Courier 1369 by The Courier Online

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Monday 7 May 2018 Issue 1369 Free

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Comment Scrutinising the wealth and privilege in British media Page 8

Lifestyle Body positivity: battling societal expectations Page 15

Music Looking back to your first live music encounters Page 22

The independent voice of Newcastle students

Est 1948

Housing policy sparks local election debate City Council aims to create ‘balanced communities’ NUSU President accused of ‘scaremongering’ James Sproston Editor Thousands of students took to the ballot box last week amid debate over housing policy in student residential areas. A Newcastle City Council policy that has been scrutinised by student representatives was the centre of attention going into polling day, with Newcastle University Students’ Union President Ronnie Reid writing an article that claimed that the Council has been “silently trying to put in place policies which will stop students living in sociable and affordable housing.” The article has been considered inherently political by some students, who believe the piece to be critical of the Labour-controlled City Council, after Reid encouraged the student body to vote in the upcoming elections at the end of the piece. However, the process of incentivising the construction of purpose built student accommodation (PBSAs) and the conversion of empty houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) into family dwellings to ‘rebalance communities’ outlined by Reid has been a City Council policy since 2007, when the Council was controlled by the Liberal Democrats. In early April, Ronnie Reid wrote and publicised an article on NUSU’s website with the headline ‘They want you out, we want you in!’, detailing the Union’s stance on a housing policy document produced by Newcastle City Council. Reid’s qualms were with the description of students as a “transient community” that impact on the community through “increased crime” as well as a “fear of crime” and “anti-social behavior, noise and nuisance” in the Maintaining Sustainable Communities policy document, written by the City Council. Reid considered these descriptions to be an unfair image of students. His stance was swiftly followed by an article of similar tone in The Tab, though both articles are no longer available. Though Reid’s view was echoed by a number of students, he faced a backlash from a portion of the student community, with some branding his views as “ill-informed scaremongering” and “complete fabrication.”

Many took issue with the timing of Reid’s article, just weeks before the May 2018 local elections. The article encouraged students to register to vote, prompting comments on the NUSU President’s Facebook post that referred to the article as “blatant anti-Newcastle City Council propaganda.” Reid justified this by telling The Chronicle that the campaign was “about getting students to register and using a student facing policy to engage them,” adding: “The first paragraph of my article does encourage students to read the policy for themselves so they can make their own minds up.” Newcastle University Labour Society refuted this, claiming: “Either Reid does not understand the policy or he’s trying to discredit our Labourled council ahead of the local elections (a clear abuse of his power), or, more likely, both. Either way, students will see through it, Newcastle hasn’t had a Tory councillor in 23 years and that’s not about to change because of some amateurish scaremongering.”

The process has been a City Council policy since 2007, when the Council was controlled by the Liberal Democrats Three weeks prior, Reid was interviewed by Newcastle Student Radio for a news piece that opened saying: “Newcastle City Council wants to move students out of Jesmond and Heaton, and into purpose built student accommodation in the city centre.” Reid shared the video on his Union Facebook page, within which he expressed concern that some students would be priced out of student residential areas. Issue has also been taken with the factual accuracy of Reid’s article, specifically around his interpretation of the development of HMOs. Reid’s assertion that the Council “plans to incentivise landlords to transition properties from student housing to family dwellings” has been considered problematic. According to the document, the grant funding of £2,000 to £10,000 will only be accessible to small landlords whose properties have “remained empty for long periods” to bring the property up to the Newcastle Accreditation Standard. However, there is little doubt that this funding is accessible for the purpose of converting student-orientated HMO

properties “back to family accommodation,” with the document stating that this process will be monitored to “ensure appropriate assistance is made available to realise the potential of the existing housing stock to create sustainable communities.” Whilst this seems to propose that HMOs will be taken out of the housing market, a Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “The policy does not seek to reduce houses of multiple occupation, but instead control the loss of further family housing to student accommodation in the interests of the wider community.” The City Council have defended the intention of the policy: “The purpose of the Maintaining Sustainable Communities policy is to create balanced communities where there is a good range of housing, access to jobs and services that meet the needs of our communities.” Though blame for the policy has fallen at the feet of the City Council, controlled by Labour before and after the May 2018 local elections, another Council document (the Interim Planning Guidance on Purpose Built Student Housing) introduced the process in November 2007. In the document, the then Liberal Democrat-controlled City Council proposed: “Alongside encouraging the development of purpose built student accommodation, the Council is seeking to discourage the conversion of family houses into flats or houses in multiple occupation.” Whilst it recognises that students bring “prestige and recognition”, “increased spending in the local economy”, and “investment into older properties that would potentially otherwise be in decline”, the framework advises the building of PBSAs to avoid “anti–social behaviour and marginalisation of long standing communities”. It is in this local development framework that the idea of ‘balance’ in communities is first raised, and this is carried through to the current policy. The 2007 document encourages a process of ‘destudentification’, and claims that the higher cost of PBSAs is offset by fewer transportation costs by virtue of living in the city centre, even though many students commute on foot to university. 37 potential sites for PBSAs are identified, with a total estimated capacity of 13,604-16,420 students. On this list there are several sites that now host PBSAs, whilst several others are currently under construction, such as ‘Richardson Road Halls of Residence’ and ‘Newgate Shopping Centre’. continued on page 5

Discover Indonesia Week: Cultural festival hits campus p5 Inside today >>>

Uni poverty premium

Wellbeing and welfare

A new report reveals the hidden costs faced by working class students at university News, page 3

Welfare and Equality Officer Sarah Craggs talks wellbeing fairs, doggy days and inspiring women Voice, page 10

Cruising on canals

Criminally famous

It’s certainly different, but Maddy Bainbridge reckons canal holidays are the next big thing Travel, page 20

Is it time we had a rethink about the way we treat celebrities who break the law? TV, page 25

More than a pretty face

Next stop, Kilimanjaro

The mental and physical health benefits of keeping pets has now been scientifically proven Science, page 32

Cycling the length of Britain was just phase one of Newcastle student’s charity challenge Sport, page 37

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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, Isabel Sykes and Zoë Crowther 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 Ciara RitsonCourtney 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 Mark Sleightholm, Courtney Strait, Tom Shrimplin, Sydney Isaacs and Matt Proctor The Courier NUSU King’s Walk Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 The Courier is printed by: Trinity Mirror Printing, Barton Road, Riverside Park Industrial Estate, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT Established in 1948, the Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of the Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of the Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.

From the archives

9 YEARS AGO

Students awarded Just a decade ago prizes for students

were few and far between, so it was nothing short of a revolution when the NCL+ Student Achievement Awards were launched in 2009. A swanky ceremony at the Assembly Rooms saw 11 students win £300 each for their achievements in categories ranging from Most Improved Society of the Year to Environmental Volunteering to the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Award, which recognised the fundraising efforts of Jodie Symington. The launch of the Media Awards two years later kicked off a plethora of new awards ceremonies, eventually bundled together as the Celebrating Success Awards. The NCL+ awards were rebranded as the Pride of Newcastle Awards in 2015 and two years later were tied into this system, with only the winners of Celebrating Success Awards eligible for the Pride Awards.

Wilson opens Merz The University ground to a stand-still as Prime Minister Harold Wilson arrived to open the newest building on campus. Chemical engineering, electrical engineering and maths students had been taught in the building for several months but the official opening ceremony was a hotly anticipated event. Teaching was cancelled and the University put up spectator stands for the several hundred students who came to watch. Wilson had come to power just after the building came into use, promising to embrace the white heat of a scientific revolution, so his opening of an engineering building in a rapidly deindustrialising North East was no coincidence. In keeping with Wilson’s desire to improve science and engineering education in Britain, the Merz Building would also be opened to local schools to tour. The next generation of British scientists were due to be inspired by spending their Saturday in one of the next generation of buildings at one of the next generation of universities. Mark Sleightholm

Bucks VC calls for drugs-free campus Flying in the face of a damning report from the NUS of universities’ overlypunitive drugs policies, the Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University has announced an astonishing plan to create the UK’s first drugs-free campus. Buckingham, one of the country’s only private universities, will now require its 3000 students to sign a contract promising not to take drugs, with students caught with drugs facing expulsion. The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Sir Anthony Seldon, claimed the proposals, which have yet to be finalised, will make students safer and protect them from the negative impacts of illegal substances. The NUS and a growing number of student campaigners, meanwhile, argue the need for a welfare-based approach to drug use that recognises the complex, and sometimes positive, reasons students use drugs.

Eldon Garden’s end

Sport banished

53 YEARS AGO

CROSS-CAMPUS NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

15 YEARS AGO

In what is possibly the most controversial decision the University has ever made about its campus, the sports and centre was to be wrenched from the heart of campus to what was then the very edge of the University world. For decades the Grand Assembly Rooms on King’s Walk, next to the Union building, had been the home of Newcastle University sport, although an additional sports hall and squash courts had been built opposite Ricky Road to increase capacity. Now, though, the University had decided to turn the King’s Walk sports centre into Culture Lab, a research centre that few students would use but which would form a key part of the city’s ‘Cultural Quarter’. This in turn was a cornerstone of Newcastle’s doomed bid to be crowned the European Capital of Culture for 2008. The gym would be replaced by a stateof-the-art extension to the sports hall, which opened as the current Sports Centre in 2005. The Courier, the Union, sports centre staff and much of the student population, however, were outraged at the move. 54% of students used the King’s Walk gym but it was feared many of these would be unwilling to travel the extra distance to the new Sports Centre.

Monday 7 May 2018

The Grand Assembly Rooms on King’s Walk, formerly the University’s sports centre Image: Mark Sleightholm

80s shopping mall Eldon Garden may be facing its final days, after empty units and controversial council decisions have made it something of a white elephant for its owners, Peer Group. The small shopping centre, which adjoins Eldon Square but is owned separately, has suffered from changes to car parking charges and access routes in the city centre over the past 15 years, and many of its units are now empty. Peer Group have criticised the council, which owns a 40% stake in Eldon Square, of neglecting the centre and are now threatening to close it entirely, stating that they are now losing money by keeping it open.

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the courier Monday 7 May 2018

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

Part time officer elections underway for 18/19 Mark Sleightholm The Students’ Union is set to complete its 2018/19 student officer team next weeks as the remaining Part Time Officer positions are filled via Student Council and a cross-campus vote. Nominations closed on Friday to stand for one of the five available positions, representing certain groups of students.

Rather than the traditional campaigns week, candidates for the five remaining PTO roles will present themselves at Student Council International Students Officer, Racial Equality Officer, Student Parents, Guardians and Carers Officer, Students with Disabilities Officer and Students with Faith or Belief Officer all need to be filled to ensure that all students get their voices heard within the Union. All five roles are part time, so the officer holders will take up their position

The Part Time Officer team aid the Union to represent marginalised groups Image: NUSU alongside their studies, joining the four other PTOs elected in March. Rather than the traditional campaigns week, candidates for the five remaining PTO roles will present themselves at Student Council. Any candidates will have time at the last Council meeting of the year on 17 May to present their manifestos and answer questions from

NUS report reveals hidden costs for the working class students Amber Marwick

The financial barriers faced by working class students means many are paying more for university yet still struggling to cover living costs, as well as facing social isolation and higher dropout rates. A new NUS report highlights a ‘poverty premium’ that currently exists, leaving disadvantaged students with more debt and higher accumulating interest rates than their wealthier peers. Struggling to stretch maintenance loans to cover accommodation, and without access to grant funding, many cannot cover basic necessities such as food and heating. The report identifies a large number of hidden costs within the higher education system, including travel costs, access courses and extortionate rates on private sector accommodation - something many students without guarantors are forced to choose. Students have become socially segregated, with budgets not stretching to extra-curricular activities or even canteen food, and with cheaper accommodation being further away from campus. “This pricing policy risks segregating working class students in lower-cost accommodation from others,” the report states. It also highlights a trend of working class students feeling inferior to their better off peers, and high reports of bullying and discrimination due to economic background in some institutions. The NUS Poverty Commission calls for a reintroduction of maintenance grants and a minimum living income in order to end the disparity of opportunity in further education.

If I had a penny for each time a conversation with other locals has ended in “...you go to Newcastle University, and you’re from Ashington?” I could pay my tuition up-front. I think that in itself sums up the struggle that the working-class face in just getting into higher education. Once an affluent mining community, my hometown is mostly defined these days in terms of its deprivation. But as if this wasn’t a challenge enough in terms of opportunity, the few of us privileged enough to be supported until university are finding ourselves facing even more hurdles once we get here. It’s sad to admit that my experience of university is a lot more bittersweet than expected. But how could I not feel disillusioned, when I have friends that struggle to feed themselves once rent’s been paid? Or when I find out that Newcastle’s not the only university demolishing its affordable accommodation to replace with luxury studio apartments? It’s hard not to feel like I’m dedicating a life’s worth of debt to a system that’s making itself inaccessible to poorer communities, communities like the one I came from. Reading the NUS poverty report was emotional. It verbalised something I felt like my circle of friends were experiencing, but never realised was a valid and widely experienced discrimination. With dropout rates highest among the poorest students, it is clear that diversity and equality in the student community is regressing. Until widespread change is introduced – starting with affordable accommodation, maintenance grants and a disposable income assessment – many talented, working-class students will remain unable to attend.

Council members. All Newcastle students will then be able to vote via the same online system used in the March elections, with voting open from the end of the Student Council meeting on Thursday 17th until 2pm on Friday. The results are due to be announced via email on Friday evening. This is the first time PTO positions

will be filled in this way, following a motion passed by Student Council in October 2017. In previous years any vacant PTO positions at the start of the academic year would be filled in another round of elections in October. This change means that, if all the positions are filled in the May Council meeting, NUSU will start the academic year with

a full team of PTOs for the first time in over a decade. The lack of candidates for part time positions has caused concern within the Union. In the March elections only one PTO role, Chair of Student Council, had more than one candidate, three roles were uncontested and the remaining five had no candidates at all.

Government bans Uni censorship Valentina Egorova News Editor Universities and students will be penalised for silencing controversial speakers under the first government intervention on free speech on campus in 30 years. Sam Gyimah, the Universities Minister, hopes to eradicate the ‘institutional hostility’ to unfashionable or unpopular views on campus through a new set of guidelines. According to Gyimah, the current “dizzying variety of rules” allows “bureaucrats or wreckers on campus” to censor a perfectly legal discussion.

“Members have participated in record numbers in the consultation, with a clear majority voting to accept the proposals.” Sally Hunt, General Secretary of UCU

The Minister said: “A society in which people feel they have a legitimate right to stop someone expressing their views on campus simply because they are unfashionable or unpopular is rather chilling”. Under the new guidance, which will be introduced in the near future, all views, however controversial, must be accepted on campus, as long as they do not violate any existing laws. Any institution breaching the rules can be fined by the new Office for Students (OfS)

regulator. The decision comes after a number of high-profile speakers were denied a platform on campus. Only this year, students of the University of the West of England tried to ban Jacob Rees-Mogg from giving a speech, shouting ‘no platform for Tory scum’, while students of King’s College interrupted a talk by an alt-right YouTuber Carl Benjamin. Amatey Doku, the National Union of Student’s vice-president, who has been invited to discuss the new set of rules, said: “We will look forward to contributing to the creation of new guidance, firstly to provide much-needed clarity for the sector but also to ensure that any obligations to free speech are balanced with an institution’s responsibility to keep their students safe from harm.” According to an annual survey by Spiked, the Free Speech University Rankings, more than half of British universities stifle free speech “through excessive regulation”. The FSUR states that the University of Oxford and Newcastle University are the most restricting when it comes to free speech on campus. Newcastle University and Newcastle University Students’ Union have maintained the Red ranking for the past three years, banning speakers whose aims and objectives are deemed incompatible with that of the university’, transphobic propaganda, offensive fancy dress, payday-loans ads, t-shirted pub crawls and beauty pageants, according to the FSUR. Jamie Cameron, a second-year politics student said: “It is precisely the free speech of universities and students’ unions to choose not to associate, on their property no less, with speakers. These speakers may have reprehensible views, or they may not, but it doesn’t matter - unions and universities don’t have to

condone whatever guest speaker they must in their halls, just as you wouldn’t invite someone offensive and damaging into your school or home. This is an authoritarian move on behalf of the government, and completely transparent. They get involved when they’re worried transphobia and advertising isn’t allowed to spread on campus, but do you think they’d even be concerned if we were no platforming environmental and refugee activists? The Conservative party loves to beat ‘liberal’ universities with a stick - places of learning rarely do their reactionary politics many favours.” A Newcastle University spokesperson said: “We continue to be highly sceptical about the methodology of this ranking, and there have never been any speakers banned from campus. “The university has been given a red ranking based our zero-tolerance policy to transphobic propaganda and amber ranking for our policy for external speakers. “This is disappointing because Newcastle University welcomes many visitors from around the world to speak at various events throughout the year. Freedom of speech is an important part of academic life. We strive to ensure that we promote freedom of speech for our students, staff and visiting speakers.” NUSU President Ronnie Reid agreed with the University’s sentiment, adding: “Newcastle University Students’ Union is an organisation which positively encourages free speech, expression and the challenging of ideas on a daily basis through our many democratic processes. “We totally reject the assertion that we halt free speech, and instead remain committed to empowering our students in every way we can.”

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Monday 7 May 2018

Celebrating Indonesian culture on campus Valentina Egorova News Editor

Discover Indonesia, now in its fifth year, swept the campus with an array of activities, food stalls and live performances last week. The three-day celebration, which included the cultural bazaar and the performance night, offered a true taste of Indonesian culture to students in Newcastle. The annual festival is hosted by the Indonesian students living in Newcastle - Indonesian Students’ Association in Newcastle - who hope to promote their culture and raise cultural awareness. It is the largest Indonesian celebration in the North East that has been rapidly growing in the past five years. Ivory Prima Zefanya, a marketing student at Newcastle University, and Neysa Difi, an architecture student at Northumbria University, said: “We think that not many people are aware of what Indonesia is and hope to change it with Discover Indonesia. It is growing, and we have more people and more interaction this year. “The event was invented by a few students who wanted to show what Indonesia is worth. And the initial idea to bring Indonesia on campus is still important for us today. It’s great to continue this tradition as the fifth generation.”

The Indonesian cultural bazaar, which was held in front of Newcastle University Students’ Union, attracted hundreds of students with its colourful stalls and exquisite aromas. It offered traditional workshops, games and competitions as well as a selection of traditional dishes.

“The initial idea to bring Indonesia on campus is still important for us today. It is great to continue this tradition as the fifth generation” Zefanya and Difi

The theme of Discover Indonesia this year is wayang, a traditional Javanese puppet theatre performance that uses shadows thrown by puppets and dates back to the 9th century. Wayang figures come in many shapes, sizes and textures that can be made of leather, wood and even scrolls of images. In a traditional wayang performance, the puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut linen screen with a coconut-oil light. The chosen theme is aimed to reflect on a variety of

traditional art forms that Indonesia has on offer. Zefanya and Difi explained: “Every year we have a different theme, and this year it is Wayang which has a unique language of movement. Our play ‘Retorik’ is bringing it to the next stage with live music and live dancing.” The play ‘Retorik’ tells a story about a noble prince Rama and his love adventures. The prince is on his way to a sayembara, a practice of choosing a husband among a list of suitors, held for Andari, a princess, but his heart belongs to a different woman. The story mirrors a number of Indonesian traditional folktales mixed with Wayang. In an interview with the Courier before the play, Zefanya and Difi promised that the performance is “packed with action drama, live percussion and an extravagant display of lighting effects” and that it would be “the peak of the series of events”. The performance has always been the highlight of Discover Indonesia with a larger turnout every year. Last year the play was so popular there was not a single seat left - almost 300 people crammed in Northumbria Students’ Union to enjoy a slice of Indonesian culture. Discover Indonesia is funded by Newcastle University Business School, VITA Student and Indofood.

The Indonesian Bazaar Images: Indonesian Students’ Association in Newcastle

UK universities accused of losing integrity Grace Dean Following national outrage over the continual increasing of tuition fees, discussions on the integrity of UK higher education institutions have once again attracted mass media coverage following an outspoken article by Professor Stefan Collini. Collini, Professor of English Literature and Intellectual History at the University of Cambridge, is known in academic circles for his deep-rooted educational ideology and polemics on the condition of the UK higher education sector. In an article published in The Guardian on April 24th, Collini argues that “in UK universities there is a daily erosion of integrity”. He evidences his argument by referencing the 1988 Bologna statement, also

known as the Magna Charta Universitatum, which was published by a group of nearly 400 prestigious European academics to define the nature and core values of universities.

“In UK universities there is a daily erosion of integrity” Professor Stefan Collini, University of Cambridge

The Bologna statement defined universities as “autonomous institution[s] at the heart of societies differently organised because of geography and historical heritage”. With this statement the academics wanted to give universities a central autonomous focus regardless of

differing national beliefs and ideologies. Collini argues that UK universities three decades later now lack this autonomy, citing the fact that British universities, differing from other European universities, do not consult academic staff when appointing new deans, provice-chancellors, and vice-chancellors. A further ideology supported by the Bologna statement is the belief that “freedom in research and training is the fundamental principle of university life, and governments and universities … must ensure respect for this fundamental requirement.” Collini unreservedly criticises the failure of many UK universities to respect this principle, describing how many academics unwillingly direct their research on particular topics to meet research excellence frameworks. He also bitterly describes the strict financial targets for research set by pro-

vice-chancellors in efforts to improve their ratings on international university ranking scales. Collini views an increasing focus on performance management

Collini’s statements are supported by quantitative research from the survey of European academic freedom of research staff as merely being a disguise to cover “the disturbing extent of institutional bullying in so many British universities”, and thus argues that this managerialist autocracy greatly limits the research freedom of many British

academics. Collini’s statements are supported by quantitative research from Terence Karran and Lucy Mallinson’s survey of European academic freedom, which placed the UK as the worst among the 28 EU member states. Discussing the UK’s arrogance towards higher education policies, Collini describes the ignorance of British policy-makers who regard written constitutions as being “only needed by those countries that don’t have our practical wisdom and good judgment”. Collini satirically concludes by remarking that “they may soon have to rewrite the Magna Charta Universitatum. ‘The university is an autonomous institution (though not, in practice, in the UK…). Freedom in research and training is the fundamental principle of university life (though, funnily enough, not in the UK…).’”

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Monday 7 May 2018

NUSU launches online GP registration service Isabel Sykes News Editor NUSU have teamed up with CampusDoctor to make registering for a GP easier for students.

The aim of ‘Just what the Doctor ordered’ is to make registering for a GP at university quicker, easier, and more convenient ‘Just what the Doctor ordered’ is an initiative co-ordinated by NUSU President Ronnie Reid. It is a manifestation of his pledge to support the mental and physical health of students by making access to local health services quicker and more convenient. Registering for a new GP at university can involve administrative difficulties that deter students from the completing the process. In fact, a significant number of students at Newcastle University students remain unregistered at local GP practices. The aim of ‘Just what the Doctor ordered’ is to make registering for a GP at university quicker, easier, and more convenient, to reduce the risk of students being prevented from seeking help with mental or physical health problems at university. The GP portal is accessible through the NUSU website. Under the Student Voice

tab, students can find the ‘Just what the Doctor ordered’ page, where the click of a button will link them straight to the portal. Once on this page, students can easily find their nearest 3 GPs by inputting either the name of their student accommodation or their postcode. The service takes minutes to use and once they’re registered, a student’s new GP practice will be able to access their medical history, send important health information to the student, pick up on any ongoing health issues, and provide prescriptions.

“Delivering on manifesto promises and demonstrating tangible changes is a primary focus for the Sabbatical Officer team this year” Ronnie Reid, NUSU President

Commenting on the launch of this new service, Ronnie Reid said: “This GP registration service has been a long term project for me this year. Now every student will be able to find their nearest GP, and in the case of several practices, register online.” “Delivering on manifesto promises and demonstrating tangible changes is a primary focus for the Sabbatical Officer team this year, and this portal is one of many examples of how we’re making real progress for students.”

“The Students’ Union was not listed as a consultee” continued from front page An amendment was passed in 2010 to revise the Code of Practice for the Management of Student Housing under the newly elected Coalition government that gave local authorities more control over the licensing of HMOs, giving more control over their development. Labour regained control over the Council in May 2011, but continued with the policy to rebalance communities, with the Proposed Maintaining Sustainable Communities and Urban Core Housing document written in January 2016 detailing the use of the powers granted by government. The document states: “In addition to encouraging the development of PBSA, the Council also introduced a number of Article 4 Directions between 2011 and 2013 restricting the permitted development change of use between Class C3 family dwellings and Class C4 houses in multiple occupation.” The process over the last 11 years proves that the policy cannot be solely attributed to the Labour Council, though actions since taking control of City Council in 2011 indicate an acceptance of the policy. Throughout the recent debate, there has been much confusion over how much students were consulted during the process. Reid is correct in saying that neither students nor the Students’ Union were listed as consultees, though it is believed that the policy was presented at the Students In Newcastle Forum (SINF) in October 2016. SINF, being the primary forum between the Union and the City Council, hosts student representatives from both Newcastle and Northumbria universities, and no objection was recorded at the time from NUSU representatives. However, this was considered to be a presentation rather than a consultation, with little time spent gathering feedback from student representatives. Despite the Students’ Union not being officially consulted, Newcastle Uni-

versity was listed as a consultee. In the consultation document, the submission reads: “University recognises and supports the need for the Council to ensure that there is not an over concentration of accommodation in the city and that any future developments need to be adaptable to future proof against oversupply. The University asked questions to get clarity over the building of Park View Village: “But we need further clarification of point 6.6, Criterion C which requires development to demonstrate how it will deliver a mixed range of housing in terms of size, type and tenure to meet the future needs of the community. “As an educational body, only interested in providing accommodation for its student population, we would like to know how this would work for the University?” The Council responded by stating that the city’s two universities would be exempt from the requirement. Commenting on the policy itself, a Newcastle University spokesperson said: “Students make a significant contribution to the city’s economic, social and cultural life and a great number of them have a positive effect on the local community through their voluntary work. “We work hard to ensure that our students have suitable and affordable accommodation throughout their time at University and promote sustainable development in the city. “Today’s students expect higher quality, more centrally located accommodation and we partner with Newcastle City Council and private landlords to offer a variety of housing options.” The City Council echoed the importance of students in the city, with a spokesperson stating: “We value the significant contribution that students make to the life of our city. Our universities and college are among our biggest assets at the forefront of teaching and research. “We want to attract the best students into the city, and retain them long after they have graduated as it is they who can start businesses and create much needed jobs.”

Students will be able to sign up for a GP quickly and easily Image: Savile Medical Group

Chi Onwurah talks Brexit Harry Parsons Chi Onwurah, the shadow industry minister for The Labour Party and MP for Newcastle Central, attended Newcastle University Students Union on Friday afternoon to talk to students about the ongoing Brexit negotiations. Despite the relatively widespread publicity of the talk, Onwurah’s confusion as to what sort of event she was attending was evident from the start with the MP suggesting she didn’t realise she was there as the main focal point of the event. Despite this she did engage with several students and President of the Student Union, Ronnie Reid, on a variety of issues.

It came just one day after Onwurah faced a national audience by appearing on BBC’s Question Time and came under fire from MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis for politicians’ portrayal of how student finance works

Chi Onwurah, Newcastle Central MP Image: Wikipedia Commons

The discussion came just one day after Labour fared mixed results across the country in Local Elections but retained significant control over Newcastle City Council. It also came just one day after Onwurah faced a national audience by appearing on the BBC’s Question Time and came under fire from MoneySaving Expert founder Martin Lewis for politi-

cians portrayal of the way in which student finance works. Lewis claimed politicians failure to educate young teens on the ‘graduate tax’ style of loan repayments should force them to “hang their heads in shame”.

While heated at times, topics moved away from Brexit and to the current position of the Labour Party as a whole The discussion, hosted by Our Future; Our Choice, a group set up to help to inform young people about what they see to be the dangers of Brexit, saw numerous questions about a range of issues including the recent disagreements in the government over the UK’s future relationship with a customs union with Onwurah citing the Labour Parties six criteria that must be met for the party to vote in favour of the final deal. While heated at times, topics moved away from Brexit and to the current position of the Labour Party as a whole with the MP reaffirming her belief that the Labour Party has transcended traditional notions of left and right wing political ideas and instead is comfortable in a new, more developed place many might refer to as the left-of-centre ground. However there was some confusion as to the event itself with the MP being unaware of the nature of the event she was meant to be taking part in and, after an intense open discussion with the event organiser about issues around Brexit, the event was swiftly over as Onwurah claimed she had other meetings to attend, with many questions remaining unanswered.

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news

Monday 7 May 2018

Campaign to stop new coal mining in Durham Hanson Jones News Editor A new open cast coal mine is projected to open in Pont Valley between Newcastle and Durham, a move that has been fiercely protested by local campaigners and activists. A group has set up the Pont Valley Protection Camp on the site in order to hinder works and destruction of the local environment.

The group told The Courier that they had previously been evicted by bailiffs, rather than police, who were allegedly violent with the activists. The mineral rights to the site are currently held by Banks Group, which has planning permission to begin work on the site until 3rd June. The Pont Valley Protection Camp aims to disrupt any attempts to begin work on the mine, and has already blocked this in various ways for six weeks, beginning with occupation at the end of March, despite freezing and snowy conditions. The group told The Courier that they had previously been evicted by bailiffs, rather than police, who were allegedly violent with the activists. They also said that 9 people had been arrested on grounds of aggravated trespass. Alongside preventing a revival of coal mining in the region, Pont Valley Pro-

tection Camp have also cited concerns for wildlife, noting that various protected species were discovered in the area, among them the great crested newt. Hazel, of the Pont Valley Protection Camp, told The Courier: “There has never been a more important time to act against climate change. We can’t wait for the Government or companies to phase out fossil fuels as they extract the last dregs of profit from a dying Earth.” Hazel also added that, “all over the world, communities are taking Direct Action and resisting climate crimes: join the Campaign to protect Pont Valley to stop this open cast, defend the valley, and liberate the newts.”

“There has never been a more important time to act against climate change. We can’t wait for the Government or companies to phase out fossil fuels as they extract the last dregs of profit from a dying Earth.” Hazel, Pont Valley Protection campaigner

The group is calling for more people to join the Camp, which can be reached via bus from Durham or Newcastle and where food is also provided. Find out more at Campaign to Protect Pont Valley on Facebook or contact the Renew Newcastle society.

