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Issue 1207 Tuesday 2 March 2010 www.thecourieronline.co.uk

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Union to undergo ÂŁ8 million makeover Work scheduled to get underway in November Samantha Hockney Newcastle University’s Students’ Union building is set for a multimillion pound redevelopment as part of the University’s continued campus overhaul. Renovation work for the ÂŁ8 million project is scheduled to commence on 1 November 2010, with the Union’s services being relocated to Park Terrace and the Museum of Antiquities while the building is closed. The project is expected to take around ten months to complete with the building to reopen in time for Freshers’ Week 2011. It is hoped the redevelopment will help shift the perception of the Union from a purely social environment to a place where students can also seek advice, participate in activities outside of their degree and enhance their overall student experience. Richard Dale, the University’s Executive Director of Finance, has put his full backing behind the scheme. He said: “I think we’ll come out of this with a really good Students’ Union – ÂŁ8 million will get you quite a lot. “Different people have got different options, which is why it’s been a long time coming. We are making choices that we’re going to be stuck with for a long time and we need to get it right.â€? The new plans will see a major change to the interior layout, making it easily accessible and more open-plan.

2Q WKH WRS à RRU WKHUH ZLOO EH D QHZ cutting-edge social learning area, similar to YourSpace in the Robinson Library, with new computer cluster areas and a branded coffee bar. 7KH PLGGOH à RRU ZLOO JURXS WR JHWKHU WKH $FWLYLWLHV 2IÀ FH 6&$1 the Athletic Union as well as all of the Union’s student media outlets LQFOXGLQJ 7KH &RXULHU 1HZFDVWOH Student Radio and Newcastle Television. A new dedicated space for partWLPH RIÀ FHUV ZLOO DOVR EH GHYHORSHG to assist in activities such as campaigning, RAG and Freshers’ Week. The space currently occupied by Men’s Bar will become a representation and democracy area after the redevelopment, co-located with adYLFH VHUYLFHV DV ZHOO DV WKH RIÀ FHV for the Union President, Education DQG :HOIDUH 2IÀ FHUV 0HDQZKLOH &RFKUDQH /RXQJH DQG 5LMRV ZLOO EH converted into the new Union shop. Downstairs, the site of the current shop will be transformed into a modern bar and catering area, linked with the Basement which will become more of a multi-functioning social space used for both day and night activities. The new design will also be wheelchair-friendly, with a new disabled access planned straight from King’s Road. The initial plans for the new Union KDYH EHHQ KHDYLO\ LQà XHQFHG E\ UH VXOWV IURP VWXGHQW VXUYH\V RIÀ FHUV and focus groups. Continued on page 6

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Three in a row: Team Newcastle FHOHEUDWH UHFRUG 6WDQ &DOYHUW ZLQ Back page and eight-page souvenir pull-out

Inside today >>>

Smart to take drugs?

A tale of two cities?

World changing designs

Electronic art

A top Newcastle University philosopher has questioned the use of legal ‘smart drugs’ after a Cambridge professor warned of their use News, page 5

Laura Heads argues that Gateshead would be lost without its bigger neighbour Newcastle after the 1NG scheme receives criticism Comment, page 9

Rachel Walsham lists her ten most LQĂ€ XHQWLDO GHVLJQHUV LQ IDVKLRQ today including Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen Life & Style, page 14

The Culture Arts team previews the North East’s biggest electronic arts event, the AV Festival, which is set to take place this month Culture, page 22-23

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Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Concerns raised about use of legal ‘smart drugs’

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Comment Order in the court Elliot Bentley and Nicholas Fidler debate whether we should keep trials by jury Page 7

Life & Style Girls on tour Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it: Katherine Bannon on all that Malia has to offer Page 13

Culture The Street to the Square Tom James speaks to Corrie’s Craig Gazey at the opening of Poundland in the new Eldon Square Page 33

Sport Intra Mural in the spotlight Denis Murphy talks through the rise of participation sport at the University Page 35

Meetings Timetable: Monday 6SRUW DP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP $ 1HZV SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP & &RPPHQW SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP & 3KRWRV SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP % Tuesday /LIH 6W\OH SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP $ Wednesday )LOP SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP $ 0XVLF SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP % Thursday $UWV SP &RPPLWWHH 5RRP $ Editorial Team: ‡ (GLWRU 'DYLG &RYHUGDOH ‡ 'HSXW\ (GLWRU )UDQ ,QIDQWH ‡ 1HZV (GLWRUV -HVVLFD 7XOO\ DQG 6LPRQ Murphy ‡ &RPPHQW (GLWRUV &DUROLQH $UJ\URSXOR Palmer and Nicholas Fidler ‡ /LIH 6W\OH (GLWRUV /DULVD %URZQ $OH[ Felton and Ashley Fryer ‡ &XOWXUH (GLWRU $OLFH 9LQFHQW ‡ $UWV (GLWRU 6WHSKDQLH )HUUDR ‡ )LOP (GLWRU )UDQFHV .URRQ ‡ 0XVLF (GLWRUV 0DUN &RUFRUDQ /HWWLFH DQG Chris Mandle ‡ 79 5DGLR (GLWRU $LPHH 3KLOLSVRQ ‡ 3X]]OHV (GLWRUV 6X]L 0RRUH DQG 1HG Walker ‡ 6SRUWV (GLWRUV 3DXO &KULVWLDQ -DPLH *DYLQ DQG 7RP -DPHV ‡ 'HVLJQ (GLWRU 9LFWRULD %HOO ‡ 2QOLQH (GLWRUV *RUGRQ %UXFH -HVVLFD Monson and Laura Walker ‡ 3URRI (GLWRUV 5XWK $OVDQFDN &ODLUH &KLOGV .DWK +DUPHU /XF\ +RXOGHQ $QQD .HQROW\ &KDUORWWH /RIWXV (PPD 3HDVJRRG and Claire Russell

The Courier LV SULQWHG E\ +DUPVZRUWK 3ULQW LQJ /LPLWHG 1RUWKFOLIIH +RXVH 0HDGRZ 5RDG 'HUE\ '( ': 7HO (VWDEOLVKHG LQ The Courier LV WKH IXOO\ LQ dependent Student Newspaper of the Union 6RFLHW\ DW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 1HZFDVWOH 8SRQ Tyne. The Courier is published weekly during WHUP WLPH DQG LV IUHH RI FKDUJH 7KH GHVLJQ WH[W SKRWRJUDSKV DQG JUDSKLFV are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the LQGLYLGXDO ZULWLQJ DQG QRW RI The Courier WKH 8QLRQ 6RFLHW\ RU WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 1HZFDVWOH XSRQ 7\QH

News Editors: Simon Murphy and Jessica Tully - courier.news@ncl.ac.uk

> Page 5

Flexible conditions lead to better health Laura Heads Flexible work conditions have been UHYHDOHG DV EHQHĂ€ FLDO LQ QHZ UH search carried out by Newcastle University. According to research published in the Cochrane Library’s Cochrane 'DWDEDVH RI 6\VWHPDWLF 5HYLHZV LW has been proven that not only can Ă H[LEOH ZRUNLQJ FRQGLWLRQV OHDG WR D IDU OHVV KHFWLF OLIH EXW LW FDQ DOVR OHDG WR EURDGHU SK\VLFDO KHDOWK EHQHĂ€ WV ,Q D UHYLHZ RI SUHYLRXV VWXGLHV H[ amining the health implications of Ă H[LEOH ZRUN FRQGLWLRQV IRU PRUH WKDQ SHRSOH UHVHDUFK FDUULHG RXW E\ WKH :ROIVRQ 5HVHDUFK ,QVWL WXWH ZKLFK LQFOXGHV 1HZFDVWOH 8QL YHUVLW\ 'XUKDP 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 0RQWUHDO KDV IRXQG WKDW Ă H[LEOH ZRUN VFKHGXOHV FDQ EH connected with improvements in EORRG SUHVVXUH VOHHS DQG RYHUDOO mental health. 0RUH VSHFLĂ€ FDOO\ DOHUWQHVV VOHHS TXDOLW\ WLUHGQHVV DQG KHDUW UDWHV ZHUH VHHQ WR LPSURYH DV ZHOO DV SHU FHLYHG VRFLDO VXSSRUW DQG FRPPX nity within the work place. The study was intended to help highlight the prospective health EHQHĂ€ WV RI KDYLQJ Ă H[LEOH ZRUN options; a scheme which is gaining PXFK SURPLQHQFH LQ 6FDQGLQDYLD DQG DV D UHVXOW QRZ LQ %ULWDLQ WRR Last year a controversial law was LQWURGXFHG LQWR %ULWDLQ DOORZLQJ parents with children under 16 the ULJKW WR UHTXHVW Ă H[LEOH ZRUNLQJ KRXUV 7KH SUHYLRXV VWDWXWRU\ UHJX lation stated that only parents of children under the age of six or who were disabled had a right to request this. &ODUH %DPEUD RI 'XUKDP 8QLYHUVL W\ WKH OHDG UHYLHZHU LQ WKH UHVHDUFK said: “Flexible working seems to be PRUH EHQHĂ€ FLDO IRU KHDOWK DQG ZHOO being where the individuals control WKHLU RZQ ZRUN SDWWHUQV UDWKHU WKDQ where employers are in control.

“Given the limited evidence base we wouldn’t want to make any hard and fast recommendations.â€? 6HFRQG \HDU %XVLQHVV 0DQDJH ment student Victoria McMurray is in support of the new research. She told The Courier ´, WKLQN Ă H[LEOH ZRUNLQJ FRQGLWLRQV DUH EHQHĂ€ FLDO EH cause it allows people who may not EH DEOH WR ZRUN OLNH PRWKHUV ZLWK \RXQJ FKLOGUHQ WR EH HPSOR\HG “I do think that it could be taken DGYDQWDJH RI KRZHYHU DQG , WKLQN it needs to be closely monitored by

senior management to make sure that this doesn’t happen.â€? A survey for ‘Family Friendly Working’ last month found that one third of parents had left work after having children because of a lack RI Ă H[LEOH ZRUNLQJ DUUDQJHPHQWV and three in ten held that the cost of childcare had forced them to give up working. 6HFRQG \HDU 7RZQ 3ODQQLQJ VWX dent Erin Weatherstone told The Courier ´)OH[LEOH ZRUNLQJ FRQGL tions are a great idea as long as

you’re not in a job where you have WR PDNH KLJKO\ LQĂ XHQWLDO GHFLVLRQV on the future of the company. It’s DOULJKW LI \RX¡UH LQ FXVWRPHU VHUYLFH EXW QRW VR PXFK LI \RX¡UH LQ PDQ agement.â€? :KLOVW WKHVH Ă€ QGLQJV DUH SURP LVLQJ WKH UHVHDUFKHUV DUH NHHQ WR VWUHVV WKDW PRUH VWXG\ LV YLWDO WR LQ FUHDVH WKH XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH UH ODWLRQVKLS EHWZHHQ Ă H[LEOH ZRUNLQJ environments and improved health conditions.

Ethnic minority students under-represented at Newcastle Jessica Tully News Editor 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ LV RQH RI VHY HUDO 5XVVHOO *URXS 8QLYHUVLWLHV IDOO ing below the national average in its representation of black and ethnic PLQRULW\ %0( VWXGHQWV According to a report by Race for 2SSRUWXQLW\ WKH UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ RI ethnic minorities at universities in WKH 1RUWK (DVW LQFOXGLQJ WKH 8QL versity of Durham and Newcastle 8QLYHUVLW\ LV EHORZ WKH DYHU age. The largest proportion in the area LV IURP WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 6XQ derland. Newcastle University’s proportion RI %0( VWXGHQWV ZDV LQ WKH DFDGHPLF \HDU The University of Cambridge and 2[IRUG DOVR UHFRUGHG LWV %0( UHS resentation at below the national average. 7KH 4XHHQ¡V 8QLYHUVLW\ RI %HO IDVW ZDV DW WKH ERWWRP RI WKH 5XV VHOO *URXS 8QLYHUVLWLHV OLVW ZLWK LWV

black and ethnic representation at 7KH 5DFH IRU 2SSRUWXQLW\ JURXS set up to improve employment SURVSHFWV IRU SHRSOH IURP HWKQLF PL QRULW\ EDFNJURXQGV UHYHDOHG WKDW DV D UHVXOW RI WKLV ´XQGHU UHSUHVHQ WDWLRQÂľ %0( JUDGXDWHV DUH IDLOLQJ WR Ă€ QG MREV DV HDVLO\ DV ZKLWH JUDGX DWHV -XVW RYHU KDOI RI HWKQLF PLQRU ity graduates found work within a \HDU FRPSDUHG WR MXVW WZR WKLUGV RI white graduates. +RZHYHU WKH UHSRUW DOVR UHYHDOHG that several London universities were above the national average. The London School of Economics WRSSHG WKH OLVW DW ZKLOH .LQJ¡V &ROOHJH /RQGRQ ,PSHULDO DQG 8QL versity College London were the best performing institutions for the QXPEHU RI QRQ ZKLWH VWXGHQWV 2XWVLGH /RQGRQ %LUPLQJKDP 0DQFKHVWHU 1RWWLQJKDP DQG :DU wick were the only Russell Group 8QLYHUVLWLHV DWWUDFWLQJ JRRG SURSRU WLRQV RI %0( VWXGHQWV

2YHUDOO WKH QXPEHU RI VWXGHQWV IURP D %0( EDFNJURXQG DW D 8. university has almost doubled since 6DQGUD .HUU 1DWLRQDO 'LUHFWRU RI WKH 5DFH IRU 2SSRUWXQLW\ FDPSDLJQ said: “It is worrying that the report shows the representation of ethnic minorities at all universities in the 1RUWK (DVW LQFOXGLQJ WKH 8QLYHU VLW\ RI 1HZFDVWOH WR EH EHORZ WKH national average. “Despite this rather depressing KHDGOLQH LW LV LPSRUWDQW WR ORRN DW WKHVH Ă€ JXUHV LQ D ORFDO FRQWH[W FRP SDUHG WR WKH UHODWLYHO\ ORZ SHUFHQW age of ethnic minorities in the local SRSXODWLRQ 1RUWK (DVWHUQ XQLYHUVL ties don’t perform too badly. ´+RZHYHU WKH HWKQLF SURĂ€ OH RI WKH local population should not be an H[FXVH IRU XQLYHUVLWLHV IDLOLQJ WR DW tract a diverse body of students. “We would encourage universities like Newcastle to consider the whys EHKLQG WKHVH Ă€ JXUHV DQG VWDUW UH cruiting students from more diverse

areas. ´6LPSOH WKLQJV VXFK DV RSHQO\ WDON LQJ DERXW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\¡V FRPPLW ment to race and ensuring all your marketing materials are welcoming WR SRWHQWLDO VWXGHQWV RI DOO HWKQLFL ties can have a big impact.â€? $ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ VSRNHV PDQ VDLG ´7KHUH DUH QR RIĂ€ FLDO EHQFKPDUNV IRU WKH KLJKHU HGXFD tion sector in respect of black and minority ethnic students but we acknowledge that some universities KDYH D KLJKHU SURSRUWLRQ WKDQ 1HZ castle. ´$ PDMRU UHDVRQ IRU WKLV LV WKH UHOD WLYHO\ VPDOO QXPEHU RI EODFN DQG PL nority ethnic people living in North (DVW (QJODQG FRXSOHG ZLWK D VWURQJ tendency for these students to study close to home. ´7KLV PHDQV WKDW GHVSLWH RXU strenuous efforts to attract students IURP DOO EDFNJURXQGV XQLYHUVLWLHV ORFDWHG QHDU WR ODUJH EODFN DQG PL nority ethnic populations are more popular with these students.â€?

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

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News

Newcastle University receives Royal recognition for research into ageing

A Royal achievement: Her Majesty presents the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to Vice-Chancellor Chris Brink and Professor Kirkwood, Director of the University’s Institute for Ageing and Health, in Buckingham Palace last week

Sophie McCoid Newcastle University received high praise from The Queen earlier last week for its outstanding research, along with another North-East institution. It received one of the highest accolades possible from Her Majesty, as it was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education. The University received the prize for its research into ageing. Professor Tom Kirkwood, director of the Institute for Ageing and Health at Newcastle, travelled to London to

receive the highly sought after prize on behalf of the Institute. University Chancellor, Sir Liam Donaldson, Vice Chancellor, Professor Chris Brink, Chairman of Council and Pro-Chancellor, Olivia Grant, and members of the research team all attended the grand ceremony with Professor Kirkwood. Sunderland College also received the same prize for its exemplary teaching of Mathematics and English. Angela O’Donoghue accepted the award on behalf of City of Sunderland College. Professor Kirkwood was pleased that he was able to take younger

researchers and students to the palace. He commented on receiving the prize: “It is such a delight and honour that the work of the Institute for Ageing and Health has received this recognition. “We have a fantastic team of talented and dedicated researchers DQG WKH DZDUG UHĂ HFWV WKH HIIRUWV RI the whole team. “Going to Buckingham Palace is special in any circumstances, but to go to receive this award for the whole team is just brilliant.â€? Professor Kirkwood’s sentiments are echoed throughout the Univer-

sity, with members of the student population glad that the researchers’ work has been recognised in such a visible way. Sarah Lovatt told The Courier: “Newcastle has always been heavily involved in research and it’s encouraging to see that its efforts into such groundbreaking investigation have been acknowledged by The Royal family.� The University’s entry into the Queens Anniversary Prizes 2009 competition charted the development from a research programme on ageing and health into the current Institute for Ageing and Health

WKDW FRQWLQXHV WR JURZ DQG Ă RXULVK on a unique campus concerned with ageing and vitality. Sir Liam Donaldson also praised the researchers. He said: “Professor Kirkwood’s team’s research is ground breaking and of vital international relevance. The award recognises this and is an enormous honour for the university and the North East.â€? As reported in The Courier last week, the same research team has also been recognised for their SURJUHVV LQ Ă€JKWLQJ DJH UHODWHG LOOnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Cancer research breakthrough could save children’s lives Emma Craig A cancer affecting around 100 children every year in the UK is a step closer to becoming treatable after the efforts of Newcastle scientists determined a gene involved in around half of the higher risk cases. Neuroblastoma affects children XQGHU WKH DJH RI ÀYH DQG LV WKH VHFond biggest killer in terms of childhood cancer, claiming the lives of thousands each year. It begins in the nervous system and affects primarily the abdomen,

but can also be found in several sites throughout the body. The tumour initially responds well to treatment, but once relapsed, high risk neurobODVWRPD LV GLIĂ€FXOW WR WUHDW DQG KDV D high mortality rate. The research, published in Clinical &DQFHU 5HVHDUFK LGHQWLĂ€HG PXWDtions in a particular gene known as p53 which is responsible for preventing tumours. 7KHVH PXWDWLRQV ZHUH LGHQWLĂ€HG LQ around half the 41 cases studied by the research team. It does this by triggering the death

of cells which contain abnormalities such as cancer cells or cells damaged by cancer chemotherapy. Without it the abnormalities are not recognised and the cancer cell is allowed to survive and proliferate, eventually forming a tumour. The damage to this gene would explain why relapsed patients are VR GLIĂ€FXOW WR WUHDW ,W LV KRSHG WKDW this knowledge may be used to create new drugs which will one day target the mutation to the p53 gene, potentially providing a cure to the thousands who die from it around

the world each year. Dr Deborah Tweddle, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at Newcastle University and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust led the research. She said: “Over half of all children who get high risk neuroblastoma will relapse and the chances of surviving a relapse are at present very small. ´7KLV UHVHDUFK LV RQH RI WKH Ă€UVW to investigate the cause of relapsed

QHXUREODVWRPD DQG Ă€QGLQJ WKLV OLQN is an important breakthrough in developing new treatments. “We are currently developing drugs that reactivate the p53 gene at Newcastle University, and elsewhere these types of drugs are now going into clinical trials and may help patients with neuroblastoma. “By understanding more about the biology of neuroblastoma at relapse we may be able to prevent it and reduce the deaths of many young children, and its devastating effect on families.â€?

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Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

News

Newcastle student to run charity marathon Bethany Sissons Newcastle University medical student, Katie Foy, is running the Brighton Marathon in April for WaterAid. Katie needs to raise ÂŁ500 for WaterAid in order to run the twenty-six mile race and is hoping to gain the support of fellow Newcastle students. WaterAid are a charity working to provide clean water for people around the world. Katie told The Courier: “Clean water is an essential that we all take for granted. Not everyone has that luxury. Huge amounts of infectious diseases, which kill mostly young children, come from dirty water. It is a tragedy which could be avoided with simple measures.â€? Katie is making the long journey to Brighton in order to run the marathon. She said: “It was WaterAid who suggested I run at the marathon in Brighton. I contacted them about wanting to help in some way. I may regret saying yes though.â€? Katie also expressed how nervous she is about running the marathon. She told The Courier: “I have never run anything before in my life, and I’m not part of any sports clubs. I am WHUULĂ€HG RI UXQQLQJ WKH PDUDWKRQ , really hope I can just make it to the end. I have no time goal.â€? J.WHITLAM

Stroll in the park: Katie said she’s found muscles she never knew existed

Katie has put together a vigorous training programme in order to prepare for the marathon in April but she is eager to gain any tips from other students. She told The Courier: “I have been training since October, running in the gym and outside. “The snow has been a huge problem recently because I couldn’t get outside; it was too cold. I have been doing three training sessions a week in the gym and then a long Sunday run. I hope I am doing it right.â€? Katie told The Courier that her new training programme has given her a new lease of life: “I have never been VR Ă€W , KDYH GLVFRYHUHG PXVFOHV LQ my stomach and legs I didn’t even know existed. I have also sweated more then a lady ever should.â€? It isn’t only getting to the gym which has been a challenge for Katie; she has also been advised to give up alcohol for one month before the race. After living with these changes to her student lifestyle, Katie said: “After the marathon is over I plan to sit on my backside and get fat.â€? If you would like to sponsor Katie visit her ‘just giving’ page: www. original.justgiving.com/katiefoy

Talking the talk: panelists, Dr David Golding, Dan Harris and Christopher Pycroft, debate whether the Millenium Development Goals are still relevant ten years after they were set

University’s International Development Conference hailed a resounding success William George What next for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? Over 100 students queued through the door to consider the question at Newcastle University’s second International Development Conference (IDC). IDCs are run by students in universities around the world, offering a high level of discussion on all issues surrounding international development. The 2010 Newcastle instalment focused on the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, and saw delegate numbers more than double from 2009. The MDGs, adopted in September 2000, committed all signatories to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty, and set out a series

of ambitious targets to achieve by +RZHYHU ZLWK MXVW RYHU ÀYH years left to that original deadline most of the goals are far from being achieved. The IDC looks over the progress of the MDGs and tries to determine whether the goals are actually relevant to international development – or just another set of empty promises. If the level of the speakers is a UHà HFWLRQ RQ WKH TXDOLW\ RI WKH FRQference as a whole, then the event should be seen as a success. From Sugata Mitra, the inspiraWLRQ EHKLQG WKH 2VFDU ZLQQLQJ ÀOP Slumdog Millionaire, to Benny Dembitzer, European Director of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize winners, the speakers were highly knowledgeable and inspirational.

Hannah Gillett, head coordinator, was extremely pleased with how the day unfolded. She told The Courier: “A lot of hard work went into making the day a success, but we could not have imagined how well it would all come together. “All of the speakers were fantastic, and the knowledge and passion of the delegates was impressive. We all got a lot out of organising the event, and we really hope that it will now continue to grow and leave a lasting legacy at Newcastle.� The conference kicked off with an empassioned address by Dr David Golding who challenged us to get up off our “gluttonous� backsides and take some responsibility for our impact on our world.

)ROORZLQJ WKH Ă€QDO WZR ZRUNshops, everyone came together to consider whether the MDGs are still relevant. Debate chair, Sunil Bhopal, said: “The debate predictably asked as many questions as it answered.â€? However, the conference did illustrate the impressive level of understanding and the appetite for exploration of international development issues that exists at the University. The success of the conference is perhaps best summed up by the words of Alex Renton, journalist and conference speaker: “It was great - interesting. I learnt.â€? The conference needs enthusiastic people to run it next year. It is a good laugh, interesting and excellent for a CV. Contact: NCL.IDC@ Googlemail.com

Students raise £10,000 in RAG Week success Tarren Smarr Last week over 100 Newcastle University students came together for RAG Week to bring in an estimated £10,000 for charity. The annual Raising and Giving campaign sponsored by the Alumni Association allows students to VSHQG D ZHHN UDLVLQJ PRQH\ IRU ÀYH charity organisations. This year’s chosen charities were SCAN, Tyneside Cyrenians, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Whizz-Kidz and the Terrence Higgins Trust. 6WXGHQWV VSHQW WKH ÀUVW IRXU GD\V working in shifts collecting up and down Northumberland Street as well as in the city centre. Whether rain, hail, or snow, the students were out in force collecting. RAG Week also offered ways for all Newcastle University students to become involved through sponVRULQJ HYHQWV VSHFLÀFDOO\ WDUJHWHG at raising funds. Committee members spent the better part of one year putting together a variety of events that would appeal to all students. RAG events included a dance off between RAG crews and other

student groups. The cheerleading squad entered the dance off with two routines and won top prize for the student groups that were entered. Sarah Fearns, one of the two RAG organisers, said: “We wanted to Ă€QG ZD\V WR LQYROYH VWXGHQWV DV they were walking by events. The RAGgae that was held in the Union let people come and go in between classes.â€? The infamous slave auction raised over ÂŁ400 thanks to all of the very expensive students who volunteered themselves to be bought by those attending the event. During the slave auction, the University’s rugby team showcased their dancing skills before putting up six team members for auction. “The Slave Auction is always a popular event and this year the volunteers sold for some high prices which helped us raise a good amount of moneyâ€? commented fellow RAG organiser Holly Hardaker. RAG Week cumulated on Thursday with a bang. In the early afternoon, students volunteered to have themselves arrested. Several mem-

T. SMARR

Behind bars: RAG organiser Sarah Fearns volunteered to be ‘arrested’

bers of the American football team placed themselves in jail and raised bail from other students passing outside the Union building. However, it was Thursday night’s ‘silent disglow’ that had students talking all week long. Held at one of the city centre hot spots, Tiger Tiger, DWWHQGHHV KDG WKH HQWLUH WKLUG Ă RRU to themselves. Alongside RAG events, Ernst and Young sponsored a fund-raising challenge that allowed for student groups to compete against each other in order to see who could raise the most money. All proceeds were donated to SCAN which sponsors over 200 students in over 75 different projects throughout the year. “My mates and I gave people the chance to throw wet sponges at us. No one could resist it,â€? said challenge winner Ivan Nichols. RAG supervisor Morgan Richards attempted to eat his height in Subway subs for his challenge. He said: “I was able to raise a bit of money for SCAN, but eating six foot long subs in an hour proved to be a hard challenge.â€?

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

5

News

Drugs: the smart option for students? Joshua Shrimpton Dean A prominent Newcastle University philosopher has raised concerns about students’ use of legal ‘smart’ drugs after a top neurologist triggered a debate on whether universities should consider random dope tests. Dr Thom Brooks’ comments come after Barbara Sahakian, a professor of neuropsychology at Cambridge University, said that brain-boosting drugs had “enormous implications for universities.â€? The drugs, which are used to treat illnesses including Alzheimer’s and ADHD, work by stimulating the central nervous system to increase alertness and delay the onset of tiredness. Sahakian’s comments may force universities to formally recognise the issue and develop a universal policy to address concerns that some students are at an unfair advantage. But any discussion is likely to be highly contentious. Proponents of WKH GUXJV ZKLFK LQFOXGH PRGLĂ€QLO and Ritalin, point to those who rely on coffee, Red Bull or Pro-Plus to pull themselves through long overnight revision sessions and complex exams. Brooks, a reader in political and legal philosophy, told The Courier: “Students have used various devices to improve their ability to perform on essays and tests. “For example, I drank coffee in very excessive amounts. About every student I know has done likewise, especially when preparing for exams or writing essays. “Of course, the fact so many have done this would not make it right, but this was very widespread and I imagine no less so today.â€? But Brooks, founder of The Journal of Moral Philosophy, raised con-

cerns that some of the drugs may only be available to the privileged few. He said: “On the other hand, these ‘smart drugs’ seem very different from drinking a lot of coffee, not least in that they are used to treat medical conditions. “One might be concerned if the cost made it more likely that stuGHQWV IURP PRUH DIĂ XHQW EDFNgrounds were more likely to use these substances. That would raise some concerns.â€? Ritalin is available from online pharmacies for up to ÂŁ60 for ten SLOOV ZKHUHDV PRGLĂ€QLO LV DYDLODEOH for around ÂŁ10 for the same amount. Both drugs can be obtained without a prescription. A third year marketing student, who did not wish to be named, told The Courier WKDW VKH WRRN PRGLĂ€QLO to boost her performance in exams last year. She said: “It just seemed like I was missing out if I didn’t do it. I knew a couple of people on my course had got hold of some easily enough, so I thought, why not? It’s not illegal and I don’t think it’s particularly harming me.â€? A Survey in the United States revealed that an estimated one in six university students currently take brain-enhancing drugs. For now though, it seems that the super alert students of Newcastle University have little to worry about. Being asked to provide a urine sample before entering an exam may still be a long way off. Even if universities develop a clear policy that bans the use of smart drugs, it seems unlikely that any doping tests could be implemented without a VLJQLĂ€FDQW EDFNODVK Newcastle University’s medical school was not available for comment.

Let’s take a chance, and back ourselves to do it the old fashioned way Nile Amos Commentary If you’re looking for a good time, there’s a bloke selling some top pills in the toilets - the toilets opposite your exam room. So comes the revelation that ‘smart drugs’ are threatening the legitimacy of students having an equal footing going into exams, and generally adding to their drug-addled university years. I think we have stumbled upon the all-encompassing student life-

style: Mephadrone and ketamin E\ QLJKW 5LWDOLQ DQG PRGDĂ€QLO E\ day. We are now able to be souped up all hours. We are becoming darkly superhuman, in that we can chemically extract the upmost out of any given situation, be it to the sound of Fatboy Slim or the Monday morning lecturer. So, do taking ‘smart drugs’ give an unfair advantage? The ‘no’ argument, I suppose, is that it is still a matter of choice. In the same way that anybody chooses to take any form of drug, it is their decision,

and with scientists concerned that students aren’t realising the effect of the drugs, it is they themselves that will face the health risks. They will also pay the money, deal with the possible side effects, and generally prescribe to an Orwellian level of education. The other prospect of the laissezfaire argument is that there are calls for random doping tests to be done on students in the run up to exams. Why not put a few surly bouncers on the door of the exam hall? You need ID to get into an exam, so you might as well check

wallets, pockets and socks for any pills or powder. Take a chance, get D ÀUVW PD\EH" Of course, if you’re waiting to take your seat in an exam the last thing that’s going to make you feel better is seeing some nutter trembling with excitement, as he or she boils over with knowledge shooting to the front of their brains. You certainly might be wishing then that you weren’t so straight laced. You could quite rightly feel cheated if you’ve taken the gamble on porridge in the morning with nine bananas as Gordon Brown

does. The most ridiculous thing about smart drugs is that should they be deemed unfair, we’ll all be lined up like Olympic athletes and given these random drugs tests. The paranoia levels around the place will be a nightmare, and I’m not swapping urine samples with anybody to cover up for their make-believe intelligence. Let’s take a chance, and back ourselves to do it the old fashioned way. Last minute, hungover, and with a massive sense of relief when we know it’s all our own

University tells students to watch for their safety after student has lucky escape Fran Infante Deputy Editor The University has warned students to remain vigilant following an attempted attack on a female student in broad daylight. The incident occurred on Sunday 21 February as the second year student was walking from her home in Jesmond to work at Shakeaholics on Clayton Street. As she walked down Deuchar Street toward Sandyford, a man driving a black Vauxhall Meriva caught her attention. The student,

who wished to remain anonymous, told The Courier: “He caught my attention but wouldn’t make eye contact and something about that made me suspicious of him from the start.� As she continued down the street the man pulled up and asked her for directions to Osborne Road, the English Literature student complied and gave them but as she set off again the car followed her at a crawling pace, its driver repeatedly offering her a lift and asking her where she was going.

She responded that she could not stop as she was late for work, but this prompted the man to leave his car and pursue her on foot. “I was walking really fast at this point and as I got near Santana’s restaurant on Stephenson Road I saw him turn back and I thought he’d just gone off. “I just kept walking fast but then I saw him coming down one of the back streets in front of me, that distance is longer than what I had walked, he must have ran round the back.

