The Courier - 1432 (Halloween Edition)

Harm reduction prioritised across Campus after drug-related death

students can dispose of drugs, free of consequence and judgement.

Elsa Tarring - Head of

A statement was released by the University and Union in light of a two-day inquest

stark choice of words. A day later, Day sent a longer, more detailed email expressing his “greatest sadness” and outlining several means of welfare support at the university and throughout the city.

risk of harm”.

Part of their strategy involves a collaboration with parties such as the local police and city partners to create a system that operates “without judgement, coercion or discrimination.”

scheme was developed as a collective approach to help lessen the dangerous impacts of substance use nation-wide.

Vice-Chancellor

Chris Day and Students’ Union (NUSU) President Mady Baugh released a joint statement on Monday 17th October detailing their strategy to reduce the harm to students caused by substance use.

The statement comes two weeks after the inquest of Newcastle University student Jeni Larmour, who died in October 2020 “after consuming a mixture of alcohol and drugs”, according to the University.

In the email, which was sent out to all students, Day and Baugh described Larmour as “an outstanding student with a bright future ahead of her”, adding, “we are incredibly sad she never got the opportunity to start her academic journey with us”. They then went on to detail a series of initiatives and resources they are implementing to reinforce student welfare.

Larmour died on the first night of Freshers’ Week

In an attempt to increase the support available, the email reminded students of the NUSU Welfare and Support Centre, which they can go to for any concerns, including those related to drug and alcohol use. The NUSU service provides drug testing kits, free to pick up from the Students’ Union, and a drug amnesty bin, in which

In addition to this, NUSU is also making face-to-face support available for students to gain confidential advice. The Students’ Union also offers a range of welfare guidance online in the form of resources related to drugs, harm reduction and alcohol safety.

While all of these resources are promoted by the Union, the University also has student health and wellbeing services which work “to provide confidential drop-in sessions to help with concerns and questions around drugs and alcohol”. These are available every Wednesday from 5pm-7pm in King’s Gate.

If students would prefer to access support at their university accommodation, they can contact Reslife, whose coordinators offer information and advice to students who are looking to reduce or quit. They also hold stand-alone workshops that take place during the academic year to raise greater awareness of the dangers surrounding drug and alcohol use.

Another service provided by the University are the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care team, who give students the opportunity to share their experiences at ‘Walk and Talks’, which provide both an inclusive and diverse environment.

18-year-old Larmour died on the first night of Freshers’ Week two years ago, when she consumed a “lethal combination of alcohol and ketamine”, according to the BBC. The day after her death, the Vice-Chancellor sent an email to all students advising them to take caution when consuming drugs and alcohol: “Remember, it is against the law to take and supply drugs and it is also extremely dangerous”.

The message received backlash as students were left frustrated with his

BBC News reported on the two-day inquest, describing how it concluded that the drugs consumed by Jeni did not belong to her, but were given to her by another student. A Newcastle University spokesperson, who attended the inquest, confirmed that this student was not one from Newcastle University. Regarding measures the university had in place at the time of Larmour’s death, there was a compulsory online programme with information on how to stay safe if considering the use of drugs and alcohol, which is still available now on Canvas. A Newcastle University spokesperson told The Courier that students cannot pick up the keys for their university accommodation until they complete this programme, suggesting that this is something that “Jeni had done”.

When approached for further comment on what more action could be taken to reduce harm to students across the country, the university mentioned a “Universities Taskforce” which was launched earlier last month. The

Since Larmour’s death, Newcastle University has also been working alongside NUSU, the City Council and Northumbria Police, to formulate a new Student Drug Policy, which focuses on prioritising student wellbeing and making the information and support available to them both clear and accessible.

However, one current student said in response, “I wasn’t aware of this online module. I think it should be better publicised. If it’s compulsory, why don’t we know about it?”.

The same spokesperson also told The Courier that there was no mention of how the university could improve its resources of information and support at the inquest.

What has been described as a “harm reduction approach” by the University aims to “minimise negative health and social impacts associated with an individual’s drug use”. They told The Courier that the purpose of this plan is not “to signal that drug use is safe, but rather to recognise that there are behaviours which actively increase the

There was a module that students had to complete to be able to pick up their accomodation keys

Students were left frustrated with [the Vice-Chancellor’s] stark choice of words

misogynistic history of femininity

spooky tale, dating back 500-years, labelling women who don’t fit the ‘norm’ as people who should be feared

The legacy of Treehouse of Horror

After 33 episodes, is The Simpsons a trick or a trea this spooky season?

The harrowing truth of Freshers’ dissociation

An open conversation into the relaties of student life

A note from the Editor

a spooky ‘hello’ from me this week! Thank you for picking up the Halloween edition of The Courier. As you’ve probably guessed by the slight change to our logo and usual front-page design, this issue is filled with a whole host of scary, spooky and silly Halloween content. From their favourite horror shows, to a range of costume ideas, our writers have really taken the theme of this weeks issue

It’s

24th

in their stride.

It was lovely to see so many people come to celebrate the launch of the first issue of the year with us last week. Seeing the faces of those who had just seen their name in the paper for the first time was one of the most heart-warming parts of this job so far! The community that we have built over the first few weeks of this year, and will continue to build as the year goes on, seems to be stronger than ever. The amount of

2022

Current Affairs | News

Sanctions for UK universities with high drop-out rates

Country-wise, 33 universities are at risk of breachhing the new policy | Page 4

Current Affairs | Campus Comment

The University's spookiest buildings

From The Medical School to The Old Library, what scary stories lurk behind the buildings you see every day | Page 7

Life & Style | Relationships

The hypocrisy of Halloween Regardless of the costume, women are relentlessly under the microscope for what they wear on the 31st | Page 13

Life & Style | Food & Drink

A foodies guide to hosting the haunted Halloween bash!

Impress your friends will this perfect platter for your spooky party | Page 19

Culture | Music

Rex Orange County charged with sexual assault

Six accounts of sexual assault marr the artist as Rex's 'Orange' now mimics a jumpsuit | Page 20

Culture | Film

A ranking that really delves into Jordan Peele's horror hits

With 3 horror features now released, could Peele be the new King of Horror? | Page 24

engagement from you all has been wonderful, and I really hope to keep the momentum up with the number of people involved with this paper this year.

In other exciting news, this week saw a huge win for me and Student Media as a whole!

At the first Students’ Union Council of the year (which you can read more about just over, on page 3), a motions was passed that implemented a Student Media Constitution.

Whilst this doesn’t change anything to do with the dayto-day runnings of Student Media, everything - from the way The Courier’s Editorial Team is chosen, to the role of Media Executive Committee - is written down and stored with all of the other official and important NUSU documents.

Thank you to everyone who voted in favour of the motion, and to those with seats on Media Exec who helped to put it together!

I hope you enjoy reading this edition of The Courier, and wish you all a wonderful spooky season!

-- Meg Howe

THE COURIER SECTIONS

Editor-in-Chief

Meg Howe (she/her)

-- mediaofficer.union@newcastle.ac.uk

Current Affairs

Senior editor: Elsa Tarring (she/her) -- e.tarring1@ncl.ac.uk

Life & Style

Senior editors: Gabbi de Boer (she/her) --g.de-boer2@ncl.ac.uk Scarlett Welch (she/her) --s.welch11@ncl.ac.uk

Relationships & Blind Date

Ruby Butler Georgia Purcell

Deputy Editor

Sophie McNally (she/her) -- s.c.mcnally2@ncl.ac.uk

Culture

Senior editors: Carly Horne (she/her) --c.a.horne2@ncl.ac.uk Rachael McCreanor (she/her) -- r.mccreanor2@ncl.ac.uk

Music

Ella Winskell

Campus Comment

Lifestyle

Jenica Davis Zahra Hanif Molly Jackson

Fashion & Beauty

Ross Bennett

Jonathan Lee Science

Isabel Lamb Anthony Welsh

Sport Senior editor: Katie Siddall (she/her/they/them) --k.e.siddall1@ncl.ac.uk

Campus Sport Liason: Castor Chan (she/her) --k.n.c.chan1@ncl.ac.uk

Tom Barlow

Arthur Ferridge

Paige Rutter

Samantha Seidu Lizzie Yockney

Travel

Jude Parkinson Elžbieta Voverytė

Food & Drink

Daisy Harrison Abigail Roch

Social Media

Head of Social Media: Autumn Keil (she/her) -- a.keil2@ncl.ac.uk

From the Archives!

49 years ago today!

University students protested against bull-fighting and foxhunting, stating that both blood-sports had "unnecessary" measures. These standards included bulls being killed without reason, and even the unnecessary three-hour duration of stag hunts.

Lucy Bower Rowan Christina Driver TV Olivia Crowley Imogen Smillie Film Rachel Carron Mitchell Hall Jessica McKeown Arts Louise Cusine Sarah Tunstall Puzzles

News Hannah Gul-Khan Alice Holmes Amana Khan

Alexander James Ashna Mathur Sam Norman Opinion

Students' Union Council: The one where all the motions passed

Katie Siddall - Head of Sport

The hammering of the gavel could only mean one thing... Students' Union Council was back again!

Thursday20th October saw Sabbatical Officers, Liberation Officers, students from different executive boards and those wanting to get involved in university life go to the first Student Council of the 2022/23 academic year.

NUSU President, Mady Baugh, was the first person to take the podium and update everyone on what the Sabbatical Officers (Sabbs) have been up to through her state of the Union report. Some of the main updates included the opening og the NUSU Pantry, her Let's Talk About Sex campaign (a sex positivity campaign), the cost of living crisis now being a part of the PEC process and also where to get support if the cost of living crisis is effecting you.

Many seats were taken by returning students, and a few even saw fresh faces

Mady also spoke about how student media is now a part of Go

Volunteer - something which will help recognise the hardwork that those who volunteer within the three branches of Student Media put into their work. And speaking of Student Media... we had a little motion submitted by our very own SMO, Meg Howe.

This motion wasn't very little as it was for the Student Media Constitution!

This constitution is not changing anything within The Courier, NSR and/ or NUTV but is simply putting what these projects and the volutneers who run them do into a written format.

The constitution; therefore, highlights how people gain their positions, what these positions entail, protocols when technology behaves like technology (i.e., not working) and much, much more. The constitution will sit alongisde the Societies and AU Constitutions on the NUSU website, and will become part of the official Students' Union

Constitution.

Unsurprisingly, the Student Media Constitution passed - with a 83.8% majority. Alongside this motion was another submitted by our Disability Officer, Lauren Gilbert, who wishes for the Sabbatical Officer team to lobby the University to ReCap all lectures and for these to include subtitles created by (paid) students. Lauren came up to discuss this motion - they spoke of how people with disabilities are not to blame for missing out on their lectures, so they are wanting lectures to become accessible to everyone, with the help of subtitles for those who need them. This motion passed with an 86.8% majority.

Education Officer Mack, submitted the final of the motion of the evening, and with a 79.5% majority will see that a poll is set out to Newcastle University students about the potential UCU strike. Results to come out soon!

This particular Student Council saw itself finish bang on the dot of an hour (if you don't trust me, ask NSR Station Manager Jimmy!). However, before it was over, a few committee positions were open for students to fill.

fresh faces.

There were also eight open seats (Student Council seats which can vote on the motions, as not all seats have the right to vote) to be filled. These were taken by the members of council that had taken the committee positions. No one spoke up against anyone wanting to fill a position; therefore, everyone gained the place they wanted to.

These committees were the likes of Scrutiny, Disciplinary and a few others.

They had a number of seats to take and, if you wanted a seat, students would have to come up to the podium to state why they wanted said position. Many seats were taken by returning students from last year and a few seats even saw

Just before the gavel banged for a final time, Lauren took the podium again to briefly mention that those with hidden disabilities (i.e., ADHD, diabetes etc.,) could now go and get a sunflower lanyard from the NUSU reception.

Quote of the Evening: Felix: "Usually I have six to seven pieces of fruit on me" but " I'm a bit off my kiwi game at the minute".

A study at Newcastle University reveals city's unsafe environment for women

the police officers actually said to me, 'you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time'… I just thought, 'I'm about 400m from my front door - where is the right place to be?'", she said.

TheNorth East is not a safe place for women. This has been highlighted in a recent study headlined by Professor Rachel Pain at Newcastle University, which shows women are "justifiably" feeling unsafe in parks across the area.

“Am I going to be one of those statistics”, was an anonymous comment made by a participant in Professor Pain’s study as they discussed the possibility of being assaulted in a park.

A member of the Heaton Harriers running club, Jacqueline Turner, runs with the group after being attacked while out running in August 2017.

"There was a random man standing in the road and he deliberately pushed me over, got me into the road and kicked me while I was on the ground… One of

Professor Pain’s study was about the safety of women in parks across the North East, showing that, somewhat unsurprisingly, women have a reason for feeling unsafe when in parks, especially at night, with over 100 incidents reported in a one-year period at Saltwell park in Gateshead (114 violent incidents), Leazes park in Newcastle (141 violent incidents) and Mowbray park in Sunderland (187 violent incidents) all including sexual offences and rapes.

The story of women‘s safety in the UK is a long and complicated one, of which

Sarah Everard is a prime example. Despite the fact she died over a year ago, the streets appear to be no safer for women.

The same goes for Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, both of whom also died last year in parks as a result of violence against women in our country, a country where three women a week die as a result of domestic violence.

Despite continued discussions on women’s safety and incidents like these highlighting the issues to the public, women’s safety is still a major issue for which there has not been an appropriate solution enacted.

Kim McGuiness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, responded to Professor Pain’s study with promises to combat behaviour, mainly large gatherings of men and boys, that were making women uncomfortable,. However, no meaningful change has been seen so far.

A new Newcastle University study finds that women are not safe in parks across the North East and have a right

to be worried when venturing through them. Unfortunately, this is not so surprising for women in the North East, nor is it surprising throughout the country as the cases of violent crime

against women have continued to rise since 2018. It is, as another anonymous participant stated, “part of being a woman in England”.

Poppy Bedford

Content warning: mention of sexual assault

Sadly, it is "part of being a woman in England"

"I usually have seven pieces of fruit... I'm a bit off my kiwi game at the minute" - Felix

Image credit: NUTV

Possibility of sanctions for UK universities with high drop-out rates

Rhys James

The possible consequences for university high-drop out rates

TheOffice for Students recently published its tests of “low quality” subjects that could see universities in the UK facing large fines if fewer than 60% of graduates in a university's subject area find work, set up their own business or go on to further study.

Since 3 October, new thresholds have been in place, setting minimum expectations for the proportion of students on higher education courses across the UK.

These thresholds were decided following an “extensive consultation process” in which the voices of students and their representatives, universities and colleges were heard. Different thresholds have been set for different courses, and The Office for Students published the thresholds as: - 80% of students to continue their studies

- 75% of students to complete their course - 60% of students go on to further study, professional work, or other

positive outcomes, within 15 months of graduating.

The Telegraph reported that 33 universities with almost 30,000 students

are at risk of breaching The Office for Students' new thresholds, and over 11,000 at 62 universities and colleges do not currently meet the required minimum proportion of students securing jobs within 15 months after graduating. Susan Lapworth, the chief executive of The Office for Students since September of this year, said that “too many students” from disadvantaged backgrounds are recruited onto university degrees which don’t improve their chances in life.

Lapworth went on to say that “Most higher education students in England are on courses with outcomes above our thresholds, often significantly so… But today’s decision provides a clear incentive for universities and colleges to take credible action to improve the outcomes of courses which may be cause for concern”.

In response to the newly imposed sanctions, university leaders have argued that rates of graduate

employment are not solely dependent on universities. They say they can be affected by economic forces beyond their control, and start-out careers in subjects such as creative arts are difficult to compare with subjects that have conventional career paths.

A spokesperson for the Universities UK group, who work with universities, the government and stakeholders to continue improving the UK's worldleading higher education sector, said that the “vast majority” of graduates enjoy their student experience.

Despite this, they added that “the data is not perfect and can only ever capture aspects of student success. ‘Good’ outcomes need to be considered in the context of student aspirations”.

Brazilian Elections: what you need to know

term after having already served from 2003 to 2010.

Lula, as he's more popularly known, was possibly the most popular leader in the world, leaving office with an approval rating of 87%.

ThisOctober, Brazil, one of the world’s largest democracies, goes to the polls. This vote will be massively consequential for Brazil’s future, with a variety of matters being called into question and a clash of personalities that could set a precedent for Brazil, if not the world.

So, who are the candidates?

Jair Bolsonaro, the incumbent president, ex-military officer and congressman of 27 years, has on multiple occasions been compared to Trump. This comparison has been made due to his similar views and past comments on topics like the environment, guns, and women. However, this over-thetop Trumpian personality is what attracts many Brazilians to his politics.

Bolsonaro is a populist, and like many populist candidates around the world, he has mastered the art of social media. For Bolsonaro this has been TikTok and WhatsApp.

Luiz Ináncio Lula da Silva, former president, and worker’s rights activist is running now for his third

The candidate is credited with forging the path to become one of the world's up-and-coming economic superpowers, while simultaneously lifting 20 million out of poverty. Despite this extreme popularity, he

was convicted on bribery charges as part of the wider ‘Operation Car Wash’ scandal. However, the conviction was annulled in 2021. The first round of the elections knocked out all other candidates apart

from Lula and Bolsonaro, who won 48% and 43% of the vote, respectively. This means that the two candidates will fight for the presidency over the coming weeks until the run-off election on 30 October.

What are the problems with this election?

The economy has recently experienced bouts of high inflation over the past 2 years with the IMF putting rates at 5.2% higher than in 2019. As well as this, Brazil still has 16 million people living below the poverty line.

Crime and gun violence are both key issues, as in Brazil there are 4.4 million civilian gun owners, meaning there are more gunowners than there are members of police. Bolsonaro’s recent rollbacks on gun reform have been temporarily reversed by the Supreme Court due to fears of electoral violence.

The Brazilian Amazon has experienced increased deforestation on the watch of the current president, an infringement on indigenous land rights and, worst of all, the raging forest fires of recent years.

The question of public health has certainly been thrown into the electoral discourse, since Brazil was hit with a death toll of nearly 700,000. This was because of the pandemic bringing into question Bolsonaro’s public health management capabilities.

These issues will be on the forefront of Brazilians’ minds on the day of the election.

