The independent student newspaper of the University of Sheffield: Special tabloid edition Est. 1946.
FREE Issue 55
Monday February 18 2013
@ForgePress /ForgePress
CROWN
SEE LIFESTYLE, PAGE 20
PUCK ME, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Hallam steal closest winter Varsity ever
SEE PAGE 32
EXCLUSIVE: OUR LADIES BARE ALL FOR PAGE 3
Crime wave hits students Jonathan Robinson
Police have issued a fresh warning to students, after eight properties were burgled overnight in the Walkley area of the city. It is believed four of the houses were burgled after thieves walked through unlocked front and back doors. Detective inspector Richard Partridge said: “There are an alarming number of burglaries that are taking place because doors have been left unlocked. “Burglars are testing doors, and where they can get into a property undetected through an unlocked door and steal something of value, they are doing so. “These burglaries appear to be concentrated on the Walkley area, so we would urge residents living in that community to make sure they lock their doors.” Police have advised students to lock doors even when inside the house and to leave lights on whilst out.
SEE PAGE 5
SUN BLOCK Union bigwigs ban paper
Petition for vote in council showdown Students divided
2
NEWS
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
@forgepress /forgepress news@forgetoday.com
MedSoc teddy bear hospital raises funds for cerebral palsy
Alisha Rouse
DEPUTY EDITOR Rowan Ramsden Managing Editor Mikey Smith WEB EDITOR Adam Harley
Lucy Capson and Ethan McManusWood A teddy bear hospital was held on Saturday at Weston Park museum. Organised by MedSoc, the event is run by student doctors who have given up their time for a day. It is aimed at making young children feel less nervous about a hospital visit by treating their teddies in a safe and friendly environment and in the past has attracted up to a thousand visitors in one day. In previous years, the teddy bear hospital has raised funds only with the purpose of funding the same event next year. However this year they branched out and raised £505 through organising a ‘Take Me Out’ event at the end of January. The money raised this year goes to Paces, a Sheffield-based charity that works with children with cerebral palsy and their families. A giant teddy bear mascot greeted visitors and volunteers are on hand to offer advice and answer any questions. A trail of rainbow footprints led to two main rooms where student doctors are waiting to bandage up toys and paint children’s faces. Activities ranged from MRI and X-ray machines to a pharmacy stand with lots of goodie bags to give away. Co-presidents Emily Lee and Tejaswi Bommireddy have been running teddy bear hospital for three years. We said to Emily, who is highly enthusiastic about the event: “the teddy bear hospital is great for both the children and the student doctors: the children are able to become familiar with a hospital setting in a short period of time and overcome any fears of medical treatment, and for student doctors to be able to interact with children and their parents is a good opportunity to build up social and communication skills.” We also spoke to a parent whose daughter was having her face
Editor
alisha.rouse@forgetoday.com
fuse editors fuse@forgetoday.com Arnold Bennett Coral Williamson Head of Visuals Adam Harley News news@forgetoday.com Lauren Clarke Jessica Pitocchi Jonathan Robinson Comment comment@forgetoday.com Martin Bottomley Hamilton Jones LETTERS & COFFEE BREAK letters@forgetoday.com Holly Wilkinson Features features@forgetoday.com Sophie Allen Lizzy Jewell Nicola Moors Lifestyle & travel lifestyle@forgetoday.com Olivia Adams Laura Davies Sport sport@forgetoday.com Adam Hancock Will Aitkenhead Matthew Smith Music music@forgetoday.com Amelia Heathman Lianne Williams Games games@forgetoday.com Kaz Scattergood Andrew Smith
painted by one of the volunteers: “This is the second teddy bear hospital event that I’ve brought my daughter to; last time she was
very nervous and clung to my leg, this time she warmed to the volunteers a lot more quickly.” A volunteer said that the most
rewarding part of the day “was having the children leave happy and smiling and seeing their faces really light up.”
Museum of weird and wonderful opens to public Eve Betts The University of Sheffield’s museum of the weird and wonderful is to become a regular feature after overwhelming demand during the Festival of the Mind in September. Professor Tim Birkhead, TV bird expert and animal behaviour specialist, who opened the exhibition for the first time in over a century said: “The public’s enthusiasm for the museum has been inspirational.” The little known Alfred Denny museum attracted hundreds of visitors last year to see artefacts that included fossilised tiny flying dinosaurs, a half porpoise and a skeleton of the ‘Terror Bird’ - an extinct man-sized eagle. The teaching museum was created by Professor Alfred Denny, the University’s first biology professor in 1905, and is still used by students in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences today. Professor Birkhead, who secured funding to keep the museum running, said: “We’re thrilled to be able to open up
the museum for everyone. “We’re so pleased that the public are eager to learn more about the amazing world of nature and there’s no better place to start than here at the Alfred Denny museum.” Duncan Jackson, 19, a student volunteer said: “Having the museum in the department really helped with my coursework. “I would like a career working with zoology collections in museums so having the opportunity to get some experience as a volunteer in the Alfred Denny museum will really help.” Professor Vanessa Toulmin, who curated and directed Festival of the Mind, said: “The fact that the Alfred Denny museum will now be open to the public is fantastic. “It shows how much of an appetite the people of Sheffield have to learn about the fascinating work that goes on at the University.” The exhibition has secured funding to open to the public on the first Saturday of every month between 9.30am and 1pm.