Activists block plans to open a new mine to protect local environment and save the newts Image: Wikimedia Commons

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news

Monday 7 May 2018

Origins of modern democracy revisited Scott Houghton Many would think that modern democracy has its origins in Ancient Greece, or some might even narrow that down to Ancient Athens. Others might even say that its origins lie with the American and French Revolutions in the eighteenth-century. Not according to Dr Rachel Hammersley however, who, giving her INSIGHTS public lecture on the 3rd of May insisted that modern democracy has its origins in the seventeenth-century England. Contrary to popular belief Dr Hammersley demonstrated that modern democracy is not just a product of the eighteenth-century revolutions or of nineteenth-century reform, but that democratic ideas had been a topic for at least two centuries by the time of the American Revolution in 1776. And, to celebrate May Day – a day closely associated with the workers’ rights, popular protest, and Englishness itself. The lecture highlighted the very English characteristics of modern democracy that are relevant today and can help us understand our current problems with democracy and democratic ideals. Dr Hammersley is an intellectual historian who is primarily concerned with political ideas in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In particular, she looks at the development, dissemination, circulation, and influence that these ideas have played in the past, focusing on such concepts as democracy, revolution and republicanism. Concepts which remain staggeringly relevant for today’s world. For instance, Dr Hammersley showed that during this period, the English

thinkers such as John Lilburne, James Harrington, and John Whitgift had more fluid ideas than the rigidity of later centuries and that this influenced the discussion of democracy during their own day and touched upon fundamental ideas which are frequently discussed, and in many cases, still do not exist in many countries around the world today.

The lecture highlights the very English characteristics of modern democracy that are relevant today and can help us understand our current problems These ideas include: how distant MPs are from their constituents, leading one contemporary named George Wither to claim that MPs “Shall make Tyrants and Fooles, Lords over them, who will fawne and court them, till they are elected, and then, scorn and trample them under feet.” Which almost seems to feel as though he himself has a finger on the pulse of modern British politics. Other important subjects touched on during this period were how representative Parliament should be of the people, and how free should citizens be able to debate publicly. All in all, this was an illuminating public lecture on the English origins of modern democracy just in time for May Day.

Fire in Jesmond house Louise Hall News Editor A fire broke out at a student house inhabited by Newcastle University students in Jesmond Road last week. As the fire broke out at 117 Osborne road there were reports of flames emerging from the roof of the house as fire engines and ambulance response units arrived at the scene. After the incident Tyne and Wear rescue service were knocking on doors of other residences around Jesmond checking fire-safety measures in light of

the event. Some reports have claimed the fire may have been related to construction work being done to the house earlier that day. One unnamed resident commented that “There have been people working on the roof for the last week or so, they were putting tar down. “We saw smoke pouring out and then flames started coming from the roof.” Another resident commented: “The owner was having the roof replaced, I was at home and I think they finished at about half four. “I heard the fire alarm going off in the

top flat at about five and the fire brigade turned up straight away. “I banged on the door of the top flat and there was no one in but there were students asleep on the second floor who had been up all night studying. “I’m on the bottom floor and everything is absolutely saturated with water so the top floor must be ruined.” The blaze started shortly after 5pm on Tuesday the 24th of April No one was harmed in the incident however Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Fire services assessing the damage at 117 Osborne Road Image: Valentina Egorova

Uni and National Trust mark century of women’s suffrage Carys Thomas To mark 100 years since the Representation of the People Act, which allowed some women in the UK to vote for the very first time, the National Trust are running ‘Women and Power’, a yearlong programme which explores the lives of those who fought for women’s suffrage.

The work has been produced by a range of University departments

Professor Rachel Armstrong Image: Newcastle University Press Office, Colin Davidson

Newcastle University is helping the National Trust commemorate this event, with both staff and students celebrating the lives of the women who worked at two National Trust properties in the North East; Cragside near Morpeth and Gibside in Gateshead. In partnership with Newcastle University, the National Trust are launching ‘Switched On!’, an interactive installation around Cragside, in which 10 PhD students and researchers from the university will showcase some innovative work. This work has been produced by people from a range of departments - from artists to scientists. Project leader and Professor of Experimental Architecture at the university, Rachel Armstrong, claimed that it is this broad spectrum of contributors from different backgrounds that makes the interactive installations ‘“varied and truly visionary”.

The work hopes to encourage the next generation to consider and careers in STEM, regardless of their gender. The installations at Cragside will open on the 23rd of June, coinciding with International Women in Engineering day. As well as being a stunning landscape garden from the 18th century, Gibside belonged to Mary Eleanor Bowes. After the death of her first husband, Bowes was tricked into an abusive marriage, which she eventually escaped from in divorce. Bowes’ case was a trailblazer, as it helped push for the reform of English divorce and custody laws. From 12 May to 30 September, two con-

Each sculpture will reference a different aspect of Bowes’ life and experiences temporary art installations in Gibside will commemorate and celebrate the life and legacy of Mary Eleanor Bowes. One by mixed media artists Fiona Curran, and the other by Newcastle Uni’s own Professor of Fine Art, Andrew Burton. Burton will be creating 10 large-scale vessel-like sculptures that will be placed around important sited on the Gibside estate. The sculptures draw inspiration from the Georgian urns Bowes once kept in her orangery and each sculpture will reference a different aspect of Bowes’ life and experiences at Gibside.

comment 8

the courier

Monday 7 May 2018

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

British media: an elitist cult? Following Owen Jones’s recent comments about elitism in the media, our writers discuss connections, wealth and privilege Charlotte Paige Boulton

wen Jones’ recent Twitter comments on media elitism, about the media being filled by journalists with impressive connections, created outrage. Many media types took it personally and attacked Jones for his commentary. But as Jones says in his Medium article, ‘talking about systemic problems is not an attack on the individual’. The ferocity with which many journalists replied seems to highlight the very problems Jones outlined; groupthink, intolerance of critics. There are journalists, and other media-based people, who did not achieve their careers through connections and wealth. But there are a great many who do, reinforcing the rigged system that benefits the more privileged.

The media industry is built on nepotism Journalism is a difficult career to break into. There’s plenty of unpaid opportunities around, but if you’re from a socioeconomic group that cannot afford to take on this unpaid labour, you’re in trouble. It’s no secret that journalism internships are often hard to come by, require lots of work, and are often unpaid – or paid so poorly you would need to supplement your income somehow. The more highprofile jobs may require relocation to London, something that working-class people are extremely unlikely to be able to afford. As a workingclass student journalist, I write a lot for free because there is no way I could afford to take on an unpaid internship or move to another city for better opportunities. I’m missing out on amazing career-

building opportunities because I do not have the economic or cultural capital to participate. Even after I graduate, specific journalism qualifications are expensive and increasingly required for the best jobs. With the media industry being built on nepotism, how am I supposed to catch a break? The systemic inequalities need to be broken down to give everybody equal opportunities. Journalism needs to be more democratic, not exclusionary. Regardless of your privileges, everyone deserves a fair chance.

Susanne Norris

’ll be the first to admit, Owen Jones really isn’t my favourite person in the world. In fact, I find him positively insufferable. But even I must say, I think there is some truth to his tweets, and how getting into journalism relies on connections. However, I this isn’t the case for everyone.

Getting into journalism relies on a lot of graft. You must be able to show published work and be able to show you’ve had an internship somewhere. However, whilst you must work hard to accomplish this, it is perfectly possible. Writing for your university newspaper will get your writing published, and you can start doing other little things like running a blog to keep your hand in it. Equally, applying for internships is a tough, often de-motivating process, but again perfectly possible. You must be prepared for the fact that every fifty you apply for you’ll hear back from one, but if you want the experience badly enough you’ll

put in the work. And often, writing for a university newspaper is enough to make a workplace consider you.

Getting into journalism relies on a lot of graft Yes, it’s easier if you have the connections. I recently visited a friend in Bristol and listened to his privately educated friends talk about how if they wanted an internship with a leading newspaper, they could simply ring up their father who works for said newspaper to get them in. And, as someone who slaved away at applying to The Times (and got an internship there, may I add) this was disheartening. But, I didn’t let it de-motivate me. I understand I’m going to have to work harder to get where I want, but I know it’s possible and I want to work for it. After all, I was educated at a state school that was rated as being in the bottom hundred in the country and I have managed to secure myself four journalism internships with leading publications. Whilst it’s been harder for me, it’s been well worth it, so Owen Jones needs to stop moaning and get over himself.

Images: Policy Exchange on Flickr, Melaniko on Pixabay, Pixabay and Flickr

University: the time of your life?

After Mind the Gap’s mental health conference, Phoebe Hurst assesses the impact of university life on student’s wellbeing

f you Google: ‘mental illness and university students’, you are bombarded with headlines and titles depicting a crisis involving the mental wellbeing of university students. The Guardian ran a series in 2017 titled: ‘Mental Health: a university crisis’, which perhaps suggests that the mental health of society’s young people is heading drastically downhill. I would agree with this as, statistics aside, mental illness is a prevalent and widely discussed topic amongst today’s students. According to The Independent, ‘suicide rates nearly double among UK university students to reach all-time high.’ Yet, the article also states that ‘university services are ‘overwhelmed’ by the in-

crease.’ Does this not highlight just how critical student mental health has become, and therefore perhaps raises questions as to how well universities are coping and if they are doing enough to help? Superficially, one might argue no; which may not be an unjustified response. However, in order to truly understand if universities are doing enough to help those strug-

Image: Tumisu on Pixabay

gling, we have to turn our attention to how much support the university is reasonably able to offer. With the increase in mental health problems amongst students, it is clear that universities are overworked in trying to cater for all students. Waiting lists are often months long, and in some cases closed, due to the increased demand for support. Resources cannot be offered if they simply do not exist. So should we not be asking why the

Government is not doing more to enable universities to support their students?

With the increase in mental health problems amongst students, universities are overworked Perhaps the responsibility for providing care lies not only at the feet of universities, but also at the feet of the Government.

the courier

comment

Monday 7 May 2018

A line in the sand...

Our writers contemplate the existence of borders, and debate if they’re really just lines on a map Jack Coles

orders are useful. That’s not to say that they don’t cause all sorts of problems; wars have been fought over territory, and communities have been bisected by careless diplomats. Enclaves – regions belonging to one country but encapsulated by another – further complicate matters by cutting off a population from the rest of its country, creating isolation. Borders also provide an excuse for the more xenophobic members of society to enforce their own prejudices. Remember Brexit? I try not to, but a key point about the Leave campaign was that they wanted to ‘secure our borders’ from the ‘naughty Europeans’ that do ‘bad things’, like work in the NHS.

The ability to describe a particular area is pretty handy So far I’ve been pissing all over borders but not actually mentioned any positives. Well, the ability to describe a particular area is pretty handy. Nobody’s going to understand you if you say ‘oh I’m going to 36°43’N 4°25’W’, but most people will know where ‘southern Spain’ is. They also help decentralise power across the globe while ensuring that governments know exactly whom they are supposed to be managing. In my opinion though, the best part of borders

is the ability to keep disease in check. If you play a few minutes of Plague Inc. – a surprisingly accurate disease simulator – you will find that one of the best ways to spread a disease is to travel on a plane or ship. Europeans moving to the Americas in the 1500s wiped out the locals by unwittingly giving them smallpox, and Canadian frogs are dying from a disease brought up by humans travelling up from the south. If we didn’t have borders, containing the Ebola and Zika outbreaks in the past decade would have been much harder, and far more people would have died. Are the ideological benefits of removing borders worth the epidemiological risks? I, for one, doubt it.

Gerry Hart

f all the contentious issues permeating modern discourse, the concept of the border seems to spark the most heated debate. For some, they are dangerous artificial barriers enforced through violence, whilst to others, borders represent a necessary bulwark from external menaces. But what actually is a border? I was having this discussion with my dad in the pub a few months back and the definition he reached was ‘a means of demarcating jurisdiction over a given territory’. There’s some truth to this of course. Borders as they exist today are essentially a by-product of the Westphalian nation-state system wherein states hold exclusive sovereignty over their own territory. However, that only provides a partial explanation

as to what the modern border actually is. In many ways, borders are a process that constantly needs enacting and enforcing, otherwise they’re nothing but meaningless lines on a map. Sure, they might follow pre-existing topographical features like rivers or mountain ranges but this isn’t an absolute rule. Nor for that matter have borders functioned in the same way throughout history. Despite being renowned for their defensive networks, Roman borders for instance were remarkably porous and migration into the empire by so-called ‘barbarian’ peoples can be traced as far back as the reign of the Emperor Tiberius (14-37 CE).

Borders permeate our day-to-day lives We should also consider where borders actually lie. If we consider borders as monitoring and controlling the movement of peoples, then it also follows that places such as hospitals, our lecture theatres and detention centres, such as the infamous Yarl’s Wood, constitute borders insofar as they fulfill that very function. Rather than simply a distant line on a map, borders permeate our dayto-day lives. So could a world without borders feasibly exist? Realistically, such a possibility is a pipe dream but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for us to question how we enforce our borders. As things stand now, borders separate families, deny sanctuary to those who desperately need it and at worst can kill (as the migrant death toll in the Mediterranean and USMexico borders demonstrate). Do we really have to choose between our borders and our humanity?

Facebook faceplants on facts

After the data harvesting scandal, should we be more cautious about what we put online? George Heracleous

James Davies

Joe Holloran

he news that Facebook is being used to obtain the personal data of 87 million people was alarming but not surprising. ‘Nothing to hide, nothing to fear’? Not anymore. We have freely shared our information with technology companies for years without a second glance at their privacy policy, and the result is simple. We have become a product. Not only this, but the actions of Cambridge Analytica show how our data can be used to influence elections.

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear? Not anymore

e all know that when we sign up to any social media platform such as Facebook or Twitter, our data doesn’t just sit in a database. Instead, it’s used to target us with adverts. While I don’t have a problem with this (as I said, it’s what we agree to), I do have a problem with them not looking after it. When it emerged a few weeks ago that Facebook had unknowingly shared eighty million user’s data with Cambridge Analytica, I was annoyed because of how careless Facebook was. Data is perhaps one of the most valuable possessions a company can have, and to mistreat it in the way they did seems a little insulting. In that sense, I don’t think the data collection has gone too far, but I do think the way Mark Zuckerberg didn’t even know that his company had shared 80 million user’s data with a British firm illegally shows that we can’t really trust these companies. Not only that, we never really could trust them.

The ongoing debate about data collection and our right to privacy is long overdue and it is time for all technology companies to be held to account, by both politicians and the users themselves. Our complacency has led to the erosion of our right to privacy. When I closed my Google account last year I was shocked at the level of detailed geoLook after our data if graphical data collected, and I began to realise the extent of the personal information these compayou’re given the privilege nies hold about us. to use it Ultimately, we have the right to our data. But the current situation provides no way to prove that companies truly delete user We upload our data with data when asked. An account the knowledge that our can always be ‘susdata will be used to benefit pended’ or ‘deactiFacebook, and when we vated’ but what does sign any Terms that really mean? of Service, The misplaced trust in we agree to companies like Google this, but we and Facebook needs to don’t agree end, but until we stop to them inusing their products discriminately and services, nothsharing it with third ing will change. Our parties. Image: Max Pixel, Wikimedia Commons, Flickr right to privacy protects So in that sense, us from tyranny, and sadly I’d say data collection hasn’t gone its importance has been fortoo far, but for goodness sake look after our data if gotten. you’re given the privilege to use it.

he Cambridge Analytica scandal has brought to light something we have all pretended doesn’t exist. The reality of the relationship between us and the online world we all take for granted. Facebook denies knowledge of any wrongdoing. For the first time in its decade long dominance of humanity, Zuckerberg’s monolith has come under the microscope for its practices and, let us say, ambivalence towards the lives of its users. This mass collection of our data is not new knowledge. Just ask Edward Snowden. What is new to most of us is Facebook’s intimidation tactics, targeting journalists and academics who dare to question its practices. Data harvesting has not suddenly gone too far, as some suggest, it is as it has always been; an intrinsic part of what social media is.

This mass collection of our data is not new If there is anything good to come out of the bollocking Facebook has received in the last few months, it is that many more people are now aware of some of the counter-measures available to them. Here are some basic tips that have worked for me: Firstly, never use Microsoft created web-browsing software, such as Internet Explorer, if you can help it. I recommend Firefox, a piece of software that works just as well as anything Microsoft has, and was founded to combat the warrantless mass harvesting of our data. You could also disable cookies. Easy enough to do and a great help. If you don’t want to go all out and delete your social media accounts, then just examine the security settings and ensure they are all set at the highest level. Some say that Facebook is facing a crisis point, but it will survive so long as apathy and convenience out-weigh the self-preservation aspect of the privacy debate. The next time you post something online, just ask yourself; ‘Would I entrust this information to a random person in the street?’ The choice might not be yours.

SOAPBOX COMMENT’S HOME OF WEEKLY RANTS Judgement Day

Alexandra Sadler

e’ve all heard the saying ‘only God can judge me’. I’m not here to ruminate about religion, but let’s be honest, we’ve all passed judgement on someone or something at one point or another. However, what’s really annoying is people who find it necessary to judge other people constantly, aloud, and without thinking of the consequences. There’s a difference between a thought, in your head, and verbal or obviously sneering judgement. Whilst it’d be fabulous for us all to strive to be non-judgmental about most things, it’d be nice if everyone stopped being so judgemental about minor things, like what clothes someone wears, or what colour they dye their hair. Not to mention, people who judge others for who they love, or how they choose to identify themselves. It’s fine to have opinions, but when you look down on people simply because they’re different? That’s not ok.

The Right Way Round James Davies

his is something that annoys me so much. The amount of times I’m walking down the escalator at Haymarket and someone’s standing on the left just blocking everyone’s path. The only way to get them to move is to say in a passive-aggressive tone “EXCUSE ME”. I’m sorry but how selfish can you get? It says literally eight times down the escalator on a red sign ‘STAND ON THE RIGHT’. We’re British, we walk and drive on the left so someone who’s moving faster than you walks past you on the left as well. It isn’t exactly hard! There isn’t more of an annoying feeling than standing behind someone who’s selfishly just standing there, or isn’t keeping their bags in, or is stood on the right but not enough for you to get past. Please, if this is you, use some basic primary school intelligence and read the signs.

Inclusive Education

Gerry Hart

ou know what really pickles my gherkins? The idea that kids with additional needs in mainstream education are a burden on resources. It’s an argument I’ve been seeing for a while now. Last year Leader of Australia’s One Nation Party and all round human skidmark Pauline Hanson called for children with “special needs” to be removed from Australian schools as their presence constituted “a loss for other kids”. And, here in the UK, our government has prioritized the building so-called “special schools” as opposed to furthering inclusive education Growing up autistic, I benefited from inclusive education. Without it I certainly wouldn’t be doing a masters degree. But since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 it seems like the paths that helped me are disappearing. Funding for SEN statements might still come from the local council, but that money now ends up in the hands of private academies, over whom the elected local authority has no oversight. Plus austerity has decimated many extracurricular schemes that were a lifeline to many kids, especially in poorer towns like mine. Schools are strapped for resources yes, but segregating kids with additional needs will only serve to cruelly stunt their chances in life.

the courier

student voice

Monday 7 May 2018

Big Chat: Sarah Craggs Chi Onwurah MP Speakers: Inspiring Women Conference

James Sproston talks wellbeing, inspiring women and exam stress with the Welfare Officer Since the last time we spoke, what have you achieved? Obviously did a lot of work after the last Stressed Out Students campaign, and ran online and offline polls to get student feedback on the current library provisions with the 15-minute break. We managed to collect a lot of research, and students said that they prefer having thirty minutes. Especially around the time when the library is particularly busy, students feel that 15 minutes is not enough to have a walk, get some lunch or go to the toilet. We’ve been working with the library staff on that, and took it to the University operations group and the Vice-Chancellor to approve it. So when’s that active from? That’s active now in all study spaces across campus, that includes changing the computer logoff time from 15 to 30 minutes, on top of the physical study spaces.

WELLBEING FAIR Though it’s two months later than initially intended, the Wellbeing Fair is back on 01/06, with the University Wellbeing Service, the Student Advice Centre, and a few societies set to attend

A few of your events were postponed because of the snow, so will those be rearranged? They already have been rearranged! The Wellbeing Fair is now taking place on the 1st of June, but it’ll be a little bit more downscaled just because of the exam period. We’ve still got lots of groups at-

tending, such as the University Wellbeing Service, the Student Advice Centre, as well as different societies and student groups because getting involved is a key way in improving individual student wellbeing.

DOGGY DAYS As part of the Wellbeing Fair and the Stressed Out Students campaign, some guide dogs will be coming to Venue in the SU to help destress all of you librarybound students

And the dogs are returning? Part of the reason for the downscale is also because that is the day of our annual Doggy Day down in Venue, so students can register for that on the NUSU website closer to the time. We’ve the guide dogs and puppies coming in from 11am until 3.30pm on 1st June alongside the smaller scale Wellbeing Fair, so we don’t scare the doggies. That’s going to be good, but students need to register for it. Though we’re not sure exactly how many sessions we’ll have, we’re pretty sure it’ll cost around £3 per student because we pay for the dogs to be there. So Inspiring Women has also been rearranged? That’s now taking place on 12th May, so it’s going to be running exactly as it was before, though there’s one speaker we had lined up last time who can’t make it for this one. Registration starts on the day at 9.30am to sign up to the different sessions, and I’ll be leading an open discussion at the end

Student Cartoons

with some ex-Welfare Officers so that should be fun. Looking forward, you’ve got the Stressed Out Students campaign to run. Yes, S.O.S. is back! It’s a three-week campaign this year, starting from 21st May and running through to the 8th June. We have our free sport classes again, which you can sign up to by emailing the Welfare account, and the usual free exam resources in the libraries, as well as the free massages and a couple of professional talks about managing stress, mental health conditions, and eating disorders around stressful exam periods.

INSPIRING WOMEN Back by popular demand after it was originally postponed by the ‘Beast from the East’, the Inspiring Women Conference boasts several inspirational speakers, as well a few notable Newcastle alumni to top it off

Do you have any plans for the post-S.O.S. period? I’m planning on collating the healthier food on campus feedback. I think we’ve got over 100 responses now, so I’ll be presenting that to the Head of Hospitality and Commercial Services at the University. They’ve already done a lot of work to improve the food provisions on campus; that’ll definitely be my focus post-S.O.S. because we’re really keen to implement some change there. Other than that, I’ll be doing my best to train my successor as best I can so he can hit the ground running.

Chi Onwurah is a British Member of Parliament representing Newcastle upon Tyne Central and is also Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy Science & Innovation. From Sept 2015-October 2016 Chi was Shadow Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy. From Jan 2013 - Sept 2015 Chi was Shadow Cabinet Office Minister leading on cyber security, social entrepreneurship, civil contingency, open government and transparency. From Oct 2010 – Jan 2013 Chi was Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science & Digital Infrastructure, and continues to encourage women in STEM.

Professor Karen Ross

We present a varied collection of Sam Holden’s political and opinionated cartoons. All views expressed are solely his own

Karen’s primary research interests lie at the intersection of gender and media, with a particular focus on gender, politics and news. She will talk about the ways in which women politicians have always had a tricky relationship with mainstream media, arguing that the current framing of contemporary politicians such as Theresa May, Nicola Sturgeon and Jacinda Ardern suggests that they continue to be framed as sexed bodies despite their political accomplishments and status.

Samantha Cooke

Sam Cooke, feminist and former Chair of Student Council, presents a discussion on what it means to be a “good speaker”. She discusses the questions ‘why are certain types of people “better speakers” than others? Are these conceptions of speaking well compatible with a feminist viewpoint?’ Sam will help you gain some practical, inclusive ways to feel more confident and prepared when speaking or debating in public.

life & style

the courier Monday 7 May 2018

@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

Murray Gove, 19, English Literature

Murray on Jack... Hey Murray, where did you two first meet? And what were your first impressions? We met in the beer garden of The Bridge Tavern. My first impressions of Jack were that he was very attractive and had a great sense of humour! Great! How did your conversation flow? What did you talk about? The conversation flowed really well! We talked about everything and nothing really. Uni, life, our taste in music, what we get up to in the holidays. So did you have anything in common?

Jack Westerman, 23, Medicine

sarcastic sense of humour. We were also both into music with him playing trumpet and me being a choral singer. Perfect! As the evening went on were you more or less interested in Jack? Definitely more interested. And what was his best attribute? His sense of humour! That’s nice! And did you sense any romantic sparks, I mean do you see this going anywhere? I mean, I was certainly attracted to him and would like to see him again so I suppose we’ll just have to see how it goes. Would you swipe left, swipe right or superlike? Swipe right for sure!

Yeah, we both seemed to have a pretty

VERDICT: MURRAY ON JACK I was certainly attracted to him

Personality

Conversation

Fancy a date? We’ll set you up. Find us on our 2017/ 2018 Facebook page or email at c2.lifestyle@newcastle.ac.uk

Jack on Murray...

Good plan! And what did you guys talk about? A lot of chit chat to be honest. About our courses, home towns, pets. I think we covered all the bases. Did you have a favourite part of the date?

Hi Jack! How was the date? I had a really nice time. My first impressions were really good. He was easy to get along with and quick to make a joke… which was nice! That’s great! How did you find the location he chose? It had a really good atmosphere, a bit hipster for me but I didn’t mind. It was packed though, when I got there he was sat in the beer garden. We got a drink and sat out there for a bit but he started shivering so I suggested we move inside.

It was all nice. So was Murray your usual type? No but not in a bad way. I don’t think I’ve ever dated someone with tattoos and piercings before! And did you sense any sparks? Not really. I got on well with him but I don’t really think I fancied him… So would you swipe left, swipe right or superlike? Which one is like? That’s right isn’t it?

VERDICT: JACK ON MURRAY Looks

10/10 10/10 10/10

Easy to get along with and quick to make a joke

Personality

Conversation

Looks

9/10 8/10 7/10

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life & style lifestyle The best Wi-Fi spots around Newcastle

niversity always gets so packed out during exam season that it becomes very difficult to find somewhere to actually sit and study in the first place- let alone somewhere where you can access the Wi-Fi. Thankfully town is not far away, and there are plenty of places to study there- or take some time out of the revision to have a good Facebook browse. The first place you would probably think of to study would be one of the many cafes around town- there are all the chains (Costa, Café Nero, Starbucks), but also a wealth of slightly smaller independent coffee shops to explore, that do just as great tea or coffee. Quilliams is a favourite of everyone I know, but I’ve become quite fond of Tea Sutra as well. Blakes has got that homely feel, and serves breakfast until 2pm, if you’re up late but want to deny the fact that most of the morning has gone already. Wetherspoons are also a staple of coffee and Wi-Fi- if you’re sitting in, coffee costs just over £1 and there are free refills, so you’re good to sit for a while and tap out an essay. Both the Five Swans and the Quayside have outdoor seating if it’s good weather, and plenty of space inside too.

Quilliams is a favourite of everyone I know, but I’ve become quite fond of Tea Sutra One of my favourite places to go is Central Library, in-between Northumberland Street and John Dobson street- one of the few places in town you can spend hours at without being expected to pay a penny! If you’ve never been to the public library before, the six floors have a range of study spaces, including desks and comfy chairs. There are also a few reference books too, if you need to look something up and don’t want to use the internet! It’s open every day, normally until around 7pm, and fairly quiet most of the time, so finding a seat isn’t too hard. Opposite the Public Library is the Laing Art Gallery, which has public Wi-Fi and, of course, some beautiful paintings. The Discovery Museum and the Great North Museum Hancock also have internet- at the Hancock it’s university provided, so there’s not even the hassle of having to connect. The same goes for down at the Life Centre near the Central Station, which is another Newcastle University building. Intu Eldon Square, Grey’s Monument, Old Eldon Square and the Civic Centre all have free Wi-Fi, so if the sun’s out, these are all good places to find a bench and surf. There aren’t too many places to sit in Eldon Square outside of the shops, but there are a few seats dotted around if you’re lucky. There are a few free charging points for your phone as well though, which is just an extra bonus. If you’re looking for a somewhat more unusual place to surf the web, a lot of the buses have Wi-Fi on them now! Alright, so it might take you out of town, but it’s good to leave the city centre every so often and explore the world. Just make sure to look up from your screen every once in a while, to appreciate the view. Rowena Tylden-Pattenson

Image: Pexels

Monday 7 May 2018

Rant of the week: Special Edition

Christopher Wilkinson and John O’ Carroll go head to head in this ‘for and against’ edition of the rant, discussing the still-relevant and controversial question: ‘Was Enoch Powell right?’ For: John O’Carroll

he BBC recently made the decision to air the infamous speech, on its 50th anniversary, made by the then Conservative MP for Wolverhampton Enoch Powell – a decision which caused upset and alarm to a great many people and one which led to much criticism of the BBC for even allowing such a thing to ‘pollute’ the airways. The main mouthpiece for criticism exists in the form of the Labour Peer, Lord Adonis, the man “largely responsible” for the rise in tuition fees, who’s record in government is far from exemplary; who is also, naturally, the anti-democratic champion of the ‘It’s not too late to stop Brexit’ camp. This criticism comes as no surprise from someone who has proven himself to be an inept policy maker and a man so against the will of the people it’s no wonder he wants all views opposed to his own silenced. I’m sure he yearns, like many in our two legislative houses do, for the day when the masses are fed on only the information which they and their ilk so generously and magnanimously provide.

sometime double the rate it was at the time of him speaking. He called them ‘dependants’ and according to research from Migration Watch UK, between 2001 and 2011 costing the British taxpayer £116.8 billion. ‘Like the Roman, I see the ‘River Tiber foaming with much blood’. This speech which will undoubtedly live in infamy forever more – despite the best efforts of some – consider this question: How many more attacks must we endure, how many more people will be needlessly killed on the streets, before our leaders admit there is a problem? We cannot forget that the effects of many of the problems we face today; over stretched NHS, overcrowded schools and Islamic terror, can be alleviated through a reduction of unnecessary immigration. It fills my heart with great sadness for the future of this country to say it, but Enoch Powell was more right than he could ever have imagined.

Enoch Powell was more right than he could ever have imagined Now, to the speech itself, there is one major criticism on which I’m sure we can all agree. When he was talking about the negative impacts of immigration he was referencing race instead of culture and religion, suggesting that people of different races struggle to get along. He is incorrect in saying this, it would have been far more pertinent for him to have said that we cannot have a mix up of cultures that are widely different and divergent without assimilation, else it will ultimately lead to civil strife. But with immigration of the scale we have now – Powell was talking about 50,000 per year and now we have a net of 250,000, assimilation does not happen in some of cases. He predicted an increase in violent crime and for almost every year following 1968, violent crime has been higher and

Image: BBC

Against: Christopher Wilkinson

he discussion that has surrounded the release of the notorious and controversial Enoch Powell speech, retrospectively named the ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech, has not been without interest. For those who studied the AQA A-level History course, and for those special few who follow Andrew Marr as the deified figure of popular history as he deserves to be, the rivers

of blood speech resonates as one which, regardless of time and ethos and situation, highlights something always worth discussing: the drawbacks, or benefits, of immigration. The problem is, however, that Enoch Powell was wrong. Besides being littered with what might be popularly termed ‘lies’, the speech itself was a singularly inaccurate analysis of how things occurring across the Atlantic might be transferred to British Soil. It was an American picture placed on a British balloon, and Enoch Powell gleefully blew it up. Powell delivered his speech following the immediate events of the Windrush, where the forceful effects of immigration were shown to the British public. To a lot of British people these effects were alien and new, and this newness was translated along the way, by exploiters of public opinion such as Enoch Powell, as bad.

