The independent student newspaper of the University of Sheffield. Est. 1946.
FREE Issue 81
Friday March 13 2015 @ForgePress /ForgePress
Leadership Race election special 2015 INSIDE
Features
The sweet life of 16-year-olds.
no sorrow for mCmorrow
Comment
The work/life balance. Or lack of.
Lifestyle
Explore Florence at Easter.
Inside: Full election coverage & exclusive interviews with new officers Tom Schneider Christy McMorrow clinched the students’ union presidential title last night, taking victory by 7.7 per cent. McMorrow, with his campaign Vote McMorrow For Your Union’s Tomorrow, won 29.3 per cent of the vote, 392 votes ahead of this year’s only female presidential candidate, Jo Sutton Klein. Max Bell came third with 17.1 per cent. As the champagne flowed, Christy said “It’s very exciting, mostly because the opportunities to open up campaigns in things I believe in. The team that’s been elected today is fantastic and I
look forward to working with all of them so much.” Despite turnout being down on last year, 7075 (26.9 per cent of the total) students voted and many crowded into Foundry on elections night as the officer candidates discovered their fate after a fierce week of campaigning. Evette Prout took the Development Officer position in the closest race of the night, winning the overall vote by virtue of the Alternative Vote system used in Union elections despite losing out to Isaac Eloi in the first round. In another hotly contested
position, Flic Wilbraham secured the Sports Officer title ahead of Emma ‘Boing Boing’ Burgoyne who was just 23 votes behind. In a year of close results, just 119 votes separated the top three Welfare Officer candidates with Gabi Binnie taking first place ahead of David Dike and Alex Lumsden. Annie Gainsborough fought off competition from her rivals to be chosen as your new Activities Officer, beating Alex Monks by just 77 votes. Phil Park, one of two candidates to run on the slogan ‘Back the Beard’, was third with 17.4 per cent of the vote.
Aside from new Women’s Officer Sharmin Jahan who was the only candidate running, the largest win of the night belonged to Peggy Lim who was 458 votes clear of her nearest challenger for International Students’ Officer. Replacing Malaka Shwaikh as Education Officer with 48.9 per cent of the vote is Minesh Parekh who promised to fight for No Hidden Costs and a Free Education. The Union voted in favour of remaining affiliated with the NUS, changing the makeup of the trustee board and for the proposed constitutional changes.
Additional election coverage: Elsa Vulliamy, Neelam Tailor, Adela Whittingham, Samantha Fielding, Joss Woodend, Kate Lovatt, Sophie Maxwell & Patrick O’Connell
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Fri day March 13 2015 F O RG E P RESS
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NEWS
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Editor
elsa.vulliamy@forgetoday.com
Elsa Vulliamy
DEPUTY EDITOR Tom Schneider Managing Editor
j.may@sheffield.ac.uk
Jon May
fuse editors fuse@forgetoday.com Phil Bayles Kate Lovatt HEAD OF ONLINE matthew.smith@forgetoday.com matthew Smith News news@forgetoday.com Neelam Tailor Patrick O’Connell Adela Whittingham DEPUTY NEWS Estel Farell Roig Will Morgan Keri Trigg Comment comment@forgetoday.com Lauren Archer Isaac Stovell COFFEE BREAK letters@forgetoday.com Helen Hiorns Features features@forgetoday.com Kemi Alemoru Will Ross Polly Winn Lifestyle & travel lifestyle@forgetoday.com Isabel Dobinson Nikita Kesharaju Sport sport@forgetoday.com Joseph Bamford Edward McCosh Thomas Pyman Music music@forgetoday.com Rachel Bell Rebecca Stubbs Games games@forgetoday.com Samantha Fielding Robin Wilde Screen screen@forgetoday.com Joe Brennan Sophie Maxwell
in brief...
UNIVERSITY
TRANSPORT
Estel Farell Roig
Estel Farell Roig
The Indian Society came first in this year’s International Cultural Evening for the second time running. The Sri Lankan Society were awarded second position at the annual night of cultural performances, and Pakistani Society came third. The event, which took place in City Hall on March 7, celebrated its 43rd anniversary this year. Over 15 international students groups took part alongside a number of local performing arts groups from Sheffield.
The Students’ Union has secured a one year fare freeze in student bus fares from First Group buses. Students from across the city, with the support of the National Union of Students and Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield, are now calling for all public transport providers to freeze student travel fares. The campaign is also asking for representation when decisions affecting students are made by public transport companies. The student fare has doubled from 50p to £1 since 2011.
ENTERTAINMENT
CHARITY
THEATRE
Adela Whittingham
Lauren Archer
Will Morgan
Plans to open a drive-in theatre in Sheffield city centre have been agreed this week. The movie facility will be located in a car park on Milton Street from April. Six showings have been planned for this year, with the first showing on Sunday April 26. Organisers will donate a percentage of the profits to the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in North Anston.
A group of Sheffield students have raised more than £150 for charity through a 24hour ‘skipathon’. The students, from the University of Sheffield’s Athletics Society, were raising money for the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) and for Sheffield Children’s Hospital. Ankylosing Spondylitis is a disease which causes rigidity of the spine.
Sheffield Theatres have announced their next theatrical season, including a production of the American classic Show Boat. Other productions announced include a production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Sheffield’s own classic The Full Monty and the Crucible’s first production of Romeo and Juliet in two decades. Tickets go on general sale on Saturday March 21.
TECHNOLOGY
FOOD
Patrick O’Connell
Will Morgan
Advertising flags in petrol station forecourts may soon be coated in a pollution busting formula used on the Alfred Denny Building’s In Praise of Air poem. The nanotech poster was first attached to the building’s facade in May and was removed in October following severe winds. The poem by the University Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage was printed onto material coated with particles of titanium dioxide which use sunlight and oxygen to react with nitrogen oxide pollutants and purify the air.
A Plant Science graduate from Sheffield has cultivated the first ever British truffle. Dr Paul Thomas, who graduated in 2004, said it is a “huge step forward” for British science. The discovery was made when Dr Thomas was taking an annual root sample and to his surprise found a truffle nestled in its roots. He plans to expand the truffle business to “help raise the prominence and reputation of the British truffle industry” using his company Mycorrhizal Systems Ltd.