“I panicked and started to run toward the shop. “I didn’t want to turn back because I didn’t want him to know where I lived. “When he was in the car I thought it was all a bit strange but there was still a bit of distance so I wasn’t too worried, but as soon as he got of the car I knew I had to get away. This was all at 10am on a Sunday morning in broad daylight – it was really scary.� On arrival at Shakeaholics the frightened student telephoned the

police and gave a statement. Jesmond Acting Inspector John Hearl told The Courier: “The woman did absolutely the right thing in reporting this matter to the police. Although the man’s behaviour was unusual, he made no attempt to follow her and there was no crime committed.� On behalf of the student affected, the Head of the School of English Jennifer Richards sent out an e-mail to all English students warning of the need to be aware and safe at all times.

6

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

News &RQWLQXHG IURP IURQW SDJH Such focus groups have been taking place over the last three years, while further student opinion will be gauged throughout the redevelopment to ensure students have a say in key decisions relating to the SURMHFW Union President, Andriana Georgiou, said: “We are working in collaboration with the University and are very grateful for the funding WKH\ KDYH JLYHQ XV IRU WKLV SURMHFW ´7KH UHGHYHORSPHQW RI WKH EXLOG ing will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to offer a cutting-edge 8QLRQ ZKLFK UHĂ HFWV WKH QHHGV RI Newcastle’s diverse population of VWXGHQWV Âľ 7KH 8QLRQ &KLHI ([HFXWLYH 6LPRQ Gerry added: “We have been working on the details of this project for over three years, and are delighted LW LV QRZ FRPLQJ WR IUXLWLRQ “It is very exciting to think that in 18 months time we will be provid-

ing one of the best, if not the best, Students’ Union in the country to RXU VWXGHQWV ,W LV QR PRUH WKDQ WKH\ GHVHUYH “Our vision of providing a 21st Century Union for the 21st Century student will become much more realisable with the new enhanced faFLOLWLHV Âľ 7KH LQLWLDO SODQV IRU WKH QHZ 8QLRQ KDYH EHHQ KHDYLO\ LQĂ XHQFHG E\ UH VXOWV IURP VWXGHQW VXUYH\V RIĂ€ FHUV DQG IRFXV JURXSV Such focus groups have been taking place over the last three years, while further student opinion will be gauged throughout the redevelopment to ensure students have a say in key decisions relating to the SURMHFW It has been stressed that while work will be carried out throughout the academic year, procedures will be put into place to minimise disUXSWLRQ WR VWXGHQWV While there will be no Union bar

or entertainment from November onwards, all core student services ZLOO VWLOO EH IXQFWLRQLQJ DV QRUPDO 7KH 8QLRQ VKRS ZLOO EH UHORFDWHG DW WKH QHDUE\ 0XVHXP RI $QWLT uities building, along with other services such as Sploshh print shop, 6PDUW)L[ ,7 DQG 6DQWDQGHU EDQN All other services, including the RIĂ€ FHU WHDP 6&$1 $FWLYLWLHV &HQ tre and the Student Advice Centre, ZLOO EH UHORFDWHG WR 3DUN 7HUUDFH WKH IRUPHU 8QLYHUVLW\ )LQDQFH 2I Ă€ FH EXLOGLQJ Commenting on the levels of disruption to students, Georgiou addHG ´7KHUH ZLOO VWLOO EH D IXQFWLRQLQJ Union throughout the academic \HDU MXVW QRW LQ WKLV EXLOGLQJ “We have a challenging year ahead of us but the new Union will EHQHĂ€ W VWXGHQWV IRU \HDUV DQG \HDUV WR FRPH “We’re very excited to see the outcome of all the hard work that’s JRQH LQWR WKH SURMHFW Âľ

,VUDHOL RIĂ€ FLDO FDQFHOV YLVLW DIWHU SUR 3DOHVWLQLDQ SURWHVWV WKUHDW Joshua Shrimpton Dean $ YLVLW WR 0DQFKHVWHU 8QLYHUVLW\ E\ Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK was cancelled after pro-Palestinian protestors were considered to SRVH D VHFXULW\ ULVN 7DO\D /DGRU )UHVKHU¡V DSSHDUDQFH in front of the University’s Politics Society was deemed too high risk

after the Israeli embassy learnt that the University’s Action Palestine group were seeking to storm the PHHWLQJ The Jewish Chronicle reported that up to 300 banner-waving protestors ZHUH H[SHFWHG 7KH FDQFHOODWLRQ ZDV IROORZHG E\ confusion last week after claims that the Union had voted to deny all Is-

raeli nationals a platform at the UniYHUVLW\ LQ IXWXUH ,Q IDFW WKH 8QLRQ LV yet to decide on banning only GovHUQPHQW UHSUHVHQWDWLYHV RI ,VUDHO 5HODWLRQV EHWZHHQ /RQGRQ DQG Jerusalem are tense following alOHJDWLRQV WKDW XQGHUFRYHU 0RVVDG agents used fake British passports to enter Dubai to assassinate a top +DPDV À JXUH HDUOLHU WKLV PRQWK

2[IRUG VWXGHQWV DW &KULVW &KXUFK FROOHJH DFFXVHG RI GHDOLQJ KHURLQ Undergraduates at Oxford University’s Christ Church college have been threatened with arrest if they are caught selling heroin, following the uncovering of a “considerable GUXJV FXOWXUH Âľ In an email to students, which also

appeared in the University’s newspaper Cherwell RIĂ€ FLDOV WROG KRZ FROOHJH ´FHQVRUVÂľ KDG UHFHLYHG DQ anonymous letter alleging the “existence in Christ Church of a considerable drugs culture, including the supplying of class A drugs such as

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9LVD EDQ OLIWHG LQ ,QGLD %DQJODGHVK DQG 1HSDO Nationals of North India, Nepal and Bangladesh will once again be able to apply to study in the UK from WKLV ZHHN 7KH 8. %RUGHU $JHQF\ LQWURGXFHG a one-month ban following an overwhelming surge in applications IURP WKH DIIHFWHG FRXQWULHV 2IÀ FLDOV VDLG WKH\ QHHGHG PRUH time to carry out checks to ensure only genuine applicants were grantHG D YLVD ,PPLJUDWLRQ RIÀ FHUV KDYH VHHQ D rise in prospective foreign students entering the UK with bogus offers IURP À FWLRQDO 8. FROOHJHV

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THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

7

RAG Week in the spotlight Comment Editors: Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer and Nicholas Fidler - courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk

> Page 10

Suspicious minds James Stubbs Columnist

The Royal Courts of Justice: juries have come under scrutiny as the Ministry of Justice report ‘Are Juries Fair?’ is released and a jury was dismissed in the 7/7 bomb plot trial

Order, order: should we still have trial by jury? Yes Elliot Bentley

Juries may be a relic of Elizabethan society, and one which (if we may be brutally honest) probably would not be proposed by lawmakers in today’s Britain. But this fairly lengthy and expensive process is a cornerstone of our legal system, and one that should be protected at all costs. For a start, some myths require dispelling: less than 1% of criminal cases are carried out with a jury present, only the most serious having the time and money a jury requires spent on it. Most trials by jury only last around two weeks - which may be slightly longer than it might take with the jury absent, but not a VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ ORQJ SHULRG RI WLPH E\ anyone’s standards. In these such cases, the life of the defendant - who is, let us not forget, innocent until proven guilty - is at stake. An incorrect verdict can lead to a guilty party getting away with their heinous crime, or an innocent member of the public being put away for years. With stakes so high, it is vital that the fairest verdict possible can be achieved, and juries are by far fairer than the alternative; that the judge presiding over the courtroom decides the defendant’s fate. Consisting mostly of older, uppermiddle class white men, judges may be well-versed in court proceedings but they hardly represent

the British population as a whole. Hearing cases day in and day out can leave judges jaded and cynical, and they may lose sympathy for the defendant simply because they have seen so many before. Juries, on the other hand, are perhaps more likely to show compassion, the average trial length only being two weeks. The multiple perspectives a jury provides are invaluable. Coming from all walks of life, they are able to pool their collective perspectives and come up with a fresh take that a single judge may not be able to see. Undoubtedly the jury’s greatest role is to form an important barrier between the defendant and the state. A closed system, where every member of the court is employed by the Government, is open to abuse by the state - the shocking jury-less secret military trials in Guantanamo Bay should be proof enough of this. Another important aspect of the jury is the ability to acquit a defendant even when they are technically guilty in the eyes of the law. .QRZQ DV MXU\ QXOOLÀ FDWLRQ WKLV FRXOG EH VHHQ DV WKH À QDO SUHYHQ tive barrier before an oppressive Government. Ultimately juries are not just a mere formality; they are the public’s representatives in the courtroom, and an essential part of democracy. They open up what would otherwise be a closed system, providing transparency and allowing scrutinisation of its workings. Being peers of the defendant (in theory, at least), trial by jury means that the accused is essentially tried by the people, rather than the state. Removing juries from the courtroom, then, would destroy what is an utterly indispensable aspect of our democracy and our legal system.

No Nicholas Fidler Comment Editor

The very idea of removing juries from the judicial process immediately strikes fear into the heart of civil and politics rights activists, and The Guardian readers alike. People would doubtless cry that the civility and protection of individual liberties we have come to love would be as good as dead. I would like to suggest however, that the deposition of juries in certain, appropriate, cases is not tantamount to blowing the head off democracy with a full bore shotgun, but a far more moderate and reasonable move. Whilst I’m all too aware that the principle of trial by one’s peers is seemingly sacrosanct, like all legal principles it is not beyond reproach and certainly not LPPXQH WR RFFDVLRQDO PRGLÀ FDWLRQ I have always thought it somewhat peculiar that in the world of courtrooms, wherein barristers necessarily undergo extensively SK\VLFDOO\ DQG À QDQFLDOO\ H[KDXVW LQJ VWXGLHV WR DFTXLUH TXDOLÀ FDWLRQV just to gain the right to speak, it’s a little bit on the cheap side that the ultimate decision of guilt or innocence lies with 12 ordinary, and SHUKDSV XQTXDOLÀ HG SHRSOH The rationale behind the use of jurors is largely because it facilitates trial by one’s equals, presumably because a plurality of opinion will on aggregate produce a sound opinion. This seems a little shaky to me. On average there would prob-

ably be at least a few reasonable SHRSOH VXIÀ FLHQWO\ HGXFDWHG WR discern guilt or innocence from the evidence they’re presented with, but I can’t help but feel that at least a few people in your average jury will simply appeal to prejudice, maligned reasoning, ignorance, or neglect in order to make their deciVLRQ 7KLV LV DQ LQVXIÀ FLHQW VDIH guard, considering it is the lives of real human beings that are at stake. Then there’s the deeper issue of competency. Given the intricate technicalities of the law, it is not something you can simply pick up and run with. Any meaningful comprehension requires years RI VWXG\ DQG E\ GHÀ QLWLRQ DOO jurors lack this. You wouldn’t let a structural engineer who doesn’t comprehend sound engineering principles anywhere near a bridge; nor we should let the legally inept anywhere near a courtroom. It cannot seriously be asserted that those who have spent most of their academic and working lives gradually gaining competence in the legal realm can be accused of holding biased and unreasoned opinions, especially as their livelihoods are continually dependent on the quality of legal proceedings. There’s a reason why white middle class men dominate most political and legal institutions; the perspective gained through rigorous education DQG UHà HFWLRQ SURGXFHV D IDU ZLGHU outlook than the average Heat Magazine reader is able to offer. The removal of juries (which is already more common than people suppose) is not going to invade our legal rights. People in Britain have been continually exposed to a diet of scaremongering, whereby the Government is condemned for almost anything it does. I don’t realistically believe that the state will descend into a fascist totality just because of the removal of an antiquated legal principle.

Last week saw New York bomb plotter Najibullah Zazi pleading guilty to accusations that he had plans to blow up some of the subway system there in 2008. It was one of the largest threats since September 11. Many lives have been saved; good news all round. I’m always fairly bemused by the notices at airports, train stations etc, ZKHUH RIĂ€ FLDO ORRNLQJ VLJQV WHOO \RX to be on the look out for anything ‘suspicious’. They never really go into much more detail than that, but everyone knows what they really mean. ‘Suspicious’ in this age of terror really means, ‘terrorist’; and ‘terrorist’ really means ‘non-white man, with beard and large smoking rucksack /itchy underwear, perhaps a lady (or a man) in a burka, at any rate looking very shady indeed.’ Sometimes they might not even be that shady. ,W¡V D GLIĂ€ FXOW VXEMHFW WR GHDO ZLWK and in very busy public places it would be a concern for many nervous people, or indeed anyone, if they were certain someone were a terrorist and wanted to blow them up. But how can you ever know? What we can be fairly sure of is that the list of successfully bombed places in the US and UK will not go like this: World Trade Centre; Pentagon; London underground and EXV QHWZRUNV WUDQVDWODQWLF Ă LJKWV to the Robinson Library. They may be nuts but I think that these bombers will have some idea of strategy and that our humble library probably won’t rank too highly on their list of potential sites for a massacre. So I was surprised when my friend Abdul told me that while he ZDV TXLHWO\ Ă€ OPLQJ DPRQJVW WKH shelves for our documentary class he’d been approached in the library by a member of staff asking him what he was doing. To be fair to her she was just following up on a report from a student who had felt that his presence there was in some way not right. He assured me that he was not in the way–the concern that was voiced–and that he had gotten out the way and been very polite to anyone he might have inconvenienced. It’s safe to say that it wasn’t his good manners that alerted the anxious student, but more likely the colour of his skin and his magQLĂ€ FHQW EHDUG LW LV D PDJQLĂ€ FHQW beard). If I were to do the same tomorrow it would be unlikely to create any problems at all. The whole thing is hilarious, and he’s treating it as such, but it’s also sad that he can’t just get on with his work without getting reported to staff. Of course, it might all just be a huge misunderstanding on the student’s part about copyright infringement, but somehow, I don’t think so.

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Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Comment

Is the 21-hour working week a serious economic policy? Alex Irwin

The UK’s leading independent think tank suggests a 21 hour working week will not only increase the quality of life but boost the economy. ‘21 Hours’, a report published by the New Economics Foundation, proposes a radical change from the current 40 hour working week to just 21 hours. They claim that through job sharing, many of the problems we face today, including overwork, unemployment and over-consumption, will be solved whilst profoundly altering the tempo, habits and conventions of British workers’ lives. The report suggests time off can be spent with

the family and doing charity work. On paper, this looks great; work less, enjoy life more but the report admits people would not earn as much, in fact almost half, and what’s the use of having more time with the family if the family cannot afford to eat? Of course we’d all like more leisure time, more time socializing, more time sleeping perhaps; but in the real world, for most people this is impossible. I’m sure mortgages, rent and council tax will not be simultaneously split in half. The 21 hour week concept is not a new idea, it’s called a part time job and if we could all get by on part time wages surely we’d already be doing it? The report says that research shows that since 1981, two-adult households have added six hours to their combined weekly workload. Perhaps a realistic alternative to the 21 hour week would be stricter laws on the current 40 hour week.

0DQ\ SHRSOH QRZ À QG WKHPVHOYHV working 50 plus hours a week, and by restricting the week to 40 hours, people would earn the same but have more leisure time.

Through job sharing, problems we face today including overwork, unemployment and over-consumption will be solved The New Economics Foundation also believes that working a 21 hour week will delay retirement. People will be able to go on earning for longer as 21 hours would be less demanding and less stressful. The report claims that: “Many people want to retire as soon as they can because their jobs are

stressful, physically exhausting, and make high demands on their time. Yet their sense of purpose and identity, social networks, and daily routines and preoccupations are often closely bound up with paid employment, so that sudden retirement can be experienced as shock and bereavement, leading to illness and premature death.â€? Andrew Simms, co-author of the 21 Hours report, said: “There is this issue of people retiring and their lives collapse. So this is a good RSSRUWXQLW\ IRU SHRSOH WR IXOĂ€ O themselves.â€? Do the elderly really want to carry RQ ÂśIXOĂ€ OOLQJ¡ WKHPVHOYHV" , GRQ¡W think so. Most people in the UK cannot wait to retire and studies have shown that retirement, in fact, offers a new lease of life and improved health. Not only does the concept have LWV UDPLĂ€ FDWLRQV RQ WKH LQGLYLGXDO employers would most likely have

their own concerns. Many business need continuity to function and the interrupted nature of part time labour would not offer this. Job sharing requires impeccable communication and without it can lead to confusion and decreased productivity – something employers would not take kindly to. Also, what would this mean for Government-funded social programmes; less money earned means less taxes collected by government and reduced or eliminated social programmes. Overall, the 21 hour working week would not be feasible because the current standard of living could not be maintained for the majority of the working force. Yes, it would be ideal for many aspects of our lives, children, leisure time etc., but nearly impossible to implement. Moreover, is it really a good idea to allow us Brits more time to drink? I smell disaster.

International Women’s Day: gender equality still has a long way to go Rowan Rheingans

International Women’s Day (IWD) is on Monday 8 March - a designated national holiday in many countries across the world. From local women’s rights activists to the United Nations, different groups use March 8 to remember, celebrate and learn from the women’s movement that represents over one hundred years of struggle for equality, justice and peace. For women and men across the globe, IWD is a chance to focus RQ WKH RQJRLQJ À JKW IRU HTXDOLW\ women face internationally, as well as to mark the achievements of ordinary women as the makers of a rich history. ,:' ZDV À UVW SURSRVHG E\ *HU man Socialist, Clara Zetkin, at the

conference of the Socialist International in Copenhagen in 1910. She suggested that there be an international day to mark what came to be known as the ‘Bread and Roses’ strike held by women textile workers, who marched through the streets of New York City in 1908 demanding better pay and conditions and an end to child labour. Zetkin’s proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries. Since its birth in the labour movement, IWD has grown to become a global day of recognition across the world. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women’s rights and their participation in social, political and economic processes. Women’s organisations around the world observe IWD annually by holding large-scale events that honour women’s achievement, while also serving as a reminder

of the continued action required ensuring that real equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of women’s lives. Aren’t we all equal now? Isn’t IWD outdated and irrelevant? Not at all. Women in the UK are paid an average of 21% less per hour than men for doing equal work and in some parts of the UK this gender pay gap is as much as 50%. This means female students will be paying off their student loans for longer than men, while disadvantaged further by work-place gender discrimination still entrenched in many industries. In the UK and abroad, genitalmutilation and female circumcision ZKLFK KDV QR KHDOWK EHQHĂ€ WV DQG only causes harm) is still practiced on young women in order to control their bodies, their sexual independence and to keep them as the ‘property’ of their partners they are often forced to marry. An estimated 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide are

currently living with the consequences of genital mutilation. Women are also disproportionately affected by domestic violence, so much so that on average two

Aren’t we all equal now? Isn’t IWD outdated and irrelevant? Not at all. Women in the UK are paid an average of 21% less per hour than men for doing equal work women in England and Wales are killed every week by a current or former male partner. Because of women’s disadvantaged status in society globally, the vast majority of the world’s poorest people are female. In 1980, the

United Nations noted that “women make up more than half the world’s population and yet perform two thirds of its work, receive one tenth of its income and own less than one hundredth of its property.â€? For sure there has been some progress made since then but there is still a very long way to go before we can say that all women of the world are able to lead a life free of discrimination based on their sex. It is important for young women and men to respect, learn from, and continue the women’s movement. From Parisian women during the French Revolution who marched in Versailles to demand women’s suffrage, to the continued plight of women in developing countries against forced marriage, to ‘Reclaim the Night’ marches and abortionrights rallies in the UK today – International Women’s Day is a chance to look at women’s achievements on the road to liberation as ZHOO DV WR FRQWLQXH WKH Ă€ JKWV VWLOO WR be won.

Are A-levels as easy as ABC? Perhaps if you’re doing Sociology Anthony Ash For a few years now our A-level system has been a magnet for bad press from all angles of the political spectrum; all the parties of the political cohort are gradually turning their approval of the current further education system into dire disapproval. However, given Labour’s track record in education since it came to power in 1997 has been anything but ‘education, education, education’ and against warnings of the universities, still went down the path of quantity and not quality in higher education, it comes as no surprise that its response has been poor. It feels as though the time when the British A-level stood high as D ZRUOG FODVV TXDOLĂ€ FDWLRQ FRP pletely acceptable for university admission the world-over, has

long passed. Today, the integrity of the A-level and its subordinate counterpart the AS-level is truly in question. Subjects like psychology, sociology and law have for several years been named by the press as soft subjects and often described by the

The admissions teams of universities across the country are frowning upon the study of these, traditionally university-only subjects, at A-level more noteworthy institutions of the Oxbridge elite as: “bad prerequisites for those wanting to study psychology, sociology or law at

degree level.â€? However, Cambridge has taken their view on soft subjects a step further and has published on its website a list of 21 subjects, which it believes will from hereon in “rule students outâ€? of the selection process. Although it may seem this issue is just with Oxbridge, many other universities have spoken out in the same way about this plethora of soft subjects. The admissions teams of universities across the country are frowning upon the study of these, traditionally university-only subjects, at A-level. The hypocrisy here is why is it perfectly normal for a student to study A-level mathematics as a prerequisite to university study, but an A-level in law is ludicrous as preparation for degree level law? I am told the answer lies in both university courses and drop-out Ă€ JXUHV 7KHVH ÂśXQLYHUVLW\ RQO\¡

courses, such as economics, are designed to allow any candidate to successfully study without prior knowledge; the university is rather looking for them to draw on the skills they acquired during their time in Sixth Form or FE college. However, freshers embarking on such courses with previous knowledge are said to have already covered a large part of the content RI WKH Ă€ UVW WZR VHPHVWHUV Universities’ experience with such students is that they often do not attend class on the basis they ‘know it all’, fail their exams and drop out of university, damaging the university’s precious completion rates and ultimately displacing it in the league tables. These soft subjects were introduced over the last 10 years to encourage more students to go to college or sixth form by offering a greater range of subjects to appease the range of students’ interests. Furthermore, the Department of

Education and Skills does not differentiate between subject content and educational skills; for the DfES they are the same. Does the Government need to once again reform the A-level system further in order to accommodate advanced study with modern subjects? Or does it simply need to scrap the A-level all together and introduce a diploma or a baccalaureate VW\OH TXDOLÀ FDWLRQ DV VXJJHVWHG E\ H.M Inspectorate of Schools? Given the claim that the current subjects on offer do not prepare students for university, the Government does indeed need to rethink its approach. Having studied for some years myself in Poland and Spain, where the curriculum is delivered in a baccalaureate style, and experienced À UVW KDQG WKH LQWHOOHFWXDO DELOLW\ RI continental students, I think it is safe to say we need to look to there for some lessons in education.

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

9

Comment J. WHITLAM

The iconic view of the River Tyne’s many bridges and Quayside is symbolic with Newcastle, despite many of its features such as the Baltic, the Sage and the Millenium Bridge itself all being located on the Gateshead side

A tale of two cities? Why Newcastle and Gateshead should stand together Laura Heads

If I was to ask you where the Sage, the Baltic and the Angel of the North were I would bet 90% would give me the generic answer of Newcastle; I would even go as far as to say that if I were to ask anyone not familiar with this area that 99% would give me the same answer. Turns out they’re actually in Gateshead, and those that live south of the Tyne, i.e. not in NewFDVWOH DUH ÀJKWLQJ ÀHUFHO\ WR JHW XV to remember this. It appears that the new, or perhaps semi new, 1NG (that would be 1 NewcastleGateshead) scheme that has been set up and lumps Newcastle and Gateshead together has gotten Gateshead residents riled;

essentially they believe Newcastle is looking to ‘steal’ these apparently trademark landmarks for their own, annexing Gateshead and leaving it as a part of Newcastle rather than a city in its own right. Honestly, in my view, Gateshead appears to be making a big fuss over nothing, we (and by that I class myself as a team Newcastle girl through and through) are not trying to ‘steal’ anything. The main point of the 1NG scheme is merely to boost business, the economy, and regenerate the area. Newcastle is one of the most vibrant cities at the moment and boasts a number of accolades to prove this fact; you just need to look at the number of hen and stag parties on a Friday and Saturday nights to understand the draw the nightlife of the city has, and then look at the number of tourists on any weekend to see the draw the city itself has. Agreeably the Baltic and the Sage

are vast pulling points to tourists who want to come and explore around here. However, I am pretty sure that they themselves are not aware that they have crossed the invisible border into Gateshead. It is of no relevance to me that the bridge I use to cross over the Tyne is actually placing me in Gateshead rather than Newcastle. I am still, in my mind, in Newcastle, there is no part of me that suddenly stops, jumps for joy and realises that yes, I am in fact now in Gateshead and should remember this throughout my ‘trip’. I could understand if Durham were kicking up all this fuss about the fact itself and Newcastle were being labelled together; they are WZR GLIIHUHQW FLWLHV ZLWK D VLJQLĂ€cant distance in between; Newcastle and Gateshead however are PRVW GHĂ€QLWHO\ QRW When I was younger and used to visit up here to see my Grandparents, I would always look for

the Angel of the North, to me that would symbolise that I was now in Newcastle; even now when I drive up for University I know I’m home when it looms into view. I mean no offence to Gateshead by thinking this, and I certainly do not mean to detract from that fact the sculpture obvious resides on their side of the Tyne, I am merely pointing out that maybe being placed together with Newcastle is not all bad: it could be a lot worse. I come from Kent, and there is D ÀHUFH EDWWOH E\ WKRVH ZKR OLYH on one side of the River Medway against those who live on the other; essentially it is a battle of normal versus chav. Chatham is, in essence, the homeland of the chav and is forever being linked in with my home town of Maidstone. We despise it. If this was what was happening with Gateshead and Newcastle then yes, I could completely see Gateshead’s point and I would resign my point now,

however it isn’t. Newcastle and Gateshead are two very similar places and in my eyes the differences between the two are minimal; yes they have a few more exciting looking buildings than Newcastle, but Newcastle has the heritage, history and ultimately the draw that Gateshead does not. It is very rare to hear someone mention that they are going to Gateshead on a night out, or that they are holidaying in Gateshead this year; switch out Gateshead with Newcastle and you get the general gist of my point. Gateshead would be foolish not to accept this opportunity with open arms; not only do they get to be marketed as a great place to be, EXW WKH\ JHW WR UHDS WKH EHQHÀWV of living so close to a popular and bustling city. They cannot pick and choose what they want. I’d give them a week without Newcastle’s popular draw to realise exactly what they’re missing.

10

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Comment

RAG: raising, giving and getting harassed by members of the public Tarren Smarr

I have recently been hearing rumours amongst the student body that some of you are unhappy with RAG Week. My question is why? If students at the University did no fundraising, you would kick off. But when people get together to actually do some fundraising, you kick off anyway. How does that make any sense? I heard some say that RAG participants are raising money for the wrong reasons. How is that even possible?

Last week, I know students who stood outside for hours enduring cold winds that nipped at their noses, rain, hail, and even snow all in the name of charity. These students did not receive any class/module credit for their efforts. They also did not get paid to stand outside. They did it out of the kindness of their hearts because something about RAG (Raising and Giving) appealed to their good nature. Alongside the weather, these students also endured the public. A pedestrian in Northumberland Street verbally assaulted one crew member because one of the RAG charities was the Terrance Higgins Trust. Bless her heart. She stood there with a smile and kept her calm as this guy told her

she was a horrible person for supporting AIDS research. I even saw a pair of students being shouted at from people selling the Big Issue, as well as other buskers, for taking their business. Northumbria Street is a big street, as is the city centre, and there is enough room for all of us to do some fundraising/charity work. So not only did these students endure horrible weather, they also endured some pretty horrible people with attitude problems. They don’t need their fellow students to also negatively badger them about their efforts during RAG week. Throughout the week, I also heard students complain about how RAG participants were having too much fun for it to be considered charity work. I literally laughed out loud.

If charity work and fundraising didn’t have some element of fun, people wouldn’t participate. Yeah, there were some fun events, like a dance off and slave auction. Heck, people even volunteered to lock himself/herself or a fellow student in a jail cell in the name of charity. Not only did they have fun, but shocker, the RAG crew raised money in the process. Trust me, the students who participated in RAG paid to attend all of the events, just as other members of the pubic paid. They did not receive special treatment because they were a crew member or a supervisor. Actually, I am pretty sure that many people from RAG are suffering a deal of hurt on their bank accounts for not only paying to attend

events, but they put in their own donations at these events. ,W¡V Ă€QH LI \RX GRQ¡W ZDQW WR IXQdraise or do charity work. No one will hold it against you. But leave those who do want to donate their time and efforts alone and let them get on with it. It’s like the saying goes ‘no good deed goes unpunished’, and the RAG participants have endured enough punishment without having other student talk negatively about them and demean their hard work. For those of you who balanced classes, practices, meetings, and RAG events, you have my blessing. Job well done, and I am sure that the charities are very pleased and impressed with the funds you all worked hard to raise during the week.

Bully-boy Brown or just election propaganda? Let the battle commence Jack Stevenson

This year, before the start of June, there will be a general election. For many of us at university, it will EH WKH ÀUVW WLPH ZH JHW WR YRWH IRU our member of parliament and to choose which party we think should run the country. The pressure is on for us to pick who we want to lead us boldly into the future and particularly, out of the credit crisis. The pressure is

even more so on Gordon Brown and David Cameron to convince us to put our little black cross in their box. There should be no doubt that *RUGRQ %URZQ KDV WKH PRVW GLIÀcult task here. Being the incumbent premier, many would argue that he has put Britain into its current position, which isn’t a great one. With the country just emerging from a recession, and low economic growth likely for the foreseeable future, we are within rights to ask; why, after more than ten years of Labour, is Britain not the fairer, more prosperous, and all round great place that was promised by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in 1997?

I’m sure that Mr Brown would have a lot to say in answer to that question, but how far exactly will he go in order to convince us that he is the right guy to lead Britain? And behind the sturdy door of Number Ten, how desperate is he WR NHHS WKDW RIÀFH" According to recent reports, very. At least enough to have been supposedly bullying his own staff. Recently, an anti-bullying helpline revealed that it had received several complaints from Number Ten, whilst The Observer ran a highly disputed story in which the Prime-Minister was accused of shouting and swearing at staff, even grabbing them by the lapels in an openly aggressive and angry

manner. This certainly is not an acceptable way for any political leader to conduct themselves. But is this really what Gordon has been doing? The allegations raised in The Observer article have been vehemently denied by the government, and the reports from the antibullying helpline have since been VDLG WR QRW KDYH EHHQ VSHFLĂ€F WR WKH Prime Minister. So what has been going on? David Cameron would certainly like us to believe that Gordon Brown, indeed anyone in the Labour party, is a bully for obvious reasons; so clearly we must be wary in our judgements when it comes to voting. Over the next few months before

the election there are going to be ORWV RI UXPRXUV à \LQJ DURXQG DERXW PRVW ZHOO NQRZQ SROLWLFDO ÀJXUHV some of them will be true, whilst others will be downright lies. It is important to take all of these stories with a pinch of salt, but also to recognise that some of them do probably hold some grain of truth. It is probably safest to look only at the manifestos of the parties when decided who to vote for, but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So whether old Gordon is a bully or not, the damage has undoubtedly been done; it’s just a case of waiting for something equally shocking to be revealed about David Cameron. I’m quite excited to see what it is.