It was an American picture placed on a British balloon, and Enoch Powell gleefully blew it up The fact that some people are trying to resurrect these opinions, even in light of the recent events that have surrounded the Windrush situation in the aftermath of Brexit, is quite indicative of the sort of Jordan Peterson type thinking that has encompassed certain areas of the Alt-Right movement. For people who seem to share the sort of sentiment of the Rivers of Blood speech and quote it blindly in argument, it almost never occurs to them to quote other areas of the speech. Powell quite willingly spread lies and fabrications, speaking of ‘wide grinning picaninnies’ - which, of course, is the reason why the BBC debated releasing the speech in the first place. I find it hard to respect the opinions of people who are ignorant of this fact, and who refuse to acknowledge that Powell used emotional manipulation instead of actual fact, to prove his point. The speech was racist.

Lines in the Sand: Collected Journalism

Lifestyle Editor Lauren Sneath reviews the posthumous publication of collected essays by A. A. Gill

s an aspiring journalist, I am always keen to read published compilations of well known journalistic authors, and A. A. Gill was such a talent that when I came across a hardback edition of ‘Lines in the Sand’ I couldn’t resist. The book is a collection of essays penned by Gill as he travelled the world visiting different refugee camps. Gill, famous for his travel writing, his Tatler contributions, and as the Sunday Times restaurant reviewer, compiled in this book a collection of candid, sometimes disquieting chapters containing a myriad of real characters with real stories. It is an informative, eye-opening and really touching piece of writing.

accessible, in my opinion. The book is also startlingly personal to Gill himself. He details towards the end, in the final chapters, his struggle with cancer. As readers, we know

The writing is fiercely honest and brilliantly moving, his accounts sometimes hard to read but always worth the struggle

This posthumous publication seems a fitting eulogy for such a respected, talented voice One of my favourite aspects of Gill’s written work is his drive to achieve a really honest account of his experiences. The camps he visited were often barred to the press and the goings on there kept under wraps by authorities, but this did not prevent Gill from putting himself in potentially dangerous situations in order to unveil to us readers the often heart wrenching stories of their inhabitants. The writing is fiercely honest and brilliantly moving, his accounts sometimes hard to read but always worth the struggle. His travels range all over the world, to camps including those in Jordan and Sicily, and his focus on individual stories is what makes this set of collected essays so important and

that Gill did not win this battle, as he passed away in December 2016. This posthumous publication seems a fitting eulogy for such a respected, talented voice for those who cannot themselves publicise their painful situation and desperate message.

Image: Waterstones.com

His disregard for authority and compassion for the underdog is a classic feature in Gill’s writing, and combined with the incredible settings he visits and the desolate situations of the inhabitants of the camps, makes for an emotionally exhausting but illuminating read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone studying journalism or considering it as a career. It is a glimpse into the life of a journalist who was fearless in their approach to gain the best insight into the lives of others, and who spared no journey, no time, no effort when pursuing a story. In fact, this book is for anyone: anyone with an interest in learning about the lives of those much less fortunate, anyone wanting to educate themselves on such an important, current topic. To describe Gill as one of the most important British journalists of our time would be justified. He contributed waspish humour and unashamed honesty to British media throughout his entire career, and ‘Lines in the Sand’ only serves to underline his reputation as a true titan of research journalism in the UK.

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Monday 7 May 2018

Choosing a night in over a night out

With upcoming deadlines and exams, Katherine Rawlings helps us to slow down and stay in

ost of us here at Newcastle love nothing more than a (slightly unhealthy) night out on the toon. Even the knowledge of a 9am lecture is unlikely to hinder our need for those, somewhat questionable, cheerful, blueberry trebs at our favourite place, Soho (or Floho, for the cheesier ones among you). Yet, with the rapidly approaching essay deadlines and exams, even the true Geordies are running out of justifications for spending yet another day nursing a murderous hangover. The solution? Nights in! Maybe they’re not quite the equivalent of getting down to Africa by Toto at 3am, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun.

‘Sophisticated’ drinking

Okay, so you’ve banned yourself from a night of binge drinking, but you can’t completely resist the temptation of alcohol. How about treating yourself to an upgrade from Echo Falls with money you just saved, and spend a night in with the flatmates, wine, and a good film to celebrate (or cry over - I’m not judging) the day’s progress.

Swap binge-drinking watching

for

binge-

This is a bit of a risky suggestion, as Netflix can be just as time-wasteful as a night out, but perhaps if you choose something to watch with someone else you can reduce the likelihood of spending the day, by yourself, watching two full series (we’ve all been there). I’m sure you already have a long list of shows

to watch, but it you need any recommendations my top 3 binge-able shows are: Stranger Things, Dark, and Peaky Blinders. Or, if you’re looking for something more light-hearted, my suggestions would be Brooklyn 99 or The Good Place.

Maybe they’re not quite the equivalent of getting down to Africa by Toto at 3am, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be fun Board Games

Just because you’re reaching you’re twenties now, that doesn’t mean board games are any less fun. Grab some friends and get out the Monopoly. It might be assured to cause a few arguments, but we all still love it. Or if you don’t want to spend the money, simply get out a pack of cards.

Revive the bookworm in you

It seems to be a general agreement that at uni the once standard of a book a week drops to a book or two a year, if you’re lucky. Although the appeal might have decreased as the load of uni-reading increased, schedule it in one evening and remind yourself of the reason it used to be so enjoyable.

Added benefit, it’s a great way to unwind after a stressful day at the Robbo. There are so many options out there, but my favourite has to be The Book Thief.

You will see this person peering at the computer screen behind a mountain of red bull cans, espresso cups, and McDonald’s detritus. Other key characteristics include trembling hands and crossed-eyes due to the pure caffeine coursing through their bloodstream. You may well actually smell this person before you see them, as it will be well over 24 hours since they showered. Fresh air comes in the form of a quick fag right outside the library doors – they simply don’t have time to walk all the way over to the smoking shelter. Should you manage to pull them away from their frantic typing, conversation will be limited to how long they have been awake, how long till their deadline, and how many more words they need to type. Spare these types any interaction if you can however, for second is precious to them and their hand-in will be a photo finish.

Pamper Yourself

Upper level ghosts

Image: Unsplash

Stress, lack of sleep, too much coffee… it does nothing for the skin. Go mad in Lush and give yourself some needed relaxation time with facemasks, pore strips, and whatever else you end up buying.

Get organised

As they say, a clean room is a clean mind. Get yourself in a better position to handle the next day and amp up the stereo to make organising not seem like so much of a chore. You’ll thank yourself later.

Lifestyle Editor Victoria Young researches everyone’s favourite topic during exam season: sleep coffees with a glass of hot water, or a fresh fruit juice throughout the day. Creating a routine helps your body to more quickly pass through the sleep phases and eventually into the greatly needed REM, and drinking water neutralises your detoxes your body before bedtime.

Not exercising

Whilst it can be difficult to factor in time to exercise over the exam period, it is important. Regular exercise helps to pump blood around the body, including our brain. During the night, if our brain has been well circulated then it is more likely to actively engage during in an REM phase. In addition to this, weight gain and obesity amongst young people is shown to prevent (and also be caused by a lack of) REM sleep. If you don’t have a gym membership, why not consider investing in one for over the exam period, to help your body and your brain feel fresh and awake. Sleep specialists recommend that exercising daily helps with blood flow and increases the brain’s capacity to complete the sleep phases, however, avoid exercising up to three hours before bed time, as your body may have a hard time physically shutting down.

o, it’s coming up to the end of final semester. You know what that means... deadlines, dissertations and dreaded exams! If you’re struggling to rest up and get the right amount of sleep during this busy period, here are a few tips and tricks to help you improve your exam season sleep schedule, by dropping into some much needed REM. But firstly, did you know: the average adult needs around 50% light sleep, 20% deep sleep, and 20% REM for a full and effective recharge (the other 10% is usually spent awake or in restlessness).

What is REM?

REM, otherwise known as they ‘rapid eye movement’ phase, comes after a period of deep sleep. This is the period of the night where we generally drift into longer dreams, our eyes move quickly in all directions, and when our brain becomes more active. This period of sleep plays an important roll in mental health, memory, regulating our mood and generally helping with the processing and

consolidation of information. Failing to get sufficient REM massively reduces our long term memory and brain capability skills, often promotes stress and anxiety and cause migraines and headaches. Yet, there are many things that we do which deprive us of this all important sleep phase:

Drinking Alcohol and Coffee

Sorry students, but your stable diet of pres and campus coffee stops will have to cease this exam period if you really want to fully activate your sleep schedule! These are drinks which are drug and caffeine based, meaning that they are the most likely to interrupt with the natural sleep cycle and result in sleep apnea. Whilst you may think that coffee will keep you awake to work, and that alcohol will ease the pain of looming deadlines, I’m afraid you’re wrong, as these drinks often deprive us of the less obvious sleep phases. Instead of relying upon drinks to stabilise your body’s level of awareness, why not consider creating a steady routine and replacing teas and

All the types of people you’ll meet in the Robbo The all-nighters

Need your stress sleep?

Image: Unsplash

lifestyle life & style

A routine helps your body to more quickly pass through the sleep phases Using phones and electronics pre-bed

Finally, the use of smartphones and devices with bright LED lights are a huge culprit in robbing us of our REM sleep phase. Instead of giving our brain time to stop, mentally turn off, and log the information we have received, the bright lights keep it overactive, and reduce the amount of time our brains spend in REM. Though it’s often necessary to regularly be at a PC during exam and deadline season, why not change the brightness and switch those blue LED’s to a night appropriate yellow light. Sleep specialists recommend abandoning all phones, laptops, TVs and tablets at least one hour before going to bed... So why not swap the endless Facebook scrolling before bed for a book or some socialising.

These reclusive types can be seen flitting back and forth between the aisles of book shelves on the upper levels, like some kind of monster in an ‘itsbehind-you’ moment of a horror film; sometimes to retrieve a book, sometimes to have a quick sob amongst the thousands of books. A close relative of this species is the basement gremlin, who will shy from any form of interaction. Isolation is a necessary sacrifice in the chase for a 2:1. Basement gremlins usually can’t remember the last time they saw sunlight, or even uttered another word to another human, and will need gentle rehabilitation before they are reintroduced into society.

Totally effed

This person will be seen despondently holding their head in their hands, letting out enormous sighs, and perhaps aggressively clicking repeatedly on their computer mouse. You can also hear them muttering expletives to themselves. Other catchphrases include ‘It just doesn’t make any sense…’ ‘What?? Just what am I meant to do?!’ as they get up and pace around their workstation, before sitting down resignedly. This type is extremely volatile, so approach with caution.

Properly prepared

By far the rarest of the library creatures, this species is a vision of serenity. No amount of work will fluster them, for they will have been following a strict and clear routine of writing and revision for the past couple months now. Tucked up and in bed by midnight, you wish you were one of these types. Maybe next year.

The drugs cheat

Another picture of stillness, these types will be intently focused upon their many books neatly arranged around them. Eyes mechanically scanning the pages, fingers methodically tapping away, you envy their calmness and diligence. That is, until you notice them get up for their 8th bathroom break in as many hours. That would explain it. Modafinol takers are the Lance Armstrongs of the student world. Maybe their next break will give you a window to steal a 200mg pill?

0 words completed

What are they even doing in the library? Don’t they have exams? This type really puts the ‘pro’ into procrastination, as they watch yet another episode of Peep Show on full screen. Series binging will be broken up by lengthy spells on social media, and perhaps even moving from computer to phone screen. These sorts are- at best- annoying when you keep finding your eyes stray to their screen, far more entertaining than your own, and –at worst- infuriating, when they are taking up one a computer during the busy 11-6pm period. Free computers are like gold dust during those hours, and are squandered by this group. Rory Cameron

Image: NCL University

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lifestyle feature

Monday 7 May 2018

Why body positivity matters Body positivity icons: Tariq Carroll

Dear Students, We, your Lifestyle editing team, who know only too well the stress you are all under at this time of year, have decided to use this page to address the importance of body positivity and self love as the year draws to a close. You all have exams, essays, presentations and perhaps even life after university (if it exists) to worry about right now, and so here is some advice for making sure that things like body image, weight or selfnegativity doesn’t get the better of you. It can be really hard in the run up to summer not to obsess over this kind of thing; so just for a few minutes, forget work out plans and bikini bodies, and read about people who do not let that stand in their way. Your Lifestyle Editors

Image: Pinterest

Image: www.theeverymanproject.com

alling all men who are insecure with their bodies- there is finally a photographer who can laugh at the impossible beauty standards facing men today. Tariq Carroll is an artist and activist who founded the EveryMAN Project, which promotes ‘the reformation of male aesthetics’. Upon checking out his website, one comes across incredibly fun, lifeaffirming and positive photos of men of all shapes, colours and sizes. He showcases an astonishing and uplifting range of happy faces and figures, without exclusion due to size and in fact celebrating differences and imperfections. Carroll draws from his personal experience of body insecurity to inform his inspirational collection.

Body positivity icons: Ashley Graham

his February, Ashley Graham launched a range of fashionable swim wear which can be worn by any one, of any size. As a high profile model exemplified by many young women as a role model, she is using her fame and social media stature to broadcast the vital message that firstly, your size does not define you- and secondly, that you can look incredible no matter what size you may be. It’s so refreshing to find a role model who has been so successful in an industry where previously your size really was imperative to your career. Think about it; ten years ago, could a women larger than a size eight have really made a living as a model, or have such a positive influence over so many? As a model, she is a symbol of hope for those who would in the past have been limited by their inability to be deemed acceptable within fashion’s impossibly narrow guidelines. The changes she has been a part of, and encouraged, which are leading to a more inclusive fashion industry.

Image: Instagram

Banishing negative body image this summer

Why you should not give a shit about societal expectations and pressure over body image

“

God, I’m so excited about starving myself and over-exercising this exam season in order to get into shape for summer!” said no one, ever. Neither is it healthy to obsess over celebrity bodies, photo-shopped models or exercise gurus simply because they have ‘great abs’. It’s great to want to lead a healthy lifestyle, but unfortunately society today has grown akin to an addict, always desperate for another dose of body-image brainwashing. This addict is hungry, starved eyes greedily scanning Instagram for another hit of perfectly airbrushed bodies- which in turn brings on a bizarrely pleasurable wave of self-loathing. ‘I’ll be like that one day’ we whisper, as our self-esteem takes another punch.

If society is an addict, social media is the heroin shot into its veins If society is an addict, social media is the heroin shot into its veins, fuelling its slow, inner destruction. We spend too much time aspiring to be people who simply do not exist- a model, tanned and contoured to perfection before Photoshop edits out any semblance of real humanity, as our role model? A face in a picture dictating our lifestyle? That doesn’t make sense to me. As students and young people, we are relentlessly bombarded with various forms of media which attempt to tell us how to dress, how to exercise, what to eat (and how much) and impose endless other obligations upon our lifestyle. It’s hard enough to ignore the bullshit and continue to live however you want during regular term time, let alone during exam season, as summer looms and with it infinite, unachievable goals when it comes to image. Attending a festival? Don’t bother unless you have endless glitter and can abide wearing an itchy, uncomfortable flower crown for 3 days straight.

Going on a holiday with your mates? If you don’t have a perfect tan and chiselled physique before you even arrive, why waste the money? You can’t possibly show up pale, or unfit.

You are your own worst enemy, and your own harshest critic It’s expectations like these that take all the fun out of activities we should really be enjoying this summer. Who cares what you wear or how you look, as long as you’re enjoying yourself? We care- but we shouldn’t. To be honest, the last thing a student stressed about upcoming exams, essay deadlines and a myriad of other commitments needs is to also have their image (which will never be good enough for them) persistently on their mind.

You are your own worst enemy, and your own harshest critic. If you don’t start loving whatever imperfections you have, and stop caring about the thoughts of others (who all come with their own set of insecurities and flaws, by the way) you will never get anything done. We mustn’t allow ourselves to be swallowed up by societal pressure, becoming mute clones in a sea of tanned, thin, boring, miserable people. Your differences are what makes you interesting. If you can, this exam season, make it a focus of yours to remove yourself from situations within which you feel obligated to change yourself in order to maintain a healthy level of self-esteem. By this, I mean that it is paramount that right now your source of stress should not be how you look. A great set of triceps won’t help you pass your exams. Neither should academic performance determine your happiness- but that’s another article, for another day.

Image: Flickr

What my ‘own body image’ means for me Arts Editor Scarlett Rowland shares her own story about her body perception experience

want to start this piece with a little warning. If you have struggled or do struggle with severe body-image issues, this article may not be for you, but please read at your own discretion. This is going to be an account of my issues with my body that may contain certain details you do not wish to read about as you may find them triggering. But, if you are interested, please continue reading. Sometime I wish that I had spoken to people about this earlier in my life, but I honestly do not know whether this would have helped. I have had severe body issues for as long as I can remember. I looked around my primary school class, my secondary school classes, and even still at university, thinking to myself ‘you’re the fattest person in this room’. For me, learning to love my body has been a long process, and it is a process I think I will be going through for the rest of my life. I feel fortunate enough have now found myself surrounded by supportive and loving people, who have helped me to grasp reality about the importance of self love and self care. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case. One of the first times I remember someone commenting on my body was a boyfriend I had in year nine. We were spooning and he put his hand around my stomach and commented, ‘Wow nice abs’. I thought I felt comfortable enough with him then that I could stop sucking my stomach in, stop creating the illusion that I was thinner - but as soon as he said that, all I could think about was sucking in my stomach hoping that no one else would ever make another remark like that. This really messed with my head. I would tie a piece of string around my body to remind myself how fat I was. This was summer and I began sleeping fully dressed in the heat so I would not have to look at my body. I downloaded the ‘MyFitnessPal’ app and lost two stone in 6 months. I never looked like someone who was struggling with an eating disorder or body issues, I just looked like someone who needed to lose weight and was finally doing it. I should never have let this one comment hurt me so much, but the idea that one negative comment will effect you more than one hundred nice comments is one that is true for me. Hearing someone say out loud what I had been thinking in my head forever was so hurtful. Much of getting out of a painful cycle is baby steps. For me this was trying to eat more healthy meals instead of having binges on biscuits, wearing blush (because before, in my mind, only fat people had red cheeks), and buying a swimming costume with small cutouts. I had my biggest breakthrough around my 19th birthday. I wanted to wear something nice, but I did not feel like I deserved it. I had waited until the last minute, saying to myself that I would buy myself something if I lost weight. But, finally, I said ‘fuck it’. I bought clothes that I thought looked cute and that I wanted to wear. I now own tight body suits, and have stopped limiting myself only to shopping in sizes 14 and over, in the hope that no one would catch a glimpse of my lumpy silhouette. Even though I have had this break through, body image is tricky. I do not know if I will ever be truly happy with the way I look, but with my weight now not being in the forefront of my mind I can focus myself on more important things.

Image: annesholz.com

life & style fashion

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

Monday 7 May 2018

Spotted on Campus: Spring Edition

Name: Aseel Course: Chemical Engineering Stage 1 Clothes: American Eagle jeans, & Other Stories sweater, Kurt Geiger trainers

Name: Alaa Course: Biomed Genetics Stage 2 Clothes: Topshop jacket, Primark mummy jeans, Ralph Lauren shoes

Topshop Sporty Blocked Crop Jumper, £25 Asos Bronx multi brights metallic suede chunky trainers, £125 H&M Black Cut Off Hem Skinny Jenna Jeans, £15.99

Topshop Contrast Stitch Duster Coat, £79 Topshop MOTO Bleach Straight Cropped Jeans, £40 Stradivarius Multicoloured striped T-shirt, £15.99

Name: Ellie Course: Marketing Stage 3 Clothes: Charity shop coat, Asos jeans

&Other Stories Faux Fur Jacket, £155 Topshop Riley Lettuce Camisole Top, £6 H&M Kickflare High Ankle Jeans, £24.99

Casual Leisure Look

Spring Trench Coat Look

Seventies’ Flares Look

To master this casual sports lesiure look, you need to effortlessly team up a bright trainer with a comfy bold blocked jumper. This is perfect for a last-minute ‘running to my lecture’ outfit, where you can team up your most comfortable gear into one casual look. It’s well worth investing in that eye-catching pair of trainers!

Duster coats are never out of fashion; whether it’s autumn, winter, spring or summer these thin overcoats are perfect to layer over thicker layers, or to just pop over a t-shirt for the warmer weather. Leaving the coat open adds a more springlike feel; plus it reveals any other fresh colours you may we wearing underneath.

You could find this combination anywhere from WHQ to mooching about in Jesmond; this is a perfect spring 70’s vibe. The millenial yellow top is perfect for the (slightly) warmer weather we’re having. Plus, it reminds us all that although it may be May, Newcastle is still pretty chilly and warm coats are never not an essential!

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@CourierFashion c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk

Monday 7 May 2018

Spring trends: micro sunnies Ugne Rinkeviciute explores the best 2018 90s spring and summer trends and how to work it

he 90s seem to be making a major comeback this year. From flannel grunge to glamorous glitter to monogram bags. Most surprisingly of all, micro sunglasses are back in style, too. This summer, over-sized shades we’ve known and loved for so long are being replaced with tiny, hardly eye-covering ones. The smaller, the better.

The Pool. Granted, with little sunglasses, comes little privacy.

and most of them will look funny once placed on top of your nose. But with the range that’s already out there at Urban Outfitters, Asos and more, plus some patient shelf browsing, and you’ll find the perfect 90s-inspired pair of sunglasses. As Nellie Eden, i-D, has described it, “They are the mix of futurism and fashion, the crossroad of high-tech and high-trend.” Tomorrow and today in a pair of sunglasses? Refreshing.

Micro sunglasses first reappeared on the runway in Balenciaga’s 2017 spring/summer collection, later made popular by Bella Hadid who’s been spotted wearing them time after time. Some days jogging in her sports bra and sweatpants; other days, walking down the red carpet in a sheer gown. But this year the sunglasses have completely taken over the fashion world, including such large-scale designers as Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Prada. Pointed, sharp-edged or round; black or red; cateye or Matrix-esque. It’s definitely an unusual sight to see in 2018. Not even Rihanna’s black and white Andy Wolf sunglasses, which created such a buzz at the Cannes Film Festival last May, could stop the backlash from journalists and bloggers the trend has received. “Sunglasses are supposed to be big, dark things to hide behind when you’ve had too much wine or don’t want to make eye contact with your next-door neighbor,” says Frankie Graddon,

But if it’s so impractical, how come everyone’s wearing them? “Since tiny sunglasses don’t actually serve the purpose of protecting one’s eyes from the sun—especially if you’re wearing them down on the bridge of your nose—why wear them?” asks Vogue writer Steff Yotka, then immediately continues, “To wear miniature specs is to ask to be seen—and to ask to be photographed.” Legend has it, before the dawn of social media, celebrities did their best to hide from paparazzi underneath loose clothes, scarfs and, in particularly, large dark shades as a sign of prestige. However, today being respected and admired means showing more accessibility. But, as superficial and impractical as micro sunglasses are, I have to admit: I like them. I do. They’re fun to experiment with. They take you back to the good old days of Macarena and YoYos (I was no more than three at the time, but still) and they really don’t look all that micro. It’s a difficult accessory to pull off, that part is true,

Instagram: @cosmoandfries

Instagram: @fionajhappy

It’s a chi-no from me James Sproston aims to finally end the discussion on chinos with this much-deserved swipe

remember the first day that I saw a lad from my school wear chinos. It was 2010, back when most had graduated from the running shoes and straight-cut jean phase into skinny jeans and slim-fit shirts, but no one saw this one coming. They were beige, presumably to match his personality, and were far too tight around the crotch. He matched them with a pair of loafers, a bold choice, but not one out of place in the Hale and Altrincham area. Before long, everyone was wearing them. As a man quick to cave into peer pressure, I invested in a mustard pair myself, having been desperate to embody the ‘mod look’ of the 60s. I’m delighted to report that they were very under-used, but those pictures will last forever.

Whatever the occasion, the Chino Community will continue to live on, if only through Michael Portillo-based memes I quickly realised that I was not one of the chinokind, because I didn’t refer to everything as ‘banter’ or ever dream of shopping at Hollister. Moreover, as a somewhat working class boy in a middle class boys school, was left consistently confused by why people liked the ‘LADbible’. The ‘Chino Community’ rapidly grew, embodying not only everything that was wrong with society, but also everything wrong with music. Invariably, these people would either like One Direction or Ed Sheeran, if not both, which is a crime in itself but made worse by the refusal to accept that music exists out of the Top 40.

Nowadays, the Chino Community has dwindled, but can be seen in several distinct sub-groups. The first and foremost is what remains of the ‘lads’. Though lad culture reached its peak about five years ago, it still manifests itself through sport.

MICHAEL PORTILLO One of many high-profile political figures to have donned the chino, Portillo is known for his colourful style and embodiment of middle class values

You can see them out in town on a Wednesday, accompanying their chinos with a shirt and tie. They still shout indistinct noises very loud in the gate, and love to throw and elbow in Tiger, which would be a straight red in anybody’s book. Another sub-branch of the CC consists of those that wear more colourful chinos. Reminiscent of Nigel Farage, these are the people that often wear a blazer in summer and a Barbour jacket in winter, so don’t be surprised if you feel underdressed when your paths cross walking down Osborne Road. If you meet their parents, they probably mirror them quite well. They love a pint of British ale, and vehemently defend British establishments. Often you can hear them waxing lyrical about the ‘Empire’, and how it was the best time to be alive. However, most of the hidden community emerges in the summer. Keen to show off their suspiciously hairless ankles, no doubt they’ll be trying out some styles for the regatta later in the month. Whatever the occasion, the Chino Community will continue to live on, if only through Michael Portillo-based memes. I expect that we’ll be seeing them more and more in the coming months, so I’m sure you’ll join me in scowling at them from quite a distance away, wilfully nor not.

fashion life & style

LET’S GET ETHICAL Cultural appropriation

ithin weeks of moving into my firstyear accommodation, my northern roots were experiencing a slight culture shock. It was a whole new world—or a whole new Newcastle that I was yet to experience. I watched as MacBook-clad students piled into lecture theatres with dirty Air Force, greasy mullets and nineties tracksuits; their Pret lunches in paper bags were the go-to accessory. But I did, at first, wonder why they all looked a bit misfortunate. It was a trend meets try-hard kind of vibe, and far from anything I was used to. It really sunk in at an early pre-drinks when I was met with genuine surprise: ‘What do you mean—you didn’t have a swimming pool at school?’

This is inspiration at a grassroots level, and influential brands have listened to the working class as a source of creativity

Instagram: @urbanoutfitterseu Instagram: @moconline

But all jokes aside, what I am trying to hint at is ‘working class re-appropriation’ across all aspects of style. The staggering surge in streetwear sales via like the likes of Urban Outfitters and ASOS Marketplace has stirred a debate, and ‘edgy’ students aren’t the only ones to rip-off low-income communities. This powerful urban movement transcends all levels of fashion, but is it a strictly negative thing? Most distinguishable is the Burberry check. This boujee print turned chav post-millennium, but it seems to be back in full force. As Vogue wrote in 2017: ‘there’s no time like now to wear the brand’s iconic check.’ I’m sure you’ve seen many a Burberry kilt in World HQ. And of course, distressed denim has been around for a while, but what about the boilersuit? This loose-fitting workman’s garment is meant for hard labour, but it’s recently been worn by the likes of Bella Hadid, Margot Robbie and Lily-Rose Depp. Maria Grazia Chiuri sent a denim boiler suit down the Dior catwalk, meanwhile, Stella McCartney showcased a baggy denim onesie at her S/S 18 Paris show. Yet this is inspiration at a grassroots level, and influential brands have listened to the working class as a source of creativity. Designers need to shock to attract attention, and fashion itself is in constant need to re-invent the past, and to make money out of something we truly don’t need. The danger lies in diluting the working-class into a subcultural category, especially when it requires no effort by the wearer other than the ease of purchase. If the privileged aspire to wear the uniform of the working class they must wholeheartedly recognise that every identity is important. Sophie Henderson

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life & style beauty

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

the courier

Monday 7 May 2018

Throwback beauty: Trends we miss Nimra Rafique discusses all the beauty trends she misses from decades gone by, and what ones she wants to see return now well with one’s own lip colour, to give that natural looking pout. Lip liner also lasts longer on the lips than lipstick, and isn’t as drying. It’s a trend that I think many modern day beauty lovers would love, especially during the summer season. The 80s was an epic time in terms of beauty; everything was bright, bold and beautiful. It was a time where people truly used make-up to express themselves and experiment with different styles and tastes. 80s beauty trends included bright pastel eye shadow, bold neon-coloured lips and big bushy eyebrows. There wasn’t just one part of the look that stood out. Today, if you do a dramatic eye look, it is usually combined with a natural nude lip or vice versa, but in the 80s everything was exaggerated.

The 80s was an epic time in terms of beauty; everything was bright, bold and beautiful

Image: @spicegirlsnet

he past has always had a profound influence on the present, and that’s also true in the beauty world. As beauty has evolved throughout time many different trends have risen in each decade which have helped shape and influence today’s beauty industry. Although there are so many new and creative trends circulating in the modern day beauty industry, there are many that have crept back from the past and caught the eye of present day beauty lovers alike. Here are just a few of the trends I think should make a comeback. Lip liners were a beauty staple in the 1990s,

everyone wanted that full, pouty lip and before the modern-day craze over lip injections, lip liners were the way to go. From Cindy Crawford to the Spice Girls, everyone used lip liners to create that big, beautiful look. There were many combinations; lip liner was used in various different ways throughout the 90s. What we call an ‘ombre’ lip now was also a trend in the 90s, although the transition between the two lip colours used wasn’t as seamless back then. My personal favourite lip liner trend of the 90s was simply using lip liner on its own all over the lip, with no added lipstick. This was particularly well done with nudes and colours that blended in

One aspect from 80s beauty trends that I think should make a comeback is the love for blush. Blush was used in really fun, interesting ways in the 80s. But now blush has taken a backseat, while bronzer and contouring has become a craze. While I do love a glowy, bronzed face, a flush of colour can really brighten up a make-up look. Maybe don’t be overly dramatic with blush like in the 80s, where people wore it the way we contour today including on the temples, but don’t to be afraid of bright colours and different blush styles.

Nowadays everyone’s go-to make-up look usually seems to be a brown smoky eye, which I am also guilty of. But in the 80s and 90s bright coloured eye shadows were the trend, especially blue and purple. Recently Kim Kardashian launched a collaboration with her trusted make-up artist, Mario Dedivanovic. Blue was a key colour in their palette, she even told guests at her launch party to wear a blue eye. Of course this lead to a blue eye craze as many beauty gurus began creating blue eye looks using the palette, being highly inspired by Kim herself. I think everyone should experiment with colour, whether it be blue, purple, pink, or even pastels to be on the subtler side. Using colour on the eyes can really liven up a make-up look, even if you just smudge a coloured eye shadow onto your bottom lid. This is a past trend which is already making a comeback, and I’d love to see more of it.

