Issue 114

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Issue 114

Sheffield Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre

Comic Con

Features

Lifestyle

An in-depth look at the charity and its valuable work p. 8

Treehouse

Sheffield’s first board game café reviewed

It’s the biggest pop culture event in the UK. But is it for everyone? p. 23

Games

p. 26

Students walk with spiders in successful fundraising event David Anderson

T

he popular Spiderwalk event

by Sheffield Raising and Giving (RAG) was held on Thursday 2 November following its makeover.

A new route saw participants exploring a whole new part of Sheffield as part of a 13-mile night hike, which included a half way stop at Whirlow Hall Farm for a barbecue, beer and live music.

Students paid £8 for a ticket and were also asked to raise £30 in sponsorship for charity before setting off.

Emily Boyle, a University of Sheffield student who participated in this year’s walk, said: “It was a...

(Cont. on page 4)

Former president Sukanya Najmudin was also nominated for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual in what was an exceptional evening for student cinema.

Film Unit are best student cinema

Cont. on page 3

Gethin Morgan

Film Unit has been declared the best student cinema in the country for a second consecutive year.

The Film Society of the Year Awards 2017 took place on 11 November at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield.

The awards, ran by Cinema For All,

celebrated the best of film societies, community cinemas and film clubs in the UK. The student cinema, located in the Students’ Union, was nominated for three awards in total. They were given a commendation in the Community Award, which was won by Leigh Film Society, who took home three awards

on the night.

Meanwhile last year’s Film Unit Chair and this year’s Co-Chief House Manager Sukayna Najmudin was nominated for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual, and was given a certificate along with all the nominees, with special mention going to David McLoughlin from

Metamorphosis Open Cinema.

Sam Kelly, this year’s Chair of Film Unit, said: “It’s an amazing honour to win Best Student Cinema for the second year in a row and we are absolutely delighted. It’s a testament to the incredible hard work of all of our committee and volunteer staff over the last year, and our audiences...

Students set to rally for Reclaim the Night David Anderson

T

he Students’ Union is one of a number of organisations organising a Reclaim The Night march on Saturday 25 November in Sheffield.

The Women’s Committee is working alongside the SU and will be joined by Hallam’s Students’ Union.

The Women’s Officer Celeste Jones is taking a big role in organising the event.

Many women feel unsafe going out at night, and the march intends to help them feel safer in the city.

The event will start with a march from Sheffield Cathedral at 6.30pm, for self-identifying women and nonbinary people who face misogyny, before a rally in Coffee Revolution at 7.30pm which is open to all genders...

(Cont. on page 6)

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Forge Press Editorial Team Editor editor@forgetoday.com Luke Baldwin Managing Editor Freyja Gilliard Deputy Editors editor@forgetoday.com Nick Burke Michael Chilton Web Coordinator Dan Cross Head of News Ben Warner News press.news@forgetoday.com David Anderson Courtney Carr Gethin Morgan Opinion press.opinion@forgetoday.com James Pendlington Josie Le Vay Features press.features@forgetoday.com Katharine Swindells Megan-Lily McVey Elsa Vulliamy Coffee Break press.coffeebreak@forgetoday.com Dave Peacock Lifestyle press.lifestyle@forgetoday.com Harry Gold Ellie Conlon Head of Sport Adam May Sport press.sport@forgetoday.com Josh Taylor Tim Adams Music press.music@forgetoday.com Ben Kempton Florence Mooney Games press.games@forgetoday.com Chloe Dervey Tom Buckland

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Editorial

W

e’ve passed the halfway mark for the semester and hopefully you’ve still got the motivation for all your lectures, despite the longer nights and the colder weather.

One thing that might give you some extra motivation is the fact that Christmas (as much as it’s a bit of a cliché) seems to have come particularly early this year.

I know for many of you this is not a welcome arrival, but for me the festive season is something I look forward to every year. Whether it’s lights and trees cropping up round town or the countless Christmas adverts that appear on our TV, I can’t help but get excited for the holidays.

But you know what gets me more excited? A brand spanking new issue of Forge, complete with the usual affair of high

quality student journalism. The highlight of this issue has to be Features piece on amazing work of the Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, a brilliant charity operating in the City Centre. I spoke in the previous issue about the importance of calling out the perpetrators of such violent acts, but we also need to do more to the help survivors of such atrocities.

The hard-working people at STASAC do just that, so it’s good to see them receive the praise and attention they absolutely deserve. The piece also contains the account of one anonymous student who has used the charities services. I’d like to thank this contributor for talking so openly about what is obviously such a personal experience. To everyone else, I cannot recommend enough that you give it a read.

Opinion have a great two-page

feature entitled ‘Who’s the worst Briton in History?’. There’s your obvious choices of serial killers and politicians, as well as the not so obvious choice of The One Show’s Matt Baker. It’s funny and insightful and completed by some incredible artwork from our immensely talented Games Editor Chloe Dervey. Before she became an Editor, Chloe submitted several drawings to the Screen section back when it was ran by yours truly. Artwork submissions were something I always admired, so it’s nice to see her show off her artistic chops once again.

This issue is also somewhat bittersweet, marking the halfway point of this team’s time on Forge and my time as Editor. I’ve loved every moment of working on this newspaper, even when times have been tough, but there’s so much more I want to do with my tenure

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and I know many of my team feel the same way.

So keep reading Forge Press to find out just what exciting things we’ve got planned.

Pic of the Press Ruxandra Mindru

Taken at Mocanita, Viseu de Sus, Maramures, Northern Romania This photograph is of one of the last trains to run through the forest railways of Romania. Once used to carry logs and coal, now transporting tourists from around the world. The morning light that day was spectacular, filtering through the smoke and steam as if through water. It was freezing, my fingers were red and clumsy operating the camera.

But it was worth it.

The photo itself is a strong anchor to that very cold summer day, linked to all the hikes my family and I took through the mountains and the amazing light that shone from new heights.

See your

photo

Contact press.photography@ forgetoday.com with submissions

Arts press.arts@forgetoday.com Laura Mulvey Florrie Andrew

Get Involved

Screen press.screen@forgetoday.com David Craig Joseph Mackay

Want to join the team? Fancy yourself a decent writer or presenter? Then why not get involved with Forge Media! No prior experience is needed and anyone can apply. We have two vacancies for the following position:

Copy Editors Connie Coombs Brenna Cooper Leah Fox Harriet Evans Amy King Charlotte Knowles-Cutler Photography Kate Marron

- News Editor - Sports Copy Editor Join the Facebook group “Forge Media Contributors 17/18”for all the lastest articles or to pitch your own ideas. If you are interested in any of the positions, our EGM will be on Thursday 16 November at 6 pm.

The meeting will be at the Octagon Meeting Room 4. Just come along with a 30 second speech on why you think you’d be good at the role.

Contact luke.baldwin@forgetoday.com with any questions.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Blind alumnus attempts marathon without human aid Gethin Morgan

A University alumnus nearly became the first blind person to run the New York Marathon without human aid, being let down only by a malfunctioning iPhone.

Simon Wheatcroft, 35, was born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a genetic eye disorder which rendered him blind at 17 years of age. Today, he can detect little more than changes in light and darkness.

Wheatcroft, based in Doncaster, aimed to become the first blind person to run a marathon using on touch technology, rather than personal assistance. The device he wore detected nearby obstacles and guided Wheatcroft through the race using vibrating alerts.

He did have three shadowing runners who were ready to step in as a last resort in an emergency.

That support was not necessary for the first 13-15 miles as Wheatcroft

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managed to run unassisted with only one or two minor collisions. However, his iPhone’s digital compass began to malfunction and navigating the route became a struggle.

50,766 runners finished the race

For the last 10 miles he resorted to his previous tactic of running shoulder to shoulder with two trusted escorts, and he completed the race in

a time of 5 hours, 17 minutes and 40 seconds.

Wheatcroft has completed multiple marathons and ultramarathons, even running from Boston to New York City in 2014 as a warm up, before running the Big Apple’s famous marathon.

This year it took place on 5 November, and the 26.2 mile route included five bridges and a section through the uneven surfaces of Central Park.

Over 50,000 runners took to the streets, with over 60 of them visually impaired, although most were either tethered to their guides or ran shoulder to shoulder with escorts.

Runners cross Verrazano Martineric, flickr Bridge, New York

Young man stabbed on West St night out Ben Kempton

Sukayna Najmudin accepts the Best Student Cinema award, one of 11 awards handed out on the night

Peter Martin, Cinema For All

Film Unit named best student cinema second year in a row Gethin Morgan

...who keep us going.”

He added: “The awards were a wonderful night full of people from around the country who work tirelessly to keep community cinema going; many who have been volunteering for 30, 40 or even 70 years. It was inspiring to share a platform with all the other winners and we hope that Film Unit can build on this success to cement its place as a cinema for everyone in Sheffield.”

Film Unit was founded in 1949 and is the longest serving student film society in the UK. It has been nominated for multiple awards since it was established and had won the Best Student Society five times prior to this year.

Films are shown every Friday to Sunday during semester time, from classics to recent releases. The likes

of Manhattan, Pulp Fiction and 2001: A Space Odyssey are all to be shown before Christmas, with tickets only £3.00.

Sheffield City Ward Councillor Douglas Johnson is an alumnus of the society, and before the winners were announced, he said: “As a Film Unit member in the early 90s, I am so pleased to support this nomination in 2017 and so pleased to see how the cinema has extended into the community. It’s wonderful to see it run as a sustainable and vibrant, independent enterprise and especially because it makes a conscious effort to provide subtitled and autism-friendly screenings for a range of audiences.”

As well as being receiving her award nomination, Najmudin was elected as the newest trustee at Cinema For All. She said: “Over my four years with Film Unit, I discovered the great

positive impact that our cinema could have in the local community.

It was over this time that I developed my passion for community cinema.

“Cinema is universal and community cinemas bring people together, make the cinema experience accessible and reach out to the vulnerable and isolated in society. I am extremely honoured to have been elected as the newest trustee for Cinema For All and I am excited to use my experience to help support an under recognised, yet very important sector.”

She also spoke on a panel called Knowing Your Audience Better.

It was one of numerous sessions, talks and screenings that took place across the event, which was held on 10-12 November at the Showroom Workstation. Film Unit’s Germayne Williams-Sylvester and Annie Lofts also spoke on panels at the event.

A 19-year-old has spoken of his shock after he was stabbed in an unprovoked attack outside a Sheffield city centre bar.

Max Hishon, from Hampshire, was visiting Sheffield to celebrate a friend’s birthday when he was stabbed outside Players on West Street. A girl accompanying him was groped by a man on the street and after she confronted him, the suspect responded by pushing her over.

The incident took place on 26 October, and comes at a time of increasing concern over knife crime in the city in recent months. In late September seven people were stabbed in a series of attacks over the course of one single weekend.

Hishon, who travelled nine hours on a coach to visit his friend, went out on West Street for the night.

Seeing the girl fall, Hishon went over to help her. He said: “It really annoyed me seeing him do that to her and I told him you shouldn’t treat girls like that.

“It’s all a bit of a blur but he suddenly grabbed me by the neck, threw me to the floor and bolted away. I was in a state of shock.”

Unaware he had been stabbed, the pair got into a taxi to go home.

“I thought I was sweating loads so I put my hand up my t-shirt and when I took it out it was covered in blood. I reached up and there was a deep wound about the size of my finger. I told the girl I was with, I think I’ve been stabbed.”

Hishon called an ambulance.

Police came to the area and he was taken to hospital, receiving two stitches to a wound underneath his arm. He did not press charges.

I told the girl I was with; I think I’ve been stabbed

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

Forge Press

Men’s health campaign kicks off Ben Warner

Sheffield Spiderwalk raises money for local causes in and around Sheffield

Dan West

First Spiderwalk event held on new route hailed a success by students David Anderson

(Cont. from Front Page) ...great night that was extremely well organised and even when thrown the curveball of a fire in the farmer’s field, the chaperones didn’t panic.

“Whirlow Farm was lovely, the staff were amazing and the fresh burger was a welcome sight for everyone.

“I would definitely recommend it

Eight members of the Students’ Union Samba band took part in a local Lantern Parade at the start of this month.

The event on Saturday 4 October was based in Sharrow and organised by Ignite Imaginations a Community Arts Organisation.

Three local primary schools were involved in creating lanterns ahead of the event, before participants danced down the streets in the evening.

Ignite Imaginations run workshops and events across Sheffield, and aim to support individuals to increase confidence, skills and a sense of community. Photograph by Kate Marron

to people. It is a different night out, you’re helping people and having a good time.”

Sheffield RAG is a working committee of students at Sheffield Students’ Union who organise student-led fundraising events over the course of the academic year.

Heather Newsome, who also took part, said: “It felt good to give something back to the local community.

“The stop at Whirlow Hall Farm

It is a different night out, you’re helping people and having a good time

was much appreciated after the first half of the walk for a well needed burger and bev.”

Money raised from the Spiderwalk event will be split between Whirlow Hall Farm, who work with young people at risk of exclusion and disadvantaged schools, and two other organisations voted for by students.

A new Men’s Health campaign began on Wednesday 1 November with ‘The Shave Off’.

The campaign is led by Activities Officer Tom Brindley, and it encourages men to “smash the stigma and speak out” about men’s mental and physical health.

Tom also took part in the opening event himself, which offered dry shaves to anyone who donated £5.

The campaign coincided with the start of Movember, a month where men can grow a moustache for charity.

The Men’s Health campaign will run a series of events and workshops throughout the month of November, to encourage men to speak out about health problems.

The Shave Off was quickly followed up by the launch of onsite sexual health testing at the Students’ Union on Wednesday 8 November. This was a partnership between Welfare Committee and Sexual Health Sheffield.

First ‘Ask Your Uni’ held at SU Ben Warner

Uni Central played host to the first ‘Ask Your University’ event of the year on Monday 30 October, jointly held by the Students’ Union, the University and the Sustainability Committee.

The topic of the event was sustainability within the University and how it could be improved to help protect the planet.

In attendance were figures from both the SU and the University, including Education Officer Stuart McMillan and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Learning Wyn Morgan.

‘Ask Your University’ is a collaboration which allows students to have a real say in how issues on campus are handled and voice questions and concerns they wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to.

Students discussed with University professionals how things could be changed to improve sustainability through building design, the curriculum and more.

Suggestions included building sustainability into courses around the University through a compulsory module and making the University more accountable by improving transparency.

The session finished with a Q&A session with members of University staff present.Students will be looking forward to the next chance they have to influence issues around the University.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Students spot fire at Whirlow Hall Farm while on charity walk David Anderson

U

niversity of Sheffield students spotted a blaze at Whirlow Hall Farm while on the Spiderwalk night hike on Thursday 2 November.

Hay bales worth about £2,500, which were supposed to feed the farm’s entire livestock for two months over winter, were set ablaze shortly before 8pm on the night of the charity walk.

Ben Davies, CEO of Whirlow Hall Farm, said he is determined to track down the individuals who did it in order to stop it happening again.

“Someone locally will know who’s done this,” said Mr Davies. “We don’t want them to do it again. The more people who acknowledge it was a really dreadful thing to do, the less likely it is to happen again.”

Although some of the first walkers to arrive at the farm spotted the fire and called the fire brigade, by the

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time they arrived it was too late and the 15 foot stack had been reduced to three foot of ash.

Whirlow Hall Farm is an educational trust which helps over 10,000 children and young people, each year, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds and the inner city.

People have been getting in touch with the farm, offering their wishes and donations, but the trust still needs more funds.

Mr Davies added: “The fire has really, pardon the pun, sparked some interest. There has been a huge reaction. But we still need to raise more and more funds.”

He said the fire was started by a “very small group of idiots”, but emphasised that the incident did not overshadow the positives which came from the event.

“We are very, very grateful to the students,” he said. “[The Spiderwalk] was a great thing to do.

The overall message would be thank you to the students who took part.”

Ash with the ash: farm manager Ash Malia with the burning hay

Whirlow Hall

University Challenge 2018 auditions held at SU Ben Warner

Devonshire Green and West Street (above) may have policies introduced to reduce antisocial behaviour

Kate Marron

West Street and Devonshire Green to undergo survey David Anderson

S

heffield residents have been given a chance to shape the future of West Street and Devonshire Green.

Local residents, as well as health and welfare groups, have said too many licenced premises are contributing to more crime and antisocial behaviour in the area.

The area is popular for their bars, restaurants and independent or boutique retailers, which make it a lively part of the city.

People will have the chance to share their thoughts and experiences of the areas during a six-week consultation which was launched on 1 November.

By filling in a questionnaire, people will be able to share their experiences of any anti-social behaviour they have witnessed, and offer thoughts on what kind of new licenced premises they would like to see open.

Participants will also be able to

have their say on how they would like the area to be improved. The potential fixes include increasing the amount of CCTV, improving police and City Centre ambassador presence and improving street lighting.

Other options include restricting the sale of strong or superstrength lager and cider in the area and providing better support for homeless people and street drinkers.

Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet Member for Environment and Streetscene said: “The consultation will help us find out if there is a link between the number and mix of licensed premises and the problems people might encounter in the neighbourhood.

“We will get a clearer picture of what people love about the area, identify any issues in more detail and ask them what solutions they want us to consider to make it better for anyone. I would urge everyone to make the time to answer the questions.”

Evidence from the survey, along

with other figures and statistics, will be used to decide whether a Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP) should be introduced in the area.

If a CIP is introduced, all new licenses to sell alcohol in the

We will get a clearer picture of what people love about the area and identify any issues

designated zone will be refused unless the applicant can show they will not add to existing problems.

Licences may still be issued, but the licence holder may be required to put specific measures in place to reduce harm, including shorter opening hours.

Councillor Lodge added: “West Street and Devonshire Green are well represented in the city’s Best Bar None scheme for responsible alcohol retailers and Sheffield as a whole has Purple Flag status for a safer night time economy.

“Whilst CIPs have been used successfully in other cities we want to know if it is right for Sheffield, or if there are better ways to create an environment that will make more people come to West Street and Devonshire Green and see the area flourish”.

The survey is open until 13 December 2017 at https://sheffield. citizenspace.com/place-businessstrategy/cumulative-impact-policy

University Challenge auditions have taken place at the Students’ Union for the 2018 series of the BBC programme.

Two sets of auditions were held on Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 November. Four students are needed to represent the University on the next series of the programme being filmed next spring.

Hopeful contestants were given 45 questions to answer and had 45 seconds for each one. They were split evenly between science and maths, arts and humanities and general knowledge.

Sheffield has never won University Challenge in its 55-year history, but came close in 2008 when they were runners-up to Christ Church, Oxford.

The signs could be positive though, as the last three series have all been won by first-time victors.

However, the last time the series wasn’t won by an Oxbridge college or the University of Manchester was 2007, when Warwick took home the prize.

The programme has been hosted by Jeremy Paxman since its relaunch in 1994, and before that was headed up by Bamber Gascoigne for 25 years.

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

Forge Press

Welfare officer to meet with CCG Ben Warner

Welfare Officer Reena Staves is to have a meeting with Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group on Thursday 23 November about plans for local NHS services.

In recent weeks, it has been announced that the walk-in centre on Broad Lane and the minor injuries unit at the Hallamshire Hospital are to close, with the services to be moved almost three miles away to Northern General.

Staves described this the proposed changes as “disastrous for the majority of our students, who rely on these central services”.

Many students use these services, in particular sporting societies, and could be affected by the move much further away from the University.

Sheffield CCG is an NHS organisation made up of the 82 local Sheffield GP practices which aims to ensure high quality, efficient and cost effective healthcare services for people across the city.

Coffee Revolution will host the Reclaim the Night rally

Sheffield Students’ Union

SU to hold Reclaim the Night rally Ben Warner

The group is responsible for planning and commissioning many of Sheffield’s health care services, including hospital care.

Staves was originally supposed to have the meeting last month, but it was postponed.

She will raise concerns of students at the meeting with the CCG. Since reforms in 2013, CCGs have the responsibility in each area for the commissioning of healthcare in their area. This was seen as a potential move towards more privatisation in the NHS by some.

(Cont. from Front Page) ...It comes after recent figures showed 49% of people in Yorkshire and Humberside have experienced some form of sexual harassment on a night out.

running since 1999, in honour of three of the Mirabal sisters, Dominican women who were assassinated for their opposition to dictator Rafael Trujillo.

The event promises “empowering speakers, live music and diverse discussion”.

66%

of women experience sexual harassment

The march coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, officially designated by the United Nations General Assembly. This has been

Sheffield MP Paul Blomfield calls for rule change in Parliament Ben Warner

Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield has called for a change in Parliament’s rules after a bill lowering the voting age to 16 was filibustered by the Government.

Jim McMahon, Labour MP for Oldham West and Saddleworth, proposed a Private Members’ Bill which would have lowered the voting age to 16 and imposed compulsory education on democracy in the school curriculum.

The bill had its first reading on

Friday 3 November, but despite crossparty support, some Conservative MPs filibustered the debate, meaning members couldn’t vote on whether to give the bill a second reading.

