Simon Armitage interview Pages 14-15 The independent student newspaper of the University of Sheffield // www.forgetoday.com
By Rachel Blundy A male student from the University of Sheffield was robbed and then forced to withdraw money from various cash points in the Ecclesall Road area by two abductors. The incident, which occurred last week, is currently being investigated by South Yorkshire Police. The victim arrived home during the late evening to discover his rear door open. After hearing noises in his garden, the student was attacked by two men and forced to give up his rucksack, which contained his laptop, digital camera and mobile phone.
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 The two attackers are described as male, white Europeans, and of medium build. They are also reported as having ‘Irish’ accents. The student involved in the attack has chosen to remain anonymous. During the week of the incident there were a further two late night burglaries in the student areas of Crookesmoor and Crookes. Two laptops, two mobile phones and an LCD television were among the items stolen. In both cases, South Yorkshire Police believe that entry was made via insecure windows. In a seperate incident, a female victim in the Endcliffe area was threatened and had her handbag stolen by four men in a Vauxhall Corsa. Commenting on the robberies and abduction, Welfare Officer, Kathryn Axon asserted the importance of locking all doors securely, even when leaving the house for brief intervals. She said: “I would also strongly advise students to ‘Immobilise’ all technical equipment. If you go to www.immobilise.com, you can register items such as your laptops and phones with the Police.” Immobilise helps the Police to track down any lost or stolen equipment. The individual registration numbers can also be helpful in obtaining insurance for items that go missing.
Union Council turn out ‘embarrassing’ By Robert Golledge A fifth of students are unrepresented at Union Council meetings due to councillors not turning up. This academic year there have been 95 absences from the meetings which decide Union policy and influence the work of Union Sabbatical Officers. At the final meeting, due to be held on Thursday, May 14, councillors were to discuss and vote on next year’s Union budget and decide on a possible merger of Union Links and Union Councillors into a single role. But because so many councillors failed to turn up, the meeting was unable to take place as planned. Two thirds of the Council are required to hold votes. The cost of each Union Council meeting is approximated at £200, which covers the cost of printing the agendas and sending them by mail to each councillor. Ten meetings worth of agendas have been distributed this year, at a cost of £2,000. A meeting on March 12 had to be cancelled due to a high number of submitted apologies, as well as the prospect of a small number of items on the agenda. The Union spent approximately £4,000 on electing the Union Councillors in October. The Council is made up of 40 departmental councillors, the eight Union Officers, and eight councillors from student groups such as the Black Students Committee and Women’s Committee. Earlier in the year all Union councillors were invited to view the plans for the Union rebuild. The architects had made a special video presentation but only three Union Councillors, plus Finance Officer Alex Pott turned up. Pott said: “The final meeting of the year was the most important and a chance for councillors to have a real say in the Union’s
Inside...
Robbers attack and abduct student
Friday May 22 2009 // Issue 12
£200 £4,000 95
*
Cost of each Union Council meeting
Cost of electing Union councillors
Absences from Union Council meetings in 2008/09
Are Union councillors doing their best to represent students? *includes absences with apologies. future. After only three councillors turned up to the rebuild meeting with the architects I was left feeling embarrassed by the lack of representation.” The worst non-attendee was Jake Sampson, the Information Studies councillor, who missed seven out of nine meetings. The Chemical and Process Engineering councillor Samuel Barrett, and Geography councillor Peter Ward missed six meetings each. Shima Tai, the councillor for the School of Clinical Dentistry missed five meetings. The total of 95 absences from the nine meetings held this year
means that there were roughly 10 councillors (20 per cent) missing from each meeting. History councillor Joe Oliver said: “There are some brilliant councillors but Council has largely failed this year. This includes a five hour meeting where we totally failed to hold the Union Officers to account. “I imagine people don’t turn up because the meetings are very long and boring, which means you only get student political hacks, such as myself, turning up. “Secondly there has been a real confrontational atmosphere this year on Council, which means
you have the same old select few speaking while around 20 members remain mute for the meeting’s duration.” Dave Hurst, Union President, said: “It is always a shame when councillors can’t spend a couple of hours to come. Obviously if they are not turning up, their students are not being represented. “Maybe we need to reduce the number of meetings next year. The final meeting was a chance for all councillors to comment on the budget but this was the night before a dissertation deadline which may explain why so many submitted apologies.”
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Greg Jones
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Warp at 20
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
NEWS UNIVERSITY
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Wipeout Challenge raises over £500 for RAG charities By Kirsty McEwen Students, staff and locals took part in the University of Sheffield’s ‘Total Wipeout Challenge’, organised in aid of charity by Sheffield RAG (Raising and Giving) last week. RAG worked with the British Army’s South Yorkshire Recruitment Regiment to set up a challenging assault course at the Ponderosa Park in Crookesmoor. Competitors challenged themselves as they tried to set record times around the course, which included a climbing wall, monkey bars, rope swing and a 70 metre long inflatable section. The event represented a culmination of RAG’s efforts over the term to try and raise money for local sports charities. A total of 72 people entered the competition, raising over £530 for charity. The money will go to various charities, including the Sheffield Hatters basketball club, the Barnsley gymnastics club, and the Sheffield Association for People with Cerebral Palsy. The fastest time was set by a member of the University’s ladies’ rugby team, who said that the course was “harder than it looks, but really fun.” One of the organisers, Rachel Watson, said that RAG hoped to repeat the challenge: “This was the first time we’ve done anything like this. “It’s been a really big success and we definitely hope to do it again. Hopefully it’ll become an annual event, and we can encourage it to grow, maybe incorporate societies and make it a showcase. She added: “It’s been a really fun day.” The first team to complete the course, ‘Team Engineer’, said they were surprised by the difficulty of the course: “It was surprisingly tough,” said Nam Raythoon, an Accounting and Management student. “You’d think inflatables were fun and bouncy, but this one was really difficult.” Philosophy and Psychology student Tara Knudsen said, “We found out about today through the RAG group online. We’re here as part of our get-fit plan.” The South Yorkshire Recruitment Regiment is a display and recruitment team that hold events and displays during the
Dancer Collapses By Leanne Rinne A performer had an epileptic fit during the University of Sheffield’s Hip Hop Dance Society’s annual show, ‘Phat Beatz’, in the Foundry last Monday. Breakdancers, Street Dancers and Hip Hop crews took to the dance floor to present winning routines but one of the performers collapsed as a result of the strobelighting. Activities Officer Matt Fox was at the event, he said: “It was a brilliant evening and the guy had already danced twice, but on his third time I think he may have looked directly into the lights. “He fell back and managed to
catch himself and then the music and lights were cut out straight away so that he could be helped immediately.” Chairman of the Disabled and Dyslexic Students’ Forum, Chris Jesson, said: “As part of a campaign to make the Union more accessible to disabled students, we carried out a petition demanding that all Union club nights were strobe-lighting free. “Now the Fusion venue is strobe-lighting free but the Foundry is not and we are trying to get signs put up to make sure that everyone is aware of this. “Making all Union nights and venues strobe-lighting free is important and is something to be considered and worked on in the future.”
A student tests her skill on the assault course. summer as a way of keeping the Army in the public eye. RAG is a student-run committee within the Union that holds events throughout the year to raise money for various charities. Union Community Fundraiser
Emma Damian-Grint said: “The Wipeout event saw people from across the city compete in what was an exciting and challenging day. “The students are committed to raising money for local causes,
Photo: Helen Munro
and Wipeout has helped us to raise much needed funds for local sports charities. “RAG is always thinking up crazy ideas and we are looking forward to announcing how much we’ve raised this academic year.”
Personal tutors praised By Andrew Webster Three personal tutors from the University of Sheffield were recognised this week for giving students outstanding support as a result of the Union of Students’ ‘Rate My Personal Tutor’ campaign. Union Officers spent a week collecting feedback about personal tutors and found that responses were extremely inconsistent and some students had never met their personal tutor. Based on over 400 student responses the Union Education Committee awarded first prize to Professor Alistair Warren from the Biomedical Science Department. He said: “I feel great. I
am especially delighted that Biomedical Science was recognised last year and again this year. “From a tutor’s perspective I feel it is worth remembering that while a tutor may have lots of tutees, a tutee has just one tutor and each interaction is important.” Dr. Anne-Gaelle Borycki, also from the Biomedical Science and Biotechnology Department, picked up second prize whilst Dr. Charlie McDonald from Molecular Biology was placed third. Dr. Borycki said: “What makes this award particularly valuable to me is the fact that it comes from the students themselves.” Dr. McDonald added: “I love the tutoring system because what I see is students developing as individuals and developing their
love of the subject - that’s what makes being a personal tutor worthwhile.” Education Officer Rebecca Watson said: “The three winners all exhibited great support and care for their students, and are a fantastic example to all personal tutors across the University.” Watson said: “We got some fantastic responses but we also got some really really bad ones. “It’s given us a really good insight into how varied it is. “The responses were so evenly spread which shows that some departments are getting it spot on but some aren’t.” The Union will use the campaign to improve the personal tutoring scheme and ensure that students can meet with them individually.
FORGE PRESS Friday 22 May 2009
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Union rebuild designs revealed
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Music department called into question By Rosie Taylor
An artist’s impression of how the new Union frontage will look from underneath the concourse. By Rosie Taylor Final images of the planned facelift for the Union of Students building have been released. A £5million renovation will completely change the face of the Union, opening up the interior and connecting the building with University House. The project, which will mainly be funded by the University, aims to update the building, provide more space and make it easier for students to get around. Finance Officer Alex Pott, said: “As the best students’ union in the country we need a better building for our students and activities. “The current building isn’t providing the best facilities for our students. All the Officers will be based on the top level, therefore putting representation at the
heart of the Union. “We hope the new entrance will be a ‘wow’ factor for students and showcase the hundreds of activities on offer.” The budget for the redesign was originally expected to be £10million but construction plans will now be carried out in phases. The budget has been adjusted to £5million for the first phase. Building work is due to start the third week of November 2009 and continue until August 2010. Although areas of the Union will be out of use during the works, all services will remain available. Activities Officer Matt Fox said: “For a substantial part of the 40-week period, the main middle section of the Union (from the reception to the windows overlooking Glossop Road) will be completely out of use.”
Alex Pott added: “We will continue to provide all services but some will be relocated to different areas.”
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 Nigel Hallam, Director of Operations at the Union, said: “There is going to be some disruption for 40 weeks while the work is carried out, but at the end we will have a significant improvement.”
Artwork: Archial Architects “The renovation will bring the building into the modern world.” Students have had a widely positive reaction to the build, although some have doubts about elements of the design. Stephanie Wall, a Structural Engineering student, said: “I think the extension is good but I don’t think the tower fits the design.” Third year Computer Science student, Euan Patterson, added: “It does need a more spectacular entrance. The building is in need of a facelift and I like the way they’ve designed it.” Peter Fennell, who plans to do a PGCE at the University next year, said: “As long as the work doesn’t directly interrupt Union activity I don’t think it will be a problem. Everyone will just get used to it.”
Assessment methods in the University’s Music department have been called into question after a significant number of students got unusually low marks on an important essay. Second year Music students have complained that many of them struggled to get much more than a pass on an essay which was worth 50 per cent of their marks for the ‘Music in Culture and Society’ module. Some students failed on the basis that their title was “irrelevant to the module”, despite submitting their titles to tutors for approval and having two meetings with the lecturer about their essays. Oliver McCarthy, President of the Music Society, received feedback on his essay that said it was too long, when it was the exact 2, 500 words specified. He said: “It seemed like the markers knew nothing about the specification of the essay. The marks were very inconsistent and the feedback was all very negative.” The musicians were also forced to wait for more than three months for their essay results, after the department failed to release them with exam results. They were not given their marks until May 12, despite submitting the work in the first semester of this academic year, and claimed that they were not given any explanation for the delay. A Music student, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It is unacceptable. Deadlines work both ways. We handed the work in on time so we at least deserve a clear explanation.” McCarthy said: “The class didn’t know what was going on. It would have been nice if the University had let us know the situation.” Professor Jonathon Stock, from the University’s Department of Music, said: ““Due to unforeseen circumstances and personal medical issues the marking of the papers in question was delayed. “We appreciate this has not been an ideal situation for students and certainly sympathise with them, but it is important that the essays were thoroughly marked.”
Maintenance and fines complaints made to ACS By Viki Imrie & Rosie Taylor The University’s Accommodation and Catering Services (ACS) have come under fire again after a first year student claimed that the University has breached the terms of its contract and ignored his complaints. Stephenson Hall resident, Mark Sampson, first contacted ACS in November 2008 expressing concern about two faulty external doors in the building which were unable to be locked. He also complained that students from his corridor had been charged for damages to the stairwell, because he felt that the unlocked doors allowed easy access to the building, so anyone could have committed the damage. The residents of his corridor
were also billed for the cost of replacing two broken toilet seats. Sampson claimed that the toilets in question were situated away from his corridor and not used by any of the occupants charged. In an e-mail to the Director of ACS, Pat McGrath, Sampson said: “How can any resident reasonably be expected to cover the cost of damages and abide by their terms in the accommodation contract when the University has not upheld their own terms?” Sampson explained that he had received no solid reply, explanation or revocation of charges despite sending three separate e-mails over a six-month period. A spokesperson for Accommodation and Catering Services, said: “ACS is extremely sorry about the issues that Mark
Samson has encountered in trying to resolve his residence charges. “ACS accepts that in this case its process in dealing with the complaint was not as students should expect. “Mark has now met with Pat McGrath, Director of ACS, to discuss his concerns and put forward some excellent ideas for the future. “The issues raised in Mark’s complaint have now been resolved satisfactorily. In addition, the process for dealing with residence charge complaints has been improved and ACS will continue to review its procedures.” More students have since come forward with their stories of problems with accommodation. The students said that their requests for rent to be refunded have been ignored. Second year student, Alice Lane,
a resident of the flat, said: “I was horrified by the incompetence of the staff, yet no action was taken, it was disgraceful.” A second year English Language student at Crescent Flats said that he had to wait two days before he had power restored to his room, after making three separate complaints. The student said: “The whole situation was getting ridiculous. I couldn’t work in my room. I couldn’t do anything.” A PhD student, who does not wish to be named, was also left in the dark. He claimed that he was left with no lights for two weeks in his University-owned room. Four second year students at the privately-run Victoria Hall claimed that they were left without a functioning boiler for three months, despite daily complaints.
Stephenson Hall.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
NEWS UNIVERSITY
Sheffield students step up fight against fascism in run-up to European elections By Leanne Rinne Students from the University of Sheffield gathered outside Bar One this week, in a bid to stop the British National Party (BNP) from winning a seat in the European Parliament. Owing to the proportional representation voting system, and the current disillusionment with the main political parties, the BNP will only need approximately 11 per cent of the vote in the Yorkshire and Humber region to have a member of their party elected to the European Parliament. Over the past two weeks the Sheffield Students United Against Fascism (SSUAF) campaign group have tried to encourage students to use their vote on June 4, to prevent a BNP victory. The group has delivered over 10,000 Unite Against Fascism’leaflets to students and members of the local community and is supporting anti-fascist initiatives such as Football Unites Racism Divides. Al Hussein Abutaleb, Black Students’ Committee Chair said: “Nick Griffin, the leader of the fascist BNP, recently made the insulting claim that all Black and Asian people are ‘racial foreigners’ who should be ‘repatriated’. “This outrage must be stopped. We need to do everything possible to stop this fascist organisation which stands for an ‘all-white’ Britain claiming to represent Sheffield students in Europe.” Fiona Edwards, Women’s Officer and Convenor of Sheffield Students United Against Fascism, said: “The more students that vote in these elections, the less chance the BNP have of winning a seat in the European Parliament. “Now is the time to unite against fascism and defend our diverse and multi-cultural student community at the ballot box. “The Union has a constitutional obligation to promote equality, celebrate diversity and vigorously challenge all forms of discrimination. “The BNP want to exclude the majority of society from public life and this is intolerable.” Union President Dave Hurst
Photo: Sam Bennett
University of Sheffield students protest against the BNP outside Bar One. said: “The BNP are a fascist organisation that threaten our diverse, multicultural student community.” Gareth Nicolas, Youth Officer for Sheffield Unite Against Fascism, said: “Students from Sheffield University have a proud history of opposing racism and fascism and have been acknowledged as having played a crucial role in defeating the BNP in by-elections in Oldham, Burnley and all across Yorkshire. “This year, the biggest ever
threat of the BNP making a breakthrough in our region is upon us. The only way to try to prevent it is through a countywide campaign to encourage a high turnout.” The anti-fascist demonstrations staged by Edwards and the SSUAF drew attention from some students who expressed concerns about the campaign, arguing that no minority group should be discriminated against, including the BNP. Reem Alhimdani, a third year
student, said: “Those students who believe the BNP deserve a right to stand and who say it is hypocritical of us not to let a minority speak obviously do not see the irony and hypocrisy from the other side. “The BNP are a fascist party who are anything but democratic and have morals which would threaten the very fabric of our democratic society.” To promote the forthcoming European Elections and celebrate diversity in the University, Union
Officers organised an event called Stand Up For Diversity. The event was cancelled on May 8 after only three people bought tickets. Commenting on the failed event, Union Finance Officer Alex Pott said: “I think it’s really unfortunate that so few people attended as the message to students is important. “At 6.30pm when the event opened, only three people had bought tickets, and so the Officers decided to call the event off.”
No interest on loans Lord Mayor meets Volunteers By Rachel Blundy The Government have announced that it will reduce interest on student loans to 0 per cent from September because of the recession and the fall in the Retail Price Index (RPI). The National Union of Students (NUS), have described the move as “the best deal students and graduates could have expected”. NUS President, Wes Streeting, said: “NUS will continue to monitor the rate of interest on student loans, and make sure the Government is aware of students’ concerns.” Welfare Officer, Kathryn Axon said that the Government still needs to significantly subsidise the cost of university, noting that interest rates will rise again. Education Officer, Rebecca Watson, said: “The decision to lower interest rates to 0 per cent
on student loans is a long awaited incentive. “In the current economic climate, where students have no certainty of a graduate job, the additional burden of paying excessive interest on loans is unacceptable. “The Government should be heavily involved in supporting and funding students during this financial crisis and after it.” Watson condemned the Government’s current levels of assistance to graduates: “The Government must recognise the contribution that graduates give to the economy and keep interest rates as low as possible. “With a new Union policy standing for free education, passed by over 3,300 votes at referendum, students are now calling for the Government to recognise student debt as unacceptable.”
By Natalie Thomas The Union of Students’ Volunteering Committee met with Sheffield’s Lord Mayor to recognise their recent achievements. The Lord Mayor, Councillor Jane Bird, attended the Sheffield Volunteering Showcase last July, and was impressed by how they organised and promoted volunteering opportunities for students. She later arranged a meeting with the Committee at the Town Hall and 10 volunteers went along for tea and biscuits. Danielle Sherman, Committee Chair, said: “We told her about our varied individual volunteering pursuits and some of the projects we have worked on together as a committee. “We were slightly nervous beforehand, but are always proud to be representing Sheffield
Volunteers meet Lord Mayor. Volunteering and the exceptional work it does.” Marion Carrabin, a member of the Committee’s fundraising team, said: “We were delighted to
Photo: Sheffield Volunteering get an invite to have morning tea with the Lord Mayor. “It was really interesting to hear all about her role.”
FORGE PRESS Friday 22 May 2009
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Uni graduate wins reality television show By Leanne Rinne A University of Sheffield graduate has won £70,000 after being crowned the winner of Channel 4’s reality television show, Shipwrecked. Twenty-three-year-old Greg Jones studied English Language and Linguistics with Sociology at the University. After graduating in 2008 he applied to go on the Channel 4’s Shipwrecked programme, which has been shown weekly for the past three months. He spent eight weeks on a desert island in the South Pacific before his ‘Shark’ tribe stole the victory away from their rivals, the ‘Tigers’. As a new twist to this series only one member of the winning tribe could take away the total prize money; the ‘Tigers’ voted to give the cash to Jones. He said: “I had seen Shipwrecked before but I was not a massive fan. “When I graduated I didn’t know what to do really, those four years in Sheffield had been the best years of my life. “One day this advert for Shipwrecked popped up on Facebook and I just went for it on a bit of a whim.” Jones said he found the interview process “relaxing” and could not believe that he was sent out to the island within a month. He said: “When you are there they take 200 hours of filming for every show so lots gets left out. “People at home get shown the best bits, like the games, the fun and the emotional side of it. What they don’t show you is the more everyday conversations, like when you’re getting to know each other. “I have really begun to appreciate the power of editing and realise just how easy it is for the media to make you into a villain or a hero. “They will shoot somebody sunbathing one second and then show somebody with a rake straight after so one person looks lazy and the other looks hardworking.” Jones explained how winning the prize money was just one of the memories he has taken away with him. He said: “I will never forget the night before the last beach party, when I was on ‘Shark’ island, it was just amazing.
“We were all really excited and nervous about it coming to an end and yet we were all dancing around the bonfire and it just felt like we were really united.” He added: “I can’t believe I lost two stone. I was constantly hungry because I have always had a big appetite. “I’m now back to my normal weight but I suppose the whole diet thing was good for me, it was a detox really. “The lack of alcohol was definitely different to my student days though.” Jones has stayed in contact with many of his fellow contestants but is disappointed that so many of his tribe were “annoyed” that he kept the money to himself. He said: “It was so flattering and charming to be chosen to receive so much money but it has caused friction within the ‘Sharks’. “There are still people bitching about it after six months and still people who refuse to talk to me. “Even when I went to the T4 studios to do some filming for the final episode, there were people who were funny about it. “But it was really good to meet presenter Steve Jones from T4 and I had a dance-off with Jesse Metcalfe from Desperate Housewives. Jones has so far given half of the money to his parents, has bought a new wardrobe and soon plans to buy a property. He said: “I want to make sure that I use the money responsibly to show the ‘Tigers’ that I have not just wasted it.” During the show, Jones was in a relationship with fellow contestant, Maz, until she decided to get back together with her exboyfriend, but he insists there are “no hard feelings”. He said: “I’m actually in Bournemouth at the moment with Maz and her boyfriend Joe who is a really great guy, we are doing some nightclub appearances and I have a new girlfriend now.” Jones claims he only has a few regrets: “After watching Shipwrecked, the one thing I do regret was pretending to get married, it was definitely one of my more hasty decisions and people afterwards actually messaged me on Facebook to ask if I was actually married. “It is so strange when you see yourself on TV and realise exactly how you act and what you look like.”
Sheffield graduate Greg Jones won £70, 000 on Channel 4’s Shipwrecked.
Sheffield politicians clash over tuition fees By David Thomas Sheffield City Council councillors have expressed concern at reports which call for the increase of university top-up fees. A proposal, which is largely supported by the Council’s Liberal Democrat majority, suggests that Labour’s 2004 policy of ‘top-up fees’ should be scrapped. The proposal is a response to widespread reports that institutions could increase fees to as much as £20,000 per year, particularly for in-demand courses at prestigious universities. Current government legislation currently means that universities can charge no more than £3,225 per year. Liberal Democrat councillor, Paul Scriven, described any plans to increase the top-up fees a “slap in the face” for students,
and expressed dismay that not a single Labour councillor had backed his proposal.
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 Mr Scriven called on Paul Blomfield, the Labour parliamentary candidate who he will be standing against in the General Election, to condemn the Labour councillors. He said: “I am calling on Mr. Blomfield to publicly denounce his Labour colleagues’ decision not to back my proposal to council.
“It is simply wrong to charge people for wanting to attend university to better themselves”. In response, Mr. Blomfield called for a wide-ranging review to assess all the implications of tuition fees, and further condemned Scriven’s record on the issue. He said: “Unlike Councillor Scriven, I actively campaigned against top-up fees. “The Liberal Democrats propose the abolition of fees, but have no idea how they would fund the gap in university budgets. “Neither do they have any proposals on supporting living costs which are the cause of much student debt.” Political commentators have observed that the wording of the Council’s proposal may have led to opposition amongst Labour councillors. They argue that Labour
representatives are reluctant to criticise their party’s record on the issue. Not only does the proposal express concern for fee increases, but it also suggests that the current system, introduced by Labour, should be discarded. The proposal labels the Government’s introduction of topup fees in 2006 as a “mistake”. It also condemns the decision of Sheffield Brightside MP, David Blunkett, the former Secretary of State for Education, to allow institutions to charge for higher education. Dave Hurst, Union President, expressed concern at Labour’s stance on tuition fees. “As a Union calling for a free and fair education system, any government of the day which does not support and champion this view is of grave concern”, he said. However, Hurst stressed that
council politics could only have a limited effect. He said: “Local councillors cannot change this alone. The Union needs to take the fight to the MPs.” University vice-chancellors across the country are leading the calls for higher tuition fees, which they claim would ensure that British institutions remain among the best in the world for teaching and research. All UK students at the University of Sheffield are currently charged the maximum of £3,225, whilst overseas students have to pay significantly higher rates, which are not subject to the same cap. The Government has promised a review of tuition fees later this year. The Union has a policy to stand for free education, passed by 3,300 votes at referendum.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
NEWS UNIVERSITY
High Peaks club raise money for charity on fancy dress cycling trip
Photo: High Peak club
The High Peaks club return to the Nottingham House pub in Broomhill after a 15 mile charity bike ride. By Zora Van Leeuwen & Rachel Blundy University High Peak club members donned Hawaii-inspired fancy dress and cycled into the Peak District last week. The group made the 15 mile trip on Saturday May 16, to raise funds for the Air Ambulance and Mountain Rescue teams. More than £250 has been raised by the cyclists, in an effort to
thank the rescue services who airlifted High Peaks member Ben Toogood to hospital earlier this year. The bikers dressed in a variety of costumes, including a shark and an ice cream cone. One even wore a Borat-style mankini. An award was given on for the best fancy dress outfit. It was won by Pete Davis, who dressed as Ben Toogood, the club member who had to be rescued after an
Boeing donation By Rosie Taylor Aerospace giant Boeing has donated £27, 285 to University’s Faculty of Engineering to fund three undergraduate and three master’s scholarships. The funding will also cover the costs of equipment for group projects, allowing a group of students to enter the annual European Micro Aerial Vehicle Conference and Flight Competition in Holland. Malcolm Butler, Faculty Director of Operations, said: “We are confident that this collaboration will help to enhance our students’ development and better prepare them for success in the aerospace industry.” Boeing, which also has links with the University of Cambridge, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial jetliners and military aircrafts. Political activist Dan Randall, a supporter of the University’s recent Kick ‘Em Off Campus campaign, argues that University of Sheffield students will not necessarily be able to control how the funding is utilized. He said: “The problem with
scholarships like these is that they always come with strings attached. “Sheffield students whose courses are funded by corporations have no control over how the companies use their academic work. “They don’t know if their groundbreaking research will be used by the companies to construct better military equipment.” The Boeing scholarships were awarded to the six students based on comprehensive criteria. Applicants had to prove their leadership and communication skills, whilst showing a strong interest in aerospace engineering. They also had to show how they would use the money. The three chosen Masters students were presented with their scholarships last week, while the undergraduates will be given theirs in October. Rob Holland, an aerospace engineering student who has been awarded one of the Masters scholarships, said: “I am very grateful to Boeing and the University for this opportunity and believe that it will encourage me to achieve my full potential.”
accident. Ben said: “It was his attention to detail that made his costume excel. The reflectors on the crutches strapped to his bag were what did it for me - he’s always thinking of health and safety first.” The event was not completely accident-free. The club’s biking co-ordinator crashed his bike into a tree. He said: “I think the tree got off worse.”