Indian Society wins ICE
News from the Steel City
Skipathon raises £150
Drive-in theatre to open
Flags to use pollution buster
£1 student bus fare freeze
New season announced
A truffling matter
Armitage’s In Praise of Air poem
HILLSBOROUGH
Police boss admits lying
Arts arts@forgetoday.com Tom Schneider Chloe Coleman Joscelin Woodend The South Yorkshire Policeman in charge on the day of the 1989 COPY EDITORS Hillsborough disaster when 96 Lucy Barnes people died following a crush has Elizabeth Cunningham admitted to lying about fans forcing Friederike Dannheim a gate open to enter the ground. Declan Downey Families gasped as former chief Helena Egan superintendent David Duckenfield Claire Fowler told the inquests that “it was a Ellie Tudor grave mistake and I apologise Karen Wong profusely. M edi a H u b, U n io n o f “The fans and police knew that Student s, We s t e r n Bank , we’d opened the gates”, he said. S hef f ie ld, S10 2T G Mr Duckenfield, 70, said he would 0114 2 2286 46 regret it “to his dying day”. Mr Duckenfield, the match commander for the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Forge Press is printed on Nottingham Forest at Sheffield 100% recycled paper Wednesday’s Hillsborough Stadium, was inside the police Forge Press is published by Sheffield Students’ Union. Views control box during the game. The court was told that on the day expressed are not necessarily those of the the Union or the of the disaster, he told the FA that editorial team. Complaints fans had forced open a gate when should be addressed to the the truth was that he had ordered Managing Editor in the first the gate to be opened. Duckenfield instance, although a formal apologised to the victims and said procedure exists.
he had “no idea” why he lied. Half an hour before kick-off, approximately 5,700 fans were trying to enter the ground. Mr Duckenfield “accepted” that this was “not going to happen”. He had earlier told the inquest that “it was one of the biggest regrets of his life” that he did not consider the consequences of opening the gate. On Tuesday, he conceded that his experience of policing football matches was limited and that he was “not the best man for the job”. A 1991 inquiry established the main cause of death as police crowd control with a majority verdict of accidental death. Many families disputed the findings and began to campaign for a fresh inquiry. In 2009, a Hillsborough Independent Panel was set up and its September 2012 report found that police had deliberately altered 160 witness statements. As a result, the High Court quashed the 1991 verdict and called for further inquests which are currently ongoing.
The Hillsborough tragedy killed 96
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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FO R GE PRESS Fr i day March 1 3 2015
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CRIME
Broomhell’s spike in crime Neelam Tailor A spate of suspicious incidents have taken place in Broomhill over the past three weeks. Six incidents have been reported to the police from February 24 to March 7 in the highly student-populated area. Two incidents, believed to be by the same offender, were reported to police on Tuesday February 24. The first happened at 10.30am when a man attempted to grab the bag of an 18year old woman. 15 minutes later, a 20 year old woman reported a man walking alongside her and making lewd comments. The offender is described as Asian, around 20 years old, 5ft 6ins tall, of large build and clean shaven. Police caught him on CCTV with a distinctive black and turquoise jacket but unfortunately did not capture the offender’s face. A third incident took place on Friday February 27 where a man exposed himself to a woman at around 10am on Newbould Lane. The man is described as a 19-year old mixed race, around 6ft tall with short black hair and thin beard around the edge of his face. At 2.35am on Saturday February 28, a woman was approached by a black man around the age of 30 who exposed himself and made lewd remarks. A man described as Asian, of average build with a full beard approached and questioned a 17 year old girl who was walking on Fulwood Road to school at 8.45am on Friday March 6. On Saturday March 7 there was a reported armed robbery of a jewellery shop on Glossop Road where the owner was assaulted and injured. Inspector Naomi Saxton said: “We are taking these reports seriously and have increased our patrols in the area at key times and carrying out a number of enquiries. “However, other than the first two incidents there is no information to suggest they are linked, at this time, but police are keeping an open mind, and monitoring any suspicious incidents in the area.”
Northumberland Saturday Feb 28
Road,
A man approached a 20-year-old woman, exposed himself and made lewd remarks.
Fulwood March 6
Road,
Friday
A 17-year-old girl was walking to school at 8.45am on when she was approached on Fulwood Road by a man who asked her a number of questions.
Glossop Road, Saturday March 7 An attempted armed robbery was reported at George’s Jewellery store. The alleged perpetrator, aged 48, has been arrested by police for questioning.
Melbourne Avenue, Tuesday Feb 24 A woman was approached by a man at 10.30am who tried to grab her bag. 20 mins later another woman reported a man making lewd comments.
Newbould Lane, Friday Feb 27 A 45-year-old woman was walking along Newbould Lane at around 10am when a man walked towards her and exposed himself.