Paul Blomfield, who represents the constituency with the lowest median age in the country, said: “What we saw today was an abuse of procedures. Proper debate on an important issue was prevented by Tory filibustering. It’s happened time and again with Private Members’ Bills. If the Government don’t like legislation they should try to vote it

down, not talk it out. Parliament’s rules need to change to stop this abuse.

“It’s not just about this issue, but to me votes at 16 is common sense. If you’re old enough to join the army, get married, pay taxes and receive benefits, then you’re old enough to vote. I meet regularly with 16 and 17 year olds in every secondary school I represent. I have some of the best informed and liveliest discussions with them.

“The biggest issues we’re facing will affect young people much more

than my generation. Take climate change and the UK’s relationship

If you’re old enough to join the army, get married and pay taxes, you’re old enough to vote with the European Union – it’s the next generation who are going to

have to deal with the consequences.

“Today’s game playing in Parliament risks further alienating a generation who already feel let down by politics, and it shames our democracy.”

Recently, Blomfield also stood up for young people who are concerned about the effects exams are having on their mental health. He visited several schools during his ‘Big Conversation’ series of events during October, and found that students were concerned about less coursework in favour of exams, and the effect it has on them.

Education minister Nick Gibb responded by saying coursework takes up too much teaching time, but Blomfield pledged to keep fighting for the issue.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Students to march for free education in London Ben Warner

The Students’ Union is supporting a march for free education in London on Wednesday 15 November.

Students from Sheffield will join students from around the country for a march organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts.

The march will call for an end to all tuition fees, living grants for

all students and an end to cuts on campuses – with 30 having already being affected, according to the SU. Cheap transport was offered to interested students, with return travel tickets available for £5 from the Students’ Union.

Most of the Students’ Union Officers will be attending the march, including Education officer Stuart McMillan and SU President Kieran Maxwell.

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“With the government already backtracking on tuition fees, now is the time to be putting the pressure on and pushing for the wholesale reversal of their damaging HE

10,000 expected attendees

reforms and marketisation,” Stuart McMillan said.

“This is an opportunity to put forward a vision for an entirely different education system.

Education should be free for all, with grants that are enough to live on, and with no ‘market’ seeing education as a commodity and pitting students and workers against each other.

“Education should be properly funded, not by ladening students with a lifetime of debt, but payed for by those who can afford it: the rich and big business.”

Around 100 students are being sent on coaches from Sheffield, including Hallam students. Up to 10,000 people are expected at the demonstration overall.

Students can travel to the protest for £5

David Attenborough described Tim Birkhead’s book on eggs as ‘magnificent’

Sheffield Ecology professor behind Attenborough’s Eggs Gethin Morgan

S

ir David Attenborough is collaborating with a University of Sheffield professor to make his next nature documentary.

The legendary broadcaster is basing his latest documentary, Attenborough’s Eggs, on a book written by Professor Tim Birkhead from the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences.

The book, The Most Perfect Thing: the Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg, was published in 2016 and was short-listed for that year’s Royal Society popular science book prize, with Attenborough himself

describing it as “magnificent”.

Tim Birkhead has been studying guillemot birds since the 1970s, after he finished his undergraduate studies.

The documentary is about the biological wonder of birds’ eggs and the fact that they are external incubation systems. Prof Birkhead said: “It is truly remarkable that bird’s eggs can function so successfully in such a huge range of environmental conditions. From high mountains to the lowlands, deserts, to wet rain forests, polar regions and tropics.”

The Professor worked very closely alongside the creator of Planet Earth and Blue Planet. Although

Attenborough was unable climb the cliffs of Skomer Island in Wales, where they filmed guillemots for a week, Prof Birkhead did film with him in the Natural History Museum in London.

1952

Attenborough’s first programme Prof Birkhead, who also won the Zoological Society of London’s Award for Communicating Zoology to a general audience in 2017, said

of 91-year-old Attenborough: “I had met Sir David on previous occasions, and he is every bit as charming, modest and knowledgeable as he appears on television. He was, of course, supremely professional and I felt it an immense privilege to discuss biological issues, like those arising from the study of eggs, with him during the filming.”

He added: “The collections of eggs in national museums are extraordinary resources that in the past have allowed us to investigate and document the deleterious effects of pesticides and acid rain on the environment.”

“Those collections may well be

useful for understanding global warming and issues we haven’t yet even thought of. David Attenborough acknowledges this; celebrates the biological wonder of eggs and in doing so dispels much of the stigma and mythology that surrounds eggs.”

“I’m thrilled to have worked with him and to have been instrumental in helping to bring about this change in attitude towards birds’ eggs.”

The programme is a BBC Natural World and Nature US production and and will be aired early in 2018.

Along with the University’s help, Prof Birkhead is trying to ensure the continuation of his long-term Skomer guillemot study through crowd-funding.

He has continued to take an interest in them throughout his life and still regularly visits Skomer Island off the Welsh coast.

For a long time he was supported by the Countryside Council for Wales, but funding stopped in 2013.

Using Just Giving, Tim has enough money to continue the study until next summer, but beyond then it is uncertain.

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

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@ForgePress

press.features@forgetoday.com

Hi everyone! For some of the more artsy among you, last week was Reading Week. As we all know, this means a week filled with drinking, sleeping snacking and, aside from the obvious fortnightly date with Forge Press, very little reading indeed.

Meanwhile, temperatures in Sheffield are starting to plummet.

Now that we’ve put the Halloween and Bonfire Night festivities behind us, we have just enough time for a brief panic about how much work we need to do by January before Christmas descends and the SU is

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filled once again with the dulcit tones of everyone’s problematic favourite, Michael Bublé.

But we won’t think about that just yet. First, get yourself a nice warm cuppa and have a read of these works of journalistic art.

This week, we have a guide to Catalonian independence. We’re also looking at mental health - discussing the effects of stress and anxiety on students, as well as an organisation looking to help those effected by rape and sexual abuse.

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre

With a 300% increase in demand for their services in the past year, Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre are helping more and more women and men overcome the after-effects of sexual violence. Matthew Hartill takes a closer look.

T

he work that Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (SRASAC) does is extremely important. Established at the beginning of the 1980s, the charity started life as a telephone helpline offering counselling and support, thanks to a small group of women working out of a tiny room in the City Centre. The manner in which it has developed over the years is an ongoing testament to the work that employees and volunteers past and present have dedicated themselves to.

The Centre offers a range of services to victims of rape and sexual abuse, including counselling to those aged 13 and above, as well as a new Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) team for clients aged 18 and above, and a Children

sexually abused.

Since April of last year, the charity has also offered its services to men and boys aged 13 and above, as well as women. A service which Chris Scarlett, chair of SRASAC, says in the annual report for 2016-17 are “pleased to be able to provide.”

However she does admit that it makes up only a ‘very small part’ of the charity’s total provision, she also does not “anticipate seeing any sudden increase in demand” for the service.

Today, the charity is part of the South Yorkshire Sexual Violence Partnership which works across the region to support victims and also stands as part of the national movement, Rape Crisis England and Wales. According to Michelle Webster, Office Manager at

Rape crisis centres across the country respond to

4,000 calls per week

and Young Person’s ISVA. SRASAC also runs a confidential helpline and offers advice on giving support to others who have been raped or

SRASAC, “they are ambitious” and are “always working to grow and develop”. However, Webster says this is driven by a worrying increase

in demand for their services, which saw a 300% increase in just the last twelve months.

This figure is in line with an official bulletin released jointly by the Ministry of Justice, Office for National Statistics and Home Office in January 2013, which reported that approximately 85,000 women and around 12,000 men are raped in England and Wales every year – roughly 11 rapes an hour. Nearly 500,000 adults were also sexually assaulted over the same time frame.

One in five women aged 16-59 has experienced some form of sexual violence since turning 16, and yet only around 15% of those who experience sexual violence choose to report it to the police.

Nationally, Rape Crisis Centres responded to their highest ever number of helpline calls during 20162017 – 202,666 in total, or almost 4,000 a week, while the number of people accessing help in general rose by 16% from a year earlier.

Webster says that there has been an increase year on year for some time. She believes this dates back to the Jimmy Savile scandal, in which the TV personality had committed widespread sexual abuse over many years. Savile’s death, and the subsequent investigations, brought deeply uncomfortable questions that had previously been largely ignored by society to the forefront of the national discourse. The subject of rape and sexual abuse has once again

come to international attention, as more and more allegations about powerful mogul Harvey Weinstein come to light. Webster, perhaps as a direct result of her work, is more inclined to see the positive side of the recent scandal. She maintains that the prevalence of the issue in mainstream media means that victims yet to disclose their experiences of rape and sexual abuse will be encouraged to come forward.

which a mutual decision is reached about whether they are ready to undergo counselling. This is always the client’s decision, and as a service we never try to persuade or cajole them into accessing our help if they don’t feel ready”.

Once matched up with a counsellor, we then discuss how many sessions each client would like.

Recently, we have changed our policy on this; we used to give all clients 20

1 5 in

women aged 16-59 have experienced some form of sexual violence Charity workers, she said, are often the first that many people tell.

For many, this is the first step to taking back some control over their lives, something Webster says is extremely important: “99% of our clients self-refer – be it through filling out a form on our website, or talking to trained volunteers on our helplines.”

She adds that clients “will then be referred to our counselling services, and then the process of matching them up with a counsellor begins.

Our clients undergo a 90-minute pre-counselling assessment, at

sessions, though now we try and tailor each programme of treatment to the specific person. Each client will then get an hour of face to face counselling each week with a fully qualified counsellor. Crucially for us here at SRASAC, we always try to ensure that once counselling is over, our clients leave us with higher self-esteem, and generally feel more empowered.”

This theme of empowerment runs through all of the work at SRASAC and indeed their whole ethos is geared around the idea that they allow their clients to live their lives

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

how they wish, another attempt to help victims claim back some control.

However, the increase in demand for their work means that funding is becoming increasingly important as time goes by. The Centre has a contract with Sheffield City Council which provides funding for some of their counselling, they also receive national funding from the Ministry of Justice’s Rape Support Fund.

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receiving the money, particularly when in larger amounts, can be up to a year.

“It is a massive balancing act all of the time – we are having to perform a professional service in a difficult sphere, with increasingly limited funds.”

If you pick up any paper from the last month or so, it would appear that rape and sexual assault is a problem that is becoming more and more

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rapes per hour occur across England and Wales Along with this, the charity is also supported by the National Lottery and Lloyds Bank. However, Webster stresses although they do not receive statutory funding, as central government cuts the funds it does give out, this has a knock-on effect for SRASAC themselves.

“For example, the government has cut funding to Sheffield IAPT [an NHS mental health organisation] which means they are referring more and more people to SRASAC, which puts further strain on us.”

The charity operates a five-year funding plan, but the overall time from sending off the application to

widespread throughout society.

Indeed, if anyone on this planet could be excused for putting their heads in their hands in despair at this, it is the employees and volunteers of charities like SRASAC, who are surrounded every day by difficult, harrowing stories of the very worst of the human condition – and are just lately being confronted with it every day on the news, too.

This is not, however, what happens, according to Webster. She started working for SRASAC just over two years ago, and calls her job “an honour”. She does admit, however, that it “angers” her that rape and

sexual assault has continued in the way it has well into the 21st century.

“However, I actually take hope and encouragement from cases like Harvey Weinstein’s. It feels like finally people are saying ‘no more’. I definitely feel like there is a momentum, where we are no longer accepting sexual abuse or rape as a society. Here at SRASAC we believe strongly that perpetrators choose to do what they do – people choose to rape. As such, we also believe that they can be prevented from making this choice. We must, however, make sure we educate young people in what is acceptable behaviour and what is not.

It finally feels, though, that as a society we are saying ‘enough.’’

When, and Webster does believe that it’s a case of when and not if, that time comes, you feel sure that the work of SRASAC and charities like them will have played a crucial part in this much brighter future.

One student’s perspective...

A first hand anonymous account of how SRASAC supported one sexual abuse survivor during their time at university

T

he help I received from Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre at a desperate time in my life has been invaluable – their amazing counsellors were there for me when I needed them most, and they have helped me make steps toward managing my life and moving on from my past.

I’m a Sheffield student who happened to be sexually abused as a child, something that can and does have a deeply profound effect on your development.

People who suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of abuse are in desperate need of specialist help with the common symptoms that come alongside the disorder, including depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders as well as frequent flashbacks, insomnia, nightmares and dissociation.

Despite the fact that up to one in four children are sexually abused, and most will grow into adults with PTSD, the NHS currently has no specialist mental health services in place to help adult survivors of child sexual abuse. At best, we are offered a short course of cognitive behavioural therapy designed to help with generalised anxiety which, while it may provide some with

everyday coping skills, does nothing to help patients deal with traumatic past experiences. This means that if an adult survivor wants to work towards healing from traumatic experience, their only options are private therapy -usually costing upwards of £40 per session- or seeking help from charities and organisations like SRASAC. I am extremely lucky that I live in Sheffield, and therefore had access to a charity that provides specialist counselling free of charge to people like me. People who struggle with PTSD need specialist help in order to overcome the unique difficulties that they face, and so organisations that offer specialised services, as well as those providing help with mental health generally, are essential.

On my way to the initial assessment, I was absolutely terrified, as many are, that I may be judged or disbelieved. I almost didn’t go -the overwhelming fear of being called a liar, a very common concern among victims of child sexual abuse, had prevented me from disclosing to more than a couple of people up until this point. Even now, I insist that my friends and counsellors might not ‘really’ believe me, or that they may secretly think the abuse was my fault. I hope to one day let go

of this feeling.

None of my fears about the assessment were realised, however.

The assessor was sympathetic, but not pitying. She listened carefully and asked me only the necessary

open straight away about childhood trauma, but my counsellor’s extensive specialist training meant that she was able to guide me at the right pace. She was able to recognise the difficulties I was facing, and

It is absolutely vital that services like SRASAC continue to receive funding questions, never pressuring me to disclose more than I was comfortable with. It was clear to me from the offset that the staff at SRASAC were highly trained when it came to dealing with delicate situations like these.

Within a few weeks of my assessment, I was assigned a counsellor. I had no idea what to expect, considering I had never before been offered trauma-based therapy. I could never have predicted how wonderful the service I received would be. My counsellor was wellinformed, well-trained and nonjudgemental. As one might predict, it isn’t easy to walk into a room and

identify where these might have come from. Before I started seeing her, I did not think I would ever be able to talk about what happened - I assumed it would always be too painful to truly open up about. Over time, however, she made me feel so comfortable that I was finally able to share some of my experiences, something that set me firmly on a path to healing.

Though the past is never going to go away, my counsellor at SRASAC taught me that it is possible to share my experiences with people who can help and that my symptoms can be manageable. I had doubts about the idea that survivors of child sexual

abuse can really ever live a ‘normal’ life, but since attending counselling session at SRASAC these doubts are beginning to subside. I cannot stress enough how helpful the sessions have been, and how much I have grown since having them.

It is absolutely vital that services like SRASAC continue to receive funding, as they provide a service that truly cannot be accessed anywhere else. Until they NHS begins employing highly trained specialist staff –likely very far down the line– these organisations will remain the only option for people who have suffered sexual abuse.

And there are many, many people like me, far more than you would think. Rape and sexual abuse are not pleasant to talk about, especially when they involve children, and the most well-meaning political activists are often guilty of tactically avoiding the nauseating statistics that show how pressing the need for Rape Crisis services really is.

But underneath the societal taboos and horrifying numbers, there is an element of hope. The wonderful people who work and volunteer at Rape Crisis services are changing real lives for the better - and this is something we should always fight for.

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

Forge Press

...FEATURES GUIDE TO

Catalonia

By now we’ve all heard of the controversy in Catalonia. From protests, to arrests

to a declaration of independence. The question is, where and why did it all begin?

Katharine Swindells

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

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ȘȘ 9th Century

ȘȘ September 2012

ȘȘ 15 September 2017

County of Barcelona formed.

1.5 million people take part in Catalonia’s annual independence rally in Barcelona.

Spanish police seize ballot boxes, which had been hidden by the regional government.

ȘȘ March 2014

ȘȘ 20 September 2017

Madrid rules that Catalonia’s planned independence referendum in November is unconstitutional.

Spanish police storm Catalan government ministries to search for evidence that the Catalan referendum is illegal.

Riot police are called to control the thousands of protesters who take to the streets in Barcelona and across the region.

ȘȘ 1716 The Nueva Planta decree dismantles the separate Catalan legal system, bringing Catalonia under direct rule from Madrid and abolishing the administrative use of the Catalan language.

ȘȘ 19th Century The beginning of the rise of Catalan nationalism. At the forefront of industrialisation in Spain, Catalonia experiences a cultural renaissance. There is a movement to revive Catalan culture and language.

Catalan’s are given limited self-government in the Commonwealth of Catalonia under the leadership of Enric Prat de la Riba.

Catalonia is given a statute of autonomy and recognised as a “nationality”. Catalan is made their joint official language with Spanish.

ȘȘ August 2006 An update to the autonomy statute gives Catalonia’s regional government greater powers and financial autonomy. The statute’s preamble also refers to Catalonia as a “nation”.

ȘȘ November 2014 Catalonia takes an informal, non-binding independence vote, over 80% vote for separation from Spain.

ȘȘ September 2015 Separatist parties win the regional election, which they say gives them a mandate to push for independence.

ȘȘ November 2015 Catalonia’s parliament adopts a resolution which supports independence.

ȘȘ December 2015 Spain’s constitutional court revokes Catalonia’s bid to begin the process of separating from the rest of Spain.

ȘȘ December 2009 - April 2011

ȘȘ June 2017

A number of informal, non-binding votes on Catalan independence are held in regional towns and cities, including the capital Barcelona.

The Catalan government calls an independence referendum for October.

ȘȘ July 2010 The Spanish Constitutional Court in Madrid rules that there is no legal basis for recognising Catalonia as a nation within Spain.

ȘȘ 7 September 2017 The Spanish constitutional court declares the upcoming referendum illegal.

ȘȘ 1 October 2017 Catalan people occupy polling stations overnight to keep them open, and protests break out as police attempt to suppress the referendum. Footage of police violence shocks international media. 2.26 million people vote - the results show 92% in favour of independence, with 43% turnout.

ȘȘ 3 October 2017 Protests and strikes break out across Catalonia, King Felipe VI publically condemns the Catalan government.

ȘȘ 17 October 2017 Spain’s national court orders the imprisonment two leading Catalan separatist politicians, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart.

ȘȘ 21 October 2017 Spanish government suspends Catalonia’s autonomy.

ȘȘ 27 October 2017 Catalan parliament declares independence by 70 votes to 10. Later the same day, Spain’s senate votes- by 214 votes to 47 - that Madrid can impose direct rule on Catalonia.

What are the experts saying?

Mary Vincent, Professor of Modern European History at the University of Sheffield and author of Spain, 1833-2002, People and State (2007)

F

or Vincent, commentators need to not be overzealous when comparing the current situation in Spain and their political history. In the past, the most violent sub-state nationalism came from the nationalists of the Basque Country, which gave rise to the terrorist group ETA in 1959.

“When democracy returned, and the new constitution was put to a referendum in 1978, more Basques voted against it than in any other region - including Catalonia. Yet now ETA has abandoned the armed struggle and most Basques seem reconciled to autonomy within Spain.”

“All of which simply goes to show that history will only show us so much; it cannot predict the future (and historians, to be fair, don’t claim that it can).”

Vincent also advocates caution when drawing parallels between the police violence that has recently taken place in Catalonia, and the state militarisation under Franco, which she say “grossly overstate the case.”

“This is not to say that the use of the police and, in particular, the civil guard on 1 October was not disproportionate.

In my view, it clearly was. But the police were using legal means, are

accountable for their actions and are under the control of a constitutional government.”

“They did not remove people to torture chambers in the police stations or collude with far-right militias to murder civilians, in contrast to, e.g., the routine use of torture by the Francoist police or the Atocha ‘massacre’ during the transition.”

She highlights a quote from a former communist activist, who worked underground during the dictatorship, in a recent edition of the Spvanish newspaper El Pais. “fui detenido, fui torturado, como atestiguan mis vértebras, cumplí seis años de cárcel, grité amnistía, perdoné a mi torturador. No me hablen de libertades quienes solo las han disfrutado.”

In translation: “I was detained, I was tortured, as my spinal column still reminds me, I spent six years in jail, I called for amnesty, I forgave my torturer. Don’t talk to me of freedom when you haven’t experienced anything else.”

Cathedral of Barcelona | Wikipedia

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

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Student stress & you As deadline season begins to take hold, contributor Paige Collier looks at the reality of stress and anxiety for students, and how you can manage it.

A

s I walk to my first lecture of the day, I feel on edge, like there’s a knot in my stomach. At first I don’t know where it’s come from or why it’s there, then I think about all the work I have to do this week for my course and how everyone else seems to be managing but I just don’t have the time. My chest gets tight and my breathing becomes quicker. I feel like everyone is looking at me. I feel dizzy, faint and embarrassed.