Current polls show that Lula is still in the lead with 49% of the vote but Bolsonaro has marginally increased his vote share by 1%. This means the election has potential to go either way.

Image credit:Wikimedia Commons

The Brazilian elections are coming up, and here are the key points to note

Jude Ventress

Lula left office with an approval rating of 87%

Image credit: Annenberg Media

Rates of employment are affected by factors out of their control, university leaders say

30,000 students are at risk of breaching the thresholds

Barristers vote to end strike action over pay

Elisabeth Gores

of Criminal Bar Association have accepted the government pay rise of 15% on legal aid fees for most crown court cases, ending their indefinite strike at 5pm on Monday 17.

More than six months on from the start of the industrial action, and six weeks on from the start of the strikes, 57% (or 2605 members) of the Criminal Bar Association voted to accept the 15% pay rise offer from the government.

The immediate minimum wage increase recommendation from the criminal legal aid review was published in December of last year, but 10% lower than the 25% increase the association was originally asking for. The government also announced that the offer would include a £5 million uplift per year for fees in youth courts as well as further investment of £54 million in the criminal bar and solicitors.

Membersloss of income in real terms of 28% since 2006, while current inflation is now 9.9%. This agreement reached, however, will only be applicable to new cases from the end of September, meaning that the crown court's backlog of around 60,000 cases will not be included.

The association had wanted the increase to apply to all cases, arguing that in order to effectively address the huge backlog of cases, extra cash had to be injected immediately. However it accepted the governments offer and terms.

Statistics from HM Courts and Tribunals due this week are expected to indicate a lack of progress of reducing the backlogs both from Strikes, Covid-19 and lack of funding, which mean some trials are taking over two years to be heard.

The chair of the association stated

that the criminal justice system will remain chronically underfunded, being the duty of the government to properly fund it. If the government fails to implement the deal and instigate further long-term reform then the association will ballot again for industrial action.

NUSU cost of living support

Sarah Daly

Familiesstruggling to provide food for children are often the first demographic we consider when considering the Cost of Living Crisis. However, one demographic that is often overlooked and absent when discussing the financial crisis is university students.

their university courses altogether.

With the latest news headlines causing anxiety amongst students, as rent rises and food prices rocket, many students have been forced to choose between studying and eating.

However, to overcome and help students, Newcastle Students’ Union (NUSU) is providing students access to sexual health and hygiene products, including free period products, condoms, pregnancy test kits and drink spiking test kits.

She maintains, however, that the situation should never have got to the current state of barristers having to take industrial action to demand extra funding into criminal legal aid.

Despite many current university students already having a turbulent transition to the university during the pandemic, students are now faced with a financial crisis, with 1 in 10 saying they’ve used a food bank in the last year. According to respondents from Save the Student’s annual money survey, financial concerns have led 52% of students to consider dropping out of

NUSU said: “Supporting students through this crisis is our priority, with the government forgetting or disregarding how heavily students are impacted”.

To access these year-round available products, they will be outside the Welfare and Support Hub (ground floor of the Students’ Union building).

If you would like to know more, get in contact with NUSU Cost of Living Crisis leads; Mady Baugh (President) president.union@ncl.ac.uk and Mack Marshall (Education officer) education.

This strike follows decades of austerity where the system of legal aid, which is the main contributor to how barristers are paid, has been repeatedly stripped away causing a

Sturgeon announces date for new Scottish independence referendum

Elisabeth Gores

After the last referendum in 2014 saw Scotland voting to stay in the UK, Sturgeon has announced plans for another referendum this year

NicolaSturgeon has announced that she wants a Scottish independence referendum to take place on 19 October 2023.

The manifestation of this date is now dependent upon the UK Supreme Court ruling deciding if she has the legal authority to do this. Is a new Scottish Independence Referendum unavoidable?

Just over eight years since the first independence referendum was held in September 2014, with the results being remaining in the UK at 55% to leaving at 45%, this previous vote appeared to have silenced the growing independence debate. However, this was only short lived as talks of a second

referendum are back in the air.

The changing factor since then that has breathed some new life into the independence discourse, is the Brexit vote. The First Minister called for another referendum – indirectly following the leave vote.

Scotland was one of the remain strongholds during Brexit, with 62% voting to stay in the EU, and the love for Brussels was used as a key argument in the first referendum debate. If Scotland remained in the United Kingdom, it would remain in the European Union by default. However this argument no longer exists, as of 11pm January 31 2020.

So, would this change the tide on Scottish Independence? Polling suggests that average support for independence is at 49% with 51% against, indicating that Brexit, Covid-19 and Johnson’s premiership haven’t turned the tides as much as Sturgeon would have hoped. This slender remain lead isn’t enough to prematurely indicate victory, and this polling further notes that there are fewer undecided votes than during the last referendum, making victory challenging for both sides.

The second referendum’s hold up can be attributed to the Westminster Government’s refusal in issuing a

Section 30 order for a second time, denying Sturgeon legal referendum consent.

Neither Truss nor her predecessor support a second vote, believing that in Sturgeon's own words the referendum was "a once in a generation opportunity" that has come and gone.

Instead, an argument stands that prioritisation should be on recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, not independence referendums. Sturgeon has remained undeterred by this, pledging to use the next general election as a ‘de facto referendum’ with her party standing on the single issue of independence.

If the vote does take place leading to declared independence, it will only lead

to further uncertainties. Will Scotland maintain the Pound as its currency? Will King Charles remain their Head of State? Will independent Scotland be successful in re-joining the EU? For now, this all remains to be seen.

Sturgeon remains undeterred, pledging to use the next general election as a 'de facto referendum'

Backlogs mean some trials are taking over two years to be heard

Image credit: Pixabay

NUSU is helping students by providing access to sexual health and hygiene products

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

If the government fails to implement the deal then they will ballot again

Campus Comment

The good, the bad and the circuit laundry

To state the obvious: it’s a lot of work. We know that, we expect it. But, the reality is a lot more than expected. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but nobody told me how confusing circuit laundry was going to be either, or how expensive it was. Nothing I’m saying here is original, but it is saying something to know that every fresher goes through the same feelings.

'Registered contacts' advised for students in higher education

Connor Lamb

Arriving

at university, everybody has a certain set of expectations. When I got here, I assumed if Freshers' Week wasn't going to kill me, my degree workload certainly would. I wasn’t entirely wrong, but I wasn’t entirely right either.

So far, my journey has been bittersweet. I absolutely love studying for my degree, living in a city, and making new friends. But, I do miss my family a lot. I feel like I took for granted my mum doing my washing and cooking my meals, but I’m getting by. I promise, mum, I’m doing okay!

Call your mum, ask her what temperature your washing should go on. Google how to cook rice, and if you can eat that weird item in your fridge that went off two days ago. Everyone is doing the same exact thing. Nobody knows what they’re doing. That’s the beauty in figuring it all out.

But seriously, mum if you’re reading this, can I put all my colours in the same wash cycle?

Let me preface this by saying that student mental health is a multi-dimensional issue. But recently, Universities UK (UUK) decided to contribute once more to the discussion surrounding student mental health and predictably take the easy way out.

Universities are being encouraged to gather the contact information of the parents/carers of students upon enrolment in order to support their mental health, under new guidance from the UUK.

Let’s be honest for a second - this guidance isn’t anything groundbreaking; quite a few universities already do this, although this is often considered optional.

Student mental health is rightfully being treated as important enough to pour research into, although the suicide rates of students are lower than that of the whole UK population, according to the Office for Students.

However, the suicide of one student affects so many others, including friends, family and co-workers and this is something that universities take for granted if the eleven suicides at Exeter University students over the past six years are any indicator.

Even acknowledging that an increased number of students will struggle with mental health this year, the effectiveness of involving family members is definitely debatable. While the involvement of a supportive family is important to the quality of life of those with mental health conditions, universities realistically do not have any impact on this. And it isn’t fair to expect that of them.

In reality, I believe Universities UK does not actually care about any of this, providing this as a cheap diversion tactic made to avoid having to actually answer to students. The reality is that the higher education sector has mistreated us over the past two years. I have to wonder what a phone call

from a university to the parent of a depressed student would sound like. Would the university talk about the counselling waiting list? Would they confess that they prioritise profits over wellbeing? Would they apologise for the very recent disruptions to their child’s education? Or would they shrug their shoulders and feign ignorance? Just a thought.

Remember, you are never alone. Below are some organisations you can contact if you need support.

Newcastle University provisions: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/wellbeing/ urgenthelp/#suicideconcerns

Newcastle University Student and Wellbeing Services phone number: 0191 208 3333

Samaritans: 116 123

National Suicide Prevention Helpline: 0800689 5652

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): 0800 58 58 58

Go to http://chng.it/WnytWBtn7z to sign a petition to make mental health support included in Universtiy rankings.

The horrors of freshers' dissociation

months.

Overthe past few weeks, there’s been plenty of content on Freshers' Week; the infamous experience all undergrads have to go through.

There’s a diversity of perspectives on the rite of passage: it's the best week filled with parties, excessive drinking and newfound freedom and fun, while for some, it’s overrated, underwhelming and insignificant. Whilst each fresher’s experience may differ from person to person, there is one psychological element that I think is often not spoken enough about: dissociation.

Dissociation is the feeling that you are disconnected from not only yourself but also the world around you; some people are in this phase for short periods of time, an hour or two, whereas others may feel disconnected for weeks or even

Many factors may contribute to this detachment, with it being most likely a natural response to things you may find overwhelming (aka university) as well as a possible symptom of mental health or even trauma.

According to mind.org, dissociation is a side effect of excessive drinking (it’s not looking good for us then).

After speaking to many freshers, a lot have said that they’ve felt quite disconnected recently, almost as if living in a daydream or simulation, myself included.

For instance, the other day I went food shopping and felt as if I was a part of some game or an app where I get to pick what I want, not even processing that I had to use money (which as a student I sorely lack) to pay to make meals so I can survive.

At times, I’ll just be walking or sitting in my room, and it’ll suddenly hit me that I’m here, and I’ll almost be shocked by it.

Speaking to another student,

they mentioned that, “especially during early Freshers’ Week, I felt completely zoned out, as if I were on autopilot”, whilst another student remarked, “I feel as if none of this is real sometimes, like I’m a part of some weird tv show”.

Although the event of us all being in some kind of Truman show reality isn’t technically off the table, it’s highly unlikely. What’s more probable is the idea that we have been so overwhelmed by the sudden changes in our lives, that to cope, we have begun to detach ourselves from reality.

This idea that there are many of us feeling dissociated is quite a scary thought when thinking about

it. What does it mean for us as new undergraduates? Are we all walking around like zombies or are we just so overwhelmed by everything that’s going on? Perhaps this year’s Halloween costume won’t be too difficult to accomplish with a theme of ‘fresher zombies’ unfortunately underway.

To give us some credit, the idea of moving to a random city and living with six or eight strangers you’ve never met, for a year, is a strange concept. On

top of that you are doing a degree on a topic you’ve most likely never studied and are having to suddenly defend for yourself through cooking, cleaning, and budgeting.

It makes you think, perhaps we don’t give enough credit to university students for all they accomplish, even just by going about their daily lives.

If you are feeling disconnected though, like you’re in a foggy dream, then I can’t stress how important self-care is at the moment. Look after yourself and try to ground yourself, whether through breathing activities, grounding movements (the Students' Union does yoga for £1 once a week!) or building a supportive network around you.

It’s only natural to be feeling overwhelmed when so much is happening and changing so quickly, but you’re not alone.

If you need support, contact https://nusu.co.uk/support

Marina Snyder

Image Credit: Flickr

What's the biggest shock of moving to uni, the work load or having to survive without your mum?

Nobody said it was going to be easy

Content warning: mention of suicide

Image Credit: Flickr

Mum, if you're reading this, can I put all my colours in the same wash cycle?

Campus Comment

The spookiest buildings of Newcastle University

Katy Saunders

AsHalloween approaches, it only feels right to sniff out some of the spookiest university buildings on campus. Blessed with a wealth of both old and modern architecture, I have conducted a thorough investigation into the scariest places I have found so far.

The Medical School

There is something distinctively eerie about the domineering structure that is Newcastle University Medical School.

Perhaps it is the sheer size that I find intimidating - grey brick walls that seem to endlessly stretch into the sky, a large glass extension that hangs precariously over the main entrance. Or maybe it's the ocean of lecture theatres, dingy staircases and teaching rooms that seem impossible to navigate. One must also consider the extensive history of medicine in Newcastle, as it was one of the first fields of education established here in 1834. If we regard the no doubt gruesome past that comes with medical studies - dissections, amputations, horrifying experiments - surely this has to be one of the most paranormal places on campus?

The arches

In 1911, the iconic arches were erected in King Edward VII’s name. A striking symbol of Newcastle University, it is interesting to think about how many people over the decades have passed through them. The footsteps of those who have been and gone, the whisperings of those who have taken the same journey through campus every day for however long. There is something poignant, but also spooky, about how much the arches have seen and all of the different faces that have looked up at them over the years. What do the stoic Arches mark? In my eyes, a steady, if not omnipotent reminder

that this is where we are, regardless of whoever we are, and whatever we want to achieve. Both unnerving, but also comforting, the gothic arches surely hold some spiritual significance within the history of Newcastle University. A guardian of all that lies before them, a symbol of the danger and opportunity lying in both the past and present; a building with endless stories, secrets and spirits. Sinister and special, the arches point to the spiritual, sublime side of Halloween that perhaps transcends all the usual ghosts and ghouls.

So, to round off, it is safe to say that Newcastle’s campus is filled to the brim with spine-chilling structures steeped in history. Which buildings do you find the spookiest? With Halloween around the corner, it is something definitely worth considering…

Anthony Welsh - Science sub-editor

NewcastleUniversity’s campus is not haunted. There, I said it. You can stop reading now. See if I care! I even called veteran ghost-botherer Alan Robson, host of Alan Robson’s Night Owls who confirmed my lazy Google searches live on-air - he has never conducted a ghost hunt on campus, nor has there ever been any evidence of paranormal phenomenon recorded. Go figure.

Yet as one of the Courier’s Science sub-editors, I felt it my duty as a “man of science” to find proof of the paranormal hidden on our university campus. The truth is out there, and I was determined to find it.

Armstrong Building

Starting with one of the oldest building on campus, the Armstrong Building is the site of the original Armstrong College founded in 1871

which eventually became Newcastle University following an Act of Parliament in 1963. This building is a bit creepy at night. Stand outside Jubilee Exhibition Tower after dark and you may see a spectral face peering from a window above mouthing, “What are you doing? It’s after ten at night, go back to your flat”.

While this building is probably not haunted because of the whole overwhelming consensus of science that there is no proof that ghosts exist thing, the rather spooky 2.25 mile Victoria Tunnel runs directly beneath it. What’s the matter David, never taken a shortcut before?

The Old Library

Ah, the Old Library. Perhaps the soul of a tortured librarian haunts these shelves, angrily hurling textbooks at the heads of students who forget to shut the fuck up while inside?

While it looks eerie at night, the scariest

entrance and those willows in the quad outside scream “I’M HAUNTED”. But alas, no ghouls revealed themselves to me.

Robinson Library

I can confirm my soul has once left my body here while pulling two allnighters in a row, but sadly it returned after I submitted my coursework via NESS. Opened in 1982, it looks a bit more Open University than Monster’s University. No ghosts for you, Robbo.

Urban Sciences Building

As a Computer Science student, I had to include the USB (see what they did there?). The youngest building on our list, it was completed in August 2017 to the tune of £58M. Yet there are as many poltergeists haunting the USB as there are working printers and microwaves that are accessible to students (NULL).

Happy Halloween!

Buyer's Regret

Laura Hardy

Your one stop guide to Halloween clubbing events in Newcastle

Sam Norman - Campus Comment sub-editor

boasts one of, if not, the best nightlives in the UK. So, when a time like Halloween comes around, it’s expected all the best bars and clubs are rolling out the red carpet (or rather a creepy graveyard carpet). Here are my tips and advice on a selection of just a few of this year's announced Halloween events.

Kandiween – Digital Kandi Island is a student staple. It’s brought me some of my best and worse nights out, so for me is a hitand-miss. The only guaranteed Digi will ever give you is a sweat-infested,

overcrowded and likely underagepacked room.

NewcastleDead Famous – Livello

Whilst Livello isn’t my particular cup of tea, the Dead Famous event seems pretty interesting. Not as studentorientated as the likes of Digital (the prices alone will tell you that), Livello invites a more mature audience.

However, their theme for dressing up as your favourite dead superstar will surely provide some immature fun.

Skint Halloween – The Points, Passing Clouds & Filthy’s Skint Wonder Bar and Skint at The Point are two different stories. Last year I went, and it was so overcrowded that queues were escorted to Filthy’s. But over in The Points the basement dance floor doesn’t offer much joy either, it’s a

case of picking between chewing your hand off or stubbing every single toe.

Gimme Gimme – Soho Rooms

My friends and I had to do a group democracy for where we’re going, but if it were up to me, Soho would be the first choice. Not just because the name is related to ABBA but with the numerous floors, you’re bound to find at least one suitable to your taste.

Jungle Halloween – Tup Tup

For anyone looking for R&B and HipHop rather than house and dance, Tup Tup is your place. It’s a more relaxed vibe than the likes of Digital and Skint, and as such will attract a different audience.

Skint Haunted House – The WonderBar

Three trebles for £9 had me and my friends sold. Every time I’ve been WonderBar I’ve had a good time, but have no idea what to expect on Halloween on such a busy night. But, I’m optimistic, so if you’re looking for cheap prices, maybe a treble and don’t want to pay a skyrocket for tickets, WonderBar is your place, and I’ll see you there.

Utopiar: The Final Destination –The Lofts

Self-proclaimed ‘number 1 House & Tech show in the North East’ promises a good night out. My take on The Lofts is more of a Livello suited to students, however, when everyone’s in fancy dress I don’t know how mature you can keep the vibe.

In2020, I had to decide on what it was I wanted to study at university. At the time, I had taken higher Philosophy for my IB and really enjoyed it. My parents encouraged me to take it at university as Philosophy is a known as a very academic subject.

I decided I also wanted to do something else with it as well, to keep it interesting as I knew I would be studying this for at least three years. So, I chose Combined Honours of Philosophy and Sociology.

As soon as I started Philosophy at Newcastle, I knew it was different to how it is at school. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was more difficult, perhaps more intense. Without trying to offend any Philosophy lovers, I would say it was far more irrelevant and I felt no connection to it whatsoever.