Photo: Open Street
YOUR UNIVERSITY
20,000 march for climate change action Tom Schneider People & Planet Sheffield have joined thousands of protestors on a ‘Time to Act Climate March’ through London. The march called for action on climate change and for universities to divest from fossil fuels. The Sheffield campaign group have started a petition, which so far has almost 2,000 signatures. The petition calls on the University to contact their asset manager Sarasin and Partners to create a fund free from fossil fuels. Estimates show that the University currently invests 10 per cent of its £30m total investments in fossil fuel companies. On Saturday March 7 campaigners from the University of Bristol and UCL joined Fossil Free Sheffield to create an environmentally friendly fund. Students from the three universities delivered a letter with 4,200 signatures calling on their universities to follow the University of Glasgow in divesting. Camilla Zerr, President of People and Planet, said: “It’s estimated there were over 20,000 protestors marching through London where Caroline Lucas and Naomi Klein made powerful speeches outside the Houses of Parliament with the basic message that it’s time to act on climate change.” Campaigners met with SU Development Officer Jack Wyse on
Tuesday who said: “I call on Bob Rabone, the University’s Head of Finance to either formally endorse the campaign or write a letter of intent to Sarasin and Partners.” However, Wyse met with Rabone on Thursday and was told there was a potential conflict of interest as the University has academic links with fossil fuel companies. Rabone did not endorse the campaign or write a letter of intent. The campaign is well supported within the Union with five out of six prospective Development Officers actively supporting the campaign in their manifesto pledge. Michael Kind, People & Planet member said: “Having the support of the majority of candidates is encouraging and we’re confident that the elected officer will work with us to persuade the University to divest.” The group have more plans to publicise their campaign at the University, inlcuding a ‘fossil free rave’ on the concourse. Zerr said: “The march will hopefully make the University reconsider how crucial this campaign is. “[Vice Chancellor] Sir Keith Burnett has offered to meet with us to discuss this further which is a good sign, and a key opportunity to convince him that fossil free is the way to go.” People and planet activists at the march
Photo: People and Planet
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Fri day March 13 2015 F O RG E P RESS
ELECTIONS
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THE RESULTS
Welfare: Gabi Binnie Key Policies
Create a forum for students to share accommodation tips, advice and experiences Campaign for a department-wide protocol on dealing with mental health Promote more liaison between the Health Service, Dyslexia/Disability service and academic departments Create a weekly slot where Union officers will be publicly present in the Union for discussion with students
“It never crossed my mind that I would win” How are you feeling? I don’t even know anymore. I’m really, really happy but I’m also kind of sad as well because some of the other candidates I was running against were amazing as well, so I’m kind of a little bit gutted for them. Did you think you would win? No. I thought I had a chance of winning, but it never actually crossed my mind that I would win. Was it scary running against so many other candidates? There weren’t that many of us, but it’s the fact that they such are such high calibre candidates that made it scary. I mean the first day I met David Dike I was blown away because he’s so charismatic and he cares so much and I thought ‘how do I have a chance against such an amazing person?’ What’s been the highlight of the last two weeks of campaigning? I think you really realise the kindness of strangers when people you don’t see very often in your life really step up. I met a lad when I was campaigning these last couple of weeks and he ended up spending three hours with me one day campaigning, he was a complete stranger, just because he believed in what I said. What was the most challenging part of the last two weeks campaigning? I think it’s the fact that you’re putting yourself forward, this isn’t like an anonymous job interview, this is you, and it’s public, and everyone can see this, and if you fail you kind of feel like you’re failing on a public leve. Why does welfare mean so much to you? I know this is a bit controversial, but welfare to me is the most important role because it is everything to students. It’s their wellbeing, it’s their health, it’s how well they do in their degree, it’s what they do outside their degree, everything is related back to welfare. It’s not one tiny subset of their life, it is their life.
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ELECTIONS
THE RESULTS
President: Christy McMorrow Key Policies Work with other unions nationwide to lobby the new government for free education Ensure combatting eradicating discrimination on campus is at the heart of our campaign Work for lower rents in University accomodation Start a “Good Landlord” scheme Campaign to lower our Union’s carbon footprint
“The team that’s been elected is fantastic ” Congratulations. How does it feel to be the future president of the SU? It’s very exciting, mostly because the opportunities to open up campaigns in things I believe in and work on things that, full time work on things I believe in very strongly is just extremely exciting, and the team that’s been elected today is fantastic and I look forward to working with all of them so much. Did you think you were going to win? I had no idea, I mean anything anyone’s tried to predict in these elections has seemed to be all over the place, I mean, apologies to Forge, but the exit polls were a long way out. What’s been the highlight of the past two weeks of campaigning? I think the highlight as ever with campaigning, is, whether you win or lose you meet people who have the spirit and desire to know that they can achieve real change in this world and I’ve met so many of those fantastic people. Why President? Because it’s the role that I think I would suit best, not because it’s a leadership role, it’s not in my view a leadership role, it’s one that lobbies actively and I think that’s the kind of thing I’m good at, and it’s also someone who facilitates others in achieving their objectives and I believe so strongly in a lot of the things other people have stood for, and I want to help them all achieve their objectives. Are you looking forward to working with the new group of officers? Absolutely, I’m sure it’s no surprise I’m looking forward to working with Minesh, but everyone who got elected is fantastic and I think it’s excellent that I’m the only white man in the team, that’s them way it should be. How are you going to celebrate? Probably Dempsey’s, but that 4am start might mean I’m not there for long! I’m flying to Canada tomorrow. Oh my God. What are you going to Canada for? I’m speaking at an undergrad philosophy conference in Toronto on Saturday. Crikey.
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THE RESULTS
Sports: Flic Wilbraham Key Policies Competitive matches against other universities Free Wednesday afternoons for all departments Lower match transport costs Subsidised gym memberships Make injury support more accessible Meetings held between captains of different clubs Win Varsity!
“I want to make us Team Sheffield” Congratulations, how are you feeling?
Have you got much advice from Jonny?
So happy! I don’t even know what to say, it’s been amazing. Such fun. All the other sports candidates are also absolutely amazing, I’ll take some of their ideas, completely, and if they want to give me any, then my office is open, my emails, interest will be there, they can help me out.
No, but I’m definitely going to go and have quite a long chat with him on quite a few occasions I’m sure. It’s such a busy job I’m going to need so many hints and tips.
Did you think you were going to win? No! No. I thought Emma or Nic would win, to be honest. It must feel good though. People have confidence in you. Yeah, no, it’s lovely, I’ve heard a few things like, “ah I voted for you I voted for you,” and you’re like, “aw, yeah I’m going to carry on, I’m going to carry on,” and that’s just amazing. What’s been the most challenging part of the last two weeks? It was just sort of on Monday, I had no idea if what I was doing was working, like, going around different places, I just felt like I was just trekking around Uni the whole time, holding a giant yellow tick, is that getting you votes? I don’t know...so the hardest thing is literally just to keep going, and knowing that you didn’t know if what you were doing was helping you in any way, I think that was the hardest, and it’s the moments when you see people and they’re like, “I read your manifesto, I saw your sign,” you’re like, “ah that’s great”. The people, other people campaigning, sports officers and all of them were just fantastic. So much fun. What would you say to the other candidates? Don’t give up. All your ideas are really, really valid and keep, just keep loving sport, I think. In our debates there wasn’t really much debate, we were more just chatting about, like, how much we liked sport and how great it was. Sport is the most important thing. Yeah, exactly. When you first get into office, what’s the first thing you want to do? I want to push the publicity thing, get all the clubs involved, I want to make us Team Sheffield rather than lots of other clubs and just get everyone involved in sport.
Lastly, how are you going to celebrate? I don’t know! We’re all hungover from ROAR! I’m just going to give all my friends champagne and hope that... I know I shouldn’t have shaken it up really and sprayed it, bit of a waste. I won’t get wasted. Where am I gonna go? I don’t know where to go on a Thursday, I’ve always been too hungover. I’ll see where the night takes me.