It was a panic attack. Although I have been given lots of advice for dealing with them, they can still

blindside me on an idle Tuesday walking into University.

Anxiety and stress are things we have all felt in our lives. For the lucky few, this may only be mild and infrequent, maybe only surfacing around an essay deadline, whereas for others they suffer much more and find stress a daily struggle. And it now appears that, for students, the latter group makes up the majority.

According to YouGov, 63% of students say that stress interferes with their day-to-day lives.

Mental health issues such as stress and anxiety can affect people

in different ways and present in mental, physical, behavioural and emotional symptoms. These can range from feeling overwhelmed, headaches, issues with sleep and even avoiding people and places.

These can be triggered by a variety of things, such as work and social situations or sometimes by no particular event at all.

But despite the progress of mental health awareness, there is still an overwhelming amount of misconception around it, making it harder for people to feel they should go and seek help when suffering.

A friend told me that when she tried to tell people about feeling stressed, she was often met with responses such as “You don’t have a mortgage to worry about” and

“Wait until you are in full time work, then you’ll know what stress is.”

Although she know recognises that this attitude is often down to a lack of awareness about stress and anxiety, feeling as though her emotions were being downplayed stopped her from talking about how she felt and seeking help.

And without help, things can go from bad to worse. The cause of stress and anxiety can be attributed to a variety of different factors, which can be different for each person. In 2016, mental health charity Mind blamed the rise in tuition fees for causing the correlation with students deteriorating mental health.

Statistics from the Higher Education Agency show the number of students dropping out of University due to

mental health was up 210% in 2015 compared to just before the rise in tuition fees in 2012. This led to a total of 1,180 students dropping out due to mental health. With tuition fees now rising again to £9,250, this is a worrying statistic.

But tuition fees alone are not the cause of stress and anxiety for students. Reena Staves, University of Sheffield’s Welfare Officer explained how a variety of factors can lead to stress: “Students are faced with pressure stemming from so many different sources at University; from the increased marketisation of higher education, to the pressure to be a well-rounded student both academically and in the extracurricular activities they choose to pursue.”

S

o what can we do to prevent this feeling, or when it all feels a bit much? I asked friends who have suffered from mental health for their tips as well as my own experiences on how to deal with stress and anxiety.

1. Know you are not alone It’s so easy to think that you are the only one in the world feeling the way you do and that nobody will understand. You are not. There is always someone you can talk to. If you do not feel like you can confide in family or friends, there are places you can go to seek help, such as Student Access to Mental Health Support (SAMHS) or your GP. You can always talk to your personal tutor, this may feel embarrassing, but that’s what they are there for.

2. Make time for yourself Time for you is so important, and it is very easy to forget to check in with yourself. With all the stresses of daily life as well as university, you can sometimes feel guilty for taking time out. However, doing so can be so beneficial to your mental health and consequently beneficial to other aspects of life. This can be in any way you want: meet up with your friends for a cup of tea; grabbing yourself a hot chocolate for five minutes of calm; settling down to watch your favourite film; video calling an old friend. Making time for yourself helps to ease stress and should be an essential part of your routine.

Student Access to Mental Health Support (SAMHS) sheffield.ac.uk/ mental-wellbeing

Photo credit: Nick Youngson Creative Commons 3

3. Get Active

4. Set realistic goals

5. Be kind to yourself

As well with the stress of university, we can forget that we have spent all day sat behind a desk. Get yourself moving and get the endorphins going! It may be the last thing you feel like doing, but you’ll feel so much better after it. Eating healthy and drinking water can contribute to physical and mental wellness as well but try not to berate yourself if you indulge. Life is all about balance!

Writing goals can help you to see exactly what you have to do. When setting goals for yourself, make sure they are realistic and achievable. If the goals set are unattainable, this can lead to a negative reaction. If the goals you set are realistic and achievable, this can have a positive effect on your mood.

Because thoughts are the first point leading to how we feel and subsequently affect our behaviours. If you find yourself thinking negatively about yourself, imagine a big red stop sign. Would you say this to a friend? If not, why would you say it to yourself?

Although it can be hard to break the habit, this can help to alert you to the negative thoughts before they develop.

The University Health Service can be a port of call if you are unsure how to get help and overcome stress and anxiety. They offer weekly mindfulness and stress reduction workshops.

The Sheffield Mental Health Guide has lots of information about services in the city at sheffieldmentalhealth. org.uk Sheffield IAPT is an NHS service helping people who struggle with anxiety, stress or depression. Visit iaptsheffield.shsc. nhs.uk/about-us

Samaritans are a 24 hour anonymous helpline, with volunteers you can talk to about how you feel. They are available on 116 123

Nightline – an anonymous listening and information service operating 20:00 to 08:00 during term time.

The number can be found on the back of your student ID card.

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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Opinion

You know what, we’re going to go against the curve with this intro. Usually we fill this saying stuff like “Well howdy folks, we’ve got some great tat in this issue for you” and then go off on a tangent about something mundane. We’re not going to do that this time as we’re super edgy.

Instead we’re going to fill this with some jokes.

A Mexican magician says he will disappear on the count of 3. He says “uno, dos...” poof. He disappeared without a tres.

Forge Press

The other day, my wife asked me to pass her lipstick but I accidentally passed her a glue stick. She still isn’t talking to me.

What’s the difference between a good joke and a bad joke timing.

Communism jokes aren’t funny unless everyone gets them.

My wife told me I had to stop acting like a flamingo. So I had to put my foot down.

JamJo xxx

facebook.com/forgetoday

press.opinion@forgetoday.com

Scotland brings abortion into the home Katie Meadows

O

The molecular structure for Mifepristone, the main pill involved with abortions.

n 26 October 2017, Scotland passed a law to allow pregnant people to have an abortion home which marks a huge step forward for women and I am fully supportive of it.

The days of all abortions being surgical are well and truly over. Today, in around 90% of UK cases, the process involves taking two pills, ideally on consecutive days, and then waiting for the foetus to pass out of the body. This might sound simple, and that’s because it is. The first pill blocks the action of the hormone maintaining the pregnancy and detaches the terminated foetus from the uterine wall, and the second triggers forced contractions so it is delivered, leaving the body.

Despite this, in England old and outdated laws still dictate that the procedure of taking two tablets must take place on hospital premises.

Initially, in the sixties, this was a safety mechanism and stopped dangerous procedures being carried out by unqualified personnel in unhygienic environments - a completely reasonable precaution. Nowadays, this is no longer the procedure in use and thus the law is unnecessary and cruel.

It might sound safer that abortion treatments take place on hospital grounds, with the person surrounded by staff and equipment in case things go wrong. In reality, most pregnant people take the pill and then are sent away straight after.

It is common to experience heavy bleeding following the second pill as the foetus passes and many experience this en route home, on public transport - a reality I think is shameful.

In addition to the actual logistics of terminating

a pregnancy, there is obviously the matter of the emotional and psychological impact. Being in an unfamiliar, clinical environment, and potentially encountering protesters who have no insight into one’s individual situation, could make for an absolutely harrowing ordeal. Surely allowing someone to go through this in the familiarity of their own home, with no added stresses of transport, childcare and perceived social stigma, is a no-brainer (provided it is deemed safe to do so).

A recent BBC documentary with Ann Robinson Abortion On Trial was a breath of fresh air in the way it handled the topic of abortion and highlighted how little people know about the process. Many are unaware that it is no longer a predominantly surgical procedure. For a large number of people it is not common knowledge that there needs to be two doctors to sign for it to take place on medical grounds and, indeed, that it is a legal requirement to have a medical reason cited when signing for a termination to take place. The conversation about abortion needs to be improved, and shows such as this supporting the destigmatisation of abortion can only be a good thing. The more people understand the procedure, the more comfortable they will become with at-home abortions (and the more likely it will be for it to become common practice outside of Scotland).

With individuals being able to leave the treatment room straight after popping their pill, it is a no longer a safety precaution for abortions to take place in a hospital and forcing people to do so can be incredibly damaging.

I can only hope that the rest of the UK follows Scotland’s lead.

Vape Nation y’all Lucas Mentken

V

aping may be healthier than smoking cigarettes, but it is still extremely annoying for the rest of us.

As a non-smoker, I despise the smell of cigarettes in public.

Whether I am waiting for the bus or walking along crowded streets I am exposed to secondhand smoke.

I am cool with smokers, but I’m not happy with the fact that you blow your smoke right in my face. Think about the children around you and how you are exposing them to toxic air.

For some, the issue of smoking in public has been diminished with the tighter restrictions on smoking and the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes, but I find vaping just as annoying.

People think that vaping is harmless and trendy, so you see it everywhere. They pollute the air with massive clouds which smell like Blueberry Cake, Pineapple Blast and Big Melon Twist.

Teenagers and young adults are now starting vaping and ending up being introduced to the idea of smoking. They think that “cloud chasing” (performing tricks and create large clouds) is cool and impressive.

Please kids, enjoy it at home or go

Vaping should be treated the same way as cigarettes with no privileges to vaping competitions, but don’t do it in public.

I recognize that e-cigarettes are supposed to act as a transition for smokers to help them quit. However, they are still addictive and just

All aboard the vape train.

replace the nasty tobacco smoke.

Vaping should be treated the same way as cigarettes with no privileges regarding laws and regulations. All places that currently ban smoking should also ban vaping.

By tolerating vaping, we make it more socially acceptable and discourage people from completely giving up smoking.

Even though vaping has been claimed to be a healthy alternative to smoking, it has not been studied long enough to call its second-hand vapour completely harmless.

As long as there is just the slightest possibility that it may cause harm to others, people should be protected from it in public places.

So what if vaping is 95% safer than

smoking cigarettes. What about the other 5%? Besides, people who are not comfortable with cigarette smoke will not find the idea of vapour particularly appealing either.

No one likes walking into foggy and smelly bars, so let’s keep it that way.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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Not a good Moggo David Peacock

J

acob Rees-Mogg makes no attempt to conceal his immense privilege. He has, for the entirety of his life, been provided a tremendous head start at every stage.

Son to a life peer, growing up in an 18th century mansion, educated at Eton and Oxford, and receiving his first Bentley at age 23; nowhere is the reflection of his grotesque level of advantage more apparent than in his notoriously posh accent.

He has so effectively managed to caricature himself into a Victorian English gentleman that just a few months ago The Daily Mash published a satirical article titled ‘Jacob Rees-Mogg sent from 1923 to save Conservative Party’. We joke, but the fact that this man embodies a political and social realm so alien and extreme to most of us, that we feel the need to situate him in an entirely different period just to make sense of him should speak volumes as to the kind of person we’re really dealing with.

And with Theresa May’s popularity seemingly crumbling at an everincreasing speed, talk of who’s next to inherit the throne of the Conservative Party is making the news more and more frequently and Rees-Mogg appears to have become a real contender. With this in mind, it is worth understanding exactly where he stands politically.

The Rees-Mogg vision for the country is reflective of the

current right-wing reflex towards dismantling barriers to corporate power, eradicating vital welfare protections, and ignoring the very real environmental crisis of our generation. Not surprisingly then, he holds true to his staunchly Conservative roots, allegedly becoming a devout Thatcherite aged nine. As such, he is a loyal advocate of zero-hours-contracts and, therefore, of growing worker insecurity.

He has consistently voted for a reduction in the rate of corporation tax, a testament to his procorporation ethos. His record on welfare is even more optimistic; he welcomes the rise in the use of food banks, even encourages it. And on environmental issues, ReesMogg calls for the abolishment of environmental protections. Whilst acknowledging that India is the 4th biggest polluter of carbon emissions, he outlines his position by suggesting that: “We could say, if it’s good enough in India, it’s good enough for here”.

Mogg doesn’t shy away from making public his views on the inclusion of marginalised groups into his own party either. In 2006, he was critical of David Cameron’s efforts to increase the numbers of ethnic minorities on the party candidate list, justifying his position on the grounds that the country was “95% white”.

Rees-Mogg’s chillingly socially conservative stance doesn’t stop there, he opposes same-sex

marriage and, as has come to light in the past month, all forms of abortion, even in cases of rape (despite the fact his investment fund invests in Indonesian abortion pills).

His performance as an MP illuminates where his true priorities lie. In short, he is driven by an ideology that sees the purpose of government as liberating the most powerful and wealthy corners of society at the expense of the many, promoting senseless and dangerous social values, and doing everything in his power to do nothing at all for those most in need.

Rees Mogg’s calm, impeccably polite, and highly intelligent appearance should not convince us that his opinions are in any way reasonable, sensible, or are somehow responsive to the challenges that many Britons face. He is a, albeit well-mannered, fusion of dogmatic Thatcherism and a profoundly nonsensical brand of religion that denies women basic rights with regard to abortion.

This toxic concoction of rightwing reactionism, religious fervor, and outright indifference to the hardships endured by millions would spell disaster for the most vulnerable in society – from the marginalised to the economically destitute.

Therefore, with Moggmentum supposedly making strides, we would do well to remind ourselves of what his agenda would really mean for Britain.

May can’t handle the scandle David MacLachlan

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candal and intrigue is nothing new to Westminster, what with the expenses scandal that never really seemed to end back in the late 00s, but on this scale the current harassment scandal is another kettle of fish entirely. The notorious harassment dossier that

Scandal and intrigue is nothing new to Westminster was leaked a few weeks ago tells us a variety of things about the culture of Parliament, but perhaps the most obvious observation is that there are people in positions of power who just don’t care.

May recently vowed to crack down on incidents of harassment, forgetting of course that she’s the Prime Minister and she should have bloody well known about it, certainly with the number of MPs involved. For such a document to exist, containing known incidents of unacceptable

behaviour, betrays a severe lack of interest in changing the culture. If anything the document just shows the complete opposite, a desire to control and utilise this culture just to acquire a cheap bargaining chip.

So Theresa now has a monumental choice it seems: suspend and investigate MPs that have been accused of sexual harassment (and lose her majority); or let a select few take the hit and carry on as normal.

Given the ever-looming Brexit negotiations neither is ideal, but

she’ll have to make the choice at some point and face the consequences.

What with the shit show that is UK politics at the moment it’s comforting to know that at least O’Mara has been suspended and for the right reason. But it still doesn’t fundamentally address the fact that Westminster has a real problem with how it treats women. Harassment scandals and suspensions highlights this. Parliament should deal with it and shake the shady reputation it has acquired.

gets political We asked people on Tinder if the Bank of England was right to raise interest rates to 0.5%.

Enjoy!

Sexual content warning: our behaviour as Opinion editors is not representative of Forge, and the individual in this instance did happen to be a bird lover.

Carney do it? Yes he can! Do you think the Bank of England should have raised interest rates to 0.5%? economics n finance isn’t my strongest thing in business i’m affraid

Base rate, ha, more like basic rate amirite?

Do you think the Bank of England should have raised interest rates to 0.5%?

If I’m honest I have no idea, I haven’t looked that much into it that’s probably not the answer you were looking for I’m so sorry

Hi, great tits. By the way, do you think the Bank of England was right to raise interest rates to 0.5%? hahaha one of those statements is going to need a little more explaining to me, can you guess which it is? great ɡreɪt adjective 1. of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above average hahaha that’s actually an amazing description of them although that was the one I did understand

Also, do you think the Bank of England should have raised interest rates to 0.5%?

Yes. The 07/08 financial crisis is over and there’s no justification for keeping interest rates so low. The economy performing relatively well, and inflation is starting to become a problem. Plus, statistics show that the Bank has been largely incorrect thus far regarding Brexit, meaning they made the wrong decision by lowering rates last August, so I’m glad that they’re course correcting. A further rate rise over the next year would be the best option for the Bank.

I want you to draw me like one of your French girls

(1812 crescendo by Tchaikovsky playing) | Wikimedia Commons

16

MUG SHOTS

Who’s the worst Briton in history?

Portraits by Chloe Dervey

We like to think we are a prim and proper nation of tea drinkers and biscuit dunkers.

Ours is a country built on manners and decorum. No elbows on the table and holding the door open for your fellow countrymen. So many brilliant British traditions.

It’s not roses all the way down however, there are Britons who most certainly are ‘uncooth’ as we more decent folk might say. Here are five Brits who need a firm sit down on the naughty step and slap on the wrist as chosen by our noble contributors.

Matt Baker

M

att Baker may be a strange choice for the worst ever Briton, but to me he is the embodiment of the horrifying reality of mainstream British entertainment.

Baker had reasonably humble beginnings, as the son of a farmer and a newsagent’s owner in a small village in County Durham. From an early age he displayed a gift for physical activities, becoming a Junior British gymnast and sports acrobatics champion before he was 14 years old.

Almost a decade later in 1999, he struck gold and became a Blue Peter presenter.

From then on, he made a name for himself by wiggling his way into what can be justifiably termed the most tragic elements of the BBC. From Strictly Come Dancing to the Eurovision Song Contest selection to The One Show, Matt Baker has displayed an uncanny ability to become the headline act in the most atrocious elements of British TV. As presenter of The One Show, Baker became the leading proponent of a programme dedicated to ceaselessly churning out mindless garbage 30 minutes a day, every day, all year round. A ‘staple of British viewing’, it signifies the depressing reality that, on average, 5 million Brits a day are actually entertained by watching Matt Baker interview Paul O’Grady. But to be fair to him, you literally couldn’t find a better match for the role if you tried.

In short, Matt Baker personifies the rampant British appetite for atrocious TV. As a result, he deserves to be singled out as the most appalling British travesty the world has ever seen.

Dave Peacock

Richard Beeching

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ichard Beeching spent most of his career in obscurity as a director of a chemical company. It was for this reason Harold Macmillan commissioned him to report on the state of Britain’s railways. Britain had a choice between investing in roads or rail. Spoilers, it made the wrong choice.

Beeching cut thousands of miles of railway, isolating remote communities from the rest of the country. Beeching, a cold bureaucrat, was unmoved by the effect his cuts would have on people across the country. His plan was nodded through by the Transport Minister at the time, Ernest Marples (owner of a company that manufactured road bridges).

Travelling by train can be a pleasure, but Britain has half as much railway track as Germany. Because of Beeching, train travelers are packed in like sardines.

Train travellers have to pay extortionate fares because of the lack of government investment in the railways, a process started with Beeching and continued with successive governments that prioritised the motorist.

Where other European countries have environmentally friendly, cheap train travel, we have dirty and uncomfortable cars or expensive and overcrowded trains.

Well done Beeching, well done.

Stanley Beal

17

Edward Heath

M

y nomination for worst Briton of all time is a former Conservative Prime Minister - no, not her - Sir Edward Heath.

He resided in 10 Downing Street for only four years between 1970-1974, but the damage caused by his time in office has lasted ten times as long.

Let’s start with the worst accusation of all; since 2015, Heath has been posthumously under investigation regarding allegations of child abuse.

Earlier this year it was revealed that had Heath been alive, he would have been questioned and named a suspect with regard to 26 cases, many against children.

While he obviously cannot ever go to trial, the number of allegations is certainly concerning. Alleged sex crimes aside, there are also many political reasons to hate Heath.

He was the PM who finally took us into the European Communities (later the EU) in 1973, in my opinion, possibly the worst decision made by anyone ever. He also presided over the most troublesome period of Anglo-Irish relations with ‘Bloody Sunday’ in 1972 & the imposition of direct rule from Westminster. He publically supported the US bombings of North Vietnam in 1972 as President Nixon tried to salvage victory from the jaws of defeat. Industrial relations became so bad in Britain that he was forced to introduce a three day working week during 1974. During his time in office, higher charges were introduced for school meals, spectacles, dentistry, and prescriptions.

Finally, he went to Oxford and was a Burnley fan – need I say more…

Jay Jackson

Winston Churchill

Harold Shipman

B

T

Michael Chilton

Joe Reed

efore I pay the price for my controversial choice, I may as well preface this with the admission that I know Churchill is often viewed as the most loved Briton from history (poor Attlee). However let’s not allow that rose tinted nostalgia of a simpler time cloud our judgement.

Churchill was a man of racism, bigotry and imperial depravity. This is what is always forgotten when we reflect on his motivations and ambitions. World War II for him was framed with this in mind; the preservation of British hegemony on the world stage and the absence of any competition to challenge it.

Churchill had the gall to call out the attitudes of the Third Reich towards the Slavic People and Jews while viewing much of the native inhabitants of the Global South in the same way. The only difference was he also had that patronising, paternalistic attitude that called for subservient rule rather than outright extermination.

The myth that Churchill was one of the greatest Britons that ever lived is a dangerous one to hold, especially now.

For a man we hold as so quintessentially British, underneath he was an insidious and arrogant racist who dreamed of empire more than anything else.

hey say never speak ill of the dead.

However, when the deceased individual you speak of has the blood of more than 200 slaughtered innocent lives splashed across their history, that particular courtesy should be ignored. I am of course talking about the human pile of excrement that is Dr Harold Shipman one of the most prolific serial killers in history.