After seeing the group cycling in their outfits a passerby said: “Do you want some money for this? You must be doing it for a good cause.” In the final stretch of the ride the bikers were caught in heavy rain. A publicity officer for the club said: “Our wet-suits were put to good use when it rained, but our spirits weren’t dampened.” The day ended with cyclists being provided with food by
the Nottingham House pub in Broomhill. The money raised will be split between the Edale and Buxton Mountain Rescue teams and the Derbyshire, Leicester and Rutland (DLR) Air Ambulance. Both services rely on donations to fund their rescue missions. The £250 sponsorship will pay for one fortieth of the cost of airlifting Ben to safety.
Japan day in the Octagon By Kimberley Long The University of Sheffield’s Japan Society organised a day to promote Japanese culture and understanding amongst the students and people of Sheffield. The event on May 10, attracted 350 visitors to its stalls demonstrating various aspects of Japanese culture. The event was sponsored by Japan UK 150, Will.Yaki, Harmony café and Kuji furniture shop. Japan UK 150, endorsed by both the Japanese and British embassies, celebrates 150 years of British-Japanese relations. As a donation to the event, the Japanese Embassy provided traditional kimono style dress, known as ‘yukata’, for people to try on. A tea set was also supplied to perform a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with green tea and rice sweets. Visitors to the event could even sample Japanese cuisine, with all food supplied by Will.Yaki. Members of the Japan Society later performed ‘Soran Bushi’, a dance originally established
A tea ceremony demonstration. by fisherman in the region of Hokkaido. Postgraduate Japanese Studies student, Katrina Cordery, coorganised the event. She said: “A lot of students attended but many families came too. It was really enjoyable for me to see all the people smiling and laughing. It made it all worthwhile.” The day culminated with a taiko drumming performance by Joji Hirota. His troupe included both Japanese and non-Japanese
Photo: Kimberley Long drummers. In a career spanning 40 years, Mr. Hirota has toured throughout Europe and worked with ‘The Royal Shakespeare Company’ on a production of Macbeth. Proceeds from the event were split between two charities. ‘The Make-A-Wish Foundation’, which grants wishes for terminally ill children, and the ‘JAL Foundation’, a Japan based project which encourages cultural exchange between young people in different countries.
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Activities Awards honours top achievers By Joe Oliver The University of Sheffield’s Activities Awards 2008/2009 celebrated the achievements and hardwork of Union Societies and Working Committees last Monday. Society and Committee members gathered in University House hoping to win one or more of the 19 available awards. During the evening guests were entertained by performances from ‘The Flying Teapots’ and the Singers’ Society, SingSoc, which won the Societies Outstanding Contribution Award. The improvised comedy group, Shrimps, was crowned Creative Society of the Year, and awarded Event of the Year for their successful Student Comedy Festival. Of the Departmental Societies, History dominated the evening by winning the Society Volunteering Award, the Departmental Society of the Year Award, and the final coveted award, Society of the Year. President of the History Society, Charlotte Tobin, also received the gold award for Outstanding Contribution to a Departmental Society. She said: “We are so pleased to have received so many awards as the Union is giving us recognition for the hardwork the History Society Committee has put in over the past year. “Let’s hope we go from strength to strength and our new President David Towriss does a fantastic job next year.” The gold award for Individual Contribution to a Faith Society went to Yusuf Ghumra of the Islamic Circle, which was named Faith Society of the Year. Chris Jesson, Chair of the Disabled and Dyslexic Students’ Forum, received a gold award for Outstanding Contribution to a Working Committee and was thanked for running “some of the best campaigns in living memory”. Individual awards were also awarded to Golibe Omenaka for an Outstanding Contribution to SPEAK, the Political and
Activities Officer-elect, Claire Monk and Charlotte Tobin, President of the History Society, at the Activities Awards. Campaigning Society, and Ike Sikuade from Young Investors for her contribution to an Other Interests Society. The Young Investors also capitalised on their success with an award for Best Website, while the group Mental Health Matters picked up the prize for the most
original publicity. Sri Bawan Kandasamy grabbed a gold award for his contribution to the Sri Lankan Society, which was also named National Society of the Year. Progress, a society that represents postgraduate students, won the award for Most Improved
Society, while Film Unit were recognised as the Working Committee of the Year. The evening ended with a speech from outgoing Activities Officer Matt Fox. He said: “So much hard work, dedication and sheer determination has gone into a whole range of societies
Photo: Helen Munro and committees. They have provided students with so many opportunities over the past year. “It is the people within these committees and societies that provide the heartbeat of our great Union, and I have been extremely proud all year to be their representative.”
Apprentice competition takes Sheffield by storm By Mark Duell Two students have been crowned the winners of a University of Sheffield competition based on the popular BBC television programme The Apprentice. Matt Roberts and Aimie Farmer, both 20, beat over 200 applicants to win ‘The Intern’ competition, which was organised by final year student Helen Gammons. Roberts, a second year History student, won 10 days work shadowing Rachel Elnaugh who was an original ‘Dragon’ on the BBC show Dragons’ Den. He said: “When I signed up to the event, I did not know what I was getting involved with, but after taking part I am so glad I did. “It was a real surprise when Rachel Elnaugh picked me to be part of the three to go for an interview with her - never mind to be picked the winner. “The competition was very tough, and all of the people through to the last round could easily take my place - there was nothing in it. It has given me
some great ideas for my career in the future. “I would recommend anyone thinking of taking part to do it - it’s great fun, you meet a lot of great people and you learn loads of skills that are brilliant for the future.” Farmer, a second year European and International Law student, won a paid eight week summer internship with Royal Mail. She said: “I was really shocked to win - I couldn’t believe it as the other guys who got through to the interview stage were all so talented. “It felt really good that someone had seen enough potential in me to have chosen me for such a great experience. The whole experience was brilliantly organised and I thought Helen did an awesome job.” In the first round last April, 90 contestants were given £15 to buy things to sell at a flea market in West One on Division Street. Farmer said: “The tasks were challenging which made you do things you’d never normally get a chance to do which was brilliant, although the public speaking was
Winner Matt Roberts with organiser Helen Gammons. not my most favourite experience. “I was shocked at the amount of effort that each student put into raising money and the competition itself.
“One night I found one of the teams rehearsing their pitch at 2am in the Information Commons. “It’s been a lot of hard work -
sometimes too much work - but I’ve had an amazing team to support me and have thoroughly enjoyed every second.” The competition raised over £2,500 for Comic Relief and prizes on offer included several marketing positions with Jenny Celerie, who was a candidate on last year’s The Apprentice. Celerie herself chaired a panel of judges made up of local business people. The event was run through Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), who use any commercial profits to set up social enterprises, including campaigns to support homeless people and farmers in Ghana. Organiser Helen Gammons, an Accounting, Financial and Business Management student, said: “Several candidates have expressed an interest in setting up their own business now, and a few have approached me to run this same competition next year. “The Enterprise Zone in Sheffield has been an invaluable resource, offering free business space to students and all the support needed to run such a competition.”
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NEWS LOCAL
Endcliffe to host Gay Pride
Laura Steel. Photo: Sheffield Pride By Samuel Valdes Lopez Sheffield Pride 2009, a free event celebrating lesbian, gay and transgender life will take place in Endcliffe Park on June 20. The event will be sponsored by Sheffield City Council, the Environmental Agency and South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue. Musical talent will include Eurovision 2007 contestants ‘Scooch’, plus Laura Steel, a local Sheffield pop artist who has just returned from a recent tour in America. David Baker, PR & Communications Officer for Sheffield Pride’s Committee 2009, said: “We know that the eclectic artists on the main stage last year were a great hit with the crowd. We decided to provide a similar array of music artists and bands this year. “It’s important for us to recognise that the music taste of the community is wide and varied.” There will be an after party at Sheffield HUBs building, with guest DJs from ‘Poptastic’ and ‘Hang the DJ’. Two bodies of Sheffield’s City council, Activity Sheffield and the West Ranger Service, will also offer activities for all who attend.
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
Station bridge closure protest By Andrew Webster Angry demonstrators marched through Sheffield station on Wednesday in protest against plans to close the station’s footbridge to non-ticket holders. Over 150 residents, joined by city councillors, waved placards and chanted “our taxes, our station, our bridge” as they marched back and forth. The protest, organised by the Residents Against Station Closure (RASC) pressure group, has come in response to East Midland’s Trains putting a human barrier of ticket inspectors and police at either end of the bridge. The train company have introduced spot checks as a temporary measure before automatic barriers are installed. Both RASC and the council argue that closing the bridge will cut people off from the city centre. They maintain that the alternative route, which can be taken via a run-down bridge, is dangerous. Chair of RASC, Geraldine Roberts, said: “People with buggies or in wheel chairs have had to make other arrangements which are not suitable. There has been massive outcry against it and it basically cuts the city in 2 which is not acceptable.” “There are a lot of people who feel extremely strongly that this is a public resource and they’re very angry in the way that a private enterprise are trying to take away a piece of the public realm.” Council Leader, Paul Scriven, who marched with the demonstrators, said: “I’m here today standing shoulder to shoulder as leader of the council with Sheffield citizens to say we are not having our city split in half. People of Sheffield should be able to work from one side of the city to the other along this footbridge which is actually part of a £50 million investment that has been paid for by the taxpayer.” In response, East Midlands Trains have proposed giving local residents a free electronic pass once the barriers are installed. Customer Service Director, Jake Kelly said that failure to tackle ticketless travel would foster a ‘Cheats Charter’. The barrier
Photo: Sam Bennett
Angry residents and councillors protest against station footbridge closure. checks have already stopped hundreds of people travelling without a ticket. Scriven said: “East Midlands Trains are listening with both fingers in their ears. Rather than cutting our city in two why don’t they just put ticket checks at the bottom of the stairs on each platform, this keeps the footbridge
open for all.” Norfolk Park resident, and member of RASC, Douglas Bell, said: “East Midlands Trains haven’t responded to the community. They don’t seem to realise that there’s a social need here.” Oliver Blensdorf, from Gleadless Valley, said: I think the march
shows we are together on this; it was a really good turnout. It is our bridge and it is our right of way.” RASC are planning further protests, but are not saying what that action is due to its nature. They maintain that all their protests are peaceful and nonviolent.
Yorkshire set for European Parliamentry elections By Robert Golledge The European Parliament Election campaign has kicked off around the Yorkshire and the Humber region. Twelve political parties will battle it out for the region’s six MEP seats, with the fringe parties looking to capitalise on the recent expenses scandal which has embroiled the three major parties. The election will be the biggest ever multi-national election, with 375million Europeans in 27 countries are eligible to vote between June 4 and June 7. The UK will vote on Thursday, June 4. Seven-hundred-and-six members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected for a five-year term across Europe. The UK has 78 MEPs. Yorkshire currently has two Conservative MEPs, two
Labour, one Lib Dem, and one UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP. Yorkshire MEP Richard Corbett said: “You have to show people that there is something at stake, that there is a choice to be made, and that is the most important thing you can do. “Yes, of course, I would like to see national media pay more intention to the elections. I think inevitably people normally pay more intention to national elections, they matter more for more subjects than Europe. “But we do deal with some important subjects at the European level and in the European Parliament and then people can, and should, exercise their choice for what they see as the future of Europe and that’s what these elections are about.” A campaign against the British National Party has sprung up
across the Yorkshire region. Hope Not Hate campaigner David Levene said: “It’s really important the BNP don’t win the European Elections: if they do, they’ll win resources and funding that will enable them to expand massively. “Anyone and everyone is welcome - something we can all unite around is stopping these thugs: if they don’t hate you, they will hate one of your friends, and we have to stop them now.” The European Paliament is the Legistative branch of the European Union, but has little power to create new laws. Laws are devised by the European Commision which comprises of appointed Commisioners from individual member states. The UK’s Commissioner is Catherine Ashton, who replaced Peter Mandelson last year.
The European Parliament building in Strasbourg.
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
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University nursery receives £2,000 whilst manager retires By Kimberley Long The University of Sheffield’s nursery has been given a much needed boost with a £2,000 cheque from First Group after a being threatened with closure. The Brunswick Street based nursery plans to use the cheque to install railings next to the steps in the garden because the current fence is in need of repair. The new railings will be part of a project to renovate the entire garden. Deputy Manager Angela Douglas said: “The railings will be very interactive and child friendly with chimes and spy holes for the children to look through. It is a necessity to keep them safe from the steps but we want it to be ornate and a feature of the garden too.” The Union and the University of Sheffield have recently considered selling the facility to a private company. The Union no longer believed it served its purpose of providing for student parents. However, the decision was made to retain ownership after parents campaigned against the possibility of closure. The presentation of the cheque coincided with the retirement of Nursery Manager Cilla Carr. Mrs Carr had been working at the nursery for 12 years and had helped to secure the extra funding needed. Sue Stew took over as the Nursery Manager on May 11 this year. The University nursery is a non-profit organisation which offers child care for students with children who cannot get childcare grants elsewhere. Parents who are not students at the University can also use the service for a fee. The money was awarded as part of First Group’s safety
Gospel choir concert The University of Sheffield’s Gospel Society held ‘Brighter Day 09’, a celebration in the Octagon which included performances from the Gospel Choir, Swing Dance and the Hip Hop Dance societies, writes Samuel Valdes Lopez. Named after a favourite song from Gospel Choir society, the three hour event on May 12 included songs of praise, elaborate dance routines, as well as jazz and gospel songs. The event was also the last concert for several members of the Gospel Choir as they are now preparing for a year of studying abroad. Organiser, Bryony Langley, is optimistic about getting new performers to participate in next year’s event. Commenting on the nature of the line-up, Langley said: “The Gospel choir is really quite passionate [about hip-hop]. A lot of hip-hop dancers go well with the songs we are performing”.
Registrar appointed
Children at the University of Sheffield nursery. campaign against ‘slips, trips and falls.’ Members of staff nominated causes they knew would gain from the cash. In all, seven different projects have benefited from a
share of £10,000 of the funding. Kate Lamb, TransPennie Business Community and Business Improvement Officer of First Group, said: “We wanted
Photo: Helen Munro
to help causes that we felt were worthy. The children can use the railing as a learning aid and hopefully they can benefit from it”.
Uni move closer to Parkinson’s cure By Andrew Webster
Dr. Oliver Bandmann
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Photo: University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield has won nearly £240,000 for research into the onset of Parkinson’s disease and how the effects of the disease can be slowed down. Dr. Oliver Bandmann and his team of neuroscientists will use the funding from the Parkinson’s Disease Society for important research. For the next three years, they plan to study an inherited form of the disease found in tropical zebrafish. The fish, about 3cm in length, have a similar Park-2 gene to humans. Changes or mutations to both the human Park-2 genes are the most common identifiable cause of Parkinson’s. But scientists still do not know how this leads to the death of the dopamine-producing nerve cells which cause the disease. Dr. Bandmann said: “By looking at what happens when the Park2 gene is removed from the zebrafish, we hope to understand how defects in the human Park-2 gene result in Parkinson’s. “Ultimately, it may be possible to use zebrafish that lack the Park-2 gene to screen for new drugs that could slow down earlyonset Parkinson’s.”
The inherited form of Parkinson’s often strikes at an early age, but can also develop later in life. It is estimated that one in 20 people with Parkinson’s are under the age of 40 when diagnosed with the disease. Dr. Kieran Breen, Director of Research and Development at the Parkinson’s Disease Society said: “We are delighted to fund this kind of innovative genetic research, looking at the possible causes of Parkinson’s, so that new drug treatments can be developed. “Dr. Bandmann’s research will increase our understanding of the causes of the condition.” The Parkinson’s Disease Society is the leading authority in the UK on the condition, and has invested over £40million in research over the last 40 years. Applying for the society’s funding is highly competitive with only 20 to 30 per cent of applications gaining approval. Dr. Bandmann believes the money could also enhance the University’s teaching on Parkinon’s. He said: “The funding shows that Sheffield is a very good place to do research into neurodegenerative diseases. “This will hopefully also enable us to get students interested in Parkinson’s”, he added.
Following the retirement of Dr. David Fletcher, the University of Sheffield has appointed Dr. Philip Harvey as its new Registrar and Secretary for September, writes Rachel Blundy. Dr. Harvey, who is currently employed in a similar role at the University of Sussex, has also worked in senior positions at both the Universities of Exeter and Warwick. Commenting on the appointment of Dr. Harvey, Vice-Chancellor Professor Keith Burnett said: “We are delighted that Philip is joining us and we are confident that he will make an excellent contribution to the outstanding work carried out at Sheffield, with its diverse student body and world-leading research across all the faculties.” Dr. Harvey said: “The University has an international reputation for excellence in both teaching and research, and I am looking forward to the fresh challenges and rewards I know will be part of leading the professional services and staff as we all support the educational mission of the University.”
Adult Learners’ Week 2009 The University of Sheffield hosted ‘Adult Learners’ week 2009’, to promote education for mature students last week, writes Samuel Valdes Lopez. Organised by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), Adult Learners’ Week 2009 encouraged people from their late 20s to early 60s to improve their lives, by giving them information on education options. The emphasis of the entire campaign was that it is never too late to learn. An award ceremony for the event took place on May 13, at the University’s Firth Court building. Guests included the Lord Mayor of Sheffield and Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Tony Ryan.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
LETTERS
Have your say
Write: Forge Press, Union of Students, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TG Email: press.letters@forgetoday.com Text: 07765363716 Please include your name, course and year of study. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and space.
Defence of HE Day of Action Star letter: Focus on the positives of Bramall Lane move Dear Forge,
Dear Forge, I am writing to comment on Paul Garbett’s piece about next year’s Varsity location (‘White advises change of venue after Varsity unrest’, page 28, Issue 11). Should the final event take place at Bramall Lane stadium next year (note my words, since it is next year’s Sports Officer Kate Rickard’s decision), that would be a real step up from this year, as anyone who attended the Varsity final in 2006 will testify. Bramall Lane in 2006 was my favourite Varsity to date, and Bramall Lane itself offers enormous benefits that no other venue can match. “The move to Bramall Lane is prompted by crowd trouble at last month’s Varsity final.” Really? That’s the reason? In my mind, the obvious reason is that Varsity has outgrown Abbeydale Sports Ground.
Forge wide of the mark Dear Forge, I write to you in order to convey my utter and frank support for Sheffield Union in supporting anti racism and diversity in society, and also to condemn Forge Press’ news story against our massively supported antiBNP campaign (‘Anti-BNP stance is contradictory, say students’, page five, Issue 11). What we must strive to do is dispel the despicable myth that the fascist BNP deserve a right to stand up and spout disgusting racial blurb. Those students who believe they deserve a right to stand and who say it is hypocritical of us not to let a minority speak in this democracy obviously do not see the irony and hypocrisy from the other side. The BNP are a fascist party who are anything but democratic and have morals which would threaten the very fabric of our democratic society. These naïve students don’t realise the dangers of a platform for groups like these in a climate today of worry from a society facing hard times in the economic downturn. It leaves society rife with people looking for solutions and turning to extremes which are anything but a solution. I reiterate the overwhelming support on
Star letter is sponsored by Your Harley
The winner receives a free meal for two and a Lock-In membership at Your Harley In short, over 4,000 people attended Finals Day, and the sheer numbers really hamstrung the organisers. Being so far away, and in such an awkward place, campus for the campaign and that Sheffield Union supports an anti-racism policy which is against the rise of the far right groups. This means our Union has an obligation to campaign against racism and fascism. Yours, Reem Alhimdani Medicine Third year
Nightline is here to listen Dear Forge, The Nightline team would like to remind all students about the services that we offer during the busy exam period. These services are also available every night of term-time, between 8pm and 8am. Nightline is a confidential and non-judgemental service, so you really can ring us about anything, no matter how big or small the problem. We offer three services: these include a listening line (0114 222 8787) which students can ring if they want someone to talk to. There is also the information line (0114 222 8788) from which we can get you information about anything you need, from how to get to your exam locations to cinema showing times. We also have the e-listening service (nightline@shef.ac.uk),
unreachable by many forms of public transport, means that organising travel to Abbeydale for such enormous numbers is nigh on impossible! Using Bramall Lane allows people to walk to the event, and provides an atmosphere which simply cannot be beaten. “The traditional men’s rugby finale will be replaced by the men’s first team football fixture as the final event.” “The traditional men’s rugby finale” which has lasted three whole years? Varsity is a celebration of all of the hard work which goes into University sport. Rather than looking at the negatives of a move to Bramall Lane, you should be focussing on the massive benefits of the decision. Here’s to 2010 and 6,000 supporters!
I write in response to Natalie Bowen’s article, ‘Day of Action will make no difference to fees’ (page 13, Issue 11) as the Officer that organised the day. As you witnessed, student apathy is extremely difficult to combat, and I fundamentally believe this is a step in the right direction. I accept Bowen’s comments that she expected more action, but unfortunately NEC NUS members cancelled due to a decision that the NUS have taken to put a pay freeze on Officer expenses. Secondly, I take the comment that the rain dampened the spirit of the day, but unfortunately that is beyond my natural control. However, I refuse to accept that the day of action
will not make a difference. The Union is fundamentally an institution which represents its constituents. It stands here to defend students whether it is performed through the medium of a demonstration, or as a visual defendant which is what I believe the day of action was. It was meant to act as a symbol to students that the Union is fighting against any attacks on their rights to education. It gave them the opportunity to voice their concerns, which many students did. In response to the NUS’ Broke and Broken funding campaign, numerous Unions have taken part in a day of action, which sends out a message that Unions are standing collectively to oppose student debt.
Sheffield formed part of this national message. This is the basic purpose of a day of action: unions uniting to strengthen and emphasise an important cause. I refuse to accept that Sheffield taking part in a national message, in unison with hundreds of participating unions, will not disconcert the Government. As an alternative, instead of condemning Officers and being pernickety about the “dynamics” of the day – a day that is ultimately helping students – energy could be channelled into celebrating the fact that the Union is still adhering to its core purpose: fighting for students. Yours, Rebecca Watson Education Officer
What do you think of the new Union of Students’ redesign?
Yours, Elliott Josypenko Molecular biology Fourth year which is a good option for students who may not want to talk to an actual person, but still need someone to talk to. All emails are 100 per cent anonymous, so you don’t need to worry about Nightline finding out your email address or passing on information to the University. We are 100 per cent confidential. Exam time can be very stressful, and lots of people might find it useful just to talk through their problems or worries with someone else. Good luck to everyone for their exams, and remember, Nightline is here to listen. Yours, Nightline
BNP article is ridiculous Dear Forge, I write to inform you that I am very unhappy with your article regarding the Union’s campaign against the BNP (‘Anti-BNP stance is contradictory, say students’, page five, Issue 11). I am proud that the Union is taking this issue seriously and running an active campaign against a fascist and racist organisation. Your argument that it oppresses the views of the minority is ridiculous. That argument can be used to justify anti-Semitism and
Fiona Moore, Environmental Science, First year
Elizabeth Pearl, English Literature, Postgraduate
Henry Jones, International Law, Postgraduate
“I really like it. It’s nice and modern.”
“I think the tower is hideous. It looks like a giant, sinister pencil case.”
“It looks good, but it’s the first I’ve heard about it.”
journalism from your newspaper in the future
That price must not be forgotten nor forgiven when it comes to dealing with any form of racism or fascism. The BNP have recently announced that they consider Black and Asian British citizens as “racial foreigners”, in an audacious display of their racist ideology and hate spreading rhetoric. The BSC have campaigned alongside the Union Sabbatical Officer team against the BNP winning a seat in the upcoming European election, and to raise awareness for the threat that their fascist politics bring to student diversity.
homophobia, which I am sure you will agree is totally unacceptable. Yours, Raisa Ahmed Medicine Second year
Responsible journalism? Dear Forge, Following your coverage on the anti-fascist campaign by the Union, I’d like to express my concern at the unfortunate stance you seem to have taken at not praising the Union position - and instead condemning them for speaking out against a fascist party. Racism is not justifiable - nor is fascism. I look forward to more responsible
Yours, M. F. Peerally Medicine Fifth year
Union is right to stand up against fascism Dear Forge, I’d like to express my gratitude as chair of the Black Students’ Committee (BSC) to the stance that our Union has taken against the fascist BNP. The last time Nazis and fascists were given a platform 54million people died in Europe.