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

11

Comment C.PIERCE

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IURP WKH GLVJUDFH DQG GRZQULJKW criminality of the other is far from VLPSOH Since his initial arrest and trial in 3RODQVNL·V SHUVRQDO OLIH KDV FRQWLQXHG WR OXUN LQ WKH VKDGRZ RI KLV SURIHVVLRQDO DFFODLP DQG WKH Silver Bear award for best director which he received at the Berlin Film Festival last week has only served WR UHLJQLWH WKLV FRQWURYHUV\ The very fact that he was able to HYDGH DUUHVW DQG GHSRUWDWLRQ IRU over three decades is a travesty of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as a director; this is not an award IRU D ¶WHUULÀ F UROH PRGHO· RU HYHQ

¶JRRG FLWL]HQ · ,W ZDV DQ DZDUG IRU GLUHFWLQJ D À OP VRPHWKLQJ KH GRHV H[FHHG LQJO\ ZHOO DQG WKH FULVHV LQ KLV SHU VRQDO OLIH VKRXOG QRW DIIHFW FULWLTXH RU DQDO\VLV RI KLV ZRUN +LV VNLOO DQG VXFFHVV DV D À OP PDNHU VKRXOG EH QRW HLWKHU EH DXJPHQWHG E\ V\PSDWK\ IRU WKH PXUGHU RI KLV ZLIH DQG XQERUQ FKLOG QRU PDOLJQHG E\ DOOHJDWLRQV RI SDHGRSKLOLD ,·P QRW DUJXLQJ WKDW KH VKRXOGQ·W be tried, convicted and jailed if it is SURYHQ WKDW WKH DOOHJDWLRQV DUH WUXH %XW WKH LVVXH RI KLV FULPLQDOLW\ GRHV QRW DQQXO WKDW IDFW WKDW KH LV RQH RI WKH PRVW JLIWHG GLUHFWRUV RI KLV JHQHUDWLRQ DQG DSSUHFLDWLRQ RI KLV DUW GRHV PHDQ WKDW WKH À OP ZRUOG FRQGRQHV KLV UHDO OLIH GHFL VLRQV RU EHKDYLRXU <RX FDQ FDOO -RKQ 7HUU\ D FKHDW D WUDLWRU DQG D OLDU \RX FDQ HYHQ VWULS KLP RI KLV (QJODQG FDSWDLQF\ EXW \RX FDQQRW GHQ\ WKDW KH LV DQ H[FHSWLRQDO IRRWEDOOHU WKH VDPH UXOH DSSOLHV WR 3RODQVNL +LVWRU\ LV IXOO RI DUWLVWV RI DOO SHU VXDVLRQV ZKR ZHUH WUXO\ EULOOLDQW LI OHVV WKDQ ZKROHVRPH FKDUDFWHUV By all means condemn Polanski E\ XVH RI WKH ODZ ZKLFK KH KDV EUR NHQ EXW OHW·V QRW IRUJHW WKH FXOWXUDO ZHDOWK KH KDV JLYHQ XV

12

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Ten designers that changed the world > Fashion, 14-15 Life & Style Editors: Larisa Brown, Alex Felton and Ashley Fryer - courier.life@ncl.ac.uk

food & drink Come Dine With Me: knock out or cop out? Katherine Bannon settles for gone off yoghurt and Tesco Value chips as she takes on the Come Dine With Me challenge

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nderstandably, student housing is never goLQJ WR RIIHU WKH À QHVW of dining experiences. Place mats are as rare as Cheryl Cole’s bad hair days and someone is always going to get the chair which leaves their eyes level with the table leg. However, with a quaint wooden ceiling and pretty paper chains draped across (I’d like to be able to say oak) beams it was almost like Riverside Cottage had mated with the Websters’ house in Coronation Street. Almost. At the same time, the pile of recycling was threatening to transform the worn lino into a pathway of empty cereal boxes, and the tower of petit fours pots was tall enough to get on every ride in Alton Towers. She could’ve sorted that out. Yet I suppose the food is the main thing. Immediately upon our en-

trance we were presented with a warm bed of tortilla chips thickly coated in salsa, sour cream and a generous, albeit suspiciously waxy, layer of cheese. 'HÀ QLWHO\ WDVW\ GHÀ QLWHO\ RQH WR get the taste buds going, but also GHÀ QLWHO\ D ELW RI D FRS RII The most trying bit of this task was probably turning the grill on, and the similarly sorry state of the rubbish bin didn’t offer any hiding place for the empty bag of Tesco Value lightly salted chips and equally crude salsa packaging. Yes Kat, of course it was your own recipe. Nonetheless I was ready to give KHU WKH EHQHÀ W RI WKH GRXEW The main course was looking more promising already, as the open-plan dining area allowed me to witness the large pan of spiced chicken lightly simmering on the hob. Opting to continue with the tenuously established Mexican theme, it was

fajita time. A proud Grainger Market whore, Bishop seemed eager to display the fact that all the ingredients were freshly purchased by scattering random chillies and parsley plants in optimum viewing positions throughout the kitchen. It was concentrating on this which perhaps caused her to forget the grate the cheese and hence shove it into my hands with a sharp order to give it ‘some good thrusting’. Meanwhile, having gone overboard on the sour cream in the starter to counterbalance the acidic quality of the salsa she pulled a most assuredly out of date half eaten Greek yoghurt out of the fridge. The wraps, I’m sorry to say, came from a plastic wrapper. Yet this was probably for the best, as even then the result of adapting the microwavable instructions had caused them to seal together into an inch thick

circular loaf. However, they still managed to rival anything I’ve had at The Gate. Succulent pieces of chicken and chunky slices of pepper within taste bud tingling rich tomato-based VDXFH SURYLGHG D SHUIHFW À OOLQJ RQFH we’d managed to carefully separate the wraps. And all with a sprinkle of white cheddar. After a much needed break, Kat VWDUWHG LWFKLQJ WR UHYHDO WKH À QLVK ing touch to a Latin American experience: sticky toffee pudding. Generously served with lashings of extra toffee sauce, and it was at just the right level of moistly warm. 7KH À QDO YHUGLFW" 'HVSLWH D EXPS\ VWDUW WKH IDMLWDV ZHUH À OOLQJ WKH sticky toffee was sticky and the hostess was on form, as always. Making me grate my own cheese though? It’ll have to be an above average yet slightly sitting on the fence seven.

And for dessert: Katherine Bishop’s sticky toffee pudding went down a treat

reviews D. RAWCLIFFE

Osborne Road

Bijoux

Jesmond

City Centre

Osborne Road: the epicentre of student nightlife in the heart of Jesmond. The ‘in-place’ where hundreds of students gather daily for a guaranteed cheap and cheerful booze session. Pre-lash, after-lecture wind-down, trashed night out without the terrifying locals and obscene taxi queues: whatever your agenda, Osborne Road offers it all. First (from my end anyway) we hit Bar Blanc. Happy hour here is ecstatic as it runs from 5-7pm, offering 2for1 cocktails, pints for a pound and even free drinks! I can’t help but get a little bit giddy with anticipation every time I slam that buzzer. With every one of my extremities crossed I hope that I’ll become the most popular housemate after winning a free round for us all. Alternatively, you FRXOG VKDPHOHVVO\ Ă LUW ZLWK WKH ginger barman and bag yourself IRU GULQNV UHJDUGOHVV , Ă€ QG WKDW he’s pretty susceptible to a quick ego boost and beaming smile. Next in the line up we come to Osborne’s, where Mondays play host to a quiz night at 8pm where you can win up to ÂŁ500 and have a great time trying to completely guess the obscure questions asked. Happy hour here is from 5.30 til 7.30 where the same rules apply as Blanc. I’m sure you’ll be pretty far

Upon arrival at Bijoux on Mosely Street, we were unsure as to what to expect. We had been reliably informed WKDW WKH WUHEOHV EDU ZDV LQ LWV Ă€ UVW year of opening and aimed to be the pre-bar for students, particularly on D 7KXUVGD\ ZKHQ WKHLU Ă€ QDO GHVWL nation was Perdu or Ohso. However the words “trebles barâ€? resounded in our heads, conjuring up images of yet another Sinners (even though everyone secretly loves it). We were pleasantly surprised. 7KH Ă€ UVW VKRFN RI WKH HYHQLQJ was the fact that the smell of dried vodka and sweat wasn’t there to greet your nostrils as you enteredrather a spick and span swanky cocktail bar. The decor was very tasteful with velvet curtains cascading down the sides of the walls to compliment the orange swirl-effect on the walls juxtaposed with exposed brick. There are circular booths available to hire for a large party or just for you to sit down and relax with a cocktail. We tried a “Key West Coolerâ€? and an “Amaretto Coolerâ€?, which tasted more expensive than ÂŁ3 and were very drinkable. It seemed that you could either sit down and chat with your friends in

gone by this point and hopefully not out of pocket. Spy bar is the next bar in the strip, where you can gain drinks offers from 5-7 every day and again for half an hour at 9pm between Sunday and Thursday. This place is always buzzing in the summer months as it catches the sun, providing a somewhat Mediterranean setting for an afternoon Bulmer’s or two. This bar is smack in the middle of Osborne Road and so is the perfect meeting place for a few bevvys ZLWK \RXU ROG à DWPDWHV ZKR OLYH RQ the other side of Jesmond. Billabong is one of the classier bars on the strip, attracting sophisticated young workers and the odd lavish student at the beginning of the term. It is a bit more expensive WKDQ WKH RWKHU EDUV EXW , GHÀ QLWHO\ recommend it to anyone who fancies a chilled out catch-up in the comfort of suave leather chairs.

From 8 til 10 every day you can get the cocktail of the week for £3.50: frozen margarita actually tastes like heaven although if you KDYH WRR PDQ\ \RX GHÀ QLWHO\ UXQ the risk of waking up to a massive headache the next day. Finally, we have Berlise, home to the Leazes veterans. I always had a warped view that this place would be the most pretentious bar with a stinking rich air about LW EXW P\ RSLQLRQ ZDV GHÀ QLWHO\ REOLWHUDWHG DIWHU P\ À UVW YLVLW :LWK cosy booths to sit in and a buzzing DWPRVSKHUH WKLV SODFH LV D GHÀ QLWH must for those of you wanting to start the night with a bang, offering cheap drinks between 5.30 and 7.30pm and again at 9.30. It has to be said, Osborne Road GHÀ QLWHO\ QHYHU IDLOV WR GHOLYHU RQ low-cost drinks, great banter and epic nights out. Pamela Mardle

a classy place if you’re on a shoestring budget or get in the ÂŁ1.95 trebles and dance the night away to current releases. Bijoux has the same DJ on a Thursday as Chase does on a Friday night. As we absorbed our surroundings, we couldn’t help but notice the amount of Champagne bottles of all sizes on display. This is a testament to the message that they are trying to convey themselves as a classy trebles bar, hoping to attract students before they go to one of the classier clubs. There are various deals available for entry into surrounding clubs which make it seem a worthwhile visit. Bijoux was described by the hosts for the evening, Harriet and Claire, as a bar for “more discerning people on a student budgetâ€? and we couldn’t agree more. So for your pre-lash, why not try something new? You never know, it may just be what you were looking for. Lauren Girling

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

13

Travel Life & Style

travel Getting smashed and getting back alive Katherine Bannon on a more than eventful girls’ holiday in Malia

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ou might be able to tick the Koh Phangan full moon party from your to do list, or have happened to spend last summer back packing around Central America just to check out the craic. However, if you’re yet to experience a girls’ or lads’ holiday focused on getting smashed, getting laid and getting back alive, you better get your ‘Dirty Dani’ t-shirt printed sharpish, grab a pair of sunnies, some sun cream and perhaps a rape alarm, even if you’re not particularly good looking. It’s a rite of passage aligned with being bought a lap dance and staying out late enough to get a McDonalds breakfast. After an uninhibited week of minimal sleep, maximum cocktails and sharing a hotel with half the population of Dublin in Zante the previous summer, we decided to expand our horizons to Malia, probably because it was the cheapest at the time.

It began as every perfect package KROLGD\ VKRXOG D GHOD\HG Ă LJKW D missing suitcase and transfers that couldn’t be bothered waiting until we’d described the exact dimensions of the rolly bag with the broken wheel which was probably lying somewhere in Manchester Terminal 3. Then we got even luckier. At no extra expense we received D OHQJWK\ WRXU RI 0DOLD¡V Ă€ QHVW KR tels. Sorry girls, this one isn’t yours either. Nor this one. Hold on a minute, we’re not even stopping at your hotel, are you sure you’re on the right coach? Maybe it should have stayed that way, rather than leaving us stranded at the ‘Stella Maria’, which looked like it belonged on the moors, half crumbled off an invisible cliff edge, and gave a whole new dimension to the word ‘basic’. ,W ZDV D Ă€ IWHHQ PLQXWH ZDON WR WKH nearest shop, which accounted for the arena extortionate bar prices of RQH HXUR IRU D WZR Ă€ QJHU NLWNDW DQG three for a fresh orange. At least the other occupants were friendly. That was, friendly enough to give us a welcoming cuddle after a dip in the pool while we unsuspectingly sunbathed.

Essential to holidaying is a chance to sample the different cultures, embrace local habits and taste the unique cuisine. But hell, stick to what you know. We fast became regulars at the Red Lion pub, decked out to appear like the interior of Camelot and endorsing a menu mirroring that of Wetherspoons. You don’t get paper placemats there though, do you? The strip was a dazzlingly brightlighted array of English 90’s bars and even tackier replicas. Strolling down it gave you automatic consent to a giant game of tick, as PRs lingered every few feet to tout ludicrous deals on shots and cocktails. They all looked like clones of Lloyd from the X Factor if he was kicked through Topman and had his hair even more heavily straightened and fashioned with a headband. However they were deceivingly stronger than I’d imagine Lloyd to be, and found it pretty easy to throw us into clubs should we turn on the scouse lip and tell them to do one. My friend became well rehearsed in the close to tears, ‘I’m too naĂŻve to comprehend why you’re touch-

ing me’ act to allow us time to skip away while they apologised. 7KHQ ZH¡G JLYH WKHP WKH Ă€ QJHU once we reached a safe enough disWDQFH 7KH Ă RRU ZDVQ¡W PDGH IRU dancing, the bars were, keeping us a handy distance from any free shots on the go and out of arms length from any greasy Greeks that fancied a feel. Determined to spend as little time as possible at Wuthering Heights, we signed ourselves up for the booze cruise, beach party and waterpark. If the constant chants of ‘Get your rat out!’ on the booze cruise weren’t bad enough, the fact that girls willLQJO\ FRPSOLHG GHĂ€ QLWHO\ ZDV The beach party was an unlimited sex on the beach infused cocktail of limbo, hula hoop and unauthorized trampolining, while the waterpark, although lacking the suspicious steak and sausages BBQ offered by the other two, provided a multitude of ways to make a hangover as horULĂ€ F DV SRVVLEOH Oo. Ah. Malia. Get on it if you haven’t already, and do it again if you have. Although I did prefer Zante - but that might have just been down to the Irish.

photo of the week

Toby Jones - 1st year Naval Architecture “This photo was taken on the magical Fraser Island, just off the east coast of Australia. It captures the Maheno, the most famous of the Fraser Island wrecks. Once a well-known trans-Tasman liner, the Maheno was bound for a Japanese wrecking yard when she met her stormy end in 1935. Today the hull lies slowly deteriorating in the harsh salt environment, about 10 kilometres north of Happy Valley.â€? Send your travel pictures to courier.life@ncl.ac.uk and you could win ÂŁ10 worth of photo prints as well as your photo printed and framed.

View Askew Fear Mongering Kathy Jackman Columnist

I’ve just been struck by an odd memory. Some years ago now I was idly wandering around W H Smiths when my eyes fell upon a particular magazine. Headline- Is your child a Satan Worshipper? Stoked by curiosity I picked up the magazine and attempted to locate this enlightening piece of journalism, but strangely HQRXJK , FRXOGQ¡W DFWXDOO\ Ă€ QG LW Who knows, perhaps such mystically potent advice is visible only to hysterical mothers and fathers that are worrying desperately over the unnatural paleness of their offspring. Either way, it certainly got me thinking. How on earth would you present a piece of writing such as this and expect a conclusive answer? I somehow doubt they could present it as a questionnaire; it’d probably look something like this: 1. Has your child taken a sudden LQWHUHVW LQ OLYHVWRFN *RDWV VSHFLĂ€ cally)? 2. Have suspicious dark stains immune to all cleaning products apSHDUHG RQ WKH Ă RRU RI \RXU FKLOG¡V bedroom? 3. Does your child insist on being called ‘Servant of the Dark Lord’? ,V \RXU FKLOG PRUELGO\ Ă€ [DWHG with pentagrams? 5. Does your child react badly to VXQOLJKW JDUOLF FUXFLĂ€ [HV HWF" ,I the answer is yes then your child is a vampire and you shouldn’t be reading this questionnaire) Now, I think that people have the right to believe in what they want. If you believe in God, then that’s ok, if you don’t, that’s ok too. As far as I’m concerned, as long as no one gets hurt then there shouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately this makes me an idealist, because obviously the world doesn’t work that way and probably never will. It seems WKDW HYHU\ERG\ LV WHUULĂ€ HG RI HYHU\ one else, and this sort of blatant fear mongering only serves to fan the Ă DPHV RI KDWUHG DQG LQWROHUDQFH ,W makes me angry. Seriously angry. 7R PH LW¡V MXVWLĂ€ FDWLRQ RI VWHUH otyping, perpetuating the idea that if someone looks a certain way then they must act a certain way; that behaviours are set in stone. Just because someone likes to wear black or wear an ankh doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re obsessed with death and black magic; if someone wears tracksuit bottoms or a baseball cap that doesn’t mean they want to mug you and threaten your life. I know I’ve covered this before but it really is a serious issue that must be addressed. Sure, in some cases there may be genuine cause for concern, but it lies with parents to decide if they need to intervene. Call me naĂŻve, but surely any parent worth their salt knows what’s best for their children, not someone sitting at D GHVN ZULWLQJ WKH Ă€ UVW LJQRUDQW ill-informed thing that comes into their head.

14

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Life & Style Fashion

fashion

Vivienne Westwood, Spring/Summer 2010

Vivienne Westwood, Spring/Summer 2010

Vera Wang, Spring/Summer 2010

Christopher Kane, Spring/Summer 2010

7HQ GHVLJQHUV WKDW FKDQJHG WKH ZRUOG Rachel Walsham on the some of the most LQÁXHQWLDO SHRSOH LQ fashion today 1. Tamara Mellon (for Jimmy Choo) Founder and driving force behind Jimmy Choo, Tamara Mellon has a KXJH LQÁXHQFH RYHU WKH IDVKLRQ LQGXVWU\ $IWHU D VWLQW LQ UHKDE LQ 0HOORQ ERUURZHG IURP KHU IDWKHU DQG ERXJKW WKH WKHQ XQNQRZQ EUDQG WUDQVIRUPLQJ LW LQWR D JOREDO VXFFHVV ZLWK D FXUUHQW HVWLPDWHG YDOXH RI P 0HOORQ·V DELOLW\ WR XQGHUVWDQG ZRPHQ·V QHHGV DQG WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI LQGLYLGXDOLW\ OHG WR WKH VXFFHVVIXO launch of Jimmy Choo accessories DQG WKH RSHQLQJ RI EUDQFKHV ZRUOGZLGH 2. Kate Moss/ Victoria Beckham 7KH VW FHQWXU\ VDZ D QXPEHU RI FHOHEULWLHV WU\ WKHLU KDQG DW IDVKLRQ GHVLJQLQJ ZLWK IDVKLRQ PRGHO .DWH 0RVV ULVLQJ WR EH RQH RI WKH PRVW LQÁXHQWLDO ZRPHQ LQ VW &HQWXU\ IDVKLRQ .DWH 0RVV KDV EHHQ FUHGLWHG ZLWK EULQJLQJ WKH VNLQQ\ MHDQ EDFN LQWR WKH IRUHIURQW RI ZRPHQ·V

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THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

15

Fashion Life & Style

All catwalk photos copyright © 2009 Christopher Moore Limited, catwalking.com

Matthew Williamson, Spring/Summer 2010

what’s hot Clogs

A pair of leather Chanel clogs secured their position as ‘statement shoe’ of the season, when worn by Alexa Chung on the front page of this month’s ‘Vogue’. Do you really need any more persuasion that wooden heels are an essential?

Marc by Marc Jacobs, Spring/Summer 2010

Military Style

Black or khaki, muddy tones and a weathered look- ok, not particularly glamorous, however... you can now go for army jackets that have embellished shoulder pads and sequin, lace touches, or you can stick with this classic black Balmain jacket.

Holly Fulton, Spring/Summer 2010

Alexander McQueen, Spring/Summer 2010

what’s not OTT Hair

Fake hair has become something of a fashion phenomenon recently. Yes, Lady Gaga’s infamous beehive works, as does the ‘big wig’ runway accessory. However, Lily Allen’s orange afro at the Brit Awards was a step too far!

Lip Love

Couple dark browns or plum shades of lipstick with leather and torn tights to create an edgy rock-chic effect.

Shoulder Pads

Why oh why have shoulder pads come back? We can only hope this trend dies out before high street stores start stocking Gaga-esque shoulders that make us resemble Quasimodo.

Tassles

Let’s hope the return of this fashion no-no is a shortlived one!

Elizabeth Coop

16

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Life & Style Sex & Relationships

sex & relationships Sex and the Univer-sity Vanessa Costello Columnist

Email courier. life@ncl.ac.uk if you would like to go on your very own Blind Date

blind date Sophie Bury & Charles Ashington- Pickett She said:

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ask seĂąora rosa

SeĂąora Rosa is back from London Fashion Week where she has been partying with the likes of Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell and Alexa Chung. Any problems then feel free to email her at courier.life@ncl.ac.uk

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SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

About a month ago I was having a bit of fun with a girl that I have been casually seeing on and off for a while. It was all great and she’s quite adventurous. We were getting into it in the shower when tragedy struck and my banjo string snapped...oh the horror! I’m ready to get back on it but I’m too nervous everytime we get going. How do I get over my post-traumatic stress disorder?

I recently bought my boyfriend a pair of suede shoes for Christmas which he loves to pieces which is great. Although he’s a bit too obsessed by them and he rants and raves about suede. The other day he went out and bought a pair of suede trousers and a matching pair of gloves. When getting hot in between the sheets the other night, he asked if he could adorn all the items during our fun time. I said yes for that one time but he keeps on going on about how fantastic it all was and wants to try it again. Is it me or is he a suede pervert?

The other day I called up my housemate and we had a good chat for ten minutes about general stuff. I thought the call sounded echoey and just before I hung up, , KHDUG WKH WRLOHW Ă XVK $P , MXVW being a prude? Looking back on it she even grunted half way through our conversation, I thought she was just picking up something heavy rather than dropping it!

He said:

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THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

17

Health & Beauty Life & Style

health & beauty Doctor’s orders running out for homeopathy? Rosie Tallant H[SORUHV WKH EHQHÀ WV DQG SLWIDOOV RI KHUEDO PHGLFLQH LQ RXU KRVSLWDOV

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fter the recent heated discussions in the House of Commons concerning the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines, questions are arising UHJDUGLQJ LWV VDIHW\ HIĂ€ FLHQF\ DQG place in the NHS. Several MPs have insisted that the government stop funding homeopathic hospitals, of which there are four in the UK, due to the Science and Technology Committee’s claim that such medicines are no more effective than a placebo. The committee states that there is “plenty of evidence showing [homeRSDWK\@ LV QRW HIĂ€ FDFLRXVÂľ DOVR DGG ing that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) should stop labelling homeopathic remedies with medical claims. The dangers of homeopathic treatment, especially when concerning children, have also been investigated recently. This comes in response to last year’s news of an Australian

couple being found guilty of manslaughter after the death of their daughter. The discovery that they were using homeopathy to treat the nine month old for eczema sparked debate over the safety of these remedies. A prominent pharmacy consultant then claimed that “homeopathic medicines [should not] be used or sold for children up to the age of Âľ With claims like this arising, many people will undoubtedly begin to question why ÂŁ4 million are spent on homeopathic hospitals each year. In fact, funding has decreased dramatically over the past two years, as a study published in January 2008 showed that more than 25% of primary care trusts had either stopped or reduced funds. However, despite these claims homeopathy still remains popular with millions, its supporters including Jennifer Aniston, Orlando Bloom, Sir Paul McCartney and Prince Charles.

The problem with these increasingly heated debates is that not everyone is aware of exactly what homeopathy is, and as ignorance is never an excuse, here’s a crash course on the basics‌ Homeopathy has been used in the UK for over 200 years, with its origins dating back to ancient Greece, DQG XVHV VFLHQWLĂ€ F DQG SKLORVRSKL cal foundations as a basis to create treatments said to be gentler than standard medicines. Homeopaths treat mental, emotional and physical symptoms using the principle of ‘like cures like’. This suggests that insomnia, for instance, can be cured with a remedy made from coffee, which may seem a strange concept to those unfamiliar with the practice. The chemical in question is diluted and shaken vigorously with impact, a process known as succussion, and as this is repeated the medicine is made more effective and the likelihood of side effects is reduced. Although supporters of homeopathy admit that they cannot yet explain precisely how it works, new theories in quantum physics are said to be shedding light on the method. What is presently understood, ac-

The history of homeopathy ‡ +RPHRSDWK\ ZDV FUHDWHG E\ *HUPDQ PHGLFDO SUDFWLWLRQHU &KULVWLDQ )ULHGULFK 6DPXHO +DKQHPDQQ D GRFWRU GLVLOOXVLRQHG ZLWK RUWKRGR[ PHGLFLQH ‡ +DKQHPDQQÂśV SKLORVRSK\ ZDV VLPSOH FXUH OLNH ZLWK OLNH XVH PHGLFLQHV IURP DQLPDO YHJHWDEOH DQG PLQHUDO NLQJGRPV DQG WUHDW WKH LQQHU GLVHDVH ZKLFK ZRXOG LQ WXUQ KHDO WKH RXWZDUG PDQLIHVWDWLRQV ‡ +RPHRSDWK\ LV QRZ SUDFWLVHG ZRUOG ZLGH ‡ 7KHUH DUH PDQ\ KRPHRSDWKLF FROOHJHV DQG WKH LQWHUFKDQJH RI KRPHRSDWKLF NQRZOHGJH EHWZHHQ FRXQWULHV JURZV FRQVWDQWO\ cording to The Society of Homeopaths, is that the remedy acts as a trigger to the body’s own healing process. 7KH VRFLHW\ ´URXQGO\ UHMHFWHGÂľ WKH Ă€ QGLQJV RI WKH 6FLHQFH DQG 7HFKQRO ogy Committee, also claiming that their application to give evidence in favour of the treatments was re-

jected. It was also alleged that no patients or health trusts using homeopathy had been contacted by the committee, suggesting that those conducting the study may be entirely ignorant of homeopathic methods. Confusion arises when considering the Science and Technology Committee’s previous stance on homeopathy. In 2000, homeopathy was cited as RQH RI WKH Ă€ YH *URXS 2QH WKHUDSLHV indicating that it had “an individual GLDJQRVWLF DSSURDFKÂľ D VWDUN FRQ trast to their opinion on the matter today. It is possible that the tense economic climate of recent years has prompted previous patrons of alternative medicines to condemn them as a waste of public money. Whilst questions still remain as to how homeopathy works, and indeed if it does work at all, the fact still remains that these treatments have generated much support. So although they continue to be condemned for their lack of scienWLĂ€ F HYLGHQFH DQG DSSDUHQW ZDVWH of public money, the true reason for these denunciations may in fact be ignorance.

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

19

Bright sparks: AV Festival previewed > Arts, page 25

Culture Editor: Alice Vincent - courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk

BBC

In Newcastle We Trust Radio One brings its À UVW HYHU ,Q 1HZ 0XVLF :H 7UXVW /LYH tour to the city for three star-studded days

Thursday O2 Academy - Zane Lowe, Nick Grimshaw, The Futureheads, The Courteeners Nick Grimshaw and Zane Lowe DUH WKH À UVW RI D QXPEHU RI 5DGLR 2QH SUHVHQWHUV WR à DXQW VRPH RI the country’s best new and existing musical acts in our fair city, with WKH À UVW QLJKW NLFNLQJ RII DW WKH 2 Academy. A bumper northern pairing lead the show with Manchester tykes The Courteeners kicking things off, followed by local favourites the Futureheads, expect sweaty indie anthems and mass sing-alongs in large quantities. Following on from the more established acts, things get a little bit more intimate upstairs with Grimshaw presenting two highly talked about up and coming bands. With hype and expectation being thrown at Frankie and the Heartstrings from every outlet at the moment, they’re sure to be on top form in the Academy 2. Fresh from supporting Florence and the Machine, WKH 6XQGHUODQG À YH SLHFH VSHFLDOLVH in heartfelt pop with a bite. The second act comes in the form of Chapel Club, on the back of acclaimed single O Maybe I, and producing a sound akin to Morrisey and My Bloody Valentine in a blender WRJHWKHU WKLV LV WKH À UVW RI WZR WULSV to the North East that the band are set to make in the next few months.

With four exciting acts, all for the bargain price of ÂŁ15, the O2 Academy looks set to start off an exciting weekend in style. Tom Richards

Friday Digital - Annie Mac, Pete Tong and Judge Jules, Delphic and Crookers Not a stranger to the city or Digital, the second night of Radio One’s series of events sees Annie Mac bringing together a collection of the hottest new DJs for an epic six hour long broadcast from the city’s principal venue. Dance legends Pete Tong and Judge Jules are well established names who could easily draw FURZGV ELJ HQRXJK WR Ă€ OO WKH YHQXH by themselves, but the draw of this event for many, as was intended, is the crop of emerging talent that is on offer. Many of the names are regular contributors to the station’s weekly In New DJ We Trust show, such as Kutski who provides the best in hardcore dance to the increasingly popular Kissy Sell Out who is described as ‘jump up rock and rave’ as well as lesser known but sure to impress Alex Metric and Will Atkinson. In the main room, there is set to be live performances from Delphic who create euphoric tracks of electro indie cross over, Japanese Popstars whose remixes and originals are drawing ever more attention to them and Crookers, known for their massively successful remix of Kid Cudi’s Day and Night. Each of these acts separately would have been decent enough, but Radio One is really proving its importance

One love: Annie Mac returns to Digital on Friday with other members of Radio One’s DJ elite including Judge Jools and Pete Tong

in the promotion of new music and championing of development scenes in the schedule it has put together. There are not many institutions that would be able to create such a stellar line up, and the night in question promises to be one of the best at Digital for a long time. Only costing ÂŁ10, it seems criminal to pass up the opportunity. Polly Randall

Saturday Newcastle University Union Basement - Tim Westwood, Sway and Ms Dynamite This is it. This is the culmination of a

FHOHEUDWLRQ RI WKH À QHVW \RXQJ PX sical talents in the country, a night citizens of Newcastle will tell tales of for years to come as the new generation stand by, weeping in envy. This is Tim Westwood – Live from Newcastle University’s Students’ Union. After decades of battling the most IRROKDUG\ RI FULWLFV À JKWLQJ SROLWL cians on their own turf and even laughing off bullets, Radio One’s infamous Saturday night DJ hits his peak after thirty years of music, which has surely provided the anthems for many a life being created, lost, broken or given purpose. With an army of loyal disciples, including the likes of Mista Jam, Ms Dynamite, Skepta, Giggs and many more, Westwood asks for nothing more than your loyalty to attend after his pawns non-selectively allocate free tickets to we peasants on a À UVW FRPH À UVW VHUYHG EDVLV This is the last of a somewhat rare

opportunity to see the deities of musical knowledge grace our secluded and worthless northern city, planting the seeds of hope to this wry and neglected region, even if they are to be dug up days later in favour of the rich, fertile lands of the south once more. Some may question whether this new generation of music fans can fully appreciate and understand the true prowess and talent that is Tim Westwood, whereas others will naively cast aside such doubts in favour of the anticipation of what will be a night to remember. Westwood will leave the infamous stage of the Newcastle University Basement either a made man, or a broken man. With the ears of the nation tuned in to this decisive night, the stakes could not be higher. Stuart Edwards

Paulo Nutini to headline as Evolution 2010 line-up announced The snow has only just stopped snowing, but music fans in the area are already looking towards May’s Evolution Festival. The annual event, which spans the last Bank Holiday weekend of the month, is rapidly becoming the North East music festival locals have been crying out for. 2010 sees the site expand again, in an attempt to ‘festivalise the festival’, with the addition of third stage at Ballast Hills Park, located behind The Tyne pub, and a greater variety of food stalls and fairground attrac-

tions. This stage will be showcasing the best of folk, roots and blues music, whilst remaining stages Baltic Square and Spiller’s Wharf focus on up and coming as well as established acts. The festival is also moving in the way of other large national festivals, in theming the second day as a ‘rock day’, with Enter Shikari headlining Spiller’s Wharf to close the weekend. The variety of the festival truly represents what the organisers claim is the meaning behind the festival’s

name, ‘the evolution of music’, seeing Paolo Nutini, Calvin Harris and Tinchy Stryder in a hat trick of acts on Sunday’s Spiller’s Wharf. On the same day Baltic Square follows a very similar theme to last year with Fake Blood, Benga, Rusko and Sratch Perverts on the lineup, whilst critically acclaimed local folksters The Unthanks headline Ballast Hills. The combination gets increasingly interesting on Bank Holiday Monday with De La Soul, Donovan and Delphic taking to the various stages.

