eyes instead of brown.

Apart from HERC2 and OCA2 genes, several other genes - ASIP, IRF4, SLC24A4, SLC24A5, SLC45A2, TPCN2, TYR, and TYRP1 – have also been known to have some roles in determining eye colour. It is known that these genes, together with OCA2 and HERC2 genes, give rise to various shades of eye colours in different people.

50%

Over 50% of the world’s population has brown eyes, with nearly all individuals from Africa & Asia sharing brown eye colour

Several disorders, such as ocular albinism and oculocutaneous albinism, have been described to affect eye colours. These disorders affect the pigmentation of the iris, or even the skin and hair for oculocutaneous albinism patients. As a result of reduced pigmentation, these disorders cause lightcoloured eyes. Sadly, they also create significant vision problems such as reduced sharpness; rapid, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus); and increased sensitivity to light (photophobia).

While some people find certain eye colours more attractive, it’s important to bear in mind good personality traits are far more important than how stunning eyes are. Plus, the colour you’re seeing may be the colour of the contact lenses? Oh, and by the way, my eyes are red not because I am a vampire but because of lack of sleep. Yi Min Ng

puzzles

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the courier

Monday 27 November 2017

Puzzles Overlord Joey Barton Deputy Puzzles Editor Alex Hendley Deputy Puzzles Copy Editor James Sproston Deputy Puzzles Assistant Mark Sleightholm

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5 3 1 5 4 9 6 2 3 3 8 1 4 7 2 3 8 5 2 4 1 1

Can you use the clues given to discover the name of an editor celebrating their birthday today?

Difficulty: EASY

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8 2

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11 9

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Clues...

1 From the South American mountain range 2 Big Ben isn’t a clock, it’s a...

3 What Kit-Kat tell you to have 4 Precise 5 Dr Seuss’ cat wears one of these

6

9

6 One of Rowan Atkinson’s famous comedy characters 7 To forbid someone to re-enter your land 8 To provoke someone for a reaction 9 Riverdance star 10 _____ Acorah, television medium 11 Recently taken on the West Ham job

Name that castle...

7 8

1

10

11 12

13

14 15 19

16

17

18

20

21

Across

1 They might steal your ship (6) 3 Scooby Doo’s big blonde companion (4) 6 The charm which repels dementors (8) 8 Henry ______, gave his name to a great dam (6) 10 Has a barrel and a trigger (3) 11 Noise something wet might make as it hits the floor (5) 13 Region covering French-Spanish border (6) 14 Arguably the greatest boxer of all time (3) 15 Get out! (6) 19 Extremely damp (6) 21 You can’t do without it (9)

Down

1 Type of clothing - originating from the Andes (6) 2 Used to make instruments louder (3) 3 If you trip someone up in football you might commit a... (4) 4 Be much better than; overwhelm (8) 5 His father Stanley is in the jungle (5) 7 Oasis song written by Liam Gallagher (8) 9 Rub out (5) 10 A horse at full speed (6) 12 US state, capital Topeka (6) 16 In the near future (4) 17 Better than Lidl? You decide (4) 18 British nobleman, ranking above viscount (4) 20 Italian for ‘two’ (3)

Last Week’s

Solutions...

Issue 1357 quiz solutions: Name that lake: Lake Titicaca, South America Campus building: Barbara Strang (Stobart, Sail, Carbs, Bulbasaur, Arndale, Peru, Sandy, Moose, Toledo, Star, France, Ant, Fang)

S A O E D I P U S C Y O I I N I N J A E A T T T O M S I Y V O N C E T R U M P P T O P S D U N E

N S W E R S A M U N T E R P U E V E R R N N E R F O X S O Y R A M I D L I S E R N I E

U L E M U R D E R

M

T U S H E R

35

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sport

Monday 27 November 2017

Defending femininity in sport Following a week of activities celebrating women in sport, Sophie McDermott explains why there is still work to be done

“You throw like a girl."

How can a single statement be so insulting? How can one sentence create such aggravation – for males and females – by questioning their athletic prowess?

There are two million fewer women regularly playing sport than men, with 13 million women claiming they would like to participate more in sport and physical activity.

So...what is going on?

As an active female, I have regularly found myself questioning why there are not more women participating in sport and what is holding these women back from getting more involved.

It is important to situate sport as a gendered space. The culture of sport is somewhat sequestered based on gender and the beliefs about women and men.

It is thought that both genders can be influenced positively and negatively by these beliefs and assumptions.

These fundamental beliefs, despite being incorrect, can lead to stereotypes rearing their ugly heads, taking up unnecessary space in the minds of many female and male athletes.

½

The IOC wants women to make up half of the participants at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

It’s not only women who face these stereotypes, as sport encourages boys and men to exhibit, value and reproduce traditional notions of masculinity.

In other words, competitive sport serves as a social institution principally organized around defining certain forms of masculinity as acceptable, while denigrating others.

At times, sport reproduces and reinforces hegemonic masculinity, in which masculine individuals dominate athletics by suppressing those who are not, thus subordinating women.

Studies show men who spend their formative years in competitive team sports are shielded from understanding women’s athleticism, their leadership capabilities, as well as the issues that they face within the world of sport. Instead, women remain on the sidelines, objectified and marginalised for their femininity.

So what impact does this have? Even though more and more girls and women are entering the athletic arena, girls and women have to challenge the myths about their athletic abilities.