It came to Easter of my first year and I was certain that I needed to change course. I went straight to careers, and they really helped me in the process. I decided I wanted to change to Media and Film because this is something I had very briefly considered when applying to uni.

After a long process of contacting DPDs and writing a persuasive letter on why this course is made for me, I was accepted.

I am now in my fourth week on this course, and I couldn’t be happier with it. I love how much more practical this course is. Every week we get to book out sound and camera equipment and practise with it.

I’m really enjoying learning about something that could lead to so many different interesting careers, while having fun doing it. I felt really lost when I did Philosophy, but I don’t feel like that anymore. I’ve found what I’m meant to do.

It got to Easter of first year and I was certain I needed to change course

I've finally found what I'm meant to do

Image credit: Instagram @newcastleuni

When you start a degree, then realise it's not for you, it seems like there's a little buyers regret involved!

Opinion

A tale of two conferences

Amelie Baker

Itwas (never) the best of times, and now it is most definitely the worst of times, which the party conventions only affirm.

At the recent Conservative convention, Liz Truss addressed her party with her usual nonsensical rubbish and an extra helping of her delusional economics (to put it lightly).

growth. This economical turmoil, which she has caused in under a month, was, instead, blamed on the ominous “antigrowth coalition”, a fearsome alignment of society’s biggest villains: farmers, NGOs (such as Greenpeace, the RSPCA and the National trust), and anyone else who actually wants a future in which to worry about the cost of living.

exploitation. Comparatively,

Delivering “super-fast broadband” to the masses appeared to take priority over the survival of the population this winter as she promised yet more tax cuts - but at least the rich stay rich, right?

Her three priorities for our economy, “growth, growth and growth”, appear to forget that a game of ‘how low can the pound go?’ does not actually promote

This tact of making the environment a scape-goat for Conservative cock-ups appears to be supported throughout the party with Jacob Rees-Mogg intent on proclaiming that “fracking is green” at Cop27 and the Environmental Minister prioritising making Britain a “world leader in lettuce” over protecting the environment from fracking’s economic

really are living in a perversely hilarious dystopia where a Prime Minister, who lied his way through three years of office, seems like the good old days. Is there any hope? Enter Kier Starmer, in shining armour, riding in on the back of an actual economic policy.  Kier Starmer’s convention speech both efficiently slandered Truss’ government and presented realistic policy aims including a plan to create a publicly-owned renewable energy firm, delivering British jobs and carbon-free electricity by 2030 - directly juxtaposing Truss’ illusory “growth” at the cost of the planet.

Indeed, Starmer’s claim that a Labour government is the only way to create a "fairer, greener, more dynamic" society appears accurate as, whilst the Conservatives seem set on destruction, at least Labour are offering an actual future.

As the Conservatives move further from rationality, Starmer is cementing Labour as the people’s party, newly updated with sound economics and

‘stable’ money. The instability caused by the past 10 years of Conservative rule is perhaps Labour’s chance to throw off its negative economic stereotype.

According to Starmer, now is a ‘Labour moment’ just as in 1945, 1964 and 1997; the time to jump from opposition to government is nigh. But can Labour achieve this, especially considering 2019’s catastrophe?

As good as Labour’s plans seem to be (including a new mortgage guarantee scheme and a 70% home ownership target), they can only come to fruition if they win the next general election - plenty of time for the Tories to wreak havoc. One essentially powerless party with potentially life-saving, and planetsaving, policies; the other, powerful, but useless. British politics at its finest…

The United Kingdom is no longer a refuge for migrants

Joseph Thomas

less appealing place to migrate to. This ultimately resulted in the Windrush Scandal which detained and deported many settled migrants back to countries they left 50 years ago.

The effects of this demeaning

face an investigation from the UK Border Authority.

Ina recent interview on the podcast ‘Chopper’s Politics’, newly-appointed Home Secretary Suella Braverman described her “dream” as witnessing refugees and asylumseekers sent on a flight headed for Rwanda. This damning and depressing picture of immigrants is hardly new.

Since the Tories came to power in 2010, successive Home Secretaries under four different PMs have pushed for a tougher stance on migration. As a nation, we witnessed a lean towards isolationist populism within the Tory Party.

First on this agenda was the ‘hostile environment’ policy introduced by then-Home Secretary Theresa May. Migrants are mandated to provide documentation proving they arrived in the UK through official means. What came out of it? Cuts on essential services such as healthcare, benefits and other welfare support to undocumented migrants. It intentionally made the UK a

Attitudes towards migrants have increasingly worsened. Braverman’s predecessor, Priti Patel has undoubtedly been one of the harsher ministers in recent years. The culmination of her "achievements" was the organisation of a deal with Rwanda to process new migrants. A dehumanising process where migrants with pending applications would be deported to Rwanda to await results.

It is still unsure whether this is legal under the UN refugee convention. This trend of continued antimigration Home Secretaries has ultimately led to Suella Braverman. Her speeches and interviews thus far have followed a similar pattern: thanking the appalling work of Priti Patel, pledging to bring net migration down and promising to achieve this by reducing the number of "low-skilled workers".

In addition, she has expressed disgust at the number of international students “propping up…substandard course(s)”. None of these repeated statements presents the potential for a bright future for migrants.

Furthermore, she has continued

dangerous rhetoric demanding migrants’ integration into British society. In her speech at the party conference, she stated that immigration should be a “quid pro quo”. This clearly pushes a viewpoint that moving to the UK should only be done by those willing and able to.

Migrants forced out of their present situation

that aim to push away asylum seekers, refugees or anyone in search of a better life. Her decisions will continue the depressing trend of making Britain unwelcoming to the international community, painting a sad state of affairs for the country.

Ultimately, under Tory rule, Britain has never truly been a refuge for migrants.

None of these repeated statements present a bright future for immigrants

Attitudes towards migrants have increasingly worsened

But can Labour achieve this, especially considering 2019's catastrophe?

Starmer is cementing Labour as the people's party

Is Keir Starmer the countries new knight in shining armour?

Image credit: [Keir Starmer] The Morning Star.com [Knight Costume] WonderCostumes.com

Are we living in a simulation?

Rebecca Wright

As artificial intelligence advances, computer simulations are better than ever. Could we be a simulation created by future humans?

Ifyou have ever considered the possibility that we may be living in a simulation, you’re not alone. If you haven’t, I apologise in advance for the existential crisis that may ensue.

The simulation hypothesis proposes that all of our existence is a simulated reality. There is more to the contemporary hypothesis than the idea that we may be in a computer simulation, controlled by “a programmer in the next universe up”, as pondered by Australian cognitive scientist David Chalmers, or that we could be part of an ancestor simulation created by future humans, proposed by Nick Bostrom. This idea has been circling around for centuries, in one way or

another.

In ‘The Republic’, Plato uses the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ to explain how everything we see is simply a "poor imitation", an illusion of the "theory of forms" and that reality may exist beyond the physical world we experience.

French philosopher René Descartes famously wrote the dictum “Cogito, ergo sum” or, “I think, therefore I am”. That is, the only thing you can be truly sure of is your own mind. You have the ability to think, so you exist. But what if your

Plato theorised the 'Allegory of the Cave', whilst Descartes wrote the dictum "Cogito, Contemporary films and TV series often question the idea of free will

Launching heads: the secret life of the teenage mosquito

Jessica Predko

Cue the morbid curiosity: macrocinematography captures the deathly hunting techniques of mosquito larvae

constrict and compress their abdominal segments like an accordion provides the momentum for them to extend their necks towards their prey. As their heads shoot-out from their bodies, their strongly-toothed mandibles and lateral palatal brushes, which generate and maintain water and particle flow around their heads, move to an ‘open position’ which then clasps around their unfortunate prey.

Now onto Sa. cyaneus, which is facultative predator!

thoughts are not your own?

Contemporary examples include experimentation with hallucinogens, our understanding of mental illness and how it can change human perception of reality, and interestingly, in TV and film.

Netflix's Black Mirror production

‘Bandersnatch’, for example, is an interactive film where you control the protagonist’s actions, with each decision leading to a different ending. A common thread among these instances is that they question the idea of free will, and consequently, blame. Perhaps the growing interest in simulation hypothesis is a product of the looming climate crisis and the dystopia we are hurtling into.

Is this just a crisis of control? Does the notion that we live in a simulation give us a certain comfort while absolving us of blame? Or is the appeal of a higher power?

Word of the week: Necrosis

Yen Chi TAN

anse Macabre, Cre ate Undead, Finger of Death. These are iconic necromancy spells from Dungeons & Dragons. It invokes an imagery of death and spooks of foul magic at work even to those foreign to this TTRPG plat

Mosquito

larvae spend their lives in water, hanging upside down with their siphon tube, which helps them breathe, poking up into the fresh air like a snorkel.

Sounds normal so far, but how about if they were able to launch their head out of their bodies to grasp and kill their prey?

A recent study published in Annals of the Entomological Society of America, showed that through using high speed macrocinematography, Robert Hancock and colleagues were able to finally uncovered the secrets of the elusive teenage life of the mosquito.

Three species of mosquito larvae, toxorhynchites amboinensis, psorophora ciliata, and sabethes cyaneus were studied on how they capture their prey.

Three species were studied on how they capture their prey

Ps. ciliata and Tx. amboinensis are both obligate predators whom require their nutrients from flesh. Being able to

They may not exactly launch their heads like the other two mosquito species, but instead they use their siphon snorkel-like hook, which doubles-up as a prey-catcher. They then whip prey towards their head. The toothed maxillae grip the prey firmly, whilst the toothed mandible is used for tearing it apart.

Sounds violent.

But Sa. cyaneus actually gains nutrients from feasting on other larvae, so it isn’t too bad! Don’t worry, they can also distinguish between their own and other species of mosquitos, as no cannibalism was observed when placed with their own and Ae. Albopictus larvae.

Both types of prey-catching mechanisms have their own advantages and limitations. Sa. cyaneus has a higher prey range, due to their sweeping larval body arch; whereas Ps. ciliata and Tx.

In cell biology, necrosis refers to one of the two main forms of cell death. It is uncontrolled cell death due to expo sure to stressful stimuli. Common trig gers for necrosis include harsh chemi cals (such as toxins and strong acid), stressful physical conditions (extremely high temperature and/or pressure) and sometimes, infection agents, the list

As a result of necrosis the cell’s mem brane ruptures, and all its contents, bits and pieces of proteins and other mat ter spill out. Think of popping a water balloon, it causes a big mess. Necrosis often triggers inflammatory responses, which may result in chain-reaction ne crosis among nearby cells.

IT’S A CELLULAR MASACRE!

So next time, when warding your house from treats like vampire lords and necromancer covens, remember that necrosis can be devastating to you and your cells. But until next time, en joy your Halloween.

This spooky season, death has many names

amboinensis’s launching heads have a

These are predators that require their nutrients from flesh

It's a cellular

Is this just a crisis of control? Or is it the appeal of a higher power?

Image credit: AI generated

Blind Date

Sponsored by Scream for Pizza

Rate the Date

Sarah, What were you hoping for?

Some easy conversation and hopefully something in common.

First impressions?

Both seemed like nice lads and scrubbed up well.

Any awkward moments?

There were a few moments where the table went quiet and we were struggling for conversation. I think we were all very different people so other than uni it was hard to find a common interest.

What was the best thing about your dates?

The wine.

What do you think they made of you?

Think the feeling were fairly mutual.

Would you see your dates again?

Definitely not in a romantic setting. Would chat to them if we were ever to bump into them again on a night out.

Rate the Date

Isla, what were you hoping for?

Maybe a good story and some intersting conversation, honestly wasn't expecting much. I signed up for it as a drunken laugh with my flatmate.

First impresions?

Seemed like nice guys. It was a bit of an awkward start but they were both dressed nicely. Any awkward moments?

The moment that stands out for me was when I mentioned that I used to work in a gay bar and one of them went, 'everyone thinks I'm homophobic. I'm not', he then turned to his mate and followed with 'I only like one gay person and that's his flatmate'. The table went silent for a solid ten seconds after that.

What was the best thing about your dates?

We discovered who the person was that infamously put the cow in the lift at Castle Leazes. It was one of the guy's dads 40 years ago and apparently the cow didn't die like I heard, it was fine.

What do you think they made of you?

Not much, I don't think we had a lot in common.

Would you see your dates again?

No

Relationships

Spooky, scary and sober: Halloween without booze

Halloween. A holiday notoriously used by students to get dressed up and get completely sloshed. Well, not for everyone.

Halloween

is a very fun time of the year. There’s no doubt about that.

There’s autumnal weather beginning to settle in, lots of orange and brown hues, comfy scarfs and pumpkin-flavoured things galore. One thing that stands out about Halloween though, particularly for students, is the drinking culture that surrounds it.

Unlike other cultures where you are expected to drink, in the UK, drinking is the default. If you choose not to drink, people can begin to ask intrusive questions about why you don’t.

This can be hard – for two reasons. The first being that first and foremost, it is none of their business. It can feel extremely invasive to be asked such a personal question, usually from a complete stranger innocently trying to make conversation.

With nights out and house parties rife, it can be a difficult scene to navigate if you don’t want to drink but want to be social. It can feel like everyone’s wearing a costume and you aren’t – like you’ve spoilt their fun somehow by being sober. I think that’s a really tricky part of being sober in the UK, especially around times like Halloween.

Toxicity of 'Cancel Culture'

Forcenturies, societies have strived to innovate or improve upon our previous generations’ way of thinking, whether that be activism through protest or even academic developments.

In recent years, the buzz term ‘Cancel Culture’ has often pervaded social discussion, particularly with the judgement of celebrity’s and influencers’ behaviour. Whilst different political leanings give the term varying definitions, Cambridge dictionary cites it as ‘to completely reject and stop supporting someone because they have said or done something that offends you’.

When breaking down this definition, the culture’s rejection appears absolute, disallowing any personal growth and rendering the individual stagnant in their mistake(s). The cherrypicking case of ‘cancelled’ influencers is thus an interesting and controversial one, with most only momentarily experiencing social rejection.

Yet, former Youtuber Jenna Marbles is an instance of the absolute, removing all her platforms even with extensive self-growth and apology. Some argue her decision was too drastic and more of a ‘self-cancel’ rather than social. However, she simply adhered to the culture which now invites people to question their own self-worth and relevance in society because of their mistakes.

'Cancel Culture' has trickled down into friendships with regular people experiencing a rejection akin to that experienced by influencers and celebrities. Cancelling can isolate an individual and without full communication of why they’re being rejected, it may be cause for mental distress and not useful for their selfgrowth.

The only thing 'Cancel Culture' has cancelled is communication and being able to make up for your mistakes.

However there is also the issue of answering the question and making other people feel very awkward. Everyone has different reasons for not drinking – some people may be comfortable sharing, and others may not. In most cases, the person doing the questioning is not be prepared for what could be a very personal answer.

It's important to raise awareness of how normal it is to not drink. You have no idea what is going on in other people’s lives, and questioning your own motives for drinking every once in a while can do no harm.

Accordingto descendant mean girl Cady Heron, “Halloween is the one night a year a girl can dress like a total slut, and no other girls can say anything about it”.

I’d love to say that 'Mean Girls' were ahead of their time with such a positive view of girls supporting girls, but sadly I disagree.

The development of social media and being able to post multiple aspects of our lives means that everyone can judge you - good or bad.

Moreover, men specifically comment on how ‘slutty’ and ‘easy’ women make themselves look by dressing up for Halloween.

be judged for what we wear.

If women dress ‘scary’ for Halloween, we’re also heavily judged. People may see it as us trying too hard and labelling us pathetic, yet another example of how women simply cannot win - thanks patriarchy (not).

As much as feminism has paved a huge wave for more equality and fairer treatment of women, many people are still in the old-fashioned mindset in regard to female modesty.

The consistent policing of women is completely outdated and has dragged out far too long.

Ladies, this Halloween wear whatever you like, whether that’s to be a zombie bride like

Saying goodbye to the Pill

Lastyear, I made the decision to come off the combined oral contraceptive pill, that I had taken every day since I was 17. Since I’ve stopped taking the pill, my daily life has changed considerably and my outlook towards women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare has been permanently altered.

I was first prescribed the combined pill by my male Doctor to treat my suspected PMDD, (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) which is where you experience intense alterations in your mood (eg: anxiety and depressive episodes) in the weeks leading up to your period. At the time, I remember feeling perfectly happy with the idea of going on hormones to treat a hormonal mood disorder- makes sense, right? I wish I could say that the pill was the answer to all my problems but unfortunately this was far from the truth.

Over the two years that I was on the pill I experienced some awful side effects including migraines, nausea, vomiting, weight gain and brain fog. It got to point where I struggled to see what good it was doing me, aside from stopping my periods. From my point of view, all the negatives outweighed the positives. So, I came to my last strip, I took my last pill and I didn’t look back. After that, it only took me a few months to notice how much better I felt off the pill. Yes, my skin was much spottier, my body looked a lot different, and my heavy periods had returned, but my mind never felt so clear. I realised how detrimental the pill had been on my mental health and I suddenly

From even a quick Google search of ‘Halloween women Reddit' a forum will pop up with the name

‘Gorgeous Women in Tiny Costumes’. This in itself, shows that women are harshly judged based on how ‘slutty’ they dress for Halloween.

Some men enjoy seeing this and get sexual gratification from it or use this to spout sexist remarks and say we should cover up. Funnily enough, we have rights in the 21st century and should never

Rebecca Wright

It can feel like everyone’s wearing a costume and you aren’t

Emmie Foster

Can women ever win with Halloween costumes?

'Slutty' or 'scary' costumes, women are judged

Questioning your own motives for drinking every once in a while can do no harm.

Laura Kasongo

Eve South-Klein

The pill completely changed my mind and body. I didn't realise until I came off it.

Image credit: Pixarbay

It got to point where I struggled to see what good it was doing.The hypocrisy of Halloween

Lifestyle

Halloween vs Christmas: the battle of the seasons

just as many timeless Halloween films as there are Christmas. Think Hocus Pocus vs. Home Alone, or Beetlejuice vs. The Grinch. It’s difficult to put one above the other here, so unless you already dislike Halloween or Christmas for other reasons, this one keeps it firmly on the fence.

casual plans! – it’s also fully acceptable to eat an obscene number of pigs in blankets, and to smother your plate in cranberry sauce. Is it worth the food coma that follows? Certainly.

