Check out our Black History Month content throughout the paper
Find our review of The Coral at The Leadmill in Music
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THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Read our interview with Bryony Page in Sport
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ISSUE 125 | WEDNESDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2018 | FREE
Students’ Union vows zero tolerance approach to offensive messages on white t-shirt bar crawl Ewan Somerville
Sheffield Students’ Union has vowed to take a zero-tolerance approach on its upcoming white t-shirt social as Forge Press exclusively reveals paedophilic and homophobic messages on t-shirts at a recent ‘North vs. Midlands vs. South’ bar crawl, organised by EatMyDisco. President Lillian Jones promised
to take “offensive or inappropriate messaging very seriously”, including refused entry, at the Dance Your Socs Off (DYSO) white t-shirt bar crawl for University of Sheffield societies on 18 October. It comes as Forge Press can reveal that one t-shirt brandished the message ‘Mr I f**k kids’ at the ‘North vs. Midlands vs. South’ social on September 27, while others suggested a culture of homophobia
and sexualisation at the student event. Organisers EatMyDisco, part of CODE Sheffield, were criticised in the national press last year after pictures emerged from Tiger Works Bar showing an official event t-shirt scrawled by students with the words ‘consent is a myth’ and ‘r**e is not a crime’. But this year, t-shirts at the event’s stop in Tiger Works bar, on
West Street, included the messages ‘predator’, ‘tonight’s a buffet of p***y’ and ‘pls s**g me’. It is unclear whether the individual photographed, and the others witnessed, are students at either the University of Sheffield or Sheffield Hallam university. Our reporter witnessed one man scrawl the word ‘gay’ over the non-offensive official t-shirt of a stranger, along with many other
homophobic references. Dance Your Socks Off, now in its third year, sees organisers Societies Committee invite all societies across the University to sign up, before a big night involving eight bars along West Street and finishing at SU club the Foundry. Built with an ethos to “involv[e] all students in the union [and] allow them to get together and have a good time,”... (cont. on p6)
Otis Mensah appointed as city’s first poet laureate Ewan Somerville
Image: Will Roberts, Vox Multimedia
A hip hop artist who has performed at Glastonbury has been appointed as Sheffield’s first poet laureate, hailed as representing the Steel City’s values and diversity. Otis Mensah was presented with the honorary position by the city’s Lord Mayor Magid Magid at an Off the Shelf Festival event on 6 October. Born and bred in Sheffield, Mensah has gone from strength to strength across the country and globally ... (cont. on p4)
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PIC OF THE PRESS
Stanage Edge, just a short train ride from Sheffield, in the midst of Storm Callum this weekend
Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief David Anderson Managing Editor Becky Sliwa Webb Deputy Editor David Craig Deputy Editor James Pendlington Head of News Ben Warner Head of Sport Adam May LOF Coordinator Sorcha Simons Culture Coordinator Tom Buckland Culture Coordinator Gethin Morgan News Editor Lucas Mentken News Editor Niall O’Callaghan News Editor Alex Peneva Features Editor Arya Damavandy Features Editor Rebecca Lally Opinion Editor Connie Coombs Opinion Editor Matthew Hartill Arts Editor Charly Hurrell Arts Editor Sophie Maxwell Lifestyle Editor Harry Browse Lifestyle Editor Amelia Shaw Music Editor Harriet Evans Music Editor Ben Kempton Screen Editor Gethin Morgan Screen Editor Izzy Cridland Games Editor Luke Baldwin Games Editor Tom Buckland Tech and Science Editor Aidan Hughes Tech and Science Editor Jade Le Marquand Break Editor Robin Wilde Break Editor VACANT Sport Editor Patrick Burke Sport Editor Joshua Taylor News Online Editor Ewan Somerville News Online Editor Ynez Wahab Features/Lifestyle Online Editor Rebekah B Lowri Opinion Online Editor Dave Peacock Culture Online Editor Brenna Cooper Culture Online Editor Ben Kempton Sport Online Editor Michael Ekman Sport Online Editor VACANT Copy Editor Coordinator Leah Fox Copy Editor (News) Charlotte Knowles-Cutler Copy Editor (LOF) Brogan Maguire Copy Editor (LOF) Laura Foster Copy Editor (Culture) Salena Rayner Copy Editor (Culture) Bethan Davis Copy Editor (Sports) Charlie Payne Design and Training Coordinator Chloe Dervey Secretary and Social Secretary Connie Coombs Inclusions and Welfare Coordinator Charlotte Knowles-Cutler Marketing and Publicity Coordinator Chloe Dervey Photography Coordinator Juliet Cookson Website Coordinator VACANT In-house Artist Chloe Dervey
Image: Juliet Cookson
Editorial
Hello and welcome to another issue of Forge Press. It feels like the weeks are flying past and it’s hard to believe we’re already on our third issue of the academic year. We’re well into October now, meaning we’re well into Black History Month. Since it was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in 1987, this month has celebrated the achievements of the black community and their contributions throughout history, as well as remembering the persecution they have suffered, and provoking important conversations about society today. In an attempt to reflect this celebration and spark more discussion, our university and Students’ Union have put on a variety of exciting and thought-provoking events this month, and in this issue of the newspaper we’ve done our
best to highlight some of them. So please do check out the articles and head along to some of the events too. Accompanying this content is some beautiful artwork of Rosa Parks by Chantelle Pierre and of Mamie Clark by Chloe Dervey. We love to showcase student talent, so please remember that there are plenty of ways you can get involved with Forge Press that don’t just involve writing! As another example of this, our Photography Coordinator Juliet Cookson recently braved Storm Callum to take a stunning photo of Stanage Edge for our Pic of the Press this issue. We’d love to have more of you involved, so come along to our regular Contributor Meetings every other Tuesday to meet the team and try your hand at something new. This issue really does feel like one of celebration. We preview the charity hike Spiderwalk, organised
by Sheffield Raising and Giving committee, as well as highlighting the fantastic work our Development Officer Mel Kee is doing to reduce waste produced across campus, and the strong zero-tolerance approach taken by the Students’ Union to any offensive messages ahead of the upcoming Dance Your Socs Off bar crawl. Our Head of Sport Adam May has also written up an excellent interview with the inspirational Bryony Page, a University of Sheffield alumni, about overcoming her psychological barriers to succeed at Rio 2016. There’s plenty of great content throughout, so please take some time out from your busy schedules to relax and enjoy the read.
Get involved Want to join the team? Get involved! No prior experience is necessary, just join the Facebook group Forge Press Contributors and come along to our regular
contributor meetings every other Tuesday to meet the team and pitch your own ideas. Contact editor@forgetoday.com with any questions.
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News
NEWS IN BRIEF SHEFFIELD City to Rotherham tram-train to launch
STUDENT Push for freshers to register to vote
NATIONAL DWP Sec: “Some will be worse off”
The Sheffield to Rotherham tramtrain will launch on 25 October running from the Cathedral to Parkgate Shopping Park. Three services per hour will run and it will take 27 minutes end-to-end. The service is nearly three years late and five times over budget.
The Electoral Commission are pushing to encourage newly movedin students to register to vote. They said: “Students are one of the groups who are least likely to be registered – mostly due to how transient they are – and because of this often miss out the opportunity to have their say.”
A Resolution Foundation report has found that 3.2m households will lose more than £2,000 a year under Universal Credit. DWP Secretary Esther McVey said: “We made some tough decisions and some people will be worse off”. Former PM John Major criticised the decision.
SHEFFIELD Plug to play Toto’s Africa all night
STUDENT NATIONAL Nick Clegg talk axed Corbyn calls for over security fears teaching of Empire
The Plug nightclub will play iconic 80s hit ‘Africa’ by Toto all night on 8 December in a one off night dubbed ‘Total Toto Africa’. The night is in conjunction with Temwa, a charity that works with communities in Malawi. Profits from the night will be donated to the charity.
A talk meant for 18 October with Nick Clegg has been cancelled ‘due to security concerns’. It was organised by the Sheffield Young Liberals, who said on the event’s Facebook page: “After lengthy discussions with both the SU and University we had no option but to cancel the event.”
Jeremy Corbyn has this week called for the “role and legacy” of the British Empire and colonisation to be taught in schools. He said: “It is vital that future generations understand the role that black Britons have played in our country’s history and the struggle for racial equality.”
Will Fisher with Mr Blobby
Will Fisher abseil for charity Ben Warner A former journalism student at the University will abseil down one of Sheffield’s tallest buildings later this month to raise money for British Red Cross.
Will Fisher, who graduated this
summer and spent last year as the Head of Music for Forge Radio, is set to abseil the 120-foot Owen
Building, part of Sheffield Hallam University, with his friend Molly
Less young people are drinking alcohol Niall O’Callaghan
The University’s Alcohol Research Group has published a new report showing that 16-24 year-olds are now the most sober in recent history, meaning that only the elderly now consume less alcohol than young people. The report is part of a new project funded by the Wellcome Trust, a biomedical research charity, to examine and explain the decline in youth drinking. It analysed data from the 1988-2016 Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Amongst Young People in England surveys and the 2001-2016 Health Surveys for England. The report showed the proportion of 16-17 year-olds who reported drinking alcohol over the past 12 months fell from 88 per cent in 2001 to 65 per cent in 2016, while over the same time period, the proportion of
16-24 year-old drinkers fell from 90 per cent to 78 per cent. The research showed there were also big falls in how often and how much young people drink. Among those who were drinkers, the percentage of 16-24 year-olds who drank in the last week fell from 76 per cent to 60 per cent between 2002 and 2016, while for 11-15 years olds it fell from 35 per cent to 19 per cent. The proportion of 16-17 yearolds who exceeded binge drinking thresholds in the last week fell from 30 per cent in 2002 to six per cent in 2016. Dr Melissa Oldham, lead author of the report said: “It may be that increases in internet use and online gaming are changing the way young people spend their leisure time. “Economic factors may also play a role, as concern about increasing university tuition fees and the cost
Brewster.
He said: “I decided to do the
abseil because it was advertised on Facebook and sounded like
something my friend would be up for. Then I realised how it would actually be something I would
really enjoy myself - and I wanted to push myself a bit.”
£200
is the fundraising target WIll has set
At the time of writing, they
Image: Isabella Mendes
have raised just over £100, but are hoping to more than double that
of housing means young people feel they have less disposable income to spend on alcohol.” As well as a decline in alcohol use, smoking and illicit drug use has also decreased amongst 11-15 year olds. The proportion of people smoking fell from 38 per cent in 2002 to 17 per cent in 2016 and the proportion of people using cannabis fell from 17 per cent in 2002 to 11 per cent in 2016.
Dr John Holmes, who leads the University of Sheffield’s study of the decline in youth drinking, said: “These changes matter for public health today as young people suffer injuries, poor mental health and road traffic accidents when intoxicated. “If this generation also drinks less in later adulthood, we may see big reductions in 20 or 30 years in the diseases caused by alcohol.”
before the abseil happens. If they
reach £200, they have promised to wear fancy dress costumes for the event.
Will said of the charity he is
raising for: “They are a charity who are there when crisis strikes and
have likely helped people you know and they are basically there in case anything happens, so it is pretty
good to know I am helping them
continue to do this while also doing something super fun.”
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Two jailed over Joana Burns MDMA death Ewan Somerville
Magid appoints Sheffield’s first poet laureate Ewan Somerville
(cont. from front page) ... for his music and poetry, and has a new book titled Safe Metamorphosis. Magid said: “Otis represents all that is great about Sheffield, he’s dynamic, skillful and radical. “Otis will without a shadow of a doubt help advance and enhance the already incredible arts and culture of the city.” Mensah said he was ‘surprised’ to be offered the two-year role, adding: “I found it interesting that an aspiring experimental, hip-hop artist could be considered for such a formal position.” Dubbing himself as a “young story-teller-rapper-poet”, he also said he hopes to break down the perception of poetry as “an elitist, whitewashed art form”. He added: “I believe poetry at its core is about communicating imperative messages of emotion.” Mensah has been widely congratulated on Twitter since the announcement, and will now embark on the unpaid role involving different commissions, workshops and events. “Sheffield has always had a rich poetry culture filled with fresh, innovative and contemporary pieces of work which has gained local, national and international recognition,” Magid added. “The appointment of Mensah is my commitment to champion the amazing talent and diversity of the city’s arts scene.”
For more exclusive sroties check our website: www.forgetoday.com
A judge has described the death from MDMA of Sheffield student Joana Burns as ‘a tragedy in every dimension’, as he sentenced two former Hallam students today. Burns, 22, died last year after taking the class A drug on a night out at The Tuesday Club to celebrate completing her Maths degree at Sheffield Hallam University. In an emotional recent video Mosca Burns, Joana’s mother, revealed that Joana’s sister committed suicide two months after her death. Jeremy Richardson QC sentenced
Joana’s friend and former student Katherine Lavin to six months, and bar worker Benjamin Williams to two and a half years. Sheffield Crown Court heard on 12 October how, in June 2017 Lavin, 21, bought ecstasy from Williams for a group of Sheffield Hallam friends, including Joana Burns, and they all took it willingly. The judge told her: “Quite how an intelligent young woman, as you are, could do such a foolish thing is almost beyond understanding. “This case is a tragedy in every dimension. You have wrecked your future.” Lavin, from Stockport, and Williams, of Melbourne Road,
Crookes, both admitted to supplying a controlled Class A drug. An inquest in May heard that Burns collapsed in the early hours after taking a second ‘bomb’, where pure ecstasy in powder form is wrapped in dissolvable paper, having also taken one before she arrived at The Foundry. Witnesses said she vomited the second ‘bomb’ immediately after having it, before having a seizure, collapsing near Glossop Road and being rushed to hospital where she passed away. A South Yorkshire Police report found that the friends each paid £7 for the drug. Following the death, Sheffield
City Council’s licensing committee ordered the SU to bring in 11 different conditions to tighten its drug policy, including sniffer dogs and ID scanners upon entry. Warning others against taking ecstasy, after the inquest Mosca Burns said: “I would prefer it if nobody took MDMA again because I don’t really think you can assess the risk.” “It’s not worth the risk.” Mosca Burns, from Alfreton, Derbyshire, also previously expressed her hope that Joana will be remembered as an inspiration for girls getting into maths, rather than as a victim of illegal drugs.
Spiderwalk is organised by Sheffield Raising and Giving committee. Image: Juliet Cookson
Spiderwalk charity hike returns to the Peak District Lucas Mentken
Volunteers will hike through the peaks at night to raise money for local charities as the Spiderwalk returns on Thursday 1 November. The event, which is run by the Students’ Union’s working committee Sheffield Raising and Giving (RAG), raised over £6,000 for various South Yorkshire charities last year. Participants will complete a 13mile walk through the Peak District after sunset with high visibility
jackets and maps provided. People are urged to bring their own torches to help them navigate the route and are encouraged not to rely on their smartphones, which should be brought fully charged nevertheless. Everyone who takes part in the walk is also asked to fundraise a minimum sponsorship of £30 before Monday 26 November. Funding packs featuring advice about different ways of raising money are available on the Sheffield RAG website.
This year, the raised money will go to Whirlow Hall Farm, who work with disadvantaged children which have disabilities or are at risk of exclusion. They provide them with supportive and educational experiences in a farm setting. The charity hike will also raise funds for Sheffield Volunteering and two other charities, one of which is chosen by students. The students who raised the most money last year will pick the second charity which needs to be in or around the Sheffield area.
Signing up to the Spiderwalk includes a free meal and hot drink as well as an entertainment program with live music and a bar in Whirlow Hall Farm, which acts as the halfway point. Qualified first-aiders and a steward safety car will be on standby on the night and an emergency hotline will be set up to help anyone who is lost or injured. Tickets are £8.80 per person and can be purchased online from the Sheffield Students’ Union ticket store.
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News
750,000 single-use coffee cups sold on university campus last year Ewan Somerville
A trial 20p levy is being brought into force on disposable coffee cups sold around the University and SU this week after 750,000 were sold across campus last year. Around one million hot drinks are sold across the 13 Universityowned ‘Hustle and Bustle’ outlets every year, including the IC Cafe and Diamond Cafe, and between August 2017 and July this year 749,960 disposable coffee cups passed through. The University says it’s working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of its coffee supply chain, launching a Sustainability Strategy to make the institution more green. The levy will apply throughout ‘Sustainability Week’, running from October 15 to October 19. Mel Kee, Sheffield SU’s Development Officer, said: “As a society we need to move away from our current throwaway culture and coffee is a great example of this. “The levy is about making staff and students aware of the impact of their everyday practices, and pushing towards use of reusables over single-use.”
Hundreds gathered in front of Sheffield City Hall for the Global Frackdown Carnival last Saturday. The event was part of the Global Gasdown-Frackdown Day on 13 October, when dozens of activist groups from all over the world stood up against the fracking and gas industry. The Carnival started with a mass rally where people chanted, sang anti-fracking songs and waved banners to express their support for a future without fracking. Many were wearing bright yellow t-shirts with slogans which read ‘No Fracking Way’ and ‘Sheffield Against Fracking’. The event continued at DINA, where a series of free workshops, Q&A sessions and talks were held before the fundraiser party in support for local appeals and fracking resistance camps. Image: Alex Peneva
Inspire Women of the Future Alex Peneva
A Campus Cup is available for £5 and gives you a 20p discount on every hot drink. Image: Ewan Somerville
The University has set out the supply chain on its website, including ‘Our Cow Molly’ milk four miles from campus, and Roastology coffee, supplied from the heights of Columbia and roasted in Sheffield. It’s in an effort to encourage more to buy a reusable cup or join the Campus Cup deposit scheme, seeing students and staff place a £5 deposit to get their hot drink in a reusable
cup. Introduced earlier this year, the return system was the first on a UK university campus and sees those involved get a 20p discount. They then receive their full deposit upon returning the cup to any campus cafe without needing to wash it. The week will also feature a fiveday programme of talks ranging from a series of ‘Sustainability in
the Pub’ events at the University Arms, to researchers discussing the sustainability of Sheffield as a city. Professor Duncan Cameron, who is leading the Sustainability Strategy, said: “Our work with both Our Cow Molly and Roastology has enabled us to collapse our coffee supply chain, ensuring we know where each element of the cups of coffee we sell on comes from.”