Screen screen@forgetoday.com Phil Bayles Dan Meier Arts arts@forgetoday.com Olivia Middleton Elsa Vulliamy COPY EDITORS Ally Christodoulou Ellen Jurczak Lizzie Palmer Matthew Smith Matt Voice Elsa Vulliamy Media Hub, Union of Students, Wes t ern Bank , Shef f ield, S10 2TG 0114 22286 46 // f or gepress@f or ge t oday.com
Forge Press is printed on 100% recycled paper
Professor Tim Birkhead
For ge Press is published by the Union of Students. View s expressed are not necessarily those of the Univer sity, the Union or the edit orial t eam. In the f ir s t ins t ance all complaints should be addressed t o the Managing Edit or, although a f ormal pr ocedure exis ts.
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
3
@forgepress /forgepress news@forgetoday.com
NEWS IN CLOTHES
HELENA SYKES, 20, from Leeds LIANA LONSDALE, 21, from Bolton ROSANNA AUSTIN, 19, from Nottingham
HELENA says: “An important part of uni life is growing up and making your own decisions. We should have been given the freedom to choose in a referendum, that is what being an adult is about.”
NEWS IN CLOTHES LIANA says: “The Union should not be an overbearing parent that censors what we are exposed to according to what they think is best for us. Let us have our own voice.”
NEWS IN CLOTHES ROSANNA says: “I don’t think there should have been a referendum, we voted for the councillors to make decisions for us. They can’t be expected to hold a referendum for every single decision they make.”
Students have expressed widespread anger at Union council’s decision to ban the Sun from distribution in Union shops. An online petition calling for a referendum on the decision to ban the newspaper has reached 94 signatures. The petition will now be discussed at the next Students’ Union council in a fortnight’s time. The proposal to ban the Sun was put forward by women’s councillor Lucy Pedrick as part of the No More Page 3 campaign that seeks to remove ‘Page 3’ from the Sun newspaper. Council members also voted not to send the decision to referendum. The last Students’ Union council ban without a referendum was Tim Westwood, who was banned from being booked by the Union in 2011 after making homophobic comments. Pedrick said that the women’s committee do not have the “time or resources” to run a campaign,
Forge in brief Google Street View... in the IC
The University of Sheffield will be the first university in the UK to have Google Street View inside its buildings with photographs of the Information Commons already online. Photographer and graduate from the University, Edward Miller, will shoot the images. He said: “Google Streetview is such an incredible resource, that it is hard to remember that it is still only five-years-old. “It allows us to visit places halfway across the globe that are inaccessible, either because of time, money or practicality. “For the University, this means prospective students who are unable to visit the University in person are able to gauge a feeling for the University from the comfort of their homes on their computer or mobile device.” A spokesperson for the University said: “It is a good way to show prospective students what the University is like.” The images can be found by searching for Information Commons in Google and clicking on the ‘See Inside’ button on the right hand side of the results. Lauren Clarke
Photo: Adam Harley
Anger over Sun newspaper ban Lauren Clarke
NEWS
and that a “referendum would not be a fair debate.” Women’s officer Amy Masson said: “Although I understand some students will feel disappointed that this policy did not go to referendum I think it was ultimately the right decision. Due to the officer elections many of those – especially but not exclusively women – who would have devoted themselves to campaigning in the referendum would be busy as candidates or on campaign teams. “Many councillors also felt that this issue is a charged one and there was potential for emotional upset on both sides. These papers are not popular in the SU Shop it was not felt to be particularly controversial.” Sales from the Sun total £640 so far this academic year, with it compromising only 4.3 per cent of total newspaper sales. Development officer, Sara Moon, says this is “roughly 10-12 copies a day.” Sam Lauder, the chair for Young Independence Yorkshire
said: “This whole situation is incredibly illiberal, especially when you consider the ban is going through without a referendum on the student populus. The act undertaken by these officers represents an act usually undertaken by an undemocratic fascist. Students did not elect officers to be morale high-grounders tasked with controlling what students can and can’t read. Unsa Akhtar, Journalism councillor voted for the ban of the Sun paper. She said: ”Page 3-style newspapers do not agree with the Union’s antisexist policy, The Union is not stopping you from reading the newspapers. It is simply saying you can’t buy those newspapers on its premises because they are incompatible with the Union’s anti-sexist policy. The Union believes all women should be treated with respect and these newspapers do not do that, which I wholeheartedly support.” Ex-Journalism councillors have gotten in touch with Forge Press
to express their disappointment with Unsa’s decision. Tom Donnelly, who was Journalism councillor last year said: “I voted against banning the Sun from the Students’ Union. This year I would have done the same. Students from departments right across the social science and arts faculties take elective modules in Journalism Studies that require them to analyse a wide range of tabloid newspapers including the Sun. No councillor should vote to remove access to course materials from the Students’ Union that adversely affects the people that voted for them in the first place, and I am disappointed that my successor decided to take this route.” Daniel Leitch, who was Journalism councillor in 2010 /11 said: “The move to ban a newspaper is ludicrous. The Union prides itself on being a values led organisation, but what kind of values is it following by banning a newspaper? I’d have voted against it.”