Spooky

season has now crept upon us, and you’re probably either racking your brain trying to think of a costume that you haven’t done yet, or despising the whole concept of Halloween and simply waiting for the scary vibes to become a little more festive.

Both seasons bring plenty of fun (and fear), but here are some of the best and worst aspects of each.

To begin with is the most controversial: the music. There’s of course something comforting when it comes to the time of year when you’re reminded of what Mariah Carey’s voice sounds like, and for the first couple of weeks it’s very bearable. But start too early, and by the time Christmas Day arrives, any song with the word “merry” in it becomes too much, irritating even. This isn’t helped by the fact that we’re in dire need of some new, and good, Christmas songs. But, hey, at least we all know the lyrics to them. Halloween doesn’t really have its own genre of music, which I think we should be grateful for.

Films, on the other hand, is where both seasons bring their best game. Unlike the music, there are

Christmas Dinner. Now, I think it goes without saying here that this absolutely tops Halloween’s conventional sweet overload. Not only is it the one time of year that most of our friends or family are all together around one table at the same time - you can’t flake out on Christmas Day like you can with most

Aren’t people just happier at Christmas too? Whether this be genuine happiness, or fear of being heckled for being a big, old Scrooge, there’s just a general mood around Christmas that you don’t get at any point of the year. For thrill seekers though, this might not be enough, and so horror films and haunted houses are better suited to you than pulling a cracker and forcing a quick, unimpressed laugh at the incredibly funny joke inside.

There you have it: a brief, but very important balance of the spooky and festive seasons.

Social spooky season: staying in vs going out My spirituality journey

Mia Dale

Whetheryou spend the spooky season wrapped in your warmest blanket, losing yourself in the fictional town of Woodsboro as you cradle your mug in fear of the horror that plays out before you. Whether you find yourself gulping vodka shots as you and your friends work tirelessly on creating the best (or sexiest!) Halloween outfit, it is almost impossible to avoid the famous spooky season. In both scenarios the questions that divides many … is it best spent in the comfort of your own home, or out in the liveliness of town? For many, the cost and planning of putting together two (or more) costumes is too much effort. I think it is fair to say that most students spend more time planning their Halloween costumes than their actual university assignments. So, the idea of curling up with your friends on the sofa, as the figure of Ghostface haunts your TV screen, seems like an ideal for some.

dressing up and going out. The excessive planning of group costumes, along with the thorough investigations for the best Halloween events, begin to take over our lives. You can’t pretend that you haven’t wasted hours on Pinterest looking for the perfect outfit … I know you have. We all have. Once your outfit has been flawlessly assembled, the infectious vibrations of music and laughter draw you into the chaotic city streets, igniting a ferocious excitement in everybody.

However, whilst many find comfort in the light of their tv screen, I think it’s fair to say that the majority of university students revel in the idea of

hence my journey into spirituality began. I started reading and consuming more and more spiritual content, listening to discourses from coaches like Abraham Hicks and Eckhart Tolle and I started to find myself getting better through the act of self-reflection and realisation.

Spirituality

is the utmost integral part of who I am as an individual. I was 16, suffering from anxiety, health issues, and ostracisation for being far more mature than my peers. I was also not exactly the most religious, despite being from a religious family.

Out of utter curiosity, while rummaging through self-help books for some sense of clarity, my hands landed on The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. This book, though previously may have seemed nowhere close to sensible, started to make sense. I started to see how my thoughts made up my life inch by inch so far up until that point.

All my turmoil, all my successes, everythingwas the result of my thoughts. This made me believe in the power of the law of attraction and

This is when it struck me; there isn’t one path to being spiritual. For some, it may be through prayer or meditation or art or self-reflection; or anything. Spirituality is an act to go beyond the kind of labels and constructs we build up for ourselves and through our environment.

It is to find the wisdom to embrace our flaws, accept our fallbacks, and be more compassionate to others and ourselves. Spirituality to me is the essence of being

Kai Goulder

Do you find yourself at a crossroads this Halloween?

Do you wonder if you should stay in or go out?

You can’t pretend that you haven’t wasted hours on Pinterest looking for the perfect outfit

credit: Unsplash

We’re in dire need of some new, and good, Christmas songs

You can’t flake out on Christmas Day like you can with most casual plans!

Take a dive into two of our favourite festivities

Ananya Padmanabhan

A personal reflection on how spirituality can improve your life

Image credit: Pixabay

I started to find myself getting better through the act of self-reflection and realisation

Image credit:

Lifestyle

The misogynistic truth inthe origins of witchcraft

Jenica Davis - Lifestyle sub-editor

Witches have always been seen as figures to be feared, but why were so many women accused and hunted?

Mostpeople’s understanding of how the concept of witchcraft emerged is that, centuries ago, women who went against social norms were seen as witches –dangerous outsiders – and therefore had to be hanged or burned at the stake. To be a witch was a crime, and tens of thousands of innocent women were executed as a result of misogynistic stereotypes. But how did witchcraft become so deeply rooted in misogyny in the first place?

Between the fifteenth and seventeenth century, witch-hunts emerged all across Europe, spreading like wildfire. A large majority of these witch-hunts took place in small, rural communities, where it was easy to target and accuse women who were seen as eccentric or undesirable. Whenever something threatened male authority and the patriarchal structures of their established community, women who were outsiders, particularly widows, were immediately

to blame. In early modern society, the only explanation they had for women who didn’t conform to their strict gender roles was that they were supernatural forces of evil to be feared. It was unnatural for women to be unmarried, to have a profession, and to possess more knowledge than men. Therefore widows, who were employed as healers or midwives and were much wiser than the young men in their community, were not trusted and were often convicted as witches.

Religion also played a part in the rising belief of witchcraft, with misogyny being strongly shaped by religious beliefs. In many biblical texts, women were presented as men’s subordinates and their morals were portrayed as more easily corrupted. For instance, in The Book of Genesis, Eve was a figure that came to represent women’s weakness of succumbing to temptation as she betrayed God through succumbing to the devil’s temptations in the Garden of Eden.

These religious beliefs not only founded a lot of gender stereotypes, but fuelled the prosecution of women who were seen as witches. The belief that women easily yielded to temptation of the devil drove the notion that women were selling their souls and

physical bodies to Satan in return for magic. Magic that allowed witches to shapeshift into animals, such as toads or black cats – small and domesticated animals that were associated with single women who kept them as companions.

We still haven’t reached a point in society where women in power are wholly accepted.

Once a woman was accused of witchcraft, her death was sealed. It won’t come as a surprise to you that the judges and jury of witch trials were all men. Misogyny was the primary motivator of persecuting women of witchcraft, since women who possessed any sort of power deeply disturbed the social order; it was patriarchal society’s way of further oppressing and dehumanising women. There is something arguably ‘spooky’ in the way that misogynistic beliefs, stemming from witchcraft, have stretched over the centuries.

We still haven’t reached a point in society where women in power are wholly accepted, with women constantly being stereotyped, sexualised, and degraded in today’s world. With or without magic, we certainly still find ourselves fighting to be seen and heard.

Ghosts: to believe or not to believe?

Jay Barber

Despite all the stereotypes that surround ADHD, it is a complex disorder that looks different for everyone.

got ADHD? That’s so strange, my little brother has ADHD and you’re nothing like him!

October is ADHD Awareness Month. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is estimated to affect 2.6 million people in the UK, according to ADHD UK.

I was diagnosed with ADHD in February of this year, after a long process of research, waiting lists and assessments. My diagnosis at 20 years old means that I’ve spent all, but my final year of university, without the support that is vital for those with ADHD – and it’s no surprise that people like myself fly under the radar.

Many people associate ADHD with a disruptive boy who misbehaves in school. While this can be true, ADHD-ers are not cookie-cutter copies of each other. Although all ADHD-ers are categorised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and executive dysfunction, there is a huge spectrum of how this presents itself.

For ADHD Awareness Month, it’s vital we pay attention to the full scope of symptoms and dismiss myths about the disorder – while it would take a lot to cover everything, we can address a few key issues here.

MYTH: All people with ADHD are hyperactive.

FACT: For many with ADHD, especially those socialised as women, symptoms are internalised – for example, daydreaming, fidgeting, problems with managing deadlines and struggling to prioritise tasks. This internal

struggle is dismissed with the true issue hiding under the surface.

MYTH: ADHD is just being lazy.

FACT: ADHD isn't laziness – even when we have the drive to do something, we may struggle due to our condition. On the other hand, we should recognise that ADHD-ers have the ability to “hyperfocus” on things they’re passionate about and produce incredible work through this.

MYTH: Everyone’s a little bit ADHD.

ADHD Awareness Month: the myths vs the reality You've

FACT: While the symptoms of ADHD are experienced by everyone at one point or another, the persistence and frequency of these symptoms differ hugely – for those with ADHD, the symptoms can have severe effects on their everyday lives.

ADHD is a complex condition that can be exhausting to live with – but with the right support, we can overcome struggles and grow to appreciate the different ways our minds work.

For more information about ADHD, check out ADHD UK and the ADHD Foundation.

Jess Bradbury

As we find ourselves within the thralls of spooky session, one question springs to mind: do you believe in ghosts?

If someone tells me they’ve had an experience with a ghost, I’m all ears - all scepticism goes out of the window.

Ghosts,

ghouls, and spirits - a paranormal phenomenon that persists and something which everyone has an opinion on. Should we believe in ghosts? Dim the lights and hide under the blankets because maybe we shouldn’t just dismiss ghosts as just some story to tell around the campfire.

Now I will preface this article by saying that I’m not a religious or even particularly spiritual person, rather I’m just your average gal who loves to scare herself during spooky season. If you were to ask me whether the ghosts portrayed in film and TV could manifest in the real world, I’d say probably not - even if I still absolutely scare myself to death in the middle of the night after watching a horror film. Yet, there’s something about ghosts that fascinates me and I do believe that there is the possibility of people coming from beyond the grave. Typing it out like that does feel somewhat cheesy and there is definitely enough science to point to the fact that ghosts do not exist, yet if someone tells me they’ve had an experience with a ghost, I’m all ears - all scepticism goes out of the window. Perhaps it’s naïve to think that there are ghosts, something which I should have of a few years ago. However, there’s something undeniably spooky about the small, unexplainable things that happen - things getting knocked off shelves or turn on by themselves. I’m definitely not the only one whose mind immediately jumps to the supernatural instead of the scientific, with ‘ghostly’ things that feel so real in the moment regardless of what logic tells me.

Ghosts are so ingrained into multiple cultures and so many people find comfort in the belief, who wouldn’t want to imagine those they love looking over us in their ghostly form? So maybe we shouldn’t all be so quick to dismiss the idea of ghosts, after all, life would just become that little bit too rational. So as I inevitably question whether the pile of clothes on my chair is indeed a ghost in the dead of night during this spooky season, my question to you is this: do you believe

Image credit: Vadim Bogulov from Unsplash

Image credit: Pixabay

Image Credit: Pixabay

Fashion & Beauty

Sexy, Silly, or Spooky?

Adriana Newbury

Get inspired this spooky season by these celebrity Halloween costumes

Thefashion year’s hardest dilemma: what should I wear for Halloween?

Although the buzz around Halloween is fabulous, it comes with a lot of pressure to look cool. Of course, as Cady Heron infamously says, "In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Whilst some girls take this Mean Girls quote as bible, others prefer to use Halloween as time to tap into their funny side and go full send on the costumes. Below, I’ve collected some of my favourite celebrity looks from over the years to give you taste of some sexy, silly, or spooky ideas for your Halloween ‘22 fits

Sexy ideas

Okay, the wig might be a bit much for Greys club, but the dress is a great mix of cute and sexy. Kendall wore this in 2018 and I’ve been obsessed since. If you’re not into the metallic pants, you could always get a pink teddy dress that’s not see through. A nod to Austin Powers 60s fembots, this costume is a super sexy and quirky idea for Halloween. For some other sexy ideas, I couldn’t resist choosing a selection of Kendall Jenner’s impressive

Halloween costumes… for me she is the superstar of hot Halloween costumes and always my go-to inspiration!

Silly ideas

Arguably, Heidi Klum is the queen of absurd Halloween costumes. My favourite is this one from 2018; while I’m not expecting anyone to get green prosthetics, this one could be so fun with a quick trip down to Magic Box (if you don’t know, get to know). It’s above the Post Office on Northumberland Street, and always has a great stock of face paints and accessories. For other comical costumes that include a smear of face paint, think blue Smurf or pink flamingo. They’re actually really easy to do for an all-out effect whilst keeping budget safe, because the pots of face paint last forever.

A super fun idea for you and your housemates is the Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin duo. Here Kim K has done it with her kids as tigers, which is a brilliant way to get bigger groups involved. Let’s be honest, everyone and their mums watched Tiger King in lockdown, so you’ll get lots of laughs in the

club. Another plus side of this costume is that you could quite easily pull it together last minute, with a tasteful animal-print piece or a drawn-on beard and Hawaiian style shirt.

Slightly unsure as to whether this should’ve been considered spooky (if you’ve read Attwood’s Handmaid’s tale you’ll know how haunting it is), but Jimmy Carr seems to somehow make it comical. The more the merrier with this one, it could be very effective seeing a gang of Handmaids strolling through Bigg Market.

Spooky Ideas

Addams Family is a Halloween classic, perfectly pulled off here by Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner in 2018. Even though I wouldn’t expect you to keep a straight face for the whole night out on the Toon, this could definitely be made spooky enough for the horror lovers.

David and Victoria Mitchell nail the spooky vampire/zombie, half-dead Halloween trope. Not too hard to achieve the look, and definitely re-usable for all your different Halloween events. There’s no way I could leave Mark Corrigan off this list, and I’m sure no blood will be shed as long as there’s turkey in time for Christmas…

So whatever you decide to be sexy, silly or spooky, I hope to see many a full-send out on Halloween!

‘That's so fetch!’ - Halloween costumes inspired by film and TV

WithHalloween getting less spooky in the UK (much like in the US), there are plenty of costume ideas to choose from that are inspired by film and television.

Rachael McCreanor - Head of Culture

Halloween - in the immortal words of Cady Heron ‘the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Or, alternatively, as perfectly displayed by Ms. Heron herself, you can go full horror and terrify everyone within six feet of you. Either way, Halloween is both the time to let your imagination run wild, and the perfect opportunity to pay homage to you favourite films and TV shows.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show – an annual Halloween staple, and for good reason. Whether you’re feeling innocent semi-naked Janet, or malevolent semi-naked Dr. Frankenfurter, there's an option for you. My personal favourite costume from this ensemble would have to be Magenta – she's the perfect mix of evil and scandalousness. Magenta’s look is pretty easy to recreate, all you need is a short maid’s dress, some fishnet stockings and at least three cans of hairspray. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, why not chuck on a massive wig and represent Magenta in her alien revenge era, follow your heart.

Another just as iconic costume idea, is Jennifer from Jennifer's Body. This one is pretty easy, just grab some old 00's pieces (think

denim skirt, low-waisted, tank tops etc.), curate your makeup and hair to perfection, and then drench yourself in a ton of fake blood. If you really want to embody the true spirit of Jennifer, simply inisit that whenever you walk into a room Nelly Furtado's legendary hit 'Maneater' must be played at full volume. Just to really hammer it home.

Whatever, whoever or however you dress up this Halloween, just remember Cady's advice and know that you look absolutely fabulous no matter what you wear. Now, go scare people.

Imogen Smillie - TV sub-editor

Probably an obvious choice for younger adults this year is a Euphoria themed costume.

You could go for any of the couple costumes – Maddy and Nate, Rue and Jules, Fezco and Lexi. Or if you’re like me and want to stick with friends, you could do bestie couple costumes – Rue and Lexi, Maddy and Cassie, Jules and… well pretty much anyone but Nate! I found ‘Detective Rue’ was the perfect Halloween look for myself, putting it together with clothes I already had and police accessories cheap from the local costume shop. Plus hair and makeup was simple, with a messy topknot and little to no makeup. After all, Rue isn't exactly in the best shape...

And from film, there is one character that will definitely be popular in 2022 – Alice from Don’t Worry Darling. Not only will you be Florence Pugh married to Harry Styles for the night (could even make it a couple costume of Alice and Jack), but the costume also looks super easy to pull off.

Grab yourself a white strappy dress, splash some fake blood on the waist of said dress, curl your hair and pull into a half pony with a black ribbon. Simple, recognisable, and being from a thriller film, technically kind of spooky!

Although the buzz around Halloween is fabulous, it comes with a lot of pressure to look cool

Image credit: Instagram @yvessaintmess

Image credit: pixabay Schmidsi

Fashion & Beauty

The idea of dressing for your body type is problematic - here’s why

Body type fashion and styling has been around for decades, but it is hugely problematic, here's why...

Fashionhas been dominated by skinny women alone for an uncomfortable amount of time. It’s time we changed that.

When you think of fashion, what springs to mind? If it is Vogue Cover models, size 6 Victoria’s Secret Angels and Kate Moss’s infamous “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”, that’s okay. That makes sense. This damaging skinny-or-worthless rhetoric has been plaguing the fashion industry for far too long – leaving an absolutely jaw-dropping array of plus sized models completely out of the picture.

Dressing ‘for’ your body type implies that there is a way to dress ‘against’ it

Fortunately, fashion has become a lot more inclusive in recent years. Plus sized models are

more common, though it should definitely be noted that there is still a long way to go. I sincerely hope that size-inclusiveness will one day be common practice for clothing websites and fashion shows, rather than just tokenism and reputation laundering, as it is literally the bare minimum for the clothes you’re selling to fit people. I could talk about general fatphobia in the fashion industry for an age, but this article is focused on bodytypes, and dressing for them.

Body-types are not a new concept. In fact, the idea of dressing for your body type has been around for as long as clothes themselves have. However, dressing ‘for’ your body type implies that there is a way to dress ‘against’ it – as though you are doing your body a disservice by dressing in a certain way or showing the ‘wrong’ parts.

Now, as a die-hard advocate for body inclusivity, this does not sit right with me. Notice, too, how ‘Apple-shaped’ bodies (i.e. people with large stomachs) are told to wear long, flowy tops in effort to take attention away from their middle, whereas people with a conventionally desirable ‘Hourglass’ figure are told to wear clothes nipped in at the

waist. This, transparently, exposes the uglier side of the fashion industry.