One of the largest myths concerning female athletes is the criticism of their physical appearances and concerns over not appearing ‘feminine.’ Further research into what's stopping women turning their ambitions into reality found that a fear of judgement – on appearance, ability or how they chose to spend time on themselves – puts women of all ages off exercising.

Judgement can come from all angles: from immediate friends and family (afraid of not living up to their expectations); from other women (not matching up to their standards) and from men (dismissive of their ability). It is a bar-

rier that remains relevant even amongst more sporty women who fear they cannot perform as well as they used to.

Likewise, press and social media criticising the muscular bodies of professional sports women, such as Jessica Ennis and Rebecca Addlington, have a huge impact on young girls and women.

In addition, some sports brands present images of lean and toned women, which can alienate those who are less active.

This Girl Can celebrates active women, no matter how they look or how red their face gets Every woman and girl in the UK plays sport or is physically active during some time in her life but are more likely to drop out of athletic activity.

By transforming the sport sector it can ensure women and men have equal opportunity in sport, from the field of play to the boardroom. Increasing female participation in sport is important not only because of the health benefits of sports participation, but also because involvement in sport enhances mental wellbeing and social interaction, and can contribute to economic development in different geographical, cultural and political contexts.

In the UK there are more men than women playing sport every week. Women are missing out. Organisations such as This Girl Can are a celebration of ac-

The water polo seconds drew against cross-city rivals Northumbria on Monday Image: NUWPC

First team hockey players celebrated their 5-3 win over Edinburgh in the BUCS Trophy Image: NULHC tive women who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.

This Girl Can aims to address the gender gap by “getting women and girls moving, regardless of shape, size and ability.”

The campaign was launched in 2015 and is already showing signs of success.

National mass media campaigns such as This Girl Can, as well as initiatives by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations, aim to support gender equality and greater sports participation by women and may play a part in achieving the World Health Organization's goal of a 10% reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity across the world by 2025.

Similarly, the Olympic Agenda 2020 reaffirms the IOC's commitment to work with International Sports Federations and National Olympic Committees, as well as the UN, and hopes to increase the participation of girls and women in sport. The goal is for 50% of Olympic participants to be women by 2020.

While I would argue that women have made their entry into sport, and pro-

gress has been made, women still have a way to go to obtain equality. Liberal feminism and affirmative action programmes have not yield meaningful results in over forty years of work.

The recent This Girl Can campaign has these issues at its core. As a clear and deliberate alternative to the way in which other sports organisations present ‘perfect women’, This Girl Can uses real women who tell the story of their personal experiences. The campaign shows women whilst they are exercising with no attempts to hide their appearance or physique. Instead, their sweatiness is celebrated.

13

million women claim they would like to participate in more athletic activities.

Sometimes all that is needed is an opportunity to let loose and give it a go. I support our Student Union's This Girl Can campaign, and I encourage all of you to do the same. full report on page 5

36

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sport

Monday 27 November 2017

'They don't know what they're doing!'

With the likes of the Northern Ireland football team falling foul to some terrible refereeing this month, this week we decided to take on some of most memorable game-changing blunders and dodgy decisions in the history of sport

Henry's handball in 2010 World Cup Qualifier

Scotland v Australia in 2015 Rugby World Cup

Thierry Henry remains a lauded figure in France and half of North London, but in Ireland his image will forever be associated with treachery and injustice.

It was 18 November 2009, and the Republic of Ireland had a 1-0 lead in SaintDenis to take the second leg of their World Cup qualifier play-off into extratime, cancelling out France’s narrow win in Dublin. Against the 1998 champions, the Boys in Green had battled impressively to give themselves a real chance of making only

The tense and exciting quarter-final between Scotland and Australia at the 2015 Rugby World Cup will always be tarred by the controversial, last minute penalty that gave the Wallabies the win and utterly devastated the Scots.

With only a few minutes of the game remaining referee Craig Joubert- albeit without the guidance of the TMO (television match official) due to the laws of the game- awarded Australia a penalty

their fourth ever World Cup. However, in the 12th minute of extra time, Florent Malouda’s free-kick was dropping safely out for a goalkick, when Henry stopped the ball with his hand, controlled it with a second touch and squared for William Gallas to nod in the vital winner.

Irish players fumed as Henry and his teammates celebrated wildly without shame, but the Swedish referee Martin Hansson and his assistants failed to spot the blatant cheating, robbing the Green Army of another World Cup dream.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

James Harris

Maradona's 'Hand of God' in 1986 World Cup During a tense political situation only four years after the Falklands war, Diego Maradona scored a goal for Argentina using his hand in the quarter-final world cup game against England.

The way he scored the goal went unnoticed by the referee and linesman; intensifying the already extreme football rivalry between England and Argentina, especially after Argentina went on to win the 1986 World Cup title.

In an interview with Gary Lineker, Maradona admitted that he had used his hand to

score the goal, and further admitted to doing it previously in Argentina.

He recounted how he shouted “goal” and looked behind him to see if the referee had “taken the bait” and he later said that he waited for his teammates to embrace him and told them “come hug me, or the referee isn’t going to allow it”.

30 years later, goalkeeper Paul Shilton said that he still hasn’t forgiven Diego Maradona and condemns his lack of sportsmanship for not apologising for his cheating after the game.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Emma Bancroft

after calling for a deliberate offside following a poor line-out from the Scots.

Yet the replays which were widely shown to the near 80,000 strong crowd, seemed to show that the ball had ricocheted off a Wallaby player.