Yours, Al Hussein Abutaleb Chair of the Black Students’ Committee and NUS Black Students Campaign National Committee Member elect
Forge Press letters - your page, your voice If you’ve got a reaction to something we’ve covered, or if you just want to get something off your chest, we want to hear from you. email: press.letters@forgetoday.com or text: 07765363716
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
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COMMENT
Fitness fun makes pole dancing a credible addition to Union activities
Students wrapping themselves around poles does little to defy sexist norms
By Kimberley Long
By Jo Wendel
Think of pole dancing and it’s hardly a savoury image; scantily clad girls throwing themselves around for the benefit of a group of lecherous men with money to burn in seedy clubs. Or it’s a hen party in tiaras and pink feather boas cackling drunkenly as they twirl around the poles of an eighties-themed bar. But it has recently reached out to a totally new audience of women eager to try a new and exciting way of keeping fit. Pole dancing has even been embraced by the glitterati. A bikini-clad Kate Moss strutted around a pole in the Sofia Copolla-directed video for The White Stripes, while Jade Jagger, daughter of Rolling Stone Mick, had a gold-plated pole installed in her bathroom – a novel way of drying off after a bath. Perhaps both adopted it through irony. But once something has been adopted by celebrities of such stature, it usually isn’t long before the rest of us follow. And as well as having a great conversation starter if you ever find yourself stuck in a lift with Kate Moss, there’s far more to the art of dancing around a pole than meets the eye. Being able to execute the most complex moves, like hanging upside down, requires hours of intense exercise. It’s a great way to tone the legs and helps improve upper arm strength. And you can burn off up to 400 calories an hour. That’s
As intriguing as pole dancing can be, there is no place for it among Students Union activities, and I would urge Union Council to reject the proposals to introduce it to the Give It A Go programme. And there are even some men who seem to be against its introduction. One of my particularly chauvinist male friends was very worried – he fears that encouraging pissed-up freshers to wrap themselves around a pole from September could crush the “erotic allure” of the “noble art”. As a raging feminist, I am against the suggestion for slightly different reasons. Mainly because I find pole dancing on an amateur level to be little more than glorified grinding. If you are that keen on playing with poles, there are plenty of other activities to engage in. Introducing students to new forms of exercise is an important part of GIAG. I mean, I once tried GIAG fencing and thought that was quite exciting. But pole dancing shouldn’t be added to the programme simply because it is a good form of exercise. So is sex, but the Union is yet to offer sessions on Kama Sutra. GIAG activities are a source of pride to our Union, and pole dancing
An amateur dancer gives it a go. Cartoon: Natasha Maisey about the same as an hour industry. on a treadmill, but far more Give It A Go is all about exciting. giving people - male and female - a chance to try something new. It’s a way Pole dancing has of expanding your horizons or finding a way into a new even been embraced hobby without devoting too by the glitterati much commitment. GIAG takes the fear of Dita von Teese has turning up to a new class brought burlesque to a as a total novice away. as global audience. Now pretty much everyone will women everywhere are be trying it for the first getting in on the act. time. And for anyone still Sheffield boasts numerous debating the morals of pole burlesque classes where dancing being available at twenty-somethings learn the University, think about to perform alongside their what else is out there. mums. Belly dancing is on the They’re using it as a way schedule already for anyone of expressing themselves, of interested. And since so having fun, and of getting many of us are going to some good exercise into be stuck finding jobs in the bargain. I doubt they a recession, perhaps it’s go to classes with a view to a good idea to have an getting into the sleazy sex alternative career option.
has no place within them. It would be interesting to see how the Union would advertise its new activity to prospective students and their parents. When Forge Press writers tried out pole dancing for their Lifestyle pages, the participants were told to wear hot pants and high heels. Sexism is apparently an essential part of the activity. I am intrigued as to what the exact arrangements of the GIAG pole dancing would be. What would the male dancers be told to wear? And who will be running the sessions - Spearmint Rhinos’ finest? Soon the Union will be asking us to forget our personal tutor and rate our personal stripper. On a more serious note, I recognise Give It A Go is about trying new things and finding new hobbies. Indeed, our Students’ Union
could be the breeding ground for the next big star stripper.
Sexism is apparently an essential part of the activity And in all honesty, I have once found myself in a strip club. When the practically naked girl dropped from the top of the 12ft pole in one move down to a few inches above the ground, I couldn’t help but applaud. It was the most amazing acrobatic performance I had ever seen. But whilst I remain baffled at their acrobatic credentials, the entire experience left a bitter taste. Even if the University participants wore more clothes, pole dancing is effectively just another way of objectifying women. However much you dress it up, it does nothing to oppose sexist ideals. Our Union is meant to endorse equality, not half-naked students grinding against a pole.
Union is here to help you during the exam period Each issue a member of the Union Officer team reports on their aims, objectives and activities. As the last week of lectures draws to a close our thoughts turn to exams. Everyone has their own learning style and I hope that the Union’s exam campaign will help make the next few weeks a little bit easier for you. From Bank Holiday Monday on May 25, the Gallery on level four of the
Kathryn Axon, Union of Students Welfare Officer.
Union building will be open as a dedicated revision centre complete with group work rooms and kitchen facilities. Exams are stressful, and sometimes they won’t go to plan but there is plenty of help and support available to you. If you are suffering with health or personal problems you need to inform your department with a special circumstances form. If something is affecting your performance, never
think that it is insignificant and never think it doesn’t matter. If you have a problem on the day of your exam, get in touch with the Exams Office and let them know. And if things haven’t gone as you expected, don’t panic. If you have failed an exam you will be informed if you can resit that examination. Whilst this is not the nicest thought it is worth bearing in mind that for first and second year students resits will take
place during August and for final year students resits will take place the following academic year. If you are not happy with your results and think a mistake has been made you may be able to make an academic appeal. Before making an appeal, it is worth talking to your department to see if the problem can be sorted out there. Please remember that the Student Advice Centre in the Union is open all
summer and will be here to help you out once you get your results. Visit the Union website shef.ac.uk/union - for more information on the ways in which we can help during what can be a stressful period as a student. Finally, on behalf of myself and all the other Officers, I would like to wish everyone the best of luck in your exams. And good luck if you are leaving the city this summer.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
COMMENT
Union must put faith in student voters
By Kyle Christie This year, we are spared – some of the more keen types might say unfortunately so – the local election fight in Sheffield. The usual electioneering, which is often minimal anyway in a city safely in Lib Dem hands, has been absent so far. However, we do all have the opportunity, probably for the first time in most of our lives, to vote in the upcoming European elections on June 4. So far, I’ve only had two pieces of literature through the letterbox. They were from the current leading party on Sheffield City Council, the Liberal Democrats, and from UKIP. To the untrained eye it’s easy to confuse them, if only because they both seem so fond of the colour yellow. I’m especially fond of the UKIP leaflet proudly displaying Winston Churchill, two-fingered symbol and all, next to slogans calling for us to leave the EU. I’m sure they are well aware of his calls for a ‘United States of Europe’ in the post-war period. The Lib Dems meanwhile seem insistent on telling me how every other party has no chance of winning in Sheffield. Which seems strange to me, considering they have only one out of six European MEPs for Yorkshire and Humber. One more leaflet has been put
through my letterbox by what I expect is now a politically wellinformed postie. It was from the Sheffield UAF (Unite Against Fascism), urging me to vote against the BNP. Let’s make no qualms or mistakes about it: the BNP are a real threat to the politics, diversity and peaceful nature of our country. Their policies are absurd as they are frightening. They only need a tiny increase to gain an MEP in our region, and given the debacle over MP’s expenses and the public anger at politicians, this is perfectly possible.
I have enough faith in the student body to believe most wouldn’t vote BNP Of course we’ve had our own version of elected officials’ expenses at the Union this year. It’s good to see would-be-politicians getting into the right mindset so early. It’s worth asking how European elections, of all political events, possibly relate to students. Well the Union, through the prism of voting against the BNP, certainly believe that it does. They’ve held an event and released a statement on the very issue. It’s even part of a team objective for the Union Officers. Given that a member of the BNP turned
For many students the European elections will represent their first opportunity to vote. up on Union Council, a fact that would have possibly lain undiscovered were it not for a leaked membership list, you could understand the Union’s actions. But does the Union (and the NUS, who have been even more virulent in their campaigning) have the right to recommend who students vote for? It does have an anti-racism policy, and it’s not as if such campaigns are anything new in student union politics. It’s highly unlikely that we’d accept the Union making similar
statements about other political parties however. I have enough faith in the student body to believe most wouldn’t vote BNP. If the party do get elected to the European Parliament, it won’t be through the votes of those attending university, but those unengaged populations shunned by major political parties. If the mentality behind the Union’s actions is to increase student turnout against the BNP they should consider doing so
Cartoon: Mark Mackay
without recommending how those they represent vote. Doing so could be counterproductive. As a student, choosing who to vote for is confusing enough without being told who not to vote for. To beat Nick Griffin and his cronies and ensure they stay in electoral oblivion, anti-fascists should concentrate on those who might actually vote for them: the recently unemployed and a white working-class that, rightly or wrongly, feels abandoned.
No activity for awards drinkers Revision headaches By Alex Orton There was only one real winner at the Union of Students Activities Awards earlier this month – my liver. A cruel bout of delayed bar opening rather tainted what should have been an enjoyable night of watching History Soc’s tour de force. Upon arrival I deftly guided the Forge Press group towards a table at the back so as the various worthy characters were give their due plaudits, I could to and fro from the bar without causing a disturbance. Having ensconced ourselves and calmed down a web editor who had wound himself into a state of nerves normally reserved for Oscar nominees, I decided to get some light refreshment.
At this point the bar staff hit me with a double whammy of disappointment. Firstly the beer taps were broken and secondly I couldn’t even get my hands on over-priced bottled beer until the interval due to concerns over “inclusivity”. In these pages before we have mulled over the rights and wrongs of binge drinking. But if I have to sit through hours of Union backslapping I’d at least like a beer to numb the rawness in my hands as an umpteenth round of applause carries some aspiring banker from Young Investors off the stage.
When the bar did open all hell broke loose. The queue was massive and so desperate was I for a drink I accepted the £2 bottle price. Really I should have been throwing my weight behind the Fuse editor’s valiant attempt to talk the bar staff into reducing the price of bottled beer. Eventually our incoming editor got to the stage to ramble incoherently about how great the outgoing editor was. On reflection, keeping us off the booze was a good idea. I dread to think how much sense he would have made if he were half-cut.
By Samuel Valdes Lopez Revision time. When guilt-tripping consciences shine, dreadful deadlines rob us of our precious sleep and studying in your room is not an option. So why not get down to the nearest library? If you’re a regular at that zenlike temple of knowledge known as Western Bank, you’ll be an eminence in your field. But if you are an inhabitant of the Information Commons, well, results may vary. The greeting sight is poetic. An ode to elevator queues that makes you wonder if your UCard is really an Oystercard. Add to that a bouquet, eau de Farmers’ Market, lingering on floors three and four. If you do manage to smuggle hot food, why not bring air fresheners? Think
of our Higher Education nostrils, please. On the subject of hygiene and cleanliness, has anyone ever used the showers at the IC? If so, where do you top up your UCard for soap credits? If you need to do computer work in the higher echelons you’ll be warned with a countdown clock akin to something usually familiar with Jack Bauer. It is a countdown of futility, though, as no one will actually be using the computer. And those who are will only add your frustration. Popular modules of choice this term seem to include Facebook Investigation Methods, World of Warcraft Ethics and Celebrity Twitter. If you were wise enough to pack a laptop you’ll end up playing musical chairs. So bring a flag – or a cudgel – to mark your property.
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
Editorials Belief and hard work makes our Union a success After months of dreaded 9am lectures, folders full of notes drenched by the wretched Sheffield weather, and copious amounts of discarded beer cans scattered across living room floors, we are within touching distance of the end of the academic year. To mark the end of the year, and to celebrate the achievements of thousands of student volunteers, committee members, and sports competitors, the Union hosts annual Activities and Sports award ceremonies. Many congratulations to the History Society, who under the presidency of Lottie Tobin have seen a sensational turnaround in the society’s fortunes. There has been a huge increase in the society’s membership, and the number of trips and events organised has grown. It was duly deserved that such a dedicated society swept the Activities Awards with four golden socs. It has been an absolutely stunning year for the University’s lacrosse team. What an achievement to go a whole season unbeaten, and to win the national BUCS championships. Their success is arguably one of the finest feats by any Sheffield side in the University’s history. Of course, at the heart of the Union are the Union Sabbatical Officers. Eight people who have dedicated a year of their lives to serve the students of this University. Among this publication’s column inches this year, we have monitored their decisions, highlighted their failings and contentious deeds. But what can often be overlooked are their successes. And whilst this year hasn’t been short of drama, each and every Officer has achievements to be proud of. Alex Pott, Union Finance Officer, has done a terrific job in implementing and planning the biggest student turnout in a Union election in the country, and has superbly handed the Union’s finances, despite a record deficit
and the effects of a recession. Kathryn Axon, Welfare Officer, has run many highly successful campaigns from sexual health to student property, and revision centres. Activities Officer Matt Fox has seen the involvement in student activities grow and organised a number of inspirational society showcases. Fiona Edwards, Women’s Officer, has done tremendous work in representing ethnic minority and religious groups, in particular, her work with the Islamic Circle and Black Students’ Committee is commendable. Rebecca Watson, Education Officer, has had great success in representing often neglected postgraduate students, and has worked very closely with the University faculties this year. Sajeev Jeganathan, International Officer, has been a lifeline for international students and organised the International Culture Evening which has to be the Union’s event of the year. Ella White, Sports Officer, narrowly saw Uni miss the chance to win the Varsity trophy, drawing with Hallam for the second year in a row. The whole event from day one up until finals day was superbly organised. President Dave Hurst led the Union to its first major protest in 10 years with his Accommodation Affordability campaign. Not shy to express what he really thinks, Dave has students’ interests at heart. We hope you have enjoyed the inaugural year of your new look student newspaper. I would like to thank the editorial team who have worked excruciatingly hard all year and to congratulate Forge Media on its NUS Best Student Media Award nomination. Finally, this issue is dedicated to outgoing Editor Ciaran Jones and outgoing Arts Editor Hannah Kirby, who has just finished her four year association with the paper. Happy holidays.
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COMMENT
Preaching and salsa don’t stand for diversity
By Peter Brennan Friday May 8 was a great tragedy in the quest to unify the already unified ethnic communities of the University of Sheffield. The Stand Up For Diversity project descended into farce as soon as it was being advertised, with immediate complaints from outspoken students that there was a distinctly bitter irony that everyone was welcome to this grand event, except the BNP. The notoriously right-wing party are not many people’s cup of tea and at this University in particular there have been a number of anti-fascist groups trying to lure people into signing petitions. It is therefore an impressive achievement that the supposedly all-inclusive ‘Stand Up For Diversity’ project has managed to become equally disliked. Amazingly, whilst tickets were priced at a meagre 50p they managed to sell just three. This all-inclusive enthusiastic celebration of our rich culture failed to appeal not only to white people, but to every other ethnic group. Perhaps they should have invited the nationalists after all, as they may have at least made an ironic sale. So why did barely anyone bother to go? Are we all so uninterested in progressing social unity? Isn’t there anyone who enjoys being preached to by a barrage of representative committees and political societies? Or perhaps the idea of a nonalcoholic university event fails to appeal, since hardly anyone who is politically aware bothers to talk about such issues unless it is at least 2am and a few beers have loosened the tongue.
‘Stand Up For Diversity’ sold only three tickets.
Cartoon: James Wragg
We all understand that voting is an important aspect of our role in a democratic society. However, we also understand that we are an inherently lazy group of people and often we can’t be bothered. Why then, remembering this laziness, would we even consider going to a talk on something we already understand the importance of? After the monotony of the speeches, activities such as salsa dancing, capoiera and a ceilidh were due to take place. Perhaps the inclusion of such colourful and energetic pastimes was to
bring life back to those who had sat through the speeches. I personally would at that point have needed a drink. But of course the organisers of the event, who should be praised if they haven’t emigrated through embarrassment, failed to provide the sufficient alcoholic content to encourage me to part with 50p and drag myself to Fusion & Foundry. Luckily, Stand Up For Diversity hasn’t caused any social damage what it has managed to show us is that students don’t care for either hypocritical political agendas, or dancing without alcohol.
Alistair Warren. Photo: Gary Brown
department doesn’t so much as have a ‘personal tutor scheme’, but an ‘email this person if you have a problem but you’ll probably never meet them’ scheme. A conversation with a tutor is a rare and precious thing, reserved only for those awkward times when you realise the person you’ve just opened the door for is the man himself. The majority of those people with whom I will shortly be sharing a degree seem to have no reason to grumble. But if we are allocated personal tutors who appear to make little effort, what’s the point of allocating them at all? Especially when we seem to be managing life perfectly well without one. This whole campaign has made me realise two things. One: some people actually do know their tutor well enough to give them a score. And two: my tutor must be a lonely man.
Rating absent personal tutors proves difficult By André Nunn Whether it be exam stress, swine flu worries, social exclusion or something a bit more delicate, personal tutors are there to lend a kind, experienced ear and direct you towards the correct course of action. With their worldly wisdom and tantalizing tales of their time as a student, some would argue that they are your academic and personal backbone during university. Others would say that’s complete tosh, and they’d be right. The ‘Rate My Personal Tutor’ campaign has heaped praise upon those tutors who have been leading their confused students up the path of top-class essay-writing and exam-busting revision techniques, and steering them away from boozy tomfoolery and dozing at the back of lecture
theatres. All well and good if you’re lucky enough to have Biomedical Science’s Alistair Warren as your tutor, but for other departments it’s highlighted a vital flaw in the system. The Education Officer has said on the Union web site that 400 people took part in the rate – a significantly small amount of the student populous.
A conversation with a tutor is a rare and precious thing It would be easy to blame this on the usual student apathy for anything which involves any minimal amount of extra effort. Many a student is left running scared at the mere thought of a ballot box. But in this case, I don’t think the problem lies with the
students. How many students at this university have actually had the pleasure of meeting their personal tutor? And discounting the compulsory meet in the very first week, who has ever had the privilege of darkening in their doors again? Furthermore, who, when sat rigid in the IC up to the eyeballs on energy drinks and scrawling frantically through textbook after textbook, has the time or the inclination to visit their tutor and tell them they’re having a rough time? The last thing I think of when I’m banging away at my keyboard is ringing up my tutor for a quick chat in hope he’ll ease my conscience. And somehow I doubt he’d appreciate a frantic call at 11pm when sat in front of his TV set with a bottle of cheap plonk and a cat sat on his slippers. My Journalism Studies
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
FEATURES
Poetry for the common man
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
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FEATURES
Forge Press meets the renowned Yorkshire poet, Simon Armitage By Lucie Boase There’s no denying that poet Simon Armitage has a way with words, but until you hear his poetry from his own lips, it’s hard to truly appreciate it. Often described as the leading poet of his generation, Armitage’s subtle mastery of the English language, remarkable wit and careful observation of small occurrences is truly sublime. Having first encountered Simon Armitage in my GCSE English Literature anthology, I’ve warmed more and more to him as time has gone on. For years now, in one form or another, Armitage’s voice has charmed me across the Radio 4 airwaves. There’s something about its gentle Yorkshire lilt, its mildness and quiet wistfulness - I could listen to it for hours. So with the prospect of meeting him face-to-face, I have some reservations that my shallow interest in his voice will not extend to the rest of his character. In reality, Armitage strikes me as displaying all the attributes of the stereotypical poet with some wannabe rock musician-ness thrown in. His youthful complexion, coupled with a boyish Beatle crew cut and thin gold earring hanging from one ear, serve as an indication to a second childhood which has manifested itself in a band. His father wryly suggested he name it ‘Midlife Crisis’; it’s actually called The Scaremongers. During photos, he stubbornly refuses to smile; instead he fixes the camera with a slightly brooding gaze. Despite his youthful appearance, Simon Armitage has accomplished a great deal in his 45 years. He burst onto the poetry scene back in 1989 with his first collection, Zoom!
He may not be the poet laureate, but at least he’s the people’s a***hole His poetry writing is frankly prolific - he boasts nine volumes of poetry, and his crossover into prose (both fiction and non-fiction) has received much critical acclaim. This is not to mention his work for film, radio, and television; he’s even the author of four stage plays. “I’ve always thought of poetry as an act of communication”, says Armitage. It’s his skill at communication – a trademark chatty, narrative style, often involving slang (“poetry for the common man”) – which has spelled out his success. Armitage’s versatility has seen
Armitage (second left) with his band, The Scaremongers. him cover a remarkable amount of the top contenders for the position, ground - from warm sentimentality but he was pipped to the post by about his native North England, to Carol Ann Duffy, another popular a richly metaphorical handling of poet whose work features alongside the Columbine school shootings, Armitage’s in the National and everything in between. Curriculum. Born and brought up in Marsden, In becoming Poet Laureate, Huddersfield, Simon Armitage has Duffy will now serve in the longstayed true to his roots, something established and perhaps somewhat he touched upon during a recent antiquated role of composing poetry poetry reading on May 6, at St. for state occasions. George’s Church. Introducing his poem ‘Evening’, which is about a stretch of land between the village Armitage’s success lies where he was born, and the village in the accessibility of his where he now lives – a distance of just 2 miles - he said “I think the chatty, slangy style point is, I haven’t got very far”. The event, part of the University During his poetry reading, of Sheffield’s season of art, music Armitage alluded to the fact he and literature, New Ground, didn’t get the position. brought together four other poets “I got commissioned to write that from around Sheffield. and really one”, he said about his poem The emphasised to me the importance Sperm Whale. of hearing poetry out loud. “It’s a bit like being Poet Laureate. It seemed the rhythms of I’m completely over that. I said to a Armitage’s work had grown friend, does this mean I can carry naturally out of his speaking voice; on being an arsehole for another 10 the Yorkshire dialect which has years? He said, ‘yes, at least you’ll proved integral to his work. All be the people’s arsehole.’” of his poems are treated to his During the run-up to selection deadpan delivery. day, Armitage was noted for his lack What importance does he attach of comment on proceedings. When I to actually giving poetry readings, brought it up, his initial hesitation especially since many people before answering suggested that consider poetry one of the most it’s not as inconsequential as he’d inaccessible forms of art? like to put across. “I think it’s part of the ancient “It’s just a subject that really task of being a poet,” he said. titillates the press. I think that “I like the accountability of combination of poetry, of which having to stand up in front of they know nothing and are not people and sing for your supper”. at all interested, and the Royal A little later, the conversation Family, and Houses of Parliament, turned slightly uncomfortably just seems to excite them beyond to the subject of the Poet measure. Laureateship. As Andrew Motion’s “So I decided not to say anything, 10-year tenure drew to an end last and I kept my head down all the month, speculation was rife as to way through it, and now that we who would succeed him. are through it, I think I’ll just carry Armitage was considered one of on keeping my head down”.
However, this disappointment should not cast a cloud over Armitage’s considerable legacy. In the course of his illustrious career, Simon Armitage has been the recipient of countless awards for his work, including the Sunday Times Author of the Year, one of the first Forward Prizes and a Lannan Award. His commissioned pieces have also brought him acclaim, and helped to draw attention to the subjects in question. A perfect example of this is Night Mail, a piece Armitage wrote for the Royal Mail to commemorate the end of the Night Mail service. The poem has a wonderful rollicking rhythm to it, akin to attuned metre of W.H. Auden’s original poem. It reminds me forcefully of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s poem From a Railway Carriage (part of his collection A Child’s Garden of Verses), which I used to be read as a child.
“Poets should have to stand up in front of people and sing for their supper” Given his legacy, it’d be unsurprising if when the time comes for the next Poet Laureate selection, he doesn’t clinch the post. Until then, he’ll probably fare better than if he were on the Carol Ann Duffy’s Poet Laureate stipend: a trifling £5,750 annual wage, ameliorated slightly by the fabled payment of a “butt of sack” or, in modern terms, about 600 bottles of sherry. Armitage’s recent translation of the Middle English classic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
has garnered praise from every quarter. In one Guardian review, the critic said ‘he [Armitage] was put on the planet to translate this poem’. So what next for Armitage, I asked him; will he turn his hand to something completely different? “No”, he said. “I’ll definitely do something else like that. In fact, I’m halfway through another Middle-English epic poem, with the very interesting title of The Alliterative Morte Arthur. “It’s the same period, about 1400; alliterative verse dealing with King Arthur’s campaign across Europe. It’s about twice the length of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – about 4,300-ish lines”. And Armitage believes his new work will be equally gripping. “It’s more poetical, and it’s very interesting in terms of England’s relationship with Europe, so there are some ongoing themes with it.” he said. “It’s not as magical as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, but it seems more relevant.” It’s a mammoth project, but Armitage is certainly not one to shy away from such things. “I can’t quite see the finishing line yet. It’s like... detention. For someone who’s been very bad”. Many people will be familiar with Simon Armitage from the GCSE English Literature syllabus. Exposure like this is surely only a good thing for Armitage; indeed, for poetry in general - but some believe there may be a danger in introducing poetry to people in a strictly academic environment. “I think it depends on how it’s presented at school”, said Armitage. “It can create a stumbling block which some people never get over. “I think people learn to fear poetry; it’s given to them as a kind of riddle”. It’s incredibly reassuring to hear this. My own memory of studying poetry is of dismembering it and analysing its component parts, trying to solve it. Although I may have understood more greatly the poet’s use of language devices, the poetry itself became stale and laboured; its essence and meaning was all too often lost. Being put off by an experience like this may damage your chances of ever enjoying reading poetry. However, Armitage believes: “If it’s taught in the right way, then school is absolutely the right moment to start”. He suggests that another problem is that the poems given to people at school are often too difficult. He said: “I think you’ve got to be eased into poetry – you’ve got to get in at the shallow end and then start swimming towards Chaucer”.