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THE RESULTS
ELECTIONS
International: Peggy Lim Key Policies Actively campaigning students’ rights
for
international
Monthly mini activities fair Work with Careers Service to help international students with job applications Celebrate different countries’ festivals in the Union
“I feel so happy right now ” So how are you feeling right now?
Hokey cokey.
I feel so happy right now, I get to stay in for another one more year. Nobody else is going to be happier than me because it’s just so amazing, I’m going to tell my parents I’m going to be in the UK one more year!
Oh my goodness I’m so confused. I don’t know what they were singing but I was managing to follow the steps.
That’s amazing I’m really happy for you, definitely. So did you think you were going to win? I told myself that I wanted to keep myself sort of as depressed as possible, I don’t want to talk to anybody else first, I didn’t want to reveal myself, because I’m usually bubbly sort of alive – I’m ‘talkative Peggy Lim’. I’ve never been so quiet in my entire life. Today I’ve been quiet for about two hours and I’m about to burst. Literally I was just telling myself just keep going in that mood, not to be so happy or excited because what if I lost? I want to be able to cope with that if you get what I mean. So what’s been the highlight of the two weeks’ campaigning? I think the highlight would be with all those people who are standing in this leadership race. I feel like they’re all so lovely. One of the things I’ve done while I’ve been campaigning is ‘hug the world with Peggy’, so every day in the morning when I saw them I’d be like ‘Peggy’s here come on let’s get Peggy’s hug’. So that was sort of my thing. And what was the hardest bit of the last two weeks? I think we’re all really strong for the international students’ officer candidate we’re all so strong. I think out of all the candidates, out of all the categories of the candidates, the international students’ officer candidate is the one where we’ve been loving each other the most. Are you excited to work with the other officers? I think we’ll be a really great officer team, I think everybody else deserves it. I met all of them while I’m campaigning so there’s not going to be any awkwardness, we know each other, we’re living, not literally living, but staying with each other for about two weeks long. We go into the office, we cuddle each other, we do the hokey cokey, is it hokey cokey?
So when you first get into your office, what’s the first thing you want to do? Um, I want to hug the chair. I want to hug the chair because that is going to be the chair where I’m going to sit down for one year, so I want to hug the chair. That’s what I’m going to do.
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Fri day March 13 2015 F O RG E P RESS
ELECTIONS
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THE RESULTS
Womens: Sharmin Jahan Key Policies
Create intersectional forums so that women can discuss issues that are important to them Launch a consent awareness campaign Run workshops covering topics such as domestic violence, mental health and FGM Continuously campaign against sexism LGBTphobia, ableism, racism & Islamophobia Commit to bringing back ‘Feminist Fridays’
“I can’t describe it, it’s amazing, just brilliant” How are you feeling?
What’s the first thing you’re going to do?
I can’t describe it, it’s amazing, it’s just brilliant.
I want to try and achieve everything on my manifesto. I’m looking forward to working with everyone at the Union.
Did you think you were going to win? I didn’t actually! I thought people would want to reopen nominations just because they wanted to see more candidates
Why do you think so few people stood? I think it’s accessibility. I really don’t know, it’s something that I really want to sort out for next year. Hopefully we’ll have more women running and more running for women’s officer as well.
Why do you think so few women ran in general this year? I just think it’s been a tough year for everyone; there’s a lot going on in this Union and so far a lot of women have won tonight so that’s really good. I thought there would only be two women on the team so to have more is great.
So what’s been the highlight of the past two weeks’ campaigning? Meeting some incredible people. Everyone I’ve met, the candidates, random people on the concourse have been great. I’ve got so much support from everyone. It’s been the best thing ever.
And what’s been the most challenging part? Explaining to people why we need a women’s officer.
Did you get that question a lot? Yes I did. But I was really happy yesterday because I was talking to three guys and I managed to explain what the role was about. That was the biggest achievement for me because it was great that men were saying that.
Lastly, how’re you going to celebrate? Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. I’m absolutely so, so tired.
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FO R GE PRESS Fr i d ay March 13 2015
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ELECTIONS
THE RESULTS
Activities: Annie Gainsborough Key Policies Create an Activities App with information about societies and events Help societies collaborate on events Improve the online society database and boost societies’ presence through publicity videos Ensure postgraduates, mature, disabled and international students gain access to Activities Run a Virtual Activities Fair
“I hope I can make the other candidates proud” Annie, how are you feeling? Amazing, I really can’t believe it.
Did you think you were going to win? No I really didn’t. I guess it’s like up and down days, one day you’re like ‘yes I can do it’, and the you’re like ‘No I don’t stand a chance against the other amazing peolpe’ but I got there in the end.
Was it challenging and scary running against all the other people? Yeah it was challenging because all the other candidates were so strong, but also it made you feel better because you knew that whoever got it was going to do a fantastic job.
And what does your new role mean to you? It means I get to stay here for another year and get to work in the Union which has been such a fantastic place for me in the last three years. I’m really looking forward to that.
What was the highlight of the last two weeks? Oh I think it just has to be meeting so many people that I might not have come into contact with otherwise - students and the other amazing candidates.
What was the most challenging part? I think it’s just been getting up every day and doing it again.
What would you like to say to the other candidates? Well done, you were all fabulous and any one of you could have won and I’m just so amazed that it’s me. I hope I do them all proud.
And how are you going to celebrate? Celebrate with some friends and then go to sleep!
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ELECTIONS
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THE RESULTS
Development: Evette Prout Key Policies Juice stations in the SU to encourage reusing water bottles Reduce food waste in the SU Lobby the SU to divest from fossil fuels Reduce paper wate from leaflet distribution Increase available study spaces & make people more aware of spaces already available ‘Make your SU grow’: an imitation tree that students can attach suggestions to
“This is crazy, absolutely crazy” OK, how do you feel right now? I feel like this is not happening. I honestly just put myself out of the race. I thought I’d keep going but I’d told my friends ‘I’ve lost I’ve lost’ and now I’ve won. And I didn’t even think about going for this position, but people said I would be good at it and I didn’t believe in myself and now I’m here. This is crazy, absolutely crazy.
Are you and Jack [Wyse] going to get smashed? I don’t even drink anymore! I’m just going to…I don’t know! Get some squash maybe. Get some squash, I’m going to get some squash! Or Schloer.