I challenge anyone to argue that he shouldn’t be regarded as the foulest, most detestable individual that it has ever been this nation’s misfortune to play host to. Given a post of trust and care and respected by his local community, he subsequently went on to exploit this highly valued position solely to satisfy his sick and depraved mind, which craved the sensation of power found in deciding which of his patients he would permit to live.

Love and money are often cited as the two most common motives for murder, yet Shipman cared for neither. He tore lives away from this earth simply to feel a sense of supremacy over others. He was the perfect description of a Hollywood psychopath, deficient of compassion for anybody but himself and an ever reminder of the twisted creatures human beings can be.

Smart Move Housing Fair Monday 20th November 11:00-15:00 SU Foundry Meet reputable landlords with register properties and get housing advice

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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press.lifestyle@forgetoday.com

Harry Gold and Ellie Conlon

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Lifestyle Editors

Hey guys! Welcome back to Lifestyle.

Reading our section is the best way to de-stress from all your midterm exams and essays. Well, we think so anyway.

Up first, we have a lovely new contributor, Brandon Tan on his maiden voyage to Comic Con. With exhibits and celebrity guests, he reckons everyone should check it out – it’s not just for geeks.

Next up, we have our very own myth buster Gethin Morgan. Gethin has spent his last few weeks testing loads of different hangover cures to see which ones actually

do the job. Turns out that pickle juice really works (kind of) . And let’s be honest, there’s nothing quite like waking up in the morning after a Corp Wednesday and taking a nice long swig of pickle juice to get yourself raring for the day, right?

Finally, this week’s Travel Talks brings to you Matt Reilly’s interview with the lovely Alice Duffy, who talks about her trip to Iceland. It’s all exciting stuff!

Comic Con: Not just for nerds Brandon Tan

Before venturing into my first comic convention, I did some research on what to expect from such a gathering, . Various online sources told me stories of hour-long queues for main attractions, overpriced food, and impressive costumes. Thankfully, only the latter came true and the MCM London Comic Con did not disappoint with its pumped-up feel throughout.

First organised by the Movie Comic Media (MCM) group in 2001, the London Comic Convention is held every May and October. For three successive days, the convention welcomes an upwards of 130,000 guests passionate about popular culture. Despite its name, Comic Con isn’t just for fans of comic books; anime, pop culture and films are all showcased as well.

As the second Con of the year is held on the weekend leading up to Halloween, it allows convention goers to kill two birds with one stone by justifying their cosplaying costs through using their outfit on both occasions.

The standard of cosplay was superb, with characters from a variety of pop culture franchises represented. Spending £7 on a Superman T-shirt and borrowing a friend’s tie, I went as Clark Kent. Having gone on both Saturday and Sunday, I can say that Saturday was more packed and exhibited better cosplay.

There were plenty of Spider-people and scientist Ricks present throughout, although finding Batman was significantly harder likely due to the amount of prep work needed to successfully pull it off.

A huge part of Comic Con is inteeracting with other cosplayers and taking group photos.

Going as a disguised Superman meant I had to take advantage of taking photos with other (more outstanding and detailed) superhero cosplayers.

Another aspect of Comic Con is the amount of vendors; it’s a prime opportunity for them to sell geeky memorabilia that ranges from figurines to anime body pillows. Popularised by the Loot Crate trend - a subscription box service that provides monthly selections of geek-related merchandise - a number of stalls were selling boxes that held random items.

Comic Con is an opportunity for studios and companies to promote their upcoming work and latest offerings. Alongside freebies being given away (I managed to snag a giant Flash bag and some paper masks), costume exhibits and game exhibitions hype fans up. As I don’t own a Nintendo Switch or a PS4, I took the chance to try the demo for (the then upcoming) Super Mario Odyssey. I was impressed by the immaculate detail on the costume wardrobes for the Thor Ragnarok and Black Panther Marvel films.

My main tip to you: make note of times for the guest panels (featuring actors and popular culture icons). These panels offer fans the opportunity to ask questions and pay for further autographs/photos to be taken. Notably, this occasion included Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter

in the MCU), Andrew Scott (known for playing Sherlock’s Moriarty), and Manu Bennett (Deathstroke in the Arrowverse).

Overall, I found that Comic Con was an inclusive event for passionate fans. I expected the convention to be filled with people in their late teens and 20-somethings, but there were many kids below 10 (and some babies!) as well as a few senior citizens. The organisers also pay attention to access requirements, and there were a number of wheelchair users cosplaying.

In a sense, Comic Con is about celebrating popular culture icons, regardless of background and as such presents a heartwarming outlook.

If you have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend checking out Comic Con. There are different exhibits and celebrity guests each time, and it has a very welcoming, vibrant atmosphere. Now, I just need to get saving, as the next stop is definitely San Diego Comic Con, the largest comic convention in the world.

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

Gethin’s Declassified Totally Unofficial Hangover Survival Guide Gethin Morgan

and wash away the sins of last night.

You wake up in a dark room, with only a glimmer of light shining through the curtains from the afternoon sun. Your head is pounding, you feel sweaty and grim.

The smell of alcohol and perhaps even vomit lingers and you can feel the remnants of whatever the hell you drank last night sloshing around in your stomach.

We’ve all been there, and it’s an age old question, but how do you cure a hangover? Here is my tried and trusted, step by step, absolutely not medical advice and in no way intended as expert or professional guide to getting rid of what our friends the Tudors called the ‘crapulence’.

Step 4 - Hydration

Step One - Get Up! First things first, get the hell out of bed! It’s the first step and probably the most important, but it’s one that many people don’t take soon enough. Sure, it’s warm and cosy in there, you might think that there’s nothing safer than avoiding bright lights, loud noises and God forbid, human interactions, but the truth is that burying your head in the pillow won’t help you. Believe me, the sooner you get up and tackle the hangover head on, the sooner you’ll be waving it goodbye.

Step Two - the toilet: your best friend This is the ugliest step by far, and apologies in advance for this vulgar paragraph, but your body is full of terrible chemicals and substances that you need to get out of your body.

Do this by any means necessary. Piss if you can, vomit if you have to, and just get that beer shit out of the way early. It’s not a pleasant experience I know, but it’ll do you the world of good to get it out of your system.

Step 3- Shower!

A big part of what makes you feel so horrible the morning after a night out is that feeling of filth all over your body. The last thing you want when you’re feeling that fragile is the constant smell of alcohol and dirty dancefloors. In order to truly move on you must cleanse yourself using the magical properties of hot water and your shower gel of choice.

Breathe in that steamy condensation

You all know this one. Drink as much water as you possibly can.

Your mouth is dry and your throat is probably sore from screaming ‘Come on Eileen’ one too many times. Your dehydrated and there’s no better solution than some high quality H20. The more experienced among you will leave a glass of water beside the bed before you hit the hay, and you wise folk will be blessed with the ability to start this step as soon as you wake up.

Step 5 - Food For many the next stage would be to devour the greasiest breakfast imaginable, others know that you need all the healthy food, waking up ready for a banana and a cuppa.

I’m going to leave the whole eating dilemma to the individual.

Personally, it takes me hours before I can stomach any food, but I know plenty of people who immediately need as much sustenance as they can get. Know yourself, and figure out what your body needs.

Step 6 - Get some air: Again, when you’re feeling this fragile the outside world seems like a scary place, but good ol’ Mother Nature is here to help and there’s nothing quite like some fresh air to sort you out. You could go for a nice walk in the park, perhaps even head into town and complete a few errands. If you aren’t so keen on the idea, just spend ten minutes in your garden and let that lovely breeze stroke your face reassuringly. Some nutters even think going for a run is the best remedy. Sounds awful I know, but whatever floats your boat I suppose.

Bonus Tips: Warm beverages – is there anything more comforting than a Yorkshire Tea? Cold beverages – am I the only one who loves the feeling of ice cold liquid in my mouth when I’m hungover?

Fruit juice – vitamins are good.

Hangover playlist – play some nice, calming music to see you through the day. I recommend the Spotify playlist ‘cuppa’ by David

Anderson. Yes, I did just plug my mate Dave’s Spotify, but trust me it’s the most delightful thing you can hear when you’re in a bad way.

There you go. Treat this guide like the Bible [Editor’s note: except don’t, because we’re students, not experts and you should always listen to professionals over us] and you will learn to perfect your morning after routine. Of course we all have our own preferences and techniques, so don’t be afraid to find your own remedies, but if you’re feeling alone and scared and don’t know what to do. Refer back to this and you might just make it out alive.

Corp tonight then, yeah?

Ok so my Guide might seem a little simple, even boring perhaps. That is why I, in the name of science, have decided to experiment on myself with some alternative ideas. Some are smart, others radical, and a few sound quite frankly awful. Here are my findings:

Hair of the Dog (Drink more alcohol) The last time I used this technique was on a footall trip to Dublin.

In fairness, after night one of drinking, the pint of Guinness and shot of Sambuca at midday (it was my birthday) the following afternoon did set me on track for a great day, even if it is just delaying the hangover more than curing it.

Obviously though, if you’re using this fighting fire with fire technique anytime other than at festivals or lads holidays, then you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

Verdict – do it when/if socially acceptable.

Pickle Juice Yeah that’s right. I was dreading this one, and rightly so. It smelt awful, tasted vile and left a nasty vinegary burn in the back of my throat.

However, knocking back just ¼ of a cup actually did make a difference.

It didn’t fix everything like a magic potion, but I was feeling a little more sprightly and fresh within an hour.

Apparently it’s something to do with salt and vinegar and rehydrating you.

Cool. Verdict – try it if you can

Forge Press

All photos by David Anderson

stomach it.

Tomato Juice Whoever suggested this I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. That was disgusting. All it did was leave a weird feeling in my stomach and a horrible taste in my mouth. Sure the contents are probably filled with good stuff, but another sip of that and I think I’d have spewed.

Verdict – avoid at all costs.

Berocca The best cures seem to come from replenishing the nutrients in our body which we’ve corrupted the night before. That’s why a glass of Berocca when you get up is a solid option. A lovely vitamin boost which won’t completely solve all your problems, but it helps. Maybe mix it in with some pickle juice and we’re onto something. Or then again, maybe don’t.

Verdict – Solid option.

Watching TV/ comfort film Turns out the escapism of your favourite TV show can do absolute bits to your hangover. There’s something about a sitcom which gives you the warm fuzzy feeling you’re craving. If you don’t know what to watch, I recommend Master of None and Scrubs. Both are relaxing, funny and very comforting.

Apparently a good period drama works magic too, but frustratingly I didn’t have the Downton Abbey box set on hand.

Verdict – yes please.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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Travel Talks It’s the classic gold D of E destination and is becoming increasingly popular with young travellers. Third year medic, Alice Duffy, explains why Iceland should be your next destination.

Matt Reilly

I went to Iceland for a week with my friend Lee, we landed in Reykjavik and drove to Stadur which was rural, in the middle of nowhere but near the coast. We went to the coast for a day where we watched the seals and walked around the lighthouses. An hour’s drive from there you find the thermal baths which are situated in the mountains. Although it was August, the weather was quite foggy and cold, but it was really nice.

Evening Adventures We drove to a place called Myvatn and walked up the Hverfjall volcano in the evening. We saw the sunset and then we went to the Myvatn nature baths which are like the blue lagoon in Reykjavik but less commercialised and cheaper. There are three different pools which are all naturally heated by the volcano.

Having a whale of a time We got up early at 5am to drive to Husavik, on the northern coast.

From there we went whale watching.

On our way out the boat broke down so we just sat there for ages waiting to see if would make it far enough out to sea to see any whales.

The boat eventually started working and we managed to get going again. We got cinnamon buns and hot chocolate and saw quite a few humpback whales, they swam under the boat and it was really cool, we got so close to them.

I’ve never seen whales like that in real life before. The boat was really small so we got extremely close to the whales. They took us out to a little cove where the whales come to, so we saw loads of them and got some really good photos, it was so picturesque.

The perfect instagram We went to a famous geyser and we waited an hour watching it over and over to get the perfect instagram

All photos by Alice Duffy

photo of it erupting behind us. There were loads of other smaller ones as well.

We were there for three days and didn’t have one proper meal Surviving on snacks It was so expensive in Iceland and we didn’t plan it very well. The first place was rural and there wasn’t anywhere nearby except a service station. We were there for three days and didn’t have one proper meal.

If you go to Iceland Plan the places you want to go to.

A free plane ticket for tomorrow, where do you go?

California, Monterey Bay.

XX

Day Number Month Year

Sport Sheffield has over 4,000 members, 45% of which are female. With 33 different sports teams accessible to females, success stories are not hard to come by. In terms of recent successes there have been too many to list but here are some of the highlights.

Ellen Downs won in the under 20’s South Yorkshire Cross country league.

The cycling team has seen an individual compete in the hill climb championships.

Women’s football recently hosted a development tournament with York, Leeds and Hallam, with a

Forge Press

focus on inclusivity. The women’s rugby union won their match against Edge Hill with the score ending in 275, netball and cricket have also had a lot of success in their recent tournaments.

supported at Sheffield University through the Elite Sport Scheme. This scheme has supported the likes of Jessica Ennis and works with 18 female athletes.

Sport at Sheffield is extremely diverse not only in terms of the sports offered, but also in terms of abilities.

Social Sport offer beginners the chance to develop in a new sport; events run every week during term time, with both mixed gender and women’s only sessions such as boxing. At the other end of the spectrum advanced and highly successful athletes are

By Kate Marron

Women throughout the different clubs will have different experiences and challenges which are unique to their chosen sport. Members of the Climbing Society commented to Forge TV on their experience with the sport. They said that although it appears male dominated, they are always impressed and inspired to see both males and females climbing as equals. Women have proven themselves to be strong and capable as well. The Climbing Society noted that at first it was a bit intimidating and everyone involved seemed really strong, but as you progress you improve and learn to climb in your own style. According to the girls there is nothing better than conquering a difficult route and enjoying the amazing views once you get to the top.

Ellie Williams, Women’s Rugby Union Captain spoke to Forge Press on the importance of sport for women and wellbeing. She said: “Sport has such an important role in health, mental wellbeing, and self-esteem – we know that. Yet there are still barriers to girls finding and keeping up a sport. We need to give girls opportunities to find a sport or activity they can get passionate about – whether that’s dancing or rock climbing, swimming or football. The chance to play rugby is not something many girls have experienced before university, but our club is living proof of the benefits of sport. I know members past and present would agree that playing rugby has given them a sport to love, a stress relief, and life-long friends.”

The #thisgirlcan campaign is a national celebration of active women in both competitive and noncompetitive sport. It aims to get more women involved, regardless of experience, size or background. Although there are still some problems that female students face, there is lots to celebrate about women at sport within the University.

For more information, use the QR code at the bottom of this article to see more content from the campaign within the University.

Photography: Top left: Thomas Milton Middle right: Alex Kennedy Bottom Left: SULRFC

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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Florrie Andrew

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Heard about the Harry Potter exhibition at London’s British Library? Sheffield is offering the next best thing. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of J.K. Rowling’s magical curation, Sheffield Central Library is hosting a nine-week programme of talks, workshops and an exhibition, all linked to the wizarding world. These include:

Arts press.arts@forgetoday.com

Arts Editor

Harry Potter : A History of Magic exhibition Taking place in the library’s Reading

Room, the exhibition offers an insight into some of the library’s five miles of books and artefacts. Exhibits include Notes on the Bezoar Stone (a book that Harry uses in his potions classes) as well as owl illustrations and guidance from the 16th century on how to use wands. Running until 22 December.

Anything from the trolley? The Chemistry of Honeydukes

the chemistry behind Honeydukes’ most famous treats. Fizzing Whizbee, anyone? 22 November, 6pm.

There is also a Potter-themed quiz and poetry meet organised in addition to live screenings from the British Library exhibition itself.

Be quick - tickets for these events could go faster than you can say “Quidditch”!

The trolley lady’s mystifyingly iconic line has now got a talk named after it. Dr Joanna Buckley divulges on

Review

Legally Blonde

at the Lyceum Theatre Holly Gittins

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The cast of ‘Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass’

Review

James Pendlington

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UTCo’s production of Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass is a delightful adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s work that captures the humour and surrealism of the novels.

Unlike the 1951 Disney film which adds new elements to the story, the play follows the original chronology of the books, giving it a different feel for people who have only seen the screen adaptation.

Opening with a picnic, complications ensue as Alice

Nayva Hebbar

Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass at the Drama Studio falls down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Though difficult to simulate the effect of someone falling down a hole for 30 seconds, the play manages to pull it off with a rather trippy sequence of Alice shimmying about under blue lighting whilst voices chanted “down, down, down”.

Despite the sparse set, the production makes good use of lighting and screens to maintain the ethereal feel of the story and distinguish between reality and fantasy.

The Mad Hatter’s tea party is

brilliantly executed, with James Huxtable and Kate Alhadeff giving great performances as the Mad Hatter and Dormouse respectively.

Similarly the trial scene stands out as, despite the risk of a hiccup with most of the cast onstage, the quality of acting is sublime.

However, it is Cerys Hayes and Helen Coyle that steal the show.

Hayes performs consistently well as Alice, despite her substantial stage time providing more opportunity for scrutiny throughout. Likewise, Coyle’s portrayals of the White Rabbit, the Lion and the Carpenter are spirited and energetic. Most of the laughs on the night must be attributed to the actress as her comedic capabilities hit all the right notes.

SUTCo’s production concludes on a grey and dark note that somewhat contrasts with the silliness and bizarre nature of earlier scenes of the show, but complements the nature of Carroll’s masterpiece.

ike the film before it, Legally Blonde: The Musical tells the story of Elle Woods, a Californian sorority president who abandons her perfect life to follow her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III to Harvard Law School. It’s a heartwarming tale about a young woman who discovers that you can, in fact, be a professional success without sacrificing the things that are important to you.

Eurovision’s Lucie Jones is the star of the show; her Elle is as perky and lively as Reese Witherspoon’s original. Her performance is nearly flawless and she captivates the audience as a character who is relatable and inspiring. Opposite her appears Eastenders’ Rita Simons, who thrills as beautician Paulette Bonafonté. Simons embodies the character perfectly as a lovable, shy woman who provides much of the show’s comedy. Her singing voice is surprisingly strong for a woman who made her name on a TV soap.

The rest of the cast cannot be overlooked. David Barrett makes a wonderfully dorky Emmett, though he struggles vocally with a few of the more powerful notes. Liam Doyle performs brilliantly as Warner and enchants the audience from his first appearance. Even the ensemble get their chance to shine. In a show filled with wigs and complex costume changes, their enthusiasm never fails and they give a truly sensational performance.

The show did, however, encounter a few staging issues. More than once, walls seemed to wobble dangerously mid-scene, and a wall of smoke hid an entire conversation from the audience. Nonetheless, these small issues do little to detract from an otherwise stellar performance.

Lucie Jones is the star of the show; her Elle is as perky and lively as Reese Witherspoon’s original.

Very rarely does a musical based on a pre-existing franchise stand up on stage, but this adaptation of Legally Blonde manages to take all the charm of the original film and add to it. Film fans will be glad to hear that infamous scenes like the ‘bend and snap’ remain, all enhanced by an upbeat soundtrack and hugely talented cast.

Catch SUTCo’s latest production The 39 Steps at the Drama Studio 15-18 November.

Nayva Hebbar

Lucie Jones and the cast of ‘Legally Blonde’

Robert Workman

Wednesday 1 November 2017

Interview special

Mark Lockyer A bold and raw account of one man’s life journey, Living with the Lights On is the culmination of Mark Lockyer’s successful battle with addiction and bipolar disorder. In an interview with Rowan Easter-Robinson, Mark discusses his new show, his mum, and overcoming adversity.

Photo by Stephen Cummiskey

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ockyer showed promise from the early days of his acting career, having trained at RADA and then performing in a number of successful productions in the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Despite his early success, he developed a problem with alcohol and other substances which, exacerbated by his condition, lead him into decline. Eventually walking out of the RSC’s Romeo and Juliet in 1995, Mark’s career came to a sudden halt as he was thrown out of his flat and was forced to live on the streets. Over the course of five years he lived on the road, checked in and out of psychiatric hospitals and drank heavily.

The effect of alcohol on Mark heightens his already extreme emotional tendencies. “When I’ve got alcohol in me,” he dispassionately explains, “my brain simply reacts differently than someone else. These effects are inherited like old money.”

His stark honesty regarding his state of mind during this time is refreshing, admitting first hand his inherent problem with alcohol: “Life seemed a little bit better with a drink inside of me.” His candor continues when discussing the impact of his career choice on his addiction: “The profession is rife with drugs, rife with alcoholism.

There’s a lot of pressure and it’s a way of switching off. I used it for all of those things”.

However, Mark dislikes the focus placed on his condition.

“This show is much more than a vehicle about manic depression,” he explains. “It talks about when you lose a job, when you end up with the wrong bird, what happens when a relationship breaks down. You don’t have to have suffered mental illness. It does explore manic depression and what it’s like to be in the mind of a manic depressive. But it’s also autobiographical. I’m very open about the situations I got myself into. I feel very sensitive, I suppose, about this show

sounding about just one thing”.