Photo: Helen Munro
Warp / My Toys Like Me / Synecdoche, New York / The School For Scandal
Fuse.
Feature Music Games Arts Screen
Come celebrate a twisted birthday Feature: Warp Records @ 20 An innocuous branch of Costa Coffee is perhaps not the most obvious place to consider as the birthplace of a seminal record label. But the shop housing the coffee chain on Division Street was once home to FON. Owned by Steve Beckett and the late Rob Mitchell, it was this small shop and their vision that became Warp; firstly a record label and shop, and latterly an absolute empire of creativity. Beckett and Mitchell were operating in Sheffield at a time where Northern England was throbbing to the beats of techno and acid house.
The Warp purple globe soon became a signature of quality
reside in the music industry’s commercial heart. Looking at the label’s formidable roster, it seems impossible to shove its 400+ album and single releases into one, slightly awkward category. It’s a place where Jamie Lidell, Maximo Park, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher have all called home, and where the general ethos seems to be “Well, we like it, so let’s release it.” “In terms of acts, Steve just signs whatever moves him and he finds exciting, regardless of genre,” says Panton. “This was Rob’s ethos as well (he signed Vincent Gallo, Broadcast and others). The commonality is that they are all interesting or intriguing in their own field, and among the best in whatever genre they operate in.” With such an avid interest in housing an eclectic bunch of cross-platform working artists, and the complete lack of boundaries between music, film and art, it seemed inevitable that Warp Records would spawn numerous offshoots.
Steve just signs whatever moves him and he finds exciting Gift Records released Pulp, Arcola releases 12 inch vinyl dance singles, and Lex Records caters for mainly hip-hop; being the UK outlet for DOOM, Neon Neon and Subtle, amongst many more. Warp beat the likes of iTunes to the gun when it came to making mp3s available free of DRM (Digital Rights Management), via its Bleep online store, and Beckett also helped set up Warp Films with Mark Herbert, the managing director of Warp Films/Warp X, to follow the record label’s ethos of giving
Fuse
Friday May 22 2009
Tom Panton, Head of Live at the label, explains more: “Local DJs were making tracks that crossed the Detroit and Chicago template with elements of the Sheffield/Leeds/Bradford dub soundsystem culture, such as cavernous echo and massive bass. “I think Steve and Rob’s only gameplan at that point was to release kickass dance tracks that slayed dancefloors.” And so, from a small Sheffield office in 1989, came one of the most imaginative, broad and respected labels in the music industry. Their first release was a limited run of 500 copies of Forgemasters’ ‘Track With No Name’, and was clad in Warp’s simple, distinctive, and eminently covetable purple record sleeve, which had been created by Sheffield graphic design company The
Designers Republic. The Warp purple globe soon became a signature of quality; what was within the packaging was going to be some of the most cutting-edge music it would be possible to hear. Despite minimal promotion, their next release by Nightmares on Wax shifted 30,000 copies, and by 1991 Sweet Exorcist’s C.C.E.P. became the label’s first proper album release. Panton takes up the story from here: “It was really the Artificial Intelligence series of albums in the early ’90s that marked the point of evolution of Warp into an albumbased label that develops artists’ careers, which is still the heart of what we do right now in 2009.” The series saw the likes of Aphex Twin, Autechre, The Orb and The Black Dog producing what the label described as ‘electronic listening music’; away from the club scene and towards an exploration of the ambient possibilities of electro. Having been based in The Workstation until 2000, the label had to depart South Yorkshire and take up residency in the capital. The need to be available to their international artists when they had only a limited time in the UK meant that Warp Records packed up the Sheffield base and headed to the bright lights of London. The Warp presence never fully left the city as Warp Films and Warp X remain, but the record label was by this time so important that it made business sense to
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Left: Jamie Lidell, one of Warp’s most recognisable acts. Right: The logo and the colour synonymous with Warp.
artists freedom and being an independent. All the Warp divisions share close relationships: “Mark Herbert has been involved with Warp since the mid ’90s so he’s informed by the same creative processes that he’s applied to artists like Brass Eye’s Chris Morris, and This Is England’s Shane Meadows,” says Panton. “Steve and the other company director Kev are really hands on with all the various divisions of the company, and we’ve recently relaunched all of their websites as Warp.net to reflect how we’re trying to bring it all together as simply ‘Warp’.” Panton is also able to assure that the current buzz-topic, the dreaded “credit crunch”, isn’t yet proving disastrous for the independent company. “Warp’s method for survival is the same now as it’s always operated - as a lean, mobile company, that is able to react quickly to changes that it faces. Of course it’s tough, but keeping the quality of output high and looking after our fans means that we do OK,” he says. “Launching Bleep in 2004 was a real conscious decision to cater to demand from our fanbase for high quality digital files with no DRM and they loved it. “There has been a downturn in sales of physical recorded music, but digital sales go a lot of the way to compensate, and Warp does proportionately better every year in licensing music to film, TV, advertising, and the creative use of music in other areas. “So it’s more of a gradual paradigm shift that has been going on for a few years now, rather than
a sudden crash like in other industries.” So, economic misery aside, 2009 is a year for Warp Records to be celebrating. Panton teasingly refuses to disclose the full 20th birthday party plans, although we do know that the purple globe is going global in honour of its two decades.
You should feel like its worth checking out, whether or not you end up liking it We’ve already seen the Aphex Twin-led Parisian bash, and we’re promised a return to its Sheffield home on the actual birthday weekend in August. Fans are able to vote for their definitive Warp songs, and the results will see the creation of a compilation cocurated by the fans and Beckett. It might be best to give the last word on Warp Records, one of the most stunningly open-minded, genre-defying, and stylish labels around, to the co-founder himself. According to Panton, Steve Beckett’s attitude is that “Warp should be seen simply as an interesting company releasing interesting art and music. “There’s no way that everyone is meant to like all the output, but you should feel like it’s worth checking out and listening to, whether or not you end up liking it.” Helen Lawson
Q&A: Ian Anderson, The Designers Republic
Early days Before going into design, Ian was involved in Sheffield’s music scene. He worked on Darts (the University’s student newspaper until 1997), and, although he loved writing, he didn’t always enjoy being a reviewer. Listening to “the worst of the month’s releases, stuff no one wanted to review” was getting to him, so he started reviewing made-up bands, until a whole issue was full of made-up bands. “A surrealist kind of intervention”
The digital era “For me, [the internet] will never replace a physical gallery. You can’t get a sense of scale as it is limited to the size of your screen.” Anderson believes that there are shades and textures that can’t be appreciated digitally and variety on a search engine is also limited by popularity. “If you are looking for object A [in a book] and see that object B is nicer, you won’t find that on the web.”
The future of the Designers Republic “I don’t know; that’s the short answer...If you know the outcome of what you are doing, that’s not very creative.” What’s your favourite artwork you’ve done? “The next one. It’s always the next one.” Although Ian Anderson has that look of a world-weary pro, a youthful glint appears on his eyes when you speak with him. He’s been through the best and the worst of times. Where other people would see the end of an era, for him it’s only the beginning of another chapter.
A Modus Operandi instead of a style “Right from the beginning, we had no formal design training.” It didn’t matter, as the attitude was present. Their philosophy: not the look, but the approach for doing a piece, communicating to an unseen audience. “There’s no point in designing something if you don’t put yourself into it [but] we are celebrated for our artwork instead of our ideas.” Copycats matter not, as they copy the surface without understanding the process behind it.
Samuel Valdes Lopez
Screen
Aphex Twin signed to Warp because he wanted his own purple sleeve
Play the game (or a smellier version of Blade Runner) When Playstation was starting out, they needed a flagship game, so all efforts were put into making Wipeout (a futuristic race game) as memorable as possible. One of the programmer’s working at Psygnosis (the producers of the game) contacted tDR. Packaging, in-game art and a few musical suggestions were tDR’s contributions, giving the game an attitude and a memorable image that stood out from other game artwork that featured “roleplaying looking” images in their packaging.
About writing a book showcasing tDR artwork “People would only see the surface, so the short answer is: still coming soon.”
Arts
Sheffield: Politics and music Born in Croydon, it was “music, really” that brought Anderson to Sheffield as a youngster. Cabaret Voltaire and the early stuff from Human League were his favourites. Sheffield also seemed to be like a “working class utopia”, and, as his father and his grandfather were active within the Trade Union movement, he saw a more appealing environment than the smugness he felt in the south east.
If you know the outcome of what you are doing, that’s not very creative
lack of clients, but instead they all started to look the same, asking for same ideas. There was profit, but the vision was buried under business etiquette constraints. Anderson explains: “If you manage Manchester United, but change the name and play in blue shirts, that’s no longer Manchester United, that’s a different thing... We were interested in delivering fantastic work.” He’s not bitter about this period, but feels that tDR was “like a shell with people working inside it”. A reboot was required.
Games
Founder Ian Anderson talks to Fuse about the history and future of his company.
Warp Records and their purple sleeves He left Darts and went into band management, only to find it wasn’t what he expected. Managing his creativity was more inviting. With only commercial design firms in Sheffield back then, Warp Records contacted him. The design was kept simple but effective. “Everyone had a logo, thinking they would be the one that stands out, but if you use this intense purple colour, it would stick out from a massive arrange of 12” records...Aphex Twin signed to Warp just because he wanted his own purple sleeve.”
Are album sleeves redundant? For Anderson, the way music is consumed has changed, as has the role of album artwork, which is now seen as an advert. Artwork should relate and remain practical. “Sight and sound in term of the senses are very closely linked. Most music seems to work quite well when it’s aligned to a visual.”
Music
The Designers Republic (tDR), a world-renowned creative firm established in 1986 and closed in January 2009, was a Sheffield based graphic design studio linked closely with Warp.
he calls it, reminiscing about the incident.
Feature
Welcome to the Republic
The end of The Designers Republic The credit crunch would be the obvious culprit, as clients had reduced budgets. There wasn’t a
A complete history of my Xtra savings Feature: Warp X
“You should always review what you’re doing and analyse it. If you’re in receipt of public funding, you’ve got to be constantly reviewing and looking back at what you’ve done and reanalysing and resetting your objectives for the future”, she says. “Also, you’ve got to look at the gaps in your slate and [figure out] what kind of films you need to fill those gaps; what’s missing, what kind of British film hasn’t been made for however many years and where the gaps are”. This emphasis towards innovation and distinction has always been an underlying principle behind Warp X. They
have a clear game plan, tending to go for films with “a strong genre hook”, as Fewins puts it. Two of the company’s three releases have recognisable genre features but the third, A Complete History of My Sexual Failures, is “not particularly mainstream but it has got an over-riding theme which might appeal to a lot of people.” Another key ideology of Warp X is the unearthing and cultivating of new talent, which poses a particular problem for the company. In order to safeguard the future of the business some level of commercial triumph is required, but it must be balanced against the creativity coming from
Fuse
limited within the current climate. Even FilmFour, who were involved in the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, are in jeopardy pending a select committee report on the future of public service broadcasting in June. It will be difficult to stop everything going backwards, let alone make positive forward steps. Kate Fewins, a production supervisor at Warp X, concedes that “there are a lot of purse strings tightening and it’s a lot harder to get a film together”, but the ethos of Warp X remains unchanged, and they simply modify their objectives according to the world around them.
Friday May 22 2009
Ed Hogg and Simon Farnaby from the forthcoming Warp X film Bunny and the Bull.
In early 2006, Sheffield was making a lot of positive noises but this time it wasn’t coming from its music scene. It was enough to get a load of journalists to traipse up the M1, hearing promise of a new venture that was going to “retox” British cinema. It was the launch of Warp X. The previous year, the UK Film Council and FilmFour came together to create a low-budget feature film project. Their aim was to “establish a more integrated approach to development, production and distribution for up and coming filmmaking talent, and at the same time to provide economies of scale for low-budget film production.” A tender was put out for a company to run the project and was won by Warp Films, who promptly set up Warp X and secured further funding from Screen Yorkshire and EM-Media and a distribution deal with Optimum Releasing. Three years since its inception, Warp X has had a relative amount of success. They have released three films so far from their first slate, with three more still to come this year, and have recently guaranteed funding for a new slate featuring a further four films. However, it’s not all good news. British film today is caught in a trap. It may be in a stronger position than it was 10 or even five years ago, but the opportunity to build upon this ascendancy is
the new directors. Feasibility and commerciality must be paramount, but not at the expense of a good concept. Fewins explains: “It’s difficult because all directors are different in their approach. It might be that they’re inexperienced and need a lot of help and support, or it might be that they’re inexperienced but absolutely go the other way and want to just do everything on their own and are very hard to help in any way. “The process really depends upon the filmmaker as to how you manage it. Ultimately you’re not going to go for them because they’re new; you’re going to go for them because they’re a new filmmaker with a great idea and who are talented.” This year will see more releases from Warp X including an All Tomorrow’s Parties documentary, which premieres at the Edinburgh International Film Festival at the end of June, and Bunny and The Bull, which marks the feature film debut from Paul King, the director of The Mighty Boosh. Fewins has high hopes for the film, believing “it will be a big hit with Mighty Boosh fans”. Whether Warp X has “retoxed” British cinema can only be established after the release of these films, but the scheme has been applauded since its launch and has even already been replicated. So far, so good for the latest Warp offshoot and long may it continue. Alistair White
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Feature Music Games Arts Screen
Bathroom percussion, raves and Czech vintage shops Interview: My Toys Like Me Whilst making the most of his time at home, Lazlo Legezer, the electronic force behind British fourpiece My Toys Like Me, filled us in on the group’s unconventional beginnings, summer plans and the ever-present pink elephant toy. Their debut album Where We Are has just been released, but unlike many bands, Legezer doesn’t find the whole promotional process a bore. “It’s brilliant; it’s really exciting for us because we started out as a studio project. “It didn’t really occur to us that we had an album’s worth of material,” he explains, reminiscing over the past two years. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, we’re suddenly in a different position to where we were.” If you imagine your younger sibling discovering horror movies, Aphex Twin and computers in the space of an hour, you may be able to grasp the sound of My Toys Like Me. Inspired by his time as a DJ in the early ’90s when he “went to early raves and was inspired by the music, which was break-beat and very raw”, Legezer’s focus is entirely on the art of production.
“I don’t play guitar or anything else, we’re really our own bosses, and the percussion was recorded in my bathroom, the xylophone in the corridor. Its been entirely in-house, it’s a major accomplishment really!” Of course, before all of this could have happened, the group needed to meet. “It was only about three and a half or four years ago that I started working with Aluna”. Aluna of course is Frances Noon, the group’s front-woman. “When I came back to England, it took a about five years to find her, and that was five years filled with horrible experiences trying to work with other people.” From then on things started to build up. “Alf and Charlie came along in the last 18 months”. Legezer adds as he suggests that the whole project is an act of fate or destiny. “Ever since I’ve started working with Aluna everything has just fallen into place, as if it’s meant to be.” Travelling back in time once again but this time jumping across onto the continent, Lazlo describes his years spent in the “very strange and magical” city of Prague where he scoured “crazy warehouses”, dealt in vintage clothing and discovered a small, toy elephant.
Frances Noon and Lazlo Legezer.
It’s going swimmingly Q&A: Swimming Swimming are John Sampson, Peter Sampson, Andrew Wright, Jonathon Spittlehouse and Blake Pearson. They have just released their debut album The Fireflow Trade on Colourschool Records.
Friday May 22 2009
What’s happened to Swimming in the four years since your first EP, Pacific Title? John: I was still in Amusement Parks on Fire and Peter (Sampson - drummer) was starting to make a name for himself as The Petebox - he won the UK championships that year so we didn’t play live for a while and concentrated on writing. In 2007 we started recording The Fireflow Trade on borrowed time in studios, at home, at the local windmill hall – wherever we could find time, space and gear. Things are different now – Swimming has become the focus.
You frequently name check Boards of Canada as an influence, which implies you have a greater interest in soundscapes than guitars and rock ‘n’ roll. Is that a fair judgement to make? We’re interested in both and it’s impossible to separate them really. Textures and space of sounds in music can be just as evocative as melody or rhythm, it depends on what the song wants or what you’re trying to invoke. On the old EP’s we have songs like ‘Pretle Pang’ which is all about the texture and the sound, and then we have ‘There’s a Mountain’ which is all guitar-led. The album blends the two. I guess we have an affinity with bands like Chrome or Bauhaus - in that they were taking this energetic, stripped down music and bringing in all these crazy sounds and recording techniques to take it somewhere new but still have melody and ‘songs.’ We also have a new number we reckon sounds like Devo.
You’ve tackled both production and label duties for the album yourselves; has the extra hard work paid off in terms of creative control? Yeah, I mean it was out of necessity really. We want to make a record, we have no money, nor did the label we were on at the time. Four out of the five of us are sound engineers in some capacity so we did it to our means. It was mixed in my bedroom on a laptop. It’s DIY hi-fi. Things didn’t work out with Izumi after a long wait so we thought let’s borrow some money and see what it takes to put it out ourselves. Turns out (obviously) it’s loads and loads of hard work but we have Colourschool Records now. “British indie is stuck in the gutter with a bunch of post-Libs lowest-common-denominator lad rock bores.” Discuss. Weird isn’t it? But we can’t worry about this stuff, there’s not enough time – better to get down and create and hope that people will look beyond what they are repeatedly shown and seek out music that means something to them and support it. If it happens to be The Pigeon Detectives then so be it.
Fuse 4
You’ve just released your debut album, The Fireflow Trade. We know it features live belters ‘Panthalassa’ and ‘Tigershark’, but can you tell us anything more about it? It has nine songs. It was recorded for £810. Blake (bass) drew and designed the artwork. The track ‘Ease down the River’ features a sample of a nursery rhyme sang in Kukasi, an extinct language. It’s kind of a concept album on the quote, “The world is one country, and mankind its citizens.”
Swimming: not-so comfortable on dry land.
Jeremy Peel
Photo: Peter Mallet
“He was one of the things that just turned up, and I’ve always kept him”. He later became the group’s mascot. “He was just sitting there looking cute. He’s quite old, and his trunk is sort of splitting”. Although their dear, delicatetrunked friend may have to stay behind to look after the dog and bring in the milk, Lazlo is quite excited by the prospect of touring the festivals: “The only one that’s confirmed is Glastonbury,” he explains, “I hope we do something mad like Exit in Serbia. In Slovakia last year there were some people there who had just come from Exit who were completely off their trolleys”. Considering his feelings towards Glastonbury, Legezer is silent for a moment: “I just think it’s one of the most wonderful places on the planet”. The bizarre and haphazard beginnings of My Toys Like Me may help explain their obscure sound, but when quizzed on the story behind the name, Lazlo sighs and laughs. “Aluna’s kinda banned me from explaining the name”. All he will say is that an “email battle” spawned it. Confusing and irritating this may be, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of mystery. Natasha Parker
Bon voyage! Competition: Win a pair of tickets to see Dan Black in Paris Are you dreaming of escaping Blighty but don’t know how? Desperately trying to find a way to celebrate the end of your exams? If so, then Dan Black may just have the answer. To celebrate the release of his forthcoming single ‘Symphonies’ on June 29 which sees Black sample Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’, he is giving you the opportunity to escape. On Thursday, June 18, Dan Black will be performing at the AZ Festival in Paris, and you could be there with a friend jigging about in the land of croissants, frogs-legs and fine wine. Your bank balance won’t weep either as flights, a night’s accommodation and tickets to the show are all included.
• • •
You and your chosen buddy must be over 18. You must live in the UK. You must be able to travel from the UK.
All you have to do is answer this simple question: What is the name of forthcoming debut album?
his
Entrants should go to www. danblacksound.com/pariscomp to register and enter their answer. Entries must be received by Wednesday, June 3 as the winner will be picked on June 4.
Review: Gran Ronde Secret Rooms
Gran Ronde’s “cavernous” debut avoids imitating White Lies’ formula. You see, the Grande Ronde can’t understand the significance River drains an isolated area, of this as a band name, then saturated in run-off from the Blue you should probably give Secret Mountains, passing scenic valleys Rooms a miss. and canyons on its way and if you Unfortunately for them, as is
Verbose garage rock Hailing from the neighbourhood of Los Feliz in Los Angeles, The Airborne Toxic Event started out with Majordomo before jumping to the big leagues with Mercury Records. This album, a re-release with exclusive bonus tracks for the United Kingdom, goes straight for the pop flavour, whilst maintaining enough fuzz for a rock reputation. The basic elements of garage rock are there, even using a little rockabilly distortion on the voice for a few tracks. The vocals are nice, but
sometimes there are a few missteps – like trying to channel Isaac Brock (‘Papillon’). However, what really makes it stand out from other garage albums are the verbose lyrics, with the opening track feeling as long as a homily in Sunday mass. Indeed, lyrics-wise, the songs have quite interesting structures, as the verse-chorus-verse formula is pretty much shot down. They read like forlorn thoughts from random diary entries; emotive and angst-ridden. The fact that most of the emotion in the lyrics is reflected by singer Mikel Jollett’s personal problems make them quite heartfelt, even if the music doesn’t seem to do justice to his words. The two singles, ‘Gasoline’ and ‘Sometime Around Midnight’, are passable and good, respectively.
A bad trip
‘Sometime Around Midnight’ demands your attention with a string section opening that is short, overdramatic and totally sweet. ‘Happiness is Overrated’ is a better example of the album’s style than ‘Gasoline’, a Datsuns/ Hives mish-mash with no identity. They managed a better garage rock feel on ‘Does That Mean You Are Moving On?’, their first hit song in the USA. The common comparisons of the band to The Killers certainly don’t hold true. There’s only one track here that could pass for The Killers (with Brandon Flowers switching mouthwash for gin); a smiling, slightly upbeat Editors would be the best way to describe The Airborne Toxic Event. Samuel Valdes Lopez
New Mode is a mixed bag and the groove of cuts like ‘In Sympathy’ is fairly evocative of their former glory. And perhaps we should thank them for this as, aside from the aforementioned opener, when they do stray a little (as in the electro-lounge of ‘Jezebel’, which is as tiresome as it sounds), they widely miss the mark. Kyle Rice
Review: Radio Trip Music Heads There are times when you may decide to expand your musical horizons. This is almost always a positive experience, unless of course your decision to listen to something new leads you to endure the dire excuse for a record that is Music Heads. Don’t get me wrong, if you enjoy listening to poor quality audio samples looped over and over with the occasional random interjection of grating noise, all set to a fusion of jazz and hip hop beats, then this is the record for you.
Ross Haymes
Pioneering d ‘n’ b Review: FabricLive 46 LTJ Bukem LTJ Bukem, one of the pioneers of drum ‘n’ bass, is the latest artist to mix a new instalment of the FabricLive series. Bukem has been working with new artists in the d ‘n’ b scene for over a decade with his label Good Looking. After a well-earned rest in 2004 he restarted with renewed enthusiasm three years ago, and it is these artists he is representing on FabricLive 46. From the outset the jazzy tones he is known for become apparent on ‘Forever’, with atmospheric vocals on tracks like ‘Sweet and Fresh’ setting the scene for the mix. Bukem hasn’t produced a computer mix – it’s “strictly dubplates and records” – saying
he wanted it to represent what he does on a Friday night, and he succeeds with ease. From the starting track the album is full of the liquid d ‘n’ b that is synonymous with Good Looking, and he successfully highlights the rising stars coming through, with DJ Furney’s five tracks in particular standing out. Bukem’s well-honed skills are clearly audible with ‘I’m Not Where You Are’, merging a sense of urgency with a smooth feeling leaving you hungry for more. More is definitely delivered; on repeat listening you start to appreciate the nuances of the mixes, and the many different styles Bukem effortlessly brings into the album – this is a real showcase not only of his skills as a DJ, but also of the talent his 17year old label still attracts. Beki Hill
Fuse
David Gahan and co. return with a partially successful new album.
Instead of managing to convey its message and be the truly entrancing release it should have been, we’re left wanting to turn the volume down so as not to hear another monotonous drone occasionally juxtaposed by the sound of church bells and a harmonica. You may find yourself able to bear it after a few listens and there may be times where you find yourself genuinely enjoying particular rhythms and riffs, but these moments of enjoyment are too scarce to sway the overpowering feeling of annoyance. Music Heads displays the sheer arrogance of an artist trying to create true art through poor samples.
Friday May 22 2009
This, Depeche Mode’s twelfth studio album begins as you would hope for it to go on. Opening with high-pitched feedback, a great humming crescendo is built up. This drops off abruptly and leaves us with a subdued synth ambience as backing to the ethereal baritone of David Gahan on ‘In Chains’. The result is really quite arresting. Thankfully, for the six songs that follow, form is more or less kept up. The band manages to use age-old Moogs and other archaic machines to reference their early work, while creating something that is current-sounding. Notably, the introduction to ‘Hole to Feed’ sounds strikingly similar to that of ‘The Bears are Coming’ by Late of the Pier, and serves as a perfect reminder of the innovative force this band once were, setting in motion trends that would eventually lead to the current wave of young electro-poppers. However, for all the merits of the first half of the album, the second posits a great deal of filler. Songs like ’Peace’, ‘Come
Back’ and ‘Miles Away/The Truth Is’ sound formulaic, peddling the same old pulsing drive and darkly soulful musing we have come to expect. It is at this point that one realises just how much they have stuck to this template throughout, with varying degrees of success. There is a sense that Depeche Mode is simply being Depeche Mode at their most blandly competent on these tracks,
Sample-heavy experimentalism does not an instant classic make.