So what does the role mean to you?
Get some Schloer. Anything fruity.
It means so much, it just means that students are behind me, they back me and they believe in my ideas, and they believe in my vision for our future. So yeah it means a lot to me.
And sleep I imagine?
Was it scary and a challenge to run against so many people?
I’m going to rest and I’m just going to tell my housemates and let them celebrate for me.
It was very challenging and very scary and very daunting. At times I wanted to drop out, I felt sick and tired, but God has blessed me, that’s all I can say. What was the hardest thing about campaigning? Going against people that I actually really liked and understanding their exhaustion and their tiredness and knowing we all want the same position. That was quite scary. What’s your most important policy that you want to get in there straight away? Definitely food waste, want to make sure we’re reducing that, but I think what the students really want is a juice station – they loved that idea. That’s really something that they’re really keen on, so I’d love to be able to implement that as soon as possible. Did you think you’d win? One hundred per cent no. As in I prepared my going home and telling my housemates I didn’t win speech. I just didn’t see it at all. And how are you going to celebrate? I don’t know, I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Graph is based on first choice preferences. Evette won due to second choice preferences.
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FO R GE PRESS Fr i d ay March 13 2015
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THE RESULTS news@forgetoday.com
ELECTIONS
Education: Minesh Parekh Key Policies No more hidden costs Free printing Fight for free education on a national level Make postgraduate degrees more accessible Printers in university accomodation Lobby for maintenance grants for all students Give PhD students better training and better pay
“Education is a public good” First of all, congratulations! How do you feel? M: Thanks! It’s, yeah, it’s really great. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, the results almost doubled over today and I just didn’t know what had happened, but really great. Good. Did you think you were going to win? I was hopeful at first and cautiously optimistic but then, I really didn’t know, I thought it’d be close, and, it really was. What’s been the highlight of the past two weeks? Probably, like, finding time off rather than perpetually campaigning, perpetually being around, like, it’s really really weird to be in a state where you are constantly thinking about trying to win an election, trying to find something that you can do, especially with everyone campaigning all the time. It’s finding the moments where you can take a break which are few. Yeah definitely. What’s been the most challenging part of the last two weeks? Staying. Like, keeping going. Not getting tired. What would you like to say to the other candidates? Just, I guess, try and stay calm, I know it’s really not going to be easy but it will all be okay soon I guess. What’s the first of your policies you’d like to put in straight away when you get into office? Well when I get into office the Head of Accommodation and the Catering Services will be leaving, so I want to try and move on the occupation of Inox Dine, to try to take over Inox Dine, because at the moment it loses money, it loses about 60 grand a year. No one goes in, and it’s probably, well, it’s almost the whole floor of the Students’ Union’s top level, so it’s something that would be great for students if it could be a focused learning space, so I want to try and claim that because it serves no purpose at the moment, really. So why’s Education Officer so important to you?
Well, because education is one of those few fundamental things that is all good, it’s a public good, it’s transformative, it’s something that really really changes lives... definitely mine, definitely most other people’s... it’s the reason we’re all here, it’s so vital for everyone, it’s such a transformative and great gift. How are you going to celebrate? Umm... this! This! A bottle of champagne. I’m going to have to see how the other elections go as well, ‘cause I still have to be here for another four hours and see what happens and who I’m going to work with next year.
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F O RG E P RESS Fri day March 13 2015
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In the run up to the general election, and in this current social climate when young people are so often referred to as apathetic towards our politicians and the political system in general, Features Editor Kemi Alemoru investigates whether or not we should be including 16 year olds and allow them to vote.
ast your minds back to when you were the tender age of 16. All of us undoubtedly remember that time in our lives vividly, if not with a pining for our lost youth then perhaps in horror at our naivety and angst during what was for most of us a very awkward phase. In between applying for UCAS, completing your AS levels and squeezing spots, imagine you were handed the power to be a force for societal change. This could soon become reality in the event of a labour win this general election, the party plan to extend voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds, a decision which has sparked a many layered debate. Labour isn’t alone in this move towards expanding democracy to the under 18’s, the Green Party and the Electoral Reform Society have also expressed support. It goes without saying that this would be a bold move, but it has been granted by other governments in Austria, Brazil and Germany and also closer to home in the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and most notably Scotland. In the referendum held last year, the vote was extended to 16 and 17 year olds and it saw one of the highest voting turnouts in recent years. It was a resounding success by the standards of many, an example of how lowering the voting age can change how young people engage with politics. After all, at the age of 16 you can move out, get married, join the army and pay tax. If you are making these kinds of contributions to society you wouldn’t be wrong in assuming you should also have a say in how it is run. The enthusiasm with which Scotland’s youth seized their chance to make decisions about their own futures was a signal that lowering the voting age can really make a difference. Last year’s referendum on Scottish Independence saw approximately 100,000 under 18’s – 80 per cent of those eligible – sign up to vote. Now, let’s think of our upcoming general election and the recurring rhetoric that has become impossible to escape. The three Ds: Disengaged, disenfranchised, disinterested. There appears to be a whole generation dis-ing politics, missing out on letting their voices be heard or even more disheartening, feeling it doesn’t matter. On a visit to Sheffield Hallam in January, Ed Miliband said that 307 of 373 local authorities recorded a dramatic reduction of 950,845 in their electoral roll. After pointing his finger at David Cameron and Nick Clegg he said it was students that are mostly being affected by their hastily introduced new system of individual voter registration and that it was a “scandal” that they are “sitting by” and watching hundreds and thousands of young people in our country lose their sacred democratic rights”. And
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who would disagree with us fighting for the democratic rights of the young? If I do recall, during the Scottish referendum people were worried that 16 year olds were vulnerable to propaganda and wouldn’t be able to make a rational and personal choice. In fact, this is a continuing theme that runs through the core of the debates about lowering the voting age. We’ve all seen how the media like to represent those pesky ‘youths’; they hang around on street corners, speak in a curious tongue and will riot whenever they get the chance. Are these the type of people we want voting? Understandably, a lot of people would say no. Sweet 16s are basically foetal compared to the wise old owls that have experienced life and are informed enough to therefore have a say - a simplification of the opinions that have been so frequently voiced on the topic about young people. I worked with the University of Sheffield outreach team on the Higher Education Preparation Programme to gage the perspective of 16 year old prospective voters and visited a local Sheffield school. The school in question, Meadowhead School, invited our team to assist with their ‘Why I should Vote’ workshop. This followed a recent event in which candidates standing to be the next MP for Sheffield Heeley had been quizzed by the students. As they were now well informed, pupils were required to research the topic and create a convincing argument either for or against lowering the age at which people will be allowed to vote and present it to each other at the end of the day. When I spoke to them they all came up with fair and rational points, a far cry from the illinformed, immature depiction of them we often see. A lot of them felt that the government sends them mixed messages. Indeed, you can have consensual sex, a marriage and a house but you can’t yet drink or watch Fifty Shades of Grey at the cinema. If we are to allow them to have adult responsibilities surely we can let
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them participate in politics like adults. Understandably, others proposed that it was unfair to label them as immature as there aren’t currently any tests that over 18s have to complete to prove their maturity, “think of the paperwork!” a young boy highlighted. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority felt it was not appropriate to give 16 year olds the vote. When asked why this was a girl replied “even based on some of the people even in this room I would say giving 16 year olds the vote might not be a great idea”. The sixth formers had spoken; over 50 per cent of them voted that they felt 16 was too young to vote. A lot of them cited reasons that I have previously discussed: immaturity, stupidity and malleability. Perhaps they are listening to those who maintain that they aren’t yet ready to vote. It is of course conceivable that they themselves don’t feel ready. Either way, the debate will continue. Personally, I believe the debate would be far less complicated if, instead of arguing back and forth with each other on whether to let them ‘have a go’ at democracy, we first gave them adequate education on the topic of politics. Far too many people, even at university, don’t know anything about politics but express that they will either vote because it would be a waste not to, or abstain because they don’t have the motivation to educate themselves.