It’s this exact honesty about his life as a whole that’s contributed to the huge success of his production. He remains stoic in

My mother said “There’ll come a time when this story will be heard” the face of the hardships he’s encountered. “The experiences that I went through changed me, and changed my attitude towards things,” he explains. “I just don’t care any more to be honest about what people think of me. I went through hell and back.”

The idea for Living with the Lights On originated as far back as 2000. “I was on stage in a production of Hamlet for the Globe Theatre,” he says, “drifting off, as I usually do. I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe what’s happened to me, I’m not going to sweep this under the carpet.’” Subsequently, Mark began creating the first few iterations of the show orally with minimal writing, and allowed it to evolve in a very natural way.

He started to perform his ideas “on the streets, in people’s living rooms.”

These early performances brought frustration, however. “I thought, I’m wasting my time.

Because nobody wants to hear a story that has elements of mental health in it. People were still scared of it, almost like talking about AIDS in the early 80s. It was a taboo subject, you just wouldn’t talk about it. I felt like I’d wasted three years of my life, but my mother said to me ‘there’ll come a time when this story will be heard, when people will want to hear

it.’” The script went in a drawer in around 2003 and Mark moved on.

The show’s artistic director Ramin Gray initiated its return.

“I was working with the Actors Touring Company in 2015 and Ramin was asking me about mental health. I gave him this play I wrote all those years ago.

He read it and said ‘I think it’s brilliant.’”

The responses from audience members have been positive too, he says. “All the time I get people come up to me afterwards who identify a lot with it. Even people without similar conditions, they’ll say ‘it really moved me’. So I think it touches people in a very profound way. I had no idea that when I put this on stage that it would have the effect that it did on people.”

Rosie Sheehy Faith Dunne chats to actress Rosie Sheehy, who stars as Sonya in a new adaptation of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya.

A

classic transformed by contemporary playwright Peter Gill, Uncle Vanya ‘s narrative of lust and conflict introduces a complicated new relationship to a rural Russian estate. Contributor Faith Dunne chatted to actress Rosie Sheehy, the show’s Sonya.

“I loved the new adaptation by Peter Gill,” says Sheehy. “It was such an easy read, which doesn’t usually happen when I read a classic. It’s a real gift to have been cast.”

Since graduating, Sheehy has built up an impressive CV, with performances at the Old Vic in London and Chichester Festival Theatre. Recently, she appeared as Kat Richards in British TV series DCI Banks. Uncle Vanya is Sheehy’s sixth professional production.

“Sonya’s part is brilliant because she doesn’t speak up for what she wants. I wish she did, yet she just battles on with everything,”

comments the actress. “She keeps a lid on her emotion just to get by. And she’s not plain, she’s just busy. She might not be well turned out but she doesn’t know

If you’re not massive on Instagram you just get a harder time. how to present herself.”

Many of the issues the play highlights are as relevant today as they were when Anton Chekhov originally wrote the play in the 19th century.

“A theme which breaks my heart is if you’re not pretty or beautiful

you don’t quite get the same perks,” states Sheehy. “Take Elena [the young and beautiful wife of Uncle Vanya’s brother].The room is nicer and people are kinder to her. But Waffles, a character with a pitted face, is treated completely differently. There’s a correlation between not having good looks and your luck through life, which is the way it is but it is crap. Today I feel like if you’re not massive on Instagram you just get a harder time.”

The relentless pressure for women to constantly look “well turned out” is not the only comparison that Sheehy draws to today’s society. “The play was written in 1897. People witter on about saving the trees but it must have been such a passion for Chekhov himself and he was really on the mark in terms of what we’re doing to the planet. In a modern day of ever-growing veganism you just think, good lord, he already knew.”

An aspect of this production which sets it apart from its historic equivalent is director Tamara Harvey, who had the actors use their own accents. As an actress originally from Wales, Sheehy found this unusual. “I went through the whole of my training not using an accent; I’ve only done one play before where I’ve used my own accent. I think that voice is such a way [into acting] and if you don’t have that then it feels very naked. You can’t use it as a tool to transform yourself. But I think that Welsh and Russian are very similar. Both cultures and both folk seem to be very blunt and fiery; there’s a real bluntness in the way they move, the way they speak. I think it’s so much more interesting than standard English which we see so much.”

Although Uncle Vanya has been highly commended by critics, Sheehy reveals that she has one rule: “I don’t look at any reviews until the job is over. As

a young actor, it’s important to gauge a benchmark but if I read a

Sonya’s part is brilliant.

She keeps a lid on her emotion just to get by review whilst I was doing a play, I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it.”

Sheehy only graduated from RADA two years ago and has clearly been successful since, but where does she herself in a few years? “I would love to be in a position where I can choose to do whatever medium,” she says.

“I always want to work in media, whether that be TV, radio, theatre or film. Success to me is to work with brilliant people and on brilliant stories.”

Photo by The Other Richard

26

Wednesday 15 November 2017

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facebook.com/forgetoday

Chloe Dervey and Tom Buckland

@forgetoday

We’ve got a bunch of huge games featured in this issue, and all of them have huge expectations. Will Assassin’s Creed finally step out of its comfort zone and do something new? Will Call of Duty stop being more than it needs to be? Will Super Mario Odyssey continue to maintain Mario’s position as one of the best platformers of all time?

The answers to these questions lay within, and because we’re

feeling extra generous this issue, we’ve shone a spotlight on the microtransactions controversy with an intriguing insight by Robin Wilde. But wait, there’s more! We also have a review on Sheffield’s very own board game café from our illustrious deputy editor Nick.

We definitely recommend going to i - we’re even planning to hold our Games’ Section Christmas Do there!

Happy reading! Tom & Chlo xx

to board gaming’s grandest space opera. Make no mistake, the rows of boxes and their colourful exteriors mask what is a very serious board gamer’s collection, selected with a great deal of thought and care.

Of course, it isn’t all about the games. As many similar eateries seem to forget, being a themed café doesn’t exclude you from needing to sell quality food. Thankfully, the menu is varied and yet carefully tailored. A novel list of filled bagels come in multiple varieties, from the deliciously messy pulled pork and beetroot slaw to (my personal favourite) Moroccan spiced hummus. An unassuming standout is the sweet and spicy roasted nuts, a wonderful granola-like invention unlike anything I’ve eaten before.

For those with dietary requirements, there is a surprising amount on offer. A large portion of the menu is vegetarian, with various vegan and gluten free options too.

Cakes include an impossibly vegan chocolate cake that is known to

completely disappear within a few hours of sale and tastes great. Add to this a solid cup of coffee and a wide range of local teas from Nether Edge-based Birdhouse Tea Company and your lunch is sorted.

However for those looking for evening entertainment, opening times as late as 11pm from Tuesday to Saturday reveal a different side to The Treehouse; one that rewards late stayers with an infectious restaurant-style buzz. The range of outlandish and colourful canned ales is impressive enough in its own right but add to that the surprising quality and fair prices of the wines on offer and The Treehouse bar is on to a winner. To cap it all off, the menu includes six words that every beer fan dreams of: “a rotating selection of craft beers”. Bliss.

Do be warned though, that between a £5 board gaming cover charge every four hours and by no means inexpensive food, you can spend a lot of money very quickly.

That’s not to say the experience isn’t

Games press.games@forgetoday.com

Forge Press

Games Editors

Treehouse Board Game Café Nick Burke

R

ight across from the St. Mary’s Gate Aldi and a hop, skip and a jump away from Decathlon, The Treehouse’s eye-catching branding and clean exterior are an indicator of the wonders hidden within.

The café, opened in September by game enthusiasts Ruth and Andy Haigh, arrived with a great deal of fanfare within the board gaming community, and hopes were high for its immediate success.

Immediately upon entering, the décor is surprising. It’s fair to say that the large and lofty premises would never have lent itself to a homely design. Instead, owners Ruth and Andy have opted for a clean, modern aesthetic that would look less out of place in a restaurant than a café. It’s beautifully presented and a pleasant experience, even if the wooden benches and chairs are more stylish than practical in the face of hours of seated board gaming.

Everything about The Treehouse suggests that it wants to belong in Sheffield. The cakes and teas are made locally and the wall murals created by Florence Blanchard whose work can be found across the city. Connections with other hobby outlets have even resulted in some donating board games. This kind of community atmosphere makes the café feel like a coop and resonates with the hobby’s main draw of togetherness.

The opening night celebrations saw some familiar faces, with local stores such as Patriot Games making a supportive appearance. As with

many niche hobbies (at least in comparison to natural partner video gaming), board gaming is a closeknit and welcoming community, something that The Treehouse is readily embracing.

Attention to detail is apparent across the café. As well as food, the menu has a board game taster guide that is categorised into player counts. There are shelves built underneath the tables to store components and boxes while a game is in use (though an issue here is that it makes the tables too high). Many staff members will support groups learning new games with a semiencyclopaedic knowledge of rules and an engaging, friendly tone.

The most striking observation here is that the variety of customers is just as large as the variety of games.

Many wander around the tables inspecting the games on show, while strangers are drawn together to pool player numbers, leading to some truly rewarding shared experiences.

At its heart, this is what the hobby is all about.

In the months before launch, the café held a crowdfunding campaign for a starting collection of board games. This undoubtedly paid off, as their board game collection is very, very impressive. The size and depth of the choice on offer is astounding, with some that retail for close to £100. While price doesn’t guarantee a game’s quality, it does show a commitment on The Treehouse’s part to front the cost of a game so that you don’t have to.

There are rumblings of games on preorder such as Twilight Imperium 4th Edition, the brand-new update

worth it and there is a membership that eventually pays for itself (if you plan on visiting around once a month), along with other offers for students. That doesn’t change the fact that the pricing structure feels a bit steep and complex. Head over to the website for more information.

There also doesn’t seem to be a system in place for tracking how much time you’ve spent in the café, which could be resulting in a fair bit of good faith and confusion. Perhaps the owners could look at pay-perminute cafes for some inspiration for a cleaner system.

These points aside, you’d be hard pressed not to be wowed by The Treehouse and Ruth and Andy’s thoughtful efforts. The collection of board games didn’t need to be this expansive, nor the menu so unique.

By partnering with local businesses and through great branding, the café has laid the foundations for both a great customer experience and a promising future in Sheffield.

Student Deals Students play for free on weekdays before 7pm, something this undergrad will be taking advantage of in the coming months, probably with a craft beer and hummus bagel in hand. There is an operational booking system and website online, and weekends are already seeing a fully reserved

café. There is even early demand for large-scale Christmas parties.

Not a single corner has been cut

by Ruth and Andy, not just with regards to their active online presence but also from the impeccable choice in staff to the excellent branding and interior design.

Forge Press

27

Wednesday 15 November 2017

With a target audience of 12+, Overwatch faces much controversy over funds generated by loot box transactions | Blizzard Entertainment

Robin Wilde

T

he microtransaction is one of the most maligned elements of modern gaming. Its mere mention in the vicinity of any major release generates Metacritic bombing and poorly-spelled Twitter rows. But is it always entirely fair?

The gaming community has a bit of a reputation for fits of pique, but in this case the reaction might be justified.

The closest approximation to gaming microtransactions, in recent memory, would be the PC-based expansion packs for strategy and casual games like The Sims. These were one-off additional purchases, which typically gave a handful of extra hours of gameplay for an acceptable price.

Despite the comparison, there seems to be something less tangible and fulfilling about modern microtransactions, where the value of unpredictable rewards against the cost of the transaction causes tensions. For example, the loot box.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War has been rocked with controversy for introducing some chests locked by Gold, a currency primarily acquired by buying it with real money. This set up for a game already costing upwards of £40, has struck many players as another step too far for micropayments, which have for years

now been denying content to those who don’t want to pay extra.

The 2014 remake of Bullfrog’s classic Dungeon Keeper is a case in point. Far from the fun puzzle-strategy mix of the original game, Dungeon Keeper’s remake was near unplayable without expensive, temporary microtransactions costing up to £69.99. Meanwhile, the full original version of Dungeon Keeper is available on Good Old Games for under £5.

Even the game’s original creator Peter Molyneux weighed in against EA’s actions. “I felt myself turning round saying, ‘What? This is ridiculous. I just want to make a dungeon. I don’t want to schedule it on my alarm clock for six days to come back for a block to be chipped’”, he told the BBC at the time.

However, developers like Valve generally seem to have found a way to generate a continuous revenue stream without upsetting the fans. While Team Fortress 2 is heavily reliant on loot boxes for its income, the game is free and perfectly playable - if limited - without spending any money.

Indeed, other optional or cosmetic microtransactions seem not to have caused great consternation from players.

It tends to be when these transactions prove necessary for gameplay when the kickback arises.

For mobile game developers, microtransactions can be unavoidable.

Many games are free and charging any

The controversy of

flat price for entry is a big commercial risk which can cause otherwise perfectly good games to be passed over.

The semi-legendary battle between Threes and 2048 is an obvious example.

Using virtually the same mechanics - slide tiles together to stack up ever increasing numbers - Threes had cute characters, a charming soundtrack and lovely presentation, but charged £2.39 for the game. 2048, missing the extras, was free and stacked up five times as many downloads.

In an environment where charging to buy mobile games is discouraged, microtransactions and ads are the only way for a development team to make its money back. The typical method which seems to raise little customer backlash is to allow a one-off in-game payment to remove ads and unlock all the content.

This works similarly to the way demos did in the offline world, with players getting to try before they buy.

Microtransactions are subject to less scrutiny through reviews and criticism than games are as a whole. If you want to know if your addiction to idle games will see you forking out £40 for boosts in Tap My Katamari, there are precious few places to look save YouTube reviews.

The counterpoint is that many of these channels have young audiences. Content creators opening loot boxes in particular has been criticised as promoting a form of gambling. It’s difficult to say whether

loot boxes fall within the technical definition of gambling. Yes the customer pays for a purchase, but there is no chance of coming away empty handed.

Importantly however, there are no safeguards in place, and it’s undeniable that mechanics like loot boxes are an extra level of compulsion on top of games that are already designed to keep players from signing out.

The row over microtransactions is a small part of the larger conversation that gaming needs to have over consumer rights and ownership in the next few years. It’s no longer as clear cut as paying one price for a disc full of data which you then own. The industry has to decide if it’s going to take the Netflix model - small regular payments for access to effectively rented content - or to continue as it is.

With development costs continuing to rise, players and developers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They can abstain from microtransactions, fund games with high cover prices and risk low sales and consumer backlash. Or, they can support them with microtransactions, risking boycotts and bigger consumer backlash.

For now, microtransactions run rampant through the upper tiers of gaming and the mobile market. The brutal truth is that they will only stop when consumers stop paying for them.

Microtransactions

28

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Review

Forge Press

Assassin’s Creed: Origins Tom Buckland

E

ver since Assassin’s Creed II sold 1.6 million copies worldwide during its first week of sale, Ubisoft have been throwing new sequels our way essentially every year. But after Unity’s faulty debut and Syndicate’s overfamiliarity, Ubisoft really needed to step up their game. Thankfully they surprised everyone by adding an extra year to the development process of their newest outing Assassin's Creed: Origins.

Of course, two years between releases still is a short time in the greater scheme of things, but it was a relief not to receive another Assassin’s Creed clone before people really had any time of respite away from it. Now, gamers have been graced with Origins: set in the Ptolemaic Kingdom of ancient Egypt, with the Roman and Greek Empires lurking on the sidelines.

The story follows

the footsteps of Bayek of Siwa, a Medjay (basically an Egyptian policeman-cum-bodyguard).

After some clichéd traumatic events, Ubisoft take a more unique and refreshing approach to the character’s past, which makes his story a lot less predictable. Bayek is one of the best protagonists in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, ranking well alongside fan favourite Ezio. In fact, Bayek’s charm and personality shows how little effort Ubisoft had put into their previous starring assassins.

Bayek travels across Egypt, hunting down The Order of the Ancients, the forerunners to the series’ central antagonists the Templar Order. While more than a classic revenge plot, the story isn’t striking enough to distract from the bountiful side quests that all have charming and entertaining stories behind them.

The world Ubisoft have created is undeniably commendable. The environments are phenomenal.

The deserts are vast and empty, yet still feel alive. The cities are overwhelmingly beautiful and grand. Ancient Egypt was very much alive and vibrant and Origins makes sure the player knows it in every second of play.

The gameplay is a lot more polished, too. Freerunning and parkour require far fewer buttons

Call of Duty: WW2 Josh Taylor

Last year’s Infinite Warfare marked the point at which the Call of Duty bandwagon sputtered to a stop.

Fans and critics reacted negatively and a change was needed. Step in Sledgehammer Games, who have brought the franchise back to its historical roots with Call of Duty: WW2. Although this change is refreshing, the format has yet again failed to change.

Despite the leap backwards in history, WW2 hits every note of a Call of Duty game that fans would expect. Gameplay is fast-paced and intense and weapons feel satisfying to use. There isn’t a lack of choice gun-wise, which was a worry for fans beforehand. Sledgehammer have provided a vast collection for players to wreak destruction upon their enemies.

Excellent gameplay helps create

a chaotic multiplayer mode that is quick and competitive. The biggest change here is how players receive and use perks. The player chooses a ‘Division’ represented by a branch of the Allied forces, which come with their own levelling system that can earn the player perks as they rank up, encouraging players to specialise in a certain class. This brings a lot of play styles to online matches, however there is still space for players to create their own class.

One of the surprising changes to Call of Duty this year is the inclusion of a single player story actually worth playing. WW2 comes packaged with a solid campaign that, despite a muddled first act and dips in the quality of writing, delivers an interesting and gritty experience.

This is largely due to the fact the writers haven’t been afraid to include memorable moments from cinema over the last decade, reminiscent of films like Saving Private Ryan and Fury. These sequences don’t come

- simply press one button to go up and another to go down. Combat is more technical and fluid, punishing you for any impatience.

Stealth feels more natural and yet more difficult. Senu – this game’s version of the renowned Eagle Vision, an actual eagle – allows you to locate targets, enemies, treasures and animals. Yet this doesn’t make you invincible. Most of the time keeping track of the location of enemies isn’t easy unless you’re monitoring where they are every few seconds. Upon being seen even for a second you have very little time to vanish back into the shadows before getting

across as cheesy either, providing some of the best moments of the single player. It does nearly fall into the trap of the stereotypical shooter campaign with repetitive objectives and a cast of familiar characters; however, these are all brilliantly voiced which makes up for some of the poor lines in the script.

The single player also showcases the stellar visuals Sledgehammer has produced, with the set pieces boasting some of the best graphical environments seen in gaming over the past few years. There are a host of colours and terrains made to look absolutely beautiful running on the in-house engine. Even the destruction of buildings and flora look stunning.

This is undeniably the best looking Call of Duty produced this generation.

The renowned game mode Zombies makes a welcome return and still delivers the same hectic fun the it’s known for. It features some brilliant performances by the likes of David Tennant and Ving Rhames, with their quips and remarks contributing to some of the best moments while playing.

It’s no secret Call of Duty will never again reach the heights of the last decade. The tried and tested formula is starting to wear on gamers, posing

detected. Everything in the game has become more challenging but also a lot more rewarding.

Overall, the game is a vast improvement on its predecessors.

It calls back to the original with its simplicity and takes after series pinnacle Assassin’s Creed II in improving everything and anything the previous games did before. The RPG style is adopted well and Ubisoft really makes it work. Progression in story, abilities and even Bayek’s personality are seamless, all of which makes Origins one of the best Assassin’s Creed games to date.

a problem for the whole franchise.

WW2 will attract past fans with the return to the games roots coupled with a strong multiplayer and a decent single-player, yet it may also fail to engage a new audience. Based upon early sales figures, maybe that won’t matter. It will be interesting to see where Treyarch takes the franchise in the future.

This is undeniably the best looking Call of Duty produced this generation

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Luke Baldwin

M

ario’s back and once again he must trek across the world to stop the evil Bowser and rescue Princess Peach. This time he’s accompanied by Cappy, a sentient hat who can possess anything that Mario throws him at. In gameplay terms, this allows the player to take control of that object or enemy.

The addition of Cappy and his abilities may have initially seemed quite gimmicky, but this actually proves to be a stroke of genius on Nintendo’s part.

Everything Mario can control through Cappy offers either a quirky bit of fun or a completely new game mechanic, resulting in a game that always feels fresh and exciting.

This feeling carries over to the level design. Each kingdom is vibrant, beautiful and filled with content. Nintendo have previously spoken about the importance of utilising the space within their worlds, and Odyssey epitomises this ethos. Much like the Italian plumber himself, the levels pack a bigger punch than their small size suggests. The main objective for the game is to collect moons, done via a series of mini games à la Mario Party,

but with a bit more depth. The variety of content when acquiring moons is what astonishes most: one minute they’ll be playing volleyball, the next they’ll be controlling a tank. There are over 550 moons in total, but every single one feels diverse enough to keep the player interested.

A particular highlight is the recurring 2D segments, which perfectly balance nostalgia and genuinely brilliant game design.

All of this combines to make Odyssey much more than your typical platformer.