Pam Liversidge, the first female President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers,visited Sheffield to give an inspirational talk about women in engineering. On 5 October the Inspire Women of the Future event heard 12 speakers and special guest Pam Liversidge share their experience in the industry and academic field of engineering. The event was organised by the Women in Engineering Society and was open to all students who want to pursue a career in engineering, with the aim to inspire them and offer networking opportunities and insight into the industry. Hemanshi Galaiya, President of the Women in Engineering Society and final year Chemical Engineering student, said: “Our aim is mainly to encourage more women to pursue a career in engineering but the event was open to all genders alike. “We have three main aims in the society: to inspire the next generation of engineers, to involve our students in outreach projects and to increase the employability of our members.” This is the third year the society has held the event and as over 50 people joined them on the day, they were happy with how successful the event was. Pam Liversidge, whom one of the University buildings is named after, shared her journey in the maledominated engineering industry and encouraged young people to pursue their desired career despite any hardships they might face.
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Three new engineering research centres opened in Sheffield
Ben Warner
Three new world-leading engineering research centres have been opened as part of the University of Sheffield. The launch was attended by senior figures including Dan Jarvis, the Mayor of Sheffield City Region, and Jake Berry, the minister for the Northern Powerhouse. The new engineering centres are located in the Advanced
Manufacturing Innovation District, near Rotherham. They come as part of a £47 million venture, partly funded by the University, the European Regional Development Fund and UK Research and Innovation. Dan Jarvis said: “The University of Sheffield is renowned for its excellence in engineering and advanced manufacturing. I know the opening of these new engineering centres is not just great news for the University, but for the Advanced
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Manufacturing Innovation District, the Sheffield City Region, and the wider Northern Powerhouse. “I’m proud to work closely with the University of Sheffield and applaud the standard of research, of ambition and of innovation that has made these new engineering centres a reality.” The centres are called the Royce Translational Centre (RTC), the Laboratory for Verification and Validation (LVV), and the Integrated Civil and Infrastructure Research
Centre (ICAIR). Professor Mike Hounslow, VicePresident and Head of the Faculty of Engineering, said: “At the University of Sheffield we deliver pioneering interdisciplinary research and find solutions to global challenges. “The three centres launched today build on this established expertise and firmly place us as a key partner for industry.”
SU vows zero tolerance to offensive messages at white t-shirt bar crawl Ewan Somerville
(cont. from front page) ...around 1,800 students are expected for ‘Sheffield Uni’s biggest bar crawl’ this year, after 1,250 students from 25 different societies took part in 2017. Ahead of DYSO 2018, SU President Lilian told Forge Press: “Societies Committee will be informing participants prior to the event that if there are offensive messages on their T-shirts they will not be able to enter Bar One or Roar. “Our Activities Officer Cecilia will be briefing all the stewards on the bar crawl before it begins of the expectation that we have of the participants.” EatMyDisco describe their event as the biggest bar crawl in Sheffield, claiming to sell 3,000 tickets this year. The Freshers 2018 edition saw students travel down West Street via eight bars including Molly Malones and West Street Live, before ending the night at CODE club. Last year’s event saw the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and The Sun among the national newspapers reporting ‘vile’ and ‘sick’ messages on t-shirts including ‘She CAN be asking for it’, ‘I touch kids’, ‘Rape me’ and ‘Maddie is in my cupboard’ - referencing the missing girl Madelaine McCann. At the time, an EatMyDisco spokesman said: “We cannot control what individuals write on their T-shirts but naturally deplore any controversial statements or slogans which might cause offence.
“If the individuals involved can be identified to us we will do everything we can do ensure they are banned from all future bar crawls.” EatMyDisco declined to comment on the evidence collected by Forge Press this year. The SU’s own risk assessment for regulating DYSO 2018, seen exclusively by Forge Press, recommends that Societies Committee stewards are present in all bars and for road crossings, and for the Activities Officer “to help ensure stewards are staying sober and not putting their society at risk.” It also reveals that in 2016 all participating societies provided “at least one steward”, who remained sober and in high vis, for each 25 people “to comply with the union’s drinking social policy.” The SU paid these societies 50p for each ticket sold to members, totalling £350 given. Ms Jones added: “As a Students’ Union we take offensive or inappropriate messaging very seriously and have steps in place to ensure that this event stays what it is intended to be - an exciting way for students to socialise with their course mates or other societies. “It is the biggest society bar crawl that takes place, and we’re looking forward to everyone’s hard work and planning paying off. The risk assessment, which was completed in March, has a section that discusses what the steps will be taken to mitigate offensive or inappropriate messages being written on T shirts.” Tiger Works did not respond to our request for a comment.
Sheffield SU have vowed to have a zero tolerance approach to offensive messages at their bar crawl. Image: Leo Bojesen
Offensive messages were commonplace on the ‘North vs. Midlands vs. South’ bar crawl
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News
Our Mental Health Week branded a success Ben Warner
Sheffield Debating Society described the late Rory Shanahan as “hardworking, intelligent and incredibly lovely“. Image: Lucia Arce
Debate Society pay tribute to Rory Shanahan Ewan Somerville
Sheffield Debating Society has remembered the “hardworking, intelligent, incredibly lovely” late Rory Shanahan, a gifted University of Sheffield student who tragically took his own life after suffering severe anxiety over his degree. Described as having an ‘extremely bright future’, Rory was in his final year studying engineering and computer science and as part of the debate group helped organise public hustings, and represent the University at national competitions. Speaking to Forge Press, Debating S o c i e t y President Lucia Arce said: “I was really happy to hear from Rory’s parents that he enjoyed debating, because he was an absolute delight to have on committee. “Recently, we were allowed to see some notes Rory wrote for some of us (his friends), and although sad, it was somewhat comforting to hear
Rory’s thoughts, and to validate he was the kind of person who thought about his friends to the very end. “I miss him dearly.” Speaking at the inquest last month, Rory’s parents Mark and Jacquie Shanahan did not blame the University for their son’s death but called for greater focus on the gap between university and wider community NHS support services. Sheffield Coroner’s Court heard that Rory was a ‘perfectionist’ who worried about his degree, leading him to take a year-long break from his course when he worked for the University. He was determined to finish the last three months of his degree, but only days after resuming his studies on February 20 Rory was found hanged in the stairwell of the student flats where he lived, above the Vittles Cafe in Broomhill. A post-mortem examination also found that he had lethal amounts of morphine in his body. Coroner David Urpeth, recording a conclusion of suicide, described
Rory as ‘extremely intelligent’, with an ‘extremely bright future ahead of him’. Thamira Valentine, a friend and fellow debater, added: “He got so excited when debating that you couldn’t help but be swept along with his excitement. I will certainly miss him, both in debate and as a friend.” Remembering Rory, Ms Arce added: “Rory was hardworking, intelligent, incredibly lovely, and once you got past the initial shyness - the owner of a hilariously scathing wit. “I love people who are always looking for things in the world to be amazed at, and he had that spark about him.” Jie Yew, another of his friends, told Forge: “It was a pleasure to know him as a friend, to speak with him as a debater, and to work with him as a colleague. He always had great ideas and put his very best into things he loved. In Honour of Rory.” Samaritans, a confidential and friendly support network, are there 24/7 to chat with you about what you’re going through on 116 123. All University mental health support services are now in one place SAMHS. Visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/ mental-wellbeing.depression.
The first ever Our Mental Health Week, jointly hosted by the Students’ Union and the University of Sheffield, has been branded a success by the Welfare Officer Katharine Swindells. The event was hosted from Monday 8 to Friday 12 October, in line with World Mental Health Day on the Wednesday, and featured panels on issues such as masculinity and liberation, as well as sessions for calming things like yoga and meditation. Katharine said: “It’s been brilliant. We’ve had massive engagement from a wide variety of students and I’ve been really pleased to see people getting involved.” “The University have been really supportive, they organised a lot of the juice and meditation sessions, the yoga and the singing which were all packed out. It was really good to see a mix of staff and students coming along to events. “I went to one on Monday morning and there were lots of staff, lots of PhD students and lots of undergraduate students. It’s really great to see the whole community interacting in that way. “My hope is that the next welfare officer will carry this on and it will
become a regular thing.” She also credited the panels as a success, with the one on masculinity being so popular they had to get more chairs to fit everyone in. Beren Maddison, mental health officer for Welfare Committee, who spoke on the panel, said: “I think the expression of masculinity can affect mental health so heavily, and there are so many different ways that masculinity is expressed (especially in gay and bi men) that I felt it was important to have a perspective on how the masculinity influences mental health while interacting with other factors like sexuality.” Katharine spoke to Forge Press when the mental health week was announced, and spoke about how research showed that this time is when the most referrals about mental health start to be heard from students. She hopes that OMHW has helped people change that: “Week three is when things start to get tougher, when deadlines become quite real for first-years. Homesickness might start to hit, that loneliness might start to hit. My hope with this week was to put mental health out there and get people really thinking about it and hopefully because of that people will be practicing some selfcare.”
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G N I S U O H N O I T A M R O F N I R I FA r e b m e v o N h t 4 1 y a on d i 0 s n 0 : U e 5 ’ 1 n s 11:00 - dio, Student Wed Stu & n o i s u F , y r d n Fou
Make Yours a
Smart Move
Welfare
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Features Features Editors Arya Damavandy Rebecca Lally Hey everyone. It’s getting to that time where university is back in full swing, so we’ve got some suitably heavy articles! We’ve got an interesting piece on the dangers of trusting people online, which weighs up the costs and benefits of an internet where people can alter their identities. The founder of OurMel has written us an informative and comprehensive feature on Black History Month, which gives real insight into the meaning of the month. We also have a very powerful and well-researched article about the repression of journalists in Iran, an issue spanning decades. Heavy stuff. We hope you find this week of Features interesting and informative.
Want to write for Forge? Great! Join our Facebook group Forge Contributors or just drop any of us an email! Hope to hear from you soon!
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Catfishing: How do you know who you’re talking to? Ellie Nodder
This September, Channel 4 launched a new reality show, ‘The Circle’, in which contestants aim to become the most popular player to avoid getting ‘blocked’ and ultimately win a whopping £50,000. The catch; they will never meet. Because of this, contestants can manipulate their profile in any way they want, presenting themselves as an entirely different person. They communicate exclusively through the specifically designed social media hub ‘The Circle’, allowing them to disclose whatever information they see fit, whether that’s the honest truth or a blatant lie. But the beauty of ‘The Circle’ the other contestants will never know. One prime example of this deception, which the twenty first century now describes as ‘catfishing’, is the 26-year-old contestant Alex using pictures of his real life girlfriend to pose as the constructed persona ‘Kate’. As we live through this technology-dependent era, ‘The Circle’ presents us with a fun reality show for the social media age, whilst also highlighting the very real dangers of it. Though we watch with anticipated excitement as players manage to convince other contestants of their fake personas, they have the definitive advantage of expecting such manipulation. Every contestant is aware of the very real possibility that other players are actively lying to them in order to gain popularity and be in with a chance of winning the prize money. They are also aware that, at the end of the show they will be able to step out from behind their screens and find out who they have really been talking to for the duration of the show and those players who opted
for catfishing techniques will finally be exposed. The term ‘catfishing’ first rose to significance with the release of the eponymously named 2010
The BBC found that, in 2016 alone, there were 3,889 victims of romance fraud, who were unknowingly manipulated out of an astonishing £39 million documentary, featuring the experience of one Nev Schulman. In 2007 Schulman began communicating online with who he believed to be an eight year old girl named Abby, and through her met Abby’s older sister, Megan. He developed a burgeoning relationship with Megan, eventually falling in love with her and venturing on a surprise visit to finally meet her in her hometown of Michigan. What Schulman didn’t know was that Megan was actually a troubled housewife called Angela. Since then, MTV has produced a spin-off series presented by Schulman,detailing other people’s experiences of catfishing. The first series seemed to fixate on the less malicious forms of catfishing, following those struggling with their own identity such as a transgender youth who used the deception as a means of exploring and seeking identity. Despite the show’s example of
catfishing at its least problematic, there are a lot more ruthless incidences where people can be scammed out of thousands. Online dating presents a prominent threat of what has been labelled as ‘romance fraud’, in which people are duped by fake profiles to believe they are entering into legitimate relationships. Thich is usually followed by them being manipulated into transferring innumerable amounts of funds to who they believe to be their online significant other. The BBC found that, in just 2016 alone, there were 3,889 victims of romance fraud, who were unknowingly manipulated out of an astonishing £39 million. Victims are crying out for harsher laws and consequences for those choosing to abuse social media in this way but the question is, how can this be done? Simply lying about who you are online doesn’t yet warrant any legal consequences, and for good reason. There are instances where it is
Currently there are no laws in place specifically relating to catfishing and its implications
understandable for people to want to disguise their identity, for example, victims of domestic abuse. For those people it is imperative to be able to hide who they are online in order to remain safe. Alongside issues of data protection and freedom of
expression, it would be impossible to implement any such legal obligations to declare truthfully who you are online. Currently there are no laws in place specifically relating to catfishing and its implications, however there are crossovers between other crimes, such as fraud, which can incur punishment. The question this form of deception brings to the surface is: why do people do it? Romance fraud has its own obvious reasons, allowing technologically adept criminals a less dangerous way of conning victims out of their money. But what about those whose intentions aren’t to obtain money, and who lie seemingly for the sake of it? Research done by theconversation.com found that 41 per cent of the self-identifying catfishers they spoke to named loneliness as a motivation for their online deception. Some described how they found it easier to interact with others behind the guise of somebody else; some used catfishing as a way to experiment with their sexuality, using the disguise of a different gender to allow them to explore their own feelings. Though this seems innocent enough, the real people on the other end of this deception can suffer severe emotional distress. Living in an ever advancing technological world presents its own set of problems which would’ve been impossible to imagine twenty years ago. An increasing awareness of the dangers of social media means that more websites are putting methods in place to ensure the safety and security of those that use it. But the truth of the matter is something that we should all remember in this social media age: you can never know who you are really speaking to online.
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A culture of silence: Repression of journalists in Iran
Sahar Ghadirian
The repression of journalists and systematic silence of certain press in Iran is a vital issue, and symptomatic of a much larger problem. In a culture where phrases such as ‘fake news’ are thrown about so loosely, it is crucial to truly consider what news is credible or purely being forged for propaganda purposes. Upon the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran, it quickly became apparent that the Iranian people were to lose any semblance of their previous social and economic freedoms. Unless, of course, you were close to the centre of power, which even then did not ensure your exemption. Iranians were in fact fed many false promises by the regime, notably an end to political oppression, including
discrimination and censorship within the press, with the leader of the regime, Ayatollah Khomeini, promising that they would
Cases of journalists and bloggers persecuted under this regime are endless
“establish a government that will enjoy the trust of the people”. But, in reality, ordinary citizens did not gain any kind of political freedom. Religious minorities,
political opponents, and journalists have been some of the most victimised groups by the Islamic dictatorship in the last four decades. Criticising Ayatollah Khomeini or his successor Khamenei, as well as the values of the Islamic revolution, results in jail and torture. Those who criticise are charged with “waging war against God” and “spreading corruption on Earth”, and these crimes can bear the heavy weight of the death penalty. Cases of journalists and bloggers persecuted under this regime are endless. Sattar Beheshti, a blogger in a poor suburb of Tehran, was critical of the ruling regime. Despite only having a small number of readers, his blog posts angered authorities. He was critical of the Islamic republic and its decision to spend millions funding Hezbollah, the Shi’a Islamist political party and militant
group based in Lebanon, and Hamas, the Palestinian Sunni-Islamist fundamentalist organization. In this way, the Iranian government was effectively rebuilding Lebanon and Palestine, and consequently plundering the wealth of Iran, while millions of Iranians continue to live in poverty. In 2012 Beheshti wrote a letter, through his blog, addressing the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, criticising a system where people are arrested, tortured and forced to confess to crimes that they did not commit. He referred to the legal system as a “slaughterhouse” and described the horrific conditions people were forced to endure in prisons. A week after this blog post, Sattar Beheshti was arrested and taken into custody by Iran’s Cyber Police Unit. He was beaten and tortured,
with marks left visible on his body. According to the organisation Journalism Is Not A Crime, it was reported that he was hung from the ceiling in his prison cell by his wrists, and suffered multiple blows to his head. He died, at the age of 35, four days after his arrest. Another example of journalistic persecution is the case of Zahra Kazemi, a freelance photographer, who was arrested after photographing demonstrations dedicated to missing students. Documenting any sort of protests against the ruling government can result in arrest. For Zahra Kazemi it was worse. She was of IranianCanadian nationality, and the regime’s hostility towards dualnationals did not work in her favour. In the summer of 2003, Kazemi attempted to photograph family members of the missing students
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at a prison in North Tehran. The families were waiting to find out what had happened to their children after the student demonstrations. Despite having a governmentissued press card, prison staff confiscated her camera, saying that photography is forbidden in front of the prison. Kazemi was detained, despite saying that she had not photographed any parts of the prison, only the street and the demonstrating families. She was interrogated for three days by the authorities, and nineteen days after her arrest, Kazemi died in Iranian custody at a nearby hospital. She was only 55 years old, but the press reported that she had suffered a stroke while being interrogated and later died. The story later changed that she had fallen and hit her head. Through her photography, she had wanted to tell the world about
the terrible prison conditions, and she paid for this with her life.
Not only does the Iranian government persecute the press, but they also manipulate it
According to a medical examiner, she was tortured and murdered by the prison staff. She suffered a skull fracture and severe abdominal bruising, all for daring to criticise and expose a clerical dictatorship
that treats groups such as students and women as second-class citizens. Not only does the Iranian government persecute the press, but they also manipulate it. Utilising forms of media such as TV or the newspaper, the government often promotes certain agendas, such as propagating its antisemitism to the public. Iran hosted the International Holocaust Cartoon Contest, sponsored by the Iranian newspaper Hamshahri, to denounce what it called “Western hypocrisy on freedom of speech”. The most recent incarnation was in 2016. The images invited to be displayed are intended to mock a history of genocide and Jewish suffering, with submissions from all around the world. As a part of Iran’s shrewd strategy to keep the Islamic theocracy in control of the masses, these
initiatives paint a haunting portrait of Iran’s thinking. One can only conclude that Iran’s dictatorship carefully manipulates and represses journalism for its own political intent and gain. Furthermore, the creation of campaigns, with the most significant being Journalism Is Not A Crime, highlights the plight of journalists in Iran since the revolution; raising awareness of the situation of press freedom in Iran and supporting Iranian journalists with legal and psychological assistance. It aims to organise global events in the journalistic sector to further exhibit this concerning situation occurring in Iran. Their slogan sums up the courageous attitude of these journalists who face danger everyday: “If you do it, we’ll report it. You can’t silence us.”