Image: @shaaanxo

Beauty at the ball Dangerous cans

Need ball inspiration? Miranda Stoner talks us through her favourite looks and ideas for the fast approaching ball season

Image: @sleekmakeup

large part of uni life is dry shampoo and making do, but when it comes to your society ball, it’s time to clear your desk of lecture notes and highlighters, and spread out your palettes and brushes. It’s one of the only times of year where false eyelashes don’t look over the top and you can finally road test all those camera ready beauty trends you’ve been dying to try out. Mauve lips, cut crease eyeshadow, sticky gems and wild hair colours - it’s now or never! If you’ve chosen a pastel or black dress, a great way to liven this up is with a bit of shimmer in your make-up look. The Sleek Solstice Highlight Palette is a go to for this. The lilac shade blends perfectly into the inner corners with neutral browns, or it can be pressed over a pastel lipstick to enhance that photo perfect pout. Kat Von D’s Alchemist Holographic Palette gives an even bigger pop, and

this can be blended over pastel toned eyeshadow and fanned over the cheekbones. The range of colours makes it hard to go wrong. A ball is also the perfect opportunity to bring out the gold eyeshadow. Start with a transition shade over the whole eyelid, then apply dark brown to the main part of the lid, followed by concealer on the centre of the eyelid. Now, press your gold shadow into the lightened concealer area, Too Faced ‘You Light Up My Life’ wins the gold medal for pigmentation in my books, but there are plenty of other lower budget gold options. To finish, use your transition shade to blend the edges, then apply a whisp of eyeliner and a flick of mascara, plus your favourite false lashes, and you’re good to go. If you want to take your eye look to the next level though, then gems are what’s missing in your life. Scatter them across your brow bone or eyelid, or another option is to create a cut crease look with a glitter glue stick. For a less mythical, but equally dramatic look, liquid eyeliner is your best friend. Follow the lashline then double back over the eyelid for a bold statement. Use a saturated monotone eyeshadow in a colour that compliments your outfit in the lines you’ve created. Choosing an unusual colour is an easy way to express your personality and show your personal style. If you’re the queen of neutral make-up then going for a wild hairstyle is a wonderful means of taking your look from standard night out to ball glam. Experiment with coloured hair sprays - there are so many colours on the market. Texture sprays such as Superdrug Salt Spray can also take your do to the next level. If you’re feeling really daring then try weaving extensions into braids or your ponytail. For hair inspiration, you need look no further than Ariana Grande. Her ponytail is iconic. However, if you’re going for the razzle dazzle look then braid beads, rings, or pendent charms into your plaits or your hair and sprinkle your head with a few sequins. Remember though, the most important thing about a ball is to be creative and seize the opportunity to give your face everything you’ve got. Last but not least, don’t forget to stock the fridge with a lush face mask, cucumber, and coconut water for the day after.

Amanda Goh investigates the risks of aluminium packaging

hen contemplating on whether or not to buy a beauty product, there are many steps that lead us to the final purchase. These include whether it is worth the price, or if it will suit us. But, something we don’t consider as often is whether the packaging damages us. With so many different types of beauty packaging these days, it is important to know what kind of packaging is the best for different products. Aluminium is being used more and more– whether it be kitchen utensils, cans, beauty products or foil. There are, of course many advantages in having aluminium products, such as it being a light weight, recyclable and ductile material. However, there are also disadvantages in using aluminium as packaging, especially for beauty products. There is an increasing number of researchers trying to determine the presence of elements in different products, one of which is aluminium. The aluminium contained in packaging may leech onto cosmetic products, which is put on our bodies, thus causing the products to be dangerous to use. Although the usage of aluminium containers leaves us with benefits of it being air-tight and having a long shelf life, the possible effects of aluminium on the human body has gained more attention. While it is true that a small amount of aluminium intake would probably not kill you, the accumulation of aluminium in the body is a risk. In the 2013 documentary ‘Age of Aluminium’, it mentions a possible link between aluminium

Image: @sure

and cancer. Aluminium can be absorbed into the body and processed, causing metal particles to build up in the body over decades. Furthermore, one of the properties of aluminium products is that it easily passes through the blood-brain barrier. This worryingly shows that the use of aluminium packaging for beauty products may cause more harm than good to our bodies. The manufacturers of items containing aluminium, particularly within the beauty and healthcare product industry, may need to reassess their approach to packaging in light of the research that shows aluminium could present a threat to our wellbeing. Given the open talk about aluminium, producers might soon discover themselves in scenarios where their customers are voicing concerns about their choice of materials. . Ultimately, we will have to wait and see what position researchers take on the impacts of aluminium on the body, and whether the public discussion and scientific research will increase. Regardless, producers and safeguards ought to implement risk management for the usage of aluminium in products and monitor its situation to reduce worst-case scenarios and risks. Whilst on the topic of dangerous packaging, there are alternatives that can be, and should be used. To protect our health we should choose products which contain less aluminium and more “friendly” packaging which would do less harm to ourselves.

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@CourierBeauty thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty

Monday 7 May 2018

Predictions for a princess If there’s one thing everyone is talking about, it’s the royal wedding. Our Beauty Editor Laura Greatrex predicts what looks Meghan Markle will opt for on the big day in a few weeks time

ith only weeks until the big day (the 19th of May for those of you who haven’t got it in your diary), royal wedding fever has well and truly hit. We are waiting eagerly for Prince Harry to marry American actress Meghan Markle. I personally love any and all weddings there are so many different details and features that go into planning these special occasions. And of course, one of the most important things for a self-confessed beauty lover like me is the revealing of the bride’s make-up. With her glossy flowing locks, stunning brown eyes, and flawless complexion, completed by a delicate smattering of freckles, there is no denying that our future princess is a true beauty. Meghan’s make-up always accentuates her stunning features in an effortless and natural way, and I’m sure she will be emulating this on her wedding day. Back in 2011, Kate Middleton famously applied her own make-up on the day she married Prince William, so I’m wondering whether Meghan will follow in her future sister-in-law’s beauty footsteps, or have a professional artist create her look for the big day. Whatever she chooses, there is no doubt that Meghan will look amazing as she walks down the aisle. While we wait for all to be revealed, I’ve taken the time to explore what this future princess’s bridal make-up might look like. During an interview with Allure, Meghan described her everyday make-up routine as “the five-minute face.” She skips the foundation and simply applies Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic Touche Éclat under her eyes to conceal and brighten. However, once she has moisturised her face, Meghan applies the Laura Mercier Illuminating Primer to achieve a dewy and glowing complexion.

After curling her lashes, Meghan uses her favourite Diorshow Iconic Mascara on her perfect peepers. A slick of soothing lip balm - Meghan’s favourite is the Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment - and a pop of blush - Meghan is a firm fan of Nars’ Blush in Orgasm - completes the actress’ quick and no-fuss beauty routine. For her bridal make-up, I think Meghan will stay true to her love of the natural and simple. However, if she is going to wear foundation, I’m sure Meghan has a personal favourite that she will be reaching for. Meghan told beauty subscription service Birchbox that she “never wants to cover her freckles,” so on the rare occasions she does apply foundation, Meghan uses Chanel’s Sublimage Le Teint Ultimate Radiance Generating Cream Foundation on select sections of her face. To transform her make-up into a night time look, Meghan’s go-to product is MAC’s Teddy Eyeliner, after she was introduced to it by make-up artist Kayleen MacAdams. This brown liner with hints of gold is also a firm favourite of the stunning Sofia Vergara. The Chanel Style Yeux Waterproof Long Lasting Eyeliner in Cassis is another of Meghan’s favourite eye-defining products - her eyes are arguably one of her best, and most mesmerising, facial features, and I’m sure her wedding make-up will really take this into account. Meghan is also a fan of Revitalash’s serum for enhancing natural eyelashes. When discussing this with Allure, Meghan said her lashes “are as long as they could ever be,” so no doubt this is a product she’s using in the run up to her royal wedding. In her engagement photos with Prince Harry, Meghan reportedly wore Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria, a perfect

taupe nude inspired by pop and fashion sensation Victorian Beckham. Even if she doesn’t wear this exact shade for her wedding, Meghan is said to be a massive fan of these lippies and I predict that she’ll be rocking a similar nude tone on the big day. Despite being just weeks away from becoming a member of the royal family, Meghan is no stranger to a beauty bargain. To keep her skin supple and glowing, she uses Nivea’s Skin Firming Hydration Cream. Her travelling essential is Tea Tree Oil, a beauty classic that can be bought cheap from a number of retailers. Meghan describes this as her “little cure-all,” so I’m she’ll make sure there’s a bottle to hand on the big day!

Image: @theroyalfamily

Heat-proof your beauty

Maintaining your make-up during heatwaves can be tricky. Beauty editor Susanne Norris shares her top tips and tricks for keeping make-up looking beautiful over the summer season

Image: @frontcoverr

h, the post-Easter heatwave. There’s nothing quite like it. Over the last few weeks, Newcastle has seen an increase in shorts, crazy sunglasses, and sales of Strongbow Dark Fruits. The nicer weather has us all going outside more and longing for the summer, so we can escape abroad for even more sunshine. There’s no denying the sunshine is a great moodbooster but, at risk of sounding like a spoilsport, it does have its cons. The main one being knowing how to apply your make-up to survive the heat. Every beauty addict knows what I’m talking about oh too well. You’re trying to enjoy the sun, but constantly feel conscious about your makeup melting. This struggle is no exaggeration. I remember going on holiday to Cyprus a few years back and gasping in horror (yes, I am that dramatic) as I opened my make-up bag to find most of my products had quite literally melted. My lipstick had become a heaped, disfigured pile of goo and my dipbrow had transformed from a gel into a liquid. It was a bad day. So, learning from my mistakes, I thought I’d compile a list of all the things you can do to stop

a make-up disaster in the heat. Whilst this is probably more applicable to those going on their holidays, you never know when we might get another Newcastle heatwave *crosses fingers and prays*. Tip 1 – Store your make-up bag in shade: It seems obvious, but this rule really can’t be broken. Whilst room temperature is normally the best temperature to store make-up at, this is no good if the temperature in your room has risen. Consider storing make-up under your desk, bed, or even under the shade of any plants you may own. Get creative. Tip 2 – Look for SPF: Switch to using base products which have SPF: This will really help when you’re out in the sun wearing your make-up. Not only will it protect you from sun damage, these products are designed with heat in mind, so are generally less oily than conventional foundations. By switching to SPF base products, you’re much more likely to avoid the horrendous my-face-isslipping-off situation as the heat rises.

Tip 4 – Invest in a waterproof mascara: Waterproof mascara. You either love it or hate it. Personally, I normally avoid it, as it’s such a pain to take off at the end of the day. But for hotter months, it’s a necessity. Waterproof mascara won’t budge, so is perfect for when you’re worried about the heat melting your make-up. This stuff will survive sweat, sudden urges to splash your face with water to cool yourself down, and even water fights (if you’re over the age of twelve and still into that sort of thing). It’s a must for any summer make-up bag. Tip 5 – Opt for a matte setting spray: I can’t lie, I’m a sucker for a dewy setting spray. Normally, I’d pick it over a matte spray any day. But, in the heat, dewy finishes are a no-go. Normally they look great and natural, but when you couple them with excessive sweating from heat all they’re going to do is make you look a hundred times sweatier. Matte setting sprays will not only set your make-up (so you have less chance of it going awry) they will also set it in a way that fights against looking sweaty, as opposed to enhancing it.

beauty life & style Beauty brand lovin’ Essence

f I were to describe Essence in three words they would be: high-quality, pigmented, and most importantly, inexpensive. As a student and a self-proclaiming stingy human, I am a lover of cheap things, and make-up is no exception. I love watching expensive make-up reviews knowing that I have something that works exactly the same, but cost me no more than £5. Essence is a frequently overlooked make-up brand, as it is sold in Wilkos and the packaging looks like it would be more suited to be on a shelf in Claires. Due to this fail in marketing, I totally understand why, when I mention this brand, many of my friends do not know what I am talking about. It has only been within the last year that influencers have begun to pick up on this brand, perhaps kicked off by super influencer Tati Westbrook making a video eight months ago reviewing their range. I personally first heard of the brand through their Lash Princess Mascara, which I discovered due to LilyWhispers ASMR who is an ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) content creator with an affinity for make-up. Though cheap, their quality is astounding and it is certainly a brand I could happily do almost all of my face with. My favourite products include Fresh and Fit Awake Foundation in Fresh Ivory, which provides a comfortably dewy look to the skin perfect for summer; Lash Princess in False Lash Effect, which is a super wet formula allowing you time to work with the product; and the Liquid Pen Eyeliner in Waterproof, as it is super budge proof and dries matte. Though not directly makeup, their nail polishes are also fabulous - opaque in only one coat, and they dry quickly. Try shade 69 All About Us for a perfect cool toned pale nude. Within the Spring/Summer 18 collection, I can say that I am highly interested in their newest eyeshadow range. There are four different eyeshadow ‘boxes’ (palettes) with each pallette including ten shadows for only £4. Even though I am someone who is a big fan of bright shadows, the nude pallet in #beYOUtiful excites me the most due to its highly pigmented golden metallic shade. With any brand however, there are some issues. All of their foundations, including newer releases, only have four shades. Especially within the Fresh and Fit range, the darkest shade would not even be considered a medium shade, with the name Fresh Sun Beige. Though a cheap brand, there really is no excuse for this poor and quite honestly embarrassing shade range. Essence’s price point can be compared with Revolution, previously Makeup Revolution, whose shade range of foundations and concealers is far superior in comparison with Essence. With scandals like the Tarte Shape Tape Foundation and the praise Fenty Beauty saw with their inclusive range, it should be clear to brands now that not only is inclusivity the kind choice, but it also a choice that will make up more money. I can only hope that they will diversify their range, as the formula for this foundation is actually bomb and should be able to be appreciated by all. Scarlett Rowland

Consider storing your make-up under your desk, bed, or even under the shade of any plants you may own Tip 3 – Go easy on the highlight: I love highlight. It’s my favourite part of my make-up routine and I could be an Anastasia Beverly Hills brand ambassador given how much I’ve spent on their highlighters. I would honestly highlight my whole face if it was socially acceptable. But, in the summer months, it’s always a good idea to keep highlight to a minimum. This is because the sun will naturally fall on the areas you’d highlight (e.g. your cheekbones) so will really do all the work for you. Also, it’s best to avoid anything excessively shimmery in summer, as no-one wants to look sweaty.

Image: @essence_cosmetics

Like us on Facebook @TheCourierBeauty Image: @toofaced

life & style travel

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@Courier_Travel thecourieronline.co.uk/travel

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

Monday 7 May 2018

Crazy festivals all The weird and around the world the wondeful...

Shiori Ozawaton explores the wackiest festivals in the world

ooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is not the only festival of madness. Here are five bizarre festivals around the world that you might want to visit once in your lifetime.

which are associated with the creation of the world in Maya mythology. The ceremony was named an Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2009, in order to help the ritual survive and thrive in the modern world.

Spain

Canada

La Tomatina, Spain is the “world’s biggest food fight” where 20,000 people gather to throw tons of ripe tomatoes to each other. Five trucks loaded with tomatoes go through the city, flooding the streets with juice. Though there is no certain story surrounding the festival’s origin, it is said that some people attacked city councilmen with tomatoes during a town celebration and it got continued year after year. Participants are required to get a ticket beforehand, make sure they are wearing clothes they never plan to wear again, and not to get fussed about the overload of tomato.

Festival du Cochon, Canada dates back to 1986. In the iconic race, people compete for how quickly they can catch a 60kg pig. The entire field is covered with mud, making it slippery and difficult than it would first seem. Although this festival was originally meant to be a day to celebrate the blessings that pigs bring, the game has caused controversy among the animal right activists and has been deemed too cruel for the pigs.

The Courier’s Editor, James Sproston, shares his ultimate holiday spots for a truly unforgettable travel experience

Japan Image: Wikimedia Commons

Germany

High and Low

Mexico Danza de los Voladores, Mexico has its roots in an ancient Mesoamerican tradition, though there are multiple explanations of its origin. According to the local Totonac myth, there was a time where a severe drought brought hunger to many, so this ceremony was created to bless the gods and bring back the rains. Five men climb up the 90meter pole dressed in traditional clothing. One of them performs dance and plays music on a flute, whilst four other men descend the pole tied with a rope and hanging up-side-down, spinning around the pole 13 times. This is to represent mythical birds,

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Gently down the stream Maddy Bainbridge discusses the lure of canal boat holidays

ast summer a group of friends and I rented a canal boat for four days in Warwick. Whilst this certainly isn’t your typical holiday idea, there are so many reasons why this is the perfect way to relax and spend time with your friends’ this summer. Firstly, renting a boat often works out cheaper than staying in a hotel or flying abroad, costing around £20 a head per night. It also gives you a great amount of freedom to travel around, without having to come back to your hotel each night. You can simply dock up and stay wherever you are.

Image: Pexels

ost people that book a holiday, go for the location or the weather, but some people are obsessed about where they stay. For some it’s all about a huge four-star fancy hotel, whilst for others it’s about the sunloungers and the all-inclusive bar. This list is for neither of those groups of people, it’s for those who want to bed down somewhere and have a unique experience, and we’ve a fair few options for you.

Which leads me onto the next benefit. Drinking. Whilst It’s probably not entirely legal to drink and drive a boat, the four miles-an-hour speed limit, combined with the fact nobody enforces any rules, means that you can drink until your hearts content. And when it’s time for bed, you don’t have to worry about taxis home. You are home. A further perk of canal boats, is that the canal routes they run on frequently have pubs running alongside them. Which means that canal boat pub crawls are a thing. And they’re amazing. All you need to do is dock up, pop into the pub, and when you’re ready, move onto the next. No expensive taxi fares or walking needed. Canal boats holidays are also a great way to socialise with friends. The close living quarters create an intimate vibe, and the shared kitchen makes meal times all the more fun. Plus, you can always dock up and have BBQs on the canal paths. Aside from all the above reasons, canal boat holidays are also a great way to see cities, and if you’re visiting a place like London, a cheap alternative form of accommodation. You can sail into the city during the day, and head back out into the quieter areas at night. So if you and your friends are looking for something different to do this summer, I would definitely recommend a canal boat holiday.

In an attempt to categorise some of these weird and wonderful places to stay, I’ve grouped a bunch of those that are either significantly above or below sea level. For those that are keen for a bit of an adrenaline rush and are fans of camping, sleeping on the side of a cliff might just be for you. Gaia Adventures offers a ‘Portaledge’ attached to the side of a cliff in North Wales, and if that doesn’t get the blood pumping, then perhaps the ‘Highline Meeting’ is more your cup of char. Founded in 2012, the A-TEAM offers a night in the Dolomites, camped out in a hammock suspended 300ft in the air. If indoor heights are more your thing, then why not spend a night in a dockside crane. Based in the Harlingen in the Netherlands, for “just €350” you can take control of the crane for a 360-degree panoramic review. Your hosts even hoist breakfast up to you in the morning. Similarly, a night in the cockpit gives you that sense of altitude, complete with controls and mini bar. If that isn’t high enough for you, Hotel Monasterio stand 3000m above sea level where the air is so thin they have to artificially pump in oxygen to every room in the 16th-century monastery.

Do remember that they are glass igloos though, so they somewhat lack privacy In contrast, there are a fair few options if you want to go deep rather than high. The most inviting option is Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Florida, which is a staggering 21 metres below the surface. After scuba-diving to your room, you can gawp at some fish, so that makes it well worth doing. If you thought staying in a 16th-century monastery was old, the Sant’Angelo luxury resort dates back to 9000 years ago. It’s carved out of rock, and even hosts two restaurants, a bar and an art gallery. However, the world’s deepest accommodation is significantly more impressive, allowing you to stay 155m underground. The Sala Silvermine may be slightly damp, but it’s worth it for the world’s best preserved mine settings.

Hot and Cold

Where better to start in the hot and cold section than an active volcano. The Nayara Resort

in the La Fortuna district of the Costa Rican city of San Carlos sits at the base of the Arenal Volcano. Geothermal energy from the volcano heats the resorts’ spa, and there’s always the added excitement that there could be an eruption at any time. If you’re after a different kind of heat, the Bedouin Camp in the deserts of Jordan gives visitors their own experience of being a nomadic herdsman.

A cell for the night Located in central Oxford, this Malmaison hotel offers 95 rooms that are luckily a little more luxorious than your average jail cell.

@mariannavlogs

Office Chair Race, Germany is as simple as its name- a competition for how fast you skid down the race track with your office chair! Sounds fairly simple, but imagine you have to race downhill on a 35km/h chair, going through curves and jumping above ramps. Both individual and team races are held. In either case, most participants have their own customised vehicle, and some like to wear fancy costumes to go with it, such as cowboys in “horses” or hospital beds.

Kanamara Matsuri, Japan is a festival that celebrate penis. Of what?! Well, the idea behind the festival is to celebrate the god of sex and the penis is therefore considered to be a holy symbol. Giant monuments of penis (called Mikoshi) are carried around the town, and candies shaped of penises and vaginas are sold (possibly Instagram friendly). It should kept in mind though that this is a holy festival where people are asked not to take inappropriate actions.

If you’re not after the heat of the Wadi Rum, and instead fancy the heat of a cup of lingonberry juice, then the Icehotel of Jukkasjärvi in Sweden what you’re after. Kitted out with reindeer hides and sleeping bags, the Icehotel is a cool -5 to -8 degrees. Alternatively, some glass igloos in Lapland offer warmer accommodation in an even harsher climate. Over 250km north of the Arctic Circle, the Kakslauttanen Resort offers both the appeal of a frozen lake alongside the comfort of traditional Finnish saunas. Do remember that they are glass igloos though, so they somewhat lack privacy.

Big and Small

It’s not every day that you get to spend a night in a prison in extreme comfort, and the Oxford Mal offers just that. Serving as an HM Prison until 1996, the Mal was converted as part of the Oxford Castle project, but slightly less glamourous. Nevertheless, the vastness of an empty prison is quite staggering, and by all means unique. Likewise, The Old Church of Urquhart in Scotland gives visitors the opportunity to stay a night in an old converted church. Complete with bells, it still conducts services and weddings, and would be quite the old school vacation. Conversely, there’s a copious number of small spaces that have been converted or constructed for accommodation purposes. The most literal manifestation of this is the Capsule Hotel offers guest the opportunity to spend the night in a 1mx2mx1m pod. Though it may not be the roomiest, it’s kitted out with various gadgets, unlike the Das Park Hotel in Austria. Situated on the River Danube, the converted sewer pipe is limited to a futon, a woolly blanket, and a light sleeping bag. Cosy. The artiest of the sits in the grounds of the Verbeke Foundation museum, and (accurately or not) represents a large intestine. Often considered the more under-represented of the intestines, the CasAnus could be regarded as small by hotel-standards, but for €120 a couple can enjoy a peculiarly white, bare and pristine room. Unlike most large intestines, it does have electricity and clean running water. What more can you ask for?

the courier Monday 7 May 2018

student activity

culture What’s on 21

editor.union@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk Culture Editors Zoë Godden and Ciara Ritson-Courtney Student Activity Editor: Alex Hendley

POETRY IN ACTION POEM OF THE WEEK

‘Paper towns exist in cartography, Houses and community buildings built Wholeheartedly in mind and map alone; They can be lost, just as easily as they can be found. There must, of course, be paper people to Fill the paper towns. People whose identity is solely the inked Indent he or she made on thin material. Imagine the simplicity if people could be Made to be ethereal, and could be Placed to fit in Any blank space with little effort and As much haste as the Person with the compass and pen pleased. Paper people are real, or at least, They were, Before representatives of democracy intervened Because they believed that Britain’s geography was In need of some more blank space.’

NSR SHOWS OF THE WEEK Alternative Mess Monday 1pm-2pm

Alternative Mess is a healthy musical mix of everything from punk, pop punk, indie, rock and pretty much anything else you could at least in some way call alternative! In terms of content the show touches on music news, trivia, reviews, and the occasional rant for good measure. In other words, it’s all a total mess. But hopefully a fun and... alternative one!

Playlist Pals Friday 3pm-4pm

Alex Reed invites in a pal each week to bring a few songs and take part in some completely daft but very competitive games including “if you’re the smartest guess the song and artist” and “meal deal showdown”. Reed uses his unique wit and comforting presenting style to welcome the listener into a Friday afternoon on NSR.

JOEY’S BEER OF THE WEEK Heineken

When you’re talking about good beers or lagers, you’ve got to go European, they just do it best. That’s why I turned down a big money move to Barcelona, because I knew I’d get hooked on Estrella Damm. When we won the league with Burnley, Scotty passed me this Dutch number and it went down a treat, really lubricated the vocal chords for our rendition of ‘Simply the Best’. Magisch.

Union University Campaign Society Monday 7 May

All day It’s a bank holiday, go down the pub

Tuesday 8 May

12.30pm Widening Access Awareness Week: Introduction to Widening Participation Location: Bamburgh Room, NUSU 5pm GIAG: BodyPump Fitness Class Location: Multi B, Sports Centre 5pm GIAG: Fat Budha Social Meal Meet: Outside NUSU 7pm Student Rep Awards Location: Venue, NUSU

Wednesday 9 May

12pm Widening Access Awareness Week: Schools Volunteering Drop-In Session Location: History Room, NUSU 1.45pm GIAG: Lush - Sunnyside & Big Blue Bathbomb Making Class Meet: Outside NUSU 2pm Widening Access Awareness Week: Schools

Newcastle Student Orchestra and Choir Friday 11 May 7.30pm, St Nicholas Cathedral

Join the Newcastle Student Orchestra and Choir for an evening of music from films and musicals in the stunning St Nicholas Cathedral. We’re performing classics from West End favourites like Wicked and Les Misérables, and pieces from Harry Potter, James Bond and Lord of the Rings. Tickets can be bought on the NUSU website and cost £3 for Concessions (including Students) and £5 for Adults if bought in advance online. Tickets can also be bought on the door and cost £4 for Concessions and £6 for Adults.

Volunteering Drop-In Session Location: History Room, NUSU 5.30pm GIAG: Matilda Theatre Show Meet: Outside NUSU 6.45pm GIAG: Tea Tasting at Quilliam Brothers’ Teahouse Meet: Outside NUSU 7pm Community Impact Awards Location: Venue, NUSU

Thursday 10 May

12.30pm Widening Access Awareness Week: What Challenges Do Mature Students Face At University? Location: Bamburgh Room, NUSU 7pm Society Awards Location: Venue, NUSU

Friday 11 May

7pm Media Awards Location: Venue, NUSU

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND GIVE IT A GO: GORGE WALKING AND WHITE WATER TUBING Saturday 12 May If you want to be the next Bear Grylls, why not start by climbing through one of the North’s most exhilarating gorges, getting your photo taken under a 70ft waterfall and going white water tubing. Transport is arranged to leave at 9am so don’t be late to the Students’ Union!