You can have consensual sex, a marriage and a house but you can’t yet drink or watch Fifty Shades of Grey
Disengaged, disenfranchised, disinterested. There appears to be a whole generation dis-ing politics
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If all schools followed the footsteps of Meadowhead and continued to involve, engage and inform young people of the current issues in politics then maybe the answer would become clear. Surely, the more knowledge anyone has about politics, the more legitimate their views become. Truthfully, as I cast my mind back to myself as a young 16 year old and I reminisce on how hopeful, ambitious and outspoken I was. Even then I still think there is a lot that remains to be argued before we can truly make the decision.
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Fri day March 13 2015 F O RG E P RESS
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Work and the art of letting go
Lauren Archer Your 9-5 day has come to a close. Other workers are drifting out of the office, bound for the rush-hour traffic and a short spell at home before they go to sleep, ready to do it all again tomorrow. You’re not quite finished though. There are a few emails to respond to and that report to finalise. So you stick around for another hour, an hour and a half tops. After all, the company has always done its bit for you. It’s a typical situation for lots of people sat in suits, trapped in glass and concrete buildings, staring at screens. Supervisors and data processors and all of the other roles we’ve created to move bits of information around and keep everything on track. Although British workers are no strangers to sticking around for an extra half an hour, in Japan clocking off on time is considered an act of disloyalty and laziness. The culture of overworking has become so deeply ingrained that the government is now considering making it a legal requirement for workers to take five days of annual leave. Currently, Japanese workers are entitled to an average of 18.5 days of paid holiday, although the average employee will only take half of those, according to the labour ministry. Some take no
holiday at all. Japanese workers are so overworked and so tired, that bosses have been encouraging them to nap at their desks to improve productivity. Predictions for a rapidly declining population in Japan are being partially blamed on the country’s industrious workforce, too busy and committed to start families. The Japanese even have a word, karoshi, meaning death from overworking. 200 people die every year as a result of heart attacks, strokes and other health problems caused by spending too many hours in offices and on production floors.
“We have become enamoured, to a fiercely loyal degree, with work”
Japan might be an extreme example, but throughout the world we have become enamoured, to a fiercely loyal degree, with work. At a social event, you hear people introducing themselves: “I’m Max, I’m an officer manager at a large stationery firm.” Are you, Max? That sounds incredibly boring. The only reason, surely, that we see what somebody does as the most important thing about them is because work takes up so much of our time. We dedicate a standard eight hours a day to it,
Editorial In the words of Sharmin Jahan: sleep, sleep, sleep Hello! I am writing this editorial at just past 1am, and we all know what that means - election night! Overall, I’m pretty thrilled: four BME students and six women have been elected, and that is a victory in itself. I’m extremely happy for all the winners of this election, and I know they will be fantastic officers. As the Forge Press Editor, I know better than anyone how important the officers are: I talk to them almost every day, and always admire their dedication to the Union. It’s been an extremely difficult week for us here at Forge Press, we’ve produced two papers in two weeks: something which has never done before! Our editors have worked extremely hard to bring you the best content they possibly can, and we’ve got more election coverage than ever before.
We’ve included an exclusive interview with every single one of your new SU officers in one handy paper. We’ve also got one page each of Comment, Features, Lifestyle and Sport along with two news pages bringing you your usual news. Lucky you, eh? We;ll, after being awake for approximately two weeks, I think it might be time for me to hibernate until the Varsity issue. Happy reading!
Elsa Vulliamy - Forge Press editor elsa.vulliamy@forgetoday.com
and so, in turn, it begins to define us and those around us.
“You can never expect to gain from work more than it takes away”
There’s nothing wrong with loving some of the things your job involves. Many teachers love teaching, journalists love writing and meeting people, and so on. But even with this in mind, you can never expect to gain from work more than what it takes away. When we work under capitalism, we do so to create capital for bosses. Our labour is turned into their profit, and we are given a small portion back. That small portion we spend on taxes and rent and food, giving it back to the system in which we toil for it. Even if we enjoy teaching and writing and data processing, we should not be forced to do so in order to survive. A post-capitalist world would surely be post-work too, and society would run on our collective willingness for it to continue, rather than on the sad trading of hours for money, an average of 1,654 hours per person per year. It is the construction of this sycophantic relationship we have with our jobs, with the exchange of labour for capital, which
D.A.R.T.S.