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Image: Alex Holyoake
The popularity of ‘throwback’ club nights: a cause for concern? Do we look to the past to avoid thinking about our future? Beth Higgins
It only takes a quick look down your Facebook newsfeed to see that ABBA club nights are taking the country by storm. From St. Andrews to London to our very own Leadmill, we’re laying all our love on the 70s pop icons. While the recent release of Mamma Mia 2 may have launched our parents’ favourite tunes back into the Super Trouper lights, the phenomena of music nostalgia is not a new one. There’s Leadmill’s new monthly 80s night, Club Tropicana, CODE is often packed with students eager for a glimpse of our secondary school hero Basshunter, and even the popularity of Pop Tarts points towards a love of harking back to
the ‘good old days’ when it comes to dancing the night away. But why? Pop Tarts had its best ever Freshers’ Week sell-out this year, with 1,500 tickets being sold in the first hour. The huge demand for a night of Non-Stop Retro Pop and the collective anger felt at being denied a post-exam season Pop Tarts because of record sell-outs, points towards a much deeper issue. We don’t just love a night of nostalgia - we need it. The songs of our childhood remind us of a simpler time; one where we had no responsibilities. The biggest stress was losing your lunch box, and a wild Friday night meant skidding around on the floor at the school disco, downing tubes of sherbet. There’s no denying that life these days is much more complicated. There’s essays to
write, exams to revise for, friends to keep up with. Job prospects are low, our student debts are high, and if you can get past all that, our country’s social, economic, and political future is incredibly uncertain. A night of nostalgia is exactly what we need to help us forget our present struggles and use the music to relax and unwind. There’s no pressure to keep up with what’s ‘in’ at the moment; you already know the words. Because of this, it’s a great way to unwind and have fun. Among the prevalence of electronic music and drum and bass, the likes of ABBA creates a more carefree environment where every song is easy to sing along to, and there’s no worry of being left behind for not knowing what everyone else is singing. It even
brings generations closer together, as we familiarise ourselves with a part of our parents’ musical history, and vice versa. But there’s more to this issue than just catchy tunes.The argument could be made that this is reflective of a wider social phenomenon, in line with the stereotypical avocadoloving millennial controversy. We can spend money on brunch because enjoying time with our friends and eating food we like is better than saving for a house we will never be able to afford anyway. The playlist in Pop Tarts may still be the same as it was four years ago, but at least it gives us some certainty in a world of uncertainty - we love escapism, and we need it. And there is nothing wrong with having a good time, but
when we create an environment in which students are trying to distract themselves from their worries about unknown futures and even from their mental health issues, something starts to feel wrong. Thank you for the music, ABBA, and for the escapism. Keeping the bangers of the past alive is important and can definitely bridge the gap between young and old. Mamma Mia 2 drew in viewers of all ages for a reason, and it was said to do so well at the box office because audiences wanted to leave the theatre feeling good. Facing an uncertain future with difficult job prospects, Brexit and huge environmental problems, it’s no wonder that we want to lose ourselves in the music of an easier and simpler time.
Opinion Opinion Editors Connie Coombs Matthew Hartill Hello once more! We may be in the middle of the semester by now, but that hasn’t stopped us gathering up lots of opinions for your enjoyment. This October is Black History Month, and fittingly our contributor Sheneil Francis has committed pen to paper to debate whether the event really goes far enough. Theresa May is back in our section once more, with Charlie Heywood-Heath’s impassioned piece on her conference speech and that dance. See if you can spot anything wrong with our picture on page 14. We’re serious journalists, we promise. Enjoy the section and happy reading!
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Black History Month: Does it go far enough? Sheneil Francis
Do you ever feel outnumbered? Have you been the only person under 18 at a political party meeting? Or the only student over 25 in a lecture of about 80 people? That’s what it’s like being black in the western world: you’re in the minority and it can be hard to make your voice heard. Black History Month, however, offers the black community the opportunity to use their voice to great effect. Young people can be inspired by the success of others who have faced the same challenges. I for one love events that celebrate talent in the entertainment industry, for example. Projecting a brighter future for young people is one of the most important roles these events play. Black students face many different challenges, and the lack of
representation in most industries can be discouraging until you have an event celebrating black entrepreneurs or politicians. Celebrations of our ancestral history give us a chance to be ourselves in the western world. It’s a time where we can be comfortable in our own skin, and feel accepted and celebrated for who we are. This showcase of culture and heritage can help alleviate ignorance about the black community. In terms of education, I don’t believe we are doing enough to even out the playing field and diversify the history curriculum in schools. Within the study of British social history, black history is very marginalised, and so this month forces, at the very least, some acknowledgement of
it. Ultimately there is a restriction on black history in the western world and being a minority ethnic group means that our history will always be marginalised against the majority. Indeed, until black history is seamlessly written into British history there will always be a need for a dedicated month, as it is essential that the black community are given a chance in the spotlight for their achievements. However, I don’t think the events go far enough to reach outside of the black community and to create a relationship with other ethnic groups or to include them in the celebrations of black people and their history. Yes, the celebrations are important but to some extent the events can feel empty in their attempt to equalise the playing field. On the one hand, it’s providing an alternative look at history, and yet it can also give an excuse to exclude black history from view for the other 11 months of the year. To describe Black History Month
Doctor Who-’re you kidding? Whittaker is perfect casting Jack Mattless
Contrary to what my recent trawl through the misogynistic bowels of Twitter and Reddit have suggested, the decision to cast Jodie Whittaker as the thirteenth iteration of the Doctor is something we should all celebrate. I’ll admit to being a lapsed fan of the program (and by lapsed I mean I haven’t watched it since 2007), but re-watching some of David Tennant’s episodes reminded me of the hugely gendered nature of the show as it existed then. In every single episode I viewed, the inexplicably dim-witted female sidekick does something daft to
complicate the matter of defeating the baddies, only for the godlike Doctor to breeze in and pompously save the day. The elevation of a woman to the leading role is significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, it sends a positive, empowering message to young women that they can be the ones to drive success rather than being reliant on any supposed male intellect. Perhaps more significantly, the bright, complex, well-humoured character profile of the Doctor that Whitaker inherits allows her to break from the recent cannon of underwhelming female SciFi leads. The last few years have seen a proliferation of female
protagonists in movies like Wonder Woman, where initial promise has been let down by poor writing and underdeveloped characters. But perhaps the most confusing argument from the online resistance to a female lead is that it makes no sense in the universe in which the show operates. Maybe in the context of a franchise grounded in some kind of physical reality it would be possible to convincingly argue that the protagonist shouldn’t undergo a sudden change of gender. I’m thinking here of James Bond, whose character seems almost entirely built around a brutish, womanising masculinity. But this is simply not the case
as empty would be unfair; everyone can get something out of it, no matter how small. But to be regarded as truly successful, it needs to do more - perhaps to be so unifying that eventually black history is seen and acknowledged as often as ‘white history’; to be so successful that one day a Black History Month will no longer be needed at all.
Image: Keith Tyler
Does Black History Month do enough? Do you agree that it could go further, or is the month suitable as is? If you want to write a response, drop us an email.
with the Doctor; a 900-year-old time travelling alien with two hearts who is capable of completely changing the appearance of the body in which he/she/they/it exists through process of regeneration. Given the Doctor’s blatant neglect for any of our fundamental laws of science, I don’t think it is too far-fetched that on one occasion out of thirteen the character’s physical body appears to resemble a human female rather than a human male. Those ‘fans’ who continue to deride the change only serve to highlight their own characteristically-earthly small mindedness.
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Mamma Mia! Here she goes again... Charlie Heywood-Heath
Theresa May’s closing conference speech on Wednesday appeared to show that you can dance, jive, and even have the time of your life while your entire premiership is being questioned and your approach to Brexit shot down. A speech full of humour, personality and the promise that ‘austerity is over’ has raised the question as to whether everyone is now diggin’ the dancing queen or whether her fate is already sealed. As conference speeches go, this was definitely one which will be remembered. That has been the case with her speeches in the past, but this time it was May who decided exactly why. There was no coughing
She is the dancing queen, young and sweet, only sixty-two
fit, no P45 handed, and those pesky letters remained firmly on the wall. While this may seem to be trivial stuff, it also represented something much deeper; May took control, showed her party and the country that she was in charge and, crucially, that she was far from ready to give up fighting. From the announcement that the council borrowing cap would be lifted to the revelation that if the country accepted her Brexit plan then the end of austerity would be in sight, these were clever manoeuvres from May and her team. It placed more responsibility on councils to build the homes needed and gave politicians across the house a strong ultimatum: accept my Brexit or be responsible for more austerity, the latter of which is something which
last year’s general election showed people were well-and-truly sick of. However, I do not believe this was a tactical move by May. Instead it was her way of showing the country and her critics that she understands what needs to be done. It acknowledged that private enterprise wasn’t enough to address the housing crisis and that her Brexit vision is the only feasible option; no deal would have severe ramifications for the country, as the World Trade Organisation would create a border along Northern Ireland, while Labour’s alternative would be Brexit only in name. Moreover, the announcement of a new cancer strategy also allowed the public to see a more human side to May. Her personal story about the pain of losing her goddaughter
to cancer helped to see beneath the Maybot persona and understand just what motivated her to tackle the burning injustices which she spoke of when she became Prime Minister in 2016. Contrast this speech with Jeremy Corbyn’s the week before. May also represented why allowing Labour into Number 10 under Corbyn’s leadership would be detrimental to the country. She lamented the destruction caused to Labour through the damaging anti-Semitism scandal, while the defence she gave for politicians such as Diane Abbott and Jacob ReesMogg, in light of high-profile abuse levelled at them, (in Abbott’s case online, for Rees-Mogg in the street) was of stark contrast to Corbyn, who would happily silence those who
oppose him. Again, this illustrated that May understands what makes this country great, whereas Corbyn simply threatens it. Putting the dancing and jokes aside, May’s speech was one of serious credibility and strength. It presented a clear picture to the country as to why to vote Conservative, and more importantly why to vote for a Conservative government led by Theresa May.
Do you think Theresa is doing a stellar job, or do you think she’s not at all cut out for Parliament? Drop us an email and let us know.
Original image: Graham C99
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Opinion
Knife crime: From issue to ‘crisis’?
Area was one nightclub at which stabbings occured last year. Image: Juliet Cookson
James Ridgway
Do the recent knife attacks really signify a violent crime ‘crisis’? And does socalled ‘black-on-black’ violence in Sheffield have more to do with the city’s economic design than it has to do with race? The recent spate of knife attacks in Sheffield appears to reflect a national trend of violent crime, increasing in frequency in the past year. Daily reports of stabbings nationally weave a narrative of continuing violence: and what’s more, if reports are to be believed, at least a portion of that violence occurs in ‘blackon-black’ incidents - a claim apparently supported by the identities of some of Sheffield’s own recent victims and suspected attackers. Knife crime in Sheffield usually occurs in, or involves residents of, nonstudent suburbs. However, one attack at
Corporation last month, a dual stabbing at Area last year and other attacks involving students, or venues frequented by students, have brought Sheffield’s university population into closer contact with an ongoing problem in the northeast and south of Sheffield. More recent than the Corporation stabbing, which made national news, is the trial of a 16-year-old boy for the murder of 15-year-old Samuel Baker. Apart from the incredibly young age of both victim and defendant, the attack is in all other ways alarmingly predictable; the victim is black, male, local and, most importantly, was attacked in Lowedges, an area that is one of several in Sheffield listed as being in the 10 per cent most deprived nationally, according to government Multiple Index of Deprivation (MIoD) data. Most of these areas have seen one or more stabbing this year, been home to victims and suspects of violent crime,
and almost all have seen a fatal attack since 2015. In fact, the MIoD data for these areas, along with age, gender and behavioural problems at school, is a far more accurate signifier of involvement in knife crime than ethnicity. As rapper and activist Akala recently observed in an interview, ‘Black on Black Violence’ could be more accurately called ‘poor on poor’. The reasons behind Sheffield’s most deprived areas tending to also have larger ethnic minority groups is perhaps best saved for another article. However, the reasons behind violent crime being so prevalent in these areas is something that directly concerns and involves students. The motives behind Samuel Baker’s murder are as yet unknown, but many recent stabbings appear to concern drug dealing and gang related disputes. For example, back in June a turf war between rival drug gangs saw an attack
in a bookmakers, and gunshots fired at a residential property. It goes without saying, really, that the largest market for drugs in Sheffield is its huge student population and this reflects what is in many ways a city with an economy now centred very much around the universities. Huge profits can be made by those who market products to students, but this also creates an increasingly high incentive for drug dealing and the related violence that goes with it, which sadly seems to prey on those who find it most difficult to gain employment or enter into higher education. As far as a ‘crime wave’ goes, such sensationalist reports have been commonplace in Sheffield’s local newspapers for several years and the recent stabbings reflect more of a steady increase in knife crime than a recent epidemic. Austerity and growing inequality on a national scale will inevitably lead young people
towards crime in the absence of affordable education and a shortage of employment. Equally, the media will seize any opportunity afforded by the current climate to sell a story of crisis or division. The truth, meanwhile, may lie somewhere between the two.
Do the recent knife attacks really signify a violent crime crisis?... The spate appears to reflect a national trend
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Lifestyle Lifestyle Editors Amelia Shaw Harry Browse Your summer holiday may feel like a distant memory but in this issue, we travel the globe gathering inspiration from students who have studied abroad. Why not experience another part of the world and continue your degree? We hear from those who have taken the leap and you’ll be surprised at how rewarding it can be! With our student cupboard essentials, you’ll never go hungry again – see our comprehensive list of must-have ingredients. Finally, embrace those crisp autumnal evenings and bake your own batch of vegan and gluten-free brownies by following the step-by-step guide in our regular recipes section.
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What I learned from my year in Madrid Michaela Bergerova
When I moved to Madrid, I felt like I was in a completely different world. I was excited to live in a city of its size, with all the people, vibrant atmosphere and cosmopolitan culture. I was expecting a culture shock, loneliness and despair at times, but by the end I learnt it is only natural to feel this way and tried to make the most of my limited time in an unexplored country. To be honest with you, I was cheating a little. I moved to the United Kingdom in 2016 from the Czech Republic, my home country, and I would say the cultural shock was way worse back then. Not only had I decided to move out of my parent’s house for the first time in my life, I decided to move to a completely different country, culture and a world with a new set of rules. I moved to the UK two years ago and, even though it was scary at first, it only proved to me that once you make a big step in your life such as this, the experience you gain from the decision never goes away. I believe that the biggest
advantage from studying abroad is that you get to know another country, another culture, another city in a way you would never get to know if you were just going there on holiday. You engage with locals and make lifetime friendships. You get to visit places that only the locals know and at the end you will know the bits and pieces of their culture you never thought you could grasp in such a short period of time. You learn so much about yourself, as well as about the people around you. You suddenly have to start a new life somewhere, even if it is just for one semester or one year. However, by dealing with everything on your own, you learn more about who you are and how to be yourself more. Here are a few recommendations to make the most of studying abroad: Save up: not to scare you, but you never know what can go wrong and it is always good to have some extra money in your bank account. Don’t be afraid to speak to people, because you might make memories with them that you will never forget. Don’t overthink the situation; every problem can be solved.
Where is my true home?
Lisa Wehrstedt discusses why she decided to come back to the UK Lisa Wehrstedt
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Before starting my master’s degree at Sheffield I had the opportunity to do a year abroad in the UK as I did my undergraduate degree in Italy. I left Bologna, the city where I was born and had lived my entire life, to study in Canterbury for seven months at the University of Kent. I hadn’t always known that I wanted to study abroad. I heard that students returned with very low marks, having to catch up on what everyone else had studied in the meantime and the experience felt like a waste of money. But halfway through my second year I started feeling trapped: I didn’t know what I wanted to do after uni and I felt
like my degree wasn’t helping me in realising that. I couldn’t bare living with my parents anymore and I started hating my city. So, I packed my bags and left. I was nervous but excited to be living in a new country. But the first month turned out to be very tough. I struggled to get words out as I was extremely self-conscious of all of my mistakes. I felt like I wasn’t able to connect with people and show my true self. I was no longer the smart and witty person I was back at home and I really missed that. But I didn’t want to just stay with the international students or, worse, join the pack of Italian students; that wasn’t what I was there for. But all the UK students seemed to keep to themselves and barely talk
Cherish time with your family: once you’re in a situation where you cannot just pack your bags and go home whenever you want to, you will find every moment with your family extra special. There is no definition of normal: you will see some weird stuff, but don’t worry, some people might think that about you too! Everyone is different and it’s important to embrace it.
Images: Michaela Bergerova
to anyone after class. Everyone was too busy with their own schedule. Societies, sports clubs and activities seemed to take over all their lives. I didn’t have that back home. Uni was only for studying, not for fun. I quickly realised the variety of opportunities available to students in the UK and why they pay £9,000 a year for it (and was thankful to the Erasmus programme for allowing me to have all that for the mere €1375 yearly fees at my home uni). As the amount of studying required was so much less than what I was used to in Italy, I started filling my schedule with extracurricular activities and found out that in those situations, Brits can actually be friendly people. I started making friends and finding outlets to be creative. I felt like I was finally finding my group of people and my place in this new town. Although, one feeling that I could not shrug off was that everything seemed fake. The campus was a fake town, societies were artificial
groups of friends and university was tailored to meet every need of its clients/students. Living in the student bubble I was losing touch with the real world, the one in which you don’t need an activity to make friends or a society’s pub crawl to go out. The first week back home was amazing. I got to do all the things that I had missed so much and I felt so much more light-hearted. What I had missed most was the city that I had grown to hate just before leaving for the UK. The medieval buildings and the century old fresco paintings on the walls of my classrooms could not be beaten by any hyper modern building I had studied in while abroad. But, as much as I had missed it all, I didn’t feel like I truly belonged in Italy anymore. My year abroad had deeply changed me and brought me to the decision of coming back to study in the UK. I still don’t know if this is my place, but I’m definitely not done exploring.