After the game had finished Joubert instead of talking to the officials and players, quickly ran to the tunnel to a chorus of boos.

His behaviour was later wide-

ly criticised almost as much as his terrible mistake. Indeed, the extent of this mistake was so great, that even World Rugby had issued a statement stating that the penalty was ‘erroneous’.

Altogether, it was not a good day in the office for Joubert, who by the following year had quit refereeing the fifteen-man version of the sport.

Tom Shrimplin

Manny Pacquiao v Timothy Bradley I “Pac Man” was in his prime having won world championships in eight different weight classes, but was defeated for the first time in seven years

by American boxer Timothy Bradley after a controversial split decision.

Pacquiao dominated the early rounds with many powerful punches that sent the American, who also appeared to have injured his foot, back into his corner. While Bradley had gained some momentum in the last three rounds, it seemed apparent to everyone ringside that the Filipino who landed 94 punches had won.

Yet, to massive jeers from an angry crowd, judges Duane Ford and C. J. Ross scored the fight 115–113 in favour of Bradley, while Jerry Roth scored

the fight 115–113 in favour of Pacquiao. Whereas Pacquiao took defeat graciously, the crowd continued to boo and many commentators had criticised thverdict with the likes of Amir Khan calling it a “robbery”. Indeed, all five judges in a review panel also later gave the F i l ipi n o the win, however t h e Image: Wikimedia Commons result

Graham Poll's three yellow cards Some refereeing decisions are remembered for smashing dreams and ruining sporting spectacles, others are merely recalled for their hilarious ridiculousness. Graham Poll’s mishap in the 2006 World Cup firmly falls in the latter category.

In a 2-2 group stage draw between Croatia and Australia, Poll brandished his yellow card twice to Josip Simunic,

but failed to send the player off. Three minutes after his lucky escape, the Croatian defender found himself in trouble again, being shown a third yellow card before Poll finally pulled out the red. It was a blunder that had no effect on the game’s outcome and is still remembered as one of the most bizarre and amusing gaffes in World Cup history.

Things weren’t so funny for Poll

of the fight could not be overturned.

Nevertheless, Pac Man finally got his vengeance against Bradley after two rematches, defeating him by unanimous decision both times.

Tom Shrimplin

though. England’s representative referee at the tournament had previously been touted as a potential candidate to officiate the final, but he was swiftly sent home after his error. Now Poll is almost exclusively remembered as the ref that gave a player three yellow cards. He retired just a year after the incident.

James Harris

Sub Aqua nibbled by seals in first dive Members of the Sub Aqua club spoke to Sports Editor Mark Sleightholm about their recent trip to the Farne Islands Farne Island seals got up close and personal with some of Newcastle’s student scuba divers during the Sub Aqua Club’s first trip of the year. A group of club members made the hour-long trip up the coast to explore the popular diving location and see the seals.

Over the course of two half-hour dives the club members got to see a range of wildlife and natural features, but it was the seals that were the main attraction.

The sociable and apparently fearless animals kept the divers company as they explored the rocky underwater world.

The seals detect the movement of swimmers, and are certainly not backwards in coming forwards. “They’re really inquisitive animals,” explained Dive Officer Jack Walton. “They’ll come and have a little nibble, a cuddle; they’ll bop you in the face.”

Club Secretary Soraya Taleb was on her first visit to the Farne Islands, and was surprised by just how friendly the seals were. Like several Sub Aqua club members, Taleb began diving in the warmer seas of the Mediterranean, with a very different – and less populated – underwater environment.

Although both Walton and Taleb started diving when they were children, but beginners are also welcome to join Sub Aqua. The club runs training sessions, using a specialist pool in Benfield,

in addition to outdoor training events in the Lake District and trips to locations such as the Farne Islands throughout the year.

The club also offers try dives through the Union’s Give it a Go programme, giving students the chance to try out some beginner activities in the pool for just £8, without needing to commit to anything long term. Walton admitted that learning to dive can be an expensive business, so it can be reassuring for students to try it out before signing up to a course.

The club has other trips planned for later in the year, including one to Lochaline in the Scottish Highlands and another to Lanzarote at Easter. They also plan to return to the Farne Islands to see the location at a different time of year. Both Taleb and Walton are marine biologists and have a keen interest in seeing different species in their natural habitats.

This interaction with nature is one of the biggest draws for Taleb. “It’s what you get to see down there. It’s a completely different world.

“We're not meant to be there but we're there anyway; we're not supposed to be able to breath underwater but somehow we've found a means to do that, and it's really rewarding when you see something that you've never seen before.”