TEENAGE CANCER TRUST Sunday 13 May If you can spare some time on Sunday, Teenage Cancer Trust will be in the Metrocentre with their bucket collection. Any time you can commit to being a ‘Bucket Boss’, they will be very grateful! Please contact govolunteer.union@newcastle.ac.uk for more information.

culture music

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

My First Gig... I

Amon Amarth

’ve never really been one for gigs. I generally don’t like crowds and I tend to prefer listening to music by myself with earphones (in other words I’m about as sociable as a beligerant cat). So it wasn’t until January 2015 when Swedish Viking Metal band Amon Amarth played at our very own SU Venue that I actually went to my first gig. Metal shows are bizarre experience, drawing crowds of people that manage to be both eclectic and somewhat homogenous in equal measure. Its true such shows are generally (though not exclusively) full of white lads dressed in black but beyond that you get all sorts of people. Indeed amidst the band tshirts and long hair, the one guy who stood out most in the pit was just some dude in a beige cardigan. And this is to say nothing of the rather…unique aroma of metal shows, which for the most part is an unpleasant mixture of body odour and cannabis. Before the Amon Amarth came on we were treated to Savage Messiah and Huntress, both of whom did a pretty good job of building up hype for Amon Amarth but they paled in comparison to the main act themselves, who kicked things off in fine style with “Father of the Wolf ” before diving into a cross section of their best songs from across their twenty year discography. Despite their furious delivery, Amon Amarth never take themselves too seriously and this was aptly demonstrated during the show. The last song of the night was “Twilight of the Thunder God” (I know that’ll mean nothing to most of you but its a belter, trust me) and they introduced this by holding up a great big copy of Thor’s Hammer and smashing it down onto the stage. It was brilliantly absurd without being jarring. I know I’ve almost certainly not sold anyone but if you get the chance, I’d highly recommend going to an extreme metal gig. The music might be an acquired taste but they really are great fun. If nothing else, I’m glad my first gig was in what is effectively a dark basement surrounded by hundreds hairy, sweaty metalheads. Gerry Hart

All Time Low

Daughtry

ctober 29, 2010 is the day that would kick off my unwavering love for live music events. At the time, I was living in Johannesburg, South Africa. I had not yet developed an appetite for seeking out music on my own, and most of my musical taste was composed of what my parents enjoyed, and occasionally, the hit du jour of my peers at school. Think Fireflies and Airplanes. One of my best friends at the time was a big fan of Daughtry, and managed to convince me and a few other friends to buy tickets to their concert, which was the last stop on their first international tour. Myself and the other girls hadn’t the darndest idea who Daughtry was, but we were just extremely excited at the prospect of what at the time seemed to be a mature activity. Mature activity under parental supervision, of course, as my mother insisted she buy a ticket too and accompany us. She despises loud music and large crowds, but she wouldn’t have let me go otherwise, so on the day of the concert we both set off to the what was then called the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg. I met my friends and we took turns complimenting each other’s carefully selected clothing and badly-applied makeup before settling down in our seats. In all honesty, the concert itself was not particularly memoImage: YouTube rable, as my friend group bar the one girl who convinced the rest of us to go was only aware of one song – arguably the band’s most famous one – ‘Home’. We sung along as best as we could to this one song, and for the rest of the concert, we merely pretended we were fans. However, what was memorable about that night, even almost 8 years later, is that afterwards we had a sleepover and karaoke sang ABBA until the early hours. While I have not really listened to a Daughtry song since, ABBA has been a regular in my playlist, so it’s only fitting they recently announced new music! Bianca Ionici

Kids In Glass Houses

012 me lived and breathed All Time Low. I listened to their pop-punk, ever so slightly alternative music daily, and I remember begging my mum to be allowed to see them at Rock City in Nottingham with my best friend. I was 14 and my mum was worried about me going there with no parental supervision. At the time I thought I was invincible, but she hit me with an ultimatum: I could only go if she came too. So, picture this. Two fourteen-year-old girls with ‘ALL TIME LOW’ literally written on our faces with eyeliner because that is clearly how you show your dedication. Accompanied by my mum, who is very definitely not your typical pop-punk target audience. We were all out of our depth, waiting in line with endless amounts of cool fans with dyed hair and edgy outfits. I was dying of embarrassment at the fact that my Mum was there; this was supposed to be my very first gig, full of fun and a false sense of independence! Luckily for me, when we got inside my mum said she would go hang out in the bar and meet us afterwards – with strict instructions to be careful, don’t talk to strangers and to keep phones on. I don’t remember much of the gig itself really, and it’s blurred with the other few times I saw the band, but I remember being excited and feeling so at home in the venue as we sang along with every song. We were buzzed and left with our ears ringing, a sensation I still love. Afterwards, my mum told me she had been chatted up by a roadie in the bar, which was, and still is, hilarious. Going with my mum to my first gig has made for some great cringe-filled memories - thanks Mum! Charlotte Paige Boulton

’d like to say my first experience of a live performance was something super cool like The Kooks or some band I am obsessed with. Instead, it was One Direction. At the time, though, I was the biggest One Direction fan going with posters and t-shirts and their books… it was embarrassing. Anyway, I wouldn’t take my first gig back for anything. Playing at Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, I experienced the Take Me Home tour, back in April 2013, when One Direction were still together, creating music and making every girls wishes come true, including mine. It

the courier

he first gig I went to was Kids in Glass Houses at the O2 Academy Birmingham. The guys that did that ‘Give Me What I Want’ song, and a few others. I felt so cool listening to music that wasn’t pop (even though it was pop rock). It was an incredible night Kids in Glass Houses put on a phenomenal show, I remember when they opened their set everyone knew the words and I found it amazing to be a part of that crowd. The main thing I remember from that night was that I didn’t really know what a mosh pit was, I’d never seen them before and when one opened up right next to me I was scared to death. I was with my brother and who’d been to a few gigs before me, and he went gallivanting off into the pit without any hesitation, I thought he was crazy. Eventually, I found the guts to go in, the main thing I remember was feeling scared to death but at the same time I had never felt so exhilarated. My first gig was pretty great, but my first mosh pit was insane. It is still one of the most energetic gigs I have been to, and there’s a lot to choose from. I have seen Kids in Glass Houses 5 times since, and this gig will always be the most memorable. Firstly, this was the biggest headline show I have ever seen them play, and secondly, because I had no idea what to expect and I was blown away by it all. This is the reason I always enjoy going to see new bands, I have no idea what it will be like, and more often than not I am amazed. Tom Cox

One Direction

was everything I wanted and more. From the crazy fans, all wearing clothes that the band members themselves wore, to the live music that everyone was singing along to, I was in my element. The most memorable part of the gig was when they all got on to this moving platform that went from the stage to the back of the arena, waving at fans and singing. I’d like to believe that I was waved at by Niall…a girl could only dream back then. And let us not

Monday 7 May 2018

forget the encore. With this being my first gig, I had no idea that bands did an encore. So, when the band went off stage and the lights dimmed, I was up and out my seat, ready to leave. Yet, everyone was shouting ‘encore, encore, encore.’ If I could go back and experience that again and hear the band sing their all time classic ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, I genuinely would. It is something I will never forget. And let’s not forget the talking

in between songs…what an experience. Despite the very different concerts I have attended since One Direction, one even being their support act at the time; this very first will always have a special place in my heart. Lucy Lillystone

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@CourierMusic thecourieronline.co.uk/music

Monday 7 May 2018

Dirty Computer

Janelle Monáe J

anelle Monáe has previously recounted the raw emotion that made it so difficult - and also so incredibly necessary - to record ‘Django Jane’, one of the first singles to be released from Dirty Computer, and also her first entirely rapped track. A stately reverse piano and distorted bass is positioned against her unapologetic verse: ‘For the culture / I kamikaze’. It’s maybe unsurprising that the track was so difficult to record, given that Dirty Computer is the first Monáe album to be fully divorced from her android alter-ego, Cindi Mayweather: stripped of the science fiction metaphors, she’s able to unveil herself, offering a clearer sense of her relationship to her identity. Compared to her last two, this album is less theatrical, less grand, and a lot more to-the-point. ‘Screwed’ is a good example, with guest Zoë Kravitz and Monáe sardonically blending sex and politics, with trippy vocoders and expertly produced pop. Everything from the bass to the clap percussion is perfectly in place, exactly where it should be. The same goes for ‘Make Me Feel’, a modernisation of classic funkpop in the vein of Jackson and

Prince, the latter of whom contributed the synth groove prior to his passing. Fat synths crescendo alongside semi-Motown backing vocals, further emphasising Monáe’s range, even freer now she’s distanced from her concept albums and given more room to vocally experiment. There are some tracks that feel safer than others, though. ‘PYNK’ and ‘I Got The Juice’ both suffer from harmonic and melodic cliché, sounding too much like they could come from someone else; they’re just not distinctively Janelle. And while her performance carries them well, they’re let down even further by tracks like the psychedelic, funky ‘Take A Byte’, with seductive, husky vocals, disco percussion and a hypnotic harmonic structure that changes intricately

Accidentally On Purpose The Shires

K.O.D.

n their third album, the first in two years, English country-folk band The Shires have produced their strongest work yet with music that is catchy, fun, emotive and anthemic. That being said, it must be asked whether the Shires are playing it safe. The album opens with the injection of life that the UK country music scene needs. ‘The Hard Way’ and ‘Echo’ combine a faster paced pop-country style, made mainstream in recent years by artists like Sam Hunt, with the traditional folk sound fans of the duo have become accustomed to. The songs are powerful, have real meaning and will translate brilliantly to a live stage.

A brilliant British record, but The Shires may have missed an opportunity to find a home for a more distinct country sound in British music It is ‘Stay The Night’ that shows off the duos talents to the best. The anthemic chorus exposes the difference in the two singers’ voices, while also showing how well they are able to compliment each other. Like ‘Speechless’, further on in the album, the lyrics are those of a ballad and the catchy nature of that, and almost every single song on the album is quite the feat. The difficulty comes when you evaluate the range of music and the genre it is trying to be, with no real intense country songs it could risk fading into a crowded market of fast-paced guitar-based folk. The song ‘River of Love’ is as close as you get to a proper Nashville country song and that sound isn’t repeated elsewhere on the album, and it is weaker as a result. While Accidentally On Purpose works as brilliant British record, The Shires may have missed an opportunity to find a home for a more distinct country sound in British music. Harry Parsons

Image: Wikimedia

2016

with each repetition. It recalls prior Monáe material but that’s no bad thing. The same goes for ‘Don’t Judge Me’, a heartfelt wish that her fans will love her for her, not for Cindi, her ‘disguise’. It’s computerised and retro all in one. The computerised, glitchy parts include, of course, the arpeggiating synths, moving in and out of earshot, while it’s ‘retro’ in that every part is thickly layered with itself, creating even further harmonic complexity. It’s one of the most intimate songs on the album, her voice soft and soulful, strings soaring alongside her. The closer, ‘Americans’, sarcastically espouses the hypocrisy of the American dream; it’s energetic but also dissonant, unsettling. It emphasizes how much Monáe has to say on this album, and that’s possibly why it feels like each part seems to be jostling for space. This makes the album quite uneven, with a few missteps for every moment of brilliance. But the triumphs soar even higher than her previous body of work. And that means I don’t miss Cindi: I want to get to know Janelle. Jess Weisser

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

fter a lengthy two-year break since his last album, 4 Your Eyez Only, J. Cole released his fifth studio album, K.O.D.. Within the first 24 hours of its release, the album was already breaking records on both Spotify and Apple Music. K.O.D. was streamed 64.5 million times on Apple Music (beating the previous record holder Drake with Views) and 36.7 million times on Spotify, all within the first 24 hours of its release. Personally, I can’t say that I’m surprised. This is a guy who has a double platinum album in 2014 Forest Hills Drive, without any features, barely any marketing and no promotion prior to its release, under his belt. K.O.D., another one of his albums with no features, contains his characteristic storytelling style, “outsider” point of view and organic sound. Cole has said that K.O.D. has three meanings; Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed, and Kill our Demons. The overall theme of the album is addiction; online addiction, money addiction, drug and alcohol addiction. Containing twelve tracks (featuring two features by ‘kiLL Edward’, J. Cole’s alter ego) he contemplates monogamy, his own substance abuse, as well as substance abuse by his close ones. Much like 4 Your Eyez Only, this album isn’t one that you can listen to at pre-drinks to get hyped up. Its serious tone tackles important issues and it can at times be hard to listen to, but that isn’t to say it’s not an amazing album. It just doesn’t contain songs that can come in one ear and out the other. J. Cole’s last album was released two years ago

Something that absolutely blew my mind, is the song ‘Kevin’s Heart’. On it, J. Cole contemplates infidelity and loyalty within monogamous relationships. What took me embarrassingly long to realise, is the fact that he called it Kevin’s Heart because of Kevin Heart and his very public affair, where he cheated on his pregnant wife. I may be biased because I absolutely adore J. Cole, but that is T-Painrhyming-mansion-with-Wisconsin genius. Gabriela Szczepanska

music culture

Editors’ Picks

J. Cole

‘Hasta Luego’ Hrvy & Malu Trevejo I’m back with the next Justin Bieber for this week’s pick. Hrvy teams up with Trevejo to serve some sickly sweet Spanish pop that is much less irritating than Despacito. Toby Bryant, The Courier ‘Brooklyn in the Summer’ Aloe Blacc It’s so lovely to hear this gem come back from what has been a pretty quiet period for this sultry soul singer. It’s a pure summer tune with a basic groove and something to stick on by the pool in the sun with a cocktail in hand. Gorgeous. Ally Wilson, The Courier ‘Bad Saliva’ Kagoule A slow and brooding track from the grungy Nottingham trio, ‘Bad Saliva’ certainly isn’t a particularly summery tune; maybe save it for one of Newcastle’s inevitable summer cold spells. Charlie Isaac, The Courier ‘Scared’ Afnan Prince Newcastle very’s own Afnan Prince has just released his fab new single ‘Scared’. A prominent face on BBC Introducing NE, and recently treating NSR to a live set, this geordie is one to watch! Meg Smith, NSR ‘African White’ China Crisis For as long as I can remember my mum and dad have gone to see China Crisis at their annual Christmas show. Somehow, one year my mum managed to rope me along and me, being the moody teenager I was, thought I was far too cool to be going to see a mostly forgotten 80s band... but to my surprise, I came away loving the band. Amy Woods, NSR The Courier Music editors will be joining Meg and Amy from Newcastle Student Radio to play and discuss the Editors’ Picks at 4pm every Thursday. Be sure to tune in at nsrlive.co.uk!

n this day in 1983, at an anti-nuclear arms benefit concert in London, Paul Weller debuted his outfit The Style Council, his second hit musical endeavour after becoming a British icon as the frontman of The Jam. The Style Council, consisting of Weller and Mick Talbot, as well as various other contributors including Weller’s then partner Dee C. Lee, was an outlet for Paul Weller in which he explored less commercial sounds. As opposed to the hugely popular discography of The Jam, The Style Council played with elements of soul, funk, and the introduction of electronic elements into instrument based songs.

Weller commented on the split, saying that “It’s something we should have done two or three years ago The band, as well as Weller of his own accord, were keen fundraisers for those affected during the miners strikes of the mid 80s, often discussing critiques of Thatcherite politics in their lyrics, taking a more explicit political voice than with The Jam. In fact, in the winter of 1984, Weller assembled a one-off charity group under the name The Council Collective, to record “Soul Deep”, which appeared on Top Of The Pops and received BBC Radio 1 airtime despite being politically charged. The royalties from this record were in part donated to the family of David Wilkie, a taxi driver who was killed during the height of the violence amongst striking miners, with the lyrics being dedicated to the struggle of the working class. The band went on to record music for the best part of that decade, eventually disbanding in 1990 following a downturn in the project’s output and in some part, their split seemed a natural stopping point. Weller himself commented on the split, saying that: “It’s something we should have done two or three years ago. We created some great music in our time, the effects of which won’t be appreciated for some time”. Liam Austen

Image: Wikimedia Commons

@Courier_Music @TheCourierMusic Newcastle Student Radio: nsrlive.co.uk @NSRlive

culture TV

the courier

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

Amy Gildert’s Iron Fist

ith all the superhero hype that is floating about after the release of Infinity War, I thought it only fitting to turn my eye back to Marvel’s superhero TV shows. This week I’ll be taking a look at Iron Fist, the Netflix original that follows Danny Rand, a young billionaire who has returned to New York after a mysterious plane crash, wielding an even more mysterious power.

Bitter

To be honest, I don’t even know where to start with the cultural appropriation that’s going on in Iron Fist. The show explicitly shows Danny, a self-righteous white boy, showing an Asian martial arts professional how she should be doing it, and how thoroughly outmatched she is in the symbolic face of imperialism and colonialism. What’s frustrating is that if they had cast Danny as Asian-American, the whole show could have been about a reclamation of heritage. But no. We get another self-entitled white protagonist. In short: Make Danny Rand Asian you cowards. For a show whose whole premise revolves around martial arts, you would think they would have made the fight scenes better quality. Apparently time constraints rushed rehearsal time, but why would you rush rehearsals on the heart and soul of your show? Regardless of the reason behind in, the punches thrown in Iron Fist definitely don’t hit home.

Make Danny Rand Asian you cowards Appropriation aside for a minute, the Iron Fist is meant to be the best martial arts fighter in the whole world, and you’re trying to tell me that weedy little Danny Rand is It? Muscles do not a man make, but even I think I could take this guy in a fight. And while you might like Danny as a character at first, I wouldn’t hold your breath on that. His endearing naivety quickly gives way to childish tantrums that make me want to physically throttle him in a way that I have never felt towards a fictional character. He refuses to learn from his mistakes and like a stroppy toddler, he repeatedly ignores every good piece of advice given to him.

Sweet

When the series started, I genuinely liked Danny. His awkwardness and naivety were delivered really well from actor Finn Jones, and you really get the sense that he wants to see the good in the world. This comes as a nice change from other, somewhat grumpier, Defenders. However, more interesting than Danny and his tragic backstory is the tragedy that plays out between the side characters of Ward, Joy, and their father Harold. Harold appears to care for Joy deeply, yet manipulates his son at every opportunity. The complicated relationships in this family are by far one of the most compelling points of drama in Iron First. One of the more original ideas that Iron Fist plays with is the moral ambiguity of the Hand. Fans of other Marvel series know that the Hand is the Big Bad ultimate villain, however Iron Fist gives you a look behind that mysterious curtain to show you why people follow them, and show that it might not be completely evil after all.

The Verdict: Bitter

Marvel has gotten very good at shaping its cinematic universe and producing shows and films that live up to the standards we’ve come to expect for superheroes. Unfortunately, Iron Fist doesn’t live up to these standards. Across all its elements, the show lacks heart, meaning that for me it is sadly Bitter.

@thecouriertv @Courier_TV

Monday 7th May 2018

Equal pay spells progress for TV industry? John O’Carroll and Ally Wilson argue contrasting views on the effects of gender pay equality

John O’Carroll

The fact that needs to be stated is that men and women are different. They choose different paths in life and have different priorities. It is nothing to do with institutional sexism – although there will be cases of that found in favour of both genders – for example, a study carried out by the Press Association established that women between ages 22 and 29 earn £1,111 more than men of the same age per annum. The balance swings in favour of men after the age of 30, but why is this? The answer is simple and it lies within our biological make-up, according to the Office for National Statistics, women tend to have children for the first time once they get to their late 20’s, meaning that they, in many cases, will work less, if at all, for the rest of their life. We should not measure quality of life by income alone; we must never forget that it is better for a family to exist as a unit, better for the children as well as, due to decreased financial pressure, for the parents. The whole facade that is the ‘gender pay gap’ is just one more neo-Marxist attack on the nuclear family which has, thus far, served us so well. It is just as satisfying, if not more, to birth and raise a child as it is to work all of your life and forge a career, it just so happens that more women are engaged in the former and men in the latter. Why? Biology.

f you are anything like myself and care little for the goings on in the overtly left-wing dominated media, then perhaps the story that Westworld’s Evan Rachel Wood will be receiving pay equivalent to that of her male co-stars for the forthcoming season may have passed you by. The move comes as part of a new HBO prerogative to push for equal pay within their own organisation, ultimately setting the precedent for the elitist and often patronising bubble - which is certainly not the microcosm analogous to wider society which it purports itself to be - but which is, unfortunately, our entertainment industry. So, is it a good thing? Of course, if she has the negotiating leverage to demand such a thing then all the more power to her, well done to her. But to even suggest that it has wider implications in fields of work outside of entertainment would be to partake in a grand faux pas whose implications could be of serious detriment to wider society. The problem with what we know as the ‘pay gap’ begins with the term itself. It is not a ‘pay gap’ per se; it is a term used, falsely, to describe a measured disparity in aggregated median incomes of both men and women from all professions. So it is measuring the average income of men, who of course engage in a wider variety of jobs to that of women, who’s labourly pursuits are similarly Image: @evanrachelwood (instagram) broad.

Ally Wilson

t seems recently that you can’t open any kind of news app or entertainment magazine without some kind of gender pay-gap story hitting the headlines - of how women have been essentially ripped off for their work by be-

ing paid less than their male counterparts, even when their screen time has been significantly shorter. Take Claire Foy for example from The Crown, who we learned earlier this year was paid less than her male co-star, Matt Smith. This caused a suitable amount of outrage, and just as Rachel Wood has achieved with Westworld, Foy received compensation for these totally sexist miscalculations. Although rates of pay for these stars is a controversial subject in itself, it cannot be denied that the exposure of this complete inequality is an excellent thing. What I find amazing is that every time a new scandal is exposed, my mum will sigh and say ‘I was campaigning about this at your age’, yet men still seem to think that the value of women’s work is less than that of men, thirty years on. Obviously, the biological argument is an everpresent get-out-of-jail-free card for male employers when questioned as to why they have so few women in the most senior positions in their companies. Of course, we’re the ones with the wombs and the boobs, there is an unavoidable amount of time that we must take off work for the wellbeing of our children. But what is the answer to this? Forcing women to choose between their careers and motherhood? No. What is required is a change in gender conventions. A recent study showed that only 1 in 100 men opt for shared paternity leave, something which companies have made more widely available in an admirable attempt to support their female employees through the progression of their careers. Admittedly, the lack of interest in this policy is partially a result of a badly thought out law (by which the leave is not shared but simply given to one parent, resulting in one stunted career regardless), but it is also due to a long-standing, utterly misogynistic and out-dated gender convention of the male parent being the sole-breadwinner of the family, and the women’s sphere being in the home. Equality should never be compromised simply because of someone’s biological make-up. The potential careers of women don’t have to be compromised by the fact that they have ovaries. As Rachel Wood, Claire Foy and the ‘Time’s Up’ movement has proven in the entertainment industry, equality is and should be possible, with the support of employers and the government. Women can contribute just as much as men, both financially and socially. Why don’t we give them a chance to?

Year of the Woman: Jane the Virgin

Charlotte Boulton looks into the progressive virtues of TV’s favourite accidental insemination

o, a TV show about a Latino Catholic virgin who gets accidentally inseminated after a medical mix-up? I forgive you for raising an eyebrow. Jane the Virgin has the set-up of an awkwardly funny sitcom, but it’s so much more than that; helped a lot by Jane herself. The show uses the Latin America telenovela genre, famous for unbelievable plot points and masses of drama, to tell the story of Jane coming to terms with her unexpected pregnancy and the delights and troubles that come along with it.

Despite various love triangle plots, the development of the women is at its heart Jane Villanueva (Gina Rodriquez) is introduced as a religious young aspiring writer, who lives with her mother and grandmother (who are both also excellent women characters), and is engaged to a cop. Her story develops with her trying to decide what she wants to do with her life; relationships, love, family reunion, her career. Jane has a lot to deal with, and her humour, tenacity and stubborn determination is something I aspire to. As the titular character, she undergoes a lot of character development, as she learns to deal with issues like dialling back her interfering nature and handling a new father figure in her life. Although I think Jane is wonderful, I think another female character in the show also deserves some focus: Petra Solano. Petra (Yael Grobglas) begins the show as the stereotypical villain of the story and the main love rival for Jane’s turbulent relationship with Rafael,

whose baby she had become accidentally pregnant with. At first, you hate Petra because you’re rooting for Jane and Rafael, and Petra is a manipulative and vindictive character who partakes in some rather shady dealings. But as the show progresses, you come to see her vulnerabilities, motives and a softer side, and she quickly became my favourite woman in the series. She’s still badass and takes no prisoners, but her personality is complex, and you begin to support her, even in her morally dubious moments. Jane the Virgin is an interesting woman-led programme, as despite various love triangle plots, the development of the women is at the heart. Jane’s mother and grandmother, Xiomara and Alba, highlight different views on sexual relationships, motherhood and religion. I learnt a lot about Venezuelan culture and background from the show, as you uncover more about Alba’s life and loves before Jane’s birth. The consistent challenging of stereotypes of Latinos, immigrants

and women is offers important representation for these marginalised groups. Media representation is often flat and unauthentic for these groups, and Jane the Virgin is showing that it is very possible to change the discourse. The Villanueva family is a perfect example of how strong female relationships can be at the forefront of a TV series, and they don’t need the male characters to give them power or legitimacy. If you can look past or even learn to love the ridiculous dramatic twists and turns, you’ll find a lot to love in Jane the Virgin.

Image: @cwjanethevirgin (instagram)

the courier

@CourierTV thecourieronline.co.uk/tv

Monday 7th May 2018

TV culture

An invasion of privacy and an overblown media frenzy?

Sophie Hicks questions the media obsession with celebrity criminality and it’s disregard for mental health of those involved

e’re all aware of the drink-driving incident that occurred in March with Ant McPartlin, yet it seems every day there is more news stemming from it. Has this been over-reported? If this was news about a normal person, it would make its span through local news and then within 24 hours, be forgotten. Not because drunk driving isn’t serious, but because news does not have a long life. Yet, as it is Ant McPartlin, we have been constantly bombarded with every detail of his life for literally over a month now.

probably be disregarded from the articles entirely, since the media lessens the importance of mental health. Media coverage must be damaging his mental health, as every outlet is reminding him of the incident; trying to dig up issues that he is still struggling with. On top of this, they’re also questioning his career prospects by discussing if he’s going to be back on TV to host I’m a Celebrity or Saturday Night Takeaway. Surely

that’s the least of concerns? Do people want to exploit a mentally ill man on TV? Surely it’s better for him to go back to rehab and take time to work on himself rather than projects. All the stress from the public eye could make his mental health worse, knowing that everything he does will be scrutinised. McPartlin was fined £86,000 from the incident and a ban from driving for 20 months, which is apparently the biggest drinkdriving fine in history. I understand that in comparison to his wage, the fine is likely not too high. However, I don’t

Lost in Space

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Gotham: Series 4

Rupaul’s Drag Race

Netflix

£86,000

see why he has the highest fine in UK history. No one died and he’s truly remorseful for his actions. If he was an average person, this fine would not be so high. Are the courts using Ant McPartlin as an example to discourage drink-driving? I just feel like other celebrities have done way worse and have not been as scrutinised within the public eye. Yes, his actions were wrong and irresponsible, but bad mental health and addictions must be considered. He obviously didn’t mean to hurt anyone, and he struggles with addiction which greatly effects his mentality. I don’t think he should be cast into a negative light so quickly because of his mental health, which he is trying to get help for. Media outlets need to stop focusing on Ant McPartlin and give him space so he can get the help he needs. Yes, it may be a scandalous story, but it has been overreported and has largely been dealt Image: @antanddec (Twitter); Powerresethdd (wikipedia); Yahoo (flickr); Dino Kužnik (wikimedia commons) with.

Anthony McPartlin’s drink driving fine

I understand that he suffers from serious issues and has gone to rehab for help. The media seems to reinforce this information every day since the incident, to capitalise on a mentally unwell man, and perhaps giving an alibi for his actions. No matter what, I don’t think you can justify drinking under the influence. If this was a normal person, they would be shamed and their mental health issues would

Reviews

Image: YouTube

he Netflix series Lost in Space is a remake of the original one that aired from 1965 to 1968, but with a few differences. The series is set 30 years into the future, where the Robinson family has been sent on a mission to establish a colony to expand the bounds of human experience. However their journey faces many challenges along the way, their ship crashes and they become stranded in space. The series started off a little slow, as I felt the first episode took a lot of effort to watch but by the third episode it really picked up the pace, and by the fourth one, I was hooked. Although the series is set in space, I find that the most engaging part of the story is actually the strained relationships between the Robinson family members. The youngest member, Will Robinson, is the lead and you start to really empathise with him. The father has been absent for a lot of his children’s lives and his wife’s. This is shown from the get go, as he fails to know any of Will’s hobbies and interests.

rooklyn Nine-Nine is by far my favourite new comedy. I wasn’t expecting to be so easily taken aboard by this inane and ridiculous comedy that appears to set itself up with a very simple and even seemingly dull concept: The goings on at a police precinct in Brooklyn. Doesn’t sound riveting, does it? Well, it’s really the incredible cast of characters that keep you going back for more.

You can’t help but love all the characters

It is clear to see why the series gets high ratings because once you get into it, it’s endearing. Will Robinson’s innocence and open mind makes you fall in love with him quite easily, and as for his ‘friend’ that he saves it would be hard not to like him. The visuals in the series are stunning, in particular scenes it’s almost magical, so magical that you forget that they are stranded and cut off from their mother ship, and for a slight second you wish you could be there to experience the good moments with them. So if you like sci-fi, adventure and family drama, then why not give it a watch.

Andy Samberg takes the lead role as detective Jake Peralta, somehow a genius detective whilst simultaneously being an inane child inside, often making jokes in inappropriate circumstances, such as touting his favourite line “name of your sextape” after unfortunate wording of a sentence from his co-worker Amy Santiago. Whilst Jake’s character ultimately steals the show with his charming and lovable immaturity, Amy’s humour come’s from her inability to rebel at all, her absolute obedience to the rules of the precinct and her almost fanatical love of folders and organisation, but again these quirks just makes her a more likable person. Each character has a main character trait that makes them incredibly flawed and a potential annoyance in real life, however they somehow come across as likable all the time. Captain Holt fails ever display any real emotion, Rosa is violent and threatening towards her co-workers, Gina is an egotistical manipulator of people, Charles has no ability to control his inner thoughts verbally, and Scully and Hitchcock are absurdly stupid (Terry doesn’t have any flaws unless you count yoghurt). Yet you can’t help but love all these characters. This isn’t like Friends where the character’s flaws become grating and unlikable very quickly. Brooklyn Nine-Nine knows how to work through the character’s flaws in an endearing way.

Danielle Brier

Jacob Clarke

The most engaging part of the story is the strained relationship between the family

Image: BagoGames (flickr)

Image: YouTube

ooray! The fourth series of the comicbook crime drama has finally arrived in the UK. The show follows a young James Gordon’s perpetual mission to restore order to the crime-ridden city. Series four sees Bruce Wayne finally donning the mantle of the caped crusader to fight crime in a city now firmly under Penguin’s grasp. It’s about time too, as the corruption of the Gotham City Police Department has left Gordon struggling against a new wave of baddies, from The Scarecrow to the increased presence of Ra’s al Ghul. The only downside of Gotham is (spoiler) the show’s tendency to bring back all its best villains from the dead, which really starts to eliminate any kind of suspense after the third or fourth time. But then again, this is the Batman universe after all, and if there is one thing that the comics have taught us, it’s that no villain stays out of action for long.

Gotham is by far the best of DC’s TV outings Yet that’s not the end of the world, as most of the villains are excellent. The stories of The Riddler and Penguin’s development are particularly well done - a rWarity amongst the hordes of superhero based TV shows currently on offer. Thankfully, E4 have obtained the rights for the show’s fourth series. They are taking over from Channel 5, which aired the first two series before making fans wait ages for the third, until it was eventually released on Netflix only weeks before series four began in the US. Gotham has had a history of making British fans wait, so hopefully it’s new home on E4 will bring with it a new regular schedule. With its strong villains, compelling story arcs and some actual character development, Gotham is by far the best of DC’s TV outings and the strongest contender to stand up against the onslaught of Marvel’s MCU. Alex Moore

Image: @rupaulofficial (instagram)

upaul’s Drag Race is the only reality show I can stomach (apart from an occasional enjoyment in watching Love Island when my friends ‘force’ me to). The latest season is 10. As always, its full of interesting and sassy contestants, prepared more for battle than The Hunger Games kids. Jokes aside, this year’s queens make for quite the competition. I recently rewatched season 7, and boy is the competition kinda weak. That’s not the case in 10; it’s pretty much anybody’s game at this point, though hopefully not Eureka’s! Here are my thoughts on the remaining queens (prior to Friday’s episode 7); I’m rooting for Miz Cracker and Monique Heart. Cracker is innovative, quirky and the videos of her club lip syncs on YouTube are, to use drag lexicon, sickening! Monique is equally a fierce competitor and her sass and facial expressions make for some great TV. These are closely followed by Asia O’Hara, for me. Asia is beautiful, and she’s had some incredible runway designs, but I feel as though she’s fading into the crowd at times (that’s the reason Blair St. Clair lost my love – that and her criminal record and apparent fake innocence). She’s need to step her game up because she has such potential. I wouldn’t mind if Kameron Michaels did well; she’s not stood out much but it’s great to see such a tattooed, hunky, muscled man look so gorgeous in wigs and heels. He’s really defying stereotypes in that sense. Speaking of masculinity – Aquaria’s style of drag does nothing for me. If there’s a Valentina of the season, it’s her. Constantly praised, sometimes unnecessarily, and her personality isn’t anything special. Maybe I’m just as bitter as Aja was – I’m concerned Aquaria could knock my girl Cracker out of the competition so yes, my back is up! I have mixed opinions on The Vixen and Eureka well, never mind. And whilst I like Monet X Change, she’s kinda a rip off of her ‘mother’, Bob. With only 3 episodes left, the race to the top is within sight. That means there’s still 3 more chances for Vanessa ‘Miss Vanjie’ Mateo to make her shock return and snatch the crown – please, Mama Ru! Joel Leaver

culture film

Golden Oldies

Monday 7 May 2018

Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution

Steven Ross reports on a screening of Netlfix’s new documentary that looks at spring break and ‘hook-up-culture’ in US colleges, and asks whether we see this at Newcastle Uni as well

Image: YouTube

the courier

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

Kelly’s Heroes (1970)

o many times, my Dad has uttered the phrase “Let’s watch Kelly’s Heroes” that it’s become a tradition to put on the cult classic in our house. Relatively unknown to many, Kelly’s Heroes is a comedy gem that is a must-see for anyone who loves a war film. Set in the later years of the second world war, when the American army is reaching the French city of Nancy, a group of soldiers including Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas go AWOL in search of a bank full of gold behind enemy lines. The opening scene hooks you immediately; Telly Savalas is raging on the radio due to American mortars firing on his own platoon, while Clint Eastwood (who plays the titular character Kelly) gets a German Colonel drunk to interrogate him. The whole scene creates an intense yet comedic atmosphere that captures the tone of the entire film. From here Kelly finds out the location of a hoard of gold and rounds up all the ‘best’ men he can find.

n Wednesday 25th April, the Film Society hosted a screening of Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution, a documentary produced by Newcastle alumnus Helen Taylor. The film analyses spring break and hook up culture in America, but its message is easily transferable to a night out in Newcastle. Liberated showed how sexual violation is normalised in this setting, and how something that seems like harmless fun can quickly escalate into straight up sexual assault.