Review: Depeche Mode Sounds of the Universe
Joe Christmas
Screen
Review: The Airborne Toxic Event The Airborne Toxic Event
the norm for all moody bands of late, Gran Ronde have drawn a lot of comparisons with Interpol, Editors and The Cure, which are – although favourable – ultimately
Arts
Well, kudos then to Californian heart-tuggers Gran Ronde, for first of all, not giving a monkeys what we think and second of all, picking the most appropriate band name ever... except maybe The Enemy.
Games
Gran Ronde could be the United States’ answer to White Lies
Music
Imagine if a British band named themselves after a British river. The Thames, the Trent, the Ure... Imagine the derision and ridicule they’d invite, as smug music journalists would scoff at their cultural ignorance and lack of creativity.
lazy assessments. Sure, the likes of ‘On and On’ and ‘Run Me Over’ are all dark, cavernous and spiralling guitars, pummelling drums and soaring baritone vocals, but more often than not, the band’s sound owes more to the skulky melodies of Radiohead and, intriguingly, ’70s pop-punk. Title track ‘Secret Rooms’ is basically Bryan Ferry’s ‘Let’s Stick Together’ abducted, ironed out and dropped in a dingy Californian abattoir, whilst ‘Wisdom’ sounds like a drive-time Wipers song. With a little press and exposure, Gran Ronde could well prove to be the United States’ answer to White Lies, but to pitch the two against each other would be unfair. The former’s ‘Secret Rooms’ – although a more measured beast than the latter’s debut – actually retains a far more organic feel, bound to sit well with those immune to White Lies’ almost formulaic attempts to uplift.
Feature
California’s best-kept secret
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Feature Music Games Arts Screen
Ego-free and passionate Live: Twisted Wheel + Detroit Social Club + The Answering Machine @ Leadmill 13/05/2009 Lad rock: a celebration of working class culture and values? An outlet that serves to unify and give voice to the everyman? Or just a term devoted to bands whose arsenal is comprised of the same old four chord tales of inner-city woe, which should have died out since its ’90s heyday? Twisted Wheel would hope to persuade us that their take on a familiar form of dissidence is still worth a listen. First up tonight however, The Answering Machine deliver a set of agreeable, upbeat guitar pop to a fairly empty, disinterested room. While this comes as no surprise, they are surely misplaced on this bill – a real shame as they are denied the clap-along moments their breezy numbers deserve. Many more gather for hotly
tipped blues revivalists, Detroit Social Club, whose pounding rhythm section and layered textures hold far more people’s attention. The sextet, who utilise one of their members as either third guitarist or second keyboard player are in danger of becoming a dirgey affair at times, but are compelling when they dip their toes into psychedelic waters. The greatest flaw in their set however, is that many of their songs seem to lack memorable choruses, save for closer and highlight ‘Sunshine People’, which is powerful and anthemic; a true showcase of their potential. When Twisted Wheel take to the stage, the dormant room is finally brought to life in chants of “Wheeoh! Wheeee-oh!”, and they appear surprisingly humbled. What follows is a set that may not be at all original, but is at least delivered with considerable passion and refreshingly, for their genre, a distinct lack of egotism. “Rock and roll!” goes an anonymous cry between songs,
A privilege
Live: Alice Russell @ Foundry 9/05/2009 Kicking off the night with eccentric flair was Laura J Martin, a relative newcomer who’s been playing solo for just over a year. Mixing multi-instrumentalist talent with catchy but unusual samples, Laura quickly won the crowd over as she sped through a short but rewarding set. Alice Russell kept the good vibes coming from the moment she took the stage, repeatedly beckoning the crowd to come closer, a move that made the small turn-out seem like an intimate gathering. With dance moves that would put the robotic shimmying of Duffy to shame, Russell stormed through an energetic set and while she mentioned having the flu, the occasional sip of a warm drink between songs was the only hint that she wasn’t at her
Friday May 22 2009
Fuse 6
Attempting to rouse a crowd of tens of thousands of people as a support act is an unenviable task. Nobody’s paid to see you, they probably couldn’t care less about you, and in all honesty they’d rather that you hurried up and disappeared in order to bring the start of the opening act closer. This time it’s Will and The People’s turn to charm the cavernous arena in front of them. The five piece arrive onstage to huge cheers, which swiftly dies down once the crowd realise they aren’t actually Girls Aloud. The first thing we gather, from their madcap leaping onto the stage and bizarre attire, is that this lot are clearly bonkers. And the music they play only supplements this view; it’s a confused blending of ska, infused with guitar pop, and even a dash of reggae thrown into the mix. Yet, lead singer Will and his band of ‘people’ deliver it all with charisma and panache. The
to which front man Jonny Brown responds: “Rock and dole more like, I’m fucking skint mate.” Rather, the machismo seems more prevalent amongst their fan base, which is, regrettably, large
enough to have recently gained them a major record deal. The band shine when they deviate from the mid-tempo and head into more Buzzcocksinfluenced territory as on ‘You
Photo: Shirlaine Forrest Stole The Sun’, which is a decent rockabilly riot. They would be welladvised to pursue this avenue more frequently if they are to rise above the banal. Kyle Rice
Nu-gaze, winning ways
absolute best. Though the chemistry between the backup band members left the audience smiling as they expertly played off each other, the night ultimately belonged to one woman and her beaming smile suggested she knew it. The set had a decent range of old and new material, including fan favourites ‘Humankind’, ‘Let Us Be Loving’, and a cover of ‘Seven Nation Army’ that got even the most reluctant crowd members moving. New song ‘Lasers’ will satisfy anyone who has ever wondered what happens when you mix Bond villain references and the soul/funk genre. Finally ending the night with a masterful cover of Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’, Alice Russell left the privileged few in attendance baying for more long after she’d left the stage. Ruby Pope
Madcap antics Live: Will and The People @ the Arena 15/05/2009
Twisted Wheel excel when they head into riotous mode.
aural output might not be all that, but the band’s cheeky charm go someway towards compensating for this. Not far, just some. Will himself is a self-consciously ‘wacky’ type; possessing the vocal quirks of Paul Simon circa Graceland, with the odd foray into attempting a Bob Marleyesque voice, seemingly dressed by the Bay City Rollers’ wardrobe mistress, and with the angelic features of a pre-crack Pete Doherty. The lyrics shamelessly parody the likes of The Carpenters: “Why do birds suddenly appear?”, whilst diverting into pretty terrible rhyming couplets. Pairing “salamander” with “panda” seems nigh on unforgiveable. Subtlety isn’t a concern here; they make no bones about how thrilled they are to be aping a crowd-pulling act - “Sheffield make some noise!”. Song titles are of the ‘obvious’ variety: “This one’s about a weirdo, and it’s called ‘Weirdos’”. The big cheers inevitably come for “Who’s looking forward to Girls Aloud?” You can’t deny their cheeky efforts though. Helen Lawson
Live: School of Seven Bells @ The Harley 13/05/2009 Leaving Secret Machines is beginning to look like the smartest career move Benjamin Curtis ever made. By prioritising his former side project he’s not only garnered critical acclaim, but you sense that he’s truly revelling in being free of his defined role as ‘guitarist’. A sold-out Harley, straining to catch a glimpse, was completely enveloped by the vast wall of noise created by Curtis and his musical partners in crime Claudia and Alejandra Deheza. Flanking Curtis, the sisters’ heavenly vocals swirl over his intense finger work on the guitar, backed by electro beats in place of a drummer.
School of Seven Bells’ Deheza sisters. Photo: Kate Carson As they work through their delicacy of the vocal delivery. set, however, the sound quality But the audience adoration in the venue threatens to block seems undeterred by this; Curtis’ the subtleties of the music. The new endeavour beguiles. bass takes on bowel-quivering proportions, and undermines the Helen Lawson
Thieves fail to steal Fuzz Live: Bicycle Thieves + Taka Pow @ Fuzz Club 14/05/2009 With the exam period getting into full swing, it seems that there are more sensible young students than maybe first thought, as few people made it down to this edition of Fuzz to watch these two relatively unknown bands. Nevertheless, there seems to
be a lot of love in the room for Taka Pow. Each gap between songs is punctuated by shouts of “go on Sam!”, or “go on Tom!” Either there are a lot of dedicated fans out there who know the names of every band member, or there’s a fair amount of family and friends in the audience. If that is the case, then it won’t be for long, as their jittery electro-pop deserves a far wider
appreciation. Backed by oodles of stopstart disco rhythms, their catchy keyboard lines, and artfully pained vocals get things off to a very danceable start. Then come Bicycle Thieves. This bunch of likely lads (save for the middle-aged drummer) play like Echo and the Bunnymen after a couple of happy pills, coupled with the swagger of The Stone Roses. This produces a style which is made to seem like simple distorted rock and roll by the poor sound in the Fusion, but it deceivingly clever, all this after having only been honing their craft for six months together. The only shame is the general disinterest of the already depleted crowd. Most of the punters seem happier to take pictures of each other and just stand in their circles, with the majority not even facing the band. The gig ends on a sour note, with the band skulking off after one too many punked-up salvos fail to get anything more than ripples of applause. Surely by putting grades in jeopardy to come out, you could at least make an effort to appreciate Liverpool’s finest?
Photo: Sam Bennett
Rowan Brunswick
Bicycle Thieves skulked off the Fuzz stage.
Review: Godfather 2 Platform: PS3/360/PC
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Your crew comes in handy for distracting people. That’s about it. speed. In a way this glitch is a gift as it helps to prolong the game. Even still expect to only spend about six or so hours on the game before you reach the end, at which point there is nothing more to do. The three cities you have to explore have no interesting areas to visit and, in the case of Cuba and New York, are very short. At the end of the game there are no more rival families to worry about and there are no more businesses to takeover.
Great games never played Feature: Great games you’ll never play
a character clad in futuristic armour, wielding a huge hammer to destroy an army of robots. It didn’t look great, but it would have been a welcome addition to the Wii game library. The last time this was publicly mentioned development was ‘paused’, and by that we can assume cancelled. Finally, a game which needs no introduction: Duke Nukem Forever. This game had release dates scheduled and rescheduled from 1999 right to up till 2009. For the optimists, the rights for this game now lie with Apogee Software and Take Two, so Duke may be alive yet. After 12 years, we can chew gum for a little longer.
Sam Robinson
Always bet on Duke Retro Review: Duke Nukem II Apogee Software (1993)
Samuel Valdes Lopez
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Neo LA, the future. Having defeated the evil Dr. Proton on the previous instalment, triggerhappy Duke Nukem gets abducted whilst pushing for his new book (‘Why I’m so great?”). An evil race, called the Rigelatins, plans to use his brainwaves to conquer the Earth. Not on His Blondeness’ watch, no sir. Using a device in his molars (long story), Duke makes his way out. With your help. Duke Nukem II, the 1993 sequel to Apogee’s shareware hit, built upon the strengths of the first part, while getting a few improvements. All the basic elements are here, in their pixelated glory: yucky aliens, cannon fodder enemies, devious traps and security cameras begging to get shot at (take that, CCTV!). Power ups come inside four types of destroyable boxes: red (health or booby traps), blue (special bonus), green (weapons), grey (quest items). The cola cans, strangely enough, fly when you shoot them, and if you are fast enough to catch it, it’s extra points. The booby traps on the red boxes can sometimes be a bit annoying if you have a hair-trigger, but if you walk near a red box, there’s a subtle hint that will save
your health. You get extra points by collecting Duke’s own range of products: books, inspirational tapes, even a CD called Duke in love. The enemies are mostly easy to dispose of, but the automated canons are quite aggravating, as they can only be destroyed with a powered-up weapon. If you run this on an emulator, you might have to suffer clunky controls, depending on the emulator. The main improvement upon part one is that Duke has his sarcastic sense of humour defined in this game. At the end of each episode (there are four), you get a few static images, with funny quips from our hero. Bosses are slightly wimpish, travelling in fancy vehicles that are fun to blow up. They usually have an easy pattern, so once you get it, they should prove no match. The real match is trying not to fall to your death, as platforms (as in any run and gun game) are the bigger bugbear. Having a moveable camera does help but still the occasional disagreement with gravity occurs. Those interested in the series might be better off starting with Duke Nukem 3D which has recently seen a re-release on Xbox Live with added online coop and other features. Duke Nukem II stands the test of time and, all in all, is a fantastic trip down memory lane.
Friday May 22 2009
It’s time to objectify women and chew bubble gum... and I’m all out of gum.
James Cook
another thing that deserves to be cast into the fiery depths of Hull (Hull/Hell; they’re near enough the same thing). One day developers will learn that a well-designed single player game doesn’t need multiplayer to improve its replayability. So, my ending thoughts. Godfather 2 is like S&M: you know exactly what you’re getting into when you pick it, and you end up in a lot of pain afterwards.
The recent closure of 3D Realms and their legal battle with TakeTwo has thrown the long delayed development of Duke Nukem Forever. In its memory here is a space dedicated to some of the most promising pieces of vaporware. The original Dungeon Keeper was a brilliant take on strategy, where you controlled an army of evil creatures to crush the forces of good, and Dungeon Keeper 3 promised to only improve on that. In fact, Dungeon Keeper 2 included a trailer for Dungeon Keeper 3. So
where did it go wrong? Bullfrog announced it was being made in 2000, and quietly cancelled it a month later. Our chances of ever playing this are very small indeed. Starcraft Ghost confused many when it was revealed that the legendary strategy title would be coming to consoles in the form of a 3rd person stealth action game, but that didn’t stop it from looking very promising indeed. While it has been in development by different companies since 2001, it has never officially been cancelled. Project H.A.M.M.E.R. was a hyped Wii launch game, announced during the big Wii software reveal at E3 2006. From Nintendo themselves, the player controlled
Instead, it seems your only endgame option is to become fat and greedy, or pick fights with the police who seem nothing more than flies to be swatted. In typical fashion this lack of replayability is dealt with by a poorly implemented multiplayer consisting of the usual suspect modes, and then variations of ingame activities, such as arson or blowing stuff up. It isn’t particularly awe inspiring, conjuring up bad memories of GTA4’s god-awful multiplayer,
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You play as Dominic, an aspiring gangster working his way up the ranks of the Corleone family, whom you can model to look the way you want (mine resembled Chuck Norris). The plot is a mixed up form of the film’s storyline with you appearing in numerous key moments of the game, though at times it feels like it was made to fit into EA’s vision of how the story should have been structured. This re-imaging of the plot makes me a little weary. Sure, it’s nice to see all these scenes, but the film feels cheapened by replacing main characters for Dominic. With a little more effort a storyline running alongside the film’s story
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Your only endgame option is to become fat or pick fights with the police
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‘Strictly business’ – a useful throwaway phrase for any upand-coming gangster but also an equally great description for EA’s motivation in creating a sequel to the relatively well received The Godfather: The Game. On paper the concepts involved sound good, and for the first 30 minutes it has a similar feel to any other Grand Theft Auto style sandbox game. As with any openended environment you expect the starting area to be small and gradually open itself up. With Godfather 2 however, something went terribly, terribly wrong.
could have worked perfectly. Another area for development would certainly have to be spicing the gameplay up. As it stands the game plays like a korma; it tastes nice initially but the coconut flavouring slowly gets to you until you can’t stand it anymore. Missions are your basic ‘go here, do this, come back’ affair, getting stale after the first city. On top of that the game’s unique selling point of business management via the Don’s view is flawed. Ignoring the numerous bugs of the game, the taking over of businesses is one massive grindfest. There are no curveballs, no Goody’s to throw up a shit storm. Once you learn how to take over one business it becomes a task of motivation rather than skill or at least it would be if the game didn’t insist on you taking over every goddamned business to fight rival families. Bank robberies add a little flavour to our korma but, again, after you’ve done it once there’s little incentive to do it over and over again. Helping you claim your turf are your crew or as I called them, my ‘loyal flock’. Each one has a role, whether it be a medic or safecracker, and can be taught new skills. While you can send your men to take over a business it’s often much faster to use them as a distraction while you find the owner. Yet their sheer ineptitude amazed even me. If they’re not teleporting into incoming bullets or oncoming traffic then they seem to enjoy getting stuck on walls refusing to follow you. On more than one occasion I found myself standing there mashing the command button whistling incessantly like a shepherd on
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An offer you can refuse
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Lady Teezle was accomplished with the perfect amount of insolence and wit
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piano music also worked well, with the subtle lighting accurately mimicking the warm glow of affluence. On the other hand a fairly disappointing aspect of the production was the directorial choice to end each scene with a lengthy blackout.
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A genuine savour for scandal
Richard Sheridan’s 1777 comedy of manners is re-imagined in the 1920s.
Review: suTCo - The School for Scandal For the most part this production was neither bad nor good but instead rested lazily in the middle ground of comfortably adequate. Being a typical 18th century comedy of manners, in which dialogue and wit take precedence over movement
In general, the potential for scenes to become static is always a danger. Luckily director David Lawrence managed to avoid this - excepting a few of the earlier scenes in which the actors were too concerned with their own performances to consider interacting with each other. Quite why Katey Warren, for example, spent her time onstage pulling odd facial expressions was never
Photo: Ian Webster
fully explained. The decision to stage the play in the 1920s was definitely a positive move. Drop-waist dresses and casual suits seemed to be synonymous with the air of wealthy frivolity, perfect for a play that centres on the social misconduct of the upper classes. Props were minimal but well thought out; the hanging picture rail of Act IV was especially creative. The
A truth universally mashed up
Fuse
Friday May 22 2009
Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
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I am (traditionally) a traditionalist, and so greeted news of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with suspicion. In this latest of a seemingly never-ending stream of Austen reworkings, author Seth Grahame-Smith has retained 85 per cent of the original text, interspersing scenes of gory brain-rendering and martial arts. And – perhaps because of literary regency society’s perpetual veiling of the nasty, perhaps because of Lizzie’s tempestuous combative spirit or perhaps because zombies are just cool – what results is brilliant. Not only is its narrative entertaining, its characterization consistent and its ultra-violence graphic, though: there is, too, some little method behind the book’s madness. As GrahameSmith mused on Radio 4, the undead may be unobtrusively inserted because Austen’s
austere and egocentric characters were so like zombies anyway that they wouldn’t notice should their village be in flames around them. The difference is that, in this book, it is – and still, as the conclusion of Chapter One divulges, although now ‘the purpose of Mr Bennett’s life was to keep his daughters alive; the purpose of Mrs. Bennett’s was to get them married’. Furthermore, Grahame-Smith has succeeded where so many fanzines have failed, and composed a mash-up very well indeed. There are few of us who don’t enjoy the refurbishing of an old familiar with good contrast. More and more, it seems to be marker of noughties culture: a £900 bag is worn with a New Look sundress, eightcourse formal dinners end with jelly and ice-cream or (a favourite of mine) the Antiques Roadshow theme undergoes a drum&bass remix. Grahame-Smith’s novel slots as seamlessly into ‘now’ as the zombies do into Meryton, and if such artistic contrast is the only cultural achievement our
Choosing periodically to disrupt the flow of the play was either a failure to find a better solution, or a chance to give the actors a quick moral boost as the audience were forced to applaud. Although the first half dragged on without much cause for laughter, the second half was undeniably better. The basic plot in which the tiresome marriage of Sir and Lady Teezle is further challenged by the antics of a very sleazy Joseph Surface comes off nicely, largely thanks to the skill of the actors. By far the best scene involved Mark Chapman in his role as the suffering husband concealing himself in a cupboard whilst his wife hid behind a screen. Rob O’Conner was on hand as Charles Surface to unravel the confusion, resulting in a scene of veritable hilarity. Victoria Jolly as Lady Teezle accomplished the perfect amount of insolence
and wit, without losing likeability. This was until she stood up and perhaps came across slightly too 1920s, over-flapping the arms and wiggling around rather too much to be credible. Despite the presence of some genuine talent, elements of the acting indicated that the director had in many ways lost control of his flock. Andy Elkington in the role of a poet decided to act more like a magician, with each line being accompanied by a flourish of the hand and a tilt of the head as if a pack of cards were to come flying out from his front pocket at any moment. Crabtree’s brilliant eccentricity was undermined by a grating accent that overshadowed his performance, whilst the Butler seemed wracked with unexplained aggression. Overall the performance was fairly successful, with some clear comedic highlights. True, some scenes were dull and dragged on a little, but the better ones were definitely worth waiting for. Amelia King
‘Portrait of Space’ changed my life Testimonial
A comedy of man-eaters. generation can claim, it’s not a bad one. Of course, no matter how caught up I am in how the Bennett sisters’ defensive ‘pentagram of death’ formation piques Darcy’s interest, there are some moments at which I still squirm. Traditionalists beware: should Mr. Collins be beheaded and burned you may accept it, but for Mr. Bennett ever straightforwardly to tell his wife to ‘shut up’? That’s just implausible. Hannah Kirby
Never before has nothing looked so beautiful. In 1934 photographer Lee Miller and her new Egyptian husband went to live in his home country. Beginning her career as a New York fashion photographer Miller had moved to Paris, embracing Surrealism and discovering Solarisation. ‘Portrait of Space’ is one of several surrealist photographs she took of the barren yet romantic landscape. Torn protective mesh covering a door reveals a wasteland of dunes. An empty frame languidly hangs above the tear. The subject of her work is the very emptiness of it. Taken a decade after her days as a fashion photographer and before her remarkable Second World War photojournalism it marks a turning point in her career. She began creating images that combined art and her pursuit of truth.
Miller’s romantic landscape. Miller used her photography to capture the beauty and wit of the world around us. She challenges the viewer to look beyond the conventional; to stare out onto the horizon. Miller urges us not just to look at the world, but to really see it. Kimberly Long
Review: Guido van der Werve
Interview: Amy Patricia Smith
Solipsism by Ben Wilkinson
Poem
I remember her standing at the bar her hair a blur and me stopping to sip my drink but staring stupidly as if
I might catch her eye I liked the way she smiled unpredictable the way she wore that dress a second skin deep deep red me moving my lips talking but unaware of the now the there at this
the then of this I think
Joy Division was playing the moment so insignificant what was she thinking
what was I standing in the rain completely
thinking spinning drenched
while the word less songs inside of us played out the rest the rest the rest?
Our special relationship with machinery.
nature and machinery. Master or servant? Guido van der Werve’s exhibition is definitely worth seeing. A striking exploration into the world of dreams and the world we live in, it is an entirely unusual experience. Sara Jaspan Guido van der Werve’s Exhibition is on till 30th of May at The Site Gallery, Brown Street.
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part in his art. In Nummer acht... Everything is going to be alright, a solitary figure walks slowly in front of a towering icebreaker ship. As he slowly advances, the dramatic sound of the surrounding desolate, icy environment is intermingled with the mechanical groans of the ship and a subtle, unnerving orchestral music. I felt this piece united polar qualities of sound, provoking a sense of fascination in man’s relationship with both
Photo: Site Gallery
Friday May 22 2009
Guido van der Werve draws upon every creative medium available to create a sensual ‘experience’, leaving his viewers with a sense of a momentary insight into another emotional consciousness. Sound, colour, music, lighting, timing and space are all captured through his single, stationary camera lens, which provides our only connection to the extraordinary scenes he creates. His current exhibition at The Site Gallery is made up of three short cinematic clips, all of which revolve around an overriding sense of eerie dislocation from society and nature. His piece Nummer negen... The day I didn’t turn with the world documents 24 hours in which van der Werve stands upon the geographic North Pole and spins clockwise as the earth beneath him travels anticlockwise. The panoramic view of the desolate environment marks the figures’ temporarily complete divorce from the natural order of the world, evoking an ethereal, existential quality. Beware; after a quick preview of his work on YouTube, I must admit it seemed somewhat pointless. To truly appreciate van der Werve’s work, it is essential that you see it ‘live’. Within the bare walls of The Site Gallery, with good speakers, his work makes sense and has an irresistibly hypnotic effect. Trained as a pianist, music plays a crucial
We’ll also be going on tour with the sports teams again, to Salou in Spain. The tour can be quite intense with the two-day competition, and last year we came first in the advanced tap category. However, although a lot of the universities take it very seriously, we tend to be relaxed, having fun with the dancing and socialising. As for the future, I’ve never really thought of dance as a career because, for me, I would be worried that it would take the enjoyment out of it. I would definitely continue it as an interest, and it would be something I’d want to pass onto any children I might have. Once you become involved in dancing it’s with you for life.
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Eerie dislocation of nature
Photo: Jennifer Bingham straight away. As a fresher you can get quite overwhelmed, so it wasn’t until the end of my first semester when I started to look for different things to get involved in. Therefore, as President of the Dance Society my aim for next year is to try and get more people involved. Our society is not your average dance society, unlike other universities who audition dancers for competitions we are open for anyone to join and take
Arts
From left to right: Nicola Osborn, Ellie Pike and Natalie Ohlson. core strength that you need for represent all forms of dance, all dancing. Those early lessons and make sure that we run a have given me the basics that I wide variety of classes to meet needed to develop my dancing everyone’s interests, which can and I am thinking of picking it be quite a daunting task. Although back up again. If I’ve got time, I’ll I don’t teach, I try to attend at potentially be attending one of least four out of the nine classes the Dance Society’s intermediate that we run a week – it is timeballet classes next term. consuming but I enjoy it. The Dance Society runs a lot I came to university with an of contemporary dance classes interest in dance and a desire to in jazz, ballet, tap and modern. meet other people, but it was not In my role as President I try and something I became involved with
I believe that once you become involved in dancing it’s with you for life
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Dance has always been more of a hobby for me. I’ve taken part in more shows than competitions; it’s about the enjoyment rather than the contest. I started dancing when I was four years old, studying ballet, tap and modern. After a few years I began performing in local pantomimes, which I suppose is what gave me a taste for the theatre. Over the years, dancing has definitely encouraged my interest in drama and performance. Thanks to dancing I take on a lot of drama in my spare time, and wherever I can I try to take drama-based modules as part of my English Literature degree. This year I have been a part of the Sheffield University Performing Arts Society production of Chorus Line and suTCo’s 24-Hour Musical, which were both amazing experiences. In the 24-Hour Musical I was in the dance chorus, I think we had the most physically demanding task because - whilst others had to learn lines - we had to learn pre-prepared routines. The dynamics of doing everything in 24 hours meant that we only had one rehearsal with the band. It almost went to plan, but there were moments when we had to improvise. I have always preferred modern, jazz and stage-dancing and I gave up ballet when I was younger to concentrate on these. Growing up I had the constant juggling of dancing versus academics and school; ballet was the cut-back. I do wish I’d given more time to it because ballet gives you the
part. It’s got a nice feel to it, everyone enjoys themselves and we have a better time socially. There are a lot of students who like to come to the classes because whilst its exercise it’s also fun. Our beginner’s classes especially have been quite popular with people who want to pick up new skills or try something for the first time. I want to develop the Dance Society next year, enter more competitions and try and increase its publicity because not everyone knows about us. I want to get across that it’s not just for people with experience: we have classes for everyone.