The divers made some friends of the pinnipedi kind Image: Owen Lyons

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sport

Fight Night 2017 Monday 27 November 2017

Last year's Fight Night attracted a big crowd Images: Connor Berrie

Fight Night 2017 Competitors Muzi “The African Jewel” Mble Height: 6ft 0

Weight: 80kg

Temi “Chocolate Thunder” Olugbenga Height: 5ft 10

Weight: 84kg

Harry ‘Light Out’ Linter Height: 6ft 1

Weight: 85kg

Fred ‘The Rock’ Johnson Height: 6ft 0

Weight: 63kg

Lana Jane Hutt Height: 5ft 3

Weight: 58kg

Max ‘Shelby’ Haller Height: 5ft 11

Weight: 82kg

Andrew ‘The Fear’ Cleare Height: 6ft 6

Weight: 103kg

Fred ‘Kiss Me Through The’ Fone Height: 6ft 1

Weight: 84kg

Jamie ‘Sharp Shooter’ Sherlock Height: 6ft 4

Weight: 97kg

Patric Cochrane Height: 6ft 4

Weight: 88kg

George “The Ram” Ramsay Height: 6ft 0

Weight: 83kg

Yemi “The Better Emi” Lijadu Height: 5ft 8

Weight: 75kg

Lewis Whitelaw Height: 6ft 1

Weight: 80kg

William 'The Conquerer’ Mason Height: 5ft 11

Weight: 60kg

Jenny ‘From The Block’ Walker Height: 5ft 6

Weight: 59kg

Olly ‘White Tyson’ Gilby Height: 5ft 10

Weight: 78kg

Charles ‘Move Over’ Murphy Height: 6ft 6

Weight: 100kg

Rory ‘The Hammer’ Hanna Height: 6ft 0

Weight: 80kg

Archie ‘The Butcher’ Hughes Height: 6ft 0

Weight: 90kg

Harry Goodman Height: 6ft 2

Weight: 95kg

Jared Moore Online Editor Winter is officially upon us. In turn, this signifies the return of Fight Night Newcaste.

Taking place this Thursday 30th November the evening's entertainment is sure to pack out the Students Union.

With the event scheduled to begin at 8:00pm, twenty of the universities top boxing talents will face up and fight off in ten fierce bouts each set to go a full three rounds.

On the undercard there are ten fights in total, nine male and one female.

For the ladies, Jenny Walker is set to exchange blows with Lana Jane Hutt.

Amongst the men there are a range of weight classes on display. Involved within the ones to watch are Lewis Whitelaw and Harry Linter. The fight, dubbed to be a classic brawl should deliver a grudging dogfight between two fierce well-matched competitors.

20

The number of boxers battling it out in this year's Fight Night

For big blows and hard-hitting hooks, the battle of the heavyweights comes between Andrew Cleare and Charles Murphy. Cleare has the slight advantage

in being the heavier of the two fighters privisionally weighing in at 103kg to Murphy's 100kg. However, speed timing and stamina will certainly prove to be crucial over the three rounds.

The night will be led by announcers Brad Smith and Zaz Al-Humaidhi who will open the event setting off the first of four opening fights. Two sets of fifteen minute intervals will separate the final six fights with the evening set to wrap up sometime around 11.

For big blows and hard-hitting hooks, heavyweight Andrew Cleare takes on Charles Murphy For those unable to obtain tickets the entire event will be covered by Newcastle Student Radio who will be on hand with radio commentary and punditry from beginning to end.

Building up to Thursday, the official weigh-in goes live tonight from Club Trop. Coverage of the weigh-in alongside pre-fight build up will be available through NUTV. With tables having long sold out for the event, the atmosphere looks set to be blinding.

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Monday 27 November 2017

Leeds put in their place in MEN’S RUGBY

Newcastle 1sts 36 Leeds 1sts 5

Alex Gilham at Cochrane Park

The team that Edinburgh just couldn’t get past Image: NUVC

Edinburgh swept aside in volleyball WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Edinburgh 1sts Newcastle 1sts

0 3

Courtney Strait at Sport and Exercise Pleasance Newcastle Women’s Volleyball faced hometown rival Team Northumbria on BUCS Wednesday on 15 November.

The match took place at Northumbria University’s Sports Central and featured an exciting back and forth affair.

The game was off to a strong start with both sides making exciting plays.

In preparation for the league’s top team (and an undefeated one at that), Team Newcastle had to step up their game and execute on both sides of the net.

Despite a spirited effort, the hosts defeated Team Newcastle and claimed the BUCS points for the evening.

The first set of match play featured a 20-20 tie and could have been anyone’s set. After a handful of hard-fought points, the Northumbria women came out on top with a score of 25-23.

At times, Edinburgh seemed confused and discombobulated as Newcastle came out of the gates During the second set Team Newcastle faced adversity with a handful of players dropping out of the game due to injury. The Newcastle women were down 15 points at one time during the second set, bought fought back to drop the set by a respectable score of 19-25.

With heads held high the Newcastle women headed into the last set of the match battling for every point, but unfortunately were unable to come back from such a heavy deficit, and dropped the third game.

Chloe Mathis, an outside hitter and team captain, said despite some struggles throughout the match, the team stuck together.

She said each player was proud to compete with one another and represent Newcastle University.

She added that although the team lost, they gained confidence that they would carry that confidence into their match against Edinburgh.

The Newcastle women responded

quickly to their loss to Northumbria by dominating Edinburgh University. The visitors made quick work of a shorthanded Edinburgh squad last Wednesday with a positive attitude and plenty of energy.

Despite a delayed start caused by scheduling issues, Team Newcastle used a balanced attack and powerful offense to take down the home team 3-0. At times, Edinburgh seemed confused and discombobulated as Newcastle came out of the gates with a head full of steam.

2

matches left for Newcastle’s first team before the Christmas break, against Nottingham and Edinburgh

After a cold and rainy drive up north the volleyballers got right down to business. They wasted no time gaining a huge lead and kept the pressure on throughout all three sets. Setter Petra Jerabkova was smooth throughout the evening, providing the Newcastle hitters with plenty of scoring opportunities. Hitters Chloe Mathis and Alyssa Koenig were sparks for Team Newcastle – they powered shot after shot past the Edinburgh defence and challenged their opponents almost every play.

In addition, the game proved to be another positive for those who don’t get as much playing time for Newcastle.