The organisers pride themselves on cherry-picking talent months in advance of the festival to create an impressive line-up, as can be seen with last year’s success of Dizzee Rascal, whose single ‘Bonkers’ made number one in the same weekend. There has been a ten pound increase in the ticket price, an arguably controversial move, considering the fare stood at ÂŁ3 two years ago. However, the festival organiser MXVWLĂ€ HV WKH LQFUHDVH ´:H¡UH WU\LQJ to make this into a really impressive contributor to the festival map. It’s

still relatively cheap compared to everything else. ´%XW DV ZHOO DV DGGLQJ DQ H[WUD VLWH we’ve also invested heavily in the programme, so the range of artists is broader and the standard of artists LV KLJKHU :H KDYH WR UHĂ HFW WKDW LQ the ticket price.â€? The price includes a pound donation to charity WaterAid, with whom Evolution organisers claim they are ‘proudly associated.’ Tickets are expected to sell out fast. Alice Vincent Culture Editor

%HLQJ D 8QLRQ VR ULFK LQ VRFLHWLHV NHHSLQJ XS ZLWK DOO WKH HYHQWV SHRSOH SXW RQ FDQ EH D ELW RI D œPDUH *UDQWHG DWWHQGLQJ HYHU\ 1876 SOD\ comedy show or poetry performance could well result in a complicated soFLDO OLIH RI à LWWLQJ EHWZHHQ FOLTXHV DQG LQ MRNHV DQG JUDGXDWLQJ PLVHUDEO\ ZLWK D UG However, every now and then, our Union spews out a society event that LVQ¡W MXVW IRU LQGXOJLQJ LQ D IHZ SHRSOH¡V JHHN\ LQWHUHVWV EXW LV DFWXDOO\ D IDLUO\ DZH LQVSLULQJ GHPRQVWUDWLRQ RI ZKDW one can do with their spare time when QRW ZDWFKLQJ WKH Come Dine With Me RPQLEXV

RGS Jesmond, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 19.30, ÂŁ5

highlighted Dance Society presents: Showcase

7KH 'DQFH 6RFLHW\¡V VHFRQG DQQXDO VKRZFDVH LV RQH VXFK HYHQW 2N VR LW GRHVQ¡W VRXQG OLNH LW¡V ERXQG WR EORZ DQ\RQH DZD\ EXW WKDW PDNHV LW HYHQ PRUH RI D VXUSULVH 1HZFDVWOH¡V 'DQFH 6RFLHW\ LV QRW RQO\ the proud owner of awards, but won FRPSHWLWLRQV LQ 'XUKDP LQ 'HFHPEHU LQ -D]] %DOOHW DQG 7DS /DVW \HDU¡V showcase was completely sold out, and LW¡V OLNHO\ WKH VDPH ZLOO KDSSHQ IRU WKLV ZHHN¡V WKUHH GDWHV The showcase itself will be demonVWUDWLQJ WKH YDULHW\ RI WKH VRFLHW\¡V LQWHUHVWV DQG WDOHQWV LQFOXGLQJ EDOOHW WDS PRGHUQ MD]] VWUHHW FRQWHPSRUDU\ DQG PXVLFDO WKHDWUH )XUWKHUPRUH JXHVW SHUIRUPDQFHV from the University’s choir, Latin and %DOOURRP DQG ,ULVK 'DQFH VRFLHWLHV PDNH IRU DQ HFOHFWLF DQG HQWHUWDLQLQJ HYHQLQJ Needless to say, for any Glee, Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing on Ice fans it’s DQ DEVROXWH PXVW DQG D JUHDW ZD\ WR JHW involved in the efforts of one of our best VRFLHWLHV -XVW D VWXPEOH DZD\ IURP 2VERUQH 5RDG DW 7KH 5R\DO *UDPPDU 6FKRRO DQG FRVWLQJ D PHUH Ă€YHU WKH SURFHHGV of which are destined for charitable purposes), there’s not many reasons to

NSR Studio, 14.30

A. WILSON

NSR Acoustic Set: The Miserable Rich

radio

02 Academy, 19.00, ÂŁ11

Hayseed Dixie

music

Made with prisoners in Marseille, this brilliant piece of documentary reconstruction is a must-see for anyone interested in how far SDUWLFLSDWLYH ÀOPPDNLQJ FDQ JR

Side Cinema, 19:00, ÂŁ5-6

9M2 Pour Deux - 9m2 for two

film

Blackwell’s Bookshop, 18.15, free

NSR Studio, 13.30

NSR Acoustic Set: Polarsets

radio

02 Academy, 19.00, ÂŁ14.30

Noisettes

The Sage, 19.00, ÂŁ9.75-ÂŁ19.00

African Soul Rebels

music

:KHUH GR ZH JR IURP KHUH" $ Ă€OP about the demonstrations at the FOLPDWH WDONV LQ &RSHQKDJDQ WKDW VHWV to inspire those who show an interest in our world what you can GR QH[W Âś6\VWHP &KDQJH 1RW &OLPDWH &KDQJH¡ LV LWV WDJOLQH VKRXOG EH LQWHUHVWLQJ WR WKRVH ZKR GRQ¡W ZDQW WR JLYH XS RQ WKH SODQHW

Star and Shadow Cinema, 19:30,

Where Next After Copenhagen?

Part of the Asian Horror season at WKH 7\QHVLGH +RUURU IDQV RXW WKHUH don’t miss this opportunity to see WKLV DVWRQLVKLQJ IHDWXUH ÀOP 'LUHFWRU 7DNDVKL 0LLNH SUHVHQWV XV ZLWK WKH epitome of extreme cinema - not for WKH IDLQW KHDUWHG EXW D JUHDW ÀOP QRQHWKHOHVV

Tyneside Cinema Bar, 21:00, free

Audition – Odishon

film

World Headquarters, 23.00, ÂŁ6 adv

Rusty Bucket Bay ft Bar 9 (Z-Audio), Borgore (Z-Audio), Heppy J and Square Root

clubbing

7KH UHODXQFK RI 1RUWK (DVW JDOOHU\ Kitch-en, complete with new artists DQG ZHEVLWH %UHDNGDQFHUV DQG OLYH JUDIĂ€WL DUWLVWV ZLOO HQWHUWDLQ DW WKH event with an afterparty at Alvinos %DU IURP

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The Cumberland Arms, 20.00, ÂŁ5-ÂŁ7

Rendez-Vous! Life, Death and Drinks In Between

A collection of local talent descends RQ 7KH %ULGJH +RWHO FRXUWHV\ RI WKH HYHU KDUG ZRUNLQJ 3RODUVHWV ZKR¡YH recently nabbed themselves a spot at the Evolution Festival with their FDWFK\ VODEV RI DQWKHPLF LQGLH $W one pound per band, you’d be FOLQLFDOO\ LQVDQH QRW WR JR

The Bridge Hotel, 20.00, ÂŁ4

Polarsets, High Rise Diaries, Athletes In Paris, Shift-Static

(YHQ LI \RX¡YH RQO\ PDQDJHG WR JHW WKH VHDWV FUDPPHG LQ DW WKH EDFN RI 7KH 0HWUR 5DGLR $UHQD \RX¡OO VHH WKH FRVWXPHV ,I \RX OLNH \RXU LQVDQLW\ GHOLYHUHG LQ ODUJH GRVHV DQG \RXU VRQJV ULQJWRQH UHDG\ DQG FDWFK\ DV KHOO WKLV LV D PXVW

Metro Radio Arena, 20.00, sold out

Lady Gaga

Anyone who’s listened to the radio LQ WKH ODVW IHZ ZHHNV ZLOO KDYH KHDUG =DQH /RZH VKRXWLQJ HQWKXVLDVWLFDOO\ DERXW LW DQG 7LP :HVWZRRG FDOOLQJ LW ´WRWDOO\ *Âľ 5DGLR 2QH DUH KLWWLQJ the entire city with a series of events IRU DOO WDVWHV 7KXUVGD\ VHHV ORFDO heroes The Futureheads and other LQGLH WDOHQW DW WKH 2 WKHUH¡V D VHFUHW JLJ KRVWHG E\ $QQLH 0DF DQG D GDQFH SDFNHG HYHQLQJ DW 'LJLWDO 7LP :HVWZRRG FXUDWHV WKH Ă€QDOH DW WKH 8QLRQ ZLWK GLUW\ FXWV RI JULPH 6HH IURQW RI FXOWXUH IRU PRUH LQIR

02 Academy, 18.15, ÂŁ12 - ÂŁ15 Full preview, page 19

In New Music We Trust Live: Newcastle Launch

music

Kitch-en Gallery Relaunch

The Poetry Room: Selected Poems by Carol Ann Duffy Empty Shop Unit, 18-20 Ridley Place, 18.00, free

Theatre Royal, 19.30, ÂŁ14.50ÂŁ54.50. Full preview, page 24

Opera North: Cosi Fan Tutte

arts

thursday

Theatre Royal, 19.30, ÂŁ14.50ÂŁ54.50. Full preview, page 24

Opera North: Ruddigore

arts

wednesday

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

Theatre Royal, 19.30, ÂŁ14.50ÂŁ54.50 Full preview, page 24

Opera North: La Boheme

arts

tuesday

The Newcastle University Dance Society in action at last year’s show

+DYH \RX JRW D SLFWXUH WKDW HSLWRPLVHV 1HZFDVWOH IRU \RX" :KHWKHU LW EH \RXU IDYRXULWH ODQGPDUN DQ DUWLVWLF VKRW RI WKH FLW\ RU MXVW \RX DQG \RXU IULHQGV RQ D QLJKW RXW The Courier wants WR VHH LW 3OHDVH VHQG \RXU SKRWRV WKURXJK WR editor.union@ncl.ac.uk 7KH EHVW SKRWR RI WKH \HDU ZLOO EH FKRVHQ WR EH WKH IURQW FRYHU RI WKH $OWHUQDWLYH 3URVSHFWXV

by Joe Currin

John Lewis car park

the guide: 2 March to 7 March

my newcastle

Culture

20

21

Not content with one festival this ZHHN" 7KH $9 IHVWLYDO RI HOHFWURQLF DUWV EHJLQV ZLWK D VHULHV RI ZHLUG OHIWĂ€HOG PXVLFDO SHUIRUPDQFHV RQ WKH WKHPH RI HQHUJ\ &RPSRVLWLRQV IRU FDULOOLRQ EHOOV VL[ KRXU RUJDQ SLHFHV self constructed instruments, burnLQJ KDUSV DQG PRUH IHDWXUH DFURVV WKH FLW\

Venues across the city til 14th

AV Festival Launch

music

Releases: Alice in Wonderland, Chloe, Legion, Ondine

film

6WUDLJKW RII D SODQH IURP WKH 86$ 6WDUNH\ ZLOO EH EULQJLQJ KLV RZQ XQLTXH VWUHHW EDVV VRXQG WR 'HYLDWH # :+4 $ WUXH OHJHQG LQ KLV RZQ ULJKW 6WDUNH\ ZDV WKH RQO\ 86$ artist to be featured on Mary Anne +REE¡V QRZ OHJHQGDU\ 'XEstep Wars radio show where he astounded everyone with KLV IXULRXV PL[ RI DOO WKLQJV EDVV $Q HVVHQWLDO ZD\ WR VWDUW RII WKH ZHHNHQG

World Headquarters, 23.00, ÂŁ5-ÂŁ7

Deviate presents: Starkey

theCut, 22.30, ÂŁ8

CLEER - AV Festival special with STEFFI (Panoramabar/Berlin)

Cosmic Ballroom, 23.00, ÂŁtbc

Back II Basics Newcastle Presents Wolf + Lamb

clubbing

$ G\QDPLF FDUG JDPH DQG improvised art performance that explores the power of words and the SROLWLFV RI LGHQWLW\ (QWHU D FDVLQR GHFNHG RXW LQ OHDI\ SDOPV ZLWK PXVLF FRFNWDLOV DQG FURVV GUHVVHUV DQG SUHSDUH WR EH JUHHWHG E\ SOD\ers who bet their own money on the comparative power of just two ZRUGV ,QWHUHVWLQJ HQWHUWDLQLQJ DQG GLIIHUHQW

BALTIC , 21.00, free-ÂŁ2 Full preview, page 22-23

AV Festival: Liliane Lijn: Power Game

arts

friday

Cluny, 12.00, ÂŁ15

2N WKLV LV JHWWLQJ ULGLFXORXV QRZ 7KLV IHVWLYDO ORRNV WR SURPRWH 1RUWK East student music in all shapes and IRUPV ZLWK D GD\ FUDPPLQJ FKDPEHU PXVLF HDUO\ PXVLF IRON IUHH improvisation, electronic, laptop and YLGHR ZRUN DQG PRUH 7KH IHVWLYDO climaxes with mad brass action from 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\¡V RZQ 6RXO 6WHZ

Sound 10 Festival

Alice in Wonderland

The Sage, 19.30, ÂŁ19.50

Seth Lakeman

music

8S DQG 2XW LV &KULVWLDQ 0DUFOD\¡V IHDWXUH OHQJWK YLGHR FROODJH LQ ZKLFK 0LFKHODQJHOR $QWRQLRQL¡V PDVWHUSLHFH %ORZ 8S LV RYHUODLG ZLWK WKH VRXQGWUDFN RI %ULDQ 'H 3DOPD¡V WKULOOHU %ORZ 2XW

Tyneside Cinema, 12.00, ÂŁ5-ÂŁ6

AV Festival: Up and Out

film

7KH OHJHQGDU\ FOXE QLJKW SUHVHQWV 5RWWHUGDP EDVHG 0RXVWDFKH 5HFRUGV who promise a joyous journey into the fantastic new sounds FRPLQJ RYHU IURP (XURSHDQ GLVFR 3DUW RI WKH JUHDW $9 IHVWLYDO

Star and Shadow Cinema, 22.00, ÂŁ4

Road to Rimini: Moustache Records Speciale

clubbing

Northern Stage, 19.30, ÂŁ5.50-ÂŁ19 Full preview, page 24

Oh What A Lovely War!

arts

saturday

SKY1, 22.00 Full preview, page 34

House: new series

tv

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Newcastle University Union Basement, 19.00, sold out

Mumford & Sons

For those anarchic music lovers out WKHUH &RXUWQH\ /RYH¡V œ$QDUFKLF 9LROLQLVW¡ LV NHHQ WR VKRZ 1HZFDVWOH ZKDW VKH FDQ GR RQ KHU RZQ <RX ZRXOG QHYHU KDYH WKRXJKW D YLROLQ show could be described as wild and FKDRWLF ,W FDQ

02 Academy, 19.00, ÂŁ12.50

Emilie Autumn - The Asylum Tour

music

A hit at the 53rd London Film )HVWLYDO %HOJLDQ DUWLVW DQG Ă€OPPDNHU -RKDQ *ULPRQSUH] PL[HV 79 and newsreel material to muse on $OIUHG +LWFKFRFN¡V XQLTXH SHUVRQD DQG KXPRXU KROGLQJ XS KLV OHJHQGDU\ Ă€OPV RI WKH ODWH V DQG HDUO\ V DJDLQVW WKH FOLPDWH RI %RPE HUD SROLWLFDO DQ[LHW\

Tyneside Cinema, 12.00, ÂŁ5-ÂŁ6

AV Festival: Johan Grimonprez: Double Take

film

Mumford & Sons at the Union

sunday

Listings by Ciara Littler, Alice Vincent and Gordon Bruce - send your listings to courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk

Culture

22

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Arts

arts

Sound and Vision: AV Festival The Courier’s Arts team wax lyrical about the sights and sounds of the North East’s biggest electronic arts event, the AV Festival %HWZHHQ WKH WK 0DUFK ER\FRWW WKH FLQHPD DEDQGRQ \RXU ' JODVVes and sample some of what the biennial AV Festival has to offer. %DVHG HQWLUHO\ LQ WKH 1RUWK (DVW the event is one of the largest international festivals of electronic arts. 7KLV \HDU¡V RIIHULQJV DUH ELJJHU WKDQ HYHU SUHVHQWLQJ D GLYHUVH SURgramme comprised of 24 exhibiWLRQV SHUIRUPDQFHV VFUHHQLQJV WDONV FOXE QLJKWV DQG V\PSRVLD The Festival features 100 visual DUWLVWV PXVLFLDQV DQG Ă€OPPDNHUV and includes 15 world premieres of new AV festival commissions. 7KH WKHPH RI WKLV \HDU¡V )HVWLYDO LV ÂśHQHUJ\¡ DQG DOO WKH ZRUNV LQ WKH festival respond to this idea in some ZD\ UDQJLQJ IURP VRXQG OLJKW DQG PHFKDQLFDO HQHUJ\ WR WKH VSLULWXDO and human. As well as ticketed events there are SOHQW\ RI IUHH SHUIRUPDQFHV WDONV and events that span the audiovisual spectrum ranging from Will

Schrimshaw: Space Against Itself - a sound installation inside the North 7RZHU RI WKH 7\QH %ULGJH WR Recycled Film which discusses whether UXEELVK VNLSV UHDOO\ DUH WKH ÀOP DUchives of our time. /HJHQGDU\ $PHULFDQ ÀOPPDNHU and writer Kenneth Anger (whose fans include Martin Scorsese and $QG\ :DUKRO DOVR YLVLWV WKH 7\QHside Cinema. Festival director Rebecca Shatwell VD\V œ0DQ\ HYHQWV DUH IUHH DQG ZLOO WDNH \RX WR XQXVXDO ORFDWLRQV DQG landmark buildings in addition to PDQ\ RI WKH UHJLRQ V RXWVWDQGLQJ cultural venues and visitor attractions’. All ticketed events are available to ERRN RQOLQH EXW DFW IDVW DV PDQ\ RI the shows are in high demand and DUH RQO\ RQ RIIHU IRU RQH VKRZ

The Gluts: CafĂŠ Carbon

Their performance also included an LQWHUDFWLYH HOHPHQW E\ DVNLQJ VSHFtators to choose from an ‘indulgent menu’ of songs including Stone Cold Soup A Grand Buffet and Sanity or Madness. With climate change being unGRXEWHGO\ RQH RI WKH PRVW KLJKO\ FRQWHVWHG LVVXHV WRGD\ LW LV XQVXUprising that it has begun to emerge as an artistic subject even more in UHFHQW \HDUV Although such campaigns are WKURZQ DW XV WRGD\ DW D UDWH IDVWHU WKDQ WKH VSHHG RI OLJKW WKLV VWLPXODWLQJ DSSURDFK FRPELQHV SROLWLFV humour and music in an enthusiDVWLF DQG DFFHVVLEOH ZD\ WKDW FRXOG Ă€QDOO\ PDNH SHRSOH IHHO LQYROYHG LQ this issue.

7KH 4XD\VLGH ZLWQHVVHV WKH DUULYDO RI VRPH H[WUHPHO\ FRQWHPSRUDU\ performance art next month in the form of The Gluts: CafÊ Carbon. CafÊ Carbon IHDWXUHV *LQD %LUFK .DIIH 0DWWKHZV DQG +D\OH\ 1HZPDQ aka The Gluts. Although those looking for a quiHW SHQVLYH H[KLELWLRQ PD\ JHW PRUH WKDQ WKH\ EDUJDLQHG IRU ZLWK WKLV WRSLFDO PXVLFDO SHUIRUPDQFH WKH GDUNO\ FRPLFDO DSSURDFK WR UHOHYDQW issues in the form of a video installation is a refreshing alternative to WKH HQGOHVV DSRFDO\SWLF YLHZ ZH DUH used to. When CafÊ Carbon ZDV RULJLQDOO\ performed live in Copenhagen’s EDUV UHVWDXUDQWV DQG VWUHHWV GXULQJ WKH &OLPDWH 6XPPLW 7KH *OXWV ZRUH œVWUDQJHO\ IDVKLRQDEOH XS F\cled carbon-coloured costumes’ in keeping with their political themes.

Sounds of Science 3URGXFHG LQ FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK 1HZFDVWOH 6FLHQFH)HVW Sounds of Science LV D SHUIRUPDQFH E\ IRXU DUWists exploring the science of sound HQHUJ\ French installation group $UWLĂ€FLHO will perform the UK premiere of POWEr FUHDWLQJ OLYH HOHFWULFDO DUFV using Telsa-coil ( a resonant transformer used to produce high alterQDWLQJ FXUUHQW HOHFWULFLW\ ,Q FRPSDULVRQ WR WKHLU SDVW ZRUNV POWEr is spontaneous and uses more complex musical and visual structures. /HH 3DWWHUVRQ¡V Sparklers uses sparklers not for their usual visual qualLW\ EXW UHFRUGV WKH LQWULFDWH VL]]OLQJ

Tickets are available to book at www. avfestival.co.uk Lucy Johnson

CafĂŠ Carbon is performed live on 13th Match 9pm at the Star and Shadow Cinema, tickets ÂŁ6/(ÂŁ5 concessions) Rosie Tallant

7KH 1RUWK (DVW ZHOFRPHV EDFN WKH ELHQQLDO LQWHUQDWLRQDO HOHFWURQLF $9 IHVWLYDO 6SUHDG RYHU D IRUWQLJKW WKH IHVWLYDO FRPELQHV D YDULHW\

sound instead. 3DWWHUVRQ LV QRW RQO\ D VRXQG DUWLVW but also improvising musician and he also performs in an improvising trio with another Sound of Science artist Rhodri Davies. %\ DPSOLI\LQJ DQG PDQLSXODWLQJ VRXQGV WKDW ZRXOG XVXDOO\ UHPDLQ KLGGHQ RU XQQRWLFHG QRW RQO\ ZLWK VSDUNOHUV EXW RWKHU REMHFWV KH KRSHV to evoke other worlds. )URP 5XVVLD (YHOLQD 'RPQLWFK DQG 'PLWU\ *HOIDQG SUHVHQW DQ audio-visual performance called Sonolevitation which uses thin pieces of JROG OHDI VXVSHQGHG E\ WKH SRZHU RI sound waves. 7KH\ EHOLHYH WKDW WKH VFLHQWLĂ€F boundaries of the world still cannot encompass the unrecordable workLQJV RI WKH FRQVFLRXVQHVV VR WU\ WR

investigate the questions of percepWLRQ DQG SHUSHWXDOLW\ Rhodri Davies’ work Dry Ice Harp LV H[DFWO\ ZKDW LV VD\V RQ WKH WLQ DQ HOHFWURQLF KDUS VDW RQ D EORFN RI GU\ ice. This makes the sound of the air HYDSRUDWLQJ RQ WKH KDUS DPSOLÀHG +H LV SDUWLFXODUO\ LQWHUHVWHG LQ H[SORULQJ QRLVH VLOHQFH DQG DEVWUDFtion and often does duet and group improvisations performances. This particular performance will ORRN DW WKH FRQWUDGLFWRU\ DQG FRPSOLPHQWDU\ à X[ EHWZHHQ FRPSRVLtion and improvisation. Sounds of Science is performed at The Sage Gateshead on Saturday 13 March 6.30pm. £8/(£6 concessions). Hannah Davey

Rivers 2Q $9 IHVWLYDO¡V Ă€QDO GD\ DQ DXGLR treat is in store in the form of a concert at The Sage Gateshead entitled Rivers. The premise of this concert is based on underwater recording from Northumberland Rivers. ,Q WKUHH LQWHUQDWLRQDO VRXQG DUWLVWV .DIIH 0DWWKHZV /HH 3DWterson and Jana Winderen visited Northumberland and recorded its rivers using underwater microphones. )URP WKH 5LYHU &RTXHW WR WKH lesser-known River Till and one of LWV WULEXWDULHV WKH 5LYHU *OHQ WKH WULR PDGH Ă€HOG UHFRUGLQJV RI WKH ULYHU networks just down the road from

RXU YHU\ RZQ FDPSXV 6WDUWLQJ ZLWK VXFK SRZHUIXO V\Pbols of nature the artists were able to incorporate the underwater recordings and produce sounds bursting ZLWK WKH GUDPDWLF HQHUJ\ HFRORJ\ and destructive power of our rivers and environment. Not often is there DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR KHDU VXFK GLYHUVH work and original recordings incorporating sounds from rivers. With these three working together the sound produced can be nothing VKRUW RI G\QDPLF DQG GLYHUVH DQG GHĂ€QLWHO\ ZRUWK D OLVWHQ Rivers will be performed at the Sage Gateshead on Sunday 14 March, 3pm. ÂŁ8/ÂŁ6 concessions). Olivia Mason

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

23

Arts Culture Arts Editor: Stephanie Ferrao - courier.culture-arts@ncl.ac.uk

2010 in the North East this week C. HAYEUR

$UWLÀFLDO Condemned Bulbes In sync with the festival’s theme of HQHUJ\ ZKDW FRXOG UHà HFW LW EHWter than an exhibition comprised of oversized beaming light bulbs. This obscure display has been called Artifciel: Condemned Bulbes, and will hang in the stunning hall of WKH 'LVFRYHU\ 0XVHXP The exhibiton has been created by Montreal based artists Alexandre Burton, Jimmy Lakatos and Julien Roy, and uses the humble lightbulb to create a thoroughly original display of artistic expression. As electricity passes through a special dimmer, the dozens of bulb coils

Charlemagne Palestine There’s nothing boring or conventional about the performances planned by maverick composer Charlemagne Palestine. In a fusion of music and performance art, the supposed ‘bad boy’ of music’s minimalist movement promises a trilogy of mind-altering and experimental shows. Kicking off on the 5th of March, Palestine’s Ă€UVW VHW PDUNV WKH RSHQLQJ RI WKH $9 Festival’s night time events. In the performance, the audience is treated to a special UK premiere of Palestine’s new work Carillon Bells using the 25 bells of Newcastle’s Civic Centre, which the performer XVHV KLV Ă€VWV DQG IHHW WR SOD\ WKH keyboard and pedals. The following evening is a solo organ performance of Schlingen Blangen - an epic work that slowly builds over six hours (yes, hours!) into a crescendo of layered tones. If you can’t quite hack half a day of it, rest assured that guests are invited to pop by for any length of the recital.

English Journey Revisited RI DUWIRUPV LQFOXGLQJ H[KLELWLRQV SHUIRUPDQFH DUW PXVLF ÂżOP VFUHHQLQJV DQG FOXE QLJKWV WR IRUP D XQLTXH FXOWXUDO H[SHULHQFH

Power Game Like your art to be something out of the ordinary? Then Power Game could be the piece for you. Featuring Liliane Lijn and a host of cross-dressing croupiers, this interactive performance explores the power of words, politics and identity through a dynamic card game involving members of the public. Power Game uses art to depict political issues, as well as aiming to make people more aware of the words they use in every day life and how these affect people around them. Liliane stages BALTIC as a casino, complete with cocktails, music and

leafy palms, where onlookers are invited to exchange a minimum of £2 for playing chips. Once part of the gambling, players bet on the comparative power of two words. The resulting effect is of words becoming something other than simply oral sounds and taking on a value that we would not usually perceive them to have. Participants and onlookers are also prompted to consider the concept of identity through the deceptions that often feature in card games. This is exaggerated through the cross-dressing card dealers, whose blurred gender identity may inspire a more personal character examination. The piece’s original success in 1974 was apparent through the

LQYROYHPHQW RI ÀOP GLUHFWRU 'HUHN Jarman in its games, who bet with his own money on the power of the chosen words. As a casino performance, it will be a late night show from 9pm until 11.30pm, the perfect time to gamble away at least part of your loan in return for some ardent self-examination. So if you fancy a bit of Friday night culture with a twist, Power Game could be the place to relieve yourself of some spare change, or just watch other poor students do so. Power Game will be performed at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art on Friday 5th March. Rosie Tallant

Rounding off a fortnight of electronic arts, cult graphic novelist Alan 0RRUH DQG LFRQLF ZULWHU DQG Ă€OP maker Iain Sinclair premiere a new audio-visual project inspired by J.B. 3ULHVWOH\¡V UHQRZQHG QRQ Ă€Ftion classic, English Journey. 0RRUH DQG 6LQFODLU UHĂ HFW XSRQ this and their own personal journeys up north. Their combined interest in psychogeography is shown in the reference WR 1RUWK (DVW LQĂ XHQFHV ZKLFK range from Morden Tower’s poets, to local artist John Martin, to ghosts on Lindisfarne Island, and even to Jimi Hendrix’s busking days in Newcastle. Collectivizing these experiences, Sinclair and Moore present a contemporary creative journey, rich with social observations and musing for the future. The soundscape of the performance is provided by musicians Stephen O’ Malley (of drone-rock EDQG 6XQ 2 '0 (LQKHLW RI V *HU-

light up the blackened Great Hall at WKH 'LVFRYHU\ 0XVHXP The oversized bulbs are a bright H[SUHVVLRQ RI HQHUJ\ DPSOLĂ€HG E\ the audio sounds of an electric chorus. As the bulbs ignite, spectators can watch the ordinary become extraordinary as a mundane necessity of domestic life becomes both magQLĂ€HG DQG HQHUJL]HG The three artists have worked together to create a visually eclectic collection of light and sound energy which makes this exhibition one to watch. $UWLĂ€FLHO LV RQ DW WKH 'LVFRYHU\ 0XVHum from Friday 5 to Sunday 14 March. Fiona McCutcheon Palestine’s musical performances run alongside a new art installation also by the composer. Beardemonium tintinnabulum is psychedelic piece, fashioned out of 1,500 teddy bears. The exhibition, which is being displayed at the Hatton Gallery is well worth a look on its own or as part of a wider appreciation of Palestine’s creative ability across the disciplines. Along with his exhibition, the three evening performances are likely to be in demand as the artist is known as something of a living legend, famed for his eccentric behaviour. It has been said of the musician that his work requires a high level of commitment from his listeners as he makes use of slow and sustained build ups which can be hard to digest for an audience accustomed to a fast paced modern world. Hard work? Yes, but worth it. Charlemagne Palestine is performing in venues across Newcastle between Friday 5 and Sunday 7 March. Rosamund Fraser man band EinstĂźrzende Neubauten, and Susan Stenger. Writing and performing in the show, Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair are certainly no strangers to social commentary themselves. Moore’s groundbreaking graphic novels (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell) and their watered-down blockbuster adaptations covered themes ranging from anarchy as an alternative political movement, to the paranoia of the Cold War years. Sinclair is best-known for his breakthrough novel Downriver andhas contributed a new moving image work in collaboration with artist *UDKDP 'ROSKLQ This reworking promises ‘new observations and predictions for the future’, and with the country still deep in recession and unemployment at its highest since 1997, there has perhaps never been a better time to return to Priestley’s work. English Journey Revisited is to be performed at the Sage Gateshead on Sunday 14 March, 8:00 pm. Elliot Bentley

24

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Arts

arts stage

Spectacular operatics Rosie Tallant on a series of librettos that are taking theatres by storm The nationally celebrated Opera North takes over the Theatre Royal IRU Ă€YH QLJKWV WKLV 0DUFK GHPRQstrating the depth of its talent with three dramatically different performances. The chosen operas include Puccini’s La Boheme, a heartbreaking story of impossible love, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s witty melodrama, Ruddigore 7KHVH ZLOO SOD\ DORQJVLGH 0Rzart’s famous opera Cosi fan tutte. Phyllida Lloyd’s highly successful 1993 production of La Boheme is revived by Peter Relton who directs WKH WUDJLF WDOH RI \RXQJ ORYH LQ V Paris. La Boheme follows the young poet Rodolfo as he falls irrevocably in ORYH ZLWK KLV QHLJKERXU 0LPL ZKLOH KLV IULHQG 0DUFHOOR WDNHV XS ZLWK 3DULVLDQ SURVWLWXWH 0XVHWWD But the blossoming of these affairs takes a tragic turn with the news RI 0LPL¡V LOOQHVV ZKLFK WHDUV WKHLU lives apart and brings the opera to a tragic end. The raucous Bohemian atmosphere is recreated beautifully by the cast, which includes Turkish tenor BĂźlent BezdĂźz, making his Opera North debut as Rodolfo. French soprano Anne Sophie DuSUHOV VLQJV 0LPu IUHVK IURP KHU

performance in The Adventures of Mr %URXĀHN last autumn. With returning performers whose SDVW SURGXFWLRQV UDQJH IURP 0DGDPH %XWWHUà \ WR 6ZHHQH\ 7RGG La Boheme is teeming with talent, vigour and passion. Next on Opera North’s list of vibrant performances is the witty Ruddigore, a Victorian melodrama given a new freshness by director Jo Davies. Here the story of Robin Oakapple’s on-off romance with the faultOHVVO\ YLUWXRXV 5RVH 0D\EXG XQUDYels amongst a parody of disguises and curses. Robin inherits a family curse causing him to commit a crime a day for the rest of his life. However, as a reluctant villain, his troubles begin when he proves to be less than up to the task. Ruddigore’s questionable lovers are played by Australian baritone Grant Doyle and returning star Amy Freston. The production also features South 6KLHOGV ERUQ $QQH 0DULH 2ZHQV who previously appeared in Salome in 2006. With such a sensational tale of deception and disguise, Ruddigore is set to be unmissable. 7KH ÀQDO RSHUD LQ WKLV LPSUHVVLYH repertoire, Cosi fan tutte, will play for one night only. This comic tale of disguise and seduction brings to life its dark undertones through a lively young cast and sumptuous costumes. This is the tale of the sly Don Alfonso, who offers a bet to two young PHQ WKDW WKHLU ÀDQFpV ZLOO QRW VWD\ IDLWKIXO ZKHQ WHVWHG DQG WKH\ FRQÀdently accept.