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Images: Ryan Smith
Global Opportunities Summer School Ryan Smith
Ah, Estonia, forever now a place in my heart will be reserved for you. It was only a few months ago that the very real thrill and fear of travelling alone for the first time hit me. I’d been abroad, but the travelling I was used to was more Costa Del Sol package holiday than the French Alps, but at least I had half a clue as to what to do. However, travelling… alone? The furthest I’d ever travelled alone was from Stockport to Sheffield and back to watch my beloved Sheffield Wednesday. Flights taken care of, all I needed to do was get my passport and sit on the plane. I flew to Frankfurt and transferred to Tallinn, Estonia. During the week I studied poetry and, being the only English student there, naturally, it was strange. It really is true what they say – you learn far more about yourself and your own culture when you are taken away from it. I still find it funny when I think back to how, on one afternoon, I tried my best to explain ‘northern English culture’ to my foreign classmates – they were too used to Benedict Cumberbatch English! The hostel was great,
Interested in styuding abroad? Go along to the Global Opportunities and Exchanges Fair on Thursday 25th October, 11am-3pm, at the Octagon. For more information, check out the webpages: www.sheffield.ac.uk/ globalopps
The American Dream: My year studying abroad Jack Spacey-Helder
James Joyce ruminated on Irish life from the shores of Trieste; Bill Bryson, the honorary Englishman, draws comparisons between the New and Old Worlds. Spending a sizable chunk of time in a place other than your home is a time-honoured way to gain new perspectives on both places, and your relationship to global and local communities. Studying abroad is a way to test the waters, as it were, of a far-flung
destination (I dipped a toe in the Pacific Ocean - it’s freezing). There isn’t any Joycian exile, nor too much in the way of intimidating work visas, and is the ideal amount of time to feel part of a community without a suggestion of stagnation. The seeming transience of nine months however is constantly defied by the day-to-day experiences in a culture other than your own. No doubt there were jealousyinducing stories leaping out from every fortnightly excursion into the wildernesses of Oregon
(snowshoeing eight hours to camp in a fire lookout on Devil’s Peak), and every road-trip to neon-lit pine-wood bars. However, what trumps (sorry, had to) even the shimmering peaks of the high Cascade mountains was the feeling of community, the genuine sense of welcome and intrigue amongst the friends I made and an intimate insight into some of the cultures, customs and… forestry service laws of North America. (I got a $280 ticket for trespassing - which then got reimbursed, but that’s a different story). It would be quite easy as a sourfaced cynic to disregard an exchange year as fleeting, gratuitous twoddle. But the spectrum of the whole
with a shared kitchen that allowed interaction with other foreign students. I made friends I’ll never forget, and whom I’m planning to see next year in Prague. The school is so much more than what you study; you are given the chance to live for yourself, and not for others. You can be who you are; personally I class my nights drinking Vana Tallinn rum on the beach with classmates as important as anything else I studied. Initially, the thought of travelling out of England alone terrified me. Now? I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
The school is so much more than what you study; you are given the chance to live for yourself, and not for others
experience and the insights and motivation it gave me - to travel more, create more, be more involved in my community at home - are anything but.
18
Lifestyle
Savvy Student Cooking: Kitchen staples that won’t break the bank Alice Lorenzato-Lloyd
We’ve all been there. You’re not sure what to cook tonight, you’re stuck in a rut of making your fail-safe pasta dish and you know the takeaway delivery driver far too well. But put down that fast food menu, because here are a few items that, if you stock up on, you’ll always be ready to throw together a nice dish. Not only are they versatile to cook with, but these store cupboard staples are also healthy and don’t cost a bomb. Rice As a break from pasta, why not try a different carbohydrate? You can buy rice in bulk or, if you’re feeling fancy and in a rush, there are a range
of microwaveable packs. You can serve your rice with a chilli or stew. You can even mix cooked rice in a pan with egg and some frozen peas to make a delicious egg fried rice, or chuck the rice in the pan with your favourite Mediterranean vegetables and maybe even chicken or prawns to make a pauper’s paella. Chickpeas There are more to chickpeas than making homemade hummus with them. Chickpeas can be thrown into curries and stews for added protein and a different texture. Alternatively, you can blitz them up along with herbs and spices to make chickpea burgers or falafels. You can even roast them in the oven and sprinkle some seasoning and
paprika on top and you have a tasty snack or side to your meal. Tinned chopped tomatoes Chopped tomatoes are cheap and very handy. You can use them to make a chilli , a curry, a Bolognese or simple tomato sauce, a baked dish like lasagne or moussaka, or a soup. If you’re wanting to show off your culinary prowess for brunch over the weekend, then you can use chopped tomatoes to make a shakshuka. Lentils These aren’t just for vegetarians and vegans. Even if you’re not following the #meatfreemonday movement, lentils can be a part of your diet whether it be in a homemade veggie burger or a chilli. Lentils can also be thrown into soups and stews for an extra source of protein. Many people are put off by lentils as they think they require a lot of preparation in advance, but more supermarkets now offer varieties with a faster cooking time and don’t
involve soaking them overnight. Simply rinse them thoroughly (the more thorough, the better, as this supposedly will reduce the potential gassy aftermath), boil them in a pan for around 10-15 mins, rinse again then add them to your dish. Garlic This pungent-smelling bulb is used globally therefore it’s a no-brainer to have it in your kitchen cupboard. Garlic is not only full of flavour but it’s known to be great for your heart health, since it lowers your cholesterol. It gives any dish some oomph whether it be a sauce, a stir-fry or casserole. Why not try adding it with some herbs to your roasted vegetables to give them a flavoursome punch? Eggs Eggs are very fast to cook and are incredibly multipurpose - boiled, fried, poached, scrambled... When you’re not in the mood for cooking anything advanced, the omelette
is a reliable and speedy dish to make, plus you can add whatever ingredients you have in stock to it. Eggs are a source of omega 3, which is good for our brains, so next time you have a heavy study session, you could snack on a boiled egg to try and focus that noggin of yours. Sweet potatoes You have got to love the trusty potato, but in fact its sibling cooks much faster when it comes to boiling and roasting. You can cook a sweet potato the same as a regular potato, such as a baked jacket potato, mashed on top of a shepherd’s or cottage pie, or roasted as wedges. Stock cubes Like garlic, stock cubes give added flavour to dishes. These are great at enhancing sauces, soups and stews. If you fancy some comfort food or want to relieve your cold, use a stock cube, for instance, to make your own chicken noodle soup.
Gooey Chocolate Brownies (Vegan and Gluten Free) Steps 1.
Melt 350g of the chocolate in a bowl over hot water, adding all the ingredients as you stir.
2.
Break up the last 50 g and stir in the mixture.
3.
one that is 7cm deep, 20cm
The
Cookbook
Place it in a baking tray (I use wide and 30cm long), lined with baking paper.
4.
mixture halfway. This isn’t Angelo Irving
strictly necessary but will
Ingredients
bottom with a gooey inside.
400g [70%] dark chocolate 300ml milk alternative
give you a crunchy top and
then blend them with
150g brown sugar (coconut
cinnamon, a tablespoon
sugar if you can afford it)
of brown sugar and milk
200g crunchy peanut butter
alternative until it is a
5-10g baking powder able from most continental food stores)
serve with banana ice cream (chop and freeze 2 bananas,
1 tsp sea salt
230g gluten free flour (avail-
Let it cool before cutting otherwise it will crumble,
6.
consistency you like). 7.
Anne Beyer
Cook on a medium heat for 35 minutes, turning the
5.
Oktoberfest
Serves at least 20. Make if you want to be popular with your housemates!
Last Sunday was the 185th Oktoberfest, and thousands of visitors left Munich with lots of good (and drunk) memories. With more than six million visitors every year, Oktoberfest claims to be the world’s largest folk festival. If you have ever asked yourself why the Germans go crazy during these days, read on.... It all started in October 1810, when Munich´s citizens were invited to a meadow just outside the city centre, to celebrate the royal wedding. Horse races were the highlight of the festivities and the decision to repeat the races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest. In later years an agricultural fair was added to the horse races in order to promote Bavaria´s agriculture.
It´s all about the beer…
What originally started with a simple idea of agricultural festivities is nowadays a reason for people from all over the world (10 per cent of those being from the UK) to travel to Munich. For 16 days during September and October, Munich turns into a place where beer consumption knows no limits. To be accurate, more than 7.5 million litres of beer are poured each year. The classic beer is served in a one litre glass – who ever said beer can’t replace water? If you are curious about going to Oktoberfest, here are some important tips for your next visit: book your flight tickets and accommodation far in advance, as travel and accommodation prices increase rapidly during these days. Also, consider wearing southern Germany´s traditional folk costume,
otherwise you´ll stick out as a tourist. Women wear colourful dresses called Dirndl and men the so-called Lederhosen (leather pants). It’s very important to make a reservation for the popular tents. No reservation does not necessarily mean no entrance, but it always gets busy during Oktoberfest. Last, but not least, bring a lot of cash for your visit on the Wiesn (Bavarian word for Oktoberfest). You might need that for beer, delicious Bavarian food or the rides (which you better consider before getting drunk). There are also lots of fairground attractions and traditional stands for those who are seeking something gentler. But among the many attractions, the “liquid gold” is surely the most important reason for a visit to Oktoberfest. Prosit! (Cheers!)
Run campaigns like this!
Join BME Students Committee Email womens.officer@sheffield.ac.uk
Celebrating
at Sheffield Students’ Union sheffieldsu.com/blackhistorymonth
20
Break Break Editor Robin Wilde If you’re reading this, I wish you all the best with printed media in a month of dramatic autumn wind. Atmospheric though it might be, it has proved troublesome for the many smaller freshers who have been blown into the heavens by these mighty gusts while crossing by the Arts Tower - now prey for a passing horde of Mary Poppinses. Here at Break Towers, we’ve been hard at work in the content mines of internet thievery to bring you an enjoyable section, featuring our own tribute to Black History Month in the form of a special wordsearch. You’ll also find your romantic questions answered in a new rotating segment, HeartBreak. As a puzzle section editor, I am obviously deluged with romantic approaches and will therefore be able to offer great advice. Got a problem of the heart you want me to solve? Just email press.break@ forgetoday.com. Finally, following some terrifying deadlines over the last fortnight, there wasn’t time for a crossword so you’re getting Sudoku instead. My section, my rules.
“He had never liked October. Ever since he had first lay in the autumn leaves” Ray Bradbury, The October Game
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Black History Month Wordsearch To mark Black History Month this October, Break has compiled this wordsearch of figures, places, things and events which have helped contribute to Black British life. Enjoy!
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Abbott Windrush Nottinghill Wilberforce
Grant Seacole Sentamu TheVoice
MOBOs IdrisElba Boyega Boateng
Relatable Content Corner
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License. See: https://xkcd.com/license.html
21
Break
HeartBreak
Sudoku
Love lives can be a difficult thing - we’re here so you don’t have to take responsibility.
Dear HeartBreak,
Dear Bea,
I think my boyfriend might be cheating. How can I find out and confront him?
If you know his username, report him to the publisher for cheating. You can probably have his Steam account blocked from multiplayer.
Bea Movie, 21
Dear HeartBreak, I once again thirst for the blood of an innocent. The hour of reckoning is at hand. Lucifer Strangwith, 666
Fit 1-9 into each row, column and box, without repeating a number within a row, column or box.
Easy
HeartBreak
Dear Lucifer, Respect is key to any kink. Should you find a subject willing to be drained of their essence by the light of the moon, you can find information on what their transformation into an undying horror of the night will involve on Google. HeartBreak
Dear HeartBreak,
Dear G.,
Why is it so hard to find a man? All I want is a lover with a neckbeard, katana, trenchcoat and fedora!
I share your pain. I, too, have been banned from Reddit.
G. Brest-Litovsk, 19
HeartBreak
Dear HeartBreak,
Dear I.C. Lift,
We have just moved into our new home, but my partner has been broken by the move. How can I reinvigorate her?
I’m afraid there is no hope left. The memory of those who saw you function together will soon fade, and the age of stairs will again rise.
I. C. Lift, 22
HeartBreak
Dear HeartBreak,
Dear Fenwick,
Is the current authoritarian turn in Western politics a temporary and reversible phenomenon, or a fundamental shift away from the liberal democracy which came to dominate through the horrors of the Second World War?
Write your own dissertation proposal. HeartBreak
Fenwick Hasbro, 21
Dear HeartBreak,
Dear Jessica,
Where should I take my paramore on our special third date? I’m hoping to seal the deal!
The Imperial War Museum North is only a train ride away in Trafford! Your lover will be impressed by virile displays of artillery. I am not single.
Jessica Armcramp. 20
Medium
HeartBreak
Hard
22
What’s on
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17 Oct - 31 Oct
Dance Your Socs Off Bar Crawl
Other Highlights:
Thursday 18 October, 8:30pm - 3:30am Various West Street bars, ending in Foundry Dance Your Socs Off is back courtesy of the fantastic Societies Committee. This ambitious crawl sees 1800 students from 60 different societies hit the bars of West Street, culminating in a superb night at the
Mr Scruff, Mr Thing & Andy H - TTC 20th Birthday Part 1 19 October, 11pm - 4am Foundry £8.80
Foundry. The event was launched in 2015 and has only gotten bigger and better in the years since, if you can source a last minute ticket then definitely check it out.
Walk Along Derwent Valley 20 October, 9:40am - 2pm Meet at Sheffield train station (departure boards) £4.40/£2.20 (Res Life)
24hr Filmmaking Challenge Friday 19 October Octagon Meeting Room 2 £5.50/£3.30 (Res Life) 7pm - 10pm
Credit: Wiki Commons Credit: University of Sheffield Filmmaking Society
Halloween Freaks Festival
The filmmaking society host their annual 24-hour filmmaking challenge this week, where groups are tasked with writing, filming and editing a five-minute long short film in just a day! It’s chaotic fun and the society are quite honest that it’s their favourite event of the year so don’t miss out.
One Pot Cookery
Wednesday 31 October, 11pm-4am Students Union
Saturday 27 October The Edge Dining Room £5.50/£3.30 (Res Life) 1:45pm - 4pm
The union’s famous Halloween Freaks Festival returns and this year the theme is “uprising”, depicting the robot apocalypse that in reality won’t happen for at least another three years. Expect to see performers, special effects and more than a few drunk students in an event that encompasses the best elements of every SU club night.
Who says that a student diet has to be a bad one? Come along to this cookery class to learn how to make vegetable tagine with almond and chickpea couscous, a healthy dish to detox with after months of pizza and super noodles.
Learn Reiki
Film Unit: Suspiria Wednesday 31 October, 7:30pm Nelson Mandela Auditorium To celebrate Halloween, Film Unit are showing this classic from writer-director Dario Argento. Suspiria is often referred to as one of the best horror movies of all time and this is a rare opportunity to see it on the big screen, kicking off the spookiest night of the year in superb style.
£3.30
Wednesday 31 October 6:30pm - 8:30pm Gallery Room 4 at the SU £4.13/£1.93 (Res Life) Everybody gets stressed at university, but this Japanese method of achieving peak relaxation might well help you keep a cool head when deadlines start arriving. Try it out for yourself at this workshop and see what all the fuss is about.
Capoeira for Beginners 20 October, 3pm - 5pm Activity Room 1 - Goodwin Sports Centre £3.30/£1.10 (Res Life) Robert Peston - WTF? 22 October, 7:30pm - 9:30pm The Octagon £11.50 (General)/£9.20 (Concessions) DJ Soc Give it a Spin 26 October, 5pm - 8pm Raynor Lounge (at the SU) £5.50/£3.30 (Res Life) The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs - Steve Brusatte 26 October, 7:30pm - 9:30pm Firth Hall £9.20 (General)/£8.05 (Concessions) Film Unit: Hereditary (15) 26 October, 7:30pm Nelson Mandela Auditorium £3.30 Hadrian’s Wall and Carlisle 27 October, 7:30am - 5:30pm Glossop Road entrance to Bar One £38.50/£33 (Res Life) Sweeten the Day of the Dead 27 October, 3pm - 5pm View Room 5 at the SU £2.20 Off Me Nut x Bluewave Halloween Spooky Special 27 October, 11:59pm - 5am The Night Kitchen £22 (Final Release) Out of This World Festival 28 October, 5:45pm-8pm City Centre Free
23
Portrait of Rosa Parks by Chantelle Pierre
Afua Hirsch: Brit(ish)
Film Unit: BlacKkKlansman
Scratchylus Windrush Tour
Thursday 18 October 6:30pm-7:30pm Lecture Theatre 1, The Diamond Free
Saturday 20 October 3:30pm-6pm / 7:30pm-10pm Nelson Mandela Auditorium £3
Sunday 21 October 4pm-6pm Raynor Lounge at the SU Free
Writer and journalist Afua Hirsch will be talking about her bestselling book Brit(ish), which talks about Britain’s troubled relationship with its past and the problems facing our society today. The event will be chaired by author Desiree Reynolds.
Film Unit are showing the latest feature from acclaimed director Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansmen. The film tells the incredible true story of Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s.
Acclaimed artist Scratchylus is visiting the university to perform his educational and inspiring music, including his latest release titled Windrush Generations, as part of the student union’s Black History Month programme.
24
Arts
write for us!
THEATRE
Arts editors Charly Hurrell Sophie Maxwell
Cilla The Musical at Lyceum
The third week of term is a tricky one; the energising feeling of new beginnings, or returning to familiar routines, is wearing off. The pile of fruit you bought at the beginning of term has neither grown smaller, nor stayed its initial colourful state and you realise it won’t work just as bedroom decor. Sophie and I have both been swamped with a lethargy of overwhelming work and no-longerFreshers flu but that only means we have lots of ways you can replenish your slump with fulfilling arts.
Séance
If you’re a halloween bug and looking for ways to get in the fever without covering your house in fake orange web, Theatre Deli are hosting a project by DARKFIELD; Séance. They are welcoming you into their shipping container, without live actors, and request you sit still for 15 minutes to face fear through a narrative. Do you dare for a scare?
Darkness Into Light
Perhaps you don’t have the creepy fever yet but still want to explore your emotions? Millenium Gallery are opening Darkness into Light: The Emotional Power of Art. Comparing a spectrum of emotions by inducing calm and anxiety , they have collated three private collections for a special perusal by general public. With the ability to give a subjective vote on how an individual piece makes you feel, this is definitely one not to miss.
Harry Cottle
Image: Sheffield Theatres
Cilla The Musical follows the rise of Cilla Black; from her working class roots through to the contemporary music scene, all the way to national stardom. After being introduced to Brian Epstein by The Beatles, Cilla finds herself on the path to fame. The first act is slow, setting the mood with its jukebox soundtrack and authentic 60s costumes. However, the show later picks up the pace, with Cilla
The
Bookshelf
A showcase of student creative writing
Poem of the paper: a speck on my conscience. James Huxtable
The first drops of sunlight sit still atop your forehead; your skin’s milk fusing with the white underneath. Every atom of your being rises slowly as you breathe as if composed of fragments laid out where you’re spread. Leave a part behind. When you disperse today allow the particles to drift between my fingertips, so that I may later find molecules within the thread of my identity. So that your aura may one day eclipse mine. The white underneath lies now serene, but the creases conjugate together like scales. The straining surface jolts at my touch, fingers enveloping a mind that failed. Incessantly staring down this screen, but sending has always been too much.