Because the starters did such a great job pushing the lead, every member of the team had the opportunity to play and contribute to the victory, which led to a jovial bus ride home for Newcastle.

Moving forward, Newcastle women’s volleyball has a duo of matches before the Christmas break, including matchups against Nottingham and another faceoff against Edinburgh. They are currently in the middle of the pack in the Premier North division and would benefit greatly from two victories.

Premier North 1 Northumbria 1sts

Pld

W

D

L

GD

Pts

6

6

0

0

15

18

2 Durham 1sts

7

6

0

1

16

18

3 Nottingham 1sts

6

4

0

2

2

12

4 Newcastle 1sts

6

2

0

4

-3

6

5 Sheff Hallam 1sts

7

1

0

6

-12

3

6 Edinburgh 1sts

6

0

0

6

-18

0

The 23 November marked the first game past the halfway point of the season for the Newcastle first team as they came up against Leeds University.

It was a top of the table clash as the teams sat first and second respectively.

Last time these two teams met Newcastle ran out comfortable winners in a strong performance. Leeds, however, have won five and lost only one since the defeat, making Newcastle well aware of the threat Leeds posed and that it would be a very different opposition to the one they beat back in October.

The weather was far from ideal as a vicious wind swirled around Cochrane Park, alongside a light drizzle, thus creating greasy conditions, which threatened to hamper the expansive rugby both teams have displayed this season.

However, both sides right from kickoff showed their intent with nice passages of play and a couple of crunching tackles that set the tone for the intensity and high skill level that was to come.

How the teams lined up Newcastle 1sts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

v

Joe Gutteridge Jack Starkey Matthew Woodward Bailey Ransom Declan Horrox Callum Swift Jack Redfern-Brown Oliver Wurfbain Daniel Nutton Gregor Haldane Michael Forrest George Hitchcock James Boustead Toby Houchin Harry Glover

Leeds 1sts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Alex Reid Oli Brown Elliot King Alex Patrick Nathan Blackwood Ross Muil George Broom Oli Lamprell Ed Crossley Jonathan House Greg Hogg Roman Malin-Hiscock Tommy Ferguson Jonno Wilkes Sam Hirons

Leeds, playing with the wind, then put in series of good kicks that pinned Newcastle within their own 22 as Leeds looked to apply the early pressure.

Newcastle’s line-out though, under the leadership of Bailey Ransom and Declan Horrox, held firm and provided a good platform for the Newcastle backs throughout the game.

Leeds chose to keep using the wind to their advantage by kicking deep into Newcastle’s half, yet the work rate from the team and retention of ball was good as Newcastle suffocated Leeds of any ball.

Eventually Newcastle’s superior possession led to a series of line breaks, from players such as Harry Glover and Declan Horrox, before good patience and carries from the forwards on Leeds’ try line allowed the backs space to feed outside centre James Boustead to cross the whitewash. Conversion missed 5-0.

The early try seemed to spark Leeds into life as from the restart they began to play with a bit more ball in hand with their no. 13 proving to be a strong ball carrier. A short back and forth possession ensued before Leeds’ kicking game came to good use as their winger showed blistering speed from a kick ‘n chase that seemed destined to result in a try only for Newcastle’s captain Dan Nutton to slide in for a last ditch effort putting the ball out of play.

The last few minutes of the half were a bit of an arm wrestle as neither team could make possession count From the line-out Leeds regained possession and through phase play sucked the Newcastle players narrow before sending a cross field to their other

winger who gathered and dotted down.

Conversion missed 5-5.

The rest of the half belonged to Newcastle who pressed for a second score but sloppy hands and resolute defense from Leeds kept thwarting the attack.

Eventually Newcastle managed to barge their way over the try line after a good driving maul got the team close enough to allow a forward to squeeze over from a pick and go. Conversion good 12-5. The last few minutes of the half were a bit of an arm wrestle as neither team could make possession count and Newcastle saw two kicks on goal just go wide with the wind proving to be too strong. Half time 12-5.

10

minutes into the game James Boustead scored Newcastle’s first try, but missed the conversion

Second half began and with the wind in Newcastle’s favour the game plan was to pin Leeds in their own half and force them to play from deep. Leeds however also came back with a game plan feeding their strong backline runners ball and a series of breaks put Newcastle under a lot of pressure.

Newcastle’s forwards, though, had been strong and largely superior for most of the game, which made life difficult for Leeds who couldn’t quite make their attacks count. The game really was on a knife edge as both teams knew the next score could be crucial as a few scraps and handbags from both sides highlighted the frustration and desperation from both sides to score.

Eventually though it was Leeds whose ill discipline led to mistakes meaning Newcastle rumbled over from a driving maul with Joe Gutteridge claiming the try. Conversion missed 17-5.

From then on it was Newcastle’s game with the backs and forwards putting in some crunching tackles as they wore down a dogged Leeds side. It wasn’t long then until Newcastle grabbed the crucial bonus point try with Matthew Woodward breaking off tackles to go under the sticks. Conversion good 245. Newcastle were now really into their stride playing full of confidence and ended the game with a lovely backs try sending James Boustead into the corner uncontested to end the game 36-5.

DECLAN HORROX The Newcastle lock played a crucial role in the win, with his line breaks keeping up the pressure on Leeds throughout the match

Newcastle’s strong set piece and game management in the second half seemed to suffocate Leeds of any hope of getting back into the game resulting in a huge win. Newcastle now stretch their lead at the top to four points and will hope to carry on the momentum into the Nottingham clash next Wednesday.