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Ellie Pike: Modern Dancer
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‘It’s about the enjoyment rather than the contest’
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Lost in translation Feature: Angels and Demons Dan Brown’s critically acclaimed book, The Da Vinci Code, has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and Ron Howard’s adaption is now ranked as one of the highest earning films of this decade. However, the latter may come as a surprise to the majority of people who viewed it and left the cinema feeling like they had been somewhat cheated out of their money. As one of the most highly anticipated films of 2006, it stirred hype amongst fans to the same degree as the other big adaptations, like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Yet, The Da Vinci Code was never applauded. Instead audiences left feeling confused, whilst critics desperately searched for something to write about other than Tom Hanks’ hair. The film was simply underwhelming; it was a dreary and lifeless adaptation that even the hardcore fans failed to support.
Howard returns but with a bit less controversy and a bit more oomph Regardless of these faults, Ron Howard returns with the sequel, Angels and Demons, but with a bit less controversy and a bit more oomph. The film starts with a faster pace than its predecessor, beginning with the death of the Pope at the Vatican. Soon after we discover from a taunting video link that his four most likely successors have been kidnapped and locked up somewhere. With this comes the threat from the kidnapper that he will begin executing the cardinals every hour starting at 8pm that night. As if this was not enough, he has also
stolen a vial of anti-matter from a research centre in Geneva which is highly explosive, which will blow up at midnight and destroy the Vatican. This is the point where Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), swaggers in once again with all his Harvard knowledge. He explains the history between the Vatican and the Illuminati (old age scientific devotees) and the conflict between them. This led to the Illuminati forming a secret society that sought to take revenge on the Vatican due to their opposing views of science.
What then ensues, quite predictably, is an endless cat and mouse chase With this Langdon determines that the kidnapper plans to kill the four cardinals in four different locations, and in relation to the Illuminati’s four pillars: earth, soil, fire and water. What then ensues, quite predictably, is an endless cat and mouse chase round the streets of Rome as Langdon searches for clues in old texts and abandoned cathedrals. The film accelerates and begins to draw an audience in as we witness Se7en-style murders of the four cardinals. Most shocking of all is the cardinal symbolic of fire, who is strung up in a church like the figure of Christ, and vividly burnt alive Even though the plot is accelerated far more than The Da Vinci Code - which plodded along at an uncomfortably slow pace for two hours - Angels and Demons still fails to shake off the implausible elements which, although seemingly reasonable in the book, have failed to translate from page to screen. For example, the cardinal that reflects the pillar of water is thrown into a fountain at the popular Piazza Navona and left to
Nice gowns...shame about the film. drown. However, why is it that not one person out of all the locals and tourists that are sitting at the outdoor café blink an eyelid? Even more bewildering is when Langdon throws himself into the fountain to save the cardinal and yells for help, and yet again no one even moves for a good three minutes.
The implausible elements have failed to translate from page to screen I understand that Howard is trying to increase the tension here, but there comes a point where something this unlikely forces us to question just how stupid he
thought his audience would be. The height of the implausibility comes when Carmerlengo (the deceitful Papal Chamberlain played by Ewan McGregor) decides to bravely save the Vatican. He takes hold of the anti-matter bomb, that has only a few minutes left until it explodes, and flies straight up into the sky in a helicopter. If at first you can get over the idea that a cardinal just happens to know how to fly a helicopter, and the fact he travels so unbelievably high in just a few seconds, you then might just be able to comprehend the idea of Carmerlengo appearing in the sky as the bomb explodes, falling via parachute, hitting several buildings and then gracefully falling into the arms of people with a just a smear of blood on his face. This action scene seemed
to leave the audience stifling laughter, instead of being blown away. The only redeeming features of Angels and Demons are the stunning backdrops and special effects. As Howard was not entitled access to the Vatican or any church in Rome he had to rely heavily on sets and computer graphics, but manages to recreate St. Peter’s Square and the Vatican with a striking accuracy. Despite the few positives, the Dan Brown film franchise still remains something for the hardcore enthusiasts. However, even they may have come to accept that successful elements of a novel sometimes fail to work on the big screen. Melissa Gillespie
An unconvincing faux-pas in Paris a drama. To the film’s credit, the couple are at times explored in an interesting way. Lea, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, performs well to convey a retired courtesan who is seemingly incapable of showing emotion. Friend also portrays Chéri well as a somewhat petulant and arrogant child. He likes pink pearls and is moderately effeminate, but still claims to love a woman, which remains quite confusing and unconvincing throughout the film.
Fuse
Friday May 22 2009
Review: Chéri
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Every year the film industry throws a period drama at us to keep our romantic sentiments alive. This year, our treat is Chéri, a film set in 1920’s Paris, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend. The plot is somewhat unconventional and tries to steer away from the predictable. The two protagonists, Chéri and Lea, are an unmarried couple with an age-gap, with the former being a nineteen-year-old and Lea being referred to as his sort of ‘godmother’, as well as being a former prostitute.
We are still left with an illsuited comedic atmosphere The drama desperately tries to provoke sympathy from the audience for the two lovers, but fails in its attempt.
Friend portrays Cheri well as a somewhat petulant and arrogant child The odd couple: Chéri and Lea snug on a rug. Beginning with a comedic tone, due mainly to the narrator, a jovial scene is set. Yet, after a short while (perhaps two or so minutes) the narrator becomes quite irritating and it is a relief to
discover that his voice is not going to accompany the whole film. However, somehow we are still left with an ill-suited comedic atmosphere which comes to resemble a pantomime more than
Chéri claims to love Lea, but it appears he is only satisfied when he learns that she is not cavorting with another man; jealous behaviour just becomes tedious and prevents the audience from feeling any sympathy for the two characters and their doomed romance. Arguably, the film is not
necessarily about love, but more about the effects of time.
The film is mildly enjoyable, but suffers from too many flaws This is emphasised by the age gap between Chéri and Lea. Jibes are thrown by both characters: Lea snaps at her lover “You’re like a 12 year old”, while he later tells her “you sound like my mother”. The film is more successful at exploring this theme than that of unconventional love; it manages to convey quite effectively how a person can either hinder the development of another or, conversely, help them to flourish. The film is mildly enjoyable, but suffers from too many flaws to be considered as anything more. Nevertheless, if you find the plot too frustrating and far-fetched, it is still worth staying seated for the stunning soundtrack and French scenery. Grace Parker-White
Review: Awaydays
’80s, and the casting of Stephen Graham in both films does nothing to help the matter. Graham plays the part of Godden, the volatile 30-somethingyear-old ringleader of The Pack, yet it is questionable whether the film would suffer without him. Graham gives a solid performance, but it is the young, unfamiliar faces who steal the show. Liam Boyle is sensational as the capricious Elvis, a demanding role considering how he often swings from the loving companion of Carty to a crazed brawler in a
The only unfortunate drawback is that, for a film of its kind, the ship may have already sailed; tales of hooliganism are by no means fresh terrain, and even the immense soundtrack which boasts the likes of Magazine, The Cure and Joy Division may not have the same effect on viewers who are likely to still have the brilliant Control (the Joy Division biopic) still fresh in their memory. However, comparisons to This Is England are unfair and the comparison to the utter shite of Green Street is insulting. Awaydays has the quality and depth to stand tall as a great and authentic film. More importantly, it serves as a timely reminder to filmmakers that a big budget will only get you so far - it is when there is true passion for a project that something quite special can be produced.
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Based on the novel by Sampson of the same name, the film is set in Thatcherite Liverpool; where the future of the working class is as murky as the Mersey, the youth are bored out of their skulls, and the sound of post-punk pulses through the city. Carty, a good-looking and clever 19-year-old whose mother has recently died, meets Elvis at an
The comparison to the utter s**** of Green Street is insulting
Arts
Swearing and switchblades-aplenty, but this is only the surface
single scene. Nicky Bell is also superb playing a lead in his first feature film. Notable support is delivered by Oliver Lee as Baby, a knife-wielding menace vying for leadership of The Pack.
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Elvis as they struggle with their environment and their own destinies. Scousers, swearing and switchblades-a-plenty, but this is only the surface. Look past the violence and it is clear that this film is playing a bigger game; exploring the human need to belong, escapism, friendship, social hierarchy and, ultimately, the importance attached to the decisions we make in life. It is inevitable that this feature will draw comparisons with This Is England; a film set in the Midlands focusing on a skinhead in the
Music
It is easy to forget the reality of decent filmmaking; the task is nothing short of colossal. You need a director, a writer, a producer, an editor, photography, a costume designer - the list is endless. If you give the average film team £500,000 to make all of this somehow happen you would half expect them to laugh until they pissed themselves. There can be nothing but huge admiration then for the team of writer Kevin Sampson, producer David Hughes and first-time director Pat Holden, who took this amount of cash and not only made a decent film, but a great one.
Echo and The Bunnymen gig and they become friends. Elvis is different from the average knockabout, a romantic street urchin who longs to escape his drab surroundings before they engulf him. However, he is also a member of The Pack, a football hooligan firm who live for two things: fighting and fashion. Clad in Fred Perry, Lois jeans and Adidas training shoes, their ethos is simple: if you’re from a rival firm or wear Stan Smiths you’ll get the shit kicked out of you. The film follows the tumultuous friendship between Carty and
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Scousers, style and substance
Mark Clement
The Pack defining a look that was made on the Mersey.
Bleak yet mesmerising A drunken charm Review: Synecdoche, New York
Caden’s play seems to be a recognition of how isolated each human being is within their own inward looking realities. Each individual’s attempt to reach out and truly connect with the people around them is inevitably futile. To provide his audience with a true insight into his own experience of life, Caden attempts to replicate every element of it.
Kaufman attempts to bridge the gap between dreams and reality
Sara Jaspan
Saturated with a dry wit, and yet absorbed in a profound melancholy, no film has yet been made to challenge this equally arresting and moving Bruce Robinson film. Set in 1969, Withnail and I follows two elegantly wasted male companions, living on the borders of reality as two unemployed actors struggling to cope with life. The film opens with a glimpse into the chaotic world of Withnail (Richard E Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann) as we are drawn into their squalid flat in Camden where new forms of life are growing in the sink. Disgusted at the lack of hygiene, booze and their growing hangovers, both decide they have to leave London to rejuvenate their minds. In a desperate need for a small retreat in the countryside, Withnail persuades his uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths) to loan them his country cottage, yet their idealistic view of a stress free week is instantly shattered on arrival when they discover there is no heat, light or water. This then leads to a chain of undesirable events. They are faced with altercations with the locals as farmers refuse to sell them firewood, the women ignore them, and a bull becomes attached to Marwood. Even worse, they eventually run out of alcohol. Feeling at their very lowest, the situation beings to deteriorate even further as Monty, a rich, eccentric and thoroughly randy old man, breaks in at 2am, naked, and tries to seduce an extremely reluctant Marwood. With this and news from his agent of a job, Marwood and Withnail leave for London, realising their companionship is coming to an end.
It is surprising that a film with such a wandering, undefined plot can be so effective, but it is the small surreal details of this film that are so enchanting. For example, Withnail’s spontaneous laughter throughout a scene in a tea shop, or their discussion of how to kill a chicken, or, in their vain attempt to keep warm, the burning of all of Monty’s antique furniture.
Flowers are essentially tarts; prostitutes for the bees But, it is the sharp and stylish script, oozing through every slurred syllable that is spoken, that elevates this film from classic to masterpiece. There is an outstanding array of one-liners that can be recited again and again without losing their substance, such as Withnail’s assertion that “I’m going to pull your head off, because I don’t like your head” or Marwood’s observations that “my thumbs have gone weird”. Whereas Monty’s attempt of a philosophical musing that “flowers are essentially tarts; prostitutes for the bees” fully encapsulates the utter captivating confusion of the entire film. Robinson also manages to address darker issues through the chaotic speech and actions of the main characters. He tackles homophobia, racism, drug abuse and unemployment; issues not just of the ’60s when it was set, or of the ’80s when it was released, but even now in the present day, marking this a timeless film. With its brutal, clever humour, this should be a student staple. Melissa Gillespie
Fuse
Dripping with a cynical, dark humour, there are bizarre moments such as the scene where Hazel (Samantha Morton) agonises over the decision of whether to purchase a house that is, quite unavoidably, ablaze (she eventually dies of smoke inhalation). Through this odd sense of peculiarity, Kaufman attempts to bridge the gap between dreams and reality, creating an immensely surreal experience. The viewer is forced into a state of acceptance where we are encouraged, as in dreams, not to question the logic behind many of the events that take place, and not to treat everything as having some significance. Life is simply odd, often throwing things at us which we struggle to cope with. It is how we cope with them that is interesting, and the way Caden deals with his life issues, renders this film a small masterpiece.
Lost and Found: Withnail and I
Friday May 22 2009
performance that will capture the truth about life, is a pivotal
Caden is forced to confront the disillusionment that plagues his life
He hires a cast of look-a likes and builds a miniature Synecdoche (the area of New York in which he lives) within the walls of a derelict warehouse, somewhat reminiscent of The Truman Show. As work progresses, the boundaries between each person’s identity and relationship with reality become blurred, leaving the audience unsure of who is and what is real. Despite dealing with love as well as the grim concepts of death, isolation and ageing, Synecdoche, New York is an incredibly funny film.
Charlie Kaufman leaves you in a state of complete enlightened confusion in his directorial debut, producing a film that is rife with complex issues central to the way in which we define ourselves. Synecdoche, New York tells the story of a man lost within his own self. When the main character, Caden (Philip Seymour Hoffman) comes to realise he is dying of an undiagnosed autonomic disease, he is forced to confront the disillusionment that plagues his life. As his first marriage dissolves, leading to a spate of frustrated relationships, and his career as a play director stagnates, Caden endures a desperate sense of loneliness. His decision to use his prize money from a previous play to create a
moment in the film. Caden appears to view this undertaking as an achievable and essential quest that will reveal to his audience the bleak realities of our existence. Whether this is a successful attempt though is disputable.
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Fuse.listings
email: listings@forgetoday.com
Friday May 22 - Thursday June 11 2009
Fri 22
Sat 23
Sun 24
Mon 25
Tue 26
Wed 27
Thur 28
ASBO A Go Go @ Bungalows and Bears; 8pm; free
Glare @ S1 Artspace; 12pm-6pm; free Kim Coleman & Jenny Hogarth explore the processes of making and destroying visual effects.
T Willy’s Beach Party @ Bungalows and Bears; 5pm; free
Asian Dub Foundation @ Plug; 7:30pm; £10adv The hard-driving raggajungle rhythms and fast-chat conscious lyrics of Asian Dub Foundation can be heard at Plug as part of a Love Music Hate Racism event.
Never Forget @ The Lyceum; 7:30pm; £14.80 - £20.40 NUS
Guido van der Werve @ The Site Gallery; 11am 5.30pm; free The artist uses film and sound to dislocate viewers from their surroundings. Eerie, hypnotic and meditative; the exhibition runs until Saturday, May 30.
Patrick Wolf @ Leadmill; 7:30pm; £12.50
Film Unit: Milk @ SU Auditorium; 7:30pm; £2
Minnaars @ The Harley; 8pm; £2
With a rare DJ set from Lovefoxx, the oft-unitard sporting lead singer of Brazilian electro pop outfit CSS.
Toddla T and friends are back at B&B to celebrate the release of his debut album Skanky Skanky.
Offbeat @ The Raynor Lounge; 9pm; £3 The indiepoppunk club night is hosting its annual Smiths/Morrissey special with loads of Smiths and Morrissey tracks plus the usual leftfield indie mix.
A compelling account of Harvey Milk, an American gay rights activist and politician, and his journey in becoming California’s first openly gay elected official.
Ida Barr’s Variety Parade @ The Lyceum; 7:30pm; £18 - £22 A saucy but affectionate celebration of variety old and new, with a touch of burlesque from Sheffield Theatres and The University of Sheffield.
Fri 29
Sat 30
Film Unit: Vicky Cristina Barcelona @ SU Auditorium; 7:30pm; £2
Titus Andronicus @ Leadmill; 7pm; £6 Loved and heralded by critics from across the world, Titus Andronicus are loud and heavily distorted on the guitars with their interpretation of shoegaze rock.
A rare horror classic with live music accompaniment.
Teitur @ Plug; 7pm; £8adv A polite young troubadour who lightly orchestrates musings on love, loss, suffering and sorrow.
Sun 31
Mon 1
Tue 2
Wed 3
Thur 4
Film Unit: Romeo & Juliet @ SU Auditorium; 7:30pm; £1.80
Mark Thomas @ City Hall; 8pm; £10 The comedian Mark Thomas attempts to answer some of the more pressing questions about the state we are in such as: Is Britain the new Iceland?
Tommy Reilly @ Academy 2; 7pm; £6
Terminator: Salvation @ Odeon & Cineworld; £4.60 - £5.10 The highly anticipated new installment of The Terminator film franchise starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and lots of machines.
Fuzz Club @ Fusion & Foundry; 10pm; £4adv
If Not Now, When? @ Access Space; 11am 7pm; free
Joan of Arc @ The Shakespeare; 8pm; £4
Another chance to see Baz Lurhmann’s interpretation of the Shakespearian play on the big screen.
Mia @ Redhouse; 10pm; free A brand new house, progressive and techhouse club night featuring four DJs and it’s all for free.
The man behind many amazing remixes and house music masterpieces will be on the Shuffle lineup.
Where Spaceships Go All-Dayer @ The Harley; 4pm; £3 A special all day event put on by the monthly band night featuring Hot Club de Paris, The Heebie Jeebies and Blacklisters.
Fri 5
Sat 6
Kid British @ Fusion; 7:30pm; £7adv
Oh My Word! + The Silent Age + Mourning For Autumn @ The Grapes; 8pm; £3 Mourning For Autumn’s debut Sheffield show. Expect a great venue, good beer and three great bands.
The winner of Channel 4’s UnsignedAct competition prepares to live up to the hype with a UK tour.
Dinosaur Pile-Up is the lo-fi indie pop project of Matt Bigland, who is based in Leeds. He writes all the songs which he records on an 8-track recorder.
Joan of Arc are an experimental indie rock band from Chicago known for their use of electronics and samples.
West Side Story @ The Lyceum; 7:30pm; £20.50 - £36.50 Joey McKneely’s vibrant new stage production of the classic dance musical comes to Sheffield, after wild critical acclaim from around the world.
A photographic exploration of contemporary culture with work from various artists.
Sun 7
Mon 8
Tue 9
Wed 10
Thur 11
Beyoncé @ the Arena; 7.30pm; £49.50adv
Give It A Go: Wine Tasting @ Fusion; 6pm; £5 Impress your mates with your knowledge of fine wines. Come along to this introduction to the fascinating world of wine, where you’ll learn how to taste, smell, and drink fine wines from a leading wine expert.
The Tuesday Club @ Fusion & Foundry; 10:30pm; £11adv
Just Jack @ Leadmill; 7pm; £10adv Just Jack brings his infectious, catchy, hookladen tunes to Sheffield, which coincides with the release of his new album All Night Camera.
Give It A Go: Alton Towers @ Bar One Glossop Road; 8.15am; £28
Last Laugh Comedy Club @ Sheffield City Hall; 7pm; £15
Last Laugh favourite Paul Tonkinson makes a welcome return to City Hall. Great perfomer, great jokes. Other acts on the bill include Caimh McDonnell, Christain Reilly and Tony Burgess, though the lineup could change.
One of the most innovative and unconventional UK solo artists of the 21st century is building up for the relase of a new album, The Bachelor, on Monday June 1.
A progressive, experimental indie band from Leicester. With support from Calf By Calf and Urgent Talk.
A sophisticated romantic comedy from Woody Allen, starring Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson.
Mastodon @ Corporation; 7pm; £15adv Probably one of the most notable bands in American heavy metal today, they have a career spanning 10 years, with four studio album releases along the way and a fan base that continues to increase.
Direct from its acclaimed West End run, this spectacular musical is bursting with life, laughs and the great songs of Take That. Shizzle @ The Harley; 10pm; free Warm up for Tuesday Club or stay until four in the morning at Shizzle, a free hip-hop and drum and bass night.
Steve Angello @ Plug; 10:30pm; £8adv
A street smart band who have been deemed the best new band in Manchester are signed to Mercury Records. They have allied their songwriting craft to a ballsy hip hop production.
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari @ Showroom; 8:30pm; £4.30
If you have the funds to splash out on a ticket to see the divine Ms. Knowles, then feel free to share the wealth! Put a ring on it with the bootyshaking songstress whilst she’s in the country. It’s her first full-length tour since 2007, and she’ll be debuting live performances of songs from I AM...Sasha Fierce. Give It A Go: Whitby and Scarborough @ Bar One Glossop Road; 8am; £15 Enjoy a trip to the small fishing town of Whitby and then the sandy bays of Scarborough.
Tapis Volants (Flying Carpets) @ Cupola Gallery; 10am-6:30pm; free
Paris based artist Francis Berthault is welcomed back to Cupola for his second solo exhibition at the Hillsborough based gallery.
Rod Picott & Amanda Shires @ The Grapes; 8pm; This duo from Nashville Tennessee make Gothic, Americana music.
Carol Ann Duffy @ St. George’s Church; 7pm; free
Scratch Perverts present a special event called Beatdown. With Scratch Perverts, Foreign Beggars, Noisia, Benga, Zinc and many more. Lazy Tree Surgeons will also be playing live in Bar One at 9pm. Entartete Kunst + The Ruby Kid @ The Red House; 8pm; £3 Entartete Kunst make anarchist hip-hop and hail from San Francisco. Sheffield rapper The Ruby Kid will also be performing with a full band.
Carol Ann Duffy is one of the best poets in the country and currently holds the position of Britain’s poet laureate. She has won the Whitbread Award and the Forward Poetry Prize. Places are limited for this event so booking is essential.
Round up a posse and join one of the week’s trips to the best theme park in the UK. The price includes a return coach journey on top of your entry to the park, so it’s an absolute bargain. You also get to see your friends being scared of the rides, which is utterly priceless. Fuzz Club :@ Fusion & Foundry; 10pm; £5adv The Young Knives round off the academic year, and Fuzz’s 10th birthday celebrations.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
17
FEATURES
Blood and batons: the protesters march on
pay. Now 55 and working in the care industry alongside young people with autism, John reflects on a tumultuous period in his life with mixed emotions but without regret. “Thatcher was going to smash the trade union movement; she wanted to close collieries, so I had no qualms about coming out on strike.
By Michael Hunter Swinging punches at members of the BNP, occupying lecture theatres for days without a wash, disrupting careers fairs, and trying to kick army recruiters off of campus are all just part of the undergraduate experience for one dedicated student activist. Daniel Randall has been in the thick of some of the most highprofile protests to have gripped our Union over the past three years, most notably the Gaza sit-in at the Hicks Building last March. As well as being a member of the group which stormed last month’s jobs exhibition in the Octagon Centre, he was also involved in the long-standing quest to prevent the Officer Training Corps (OTC) recruiting students on the Union concourse. Yet, despite boasting an impressive CV of demonstrating, the 22-year-old remains modest about his role within this University’s protest culture, and played down the notion of his involvement in any project carrying significant influence. “Leadership in this sense is important but it is a question of how it is dispensed. If people did see me as a figurehead I’m only comfortable with that if it was clear I was a representative to a bigger movement,” he said. “There is a danger that too much of an emphasis on leadership gives rise to an elite class who bureaucratically control a movement. The Gaza occupation didn’t have that problem – we held two general meetings a day and every decision was taken democratically.”
Too much of an emphasis on leadership gives rise to bureaucratic control
Daniel Randall has been in the thick of some of the most high-profile protests The Gaza activists ended their nine day protest after striking a deal with University management. Around 150 people were part of the demonstration when it reached its climax on March 25, with a rally through the University concourse to Firth Court, and Daniel was pleased with the response from the student community. “Looking back on it, that was the biggest success of the protest on that level – raising people’s political consciousness on the issue. If we tried to, or attempted to limit the people involved it would have been distinctively less successful than it was.” While the Gaza sit-in and subsequent organised march reflected a more peaceful side of protesting, the English Literature student made no secret of his participation in direct action during other projects. In 2007, he was part of a group which blocked the entrance to a BNP members’ function in Nottinghamshire. Chaos inevitably followed and Daniel and his fellow demonstrators
Policing tactics at the G20 Summit have brought protesting back into the public eye. found themselves in a punch-up with supporters of the far-right party. He said: “I think if it is necessary to use violence in certain circumstances then that sort of direct action should be taken. “If the state is more than willing to use violent tactics against protesters then we should be prepared to respond in that way.”