Forge Press takes its satirical aim
Average Irishman since Tuesday
It was noticed earlier this week that Ireland’s 1977 Misuse of Drugs Act had a substantial loophole, making all substance bans since the law technically unconstitutional. Effectively this meant magic mushrooms, ketamine, ecstasy, and other psychoactive drugs were legal to possess and take. The regulatory system is trying to close the loophole as quickly as possible. We can assume they’ll let us know when they’ve come down properly. In the mean time, if anyone fancies a jolly to Dublin, Forge Comment will see you there.
[Un]surprising celebrity incident
Jeremy Clarkson has punched one of Top Gear’s producers, sparking his suspension by the BBC. Being a bellend on this scale has now almost come to be expected of Mr Clarkson, who has come under fire recently for using racial slurs on film, but moreso whose entire persona is one of slobbish, offensive, bottom-of-the-barrel bigotry. I for one applaud Jeremy’s actions. His pugilistic outburst led to the cancellation of the final two episodes of the vaguely-car-related live-action cartoon he copresents, and for that, props.
Quote of the fornight “My life is like my hair today - shit”
in turn creates the ‘shirker/worker’ dichotomy, the splitting of the working classes. As we are told to love our work, to be proud of what we create for the ruling classes, we are in turn told to resent our neighbour who gets by without lifting a finger. We are divided and ruled, too busy pointing fingers at those who clock off at 5pm, or who live on benefits, to look beyond our own class and towards those who oppress us and whose pockets we line when we stick around for an extra hour at the office. The rise of Workfare, for example, is an attempt to glorify the concept of work. Rather than a necessity, to generate income on which we are to survive, jobs become badges of honour. ‘Skill sets’ and lines on your CV become honours in themselves, a sign that you are ready and waiting for your turn to start producing capital for the minimum wage. We shouldn’t need governmental reforms to tell us to take a holiday, or a doctor to tell us to go home on time. If you have to stay late to impress a boss or win a raise, that’s one thing, but our time is valuable and we don’t owe it to anyone, and certainly not without pay. If we let our work define us and take over our lives, we will probably never be very happy, and will continue to make exceptionally boring party guests.
Adela Whittingham, Essex babe/news editor
Best #SUvote tweets
Many elections are such exciting, engaging events that their official hashtags yield goldmines of political opinion, original comment and just genuinely insightful things being said. Our SU election has not fared well in this regard. Nonetheless, in the unread depths of #suvote, people (well, mainly Forgefolk, candidates, and a variety of other sad union-dwellers) have entertained. A bit.
Fri day March 13 2015 F O RG E P RESS
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LIFESTYLE&TRAVEL Lifestyle loves Mums by Niki Kesharaju
Mother’s Day Here’s your first reminder - Mother’s Day is on Sunday March 15 so make sure the card is sent by first class post as soon as you read this.
Mums do so much for us. We often forget that just as we are getting older, our mums are too. So even if it is a little late, treat her to something special for a day and she will remember it for a long time.
If you’re lucky enough to have your mum up in Sheffield, for £20 per head, you can take her to Owlerton Greyhound Stadium who are running a Mother’s Day special all afternoon. Otherwise Inox Dine in the Students’ Union are doing a Sunday lunch with prices ranging from £23-£28 per person. For a cheaper alternative, they’re also offering afternoon tea, with prices ranging from £9-£20. If you need quick present ideas, Lush have a Mother’s Day themed range of bath bombs, which are if Image : Niki Kesharaju perfect your mum just needs some time to relax. Alternatively, you could treat her to home-made cheesecake swirl brownies. It’s just like making regular brownies but with cream cheese swirled in. But whatever you do, make sure you give your mum a call on Sunday or just let her know how much you really appreciate her. by Nadene Chandler
/forgelifestyle lifestyle@forgetoday.com
Nature Network Nature Network member, Charles Philpot tells you why attending their conservation event on March 20 - March 22 is worth your time. If you’re interested in conservation tasks, gardening, or just helping out the community, Nature Network are hosting a mega event on the weekend of March 20. For the very reasonable price of £15, you can broaden your skill set to include some conservation tasks. The price includes three meals as well, so there is simply no excuse.
The University of Sheffield Nature Network or USNN are seven nature related societies that have come together, along with the Green Space, to collaborate and share resources. From March 20 to March 22, we have planned an inter-university event in Sheffield, undertaking important conservation and allotment tasks. The seven societies have collaborated to run a series of interesting events,
from nature walks to gardening. The event also includes a talk by conservation scientist James Borrell on the Saturday and a screening of Project Wild Thing on the Friday.
Project Wild Thing tells the story of a father who is determined to get his kids outdoors and appreciate nature, rather than spending their time indoors. This was clearly me as a youngster. I rarely went outdoors, didn’t know anything about nature and would be hard pressed to name and identify more than seven flowers or recognise the parent plant of vegetables. Going to an allotment society got me interested in gardening and getting people to re-connect with nature.
Which leads me to the allotment events that we are hosting on March 21. We are helping Lynwood Gardens to complete their community allotment (with a pizza oven!) and we are helping another in Walkley to provide gardening opportunities to those with learning disabilities. To top it all off, we also have a fruit tree and fruit bush planting and grafting workshop. Listening to James Borrell talking about his various world-
Florence at Easter
Florence makes for the perfect Easter break to rejuvenate before deadlines set in again, so book it now for a weekend away.
especially with accomodation. You could even stay in one of Florence’s neighbouring towns. It is a generally well connected area.
Flights really aren’t too expensive. If you shop around, you’ll find some great deals, Image: Nadene Chandler
Just head to Piazza Del Duomo early in the day, preferably around 10am ready for the procession and the highlight ‘Explosion’ usually takes place just before midday. There’s no cost for this event, which makes it even better. Afterwards you can head to one of Florence’s many restaurants for some rich Italian cuisine to round off a fine weekend in the beautiful Italian city.
This gorgeous Italian city is perfect no matter what time of year you’re planning on visiting. Although not as well-known as the capital, Rome, or the Northern wonders of Milan, Venice and the famous Pisa, Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is by far my favourite region of Italy. Why? Because it’s bursting with traditional Italian culture. Every street is picture perfect, and for the views, you’d probably have to visit to understand why Florence is a must have on your bucket list.