Shay tries to be loving and respectful towards women, rather than seeing them as sexual objects After the screening there was a panel discussion,

with the director (Benjamin Nolot), producer (Helen Taylor), Sarah Craggs (the Welfare and Equality officer at Newcastle University Students’ Union), and Kimberleigh Andrews and Shay Douglas who were both interviewed in the film. Shay, who was shown in the documentary to embody hook up culture, seen trying to sleep with as many women as possible and saying, ‘sex is about the number’, kicked things off by talking about his journey since being filmed. Shay’s segment of the documentary was filmed five years ago, and he said that he now tries to be loving and respectful towards women, rather than seeing them as objects of sexual gratification. Kimberleigh, who in the film discussed worrying about how her little sister will be treated when she grows up, was asked if that is still a concern for her. Kimberleigh said that it was but that she hoped she would be able to show her sister the film to educate and warn her about the problems of hook up culture. The discussion grew heated when a student

A man before his time, ‘Oddball’ is a hippie stoner Sergeant who commands tanks One of the more stand-out characters is ‘Oddball’ played by the wonderful Donald Sutherland. Probably best known nowadays for playing the evil President Snow in the Hunger Games series, ‘Oddball’ is a totally different sort of character. A man before his time, ‘Oddball’ is a hippie stoner Sergeant who commands a tank unit. Throughout the film ‘Oddball’ throws line after line of hilarity including his obsessive use of the phrase ‘negative waves’. Don Rickles is also brilliant, being a comedian himself, he plays the groups hustler known as ‘Crapgame’ and adds more humour, bouncing off wit with Telly Savalas, who plays ‘Big Joe’. The main theme of Kelly’s Heroes is brotherhood, showing what a team of friends can achieve when fighting for one another. Kelly’s Heroes is a fun war film that will make you emotional and upbeat, which is rare with the likes of Apocalypse Now or Saving Private Ryan being the most popular war movies to date. Unfortunately, there is no female presence in the film, and while to a modern audience it does not include appropriate diversity than would be hoped, it is still very enjoyable when you keep in mind it’s a film of its time. So, sit back, drop those negative waves and enjoy the greatest war film ever made. Jimmy Athey

Image: YouTube

@NewcastleCourierFilm @Courier_Film

Image: YouTube

voiced concern that as an Indian, gender nonconforming lesbian, the student’s experience was not represented in the film. Benjamin responded that the film was made as a snapshot of life at spring break and that the intention was not to silence or negate other experiences.

She acknowledged that experiences of sexual assault vary across sexuality and race Kimberleigh said that she was Mexican and bisexual but acknowledged that experiences of sexuality and sexual assault is different across different sexualities and races, and that they cannot always be grouped together. Helen discussed the key demographic of the documentary, which is college and university students. Liberated is being screened across universities in both American and the UK. Helen said that she hopes the documentary will give students the courage to resist the pressures of culture. Sarah Craggs talked about the issue of consent on a university campus. She said that all students understand that rape is sexual assault, but that not all students recognise that many instances of sexual assault exist other than rape. She also said that students need to learn that consent is not always just a simple issue of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and that non-verbal communication is important. Roughly 150 people attended the screening, a testament to the buzz that FilmSoc created for the event. However, for those who weren’t at the screening, Liberated is available to watch on Netflix, and is well worth its 86 minutes run time. This is a challenging, unflinching and insightful piece of cinema.

Tribeca Film Festival 2018 Joe Holloran looks at the New York-based festival and the exciting new releases on show

very year since 2002, well known faces and future stars gather to watch dozens, if not hundreds of films to be voted upon by a jury of film insiders. And with a win comes promotion and the chance of a distribution deal. The stakes are always high and this year’s festival was no different, so let’s take a look over some of the big winners and high points from the streets of New York.

Themes of displacement and isolation could easily resonate with Western audiences Three movies in particular wowed critics and audiences at this year’s festival. The first of these was; Diane (Wr/Dir: Kent Jones), an emotional character piece staring Mary Kay Place (Being John Malkovich, Big Chill) in the title role as a woman dealing with the rawness of life. Or more accurately, death. The movie picked up the prestigious Best Narrative Feature award for which it was the clear favourite. Critics praised Diane’s direction and aesthetic beauty, no surprise then that the award for Best Cinematographer went to Wyatt Garfield. Diane’s third award-win was for Jones, who took home Best Screenplay, this alongside his best movie win means things couldn’t have gone better for the debutant director. One of the big international winners at the festival was Smuggling Hendrix, a Cypriote film by director Marios Piperides, which took home Best International Narrative Feature. Smuggling Hendrix follows the exploits of a poor Cypriote called Yiannis, whose dream of leaving the beleaguered island is about to come true. All

Yiannis has as he prepares for his new life is his beloved dog Jimi (hence Hendrix). On the eve of departure, little Jimi crosses over into the Turkish controlled portion of the island, and Yiannis has a potentially deadly choice to make. The film has won over critics, who call it funny, charming, and politically astute. The film seems destined to win yet more awards, and because of its UK co-production, may see a limited release in this country. Island of Hungry Ghosts won Best Documentary Feature at the awards. The documentary piece by Gabrielle Brady follows the strange life of Poh Lin, a trauma councillor living on the remote Christmas Island in the Pacific. There, deep in the jungle, Lin works with asylum seekers attempting to enter near-by Australia all the while attempting to understand the few local’s

relationship with the Islands native spirits through the ‘Hungry Ghost Ritual’. All of this sounds like it sprang from the imagination of Hayao Miyazaki, but its themes of displacement and isolation could easily resonate with Western audiences. Not to mention the fact that the film looks stunning. Of the three films featured here, it would certainly be my choice to see. This celebration of cinema was born in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, which brought darkness, despair and death to New York. New York responded by hosting a global celebration of the art of cinema, and creativity more generally. There are dozens of film festivals throughout the world each year, but none showcase the healing power of the arts more than those ten-days on the cramped streets of Tribeca, New York. Long may it last.

Image: YouTube

the courier

@Courier_Film thecourieronline.co.uk/film

Monday 7 May 2018

Avengers: Infinity War

Dan Haygarth reviews the latest Marvel installment, which features a variety of characters from all of their previous films

he Avengers face their greatest threat to date as genocidal alien Thanos (Josh Brolin) sets his sights on wreaking havoc on the entire universe. ‘Earth’s mightiest heroes’, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther and his pals all join forces to fight the good fight. Billed as ‘the most ambitious crossover event in history’, Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of the first ten years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a result, it is a very busy film – practically every main character from the studio’s previous eighteen films makes an appearance. Returning directors Anthony & Joe Russo continue their excellent run of form after helming the previous two Captain America films and handle

the film’s congested cast very well. The directors are, however, assisted by the talent on display. Brolin impresses in a very difficult role and may be the first truly threatening CGI comic book villain. Of the Avengers themselves, Robert Downey Jr. is superb as ever, while Benedict Cumerbatch steps up as Doctor Strange after a lukewarm start in his solo film. As Gamora, Zoe Saldana thrives in a much larger role and Tom Holland gives another sterling performance as Spider-Man. However, the standard of facial hair on display is not as universally strong as the acting. Chris Pratt, though excellent as the ever-quipping Peter Quill, sports a truly dreadful moustache. Fortunately,

Chris Evans’ beard is as fine as his performance. Unfortunately, as Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson is again underused – with this amount of lead characters, not everyone gets their fair share of screen time. While the acting is excellent, the spectacle and scope of Infinity War is staggering. Marvel delivers on their ambition. The plethora of locations are realised beautifully, and the action set pieces utilise the abundant cast of heroes and their varying powers to full effect. The action is improved by the screen presence of Thanos. Although there are several large-scale skirmishes against a faceless alien army, most of the action consists of battles against the Brolin’s big bad. With forearms that put Thor to shame, Thanos is a suitably powerful antagonist, who is a bona fide thorn in the Avengers’ side. After ten years of solid filmmaking, there was a risk that Marvel Cinematic Universe could turn stale. However, in 2018, the studio has delivered the superb Black Panther and now, arguably their best film to date. Don’t be expecting the typical Marvel formula though. While there is wisecracking aplenty, this is a dark film. In the past, the comic book giants have been accused of lacking genuine stakes and lasting consequences. Infinity War renounces this claim and some. Without spoiling anything, this is not a breezy blockbuster. As ambitious as any film you’ll see this year, Avengers: Infinity War is a triumph. Beguiling, bold and bombastic; Marvel have struck gold yet again. Superhero fatigue? I think not.

Image: YouTube

Beast (15)

The Week Of (15)

Image: YouTube

he Week Of is a Netflix release starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock as the respective fathers of an engaged couple. The Meyerowitz Stories proved that Sandler and Netflix can be a successful partnership; The Week Of represents a resumption of normal service for Sandler, with a derisory attempt at a comedy. Sandler plays Kenny Lustig, a lower-middle class contractor, desperate to give his daughter the best wedding day that his meagre bank balance can provide for. His surname will be sure to disappoint the film’s German viewers: though it translates as ‘funny’, his acting was anything but. Lustig’s counterpart is Kirby Cordice (Rock), a lothario celebrity heart surgeon, introduced by means of a diabolical mid-surgery phone conversation scene, in which he uses the unconscious patients’ hand to flip between incoming calls. The film struggles through its 110 minutes, relying on heavy-handed humour that is as catastrophic in its attempt to make the viewer laugh as the circumstances that threaten to scupper the Lustig-Cordice matrimony. There are cringes galore, as The Week Of ’s weak script is propped up by a hotpot of lazy racial stereotypes: Jews are stingy; Arabs are bumbling fools; black people all look the same. The feature attempts contemplative moments, trying to conjure paternal pride and accepting familial change. Attempting to brush a supposedly heart-warming scene with some comic relief, Steve Buscemi (yes, Buscemi!) kamikazes a final farewell with his elderly father, transforming it into a monologue on his historic masturbation into vacuum cleaners. The highlight of my viewing experience was discovering that the final 7 minutes of the Netflix feature are the rolling credits. In trying to prove that you don’t need money to be happy, The Week Of is an absolute triumph: this big budget production left me anything but.

Jeremy Bridge

The Wound (15)

It makes me feel as if the director has been living in a bunker in Carlisle Society has filters so films this bad cannot be made. We live in hope that producers, casters and cinematographers have the chivalry to pull the director decide and tell him, “maybe 50 slow motion love up compilations is too many” or “do you realise every single sentence in this film is a cliché?”. It makes me feel as if the director has been living in a bunker in Carlisle, studying every film in existence but forgetting humans don’t speak like stuttering robotic mongoloids that occasionally leak from their viewing sockets. What about when a scene builds up to a dramatic finish? I know, how about the main character just screams into the camera with the sound turned down? Great, that’s drama! Done. Next scene. How about a slow mo, because I think the audience might just need reminding there are lots of thoughts in the main characters head and they’re all coo-coo so the audience can’t understand them and I have literally no imagination so slo-mo. All I need is millions of pounds of BFI money and a load of old people bored of doing something constructive on a Sunday afternoon. Sid Pinsent

film culture

International Film Vchera (Yesterday) (1988)

rowing up my parents have made many attempts to get me interested in the pre-2000s Bulgarian art culture mainly because they have always wanted me to get a sense of what they loved when they were young. As a teenager living in the era of technology and having access to everything Western pop culture has to offer I frankly couldn’t be less interested in Bulgarian old films so the first time I watched Vchera (eng. Yesterday) was not until a year after I moved to the UK. The reason I watched it in the first place was simply due to feeling homesick and nostalgic. Vchera centres the lives of the students in an elite Bulgarian high school whose parents are predominantly high-ranking Communist officials. Even though the story goes back and forth following the characters’ teenage dramas, love intrigues and cultural interests, the bigger picture shows their struggles against the absurd and oppressive Communist regime.

The film creates a striking contrast between the absurdity of Bulgarian authoritarian rule and the friends’ genuine values

Image: YouTube

ichael Pearce’s directorial debut promises thrills with a story of love and murder on the island of Jersey. Four young girls have gone missing and two trouble young lovers are caught up in an investigation where everyone’s a subject. Yes, you’d heard it before, except this time it’s executed dreadfully and is a complete waste of everyone’s time. One can only hope this is the end of Pearce’s career and all those involved in this film give up on their dream of working in film.

inali is a construction worker who lives in Johannesburg. Leaving work one day, he jumps into the back of a truck, and is taken into the deep wilderness of South Africa. At the foot of a mountain, camping alongside elders and young men alike, Xinali takes on the role of ‘caregiver’, an officiate of a frighteningly structured rite of passage: Adult Male Circumcision.

One of the plotlines at the back of the story is about a girl called Vera who disappears from the school because of her pregnancy and the principal’s attempts to cover it up in order to preserve the school’s elite reputation. He does get in trouble with some of the students’ parents when they find out about it which goes to show that in Communist Bulgaria everything is everyone’s business and privacy or freedom simply don’t exist. The overall atmosphere in the school is army-like, set by the principal’s absurdly strict rules.

Beautifully sad and terrifying He is, however, assigned a special task. He is to be the personal caregiver of the ‘initiate’ Kwanda, whose father is rich and desires his son to be subject to extra scrutiny in order to counteract his ‘soft’ ways. As the camp gathers, Xinali is reunited with his boyhood friend, Vija, who, unknown to the rest of the group, is romantically involved with Xinali, and is cautious along with Xinali about the persecution which might follow the outing of their love life. As the film progresses, we find that Kwanda is also hiding that he is gay, and the three figures come into conflict amidst this scene of tradition, masculinity, and transformation. Beautifully sad and terrifying, The Wound is an exceptional film that explores increasingly popular themes in a way that, frankly, I have never seen before. The feature film debut of John Trengove, The Wound was South Africa’s official entry into the Oscar race for Best Foreign Language film, and it is a wonder how it didn’t win. The cinematography shows us the luxurious sparseness of the south African countryside that is so vital to the events of the film, both materially and symbolically. And the acting is superb, which, along with the soundtrack, communicates brilliantly the very heavy issues at hand. But it is, after all, these very heavy issues which give this film its heart anyway, and I would challenge you upon the high recommendation that you watch it, that it might also break yours. Chris Wilkinson

Image: YouTube

When a new literature teacher arrives at the school he takes a certain liking to a boy named Kostov who proves to be a very talented actor. When he recruits the boy to play the part of Holden in Catcher in the Rye for a Drama society, he is reproached both by the principal and the students’ parents. Think Dead Poets Society. Everything the students do as a form of escapism, the school system is strictly against. They read Shakespeare, smuggle Western magazines and listen to The Beatles, simply dreaming of a more progressive society which seems unattainable. The film creates a striking contrast between the the absurdity of Bulgarian authoritarian rule and the genuine values the students develop in their friendship group – their love, loyalty and devotion. Vchera has since become my favourite film of all time, reminding me how lucky we are that the world is moving forwards. YouTube ElenaImage: Trayanova

the courier

Monday 7 May 2018

c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland and Carys Thomas

@CourierArts thecourieronline.co.uk/arts

Is social media the new art gallery?

arts culture

Sweet Column

Ella Williams explores the effect social media has had on the public’s interest for art galleries

hether pictures of paintings or snapchats of spoken word, there is little doubt that physical art spaces are leaking their way into the virtual world. The whitebox gallery can be conveniently condensed to an Instagram hashtag- a live music performance might soon appear as shaky footage on YouTube. Curators, consumers and budding artists alike are each exposed to immediacy and accessibility of culture-in-your-pocket. The reachability is unlimited: more people than ever are getting to engage without financial or spatial barriers and the share-and-consume cycle fundamental to all art is expanding exponentially in the online world. But is this new fast-paced and abundant version of art undermining the value of the “IRL” experience? A quietly meditative encounter with an art piece might suffer the intrusive desire to share it, the scrupulous observation of a new sculpture for its best photographable angle or a considered critical response reduced to the tap of a like button. As the art world becomes increasingly digitised, the importance of how and where we present and consume it falls into question.

Instagram has become my gallery Chiara No Step into any gallery or exhibition and you will likely be greeted by a plethora of technology- the photographer crouching in strange positions with his DSLR, the tourists snapping souvenir shots of every work, the students tweeting passionately about the controversial political piece. While art’s aim is to push boundaries, this social media presence seems to enforce them, reducing works to a 10-second video, a quick caption or a literal square.

What’s On: Windrush: Movement Of People @ Northern Stage, 9-10 May, 7:30pm

A dance piece celebrating the anniversary of SS Empire’s Windrush.

This Machine Buids Nations @ The Baltic, 9 Feb - 28 May

Jasmine Cibis has developed a site-specific installation that showcases the three films of her latest ‘Nada’ Trilogy.

My Romantic History @ Live Theatre, 25 Apr - 12 May

Tom’s got a new job and zero love life. But after getting together on a Friday night drink with Amy from the office they start a whirlwind romance more like a category 5 hurricane.

Missing Time @ The Baltic, 9 Feb - 28 May

Serena Korda works across performance, sound and sculpture reconsidering aspects of communion and tradition in our lives.

@TheCourierArts @thecourierarts

This simplification does not only happen through the screen, though. The entire real-life experience of seeing art is flattened by its optimization for the internet: pieces with bright colours that show up well on screen, attention-grabbing modern art that can keep up with speedy scrolling, sculptures with nooks for selfie poses or high-brow allusions that demonstrate the cultural maturity of your feed. The rise of “instagrammable” art brings success on a two-dimensional screen into physical art spaces. San Francisco’s “Museum of Ice Cream”, for example, has become one of the worlds most Instagrammed, its hashtag showing over 125,000 posts of pop-art style poses in a room of sprinkles, floating bananas and giant cherries. Artist Do Suh has created an installation of colourful mesh-fabric corridors which serve as real-life Insta filters. Murizio Cattalan’s 18-karat gold toilet makes the perfect reflective surface for a witty mirror selfie. It is no longer just the art world entering and culturally expanding social media, but now the social media world entering and narrowing the physical art world. When such a large link is drawn between the actual art and its online form, concepts that work well in the fast and superficial climate of a smartphone might be equally two-dimensional in the gallery. A cultural catastrophe, surely? A new artistic genre, certainly… but perhaps this adaptation for our evolving world is one to be embraced rather than condemned. Changes and evolution in the artistic eras of the past have always adapted and thrived around the restrictions of the time. Now, the square boxes of Instagram symmetrically enclose the works of artists like Chiara No. “Instagram has become my gallery” - she insists, and meticulously frames her graphically feminist content in response. Twitter’s 140 character limit has given rise to the poetic form of the “twihaiku”, where budding poets like Benjamin Zephaniah and George

Szirtes create imagist-style musings using snippets of words. As director of the Poetry Society, Judith Palmer puts: “the constraints of the 140-character limit play [...] in the same way as the 14 lines of the sonnet or the 17 syllables of the haiku.” A new bitesized medium encourages modern expression and creativity in bite sized chunks. Perhaps art is not narrowing but adapting and thriving in a new and vibrant online world. It may lack the scale or physicality of traditional art, but conforming to the new boundaries of the digital age breaks free from the boundaries of the past. With an equally boundarybreaking and open mind, we should recognise this progression and embrace art’s arrival into the vast and expansive realm of the online world.

Chris (Simpsons artist) CHRISTOPHER WILKINSON

first encountered ‘Chris Simpsons artist’ a few years ago, scrolling through a Facebook page littered with memes now dead and forgotten. The encounter consisted of a particularly famous picture of his, of an enigmatic scene of a froglike humanoid feeding a slice of watermelon to a freakish deer-person; the frog-man speaks tenderly, ‘you are safe now my sweet child’, the response ‘I owe you my life’. The bizarre and strangely hypnotic drawing stood out among the multitude of different and diverse memes, there was something about it which was so fascinating. Chris (Simpsons artist) has been transmitting his surrealist drawings all over the internet for a while now, and has picked up a reputation as the sort of Picasso of the world wide web. His drawings range from sort of abstract scenes to sort of depictions of popular figures to sort of advice for different areas of life. The risk, however, of analysing some of these pictures is that you might give them meaning that isn’t originally there; it might just be they’re so bad they’re good. Regardless of this, Chris (Simpsons artist) is one of the most interesting, and, frankly, the most innovative artists on the internet, as well as one of the most funny. Along with people such as Jim’ll Paint it, Chris (Simpsons artist) represents the best of the online arts movement, even if you are terrified to have his pictures on your phone.

Image: Wikimedia

Those who can’t do, crit

Christopher Wilkinson comments on Jerry Saltz’ Pulitzer Prize win with his piece about failing as an artist and becoming a respected critic

he Pulitzer Prize committee describes Jerry Saltz as the ‘convention-defying, social-media savvy, deeply felt, and inherently humanistic’ figure of contemporary art criticism, a populariser of art criticism, if you will, who has readily and zealously enthused thousands of people with the virtues of art and art criticism. In light of comments like these, you might be wondering why people are so surprised Jerry Saltz, recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, has won the prestigious award. The recurring complaint surrounding Waltz is that he is far too informal and provocative. With a relaxed and uncomplex style, Waltz manages to dance around certain subjects which others simply can’t, all the while bringing to the surface issues such as the price of art and its true value in society. This was explored most thoroughly, and surprisingly most delicately, in his essay ‘My life as a failed artist’. You can see why the art world might be slightly irritated. But there is something so sincere, so articulate, about his work that you cant not feel attracted by his literary charisma. He seems to go through many of the things which many, and there are many, failed artists seem to go through. But what is more interesting is that he does not feel bitter about his work. Revisited, he finds it beautiful, and even if he didn’t, he would find it incomparably useful in that it trained him to be a critic and to be able to discriminate the different dimensions of art. The snobbishness and pretence which has enveloped not only art criticism but criticism in general, is nowhere to be found in his writing, and its quite detoxifying. But then again, we must question whether the institutions which grant these titles are worthy of the credit they seem to have gathered anyway. The prize-giving organiImage: Wikimedia sations of this sort, the Pu-

litzer Prize, the Nobel Prize, the Academy Awards, and the Man-Booker Prize among many others, have themselves been criticised for quite valid reasons. For example, does not it seem plausible, living in a world which is increasingly ‘antiintellectual’, that a committee might appoint an award to an art-critic who prides himself on being distinctly uncomplicated and accessible to a lay audience. I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, and I’m certainly not saying that the type of writer who uses the sort of ornate and embellished language that was left behind in the 19th century is better, but it’s worth a thought. Just because something is more accessible than something else doesn’t necessarily mean that something is the best. The political ramifications of these kinds of decisions are almost always apparent when dealing with appointment by committee, whether it is Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize or Pope Francis being elected the head of the Catholic Church. I ultimately believe that Jerry Saltz is deserving of this prize, not necessarily for anything else other than his gentle strip down of the life of an artist. Someone famous once said (I can’t quite remember who) that whoever fails as an artist, becomes an art critic. Until I read Saltz essay, I always understood there to be some resentment and bitterness behind this statement. But now, I don’t, and feel that the love/hate relationship that exists between artists and art critics is one that can not only enlighten, but also guide the way to what might be called artistic Image: Wikimedia creativity.

Image: @chrissimpsonsartist

Photobox Lisbon Street Art CHARLOTTE BOULTON

Image: Charlotte Boulton

isbon is home to some amazing street art, and I stumbled upon this on my first evening there with my boyfriend. When we saw this, I was taken aback by the detail and scale of the graffiti scene. Fado is a traditional music genre in Portugal, known for being expressive; seeing that incorporated into this graffiti was a showcase of this popular tradition. The artwork is called Fado Vadio, a tribute to Fado and Portuguese culture, created by a group of locals known as ‘Movimento dos Amigos de São Cristóvão’. Although my photo doesn’t do justice to the hard work done by the artists and impressive view of the mural, it does make me smile as I remember turning the corner in the Lisbon dusk to see this amazing sight. You can tell it’s a love letter to Lisbon’s traditions and it makes me love the place even more.

culture gaming

courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors Gerry Hart, Georgina Howlett & Richard Liddle

Top 5 Aliens in gaming

Review: Nintendo Labo Jordan Oloman rediscovers his sense of childhood wonder through a £60 piece of cardboard

B Image: Wikimedia Commons

5. The Blorg - Stellaris The Blorg were something of a happy accident as far as Stellaris’s pre-made species go. Originally created as a joke by the devs during a livestream, the Blorg were a friendly species of fungus creatures who just wanted to travel the galaxy and make friends, their affable nature handicapped by their grotesque appearance (yeah I’ve never been good at parties either). But players loved them enough that the devs added them to the game, making them a surprisingly wholesome addition to a galaxy filled with murderous bug people, genocidal robots and crippling lag.

4. Headcrabs - Half Life Franchise Lets be honest, not all aliens are the clamorous, world conquering type. Some, like Half Life’s headcrabs have to fulfill other roles, even if that role amounts to oversized inter-dimensional headlice. Well, if by headlice you meant brainsucking parasites that latch onto the victim’s head and turned them into screaming zombies. Still, I don’t think it’d be that big of a crisis if headcrabs were to invade our world. Remember whenever there was a headlice infestation at school? That shit got acted on fast. Mind you it might be a challenge putting ointment on a zombie.

3. Grunts - Halo Franchise If you’ve ever played a Halo game, you’ll have almost certainly fought grunts. Diminutive and cowardly, grunts tend to attack in numbers and flee once things start going south for them. But in all honesty, I kind of feel sorry for them. Sure they might make up the bulk of a genocidal army of alien religious fanatics but you kind of get the impression they’re there for comic relief. I mean when you headshot them they even spout confetti. If that’s what the viscera inside their heads Image: looks like I can only imagine how they Flickr.com handle weddings.

2. Space Invaders - Space Invaders Ah Space Invaders. A game so iconic its sprites are even found in clandestine spots around Newcastle. Even my dad played this one back in the ‘70s. Back then you really had to use your imagination to fill in the gaps but I wouldn’t recommend overthinking it. After all there you are, the sole defender of our planet against an extraterrestrial armada. Sure, you might keep them at bay for a while but they just keep coming. You are but a pebble trying to hold back the tide. Your demise is inevitable, at which point you stop hogging the arcade machine and grab another pint.

the courier Monday 7 May 2018

eing old is overrated. We get wrinkles, a terrible amount of responsibilities and our entire existence is spent treading proverbial water. That’s why when Nintendo announced a £60 cardboard box full of grommets and string, I was sold almost instantly. I love leaning into my childlike sense of wonder, and anything that pulls you out of the screen and increases tactile physicality in games is something I’m here for. Another example being the Vive’s excellent haptic controllers. The only way games can evolve as a cultural medium is if we innovate, and Nintendo has looked to the past to ask questions. Humans, for some reason, have always been inventive and found time to ‘play’. Kojima would call this Homo Ludens (Those who play) when attempting to explain his similarly deconstructive game Death Stranding. Both approaches are similar but aimed at a different audience each time. Nintendo are clearly building this project for children and families, but that’s not to say that adults can’t enjoy it either. Labo is like a Pixar movie, and I would say that every adult caught up in the idiosyncrasies of mundane everyday working life should build a fishing rod out of cardboard with someone they hold dear. It’s a tremendously rewarding experience, from the perfect-popping cardboard satisfaction to the way things just fit together, its an experience that we never receive, especially when we’re so glued to the screen playing the same crop of Overwatch maps for hours. Put the controller down and turn the controller into the game is Nintendo’s response, and its absolutely a triumph. Whilst I can’t speak for the robot (I can justify a range of cardboard experiences for £60, I can’t accept just one) everything I’ve done in Nintendo Labo has snatched my wig off. Whether it’s fooling around in the garage trying to make dumb ideas happen or racing an RC car across a kitchen top, it is never boring, and they

aren’t just games to be honest. You can modify most of the builds to create exciting new experiences when you grow tired of the initial pull.

Nintendo are clearly building this project for children, but that’s not to say adults can’t enjoy it either It is pure wizardry. Jaw-agape madness and sharing the experience with another puts the icing on. Turning to a partner or friend in disbelief when you see the tabs click just right and the project comes together is unlike anything else. The most gorgeous things about Labo isn’t the construction either, it’s the accessibility. The Switch is a tough sell for anyone over the age of 50, especially if they’re not into games. Labo is for absolutely everyone. People love D.I.Y, they understand how fishing works or how a motorbike works. The HD rumble is honestly

revolutionary

and makes you question its nature. A small piece of cardboard on the fishing rod makes it so the reel clicks like a real-world rod, and every part of its construction is intricate but endlessly fun to build. Like Todd Howard famously said, “It Just Works”, and it will delight family and friends alike once you’re finished fooling around with it. A gift for yourself and an experience concerned primarily with sharing and imagination, Nintendo Labo is for the kids and the children at heart, or anyone who believes in play. It may look absurd, but every idea does before its world-famous and accepted. Give me more cardboard and string and pull me out of the simulation. Let me offer something to others and connect through the medium I love. Give me Nintendo Labo.

Image: Flickr.com

What I’m Playing: Life is Strange Jacob Clarke looks at Dotnod Entertainment’s 2015 episodic, time-bending cult classic game

ife is Strange is a rare gem of game developed by Dontnod and published by Square Enix in 2015, and three years later its ability to craft an immersive and emotional narrative still holds up. The plot centres around Maxine (Max) Caulfield returning to her home of Arcadia Bay to attend a prestigious arts college, Blackwell Academy, and her anxieties about reuniting with her childhood friend, Chloe, after she feels she abandoned her when she moved away.

Life is Strange manages to make all the characters seem very real and flawed, even the villains The relationship between Max and Chloe is integral to the emotive aspect of the narrative, whatever happens, no matter the flaws in their characters you’re always rooting for them due to

the intense bond they share, despite not being in contact for 5 years. One of the many positives about this game is that it manages to make all the characters feel very real and flawed, even the villains of the game. Over five short episodes, the game takes you on Max’s journey as she learns to take control of her new-found time bending power. Max can turn back time, therefore enabling her to make different decisions in different situations if they turn out badly. This works great as both an in-game puzzle solving mechanic and narrative device, creating many alternate worlds that Max can learn from. Basically, Max has everyone’s dream power - a real life reload your save game, if you will - to make sure nothing goes wrong, but will her powers end up being all they were cracked up to be? One of the greatest things about this game is that it has arguably one of the greatest soundtracks in any video game ever. I know that may seem like a rather bold claim but the use of acoustic guitarbased songs really emphasises the melancholic, youthful themes of the game, whilst adding

an emotional backdrop to particularly intense scenes. If you were curious I’d check out: “Mt. Washington” by The Local Natives, “To All of You” and “Something Good” by Syd Matters and “In My Mind” by Amanda Palmer. These songs are made much better when thought of in the context of the game however.

The use of acoustic guitar-based songs really emphasises the melancholic, youthful themes Life is Strange offers an emotional journey that not a lot of games of recent years have managed to deliver, even if its prequel Life is Strange: Before the Storm, whilst recommended, doesn’t quite live up to the atmosphere and plot that Life is Strange offers.