Controls are pretty much spot on, as would be expected from a company that’s been defining platforming for over thirty years. Every death and mistimed jump feels like a player error rather than the game being unjust, meaning even at its most challenging Odyssey remains fun and hardly ever frustrating.

While the motion controls can sometimes feel a bit annoying, they are rarely necessary should the player prefer not to use them, with many of the actions having a button combination equivalent.

With more content than the technologically restricted Sunshine and 64, and a clearer focus and less gimmicks than Galaxy and its sequel, Odyssey is by far the greatest 3D Mario game,

29

possibly the best game on the Switch so far. The only other real contender is Breath of the Wild, Nintendo’s flagship title to introduce the Switch. But if Zelda introduced the Switch, Odyssey has solidified the console and Nintendo’s place in the market. Zelda is certainly a triumph in innovation and storytelling through games, but what Odyssey offers is something far purer: simple and enjoyable gameplay. A fittingly good iteration of a legendary games franchise.

The levels pack a bigger punch than their small size suggests

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

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Ben Kempton | Music Editor

@ForgePress

Sheffield has been bustling with indie prowess. The city’s very own Reverend And The Makers put on a killer show at the O2 Academy, while The Courteeners frontman Liam Fray managed to get a crowd moshing at an acoustic gig. Forge has also been cosying up to indie band Clean Cut Kid who we’ve interviewed and been to see live.

But, despite the repuation, it’s not all about indie music in Sheffield.

Photographer Kate Marron

press.music@forgetoday.com

Music

explores what else is going on in Sheffield in what is the start of a miniseries called ‘Music in Sheffield’.

Grime royalty Krept and Konan bring the London scene to Sheffield this issue as well, with a jam packed review of their unique double album format. So with the issue indie-d up, the Editors’ Picks are going to be aimed at embracing other music genres.

In news elsewhere, it’s gossip time. As we head towards the new year, we come closer and

Forge Press

closer to the accouncements of next summer’s festival lineups. I have heard through the grapevine that our belovedw Arctic Monkeys might just be headlining Sheffield’s Tramlines amidst rumours of a new album dropping soon. The festival is due to be held at a new, bigger site in Hillsborough. So keep your ears to the ground (or your eyes to the website) and be ready to dip into ye olde overdraft because if true, tickets will be gone before the sun goes down.

Editors’ Picks.

Album.

The Fat Of The Land by The Prodigy

‘Neighbours’ by J. Cole

Rave royalty The Prodigy are still more than relevant, with this album being one of the best dance albums of all time. It’s messy, heavy and filthy throughout. Tracks ‘Firestarter’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ are the noticeable picks from the album. If you, like myself, are in need of a mid-term boost to help you get out of bed in the morning (/afternoon/evening) and start smashing out that essay, here it is.

Chilled rap at its best and with an extremely interesting story behind it. J. Cole talks about how his recording studio got raided by the police because his neighbours called them, accusing him of “selling dope”. No drugs were there, and it raises racial questions, as he says “So much for intergration, don’t know what I was thinking”.

Whether you’re in story mode or just fancy kicking back, this is the hit you need.

Reverend & The Makers O2 Academy

Stepping out of the cold and into the O2 Academy, the palpable buzz of a hometown gig was immediately apparent as Reverend and the Makers took to the stage.

John McClure strutted out with characteristic swagger to new instrumental track ‘Bang Saray’, which erupted into Death of a King’s anthemic ‘Too Tough to Die’.

McClure held nothing back, shouting “banger after banger” to the crowd as classics ‘Shine The Light’ and ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ were dropped surprisingly early in the set. But the band have accumulated enough strength in depth from their six studio albums to mean there was no wilting in the second half.

As explosive as the band were throughout, they were sure to exhibit each member’s individual talent too. Guitarist Ed Cousins

Photography by Kate Marron

Single.

showed off his vocals on ‘Auld Reekie Blues’, before Joe Carnall treated the audience to a solo rendition of ‘Juliet Knows’ while the rest of the band took a well-earned break. When Laura McClure took the lead for ‘He Said He Loved Me’, it was almost a full house. Only drummer Ryan Jenkinson didn’t test his singing voice.

After almost two hours of nonstop tunes, the set culminated with ‘Silence is Talking’. John McClure egged the crowd on as they belted out a sample of War’s ‘Low Rider’. “Tell your friends this is what happens,” instructed McCLure before one final chorus.

With his congregation echoing chants into the Sheffield night as they left the venue, it’s a sure bet that they David Anderson will.

Liam Fray O2 Academy Normally, acoustic gigs and mosh pits don’t mix. However, it seems no-one told that to the packed crowd at Liam Fray’s sold-out acoustic set.

The Courteeners frontman received a hero’s welcome from the Yorkshire crowd, who sung their lungs out from first second til the last.

Fray is certainly no stranger to Sheffield, having played the same venue with The Courteeners back in May. As always, the Mancunian singer oozed charisma from the moment he stepped onto the stage. He swaggered into the spotlight to a jazz backing track, sharply dressed with his acoustic guitar in hand. There’s no denying Liam Fray is painfully cool and he knows it.

Kicking things off with ‘How Come’ and ‘An Ex is an Ex For a Reason’ from Courteeners’ debut St.Jude, the singer set the precedent for the night early on, playing an eclectic mix of B-sides and lesser-heard songs along with well-known hits, spanning

across his five-album discography.

This was followed by ‘Acrylic’ and ‘Bide Your Time’, more regular fixtures on Courteeners setlists that provoke the first big singalongs of the night.

The absence of a strict set-list on this tour meant Fray was free to tailor his setlist to the particular crowd on the night. As a result, the audience lapped up just about everything he offered, hanging off his every word for the duration.

Without any backing except for a piano accompanying part of the set, the singer’s surprisingly impressive vocals were front and centre . The audience provided backing of their own in ‘Please Don’t’, impeccably clapping the absent drum part from

the song’s chorus. B-sides such as ‘Sunflower’ and ‘Smiths Disco’ tested the depth of dedication of the most hard-core Courteeners fans. However, it was hits such as ‘Modern Love’ and ‘Are You In Love With a Notion’ which were sung by almost every person in the building, leaving Fray to comment: “Fuck me Sheffield, you’re loud.”

Having left the stage to raucous chants of ‘Liam, Liam’, the singer returned for a triumphant encore, featuring a well-received cover of Pulp’s ‘Disco 2000’ followed by ‘Not Nineteen Forever’. The band’s most popular hit lead to mosh pits in certain sections of the crowd, an impressive (if cringe-worthy) feat at an acoustic gig.

Closing the show with ‘What Took You So Long’, the singer left the room ringing with echoes of the song’s chorus long after he’d bowed off the stage. If anyone thought acoustic gigs were dull before this show, there’s a strong chance that Liam Fray proved them wrong.

Danny Brown

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

31

Kate Marron explores...

Music in Sheffield

Part 1

Heavy music plays a big part of Sheffield’s music scene, with lots of sub-genres being represented within metal. The national Metal 2 the Masses, brings some really positive attention to the genre, with Sheffield having its own regional competition, hosted at the Mulberry Tavern.

Of course, other venues are available and Forge favourites Sobriquet (pictured) recently held their sold-out EP Release Show at Corporation. With the EP now live and the bruises from the show fading, one of the guitarists Tom Green-Morgan had this to say about live music in Sheffield:

Metal.

“Sheffield’s music scene is the perfect place to start a band, given the huge amount of venues and promoters ready and willing to give bands their first gig, regardless of genre. We’ve also been fortunate enough to work with promoters who have gone above and beyond due to their commitment to local live music. This combined with a strong work ethic that many local bands share is why the music scene is currently thriving”

Hip-Hop.

Jazz bands often pop up in various places throughout the city, whether it’s at a private event, an open talent show or at Trippets Lounge Bar just off West Street. With or without vocalists these bands always seem to brighten up a room, and entertain practically any crowd.

Sheffield might be known for it’s rock prowess, but Tramlines Festival always turns out a mix of genres to please everyone. Hip hop fans rejoiced when the temperamental Yorkshire weather held out for Public Enemy (pictured) who played on the outdoor stage set up specifically for the event.

Jazz.

Rock.

The Sheffield music scene is very welcoming and full of life, every city should take note - or so says five piece rock band The Divide. They played a lively set in West Street Live last September and the city left a great impression on them. Unsurprising really, as the Steel City is a true home of music, having borne bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and The Makers, The Sherlocks, Def Leppard and the Human League .

The Sheffield music scene also embraces its students. Not for Long are a band who formed at university and have since played at the likes of the Green Room and Corporation. Talking about student music in the city, Not for Long exalted:

Alternative.

“Being a part of the music scene in Sheffield is really exciting at the moment. There’s so many great venues all over town that are willing to give small bands a chance to excel.

Being a student band gives us a real advantage as it allows bands like us to network, and play shows, with loads of other bands in a similar positions to ourselves.”

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

7 Days 7 Nights

Joe Mackay

In a blind listening test it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that Krept & Konan’s latest double album release 7 Days and 7 Nights, are albums by completely different artists. While 7 Days is a heavy-hitting tour-deforce in contemporary Grime music, 7 Nights is incredibly laid back for the most part, an R&B-flavoured record that forms the perfect backdrop to drinking a cup of green tea at 2am and gazing out of the window.

For Krept & Konan, this double release makes perfect sense. As artists that have gained frequent commercial and critical success through differing styles, the juxtaposed tones of the two albums allow them to excel in their own areas without compromise.

Forge Press

7 Days’ uncompromising intention is clear from the get-go with ‘Champions League’, the first track on the LP, clearly flying the flag for Grime. With a dark choir-driven introduction leading into Swifta Beater’s all-too-familiar producer tag, the track explodes into a frenzy of heavy sub bass and snappy snare hits that demonstrate exactly why Swifta has been so instrumental in the revival of Grime through artists like Skepta and JME. It sends the album off to a flying start.

For the most part, 7 Days manages to balance this aggression with listenability well, with the tracks that hit peak Grime spread apart nicely.

Skepta contributes a few verses on political diss ‘On My Life’, injecting a classic flow into the album and zinging off arguably the best lyric on the album: “Fuck Theresa May, I bought weed on my AMA.” He adds to this a remix of Abra Cadabra’s ‘Robbery’ littered with old-school arpeggios and brutal shotgun blasts.

Both tracks succeed in amalgamating a spectrum of Grime sounds.

The notion that Grime music can be commercially successful is clearly a driving force behind the album.

The lead single ‘wo wo wo’ has an unapologetically heavy selection of verses, but the sheer fact that repeatedly saying “wo wo wo” becomes catchy is playing to a pop music mentality. Stormzy’s verses on ‘Ask Flipz’ are at the forefront, with the beat fading into the background whilst he’s on the mic to almost form a chorus out of his verses.

Another particular high point

comes in the form of Krept & Konan’s solo freestyles. Konan’s ‘Last Night In LA’ is a technical beast, with a fast flow that demonstrates particularly complex rhythmic patterns and a lyrical focus on calling out critics claiming he Americanised his style, all accompanied by an epic, almost Hans Zimmer-esque beat.

Krept’s Freestyle ‘Cold Summer’ is similarly spectacular in a more understated fashion.

Breaking from the rest of the material, the track kicks off immediately into a ragga dancehall blowout making for a fun radio-friendly outing, save for Konan’s lyrical shots fired at police brutality, the treatment of women in council estates, and black marginalisation. The pairing of this traditionally Caribbean summery style, made commercially popular recently by acts such as Major Lazer or Justin Bieber, coupled with the dark and depressing themes that grime, rap and hip hop acts deal with leaves an almost confused sense of guilt that forms a personal favourite on the album.

Just like 7 Days, 7 Nights makes its intentions very clear from the start in more explicit fashion through the introduction to the first track, ‘Don’t Lie’. A smooth synthscape forms a subtle background as a female voice echoes across: “you need to make a nice song I can listen to at night, like, not all this grime rap shouting stuff.”

It’s a sentiment expressed countless times by genre fans’ friends, partners and parents. The difference here is that rather than straight up saying no, Krept & Konan call her bluff and make an entire album of “nice songs to listen to at night”, transporting the opening track into a world of muffled kicks and soaring basslines, trap flavoured hi-hats and ethereal autotuned mumbling.

This album represents an entirely different side to contemporary hip hop, largely playing to popular styles of R&B, trap, and ‘Mumble Rap’. K&K appear keen to innovate rather than replicate, however.

A faint Drake influence upon the beat and flow of the lead single ‘For Me’ is easy to call out, but the reverberated guitar that forms the melody could be pulled straight out of a song by The Police, providing a false-retro feel to the track alongside the modern auto-tuned vocals. The same could be accused of ‘Wrongs’, but with a constantly evolving flourish of electric piano jazz across the track along with a bouncy bassline and Jhene Aiko absolutely killing it on the choruses, the track becomes an entirely different creature altogether.

A beat made up of phone

conversations and samples played in reverse forms ‘Ride For You’, the third track on the album. Whilst neither of these techniques are revolutionary, it’s interesting to see how recent influences from both Kendrick Lamar and Skepta can create a coherent whole. The track ‘So Lit’ pulls together elements of Jeremih’s more relaxed R&B tracks like ‘Oui’ and the intuitive style of producers like Flume to create a refreshing three minute wash-over with a soulful vocal.

The missteps on the album come in the form of ‘Some Shit’ and ‘One More Time’. While not inherently bad tracks, ‘Some Shit’ really breaks the flow of the album by being overly dark and brooding. ‘One More Time’ should really have been called ‘One More Same Shit’, because there’s so little difference between the tracks it’s hard to tell them apart - a seven minute interlude of nonsense before ‘The One’ and ‘Take Time’ round the album off rather nicely.

7 Nights is nothing groundbreaking, but it doesn’t want to be. It wears its influences on its sleeve, uses them effectively in refreshing ways, and forms a solid collection of music to listen to at night - the antithesis of 7 Days’ fire and aggression.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

33

Niall O’Callaghan with How has the tour been so far?

long as I don’t mess them up on the drums we’ll be fine.

Great. It’s actually been the best tour of the headline ones we’ve done. It feels great, everyone has been amazing.

When do you think we can expect it?

I’d say realistically six months. It’s however long it takes, but there will be something out before. Around New Year we might leak it out and do some shows, we’re not going to hide away for too long.

How has the response been to Felt?

It’s nice this time because now the album is out, everyone can sing along to all of the tracks. Before we’ve only had a few singles out and we were playing tracks that the crowd didn’t know, so it’s great to see the whole crowd singing back to you.

For people who don’t know your band, what should they expect from a show?

It’s a lot louder than the album and it feels more like a rock band. Because fundamentally we are a pop rock band and all the songs follow a pop structure, but we’re a rock band when we play live. There are really good harmonies between Mike and Ev, some slightly out of tune ones from me and lots of fuzz guitar.

Crowd favourites from the album?

‘Leaving You Behind’. Obviously everyone knows ‘Vitamin C’ but the crowd always seem to sing ‘Leaving You Behind’ back. It probably won’t happen tonight now, it will probably go down terribly!

Favourite song to play live?

It changes all the time but I think at the moment it’s ‘Felt’.

What have you thought about previous Sheffield shows you’ve played?

Brilliant. I couldn’t remember what [Leadmill] looked like until we came back. It’s a really good venue, it’s

Do you always choose the supports for your tours? And is there anyone you would have liked to bring on tour? got a really good vibe. And they have office dogs which are the best.

Best and worst show you’ve ever played?

I feel bad! I don’t want to name the show, not going to say the city either, but we got there and there was no one there. Turns out it hadn’t been promoted. We thought it had been but no one had bothered. It wasn’t that bad though, it was like a rehearsal.

We love these kind of intimate shows where you can see all the crowd, but on the other end of the scale we did Glastonbury’s William Green Stage and that was brilliant.

That’s probably the one that comes to mind instantly because it was 5,000 people in a tent with people pouring out of the sides. It’s so hard to pick. We always get off the stage and say that’s the best show we’ve ever done.

What do you put in your rider?

Oh it’s quite boring. It’s just rice cakes, peanut butter, crisps coffee and tea. We’re very un-rock and roll.

Clean Cut Kid Leadmill Niall O’Callaghan

Having only released their debut album Felt in May this year, Clean Cut Kid are a band whose best days are still ahead of them. The Liverpool band have been on their best tour to date, according to drummer Ross Higginson. Taking to the stage in a sold out the iconic Leadmill (fashionably late, of course), the band opened with an extended jam leading into ‘Runaway’, a very fitting opening song choice.

The crowd was introduced quickly to Craig the temporary bassist, as original bassist Saul had “bottled it on the first night”. They followed with hits ‘Stay’, ‘We Used to Be in Love’ and ‘Make Believe’ before Mike began telling the stories behind his songs. ‘Evelyn’ is prefaced with Mike explaining how his wife Evelyn (singer and keyboard player) has to play break-up songs about his ex every night. “This one is for my amazing wife, Evelyn,” he proclaims, and smiles at her throughout the song as they play in unison. ‘Leaving You Behind’, ‘Time to Let You Go’ and the slower ‘Brother of Mine’ followed,

before the iconic Leadmill fell deathly silent for ‘Jean’. The song tells the story of one of Mike’s relatives who was thought to be hours away from death, yet miraculously survived and drank shandies along with the rest of her family on her former deathbed. A strange song story to say the least.

Crowd participation was a central theme to Clean Cut Kid’s set. Mike was more than happy to take banter coming from the crowd, and more importantly give it back in his thick scouse accent. The gig’s intimate nature makes it difficult to predict how the band might perform on a big stage. Diving straight into ‘Felt’,the bouncing was back, leading straight into the penultimate song ‘Pick Me Up’. The crowd knew what was coming next. The first note of ‘Vitamin C’ dropped and an instant roar surged through the crowd. The iconic Leadmill was bouncing front to back throughout the entirety of the song.

“Thanks, we’ll be at the merch desk afterwards and we’ll see you again soon”, concluded Mike as the band were rightly applauded off the stage.

No free booze?

Oh yeah we have bottles of Jack, gin and stuff like that. I’ve got some kind of Hugh Hefner alcohol display in my house now but we’re very, very tame.

You’ve said that this is the last chance to see you until the new album is released. Have you been busy writing and in the studio?

Yeah we have, we’ve got a new rehearsal room in Liverpool and we’re doing the new album ourselves. It’s a nice end to this chapter because we’ve been doing this [album] for three and a half years. It’s out and it’s done really well, we’re thankful and grateful to everyone who has bought it and listened to it but it’s nice to finish this tour and move onto the next album. This feels like a nice way to end.

What can we expect from the follow up album? How has your sound progressed?

I guess you can expect more of a band-y sound. The last album was quite well produced, there were a lot of inhuman-sounding textures on it.

So there would be a snare drum that didn’t sound like a snare drum and very slick guitars, but I think we’re going to try and get away from that and try and make it sound just like a band playing together.

We’ll try and keep some of those poppy elements, but the way you listen to Currents by Tame Impala, I think that’s what we want to happen to us. You’d listen to any track and can say “Oh that’s that Clean Cut Kid album”. Hopefully that actually happens and we don’t just lose our minds!

Yeah we do, it’s always really hard (to pick) because we all write different music. I dunno, it’s hard to pick anyone we would like to bring off the top of our heads but these guys [Callum Beattie and Marsicans] are great.

Will we be seeing you on the festival scene this summer?

We’ve not been booked into any yet but I’m sure we will be around a few, especially around the album.

Do you think there’s more pressure on your second album?

Quick Fire

To be honest, we don’t feel any pressure. Mike and I have days when we’re in the studio and we think: what if everyone hates this album?

Then we just think are we losing our minds because we’re left to our own devices, so we have the time and creative freedom to work on stuff.

We’re kind of enjoying that at the moment, just diving down a rabbit hole for a few days and not seeing streets or town and stuff. There’s always that thing in the back of your head: what if it’s terrible? But I’m sure it won’t be. Mike writes amazing songs, he’s a genius, and as

North or South? North Arctic Monkeys or Pulp? Pulp Beer or Cider? Beer Vinyl or Streaming? Vinyl Festival or venue? Venue Live or studio? Oh that’s a tough one… studio Last album you bought? Think it was Bon Iver – 22, A Million

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Wednesday 15 November 2017 facebook.com/ForgePress

David Craig

@ForgePress

Screen press.screen@forgetoday.com

|

Screen Editor

Blistering cold weather and darkness after 4pm? Yep, it’s definitely November. Don’t worry though, here you can bask in the warm glow of some delicious Screen reviews.

That’s right folks, this issue of Forge Press is completely edible! Try some now!

What awaits you on this glorious double-page spread?

Well, for fans of moustaches (and violent crime on steam trains) we have a review of the star-studded Murder on the Orient Express. Oscar season is picking up with Breathe and Call Me By Your Name both firmly in the running, while Jigsaw has emerged as a surprise contender as well.

Marvel epic Thor: Ragnarok is not reviewed here, mostly because I was not organised

Review

Forge Press

enough to write one in time.