Easter recipe
Peanut butter and choc chip cookies
With the Easter holidays coming up, impress your housemates before you go home with some nutty and chocolatey cookie goodness. Like this? Visit https://aweekinthekitchen.wordpress.com for more tasty treat inspiration. Ingredients:
. 100g peanuts . 140g butter . 100g peanut butter . 250 g plain flour . Half a tsp baking powder . 1 large egg, beaten . 2 tbsp maple syrup . 200g dark chocolate
wide adventures will inspire you to ask yourself the question, “Why dedicate your life to conservation?”. Fundamentally it is the question of how important your surrounding environment is to you. To most people the answer is “very”.
If you still need further reasons and want to check out our complete program, visit us at Nature Network on Facebook or @NatureNetSheff on Twitter. Our website is available at http://naturenetworksheff.wix. com/naturenetworksheff. For all that’s on offer, £15 is a bargain. Get your ticket soon to have a great thyme.
Luckily, you don’t have to jet off to a tiger sanctuary in Thailand to make an impact. Instead, you can help locally during this weekend on our conservation tasks in Stannington, Westfield and the wonderful Black Moor in the Peaks with Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. Did I also mention that we have a birdwatching event and a foraging walk on the Sunday? There is a vast range of events to get involved with during this weekend.
Still unpersuaded? I’ll reiterate the free food that we are taking care of, but also our plans for Friday and Saturday night which
by Mared Gruffydd
All images : Nature Network
Concourse couture
Easter is a very important time for Italians. In Florence you can head to the ‘Explosion of the Cart’ which is celebrated every year on Easter Sunday. If you go, it’ll stay with you all your life. An elaborate wagon built in 1622 and standing two to three stories high is pulled by a pair of oxen decorated in garlands through the streets of Florence to the square between the Baptistry and Cathedral.
by Isabel Dobinson Method: 1. Heat oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4. Scatter peanuts over a baking tray and toast for 5-7 minutes until golden. Leave to cool then chop up.
2. Meanwhile, grease and line two baking sheets with parchment. Sift the flour, baking powder and half a tsp of salt into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar. Cut the butter into rough cubes and add this and the peanut butter to the bowl. Rub together until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. 3. Fold the egg and syrup into the bowl to make a soft dough. Tip in the chocolate and peanuts.
Image: Theo Schenk
will involve fancy cocktails, tacky nights out, restaurants and pubs!
4. Roll small handfulls of dough into balls and place onto the baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to spread. Bake for 12 minutes, leave to cool for five minutes and return them to the oven to cook until brown.
Ben Unwin First year, Modern Languares Wearing: Coat from ASOS, jeans and shirt from Topman, scarf from Tesco and shoes from New Look.
Ivy Jones First year, Psychology Wearing: Jacket from ASOS, shirt from Asda, jeans from Zara and shoes from H&M.
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Fri day March 13 2015 F O RG E P RESS
SPORT
@ForgePressSport /ForgePressSport sport@forgetoday.com
remember this...?
Varsity returns 15.03.15
The University of Sheffield celebrate winning the 2014 Varsity at the Motorpoint Arena
Photo: sheffieldvarsity.com
Women’s cricket make new ground Sonia Twigg Reaching the indoor BUCS Nationals for the first time in recent memory after winning all of their qualifying games, the University of Sheffield women’s cricket team headed up to Headingley with a strong body of support to attempt to make an impact in a tough competition against many sides who regularly reach this stage. Given that the Nationals fixtures were the last indoor matches before Varsity, it was even more important to get off to a good start against an unknown Bath team. Winning the toss and opting to bowl proved a significant and correct decision thanks to successful spells, including an impressive two overs which only went for a combined total of six
runs, from Millie Boddington and Roshini Navaratnam, who shared the spoils and took four wickets between them. This trend continued throughout the innings, with all the bowlers playing a part to restrict Bath’s score to a surmountable 74 for four. When it came to batting, it proved to be the same pair that would make the difference, as they put on 47 for the first wicket to put Sheffield in a commanding position to go on and win the game. The total was reached in comfortable fashion, with wickets in hand and an over to spare despite some tidy bowling and a couple of nervous moments for the spectators, including one in which a dive was required from Millie Boddington to prevent a run out shortly before retiring on 25. Unfortunately the day did
not continue in the same way. The second game, against a significantly stronger Exeter team containing two England development players, proved a stark contrast to the first despite Sheffield again winning the toss and choosing to bowl. A failure to take early wickets proved costly as Exeter managed to put on 77 without loss. Tactics were to play an important part in this game; Exeter proved particularly successful in finding the corners behind the wicket, something which proved difficult for Sheffield. Although employed often Exeter were also able to open out, scoring two fours and a six to aid them in reaching their final total of 122 for three. Despite a solid 31 not out from Roshini Navaratnam, in searching for the required run rate there were two run outs
in quick succession and the low ceiling played a big part in restricting shots that in another hall may well have gone for six. However, despite this, Sheffield still managed to reach a respectable score of 71 for four in the ten overs. In the final game, against a strong Birmingham team which also contained an England development player, Sheffield unfortunately failed to achieve the victory necessary to reach the national finals. Despite a positive first over, with only six runs conceded, Birmingham’s total continued to climb steadily, eventually reaching 119 for the loss of three wickets. Unfortunately, when it came to batting, spin bowling proved to be Sheffield’s undoing; the bounce of the specialised indoor ball used for BUCS proved particularly difficult to manage despite
Izzy Groves’ valiant attempt defending the last wicket, as Sheffield struggled to their final total of 53 all out after only seven overs. Despite ultimately not progressing to the national finals, the record of one victory and two defeats at the Nationals marked a great achievement for the women’s cricket team who, with plenty of backing, placed themselves amongst the best teams in the country, and therefore provided a good starting point with Varsity and outdoor BUCS coming up.
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Forge Sport editor Tom Pyman chooses his heroes and villains of the week
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Great Britain
Danny Welbeck
of Great Britain’s Davis Cup team advanced to the quarter-finals in Glasgow after an impressive win against the USA.
The Arsenal striker was an FA Cup hero, as he scored the winner against former club Manchester United to send the Gunners to Wembley.
Aston Villa/WBA fans
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Supporters of both Aston Villa and West Brom were condemned for their behaviour towards the end of their sides’ FA Cup tie, which involved a pitch invasion and seats being thrown.
England
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Following losses to Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand, defeat to Bangladesh was the final nail in England’s Cricket World Cup coffin as they were embarrassingly knocked out at the group stage.