Do you mix ink and rhyme? Get in touch with press.arts@forgepress.com to get involved. We want to showcase your poems!
press.arts@forgetoday.com
struggling to juggle her career and attempting to break America, all while trying to balance her relationship with her bumbling boyfriend Bobby Willis. Kara Lily Hayworth brings the musical to life as the titular Liverpudlian. She captures the spirit of her character in both her acting and singing performances with a masterful performance of Cilla’s first number one hit ‘Anyone Who Had a Heart’ as a highlight. The show is unapologetically feel-good, filled with iconic music which saturates the theatre with nostalgia. The director, Bill Kenwright, and much of the cast were born in Liverpool, adding to the passion behind the project. This is a celebration of both Cilla Black and 1960s music.
However, the 60s weren’t ‘swinging’ for everyone. Brian Epstein, the manager of both Cilla Black and The Beatles, is brilliantly played by Andrew Lancel. Epstein receives physical abuse for being a gay man in an era marred by homophobia. Lancel’s performance is heartbreaking, playing the tragedies of his character with great subtlety. Whilst this subplot is small it is incredibly impactful, providing some much needed grit in a show full of glitter. Ultimately, Cilla the Musical succeeds in what it sets out to do - we are entertained by her story, told in style. At times it lacks depth, but the surface has enough classic songs and enjoyable performances to let you lose yourself in its world.
STORY The Freeman Diary: Chapter Three Ryan Smith
The accompanying letter that came with it said to meet at Oxley Square Tower Block 5 in Section 6 on 15th March.. However, there were more pressing concerns than this nonsense. I had another two Commission takeovers to advise before that December alone. The various white collar bullshit continued like the very trains on the railways I owned. Nothing ever does change that much in life, and when it does, it’s far too late to do much about it. That’s what I thought too until that early March of 2020. If I hadn’t turned up to that meeting, 15th March 2020, you would never be reading what you are reading now. The meeting was in the back of my mind, mixed with the other thousand thoughts a day, like the chewing gum stuck to the underside of every high school desk in the country. If I didn’t go I’d be in even more trouble, perhaps more than I am now. They need me now, you see. But you’ll learn all about that
come the end of this. In the early March of 2020 I received a phone call. This is another one they won’t print for you – the phone calls never get mentioned, only unless it’s written down. Yeah, they can trace calls but you’d be surprised at the myriad of tracks that are covered by agency bloodhounds. I’d just finished another meeting with the Railways Commission about new routes cutting through the North, taking away the TransPennine and replacing it with the Co-Line TransExpress. You may have seen it in the news a few years back. Now you know who to thank for that mess. I sat back at my desk, when the phone rang. ‘Hello?’ ‘Say no. Do not be swayed.’ ‘Who is this?’ I tried to interrupt, but the voice continued. The story continues in our next issue out on Wednesday 31 October
25 write for us!
EXHIBITION Heads Roll at Graves Gallery Charlie Young
Don’t visit this exhibition if you’re looking for simple order and consistency. Curator Paul Morrison has collated an arrangement that rockets around a diverse 400 years-orso of portraiture, with names like Rembrandt, Landseer and Lowry appearing in-amongst some of the most exciting contemporary artists. The pieces span most imaginable forms; paint, pencil, print, written text and sculpture – one complete with a head of synthetic hair. The exhibition examines the enduring importance of the head as a device in portraiture (one for Art students there), and in human identity itself. The human head is a factory that produces an endless output of thoughts, feelings and opinions from an input of varied
experiences, and can act as a window into a personality, or as a façade to disguise it. Some works show the skill of artists who can use the most minute detailing to transform the emotion shown through a pair of eyes. Some works more brutally examine what is left of identity when the head is removed. Others move beyond the visual entirely to redefine the ‘portrait’ – Ian Anderson wittily uses text to create his Portrait of a Norse God after a Battle with his Elder. You’ll be repeatedly pulled into snippets of intimacy when you find yourself caught in the thoughtful gaze of an old man or the stare of a small girl; it’s hard not to find yourself mimicking expressions of the faces in front of you. The method of Morrison’s hanging creates bucketloads of erratic, provocative contrast: the pieces bounce between different artistic movements, emotions and media, so that the resentful eyes of Joan in James White’s Dark Thoughts cast their view at the proud bust of Engineer S.A. Ward (1912) from the Gallery’s
collection. Using just one body part, the exhibition displays life and death, honesty and disguise, pain and joy and shyness and confidence. In a modern world where we can easily feel forced to put on a certain face and become trapped in our own minds, Heads Roll provides a refreshingly powerful outburst of emotions.
is a factory that produces
of thoughts feelings and opinions
Heads Roll is at the Graves Gallery, Sheffield until Saturday 24 November
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
at Crucible Theatre Kate Procter
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is showing at the Crucible Theatre until Saturday 20 October
The human head
an endless output
THEATRE
Image: Sheffield Theatres
press.arts@forgetoday.com
When Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream spandex was yet to be invented. But when the Mechanicals enter in the final act to perform their play-within-aplay, Pyramus and Thisbe, artistic director Robert Hastie doesn’t let this hold him back. In what can only be described as a glam-rock extravaganza – think platform boots and glitter in perhaps the strangest ode to KISS ever witnessed – we watch them perform to the equally stunned on-stage wedding audience. Shakespeare’s classic comedy about four young lovers and a group of amateur actors who are manipulated by fairies is turned completely on its head. The production appears to take its cue from Chiara Stephenson’s set; the circular stage is empty except
’
Original images: Sheffield Theatres
for a central grand piano. It is a focal point throughout the performance, inventively utilised by Puck (Bobby Delaney) for his entrance, viewing platform, and popcorn stash. A fantastic musical score is provided by The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie Sells – yes, the frontman to the same indie band that wrote such memorable hits (not heard since primary school) as “Love It When You Call” and “Fill My Little World” – who co-created the hit West-End Musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. There is a more than a touch of Jamie in Delaney’s Puck, with his blonde crop and sparkly vest top, as he wreaks his camped-up havoc on the unsuspecting Athenians. However, in Hastie’s colourful production, the Mechanicals subplot overshadows the rest of the performance. The opening scene is cut too short, with Hermia’s father, Egeus, completely removed. The impression is rushed, causing the lover’s performances to feel constrained; they lack the anticipated euphoria and abandon for a group spellbound with passion. Their energetic slapstick performance in the middle of the play, whilst amusing, feels
somewhat gimmicky. Still, Evelyn Miller is worth mentioning for her strong performance as Helena: she speaks with the most awareness and emotional commitment of the quartet. In order to deliver the heavenly impression of the fairy world, it seems Stephenson has gone quite literally celestial. A giant moon hangs above the stage for the entire duration of the play, excepting when it divides to become Titania and Bottom’s bed. The background also draws to reveal a sky full of model planets as part of the finale. Whilst outlandish, the spectacle (along with the shorter script length) is a welcome to those who may otherwise find Shakespeare intimidating. Silliness is fully embraced in this highly accessible production. There is an excellently diverse cast with almost all of them doubling as fairies; they are rarely offstage yet always display real energy and comic timing – with Francesca Mills’ tap dancing lion a particular highlight. The production is ideal for those looking to see a reimagination of Shakespeare’s classic comedy or those wishing to give the Bard another go since GCSE.
26
Arts
In Conversation with...
Annalisa Toccara, founder of Our Mel Sophie Maxwell
Upon entering 35 Chapel Walk, the striking portraits and stories of local black women hanging on the wall feel all too rare. Indubitable, an exhibition of black female identity, has been curated by Annalisa Toccara. For Toccara, an International Public and Political Communications masters student, this exhibition is about much more than capturing the beauty of these individuals. As founder of Our Mel, a social enterprise creatively exploring cultural identity, black history and day to day life of people of colour in Britain, this showcase is yet another brainchild of hers. “It all started in November 2016 after the Black Lives Matter protest in Sheffield, which I helped organise,” she explains. “A girl called Gabriella contacted me about wanting to create meetup sessions for black women. She wanted to do a festival and I wanted to do events for Black History Month, so we just put the two together. “We launched Melanin Fest last year, which involved 43 events working with both of the universities, Showroom Cinema and Theatre Deli. After
that, Our Mel was created so we could celebrate black history and identity all year round. “The whole idea behind it is representation, but also allowing women of colour a safe space so they can come together and talk about issues. It’s not all for women of colour, it is for everybody to come together and learn from each other.” Our Mel knows exactly how to tap into different audiences and engage them. “People connect in different ways. Last year we launched in the Frog and Parrot pub with live bands playing. We’ve had spoken word events. We just did writing workshops with the University for Festival of the Mind. You name it, we do it. It’s a different crowd attending each time; different races and genders. We meet and work with lots of different people on a spectrum of diversity.” Black History Month, which spans the whole of October, has been celebrated in the UK for 31 years. Started by radical black activists as a platform to share black history, a similar purpose is mirrored today: to champion black identity and honour the lives of predecessors. However, the lack of teaching on black history in the UK does not
support what Black History Month sets out to achieve. “Black History Month is very repetitive in what you learn. Normally schools don’t teach it at all. If they do, it’s normally about slavery, Martin Luther King or civil rights. To be quite frank, when you’ve grown up listening to that, it’s quite boring because there’s nothing new. But there is British black history that is often ignored.” This matter has become a topical political agenda. Last week, Jeremy Corbyn vowed to increase teaching of black history in schools, but not without facing criticism. “I think it’s a brilliant move and a step in the right direction. I think it needs to be a political agenda. We need the government to take serious actions in order for teachings on black history in schools to improve. It’s important that all children are taught about the black Britons who have helped to create and shape the country in which we live in.” Often, to the great frustration of those from BME communities, Black History Month faces criticism as to why it exists and why celebrations are confined to
To find out more about Our Mel and all upcoming events, visit ourmel.org.uk or follow @our_mel on twitter
one month. “We do get quite a lot of criticism. People think Black History Month is divisive, but
We need the government to take serious actions in order for teachings on black history in schools to improve’ it’s really not. It’s about bringing people together. “It’s very important that we celebrate black history all year round, but that we also keep Black History Month in October. Until black history is taught in schools, we see greater inclusion in arts and cultural sector and in businesses, it still needs to exist in that month. The Windrush scandal proves we need Black History Month.” Biases within the art scene that Our Mel is a part of are apparent, meaning BME communities within Sheffield are lacking
representation. “There’s still a long way to go in the arts scene. Look at Sheffield. It’s dominated by the white middle class. A woman just walked in here a few minutes ago and said ‘Oh I’ve never seen anything like this in Sheffield before’, and that’s exactly the point. It is sad. “This is why these events are so important. If you look at all of the festivals happening across Sheffield, there is a lack of BME voices in and behind the events. It’s happening in London, Manchester, Leeds. Sheffield is getting there, but we’ve got a long way to go.” From giving TEDx talks, marketing for the upcoming Spirit of Africa festival at Sheffield Theatres and hosting Afua Hirsch’s Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging talk at the university, Toccara is showing no signs of slowing down. Our Mel is capable of stealing us all from ignorance, and deserves your full attention. Black History Month continues until the end of October. To find out more about Our Mel and all upcoming events, visit ourmel. org.uk or follow @our_mel on Twitter.
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Music Music Editors Harriet Evans Ben Kempton
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Remembering the origins of Soul
This month we’re celebrating Black History Month with an article exploring soul music. We also have a great interview with Izzy B Phillips from Black Honey and live reviews of Artshouse, TQD, The Magic Gang and The Coral for you to check out.
Editors’ Picks
Harriet: Galdem Queens Spotify playlist As part of the celebrations for Black History Month, Spotify have curated a number of playlists to honour Black Music Culture called ‘Black History Is Now’. A favorite one of mine has to be the ‘Galdem - Queens’ playlist which features Lady Leshurr, JONES, Jorja Smith, Mahalia and Ms Banks among others. I love that this playlist celebrates and empowers female BME artists and think it’s definitely worth checking out.
Ben: To Pimp A Butterfly Kendrick Lamar
Carrying on the celebration of Black History Month, I have decided to pick what I consider to be the most important black album of recent times. Kendrick broke boundaries with this album, highlighting issues in the black community and sharing them with the world. In doing this he started a movement for change which resulted in him being the first hip hop artist to receive a Pulitzer Prize in 2017.
Left to right: Sam Cooke, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin were some of the kings and queens of soul in the 50s
Naomi Kanapathypillai
One thing that must be celebrated during Black History Month is soul music. When listening to soul music, it feels like it embodies nearly every part of black culture. It’s conversational; it tells inspiring stories that are recognizable to anyone, regardless of race, but it can also tell appalling stories that, sadly, have been such a big part of African American lives (and often still are). Finding its origins in African American gospel music, blues and jazz, soul music was developed in America during the late 1950s. Two of the biggest studios were Motown in Detroit and Stax Records in Memphis. Stax had a more soulful, almost bluesy, sound, with artists like Otis Redding and Carla Thomas. Motown Sound, on the other hand, was made for a wider audience, with a line-up including Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, The Supremes and The Temptations. Other great soul musicians of that time (and now comes the fear of leaving someone out) were Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and James Brown. Thinking of soul music brings me to those legendary studios. I see a
young Michael Jackson performing with The Jackson Five, stealing the show and the hearts of many soul artists. I hear James Brown’s funk, and can almost feel that rhythm and the need to dance. I hear Sam Cooke’s ‘(What A) Wonderful World’. And it all creates an image of unity and happiness. Outside the walls of those studios, however, African Americans faced great inequality – whether they were famous or not. During the 1950s and 1960s, America became increasingly segregated and for many black musicians it was troubling to perform. While 1960s youth fell in love with soul music and many white youths began to recognize the idiocy of their parents’ discriminating ideas, blatant discrimination continued to take place. Motown’s touring buses would frequently be harassed and attacked. The artists would be sent away from restaurants and during their performances crowds would be segregated. Meanwhile, the divided – often young – crowd would sing and dance to their favourite Motown songs, in harmony. Of course, the intense irony of these situations upset many artists. But they always answered with music. Protest songs that were
inspired by these discriminating acts included, among others, Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ and Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, which he wrote after he and his band were turned away from a hotel. One particularly memorable moment, however, was when ‘Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)’ singer James Brown calmed a crowd after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. A day after King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968, James Brown was performing in Boston. In an attempt to keep people off the street and calm down the race riots that had been going on all night, the concert was broadcasted. But as soon as the concert started, fans began to climb onto the stage. Police officers started to push them back down, but Brown waved the police away, saying, “I’m alright, I’m alright.” He addressed the public: “Wait a minute, now WAIT,” he said. “Step down, now, be a gentleman… now, I asked the police to step back, because I think I can get some respect from my own people.” To one kid on stage he says, “You wanna dance? Dance.” And he continues the concert, peacefully.
Answering tragedy with music, Brown asked the crowd to express themselves through music as well. And that’s what they did, together. Soul music is transcendent – and should therefore always be celebrated as one of the most powerful gifts from black culture.
Answering tragedy with music, Brown asked the crowd to express themselves through music as well. And that’s what they did, together.
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Music Want press passes for The Night Kitchen? Email us for your chance to get in the paper and go on an unforgettable night out
Artwork presents Arts House at The Night Kitchen
Vavi Maniichuk
If you haven’t been to Night Kitchen yet what are you doing with your life? Get your funkiest garms on and grab an Adidas jacket, because you’re about to embark on one of the maddest nights out of your life. As soon as you climb down the steep narrow staircase into the underground basement, converted into an intimate dance floor, your ears are sweetly greeted by the freshest tunes. According to Resident Advisor, Art House was developed by Artwork from a modest rave in a stranger’s front room and has become one of the craziest nights out in the UK. DJing from London to Ibiza, Artwork is known as a dubstep
champion, talented at spinning a cocktail of house and disco music, as well as a few surprises for those fun, unexpected breaks in between. As said by the man himself, “If you are only going to have one guest DJ… make sure it’s the best f****** DJ in the world”. That’s a bold statement, especially coming from a genius of the genre. Night Kitchen itself is an extremely well-designed rave spot. Low ceilings, a wide concrete dancefloor interspersed with tall columns, shabby-chic exposed brick walls and an upstairs room complete with comfy sofas for those deep night out chats. The décor was wellsuited to the psychedelic tunes. Just dark enough, with a multitude of floating disco lights at the front,
it felt like you were swimming in the most colourful galaxy in the universe. With cheap drinks, a handy cloakroom, and of course, far from expensive tickets (early release tickets were only £5), Night Kitchen is a night that you certainly don’t want to miss while in Sheffield. Go alone, go with your friends, it really doesn’t matter - the crowd that gathers at Night Kitchen is one of the best. You’ll be sure to meet many kind and intriguing individuals. It feels like one big house party, and soon you’ll be hugging strangers left, right and centre, exchanging your phone numbers and begging for a cheeky picture or two with everybody. It honestly feels like you’ve known these people your whole life.
So grab your tickets early because Night Kitchen will definitely sell out fast. The next event is on the 19th October; Punks Music Warehouse Party with Stanton Warriors and Benton (Swamp81). Don’t be left out or else you will regret it.