1. Batarians - Mass Effect Franchise I couldn’t write this list without including one of the many species that populate Mass Effect’s rich universe, but actually picking one was another matter entirely. In the end I settled on the Batarians, the second angriest species in the galaxy, with a fierce reputation as warriors and pirates. Still, compared to the sleek, avian Turians or the bulky, reptilian Krogan, I kind of feel the Batarians are pretty dorky looking with their four eyes and adorable, stubby noses. Its why, much like the Grunts, I have a soft spot for the Batarians. Here’s to you, you angry, angry boys. Gerry Hart

Image: IGDB.com

the courier Monday 7 May 2018

Indie Insight: Pillars of Eternity It’s not quite indie, but that won’t stop Gerry Hart gushing praise for this Kickstarter success

’ll confess I’m kind of cheating with this one. Though the arbitrary label of “Triple AAA” doesn’t really fit Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity, it still had a publisher in the form of Paradox Interactive (one of the few publishers I don’t hate with a seething passion). Still, Pillars of Eternity was ultimately Obsidian’s passion project and as one of Kickstarter’s shining successes, I feel its worth talking about here. Released in March 2015, Pillars of Eternity was met with near universal praise as a return to form for a genre neglected by the Triple-AAA side of the industry and its not hard to see why. Pillars of Eternity was directed by ex-Black Isle Studios luminary Josh Sawyer and the game wears its CRPG influences on its sleeve.

Wasteland 2, Undertale and Pillars of Eternity are all evidence that crowdfunding can work Like games such as Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment, Pillars Eternity is an Isometric RPG that centres on managing a party of adventurers and one’s own skills and abilities. And like its predecessors, the game predicates its combat heavily on strategy, though as it occurs in real time the player must pause frequently in order to issue orders to party members. It’s a clever system but I like how the game’s made it a bit more user friendly. Though magic users can only cast a certain number of spells per day as in Baldur’s Gate, they have a few more abilities to fall back on, plus they no longer die in two fucking hits. Some might argue this dilutes the original formula but I think its little improvements like these that are perfect for bringing this classic formula into the modern age. But as with any decent RPG, it’s in the story

Image: Flickr.com

where Pillars of Eternity truly shines. The world of Eora might seem like another impenetrable D&D fantasy rip-off, but this belies a deep, lore-rich universe that rivals the likes of Mass Effect or The Elder Scrolls. I particularly liked how the soul and reincarnation were a pivotal aspect of the plot, and lay at the centre of the world’s social and religious conflicts. Similarly, the party members are (for the most part) brilliantly written and work wonders in bringing the world of Eora to life. My personal favourite was Edér, a former soldier who obfuscates his internal struggles over his faith with a wry sense of humour that somehow doesn’t become annoying. Admittedly much of the story is told through pretty dense layers of text but the reading’s worth it for the beautifully constructed story. Kickstarter’s acquired something of a dubious reputation thanks to the many failures its produced. But for all the disappointments, its

equally important to remember the brilliant games the platform’s made possible.

Party members are brilliantly written and work wonders in bringing the world of Eora to life Wasteland 2, Undertale and Pillars of Eternity are all evidence that crowdfunding can work, and indeed might be necessary as the “TripleAAA” space becomes increasingly homogenous at the expense of other genres. Its sequel, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire will be out by the time this is published and I only hope it manages to live up to its predecessor.

Memory Card: Civilization IV Jack Coles revisits an old favourite of his, but is he still doomed to repeat history’s mistakes?

remember really liking Civ IV when I was much younger, back when I was only 12-years old and only drank alcohol on weekends. I was never that good at it, though. I tended to play on Settler (i.e. easiest) difficulty, and use the world editor to give me extra resources in the shape of a smiley face. Since then I’ve moved on to Civ V and pretty much not touched its predecessor for many years because my computer has no CD drive and my copy of Civ IV needed one. However, it was on sale

recently on Steam so I re-bought it and gave it a go and holy shit that was a terrible idea. I wouldn’t say that I’m an expert in Civilization games. I can win around 70% of the time in Civ 5 on Prince (medium) difficulty, but that’s pathetic compared to most aficionados. When launching back into Civ IV I thought “right, well given nobody ever declared war on easiest difficulty, how about we go one level higher to get me back up to speed”. An hour later, my empire had fallen because no less than THREE people decided to all declare war on

me at the same time. I have no idea why they held such a grudge against me, but this felt decidedly unfair. Is it because I had the only place on Earth where the silver mines were in a smiley face? But even despite all that, the downgrade from 5 to 4 comes with some jarring mechanic changes. You have to control sliders to allocate spending on science, culture, and espionage, as well as choosing specific civics to follow – a far cry from the streamlined yet deep policy system from Civ V. Most units have only one tile of movement, so the game feels sluggish. You now have to manage the happiness AND health of each city individually so you constantly need to be finding two different types of resource, let alone a third type that lets you build a half-decent army.

An hour later, my empire had fallen because no less than THREE people decided to declare war on me

Image: IGDB.com

@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming/

Maybe I’m the problem? Maybe I should have spent more time playing Civ IV as a strategy game rather than as “The Sims Global Edition”. Or maybe Civ V has coddled me by letting me play the game as a pacifist most of the time, but Civ IV’s meta is more aggressive. Or maybe I was just so blinded by nostalgia going in that the whole situation has given me a much needed corneal transplant in the matter. It’s moments like these that remind me of The Great Gatsby by GCSE English. No matter how much you chase the past, you will never recreate the happiness from back then. Also, we’re all going to die and we won’t be remembered by anyone outside our closest friends and family. Additionally, the “valley of ashes” near New York is probably likely for causing the liver disease PBC… and I’ve lost my train of thought.

gaming culture Black Ops 4 to have no single player

umour has it that Black Ops 4 - Treyarch’s next instalment in the Call of Duty franchise - will not include a single player campaign. It will apparently also move back to a more modern period, away from the series’ increasingly sci-fi setting (which will be well-received in the COD community, but I’ve always been a sucker for a flashy laser gun and a pair of anti-gravity boots). The game will apparently feature a greater emphasis on new cooperative and online modes. Zombies will almost certainly be making a comeback, along with an alleged battle royale mode. The lack of a single player campaign might not be terrible for the franchise. Let’s be honest, apart from Modern Warfare they are rarely all that good, and COD WWII’s attempt to revert to a grittier story was met with mixed reviews. Multiplayer has always been the highlight of the COD games and WWII introduced the larger scale ‘War’ mode. Hopefully Treyarch will acknowledge the popularity this new game type and expand on it in Black Ops 4. Let’s also hope the developers continue with the best thing about WWII. The last instalment was one of the few recent games which let split-screen players battle online. Fingers crossed Black Ops 4 doesn’t ruin the series (like 343 Industries did with Halo 5) by removing split-screen. Treyarch could even take us back to those long-forgotten days when four friends could happily murder each other from the same sofa. The truth of these speculations will officially be revealed on May 17th. Black Ops 4 will be released on October 12th for PC, Xbox One, PS4 and the Nintendo Switch. Image: Wikimedia Commons Alex Moore

Fortnite launches Season Four

fter all the buildup and speculation over the meaning of the past month’s meteor showers, Fortnite has finally entered its fourth season and brought with it a host of map changes, along with the usual new set of themed skins and custom gear.

In other words, don’t expect the meta to change too much Contrary to many fans’ expectations that the longrumoured meteor strike would be turning Tilted Towers to dust, in actual fact it’s Dusty Depot that’s taken the hit. What’s left behind is Dusty Divot, a huge crater filled with debris and loot and which plays host to a new consumable item: Hop Rocks. When you interact with one of these little glowing stones, your character gains temporary low-gravity powers, meaning they can pull of impressive jumps and take reduced fall damage. It’s a fun new power, but fairly limited given that the effect only lasts a short while and unlike other consumables Hop Rocks aren’t stored in your inventory, so outside of Dusty Divot and some smaller craters scattered around the map you aren’t going to be seeing everyone flying around like madmen. In other words, don’t expect the meta to change too much. There are also new areas in the form of Risky Reels, an abandoned outdoor movie theatre with a sizeable crater at its centre, and two secret lair-like mansions near Lonely Lodge and Snobby Shores. On top of this, old areas have seen some changes thanks to meteor strikes (the Prison in particular has been largely destroyed). Moisty Mire has been revamped in a different way, with film sets and stages scattered about in place of the old trees and treehouses. So, while the Season 4 update hasn’t been as much of a gamechanger as some expected, there’s still plenty of new stuff to be getting to grips with. Richard Liddle

science & technology

Are you Tech-ing the piss? New app for high achievers

f you’re a fan of the Great British Bake Off then you’ll know how difficult it is to tell when something is actually baked. Well, that same principle applies to people too. That’s why scientists from the University of Chicago have developed a prototype app that’s designed to test how stoned a cannabis user really is. Whilst there are numerous ‘tests’ that purport to do just this scattered across the Internet, it’s safe to say that most have not been scientifically approved. BuzzFeed’s Can We Guess How High You Are Right Now?, for example, uses such rigorous questions as, “Which one weighs more? One pound of gold or one pound of dog food.” This app, however, has not been designed with the aim of inducing the ‘giggles’. It has instead been created by researchers to help users assess the effects of cannabis on their cognitive ability. As you’re probably aware, getting stoned can make one rather inert. In order to see just how baked somebody is the app provides cannabis users with a series of tasks designed to test memory, reaction time and attention span. It’s still in its development stages, but it’s already been given the catchy name of Am I Stoned (so probably best not to have it on your home screen).

The app tests memory, reaction time and attention span The research was carried out at the University of Chicago and was funded by the United States National Institute of Drug Abuse. Co-researchers Elisa Pabon, a doctoral student, and Harriet de Wit, professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience, presented the app at the Experimental Biology conference in California in April. Pabon and de Wit explained that they carried out their research on 24 irregular marijuana users. Each participant in the trial took a capsule containing a placebo or 7.5 or 15 milligrams of terahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the active chemical in cannabis that makes people high. They then completed a number of computerbased tasks and app-based tasks on an iPhone that were designed to detect impairment. For example, one of the app-based tasks asked the participant to use their non-dominant hand and tap two dots as fast as they could for 20 seconds. The researchers revealed that they successfully detected impairments in THC subjects in three of the four computerbased tasks and one of the iPhone tasks. “The effects of THC on performance may be subtle, so we need highly sensitive tasks to detect impairments,” said Pabon. “It is likely that the computer tasks, which took 15 to 20 minutes to complete, were more sensitive to THC impairment because they provided more opportunity to detect a drug effect.” Whereas cannabis is a Class-B drug in the UK, and has been completely illegal since 1971, the United States has been gradually relaxing its legislation on marijuana in recent years. It is now legal in nine states, and Washington D.C., to use marijuana for recreational use, whilst it is legal in a further 29 states to be used for medicinal purposes. “One of our long-term goals is for the app to improve the safety of cannabis use by making individual users more aware of their impairment,” said de Wit. “By gathering data from users in the field, the app will also contribute to the overall scientific knowledge in terms of how cannabis affects users.” Pabon and de Wit say more research is needed, but they hope to improve the sensitivity of the p h on e - b a s e d tasks and have another prototype app ready by the s u m m e r. Then it’s just a matter of seeing who gets the highest score… Chris Little

courier.science@ncl.ac.uk Science Editors Jack Coles, Christopher Little & Ciara Ritson-Courtney

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Monday 7 May 2018

(Digital) Life after death

A new study questions the ethical framework of the digital afterlife industry, writes Chris Little

successful business model is all about supply and demand. So it’s no wonder that the business of death is one of the most prosperous industries in the world; it’s a market that that not only replenishes itself but – with rising populations – also seems to be growing exponentially. Modern technology, however, is opening up new opportunities. A burgeoning digital afterlife industry is developing, offering everything from live-streamed funerals to online memorial pages and even chat-bots that imitate us when we’re gone. But a new study by the Oxford Internet Institute has raised questions over how our digital selves are used for commercial gain. We are increasingly spending our lives in the digital world. Recent events such as the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal has made us more aware of the volumes of personal data that we willing offer to the Internet. But few of us fully comprehend the true scale of our imprint in the digital realm. Everything we do on the Internet is logged: every email we send, every website we visit, every search we make, every file we download, and – of course – every social media post we make. It is all recorded and held on some kind of server or cloud storage somewhere. This Internet activity is commonly known as our digital remains. And long after our physical selves depart this material existence, our imprint will remain in the digital world.

Experimental startups are looking at ways to monetise our digital remains Facebook is a striking example. Whilst it currently has over 1 billion users worldwide, around 10,000 of those users die every day. It’s estimated that before the end of the century Facebook will have more dead users than living (that’s presuming it will still be around then). But what happens to all the profiles of the deceased? Though they can be cancelled down, most are now memorialised to provide friends and family with a place to visit and

share memories. A number of experimental start-ups are also looking at ways to monetise our digital remains. There’s the With Me app designed by South Korean company Elrois, which allows you to take selfies with avatars of your deceased loved ones. Then there’s startup Eternime, founded by MIT fellow Marius Ursache, which aims to combine your social media footprint with AI to create a digital version of you that your friends and family can communicate with long after you’re gone.

10,000

It is estimated that around 10,000 Facebook users die every day

This kind of ‘re-creation service’ was popularised in an episode (Be Right Back) of the science fiction anthology series Black Mirror, but a basic version of this kind of chatbot is relatively easy to create. When tech entrepreneur Eugenia Kuyda’s friend Roman Mazurenko died, she turned to the personal AI app Replika. This app is designed to create a digital representation of yourself, but by uploading her friends text messages Kuyda was able to create a digital version of him – a neural network powered chatbot – she could continue having conversations with. Our digital remains can offer a source of comfort to friends and family, but there are concerns that grief could be exploited. The prospect that this content could be manipulated for commercial gain led the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) to suggest that an ethical framework should be established to regulate the digital afterlife industry. The study, published in Nature, was conducted by Professor Luciano Floridi, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information and Director of the Digital Ethics Lab, and Carl Öhman, a postdoctoral researcher at OII. It identified four sectors in the digital afterlife industry which it recommended should be regulated by this framework. They include information management services, posthumous messaging

services, online memorial services and re-creation services. The paper suggests that regulation should emulate the frameworks used in museums and commercial use of organic human remains. Carl Öhman said: “Much like digital remains, archaeological and medical exhibit objects such as bones and organic body parts, are both displayed for the living to consume and difficult to allocate to a specific owner. As exhibits have become increasingly digitalised and made available online, the ethical concerns of the field appear to be increasingly merging with those of the digital afterlife industry.” Drawing on the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Code of Professional Ethics, they propose that digital remains be regarded with the same human dignity and inherent value as physical remains. As such, digital remains should not be solely used for commercial gains. Professor Floridi said: “In developing a constructive ethical approach for the use of digital remains the first step is to decide to what extent, and under what circumstances, our memory of the deceased is driven and shaped by the commercial interests of the industry. The second and equally important step will be to develop a regulatory framework, commonly adopted, to ensure dignity for those who are remediated and remembered online.”

A round of appaws for pets

New study purrroves that pets are beneficial to physical and mental health , writes Grace Dean

ith UK households boasting 10 million cats and 11.5 million dogs, stereotypes associated with the owners of certain pets are the bread and butter of life with a furry friend. Dog and cats owners often get their claws into each other during clashes over which is the supurrrior pet. New research, however, purrroves one uniting factor to be purrroud of – pet-owners are statistically less likely to suffer from both mental and physical health purrroblems in later life. New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) by the Universities of Ulm and Colorado Boulder analyses the relationship between owning pets and rural upbringings, and mental health. To collect evidence, 40 healthy men were selected, of which half had grown up on a farm and half in a heavily urbanised pet-free environment. The participants were instructed to deliver a public speech and solve a timed maths problem, with blood and saliva samples being taken systematically throughout the process. Analysis of the samples shows that those who grew up in cities had noticeably prolonged elevation of interleukin 6 (an inflammatory compound) and muted activation of interleukin 10 (an anti-inflammatory compound). Research demonstrates a strong correlation between these exag-

gerated inflammatory responses and the development of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. These differences are explained by immunoregulatory stress responses being significantly influenced by the microbial environment someone grows up in. The PNAS report concludes that children raised in a rural animal-rich environment have more stress-resilient immune systems and resultantly face a lower risk of mental health problems. This evidence is supported by other studies illustrating the mental wellbeing benefits of pets. For those with depression, taking dogs on daily walks promotes regular exercise and provides socialising opportunities with other owners, decreasing the risk of social isolation. Keeping pets also provides a sense of purpose and achievement, acting as a source of motivation because the owners are needed and appreciated by their pets. Pets additionally provide a sense of security and company to older owners, with research showing that regular contact with dogs reduces outbursts of anxiety among Alzheimer’s sufferers. Pets are also beneficial for children with autism who are often

calmed by spending time with animals and resultantly are more able and indeed willing to develop social relationships with others. An analysis of 17 academic studies by the Universities of Manchester, Liverpool and Southampton shows that sufferers of depression, stress, loneliness and post-traumatic stress disorder can derive considerable benefits from keeping pets. This is because pets not only distract their owners from their illness, but they also provide simple and conflict-free relationships, which is important for people with severe mental illness. Arguments to get a pet are more compelling still when the physical health benefits of pet ownership are drawn into consideration. As a result of increasing rural-urban migration in developing countries more than half of the global population now lives in urban areas, leaving humans decreasingly exposed to microorganisms. This lack of exposure triggers the development of chronic low-grade inflammation and exaggerated immune reactivity, which increases vulnerability to allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and ultimately psychiatric disorders. Being raised in a rural environment with animals and the associated bacterial diversity thus helps reduce the risk of developing these. These findings further evidence the “hygiene hypothesis”, which draws on the correlation between sterile environments and health problems. The PNAS findings ultimately prove the benefits of microbial exposure through pet ownership and rural upbringings on both physical and mental health. The only question left unresolved, however, is whether we should now splash out our student loans on a cat, dog, budgie, hamster, or something a little more exotic…

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@CourierScience thecourieronline.co.uk/science

Monday 7 May 2018

science & technology

Lonely fruit flies hit the booze

Scientists devise fruity experiment to understand brain’s reward system, writes Joe Hodgson

o apparently we need to be keeping a closer eye on the scientists. Not the cool ones obviously, like NASA you’re good, and all those dudes in Silicon Valley seem to be doing a pretty nice job, which must be difficult when you live in a whole valley made out of just silicon. I bet it’s slippy there. Is silicon slippy? Either way keep on trucking lads, those chips won’t solder themselves until about 2020 when you figure out how to do that. Those are the cool scientists, you leave them alone and they tinker around for a couple of years in their little workshops and come back to you with their great new phone that can massage your prostate, repair your relationship with your Stepdad Ron, and whisper sweet nothings in your ear as the sun sets. We can afford to leave these guys alone, after all, it’s hard to program with someone reading over your shoulder, which incidentally is why you never see people writing Java on the Metro. However this does not mean we should turn a blind eye to all the mental shenanigans happening in the labs of the world, and here’s why. Some guys in Israel are shining red lights on flies until they come, and then they’re pressuring them into drinking.

The idea was to understand how the brain’s chemical reward system reacts to alcohol

chemical reward system reacts to alcohol, which is plausible, but also a very convenient excuse to spend your day making flies nut. Also, please don’t get me wrong, by no means am I condemning this experiment. I am all for the spirit of scientific discovery, I just… I just have a lot of questions.

Flies’ brains react to ejaculation by rewarding the insects Are the flies having a good time? The basic idea of the research is that after genetically engineering the flies to ejaculate when they’re shown a red light, the neurologists took a look at the brain chemistry going on in the flies to try and figure out more about the brain’s natural reward system. Then, after the flies got their rocks off, and presumably had a cigarette in bed, they were offered drinks with and without alcohol in. The results of the experiment show that the flies’ brains react to ejaculation by rewarding the insects, who then feel less need to consume alcohol than if they didn’t just go through a whole pack of tissues. This is a pretty big deal because it shows that insects’ sex lives are linked to their drink-

Is… Is this science? Are they doing this for a reason, or are they just taunting God at this point? These guys must have some sort of motive; I refuse to believe it’s for the simple explanation they’ve given. Neuroscientist GalitShohat-Ophir says the whole thing’s about figuring out how the brain’s

Rice, Rice Baby. All right stop.

Collaborate and listen, Jack Coles is back with his sage advice

on’t reheat rice is one of those pieces of advice that everybody has heard at some time or another. But as with many pieces of advice from the modern era, it’s a little mired in disinformation. Dried rice is often contaminated with Bacillus cereus spores, a bacterium related to B. subtilis (often used as a laboratory subject), and B. anthracis, which is responsible for causing anthrax. While anthrax bacteria cause massive tissue necrosis and death, B. cereus does little more than generic food poisoning symptoms – you know, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, all that juicy stuff. This illness is sometimes referred to as “fried rice syndrome” due to its propensity to emerge several hours after consuming a takeaway. B. cereus is usually found in soil and can be transferred to rice plants. When rice is dried before packaging, B. cereus changes from their regular form to a spore – they “sporulate”, in other words. After all, any old bacterium will quickly dehydrate and die if there is no water available, but a spore can survive for years. Rice packaging will often tell you to rinse the rice before cooking, and one of the reasons to do so is that it helps get rid of some of the spores. When rice is boiled, the water

content would activate the spores if it weren’t for the high heat. Leaving the rice to cool down on the counter gives the bacteria plenty of time to leave the spore, start multiplying, and produce toxins.

If you leave your rice out for too long you might as well eat a raw chicken breast If you leave your rice out for too long (i.e. two hours or longer), you might as well eat a raw chicken breast for all the good it does you. So when is it OK to reheat rice? Well, preferably not at 3am when you’re blind drunk and trying to make a snack, only to leave it in the microwave for too long, causing it to burn and set off the fire alarm… But besides that, whenever. As I may have implied from the preceding paragraphs, it’s not reheating the rice that makes it dangerous, but keeping it warm for hours. In short, keep your rice above 60˚C (cooking temperature) or below 4˚C (fridge temperature) if you’re not going to eat it immediately. After cooling, you can reheat the rice in the microwave like any other foodstuff, no problem. Bone apple tea.

ing habits, and if they’re running on empty they’re less likely to pick up a bottle. In other words, no sperm? No problem. What Janet? A beer? Normally I’d love to, but I’ve just cranked one out in the men’s room. Hm? Alright, a Coke then. Yes, Pepsi’s fine. So what’s going on in these flies’ heads? Like, we do know exactly what’s going through their heads, in a biological sense, but what are they actually thinking about their whole situation? Do they think they’ve hit the jackpot? Or are they trapped in this bar in which you’re either drunk or just constantly ejaculating? You’ve really got to keep an eye on your drink in there. Not because you might get spiked, but because you might get fly juice in there. That virgin Cuba Libre just turned into a Cuba Libre. Also if we can genetically alter flies to nut when they see red, does that mean we can just do that now? When did this happen? I feel like we all should have been told quite clearly by a nondescript man in a black suit and tie at our front door: “We can make flies and probably you come whenever we want to, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us.” And then they snap their fingers and you’re on your knees and you need a change of underwear. In his defence though, that is a pretty good prank. Anyway, in conclusion, flies drink when they haven’t nut in a while, some of them go buckwild if you show them a red light, there’s a government agent somewhere who can make you cum by snapping his fingers, nothing means anything anymore, and all of you are burdened with this terrible knowledge. And like the flies, after spreading this information, I have relieved myself.

Word of the Week:

Detritivore

o those of you who are into zoology or biology, the word ‘detritivore’ shouldn’t be too unfamiliar to you. Now that the bitter cold winter days are over and will not be back for another nine months, the world around us is slowly coming alive. People are out and about more, enjoying the extra sunlight; flowers are blooming and trees are growing ‘hair’ again; insects like bees and butterflies are enjoying the sweet nectars of the flowers. So are the detritivores! Detritivore are animals that feed on detritus (dead organic material) to obtain nutrients. In other words, they are known as the decomposers. A few good examples of detritivore are the earthworm, millipedes and slugs. While most detritivores do not ‘dress’ in shiny armours – and look scary at times – it is an undeniable fact that they play an important role in the ecosystems. So maybe I shall try to not jump the next time I come across one on my way to lab! Yi Min Ng

Mythbusters: Does young blood reverse ageing?

scientific discovery from 1864 has been rejuvenated in attempts to solve anti-ageing. But is it all it’s made out to be, or are we still no closer to living forever? To fill you in here’s a swift recap of the last 150 years surrounding the topic. Paul Bert, a French physiologist and zoologist, completed the first known parabiosis experiment. A process involving the anatomical connection of two previously separate organisms. He removed a strip of skin from two rats and then stitched them together. In doing so, he hoped that the rat’s tissue would heal naturally, resulting in a shared circulatory system. By injecting one rat with fluid, Bert found that it also passed into the other, thus evidencing his success in joining the two rodents. Later in 1956, biochemist Clive McCay applied this same technique to the study of ageing. By joining young and old rats together, the bones of the older animal began to match those of the younger one in terms of weight and density. Of greater interest to us is a study in 1972, which found that the older animal lived longer than it otherwise would if it wasn’t joined to its circulatory partner. Furthermore, when the experiment was repeated in 2005, the older mouse’s liver, stem cells and muscle repair were observed to restore to a younger state.

Could this 150-year-old technique be replicated with humans? This brings us to the question: Could this 150-year-old technique be replicated with humans? No. I’m not suggesting that we replicate the technique identically, whereby a 70-year-old would be surgically attached to a teenager. Instead, we would utilise a conventional blood transfusion. A procedure which was visually brought to life in HBO’s fourth season of Silicon Valley. Young donor Bryce is effortlessly hooked up to Gavin as if it were a simple normality. Back in real-life, Ambrosia – a start up in California, has been doing just that. 31-year old Jesse Karmazin offered a two day ‘clinical trial’ costing $8000 to any person sick or healthy. However, the treatment has been heavily criticised on both ethical and scientific grounds. One of those critics, Tony Wyss-Coray joined Stanford university to start Alkahest. A company which studies the effects of plasma transfer between the young and old, with a particular focus on those suffering with Alzheimer’s. The prevention of brain deterioration is where this research now seems most prominent. Studies at the University of California found that improvements in a mouse’s memory and learning could be induced through young blood infusions. These effects are a result of improved connections within the hippocampus. Steps were also made to replicate the improved hippocampus results through specially created viruses. This would circumvent the requirement for teenage blood transfusions. Business interest into research appears to be growing. For example, Grifols recently invested £29 million into Alkahest. This is initially constructive; however, I also think it’s a cause for concern. If positive results start to be produced, the once inevitable could be prolonged. I’m left thinking about the Justin Timberlake feature film Time. A society controlled and divided not by monetary inequality, but by the ownership of time. The highest in society could live longer, whilst the lives of those at the bottom are shorter. Whilst the significance of more than a century’s research cannot be understated, the reality is that it’s still only applicable to rodents. For us, ageing remains inevitable. Bruce Skelton

puzzles

the courier

Monday 7 May 2018

Puzzles Dictator Joey Barton Assistant Puzzles Dictator Clint Hill Puzzles Editor Alex Hendley Puzzles Myrmidon James Sproston

Dear readers, I’ve got a public apology to make. Last week I cited Eric Morecambe as the creator of the song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’. I recognise this was incorrect, and I’d like to say sorry to you, the consumers, and the Two Ronnies, who of course I should have credited. As we approach the end of the year and the beginning of my tenure as Fleetwood boss, I hope you’ll forgive me for booking myself onto some relaxing excursions. Myself and the Fleetwood directors will be going cod fishing next week, before I take a trip to the North-East to debrief my puzzles team and to sample some saag aloo at this ‘Koh-I-Noor’ curryhouse everyone’s been telling me about. Anyway, do enjoy the puzzles page, as who knows when might be my last...

Difficulty: HARD

SUDOKU

Is it too late to apologise?

BLUE SUEDE CLUES

1 9

9 3 8 5

2 5 3

8 5

2 5 6 2

4 2 7 9 3 1

WORDSEARCH BUT OOH, IT’S TOPICAL ALL OF THE EIGHT NAMES HIDDEN HAVE LEFT EITHER DONALD TRUMP OR THERESA MAY’S GOVERNMENTS

Q S H I Y R L D A B N D B R H

A O E Q S H U B J T P R A D C

C D Y F U P A M M P W A W J S

O F Y Q I N L V A E Y I T Z Z

S P N D N C H S I R V E A E I

8 9

12 13 14 16 18

17 20

21 22

P I Q J W N O V F L I K F H T W P E A Y A X Y C X P I H L H

C J G R E E N K K E Z X S C K

E T L Y Q I A Z X K I Z Z J C

R C Q M Z W U Y Z E W H L F L N H E N T O P L W L K A L F N

B H L T C Y A J H R H E T Z P

Y R F G G V S N U O Y U H T B

Issue 1368 solutions...