“I saw police using truncheons and batons, knocking lads down” Policing tactics came under the microscope earlier this year after footage of several officers using heavy-handed methods during London’s G20 protests was obtained by the media. A critical reaction to police behaviour triggered the suspension of officers
and the launch of an independent review. But for John Fletcher, the scenes he witnessed on his television were all too similar to his own experiences as a former frontline activist. John was one of the thousands of miners who manned the picket lines for a gruelling 12-month period between 1983 and 1984. As the 25th anniversary of the struggle dawns, the miners’ strike remains one of the most notorious witnessed in this country in the modern era. He recalled: “I’ve seen the police doing the same; using their batons, using their truncheons, using whatever method, knocking lads down, lads covered in blood, hospitalised. “When I watched the G20 on TV I just thought: ‘God, I was watching that 25 years ago. I
mean, I was there’. “The tactics of the police [during the miners’ strike] was unbelievable. The policemen had their numbers covered up – you didn’t even know what force they were from.
The miners’ strike was the longest of its kind but it wasn’t enough “They weren’t the local constabulary so they were underhanded if you like. I was listening to policemen talking and working out the pay they were going to get for the week. They were working 80 or 90 hours overtime.” John picketed the gates of the colliery where he worked in the village of Dawdon, County Durham for a full year without
“My hatred for Margaret Thatcher was more and more. The more I saw the woman on TV, the more I hated her. And the more I heard Arthur Scargill on TV, the more I believed in him,” he said. The miners’ strike was the longest of its kind in British history but it wasn’t enough to save the coal-mining industry. From his Barnsley headquarters, the mineworkers’ divisive leader Arthur Scargill failed to save their jobs in what was seen as one of Margaret Thatcher’s defining moments as Prime Minister. As was prevalent in the miners’ struggle, strikes and protests tend to rear themselves in times of economic gloom. And amid the current recession, there has been no shortage of demonstrations both nationally and internationally. The streets of Bangkok were reminiscent of a war zone as Thai protesters called for the Government to surrender power in April, while the ill-fated G20 demonstrations saw an array of campaigns merge together. Plane Stupid is a global warming awareness group which exercises peaceful methods of protest opposing airport expansion plans all over the country. Group member Lily Kember reckons their demonstrating style can be just as effective as direct action in raising awareness of a certain cause. “A few years ago the third runway [at Heathrow airport] was a dead cert; it was definitely going to happen as it was. Then, because of a lot of the campaigns that happened and the profile that was raised in the media, it became an issue that was debated rather than being something that was going to happen,” she said. And Lily suggests that a turbulent political backdrop can often be the springboard to protesters engaging in all sorts of campaigns. A lot of the people who are caring about climate change at the moment are also venting their frustration against a system that is so obviously flawed and has led us down a path of climate catastrophe. It’s a systematic problem as much as anything else.” Whether it is for the right to work; to halt climate change; or expose extremist politics, a protest wouldn’t carry the same weight or significance if it weren’t for campaigners like Daniel, John and Lily standing up for what they believe in.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
19
Can you escape the graduate jobs crash?
FEATURES
By Paul Garbett For many final year students the countdown to the end of term is synonymous with careers fairs, lengthy job application forms and preparing for life-changing interviews. For the last five years there has been a boom in the graduate jobs market, with students walking into attractive positions with record high salaries. Fast-forward to 2009 and our country is deep in recession. The class of ’09 are facing the toughest jobs market in the last two decades, with the number of students securing a job before graduation having fallen by a third and a large number of high profile companies making cutbacks in their graduate recruitment search. The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2009 last month revealed the gloom shared by many students about graduating in the toughest of economic times. The research surveyed 16,500 students and found that 52 per cent of final years feel that the prospects for new graduates are very limited, while 36 per cent said they didn’t expect to get a graduate job this year at all. The research also shows a record low confidence in the job market, with 42 per cent feeling that if even they had managed to land a graduate job, it may be cancelled by employers before they start work. While redundancy is also a concern, with 48 per cent of graduates worried they may lose their jobs within 12 months. Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, who carried out the survey, believes it shows a worrying sign of the times.
36 per cent of final years said they didn’t expect to get a job He said: “Having invested an average of £15,000 on their degrees, tens of thousands of finalists are now set to leave university without a job offer and feel they have little prospect of finding work in the immediate future. “Our survey shows final year students are gloomy and frustrated about their employment prospects. Students are all too aware that a significant number of employers have cut their graduate recruitment programmes or are delaying taking on new trainees until the economic situation improves.” Many of this year’s graduates have looked away from the previously attractive worlds of the financial and property sectors in a bid to find a higher level of job security. For the first time ever, more final year students have applied to work in teaching than any
The annual careers survey suggests that the champagne has gone flat for many graduates. other career, while applications in the public sector have increased by more than a quarter. The economic downturn has also prompted a revival of interest in technical and skilled careers, with a 46 per cent jump in applications for engineering positions and, for the first time in nearly a decade, more students have applied for IT jobs. However, it isn’t a completely dark outlook for all; indeed Nicholas Broughton of Londonbased recruitment consultants Fortuna Search and Selection believes that major corporations will be reluctant to ignore talented graduates and reduce their number of vacancies. He said: “It appears the big accountancy firms and major global banks are among those who, even though they expect job cuts in the real economy and banking as a whole, won’t cut the number of graduates they recruit. “To these firms, graduates are seen as the business leaders of the future, and therefore vital to attract at an early stage of their career. In the short term, the major established programmes will carry on much as normal, maybe recruiting fewer people, but we’re now expecting major dips”. In order to beat the credit crunch, more students than ever this year will apply for positions abroad, spurred on by the promise of a better lifestyle, higher
earnings and increased prospects in countries elsewhere in Europe and places like Australia, Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sarah McDonnell editor of Eurograduate Magazine, believes there are realistic opportunities for Brits abroad. She said: “According to EU figures, only two per cent of workers currently live and work in another EU member state. Given the current economic climate I’d be surprised if more graduates didn’t consider working abroad, simply to increase the opportunities available to them. “And there certainly are opportunities - you only have to look at the Eures (European Employment Service) website to see thousands of jobs in Europe advertised. That’s not to say that graduates can step on a plane and expect a job to be waiting for them when they land - jobseeking abroad takes a lot of research and organisation, not to mention overcoming language and cultural barriers - but the benefits can be immense.” Dubai in particular is vastly becoming an employment hot spot for graduates due to its rapidly expanding business centre. Stephen Bateman, aged 26, arrived in Dubai in July 2007, having graduated with a Masters Degree in Banking and Finance at Lancaster University. Stephen landed a job with a
British financial firm and says he has fully enjoyed the experience of working overseas. “If you are fortunate enough to get a job out here then it’s a superb place to work” he said. “Whilst the graduate salaries are on a similar scale to the UK, there is no income tax in Dubai and the standard of living is much higher, meaning you can eat out more often and really enjoy life in a fantastic climate. “I spend a lot of my weekends on the beach or playing golf and tennis with other expats and there’s a real atmosphere amongst your colleagues.
“Graduates are seen as the business leaders of the future” “The UAE is still a quickly growing economy and while the global financial crisis is having some effect here, there are real opportunities for me to develop my career which I perhaps wouldn’t have had working in the finance industry in Britain.” With a general election to take place within the next year, the level of fear among final years has certainly not been missed by the Government, who have unveiled a new ‘Graduate Pool’ website to link graduates with top employers. Minister of State for Higher
Education David Lammy said: “While this report is based mainly on perceptions of what might happen, we are committed to providing graduates with practical support to help them get a job or further their education. “That is exactly why we have launched the next stage of our graduate internship initiative which will sit alongside other internship schemes and additional graduate opportunities such as postgraduate study and volunteering. “If you want a good job and a rewarding career, getting a degree remains one of the best ways to achieve it. Graduates are still less likely to be unemployed than others in the job market, and those who are finishing their degree this year should be confident that there are many opportunities available to them.” Despite the depressing statistics and low morale among final years, one extremely positive figure did come out of the Graduate Careers Survey. The fact that 90 per cent of students have enjoyed their time at university and would recommend others to utilise their UCAS points and try out the student lifestyle for themselves. So although going to university may cost you £15,000 and not guarantee that you can walk straight into the job of your dreams. It seems many of us wouldn’t change our campus experience for the world.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
LIFESTYLE
Fashion packers: Our commandments on how to travel with style By Harriet Bowe When you think of backpackers, you imagine bandanas, walking boots and messy hair. All the things that would make me not want to go travelling. But, just because you only have a single backpack of clothes to last you two months does not mean that you have to skimp on the fashion front. Pack sensibly and still manage to trot the globe in style by following Forge Press Lifestyle’s travelling commandments: Thou shalt not take a tragic backpack. So it has to be practical and the choice is limited. Most people borrow backpacks from friends or family to save money. But there is nothing stopping you from accessorising it. Tie a cute scarf around the handle, this will make your backpack easy to spot in airports and on a train, while adding a personal touch of style. The Barbara Hulanicki range from Topshop do some pretty ones, or alternatively root around in your local charity shops for a cheap vintage version.
fashionable alternative to a trainer in the day. Ideally, you may want to take a pair of heels but often a pair of studded sandals will look equally as glam and save that essential space in your backpack. Also, a pair of plastic flip flops like Havaianas are a must – not only are they really comfy and perfect for the beach, but can also be worn in the shower, so you can avoid verrucas in any communal wash rooms. Thou shalt not wear a bandana. Messy hair does not have to be covered up with a brightly coloured handkerchief. Accessorize do a great range of headbands in a variety of different styles, that will not only keep your hair looking sleek and tied back off your face but will add a bit of style to your locks. These are great as they can be worn day or night to add character to any outfit. Add a pair of
huge sun glamour.
glasses
for
instant
Thou shalt not have messy hair. Let’s face it, you’re not going to have room to take your hair dryer or straighteners, and many hostels may not be able to provide you with the means to use your much loved gadgets. Keep your hair natural and go for the beach babe look. Dry shampoo is a godsend, perfect for those long flights and train journeys; it will keep your hair looking fresh and clean. Batiste is a really cheap alternative to some of the more expensive products and works a treat. Better still, you can pick it up in a range of different scents such as tropical blush from Superdrug for £1.95. Thou shalt not wear a cagoule. Depending on where you go it’s likely that you’re going to get the
Thou shalt not wear walking boots
Hot or not?
You’re going travelling not trekking. Therefore, if you’re not planning on climbing Mount Everest, a cute pair of flats will do the job just fine. Gladiator sandals are especially fashionable this summer; they are a great medium between flip flop and strappy heels and a comfy pair will save your feet on a night out and be a
Blazers This Summer the ultimate fashion item you’re in need of is the boyfriend blazer. Team with a dress or jeans and you’ll have the perfect, sophisticated outfit. Verdict: Hot
May Showers We should be outside revising (or sunbathing!) Not trapped in the I.C. But instead it keeps raining so we end up soaked to the skin with panda eyes. Not a good look. Verdict: Not
Summer Workouts With Summer just around the corner there’s huge pressure to achieve the perfect bikini body. Go for sorbet instead of ice cream... it’s almost the same as a gym trip! Verdict: Not
odd spot of rain. And although kagools are cringe worthy you are going to have to take some form of waterproof jacket. But there are limits. Catherine Kidson does a pretty ‘Cag in a Bag’ covered in the signature vintage rose print that will roll up and fit in your backpack, both fashionable and waterproof from only £25.00. Thou shalt still be glamorous. Just because you’re going travelling doesn’t mean that you have to dress like a hippy. Admittedly, don’t take anything too valuable travelling with you, it’s only going to get lost/ripped/ stolen. So that rules out your
Dry shampoo is a must have for any seasoned traveller favourite dress. But understandably, in some of the more glamorous cities in the world you’re going to want to look as fab on the first night out as the last. A kaftan is the ultimate space saving buy. Not only is it lightweight and will take up hardly any room in your backpack but will look hot both in the day and night. An alternative to a sarong, it will keep you covered up in the day, on the beach, and can be doubled up as a dress on the night. Take cheap vest tops and team them with a cute waist belt: Topshop do a great range of skinny waist belts in a variety of colours. These are small and will take up hardly any room in your bag and will add a touch of style to a casual top. To dress up your casual clothes take a couple of good all-rounder necklaces and bangles that will go with any of your clothes.
Festivals Camping may not be your idea of fun, but with so many festivals on offer you can’t go wrong. Drink in hand, sunglasses on, and baby-wipes close by, get your tickets now! Verdict: Hot
Still consider fashion when travelling. Thou shalt steal from friends. Remember, you’re probably going travelling with your friends. Swap clothes with your fellow travellers and immediately your wardrobe is doubled. You don’t need to ram your backpack so full that you fall over when you put it on. You’re going to have to carry this thing all around the world and you need to save a bit of space to bring back mementoes. Thou shalt ditch their foundation. I know it sounds scary, but toiletries need to be streamlined in order to save space, and you may find that your foundation becomes useless in a new foreign climate. Firstly, letting the sun get to your skin will help clear up any
Facebook Stalking Procrastination of any form is welcome instead of revision. It’s even interesting looking at people you knew when you were 12. If only there was an exam on Facebook. Verdict: Hot
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
21
LIFESTYLE
Save your pennies, to afford more penne
Me and another girl share a bathroom on our floor but she never buys toilet roll. I’ve asked her to get some and she has only bought it once, what should I do? This is very rude, you’re right to be annoyed. Chances are if she thinks she can get away without buying it, then she won’t. Maybe keeping your toilet roll in your room is the only solution. This may be awkward but it could teach her a lesson, especially if you remove it after she’s had a curry.
By Jonathan Mottram
Photo: Laura Smith blemishes, just be sure to wear some form of sun protection. Also, you’ll want to tan your face. You don’t want to come back from holiday looking like you’ve dipped your face in Tippex when you hop out of the shower. Thou shalt have a good time Finally, it’s important to ensure that you don’t worry too much about how you look. Yes you can still travel without turning into the cookie monster. However, there will be times when hot water is a luxury, even when you’ve shared a 15 hour bus journey with a pig and two chickens. If you love to travel but hate to leave your straighteners, just follow these commandments to travel and look good.
Topless men The sun only peeps out from behind the clouds and certain boys jump at the chance to rip off their tops; flaunting their (not so toned) abs like they’re Daniel Craig. So wrong. Verdict: Not
You’re in your overdraft and numbers and figures are flying all over the place in front of your eyes. You only wanted to withdraw a tenner, yet the cash point is mocking you and throwing all these negative numbers at you. You end up scrounging the house for pennies for a massive bag of pasta to last what seems like the rest of your University life. Is there anything you can do? Yes! You can save! Everyone knows the feeling of receiving their student loan, the account looks healthy and it feels OK to spend again. You can go and buy pointless things and not feel bad about it, you can even afford pasta that has bits of meat already inside it. However, has the thought of putting a few quid of that loan away ever crossed your mind? There are so many reasons why you should save. Whether it’s for something specific, like a holiday or for the sake of having some security or (gulp) for the future. If you’ve already got a bit of cash then you need to look at the kind of account it’s in. In the current economic climate, savings accounts aren’t exactly winning people over. However you should shop around online for good interest rates or go into your bank and speak to an adviser. Therefore you’re going to get the best deal for your hard earned money. If you don’t have much saved (yet) then just think about the huge psychological benefits of having a bit of money stored away. Imagine checking your statements and seeing some money in a savings account alongside your current account. As well as that, you won’t feel as much pressure at the end of term when you’re creeping further into your overdraft.
Aunt Agony Advises
We signed for a house, the house is lovely but it only has single beds, is there anyway we could demand doubles? You can’t demand double beds, but you can talk to your landlord. Even after you’ve signed it’s not to late to call he or she up and ask if it would be possible to get double beds. Most landlords are reasonable and will oblige.
Does it ever feel like the cashpoint is mocking you? And finally, imagine at the end Alternatively, to save on taxi of the worst week ever being able fares invest in a wheel barrow. You to go and buy yourself something can even pimp it out with spray new to cheer yourself up – and not paint and tassels. feeling guilty because of it. Then for every night out nominate So from now try and save some a designated driver to take you to pennies here and there... every and from the club. You’ll get a nice little helps, so they say. ride home, and the driver can also Next time you’re drunk, hide a get a good workout, meaning he or £5 note in some of your clothes and she saves on gym membership. think about how elated you’ll be Nights out are also a considerable the next day when you find it. expense. Instead of spending the Or more seriously consider best part of a tenner for you and a selling something. Everyone at mate to go to the cinema, why not university has something hidden instead, invest in a shadow puppet away in their room that’s worth a theatre. few bob. For the cost of a white sheet, a Mobile providers such as Orange torch and some batteries. You could can offer great deals with a new have hours of good wholesome fun. phone with oodles of features, so So, why not use one of these very you can sell your camera or shiny useful and practical tips today, so mp3 player. that you’ll be able to eat tomorrow.
Our house is forever falling out over bills. No one wants to pay the whole amount, or chase people up for money. How can we solve this? Simple, get a joint account for your whole house. As a group go down to your bank and open one account in everyone’s name. Then each month everyone puts money into the account. Use this to pay the bills. Then at the end of the year close the account and split everything that is in it equally between everyone. This will stop arguments and mean that no one has to foot a big bill such as gas, and electricity ever again. Get in touch and hopefully Aunt Agony can help you with any problems you may be having. Email problems to press. lifestyle@forgetoday.com.
Lifestyle Review: The York By Keri O’Riordan Many people will remember with disgust when we learnt at the beginning of the year that our favourite Broomhill Scream bar would be turned into, ‘an old man’s ale pub.’ As students we felt personally affronted as the inside went from a warm and welcoming yellow, to a sort of purple you’d expect in a 13 year-old’s bedroom in 1995. Never again were we going to be able to get a Scream burger with curly fries and cheese in Broomhill. Now we’d have to walk all the way to the Cavendish. After many months of sulking, we decided we should at least give The ‘new’ York a shot. We walk in and admittedly the purple does make the place feel very cold and not so welcoming. However you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, and when you get to the bar, you realise that there is a much wider selection of ales and ciders that the ‘old’ York could have boasted about.
So with my favourite flavour cider in hand I start to contemplate my surroundings a bit more thoroughly. There are games everywhere. There is a large bar skittles game with some sort of ball on tether attachment. A pinball machine, and not to mention countless board games. Outside there is a massive connect four, chalkboards with hangman, and a game where you throw hoops onto pegs. We decide to play a bit of family fortunes with authentic “Uh-Uh” buzzer. Then we have an exciting round of hungry frogs, much to the delight of our fellow punters. The service was very friendly, and as we sat outside a barmaid came out and asked if we’d like the heaters on, which was polite. Despite still mourning The ‘old’ York, did have a lovely time drinking cider in the sun playing guess who, A nice relaxed atmosphere means it’s a must for a chilled summer evening, not so much if you’re stopping there before a night out.
The ‘new’ York is a good choice for a chilled evening.
Photo: Keri O’Riordan
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
LIFESTYLE
Love in the time of chlamydia
At this point in the year, when I have to consider my ridiculous work load, the last thing I want to be doing is making sure I make time for that special person in my life. Not that I don’t enjoy the company of the men in life, far from it. I will often sacrifice those vital three or four hours in the I.C. and instead spend them with that special guy. Unfortunately the combination of being given a chance to dodge my work means that, because I’m spineless, I often will. However, it’s not just the idea of being distracted from my work, which to be fair isn’t really that distressing to me. It’s when I find myself second place to a piece of coursework. I have no shame in admitting: I’m selfish and almost definitely a hypocrite. So, as much as I don’t want to be distracted while I’m doing my work, I’m more then happy to be a distraction. The fact that my boyfriend can find the will power to choose to revise some hideous statistical thing over spending time with me makes me want to curl up and die. Of course this may all blow up in my face, seeing as his exams start and finish before mine. So while now I can happily justify blowing off yet another hour in Western Bank in favour of a pear cider in the beer garden, he almost definitely can’t. Unfortunately though, when I’m still in the thick of it he’ll be free and can start pestering me to see him. All those days when I’ve called him “boring” for revising will suddenly be recited back to me, and my lack of will power will almost definitely be my downfall. I’ll probably fail my degree because I didn’t have the ability to say no to that quick drink.
Could you be dying for the sake of a suntan? By Vicky Shaw Yep, I know you will have heard all about the dangers of too much sun exposure plenty of times before...Sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging all sound familiar I’m sure, but statistics show that even though we know too much sun can be bad for our health, we just don’t care! We only get a few weeks of sun a year (if we’re lucky), but this doesn’t mean that we aren’t at risk of seriously damaging our skin. If your skin has gone red in the sun then it’s sunburnt, and getting painful sunburn just once every two years can triple your risk of getting skin cancer. I’m not suggesting you should shut yourself away indoors when the sun shines, as the sun does have its benefits too. It’s our main source of Vitamin D, which helps keep teeth and bones healthy. It’s also a definite mood booster, something we will all need after the stress of exams. But your happy mood won’t last long if you get burnt, so remember to apply sunscreen before you dash outside and get the BBQ cracking. It doesn’t matter if there’s a bit of a breeze or clouds in the sky, YOU CAN STILL BURN! Trust me, unfortunately I speak from experience. It’s all about being smart in the sun. The most harmful time to be in the sun is between 11am and 3pm, so try and cover up during this time. However, I know that when you’re on holiday you want to get the most wear out of your bikinis. So, what we can all do is to make sure we apply generous
amounts of sunscreen and reapply it regularly throughout the day. When it comes to sunscreen, don’t just grab the first bottle you see on the shelf, or the cheapest; we’re happy to splash our cash on a new outfit to keep ourselves looking good, so the same principle should apply to our skincare. Take into consideration your skin tone. Just because your friend is using Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 and hasn’t burnt, it doesn’t mean that the same SPF will provide enough protection for your skin. I was determined to use the same SPF as my friends when we were on holiday; I didn’t want to be the palest. But while they were beginning to gain a healthy holiday glow, I looked like my face had been fried...yep, bad times. Eventually I gave in to the fact that my fair skin means that while they could get away with SPF 15 it would have to be a minimum of SPF 25 for me.
Getting painful sunburn once every two years can triple your risk of cancer Melanin is a pigment in your skin which provides natural protection from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays, and if you have fair skin, freckles, red hair or moles your skin will contain less melanin. If this is you, then you should definitely be buying a sunscreen with a high SPF. Cancer Research UK recommends that no matter what skin tone you have you should always use a sunscreen with at least an SPF 15. Anything lower than this isn’t going to provide you with enough protection.
Is it really worth it? The SPF of a sunscreen is the amount of protection provided against the UVB rays which cause sunburn and can lead to skin cancer. However, the sun’s UVA rays can also cause cancer and these are the rays which damage the collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in signs of premature aging. Eek! To make sure your sunscreen protects you from these rays too you have to buy a ‘broad spectrum’ sunscreen. Sunscreens are rated from 0 to 5 star. The higher the star rating, the more protection against the UVA rays the sunscreen will provide. Some of the best sunscreens on the market are Boots Soltan and Piz Buin. When thinking about protection from the sun we often forget our eyes. The sun’s UV rays can also damage our eyes and lead to eye problems such as cataracts. So when you’re picking your new pair
Cartoon: Kate Carson of sunnies don’t just choose ones which follow the latest trends, make sure they provide high UV protection too. There’s no denying it, most of us feel healthier and more attractive with a tan, however a scary number of you will still ignore all the warnings and continue to use low SPF sunscreen and sun-beds to get the bronzed look. Please think about the long term affects to your health. Not only your health, but your looks too. You may look better for it now but in a few years’ time wrinkles will appear and before you know it you could look 10 years older than you are. Why not fake it instead? Johnson’s Holiday Skin is an everyday moisturiser which also contains a small amount of fake tan; so it’s really easy to use. But if you’re willing to splash the cash, St Tropez’s quality range of tanning products are amazing. All the benefits of having a tan with none of the guilt.
Society of the fortnight: Fell running By Emily Williams
Stay fit and have fun.
Despite being one of the less conventional sports, fell running should not be overlooked as an activity that provides the opportunity to radically improve your fitness. It also gives you the chance to enjoy the Yorkshire landscape and views of the Peak District. Fell
running is part of the Orienteering and Fell running club or SHUOC. They run regular Give It A Go taster sessions to various locations in the Peaks, tackling routes of varying difficulty to suit “elite athletes, and those who want to stay fit and have fun alike”, says Nic Barber, SHUOC’s captain. These sessions are great fun, allowing a unique opportunity for city-bound students to appreciate
the stunning scenery and offering challenging runs (punctuated by breaks) across road, track, rough terrain, and even the odd stream. Each session is rounded off with a visit to a local pub to re-fuel and a chance to mingle. The club also provide excellent training sessions with circuits on a Monday, hill training on a Tuesday, interval training on Thursdays, as well as regular
weekend events. Aside from the initial membership fee of £10 for the year, costs are limited to entry fees for races (£2-£5) and contributions for transportation. Only a basic level of fitness is required so look out for the Freshers’ Week Give It A Go; the perfect opportunity to try this exhilarating and different hobby. For more information go to: www.shef.ac.uk/shuoc
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
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TRAVEL
Summer festivals
Benicassim Set on the beach in the middle of July this Spanish festival is a far cry away from wet and muddy British equivalents. The bands play in the evening, leaving you to top up your tan in the day and drink sangria in the sun. Benicassim features many known British acts, including Oasis and Franz Ferdinand, as well as The Killers and Kings of Leon. The music lasts for four days but festival goers can camp for up to nine days. Tickets are approximately £160 and can be purchased from seetickets.com. Exit If you fancy immersing yourself into the pounding beats of The Prodigy, Caspa and Rusko, DJ Marky, Andy C, and the, erm, Arctic Monkeys for four days, why not hop on a plane to Serbia and give Exit festival a try? Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Exit is expected to offer the 50,000 disciples that descend on the festival each year something extra special. Exit takes place from July 9 - July 12, and tickets are still available to purchase directly from the Exit website: eng.exitfest.org. Glastonbury Possibly the most famous festival in Britain, if not the world, is back. Set in Somerset, sunny weather isn’t guaranteed, but the mud and rain is precisely half of the fun. Glastonbury is heavily influenced by hippie ethics and there is more to discover than the music. This year there will also be a stage dedicated to disabled performers. Although the festival is sold out it is well worth trying to get your hands on a golden ticket; maybe travelling down the eBay route. It takes place at the end of June so is the perfect end of exams release.