North A D

L GD BP Pts

1 Newcastle 1sts

Pld W 8

6

0

2 185 6 30

2 Leeds 1sts

8

5

0

3 -20 6 26

3 Nottingham 1sts

7

5

0

2 63 5 25

4 Durham 2nds

8

4

0

4 28 7 23

5 Loughborough 2nds

8

3

0

5 14 4 16

6 Bishop Burton 1sts

7

3

0

4 -92 1 13

7 Birmingham 1sts

8

2

0

6 -98 0

9

8 Edinburgh 1sts

8

3

0

5 -80 2

9

Second try Mark Sleightholm Sports Editor Newcastle and Northumbria’s men’s rugby first teams will face off against each other after all, as part of an afternoon of rugby at St James’ Park.

The football ground will host a Premiership fixture between Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints on Saturday 24 March, with the varsity match acting as a curtain-raiser for the main event.

8

league places currently separating Northumbria in the Super League and Newcastle in the division below

Dubbed “The Big One” by its organisers, the Premiership and varsity games form part of a day highlighting the best of North East rugby that they hope will become an annual event. In the morning of 24 March more than 100 junior teams will take part in a cup competition at Kingston Park, and local rugby clubs are being encouraged to play their fixtures earlier in the day to ensure they can head to St James’ Park to support the Falcons.

Dean Richards, director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons, said: “It will be a memorable day which people will want to be part of.”

Newcastle and Northumbria will

39

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sport

Monday 27 November 2017

rugby showdown Runners keep their

balance in the Braids CROSS COUNTRY

Toby Bryant at the Braid Hills Edinburgh Braids is everything that cross country hinges on – hundreds of runners, thin paths, hills, rocks and mud.

This year’s annual even took place on 18 November and saw 24 runners from Newcastle University Athletics and Cross Country take part. The day’s two events, a five kilometre and a ten kilometre race, took place on a course surrounding Braids Hill Gold Course. A steep two kilometre incline is followed by plummeting downhills and uneven terrain which, for many, proves more of a test of balance than speed.

Nonetheless, Newcastle posted impressive times on the day. Notable performances came from the likes of Vice-President Will Stockwell, placing 14th out of 127 men in the five kilometre, with a time of 16:58. Cross Country captain, Shona Haston, continued to put recent injury problems aside to conquer Braids in 19:32 and finish in the top 10 women.

She reflected on her pride of the team on the whole: “The day went really well with everyone putting in great performances over a tough course. We’re looking forward to the rest of the season with strong teams already lined up for Decembers Leeds XC relays.”

Those brave enough to take on an extra lap and enter the ten kilometre format included Alex Stokes whose time of 35:48 saw him pip a local rival from Durham University on the line. Meanwhile, Sean Haycock emerged triumphant in what looks to be a fast forming rivalry between himself and fellow club member Jack Holmes after a neck-andneck first lap.

Special mentions must also go to first year runners, Sam Hansen, Alex Peck and Rebecca Charlton who used their first race to set up what looks a very promising season.

After the race runners enjoyed haggis and ceilidh dancing at the social with the other clubs. Social Secretary, Jack Holmes reflects: “As well as racing, it’s important to meet other runners from around the UK. Edinburgh were amazing hosts and made for a memorable night.”

BUCS RESULTS BADMINTON

M1 v Edinburgh 1sts M2 v Liverpool Hope 1sts W1 v Durham 3rds W2 v Sheffield Hallam 2nds

BASKETBALL

M1 v Worcester 1sts M2 v Bradford 1sts W1 v Edinburgh 1sts W2 v York 1sts

FENCING

M1 v Edinburgh 1sts M2 v Liverpool 2nds M3 v Lancaster 2nds W2 v Leicester 1sts W3 v Dundee 1sts

GOLF

Mix1 v Sheffield 1sts Mix2 v Liverpool JM 1sts M1 v Loughborough 2nds M3 v York St Johns 1sts W1 v Edinburgh 1sts W2 v Manchester 1sts W3 v UCLAN 1sts W4 v Sheffield Hallam 3rds

LACROSSE

NETBALL

W1 v Edinburgh 1sts

RUGBY UNION The Edinburgh Braids provided a scenic setting for the cross country race Image: NUAXC

M1 v Leeds 1sts M2 v Leeds Beckett 2nds M4 v Sheffield 2nds W1 v Edinburgh 1sts

RUGBY LEAGUE

M1 v Northumbria 1sts

at Clash of the Titans Triathletes excel in running and cycling open the drama at St James’ Park with a 3pm kick-off, with this match swiftly followed by the Falcons and Saints at 5:30pm. Adult tickets start from £10.

The match takes place a week after Newcastle students break up for Easter, although teaching at Northumbria finishes just the day before the big match.

Mick Hogan, the Falcons’ managing director, said of the varsity match: “That is a fixture which attracts a big following in its own right given the huge student population in Newcastle.”

Organisational difficulties precluded the traditional October Clash of the Titans match between the two universities, and with Newcastle playing in a league below their cross-city counterparts in BUCS, The Big One promises to be the pinnacle of this year’s rugby rivalry.

Matt Carter, director of rugby at Newcastle University, described the match as a “magnificent opportunity” for the men’s first team, adding, “We’re looking forward to taking on the current top dogs at university rugby.” Until Wednesday Northumbria sat at the top of the BUCS Super Rugby league table, with Newcastle currently leading the North A division.