Extreme temperatures killing elephant calves, research finds Researchers from the University of Sheffield have found that extreme temperature and rainfall in Burma is severely affecting the survival of elephants, doubling the risk of death in calves under five-years-old. The research used records of the life and death of 8,000 elephants, covering almost 100 years, and matched them with monthly climate records to track how climate variation affected their chances of survival. Results show that the optimal climatic conditions for elephants amount to high rainfall and a temperature of around 25C. The researchers found that heat stroke and diseases accounted for the largest number of deaths during the hot months. Elephants are particularly vulnerable to heat stress because of their large size and their inability to sweat like humans or pant like dogs to cool down. With climate change models predicting higher temperatures and months without rainfall, it is hoped the research will help protect calves. Sarah Hill
4
NEWS ECONOMICS
COLUMN
An apple a day keeps the recession away With January now behind us, the dedication to New Year resolutions can start to dwindle. January is widely regarded as the month of new beginnings, from avoiding those post-night out takeaways to making it to the gym three times a week, it seems like everyone is commencing a health kick in some shape or form. But can these movements towards a healthier nation have a much broader effect of a healthier economy? A recent BBC article highlighted the importance of a healthy population when it comes to creating economic strength. Even UK employers have recognised the need for employee health and wellbeing, stating that an improved lifestyle leads to greater productivity and efficiency. A healthier general public would reduce the strain put on the NHS to deal with the growing number of economic burdens resulting from poor diet and physical inactivity.
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
@forgepress /forgepress news@forgetoday.com
Number of Union president candidates falls for 2013 Jessica Pitocchi The number of candidates who have nominated themselves for president of the Students’ Union has decreased by seven. Only two students are up for election for the 2013 Students’ Union officer role compared with 2012 when nine students stood. The role of president, the ‘figurehead of the Students’ Union’, involves leading and overseeing the work of the rest of the officer team. There is also a 21 per cent overall decrease in applicants. Last year, 39 students put themselves forward and campaigned for their place as one of the eight Union officers, compared with this year’s 31 hopefuls. Three quarters of the officer roles have experienced a decline in applicants of at least two. The only positions with an increase in interest are sports officer, which has raised from two hopefuls in 2012 to seven, and international students officer which has increased by three candidates. The role of women’s officer has retained the same amount of nominees. The campaigns for the new officers begin around the campus on Monday February 18. Voting then opens the following Monday February 25 at 10am and closes Thursday February 28 at 5pm.
Ally Buckle
4Representing you; taking on landlords over shoddy housing and unacceptable charges. 4Value for your money; an online ‘swap shop’ for anything from textbooks to languages. 4Shaping the union; More art around the union, creation of busker’s spots and eye-catching graffiti on the concourse bridge. 4Build better relationships with the local community and put more into twinned universities.
vs Olly Clay
4 Looking out for our needs; microwaves in the IC. 4Working for our home life; match.com for finding housemates. 4Working for our community; training students to teach in Sheffield schools. 4Working for our safety; pedestrian traffic lights behind Bar One and Barber Road crossroads.