What looks like an exquisite painting is actually one of the magnificent floats on show at the carnival.
The greatest show on Earth By Alice Carder
Brazilians have an enormous sense of pride in their country. Practically every song I heard out there had one recurring theme: ‘Oh Brazil’, ‘we love Brazil’ ‘Brazil Brazil’ - they couldn’t get enough of it. And who can blame them? While the western world suffocates in the doom and gloom of recession, Rio’s economy thrives, spurred on by their annual display of magic and sorcery that is Carnival: The Greatest Show on Earth. There were less corporate sponsors for the samba schools this year due to the recent economic downturn, but a lack of funds wasn’t going to stop them. “They say this is the year of the Carnival in crisis, but the party that lives inside us all has no price,” said Miqueas Cherry,
who helped create some of the costumes. The best way I can think to describe the sheer feat of man that is Carnival, is that it is like watching 100 West End shows, passing by in succession; each one more ingenious than the last. The floats were more creative than I could have ever imagined; reflecting themes of environmental protection, maritime mythology, space and literature. Each school has hundreds, if not thousands of members, dressed in the exotic colours of the jungle, all striving to out sing and dance the next school. One of the most impressive floats was a wolf as tall as a house, covered head to toe in realistic fur, with moving limbs and lifelike eyes gleaming fiercely. Then there was the giant golden eagle, complete with screeching
City spotlight: Barcelona By Mark Duell Barcelona is one of the most famous cities in the world but make sure that you see the local culture rather than just focusing on tourist hotspots. First stop for anyone who has any interest in sport must be Camp Nou; home of FC Barcelona. See it not just for its architectural brilliance, but also to experience a football-crazy city and learn about the history of a great club. There are a number of superb buildings to go and see across the city, such as the Sagrada Familia cathedral. In a classic case of Spanish ‘Mañana’, they have been building it for over 125 years and still haven’t finished.
Picture: Alice Carder
You can also go and see much of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s work dotted across the city, visit the 1992 Olympic Village or go to a number of museums. The local public transport system is efficient and easy-to-use, so it’s easy to get around without
Catch some rays on the beach.
necessarily ordering a hire car. For the shoppers, there are various large department stores such as El Corte Inglés, but the best place to go is La Rambla - a long high street which is a great place to get totally immersed in the local culture. There is a beautiful beach at Sitges further down the coast, where you can find yourself surrounded by topless women. For a more historical experience, you could travel south to Tarragona to see the Roman remains and check out a well-preserved amphitheatre. Another good place to visit on those lines is Girona in northern Catalonia. There’s a lot to do in Barcelona; just don’t forget to immerse yourself in the Spanish sun.
eagle calls and dancers mounted dangerously high atop the glittering beast. But my favourite had to be the full scale moving house, whose walls would collapse sporadically revealing actors dressed in Mormon like costume wielding hammers amongst exploding dust bombs; creating the illusion of a house being demolished around them, complete with a removable sink being waved around erratically by one of the actors.
Up close a captivating prowess emanates from his almond eyes One of my most memorable moments in Rio, and one that will stay with me for a long time, was my visit to Christ The Redeemer. It is worth mentioning at this point that I am not religious, but I believe a place becomes spiritual because people make it that way. They create a monument or name a place as special and they install in that place their love, peace and spirituality. The more people that come to respect and experience the place, the stronger that atmosphere becomes as each person leaves a small and reverent impression at the heart of it. We made the pilgrimage to the statue by cog train, chugging slowly up through raw jungle, broken in places by the graffiti covered walls of the hidden favela community. The train stopped intermittently at small empty platforms as though waiting politely for a ghost to board the train. Occasionally the driver forgot which direction we were going in and we began sliding back down the hill, just long enough to register the look of panic on the
faces of my fellow passengers. Christ the Redeemer, O Cristo Redentor, named one of ‘The New Seven Wonders of The World’ towers high above the city atop Corcovado Mountain. His magnificent presence is felt from ever corner of Rio. His strong solid arms outstretched with calm, beautifully sculpted hands blessing the people below. Up close a captivating prowess emanates from his almond eyes. Looking up at his chiseled chin and rounded heart carved into his chest like a keepsake locket, I felt humbled; still. Away from the tourist attractions I felt myself clutching my belongings that little bit closer. Rio has a terrible reputation for crime and the fact that a nearby hostel had been raided and its guests robbed the same week we arrived was fuel for my fear. However as I wandered around the city keeping my money in my shoe, I wondered if you were really anymore likely to get robbed here than in London. I certainly wasn’t robbed and didn’t encounter any violence; most people were friendly and the favela kids, whom I’d been warned to watch out for because of pickpocketing, seemed to have more pressing matters to attend to, such as jumping over waves on the beach. I think as long as you’re streetwise, don’t dress like a millionaire and avoid the favelas, much like you’d avoid Harlesden, then Rio is no worse than London. A recent quote I saw from a 14 year old boy in London read: ‘People are dying for the sake of £2.50’. The film City of Men, a follow up to City of God, made me realise that the gun shots coming from the favelas are not aimed at tourists, but at other gang members.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
PUZZLES & HUMOUR
Coffee Break CROSSWORD
overheard in Sheffield
FROM FORGETODAY.COM mOST POPULAR CONTENT THIS MONTH:
In a kitchen
1. FUSE (radio show)
Housemate from Suffolk: I had to snog my cousin, it was ‘spin the bottle’; rules is rules.
2. Forge Media Player home page 3. Matt Harrison (radio show) 4. Snap Crackle and Britpop (radio show)
On a train station platform Young man to old man: Ok, I guess I’ll see you at the next cremation then. Unless it’s yours...
5. Live: Gallows + Every Time I Die + Blackhole @ Leadmill, 5/05/2009
Gallows frontman, Frank Carter.
Across 1. Twelve (5) 4. Hoard (5) 7. Unaware (9) 8. Gape (4) 10. Wore away (6) 12. Birds of prey (6) 13. Notion (4) 16. Large spider (9)
18. The lowest point (5) 19. Implied (5) Down 1. Journal (5) 2. Menagerie (3) 3. World’s longest river (4) 4. Secret or hidden (6) 5. Bustling (7)
Keep up to date with Forge Media by visiting forgetoday.com; featuring articles, podcasts, listen again shows, video content and lots more.
6. Abated (5) 9. Placed a bet (7) 11. Thinner (6) 12. Consumed (5) 14. Proficient (5) 15. Female relative (4) 17. Part of a circle (3)
EXAM STRESS? nightline: 8pm til 8am
listening: 0114 222 8787 info: 0114 222 8788 e-listening: nightline@shef.ac.uk
Up the wall.
Cartoon: Kate Mitchell
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
25
Usain is on a mission to become a legend
FEATURE SPORT
By Paul Garbett The drama and tension of athletics has produced so many iconic sporting moments over the years that we’ve nearly run out of superlatives to describe them. You’d need a heart of stone not to have felt the emotion and excitement when Kelly Holmes claimed her second gold in Athens. And even the most unenthusiastic killjoy would become mesmerised by watching grainy footage of Roger Bannister’s historic four minute mile. Last summer in Beijing, Usain Bolt produced one of those moments and became the sporting icon for a new generation. Bolt claimed a breathtaking world record in the 100m final despite slowing down to celebrate, and then followed that by smashing Michael Johnson’s world record of 19.32 seconds in the 200m before helping the Jamaican relay team to gold in another world best. What impressed me so much about Bolt’s Olympic achievement was his confident yet personal approach. He celebrated emphatically when he won, but steered clear of the arrogant talk we’re so used to from top sportsmen these days. Travelling to Manchester to interview Bolt ahead of his appearance at the Great Manchester Run, I wondered if the big Jamaican would retain this personality now he is a worldwide superstar.
“I’m really focused and I want to stay on top and be a legend.” After all, this is a man who is said to command a fee of $250,000 for his appearance at athletics meetings, and has been bombarded with sponsorship and endorsement packages in the wake of his Olympic glory. But as he jogged into the Manchester media centre, it was obvious he hadn’t lost the sense of humour and humility which won him so many fans in Beijing. “I don’t go into a race and stress myself. I always relax and try to have fun. That’s what makes me different to everyone else and why I can run faster”, Bolt said. “I’ve tried not to change my lifestyle after the Olympics because I’m not going to let anyone change me. “I’ve seen a lot of people come under pressure from the media and go crazy and I’m not going to let that happen to me. If the media are going to take anything out of context then I’m just going to be myself and not change what I do, because that’s who I am.” Bolt admits though that it was initially difficult to stay focused after the euphoria of Beijing. “At first it was hard to motivate myself, but after a while I sat down with my coach and he explained to
Bolt after his record breaking 150m run in Manchester. me that this is where all the work starts”, he said. “I realised that if I want to keep being the best in the world then it’s going to take a lot of work. I’m really focused and I want to stay on top and be a legend. If I want to be a legend, I’ve got to keep working hard and that’s what keeps me going. “I want to be world champion,
then I want to keep winning championships, keep winning Olympics and breaking more records. That’s what’s going to make me the legend and keep me on top.” Bolt has been the subject of criticism in Jamaica after crashing his BMW M3 sports car last month, with some accusing him of losing concentration after the Olympics and engaging in a party lifestyle. However, the 22year-old believes the comments are unfair. He said: “At first I was really frightened and then afterwards once I was safe I began to think about my career and how lucky I was. “I don’t know what people mean when they say it was a wakeup call for me because I go to training and I do what I’ve got to do. I think I’ve dealt with the media quite well after Beijing, because I don’t go out a lot which keeps me out of the spotlight. I like to stay at home which means I’m not the centre of attention.” Bolt arrived in Manchester to compete in a new City Games concept, which saw a specially built 150 metre athletics track placed down the centre of Deansgate in a bid to bring athletics to the streets and draw in a wider audience.
Despite pouring rain, thousands of fans lined the streets to see Bolt obliterate his opponents and record a time of 14.35 seconds, the fastest 150m time ever electronically recorded. As one national newspaper journalist said to me: “He made the rest look like they were strolling down to the bookies on the corner”.
“I think it’s possible that someone could break my 100m record this year.” With athletics crowds dwindling and the world of sports sponsorship badly hit by the recession, the sight of athletes like Bolt storming down a shopping street near you could be the boost that the sport needs. And Bolt agrees that street racing is an exciting new concept for athletics. He said: “It was great to be racing so close to the crowds and it adds so much more energy to the event. “It was a great experience and that’s why I came here, because it’s an exciting idea to take athletics out of the stadium and show people how fast we run.” Bolt’s performance at “70 per cent fitness” will certainly send a message to his closest competitors. Just last week Britain’s Dwain
Chambers defined his season as “Project Bolt”, and Bolt says Chambers could be a threat ahead of this summer’s World Championships in Berlin. “I think everyone is a threat, I don’t think about just one person”, he said. “But if Dwain is in the lane beside me, I’m going to take him as a threat. “I know Asafa Powell is running very fast and there are a lot of people out there who want to be the fastest man in the world. I think it’s possible that someone else could go and break my 100m world record this year.” It seems though that victory in Berlin isn’t far from the Jamaican’s mind. He’s already begun thinking about a new victory celebration to replace his trademark ‘lightning bolt’ gesture. He said: “I’m trying to work out a new celebration, but it’s me so I’ll think of something. “I love having some fun on the track so they’ll be definitely something else soon. You’ll just have to see if I can win gold in Berlin. Then I’ll celebrate, it’s my personality.” In Manchester, that personality shone even brighter than the six foot five Jamaican’s golden vest and stands out like a beacon of hope for athletics. In a world where sport faces the bite of an economic recession, we could probably do with a few more characters like Usain Bolt.
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FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
SPORT INTERVIEW & NEWS
Spin the key to bowling over Aussies, says Hoggard By Matthew Duncan Former England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard has said that spin could hold the key to this summer’s Ashes series. Speaking to Forge Press during a recent visit to Sheffield, the Yorkshire player said that England will have to capitalise on the Australians’ lack of spin if they wish to wrestle back the Ashes urn for the first time since the legendary 2005 series. “If you look at the Australian side, the big gaping hole is in the spin department. Hopefully we’ve seen that and are going to go in with turning pitches and possibly two spinners.” Hoggard has not made an appearance for the England team since the 2008 series against New Zealand, and has said that he does not see himself playing for England again. When asked how it felt to be in England at the start of an Ashes summer without being in the squad, Hoggard replied: “It’s different not being involved, not having to worry about it, not having all the build up. “You don’t get as excited as you do when you are playing. At the moment it is a bit of an anticlimax. I have to just concentrate on what Yorkshire are doing at the moment.” Hoggard was born and brought up in Yorkshire, playing his early cricket for the famous Pudsey Congs Cricket Club before joining
Yorkshire and progressing through the ranks right up to the highest level. This season will see Hoggard once again turning out for his home county, and he was in a positive mood regarding Yorkshire’s expectations. “Yorkshire should have a good season; we have got a big squad with good strength in depth. We have started off steadily, which is probably a good thing since every time we start off like a bull in a china shop we ebb away at the end.” Hoggard is now entering the final years of his career, and he can look back with some pride at his achievements. As well as the MBE he was awarded for his part in the Ashes victory, he has also reached as high as 4th in the world bowling rankings, whilst in April 2006 he was named as one of the five Cricketers of the Year by the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. He went on to offer advice to budding student athletes: “You have to enjoy what you are doing and practice. “I know that it is mundane and everyone says it, but if you want to get somewhere you have to practice and practice.” The true Yorkshireman in Hoggard shone through as he gave his reasons for naming Lords as his favourite ground to play at. “They do the best lunch and teas in the world. If I played for Middlesex, I would end up a right fat twat.”
Ennis triumphant By Matthew Duncan Psychology graduate Jessica Ennis delivered her best ever performance to win the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Combined Events Challenge in Desenzano on May 10. The heptathlete scored a personal best of 6,587 points to comfortably beat her nearest challenger, Ukrainian Hanna Melnchenko, who finished with 6,077. It means that she has now recorded the UK ‘A’ qualifying standard, meaning that she is certain of a place at the World Championships taking place in Berlin in August. It marks a welcome return to the world’s elite for Ennis, who has missed the last 12 months of competition due to a stress fracture. The injury forced her to miss out on last year’s Beijing Olympics. Ennis
led the event from start to finish, recording 4,003 points during the first day’s four-event session. This included a time of 12.98 seconds in the 100m hurdles. She followed this up with a solid performance on the Sunday in the long jump and javelin before finishing the weekend with a personal best of 2:09.88 in the 800m. After the event Ennis said: “I was a bit nervous beforehand. It was a nice surprise to be back into it after a long time out. “I’m very pleased with my 12.98 in the hurdles. I expected to throw further in the shot put which was a bit disappointing after my improvement last week.” The performance from Ennis, the 2006 Commonwealth bronze medallist, moves her up into third in the UK all-time points total list, only behind 2000 Olympic champion Denise Lewis and Judy Simpson. Significantly she has now scored more points in total than current British number one Kelly Sotherton. Ennis then produced a strong performance at the Loughborough International, doing her bit to help England to overall victory.
Matthew Hoggard has said that spin will be key to reclaiming the Ashes urn.
Cricket on the road to success By Charlotte Duncker The University of Sheffield Men’s and Women’s cricket clubs have both enjoyed success recently. The Women’s team have won all five of their games played this season and will now progress as group winners to the knockout stages of the competition to contend for promotion. The girls have been knocked out in the last 16 of the competition for the past two seasons but the belief within the team is so strong this season that they could go all the way. On May 13 the team recorded an emphatic win over their closest rivals, The University of York. A fantastic performance in the field saw York bowled out for only 15 runs with Heather Hales gaining magnificent match figures of 7 wickets for only 6 runs. Sheffield needed a mere 2.4 overs to reach their target and claim victory. Captain for the day Jackie Allen said: “This was an all round brilliant team performance.” Allen also singled out Hales performance with the ball for praise, calling it “exceptional.”
The team then travelled to play the University of Manchester on May 20, again coming out victorious. Their derby match against Sheffield Hallam unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the recent poor weather in Sheffield, but this could not stop the ladies from claiming top spot in the group. The prize for these women, should they win the tournament, is a place in the Premier League where they would be given the opportunity to play against top teams who are all members of the UCCE: University Cricketing Centres of Excellence. Next year’s captain, Rebecca Woods declared that it would be a “massive achievement” if the team were to progress into the UCCE. She said that she is “immensely excited” about taking over as captain next season as this year is the best in their history and with the team due to stay exactly the same next season she feels they could do “really well” in the Premier League. The current club captain and Union Sports Officer-elect, Kate
Rickard says she is “delighted” at the unbeaten run that the team have gone on this season. “It pays off for all the hard work that the girls have been doing indoor in the winter months.” She said: “things have just clicked into place this season and everyone has played their own part in some very good team performances”. Rickard singled out Hales and Allen as being “outstanding all season”. Along with Rickard herself, the trio appear to have an amazing connection on the pitch and are central to the success of the team. Should the team progress through the knockout stages, the trophy final is due to be held on Thursday 25th June with promotion going to the victor of that match. Meanwhile the Men’s 3rd team produced a huge shock result in the Conference Cup to beat Teeside University 1st team to progress into the next round. The team have had a good season so far, sitting top of their league group and are on course for the first ever promotion in their history.
FORGE PRESS Friday May 22 2009
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NEWS SPORT
Intra Mural competition draws to a close amidst high praise from students By Ross Turner The University of Sheffield intramural football season is nearing its end after another successful year. The competition is one of the biggest of its kind in the country, and this season saw the highest number of participants involved in the event’s history. Simon Frost, General Manager at USport, said: “While it’s difficult to compare the different intra-mural competitions across the country because they are so diverse, this University probably has the largest football programme of its type. “This year has gone incredibly smoothly considering the size of the challenge we have had to manage, but we will always be looking to improve the formats to make the footballing experience better for everybody involved.” He continued: “I know from personal experience how much playing football here means to the students and their University life. “The amount of students that make and cement friendship playing here is amazing really; it’s an integral part of so many of their lives in Sheffield. “That is why the intra-mural football leagues are so important to keeping this University one of the most popular in the country.” The football season concludes on Friday when the finals of the 11-a-side competition and threetiered six-a-side competitions take place. Also catered for are five-a-side teams and women’s six-a-side teams, both of which have already reached their end. This year has seen successful alterations to the set-up, including more opportunities for postgrad uate and staff players to become involved - changes which, in Frost’s own words, have received “good customer feedback.” Sports Officer Ella White has also praised the intra-mural
Photo: Helen Munro
The Intra Mural football competition is a vital part of the student experience. institution. “Because it is such a large organisation with so many people involved it’s a great way of encouraging participation in sports at the University. “It represents an easy way for students to enjoy exercise with their mates while making use of the fantastic sport infrastructure that the University has to offer.
“Of course the football is good for the health and fitness of our students, but there is also a huge social side that makes the experience at Sheffield so unique, even more so in that it caters to everybody who comes here. “The efforts of the management have been recognised with the programme being shortlisted for
a national award, which is great because it is running against non-educational institutions like ‘Goals’ as well as universities.” Craig Allison, the captain of a six a side Friday team, emphasised how integral the University’s football scheme is to students: “My experience in Sheffield would not be the same without the USport
football. It’s so convenient to be able to play in such a well-run league without searching all over the city, and because everyone you play against are students it’s a great way to meet people and stay in touch. “My team were knocked out in the third round but we’ll be back next year hoping to win.”
Rowing Club give their all for MS sufferers By David Thomas
The Rowing club outside City Hall for their charity row.
The Rowing club successfully carried out a simulated row to raise money for charity on Sunday. The event, which took part in Barker’s Pool in front of City Hall, was attended by around 40 members of the club, who alternated over the course of the day to complete the epic journey. The organisers of the challenge hoped to raise up to £1,000 in total. The distance of the row, at just under 80 miles, was chosen to replicate the distance from Sheffield to Liverpool. The club completed the challenge in less than nine-and-a-half hours. Money raised from sponsorship will be donated to the MS Society, a national charity which gives assistance to people with multiple sclerosis. The disease is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults, with around 85,000 sufferers in the UK. Despite frequent rainfall on
Sunday that necessitated a pitched gazebo over the rowing machine, Chris Knutsen, a member of the club, commented: “It’s going really well, even though the weather hasn’t been great. We’re even ahead of schedule so we’ve certainly earned the sponsorship money. Hopefully we’ve managed to raise awareness of both the club and the charity.” The Rowing club are reaching the finale of a successful season. The men’s first team are currently hoping to qualify for a place in the Henley Royal Regatta, a centrepiece event in the national rowing calendar which will be held on the River Thames. This year’s Regatta will take place between July 1, and July 5, and will bring together rowing clubs from all over the country for a number of different events. The club shows few signs of slowing down after an arduous year. As well as the possibility of qualifying for the prestigious and world-known Henley Royal Regatta, the club have several more competitive fixtures in the pipeline. “Most of the biggest races of the
year have passed, but in the next few weeks we will be competing at local regattas in Durham, Peterborough and Doncaster”, said Catriona Spence, a member of the club. Knutsen said that the aim for next year was “to medal in the BUCS Championships and also to be competitive in both the Fours and the Eights at the Head of the River race in London.” Spence also revealed that further fundraising events could be planned in the future to support and raise the profile of the club. The club’s land training takes place at the Goodwin Sports Centre, whilst water outings are usually held on the Damflask Reservoir. This is the latest charity event in a year that has seen many of the University sports clubs get involved in community and charity work. The club will be hoping that money raised from their impressive challenge will help to secure a sound financial basis for continued success next year, and to assist less fortunate young adults afflicted by multiple sclerosis.
SPORT Blades link with Uni
Intra Mural success Page 27
Usain Bolt interview Page 25
Lacrosse club scoop Team of the Year gong
Deal being signed. By Christopher Rogan The long-standing relationship between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield United FC has been strengthened in a bid to raise the profile of both institutions. The deal was confirmed at halftime of the second-leg playoff match between the Blades and Preston North End. It cemented the already existing partnership with plans to travel abroad to promote the University, and bring fans to the promotionseeking Sheffield United by way of activities including playing football together. The two largest organisations within Sheffield will hope to promote the city, aiming to bring students to the University in areas such as China and the Far-East, and Australasia. The Blades also aim to attract more fans from other shores. The partnership will see the two groups playing around the globe, in an attempt to gain some international coverage. Sheffield United is arguably the most forward-thinking club in the Football League, with regard to international links. It is the only club to be sponsored by a country, Malta. The University itself can boast of 24,000 students from 124 countries, so neither organisation is unfamiliar with the importance of international ties. Both parties were indeed excited about the prospect of working with each other. “It’s appropriate that we’ve signed this agreement during the biggest game of the year so far for Sheffield United,” said Professor Dominic Shellard, ProVice-Chancellor for External Affairs at the University of Sheffield. “I’m confident that the University and United will work together to shout about Sheffield around the world - which is fantastic news for the city and the region.” Jason Rockett, Chief Executive of Sheffield United, said: “The University of Sheffield is established as one of the premier universities in the UK and around the world. “We have developed strong links with the University over the years – especially as their international programme mirrors that of our own. This is a great opportunity for not only both organisations working in partnership but for the city as a whole.”
Action from the Lacrosse club’s BUCS campaign. The club was named Team of the Year at this year’s Sports Awards. By Paul Garbett The men’s lacrosse club capped off a perfect season with the Team of the Year award at the annual Sports Awards Dinner last week. The side were victorious in every competitive match this season, claiming an impressive treble of trophies as well as winning a competitive Varsity fixture against Hallam. Sports Officer, Ella White thanked the squad for their outstanding performances this season which saw them take the BUCS Northern Conference crown, the Stockport Cup and the BUCS National Championships, in the highlight of the University of Sheffield’s sporting year.
There were also celebrations for the table tennis club, after Paralympian David Wetherill became the second table tennis player in two years to win the Sports Person of the Year award, following Lisa Radford’s victory at last year’s ceremony. First year Chemistry student, Wetherill is currently ranked tenth in the world in the C classification and competed at the Beijing Paralympic Games, where he was controversially knocked out of the competition on a technicality. Since the Paralympics, Wetherill has been earmarked as a medallist at the London 2012 Olympics and has been boosted by an increase in lottery funding. The American Football squad
were praised for their strong off field activities and charity work, which earned them the title of Club of the Year. With one of their players Wojciech Stec picking up the International Sports Person of the Year. Rachel Pregun took the Club Member of the Year for her work in the tennis club. While Spencer Taylor and Steven Gibson were crowned Coaches of the Year after tutoring the women’s football club to the first major cup final in their history, in the Northern Conference competition. In another presentation, American Football player Elliott Josypenko, Cricket captain Mark Williams and Ladies rugby club captain Sadé Hacking were rewarded for their outstanding
Photo: Helen Munro
contribution to club sport. The black tie event held at the Octagon Centre marks one of the final events of the year for outgoing Sports Officer Ella White, who said she was delighted to work alongside a talented group of individuals. She said: “When people talk about university education the latest buzz word is the ‘student experience’ and I think club sport offers so much towards that. “When you leave university you won’t remember your 9am lectures or the amazing essay writing skills you have developed. You’ll remember the day you won the BUCS National Championships or when you won Varsity for the first time in 15 years, by just one point.”