INTERVIEW
yourself a villain rather than the victim… I want it to feel actionpacked, have a thrill to it, or a sad reflective moment. It’s got to have cinematic undertones.” And though the lyrics fall to her, she is quick to dispel any ideas that this is ‘The Izzy Show’. “It so fucking isn’t. I couldn’t function without my band.” Nevertheless, it is her rich, seductive voice that commands each track. Phillips cites vocal inspirations such as Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star and Amy Winehouse, saying “I love old souls who are tortured. I want to hear the torture in someone’s voice, and see the beauty, fragility and strength in that at the same time.” In many ways, not least their Brighton origins, Black Honey’s path is reminiscent of bass-anddrums rock duo Royal Blood. Their similarly-eponymous first album was also lauded for its short, lean and well-produced track list. Suggesting this to Phillips reveals a deeper connection. “’Into The Nightmare’ was written with Mike [Kerr]! He cuts the fat off everything, knows exactly how, in the purest way, to make a track the best version of that track and how to direct the listener’s attention to the right thing. He spent ages talking to me about the exact placement of a snare – I’ve never heard someone so obsessed with the placement of a snare. It’s borderline genius.” She admits that her songs are
unavoidably short – “I’ve got a really short attention span!” and informs me she switches off from conversations around the fourminute mark. I check my watch nervously. Black Honey’s 2018 might have been a whirlwind of success, but it hasn’t yet been lucrative. “I can say I’ve been to Japan and graced the pages of Vogue magazine, but I’ve yet to give myself my first paycheck!” Rewards have come in other forms though. Phillips is visibly moved as she describes the influence her art has had on young fans. “I’ve had a few letters from little girls around the world saying, ‘I’m 14, I love you because your music makes me feel ok to be myself’. You touch somebody’s heart at that level of depth, and you want that again and again. It’s an addiction.” There’s no denying the band’s big ambitions. “I want to tour the world and write songs with loads of people,” Phillips says. “I want my music to touch the hearts of people around the world.” Through the biker jackets, punchy riffs and defiant lyrics, it is her presence that anchors and even defines the band’s nostalgic aesthetic. It’s one that the industry sorely needs.
Black Honey Nick Burke
Izzy B. Phillips curls up in the corner of the diner booth sporting dungarees and a Quentin Tarantino tee. Fresh from a soundcheck, she laments her decision to write such high vocals into new single ‘Midnight’. “Mate, it’s so hard to sing. We started playing it live a lot in March, and I’m only just getting my head around it now.” This is the second time Black Honey have graced Sheffield since then, as part of an aggressive touring circuit. The songstress has a fondness for the city. “We’ve had relentless support from here. It was my second favourite place on the last tour for the crowd reaction.” This tour in particular has the air of a victory lap following the release of their acclaimed debut album Black Honey; a short-butheady cocktail of catchy hooks and powerful lyrics. I suggest to Phillips that we explore themes of melancholy and toxicity in her songwriting. “I’m always looking for ways to describe the album… I’m gonna steal that and tell everyone that’s what it’s about!” She describes her Tarantinoinspired creative ethos, explaining “I love the idea of making
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Music Image: Alicia Hannah
LIVE The Coral at The Leadmill Christie Kelsey
The Coral has maintained a perennial presence on the British music scene for over two decades now, and performing to a packed out room at the Leadmill on Sunday night, they proved to be as strong as ever. The night got off to a rock n’ roll start with the Cut Glass Kings, before acclaimed Liverpool foursome She Drew The Gun took to the stage with their catchy political pop, triggering a quick ‘Yorkshire’ chant from the crowd. The Coral then received a rapturous welcome, and in front of a striking backdrop the band rattled through a huge selection of their varied back catalogue. The first half of the set had a slower pace with a mix of old and new tracks. The crowd-pleasing old favourite ‘In The Morning’ kicked off a rockier and more upbeat second half, that even sparked the beginnings of a mosh pit. Started by a group of school
friends from the Wirral, The Coral are an indie music success story with an impressive twenty years in the industry. They debuted in the 90s, experimenting with a range of genres, and received a Mercury Prize nomination the day after their selftitled debut LP release in 2002. Their mix of styles over the years has included indie, psychedelic pop, garage and folk-rock, incorporating a layered sound and impressive guitar work that even the nonmusically minded can appreciate. Their long-standing dedication to producing quality music has obviously won them a loyal fan base, who sang along to songs off their latest album ‘Move Through The Dawn’, as well as their older hits. The group saved their biggest hit, ‘Dreaming of You’, for the encore, and despite building up the anticipation a little too long, it was definitely worth the wait. From the opinion of those who know and love their biggest hits, some of their newer songs don’t quite seem to generate the same infectious crowd energy. But for a band still drawing a big turnout while touring their ninth album, The Coral clearly have a special something that has kept them alive and kicking in the modern music industry.
LIVE TQD at THE TUESDAY CLUB
Ben Kempton
Our trusty Union brings in some of the hottest DJs from around the world for The Tuesday Club. This week saw bassline giants TQD grace Foundry; a killer collaborative group consisting of Royal T, Flava D and DJ Q. Each artist has revelled in their own success and played festivals and events around the world. They are artists at the top of their genre and, collectively, a force to be reckoned with. The tone of the night was set by Tuesday Club’s resident DJ Andy H. As the crowd entered the venue, Andy H progressed throughout his set from techno to dirty bassline that got the crowd pulling gun fingers left right and centre. It wasn’t the busiest TTC but the crowd that were in attendance were pumped up and ready for TQD to come on stage. The room plummeted into darkness. Booming speakers generated suspense as the DJs played out the drop build-up for what felt like an eternity. As the build
reached its peak, the bright lights burst through the darkness and the bassline dropped sending the crowd into a frenzy. Each DJ played their biggest tunes, with Royal T dropping ‘I Know You Want Me’ and DJ Q with ‘Rocky’ and ‘Poison’. Flava D stole the show playing ‘Wheels’, DJ Zinc’s ‘Amergency’, a remix of ‘Renegade Master’ and much to crowd’s delight, their hit single with My Nu Leng ‘SoulShaker’. The set ended with ‘Ghost’ to mark a show that combined all their music perfectly. The beauty of The Tuesday Club is the diversity of music they pull in. The 16 October sees London hip hop star Ocean Wisdom arrive in Sheffield, then the week after is electro-swing star Mr.Scruff. On the 30 October are reggae DJs Channel One Sound System. There’s lot to look forward to.
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Screen Screen Editors Gethin Morgan Izzy Cridland Hello folks. Awards season is starting to kick into gear now, and this issue we review one of the first big Oscar contenders, A Star is Born. Lisa Wehrstedt also shares her experiences at this year’s Venice Film Festival and, in celebration of Black History Month, our editors’ picks are two of our favourite pieces of black cinema in recent years.
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The Student Of Venice Lisa Wehrstedt takes us through her experience of the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
Editors’ Picks Moonlight
A cinematic masterpiece from director Barry Jenkins, Moonlight is a sensitive portrait of sexuality, addiction and growing up in poverty in Florida. The use of colour, imagery and score combine to create an intimate and subtle exploration into difficult topics. Mahershala Ali is outstanding in depicting his complexities as a drug dealer and valuable mentor to protagonist Chiron, despite only being on screen for a quarter of the film.
Hale County This Morning, This Evening
I stumbled upon this beauty back in June at Sheff Doc/Fest. From first time director RaMell Ross, this is a meditative, observational and completely authentic look at the lives of an African American community in Alabama. It’s visually gorgeous, and god knows how they managed to cut down the 1,300 hours of footage into just 1hr 16m. Ross wanted to make a piece of black cinema which is not about prejudice or day-to-day struggles. He succeeds emphatically, capturing stunning beauty in seemingly innocuous human moments.
A
s a former film student in Italy, attending the Venice Film Festival has been a dream of mine for a long time. For one reason or another I never had the chance to go until this summer, when a friend texted me saying she had impulsively booked the cheapest Airbnb ever in Venice, for the full 12 day duration of the festival, and was now looking for five people to join her. I instantly said yes, without even checking with my boss if I could get the time off work. I had to go before moving to the UK for my Masters and I ended up quitting my job in order to be able to go. I packed my bags and on 28 August, after a short train ride, I found myself in Venice. For those who have never been, your first time in Venice is a magical experience. It is exactly how it’s pictured on postcards. Couples on romantic gondola tours strolling under the Rialto bridge. Narrow lanes with small antique shops that have been there for as long as anyone can remember. Women chatting from their balconies as they hang their laundry on the clothes lines that drape the entire city. Everything seems almost too beautiful to be
true and in many ways the city of Venice is just a big tourist attraction. But it’s exactly this, the city’s artificial charm, that makes Venice the perfect location to host one of the world’s biggest celebrations of the cinematic art. The actual festival is held on a separate island from mainland Venice, to keep the star-chasing mobs away from the hordes of tourists. The film district still features the same buildings from the early days of the festival, which was first held in 1936. If you can look beyond the fascist style of architecture, walking into the Palazzo del Cinema or the Hotel Excelsior is quite emotionally powerful: you are truly walking in the footsteps of the great actors and directors that made
the history of cinema. However, the magic of it all disappeared once I started to look at the festival programme: a total of 350 screenings, over 12 days and 9 theatres, starting as early as 8am and often ending past midnight. How does one decide what to see? My initial strategy to tackle this monster of a festival was to see all the films in the official competition, which cut the total
number down to 21 films. I got to the end of the festival having seen a total of 36 films and up to 5 screenings per day. I have to admit that I cannot fully recall everything as some days simply merged into a blur. I was also guilty of falling asleep in more than one screening – nothing can beat the soporific powers of a 3 hour long Hungarian historical drama. The films I saw spanned every genre and came from all around the world. From documentaries on Cambodian genocide to the latest Emma Stone film, or a film about water in 96 frames per second to Netflix finishing the edit on the last film Orson Welles ever shot, Venice provides something for everyone’s taste. It is truly a get-together of filmbuffs and industry professionals to celebrate everything relating to cinema. The side effect of this is that very often you bump into people of various degrees of fame, as did I one fateful morning. As I had been doing every day, I went into the Hotel Excelsior to grab all the interesting bits of press material that they kept in the main hall. It was about 11am and I had just got out of a morning screening, which meant I had left home before 7am. I needed to pee. And so did someone else in the same building. As it so happened, the Excelsior had the best toilets of the entire festival grounds (i.e. not porta-potties). I found my way to the ground floor toilets and queued behind a girl. After a couple of minutes another two women came in and queued behind me. I didn’t even look at them, as one does in a public restroom – avoid all eye contact. Immediately though the girl in front of me turned to me and asked, whispering: “Is that Natalie Portman?” I looked up and saw a small lady, her back turned
to me. “I don’t know”, I replied. “I can’t see her face.” As we were still queueing I tried to catch a glance of the lady behind me through the mirrors in the bathroom. And, surprise surprise, it was in fact Natalie Portman with her assistant. Stars need the loo just like normal people, who would’ve thought? Almost as shocking as the crowd of people gathered around the toilet door and the three guards who had to escort Natalie out of the loo. One of the things I learnt in Venice is just how crazy people can get around stars. I didn’t expect to see hundreds of people waiting in front of the red carpet from the early hours of the morning, willing to spend the whole day under the sweltering August sun and Italian heat to catch a glance of their favourite celebrity. The most important lesson for me though was that the entire festival showed me the workings of the industry and the press during these big events. Just before starting my Magazine Journalism MA, it was really interesting to be able to read through press materials and see how a press-room operates. It made me realise that writing about film truly is what I want to do in life and I believe that every film geek, as well as anyone interested in entertainment journalism, should find the time to attend a big film festival. A student pass is only €40.
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Screen
Lisa’s Top Picks from Venice
First Man
(In cinemas now) Dir: Damien Chazelle
Ryan Gosling’s famous, stone face finds his perfect role in Neil Armstrong. First Man recounts the story of the cool-headed pilot during the years leading up to the climax of his career, as well as the highpoint of human
At Eternity’s Gate (In cinemas 16 Nov) Dir: Julian Schnabel
I didn’t think Willem Dafoe could be the perfect actor to play Van Gogh. Then I saw At Eternity’s Gate on screen. The title of the film comes from a print by the Dutch artist, also titled Sorrowing Old Man, and this is exactly the kind of Van Gogh we see.
Vox Lux
(In cinemas 7 Dec) Dir: Brady Corbet
My personal favourite from the entire festival, Vox Lux produces exactly what it sets out to do in its caption: “a 21st century portrait”. Celeste is a 14-year-old girl like any other, until she suddenly is not. She becomes special when she survives a school-shooting and this opens the doors for her
exploration at the time, the Apollo 11 lunar mission (AKA the Moon landing). We follow moments ofevery turmoil inof his life, both in the cockpit and at home with his wife Jan (a role too small for thean astonishing Claire Foy). As all of Chazelle’s previous films (Whiplash and La La Land), First Man too is also a tale of ambition and the sacrifices needed to reach one’s goals. With a captivating use of editing, First Man drawsbrings us into the cockpit with Neil without ever leaving the edge of our seats.
ThisThe portrayal of depression is one of the most emotionally charged I have ever seen and one I personally found most resonant. It is extremely effective in visualisingputting into images the drilling thoughts of self-criticism and the anxiety that comes with a fear of abandonment. However, this film is also one of the most aesthetically beautiful I have ever seen. The story we all already know, but it is so much more effective than any other film about Van Gogh because it is an art piece in and of itself, playing with original perspectives waysto of seeing the same way Van Gogh’s approach to did in his paintings.
Suspiria
(In cinemas 16 Nov) Dir: Luca Guadagnino
If you sawhave seen and loved Guadagnino’s last film Call Me By Your Name, don’t necessarily expect to necessarily like his latest piece of work. With Suspiria, Guadagnino tackles his national heritage in a completely uniquedifferent way, remaking the same-titled 1977 Italian horror classic (of the same title) by Dario Argento. If you haven’t seen the original don’t feel like
The Favourite to share with the world her vox lux - Voice of Light. Skip 20 years ahead and we see how fame has consumed her. At first it might seem a story too ordinary to make into an extraordinary film, but it’s the frankness of the characters that gives you the chills and makes you realise how screwed up our society is. Introducing the talent of young Raffey Cassidy and putting Natalie Portman in a role unlike one we are used to seeing her in, this film also features a neglected Jude Law and music by Sia.
(In cinemas 1 Jan) Dir: Yorgos Lanthimos
You might have heard of The Lobster and The Killing of the Sacred Deer. And probably me mentioning these two films has made you decide that you don’t want to know anything more about The Favourite because you already know the creepy and disturbing style of Lanthimos. Well, it turns out that when he doesn’t write his own films, they turn out really good. Plus, everyone’s crush Emma Stone is in it.
you have to. On the contrary, the comparison will definitely ruin the experience of an otherwise extremely well produced film. The story is about a dance academy/all-female cult in 1970’s Berlin, and of a particular student, Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson). New to the school, she is quickly initiated by the witches to perform their cruel torture rituals through her dancing. It’s the masterful performances that drive this film, especially the ones by Johnson – who presentsshows an unexpected dominance over her physical expression – Chloë Grace Moretz, and Tilda Swinton. As a testimony toof Swinton’s bravura, try to spot both of the characters she plays.
The Favourite is set inis early 18th century Britain during the reign of Queen Anne (played by Olivia Colman, who won the Coppa Volpi for this role in Venice, putting her in pole-position for an Oscar). The story is that of two cousins (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz) competing to be the Queen’s favourite. It is still a Lanthimos film, so the naturemethods of this competition aren’t always the most orthodox. But it is those stylistic elements that don’t quite fit with a period piece, which makes the film an enticing exploration of the human psyche.
All images: La Biennale di Venezia
Facts from the fest First Man’s Damien Chazelle became the youngest ever winner of Best Director at last year’s Oscars, aged 32
Luca Guadagnino describes his film as a “cover version” of Dario Argento’s classic
Dafoe won the coveted Volpi Cup for Best Actor in Venice for his portrayal of Van Gogh
The Favourite took home the Grand Jury Prize in Venice
Natalie Portman shot her role in just 10 days, despite being the lead in the second half of the film
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Screen
Big Screen
Venom
Both A Star is Born and Venom were shot by the
Daniel Furn
same cinematographer, Matthew Libatique. Two wildly different projects for Libatique, which were
The two connect instantly and not long after start a relationship, both musically and romantically. Maine is inspired by Ally as he finds joy in his music once again. Meanwhile, Ally is finally being recognised for her obvious talent, although she might have to sell out to make it in the industry. At its core, A Star Is Born is a love story that convinces because of how genuine the central relationship is. The charisma between Cooper and Gaga is impossible to feign, especially during their ‘first date’ in a parking lot. Their relationship is messy and often irritating, but painfully real. This authenticity is purely due to the actors performances, both of which deserve serious Academy Award attention come February. The film’s music is phenomenal; the soundtrack is sure to be a bestseller, featuring both original
songs and covers from Cooper and Gaga. The live performances in the film are even better, with real crowds helping to create immersion. The camera moves from the parking lot, through the backstage buzz before showing us the entire audience and finally cutting to a close up of the performer. It’s fantastic filmmaking, made all the more impressive being Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut. He isn’t bad in front of the camera either; his portrayal of Maine and his drunken behaviour is heartbreaking. A Star Is Born impresses consistently. It’s funny, sad, romantic and full of music that we’ll probably never tire of hearing. The narrative may not be original but the film manages to be.
Venom retells the origin story of the eponymous anti-hero, removing his connection to Spider-Man and instead introducing Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) as the struggling reporter attempting to expose the crooked Dr Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed). After Brock bonds with the titular symbiote, the film follows his attempts to control his newfound powers, win back his ex-girlfriend (Michelle Williams) and stop Drake’s murderous plans. Hardy is the film’s greatest strength, with the back-and-forth dynamic between Eddie and Venom being the highlight. As for Hardy’s cast mates, Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed are given little of interest to do other than play the stereotypical love interest and villainous scientist respectively. It is a shame as the symbiotes offer an interesting premise and raise several questions about symbiote bonding, but these are ignored in favour of a noticeably generic and
the audience sympathises with her social isolation – both of which she has to deal with as the female outsider. Banned from skating by her mother, Camille travels to New York City where she finds acceptance in the all-female crew Skate Kitchen (composed of the actual, original members of the crew). The group give her space to explore her identity without embarrassment by discussing issues such as gaslighting, puberty and menstruation and provides her with other girls to skate with. When Camille becomes attracted to Devon (Jaden Smith) an
“asshole” from a misogynistic male skateboarding group she is forced to pick between him and Skate Kitchen. However, the lack of chemistry between Vinberg and Smith undermines the film and the narrative feels stagnant as it is forced into an unnecessary love-triangle. The narrative would have been stronger had Moselle simply focused on the strong personalities of the actual Skate Kitchen members, perhaps in an observational documentary. Instead they are
made to play distilled versions of themselves, which sometimes brings into question their acting abilities. Whilst it produces a disappointing result, the film hasn’t fully abandoned its foundational themes as some may argue. Whilst skating with Devon and his crew we see that her real interest is not one of romance, but in the way boys skate: aggressive and fearless. What ultimately saves the film from its weak plot is its beautiful
released on the exact same day in the UK.
Big Screen
A Star is Born
Harry Cottle
A Star Is Born may seem like a familiar name. That’s because it’s been remade three times since the original’s release over 80 years ago. This, the fourth version of the classic tale, is the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper, who also stars alongside Lady Gaga in her own debut as a feature film lead. A Star is Born has a lot to prove, and it delivers. Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is an alcoholic rock star who has lost his spark. After a gig he stumbles upon a bar in which a singer called Ally (Lady Gaga) is performing.