A last-minute try saw Newcastle narrowly win the most recent Clash of the Titans and take a fourth consecutive victory over Northumbria. It is now over three years since Northumbria’s firsts came out on top in the Tyneside

derby.

The Big One’s organisers are aiming to sell 20,000 tickets for the double fixture, which takes place in the 52,000 capacity stadium more traditionally associated with a different kind of football. St James’ Park has hosted rugby matches in the past, including during 2015’s Rugby World Cup. The 24 March date coincides with an international break that will put both Newcastle and Sunderland football clubs out of action.

Newcastle vs Northumbria Recent first team meet-ups 2 October 2013 - Clash of the Titans Newcastle win 22-17 at Kingston Park 5 February 2014 10-10 draw at Kingston Park 2 March 2014 - Stan Calvert Newcastle win 10-7 at Gateshead Stadium

DUATHLON Andy Shaw at Castle Coombe Last weekend saw Team Newcastle Triathlon take 12 men and 14 women down to the South West of the country to tackle the BUCS National Duathlon Championships.

The Castle Coombe Racing Circuit plays host to a two mile run, followed by 10 miles on the bike and culminating in a final two mile run.

The first men’s wave saw a brutally mass start of roughly 200 athletes piling out onto the narrow course. From Newcastle Andy Shaw was the first into T1, closely followed by President Rich-

ard Jackson-Taylor and Tri club veteran Joe Kelly.

It was Tom Whelan though, new to the team this year, who overtook these three on the bike and held his lead on the final run to be the first Newcastle Athlete to cross the finish line in a time of 45:11.

Meanwhile a strong start from Olivia Moore, Bonnie Murphy, Susan ShielRankin and Clara Pettitt saw these four come in to T1 first from the Newcastle Woman’s team.

It was Louise McLeman and Katherine Wilkins that had the fastest bike splits though, with McLeman putting in a fine second run to be the first from Newcastle over the line, closely followed by Moore and Pettitt.

66-135 103-130 97-128 116-126 38-155

FOOTBALL

M1 v Nottingham 2nds M2 v Manchester 2nds W1 v Edinburgh 3rds W2 v Durham 3rds W3 v Liverpool 2nds

Newcastle had the upper hand in their clash with Leeds Image: Clara Pettitt

72-47 44-67 35-67 35-47

M1 v Glasgow 1sts M2 v Lancaster 2nds W2 v Liverpool 1sts

HOCKEY

TABLE TENNIS

M1 v Strathclyde 1sts M2 v Durham 2nds W2 v Northumbria 1sts

TENNIS

M2 v Leeds Beckett 5ths W2 v York St Johns 1sts

VOLLEYBALL

M1 v Glasgow 1sts W1 v Edinburgh 1sts

WATER POLO

M1 v Sheffield 1sts W1 v St Andrews 1sts

6-2 6-2 7-1 5-3

0-1 4-2 0-4 1.5-4.5 1-5 0-2 2-3 5-3 1-2 1-5 3-2 4-2 2-11 27-0 6-15 12-4 65-46 36-5 10-37 19-12 7-84 8-28 9-4 9-8 1-4 0-12 w/o Ncl 0-3 3-0 11-13 4-11

1 October 2014 - Clash of the Titans Northumbria win 29-10 at Kingston Park

OVERALL BUCS POSITION

5 November 2014 Newcastle win 17-14 at Kingston Park

Pos

University

7 October 2015 - Clash of the Titans Newcastle win 13-10 at Kingston Park

9

Northumbria ■

1503

10

Cardiff ■

1411

11

Newcastle ■

1317

12

Stirling ■

1258

13

Manchester ▲

1229

25 November 2015 Newcastle win 24-21 at Kingston Park 29 September 2016 - Clash of the Titans Newcastle win 19-18 at Kingston Park 24 March 2018 - The Big One Newcastle v Northumbria at St James’ Park

Newcastle’s women’s team line up on the start line Image: Robbie Kingston

Pts

sport the courier

Monday 27 November 2017 Issue 1360 Free

@Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sport Editors Tom Shrimplin, Courtney Strait & Mark Sleightholm

Inside Sport today >>>

DIVING WITH SEALS Sub aqua takes trip to the Farne Islands Page 36

RUGBY UNION Newcastle extends their lead atop the league Page 38

FIGHT NIGHT Newcastle students go head to head in the ring Page 37

Liverpool end seconds’ first-rate cup run WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

Newcastle 2nds Liverpool 1sts

0 4

James Sproston at Cochrane Park On a typical autumnal Wednesday afternoon, Newcastle’s second string football side lost out to the Liverpool firsts, though the 4-0 scoreline flattered the visitors in the last 16 Northern Conference Cup match largely dominated by Newcastle.

Going into the match, many would have predicted the eventual outcome, as Newcastle sat fifth in the Northern 3B, whilst Liverpool were looking like promotion contenders in Northern 2A, being on equal points along with league leaders UCLan. Newcastle’s recent cup record wouldn’t have filled them with much confidence either, having been beaten in the first round of the Northern Conference Cup last year

by Salford’s firsts at Cochrane Park. Incontrol Liverpool made it through to the last 16 before losing out to city rivals Liverpool John Moores.

Though both cup history and league form was against Newcastle, their cup run this year has seen them beat Manchester thirds and Liverpool seconds, whilst Bradford and Chester have been emphatically cut down by Liverpool, beating the latter 19-0 away from home.