Mamma Mia!: scene from Puccini’s La Boheme - one of three librettos performed as part of Opera North at the Theatre Royal

But behind this seemingly harmless wager lies a darker purpose that will only emerge through the ensuing game of deception and desire. Tim Albery’s vibrant production features Geoffrey Dolton as the manipulative Don Alfonso, a role

which he received high acclaim for LQ WKH VKRZ¡V Ă€UVW UXQ With these three vivacious performances in one week, opera regulars and newcomers alike are in for a treat next month. Audiences are sure to be dazzled by the wit and

passion of the narratives, and may even discover a passion of their own through the dynamic energy of these performers. Opera North is on at the Theatre Royal from March 2-4.

art

stage

photography

Home Sweet Home

Oh What a Lovely War!

Happy Snapping

There’s no place like home, according to a new exhibition, as Ciara Littler reports With winter dragging on and the northern chill continuing to bite, I bet there’s no-one out there who doesn’t enjoy the comfort of their own home (or room!) on a snowy and wind-swept night. 7KH 0XVKURRP :RUNV¡ QHZ H[KLbition Home Sweet Home raises these exact questions, exploring how we DV LQGLYLGXDOV GHĂ€QH ÂśKRPH¡ Combining the work of a varied number of practitioners, this great gallery/studio space in the Ouseburn Valley gives us a peak through WKH ZLQGRZ RI ZKDW RWKHUV GHĂ€QH DV home. Incorporating techniques from illustration to sculpture, painting to furniture design, this exhibition shows the different reactions of artists to the concept of home. 3DLQWHU *HRUJH 0XQWRQ VHHV KRPH in the sweeping landscapes of the Yorkshire he grew up in, whereas

furniture designer and maker Nick -DPHV GHĂ€QHV KRPH DV DQ LQVLGH place to sit back and relax at the end of the day in the company of family. To artist Sarah Blood, home is about a feeling of belonging and comfort, surrounded by friends and in good company; it’s about people rather than place. So whether you’re a homebody or prefer to be on the move, not a fan of settling down for too long, it’s interesting to think of what we call home, and how we feel when we’re there. 8QL LV SUREDEO\ WKH Ă€UVW WLPH PDQ\ RI XV ZLOO KDYH OHIW WKH ÂśKRPH¡ ZH grew up in, but is this time just a momentary move away from the comforts of our parents’ house, or is this a time for creating new homes for ourselves? And they want to know what you think - there will be a discussion board in the gallery for you to you to reveal what it is that you decide is your home. Home, Sweet Home is on at Mushroom Works 26th Feb – 20th March 2010

Lucy Hadley on a satirical classic at the Northern Stage What better way to usher in Northern Stage’s 40th birthday this spring than by attending its production of the landmark satirical musical, Oh What a Lovely War! This seminal text created from Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop in LV QRW RQO\ D PDJQLÀFHQW VWRU\ but has come to hold a distinct place in the canon of war literature. The ironies and tragedies of the First World War are retold through song, sketches and an ensemble of characters - from the lowly Tommy to the most senior generals. The poignant mix between humour and tragedy has ensured that Oh What A Lovely War! is not only loved by audiences, but has been celebrated as an important exploration of the futility of World War One. The musical explores the misguided optimism and patriotism that marked the beginning of the

war, the touching Christmas Truce between English and German soldiers, and the ultimate futility of a FRQà LFW LQ ZKLFK PLOOLRQ SHRSOH were killed. A collection of poignant, touching and funny songs are used to tell the story – including classics such as It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, Pack up Your Troubles, Keep the Home Fires Burning and Oh It’s a Lovely War. The production is jointly directed by the Northern Stage’s Creative Director Erica Whyman and Sam Kenyon, who promise to combine their extensive experience of theatre and musicals to produce a remarkable ensemble piece. The musical is truly original in theatre terms as it offers a satirical ORRN DW RQH RI WKH JUHDWHVW FRQà LFWV in world history, and is a spectacle of song and sketches that allow it to entertain as well as inform. This touching, comic and timely piece is a truly original piece of theatre which is guaranteed to generate as much emotion as laughter. Oh What a Lovely War is on at the Northern Stage from 6-27th March

Fancy yourself as an aspiring photographer of the natural elements? Have an eye for discovering raw and imaginative images or capturing ones alike of the ZRUOG¡V PRVW LQĂ XHQWLDO DQG staggering architecture? Then this is an opportunity for you to win the chance of landing yourself a photographic commisVLRQ ZRUWK Â… RU Â… ZRUWK of camera equipment vouchers with the 2nd and 3rd prizes being only marginally less. ADP Architects are behind the competition and this year’s theme has been designed to focus on architecture within the natural world. The organisers add that the fantastic nature of the competition aims to exhibit and propel new and exciting young photographers in a cost friendly manner. The closing date is 31st 0DUFK For more information on the competition visit its website at www. adp-architects.co.uk Daisy Wallis

26

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Film

film

The 82nd Academy Awards special the debate Are the Oscars overrated? Chris Binding When the word Oscar comes to mind, the connotations that arise are of quality, prestige and success. Since 1929, the Academy Awards have been a sign of achievement and success bringing the top talents RI WKH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ WRJHWKHU IRU a night of entertainment like no other. Although the ceremony is a little over theatrical, the importance and longevity of being nominated or receiving an Oscar embodies cultural and artistic acceptance, with worldwide broadcasting leading to international recognition. Being associated with an Oscar can launch careers and affect box RIĂ€FH VXFFHVV LQ D VLJQLĂ€FDQW ZD\ HQVXULQJ WKH OLIH VSDQ RI D Ă€OP IRU decades to come. 7KH FHUHPRQ\ DOVR UHĂ HFWV VRFLDO and cultural change with The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow’s potential WR EH WKH Ă€UVW IHPDOH WR ZLQ EHVW director, showing progress in an LQGXVWU\ WKDW VLQFH WKH ¡V KDV been largely male dominated. The Oscars’ importance is also

measured in the impact they have culturally and socially: foreign ÀOPV WKDW DUH QRPLQDWHG FDQ UDLVH SXEOLFLW\ WR LQWHUQDWLRQDO ÀOP markets, acting as a catalyst to help IRUHLJQ ÀOP LQGXVWULHV JDLQ ZLGHU audiences and grow commercially. The categories, ranging from the coveted best picture to best sound and newcomer, attempt to give a ZLGH ÀHOG RI UHFRJQLWLRQ ZKLOH WKH acceptance speeches, presenters and drama guarantee entertaining, humorous viewing. Although the awards receive criticism, their average viewing audience of billions worldwide makes them a cultural event that undeniably generates huge hype and expectation. Yes, the ceremony is schmaltzy, XQ WDVWHIXO DQG KDV D URRP ÀOOHG with enough ego to power a country. But the symbol of the gold VWDWXHWWH FDUULHV D OHJDF\ RI ÀOP originating from the conception of Hollywood itself. Whether you agree with the Oscars or not they will continue to thrive, showcasing talent, debate and cringe–worthy acceptance speeches for years to come.

Matthew Blackwell

A night with Oscar: who will take home the coveted gold statue this year?

A lengthy award ceremony, gushing tears and, thankfully, a forty ÀYH VHFRQG FDS RQ WKH DFFHSWDQFH speech. It’s that time of the year again; the most prestigious awards LQ WKH ÀOP LQGXVWU\ WKH 2VFDUV will be screened in America on the WK RI 0DUFK But are they worth the very gold those coveted statues are made from, or are they the pretentious remnants of an anachronistic tradition? 0\ ÀUVW SUREOHP ZLWK WKHP LV the nomination process itself - the $FDGHP\ RI 0RWLRQ 3LFWXUH $UWV and Sciences, the elitist, invitationonly voting body is made up of 5,835 members, of whom twenty two percent are actors and many of the others work in the entertainment industry in various capacities. This creates an inherent bias, as ELJ EXGJHW ÀOPV ZLWK $ OLVW VWDUV and successful directors/producers/cinematographers etc will pull in nominations simply because they have had Academy members

working on them. Several other biases can be added to this, including a failure to acknowledge independent and IRUHLJQ Ă€OPV LQ DQ\ RI WKH ÂśELJ Ă€YH¡ categories, and the fact that horURUV VFL Ă€¡V IDQWDVLHV FRPHGLHV DQG DQLPDWHG Ă€OPV UDUHO\ ZLQ A little number crunching leads to the worrying statistic that 46% of all Oscar wins have gone to Ă€OPV ODEHOOHG DV ÂśGUDPDV¡ DQG surprise, surprise, this year, Up in the Air, The Hurt Locker and Precious, in short: three dramas, are all tied with four nominations in the Ă€YH PRVW HVWHHPHG FDWHJRULHV RI Best Picture, Best leading Actor/ Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay. In order to gain a slightly more balanced perspective, one that is DEOH WR DFNQRZOHGJH WKDW Ă€OP FDQ exist outside of Hollywood and still be good, look no further than the Palme d’Or. This is the highest prize in the Cannes Film Festival with a long history, having being awarded to American, Greek, Algerian and ,UDQLDQ Ă€OPV WR QDPH D IHZ

Who will be the big winners this year?

Oscars through the years

Adam Williams and -DPHV )DLUĂ€HOG give us their Oscars predictions

Alex Murray looks back at her best and worst moments from previous years

Adam Williams It’s that time of year again as HolO\ZRRG¡V Ă€QHVW JR KHDG WR KHDG IRU the prestigious award. The major change from last year has been the decision to increase the number of nominees in the Best Picture FDWHJRU\ IURP Ă€YH WR WHQ This has meant there’s a couple of surprising inclusions like District 9 and Up, only the second animated Ă€OP HYHU WR EH QRPLQDWHG IRU %HVW Picture. The odds on favourite is Avatar; GHHSO\ Ă DZHG DV LW PD\ EH WKH UHFRUG EUHDNLQJ ER[ RIĂ€FH WDNLQJV and pioneering 3D technology mean it’s a certainty for the top prize. Director James Cameron is also likely to pick up the Best Director honour but he will face tough competition from his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Bigelow would be the Ă€UVW ZRPDQ WR ZLQ WKH DZDUG EXW it’s unlikely she’ll be able to stop the Avatar juggernaut, despite completing a BAFTA double in the aforementioned two categories recently. The awards for Best Actor and Best Actress are always tough to call and this year is no different. British hopefuls Colin Firth and &DUH\ 0XOOLJDQ ERWK WULXPSKHG DW

the BAFTAs but are rank outsiders KHUH DORQJ ZLWK +HOHQ 0LUUHQ WKH\ look unlikely to win. Firth’s performance in A Single Man won him the Bafta, but I think Jeff Bridges will take the award for Crazy Heart; he’s already won the Golden Globe for best actor and, having never won an Oscar before, the Academy will feel this is the right time for him to win. Perennial favourites Sandra BulORFN DQG 0HU\O 6WUHHS DUH WKH IDvourites for the Best Actress award and I think Bullock will win for her role in the critically acclaimed The Blind Side. -DPHV )DLUÀHOG :LWK WKHUH QRZ EHLQJ WHQ ÀOPV QRPLQDWHG IRU EHVW ÀOP \RX ZRXOG think that it would be harder to pick a winner, however this year the competition still remains amongst a few. While Avatar LV GHÀQLWHO\ D ODQGPDUN ÀOP SUHVHQWLQJ WKH ZRUOG with a truly remarkable spectacle of technological effects and a JOLPSVH RI WKH IXWXUH RI ÀOPPDNLQJ 0\ SLFN IRU WKH 2VFDU IRU best is the more subtle and poignant war drama The Hurt Locker. Set in the ongoing Iraq war, The Hurt Locker focuses on the tour of an army bomb squad unit and their newest addition to the team, Staff Sergeant William James, played

expertly by the fairly unknown Jeremy Renner (28 Weeks Later). :KLOH PRVW ZDU ÀOPV à DXQW patriotism and honour to get an Academy look in, The Hurt Locker offers a fresh take on the dynamic RI ZDU VSHFLÀFDOO\ WKH DGGLFWLRQ WR it. For SSG William James the reZDUGLQJ SDUW RI KLV MRE LV QRW ÀQGing weapons of mass destruction or accomplishing peace, he lives for the adrenaline ride of diffusing bombs and facing the prospect of death every day of his tour. This may seem a little bit too controversial for the Academy, however the two fundamental reaVRQV ZK\ WKLV ÀOP ZRUNV VR ZHOO are Kathryn Bigelow’s sublime direction and Jeremy Renner’s fantastic leading performance, both of which deserve Oscars in their appropriate categories. Uninterested in trying to justify or condemn the Iraq war, Bigelow aims to capture the nature of the war zone and succeeds in creating one of the most tense atmospheres committed to celluloid. So while I’d give the big three to The Hurt Locker bunch, the best actress would have to go to newcomer Gabourey Sidibe for her tear jerking performance in the heart breaking Precious. It is fairly brutal to watch but this is simply down to how well Sidibe plays her damaged character.

The best bits

Best of the bad

1. It may not be an acceptance speech but let’s not forget the streaker! As David Niven was busy presenting, an entirely naked man felt it was his duty to run out across the stage. Niven simply quipped: “The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings!â€? 2. Italian Director Roberto Benigni was so excited at the sound of his own name he stood on the back of his seat and climbed over fellow audience members, getting the crowd all riled up; a truly European moment for the usually stuffy event. ,W LV DOVR GLIĂ€FXOW QRW WR PHQWLRQ %HQ $IĂ HFN DQG 0DWW 'DPRQ who took a leaf out of Cuba’s book and went all crazy on us! Good speech though and fun to watch, a rarity for the Oscars! 4. Who could possibly forget the erratic acceptance given by Cuba Gooding Jr? Funny to watch, but seriously, was he high? 5. When Adrian Brody won Best Actor not only did he cop a full-on smooch with presenter Halle Berry and get two standing ovations, he even managed to stop those infamous musicians from shooing him off the stage, saying “cut it out, I got one shot at this!â€? Ballsy!

1. In at my number one is the very disturbing rendition of Disney’s Snow White. Rob Lowe and a dressed up Snow did a little panto number at the 1989 show. This is something I wouldn’t even expect from amateurs let alone the creative minds of the Academy! 2. David Letterman. Why was David Letterman presenting the 2VFDUV LQ WKH ÀUVW SODFH DQG ZK\ was there a mechanical dog on the stage? Why was he allowed to ask Tom Hanks, yes Tom Hanks, to put out a carpet for the dog to do tricks on?! Farcical! 3. Angelina Jolie stood at the podium declaring her undying love for her brother. It wouldn’t have been too bad if she hadn’t played tongue tennis with him on the red carpet for the paparazzi. One word – incest. 4. Gwyneth Paltrow anyone? Need I say more? 5. Speaking of which we mustn’t leave out Halle Berry’s tear jerking performance when she won for Best Actress, one of the longest acceptance speeches in Oscar history. Why don’t they ever just say thank you? Let’s hope for some more corkers at this year’s show on Sunday!

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

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Film Culture Film Editor: Frances Kroon - courier.culture-film@ncl.ac.uk

reviews The Lovely Bones Director: Peter Jackson Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci Run time: 135 Mins

Peter Jackson, director of Lord of the Rings and King Kong, makes his return to the big screen with this adaption of Alice Sebold’s 2002 book of the same name. The story centres on a teenage girl, Susie Salmon (Ronan), who is murdered by sinister neighbour

George Harvey on her way home from school. Initially detailing her typical teenDJH OLIH WKH Ă€ OP VSOLWV LQWR GLV tinct parts after her untimely death. Most of the time is spent following Susie’s parents Abigail (Weisz) and Jack (Wahlberg) and their attempts to cope with their daughter’s death. -DFN¡V GHVLUH WR Ă€ QG KLV GDXJKWHU¡V killer becomes obsessive and puts a strain on his relationship with his wife, although this is a tad underdeveloped in comparison with the source material. 0HDQZKLOH 6XVLH Ă€ QGV KHUVHOI trapped in the afterlife, unable to come to terms with her death. These lavish sequences are often reminiscent of Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, certainly beautiful but perhaps without some of the charm

RI ODVW \HDU¡V 7HUU\ *LOOLDP Ă€ OP Those scenes are merely a distraction as we see events in the real world unfold. The suspicion around Harvey increases, the stand RXW SHUIRUPDQFH RI WKH Ă€ OP FRPLQJ from Stanley Tucci in this role. His SRUWUD\DO JLYHV WKH Ă€ OP PXFK RI LWV suspense, culminating in a sublime Rear Window-esque sequence at the HQG RI WKH Ă€ OP The cast is the strongest point of WKH Ă€ OP WKH LPSHFFDEOH 7XFFL LV well deserving of his recent Oscar nomination and joining him is the always enjoyable Rachel Weisz as mother Abigail as well as an unusually decent performance from Mark Wahlberg as her father. Susan Sarandon’s role as a an alcohol-fuelled grandmother SURYLGHV WKH Ă€ OP ZLWK VRPH OLJKW

comic relief while relative unknown 5RVH 0F,YHU SXWV LQ D WHUULÀ FDOO\ understated performance as Susie’s inquisitive sister Lindsay. Occasionally the script descends into something of a sentimental mush but Jackson always keeps WKH À OP YLVXDOO\ LQWHUHVWLQJ HYHQ

with a running time of two-and-a quarter hours.

A Single Man

6RPH RI WKH PRVW FRPSHOOLQJ À OPV of the past few years have been those concerned with gay issues – Brokeback Mountain and Milk have been constantly referenced not only for their sensitivity to the issues

they present, but with how well they present them. A Single Man seems to be the newest addition to this growing list. 7KH Ă€ OP WHOOV WKH VWRU\ RI *HRUJH Falconer (Colin Firth), a gay English Professor living in Los Angeles in the ‘60s who has decided that today will be his last. After struggling to cope after the death of his long-term partner Jim (Matthew Goode) and not being allowed to attend his funeral, George uses the day to get his affairs in order, reminisce about his time with Jim and spend time with those he wants to say goodbye to. 7KH Ă€ OP LV XQGHUVWDQGDEO\ ORZ on action, but it more than makes up for it with scenes positively

bursting with emotion, beauty and pathos. Each actor in the small cast is perfectly chosen with Julianne Moore as George’s lifelong friend and former lover Charley and Nicholas +RXOW DV WKH FXULRXV à LUWDWLRXV VWX dent Kenny particular standouts. +RZHYHU WKLV À OP ZRXOG EH nothing without Colin Firth. He LV PDJQLÀ FHQW DV *HRUJH DW RQFH completely restrained and yet letting the audience experience every feeling along with him. Much has been made of director Tom Ford’s past as an international fashion designer, and his eye for style and detail is stamped all over WKH À OP (YHU\ VKRW IURP VHW DQG props to cinematography has been

meticulously conceived and beautifully made real. Particularly brilliant is how the FRORXULQJ RI WKH À OP FKDQJHV DV George’s emotions do, becoming washed out and vivid as his day takes its emotional twists and turns. 7KLV UHDOO\ LV D ORYHO\ À OP WR ORRN at. /XFNLO\ WKLV LV D EULOOLDQW À OP LQ more than simply a visual way – tender, moving and at times far warmer and funnier than the subject matter would imply, A Single 0DQ LV RQH RI WKH À OPV RI WKH \HDU so far.

tion, directed by Michael Hoffman. It deftly and smoothly tells the story of Valentin Bulgakov (McAvoy) a young Russian Tolstoyan who became Tolstoy’s (Plummer) personal secretary at the end of his life in 1910. He watches as that celebrity takes a toll on Tolstoy’s personal life in a way that he hadn’t expected, particularly in the relationship between Tolstoy and his wife, Sofya (Mirren). The script is fantastic, and the pacing is brisk and engaging, but the credit for the passion and emotion of the movie certainly goes to the phenomenal acting done by the extremely talented cast. While it’s fun to watch Helen Mirren send Sofya into enraged

hysterics at the actions of both Tolstoy and his band of followers, WKH KHDUW RI WKLV Ă€ OP LV LQ KRZ WKH relationships are cunningly and subtly portrayed. The viewer cannot help but understand exactly why Sofya and Tolstoy have loved each other for so long, and why the Tolstoyans considered Sofya a “very dangerous womanâ€? to their cause. Her Oscar nomination for this role is one that is well deserved. Plummer lends a tenderness to Tolstoy that despite the constant churnings of his home life is a constant thread WKURXJK WKH Ă€ OP -DPHV *DQGROĂ€ QL VXPPRQV XS KLV most villainous nature in playing the leader of the Tolstoyans, Vladamir Chertkov, even though the

character himself is not a villain in the strictest sense of the word. $QG À QDOO\ 0F$YR\ PDQDJHV WR bring in a wide-eyed naivety to the À OP ZLWKRXW PDNLQJ LW VHHP WULWH RU irritating. Even if you don’t know anything about Russian literature or philosophy, The Last Station provides an elegantly told story about life and love. The genuineness of both the script and the acting makes this one RI WKH EHVW À OPV , KDYH VHHQ WKLV year.

Director: Tom Ford Cast: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Mathew Goode, Nicholas Hoult Runtime: 120 mins

The Last Station Director: Michael Hoffman Cast: James McAvoy, Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer Runtime: 112 mins

There’s a mystique that surrounds celebrities; people want to be around them, they want to listen to their ideas and in a manner, possess their works. Leo Tolstoy’s followers took that desire to an extreme, and that is SUHVHQWHG LQ WKH À OP The Last Sta-

Adam Williams

Joe Skrebels

Camila Tessler

dvd The Horseman Director: Steven Kastrissios Cast: Peter Marshall, Caroline Marohasy Runtime: 94 mins

‘You like football?’ asks Peter Marshall’s vengeful crusader before LQĂ DWLQJ VRPH SRRU VRXO¡V VFURWXP with an air pump.

Such extreme moments are likely to be what you will take away if you decide to watch this Australian straight to dvd release - which is a shame, as there is a lot to admire about this indie revenge drama. However the more tender moments are entirely eclipsed by the gratuitous amount of body torture on screen. The story follows a bereaved IDWKHU ZKR DIWHU À QGLQJ RXW WKDW his daughter has taken a heroin overdose discovers that she was inYROYHG LQ D SRUQ À OP VKRUWO\ EHIRUH VKH WRRN KHU À QDO KLW Thus he sets of on a bloody quest

WR À QG RXW ZKR ZDV UHVSRQVLEOH IRU his daughter’s death. On this violent journey he befriends a teenage run-away girl,

played by Caroline Marohasy, and the two form a fairly sweet if not a little odd relationship that is the centrepiece and really the best part of this torture odyssey. The two leading performances are pretty solid and well written for each other, Marshall’s Christian taking the role of mentor to Marohasy’s inexperienced Alice. However while they may be the Ă€ OP¡V RQO\ VDYLQJ JUDFH 6WHYHQ Kastrissios’s direction is big let down. :KLOH WKH ULJKW LQĂ XHQFHV DUH there, primarily Get Carter, Old Boy and Dead Man’s Shoes the ending

product here is fairly sloppy. 7KH Ă€ JKW FKRUHRJUDSK\ LV DPDWHXU at best and the shaky editing does not help the situation either. ,I \RX¡UH LQWR \RXU WRUWXUH Ă€ OPV then this might be the right world FLQHPD Ă€ OP IRU \RX LI \RX¡UH looking for something with a little depth then this will feel like a missed opportunity. There is enough on screen talent and a potentially good story here to make D GHFHQW Ă LFN KRZHYHU .DVWULVVLRV has opted for shocks and thrills rather than hearts and minds. -DPHV )DLUĂ€ HOG

28

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Music

Exclusive blogs and features >>>thecourieronline.co.uk/music

music interview

7KH 'UXPV: slap, bang, and slap again %HQ 7UDYLV HQWHUV WKH VWUDQJH ZRUOG RI WKH RYHUQLJKW VHQVDWLRQV IURP 1HZ <RUN Following the release of their de but E.P ‘Summertime!’, the hype DURXQG 1HZ <RUN¡V 7KH 'UXPV KDV grown and grown. With a light sound obviously in Ă XHQFHG E\ WKH OLNHV RI 7KH %HDFK %R\V 7KH &XUH DQG 7KH 6KDQJUL Las, their singles /HW¡V *R 6XUĂ€QJ and I Felt Stupid have only served to bring them further attention from both critics and audiences, to the extent that they were named as NME’s top tipped band for 2010. Their gig at Newcastle’s O2 Academy as part of the NME tour PDUNHG WKHLU Ă€UVW YLVLW WR WKH 8. DQG WKHLU Ă€UVW H[SHULHQFH RI WRXU ing with some of the biggest indie bands at the moment. “Everyone seems nice,â€? says lead singer Jonathan Pierce. “Although there’s one guy from The Macca bees who I know is evil ... I’m jok ing!’ Following their performance, WKH EDQG VHHP UHOD[HG HDV\ JRLQJ and pleased with their reception. “We jumped around like idiots until we got everyone’s attention,â€? admits guitarist Jacob, who further confesses to throwing a tambourine into the crowd, only for it to hit a girl at the front in the face. Ouch. 7KH VXFFHVV RI WKHLU DIRUH PHQ tioned E.P ‘Summertime!’ was, explains Jonathan, a complete sur prise to the band. “When we recorded it, we hadn’t done a single concert, we hadn’t done anything ... but we really be lieve in these songs.â€? Not only this, but Jacob declares that, “I can’t play chords... I can only play our songs!â€?. They note, however, that this gives them a unique position that separates them from the modern music culture of remixes and cov ers. “[With the rise in remixes] peo ple forgot about the album ... we

wanted to write a proper album.� :LWK WKHLU GHEXW IXOO OHQJWK DO bum forthcoming, I ask what else we can expect from The Drums in the future. “We’ll be playing festivals. I don’t know which ones, but we’re doing a whole festival tour.� They can also be seen in May sup porting Florence + The Machine on her upcoming Cosmic Love tour, an act whom they admit to admiring. “It’s rare that someone like Flor

ence comes along, she’s got such a presence,â€? explains Jonathan. And can we expect more whistling on the album, I ask, referencing the frequency of this on the E.P. “We’re not even good whistlers,â€? Jacob sheepishly discloses. “We DXWR WXQHG ZKLVWOLQJ >RQ 6XPPHU time].â€? :LWK WKH Ă€UVW QLJKW RI WKH WRXU over, and the interview almost done, the band discuss what they plan to do in their free time.

“I’m looking forward to some free time, so we can wrestle each other!â€? says Jonathan. Jacob replies, “What, arm wrestle?â€?, “No – full body wrestling,â€? deadpans Jonathan. “Oh goshâ€?. Oh gosh, indeed. 7KHQ IURP OHIWĂ€HOG ´'R \RX ZDQW to slap him?â€? I look up, Jonathan is asking me. “That would be really cool if you could.â€? After making sure I won’t get sued (“we have tour insurance,â€? they claim), I oblige, being slightly

comforted by Jacob’s sentiment that “it’s a love slapâ€?. From this it seems clear to me that no matter what you do, The Drums are here, and they’re going to jump around until they’ve got your at tention. Their EP ‘Summertime!’ is available QRZ DQG WKH\ WRXU WKH 8. ZLWK )ORUHQFH 7KH 0DFKLQH LQ 0D\ /RRN IRU QH[W ZHHN¡V 7KH &RXULHU IRU DQ LQWHUYLHZ ZLWK IHOORZ 10( 7RXU DFW %RPED\ %LF\FOH &OXE

the debate 7KH ELJJHU WKH JLJ WKH KDUGHU WKH IDOO" Stuart Edwards The accessibility of tickets and tour information with such ease has cemented gigging as one of the ‘essentials’ of many people’s disposable income; even the reces sion failing to stop arenas, stadiums and academies from selling out in record speeds. They’ve never truly ‘gone away’, but stadium gigs have been redis covered these last couple of years, as the likes of Wembley, Hampden and the LCCC seek a new source of income over the long summer droughts. Oasis’ much hyped tour last summer promised to be one of the

events of the year, but aside from the initial announcement, it was an event that went somewhat un QRWLFHG LQ FRQWUDVW WR WKRVH .QHE worth shows.

,W PD\ KHOS WKH ODEHOV ÀQG WKH HQG RI WKH UDLQERZ EXW VWDGLXP JLJV VWLOO UHHN RI VW\OH RYHU VXEVWDQFH This summer already sees the likes of Green Day, Muse, Rage $JDLQVW 7KH 0DFKLQH DQG .LQJV RI Leon hit the outdoor circuit. With WKH SURPLVH RI ELJ QDPH VXSSRUW

D IHVWLYDO OLNH DWPRVSKHUH DQG WKH sheer scale of them though, the LQà DWHG SULFHV SURYH ZRUWK LW Whereas arena shows lose inti macy but don’t give a large sense of scale to make up for it, these shows hit the opposite end of the spectrum, generating a frenzied atmosphere and make us feel a part of something big. Consider, for example, the muted reception to Blur’s arena gig in Manchester last year to the eu phoric reaction to their two dates at Hyde Park. ,W PD\ KHOS WKH ODEHOV ÀQG WKH HQG of the rainbow, but as for the show itself, stadium gigs still reek of style over substance.

Elliot Bentley With record sales diminishing every year in the face of piracy, it’s no surprise that artists and record labels are looking to alternative incomes. Live music, obviously, can never be stolen (well, unless you break in through the back at least). Big gigs, then, let this money roll LQ HYHQ IDVWHU $IWHU DOO ÀIW\ WKRX sand ticket purchases will create a lot more money than a couple of thousand. Which is not to say that big gigs DUH D SXUHO\ RQH VLGHG DIIDLU EH cause, although they may lack the intimacy of a smaller venue, they are seen as landmark events: each

as important as Hendrix’s set at Woodstock, Dylan going electric or Nirvana on MTV Unplugged. Whether or not they are so impor tant is only opinion, but the brag ging rights are undeniable. In fact, this works in both parties’ favour: DUWLVWV JHW WR à RJ FKHDS W VKLUWV and hoodies with the gig’s location and date, and fans get to wear this merchandise around their jealous friends. However, when a big gig goes wrong, it can often mark the end of an era for a band: The Stone Roses’ disastrous appearance at Spike Island in 1990 marked the start of their decline. It’s a risky business, but when it pays off, it can be his tory in the making.

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

29

Music Culture Music Editors: Mark Corcoran-Lettice and Chris Mandle - courier.culture-music@ncl.ac.uk

gigs Hadouken!

Newcastle University Union Basement, 18 February There was eager anticipation amongst the throng of glow sticks, neon wristbands and brightly coloured hoodies that surrounded the Union. It was an undeniably adolescent crowd that piled into the Basement, but an excited one all the same. Beat-boxer Killa Kela opened proceedings with a hugely energetic set, acting like a rogue member of Ndubz, only with considerably more talent. The mixture of beat-boxing, shout outs and cymbal thrashing created a frenzied atmosphere. On speaking to Mr Kela afterwards, he said “I Love Newcastle, I always get a great response,� and also alluded to the nature of the headline act, claiming “Hadouken! are a dangerous band, they’ve taught me some new tricks� - of these tricks though, he would say no more. Second up were This City, who performed a well executed set. A classic three guitar set up and some

Hot Chip

02 Academy Newcastle, 18 February Having now reached their fourth album, synth-pop sophisticates Hot Chip have established a loyal fan base for themselves who appear to appreciate them for their full body of work rather than the whims of

‘A dangerous band’: Hadouken! who recently played the Union Basement to a wild reception

heavy drumming made for some surprisingly good listening. They too got the crowd buzzing with excitement, despite frontman Chris’ VWDWHPHQW WKDW ´7KLV LV GHĂ€ QLWHO\ the youngest crowd we’ve played toâ€?.

So to Hadouken! They played a highly charged set, and wild front man James Smith was immersed in an incredible light show as he performed and energized the crowd. The band played numerous tracks from their brand new album ‘For

the Masses’, as well as a few older Hadouken! favourites such as That Boy That Girl. from their 2008 debut album ‘Music for an Accelerated Culture’. This was, without doubt, a great set and a great performance, ir-

respective of the age of the crowd or the image that the band may or may not have acquired, proving that they still are, in the words of Killa Kela himself, dangerous.

their more successful singles. Although (of course) Ready for the Floor and Over and Over were the crowd pleasers of the night, the album tracks were crafted with skill on the night, the intricacy of the record not lost in the live set which shows the sign of a truly developed band. Songs from their latest record ‘One Life Stand’, including Brothers and the single and title track One Life Stand were performed with a vivacity live which produced the impression that they really

believed in the music they were creating, and the emphasis on their later work shows a sense of contentment with the progression of their musical style to a more mature sound. A mellower gig than it would perhaps have been a few years ago, and at times the crowd appeared somewhat lack lustre, although they were often revived by a shift back to Hot Chip’s more synthetically up beat sound.

Owl City

Ă€ UVW QRWH ZDV SOD\HG WKRXJK DV DQ infectious buzz instantly spread through the audience. There was something incredibly comforting about them that left me with an unexplainable feeling of warmth. Adam Young, the man behind Owl City, proved himself as a talented vocalist, and the accompaniment provided by the band complemented their predominately electronic sound fantastically, especially the violinist and cellist. Despite the hanging around beforehand, it was an extremely enjoyable performance, due in no small part to the energy and lighthearted approach taken by the band, who genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves and embody their music.