How some curves should be flaunted, and others hated. In this way, the fashion industry lets down fat women. First, by not accurately representing them; and then by telling them they can wear that, but no, not

How absolutely awful, abhorrent even, to tell a person not only that you hate the way their body looks, but that they should cover it up in the name of ‘fashion’, the very thing supposedly meant to bring an abundance of confidence, boldness and originality. It only takes a quick search on ASOS Curve to expose the dire difference between options for plus sized women, and the rest of the population.

I suppose the bottom line is that fashion should not dictate how you choose to dress, and if anything, the relationship is meant to be the other way around. Fashion should be a freeing form of self-expression and a claiming of your own physical identity. The challenge lies in being able to do this with true confidence in a fat-phobic society, simultaneously calling you brave for the clothes you wear, and hell-bent on forcing you into a box labelled ‘other’.

Fashion staples everyone needs!

Long coat:

Here are some fashion staples everyone needs to have in their wardrobe!

Fashionis one of the most important forms of self-expression we all carry with us. It becomes essential in many situations where our fashion choices can determine how we’re perceived by others and this fear can especially be daunting for people who aren’t the most fashionable or feel less inclined to dress up. For some dressing up may be a hobby while for others a complete nightmare, but there’s always a solution to saving oneself from a fashion meltdown. Here are 5 fashion staples, that anyone regardless of gender can pull off effortlessly.

Denim jacket:

The holy grail of all jackets, denim can never go wrong, denims are versatile and regardless of the color grade or the tone, can be effortlessly paired with basics such as jeans and a T-shirt or dresses short or long. Denim often comfortable and breathable. One can opt for thinner denim jackets that provide more airflow for summer months or thicker denim with hoodies worn on the inside for the colder months of the year. These are classic statement pieces. One of the best outfits that can result from pairing denim is a blue denim jacket with a monochrome top, black or blue jeans, and boots/ sneakers or heels, these are basics, and one can never go wrong.

Another basic everyone should own. Be it a wind-shielding beige trench or a classy black long coat, this is one fashion staple everyone needs to

or a t-shirt, or a dress and some booties, pumps, or flats, this one will never go wrong.

Satin dress and button-down shirt:

Satin dresses and shirts have been a classic that has seen a ravaging emergence in recent years. From cowl neck dresses to evening gowns to dressy shirts, this is a statement piece to own for everyone and all body types. Pairing this with statement neck or earpieces, heels or flats, with jeans or formal pants is an effortless pairing. This material is breathable and chic and can be layered upon

Classic watches:

In an era, full of digital smartwatches, one may wonder why classic watches still hold true to their status of elegance and opulence. Classic analog watches are timepieces that add sophistication to one’s outfit choices. Watches are often not just essential to finish off an outfit, but the right kind of watch can determine and make or break an entire outfit. Add a statement piece to any outfit that you wear, and one is sure to have completed their outfit in style.

Rebecca Wright

Ananya Padmanabhan

Women are told exactly what they should be self-conscious about

Image credit: pixabay lyubmalee Image credit: Instagram @diana.dares

own. It is a great insulator for the colder days yet provides a beautiful silhouette that will make heads turn. Pair it with jeans or formal pants,

Image

Do it alone: Solo Travel

Ollie Withers

Itis natural to feel intimidated by solo travel. Being without friends or family in a foreign country is a very daunting thought, and some may even consider it a nightmare. However, you get to choose where you want to go, you can choose exactly what want you want to do each day, and there's almost always like-minded people for you to meet and make friends within hostels. There is no need to try and find a common time when you and five other friends might have a free week off to go on holiday (it'll probably be sometime in early 2025). Every choice is yours. Susan Sontag once said, “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list." Traveling solo gives you the best opportunities to start cutting that list down. That being said, whilst it sounds like a nobrainer to me, I know how nervous I was when I waved goodbye to my parents at the Heathrow departures gate for my first solo trip, knowing I wouldn't see them for two months. I was worried about a lot. Would I be lonely travelling by myself? What would happen if I got into trouble 6,000 miles away from home? There were a lot of questions, looking back none of which I needed to be worried about. For my aforementioned first solo trip, I chose Cape Town, South Africa. A bit of a bold choice, considering how it usually manages to fringe around the edges of the World's Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities ranking, and considering I was a very British, very young, solo traveller. However, there was a logic to my madness. English is universally spoken, which ensured I wouldn’t experience a language barrier. I also was joining a month-long wildlife photography program in the Kruger National Park in the north-east of the country, so I decided to add a two-week stop in Cape Town first, to get my fill of nightlife, surfing and diving, set against some stunning scenery. As an adventurousminded person, with a passion for watersports, it was a natural choice.

As a solo traveller staying in a hostel, (always stay in a hostel when you're on your own, if you like your privacy, they do have private rooms) making friends is as easy as walking into the common room and saying hi. From one hostel in Cape Town, I made friends with people from Sweden, South Africa, Germany, Bolivia and the US. I didn't know any of them when I arrived and met most of them over a game of beerpong. The beauty of a hostel as a solo traveller is that chances are there's five others who feel as worried as you, or maybe a group of three about to go do something cool and there's a space in the car for you, or even two people getting ready to go on a night out that could be the best one of your lives, you only need to join them. You'll find everyone is a lot more friendly to you than if you were with even just one other person.

When it comes to travelling by yourself, the best thing you can pack is an “I’ll give it a go” attitude. Some of my best memories and experiences came from saying “Why not”. An anecdote of this was my stay in a hostel in Marrakech, Morocco. I had landed that afternoon and got to talking with two others in the hostel common room about their plans. I had planned for two quiet days walking around Marrakech, trying to adjust to the Saharan heat. As it happened, they were scaling Mount Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa the next day. It slid right into the top 3 of experiences that I’ve ever had travelling, with views that took my breath away more than the altitude did.

Because if I had, I wouldn't have made memories that I'll never forget, and I wouldn't have seen landscapes I thought only existed in David Attenborough documentaries. I certainly wouldn't have paraglided off a mountain to celebrate my 19th birthday, rode camels into the Sahara or come face-to-face with an adult male hippo whilst watching the Hangover Part 2. All incredible stories, that started with the decision to travel solo. So, book that flight, you might just surprise yourself.

Surf's up! A guide to catching waves in the Canary Islands

Hit the waves with this surf spot guide, whether you're a novice or a pro, the Canary Islands is a surfer's paradise.

TheCanary Islands boast warm temperatures & winds year-round, making it a European surf paradise, west of the African coast. Peak surf conditions are between OctoberApril, when the waves are large, and the swell is consistent.

Each island offers something different. Lanzarote, nicknamed the ‘European Hawaii’, offers some of the best surfing conditions. Playa de Famara offers the best conditions for all levels of surf, especially as the quaint town of Famara contains a multitude of surf schools, hostels and shops for board & wetsuit hire for those looking to get in the waves on their own. La Santa, further west on the north coast of Lanzarote, offers larger and stronger waves for the advanced surfers looking to be challenged

a bit more.

Fuerteventura, known for constant winds and long sandy beaches is a favourite to wind sport enthusiasts chasing the winter sun and swell. The north coast is littered with reef & beach breaks,

island. On the north coast, El Arenal offers perfect conditions for beginners, and in the south of the island near the popular resort of Costa Adeje is El Conquistador, a popular reef break for all surf levels to enjoy.

Exchange Student travel realities

Asan exchange student, there is an expectation to make the most of my experiences and travel to all the places that I would’ve otherwise could not have imagined visiting in my lifetime. Of course, the reality doesn’t always hit that sweet spot that you’ve expected in the beginning, especially as an exchange student and an amateur traveler who’s visiting the UK for the first time.

Before I begin, though, I’d like to give a little disclaimer about the limitations of my experiences and my opinions as an exchange student. Although I have met many exchange students in the first month that I arrived in Newcastle, I know that not everything I will say can account for the countless differences of ups, downs, and in-betweens of traveling as an exchange student. Everything I write is not a representation of all exchange students, but that doesn’t mean that no one will be able to relate to them.

I came here with a group of nine other people through a program called the Indonesian International Mobility Awards (IISMA) and so far, I’ve visited local coffee shops, art galleries, and Sunday markets around Newcastle. Now, I can talk all day about how every visit is worth another shot, but as an exchange student, the challenges we face in the process can’t be ignored at face value. It’s easier to admit that these travels have been the best

times of my life, but like all things, it hasn’t always been filled with sunshine and rainbows.

I came here with a group of nine other people through a program called the Indonesian International Mobility Awards (IISMA). The first feeling I’ve noticed was created by none other than my own anxious and self-conscious mind. When you travel as a group with people who look not much different than you, it’s comforting and easier to get around and explore. So, the moment I decide to go out to coffee shops or galleries alone, I become almost too self-conscious of how I look (especially when I wear the hijab, but that’s another topic to be discussed!) and the trip feels like a burden rather than a vacation. It’s something I’m still working on, even now, but thankfully, it has gotten easier the more often I push myself. Starting from the weekly groceries and daily class commuting, I’ll soon be able to walk around Ouseburn and stumble upon a hidden gem.

Finally, one thing I overlooked completely is commuting. Despite growing up in the city of Bandung, city life in Newcastle is different when it comes to transportation. Using public transportation, especially Gojek (the “Uber” of Indonesia), is the highlight of my everyday commute, but now, living near the city center of Newcastle has forced me to normalize walking to go everywhere. Even when traveling to see other cities, walking is always the best option to make

the most of the scenery. Until now, I never thought about how exhaustion can take away a lot of the anticipated excitement. It can sometimes hit you like a bullet once you’re home, but most of the time, all the walking (and talking since I’m an introvert)

Hong Kong to give away 500,000 free airline tickets

Elžbieta Voverytė - Travel Sub-Editor

Althoughthe world seems to be recovering from the one huge anomaly that was 2020, some businesses or even countries have not been the same since. One of the industries that suffered greatly from the pandemic is tourism. Especially the Asia –Pacific countries’ businesses have been severely impacted by the restrictions that came in action

during the pandemic since most of their income depends on tourists.

The measures taken to attract tourists to major travel destinations differ from country to country even city to city, however, just two weeks ago Hong Kong government announced probably the most extreme (and exciting) course of action we have seen – they are giving away half a million airline tickets to international and local travellers to ‘rehabilitate’ the city’s tourism.

So far it is not clear when exactly the giveaway will take place and what the requirements for participating in the scheme will be, but it is expected to be announced in early 2023. Another necessity for this campaign is for all the travelling restrictions to be lifted. Hong Kong authorities

have just lifted the mandatory hotel quarantine earlier in September, therefore there’s still a long way to go before all restrictions are revoked.

As reported by media agencies, the local Airport Authority had set aside over 2 billion pounds to purchase the tickets to prepare for the potential situation as early as in 2020.

According to BBC, Hong Kong had only 184,000 visitors this year. That is a major drop in numbers compared to, for example, 2019 when 56 million people visited the city.

Hong Kong as a city is a mixture of ancient and modern culture with towering skyscrapers that overlook temples and shopping markets that provide you with local goods as well as lush nature inside the city.

Charlie Reid

Jauza Maryam Mumtazah

Image credit: Pixabay

Food & Drink

Daisy Harrison - Food & Drink Sub-Editor

Ah,

afternoon tea. What could be a better, and more quintessentially British, way of spending a few hours than tucking into a perfectly curated spread of sandwiches, scones, and cakes? But with every venue around the UK offering vastly varying menus that differ from taste to taste, how can you decide where to go for the best afternoon tea experience? I’ll tell you where: the Running Fox Café.

The Running Fox has several locations across Northumberland, and I was lucky enough to visit their café at Felton Riverside a few weeks ago. Located in a quaint building, we were led upstairs to a modern dining room, furnished with plants, fairy lights, and an array of fox-related merchandise, including a tote bag with the message ‘for fox’s sake’! After we got settled, it was time to get down to business, as we were presented with an extensive menu, full of choices for our epic afternoon tea.

One thing that first attracted me to Running Fox’s afternoon tea was the amount of choice the customer gets, as I often find that the sandwich fillings and cake options

can often lead to the downfall of an afternoon tea menu – does anyone really want soggy cucumber sandwiches or a tiny macaron?! This is no issue at the Running Fox though, as you get the pick of any sandwich filling you desire from a huge selection,with a range of meat, vegan, and gluten-free options. The sandwich is also accompanied by a slice of pie or quiche. I opted for a roast pork, stuffing, and apple sauce sandwich, and a steak and ale slice of pie, both of which were delicious. Although as a true Northerner, I would have loved some gravy to go with my pie. We then got a choice of a fruit or cheese scone; both of us picked fruit, which was served with clotted cream and raspberry jam.

Finally, for the grand finale, we were able to pick any cake from a ginormous list of mouth-watering homemade cakes. We struggled immensely with deciding which cake we wanted but, in the end, went for lemon & white chocolate cheesecake and carrot cake.

Both of us thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the Running Fox, and for me, getting to customise the food to suit my own preferences made it even more delectable. My only complaint is that all the menu options sounded so nice, I would have liked to try them all, especially the cakes! But that just means I have an excuse to take another trip there...

World Pasta Day is fast approaching, what better way to celebrate than enjoying Italy’s trademark meal, with your friends, significant others, or just yourself!

Here’s a Geordie’s pick of the best pasta spots in Newcastle:

Francesca’s, Jesmond

If the constant queue outside the door tells you one thing, it’s that this place is in high demand! With an extensive pasta menu, Mediterranean decor and friendly staff, Francesca’s is truly a taste of Italy. This is the perfect restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, or simply treat yourself to some incredible food. The Pescatora seafood pasta is highly recommended, and the Arrabiata is an amazing vegetarian option.

Affordable and delicious, Zucchini is a sure-fire winner.

Zucchini Pasta Bar, City Centre

Affordable and delicious, Zucchini is a sure-fire winner. Their modern yet simple menu is packed with flavour, and they only ever serve fresh, handrolled pasta. Mixing classic Italian cuisine with a casual atmosphere, Zucchini is great for date

nights or as a place to meet with friends. Did I mention the Aperol Spritz is served with a pasta straw?

Redhead’s Mac ‘n’ Cheese, Grainger Market

Review: Running Fox Cafe Come and spaghet it: World Pasta Day As

If you’re looking for a quick bite, rather than a sit-down meal, Redhead's is the place to be. Serving mouth watering food from Newcastle’s iconic Grainger Market, Redhead’s has reinvented the classic American mac ‘n’ cheese to bring new flavours into the mix, including sirloin steak and king prawns, and not forgetting a great vegan option. With prices starting at just £6, it's budget friendly too!

A foodie's guide to throwing the perfect Halloween party!

Rachael McMcreanor - Head of Culture

Everybody knows that the best part of any self-respecting party is the food. However, walking the fine line between spooky and repulsive is a difficult task when catering for a Halloween party. You want to nurture a mild sense of horror in your guests without making them physically retch at the sight of your food. So, where to begin?

Keep the gore to the décor Everybody loves a bit of realistic gore on Halloween, but not when they’re trying to eat. Keep all your grim ideas to scare people, not starve them. You want people to actually eat the food you offer, so keep the Halloween theme a bit more PG when you’re thinking up ideas for food. Think ghosts, pumpkins, skulls, not a wet squelchy brain cake that looks like it’s been plucked from someone’s head (I speak from experience). As long as you don’t go too realistic, you should have people gobbling your goblins right away.

Vampire Vibes

One of the easiest ways to embody the Halloween spirit is through your choice of drink. Any red

drink (red wine, cranberry juice, grenadine, cherry Spooky snacks

Cocktail of the week: Grasshopper

xactly like Sheldon Cooper, I love a Grasshopper cocktail! With spooky season almost over, you may be want ing a Halloween-themed cocktail that is the brightest of greens... fit ting perfectly to the colours of this special day.

1. Starting with the garnish, get your mint sprig and strip the leaves off the bottom.

2. Dip the sprig, holding it from the bottom, into 3. Leave the chocolate covered

Image credit: Daisy Harrison

Macy Russell

Where to find the mother of all afternoon teas...

Image credit Instagram: @zucchinipastabar

Image credit: Pixabay

Katie Siddall

Image credit: Pixabay

Image credit: Pixabay

Asan artist who has been influential in reviving the poppunk genre in recent years, Willow initially established her musical dexterity in her last album, lately I feel EVERYTHING.

Alongside her evolving punk prowess, Willow rose to even greater popularity through ‘Wait a Minute!’, released in 2015. Currently, the track has been streamed a mind-blowing 765 million times on Spotify, along with its acclaim on the widely used social platform TikTok. From unique dance challenges to hilariously relatable trends, ‘Wait a Minute!’ has notably inspired other creators to share their passions. I strongly believe her newest album has the same empowering potential for pretty much every song on the track-list.

<COPINGMECHANISM> unleashes a new sense of maturity within Willow’s music making. From alt-rock guitar thrashing to gritty grunge pop vocals, there is something to capture everyone’s attention. Opening with a powerful impact, ‘<maybe> it’s my fault’ and ‘Falling Endlessly’ unpack the singer’s various imperfections accompanied by both passionate musicianship and storytelling abilities, which are further discussed in later tracks.

We take a step back from the undeniable rock presence, as we listen to ‘curious/furious’ and ‘WHY?’, which take a gentler approach. That’s not to say these songs don’t build to a catchy chorus – as this element is signature to Willow’s sound. However, the slower pace enables

Rex Orange County charged with sexual assault

range may well be the new black for Alex O'Connor, aka Rex Orange County, as indie pop fans are hit with another let-down from the music industry and society itself this week following the announcement of the latest musician to be charged with

The illustrious British pop artist, Rex Orange County, Alex O’Connor, has been charged with six counts of sexual assault to the dismay of fans worldwide. To add to his following’s disappointment, their favourite ‘soft boy’ artist turned alleged abuser has cancelled the Antipodean and European legs of his world tour.

the British Music Festival, Wireless, despite being banned from the UK in 2010 following allegations of assaulting ex-girlfriend and world-renowned singer, Rihanna. The music industry’s hesitancy to boycott celebrated abusers such as Brown, R Kelly and Dizzee Rascal, and its apparent acceptance and condonation, is writ large.

In response to this, fans have voiced suggestions in support of the notion that the music must stand alone and be able to be appreciated for its value as an artform. Proposals include streaming income be suspended until the trial is over, with profits reimbursed if innocent or donated to a sexual assault survivors’ charity if found guilty.