Big Screen Skate Kitchen Kate Procter
Writer-director Crystal Moselle’s first narrative feature about an all-female skateboarding crew begins by following 18-year-old, Long Island skateboarder Camille (Rachelle Vinberg). With Camille we are confronted with the machismo typically attributed to skateboarding;
occasionally illogical plot involving shady pharmaceutical companies, evil experiments and, of course, the end of the world. For those wishing to see a symbiote-driven rampage, there are several enjoyable action scenes until the unintelligible CGI-heavy ending. The full bloodlust of the comic book character is never fully realised, despite being rated a 15 in the UK, Venom’s oft-mentioned habit of eating heads is shown off-screen and bloodlessly, barely warranting the rating. An inability to commit to either kid-friendly anti-heroics or a bloodthirsty romp leaves the film confused about what it wants to be. The film flips between dark seriousness and absurdist comedy, with the end product a series of jokes which either don’t land or just seem out of place. As with so many films these days there is a post-credits scene which rather unsubtly sets up a sequel. There’s certainly potential next time with an actor as good as Tom Hardy in the lead, but the sequel will need to take a long, hard think about what film it would like to be if it is to avoid the pitfalls of Venom.
cinematography. It celebrates the execution of delicate routines with countless skateboarding montages, creating the impression of a beautifully curated Instagram feed. But best of all are the dreamy shots following the girls around the streets of New York City. Foul mouthed, unruly and proud – we watch them claim space in a film that offers an alternative to cinema’s previous fetishisation of skateboarding as a masculine and turbulent subculture.
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Games Games Editors Tom Buckland Luke Baldwin We have a whole cocktail full of content this issue! We’ll be discussing what’s been going on in the gaming world lately, like the status of Telltale’s unfinished games, and the growing talk of next-gen consoles. If neither of those catch your fancy we have a review of FIFA 19 and two features discussing BME representation: one immerses you in Iranian history, and the other talks about the representation of black people in games.
Editors’ Picks
Tom - Overwatch A game that stands out to me as being incredible with its diversity, including LGBT+ characters, and characters from different ethnicities and backgrounds. It’s just a lovely parade of personalities! But what they all have in common is the desire to murder their friends in competitive multiplayer matches. Sound like your cup of tea? Get your hand on a copy now, the special Halloween event has just started too! You’re welcome.
Luke - Assassins’ Creed Despite some controversy on the way, Ubisoft have certainly committed to diversity in recent years and Assassins’ Creed has acted as a proving ground. Including Native American, Arabic and Caribbean characters, the franchise has actively tried to steer away from it’s generic white male protagonists.
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GAMING NEWS The current status of The Walking Dead: The Final Season Thomas Buckland
For most people, the biggest gaming news at the moment is the tragic closure of Telltale Games, which has now completely folded - including the very small skeleton crew they had working on a Netflix show. One of the main projects of Telltale Games that was thrown into limbo was The Walking Dead: The Final Season, with the company closing after only two episodes had been released. This left a lot of fans on edge and in a lot of confusion. They were understandably frustrated that they had paid for season passes for a four-episode-long game and are being left with just two, but they’re also faced with the upsetting news that many employees have lost their jobs and aren’t being paid by severance. However, there’s been some conversation on Twitter hinting that not all is lost. Skybound
Entertainment, founded by creator of The Walking Dead comic book series Robert Kirkman, has decided to help out and bring a conclusion to this unfinished game, making a deal with Telltale Games to finish the final two episodes of the series and bring it to its anticipated conclusion. There’s a lot of positives that come with this “deal”. The game will finally be finished, and that means many fans won’t be left with the issue of paying for a full product and only getting half, and the game will be in good hands, considering Skybound is founded by the very man who created The Walking Dead universe. Therefore, we can be confident there’ll be no diminishment in quality, most importantly in Clementine’s character. Yet the employees’ status is still a concern. There’s been assurances by Skybound Entertainment that they intend to finish The Walking Dead: The Final Season with the very team from Telltale that worked
on the game before the closure, but it’s unclear how accurate these assurances are. For example, the game would completely crash and burn if Skybound Entertainment employed new voice actors - so
when they say they’re using the same employees they could mean people like Melissa Hutchinson (the voice actor for the protagonist, Clementine), rather than the creative developers such as narrative designers and writers.
Sony’s new console announcement Thomas Buckland
Sony are the first company to dive into the pool of inevitable nextgen console releases, and it’s been a while (other than the Switch, which seemed late to the party) since anyone’s had to deal with the question of ‘What’s next?’ Well do not worry friends! We are here to fill you in on what exactly “PS5” means and what’s probably lying ahead in the foreseeable future. There’s been the sad announcement that PS4 is nearing its expiration date (which for many students may be horrible to hear, as we’ll have to find the money somewhere alongside our student debt) and with this news there’s a very clear, definite assumption that it will rise from the ashes like a phoenix as a bigger, faster, stronger Playstation.
Sony Interactive CEO John Kodera more or less said as much in an interview, saying that the PS5 would not be released until at least 2021, but in the grand scheme of things that is not too far away. There’s been no official confirmation, so a lot of this is speculation, but it would be ignorant to think we’re not due a new generation of consoles. Many analysts have made predictions that the console’s release should be around 2020/2021, so the general consensus is that it’s soon. Very soon. Things are very discreet and hush-hush, as if Sony think they’re still sitting on a big, big secret. There may be apprehension in Sony with the PS4 Pro’s relatively recent release: it wouldn’t be immensely business-savvy to reduce sales for a current console by announcing an even better one.
Speculation doesn’t just exist around Sony, though, as there’s been chatter around Microsoft’s new console (running under the codename “Xbox Scarlett”) not being released until 2020. Something that further suggests that next-gen is imminent is the lack of release dates for some of the more ambitious projects (though this may be just because they are ambitious). Two of Bethesda’s titles at E3 2018 had very vague dates of release, if any, and this could lead some to believe that they’re biding their time for the next-gen console announcements.
Another problem is that the whole business is rather messy. Telltale developers may have moved on to pastures new in a desperate attempt to land new jobs. There’s been a lot of support for the employees with #TelltaleJobs on Twitter, and so this game could become less profitable if the employees, who have gone through a lot in a short time, are now understandably less than keen to return to the project. The news that The Walking Dead: The Final Season will get (maybe not a fairytale) but an ending nonetheless, is immensely exciting but for some feels bittersweet. The final product could feel, oxymoronically, incomplete, but hopefully fans will be satisfied by the overall resolution.
Forge’s guesses at the next-gen names: - NintenGO! - Xbox Xtreme - Xbox Xcelsior - Xbox Two (ew) - Play5tation - Nintendo Shift - Nintendo (Insert weird gimmicky peripheral)
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REVIEW
Adam Richmond
The biggest football game in the world is back (sorry PES), and this time it’s actually significantly improved. The big headline for this year’s FIFA is that they now have Champions League rights. This brings with it the authentic broadcast package, kit patches, ball and, of course, the trophy. The addition is well needed after seeing Champions Cup plastered across every career mode until now. There’s now a Champions League tournament in kick-off ,
if you want to see which of your friends is the tournament master. You can now channel your inner Guardiola and become a tactical mastermind with the new tactics options in the squad menu. You can change what each player should be doing, depending on whether you’re getting every man behind the ball or crowding the opponent’s half, with an attacking style that would even make Jurgen Klopp blush. Career mode only really has cosmetic changes this year. With Champions League graphics galore,
they’ve replicated the draw (yes, you can see a guy take out a piece of paper that says Doncaster). But, apart from that, not much has changed.
The Journey, the game’s campaign mode, is back for the last part of Alex Hunter’s story and this year they give you a few
Fifa 19 is a must buy this year
more options than just playing with the South London star. They allow you to play with side characters Danny Williams and Kim Hunter. . Alex Hunter finally fulfills his dream of playing for Real Madrid, and through the story you will see how he copes with life in Spain. One mode that really sets it apart from last year’s game is Kick Off mode. It’s no longer just a regular match, you have the choice of playing House Rules, Survival Mode, No Rules, Long Range, First To…, Headers & Volleys, Best of Series, Home & Away and Cup Finals. You can also make accounts so you can track the stats of your friends, so there’s no more debate. Then you can see who the real King or Queen of FIFA 19 is in your home. FIFA 19 is a must buy this year with the addition of the Champions League. It’s certain controllers will be thrown across rooms due to injury-time bicycle kicks, making it an essential buy for your uni house.
FEATURE
Black History Month: Black representation in video games Adam Richmond
Black History Month has rolled around again this year, celebrating and thinking about black people in society, present and past. Through this we discuss representation within all mediums, but one that is often overlooked is the representation of black people in gaming. It seems now that most triple A games feature a white protagonist. Is it true that the role of black people in games, like films, is always just as a criminal or villain? This is not an attempt to criticise just the video game industry’s attempts at representation. There have been great protagonists in
video games such as Franklin in GTA V, Lee from The Walking Dead, Connor from Assassin’s Creed III, Jax from Mortal Kombat, and Marcus from Watch Dogs 2 - I’m not going to count LeBron James in NBA 2K19. But it seems clear to me that there is a massive lack of black female protagonists in video games. The only one I can think of is Aveline from Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. She became our first female leading assassin back in 2012 when it was originally released exclusively for Playstation Vita. It was found to be quite popular so Ubisoft re-published it as Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation HD. The game was put on the three top platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. This was a great achievement in gaming
at the time, for a black woman to front the cover of such a large gaming franchise. Especially this year, and with the release of Tomb Raider and Horizon: Zero Dawn, we can see that the industry is continuing to produce strong females with great stories that are not just there to look at. But, if you look at the rest of the year there’s no female protagonists in many of the upcoming big releases and importantly, no black protagonists. There’s a reason some black kids want to become basketball players or footballers. It’s because it is what they are represented in the most. It shouldn’t be that black people are only thought about when the
next NBA game is about to come out and we are provided with a revived roster of players to choose from. If the video game industry doesn’t want to keep churning out the same stories with the same typical white man on the cover, it needs to realise this as well.
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Games
FEATURE Why read a book when you can play a game? History can be fun Arya Damavandy
It can be argued that games are currently the most capable medium when it comes to simulating experiences. If I wanted to learn more about my old country’s past, I could read books; if I wanted to understand more about a person’s experience, perhaps I could read a novel or watch a film. I don’t think that there is anything quite like 1979 Revolution: Black Friday however, when it comes to exploring a specific turning point in a country’s recent history. In 1979, the Shah of Iran was overthrown through the efforts of combined secular and religious forces; but the theocratic regime that followed was more brutal and oppressive than ever before. For ethnic Iranians of my generation, our only knowledge of this is what we read online, in history books, and the myriad stories and conflicting opinions of our parents, many of whom were oblivious children or naive young adults at the time. The experience of understanding what, for many of us, is the only reason we grew up in countries like the UK can only ever be secondhand.
Black Friday attempts to bridge this gap; serving as a kind of compromise between game and documentary. It’s an interactive narrative drama in much the same vein as the Telltale style; timed dialogue choices, supporting characters remembering what you say or do, tough moral decisions and more. You play as a young photojournalist covering the build up to the revolution, caught between different revolutionary factions and ideals. Themes of nonviolence, violence as a necessity, the importance of family, the conflict of ideologies, and blurred lines between the revolutionaries and the system they are fighting, are all explored. The game paints a clear picture of the moral greys and impossible situations of the period, often giving you decisions which will hurt at least one party no matter what. Black Friday is also dripping with atmosphere which conveys the tensions, hopes and uncertainty of the time. The developers used real photographs, speeches, locations and key figures which became known around the world at the time, as well as constantly referencing old Iranian cultural artefacts,
rockstars, tea etiquette, snacks and sandwiches, common Farsi figures of speech, and so on. The balance struck between cultural intimacy and casting a broad net of identity is quite impressive. Having visited Iran many times with parents who were born and raised there, and being able to understand the language, it was pleasant and satisfying how much of these little beats resonated with
Black Friday is dripping with atmosphere which conveys the tensions, hopes and uncertainty of the time
me. Regardless of media, I think we often see history as a detached and objective view of the past; this game is an example of how history can connect on a personal level, despite
lacking the firsthand experience. Having the ability to actually move around and interact with a virtual reproduction of the time period, rather than observing as a third party through a page or screen, gives a deeper and unique experience of the situation. Games are already on the path towards this and plenty of games are built around the core idea of “what if you got to play your way through this interesting circumstance”. But by taking a slower, more personal and documentary style approach to design, Black Friday creates an experience which is heartwarming to those previously disconnected from their past, and insightful to people who are looking to expand their understanding. Imagine a game which covers the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests in the same style, or ‘The Troubles’ in Ireland in the late 20th century. Or, a game which covers one of the many histories that Black History Month is commemorating. The possibilities for creating games which shed light on contemporary history are endless.
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Science & Tech Science & Tech Editors Jade Le Marquand Aidan Hughes Why, hello. Back for more, eh? We’re here with our third issue (yes, we’re counting) of Science and Tech. As it’s Black History Month we celebrate some of the best inventions from the BME community; we also dive into Mamie and Kenneth Clark and their work about race consciousness.We also debunk some common food myths.
Aidan’s Pick Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Amazing creations by black inventors Matthew Boland
Do you know about the aerospace engineer who worked on over forty patents, the Galileo Jupiter probe, the Mars observer probe, and invented the famous Super Soaker? Or the man who saved countless lives during the war by perfecting a way of storing blood for transfusions? Or the woman who created GIFs? Here is a short list of some of the most amazing creations by black inventors that you may not have known about.
GAS MASKS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is a documentary series produced by Seth MacFarlane and presented by the legendary Neil DeGrasse Tyson; it pays homage to Carl Sagan’s original Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. A variety of fascinating topics are covered including climate change and electromagnetism. All 13 episodes can be streamed on Netflix. Edutainment at its finest! Image: Movie DB
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Garret Morgan garnered a reputation for fixing things while working as a handyman in Cincinnati, but went on to do so much more. In 1912, he applied for a patent for his smoke hood, a device designed to help firefighters withstand smoke for longer amounts of time. The hood went on to be refined during WWI to become
[He] began work on the Blood for Britain project, a scheme that saved thousands of allied lives during the war
Drew began work on the Blood For Britain project, a scheme that saved thousands of Allied lives during the war. Here he created
Image: Max Pixel
the first gas masks, saving an incalculable number of lives. He even used the device himself to heroically save men trapped 50ft below Lake Erie. In addition to the hood, Morgan also invented a range of hair care products, and even held a patent for designing the modern day traffic light system.
BLOOD BANKS After becoming the first AfricanAmerican to earn a doctorate of medical science degree, Charles
Bloodmobiles to carry donated blood safely, as well as centralising donation centres and ensuring only skilled workers
handled the blood and plasma. Drew revolutionised the blood transfusion world by ensuring the safety and quality of the blood - his work gave birth to the American Red Cross blood bank.
GIF ANIMATION Lisa Gelobter’s work has touched billions of lives. She created the animation later used to make GIFs - but we have her to thank for a lot more than that. Gelobter did pioneering work playing a part in the growth of online video, helping to launch Hulu. She also set up and runs tEQuitable, a company dedicated to tackling issues like harassment, bias or discrimination in the workplace, working towards making businesses more inclusive.
Jade’s Pick
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Image: Jennifer Morrow
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Mamie Clark’s Startling Experiments LIGHT BULB While both the telephone and light bulb have famous inventors, they may never have been possible without the work of Lewis Latimer, who worked on both. He received multiple patents in his life, including but not limited to a way of producing the carbon filaments for light bulbs and improved toilets for trains.
THE SUPER SOAKER Created by Lonnie G Johnson, inventor and engineer, the super soaker is one of the world’s best selling toys of all time. Johnson also holds over 120 patents, and during his career at the cutting edge of military and aerospace technology invented the ‘Johnson ThermoElectric Converter’, a device that
Mojama Fallah
converts heat to energy via the use of hydrogen.
Mamie Phipps (18th April 1917 11th August 1983) was an AfricanAmerican psychologist known for her work with black children on race consciousness and her 1940s doll experiments. In 1934, she began her university career at Howard University as a Maths major and Physics minor. It was there that she met her future husband Kenneth Bancroft Clark, who later became famous for his involvement in the 1954 Brown v. Topeka case with Phipps Clark. It was Kenneth who convinced her to
300 USES OF PEANUTS After earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in botany, George William Carver went to Alabama to teach agrarian farmers about crop rotation, how to keep their soil healthy and improve their crops. At the time, the main cotton crop ruined the soil, so Carver worked tirelessly to create 300 uses for peanuts (such as oil, hair products, soap and many recipes) and many more for the sweet potato (including dyes, sweets and breakfast foods) and promoted their growth at southern farms. He did this because the crops fixed nitrogen in the soil, enriching the land and increasing the area’s productivity.
The Clarks concluded that segregation and discrimination caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self-loathing.
Mamie Clark Sketch by Chloe Dervey
Lewis Latimer: His bright idea lit the way to bring the lighbulb to the masses
pursue a career in psychology, due to its employment opportunities. In 1938, Phipps Clark graduated magna cum laude from Howard and enrolled into the psychology programme immediately. Her master thesis, ‘The Development of Consciousness of Self in Negro Pre-School Children’, explored at what age children became aware of their race (“race consciousness”). She concluded this was around a very early age, about 4 or 5. It was this conclusion that became the basis of the famous doll studies. Kenneth and Mamie Clark conducted their experiments during the late 1930s and 1940s. Over 250 children, between the ages of 3-7, from different races and parts of the country were tested. Their experiments revealed the children’s’ preference for white
dolls over black dolls. Additionally, the kids were given outlines of a boy and girl and were told to colour them the same colour as themselves. Black kids tended to colour their outline a lighter colour than themselves. From the doll experiments, the Clarks concluded that segregation and discrimination caused black children to develop a sense of inferiority and self-loathing. The conclusions of these experiments were later used as social scientific evidence in the 1954 Brown case, to show the damaging psychological effects of segregation on AfricanAmerican children. The Clarks’ research and experiments revealed the harmful effects of racism and segregation on society’s most vulnerable members. This kind of effect was ignored by many since the establishment of the “separate but equal” ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896. However, despite decades having passed since these experiments were carried out, self-loathing within the black community still exists, in public and in private. With an increase in colourism in the beauty industry, skin lightening in black communities and the obsession with ‘European beauty standards’, the Clarks’ conclusion still maintains its significance.