Here’s a quick review now: Jeff Goldblum is amazing, everything else is just OK. Three stars!

At the time of writing, I have absolutely no idea what our feature is this week, so turn the page for a surprise.

Maybe it’s the winning lottery numbers! But probably not.

(Update: it’s not).

Breathe

Renee Soh

B

E.T: The Evil Tornado

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Review

Stranger Things 2

Elizabeth O’Connor

A

few days before Halloween on October 27 Netflix released Stranger Things 2, the sequel to the hugely popular series aired last year. Stranger Things captured a huge audience with its 80s retro stylistics but what made it special was the characters: four kids, alongside their psychic and mysterious new friend, going on adventures and fighting monsters.

Stranger Things 2 does not disappoint when it comes to developing the characters we all know and love and deepening our connection to them. Will Byer’s role really gets the viewer emotionally invested in the unfolding story. His role, played wonderfully by Noah Schnapp, is arguably the most gripping aspect of the show.

Elsewhere in Hawkins, Police Chief Hopper is given another chance at raising a child as he keeps Eleven safe from ‘the bad men’, which lets a sweet relationship with a deeply emotional dynamic to flourish. It’s nice to see Eleven, who we all fell

in love with in season one, finally catch a break and act like a stroppy teenager, and her solo adventure allows her (and us) to discover more about her origins.

However, one issue this season is the half-developed additions to the cast, Max and Billy. It is a struggle to see what it is that they add to the plot, aside from being ancillary characters, bumping up the cast numbers. Maybe if we get a Stranger Things 3 these characters will start to make more sense.

Another issue with the sequel is the lack of any real threat. Compared to the hauntingly terrifying demogorgon of season one lurking in the shadows, this season throws some equally gruesome (but slightly less mysterious and conniving) demo-dogs in as the threat to Hawkins. While visually the show is on a much bigger and more dramatic scale, which is great fun to watch, it has lost the subtle creepiness of the first season, and the larger scale hasn’t quite managed to replace it.

Rather than any form of rationalisation or explanation into the Upside Down narrative, the show focuses on an unexplained Shadow Monster. Whilst in many ways the plot is a very effective continuation of the first series, elements like this just leave you feeling a bit empty by the end - especially from a show with so much focus on attention to detail.

Overall, the Duffer Brothers manage to pull us effortlessly back into the beautifully stylistic world of Hawkins through our love of the central characters, as we see them grow, discover girls, and look out for each-other fiercely, but it’s lacking in some of the small nuances that made the first season so great.

ased on a true story of love and struggle, Breathe is a stunning depiction of how life can be beautiful even when the odds are against you.

The film focuses on the story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield), who has been paralysed from the neck down after being diagnosed with polio at the age of 28 and begins to fight for disabled rights. His source of strength is his dedicated wife Diana Blacker (Claire Foy) and together they began to change the lives of the severely disabled.

Many will have pretty low expectations before watching this movie since similar tragedy with a slice of hope movies have recently come out, with it’s plot reminiscent of The Theory of Everything. However the film turns out to be surprisingly touching, especially Garfield’s performance. Even when stuck to a wheelchair with a breathing tube in his neck, his character remains undeniably charming.

The casting for the film is fantastic, with Robin and Diana’s chemistry palpable. The moments where the couple are seen in group settings are extremely telling of their connection as their eyes and energy are drawn to each other without effort. The portrayal of the Robin/ Diana relationship is authentic and

The Theory of Hugging

Movie DB

does not sugar coat the frustration and hurt that the couple had to fight through.

The film uses several clichés, some might say too many. However, fans of romance can appreciate when clichés are used at appropriate times.

As they say, clichés are clichés for a reason.

One thing particularly likeable about the film is the different types of love represented. Alongside Robin and Diana’s relationship, we see how adored Robin is by his friends and his son, Jonathan. Life is built on many relationships, not just one, and Breathe did a spectacular job of illustrating that.

As people, we crave to see reflections of ourselves and our lives, and Breathe paints a realistic picture.

Every character in the film adds extra dimension to the film and helps show who Robin is.

The film is thoroughly enjoyable and leaves the viewer with a mix of emotions. If you are a fan of artsy, sad and hopeful films, Breathe is a highly recommended watch.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Review

Murder on the

Orient Express

Kalina Mileva

Originally based on Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel of the same name, Murder on the Orient Express is the fourth onscreen adaptation where supersleuth Hercule Poirot takes a trip on the famous Orient Express. Despite the initial similarity you may find with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, Kenneth Branagh (playing Poirot) displays his character in a contemporary and authentic way and convinces the audience that he is more than unique.

Review

The movie follows the adventurous ride of our protagonist as he tries to solve a classic closed-room murder on the Orient Express. Poirot is a quirky but charming old man who “sees the world as it should be” (put otherwise - has OCD). This is conveyed to the viewer in the first scene of the movie where a strong emphasis is put on his perfectionism, a characteristic of Poirot which successfully helps him to race against time and solve the complicated puzzle of a thrilling mystery.

The characters he meets

on his journey are all from different social and professional backgrounds and the only thing they have in common is seemingly their desire to get from one place to another. Any initial doubts that nothing that interesting can happen on a train are shattered throughout the movie as the story keeps you on the edge of your seat at all times.

While the film does have some more serious issues and themes addressed such as racism and guilt, overall it is a fairly lighthearted watch. There are many storylines tangled so perfectly

that one can hardly foresee the next scene. Murder on the Orient Express leaves you impressed by the marvellous play of the actors, fast-paced investigation with a sprinkle of despair, and the sweeping landscapes the story travels through.

Although the story portrayed is a classic one, the film is never predictable making it a strong choice for a fun evening out.

Call Me By Your Name

Gethin Morgan

E

35

lio (Timothée Chalamet) is the son of an American professor living in Northern Italy during the 80s. He’s intellectual, confident, talented and living a very culturally sophisticated life. Then when Oliver (Armie Hammer), an intern of his father, comes to stay for the summer, young Elio’s life is thrown into a whirlwind of confusion and discovery as he finds his first true love.

Call Me by Your Name is an emotional masterpiece. Dealing with the turbulence of romance, there are a host of universal themes in the film, whether it’s speaking out about love, taking chances or coming of age. It handles everything so delicately, and director Luca Guadagnino has complete mastery over the camera.

He uses every single string available in what is a rather impressive cinematic bow. The score complements the story perfectly, and sound is used effectively to set scenes and tones. The location is idyllic, and the colour palette and

lighting is strikingly rich to match the dreamy nature of the film’s focus.

There’s delightful imagery, from Roman sculptures aptly reflecting Armie Hammer’s physique, to one of the most sensual uses of fruit you’re likely to see anytime soon.

Special praise is also reserved for the costumes, with a 1980s casual leisure wear aesthetic. Those short Adidas shorts, baggy shirts and sunglasses only go further to form an incredibly stylish piece of work.

All of those components create a picturesque frame, but the art lies very much with the characters and a phenomenal cast. Timothée Chalamet is a revelation at 21 years old, taking Elio to deeply vulnerable places. Meanwhile Armie Hammer dominates the screen with bags of charisma, making everyone on screen fall in love with Oliver as well as everyone in the audience.

However, it’s talented character actor Michael Stuhlbarg, playing Elio’s father, who almost steals the show after delivering an emotional hammer-blow of a scene late in the film.

What Guadagnino does so well is

Quirky handshakes are a fun way to spice up a friendship

Movie DB

strike the perfect balance between subtlety and clarity. The audience isn’t left confused at any point in the film, yet it’s so remarkably understated. Expository dialogue is avoided, and even at crucial points in the film, the director trusts his audience to be emotionally intelligent enough to pick up all the signs.

Neither does the film throw emotion at your face from the off. The film lingers and builds magnificently, forming a strong connection between character and audience. This allows the emotional attack that makes up the last half hour to really make some damage.

That’s reflective of the film as a whole, so precisely made that the pacing is perfect. It lingers when it should and cuts away when it needs to. The only criticism is that it could perhaps have chosen a better scene to end on, but other than that it barely sets a foot wrong at all.

Sweet, charming and intensely relatable, Call Me by Your Name is a breath-taking piece of filmmaking which will stay with you for a long time.

Wicked face paint

Movie DB

Review

Jigsaw

James Turner

hits its emotional mark. The traps (now shot in warm orange light, as opposed to the sickly green of the old films) fail to fill audiences with the same sense of disgust they once felt while watching Saw. The characters have too little screen time to make anyone want to root for them. The story is as formulaic as ever.

To the film’s credit, there is some entertainment value in its short runtime. The editing is slick, some of the traps are creative, and the pace never slows. But all of that cannot save Jigsaw from coming across as little more than a tribute to the franchise’s former glory.

Enjoyable but vacuous, Jigsaw misses its mark but lands in the realm of moderately entertaining.

Believe it or not, there are horror fans out there who unironically love the Saw heptalogy. Sure, the weaker films in the franchise don’t really hold up on their own, but the story woven throughout all seven movies is so full of twists and turns that even the most stringent of critics can’t help but be amazed by its labyrinthine construction. However, any hopes that Jigsaw would continue this tradition are quickly crushed, as this attempted franchise revival falls very flat.

Jigsaw’s biggest flaw is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be.

The inclusion of old traps, cassette tapes, and that once creepy puppet indicate that it wants to be taken as a sequel, but it’s overly polished aesthetic implies that it wants to be a considered as a standalone homage to the old series, brought up to date for the modern viewer. Even the title suggests that the makers didn’t want the film to be directly associated with the rest of the series.

The result of this confused direction is a film that never properly

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

Forge Press

THEDE ATHOF ORIGI NALITY Joe Mackay

Over here at Screen we’ve taken on some pretty heavy topics over the past couple of issues - an analysis of Stephen King literary adaptations on screen and a particularly grisly feature about a history of sexual abuse in Hollywood.

So, in the somewhat inbetween-y nature of the month of November, here’s a kind of inbetween-y feature / rant about the sheer number of uninventive sequels, remakes, reboots, emoji movies and general nonsense Hollywood is intent on cranking out at the moment.

Whilst this lack of imagination certainly isn’t a new phenomenon, it just seems at a breaking point recently where it’s not even frustrating anymore - it’s just exhausting.

Sit back and enjoy x

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

37

POINTLESS REMAKES

UNNECESSARY STAR POWER

DISNEY CASH COW

A remake isn’t a guaranteed bad film. Modern classics like Ocean’s Eleven were remakes after all, and that recent It film really upped the ante in terms of bringing the scares up to date.

For the most part though, remakes rarely hold a candle to the original. Jumanji, Logan’s Run, The Birds and even Memento are set for remakes within the next couple of years.

It’s just so frustrating to watch audiences flock to see these remakes purely because they know the original,even if the film does turn out to be good in the end. Remakes are safe bets for studios, and it’s lazy.

This example is a little more clumsy, because it centers around the magnificent Harrison Ford, and because Star Wars VII and Blade Runner 2049 are both fantastic films - but did he really need to be in either of them?

It is kind of irking to see these films rely so heavily upon returning actors (sorry Harrison) as a draw when the film could have probably done just fine on its own. Mad Max: Fury Road didn’t need Mel Gibson to storm onto the scene, and Jurassic World got by just fine without Sam Neill et al (even though it was basically Jurassic Park all over again).

In all seriousness, what is actually the point of all these live action remakes of old Disney classics?

The plot, apart from slight alterations here and there, is the same. The music, apart from some slightly different arrangements and a new forgettable song here and there, is the same. In some cases, scenes are a shot-for-shot recreation of the original.

The cartoons are good. They’ve aged well and they’re charming. You are not too old for cartoons. Save your money and just watch them instead.

DUBIOUS FRANCHISING

STUPID SEQUELS

CINEMATIC UNIVERSES

Falling again into the category of “people will see it for the name” cinema comes a new wave of particularly strange concepts. Three Tetris movies have been commissioned with a budget of $80 million, a Hot Wheels movie has been given the green light. Minecraft!?

Whilst technically original in terms of appearing on film for the first time, what on earth are these movies? Who’s coming up with these ideas? How can a live action Tetris movie possibly work? It’s very rare to see a film based on a game of any sort work (*cough* Assassin’s Creed *cough*) but it just seems to be getting stranger.

Again, there are exceptions to this rule, quite a few in fact.

This does not change the fact that a sequel is an almost guaranteed moneymaker. This is especially evident in the recent trend of finding cult, much-beloved films and giving them a sequel 30 odd years later.

Anybody that saw Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull can attest to the fact that this isn’t always the best idea. Independence Day: Resurgence was a critical failure. Quite often all this does is sully the reputation of series’ of films held in high regard. Eagerly awaiting the Jerry McGuire sequel: “Show me the money!”

Marvel managed to create a solid cinematic universe akin to that of their comic books, and they did it masterfully.

Characters can move from film to film, fight a common enemy and even join up occasionally.

Since Marvel did it every studio wants their own cinematic universe - just at a time where everyone else is, quite frankly, getting a bit sick of them. It’s too much too keep up with. DC have largely failed so far, and the start of Warner Brothers’ retro Monsters universe got off to a terrible start with a rubbish Tom Cruise Mummy remake. Spare the Godzilla lore and just show the people Godzilla!

MARVEL MARVEL MARVEL

BIG SCREEN LITTLE SCREEN

THE EMOJI MOVIE

After singing their praises in the cinematic universe rant, it’s time to turn the tables and completely complain about Marvel’s constant release schedule. “Oh there’s a new Marvel movie out!” is a phrase rarely ever heard because there’s always a new Marvel movie out. “That was actually pretty decent” shouldn’t be the first thought after seeing any new Marvel film.

Cinema screens have gone from a superhero movie every couple of years to becoming completely oversaturated. Spidey is a particularly good example of this - being rebooted twice within the space of under five years.

Cinema attendance has dropped off a bit in recent years.

People have started to watch more content at home through streaming and whatnot. What’s left to do other than taking a load of films and turning them into TV series?

Snatch is a very good film. Turning it into an 8-part TV series starring Rupert Grint is a particularly strange move - it’s like making a remake except adding a lot of unnecessary waffle to pad it out. The Purge TV series anybody?

The Emoji Movie was absolutely slated by critics. The plot was as cookie cutter as it could get, and largely stole from Wreck it Ralph and The Lego Movie. Amongst other things, it featured basically a glorified advert for Candy Crush and the advantages of using cloud storage (in a kids movie???).

Anyway it did very well in the Box Office, ‘coz, y’know, emojis.

Those kooky emojis!

Fuck this movie and everything it stands for.

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Wednesday 15 November 2017

An observation that came to me during my brief-but-memorable one week stint as Coffee Break Editor is just how important a good coffee is to efficient puzzle solving. Myself, I like a cup of Nescafé® Azera® (other brands are available).

A while back they did this deal for £3 each, and they had these really artsy designs on the tins.

In an indecision-fuelled panic, I bought every

Coffee Break facebook.com/ForgePress

@ForgePress

press.coffeebreak@forgetoday.com

ARROWDOKU

possible flavour of the coffee, as much for the pretty designs as for the tasting adventure.

I’m here to tell you dear readers that, although there may seem like a great deal of difference between the likes of Espresso, Americano and Intenso, and although the designs may be pretty and make you feel like a budget art connoisseur, don’t fall for the hype. They’re all the bloody same. Nock x

A big congratulations to Dave Peacock, our new Coffee Break Editor! From next issue onwards, Dave will be filling

Arrowdoku follows the same rules as regular sudoku. The only twist is that the sum of the digits along an arrow must be equal to the number in the circle at the end of that arrow. Basically, it’s like Sudoku but for real men.

these pages and the new Society Spotlight section with fresh puzzles and entertaining insight, the likes of which your hot beverage-centric relaxation time can only dream of. Dave has also taken an oath to always include the correct amount of boxes in the crossword, to better accomodate the actual answers.

1

A HAPPY THANKSGIVING CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

1. Number of states in US (5) 3. In recent years, the Monday after Thanksgiving has been called...Monday (5) 5. State where the city of Washington is located (7) 6. President who made Thanksgiving a federal holiday in the US (7) 9. West African country which celebrate Thanksgiving (7) 10. In the US Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated on the fourth of this day in November (8) 12. The Friday before thanksgiving is normally associated with which activity (8) 13. Largest state in the US (6) 14. Number of original British colonies on the East Coast of America (8) 15. The US motto is “In God we...” (5)

2. Bird usually eaten at Thanksgiving dinner (6) 4. Name usually given to the original celebrators of Thanksgiving (7) 7. What does the “C” stand for in Washington D.C. (8) 8. Town where Thanksgiving was first celebrated, also a town on the south coast of England (8) 11. The US National Anthem is also called the “Star Spangled...” (6)

2

3

4

5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12

14

13

15

SUDOKU Baby

Forge Press

Medium

Ooh You’re Hard

Stuart McMillan Education Officer

On Monday 30 October, Uni Central played host to the first ‘Ask Your University’ event of the year, jointly held by the Students’ Union, Sustainability Committee, and the University.

The topic was sustainability within the University.

In attendance were important figures from both the SU and the University, including Education Officer Stuart McMillan, Development Officer Megan McGrath and Vice-President for Education, Wyn Morgan

no 56%

Yes 44%

Are the new University buildings (The Diamond, 38 Mappin etc) more efficient?

no 10%

e h t in d o o f e h t f o e r o Should m y l l a c o l e b s t e l t u o cafes and sourced? yes 90% no 18%

yes 82%

Should the University provide a module any student can take to learn more about sustainable devlopment?

For more information on this topic please get in touch with Sustainability Committee sustcom@sheffield.ac.uk

Calling all Women in Sheffield!

Always wanted to try a sport or get more active?

This is the perfect opportunity to give it a go!

#thisgirlcan

sheffieldsu.com/thisgirlcan

Sport F o r a l l

Sports Officer

SPORTS

Committee

Forge Press

41

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Sport Thoughts

“England’s cricket selection merry-go-round has left unwanted pre-Ashes nerves”

Matt Rennie takes a look at England’s Ashes selection, and discusses whether they can triumph Down Under.

Matt Rennie

Y

ou would’ve thought we learnt our lesson. As a cricket lover and proud supporter of the England Cricket Team, the hope that was crushed by embarrassment and pain of being demolished 5-0 by Australia in their own backyard in 2013/14 is something I would rather not go through again.

Yet, as the next series Down Under approaches, I feel disappointment even before the series has started. Is it ludicrous to think like this about a team you support? Yes, it is. But the miserable failure to resolve the problems of the England team within the batting department has left me with little hope of beating the Aussies on their home patch.

Let’s start with the ridiculousness of the opening batsman issue. Since the retirement of our stalwart former opener, captain and hero that is Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook has had 12 opening batting partners; the latest being Mark Stoneman, who will partner Cook at the Gabba on November 23. Take nothing away from Stoneman – he has hit over 1,000 county championship runs for five consecutive seasons – but with him aged 30, I feel that we have left it

too late with him; especially with the amount of batsman used before him who have fallen under the pressure of international test cricket.

Of course, I do hope Mark Stoneman succeeds in Australia – he has the back-foot technique to deal with the barrage of pace he will face from Starc and Co – but this is an issue that could have been resolved straight after the whitewash last time.

I can’t talk about the opening position without mentioning Haseeb Hameed. How unlucky can a youngster get with his burgeoning cricket career?

Hameed has now suffered two badly broken fingers just as he began to hit a rich vein of form. However, these will only be two hurdles for him to overcome. He seems to have a near flawless technique and was the most impressive player to come out of the tour to India last year, I have no doubt in the future that he will be the England opening batsman.

The other two batting problems that England have are at the three and five positions. Currently they are taken by James Vince and Dawid Malan. Vince is regarded as one of the finest county cricketers around, but again his last opportunity for England only yielded a top score of 42. He has personally said he feels his technique suits Australian pitches better, but I do feel pessimistic about his chances.

Malan, I feel, is just starting to come into his element at number five as he did have a solid series against an underrated West Indies side.

He warrants a chance in the side, especially given the endless amount of

chances his back-up Gary Ballance has been given by the selection board. If we do play Ballance ahead of Malan, we will be setting ourselves up for failure straight away.

An honourable mention goes to the bowlers having minimal problems within their department. Yet, if coach Trevor Bayliss even dares to pick Liam Dawson in the team, I will be calling for his sacking straight away. Simple enough, there are by far better spin bowlers in county cricket that have been brutally ignored. Why has Jack Leach never been given the chance?

We will never know, but it is not the biggest issue at the moment with the form Moeen Ali is in.

So while we do have ‘resolutions’ to these selection dilemmas, the selection policy has left big question marks hanging over players who will already feel enough pressure on their shoulders. Have we left it too late to gel this England team together, attempting to recreate the success of the squad who demoralised the Aussies on their own patch in 2010/11?

I think so.

Oh well, let’s just hope Captain Root and what could be the weakest Ashes team in a long time bring home the Urn.

as BBC Newcastle’s Nick Barnes told the BBC, Grayson seemed “the perfect fit”. But he too failed, and he too has lost his job. Surely now the only logical conclusion for Short to come to is that the problem isn’t, and probably never was, with these managers but with the club itself.