The first ten minutes of the match were a cagey affair, with Newcastle putting in the effort to stop any Liverpool attacks forming. From the off, Liverpool looked more composed on the ball, but were losing out in the 50/50s to more eager Newcastle players.

From their first meaningful attack, Liverpool No.9 Olivia Askam broke clear of the Newcastle defence and played an inch-perfect low cross across the box for winger Felicity Mayo to tap in at the far post.

Having taken the lead, Liverpool continued to pile on the pressure. Newcastle centre back Leila Bartley was twice called into defensive action, sweeping up at the back with pace and composure, but lacking the latter in her distribution.

Tegan Coyle led the line well for Newcastle, bustling and throwing herself around up top. Having won the ball back, her turn inside was the first shooting op-

Newcastle’s seconds put up a valiant effort but couldn’t manage a victory this week Image: Mark Sleightholm portunity Newcastle had fashioned in the match, but she was unable to get a clean shot away.

Soon after, Newcastle keeper Roberta Dewar was thrust into the thick of it, as Liverpool’s Hannah O’Sullivan teed up Noelle Runo for the shot, but the Newcastle No.1 showed safe hands. Dewar had to be on her toes again as O’Sullivan shaped up to shoot herself, but Newcastle right back Georgie Campbell got a firm block in to clear the danger.

Wave after wave of Liverpool attack came down upon the Newcastle goal, as a Liverpool corner threatened to turn into a counter attack, Liverpool countered the counter as Askam scored her first of the game from outside the box.

Despite the goal, Newcastle didn’t panic, looking more comfortable every minute that passed in the game. A good cross from left back Kate Hardy after a flick on from Emily Burns couldn’t find a player in white, whilst a tackle by Hardy led to a chance for right winger Holly Allen to cross, but Liverpool snubbed the danger.

Though Newcastle looked more purposeful going forward, Liverpool continued to threaten at the other end as Liv-

erpool No.8 Beth Wilson dictated tempo from the centre of the park, firing dangerous balls over the top for Askam to chase.

A long ball from Gemma Brough was caught by the wind and ended up lobbing the diminutive Dewar in net.

JULIE MORRIS After switching to a role in the centre of the Newcastle defence at half time, captain Morris was instrumental in nullifying the threat of Olivia Askam

From the restart, Newcastle took control of the game, as Newcastle kept winning back possession and recycling the ball to push on. After interplay between Campbell and Allen gave Coyle the space for a one-two with the onrushing Burns, the forward shaped to shoot but Brough snubbed out the chance.

From another long ball, Askam troubled the Newcastle defence with her quick feet and great balance. After an unsuccessful give-and-go, Newcastle captain Julie Mor-

ris mopped up and passed the ball onto centre back Natalie Maffitt, who stepped up into the centre of the park before swinging the ball out to Hardy on the left touchline. A quick one-two with Canadian winger Caitlin Renouf opened up space for Bartley to play the ball into the feet of the Pirlo-esque Rhianne Criddle, who’s clever turn and through ball was cleared for a corner.

Though the corner came to nothing, Bartley recycled the ball, sending a ball to the feet of Renouf, who sent a teasing ball into the box, which was just ahead of the incoming Allen. On the counter, Askam looked to punish Newcastle, cutting through the home side’s defence with craft and guile before leaving Campbell in her wake with a superb turn of pace. The poise and balance of Askam caused her to stand out on the pitch, despite appearing to be no more than 5ft, her strength and body positioning gave her time on the ball, and range of passing was something to be marvelled at.

Renouf continued to grow into the game, becoming Newcastle’s go-to outlet ball and best chance of a way back into the game. Her crosses were well-weighted

and dangerous, though Newcastle players rarely gambled on making a run into a decent position in the box.

Newcastle endured a spell of pressure before the end of the half, with Maffitt standing out in the defence. However, during the break Newcastle made some switches, with Sophie Berry substituting on for Campbell, pushing Morris into the centre of defence, with Maffitt being pushed out onto the right-hand side.

The move proved to be a masterstroke, as Morris completely nullified the impact of Askam, consistently intercepting passes and holding her up in defence, as well as making challenges where necessary, with those on the sideline drawing comparisons to a young Titus Bramble.

Newcastle’s best chances of the second half fell to the Mercurial Renouf, who fired wide from Coyle’s ball under pressure from Brough, as well as being put through on goal by Burns before Brough again threw herself in the ball’s path to concede just a corner.

Mayo had the best of Liverpool’s chances, hitting the bar before a firing a mazy run into the side netting. However, the decisive moment came out of nowhere moments later when Askam bent a leftfooted shot past Dewar from 25 yards out.

Newcastle threw Amelia Stennett and Charlotte Holden on towards the end, with the former doing damage down the right flank, whilst Holden controlled the midfield after she came on, regularly giving Newcastle purpose in possession.

Though the full-time whistle may have come as a relief to some of the Newcastle players, they can take pride in how they played in conditions that strongly favoured the opposition. Nevertheless, Newcastle controlled large portions of the game, though they weren’t able to fashion enough clear-cut chances to deserve the win.

Morris and Maffitt were stand out performers at the back, whilst Ranouf ’s pace and trickery along with Coyle’s upper body strength and hustle kept them dangerous. However, being against a first team, Liverpool had a standout player in Askam that was able to provide the quality in an otherwise scrappy game. Liverpool firsts now await their quarter final opponents, whilst Newcastle seconds will have to wait until next year to dream of cup glory.