Amid this latest besmirching of the music industry, Gen Z have taken to TikTok to express their contempt for O’Connor in the form of ceremonial conflagration of treasured merchandise. One fan even penned her frustration, posting “y’all tearing down posters, I need laser removal”, showing a tattoo etched ‘Apricot Princess’ – the artist’s second studio album released in 2017.

This allegation continues to stimulate the debate about whether music should be dissociated from the musician. This summer, controversy arose when Chris Brown was announced as headliner of

This would enable listeners to continue revelling in their favourite music without suffering cognitive dissonance over financially supporting an accused sex offender.

listeners to resonate with the relatable themes present within the stories: self-acceptance and self-love.

From this point on, there is a wonderful amalgamation of musicality, toying back and forth between high-intensity punk and refreshing lo-fi inflections. By highlighting her idiosyncratic fusions, it allows the listener to fully experience Willow’s musical journey, as she explores the struggles of life lessons through fascinating modes of creativity such as the electronic/robotic vocal sounds featured in ‘Perfectly Not Close To Me’ (ft. Yves Tumor). When listening to this album, one can’t help to identify potential inspirations such as Avril Lavigne, a queen of the pop-punk 2000s era. It’s nostalgic to hear similar sounds reimagined and re-modelled to fit with a younger generation.

There is a wonderful amalgamation of musicality, toying back and forth between highintensity punk and refreshing lo-fi inflections

Finally, ‘BATSHIT!’ comes full circle to close the album with a bang! It just shows how effortlessly Willow can shift her voice to suit both a ballad style and a surprising rock-metal vibe, as demonstrated on this closing song. With distinctive guitar melodies and driving drum beats, ‘BATSHIT!’ really does evoke a sense of craziness – and in my opinion a perfect finale.

It’s safe to say that <COMPINGMECHANISM> identifies Willow’s innate musical path – a winding route that examines a remarkable yet relatable adventure of self-reflection with a hint of harmonious genre-interlacing, yet ultimately arrives back at her punk-rock home. This is an album not to be missed.

Arthur Ferridge - Sports Sub-editor

Live Review: Cassia Mancunian

indie stars Cassia rocked NUSU Venue in October as they tour the UK promoting their latest album, 'Why You Lacking Energy?'

I hadn’t been this excited for a gig in a while. Cassia was a keystone of my lockdown soundtrack, their debut album Replica helping me through a lot of the difficult days of summer 2020. I had had tickets to see them play Riverside in October of last year, but the show was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute. After months of waiting, Cassia certainly didn’t disappoint.

In my experience, indie gigs tend to have cracking openers. I’ve found some of my favorite bands by waiting on the doors and catching the early acts. Cassia’s chosen support were no different and did a perfect job of setting the tone for the night.

First up was Cathy Jain, an up-and-coming indie singer-songwriter from Salford. While I had never come across her music before that night, her feelgood style made for a lovely warmup act.

Following Jain was Hawaiian import Eli Smart, whose energetic brand of beachy rock was in many ways reminiscent of a faster paced Cassia. Smart and his band whipped the crowd into a frenzy as he showed off breakout hits “Highschool Steady,” “No Destination,” and “Come On, Come On, Come On.”

Their high energy display had everyone more than ready for the main event, and Cassia burst on to stage just past 9pm.

Before the show, I had worried that Cassia’s chilled out music would lead the show to lack energy, but the advertised island vibes they brought to the stage were more reminiscent of a Caribbean carnival

than a lethargic family holiday.

The band promised to bring “the biggest light show for an indie band you’ve ever seen,” and they did not disappoint. The so-called “Cassia Illuminations” perfectly complemented the tunes, and the crowd enthusiastically reciprocated every ounce of the energy the band were putting out.

Lead singer Rob Elli’ charisma and showmanship were on full display, the intimate venue lending itself well to his conversational style. All three members of the band seemed confident and energetic as they played through a mix of their latest releases and older fan favorites.

Cassia’s summery sound made for the perfect remedy to the cold Newcastle night outside. The gig was well worth the wait, and I will

<COPINGMECHANISM>

Willow

Maria Winter

This allegation continues to stimulate the debate about whether the music should be separated from the musician Proposals include Rex Orange County's streaming income be suspended until the trial is over

Willow's latest album is bringing us all on a journey of her musical evolution

Image: Instagram (@rexorangecounty)

Image: Apple Music, Public Domain Pictures

Image: Instagram (@wearecassia)

Music

Live Review: beabadoobee

Jemima Ajayi

definitely gained them some new fans that night. Then at around 8.40 pm, the woman herself and her bandmates (Eliana on bass, Jacob on guitar and Luca on drums) burst onto the stage clad in that casual charity shop aesthetic which is so representative of our generation. They open with the poppy-rocky '10:36' from the latest album. This has the crowd chanting the lyrics “I don’t want to/ yeah yeah!” and bopping up and down to this upbeat tune.

Onthe 11th of October, the British-Filipina singer was back in Newcastle after headlining our very own Student Union last year. This time it’s NX, the former O2 Academy, where she plays songs from her most recent album Beatopia released this summer, as well as some wellloved tunes from previous albums including Fake it Flowers (2020) and Our Extended Play (2021).

Supporting Beabadoobee is the New-York based grunge band Pretty Sick with vocalist/ guitarist Sabrina Fuentes, bassist Orazio Argentero and Austin Williamson on drums. The band gives an explosive performance which is very reminiscent of ‘90s grunge bands with its raw and heavy sound. It’s quite refreshing to hear this sort of music coming back again from new young artists and although their sound is a lot grungier than the headliner’s, they have a certain flare that draws the crowd in which

Throughout her 1h 30 minutes on stage, Bea and her band go through a range of songs which highlight her heavier rockier side with 'Charlie Brown' and 'Back to Mars' and then with the softer acoustic tracks such as 'Ripples' and, arguably her most famous song, 'Coffee' during the encore.

A moment that will stay with me is that when starting 'Ripples', she gently sings to the crowd to “Shut the f**k up”, and when asked so sweetly, we must oblige.

The show ends with 'Cologne' –a personal favourite – and I was a little disappointed because the bass was turned up a bit too high, so it was almost impossible to hear Jacob and Bea’s licks and riffs on their guitars which I think are the musical highlights of the song. But overall, Beabadoobee is a joy to watch perform. She knows how to both hype a crowd up and keep them grounded - I can’t wait to see her again!

60 Years of Beatle mania

Joseph Williams

The year is 1962, and the swinging ’60s is well underway. A decade that left behind the dark days of World War Two, giving rise to new fashion, music, and a general sense of hope that would come to characterise post-war Britain.

And in a sense, The Beatles became a symbol of the swinging sixties in a way that no other musical act could really get close to at the time. To put it lightly, they were a cultural force that changed the landscape of music for years to come. But just how much of an impact have The Beatles had on modern music? And how long will their legacy continue to live on for?

It's hard to believe that just over sixty years have passed since the Beatles released their debut single 'Love-Me-Do', with the song reaching number 17 in the charts upon its release on the 5th of October 1962. In the six decades that followed, the four young lads from Liverpool have been able to cement their names in music history, arguably becoming the most famous and influential boyband of all time.

The single itself was the first original song that really took off for the group, as up until this point The Beatles were exclusively performing covers with great success. It was certainly a risk for the boys to start performing their own stuff, as Lennon said himself “it was the first one we dared to do of our own. This was quite a traumatic thing because we were doing such great numbers of other people, of Ray Charles and [Little] Richard and all of them.” However, despite their previous success performing at the Cavern Club of Liverpool, or the madness that were the Beatle's Hamburg shows, it could be said that 'Love-Me-Do' was what really propelled the band into stardom, finally giving them the respect they deserved from their record

release an incredible twelve studio albums and perform thousands of shows internationally, squeezing all of this into a rather intensive nineyear period. And to be honest, a mere 700 words will barely scratch the surface in explaining how influential The Beatles were during this period, and the years that followed after their eventual break-up in 1970. But I’ll give it my best shot.

To highlight a few examples, The Beatles were one of the first mainstream bands who tried to incorporate a variety of different genres into their own music. From the all-out rock and roll tracks such as ‘I Me Mine’, to the more psychedelic songs like ‘Without You Without You’, the band really set the bar for musical experemintation at the time,

Lyric of t h e Week:

extreme enthusiasm for the band was reflected in the insane behaviour of some of their fans, much like the hysteria that can be seen in fans of modern day bands such as One Direction. In an interview with the Guardian, one Beatlemaniac summed up the movement perfectly, saying she “...didn’t understand why you had to scream”, going on to say “it was mandatory” and there was a “cult-like element to it”.

However, I would go as far as to say that the band’s most notable contribution moved beyond music entriely. Its well documented that Beatlemania spread to the far corners of the world, and even helped to change attitudes about Western culture and ideals such as freedom and expression, especially among the young in communist bloc countries during the Cold War. Influential social historian Arthur Marwick even went as far as to say that The Beatles helped change attitudes about how the young could behave and introduced a “mini-renaissance in the rights of individual expression”, persuading a generation that “all we

People can argue all they want about who the most influential band of all time are, whether that be the Kinks, Nirvana, The Beach Boys, Queen or The Rolling Stones to name a few. But I think the fact that Paul Mccartney was able to headline the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury at age 80, almost 60 years after The Beatles first single came out, says all you need to know about the extent to which Paul, John, George and Ringo have been able to influence music of the past, present, and for the foreseeable

A look into the iconic band 60 years on from their debut single.

"Beabadoobee is a joy to watch perform": find out why as our writer rounds up her latest Newcastle show.

The band gives an explosive performance which is very remiscent of '90s grunge bands with its raw and heavy sound

Image: Instagram (@radvxz)

And everything I ever did was just another way to scream your name.

Florence + The Machine, South London Forever

The Midnight Club: an eerie 90's screamer or an open-ended flop?

Varsha Jayaprasad

by Christopher Pike. The series centres around a young girl in the mid-1990’s called Illonka. She is a bright student who discovers she has thyroid cancer and has to forfeit the chance of heading off to college. Once she hears that her condition has now become terminal, she finds out about a hospice that has helped a former patient heal from the same cancer that she has. Illonka heads off to Brightcliffe Hospice Care for Teenagers and meets a new set of teenagers not very different from herself.

Illonka’s final story, how does it derive from her life or is it just a story? And finally, what are the dark shadows that loom over the teens who are at the edge of their lives?

There has been a hint of a season two by the showrunner, Mike Flannagan.

TheMidnight Club is a 10-episode long show based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Christopher Pike, along with references to 27 other books by the author.

The series follows eight sickly teens in a hospice who meet up and tell scary stories while they deal with mysteries at the spooky care centre. Iman Benson, Igby Rigney, Ruth Codd, and many others, star alongside each other as patients at Brightcliffe. The show draws inspiration from the club-like setting in various 80s and 90s stories such as the breakfast club and more. To add to the retro-horror spectacle, the series stars Heather Langenkamp, the scream queen of the 90s as a titular character.

The midnight club is a series that does an excellent job of bringing in many references and elevating the genre of horror through different lenses. Each of the stories told by the members of the midnight club are adapted from different stories

The show explores various issues that stream from issues of perfection, queerness, faith, mental health and more. The midnight club is the perfect blend of horror, mystery and adventure. Although, the show does leave the audience with many unanswered questions.

A season two is necessary to cover all the mysteries at Brightcliffe Hospice Care. There are some plot holes that form within the show, such as what about the attendants at Brightcliffe, do they have any idea about the history and events at the hospice? And what about

Our top TV picks this spooky season

Mitchell Hall - Film sub-editor

As a horror fan its easy to see why so many flock to movies during the spooky season to get their fix of terror. Fast-paced scares and adrenaline condensed down into a handy one to two hour format, with franchises and originals alike providing a near infinite flow of goosebumps to audiences.

However, TV offers something different and equally compelling in its own right. Longer, slow burn series can offer a more tense, drawn out and mysterious narrative that keeps you on the hook, whilst shows with short runtimes can revisit Halloween as a running gag that becomes a staple. Why not give these shows a try when films can’t seem to scratch the horror itch?

My number one pick for horror shows to check out comes courtesy of Mike Flanagan, the king of recent horror shows such as House and its spin offs. For me though his magnum opus is his Netflix series show is as much a mystery or drama as a horror for much of its runtime, but the narrative and core cast are compelling throughout. Set on a remote island, this eerie show will, as cliche as it sounds, really keep audiences on their toes. There were story beats I really couldn’t have

seen coming and it kept the experience taught and suspenseful throughout. The horror elements are carefully crafted and sprinkled in generously right from the outset, and the big crescendo during the final episodes is gorgeous chaos that beautifully ties the show up with a bow.

Another new release that I consider a gem is Epix’s FROM. Another supernatural mystery, a family find themselves trapped in a magic trap, a town which nobody can leave and filled with murderous humanoid creatures that inhabit the night. Engaging acting and an enticing core mystery that only becomes more perplexing as it develops. Even the creepy intro, scored with a haunting rendition of que sera, sera, sets the tone early and never lets it go. I’m eagerly waiting for news of a potential second season to continue the narrative, which means you have plenty of time to get up to date beforehand,

And now for something lighter, and a personal staple of destressing whatever the time of year.

’s Halloween heist specials have become a signature of the show and are endlessly entertaining and rewatchable. The ensemble cast that makes the show so wonderful on its own really shine here, and the characters in competition gives the show new dynamics that make sure the episodes stand out in a crowd.

I adore the Halloween Heists, and as a way for people who aren’t fans of horror to engage with the season it works fantastically.

Lauren Reid

Asthe longest running animated series of all time, producers of The Simpsons have managed to broadcast 33 ‘Treehouse of Horror’ Halloween specials, with the 34th set to air on October 30th. Packed with pop-culture references, each episode includes 3 different segments focusing on popular literature, movies, or television shows. Therefore, the potential to reach a wide audience is definitely there.

Episode one throws viewers right into the literature deep end with a parody of Edgar Allan Poe’s 19th century poem, 'The Raven'. 'The Raven’s troubled protagonist takes the shape of Homer; perhaps the horror lies here… This is not to indicate that the adaptation was in any way bad. In fact, writer Sam Simon stuck pretty close to Poe’s original poem as James Earl Jones, best known for providing the voice of Darth Vader, narrates the lines. Jones’ slow, clear, and chilling tone adheres to a haunting diction of the classic poem, exactly what (theoretically) The Simpsons needed for some horror value… And yet, perhaps it is the literature student in me that believes when considering The Raven is in fact a mellow, heavy poem depicting the grief of a lost lover, it is hard to watch Homer Simpson in place of Poe’s tortured narrator.

Should we really view an animation with a suggested target audience of children aged 8-14 through such a critical lens? Perhaps not. Yet the notion of a Halloween special suggests horror, angst, and the type of intensity to have viewers hooked on screen – three notions I am not sure the producers offer enough of.

Take the more modern episodes; in 2021, The Simpsons released their 33rd episode in which there was a skit involving the social media app TikTok. The show has gone from attempting eerie adaptations from some of the highest respected

"This was designed to be ongoing. I don’t know if it will. We’ll see how it goes, and we probably won’t know for another month or so what Netflix wants to do”, Flannagan tells Teen Vogue and other Journalists. The Midnight Club promises an ensemble of horror and mystery goodness for all the classic horror fans out there. Enjoy your Halloween with this spooktacular

The midnight club is the perfect blend of horror, mystery and adventure

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror: spooky or stupid?

literary figures, to including 20 second segments about watching a cursed 15 second video. Yes, they’re keeping up with the times, but it’s hard to view such a modern pop culture reference as ‘scary’ and not just plain stupid. The decline of content offered in ‘Treehouse of Horror’ stands parallel with the decline in general viewing and ratings - ratings have dropped more than 80% since the beginning of the show.

Are the 'Treehouse of Horror' episodes frightening? No. Are they stupid? Subjectively, yes. But are they entertaining…it’s hard to say no. Even if I’m trying to wrap my head around the inclusion of the ‘cursed’ TikTok, I am definitely still engaged with the content.

So, watch an episode this Halloween. Maybe watch two. Broaden your pop culture knowledge through the medium of childish animation. Watch thirty-three? Please, do not trick yourself into thinking that would be a treat.

The Simpsons has entertained audiences for decades - are the Halloween episodes really worth it?

Horror, angst and the type of intensity to have viewers hooked on screen

though a slight grain has been applied, and areas like the scrapyard and the radio station feel like they float between now and then.

Speaking of mainstays from the original, Jamie Lee Curtis as professional Michael Myers survivor Laurie Strode is a joy to watch, which should not be a surprising statement but her

up certain plot points. Rohan Campbell joins as troubled young Corey Cunningham, and does really well with a decently challenging role, perhaps because much of the plot develops around him.

This was perhaps the biggest surprise of the entry, with ‘The Shape’ (played here by James Jude

relationship with Allyson Strode doesn’t really land, for me anyway, but a lot of what Campbell brings to the table works well.

Mitchell Hall - Film sub-editor

slasher series Halloween, well… ends? Audiences were promised a fitting conclusion to the saga, hopefully filled with tension, kills, and the reverence which such a significant franchise has surely earned and something horror reboots so often neglect. So did it live up to the giant expectations, or did it collapse under its own nightmarish weight?

Iconic

Quick note: I really couldn't address this film without spoilers so if you have yet to see it feel free to bookmark this and come back later...

I am a massive horror fan, and yet I don’t feel particularly attached to this series personally as its antagonist felt a tad bland in comparison to more colourful slashers such as Freddie, the various Ghost Faces, Jason etc. It’s therefore very impressive that I can feel the respect for the originals oozing out of this film in all areas. The iconic score is as effective as ever, and new additions in this department hold up thanks to the continued involvement of John Carpenter, alongside his son Cody and his godson Daniel Davies. I really appreciated the atmosphere the music provided, and the balance in terms of its use was neither conservative or over-abundant.