Sports officer
Activities officer
For example, 10 per cent of the UK’s health service budget today is spent on treating diabetes, and the Department of Health predicts that this will reach 17 per cent by 2035. Around 90 per cent of these figures are based on type two diabetes, which in many cases is preventable by lifestyle choice. Dealing with such conditions has become a huge barrier to politicians and business leaders trying to nurse the economy back to health. With overall food prices increasing by a third since the financial crisis began, how easy is it for us students to adopt a healthy lifestyle? Students will naturally be attracted to saving money whether that means the ready meals in the supermarket or the free Domino’s handed out at the start of the semester. Britain appears to have entered a nutritional recession. The government has talked of plans to introduce a ‘takeaway tax’, but it is hard to tell how much consumption will change in response to this. A proposal for future government policy should be to subsidise healthy food groups to accompany the increasing taxes on unhealthy ones. It could be one of the small steps needed to improve the long term outlook of our economy. Jessica Copson
4 Jenny Barnes - “I want societies’ committees to be accountable for their societies membership reflecting the value of what they provide.” 4 Joe Burton - “Evaluate the current distribution of money within the Union and reintroduce society and club funding applications.” 4 Alice Lord - “I want to create a simple search engine for you and your society to share equipment and skills and help students find the activities that interest them.” 4 AK Mafaz - “Educate and provide training to societies and committees to market and target students with more inclusivity.” 4 Mary Smith - “Work with Development officer and Commercial Services to create a loyalty card for society members.”
Education officer 4 Aaron S. Kulakiewicz - “Improving and better promoting the course rep and studentstaff committee system.” 4 Sam Rae - “Give academics the tools to put together audio feedback, which students can easily access online.”
4 Jamie Arkle - “Expanding Intra-Mural to include more sports would be a vision of mine.” 4 Jess Braddock - “Putting constant pressure on university departments to clear Wednesday afternoons, allowing all students to have the option to play university sport.” 4Emily Dibble - “Publicity of clubs can increase through demonstrations, team-of-the-week and Give it a Go.” 4 Dhruv Gandhi - “Access Sport allows students to participate in niche activities that may interest them. My aim is to raise awareness of this, especially to freshers.” 4 Ryan Jinn - “I would like to promote regular season matches across all sports and make them more accessible for people to watch.” 4 Charli Kavanagh - “I want equality amongst sport teams, regardless of size or gender.”
Who are the student officers?
The officers are eight students elected by the student population Development officer who work full-time at the Students’ 4 David Lodge - “I’ll create a system for more Union for a year on all issues to regular video blogs and updates from officers and staff to keep you in the loop [with societies].” do with student life.
International students’ officer 4Lei Bao - “Let us get together, work together, and fight together, for more friends, for more support, and for more opportunities.” 4 Alex Kohnert - “Engage more with short-term international students (e.g. Erasmus), and provide additional support for home students looking to study or work abroad.” 4 Michole Auma Nyamunga - “Monthly ‘we can help so, just ask’ campaign geared at International students.” 4 Tilak Nathwani - “I would address the welfare issues that affect international students including visas [and] lobbying for policy change via NUS”. 4 Ying Shu - “I would be the voice to give [the University] your feedback and make our SU better.” 4 Jorge Valencia - “I will help you to reduce this stress integrating more international students with the local students and community.” 4 Wenhui Wu - “I aim to be the driving force of integration, while fighting for the need of international students and a more global atmosphere in the Union.” 4 Luca Xu - “I am very happy to hear from students and try to represent their voice and guarantee their benefits.” 4 Qing Zhang - “Organise interesting activities to attract all students to break the gap between international students and home students, such as an international culture festival.”
4 Sam Neagus - “Trial a reward card where students’ get points for the purchases they make which can then be used in Union outlets.”
Welfare officer 4 Anne-Marie Allen - “Just like SSID, a department dedicated solely to mental and emotional health, signposting students to relevant services.” 4 Becca Barnes - “I’ll be organising focus groups with the University health service and insisting upon regular contact with service representatives.” 4 Charlie Wren - “Healthy eating is too expensive around campus. Let’s lower the price of fruit and make it easier for students to eat healthily; for example by including healthy options in meal deals.”
Women’s officer 4 Kat Chapman - “I would run a self confidence campaign and celebrate female role models.” 4 Delia Wang - “Focusing on how to establish a safe and equal environment for we women students.”