Polly Randall

02 Academy Newcastle, 20 February The support band were all ill, which – as you might understandis not an ideal start to any gig. However, this allowed local artist Elle Armstrong to take to the stage with a repertoire comprising of acoustic covers and her own material, both of which were very well received by the crowd. The gap between her set ending and Owl City (eventually) gracing the Academy with their presence put me in a mood to slate them. But that changed as soon as the

Marina and the Diamonds The Other Rooms, 18 February

Hot Chip take their ‘One Life Stand’ onto the road with impressive results: ‘A truly developed band...performed with a vivacity live’

With her debut album ‘The Family Jewels’ having just hit the shelves, Marina and the Diamonds have generated a lot of interest already, and judging by the size of the crowd at the sold out venue, the band has done a good job in amassing a large fan base, even before the album release. The support act Clock Opera would seem like a good choice to get the crowd warmed up, but didn’t quite manage to make a

Henry Jones

Matthew Blackwell bond with the gig goers. Despite that, Marina and the Diamonds GHÀ QLWHO\ ZHQW GRZQ ZHOO ZLWK the audience of all ages, from the second they took to the stage with lead singer Marina arriving dressed as a bear. A couple of feedback issues aside, the band created a great atmosphere for most of the performance, with the songs Hollywood and I Am Not A Robot particularly seeming to get the best reception. The impressive vocal range found on the EPs and singles did not falter or disappoint live on stage, and the band as a whole managed to match the crowd’s expectations. The band can now surely look IRUZDUG ZLWK HYHQ PRUH FRQÀ GHQFH for the rest of the tour following such a successful performance. Christopher Scott

30

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Music

For more exclusive reviews and content >>> thecourieronline.co.uk/music

music albums

singles Arctic Monkeys - My Propeller +DYLQJ VHHPLQJO\ À QLVKHG ZLWK VRFLDO FRPPHQWDU\ DQG WDOHV RI QRW EHLQJ OHW LQWR QLJKWFOXEV WKH $UFWLF 0RQNH\V· UDSLG SURJUHV VLRQ FRQWLQXHV DSDFH ZLWK QHZ VLQJOH My Propeller $ VORZ VWDUW Á RXULVKHV LQWR D URFNLHU WKDQ XVXDO FUHVFHQGR ZLWK 7XUQHU ODFLQJ WKH O\ULFV ZLWK VH[XDO LQ QXHQGR $QRWKHU JHP Tom Richards

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Broken Bells Broken Bells

H.I.M.

Screamworks: Love In Theory & Practice

Tune-Yards - Real Live Flesh 5HOHDVHG WR SURPRWH WKH UH UHOHDVHG YHUVLRQ RI OR À DXWHXU 0HULOO *DUEXV·V GHEXW DOEXP ¶%LUG %UDLQV· Real Live Flesh LV D PRUH 5Q% LQGHEWHG DIIDLU À OWHUHG WKURXJK *DUEXV· UHPDUN DEOH YRFDO UDQJH WUDVK\ SURGXF WLRQ DQG ZLWW\ IHPLQLVW O\ULFV Mark Corcoran-Lettice

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Natascha Sohl Dirty Little Word

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Lightspeed Champion Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You

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Joe Skrebels

Romain Chenet

Matthew Blackwell

Ben Travis

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32

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture TV & Radio

tv & radio BBC

tv highlights

soaps

Five Days

Coronation Street

Mon, Thurs, Fri on ITV1 Dev’s convinced it’s over between him and Sunita for good, especially when he sees her chatting to her charming ex, Ciaran, but she has an ultimatum for him which he just PLJKW DJUHH WR 0HDQZKLOH /HDQQH LV VKRFNHG ZKHQ 3HWHU DUULYHV EDFN on the street, having apparently FKHFNHG KLPVHOI RXW RI UHKDE

9pm Monday-Friday, BBC1 Suranne Jones, recognisable as the infamous Karen from ITV’s Coronation Street, heads an impressive cast in this mystery drama to be shown on BBC1 over WKH QH[W ÀYH GD\V When a baby is found in the toilets of a hospital in Yorkshire and a local train is forced to stop due to an attempted suicide, it prompts the question - could the two be connected? As these two events collide they affect the lives of all onboard the train and in the hospital forever, especially that of DC Laurie Franklin, SOD\HG E\ -RQHV By chance she was on the very train that stopped, when travelling with her mother, who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 'LVHDVH An inquisitive character, Laurie likes tying up loose ends and will

do her upmost to prove a connecWLRQ EHWZHHQ WKH WZR HYHQWV As we watch her attempt to do so, she realises that such a task is never an easy one and the identity of the mother may not be one that she RULJLQDOO\ H[SHFWHG :H IROORZ WKH ÀYH PRVW VLJQLÀFDQW days in the police investigation as they try to piece together the exact events leading up to the discovery RI WKH EDE\ As tensions runs high, relationships are put under strain and Franklin is determined that she will close WKLV FDVH Written by Gwyneth Hughes, the second series of Five Days hopes WR EH DV VXFFHVVIXO DV WKH ÀUVW IRU which it received a BAFTA nominaWLRQ :LWK D FDVW WKDW LQFOXGHV $QQH Reid, Hugo Speer and David MorULVVH\ LW VKRZV JUHDW SURPLVH Catch it every evening this week on BBC1 at 9pm and follow the inWULJXLQJ P\VWHU\

House

Undercover Princesses

Pick of the week

Sunday 10pm Sky1

Eastenders

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri on BBC1 Carol is under the impression that Whitney is leading her son Billie astray when he skips school to spend time with her, but it soon becomes clear that Billie isn’t as VTXHDN\ FOHDQ DV LW VHHPV &DQ :KLWQH\ EH D JRRG LQà XHQFH RQ KLP DIWHU all? Elsewhere, Max struggles to come to terms with losing Bradley and there’s more teen angst as Lucy has one of her mood swings – but is there a good reason for it?

Hollyoaks

Ayse Djahit

The Secret Millionaire

Sunday 8pm, BBC3

Thursday 10.30pm BBC3

Monday 9pm, C4 BBC

SKY1

Eddie Iz Running C4

BBC

Weekdays at 6.30pm on C4 Tony and Cindy hope a TV reconstruction will help the community WR Ă€QG +ROO\ EXW ZKHQ 7RQ\ LV NHSW at the police station all night, Cindy JHWV VXVSLFLRXV +H¡V IXULRXV ZKHQ she accuses him of having something to do with Holly’s disappearance, but he’s later forced to tell her what happened with Theresa before +ROO\ UDQ DZD\ 0HDQZKLOH 'HV forgets his six month anniversary with Jacqui - how will he make it up to her?

Emmerdale

Weekdays at 7pm on ITV1 Emmerdale is full of surprises as 3UL\D FDOOV LW TXLWV DW WKH IDFWRU\ DQG $VKOH\ WXUQV XS DIWHU /DXUHO ÀQLVKHV ZRUN WR JLYH KHU D EXQFK RI à RZHUV Noah tells Charity he saw Cain at the scene of the heist before Carl arrived and she can’t help but pass on the shocking information to Debbie when she questions the tense atmosSKHUH

Neighbours

The award winning series House is EDFN 7KH VL[WK VHULHV EHJLQV ZLWK a two hour special following on IURP WKH VHDVRQ ÀYH ÀQDOH LQ ZKLFK House’s Vicodin addiction reached new levels and Wilson had to take KLP WR WKH 0D\ÀHOG 3V\FKLDWULF +RVSLWDO WR JHW KHOS 7KH ÀUVW HSLVRGH RQO\ FRQWDLQV WKH main characters, House and Wilson, and begins outside of its natural VXUURXQGLQJV RI 3ULQFHWRQ 3ODLQVboro Teaching Hospital, but don’t be alarmed, the cutting sarcasm of +RXVH LV VWLOO SUHVHQW It focuses on House’s struggle to accept his addiction and the reguODU VWUXJJOH ZLWK KLV QHPHVLV 'U Nolan, who must agree that House is no longer addicted to Vicodin so that he can leave and be reinstated DV D GRFWRU Whether you watch this for the fantastic storylines or just because Hugh Laurie is HOT, this is a must ZDWFK IRU DQ\ERG\

If you were a fan of Undercover Princes WKHQ WKLV LV IRU \RX The programme follows the journey of three princesses from around the world as they begin their quest WR ÀQG WKHLU 3ULQFH &KDUPLQJ 3ULQFHVV 1YDQQXQJL 6KHLOODK 3ULQFHVV ;HQLD DQG 3ULQFHVV $DOL\D all live in a modest house in Essex, living undercover as ordinary people with ordinary jobs with the hope that they’ll meet men who are interested in them purely for their personality and not their privileged EDFNJURXQG +RZHYHU WKH SULQFHVVHV ÀQG WKDW blending into such society is no easy WDVN DQG ÀQG LW DW ÀUVW KDUG WR DGMXVW WR WKH (QJOLVK FXOWXUH ZLWK 3ULQFHVV 6KHLOODK FRPSOHWHO\ EDIà HG DV to what a jacket potato is! Even if you didn’t watch its predecessor, Undercover Princesses promises to be packed with fun, drama, and romance, everything you need IRU JRRG 6XQGD\ QLJKW WHOHYLVLRQ

One of the most heart-warming GRFXPHQWDULHV RQ 79 LV EDFN ,I \RX KDYHQ¡W VHHQ LW \HW \RX PXVW 0LOOLRQDLUHV IURP DOO Ă€HOGV JLYH XS their lives of luxury to live on the HTXLYDOHQW RI D ZHHNO\ EHQHĂ€W ZKLOH XQGHU WKH JXLVH RI YROXQWHHUV Ă€OPLQJ D GRFXPHQWDU\ DERXW WKH DUHD Once they’ve spent enough time with various charities and causes, they decide how much of their own money they want to donate, and reveal their true selves to hand over VRPH YHU\ IDW FKHTXHV If you don’t well up or have a surge of joy when the big reveal happens then you’ve got a harder heart than PLQH , MXVW FDQ¡W KHOS IHHOLQJ HFVWDWic when you see the true happiness and shock on the faces of those that receive the money; the gratitude is RYHUZKHOPLQJ 6R ZDWFK WKH Ă€UVW PLOOLRQDLUH WKLV series from Bristol, where some of the wealthiest neighbourhoods rub VKRXOGHUV ZLWK WKH SRRUHVW

I always think it would be great to run a marathon, but haven’t got round to doing one yet (no surprise WKHUH +HQFH P\ VXUSULVH ZKHQ , discovered that comedian Eddie Izzard ran not one, but 43 marathons ODVW \HDU (YHQ PRUH VXUSULVLQJ LV that all 43 marathons were run withLQ WKH VSDFH RI GD\V Âś:K\"¡ \RX DVN :HOO LW¡V DOO LQ WKH QDPH RI 6SRUW 5HOLHI 7KLV WKUHH SDUW documentary charts Eddie’s journey DV KH Ă€JKWV EOLVWHUV LQVRPQLD DQG all round exhaustion in a bid to raise as much money possible for a very ZRUWK\ FDXVH Regardless of your personal opinion of Izzard, this programme demonstrates the power of human endurance, both physically and mentally (given that Eddie trained IRU D PHUH Ă€YH ZHHNV SULRU WR FRPPHQFLQJ KLV FKDOOHQJH So many marathons in such little WLPH ,]]DUG LV D KHUR 'HĂ€QLWHO\ ZRUWK UXQQLQJ KRPH IRU

Clementine Manning

Ayse Djahit

Eleanor Wilson

Helen Atkinson

Weekdays, 1.45pm & 5.30pm on Five Shock all round as the Ramsay resiGHQWV Ă€QG RXW /XFDV KDV EHHQ LQ an accident and has swelling in the EUDLQ DQG VSLQH /XFNLO\ 'U .DUO LV on duty at the hospital to look after him, but will Lucas ever regain conVFLRXVQHVV" 0HDQZKLOH 3DXO ZRQ¡W let Donna tell Elle about Lucas’ condition because he thinks she needs WR JHW RQ ZLWK KHU QHZ OLIH

Home and Away

Weekdays, 2.15pm & 6pm on Five Miles’ new friend Rabbit is causing him a fair few problems; her psychic abilities are putting him on edge, especially when she warns him he will GLH LI KH IDOOV DVOHHS 0HDQZKLOH Nicole can’t decide if she’s made WKH ULJKW GHFLVLRQ WR UHSHDW <HDU Aden supports her but Mink’s teasLQJ LV SXWWLQJ KHU RII ,W VHHPV 0LQN is causing problems wherever she goes as she’s also trying to persuade Romeo to be her surf manager inVWHDG RI JRLQJ WR VFKRRO Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

33

TV & Radio Culture TV & Radio Editor: Aimee Philipson - courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk

Cilla’s dead

interview

Word on the Street

Joe Mellor Columnist

Tom James speaks to award winning actor Craig Gazey as he swaps Coronation Street’s cobbles for Newcastle’s new Eldon Square So Craig, what brings you to Newcastle? I’m here to open the new ‘Poundland’. They’ve been expanding and a few of us from Corrie have been opening the stores around the country. Would you say Poundland is a good shop? Yeah! Cheap and cheerful? Yeah! Have you been to Newcastle before? I worked here at the theatre. I was at the Theatre Royal. I did a week in ‘The Tempest’ three years ago with Patrick Stewart. What do you think of the city? I really like Newcastle. I’ve just driven here this morning and I’m going straight back but I do really like Newcastle. The investment in architecture is really good, it should have been the Capital of Culture I think. Talking of culture, have you ever

been on a night out up here? Yeah, it’s a bit fresh, innit? Good description. You won best newcomer at the National Television Awards, how was that? It was amazing. I’ve won a few now and they’ve all been for best newcomer, so it’s really cool to win because I’d never been to an awards ceremony before and I’m going and being nominated so it’s really daunting. But to know you’ve made an impact is amazing. Do you have much in common with Graham? I’m quite eccentric and I like to think I’m funny. My differences are that I’m not nineteen, not a chav, don’t VHW Ă€ UH WR WKLQJV DQG , GRQ¡W KDYH D criminal record.

I’m getting quite a big story line in the next three weeks. All I can say is that he gets a girlfriend. I can’t say if she’s a new arrival or already in. All I’ll tell you is that he does rather well. It’s not Gail Platt then? No! You’ve been acting a long time, what is your dream role?

As a local lad what was it like getting a part on Corrie?

To play Doctor Who. I think I’ve got the crazy element.

It’s brilliant. When you’re a northern lad going on Corrie, it’s bigger than Hollywood for people up north. They don’t say ‘when are you getWLQJ LQ WKRVH Ă€ OPV"¡ LW¡V ÂśZKHQ DUH you getting on Corrie?’ It’s all they ever used to say to me as a child so it’s a really big deal.

And who would be your fantasy leading lady?

nsr 7KH Ă€ UVW UDGLR VLJQDO WR FURVV WKH Atlantic was sent from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia by Gugliemo Marconi on December 17th 1902. This achievement, a technological miracle of the time, was but the beginning of a lengthy process that has seen its culmination this week at Newcastle Student Radio. Suce_Ma_Beat, an NSR show, this ZHHN EHFDPH WKH Ă€ UVW NQRZQ WUDQV atlantic student radio broadcast after a ‘show-share’ link was made with San Francisco State University, allowing the weekly transmission of selected shows on both university’s radio stations. Suce_Ma_Beat is hoping to take the mix of British and European alternative music they currently air on NSR to the American West Coast whilst the San Franciscan show, Fresh Squeezed, is looking to bring the best in up-and-coming American alternative music to Newcastle’s airwaves. Hopefully this will give NSR listeners the chance to hear up-andcoming music before the rest of the Student Radio community. The project launches on March 1st and continues weekly with Fresh Squeezed airing on NSR Mondays at 10am. Both shows can also be heard

Any big story lines coming up?

I like Natalie Portman but I tell you who I really like, Zooey Deschanel, you know who she is? )URP WKH À OP 500 Days of Summer?

Yeah, I like Natalie Portman but I’m in love with Zooey Deschanel. I ERXJKW WKDW Ă€ OP DQG ZDWFK LW RYHU and over. It’s amazing. You know who she’s married to? Erm, no. The lead singer from ‘Death Cab for Cutie.’ I know this because I Googled her. (Laughing) That’s quality. I was a little bit gutted when I found out she was married, obviously I’m never going to get with Zooey Deschanel, but there was still that small chance. Now I’ve got less of a chance than ever. -XVW WR Ă€ QLVK 5R\¡V 5ROOV RU %HWW\¡V Hotpot? Betty’s hotpot because it’s tradition really, but Roy is a legend.

radio highlights at Mixcloud, with Suce_Ma_Beat switching to podcast format in the UK available at mixcloud.com/ Suce_Ma_Beat. -RLQ 165¡V SLFQLF It’s not just the DJ’s who are talented at NSR, one keen listener has written a poem about the radio station: If you go down to NSR today, you’re in for a big surprise, If you stream up NSR today, it surely won’t fail to arouse, For ev’ry year that ever it’s here, NSR will gather listeners of ev’ry ear, This year’s the year we’re having our picnic (so don’t miss it you cynic!) Get on and survey NSR’s co dot uk and I assure you it won’t dismay, There’s lots of marvellous reviews to eat and wonderful sessions to play, A brand new logo and podcasts galore, we have reached a standard worthy of uproar, --musical interlude-No longer beneath the trees where nobody sees, you can win the game of hide and seek (as long as you promise to take a peek?)

In New Music We Trust Live Thursday 7pm, BBC R1 Radio 1 broadcasts live from Newcastle-upon-Tyne as part of In New Music We Trust Live. The whole show is dedicated to rock and indie music with Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw presenting their shows from Geordieland in front of a live audience. Sunderland-born Futureheads and indie-band The Courteeners will be performing alongside Chapel Club and Frankie and the Heartstrings.

Home Planet Tuesday 3pm, BBC R4 Home Planet is back with a new series. The show, which tackles questions about the world and our interaction with it, covers IRXU RU À YH WRSLFV D ZHHN ZKLFK have been decided by listeners’ suggestions. Subjects can range from random questions about something in a listener’s garden to huge global issues and listeners’ hypotheses. Listeners can email home.planet@bbc.co.uk with their suggestions.

The Arts Show With Claudia Winkleman

The Now Show

Friday 10pm, BBC R2

The award-winning sketch show, The Now Show, returns to R4 for its 30th series on Friday. Starring comedy legends Hugh Dennis (Mock the Week) and Steve Punt (Rockford’s Rock Opera) is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs based on the week’s news. Listeners can answer the weekly Audience Question online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/nowshow and see previous popular answers.

Claudia Winkleman features a preview of the 82nd Academy Awards which will take place on Sunday 7th March. British nominations for this year’s Oscars include An Education (Best Picture); Colin Firth (Best Actor for A Single Man); Helen Mirren (Best Actress for The Last Station); and A Matter Of Loaf And Death (Best Animated Short).

Friday 6.30pm, BBC R4

After the least romantic Valentine’s Day since I heard my mum and dad ’at it’, I watched Take Me Out. I had watched it a few weeks ago, and let’s be honest, it’s impossible not to like. It’s a dating show anchored by Paddy McGuinness (a bit like sex text Vernon’s older brother). A single man is lowered into the studio in a lift and is confronted by 30 bloodthirsty, sexually charged women. All of them would look at home in the Yates on Blackpool PromHQDGH Ă DVKLQJ WKHLU NQLFNHUV DW the passing taxis. They are very chummy with each other, a bit like the Deal or No Deal contestants but a bit more sinister, like they sexually assaulted the Chippendales on a hen-do and it’s their dirty little secret. Each girl has a light and they turn it off if they don’t like him. In the previous weeks a ‘plump’ lady called Rian steadfastly refused to let her lights go out (I nicknamed her Morrissey, after one of his famous songs, look it up). She would have ANYTHING. She got nothing. I turned on the show and to no surprise after my three week absence, there she was. In my lonely state of mind, I felt a connection with her, we were kindred spirits. I mean, I wouldn’t touch her with yours, but we could become pen friends or something. To my horror Rian’s malaise from weeks of rejection meant she turned the light out pretty much before the next victim had appeared on stage. Will they keep her on forever until she is so old she wets herself due to the vibrations of the lift? The men have to walk about a bit and show a ‘talent’ XVXDOO\ NHHS\ XSSLHV RU Ă H[LQJ their muscles).Then we watch a video by family and friends (generally their mum). The show is fantastic but it has its faults. Paddy has various infuriating catchphrases; ‘no likey, no lighty’, ‘see you in a piddy paddy poo’, and ‘see you in a ticky tocky two’. I mean, who are the script writers, Class 2B at West Jesmond Primary? At one point Paddy called out the next contestant with the cry of, ‘let the vinda see the loo’. I‘m not being funny but after that vile introduction, I doubt Zac Efron would get a date. Personally I would love to see the male version of Take Me Out. An obese woman is airlifted into the studio. She just about manages to roll herself onto the stage. No lights go out. She shows them her special skill; it’s burping the national anthem. No lights go out. The video shows her day job working in the abattoir back in Solihull. No lights go out. And do you know why? Because it is the chance to have a free drink and get your leg over and if someone has to do it, it may as well be you. In this show even Rian might get a date.

34

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Puzzles

puzzles crossword

Puzzles Editors: Ned Walker and Suzi Moore - courier.puzzles@ncl.ac.uk

7KH À UVW SHUVRQ WR FRPH WR The Courier RIÀ FH ZLWK D FRPSOHWHG Crossword wins a free beer and burger at The Hancock

ACROSS 1. American singer who sang ‘River Deep’, ‘Mountain High’ and ‘Proud Mary’ (4-6) 8. Latin: Lamb of God (5, 3) 10. Reveal (7) 13. That is to say (abbr., Latin) (1,1) 14. Eager; passionate (6) 16. ‘Some like it ---‘ (3) 17. Wenger’s football team (7) 19. Swedish homeware store (4) 20. Female name; short prayer (5) 23. Remark with a double meaning (8) 24. ---- Romeo (4) 26. Metal spike used to attach things together (4) 28. Relating to the home (8) 30. Common time has four of these per bar (5) 31. Coca ---- (4) 32. Tough material made from cowhide (7) 35. Found in adipose tissue in animals (3) 37. Unconventional or unusual (6) 39. Film about an alien starring Drew Barrymore as a child (1,1) 40. Novelty feature (7) 41. Reigning champion would be

this (8) 42. Communication device that receives images (10)

DOWN 1. Hard (5) 2. Addictive substance in cigarettes (8) 3. ---- name (computing) (4) 4. Floating sea platform (4) 5. An extra song at the end of a performance (6) 6. Form of poem (3) 7. Victorian novel by George Eliot (11) 9. xs, s, m, l, xl etc. measure this (4) 11. Girls name; Song by The Zutons (7) 12. Quantities of nutrients and vitamins needed to stay healthy (abbr.) (3) 15. A source of power or control (American) (5, 6) 17. Solutions with a pH value below 7 demonstrate this (7) 18. ---- Gallagher (4) 21. TV station that transmits ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Friends’ and ‘Rude Tube’ (7-4) 22. Game played with cues (7)

25. Word formed from the initial letters of other words (7) 27. A thought or a concept(4) 29. City art (8) 30. Opposite of ugliness(6) 33. London Art Galleries (4) 34. A device that prevents speech (3) 36. Voucher you can exchange for goods (5) 37. Style of writing on computers (4) &KLFNHQ ZLWK JDUOLF À OOLQJ

7KH UHFHGLQJ ZDWHU DIWHU D à RRG (3) Answers to last week’s Crossword

sudoku

picture phrase puzzle Use the pictures to come up with a phrase, thing, place or QDPH 7U\ WR À QG WKH FRPPRQ WKHPH

weird words What is the true meaning of this word?

BLOVIATE 1. 2. 3.

To speak pompously To feel bloated To sing in a warbling manner

word puzzles Use your brain to come up with the word or phrase hidden in each picture 7KH REMHFWLYH LV WR À OO WKH JULG VR WKDW HDFK column, each row and each of the nine 3×3 boxes contains the numbers 1-9 one time each. For the completed puzzle check the next edition of The Courier

wordtrail Track the girls’ names through the grid. You should use all of the letters in the grid but only once

ned’s number cruncher

answers

EASY

20

á7

Times itself

á3

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+8

+9

x4 -60

-6

+21 á5

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MEDIUM

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=

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Picture Phrase Puzzle: Stankonia (OutKast), Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones), Tapestry (Carole King), Moby Grape (Moby Grape). Common Theme - All in Rolling Stones top 500 albums list. Ned’s Number Cruncher: Easy - 69, Medium - 42, Hard - 18 Word Puzzle: Bad Back, Keep In Trim, Lost For Words, Dr. Dolittle, Painless Operation, No Idea. Weird Words: 1. To speak pompously Wordtrail: Sophie, Imogen, Holly, Katie, Helen, Charlotte, Victoria, Sally.

Keep you brain in shape by trying to complete these sums as fast as you can without using a calculator

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

35

Cheeky Ladies andfeel Titans Hurricanes Loko-motion reachthe Intra Mural Cup final Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Gavin Tom James courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Sports Paul Christian, JamieJamie Gavin Tomand James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk SportsEditors: Editors: Paul Christian, Jamieand Gavin and Tom James -- courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

> Intra Mural Football, page 40-41 > Page 36-37

Intra Mural’s sporting success story Dominic Pollard speaks to Denis Murphy, the man behind Newcastle University’s IM sports programme On Wednesday afternoons at Newcastle University all academic activity ceases whilst sport takes centre stage. However, the minority chosen to represent the select number of University teams merely skims the surface of the large number of students who take part in University sport. The Intra Mural sports system continues to be a growing success story within the University. They offer all students the opportunity to get involved in a wide variety of different sports and activities over a range of ability levels. Earlier this week I had the chance to speak to Denis Murphy, who has performed the role of ‘Participation and Events Manager’ since 2005. He is responsible for the organisation of as good a level of sporting participation as possible amongst the students of Newcastle University. When speaking to Denis, himself a keen sportsman, his passion for sport and enjoyment for his job becomes quickly evident. He said that he “always wanted to work in sportsâ€? in one form or another and that his current role within the University’s sports administration team suits him perfectly. He plays golf off a handicap of seven and also ran the 800m for Ireland when he was younger. It was through athletics that Denis was able to secure a place at Loughborough University, renowned for its sporting pedigree. This gave him the opportunity to get a degree in PE, Sports Science and Recreation Management. When he graduated in 2001 he went on to work for Loughborough for six years as a facilities manager before moving to the North East when he married his Sunderlandbased girlfriend. He then took the position of Participation and Events Manager when Fraser Kennedy moved on to Performance Sports Manager. It is the Intra Mural Sports programme that is the basis of Denis Murphy’s responsibilities. The Intra Mural leagues cover a multitude of different sports includLQJ Ă€ YH VHYHQ DQG D VLGH IRRWEDOO rugby union, netball, hockey and in the summer months even volleyball and cricket. There are various other health and Ă€ WQHVV FODVVHV DQG DFWLYLWLHV WKDW DUH available for individuals in addition to team sports. This allows both male and female students of diverse interests and abilities to get involved in a sport or activity to suit them. In total there are around 2,500 students that take part in Intra Mural sports and roughly 1,700 sporting Ă€ [WXUHV DUUDQJHG HDFK \HDU 7KLV shows not only the popularity of the leagues but also what a well managed programme it is. To host such a great quantity of matches there needs to be a high level of organisation as well as the

Tough tackling: Dyslexic face Barca as another day’s drama unfolds on a Wednesday afternoon at Longbenton, one of the hubs for Intra Mural football

necessary resources available. The University meets these requirements with pitches and facilities at Heaton Sports Ground, Cochrane Park, Longbenton and Close House as well their own Sports Centre, to name but a few. Murphy and his team organise for coaches to transport the students from the University to Close House - a network of eleven different rugby and football pitches several miles outside of Newcastle where the majority of the Wednesday afternoon Intra Mural football and rugby union matches take place. 7KH SURJUDPPH DUUDQJHV IRU À UVW aid and referees to be on site, and has taken the initiative to ensure that one player from each Intra MuUDO VLGH LV VHQW RQ D À UVW DLG FRXUVH DW the start of the year. The referees consist of University students who are part of the Refereeing Society, a society introduced by Denis Murphy, or they are NFATXDOLÀ HG ORFDO RIÀ FLDOV 2Q WRS RI this, in November 2009, a group of

Ă€ IWHHQ VWXGHQWV ZHUH VHQW RQ D UHI HUHHLQJ FRXUVH DQG QRZ RIĂ€ FLDWH WKH Ă€ YH D VLGH IRRWEDOO OHDJXH The Intra Mural sports programme allows people to get involved in aspects of sport other than the playing of it. Referees, medics, photographers and journalists all attend the matches and as such it provides an effective means for these individuals to gain valuable experience in their FKRVHQ Ă€ HOG Through its slick organisation, and the wide variety of sports and activities on offer, it is clear why the Intra Mural set-up is such a popular success. Murphy stated that it is the “drama and excitement week in and week outâ€? that has contributed to the positivity the programme has generated. For anyone who watches an Intra Mural match this will soon become evident. Even though it may not involve the sporting elite of the University, the passion and commitment of the individuals on display is

clear to see. It goes without saying that the reasons for participating in the Intra Mural organisation extend beyond a desire to play sport. These team sports and the group classes and activities come with the inevitable social element as the postmatch antics seem to motivate some individuals perhaps more than the matches themselves. Win or lose, on any given Wednesday evening, WKH SXEV DQG EDUV ZLOO EH Ă€ OOHG ZLWK students rehydrating after another WRXJK Ă€ [WXUH Nevertheless, it is still out of a passion for sport that people and groups get involved in Intra Mural sports. Through the bad press that students and university life in general seem to be receiving these days, the Intra Mural organisation stands as a beacon of positivity. Denis stated that he “loves working with studentsâ€? and wants to try and “give the power back to the studentsâ€? to make the Intra Mural

system as enjoyable as it can be for them. As such, Denis and his team are looking to introduce new initiatives such as hall sports leagues which would mirror the successful college sports programmes that are run at universities such as Durham and Loughborough. Another key area they wish to expand on is to try get more female students involved in Intra Mural sports. These ideas are working towards his overall goal of increasing the range of sports and participation levels and to continue to build on the success of the programme which contributes to the “great tradition of sport at the university�. The Intra Mural sporting programme is an undoubted success story for Newcastle University. It encompasses large amounts of students in a wide variety of sports and activities and, despite Mother Nature’s best efforts of late, the success of the programme looks sure to continue into the future.