The film is shot in a way that evokes the feel of a picture from the time of the original, the late 70s to early 80s (despite being set today). It's almost as

The special effects are of course very impressive when they feature, which isn’t particularly much considering its nearly two hour runtime. Not that this makes the film suffer, the fact the brutality of the movie features in quick bursts of hyper violence means you don’t become numb to it as filler, instead each crunch and squelch resonates within the audience. Even I cringed at certain moments towards the end. *Cough spoilers now Cough*

I won’t go into detail about Myers’ method of death initially because it is a bit much for the paper, but I have no issue discussing the thoroughly foreshadowed industrial shredder through which they prove that he will not be returning. Not that it means much in the age of concurrent reboots and storylines and canons, but as far as this timeline is concerned, Michael has met his end. I would say it is handled as well as it could’ve been, leaving time for the film and Laurie to mull over the events of the series with an earned (if a tad self-indulgent) montage of moments from the series before his death. The characters can survive with at least a bit of closure, safe from the Shape that has been stalking them for decades.

I feel the film does as well as it really could for the finale of a trilogy of reboot entries. There’s clearly a respect towards the history of the franchise whilst also taking the movie in a bold and unexpected direction, something unheard of for what everyone imagined to be the by-the-book money machine the studio would have wanted. It’s a fun watch for fans and non-fans of the series alike, and leaves Laurie and the audience with a glimmer of hope that was a poignant touch to round off such a highly regarded story.

Halloween Ends: the series dies with a fitting funeral The New King of Horror? Ranking Jordan Peele's

Jordan Peele has forever left a mark on modern horror. With three features now out how do they shape up?

Withthe recent release of highly anticipated Nope, Jordan Peele has made a firm name for himself in the word of thrillers. But which of the directors films come out on top?

3. Nope Don’t be deceived, Nope is not a bad film. Nope displayed a great vision, with interesting themes such as exploitation, grief and exclusion of black history from cowboy culture. Not only that, it was also a great attempt at paying a heartfelt homage to block buster-type films, notably Spielberg films. However, the film felt clumsy at times, with so many themes spanning from animal cruelty to the history of Hollywood, it didn’t feel like it came together like Peele's first two films.

2. Us Us suffered the well-known fate of built-up

expectation. I felt Us was underrated for this reason, especially when you consider Lupita Nyong’o’s strong performance not being recognised by the Academy. Us had strong themes of systemic neglect and class structures, something that may have been weaker to establish in Nope. Additionally, Us may be the most visually impressive of Peele's films. On the other hand, many people argue that it was more predictable than Nope and Get Out which places it in the middle ground for me.

1. Get Out

It is no surprise Get Out lies at the top. Going from producing skits of Key & Peele to a classic thriller, Peele surprised audiences worldwide, shown by its 5 Oscar nominations, notably Peele winning an award for Best Original Screenplay. Get Out fell together perfectly, with excellent social commentary and unpredictable twists, combined with Toby Oliver's cinematography, it is no question why Get Out reigns supreme.

Get Out and Us are available to buy and rent on is available to rent for £15.99 on Prime Video.

Lorna Bristow

Halloween Ends once again pits final girl Laurie strode against the imposing Michael Myers in the reboot trilogies tense finale

Image credit: Twitter, @UnlHorror

Review: Mr Harrigan's Phone, an enjoyable but shallow teen horror

Sarah Tunstall - Arts sub-editor

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone has already become a film that has been approached with mere confusion by the press. Why does it end that way? Why isn’t it scary? I thought there was going to be a weird creepy old man when really, it’s an inhibited Donald Sutherland with a lot of opinions.

When watching this film, you must go into it being aware that its production does not equate to what you expect from a King horror film. The jump scares and horror factor has no parallel to other adaptions such as It or Kubrick’s The Shining but instead there are none at all, and the

film is more of a ghost story.

isn’t as alone in his older years. A device that becomes the centre of paranormal activity within the film.

Set during the early 2000s just as the iPhone is invented, the story follows Craig who, in the beginning, deals with grief from losing his mother and coming to terms with it as a young child. As he starts his job reading three times a week for Mr. Harrigan, keeping him company in later years, the two form an unlikely friendship. This eventually leads Craig to buy his employer an iPhone, so he

Starring Jaeden Martell as the protagonist, Craig (otherwise seen as ‘young’ Bill in the new adaption of It) and Donald Sutherland as Mr. Harrigan himself the two actors do exceptionally well at representing the relationship between the two characters, making the film go further than a typical horror adaption and I loved the connection that they managed to bring forward to the screen.

I feel restricted in where I go with this review because I’m aware that if you haven’t read the book, and I give my full

opinion on the film, I will take away the core of it, which really is the Stephen King thriller genre. Something that you should experience first-hand, though it is confusing. The film overall to me was amazing. Would I have thought the same if I spent £8 to see it at the cinema? No, I would feel robbed. But the film could only do so much with 75 pages of a book, and Hancock did great at bringing this novella to the screen on

The Mean One preview: Family Unfriendly

Taking“you’re a mean one, Mr Grinch” to a whole new level this festive season, the beloved Dr Seuss character is set to get the slasherhorror treatment in December.

9-1-1: Lone Star’s Krystle Martin plays Cindy, whose parents were butchered by The Mean One 20 Christmases earlier. Now, she’s returning to the town to seek closure but is about to discover that The Mean One is preparing his festive journey into the town below from his mountain home, ready to carry on his bloodshed…

In a role that was made iconic by Jim Carrey, 22 years ago, David Howard Thornton is set to take over in this green-skinned slasher. Best known for

his role as Art the Clown in The Terrifier (2016), Thornton is set to take the main stage of Whoville and slice and dice more than just the roast beast in this parody film. Directed by Steven LaMorte and written by Flip and Finn Kobler, One is set to stream for free in the US on December 15 whilst the UK still awaits a release date. The

preview

cinematography, production design and ethereal original score.

Luca

Guadagnino’s 2022 cannibalistic road trip drama

subversive tonality.

The two trailers that have been showcased to audiences possess similar visual content but ultimately differing intent; the Official trailer is almost haunting in its presentation of romance and horror whilst the Theatrical trailer gives a broader advertisement of its road trip-esque plot.

Yet at the same time, director Guadagnino is evidently attempting to combine the beautiful with the grotesque, exploring the bloodthirsty otherness of its two leads, played by Timothee Chalamet ( Me By Your Name, Lady Bird Russell ( coinciding with the cinematic beauty that Guadagnino’s films have garnered a reputation for possessing. This isn’t the first time that Guadagnino has achieved such a feat, with his 2018 remake of Dario Argento’s mixing the supernatural gruesomeness of the film’s subject matter with the beauty of its graceful

What we seem to have in the case of Bones and All may be the culmination of Guadingnino’s attempt to blend the freakish, monstrous overtures of Suspiria with the emotional tenderness and visual elegance of his 2017 adaptation, . It’s easy to see that Guadagnino is cooking up a freakish feature; a film that is

murderous twist on this classic children’s tale follows on from other films such as Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, which also takes family favourites and turns them into blood-lusting monsters. Taking great pains to not use the language of the original tale, this unauthorised version seems like it’s going to be campy with a really hefty amount of gore. So when you’ve finished your Halloween horror bingeing, settle down with your Christmas decorations and a nice mug of hot chocolate to see your childhood get absolutely massacred.

Conjuring up a spook

Ellie McVay

A sequel to the prequel spinoff? 'The Conjuring' franchise is set to expand once more.

Forfans of the Conjuring universe, the ninth instalment of the series is set to chill and thrill us once again in 2023. Starring Storm Reid, the film is set to frighten us into the 2023 Hallowe’en season. Reid is an exciting new face in the Conjuring series. She is perhaps best known for her role in the hit TV show Euphoria, however this isn’t her horror debut – Reid co-starred in Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man (2020).

Taissa Farmiga, real-life sister of the Conjuring’s Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga), will make a comeback as The Nun’s Sister Irene, and Bonnie Aarons is back to haunt us once more as the terrifying demon, Valak.

Was the first Nun “good”? No. Am I excited for the second Nun? Heck yes!

With James Wan on board as a producer, that original Conjuring flavour might just still pull through, however with Michael Chaves returning to the franchise as director, I’m a little dubious –did anyone really enjoy Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)? However, a new voice is on the screenplay scene – Akela Cooper may not have had a hand in the horrors of the Conjuring franchise but has written episodes for TV greats such as American Horror Story and wrote the somewhat mildly-received Malignant (2021).

When the conversation turns to horror movies, I will always recommend the Conjuring series. As much as I am a Texas Chainsaw, Suspiria, The Thing, classic horror buff, these movies are a joy for their sharp jump-scares and spooky shenanigans.

Speaking on horror as a genre, Bonnie Aarons, who herself plays the titular Nun, summarises the true joy of the Conjuring series for me - ‘it’s exciting, and it makes you pay attention, and it keeps you involved - it keeps you [alert]’.

Was the first Nun “good”? No. Am I excited for the second Nun? Heck yes!

Matthew Barratt

For fans hungry for dark teen romances, your first look at Bones and All will satisfy.

The two actors do exceptionally well at representing the characters' relationship

Jess Bradbury

Image Credit: Twitter: @noir_arcencial

Image Credit: Twitter: @DiscussingFilm

Our top spooky reads this Halloween

Our writers' favourite spine-chilling reads to keep you up all Halloween

Before You Sleep by Adam Nevill

As a child, who was terrified of anything that had to do with ghosts and covered his ears when horror stories were being told, I have come surprisingly far by becoming an avid reader of horror stories and enjoying them. So, with the spooky season coming up, I have named my top pick.

In his trilogy, Before You Sleep: Three Horrors, Adam Nevill makes clever use of the ‘haunted house’ trope. In the first story ‘Where Angels Come in’ a young boy recounts his encounter with childhood nightmarish forms in an abandoned house.

her toys and twists it into a chilling tale of classic Japanese horror.

The final piece of the collection, ‘Florrie’ is also a take on house haunting, but strays from the norm. Frank develops a connection to his new house, it seems to be a very cosy setting until it distorts into something ghastly, with Frank seemingly being haunted and possessed by the previous owner, Florrie White.

Although I found the conclusions to be vague, I think this is Nevill’s masterstroke, adding feelings of confusion and leaving the interpretations up to the readers. Each story offers a vivid, macabre, and atmospheric horror experience. Every description was cleverly used to help us visualise the tale. Overall, I found the book to be an easy and enjoyable read, albeit not one to be read before sleep.

- Anibran Debnath

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

necks. But for me, Pet Sematary is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. The novel permeates a malevolence that extends beyond our human understanding, making the reader question what they would do if they witnessed their family changing as the characters do.

What makes Pet Sematary so scary is that the thing driving this evil isn’t tangible, there’s no sense that the characters can reach out and defeat it. Instead, the supernatural force is all-consuming, feasting on the suffering of parents who lose their child. Nobody can escape and Pet Semetary truly manages to capture the cruelty of evil from beyond the grave, leaving no one unscathed in the process. The gruesome details of the novel not only haunt the characters, but leaves you with a distinct sour

Cherries

Rebecca Wright

I stayed up tonight, watched you sleep. Committed to the thought of you, the way your breath escapes your lips.

The dew of our youth seems tangled in the bed.

I remember our first kiss. And our second. An orange hue surrounds our memories, but I haven’t quite figured out why yet.

You look comfortable. Soft. I like the light of the moon on your cheeks. You don’t moisturise as much as you should, but you’re trying.

In the second one, ‘The Ancestors’, the author takes the seemingly innocent accounts of a young girl’s interaction with her ‘imaginary’ friend and

The novel permeates a malevolance that extends beyond human understanding Annie Ernaux wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

Georgia Purcell - Relationships Sub-editor

As we get underway into spooky season and the nights draw in, I always find myself coming back to one book at this time of year - the truly unnerving Pet Sematary. There’s only ever one author that springs to mind when I think of scary stories, the horror master Stephen King. From the madness of Jack in The Shining to the absolutely terrifying Pennywise in IT, King certainly knows how to get the hairs stood up on the back of his readers’

Ernaux is the first female French woman to win this prize, and her work, which is primarily autobiographical and historical, was

Les Années is widely regarded to be her magnum opus and offers a glimpse of French society just after the Second World War until the early 2000s. This novel was nominated for the International Booker Prize in 2019, causing her popularity to increase massively in anglophone countries.

On her website, Ernaux describes her own work as 'autosociobiographical', highlighting the highly personal direction her works took after her first three fictionalised biographical stories. Ernaux is the first memorist to be honoured by this prize, and with it, the strength of both her writing and the public intrigue in what is, ultimately, a private life, is brought to the forefront of a society overly concerned with how they are viewed. She has the ability to draw a reader into her personal life and to find the collective in her own recollections, drawing her life into fiction rather than lecturing the facts of her life to an

Ernaux is published by Fitzcarraldo Editions, a tiny, London-based independent publisher with only six full-time employees. Housing four Nobel-winning authors, the publishing house is disproportionately successful, leaving people questioning what are they doing so right? Bridget Shine, chief executive of the Independent Publishers Guild says that small publishers such as Fitzcarraldo make 'enormous contributions to literary culture and give a voice to authors who would otherwise go unheard in the UK'. She says that what sets them apart from other publishers in the UK is that they 'take risks in their commissioning that most bigger publishers would not and they consistently punch way above their weight in literary prizes such as the Nobel and Booker.'

Our love feels new and old and everything in-between. I can see it like a montage on your silly sleeping face - every drunk argument, every sober one, every time I’ve looked at you and you’re already smiling at me. Every sing in the shower together. Every dance on the street. Every bus home from our first cinema trips.

Half-adult-half-kids-not-kids.

You gave me your cherries from your whiskey sour. I can still taste them.

Maybe I want to marry you, or I’m just sleep deprived.

I think the birds sing for a reason.

Noughts and Crosses: An interview with Chris Jack

Louise Cusine - Arts Sub-editor

ChrisJack joins us for a chat ahead of his performance in Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses and passes on some encouraging advice.

Could you give us a plot summary of Noughts and Crosses?

‘’Sephy is a young girl and she’s a Cross and she falls for a young man who’s a Nought. Crosses are the wealthy people with all the power, the upper class if you like, and the noughts are the underclass. The Noughts don’t even have passports or anything. It’s a world where there are a lot of political and social divides. Sephy and Callum want to be together but can’t because of the circumstances.’’

How would you describe your character and what motivated you to take on this role in Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation?

‘’Kamal Hadley is power hungry, driven, twofaced, and self-centered and he will stop at absolutely nothing until he gets what he wants. Yet, it was a part that I really wanted to play as it’s one of the castings that I don’t necessarily get as an actor. I’ve played a lot of very corporate sort of roles, nice roles, amiable kind of characters and that was completely the opposite. So, it was an acting challenge for me but one that I grabbed with both hands and absolutely relished. I didn’t grow up with anything like this. I grew up with Adrian Mole, Sue Townsend, and Roald Dahl and I wanted to sort of challenge myself as an actor.’’

How are you coping with the challenges?

‘’I think a lot of it came throughout the rehearsal

process. One of the things is you have to really like the character. And what I mean by that is like the character regardless of whether they’re a good character, whether they’re a bad character, indifferent, you have to like traits of that character to justify the lines that you say, and Kamal isn’t the nicest of people, Kamal Hadley, but I just wanted to challenge myself and do the very best I could with him.’’

Finally, do you have any advice for Newcastle students who are looking to get into acting?

‘’Every experience is a good one. I went to Salford Uni and once I graduated, I was told by older actors to just say yes to every opportunity that comes up as an actor. They will be good experiences, purely because the more experiences you have under your belt, the more you know, and the better equipped you are for the future.

I would say follow your dreams and try to broaden your horizons. Don't just go for theatre or TV, don’t forget radio and rehearse readings. There are so many different variations within the acting world that you can get involved with and I would encourage you to do as much as possible!’’

On6th October 2022, Annie Ernaux was announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2022. She was credited for the 'courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory'.

Annie Ernaux becomes the first female author from France to win Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022

How can you access the acting world and navigate challenging roles?

Image credit: Robert Day, Northern Stage

Image credits: Goodreads, Bats - Flickr

Puzzles

Crossword

Online auction site. (4)

1982 Hall & Oates song. (8)

Admire greatly. (7)

Antoni ___, Spanish architect and pioneer of art nouveau in Europe. (5)

___ Fett, Bounty hunter in Star Wars. (4)

Second-hand. (4)

Tool for chopping wood. (3)

Exist. (2)

Halloween Nonogram

Adult male chickens. (8)

Old currency, one pound and one shilling. (7)

Harry ___, Former One Direction member. (6)

Small guitar-like instrument. (7)

Oscar ___, Wrote The Importance of Being Ernest. (5)

Someone new to something (especially gaming). (4)

26. Plant material used to make rubber. (5)

27. 2001 DreamWorks film. (5)

Down

1. Scottish capital city. (9)

2. Single-celled organism. (6)

3. Party/ball where guests wear masks. (10)

4. Postcode area representing Newcastle. (1,1)

5. Jelly-like substance obtained from red algae. (4)

6. ___ of the Lost Ark, first Indiana Jones film. (7)

9. Rich and delicate Italian sponge

Answers

cake. (7)

12. Contains no cells. (9)

14. International organisation aiming to maintain peace. (1,1)

17. Type of printer. (6)

19. Move stealthily. (5)

21. Brand of male grooming products. (4)

22. Large feline, males have manes. (4)

23. Nocturnal bird. (3)

W Series cancel final rounds to focus on 2023 fundraising

Arthur Ferridge - Sport sub-editor

unnamed sponsor of W Series has failed to deliver crucial payments which would have funded the championship’s North American leg.

The Telegraph has reported that W Series also owe large sums of money to Whisper, a creditor founded by David

totaling thousands of pounds.

third season of racing, we are always working hard to ensure regularity of funding… but due to recent unforeseen circumstances outside of W Series’ control, we had not been in receipt of contracted funds due to us,” she wrote.

The series claims to be in a startup

“Having set up W Series in 2018, I

supporting our talented drivers and hard-working personnel who put their heart and soul into driving W Series and our mission forward. We are grateful for the continued support of our incredible and growing fanbase, and we hope to share positive news regarding the future

The season’s early end will also confirm Jamie Chadwick as a threetime W Series champion. After winning five of the season’s six races, there was little doubt that she would hold on to the title. The rumor mill has been spinning, and Chadwick seems set to move on to either Formula 3 or Indy Lights, a move which would see her become the first W Series driver to graduate

Iker Casillas comes out on Twitter to later claim to have been hacked

Tom Barlow - Sport sub-editor

Casillas

announced on his Twitter account that he was gay, before later tweeting that his account was hacked.

The tweet read on the 9th October, 13:10, “I hope you respect me: I’m gay.

#HappySunday.”