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
5
@forgepress /forgepress news@forgetoday.com
The Union president, the NUS candidate and the carbon rod
Photo: Union president Abdi Suleiman (left) endorsed Vicki Baars (centre) for the NUS presidency but voted to mandate Sheffield delegates to support the rod (right) Jonathan Robinson The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union president voted in favour of a carbon rod taking over the NUS presidency despite already endorsing another candidate, Forge Press can reveal. Abdi Suleiman voted in support of mandating Sheffield delegates to vote for the rod at this year’s NUS national conference, however he had already endorsed Vicki Baars for the role. Suleiman appears in Baars’ manifesto stating: “Vicki is rare in that she has all the visionary radicalism of a leader from the Libertarian campaigns and all the reliability and patience of a vice-president for Union development. “In these chaotic times these virtues make her the only person that can be trusted to ensure the stable change that the NUS desperately needs.” But at a meeting of Union council Suleiman was one of only two people to vote in support of the rod, saying that it would be a “genuine, distinct protest” against the NUS’ democratic engagement. He said: “The interesting thing is what this would do in sending out a message to the NUS.” Baars said she was “disappointed” upon hearing the news that Suleiman had gone back on his pledge of support. Speaking to Forge Press, Baars said: “It wasn’t something I was
aware of and it is disappointing to know that Abdi voted that way but I’m not surprised because a lot of people who are supporting me are also in support of the rod because they see us both as a protest vote. “I’m often in opposition of what the majority of my other colleges say in the NUS, therefore I am seen as the only person potentially running for the race who is a credible opposition to the current leadership. “I’m personally not a big fan of the rod campaign. I know Sam who is the rod bearer fairly well and I understand and sympathise with his motivations for standing. “However, I think there is a bit of an air of unintended sexism within the campaign given that the two most likely to win candidates are women for the first time in five years.” Suleiman is listed as one of Baars’ official supporters on her NUS president campaign website. In a statement to Forge Press, Sulieman repeated his support of Baars, saying: “Vicki is easily the best real candidate for NUS president, the only real candidate to be sensibly supported. But he said he that he also supported the rod’s demands for “greater activity and democratic radicalism”. Third-year history and politics student Alex Nye put forward the petition, which was backed by 66 University of Sheffield students,
Eight student homes burgled in one night - half left door open Continued from p.1
Anyone who has witnessed someone behaving suspiciously should contact South Yorkshire police on 101. It comes after Forge Press revealed last year that student wards in Sheffield had some of the highest rates of burglary. Students are putting themselves at unnecessary risk of being burgled by not locking doors, after a random police patrol found officers could enter half of student properties without being noticed by the occupants. Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request
showed traditional studentpopulated areas have some of the highest burglary rates in Sheffield. A total of 4,861 offences of burglary were reported in nine months in Sheffield last year, with student areas among the worst affected. Students’ Union welfare officer Jon Gleek said he wasn’t surprised that police had seen a rise in student-related burglaries. “Student houses are seen as good targets for burglars because the houses often have multiple items which are easily grabable and easy to sell on.”
to make delegates vote for the rod. Nye said: “It is easy to think this campaign is tongue in cheek. But the lack of democracy in the NUS means normal people cannot connect with it. “[The NUS] lacks popular support. Most people know nothing about the candidates.” However student councillors voted overwhelmingly against the idea, saying the move was “tokenistic” and that it was wrong to force delegates to vote for the rod. Union councils across the UK will soon be voting on which NUS presidential candidate to endorse and replace the outgoing president, Liam Burns. Delegates sent to the national conference are then expected to vote according to the decision. The inanimate carbon rod will feature on the president ballot paper after securing the required
number of nominations from ten students’ unions. UCL student Samuel Gaus will represent the rod at the NUS conference, which this year is taking place at City Hall, Sheffield. Aberystwyth student Andrew Tindall helped start the ‘inanimate carbon rod for NUS president’ campaign, which is inspired from an episode of The Simpsons when the rod steals the worker of the week award from Homer Simpson. Tindall argues student politics has become meaningless with candidates using the same “empty slogans and promises” each year. Other candidates include NUS vice president for further education Toni Pearce and Peter Smallwood, an academic representative officer at the Union of Brunel Students.
The NUS president candidates
NEWS
SCIENCE & Technology
Asteroid speeds close to earth The asteroid DA14 passed earth by just 27,000km on February 15 - the narrowest asteroid miss astronomers have observed. The distance is closer than the moon’s orbit of 384,000km and is even closer than TV satellites that circulate Earth. The 50m long lump of rock sped through the sky at around eight miles a second. If an asteroid of this size and speed were on a path to collide with earth it would have an impact equal to 2.4 million tonnes of dynamite. DA14 only appeared as a tiny dot of bright light through binoculars at about 7.24pm in the UK. Alys Rudling
Historic moment for Mars rover NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has taken its first rock sample for analysis - the first time the inside of a rock from another planet has been looked at in this way. The robot has taken a sample from a 6cm hole which will be analysed by the robots on-board labs. Curiosity Mars will study the make-up of the rock samples to look for any interesting signs of chemistry. NASA hopes that by studying the rocks they will be able to answer questions on whether Mars could have supported any forms of life in the past. Emily Berry
Lenses could blindness Vicki Baars, NUS vicepresident for Union development Baars’ manifesto says she will be an anti-austerity voice, fight against increased fees and “deepen” post-16 education.