36

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Sport

Turner keeps double dream alive

Year of the Panther continues after :KLWĂ€HOG KDW WULFN seals thrilling win

D. RAWCLIFFE

Intra Mural Rugby Cup Semi Final

Cheeky Ladies Larrikins

Intra Mural Football Division Three

Sex Panthers Aftermath

4 2

Jonathon Taylor at Longbenton In the only game of the third division to go ahead due to the abysmal *HRUGLH ZHDWKHU 3LQN 3DQWKHUV KRVWHG $IWHUPDWK 3DQWKHUV KDG leap-frogged Aftermath in the table the previous week and so it was alZD\V JRLQJ WR EH D SK\VLFDO DIIDLU Panthers broke the deadlock on WKH PLQXWH PDUN ZLWK D Ă€QH VWULNH E\ -DFN :KLWĂ€HOG OHDYLQJ WKH outstanding Aftermath keeper with QR FKDQFH +H ZDV RXW WR VKRZ WKDW a penalty miss the previous week ZRXOGQ¡W VWXQW KLV JRDO WDOO\ It was end to end stuff for the majority of the game but it was Aftermath who claimed the next goal DIWHU D JRDO PRXWK VFUDPEOH ZLWK 3DQWKHUV VDFULĂ€FLQJ WKHLU OHDG OHDYing the gaffer with a tricky team talk DW WKH LQWHUYDO Aftermath were the happier team leaving the pitch having bagged an equaliser despite offering very little in terms of attempts on the Panther JRDO The second-half continued with pace and dogged battles comPHQFHG DOO RYHU WKH SDUN $IWHUPDWK ZHUH Ă€UVW WR UHDFW WR D FURVV ZKLFK Panthers failed to clear and the ball was sweetly struck into the bottom FRUQHU E\ ,VPDHO 0DVRRG 7KLV VLlenced the chirpiness of the Pink DQG KHDGV VWDUWHG WR GURS 0LGĂ€HOG G\QDPR +DUU\ &ODSKDP starting receiving more of the ball in the second period and was taking it past players until he was cruelly cut GRZQ WR VL]H E\ KLV PLGĂ€HOG FRXQWHUSDUW In return for several counts of *%+ 3DQWKHUV ZHUH XQDEOH WR FDSLWDOL]H RQ WKH VXEVHTXHQW IUHH NLFNV ,QVWHDG LW WRRN VRPH JRRG UXQQLQJ by Mundy to pull the ball back to WKH FOLQLFDO :KLWĂ€HOG WR GUDZ WKLQJV OHYHO ZLWK D Ă€QLVK IURP FORVH UDQJH ZLWK DOO WR SOD\ IRU Panthers were on top now and launched a wave of attacks on the $IWHUPDWK JRDO 0XQG\ DQG :KLWĂ€HOG FRPELQHG DJDLQ ZLWK :KLWĂ€HOG UXQQLQJ RQWR D FOHYHU Ă LFN E\ 0XQG\ URXQGLQJ WKH NHHSHU WR FRROO\ Ă€QLVK DQG FRPSOHWH D Ă€QH KDW WULFN WR JLYH 3DQWKHUV WKH OHDG Aftermath were never out of the game and it was a special goal that WRRN WKH JDPH RXW RI WKHLU UHDFK Clapham received the ball in the PLGGOH SLURXHWWHG DURXQG WKUHH Aftermathers and curled a 25-yard VWULNH LQWR WKH WRS FRUQHU $ Ă€QH goalkeeping performance could do nothing about it and he made his GHIHQFH DZDUH RI LW Panthers cruised home to victory and Chris Morton nearly added to the lead with a stunning 25-yard effort that dipped and cracked the IUDPHZRUN $IWHUPDWK ZHUH JUDFLRXV LQ GHIHDW EXW IRXQG LW GLIĂ€FXOW to gain anything with the Panthers’ WULR RI :KLWĂ€HOG 'XNH DQG %HEE VWDQGLQJ RXW RQ WKH GD\ Things are looking rosy for Panthers who have turned their season around and are brimming with conĂ€GHQFH ,Q WKH $IWHUPDWK RQH KDV to admire the resilience of the PanWKHUV 8QEHDWHQ LQ WKLV PXVW EH WKH &KLQHVH \HDU RI WKH 3DQWKHU

23 0

Jonathon Taylor at Cochrane Park Last Wednesday saw the Cheeky Ladies keep their dream of winning a league and cup double alive after a dominant display against a disapSRLQWLQJ /DUULNLQV RXWĂ€W The newly-crowned league champions were strong favourites to UHDFK WKH FXS Ă€QDO DQG GLG QRW GLVDSSRLQW VHWWLQJ XS D FODVK ZLWK WKH 7LWDQV ZLWK UHODWLYH HDVH The game started late with the Redhall pitches deemed unplayable E\ WKH UHIHUHH RQO\ Ă€YH PLQXWHV EHIRUH WKH LQWHQGHG SP VWDUW This consequently saw a comical scene of the ‘blind leading the EOLQG¡ ZLWK WKH UHIHUHH OHDGLQJ WKH VHDUFK DFURVV WKH URDG WR Ă€QG D PRUH VXLWDEOH SLWFK The subsequent half an hour delay in the sub-arctic conditions will not OLYH ORQJ LQ WKH PHPRU\ EXW WR WKH UHOLHI RI WKH GLVJUXQWOHG VSHFWDWRUV DQG P\VHOI WKH SLWFK DW &RFKUDQH Park was eventually given consent WR KRVW WKH VHPL Ă€QDO DW SP The search for a suitable pitch proved to be the most exciting part RI WKH DIWHUQRRQ ZLWK WKH HQVXLQJ match riddled with errors and indisFLSOLQH RQ D ELWWHUO\ FROG DIWHUQRRQ 7KH Ă€UVW DFWLRQ RI WKH PDWFK VDZ DQ HDUO\ \HOORZ FDUG ZLWK D /DUrikins back-rower sent into the sinELQ IRU EDFN FKDWWLQJ DIWHU RQO\ Ă€YH PLQXWHV The Cheeky Ladies began to domiQDWH WKH JDPH DV D UHVXOW EXW GHVSLWH an impressive break from Captain Âś0XQFKLH¡ 7XUQHU WKH\ VWUXJJOHG WR transform such an advantage into SRLQWV 7KH /DGLHV Ă€QDOO\ WRRN WKH OHDG DIWHU PLQXWHV ZLWK ZLQJHU +DUU\ Turner successfully slotting a closeUDQJH SHQDOW\ The game’s only try quickly folORZHG KRZHYHU DIWHU D JUHDW H[DPple of counter-attacking rugby by WKH OHDJXH FKDPSLRQV :KLOVW FDPSHG LQ WKHLU RZQ WKH /DGLHV¡ Ă \ KDOI VWROH SRVVHVVLRQ DQG kicked the ball the entire length of WKH SLWFK ZLWK IXOO EDFN -DFN 7K\ritt-Drake impressively collecting DQG WRXFKLQJ GRZQ After a half that lacked any degree RI Ă XLGLW\ DQG Ă€QHVVH WKH /DGLHV went into the break with a comfortDEOH DGYDQWDJH ZLWK D VLJQLĂ€cant improvement needed by the Larrikins in order to set up an excit-

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Ladies favourites for clash of the Titans Colin Henrys The Intra Mural rugby season draws to an exciting conclusion this Wednesday as league champions Cheeky Ladies look to complete the GRXEOH ZLWK YLFWRU\ LQ WKH FXS ÀQDO DJDLQVW 7LWDQV 2Q SDSHU WKH WLH DSSHDUV WR EH D QR EUDLQHU &KHHN\ /DGLHV DUH \HW WR ORVH D PDWFK WKLV VHDVRQ VWRUPing to the league title and amassing D PDVVLYH SRLQWV LQ WKH SURFHVV They’ve already beaten Titans once WRR LQà LFWLQJ D KHDY\ GHIHDW RQ WKHP LQ ODWH 2FWREHU It would be unwise to write off

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THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

37

Sport D. RAWCLIFFE

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Agrics Titans

10 23

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.QLJKWV ERZ RXW RI %8&6 ÀQDOV DIWHU /HHGV 0HW ORVV Women’s Basketball

Leeds Met 1sts Newcastle 1sts

71 40

Jen Bennett 7KH 1HZFDVWOH .QLJKWV· GUHDPV RI KHDGLQJ WR WKH %8&6 /HDJXH 7ZR &RQIHUHQFH &XS ÀQDOV HQGHG RQ :HGQHVGD\ ZLWK D FUXVKLQJ ORVV DJDLQVW ORQJ WLPH ULYDOV /HHGV 0HW &DUQHJLH 7KH .QLJKWV WUDYHOOHG WR /HHGV ZLWK KLJK KRSHV IRU D IDYRXUDEOH RXWFRPH DIWHU SUHYLRXV PHHWLQJV ZLWK WKH <RUNVKLUH WHDP VDZ YHU\ FORVH ÀQDO VFRUHV 7KH ÀUVW TXDUWHU VWDUWHG ZLWK 1HZFDVWOH SUHVHQWLQJ D VWURQJ SDVVLQJ WHDP 'HVSLWH ORVLQJ WKH WLS WKH

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38

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Sport T. MANN

Pulling together: Newcastle’s men’s eight came fourth in their race, but the highlight of the day came in the men’s quad where the four-man team of Ed Ford, Andy Corrigan, Mason Durant and Murray Wilcoic took gold

Fantastic four rule the waves in golden day for Team Newcastle’s rowing stars Jamie Gavin Sports Editor Newcastle’s rowing club secured their most successful ever BUCS Head result at the weekend after JDLQLQJ D PDJQLÀFHQW SRLQWV IRU the University. The highlight of the day came in the men’s quad, when Ed Ford, Andy Corrigan, Mason Durant and Murray Wilcoic took the gold medal VHFRQGV DKHDG RI VHFRQG SODFH Durham. And there was success elsewhere as the men’s four, women’s eight and intermediate men’s eight all

won silver medals. The team braved below-freezing and snowy conditions in Peterborough to gain a number of other noWDEOH Ă€QLVKHV WKURXJKRXW WKH GD\ LQFOXGLQJ DQ LPSUHVVLYH EURQ]H IRU the men’s coxed four, and fourth SODFH Ă€QLVKHV IRU WKH FKDPSLRQVKLS men’s eight and women’s four. $QG WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ EHQHĂ€WHG IURP the new Hudson four boat, named after former boat club member Ross Moodie, who died tragically last summer. “Moodie Bluesâ€?, donated by Ross’ family, was instrumental to win ten

%8&6 SRLQWV DQG FRQWULEXWHG WR WKH RYHUDOO SHUIRUPDQFH RI WKH WHDP Newcastle bettered their 2009 tally E\ SRLQWV IXUWKHU XQGHUOLQLQJ their status as one of the best institutions in the country for rowing. The result comes after months of hard training under Head Coach $QJHOR 6DYDULQR¡V SURJUDPPH DQG VSHDNLQJ DIWHU WKH HYHQW 6DYDULQR RXWOLQHG WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI WKH team’s work ethic as the key to their success. “The success we see is the fruit of WKH WUDLQLQJ ² HVSHFLDOO\ LQ ZLQWHU ZKHQ LW LV GLIĂ€FXOW WR WUDLQ

´:H KDYH VHHQ DQ LPSURYHPHQW in terms of the size of the team, and LW ZDV SOHDVLQJ WR VHH WKH ZRPHQ¡V HLJKW DFKLHYH WKHLU EHVW HYHU Ă€QLVK “Their commitment to the training LV SD\LQJ RII DQG PDNLQJ XS RYHU WKH ODFN RI H[SHULHQFH RI PRVW RI WKH JLUOV ² VHYHQ RI ZKLFK KDG QR SUHYLRXV URZLQJ H[SHULHQFH EHIRUH WKH\ came to University. “It’s a great result for all the stuGHQWV DV WKH\ VHH LW LV SRVVLEOH WR DFKLHYH VRPHWKLQJ ZLWKRXW FRPSURmising the academic side.â€? 3HUIRUPDQFH 6SRUW 0DQDJHU )UDVHU .HQQHG\ DOVR KHDSHG SUDLVH RQ

the rowers, some of whom conduct between nine and 12 training sessions a week. “Once again the rowing club have achieved at the highest level of UniYHUVLW\ VSRUW DQG LW LV WHVWDPHQW WR DOO WKH KDUG ZRUN WKH DWKOHWHV SXW LQ WR WKHLU WUDLQLQJ SURJUDPPHV ´,W LV SDUWLFXODUO\ SOHDVLQJ WR VHH the women’s eight gain a silver medal, after a sluggish start to the season. ´+RSHIXOO\ WKLV UHVXOW ZLOO SXW WKHP LQ JRRG VKDSH IRU WKH PDLQ BUCS regatta in May.â€?

Mixed fortunes for badminton club in double Leeds duel Badminton Round-Up

Newcastle 1sts (M) Leeds 1sts (M)

6 2

Stephanie Ferrao After crashing out of the BUCS &KDPSLRQVKLSV ODVW ZHHN WKH DLOLQJ men’s side were overcome by visitors Leeds who cruised to a comfortable 6-2 victory. Newcastle’s Daniel Puttick went GRZQ WR WKH YLVLWRUV¡ VHFRQG VLQJOHV SOD\HU DQG VXIIHUHG D GHIHDW WR /HHGV Ă€UVWV¡ SOD\HU &KULV $OOHQ +RZHYHU 1HZFDVWOH¡V Ă€UVW VHHGHG VLQJOHV SOD\HU 0LFKDHO &KHYDVFR SXW WKH KHDW RQ VWDU SOD\HU $OOHQ WDNLQJ the game to three ends. $OOHQ WRRN WKH Ă€UVW HQG EXW

Chevasco’s court movement and skilful backhand shots gained him the second end at 21-14. Allen quickly regained his comSRVXUH DQG ZLWK &KHYDVFR¡V XQHQforced errors in the third end, Leeds claimed the last end 21-8. &KHYDVFR ZHQW RQ WR WULXPSK RYHU /HHGV VHFRQGV¡ VLQJOHV SOD\HU LQ WZR ends with a 21-16, 21-16 victory, winning one of only two games in the match. Following the set-backs in the singles, the scores stood at 3-1 to Leeds. In the men’s doubles, Newcastle’s Ă€UVW SDLU FDSWDLQ $GDP /RGJH DQG Adam Attaheri lost out to Leeds’s VHFRQG SDLU EXW PDQDJHG WR WXUQ WKLQJV DURXQG DJDLQVW WKH Ă€UVW SDLU $IWHU LQLWLDO SUREOHPV ZLWK RQ court communication, Lodge and $WWDKHUL SXOOHG EDFN IURP D

ORVV LQ WKH Ă€UVW HQG WR WDNH WKH QH[W WZR HQGV FRPIRUWDEO\ DW 6HFRQG VHHGHG SDLU &KULV +DUULVRQ and James Robson couldn’t muster the same strength against Leeds, DQG ORVW WR /HHGV¡V Ă€UVW SDLU DQG WR WKH VHFRQG 7KRXJK WKH WHDP DUH VWLOO WR SOD\ away against Nottingham, things DUHQ¡W ORRNLQJ JRRG DV WKH SURVSHFW of relegation becomes increasingly likely.

Newcastle 1sts (W) Leeds 1sts (W)

6 2

In contrast to the men’s side, the ZRPHQ¡V WHDP WRRN WKH Ă€UVW PDWFK RI WKH SOD\ RIIV IRU SURPRWLRQ ZLWK ease after a crushing 6-2 win. The home side started out with the

advantage as Leeds only brought RQH VLQJOHV SOD\HU )RUWXQDWHO\ IRU the visitors though, their singles SOD\HU ZDV VWURQJ RYHUFRPLQJ 1HZFDVWOH¡V Ă€UVW VHHGHG SOD\HU -HQny Ward 12-21, 18-21. $IWHU UHSUHVHQWLQJ :DOHV DW QDWLRQDO OHYHO DV ZHOO DV SUHPLHU OHDJXH side Durham, the defeat was a shock for Ward who throughout the seaVRQ KDV SURYHG WR EH D IRUPLGDEOH VLQJOHV SOD\HU 6HFRQG VHHGHG VLQJOHV SOD\HU /DXUD :DOVK ZDV XQIRUWXQDWH LQ KHU Ă€UVW end, narrowly losing a hard-fought Ă€UVW HQG IROORZLQJ FRQIXVLRQ over line-callings. :DOVK ZDV RYHUSRZHUHG LQ WKH second end, losing 16-21. This left the teams locked at 2-2. NewcasWOH¡V SDLUV ZKLWHZDVKHG /HHGV LQ WKH ZRPHQ¡V¡ GRXEOHV ZLWK VSHFWDFXODU

ZLQV RYHU WKH YLVLWRUV )LUVW SDLU /XF\ 'L[RQ DQG FDSWDLQ .DWKOHHQ 7XUQHU RXWFODVVHG /HHGV¡V Ă€UVW SDLU with a 21-3, 21-10 win. Dixon and Turner went on to win DJDLQVW /HHGV¡V VHFRQG SDLU 21-18, though they allowed the visiWRUV WR JDLQ SRLQWV DIWHU D VHULHV RI unenforced errors. 6HFRQG SDLU DQG UHJXODU SDUWQHUV Kirstin Miller and Madeline Harrison worked together to secure a WKUDVKLQJ RI WKH YLVLWRUV¡ Ă€UVW SDLU DQG D PXFK QDUURZHU ZLQ against the seconds at 23-21, 21-11. With the match ending in a 6-2 win, the women’s side are looking LQ JRRG VKDSH WR WDNH RQ 1RWWLQJham Trent in the second leg of the SURPRWLRQ FDPSDLJQ DQG PDNH FOXE KLVWRU\ E\ SODFLQJ WKH WHDP LQ WKH WRS VL[ EDGPLQWRQ FOXEV LQ %8&6

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

39

Sport

Royals’ injury woes mount after cruel defeat Men’s Football

York 1sts Newcastle 1sts

2 1

Jamie Gavin Sports Editor 3HUKDSV HDUOLHU LQ WKH FDPSDLJQ 1HZFDVWOH FRXOG KDYH EHHQ EXR\HG E\ WKH IDFW WKDW WKLV ZDV LQGHHG D JRRG SHUIRUPDQFH DZD\ IURP KRPH 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ IRU WKH 5R\DOV WKLV LV WKH EXVLQHVV HQG RI WKH VHDVRQ DQG it is now results that matter This one leaves them agonisingly ORRNLQJ RYHU WKHLU VKRXOGHU DIWHU D largely undeserved defeat to an imSUHVVLYH <RUN RXWĂ€W But whilst the home side were well RUJDQLVHG DQG ORRNHG VROLG WKH YLVLWRUV ZHUH WKH EHWWHU VLGH IRU ODUJH SHULRGV RI WKH PDWFK :KHQ WKH 5R\DOV ZHUH DEOH WR VSUHDG WKH EDOO LQWR ZLGH DUHDV WKH\ ORRNHG IULJKWHQLQJO\ GRPLQDQW DJDLQVW D VLGH WKDW KDYH ORVW MXVW WZR OHDJXH JDPHV WKLV VHDVRQ +RZHYHU LW GLGQ¡W SURYH WR EH HQRXJK DQG ZKLOVW WKH VFRUHOLQH DQG SHUIRUPDQFH ZHUH LQGHHG D PDUNHG LPSURYHPHQW RQ WKH GUXEELQJ WKH\ UHFHLYHG IURP WKH <RUNVKLUH VLGH EHIRUH &KULVWPDV LW ZLOO EH OLWWOH FRQsolation for a Newcastle side who KDYH Ă DWWHUHG WR GHFHLYH WKURXJKRXW WKH FDPSDLJQ 'HYRLG RI DOO FULWLFLVP WKRXJK LV ZLQJHU :LOO 'HOHGLFT +H VFRUHG WKH 5R\DOV¡ RQO\ JRDO DQG GHOLYHUHG WKH VRUW RI GLVSOD\ WKDW ZLOO Ă€OO KLV VLGH ZLWK KRSH JRLQJ LQWR WKH YLWDO Ă€QDO couplet of games which will decide WKHLU IDWH 3DUWLFXODUO\ LQ WKH Ă€UVW SHULRG KH ZDV PHVPHULVLQJ GRZQ WKH OHIW &RPELQLQJ ZHOO ZLWK VWULNHU -DPHV 6ZDLQVWRQ ² LQ KLV UHWXUQ WR Ă€UVW team action – Deledicq threatened DW HYHU\ RSSRUWXQLW\ 7KH DZD\ VLGH¡V RQO\ SUREOHP ZDV WKDW WKH\ GLGQ¡W JLYH KLP WKH EDOO HQRXJK 7RR RIWHQ WKH SOD\ ZDV FOXVWHUHG LQ WKH PLGĂ€HOG RQ D GLIĂ€FXOW DQG GDPS SLWFK 'HVSLWH WKLV 1HZFDVWOH ORRNHG E\ IDU WKH EULJKWHU VLGH LQ WKH RSHQLQJ PLQXWHV $ JUHDW PRYH WKURXJK the centre saw the classy Swainston Ă LFN WKH EDOO WKURXJK WR 0LNH\ )RUUHVW ZKR ORRNHG WR KDYH WLPHG KLV UXQ ZHOO %XW DV WKH PLGĂ€HOGHU SRZHUHG WKH EDOO LQWR WKH EDFN RI WKH QHW LW ZDV LQ YDLQ DV WKH UHIHUHH DGMXGJHG KLP WR EH PDUJLQDOO\ RIIVLGH 7KH SURPLVLQJ VWDUW FRQWLQXHG DQG 0DUWLQ +LOO WKUHDWHQHG RQ WKH RWKHU Ă DQN FDUYLQJ RXW D IXUWKHU RSHQLQJ when the winger played a neat one-

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J. HARDCASTLE

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Flood of action as Lawrence steals show at Muay Thai night Sarah Cotterill Saturday night lived up to all the expectations with excellent performDQFHV IURP Ă€JKWHUV IURP WKH )DNtory and Newcastle University Thai DQG .LFNER[LQJ FOXEV 7KH LPPHQVH DWPRVSKHUH DQG UHVSHFW EHWZHHQ Ă€JKWHUV ZDV HYLGHQW WKURXJKRXW WKH HYHQLQJ Stealing the show was Lawrence ´WKH Ă RRGÂľ +DUHV ZLWK DQ HSLF ERXW LQ ZKLFK KH VXEMHFWHG KLV RSSRQHQW WR WZR VWDQGLQJ HLJKW FRXQWV IRUFLQJ D ZLQ E\ XQDQLPRXV GHFLVLRQ +LV Ă€UVW Ă€JKW GLVSOD\HG KLV WHFKQLFDO DELOLW\ VWUHQJWK DQG HQGXUDQFH as he completely overpowered his

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opponent from Team Phoenix in :DONHU ZKR ORRNHG VFUDSS\ DQG exhausted after only two rounds ZLWK /DZUHQFH :LWK WKH FURZG SV\FKHG XS *UDKDP 6FKRÀHOG WRRN WR WKH ULQJ IRU WKH ÀIWK DQG UXPRXU KDV LW ÀQDO WLPH $IWHU IRXU VROLG URXQGV *UDKDP destroyed his opponent with a low OHJ NLFN OHDYLQJ KLP XQDEOH WR VWDQG DQG *UDKDP ZLWK DQRWKHU NQRFNRXW ZLQ WDNLQJ KLV UHFRUG WR IRXU ZLQV WKUHH E\ NQRFNRXW DQG RQH ORVV Sam Bhatt persevered through a ÀJKW KHDYLO\ UHOLDQW RQ FOLQFK ZRUN DQG GLVSOD\HG KLV DELOLW\ WR DGDSW KLV ÀJKWLQJ VW\OH Although his comfort zone is to

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+D\OH\ ER[HG ZHOO DQG FDXVHG KHU RSSRQHQW VHULRXV SUREOHPV LQ WKH third round in which Cassie told her FRUQHU VKH¡G KDG HQRXJK 7KH Ă€JKW continued and despite a sterling SHUIRUPDQFH +D\OH\ ORVW RQ SRLQWV )LJKWHUV IURP WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG ZLWKLQ WKH 1RUWKHUQ )LJKW /HDJXH VKHG EORRG VZHDW DQG WHDUV WR FUHDWH an entertaining evening that showcased the wealth of talent within 0XD\ 7KDL LQ WKH QRUWK RI (QJODQG +RSHIXOO\ WKDW VXFFHVV FDQ EH PLUrored at upcoming events for the FOXE LQFOXGLQJ D VHPL FRQWDFW NLFNER[LQJ FRPSHWLWLRQ DW /HHGV 8QLversity and a full-contact Muay Thai VKRZ LQ 6FRWODQG

40

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Eight-page Stan Calvert results pull-out inside

Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Jamie Gavin and Tomand James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Gavin Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

Record-breaking Newcastle surge to Stan Calvert glory University crush Northumbria to claim historic third successive Stan Calvert Cup A. WILSON

David Coverdale Editor In an historic day for the University, Team Newcastle humiliated Northumbria by a record score of 83.75 points to 32.25 in the Stan Calvert Cup. The landslide victory makes it an unprecedented third consecutive Calvert win for Newcastle and gives them their tenth victory in the competition’s 17-year history. The University’s domination was apparent throughout the entire day’s proceedings and the overall scoreline was a more than fair reĂ HFWLRQ RI WKH RQH VLGHG QDWXUH RI this year’s contest. In fact, the only the only thing Team Newcastle failed to beat on the day was the elements, with the showpiece rugby union match at *DWHVKHDG IDOOLQJ IRXO RI WKH KRUULĂ€ F weather conditions that swept the North East over the weekend. The abandonment meant that it was Newcastle’s netballers who were left to crown a memorable day. They more than delivered, recording a 57-37 win over a formidable 1RUWKXPEULD Ă€ UVW WHDP ,W ZDV D Ă€ WWLQJ HQG WR WKLV \HDU¡V competition as Newcastle’s ViceChancellor Chris Brink presented the trophy to Team Newcastle’s ecVWDWLF $8 2IĂ€ FHU 9LFN\ 7\DV LQ WKH indoor arena at Gateshead Stadium. Tyas had herself competed in the netball earlier in the day as part of the victorious third team and was overcome by emotion as she lifted the cup for Newcastle. She said: “I’m so proud, I couldn’t be prouder of everyone who has taken part today. I’m just so happy that we’ve won. “The massive margin of victory makes it even sweeter because some RI WKH Ă€ [WXUHV JRW FDQFHOOHG 1R RQH can now say that if the rugby had been played the result would have

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been different. “Massive congratulations must go to everyone who has been involved and a huge thanks to all of the hard work that everyone has put in over the last term and a half.â€? Already with a stunning 28.5-5.5 OHDG JRLQJ LQWR 6XQGD\¡V Ă€ [WXUHV there looked little doubt of anything but a Newcastle win as news of

7HDP 1HZFDVWOH YLFWRULHV à RRGHG in throughout the day. A surprise triumph for Newcastle’s women’s volleyball team was WKH À UVW UHVXOW WR FRPH LQ DQG WKH University did not look back with the rowing and hockey clubs securing a clean sweep of the points, and women’s rugby producing one of the shocks of the day.

The event was never a contest and Team Newcastle had all but secured their third successive Stan Calvert Cup by 4pm that afternoon. Performance Sport Manager Fraser Kennedy said he was “over the moon� with the result and praised the spirit shown by Newcastle’s students. Kennedy said: “Our organisation,

commitment and determination has EHHQ Ă€ UVW FODVV :H ZHUH GHWHUPLQHG to win, determined to win three in a row. “The clubs have been organised, they’ve done what I’ve asked them to do and it’s showed in almost eveU\ VLQJOH Ă€ [WXUH “Looking at the results, that’s a comprehensive victory.â€?

THE

C O UR IE R

Stan Calvert Cup 2010 Tuesday 2 March 2010

Clean sweep for hockey club Page 4 1HWEDOO À UVWV in monumental win Page 5 Athletics makes Gateshead debut Page 7

2

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

SPORT

Brave thirds undone by early Poly strike Men’s Football

Newcastle 3rds Northumbria 3rds

0 1

Graham Matthews at Gateshead 3G Despite dominating proceedings throughout, Newcastle were beaten by a Northumbria goal inside the Ă€ UVW Ă€ YH PLQXWHV The cold, wet conditions that led to the main rugby match being called off were present here, but the game still went ahead on the 3G surface. Newcastle kicked off, starting brightly but it was Northumbria ZKR ZLWK WKHLU Ă€ UVW DWWDFN RI WKH game, took the lead. A slight defensive error led to Northumbria’s speedy striker being allowed to sprint through the defence, getting one-on-one with the keeper, and slotting home the only goal of the game. This early goal seemed to slightly unsettle Newcastle allowing Northumbria another few chances. Newcastle’s goalkeeper Weston Murau’s kick missed the ball and it fell to another Northumbria striker who shot well wide of the open goal. Minutes later and centre back Adam Gamble made a brilliant headed clearance off the line, heading against his own crossbar. After that things picked up for Newcastle, James Ripley having a few excellent long shots saved by a Northumbria keeper who played a massive part in keeping his team in the lead. Ripley then crossed to Luke Hammett, setting him up perfectly for a volley, only for him to smash it inches past the wrong side of the post. The second half was mostly dominated by the Royals, but they FRXOGQ¡W Ă€ QG WKH HQG SURGXFW HYHQ though there was a lot of good passing, tackling and created chances. Ripley received the ball out on the right, cut inside and his cross to the near post nearly went in, only for Northumbria’s keeper to palm it wide. The resulting corner led to a Newcastle header being blocked, followed by a shot from the rebound also being blocked from close range. Northumbria’s best chances of the half came from two free kicks. For WKH Ă€ UVW RQH 1HZFDVWOH NHHSHU 0X rau got down low to his left and for the second he managed to brilliantly tip it over to keep Newcastle’s hopes alive. With only 15 minutes left Newcastle made a substitution and switched to a more attacking 4-3-3 formation hoping to turn some of their chances into deserved goals. 0LGĂ€ HOGHU 7RP 6PLWK LQVWUX mental in the centre for the Royals’ - skilfully took it past two Northumbria players only for his shot to be saved. Nearing the end of the game Newcastle continued to push forward in search of a much deserved equaliser, Ripley having another good shot tipped over by the opposition’s keeper, but it was not to be. At the end of the match Newcastle’s stand in captain Ed Houlton commented on what was a nearly match for the Royals. “It was one of our best performances of the season with a lot of good passing and movement. “Obviously we’re disappointed with the result, some of their lads were even saying we were the better team.â€?

No joy for football club as Royals fail to return Stan Calvert points A. WILSON

Men’s Football

Newcastle 1sts Northumbria 1sts

0 2

Jamie Gavin at Gateshead 3G While the Stan Calvert presentation passed off close by, the Royals were left to ponder what might have been after three back-to-back defeats. After Northumbria sealed narrow victories in the seconds and the WKLUGV JDPHV 1HZFDVWOH¡V Ă€ UVW WHDP failed to salvage their pride as they succumbed to a disappointing 2-0 defeat. Northumbria displayed a cutting edge that the Royals lacked, and this ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides on a bitterly cold night in Gateshead. The full blooded encounter was highly eventful, including a sending off and a 15-minute break folORZLQJ D Ă€ UVW KDOI Ă RRGOLJKW IDLOXUH but even when Northumbria were reduced to ten men in the closing stages, Newcastle failed to create a clear cut chance from open play. Their best spell came in the opening half hour, when a series of good moves saw them pepper the Northumbria goal with long-range efforts, with striker James Swainston and the tricky Martin Hill going close. It was Hill who provided the main outlet for Newcastle, and the winger got the better of his man on two occasions to deliver the ball into the area, however a solid-looking Northumbria back four cleared their lines well, and proved to be highly resilient throughout the encounter. Northumbria looked increasingly dangerous on the counter attack, and they had a goal disallowed on the 20-minute mark after a quick break resulted in a neat throughball. However, the strikers’ run was marginally mistimed, and the linesPDQ UDLVHG KLV Ă DJ IRU RIIVLGH With just less than quarter of an KRXU OHIW EHIRUH KDOI WLPH D Ă RRG light failure halted the Royals’ momentum, plunging the arena into GDUNQHVV IRU Ă€ IWHHQ PLQXWHV

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And Newcastle looked decidedly sluggish after the break in play, allowing Northumbria to grab the impetus. A breakdown in communication in the Royals defence allowed the ball to bounce on the edge of the area, and a well struck volley from Northumbria’s centre forward forced a À QH VDYH IURP œNHHSHU 0DWW 7KRUSH It was from the resulting corner that Northumbria grabbed the allimportant opening goal. A well delivered left-foot cross was sent in towards the near post, and their striker stole half a yard on his mark-

er to poke home. Newcastle regained their composure almost immediately and looked to press once more, but half time soon ensued, leaving the Royals in need of a second half turnaround. But despite having the better of the possession after the interval they failed to capitalise. Swainston was put through by Mike Forrest with 20 PLQXWHV UHPDLQLQJ EXW D PDJQLĂ€ cent last-ditch tackle thwarted the striker as he was about to pull the trigger. And with the Royals growing increasingly desperate, they threw

men forward at every opportunity, coming agonizingly close to an equaliser when defender Phil Nelson hit the bar from a corner with just ten minutes left. A Northumbria winger was dismissed for dissent soon after, but this only served to further galvanise an already determined side, and they extended their lead in the dying seconds when a counter attack caught Newcastle short at the back. A fast-paced break saw a striker to race through one-on-one, and he À QLVKHG ZHOO WR SXW WKH JDPH RXW RI reach for the Royals .