Readers were instantly skeptical of this tweet, due to the random message of ‘Happy Sunday’ at the end of it.

This, coupled with the media’s persistent need to link the former Real Madrid goalkeeper with female reporters, incited the belief that this was a needless joke on the LGBTQ+ community.

the same day, that his account was hacked and he extended his apologies to the LGBTQ+ community, Puyol was made to look even worse for his prior comment.

Later saying he had made a mistake and a stupid joke, readers were left befuddled at just quite what had gone on during their Sunday afternoon. The former Spanish captain was hacked, the LGBTQ+ community had been mocked and a Barcelona legend had stupidly added to the insanity.

of the biggest social media platforms in the world.

In a world where there are only a handful of openly gay, male footballers, the events of Sunday cut just that bit deeper into the offense caused.

The situation was made ten times worse when former Spain teammate, Carlos Puyol, tweeted “now is the time to tell everyone about us.” A funny tagalong to a joke in his eyes; later to be adding fire to a cruel joke.

When Casillas tweeted, at 15:36 on

Whether Casillas was actually hacked or not is left to the public’s discretion, but the acts of Puyol were truly bewildering and needless. A man who has spent his whole adult life in the public eye should know better than to make an obviously offensive joke on one

Santi Rivero, the LGBTI and Diversity secretary for the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party, tweeted a reminder to Casillas that if it was a joke, then an apology should be forthcoming, as the first footballer to come out as homosexual committed suicide due to the abuse he received.

One cannot help being hacked, but the entirety of the debacle was just needless and perhaps damaging for any future footballers wishing to express their sexuality to the world.

Lionesses secure famous victory over the World Champions

Paige Rutter - Sport sub-editor

England’s

women held the world champions to a 2-1 defeat, in a recordbreaking Wembley match.

This was an international friendly which was not short of drama and noted as one of the fastest selling matches at new Wembley – selling out within 24 hours.

Prior to kick-off both teams showed solidarity to the recent findings of multiple forms of abuse within the NWSL. With all players donning teal armbands and

spreading their message with a ‘Protect the Players’ banner.

There were a few changes to the starting line-up for the European champions due to injuries to the likes of captain Leah Williamson and striker Alessio Russo.

With the absence of Russo, winger Lauren Hemp took up the role as striker which did not fail as she went on to give England the lead in the opening ten minutes. Finding an equaliser shortly after, a superb

turn and strike from Sophia Smith brought her national team level.

The visiting team enjoyed a brief few minutes of joy before it being ended by a penalty VAR check.

A high boot on Lucy Bronze was detected leading to England having the chance to take the lead again. Georgia Stanway stepped up to the penalty spot, successfully regaining an advantage for the Lionesses – putting them 2-1 up.

Just before half-time, it

looked like the world champions had equalised again with a shot from Trinity Rodman landing in the back of the net. Once again

VAR was in use, however, ruling out the goal due to offside in the build-up and bringing a dramatic first half to an end.

came near the end of the game when the USA side were awarded a penalty for a handball, but then had the opportunity taken away again. After a VAR ruling, the referee’s decision was to overturn the penalty.

Further shots then came from both sides with the likes of Chloe Kelly and Lucy Bronze taking on chances at goal.

The last of the drama in the match

After a thrilling 94 minutes, the match ended in success for the Lionesses, who are building strong momentum as a team with the World Cup approaching next summer.

The W series has been left high and dry

Potential damage may spread from the former footballer's actions

Image credit: W Series Media Library

Several partners claim to be upaid

A look at the clash between England and the USA Women's teams

Building strong momentum as a team

The situation was made worse by Carlos Puyol

Image credit: WIkimedia Com mons (Elemaki)

The last of the drama came near the end of the match for the USA

A-Z SPORTING SPOTLIGHT:

B... is for Baseball and Softball

We at the NUBSC are the brand new home of baseball and softball at Newcastle. We were ratified just the other week and have already set about getting our team together and kitting them out with specially designed and customised uniforms. We're still piecing everything together and we hope to be BUCS-ready by next year, but throughout this year we will be participating in a variety of friendly games against local university and national baseball teams to help build our profile and ready ourselves for proper competitions. Ever played baseball before? Want to find out if it’s for you? Just reach out! All skill levels and backgrounds are welcome. To enquire or find out more, head over to our Instagram @nubaseballsoftballclub or check out our page on the NUSU website where you can get your membership today for only £5 and come join us on the dia mond. We hope to see you there!

B... is for Boat

The rowing team travels all over the country competing at top-level national and interna tional competitions. The boat club offers a welcoming envi ronment to all abilities, from GB team hopefuls and world cham pions to complete novices who have never tried the sport before allowing everyone to enjoy the sport and enter competitions such as the BUCS regatta and Henley Royal Regatta.

In the past academic year, we took home a total of 18 differ ent medals from our two BUCSaffiliated events, placing in the top 6 universities in the country overall. At Henley Royal Regatta, 4 boats qualified to race against crews from all across the world putting in outstanding perfor mances against internationally renowned universities.

Each year the boat club runs learn-to-row courses for people who have an interest but have never had the opportunity to try it out whilst giving the experi enced athletes a chance to coach and teach, alongside high-qual ity coaching from experienced professionals it makes it an in credibly supportive environment for all that are involved.

Check our instagram at @newcastlerowing

Verstappen claims second championship after Japan Grand Prix controversy

was overshadowed to an extent after Pierre Gasly narrowly missed a collision with a recovery truck on the track. The red flag had been waved two seconds before Gasly, driving at 155mph, passed the recovery truck, sent out to collect Carlos Sainz’s crashed Ferrari.

Jules' memory. Incredible."

Fellow F1 drivers condemned the incident and the outcry has forced the FIA to announce an investigation

Verstappen's

trend of confusing and controversial titles has continued in 2022 after he clinched his second World Driver's Championship at a rain soaked Suzuka.

As marshalls waved the checkered flag signalling Verstappen as the Japanese Grand Prix winner, it was assumed by Red Bull (and everyone watching at home) that full points would not be awarded due to the race being shortened by wet weather. The FIA then announced as Verstappen was being interviewed that the Dutchman had received 25 points for his win and as such, had won the world championship.

As Verstappen and the Red Bull team began celebrating, it was then speculated that Verstappen would lose the title because Red Bull Racing had exceeded the budget cap but the FIA have yet to announce the penalty Red Bull will face.

Verstappen’s championship victory

The incident sparked memories of the death of Jules Bianchi who was involved in a collision at the Japanese Grand Prix back in 2014. The French driver suffered fatal head injuries when he lost control of his vehicle in wet conditions and hit a recovery vehicle. Bianchi was placed into an induced coma until his death a year later at the age of 25.

Pierre Gasly was understandably left furious after the incident. The French driver blamed the FIA for a mistake which could have cost the 26-yearold his life and criticised them for forgetting the previous loss of life due to an incident like the one he had faced:

“For the respect of Jules, all his family and for our safety and the one of the marshals, there should never be any tractor/crane nor marshals on track in such conditions with such poor visibility before we all get back in the pits. Period. We got to learn from the past, hopefully no one gets to experience this ever again.”

Bianchi's father also took to Instagram to voice his distress, writing "No respect for the life of the driver, no respect for

Recalling Rouse: Tributes pour in for Geordie racer

Arthur Ferridge - Sport sub-editor

Britishmotorsport was shocked in early October by the death of Newcastle native Chrissy Rouse, who was tragically killed during round ten of the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park.

After going down on lap 1 of the weekends second race, a closely following rider struck Rouse in an accident which investigators have described as unavoidable. Trackside doctors placed the 26-year-old into a coma at the track’s medical center, after which he was rushed to Queens Medical Center in Nottingham for emergency surgery. He remained in a coma for a further four days, before passing away on Thursday, October 6, surrounded by his family.

Rouse was widely considered one of the UK’s most promising bike racing stars. Reigning champion of the Pirelli Superstock National Championship, an internationally renowned feeder series, Rouse had an extremely bright career ahead, and the entire motor racing community has been shaken by his death.

When he wasn’t racing, Rouse taught maths at Emmanuel College in Gateshead and was a co-host of the Chasin’ the Racin’ podcast. He had also recently debuted as a Eurosport commentator covering the World Endurance Championship.

Rouse was a particularly popular member of the BBSC paddock, known for his persistent smile and passion for teaching. The outpouring of support from the international bike racing community has been overwhelming, as Rouse has received a tumult of touching tributes from racers and fans from all corners of the motorsport community.

Veteran bike racer James Hillier wrote on twitter that “[Chrissy] was a very good guy in many ways… very fast on a bike and always carrying that contagious smile. Rest well.”

Tarran Mackenzie, one of several BBSC title contenders added that “This sport is so cruel sometimes… [Chrissy was] talented in so many different ways and truly one of the nicest people in the paddock.”

The Bennetts British Superbike Championship will pay tribute to Rouse with a moment of silence ahead of the season’s final race meeting at Brands Hatch, and two of his bikes will remain on display for the duration of the weekend. There will also be no champagne sprayed during podium ceremonies as a mark of respect.

into the incident, saying: "While it is normal practice to recover cars under safety car and red flag conditions, due to the particular circumstances and also taking into account feedback from of a number of drivers, the FIA has launched a thorough review of the events involving the deployment of recovery vehicles during the Japanese Grand Prix.”

Djokovic wins his third successive title in Astana

Wimbledon Champion

Novak Djokovic had just levelled the semi-final at one set a piece, after edging the tie break 8-6, when Daniil Medvedev seemingly threw in the towel from nowhere.

Djokovic was visibly confused and in his post-match interview said: "I'm still surprised he retired. He looked completely fine. I really hope his injury is nothing too serious. I know Daniil, he's a great guy, he's a fighter,

tournament. Tsitsipas had only beaten Djokovic twice in nine matches or make that ten matches now, as Djokovic cruised to a straight sets win over the Greek starlet. For Djokovic, this Astana victory represented a second successive ATP tour triumph after winning in the Tel Aviv open only a week prior. The Serbian hasn't been short of offcourt controversy in recent years, but on-court, he is the same relentless metronome he has always been. The win marks

Rachel Taylor

Adam Millard

Charlotte Rowley

Max Verstappen claims his second World Championship title in Japan

Image credit Twitter: @Max33Verstappen

Image credit: Instagram (@newcas tlerowing)

Christian Turner-Bell Novak Djokovic inches closer to Roger Federer's record. The same relentless metronome he has always been

Image credit:

Sport

Petition to ban Haaland from playing in the Premier League

Elena Photiadou

Nearly two million people have signed their names onto a petition to see Haaland banned from the PL

Afterbeing the first player to score three successive hat tricks in the Premier League, a rival fan has created a petition to ban Erling Haaland from the Premier League because ‘it’s just not fair’.

The 22-year-old Norwegian striker and Manchester City’s main man is currently sitting on the top of the goal-scorer board with 15 goals in nine appearances in the Premier League. Haaland is no stranger to this, as he proven his goal scoring ability throughout his career with a totalling over 150 goals.

The petition was created by a Manchester United fan after the Champions League win over Copenhagen at the Etihad Stadium, and has been signed by thousands of fans all around the UK. The petition started on

change.org with the statement ‘it’s just simply unfair, we can make a change, now it’s the time for us people to act, this robot should not be allowed to carry on in our country’.

Manchester City’s manager responded with a simple line of “ nice joke; as a joke it’s a good one,” when he was asked in a press conference about the petition stating that it’s not fair for the other teams.

Rival fans have been left wondering how any other team has a shot in winning this year’s title as Pep Guardiola’s Man City look unbeatable with him upfront. “ It’s getting boring now!” and “ are we the farmer’s league?” are just some of the rival fans' comments after every game where the striker puts on a show.

With the disaster of the to have left that in the past as it was his first appearance with the Blues, Everything shows that he will keep silencing the haters and

“poor performance” last July.

His £900,000 per week salary is well justified, as Man City might just win everything this year with him upfront.

The club has arguably struggled in recent years, without a recognised striker, following the departure of, club legend, Kun Aguero. Is the wonderkid the solution to all of Man City’s problems after the departure of Aguero? Will they finally win the Champions League after all these years? Only time will tell, as for starters he has to survive the petition of being banned.

BUCS RESULTS

Forest back Cooper with new deal until 2025

Jack Evans

Nottingham Forest have come out this week and backed manager Steve Cooper with a new contract keeping him at the club until 2025, despite widespread rumour promising his imminent sacking.

It’s been a tough start to life back in the topflight for Steve Cooper and Nottingham Forest, with the Midlands side only picking up 5 points from their first 10 games. A 1-0 loss away at Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 14th left them bottom of the league on goal difference, winless since beating West Ham in August.

The Midlands side only picking up 5 points in their first 10 games

After a 4-0 loss away to rivals Leicester, Cooper came out and told the press that his side performed well below expectations. He was met with many questions regarding his future following the match, but he insisted he was dedicated to turning the club's fortunes around.

This desire to turn things around was met on Friday, when the Forest board expressed their backing for Cooper by extending his contract until 2025.

When asked at a press conference if he had been in danger of being sacked, Cooper said he didn’t know if his sacking had been discussed but that he was determined to transform Forest’s fortunes.

Forest’s fans certainly seem happy with the decision on Cooper’s future, as they cheered him out onto the pitch prior to their game against Aston Villa last Monday. Some fans behind one of the goals held up banners in support of the manager, and a credible 1-1 draw will only help to keep fans supportive.

First return to the PL this century

Forest’s promotion in May was the first time they had returned to the topflight this century, meaning many fans had never experienced the world of Premiership football. This of course made Cooper a hero in Nottingham, as he himself had taken over a club going in the wrong direction last year. When he took over in September 2021, the club were bottom of the championship

history. Most of these signings have struggled to gel so far, a factor that many believe has caused Forest’s

With the season still young, it’s unclear as to whether Forest are doomed yet, but with the League pausing for the World Cup in less than a month, Forest and Steve Cooper will certainly want their fortunes to change

Steve Cooper recieves new contract despite Forest struggles

He will keep silencing the haters

It's just simply unfair

Image credit: Twitter @brfootball

Image credit: Twitter @ManCity

Sport

Live at the A-pole-o: A behind-the-scenes look at Northern Pole’s Christmas Show

Katie Siddall - Head of Sport

performances in a variety of categories and a bar available. They can also expect a charity raffle and to cheer a lot!

supportive people you know.

Are there any other competitions or shows that will be coming up throughout the year that we should be excited for?

TheNU Pole and Aerial Club are putting on a Christmas Show on December 1st featuring routines with many amazing songs and talented student dancers. They took a moment to answer a few questions to discuss what’s going on behind the scenes currently, what you should look forward to and they even gave advice for dancers!

What is your vision for the show? Will we see both pole and aerial routines?

Our vision for the showcase is just a more relaxed performance atmosphere than comps for any level of performer. It’s really just a fun night to show off hard work and make some money for charity! There won’t be any aerial this year because we don’t have the equipment available to us but there’s a chance we’ll have it sorted by the next one.

What can the audience expect from this show?

The audience can expect some fab performances in a Christmas themed venue. There will be votes for favourite

What kind of choreography and music you are hoping for? And will the dancers come up with their own routines?

The dancers will mostly be coming up with their own routines! There will be some input from myself and (mostly) our lovely choreo reps. We’re hoping for a huge variety of routines really; there’s not particularly a one size fits all when it comes to pole. I know some members plan on fast paced choreo and others have slower songs with a strong beat. Either way we’re hoping for people to feel confident in their choreo and pick a song that really resonates with that. What advice can you give to the dancers, whether beginner or advanced?

It’s quite a cliche but I think for this showcase my only advice would be to talk to everyone, learn from other performers and ask lots of questions!

We always get a really lovely audience so try not to stress too much about the details of performance and know that no one else knows your routine so if it goes wrong, just spin until you catch up! Just enjoy it and invite the most

In terms of competitions, it’s a bit tricky this year as we haven’t got solid dates yet and a lot of categories in the main comps have been changed. But, we never miss an opportunity to get up there and perform so there will definitely be some exciting ones through the year. We have another showcase in the works for next semester too.

Are there any pole dancer stereotypes you are wanting to break with rehearsals and the show?

I feel like that’s a difficult question because everyone knows pole dancing has affiliations with stripping, but a lot of performers love to be empowered by that fact and include nods to this in their choreo. Mainly, I think when watching performers live, people will see that it is an awful lot more than this; routines can range from this style to the complete opposite. It’s more about strength, flow and flexibility than the style of a routine and I think this really shines through in our performers.

When will tickets be released for the show?

We’re yet to decide a ticket release date but keep watch

because it shouldn’t be long now.

Keep an eye out on NUPAC’s Instagram (@NUPCA_uk) for ticket sales and any behind the scenes photos and videos.

What a start back to sport for Team Newcastle – some incredible results and performances to be seen from across the clubs over the past 3 weeks! If you haven’t yet got yourself down to spectate the home fixtures at one of our University facilities, or the external facilities our clubs use across Newcastle, then what are you waiting for? These athletes aren’t just part of their club or the Athletic Union, they are more than that – they represent YOUR University week in, week out; they got YOUR University in the BUCS Top 10 last year and will be striving to do the same again; they ARE Team Newcastle… and spectating, you are a part of it too.

However, it’s not just the performances and results I’m proud of the clubs for, already this year the clubs have shown what else they give back to the student community & beyond! Each week I am choosing a ‘Club of the Week’ and so far, the winners have been Wheelchair Basketball, Korfball, and Ladies’ Hockey for all these amazing things that make our clubs so much more than just sport! Wheelchair Basketball is a newly ratified club making strides in inclusivity, enabling students who previously didn’t want to get involved to get excited by both the sport and the community. I can’t wait to see the club compete once their BUCS season starts! Korfball organised and hosted a tournament with other University teams across the North & Scotland, which let students joining the club have a chance at gameplay, as well as getting previous members back into the sport following the summer break. It is great to see this level of participation and engagement happening across clubs already. Ladies Hockey have been braving the cold outside the SU doing a bake sale to raise funds for the Pakistan Flood Crisis – a brilliant example of the charity work that our clubs frequently do during the year, giving back & contributing during crisis.

I’m so excited to see what the rest of the year holds while cheering on the side-lines as Team Newcastle continue to perform incredibly through the season!

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The Pole and Ariel Club are hosting a Christmas Show for charity Girls Out Loud!

Expect some fab performances in a Christmas themed venue!

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