Down

1 A light sleep (3) 2 We’ll have to do that again (6) 3 ___ Sagna, ex-Arsenal, current Benevento defender (6) 4 ___ Malone, set up some choirs and that (6) 5 Member of an international order that holds secret meetings (9) 7 There’s been a murder! (8) 9 Weighing too much (10) 10 She’s here in ___ (6) 13 ___ Barrymore, American jack of all trades (4) 15 At the front of the garden to keep others out (5) 17 Not out (2) 18 Acronym: a bit too much (3) 19 Look up, what do you see? (3)

D D M K C C A I N H G U B D V

CROSSWORD

Across

1 Cult British comedy, lived at No. 42 (6) 6 ___ Gibson, Egghead (3) 8 Device with holes in to push food through (5) 10 Don’t forget to put one at the bottom of the page (9) 11 Been here too long, has begun to disintergrate (3) 12 You’re a bit too smug... (4) 14 Piano on steroids (5) 16 A very bad thing, God certainly won’t like it (3) 19 Faint from extreme emotion (5) 20 Definite article (3) 21 Double it, you’ve got a motorised rickshaw (3) 22 North-East open-air museum; hell on Earth (7)

M H O E C U Q J R T S D P H I

Riddles: An onion, The living room, Footsteps, A penny, An anchor, An echo

B R O T H I S N O T E A L R V Y O D E L T N H F E N T O L L A N C R O L O I D E

7 4 8 3 1 9 5 6 2

6 9 2 4 8 5 1 3 7

3 5 1 7 6 2 9 4 8

E R R I O G E O M E U R L T U C S O B N U T F O E F E S R E

4 2 7 1 5 3 8 9 6

5 1 6 8 9 4 7 2 3

8 3 9 6 2 7 4 1 5

2 8 5 9 3 1 6 7 4

E T

L I B E O N D D

A R S E P A D D L E

S E E

U S E

1 6 4 2 7 8 3 5 9

9 7 3 5 4 6 2 8 1

For Issue 1369 solutions, wait for Issue 1370. Do not contact Joey Barton under any circumstances, although his agent is very punctual with his responses to general enquiries.

the courier

Long-time leaders

Monday 7 May 2018

sport

Wenger’s reign is finally coming to an end, so we look back at some of the managers in charge for a very, very long time

Diego Simeone

Image: Wikimedia

Argentinean Diego Simeone took over as manager of Atletico Madrid in December 2011, after 98 appearances with the club during his playing years. Simeone’s appointment came after a disappointing league performance from Atletico, finishing seventh in La Liga in the 2010/11 season and having a poor run of games in the 2011/12 season. Additionally, Atletico have had 18 coaches in 13 years, so some stability was desperately needed. In his first season, Simeone led his team to win the Europa League, beating Athletic Bilbao in the final. Since then, the feisty manager

Image: Wikimedia

boasts a range of achievements for his club, this includes the Copa del Rey in 2012/13, the Supercopa de Espana in 2014 and the La Liga title in the 2013/14 season. Furthermore, Simeone is on the prowl for another Europa League trophy, after Antoine Griezmann snatched a goal late on at the Emirates in the first leg of the semi-final against Arsenal. Clearly, this demonstrates how Simeone has transformed Atletico in the past seven years in a period of football where mangers are sacked at the click of someone’s fingers. Simeone has introduced a quick and snarling team, who inevitably pose a major threat to all of their opponents. Rebecca Johnson Image: Wikimedia

Image: Wikimedia

When you think of long-running French football managers, you only think of one man… Guy Roux. Or, at

Warren Gatland

Mack - 50 yrs

Roux - 42 yrs

Ferguson - 27 yrs

Wenger - 22 yrs

Moyes - 11 yrs

Gatland - 11 yrs

Simeone - 8 yrs

Sir Alex Ferguson

Only one man can rival Arsene Wenger in terms of his enduring presence at the high table of Premier League management. Sir Alex Ferguson ruled over Manchester United and indeed much of English football for the best part of 27 years. After a glittering tenure, which saw United lift 38 trophies including 13 league titles and two European Cups, the fierce Scot stepped down in 2013. The story of Arsenal versus United and of Wenger versus Ferguson was an integral part of the English game for so long. Two ultra-competitive managers who each imprinted their own footballing philosophy on the premier league, the never-ending ‘who was best?’ debate between Wenger’s invincibles and Fergie’s 1999 treble-winners and the famous end to Arsenal’s unbeaten run at the hands of United in 2004 encapsulate a rivalry that will soon be the topic of a TV documentary. It seems somewhat surprising that Ferguson has referred to Wenger as a ‘friend’ in recent times, but this highlights the mutual respect between two men that perhaps understand each other better than anyone. What sets Sir Alex apart is his legacy. While Wenger’s reign has petered out before turning increasingly sour, Ferguson left on the ultimate high. Beating neighbours Manchester City to secure yet another title, a year after he had lost out in such agonising circumstances, ensured legendary status. A master of his craft. Ben Weate

Top Sporting Tenures

Heading in what is now his 11th year as head coach of Wales and two series as head coach of the British and Irish Lions, Warren Gatland has become one of the most successful and long-running international Rugby Union coaches in the sports’ history. Following his appointment in December 2007, the New Zealander made an instant impact in his first game in charge after causing a major upset against England in the Six Nations. In the end, it was a glorious campaign for the Welsh as they won the Grand Slam, due to their mean defence, which led to them conceding just two tries in the tournament. Since then, Gatland has took Wales to

their second Grand Slam in four years in 2012, while also winning his third Six Nations title in 2013. Furthermore he took Wales to the semi-finals of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, although only got them to the quarterfinals of the tournament in 2015. While with the Lions he won the series 2-1 against Australia in 2013, while in 2017 despite critiques about his style and selections, Gatland’s Lions drew the series with New Zealand after an infamous win in the second test and draw in the third match. Ultimately, Gatland’s achievements have earned him an OBE in 2014 for his services to the sport, and he was touted to become the next head coach of the All Blacks, but over a decade later from his appointment is still in charge of Wales Tom Shrimplin

least, you should do. Having played at AJ Auxerre for nine years, the Alsace-born Roux took the reins of the French club for the first time in 1961. Almost four and a half decades later, excluding three seasons of well-earned breaks, he made his final exit, legendary status confirmed, club transformed, history made. Located in Burgundy, 1960s Auxerre was a small, trophyless club in Le Championnat National (third division) with absolutely no signs of achieving anything. In effect, that is how they remained for some time with Roux at the helm, AJA fans seeing nothing more than a club plodding along at its own, steady bourguignon pace for almost two decades. In 1979, around 18 years after Roux first took charge, Auxerre made it to the Coupe de France fi-

nal, but went down 4-1 to FC Nantes at the Parc des Princes. Glory days over? Chance missed? J’pense pas. In 1980, the Burgundy club broke into Ligue 1, where they remained for the rest of Roux’s 44-year spell in charge. In 1994, a 3-0 victory over Montpellier in the Coupe de France final gave the club its first ever major trophy. They would go on to win the competition again in 1996, 2003 and 2005 under Roux’s leadership. The real chef d’œuvre came in 1995, however, when AJ Auxerre became champions of France for the first, and last, time in their history. Throw in a 1993 UEFA Cup semi-final, the bringing through of a certain Eric Cantona from the youth-system and a rein lasting just shy of half of the club’s entire history and you’ve got yourself one hell of a legacy. Alex Hendley

Arsene Wenger

After months of forwarding my angrily worded articles about Arsenal’s recent predicaments, it was a relief to actually be asked to contribute to this section with a few words on Arsene Wenger. Football fans are all short-sighted, and it was therefore difficult for every Arsenal fan to see past recent shortcomings. But when he announced his departure, even the hardcore members of the “Wenger out” brigade would have found it difficult to say anything bad about the man. Much has been said about Wenger’s managerial credentials; 7 FA Cups, 3 Premier Leagues and the streak of 49 games unbeaten demonstrate the sheer brilliance of Wenger’s early reign. Yet perhaps the most striking revelation to emerge since the announcing of his departure is the number of former colleagues and players who have risen to share how good of a man Arsene Wenger is. Whether it be quietly attending fundraisers for the victims of Grenfell or helping Bob Wilson through the torment of losing his daughter to cancer, Wenger has exuded class throughout his reign. Though players both past and present have rightly lauded Arsene Wenger for allowing them to express themselves on the pitch, it has been the insistence of so many to use the word “father” in their tributes that best communicates the type of man Wenger is. Firm in his belief in the importance of youth, Wenger has assisted so many along the journey to becoming a man. In such a money haven profession, its easy to forget the importance managers can have on the lives of young people. Few managers have understood this more than Arsene Wenger. Stubborn, unrelenting, professional and insistent on his own style, Wenger’s qualities propelled him to the top of the game. Ironically, these same qualities have helped explain recent disappointments. But as the dust is beginning to settle, Wenger will go down as one of the greatest managers football will ever see. Matt Proctor

Connie Mack Connie Mack, born as Cornelius McGillicuddy, not only deserves plaudits for his brilliant birth name but also for managing baseball team Philadelphia Athletics for an astonishing 50 years. Mack presided over 3582 wins, nine American League Championships and five World Series, a roll of honour that is enviable indeed. However, these successes were mixed with long periods of struggle for the team, with Mack also enduring 3850 defeats and 17 last place finishes. Admittedly, given that Mack did own part of the team, his position was somewhat more secure than that of the modern-day manager, yet his dedication to the team even when they were swimming against the tide of highly competitive rivals and persistent financial issues speaks volumes about his character. Towards the end of his reign in 1950, much of the running of the team was left to Mack’s sons due to illness, but despite his deteriorating health he had no intentions of stepping down, stating: “I’m not quitting because I’m getting old, I’m quitting because I think people want me to.” Mack did eventually leave his role, and within a few years Philadelphia Athletics had been relocated to Kansas City. Mack had become synonymous with the club, leading them to a range of triumphs and remaining steadfast when the good times faded. Mack was the beating heart of Philadelphia Athletics, and it is perhaps fitting that when he left, the club that he had built and maintained for all those years moved from the city and was never the same again. Tom Hardwick

David Moyes

Before his premature sacking at Manchester United in 2014 and becoming the British press’ favourite, Scottish manager David Moyes spent eleven successful years at Everton. His team was defined by unwavering commitment, an impressive ability to grind out results, but also an unfortunate lack of silverware. Despite turning the club from perennial relegation battlers into consistent challengers for European football, Moyes failed to win a major honour during his tenure (unless you count the 2010 Roar Against Racism Trophy). In fairness, the three managers who have followed him haven’t got any closer. Trophies aside, Moyes was very shrewd in the transfer market. As well as the odd dud, the Scot brought several bargains to Merseyside. Tim Cahill was a steal at £1.5 million, while Mikel Arteta and Steven Pienaar cost a mere £2 million each – making the £50 million that Ronald Koeman spent on Gylfi Sigurðsson look even worse. While the lack of trophies was a major disappointment, Moyes’ impact on Everton Football Club cannot be understated. He built a team that gave their all for the shirt, even if not many of them could provide any quality, and ensured that Everton played games against Benfica, rather than Barnsley. Dan Haygarth

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Monday 7 May 2018

A rough ride for a noble cause

Sports Editor Mark Sleightholm takes a look at the eventful first leg of a determined Newcastle University student’s ambitious charity challenge Master’s student Scott McKenzie has completed the first phase of his phenomenal – some would say crazy – charity fundraising challenge, having cycled the length of the UK in just ten days. In August McKenzie will tackle Mount Kilimanjaro, with his double challenge aiming to raise £3000 for Dig Deep, a charity who work to improve sanitation and access to clean water in rural Kenya. With his main cycling experience coming from his Deliveroo job, McKenzie set off from John o’ Groats on 7 April. He had set himself the ambitious target of cycling 100 miles a day, and made a strong start. “My body was feeling good, the sun was shining, the scenery was stunning,” he recalled afterwards. This sunny start wasn’t to last, however, and a knee injury plagued McKenzie from Glasgow onwards. “I was in agony with every turn of the pedals!” he explained, but help was in hand in the form of his 74-year-old grandfather who cycled with him for 96 miles for moral support. McKenzie took it easier the following day and cycled a mere 49 miles, but picked up the pace again as he headed into the South. Throughout his challenge he was supported by relatives following in a campervan, where he could get food and some-

where to rest, but a badly timed outbreak of shingles forced his dad to return home after three days with “his face swollen up like a balloon.” Further threats to McKenzie’s progress came from “awful weather conditions” and an injury in his other leg, with the wind so strong towards the end of his ride that he was blown off his bike on two occasions. McKenzie, who was accompanied by various relatives towards the end of his challenge, said: “Great Britain threw eve-

rything it could at me on the final day to test me, but thankfully I got a second wind towards the end which hurtled me towards the finish line with the biggest feeling of achievement I have ever felt! “As you can imagine the prosecco was flowing after this!” McKenzie described the ride as “much more difficult than I could ever have imagined” but is well on his way to meeting his £3000 target (https://mydonate. bt.com/fundraisers/scottmckenzie1) ahead of his Kilimanjaro climb.

The 900 mile bike ride was the first of two fundraising events Scott has planned for this year Images: Scott McKenzie

Selling Sunderland Selling out to Saudi Arabia Tom Shrimplin Sports Editor In May 2009, the American businessman Ellis Short who had after initially buying a stake in the club in November 2008, finally became owner of Premier League side Sunderland A.F.C . Now after a quite frankly awful nineyear tenure as owner of the Black Cats, Ellis Short has (probably) sold the Wearside club that will be playing League One for the 2018-19 season. At first, things seemed to be going well for Ellis Short with Sunderland who after breaking club record transfer fees through his investment, had helped lead the club then managed by Steve Bruce, to solid mid-table and even a top-half finish in the 2010-11 season. However after Bruce’s sacking in November 2011, the club was plunged into instability and several relegation dogfights. Manager after manager came in to take the side to safety before inevitably being sacked after a poor run of results. This pattern was only broken after Sam Allardyce resigned to become manager of England (which ultimately proved to be short-lived). David Moyes then came in as Allardyce’s replacement for the 2016-17 season, but the Black Cats luck had ran out and dismal showing in the league led to Moyes resigning, and the side finishing 20th and therefore relegated to the Championship. Things went from bad to worse this season, as Simon Grayson who was only appointed in June 2017 was sacked that Halloween after a poor run of form left the side battling against relegation. The slide could not be halted by the clearly talented but unfortunate Chris Coleman, who as Wales manager had previously led the national team to the

semi-finals of the 2016 Euros. Coleman received no support or any transfer funds from Short, who had seemingly disappeared, and so was unable to save a squad devoid of any quality or commitment from relegation. Then a couple weeks ago after it was confirmed that the Black Cats would be finishing bottom of the league two years running, Coleman had been sacked and the club now looks set to be sold to a consortium led by Stewart Donald, the chairman of non-league side Eastleigh F.C.

million pounds, the total invested into South Coast club Eastleigh by Sunderland’s new owner

So where does this leave Sunderland, if the deal as expected goes ahead? Well first of all one piece of good news is that the club will have no debt, as Short has agreed to pay it off as part of the deal. Secondly, fans should not necessarily expect stability as Donald has a trigger finger when it comes to sacking managers. Although admittedly after becoming owner of Eastleigh in 2012, he has successfully taken the side from the Conference South to what is now the National League, with the club also going on some great FA Cup runs. Nevertheless, Sunderland fans should not expect a miracle overnight. Their squad is in definite need of an overhaul and it may take a couple of years to recover before they even reach the Championship never mind the Premier League. However with new owners, no debt, a decent academy, a great stadium, and a group of loyal supporters, the rebuilding can start now for the Wearside club.

Laura Staniforth feels the WWE should choose its friends more carefully In recent years, the WWE has done a lot to shake off the controversy that plagued the company. The PG Era is in full swing, with the Diva’s Championship now replaced by the Women’s Championship, no blood or swearing, and no storylines where a fake baby is drop kicked into the crowd. Ah, they were doing so well. Unfortunately, money makes the world go round, and the news that the WWE had teamed up with the Saudi General Sports Authority for a 10-year partnership has been met with unease. Massive amounts of cash are being thrown around here; the profit for the wresting company to just put on the first event, the Greatest Royal Rumble, was estimated to be about £100 million. And hey, I get it. That’s so much money! It’s a great business opportunity, right?

torture and death. The country arming al-Qaeda affiliated groups in the Syrian Civil War. The accusations of war

crimes against the Yemeni people. Sami Zayn, a wrestler born to two immigrant Syrian parents, who raised over $100,000 for a mobile medical clinic in Syria, was pulled from the card and not allowed to compete. There was a horrendous segment in the Greatest Royal Rumble itself where two wrestlers with Iranian heritage walked out, verbally

There was a horrendous segment in the Greatest Royal Rumble where two wrestlers with Iranian heritage walked out A few small problems with Saudi Arabia, though. Problems like women not being allowed to appear at all. LGBT people can be punished by floggings,

Image: Wikimedia

thrashed Saudi Arabia, and were beaten up by some home-grown trainees in the ring. One of the two had to publicly apologise later, as he was receiving numerous death threats. The cher- ry on top for me though was due to the WWE showing a video package featuring women. The Saudi Government’s twitter issued an apology, stating that it would ‘like to apologise to viewers’ for the ‘indecent scene involving women’. It went on to say that it had “made sure to ban showing any segment that involves w om e n wrestling… and it’s a commitm e nt that the authority would still commit to forever in all of its events and programs.” Triple H, WWE’s COO, said “You have to understand every culture is different, and just because you don’t agree…doesn’t mean it’s not a relevant culture.” Sure pal. Call me back when I won’t be put to death for being who I am there.

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Monday 7 May 2018

Hardly Athletic notch up historic first win

INTRA MURAL FOOTBALL 11s

Hardly Athletic Classic XI

6 2

Hardly Athletic IngSoc

4 6

Hardly Athletic Sevilla Depression

3 4

Dan Haygarth at Longbenton After essay deadlines, bad weather and general apathy caused a spate of cancellations before the Easter break, Hardly Athletic faced the final three games of our debut season in the first week of term. This was bad news for a team whose fitness levels were more akin to a darts team than eleven-aside football. The week’s first game was against fellow strugglers Classic XI, whose only ever victory came against Athletic in November’s reverse fixture. Fearing the worst after an Easter break which couldn’t be further from warm weather training in Dubai and possessing a streamlined squad, Athletic started the game in an uncharacteristically positive manner. Five minutes in, George Yates delivered a delicious cross which was finished calmly by Alex Birrell. Leading in a competitive game for the first time in our history, Athletic didn’t let up. The lead was swiftly doubled by Jacob Layfield, who slotted through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 2-0. Nobody could quite believe what they were seeing. Playing with the confidence and ability of Arsenal’s invincibles, Athletic made it 3 after Layfield dinked the goalkeeper with a sumptuous chip. The Thierry Henry of Intra Mural was on fire and had made a mockery of Classic XI’s goalkeeper. The trailing side hit back just before half time. The cockiness had set in and nobody was worried. After a rousing team talk, Athletic made it 4-1 when Liam Mulligan got in on the act with a fine finish. Shortly after, Classic made it 4-2. Worry did set in this time. It was, however, misguided as Layfield completed his spectacular hattrick with a header from Andrew Watson’s perfect cross. Ben Lowes completed the rout with a drilled shot from outside the area – Athletic were in heaven. 6-2 up and cruising, we even managed to give a cameo appearance to committed fan Rupert Truman, which was his first football appearance since a local church five-a-side tournament aged eight. At long last, Athletic had their Rocky Wednesday Division 3

Pld

GD Pts

1 ManSoc

2 Oxbow Lakers

42 26

3 Jesmond Tutu FC

4 Sevilla Depression FC

18 20

5 IngSoc

-16 12

6 Classic XI

10 -50

7 Hardly Athletic

11 -56

‘I wanna dance!’ Dance Soc

II moment. While Rocky was victorious against the World Heavyweight Champion and Athletic defeated the only other dreadful team in Intra Mural, the hard-earned victory was just as sweet. It also, owes a lot to Layfield’s performance. A proven goal scorer for Narberth AFC in Wales’ Pembrokeshire League, has been a real coup for the third division outfit. Where the hell has he been all season? Buoyed by the maiden victory and slightly hungover due to the celebrations, Athletic faced mid-table outfit IngSoc the following day. We found ourselves 4-0 down at half time – the victory the day before felt like years ago. Early in the second half, Callum Smith leapt like a salmon to meet Jacob Layfield’s cross and headed home to give Athletic a way back into the game. A swift hattrick from Liam Mulligan completed a comeback that made Istanbul 2005 look like child’s play. Unfortunately, we proceeded to fall apart and IngSoc won 6-4. The less said about that the better.

A swift hatrick from Liam Mulligan completed a comeback that made Istanbul 2005 look like child’s play The week’s final game, against highflying Sevilla Depression, brought the season to a close in a suitably farcical fashion. Athletic went one up before a spell of Ashley Williams-esque defending handed an equaliser to Sevilla. Athletic conceded again just after half time but hit back after a spell of heavy pressure. After some liquid football, Liam Mulligan powered a shot into the roof of the net to square the game. The man most certainly has a foot like a traction engine. Sevilla inevitably went 3-2 up before the game ended in a true Hardly Athletic manner. In injury time, Jonny Eccles won a penalty for the trailing side after his pass may have struck a defender’s hand - the eagle-eyed referee must be praised for spotting such a contentious decision. The ever-reliable Layfield stepped up and scuffed his penalty straight at the keeper. Fortunately, his poacher’s instinct came into play and he converted the rebound. Carnage ensued. As it stood, the point would have taken Athletic off the foot of the table for the first time since it was in alphabetical order. Yours truly led a pitch invasion as the half-cut fans entered a state of bedlam. All that was missing was a flare and a couple of blue smoke bombs. I hadn’t made it off the pitch before Sevilla had scored with the final touch of the game to make it 4-3. A Sam Allardyce-esque hoof forward wasn’t dealt with by Athletic and Sevilla pounced. We were crushed – only Hardly Athletic could fuck it up quite like this. Hardly Athletic take their first victory of the year Image: Dan Haygarth

The girls had to compete for their spot in the routine which opened the showe Image: NUDS

Women power into world POWERLIFTING Ella Morgan at Moulton College, Northants Powerlifting is a competitive sport at Newcastle University in which you compete to lift the heaviest weight possible in three lift disciplines: squat, bench and deadlift. The competitors are split into weight classes and the competitor with the highest combined total of the three lifts wins. At the end of March, Newcastle’s men’s and women’s powerlifting teams competed at the British University Championships in Northamptonshire which saw fantastic achievements from our club. The women’s team were particularly remarkable, coming second out of 36 universities across the country. Their performance qualified them for the World University Championships, which will take place this July in the Czech Republic.

125

women took part in the championships, including seven from Newcastle

Newcastle’s athletes also broke several university records: Justine Lee with 140.5kg deadlift in the 52kg class, Katie Travers with 150.5kg deadlift in the 57kg class and Gabrielle Schroeder with 145.5kg squat, 165.5kg deadlift and 376kg total in the 84kg+ class. Another member, Hollie Johnson, holds the 87.5kg Bench Press and

387.5kg total in the 63kg class. She was unable to compete this year due to age restrictions at the Championships, but has been to world championships and commonwealth championships in the past few years; she is Newcastle’s strongest member pound for pound, as determined by the Wilks formula. The men’s team attended the World University Championships in 2016, held in Belarus, which was an excellent achievement. Both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the competition in South Africa last year but couldn’t attend due to the costs. The club has shown outstanding commitment over the years by continuing to develop and succeed, but more importantly made it inclusive for all by providing equal opportunity to succeed. Newcastle’s weightlifting and powerlifting club has seen great growth in numbers over the years, particularly by female students. This drive to encourage females to take part in this strength sport has been an ongoing process, but the club’s girls aim to set an example by showing that girls are strong, thus proving that any girl can! Powerlifting is an easy sport to pick up; it’s an extension of the general gym training except you focus on developing strength for performance. It’s an individual sport where you can dictate your training times, frequency and intensity. Newcastle’s Weightlifting Club believes that strength training should be the foundation of any performance sport, but it can also be beneficial for general healthy lifestyle. Powerlifting will give you confidence in your day to

day life, because it teaches you to overcome challenges and mental barriers; as Plato said, ‘Courage is knowing what not to fear’. Ultimately you are only in competition with yourself by aiming to be the best and strongest version of yourself. This passion is reflected in every member of the club who trains to improve themselves by committing and enjoying the sport. This is the club’s ethos, and as a club in powerlifting and weightlifting the members support and inspire each other. That this is the foundation of the team is shown in their achievements over the years by trusting the process. Just as Muhammad Ali said, ‘It’s the lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself ’; this is something we strive for. The Weightlifting Club has blossomed recently, and its members are proud of what we have nurtured hope to make it bloom in the coming years.

Final team rankings Men

Women

Cambridge Exeter Loughborough Northumbria Nottingham Warwick Newcastle Portsmouth Glasgow Oxford

Glasgow Newcastle Aberdeen Loughborough Cambridge Exeter Bangor Oxford UCL Birmingham

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Monday 7 May 2018

ciety showcase their work DANCE

Elisa Litvin at The Northern Stage On 27 and 28 April Newcastle University’s Dance Society gave three amazing performances at the Northern Stage. The show is considered to be one of the most important events for the whole society as everyone gets the chance to shine in front of approximately 500 people.

Newcastle University Dance Society won a record number of trophies this year

Spectators had the opportunity to enjoy 40 spectacular routines from eight different styles. Also, it was everyone’s last chance to see the award winning competition pieces that brought a record of 32 trophies to the society earlier in the year. From an iconic dance to the Greatest Showman soundtrack to the graceful Don Quixote ballet, the choreographers made sure to be as diverse as possible. Behind all those beautiful choreographies there is a lot of dedication and passion towards the dancing community. Just a week leading up to the show, there were compulsory practice sessions of eight to 10 hours, where each team had to perform their routine twice in front of everybody. The head of the rehearsals was this year’s talented show coordinator Amy McMann. It could not have been such a success without her hard work. McMann was pleased with the outcome: “I am so unbelievably proud with everyone who took part in this event!“ She also gained some new knowledge: “The process was so tough but unbe-

lievably rewarding. I learnt things never go perfectly and perhaps the best things are imperfectly perfect“ McMann also highlighted her unforgettable experience in the society overall: “My time at university would not have been the same without this community. Dance for life!“ On average, each dancer performed in five different pieces. However, Advanced Contemporary teacher Elena Corcobado decided to test her stamina and took part in 10 routines, including her own Pointe solo. Nevertheless, she did not regret deciding to be involved in so many dances, as it helped her to get out of her comfort zone, learn different styles and meet new people.

The most powerful moment for the society was getting a standing ovation from the audience on Saturday Corcobado admitted: “Yes, I obviously messed up a couple of times! It is very hard not to! Although I gave my best and I think the audience loved the show anyway.“ The spectators definitely enjoyed the show. Each dancer could feel it from their cheer and strong applause. The most powerful moment for the society was getting a standing ovation from the audience during their last performance on Saturday. As this year’s dancing season has come to an end, anyone who wants to join the society will have to wait till September. More information will be on their Facebook page.

university championships

Club members were on hand to cheer on the runners Images: NUAXC

NUAXC members race against time ATHLETICS Toby Bryant at Exhibition Park The cross country season may have come to an end, but Newcastle University’s Athletics and Cross Country Club are keeping themselves busy over the closing weeks of the semester. The BUCS Athletics competition is just around the corner but before that the club re-united with past members on Saturday 28 April for the annual Past vs Present race.

After the event former members shared stories of their time at the club over pizza and beer Taking place in Exhibition Park, 16 runners took part in a relay event which saw both present and former students mixed into teams of four. Laps around the Exhibition Park lake, looked over by

BUCS RESULTS CRICKET

The powerlifters came second out of 36 universities and have qualified for world championships Image: White Lights Media

Wylam Brewery, were around 400 metres in length with every team completing 10. The 10 legs were tactfully divided between the four members to complete in the quickest overall time.

seconds separated first and last place in the closely fought contest

The winning team saw the cross country side of the club take glory as Sam Hansen, Rebecca Charlton, James Anthoney and former member, Chris, were first across the line in a time of 24:43. Team 2 followed in 25:21, with Team 3 and Team 1 completing the course in 25:32 and 25:53 respectively. After the event it was time for some pizza and beer as the runners headed down to the nearby North Terrace. This gave the chance for more former NUAXC members to join current runners and share stories of their times at the club. Another successful race in 2018 which left club members in good spirits for their final weeks of training.

OVERALL BUCS POSITION Pos

University

Pts

M1 v Durham Ncl won by 9 wkts M2 v York St Johns 1sts 182-204

Bristol ▼

2754.5

RUGBY SEVENS

Northumbria ■

2585.3

Newcastle ■

1933.8

Notts Trent ■

1817.0

Oxford ▲

1805.3

M1 v Bath 1sts M1 v Derby 1sts M1 v Edinburgh 1sts M1 v Liverpool 1sts M1 v Durham 1sts

14-24 31-0 15-22 12-28 7-24

sport the courier

Monday 7 May 2018 Issue 1369 Free @Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sport Editors Mark Sleightholm, Courtney Strait, Tom Shrimplin, Sydney Isaacs & Matt Proctor

Inside Sport today >>>

THE LONGEST BOSS Managers who just didn’t want to leave their clubs Page 36

Northumbria stood in the way of Chris Baker’s shot on the korf Image: Mark Sleightholm

STUDENT POWER TRIP Newcastle lifters power into world championship Page 38

HARDLY OFF THE BOTTOM Shock victory for beleaguered Intra Mural side Page 38

Double trouble for new-look Nighthawks KORFBALL

Newcastle 2 Tyneside Titans 11

Mark Sleightholm at the Sports Centre It’s the taking part that counts, so they say, and Newcastle’s decision to integrate several new players into their team proved the decisive factor in a double bill of korfball action at the Sports Centre. Teammates became rivals as Newcastle’s fledgling korfball club played against the Tyneside Titans and Northumbria as part of the North East Korfball Association league. With none of the clubs in the league older than five years, there’s a strong camaraderie between members, and the Titans were instrumental in helping to establish a club at Newcastle University last autumn. Even now the two teams train together and several players have made appearances for both sides. The Newcastle-Titans match, then, was always going to be a special case. Both sides were without the talents of Dutchman Wilbert den Hoed, perhaps NEKA’s most experienced player, who plays for Newcastle in student matches but the Titans in NEKA, and who wisely sat this one out. Newcastle was also missing Lottie Rhodes, who had broken her finger just days earlier and was forced to cheer on her teammates from the sidelines. The loss of these more experienced players was compounded by the introduction of several new members to the Newcastle team. Rosa Schamoti made

her debut appearance for the Nighthawks against Tyneside while many of the players had only recently joined the club; indeed, not one of Newcastle’s starting lineup was even aware of korfball’s existence just six months earlier. Newcastle began sluggishly against the Titans but were strong on the defensive side, generally managing to regain control of the ball quickly and efficiently.

Not one of Newcastle’s starting lineup knew of korfball’s existence just six months earlier After an early deluge of korfs the game steadied out, with both sides able to maintain possession for extended periods of time although ultimately unsuccessful in their shots on the korf, ramping up the pressure. A moment of particularly high tension came towards the end of the first half, when Newcastle’s Chris Baker was stuck had the ball but no-one to pass to, being so closely marked by Tyneside players. For a good 15 seconds his teammates ran desperately around the court trying to find space, but when he was ultimately able to pass the ball to Rebekah Albiston her shot missed the korf and possession passed over to the Titans, creating a sense of anti-climax going into the second half. The Newcastle attacking quartet of Baker, Albiston, Harry Waterman and newcomer Rosa Schamoti were persis-

tent in their efforts on the korf. Unlike the more individual nature of most of the Tyneside shots the Nighthawk’s tirelessly passed the ball between all four players in the Titans’ half, but almost all of their shots were frustratingly short. The Titans, and occasional-Newcastle player Miles Clement in particular, were far more vocal on the court, with “boy looking for feed” a common refrain throughout the match. Korfball is notable in being a mixed-gender team sport, with each team made up of four male and four female players, who can only defend a player of the same gender. Newcastle made the most of having nine players to pick an eight-person team from and Waterman was subbed off midway through the second half, but a nasty twist to Baker’s ankle required him to come back on to finish the game. For the Northumbria match, however, Newcastle’s Hyun Gyu Ku was needed to referee the game, and so Baker had to play on through his injury. Newcastle 4 Northumbria 15 With only a dozen minutes to recover from their defeat at the hands of the Titans Newcastle were back on the court to face Northumbria. Earlier in the season Northumbria had claimed a 10-2 victory but their non-NEKA Stan Calvert match-up had gone Newcastle’s way, so it was all to play for at the Sports Centre. Determined not to repeat the mistakes they had made in their opening match Newcastle started with energy and pace,

but this focus on driving forwards let a series of Northumbria korfs through their defence. Early Newcastle efforts such as captain Jess Meakin’s ambitious shot from close to the halfway line failed to find the korf, while Northumbria had luck on their side and ratched up a score from free passes and well-placed shots in open play. At half time the visitors were leading 11-2 and a demoralised and exhausted Newcastle side struggled to stay motivated during their team talk. Things picked up for the Nighthawks in the second half, however, and they blocked an early shot from Northumbria and kept possession for longer periods. A fierce volley from Baker sent the ball flying down to the other end of the court and a series of energetic shots on the korf gave Newcastle some hope of a comeback. A couple of disallowed korfs from Baker and some near-misses from his teammates stunted Newcastle’s progress, but they held Northumbria back better than they had in the first half, and the game ended with a respectable scoreline of 15-4 to Northumbria. Baker was disappointed that they “got punished far too much for a very slow start” against the Titans and were running out of energy for the Northumbria match, but pointed out the inexperience of the side. “We’ve struggled in the league a bit this year,” he added, but away from NEKA the club has had better luck, taking home silver from the BUCS National Plate and cruising to an 8-7 victory over Northumbria in this year’s Stan Calvert.