Toni Pearce, NUS vicepresident for further education Pearce wants to unite more groups within the student movement and cites winning £50m in bursaries for adult FE support as a big achievement.
cure
colour
Scientists in America have developed a spectacle lens that could cure red-green colour blindness. The Oxy-Iso lenses enhance the wearer’s ability to detect red and green light. They could be used to help sufferers of colour blindness, a condition that affects some one in 100 women and one in 10 men in the UK. However, further research is needed before Oxy-Iso can be used as an effective treatment, as it also reduces the ability to detect yellow and blue light. Emily Berry
Peter Smallwood, academic representative for Union of Brunel Students According to Smallwood’s manifesto, he wants to “represent the seven million, not the 7,000.”
Inanimate carbon rod The rod criticises the policies of previous presidents, saying it will stick up for fees, bursaries and protests. Its manifesto states: “There’s a little bit of carbon in all of us.”
6
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
NEWS
@forgepress /forgepress news@forgetoday.com
National news HIV increase in gay men caused by fall in condom use A fall in the proportion of gay and bisexual men using condoms is causing the rise in HIV infections in those groups in the UK, say researchers. Wider use of anti-retroviral drugs has helped to stop a sharper rise, a study by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and a number of universities found. There has been a 26 per cent rise over the last decade in the proportion of men who have sex with men who did not use condoms. Rates of HIV have been rising in recent years with latest figures showing cases among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the UK reaching an all-time high. A recent report from the HPA found that nearly half of the 6,280 people diagnosed in the UK in 2011 were MSM. Overall, one in 20 MSM are infected with HIV. The report said the figures showed it was vital to promote safe sex.
Women of Steel: £150k statue appeal launched to finally recognise wartime heroines
Lauren Clarke Coronation Street actor Micheal Le Vell charged with sex offences Michael Le Vell who has played Kevin Webster on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street for 30 years has been charged with 19 sex offences including raping a child, Greater Manchester Police said. Le Vell was first arrested and questioned over alleged child sex offences in September 2011, but the case was dropped due to the lack of evidence. However late on the February 14 police said the actor had been charged with sex offences against a minor after a review of evidence by lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). ITV has confirmed to remove Le Vell from the soap opera while legal case continues. In a statement, Le Vell insisted he is innocent of all charges and will ‘fight them vigorously’. Chloe E Lee
Right: Sheffield’s Women of Steel Kathleen Roberts, Kit Solitt, Ruby Gascgoine and Dorothy Slingsby Left: The bronze statue as it would appear in Barker’s Pool Chloe E Lee An appeal to build a bronze statue in Barker’s Pool to honour the women who worked in the steel factories during WWII has been launched. Sheffield city council wants the public to raise funds to celebrate the group of Sheffield women known affectionately as the ‘Women of Steel’. During WWII, the women gave up their youth to work in the Sheffield steel factories and made a large contribution to the war effort despite the challenging and often dangerous work environment. However, their exceptional work ethic, determination and bravery on the home front has gone virtually unrecognised over
the last seventy years. Now in their late 80s, 90s and even 100s, Sheffield wants the group of women to be recognised for their efforts with a statue in their honour. £150,000 is needed to build a figurative statue which will be bronze in colour and human scale to commemorate the lives of the inspiring women. Cllr Julie Dore, leader of Sheffield city council said: “We all owe it to these amazing women to make the statue a reality.” ‘Woman of Steel’ Kathleen Roberts said: “Times were tough in 1941, as a country we had our backs against the wall. “We worked flat out for the work effort and we were just young girls. It breaks my heart that we haven’t been recognised
and everyone else has been. “I just want people to please give what they can so we can have a lasting memory of what we did.” There are many different ways people can get involved in the project. Events will be held across the city to encourage people to donate. And after many years, the Sheffield ‘Starwalk’ is returning in April to raise funds for this cause. The ‘Starwalk’ was once a popular Sheffield walk held every year to raise money for various charities. It was launched in 1922 but hasn’t taken place since 2000. The statue has been designed by artist Martin Jennings. He has been working with the Women of Steel on the design and
the maquette has finally been unveiled. It will show two women shoulder to shoulder, keeping the steelworks going as the men fought on the frontline. Martin Jennings is most famous for his statue of John Bentjemin at St Pancras station which is now recognised as an iconic London landmark. Jennings said he wanted the statue to represent both the camaraderie and the pride of the courageous women.