Spirited seconds suffer after lacklustre start Men’s Football

Newcastle 2nds Northumbria 2nds

3 5

Colin Henrys at Gateshead 3G Despite dominating for large parts of the match, Newcastle’s secondstring were left to rue a very poor start to each half as Northumbria clinched a 5-3 win at Gateshead. The Royals twice found themselves WKUHH JRDOV GRZQ À UVW À JKWLQJ EDFN WR ZLWK D TXLFN À UH GRXEOH ODWH LQ WKH À UVW KDOI DQG WKHQ LQ WKH VHFRQG half a fantastic strike by Ed Tizzard was to count for nothing as the Poly held on to gain the two Stan Calvert points on offer. The game started fairly evenly, with Newcastle playing some good football, but constantly looking vul-

nerable to their opponent’s counterattacking style. Indeed it was from one such attack that they fell behind. Joe Baker headed clear the initial danger, but a well-weighted through-ball found Northumbria’s VWULNHU ZKR URXQGHG WKH œNHHSHU IRU an easy tap-in. Frequently struggling to win the 50-50 challenges, it soon got worse for the Royals. %DNHU URVH À UVW WR KHDG FOHDU D IUHH kick, but only succeeded in managing to loop his header beyond the despairing dive of his own goalkeeper and into the top-corner. It was a goal that many a striker would have been proud of, but instead the Marris House bad-man was left with his head in his hands, and Newcastle with it all to do. They responded well, Chris Musonda had a shot saved and strike-

partner Tizzard shot wide from a GLIĂ€ FXOW DQJOH Against the run of play though, Northumbria added a third; another JRRG WKURXJK EDOO ZDV Ă€ QLVKHG ZHOO from the left-hand side. Once more Newcastle responded VWURQJO\ DQG Ă€ QDOO\ JRW D GHVHUYHG Ă€ UVW JRDO IURP D ZRQGHUIXOO\ FUDIWHG team-move. Musonda received the ball and passed to Mike Peace on the rightZLQJ 3HDFH¡V ORZ FURVV ZDV Ă€ QLVKHG by the onrushing Rob Thackwray. A second arrived just moments later as Elliot Connolly whipped in a dangerous free-kick. The Poly defence couldn’t deal with it, and Joel English took full advantage by stabbing home from close-range. Half-time curtailed The Royal’s Ă€ JKW EDFN DQG WKH VHFRQG SHULRG started disastrously. A Northum-

EULD IUHH NLFN ZDV GHà HFWHG FUXHOO\ off the wall for their fourth goal, and when a high-ball was poorly dealt with in the Newcastle area, WKH\ DGGHG WKHLU À IWK RI WKH JDPH turning the ball in at the secondattempt. Throughout the second-half Newcastle created good chances. Musonda shot wide after a good-turn, and Tizzard missed a glorious chance after collecting the ball on the leftwing from a throw-in. The striker cut inside but his curling shot,when RQH RQ RQH ZLWK WKH œNHHSHU à DVKHG wide. Tizzard’s goal more than made-up for his miss though. Controlling the ball some twenty yards out, he unleashed a powerful left-footed strike into the top-corner to renew hopes of a comeback. It wasn’t to be however, as time ran out for the Royals.

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

3

Memorable win for women’s rugby stars Women’s Rugby Union

Newcastle 1sts Northumbria 1sts

10 0

Ellie Robinson at Houghton-le-Spring When the Newcastle girls arrived at Cochrane Park on Sunday, they were prepared for anything. Anything – except a cancellation. Due to their positions in different BUCS leagues this was the only WLPH RI \HDU WKH À HUFH ULYDOV JRW WKH chance to face each other; a fact that only added to Newcastle’s drive to win. With Newcastle the underdogs, it had been 4 long years since they had secured a victory over the poly. When the decision to cancel was announced it was apparent that Newcastle were not submitting to D YRLG ZLWKRXW D À JKW &RQYHUVHO\ Northumbria’s totally willingness to go with cancellation and return to their sofas to munch pies, served to aggravate the Newcastle girls further. Contacts were called, favours were asked and promises made as WKH WHDP PDGH LW WKHLU DLP WR À QG a pitch that was playable, and get there. Houghton RFC was settled on the game was a go. With all the planned pre-match preparation disrupted, and with usual Coach absent, Captain Hannah Bassirat brought team Newcastle together with minds set on winning. With Northumbria unable to compete at the rucks, thanks mainly to Flanker Sophie Rogers dominat-

ing the breakdown area, Newcastle KDG WKH FRQÀ GHQFH WR EH GDULQJ LQ attack, aided by the superb play of scrum half Nadia McPhearson. After 15 minutes in their 22, the hard ZRUN À QDOO\ FDPH WR IUXLWLRQ ZKHQ a crash ball from Grace Holmes and strong hand-off of No. 8 Araba Chintoh found the Royals between the posts. The Nubiles remained strong until the half time whistle with great communication from Cessie Green despite the poor conditions. Fran InIDQWH À [HG KHU RSSRVLWH QXPEHU DQG a well timed pass put winger Charlotte Kitchen into space to make half the length before being put into touch. When the half-time whistle blew Newcastle were still on the attack, and Northumbria had yet to make an impact on the game. Inspiring words from stand-in coach John Fenn sent the girls out for the second-half determined not to throw away their lead. Forwards Helen Martin and Sam Ireland both exploited any weakness in the defensive line and kept the Royals moving forwards. Substitutions in the pack made a huge impact and Newcastle had spent the majority of the half in sight of the try-line, just unable to capitalise on their position. But patience eventually paid off with Livvy Coombs out stepping the defence to score and seal the result. $V WKH À QDO ZKLVWOH EOHZ WKH mixture of emotions amongst the Newcastle girls was evident; tears, screams and songs rang out as the supporters joined their club mem-

P. DIXON

%UHDNWKURXJK $UDED &KLQWRK GHPROLVKHV WKH 3RO\ GHIHQFH WR VFRUH 1HZFDVWOHÂśV Âż UVW WU\ XQGHU WKH SRVWV LQ WKHLU VXSHUE ZLQ

bers on the pitch for Newcastle wished to thank Houghton RFC for their help and hospitality, stand-in ref Kieran Hutchinson, and the army of supporters who trudged to Durham to back their team and to show that commitment will always rule over cash. Director of Rugby John Fenn reserved special praise for his side af-

terwards: “It was an exceptional performance by all concerned produced an amazing result of 10-0 win, which in my opinion should have been 25-0 such was the dominance exerted by Newcastle. “Not a tackle was missed, not one of our players took a step back. It was a whole team and squad effort RQ DQG RII WKH Ă€ HOG ZLWK EULOOLDQW

support from the touch line. “I was proud to be there to support my girls in this incredible game and totally impressed with their endeavour. “To see the Poly slink off depressed was magical, to see my girls party with pride and passion was delightful, and provide some drinks for them after their efforts was the best ÂŁ50 I’ve ever spent.â€?

Poly demolished as Owls cruise to victory Men’s Rugby League

Newcastle 1sts Northumbria 1sts

40 6

Kev Davey at Druid Park Following an unprecedented QXPEHU RI FDQFHOOHG À [WXUHV WKH UH sponsibility of bearing the University standard was left to NURL in the showcase Stan Calvert match-up. The Owls went in to the game with the worst possible preparation after facing national champions Leeds Met the day before in the BUCS cup. With the teams’ focus squarely on Stan Calvert that match ended in defeat, yet fortunately injuries and exhaustion failed to stop the march of a full strength death machine. The match took place on the Druid Park 4G pitch and it was clear from the kick off that the unconventional surface suited Newcastle’s attacking style. By the 15 minute mark imperious skipper Michael Ward had crossed twice following typically shrewd running from Stunning Ste Moorcroft. Northumbria seemed shell shocked throughout the opening exchanges as Mighty Ducks-esque Bash Brothers Jo Robinson and Dan Caparros-Midwood upped the ante with some brutal hit-ups and bellringers in defence. Veteran winger Kevin Davey soon capitalised on their hard work with

a brace of tries; both coming from Ward passes and his trademark ‘Cyber-Goose’ step. The Newcastle onslaught gathered momentum as the bemused Poly SOD\HUV IDLOHG WR Ă€ QG DQ\ FRKHVLRQ with their innate idiocy manifesting itself in disturbing howls and vacant defending. Liam Mcgee soon took advantage of the confusion with his sublime running from the right Centre lead-

ing to a try. NURL comfortably saw out the remainder of the half keeping their city rivals pointless. Coach Rob Jones master plan was paying dividends as Northumbria simply couldn’t handle the Owls early attacks out wide. Following the interval, the Poly played with a renewed vigour yet VWLOO IDLOHG WR À QG DQ\ VRUW RI VXV tained attacking impetus. Their

coach, and the manager of the Ireland International team, Andy Kelly had no doubt berated his side for their lack of aggression. Despite Northumbria’s best efforts the pattern continued with morbidly obese NURL prop Will Winter hurtling in to his opposite number with his languid frame, causing almost as much damage as the foul stench of vomit on his breath. Following this early ascendancy T. NEWBATT

5RXW 1HZFDVWOH HDVHG WR D FRPIRUWDEOH YLFWRU\ DJDLQVW 1RUWKXPEULD ZKR FXUUHQWO\ FRPSHWH LQ WKH %8&6 OHDJXH DERYH WKHP

NURL’s rhythm was severely disrupted as pivotal loose-forward Ward suffered a match ending thumb injury. Though the team lost some structure the inspirational leadership role of Ward was ably stewarded by Sam Boyd from fullback. Boyd added a forward’s workload to his normal duties but was still typically resplendent with his kick returns from the high ball. With NURL’s continuing dominance the Northumbria team began to resort to basic one-up rugby and WKHLU SDOSDEOH QHUYHV ZHUH UHĂ HFWHG by the increasing imprudence of their fans. Their uncouth manners were the polar opposite of the sophisticated behaviour on show from the Flâneur supporters in the NURL bandstand. With 20 minutes to go the game turned in to somewhat of a stalemate until Northumbria crossed the whitewash with their only points of the game. The cynical try may have been awarded by compassionate reasons for the referee but it was soon cancelled out by a darting score from man of the match Hooker Rob Seagraves. 7KLV ZDV VRRQ IROORZHG E\ WKH Ă€ QDO points of the game with Moorcroft hurtling over the line following a remarkable break from Mcgee and a VWULQJ RI RXWUDJHRXV RIĂ RDGV 7KH Ă€ QDO ZKLVWOH PDUNHG 185/¡V third victory in a row in the Stan &DOYHUW Ă€ [WXUH ZLWK WKH 2ZOV RQFH again cementing their league dominance in the city.

4

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

SPORT

Rossiter leads Royals to Calvert victory A. WILSON

Men’s Hockey

Northumbria 1sts Newcastle 1sts

3 6

Charley Wright at Coach Lane A thrilling encounter between the QRUWK HDVW·V À HUFHVW ULYDOV VDZ 1HZ FDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ FRPH RXW RQ WRS DI WHU LQVSLUDWLRQDO SHUIRUPDQFHV IURP LQMXUHG FDSWDLQ ,DQ 5RVVLWHU DQG PLGÀ HOG SOD\PDNHU 0LNH 6HGFROH 5DLQ VZHSW RYHU WKH &RDFK /DQH VSRUWV FHQWUH SLWFKHV DV WKH \HDU·V PRVW DQWLFLSDWHG JDPH SXVKHG EDFN :LWK D JUHDW GHDO WR SOD\ IRU LQ D 6WDQ &DOYHUW 6XQGD\ KHDYLO\ DIIHFWHG E\ WKH ZHDWKHU LW ZDV LPSHUDWLYH IRU WKH 5R\DOV WR GHOLYHU )URP WKH À UVW ZKLVWOH 1HZFDVWOH ORRNHG FRPIRUWDEOH LQ SRVVHVVLRQ DQG ZKHQ JRLQJ IRUZDUG :LWK 6HGFROH SXOOLQJ WKH VWULQJV DW WKH EDVH RI D PLGÀ HOG GLDPRQG WKH DZD\ VLGH VRRQ IRXQG DQ RSHQLQJ ZKLFK À UVW \HDU +HFWRU +DOO H[SORLW HG WR JLYH 5RVVLWHU WKH FKDQFH WR WDNH WKH OHDG IRU WKH XQLYHUVLW\ VODSSLQJ WKH EDOO KRPH WR PDNH LW 1HZFDVWOH ¿ UVW WHDP captain Ian Rossiter overcame a head injury and six stitches he obtained the previous day to lead KLV VLGH WR D ¿ QH victory over Northumbria at Coach Lane

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Crossing sticks: Newcastle overcame Northumbria at Coach Lane in all three Stan Calvert matches on another victorious day for Team Newcastle’s hockey club

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THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

5

A. WILSON

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Unbeaten netball club shine at Gateshead Netball Round-Up

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6

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

SPORT M. MISKINIS

Poly edge tight swimming duel William Jolly at the City Pool Newcastle University were narrowly beaten three and a half points to two and a half points by Northumbria in the swimming contest at the City Pool on Thursday night, EXW WKHUH ZHUH VRPH Ă€ QH WHDP DQG individual and team performances on show. The women’s freestyle relay got Newcastle off to a winning start in WKH Ă€ UVW HYHQW ZLWK WKH ER\V EHLQJ narrowly beaten into second. Thereafter Northumbria took control with wins in both 100m individual medley events, most of the 50m sprints and a few of the 100m events, despite good efforts from Lauri Simkiss in the women’s 50m and 100m breastroke and Caroline Brady in the women’s 50m and 100m backstroke. There were also close races in the PHQ¡V P EXWWHUĂ \ DQG P IUHH style with Steve Addison and Graham Donald just being beaten at the

À QLVK $W WKLV SRLQW LW ORRNHG OLNH Northumbria were threatening to stroll to a comfortable victory. Newcastle then staged a comeback, with comfortable wins in the women’s 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle for Amy Jesset. The women DOVR ZRQ WKH P EXWWHUà \ WKDQNV to some fantastic underwater work. Captain Steve Addison led the ZD\ IRU WKH PHQ ZLWK D JUHDW À QLVK RQ WKH P EXWWHUà \ WR VHFXUH D narrow win. William Jolly then took both the 100m and 200m freestyle comfortably leaving Newcastle with a chance to close the gap on Northumbria. The women’s medley relay staged D PDJQLÀ FHQW FRPHEDFN RQ WKH IUHH style leg to win thanks to a fantastic À QLVK E\ $P\ -HVVHW 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ the men’s medley relay could not match the Northumbria team. But Newcastle University, who could have been heavily beaten, put XS D UHDOO\ JRRG À JKW WR SUHYHQW Northumbria from taking all six points. D. RAWCLIFFE

Duel in the pool: Northumbria claimed three and a half points to Newcastle’s two and a half in an enthralling contest at City Pool

Uni cricketers recover to stump Northumbria Colin Henrys at Newcastle Cricket Centre

On your guard: Newcastle’s men’s fencers narrowly lost their tie at the Sports Centre

Fencers share Calvert spoils Fencing Round-Up Ed Bailey at the Sports Centre For the last few years Northumbria Men’s fencing have had one of the best squads in the country, packed with international fencers. This year it seemed as though they had a weaker squad with only two international fencers. First up was Sabre, Newcastle got off to a good start with Pat Navein taking the initial lead, then Ed Bailey came on and had one of the matches of the season against Stevie Fenwick, an Irish international, to ZLQ 7KH 6DEUH WHDPV FRQÀ GHQFH grew and with a few nice hits from Rob Walker Sabre was in the bag 4537 to Newcastle. Next up was Foil which Newcastle knew would be challenging,

the match was close. Smiley Dave started well, with some great hits also from Pat Navein. Foil timed out with Newcastle going up 42-41. 7KH À QDO ZHDSRQ ZDV (SHH WKLV being Northumbria’s strongest weapon. With Newcastle needing 35 hits to win the match started off tentatively and Northumbria took a big lead. Smiley Dave got some sneaky hits DQG WKH À QDO PDWFK ZHQW GRZQ WR Dan Grant versus the Epee specialist Matt Stewart. Dan took the game to him but unfortunately it was not enough and Newcastle lost 45-25. Overall Northumbria won 122-112, leaving Newcastle defeated, but proud of the performances and coming so close to a Northumbria upset. Newcastle women beat Northumbria 135- 118, which was a fantastic result. Leaving the points split between the Poly and Newcastle.

A rare below-par performance by the Newcastle Men’s Cricket First Team was the only black mark on an otherwise impressive Stan Calvert performance at South North. Two crushing victories for the third and second team looked to have set up an important whitewash, but the À UVW WHDP ZHQW GRZQ E\ IRXU ZLFN ets in the day’s showpiece. Craig Barrington’s third team RSHQHG WKH GD\ EDWWLQJ À UVW LQVLGH the Newcastle Cricket Centre. Needing to set a good momentum, they didn’t disappoint. Barrington (24) and opening partner Charlie Davey UDFHG WR D À IW\ SDUWQHUVKLS LQ just 25 balls. Although slowed momentarily by the loss of a few quick wickets in the middle overs, Newcastle powered RQ SDVW WKUHH À JXUHV Amassing a further 48 runs from the last three overs, thanks largely to 0DUN &RRSHU KLWWLQJ WKH À UVW VL[ RI the day, and good batting by Davey DQG +DUVK .DN WKH WKLUGV À Q ished on 148/4. Any hopes Northumbria had of chasing down the massive target were extinguished almost immediately. Barrington mowed down the stumps from mid-off to run out the opening batsman with the score on just two. Although they recovered to post D TXLFN À UH À IW\ IRU WKH VHFRQG wicket, economic bowling from Barrington (0-21), Cooper (2-32) and fresher Will Robinson (0-24) in the middle-overs put paid to any hopes of a Poly victory. The three combined to concede just 20 runs in four overs, Cooper following this by grabbing his twoZLFNHWV LQ KLV À QDO RYHU 1RUWKXP EULD ZHUH OHIW WR OLPS SDVW WKH À QLVK

some 35 runs in arrears. %RZOLQJ Ă€ UVW LQ WKH GD\¡V VHFRQG match, the Newcastle second-team did even better. John Anderson removed the opening batsman for a duck with the third ball of the game, and followed this up with a wicket in his second over, thanks to a smart stumping by Cowan. Anderson bowled his allotWHG WKUHH RYHUV LQ RQH VSHOO Ă€ QLVK LQJ ZLWK RXWVWDQGLQJ Ă€ JXUHV RI as Northumbria struggled to 30/2 at the halfway stage. Things soon got even worse for them too, as Toby Raper took undoubtedly the catch of the day, diving backwards to claim a stylish two-handed effort as the ball dropped awkwardly over his right shoulder. David Fagan’s two wickets, one clean-bowled and the other courtesy of a good catch by Chris Childs countered a late attack by the lowerorder, and another good stumping by Cowan, this time off the bowling of Sam Eaton left The Poly all out on just 78. With such a small target to chase, Newcastle were able to cruise to victory. Fagan (27*) and Childs (18) both hit the opening bowler for six, DV WKH\ UDFHG WR IURP MXVW Ă€ YH overs. The game was wrapped up with over a third of the allocated twelve overs still remaining, Cowan nudging the winning runs. $IWHU VXFK D JRRG VWDUW WKH Ă€ UVW WHDP HQWHUHG WKH Ă€ QDO PDWFK IXOO\ FRQĂ€ GHQW RI D WKLUG YLFWRU\ WR WDNH a clean sweep of the six Stan Calvert points available. %DWWLQJ Ă€ UVW KRZHYHU WKH\ ZHUH unable to achieve the same powerful start as the other two teams and were restricted by some tight bow LQJ DQG JRRG Ă€ HOGLQJ Opener Tom Ullyot was removed cheaply, and although Alex Rousak

(21) and Joe Austin (25) recovered to post 43 for the second wicket, the run-rate was nowhere near as quick as it needed to be. In addition Austin should have been caught on 17, but the despairLQJ GLYH RI 1RUWKXPEULD¡V Ă€ HOGHU served only to reveal a horrendous star-shaped tattoo on his shin, to the amusement of the vocal Newcastle following. Austin made the most of his reprieve, hitting the next ball he faced for a big six, but it was a rare highlight in a poor batting display. Rousak was out in the following over, slapping the ball straight into mid-on’s hands, and a terrible mixup between captain Ashwin Kapoor and Ali Barrowman led to the latter being run-out shortly after. This sparked a terrible batting collapse, from 68-2 to 71-5, and only a sensible knock from last-man Richard Stanyon (13*) enabled Newcastle to reach a more respectable 86 before they were all out. The total was below-par but certainly defendable, a feeling which increased when Stanyon dismissed the Northumbria opener with the score on just two. Despite their good start though, Kapoor’s side were unable to mirror WKH WLJKW Ă€ HOGLQJ WKDW KDG EHHQ GLV played by the opposition. A bad dropped-catch off his own bowling by Barrowman, and a missed stumping by the captain himself off Ullyot’s bowling, summed up the poor display. For the loss of just one more wicket - a run-out - Northumbria gently eased home with an over to spare to record a deserved four-wicket victory. While they will no doubt be pleased WR KDYH Ă€ QLVKHG WKH GD\ ZLWK WZR successes, Newcastle may well rue allowing their rivals to claim two points of their own.

THE COURIER Tuesday 2 March 2010

7

Tennis team serve whitewash to Northumbria Men’s Tennis

Newcastle 1sts Northumbria 1sts

10 0

Joe Mellor & George Binsted at the Northumberland Club The Northumberland Club in Jesmond was the setting for the men’s tennis segment of the Stan Calvert Cup. Following Newcastle’s loss to Northumbria in the same competition last year, revenge had to be taken and without question it was. The team which comprised George Binsted, Nick Macann, Alex Newell, Mike Williams and Jakub Vachal on paper looked very strong and so it proved. Newcastle destroyed Northumbria 10-0 without dropping a single rubber. As the rain lashed down onto the roof, the result left the Northumbria boys looking washed out. The Northumbria side - that plays in a league above Newcastle - were schooled by a Newcastle side hungry for victory. The format of the match was two doubles and four singles matches, ZLWK WKH IRUPHU EHLQJ SOD\HG À UVW One point was awarded for victors of the doubles and two for the winners of the singles competition. The doubles match was a race to eight games and the singles was a

best out of three sets format. Highly rated Alex Newell and Jakub Vachal PDGH XS WKH À UVW SDLU DQG *HRUJH Binsted with team captain Nick Macann the second pair. After a slow start for Newcastle’s À UVW SDLU WKH\ TXLFNO\ VWDUWHG À QG ing the form that has made them such a potent doubles partnership. Alex Newell’s remarkable lob on break point required a mention, but not to be outshone by his partner Jakub’s huge forehand, which was too big for Northumbria to handle (8-4). The second pairing of George Binsted and Nick Macann renewed their understanding on court and raced into a 3-0 lead. Nick Macann - not known in tennis circles for his volleying ability - today found inspired touches at the net on numerous occasions. George’s serve for a change clicked and provided part of the platform that allowed for the second pair’s victory over Northumbria, after a brief wobble coming through 9-7. Two points were secured and the Newcastle men had their tails up. Three of the singles were closely contested, but unfortunately for the Northumbrian number one he came up against Alex Newell in imperious form and was thrashed 6-1, 6-0. Newell’s performance was effortless, he left the court without breaking a sweat. The same could not

be said for his opponent, who also broke a racket for good measure. Over on centre court, Jakub Vachal showed his pig-headed attitude in the face of defeat. +H ORVW WKH Ă€ UVW VHW EXW HPHUJHG victorious; winning the next two sets 6-1. Nick Macann who brings new resonance to the phrase ‘grinder’ pulled off a typical performance 6-2, 7-5. The veteran Mike Williams playing in his third Stan Calvert match could not tarnish Newcastle’s performance and played very well and VKRZHG FKDUDFWHULVWLF Ă€ JKW WR RYHU come his opponent. A player who is sometimes criticised for being sluggish around the court was gazelle like in his movement on this occasion. As the Newcastle side smashed volleys the Northumbria players smashed rackets. The Northumbria SOD\HU¡V WHPSHUV Ă DUHG EXW WKH Newcastle men would not be intimidated. If anything the attitude of the opposition galvanised the Newcastle side. The broken rackets will be Ă€ [HG EXW WKH EUXLVHG HJRV RI WKH Northumbria team may take a lot longer to heal. A special mention must also go to the team’s coach who has put in many hours throughout the year and this victory is a culmination of his and the team’s work.

A. WILSON

Smashing victory: Royals reign supreme on the court at the Northumberland Club

7UDFN DQG À HOG VSOLW SRLQWV Cross country WHDP WULXPSKDQW on Town Moor A. WILSON

Lewis Tatt at Gateshead Stadium

)RU WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH HYHU *DWHVKHDG International Stadium hosted track DQG Ă€ HOG DV SDUW RI WKLV \HDUV 6WDQ Calvert. Following on from last weekends cross country, which was utterly dominated by Newcastle, the athletics looked extremely promising. There were predictable victories in the women’s shot putt, with Katy Wilson throwing a new personal best of 11.46m, and in the long jump, with all-round athlete David Dempsey leaping an impressive 5.96m to help take the points. Amy Richards was close to her personal best in the high jump with 1.60m, but perhaps the most excitLQJ Ă€ HOG HYHQW ZDV WKH PHQ¡V KLJK jump, with Lee Tinnion seeing off some extremely tough competition to win with a new PB of 1.85m. Judging by the ease with which Lee cleared the height there will no doubt be much more to come. Going into the track events Newcastle looked set to dominate, with Briony Harris leading a Newcastle 1-2-3-4 in the women’s 1500m and winning in 5:12. The men’s race saw elite athlete Chris Parr strolling through to win in what was for him a leisurely 4:08, closely followed by Lewis Tatt to secure another Newcastle victory. Club president Amy Wrigley looked a class ahead in the women’s 400m, winning by a huge margin and coming dangerously close to her personal best with 60.7 seconds. In the men’s 400m Northumbria were completely outclassed, with a dominant combination of David Dempsey, Will Steel, Martin Ferguson and Adam Kidson.

Jamie Gavin Sports Editor

On the line: athletics entered the Stan Calvert fray at hair-raising speed on Sunday

Steel looked set to win but DempVH\ FDPH EDFN VWURQJ LQ WKH À QDO metres to secure victory by the narrowest of margins. Both athletes ran 51.4 seconds, an extremely impressive performance given the adverse weather conditions. The biggest victory of the afternoon was therefore unsurprisingly the men’s 4x400m relay, with 800m runner Andy Richardson being subbed in and running a split of 51.5 to help the team to win by almost 15 seconds. To give credit where it’s due, Northumbria had some strong athletes. However, having adopted top multi-events coach Ed Griss at

the start of the year Newcastle displayed a depth of ability not previously seen in the club. Although the Stan Calvert track DQG À HOG SRLQWV ZHUH VKDUHG HYHQO\ on the day, this simply sealed an emphatic victory for the Athletics and Cross Country Club as a whole, especially after last weekend’s performance. The success of the event and the excellent team spirit of everyone involved - despite the cancellation of the Rugby and the poor weather conditions - surely suggests athletics should become a regular and exciting feature of Stan Calvert in future years.

The inaugural Stan Calvert cross country event ended in a resounding triumph for Team Newcastle as they secured victory in both the men’s and women’s contests in emphatic style. Newcastle also claimed individXDO À UVW DQG VHFRQG SODFHV LQ ERWK races, marking a memorable day for the University’s athletics and cross country club. The event, held on Town Moor, was hailed as a success after 44 athletes competed over the 5km course, braving the cold conditions to bring home the all important Stan Calvert Cup points. Newcastle’s Ross Floyd took the men’s race in a time of 15:45, all of 44 seconds in front of teammate Lewis Tatt, and a full minute in ahead of third placed Andy Young from Northumbria. It was a similar story in the women’s race, where Caitlin Lloyd and Briony Harris sealed a one-two for Newcastle in times of 18:48 and 19:07 respectively. Laura Space came in third for Northumbria in a time of 19:33. $QG LW ZDV D PDJQLÀ FHQW WHDP effort from the University’s athletes, who were able to clinch 13 of the 16 top eight places on offer, which meant for overall scores of 26-10 in the men’s race, and 30-6 in the women’s. Newcastle also boasted a supe-

rior turnout to that of their rivals, Ă€ HOGLQJ DWKOHWHV WR 1RUWKXP bria’s 16, in an event which looks set to feature as part of Stan Calvert in future years. The club will now set their sights on a repeat success in Sunday’s allQHZ WUDFN DQG Ă€ HOG SURJUDPPH where athletics is set to feature in 6WDQ &DOYHUW IRU WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH Cross country captain Olly Wood was understandably delighted with the clubs performance. “It’s a deserved win for the team as they have all worked hard in training to reach this level.â€? “I am incredibly proud of the team, it’s been a fantastic year for the club and this has the been icing on the cake. We expect the same level of performances on Sunday as the rest of the Athletics team compete - and I’m sure they will deliver.â€? Performance Sport Manager Fraser Kennedy was also pleased with the way events unfolded at a chilly Town Moor, as he presided over the newest addition to the Stan Calvert Cup - an event which he had spent many months planning. “This was a great achievement, not just for Team Newcastle but for the Stan Calvert event as a whole. “It was very well organised and will be a regular feature in the years to come - it will undoubtedly go from strength to strength.â€?

8

Tuesday 2 March 2010 THE COURIER

Historic day for heroic Team Newcastle A. WILSON

Results Sport American Football Athletics Badminton - M 1 Badminton - M 2 Badminton - W Basketball - M 1 Basketball - M 2 Basketball - W 1 Basketball - W 2 Cricket - M 1 Cricket - M 2 Cricket - M 3 Cricket - W Cross Country Fencing - M Fencing - W Football - M 1 Football - M 2 Football - M 3 Football - W 1 Football - W 2 Golf - 1 Golf - 2 Hockey - M 1 Hockey - M 2 Hockey - M 3 Hockey - W 1 Hockey - W 2 Hockey - W 3 Lacrosse - M Lacrosse - W Mountain Biking (DH) Mountain Biking (XC) Netball - 1 Netball - 2 Netball - 3 Netball - 4 Rugby League - 1 Rugby League - 2 Rugby Union - M 1 Rugby Union - M 2 Rugby Union - M 3 Rugby Union - M 4 Rugby Union - W Rowing - Beg M Rowing - Beg W Rowing - Senior M Rowing - Senior W Skiing Squash - M 1 Squash - M 2 Squash - W 1 Squash - W 2 Swimming - M & W Table Tennis - M 1 Table Tennis - M 2 Table Tennis - W 1 Tennis - M Tennis - W 1 Tennis - W 2 Volleyball - M Volleyball - W

Score

Points NEWC

NORTH

Newc 52-0 North Newc 4.25-5.75 North Newc 5-3 North Newc 2-6 North Newc 6-2 North VOID Newc 63-70 North VOID Newc 60-43 North Newc 85-86 North Newc 80-78 North Newc 143-114 North Newc W/O Newc 2-0 North Newc 112-123 North Newc 135-118 North Newc 0-2 North Newc 3-5 North Newc 0-1 North Newc 1-10 North Newc 3-5 North Newc W/O VOID Newc 6-3 North Newc 5-2 North Newc 4-0 North Newc 6-1 North Newc 4-2 North Newc 2-0 North VOID VOID Newc 11-10 North Newc 18-3 North Newc 57-37 North Newc 33-31 North Newc 34-29 North Newc 38-38 North Newc 40-6 North VOID VOID VOID VOID VOID Newc 10-0 North Newc 1-0 North Newc 1-0 North Newc 1-0 North Newc 1-0 North Newc 5-0 North Newc 4-1 North Newc 3-0 North Newc 3-1 North Newc 0-5 North Newc 2.5-3.5 North Newc 6-11 North Newc 12-5 North Newc 5-0 North Newc 10-0 North Newc 7-3 North Newc 6-2 North Newc 3-1 North Newc 3-0 North

2 4.25 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2.5 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

0 5.75 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3.5 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL

83.75

32.25

As a result of exceptionally bad weather over the weekend, and despite great efforts to re-arrange matches, the programme of events for the annual Stan Calvert Memorial Cup Competition had to be curtailed. As the competition involved so many last-minutes programme changes and different venues it will take some days to À QDOLVH WKH RYHUDOO À QDQFHV $Q\ TXHULHV DERXW WKH FRPSHWLWLRQ RU tickets will be dealt with from Monday 8 March.

9LFWRULRXV 3HUIRUPDQFH 6SRUW 0DQDJHU )UDVHU .HQQHG\ DQG $8 2I¿ FHU 9LFN\ 7\DV SRVH ZLWK WKH 6WDQ &DOYHUW 0HPRULDO 7URSK\

Final word on Stan Calvert 2010 Jamie Gavin Sports Editor While the weather washed away the possibility of a Sunday showdown in the rugby union, other sports had the opportunity to shine over the course of the Stan Calvert programme, and shine they did. From the ski stars of three weeks ago, to the netball club’s heroics on Sunday night, Newcastle University delivered the sort of performance that will live long in the memory. As has been the case in the two years prior to Sunday’s demolition, there have been magical results to turn the tide – and they seemed to come in abundance this year, with a whole host of clubs defying the odds to bring home vital points.

The result - the like of which has never been seen in the event’s 17year history and will most probably never be seen again – signals the University’s intent to remain not only a proud academic University, but also a sporting institution to be reckoned with. Whilst Northumbria throws vast sums money at its sporting clubs and facilities, the sort of passion Newcastle displayed across the board is something that cannot be bought with cash, and the University continues to rise to the occasion and pull out all the stops when it matters. But what now for the Stan Calvert Cup? Newcastle are embarking on new ground, but is their domi-

nance a temporary phenomenon in what has been an otherwise highly competitive history of competition, or are they set to rule the roost for years to come? Only time will tell, but heads will undoubtedly roll at Northumbria, and their new sports centre will open without the Stan Calvert trophy on display – a dent in the pride of an institution that thrives on its sporting prowess. As Northumbria’s investment continues, Newcastle’s organisation and drive will become ever more important in the coming years. Future staff and students will have a tough task to live up to the challenge set by the sporting stars of 2010.

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