So something must change and change quickly and there are plenty of cautionary tales for the club to take heed of. For instance, in recent times Wolves fell from the Premier League to League One in just two years, after they suffered consecutive relegations.

In fact, the club only needs to look at who is alongside them in the Championship relegation zone for warning enough. Bolton have stagnated in the Championship following relegation five years ago, even briefly dropping

down to the third tier last year, only to bounce straight back up again. All of this from a club that until 2012 had spent eleven consecutive seasons at the top level. They currently find themselves rock bottom and at this stage it would appear foolish for anyone to suggest the same thing couldn’t happen to Sunderland.

The meeting of the Premier League clubs apparently ended without resolution, with many stories the next day of how the future of the league looked uncertain. For Sunderland, Bolton and many of the other teams who find themselves at the rougher end of English football’s money pit, there are worse problems to have than a fight over £1bn. Their own futures look set to be far more precarious.

Sunderland A.F.C: a success in failure Sunderland have been flirting with failure for the past few seasons.

Matt Hartill analyses their long-awaited demise.

Matt Hartill

E

arly last month representatives of the 20 Premier League clubs gathered at a hotel in trendy Mayfair to discuss the distribution of £1bn worth of overseas television revenue. Four days earlier, Sunderland (part of that elite group until last year) lumbered to a 2-2 draw with Preston North End, leaving them second from bottom in English football’s second tier with just seven points from the first eleven games.

A decade-long stay was ended back in May by a relegation that seemed as inevitable as it was painful. For ten years, the club struggled to keep their head above water in the most unforgiving of leagues. They never finished higher than 13th in that period and had flirted particularly closely with relegation in the last five seasons, until such a risky existence finally caught up with them.

The real quirk, however, is that Sunderland had a remarkable ability to turn

hitherto good managers into seemingly inept professionals, incapable of any form of tactics or of making any sort of lasting, tangible impact on the club.

Following promotion in 2007 - thanks in large part to the tenacity of professional tough guy Roy Keane - highly experienced managers passed through the doors at the Stadium of Light, only to inevitably pass out the other side after a period of poor results, dressing room unrest, or often both. These included Steve Bruce, Martin O’Neill, Dick Advocaat (who was regarded particularly as something of a coup for the club), Sam Allardyce and finally for the club’s Premier League era, David Moyes.

Moyes had been trusted with leading arguably the biggest club in the world in Manchester United not three years before his appointment on Wearside.

By and large this would suggest that the worry for owner Ellis Short should not be whether he can appoint a manager with a good pedigree – but whether he can keep one.

Finally such a risky existence caught up with them All of this hints that a much deeper malaise lies behind the club’s troubles.

Recent weeks have appeared only to confirm this with the departure of yet another manager in the form of Simon Grayson. Yet again, the same pattern appears to have emerged. Grayson was and is a highly experienced Championship manager, with over ten years of experience at a range of clubs. Indeed,

42

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Forge Press

#THIS GIRL CAN - WHAT’S ON MONDAY 20th

TUESDAY 21st

WEDNESDAY 22nd

SUNDAY (26th)

12-2pm - Taekwondo (SU Concourse), Swimming and Waterpolo (SU Concourse) and Caving (SU Concourse) 4-6pm - Strength Sports [Mixed gender session] (Goodwin Sports Centre) 5-7pm - Women’s Rugby Union (Goodwin Top Pitch) 9-10:15pm - Women’s only water polo (Ponds Forge) 7-8pm - Helen Freeman, Co-Captain of Women’s GB Wheelchair Basketball (Auditorium, SU) 8-10:30pm - Film Showing Million Dollar Baby (Auditorium, SU)

12-2pm - Strength Sports (SU Concourse) and Women’s Football (SU Concourse) 1-3pm - Women’s Mountain Bike Ride (Arts Tower) 3-4pm - Women’s Boxing (Goodwin Sports Centre), Women’s Dodgeball (Goodwin Sports Centre) 4-6pm - Women’s Squash (Goodwin Sports Centre) 5-6pm - Women’s Bootcamp (Weston Park) 8-9pm - Strength Sports [Mixed gender session] (Goodwin Sports Centre) 8-10:30pm- Women’s Gymnastics (Cheermania Allstars)

12-2pm - Badminton (SU Concourse) and Korfball (SU Concourse) 4-6pm - Strength Sports [Mixed gender session] (Goodwin Sports Centre) 5-10pm - Snowboarding and Skiing (Castleford) 7-8pm - Women’s Boxing Fitness (The Edge, Endcliffe) 6-10pm - Women’s Caving (Goodwin Sports Centre) 8pm-2am - #ThisGirlCan ROAR (Foundry and Fusion, SU)

Register your interest at www.sheffieldsu.com/ thisgirlcan

Pointers:

THURSDAY 23rd

FRIDAY 24th

SATURDAY 25th

12-2pm - Lifesaving [A short CPR class/recovery] (SU Concourse), Ultimate Frisbee (SU Concourse) and Netball (SU Concourse) 4-5pm - Ultimate Fisbee (Goodwin Top Pitch) and Women’s Lacrosse (Goodwin Top Pitch) 4-6pm - Women’s American Football (Pitch E, Goodwin Sports Centre), Women’s Hockey (Pitch F, Goodwin Sports Centre) and Strength Sports [Mixed gender session] (Goodwin Sports Centre) 6-7pm- Women’s Self Defence (The Edge, Endcliffe) 6-8pm- Women’s Cricket inc. mental health (Birkdale Sch.) schl) 8-10:30pm- Women’s Gymnastics (Cheermania Allstars)

10-1pm - Women Leading The Way (Gallery Room 4, SU) and Badminton (Goodwin Sports Centre) 12-2pm - Women’s Rugby, Rowing, Tennis and Fencing (All SU Concourse) 2-4pm - Women’s Road Ride (Arts Tower) 4-5pm - Women’s Football (Goodwin Sports Centre) and Social Tennis 8-10pm - Free for Women- Strength [Mixed gender session] (Goodwin Sports Centre)

1-3pm - Women’s Skating (Crookes Valley Park) 2:30-3:30pm - Women’s Basketball (Goodwin Sports Centre) 4-5pm - Women’s Swim (Goodwin Sports Centre Pool) 6:30pm - Reclaim the Night (Sheffield Cathedral, City Centre)

Women’s Netball 4s set historic record in win over Teeside t was another BUCS Wednesday to remember for the University of Sheffield’s netball 4s as they scored 100 points for the second time in four weeks.

No Sheffield team had reached the centenary milestone since 2014 until the 4s beat the University of Sunderland’s 2s 113-5 on the opening day of the season. Fast forward four weeks and the 4s repeated the feat, beating Teeside University 3s 109-5 in the Northern Conference Bowl.

It was one-way traffic throughout as Sheffield raced into a 10-0 lead inside the first five minutes of the match. Sheffield had already scored 18 points by the time Teeside scored their first, just over halfway into the first quarter, and ten more points followed for the Black and Gold as they ended the opening quarter with a 28-1 lead.

The offensive duo of Tass Siracusa and Claudia Southwell continued to be ruthless inside the circle as Sheffield picked up in the second quarter where they left off in the first, scoring 28 points compared to Teeside’s two to hold a 56-3 advantage at half-time.

The opening minutes of the third quarter were not as free-flowing as the first two, but Sheffield still managed to add 15 points to their tally before Teeside scored their fourth point of the match. Complacency was not an issue as the Black and Gold continued to push on from this point and scored seven points in quick succession.

Sheffield added another seven points to their tally before the end of the third quarter as the hosts went into the final 15 minutes leading 85-4 and 15 points away from 100 points.

W

Tass Siracusa and Amy Ricketts moved Sheffield to 99 points within the opening eight minutes of the final quarter, but Teeside made Sheffield wait to score the milestone point. The visitors scored their fifth point of the match, before Siracusa shot from the left-hand side of the circle to score Sheffield’s 100th point.

Sheffield didn’t stop there as they added nine more points to their total to seal a 109-5 victory and secure their place in the next round of the Northern Conference Bowl, whilst maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.

4s captain Holly Crane said: “The girls played really well. It can be easy to get complacent in games like

Adam Bailey

this, but we didn’t let that affect us.

We stayed strong, kept going and continued to play as well as we could, which was really pleasing to see.”

The 1s also progressed in the cup as they beat the University of Liverpool 2s 67-30 in the Northern Conference Cup. However, there was no clean sweep of Sheffield victories, as the 2s lost 64-30 against Northumbria University 2s in the Northern Conference Cup.

Women Leading the Way- £1 tickets from box office

Men’s Tennis 1s defeat 2s in exhillerating cup tie Tim Adams

Netball Women’s 4s pose for a photo after win

Women’s Boxing Fitness, Self Defence and Basketball - £2 (15 spaces)/ Free for Res Life (15 spaces)

Women’s Swim- £3.50.

Gym members can access as part of their membership

Adam Bailey

I

9-12pm - Women’s Road Ride [Inc. Cafe Stop] (Arts Tower) 10-12pm - Women’s Rugby Union (Tapton Playing Fields, top of Manchester Road) 5-7pm - Joint Trampolining and Dodgeball Training Session (Goodwin Sports Centre) 6-8pm - Women’s GolfDriving Range (Meet at Bar One, SU)

hen the second-round draw of the BUCS Northern Conference Cup took place one fixture stood out.

The possibility that the University of Sheffield’s Men’s 1s and 2s sides would face off against each other so early on in the competition was slim, yet at Graves Leisure and Tennis Centre friendly competition evaporated.

It’s a mark of a good athlete or team when they block outside influences, and instead concentrate on the match with a professional attitude.

In the sporting world, it is not surprising to see that stars are friends outside of the arena, court or stadium, but as soon as they enter the stage for battle they understand the need to turn the focus switch on.

Even in university sport, the theory still applies. Members of the 1s and 2s share the same Facebook page, go to the same socials and even live in the same houses.

Yet when both sides took to the court on Wednesday they knew the importance of an early season marker.

Tom Dyakowski, the 1s captain, triumphed 6-0 6-1 against Ollie Fountain, while Daniel Rasanjison beat Jordan Kwan 6-2 6-0.

With a large proportion of freshers involved nerves were predictable, but as the afternoon progressed the 2s gained confidence. They soon gained a foothold in the tie when first David Burdon claimed a 6-2 6-3 victory over Josh Wright, and then Rich Evans defeated Adam Iain 6-4 6-4.

Although the 2s are currently unbeaten in the Northern 3B league, the 1s showcase their trade a division

above and, in the pivotal doubles, the gap showed when the pressure ramped up a notch.

For Dyakowski and Ed Bull, the doubles match passed without any major problems, the pair triumphing in straight sets with a 6-1 6-1 win over Fountain and Kwan.

In the second doubles, it was nothing but a simple task for both sides. The first set went the way of the 2s, 6-3, with Burdon and Evans’ fist pumps a sign of sheer determination.

They believed they could win the match.

Throughout the second set the pair, against the 1s doubles Rasanjison and Iain, had created numerous openings, but every time an opportunity emerged the door was slammed in their face.

The 1s battled back, clinching a dramatic set 6-4, so the match was forced into a tense championship tiebreak. It was the skillful mastery of a racket which delivered the hammer blow to the 2s pair, with Rasanjison and Iain claiming it 10-4.

The 8-4 victory overall means that the 1s advance to the second round of the cup and are away to Manchester 2s. The tie breaker takes place on November 22.

Forge Press

Wednesday 15 November 2017

43

Women’s Volleyball 1s lose all three sets to York Nur Adriana

Sheffield University Volleyball Women’s 2s succumbed to the pressure of York University Volleyball Women’s 1s, losing in all three sets.

The first quarter of the game was strongly dominated by York University and it was a struggle for the Black and Golds to find any holes in York’s attack. There was a wide score gap between both teams in the first quarter with York leading 11-2.

Despite that, Sheffield continued to press on and eventually ended the first set 13-25.

The attacks from the opponent were far too strong and accurate for Sheffield to stop in the second set, and they continued to trail the dominating York side with a final score of 10-25.

The University of Sheffield put

on a tough fight in the third set of the match despite the loss in the previous matches. Sheffield opened the last set of the match by taking the lead for the first time and, a few minutes into the set, the Uni Of took a 4-1 lead.

The attacks in the last set were more consistent and precise and the girls showed impressive setplay and teamwork. However, the constant attacks were not enough to stop York University from taking the lead. A few mistakes from the Uni Of caused them to lose the lead, with York Uni eventually grasping a win by a score line of 14-25.

Last-minute point for Hockey Men’s 1s Tor Christie There was late drama as Uni of Sheffield Hockey Men’s 1s grabbed a last minute goal against Liverpool John Moores for it to end 3-3.

The Black and Gold team were 2-0 up at half-time but managed to lose their two goal cushion to fall behind with minutes left in the game.

Sheffield’s first goal came from Gregor James who placed his shot under the keeper after Joe Kopka squared the ball to him following a great individual run.

They furthered their lead when Gavin Haseler dribbled through the defence to chip it into the top right corner from the left side of the D. Sheffield were comfortable in the first half and threatened with every attack, while John Moores looked flat up top in comparison with only

one shot during the entire half.

That all changed in the second half with Liverpool putting three past the keeper Matt Fetzer in an incredible comeback.

Fetzer was rounded by one of their attackers before putting it into an empty net to get the first of their goals.

Liverpool John Moore’s equalising goal came from a short corner that was drilled past the five players, including the keeper, on the line.

The Black and Gold team thought Nick Hales’ effort from outside the D was the goal to put them back in the lead but it was ruled out due to a foul in the build-up.

The opposition then took the lead through in a similar fashion to their equaliser, but the Sheffield team showed spirit and grit to get the much needed goal in the last minute

from Hale who drilled it low in the bottom left from a short corner.

George Collier, Uni of Sheffield Hockey Men’s 1s Captain, said: “We had no character in the second half.

With us sat down at half-time 2-0 up, we expected to come away with three points so it was very disappointing.

“We are in a relegation battle now and these are games we really should be winning. I guess one point is better than none but there are lots of improvements to be made.”

This is the second point of the season for the Black and Golds as they still look for their first win of the year with them sat at the bottom of the table.

The next fixture is a tough one against University of Manchester Men’s 1s, who sit top of the table with four wins from four.

Captain’s Corner | Snowboarding Forge Sport Team

F

or our new instalment of Captain’s Corner, Forge Sport welcomes Alex Tapply, a third year Economics and Politics student from the Snowboarding society. He discusses Winter Varsity and his best memories from being part of the society.

What inspired Snowboarding?

you

to

start

Alex: I started skiing when I was a little kid, my dad and sister skied as well. When I was 13 I started seeing snowboarders on the slopes and I thought it looked a lot cooler than what I was doing so I decided I wanted to give that a crack.

It’s a really nice group, it’s inclusive and a has a wide range of ages What has been your best moment whilst involved with Snowboarding?

A: Competing with the Great Britain snowboard cross team. I went out last year to train with them and got the chance to compete in a race.

The Snowboarding Society poses for a photo

to find another way to get down to Bristol.

7

straight Varsity wins

What has been your most embarrassing moment whilst involved with Snowboarding?

What is the Snowboarding society like?

A: Kings Finals two years ago, there was an error with the booking and our coach didn’t arrive, so at about four in the morning there were about 30 to 40 skiers and snowboarders standing outside Bar One, needing

A: It’s a really nice group, it’s big, inclusive and has a wide range of ages, we’ve got everyone from PhD and former students who have come back to fresher’s who have just started this year.

Sheffield University Snowboard Club

Do you have any advice for people wanting to just get involved or have just started out?

A: Come find us and ask us a question, we run loads of sessions throughout the year for beginners to try if they’ve never had a go before. There is a huge ability range within the group so if you’re not good at it yet you can start at the bottom. Some of our best riders stated lessons in their first year and are now competing at a high level and winning races.

Where can people get in touch?

A: Our Facebook is Sheffield University Snowboard Club, send us a message there with any of your questions and we’ll reply.

What is it like to compete at Winter Varsity?

A: It’s really interesting and exciting competing at Winter Varsity because there’s always a huge crowd watching and cheering you on. Getting to represent the university against Hallam is great, such an awesome feeling What are your expectations and hopes for the coming season?

A: Definitely another Varsity win, we’ve had seven on the bounce so to get an eighth would be good. We’ve got BUDS (BUCS Snowsport Dryslope Championships) coming up so hopefully we’ll get some points there, and then we’re looking to pick

up a victory at the Kings Finals which will be important as we’ve had two second place finishes in the last two years.

Will you continue to Snowboard after University?

A: Of course, 100% couldn’t stop me.

44

Wednesday 15 November 2017

|

www.facebook.com/ForgePress

Adam May

@ForgeSport

The focus turns to this issue’s backpage lead as the national #ThisGirlCan gets underway. For any women who are interested in giving some new sports a go, this is the week for you. #ThisGirlCan is a chance to get stuck into different sports that you may not have a chance to try otherwise, and an opportunity to drag your mates out of the flat to join you, too!

Flo Brookes, who is interviewed in the below article, has done a sterling job promoting this campaign. When I got the chance to speak to her, she

press.sport@forgetoday.com

Sport

Head of Sport

exuded passion and is fully behind that project.

It would be great, then, if everyone can reward that by turning up and just giving anything a go.

Who knows, you might be the next Varsity champion.

In Sheffield sport, it was a quiet weekend for Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday because of the international break (don’t lie, we all love international football...) but we still have four BUCS reports from volleyball, netball, tennis and hockey

T

his week saw a successful run of results for the University of Sheffield in BUCS, with 27 wins, 24 defeats and two draws.

There was a comprehensive win for Football Women’s 1s who netted 10 goals without reply in their home game against Sunderland Women’s 1s, while Rugby Union Men’s 1s recorded a 69-5 victory over Newcastle Men’s 2s.

There were also impressive wins for Hockey Women’s 2s, Netball Women’s 4s and Hockey Men’s 3s.

Meanwhile, 16 of The University of Sheffield’s sports teams progressed to the next round of their respective cup games, with no fewer than 61 fixtures set to be battled out in the next round of BUCS fixtures.

Adam May

F

the next generation, Brookes hopes that people will join together and try their hand at some new activities.

She said: “I hope that we’ll see an increase in female members among sports such as snow sports, cycling, climbing, caving and fencing where we know there are less females in those clubs. Hopefully they’ll feel more empowered.

“With women’s football last year

500 people set to attend

and the success of the England team, that definitely put female sport a lot more on the map, and it’s just about channelling that.

“I’m really looking forward to the Winter Olympics and seeing what the

for you to have a read of, and two really interesting Sports Thoughts pieces on the England cricket squad and Sunderland’s current plight into football’s darkness.

If you want to get involved in our coverage, please don’t hesitate to drop me, Josh Taylor or Tim Adams a line at press.sport@forgetoday.com.

Enjoy the issue.

BUCS round-up Adam May

lo Brookes, Sheffield Student Union’s Sports Officer is bringing next week’s #ThisGirlCan campaign to Sheffield, encouraging women to take up sport.

Brookes, who was elected to her position within the Students’ Union earlier this year, has been vocal about increasing female participation in sport while celebrating role models across a range of disciplines.

With 500 people expected to attend various events between November 20 and November 25, it is hoped that a new generation of female athletes will be inspired as a range of Give it a Go events are scheduled.

Brookes, a keen snowboarder who has represented the University during Varsity, said: “I’m so excited, I think it’ll be really cool.

“We’re also looking at extreme sports where it’s more than just getting girls involved but challenging the stereotype of what female sports are and what is feminine.

“Embedding that into the campaign is really exciting and gender equality in sport is a massive issue.”

The #ThisGirlCan campaign, which is funded by the National Lottery and Sport England, is a nationwide celebration of women getting fit, joining new sports clubs and enjoying the health benefits of leading an active lifestyle.

With female sports stars such as retired athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, footballer Steph Houghton, and climber Shauna Coxsey encouraging

Forge Press

The University’s cricket team deserve some plaudits for their displays after they scooped wins in all three of their fixtures in the last round of play.

Netball are also enjoying a successful season and appear to be smashing it week in week out when it comes to BUCS games.

There appears to be no stopping them at the moment.

The past weekend saw the University of Sheffield teams compete in a number of external competitions too, with students setting off to Edinburgh for the Dryslope Championships.

There were also the Swimming Short Course Championships in Ponds Forge, while Leeds hosted the Ultimate Men Indoor Regional event.

girls do there and profiling them as much as the men.”

There are a number of different events throughout the week, including taster sessions in dodgeball, squash, taekwondo, ultimate frisbee and women-only gym inductions.

If there’s one message that Brookes wants to get across, it’s this: “Just give it a go, you won’t regret trying it.

“If you’re nervous then grab a flatmate and go together, the clubs want to be as inclusive as they can and you never know what trying a new sport might lead to.”

For a comprehensive What’s On guide, turn to page 43. To sign-up for the events, email flo.brookes@ sheffield.ac.uk for more information.

University of Sheffield Hockey team huddle

Jared Mac Lawthom