What’s on your mind? Comment on this article online: www.forgetoday.com
Council officers tried to save historic building Lauren Clarke
Le Vell Mo Farrah to run London marathon Mo Farah will compete in the London marathon this April, although he doesn’t intend to finish. Farah may also run the marathon at the next Olympic Games in 2016. He has announced that he will run just half of the 26.2 mile course. Paula Radcliffe described his decision as “a little bit strange”. Iain Gale
Sheffield city council planning officers asked the University of Sheffield to protect a historic building despite its demolition being approved. The Jessop Hospital for Women is to be redeveloped into a new engineering building at the University. Planning officers sent a letter which showed they were opposed to the plan. The principal planning officer, Dinah Hope, said that the new building plans are “disappointing” and advised that “the Edwardian wing of Jessops Hospital for Women should be retained and influence the footprint and massing of the new building”. The University was warned that the loss of the Edwardian wing could leave the remaining Victorian wing of the hospital “weak and out of place against
the backdrop of a new building”. The letters were revealed by a Freedom of Information request by campaigners who want to save the Grade II listed Edwardian wing of the building. The Victorian wing of the building was restored by the University of Sheffield and has housed the music department since 2009. However, they say keeping the Edwardian wing will result in approximately five per cent less space and a 10 per cent increase in costs. Sheffield city council approved the University’s plans in December. Campaigners have collected over 2,500 signatures on a petition which will be sent to Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for communities and local government - who will have final approval of the plans because of the building’s listed status.
DOT COM
7
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgepress /forgepress news@forgetoday.com
Residents fail to save leisure centre from city council cuts
NEWS World news
Singer sues over penis size app Chubby Checker is suing HP over an app that used his name as a euphemism for penis size. The Chubby Checker app appeared on websites for Palm OS devices and claimed to guess the intimate measurement based on shoe size. Checker’s lawyers are seeking $500m (£323m) in compensation, saying the app has done “irreparable damage” to his reputation. HP said it removed the app as soon as it received a complaint from lawyers. Lauren Clarke
Photo: Aidan Phillips Aidan Phillips The ‘Save Our Stocksbridge leisure centre’ campaign group was unable to convince Sheffield city council to continue subsidising its centre despite collecting nearly 13,000 signatures. Labour councillors rejected pleas by the group at a council meeting on February 6 to continue providing the annual £400,000 subsidy for another year to allow the group to find a way of sustaining the centre themselves.
The group has been petitioning and lobbying the council to continue this funding ever since news leaked early in January that they were planning to cut it from March. At the previous council meeting, cabinet minister for culture, leisure and sport Isobel Bowler granted the centre an extra month’s funding until April. At this February’s meeting she praised the “knowledge, passion and commitment” of the campaigners, but said they had reached the point where they
Transplant gig raises funds for patients Chloe Chen Adam Kay, the frontman of Amateur Transplant, rose from the cheering audiences and took a few quick steps to his piano on the stage in the Students’ Union auditorium. He staged an 80-minute charity gig which filled the whole auditorium with continuous laughters. The fundraiser was organized by Sheffield Marrow, a studentrun project of Anthony Nolan Trust - a UK based blood cancer charity. This year students from Sheffield Marrow helped sign up almost a thousand people to the bone marrow register, and in the previous year they have raised hundreds of pounds for Anthony Nolan Trust. “We started sending emails to quite a few singers a year ago,” said Dan Harrison, one of the organizers from the Sheffield Marrow and the host of the gig. “We have done things like a fun run and bar crawl to raise money, but it the first time we have done a charity gig.” “I have been very busy but we arranged the event for as soon as I had time though it means several hours of driving from London,” said Kay.
The band Amateur Transplant came to prominence with the song ‘London Underground’ in 2008. Having been a doctor himself prior to his singing career, Adam Kay said he knew “everything about blood cancer”. “I used to deal with blood cancer patients, I know their suffering,” said the singer and comedian who frequently headlines charity gigs around the country. The tickets cost £10 and proceeds went towards the charity. Harrison said: “The gig went really well. Adam Kay was very funny and everyone had a great night. We raised £2000 in ticket sales plus roughly £100 made on the raffle.”
simply could not fund the centre any more. She said: “There will be more cuts year on year to public services, and the only centres that will survive will be the ones which can be sustainable and self-financing.” She said that an independent study has been commissioned to work with this group to try to find “a way to make the centre affordable and sustainable in the future.” Independent Stocksbridge town councillor Jack Charlton described the day as “very
emotive”. He said: “Basically we have lost a leisure centre. The council has had no intention of working with our community, they’ve just used Stocksbridge like a community football. “That land will be their next goal. We’re going to be fighting to get the trust back through legal process. The battle is on.” The land on which the centre is built was granted to the people of Stocksbridge by Thomas Oxley in 1921, and the pool was half-paid for by its residents in the late 1960s.