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Science & Tech
Food debunking: check the label Joel Sims
Get ready to feel cheated as we debunk some commonplace myths about ‘healthy’ foods, whilst also unveiling some facts about ‘unhealthy food’ which may actually be quite healthy. You might be alarmed at this stage, but like me, you’ll probably continue to indulge in them - we are students after all. Winter’s coming and you might be stocking up with canned soup, a great for those cold winter or feversome days, but even the lowfat versions of canned soup are a hidden trap. Most cans of soup have 400+ milligrams of sodium per cup and let’s face it, who really eats half the can? High salt levels doesn’t do much for your heart! If you want to keep yourself in form, try making your own easy concoction of soup. ‘Whole wheat’ bread would be great, if only it really was. A lot of whole wheat is in fact white bread mixed with a little wheat flour; white bread is high in carbs, a precursor to fat. To make sure you’ve got
Double-Whammy! Having soup and eating your bread may be worse for you than you initially thought Image: jules:stonesoup (Flickr)
the healthy wheat constitution, specifically look for the 100% whole wheat label and look for at least 2 grams of fibre in each bread slice. Another one to keep in mind is our signature Sushi rolls! Yup, sorry, but these rolled up pieces of eastern joy do seem healthy and low-in-calorie, but they consist of fried insides, mayo and cream cheese - so be careful! Though they can be seen as a light snack, they’re definitely not going to lighten you up. Generally, ‘fat-free’ products are assumed to be a healthier alternative, but here’s a secret: food with less saturated fat doesn’t taste as good! So to compensate, manufacturers will add in more sugar, in order to maintain some kind of acceptable taste. A common culprit of this is fatfree yogurt. Many yogurt products have been hitting over 13g of sugar in a small 150g yogurt serving - that’s pushing it. To stay safe, buy some greek style yogurt and mix that in with a fruit of your choosing. While you’re at it, why not use some of that fruit to make your own juice - a healthier alternative to fruit juice off
Too good to be true. Is fat-free yoghurt all it seems to be? Image: Rene Asmussen
the shelf, which is unfortunately not the best drink. Unless it says 100% fruit juice, it will be filled with sugar and fruit flavoured liquid. To make it even worse, even 100% fruit juice is far from its original composition; it lacks the important fibres which are present in the fruit, leaving you with, well…….sugar. With that said, there are still quantities of vitamins and minerals in juices to keep you happy. Now, anything which is considered potentially ‘bad’ is usually ‘bad’, but there are some turning of tables which you may or may not be surprised by…. Believe it or not, eggs have been targeted for their high cholesterol and assumed by many to be unhealthy, especially with that yolk. While that may be true, the yolk is very nutrient rich, consisting of choline; fighting off belly fat,
enhancing nutrient transportation around the body and improving liver function are just some of its benefits. On top of that, eggs are very useful providers of protein. Lastly, I would love to tell all you that all chocolate has some great benefits, but that’s only largely true for dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has become surprisingly better than we expected. Proven to be very nutritious, its benefits range from decreasing blood pressure, to improving brain function. With high levels of antioxidants, it removes free radicals from your body, lowers bad LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol), reduces risk of heart disease and protects your skin against that strong Sheffield sun. So next time you reach for that milk chocolate, try the healthier (arguably tastier) version.
In a surprising twist - could chocolate actually be good for you?
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Unsavory scenes tarnish UFC’s big night Alex Pierce
In the early hours of the morning on Sunday 7 October, arguably the biggest UFC fight of all time took place. However, it was the events after the fight that grabbed all the headlines – for all the wrong reasons. Outspoken Irishman Conor McGregor (21-4) rivalled Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0) for the coveted UFC Lightweight Championship belt in one of the most anticipated UFC match-ups ever. When asked for his prediction among the pre-match hubbub,
McGregorKhabib lived up to the hype, but the sport’s reputation is at stake after the post-fight events
McGregor proclaimed: “I believe KO, a devastating KO”, however as the fight commenced it was clear from the off that it was Khabib who was in full control. The Russian took down McGregor in a fiercely contested opening round and staggered his opponent with a seismic overhand right early into the second. Despite the judges scoring the third round to McGregor after a superb flying knee, it all counted for nothing with the Russian winning in trademark fashion via submission in the fourth round. UFC fans witnessed a great spectacle which truly lived up to the hype; however, the scenes that followed immediately afterwards have ultimately tarnished the reputation of the sport. Upon defeating McGregor, Nurmagomedov leapt out of the Octagon towards the Irishman’s entourage, and what followed was utter bedlam, with two of his team fighting his opponent – the ruckus was out of control. A mass brawl was happening in and outside of the Octagon, with police, security and bystanders having little effect on proceedings. It was an embarrassing
Image: Andrius Petrucenia, Flickr
situation for UFC and reminiscent of a WWE event,which are known for their fictitious, fabricated and satirical nature. It completely overshadowed a fantastic night of fighting, which left many viewers disappointed by the lack of class, dignity and respect from both
competitors - traits which fans of UFC have come to expect and should be the status quo after a disciplined mixed martial arts fight. The UFC president clearly agreed the events were unacceptable as he stated: “What Khabib should have done is pick Conor up, pull him up
from the ground, hug him and say ‘good fight’ - whatever”. UFC as a sport needs to ensure that the events post McGregor-Khabib never happen again, otherwise it will lose its credit, reputation and most importantly its fanbase.
Mourinho survives, but has he lost his touch? Jordan Sollof
Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United spectacularly overturned a 2-0
Is time running out for the United boss? Image: In Mou We Trust, Flickr
deficit in their last match at Old Trafford against Newcastle United, scoring three second half goals to win 3-2 and claim all three points. It was the first time in Premier League
history that the Red Devils found themselves two goals down at home within the first 10 minutes, but this memorable comeback still fails to paper over the cracks at the club, both on and off the pitch. Ever since United’s pre-season tour of America, Mourinho has been consistently downbeat in his press conferences, making it clear he wasn’t happy with the club’s transfer activity after failing to sign the defenders needed to significantly improve the squad. Publicly expressing his disappointment and frustration has created a negative vibe in the camp which is most certainly a factor that has led to the club sitting in eighth place, seven points off the top after eight games. What the manager appears to have forgotten is that United’s net spend whilst he has
been in charge is a staggering £302 million, so quite frankly he should be doing better than he is with the players that he has. During the Sir Alex Ferguson era, Manchester United played thrilling, attacking football that enlivened the fans. Since Mourinho took charge, he has continued to use the same defensive, boring approach to management that worked so well at the likes of Inter Milan where he won the Champions League, but at United erodes the true identity of the club. Playing with the likes of Nemanja Matić and Marouane Fellaini at home highlights his unwillingness to play offensive football that excites the supporters. Until he overcomes his stubbornness and alters his playing style that he has for so long employed, Manchester United will never come close to the level that
they reached under Ferguson. Which brings us to the key question: for how long will Mourinho survive as boss? It is all dependent on how he acts on and off the pitch. We all know that he is capable of turning things around, yet the chances of him doing so appear slim. If he actually took some responsibility for United’s poor form and actively attempted to change his fortunes, rather than being obstinate and simply bringing up his past achievements to defend himself, the team would perform better. Mourinho seems to have lost his touch and as each week of the season passes by, it becomes clearer that the days of being ‘The Special One’ are behind him.
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Preview: Sheffield Wednesday keen to maintain play-off place against Boro on Friday Adam May
Sheffield Wednesday could consolidate their play-off place when they welcome fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough to Hillsborough on Friday (19:45pm KO). After a shaky start to the season that saw the Owls hover precariously above the drop-zone, manager Jos Luhukay has appeared to turn things around having now made it four games unbeaten. Draws against West Brom and Leeds United were sandwiched between away wins at Aston Villa and Bristol City, edging Wednesday into the play-offs by a point. Lucas Joao, a star turn so far for
the Owls, has netted five goals already this season. He’s only played 455 minutes of football thus far, but his two goals off the bench at Bristol City moved Wednesday into the top six. A stark contrast to August’s points return. After the Bristol City win, Luhukay told BBC Sport: “I was not happy with what I saw in the first half. Bristol City created several chances, while we had only one or two good moments. “The second half was much better. We caused them problems, scored two good goals, and after giving away a stupid penalty, defended really well at the end. “Lucas Joao was having a difficult game after going on as substitute, not always keeping the ball. But he
was different after his first goal and
Joao has been a revelation at Wednesday, netting five goals already this season
in the end was very important to us. “If he wants to be in the starting line-up, he has to work very hard in training day after day. It’s as simple
as that.” Luhukay would be a fool, however, to think his job is done. Such are the rigours of the Championship the play-off race will be wide open as ever, especially with the likes of Brentford and Derby County who sit seventh and eighth respectively. With rivals Sheffield United sitting top of the tree after 12 games, the Steel City Derby on 9 November will be a tasty affair regardless of the league standings. The current situation just gives it that added edge, not that it needs one. Middlesbrough, meanwhile, succumbed to a 2-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest before the international break, ending a run of four matches unbeaten. It looks like it will be a tightly
fought contest at Hillsborough, and one that both sides will feel they can win.
Black and Golds have mixed week in BUCS
Image: Sam Birkitt
Patrick Burke
Last Wednesday saw the majority of the University of Sheffield’s teams begin their BUCS seasons, and there were plenty of success stories from a busy round of fixtures, with the Black and Golds winning 22 of the 48 encounters. The basketball sides were quick
out of the blocks, the Men’s 2s recording a resounding 115-47 victory over York St John 1s as the Men’s 1s overcame University of Bradford 1s 80-54. There was also a clash between Uni of’s two Women’s teams, which the 1s edged 64-28. It was a perfect start for the fencing teams as the W1s defeated University of Liverpool 2s 135-69, and the M1s won 135-38 at Newcastle
University 2s. In the netball, the W1s led the way as they thrashed Durham 2s 69-16, and there was a comfortable win for the W4s 50-10 at University of Hull 2s. There was no such luck for the W2s and W3s, who lost at Sheffield Hallam 2s and Durham 3s respectively. Elsewhere, the University of Sheffield’s Rugby League M1s also returned from the East with the points as they triumphed 48-6 against Hull’s 2s. It was a productive afternoon for badminton as the W1s and M2s both won 6-2 against Liverpool 2s and Hallam 2s respectively, the M1s narrowly losing to their Hallam counterparts. The Squash M1s, W1s and M2s were all able to begin positively by coming out on top in their matches, but it was an away loss for the M3s. In the hockey, the W1s travelled home from Northumbria University 1s with a good 2-1 win, and the M4s got off to a flier with a 6-1
vanquishing of University of Huddersfield 1s; the W5s also saw off Leeds Beckett 5s 3-0, whilst the M1s and the M3s had to share the spoils with Liverpool John Moores 1s and Hull 1s. The W3s and W4s lost by the odd goal, whilst both 2s teams were beaten on the road. It was also a busy afternoon for football, the M4s most prosperous in their endeavours as they defeated Huddersfield 2s 5-2. The W3s’ trip to Liverpool Hope W1s was abandoned, and the other five teams in action went down to opening day defeats. As for the rugby union, the M3s started their campaign with a 1512 victory at home to Bradford 1s, but the W1s and M1s both lost to the respective University of York 1s teams. An away victory for the Volleyball W2s at Hallam 2s made it a memorable afternoon for them, but the W1s and M1s will hope to put 3-0 defeats against Leeds 1s and Northumbria 1s behind them. The Table Tennis M3s were
impressive in their 15-2 hammering of Durham 2s, and the M2s were narrowly beaten 10-7 by University of York 1s. In the tennis, the W1s recorded a notable 8-4 triumph against Durham 4s, but there were early setbacks for the M1s and M2s at University of Leeds 1s and University of York 2s. The Water Polo M1s could take plenty of pride from their display as they lost a thrilling battle with Durham 1s 11-10, and the Golf Mixed 1s lost to University of Central Lancashire Mixed 3s. And last but not least, the Lacrosse M1s and W1s were both beaten in close match-ups, but the W2s triumphed 13-4 at University of Liverpool 2s. A decent Wednesday afternoon then for Uni of which leaves them 21st out of 144 in the overall BUCS table.
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Captain’s corner Swimming and Water Polo are in the hotseat for the next instalment of Captain’s corner, with Matt Graves answering the questions Josh Taylor
JT: What’s it like being in the swimming and water polo club? MG: The swimming and water polo club is fully inclusive and is fantastic for both performance and social members. We have two men’s and women’s water polo teams, with three swimming squads across the club, so we cater for all abilities. JT: What are your aims for this year? MG: While each team has its individual performance aims, our aim this year is to ensure we are fully accessible. We’re hoping to be able to provide a phenomenal opportunity for everyone, regardless of their current experience in swimming or water polo. To achieve this, we’ve opened up our third squad called the ‘Gateway Squad’, aiming to prepare lesser experienced swimmers to move closer towards being
competitive swimmers. JT: How did you get into the sport? MG: I got into swimming as a form of discipline. My mum, having never swum herself, saw the incredible benefits there were to training hard before and after school, respecting a coach and teammates daily. When I retired from swimming, aged 14, I took those lessons into my water polo career, which has seen me through to where I am now. JT: How was last season? MG: Last season was incredible for the club. We had the most members we’ve ever had, the most training and competition opportunities we’ve ever had and, most of all, the best results we’ve ever had. Our men’s water polo 1s took all the headlines, winning promotion to the Northern Premier League, putting us in the top six in the country. Our
women’s water polo 1s weren’t far behind however, winning silver in both BUCS Division 2 and the Northern Conference Cup. On the swimming side, it was another big year with BUCS Finals for Amber Keegan and Tom Garden. In the Steel Cup, the squad also placed in the medals. It was an unbelievable year
for the club, but we’re looking to build on these foundations. JT: How can people get involved? MG: People interested in joining should email Matt Graves, on suswpc@sheffield.ac.uk, as we offer rolling recruitment all year round.
Image: Dan West
Page: Everything came together at the right time Adam May
Continued from back-page... “I wanted to take off, but my head wasn’t letting me. At the time it was really confusing and I didn’t understand why I could do something yesterday or a few weeks ago but I couldn’t at that moment. It was very frustrating. “The mental block is totally psychological. Technically and physically I was able to do the skills before so having to overcome a psychological problem and dealing with the sadness that you feel is almost like when you have to grieve. “You’re losing something that you love. Trying to overcome that was really difficult. You go through
detachment stages and build yourself back up.” It may have put an ordinary Joe into the history books. Many would’ve given up and her friends
wondered whether it was really worth the stress that she was under to get back to the level she was at before. She knew there was a purpose to this, an end goal. She knew that if she put in the hours and worked with her team’s psychologist, there was the possibility of an Olympic appearance.
56.040
The score that sealed the silver medal in Rio 2016
Missing out on London 2012 was a big blow and one that “really hit hard”, but it gave her the motivation to make sure she didn’t miss out on a place again.
The Olympic Games are the pinnacle for an athlete, with the whole world’s eyes watching. For some that would be pressure, but for competitors like Page it added an
extra edge to her game. The final was tense as athletes compete in reverse order. Page finished seventh in the prelims, meaning she watched six of her competitors go after her, all trying to beat her score of 56.040. She was doing well until defending champion Rosie MacLennan trumped it by scoring 56.465. At one point it looked as if Page would finish as low as fourth, but the emotion when she was crowned a silver medalist was overwhelming. “I have three favourite moments at the Olympics, maybe more, but the stand-outs for me were competing in the final and just after the routine, where I didn’t have any scores yet and didn’t know where I’d be placed, as I knew I’d done the routine of my life,” she reflected. “Everything I’d worked for had come together at the right time. That was the best routine I’ve done in training and competition so
having everything coming together and for it to finish I could release every emotion I was feeling. “I was proud, honoured and that pride was so strong. I felt happiness straight after the routine, as well as a little bit of sadness as it was over. You put in all this effort and that’s done now, so I felt all these different emotions and then I got my score. “I felt those emotions rise even more. Just winning a medal was gold.” Her attention now fully turns to the World Championships in St Petersburg, Russia, on November 7-10 as she represents Great Britain in her first major championships since Rio. The pressure will still be on, but Page has the maturity, drive and ability to bring home yet another medal.
Head of Sport Adam May Hello everyone, hope you’ve had a good couple of weeks and that uni isn’t proving too stressful. It’s been another busy fortnight here at Forge Sport as the University’s BUCS fixtures are now fully underway. Patrick Burke casts his eye over the results for a nice little round-up on page 42. Our back-page cover star is the brilliant Bryony Page. Her story is inspiring and is well worth a look at. To be the first Briton to earn an Olympic medal in trampolining is an incredible feat and even more admirable considering her back story. She loved the University of Sheffield and everything it gave her, and away from the trampoline, she’s keeping busy by designing her own leotard range with Quatro, which has recently been released. The Olympic silver medallist has also become a ‘Boogie Bounce’ ambassador and instructor, and is now looking to set-up her own classes near the University of Sheffield. Hope you enjoy the issue and, if you want to get involved, please drop me a line at press.sport@ forgetoday.com or join Forge Sports Team on Facebook. Have a good one.
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“I lost all my confidence and self-belief”
Image: Neil Shearer Photography
Looking back, leaping forward
Olympian Bryony Page talks about the time she lost all her ability on the trampoline before mounting a charge to Rio 2016
Adam May
Bryony Page remembers the time when she lost everything all too well. She was no longer able to do what she loved most and had geared her teenage years toward. It came as a shock to the system. When a trampolinist hits the trampoline, their body experiences the same force as an F1 driver. That
takes its toll, just like it did on her. Lost Move Syndrome can be crippling and difficult to overcome. It’s mind over matter, but actually it’s much more than that. It’s wanting to do a move but your brain physically stopping you. It’s like your body is detached from your mind. It can be a scary and lonely place. But World Champion Page, who graduated from the University of
Sheffield with a biology degree in 2015, had the support around her to mount an incredible turnaround, culminating in a silver medal in the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. She became the first Briton to win an Olympic medal in the sport. Some turnaround indeed. “When I was 17, that was when it first started being a problem, I lost all my confidence and self-belief in my ability on the trampoline,” she
recalled. “I just didn’t have the confidence to take off for a skill. The only thing I can kind of correlate that to to anyone who doesn’t know trampolining is a high diving board. You go to the edge, you back out, you go ‘no, no, no’, and then you say you’ll do it this time and back out again... (cont. on p43)
CONTINUED ON p43