Food bank visits triple as more rely on handouts Lauren Archer The number of people being fed by food banks has risen dramatically under the coalition government despite David Cameron’s claim that “benefit levels are set at a level where people can afford to eat”. The number of people reliant on food banks in Sheffield has risen from 40,898 in 2009/10 to 128,697 in 2011/12. The Trussell Trust expects the number of users to rise to 250,000 by the end of this financial year and said its food bank network had fed almost 110,000 people since April 2012. In the fortnight before Christmas 2011, 8,500 people collected food parcels – this year it rose to 27,000. Sheffield has now more than tripled the number of food banks it provides (from two to seven) and offers a food and shelter service called HARC (Homeless and Rootless at Christmas) on the days between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. When the Trussell Trust was first set up the founders believed there was a “hidden hunger” among people living below the poverty line that a food bank network could address. The current leadership of the Trust now believe that the economic
downturn is a key contributor to the rising demand on food banks. Chief executive Chris Mould told Channel 4 FactCheck Blog: “Every time we launch a food bank, we find there are people going hungry. The recession, as it becomes ingrained, inevitably means that more people have fewer alternative options when they need help. That is why we are very concerned about some of the recent decisions taken by the government on benefits and tax credits and the restrictions imposed on their growth.” A debate on the rising number of people reliant on food banks was due to be held at Sheffield Town Hall on Wednesday February 6. However, due to an unprecedented number of petitions and question the discussion has been adjourned until April. Cllr George Lindars-Hammond (Labour, Hillsborough) said: “It is good to see that people are coming together to help provide much needed food to the hardest pressed people in our city. “The real issue though is that this government’s mismanagement of the economy is leaving so many people without the means to provide for their family.”
Chubby Checker Wood you watch it or not? NRK, the Norwegian equivalent of the BBC, has broadcast a 12hour long programme showing a fireplace burning. The programme focuses on the Norwegian firewood industry. As well as the burning wood, there are voiceovers from specialists discussing the best techniques for building fires, ways to chop and stack wood, and techniques for building fires. The programme also features music and poetry, and was inspired by the success of a book on firewood by author Lars Mytting. Both the book and the broadcast are titled ‘Hel Ved’ meaning ‘strong character’ but also a pun on the Norwegian word “ved, meaning wood. Lauren Clarke South Africa to Steenkamp TV show
air
Reeva
A South African TV channel has aired a reality show featuring Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend of athlete Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of her murder. Tropika Island of Treasure was made on location in Jamaica. Several personalities compete for a one million rand prize. The show was preceded by a tribute to 29-year-old Reeva Steenkamp. Ms Steenkamp, a model and law graduate, was shot dead inside the Pretoria home of Mr Pistorius in the early hours of Thursday morning. Mr Pistorius is in police custody ahead of a bail hearing on Tuesday. Lauren Clarke
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
8
COMMENT
@forgecomment /forgecomment comment@forgetoday.com
Photo: joseanavas/Flickr
Merciless Equality Equal marriage is now within sight
Richard Walker Chris Huhne’s admission of perverting the course of justice seemed to reinforce the idea that politicians are all lying, corrupt, self-serving cheats for many people. However, the parliamentary vote on same-sex marriage the very next day just showed how wrong that view is. Parliament’s decision to vote in favour of same-sex marriage was undoubtedly the right one. Despite 175 MPs opposing the bill, the tenuousness of their arguments cemented their irrelevance. Sometimes one’s views are confirmed through listening to those who disagree. Those who spoke out against the
bill achieved nothing but strength for the case for same-sex marriage. There are few issues where one side of the debate has a monopoly of convincing arguments, but this is one of them. The debate itself saw almost every argument used against same-sex marriage voiced, from it inevitably leading to polygamy to alienating people with ‘traditional’ views.
‘Sometimes one’s views are confimed through listening to those who disagree’ Needless to say, there was no mention from these opponents of the alienation felt by the thousands of same-sex couples when told that
their love isn’t quite the same as everyone else’s. The most laughable statement against the bill – and there was plenty of competition – came from Conservative MP Edward Leigh, who expressed fear over the “merciless prism of equality”, displaying a bottomless chasm of stupidity. Also displaying a distinct lack of intelligence was David Simpson, who observed that “in the Garden of Eden it was Adam and Steve”. He then ‘corrected’ himself, explaining that, since God created a woman from the rib of the first man and not another man, it naturally follows that legal equality for same-sex couples should not be tolerated. If you can’t even verbalise an illogical and trite platitude, then you really should question whether
you are fit to use a spoon, let alone sit in Parliament. The 175 ‘nays’ represented a considerable minority, though perhaps larger than one would have expected. Yet those who voiced objections were striking in how unthreatening they were. They sounded less like someone wielding the power to oppress same-sex couples than they did an offensive, but innocuous grandparent after one too many sherries. In contrast to the near selfparody of the bill’s opponents, some of the speeches made by those in favour of the bill were genuinely moving, such as that made by Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, who spoke of the three decades during which he repressed his sexuality and “the relief and happiness that comes from not
having to do so any longer”. So affecting were such statements that the Labour MP Austin Mitchell changed his vote to support the bill. The passing of the bill represents an important stage in the long fight for legal equality for samesex couples. Although the bill still has to go through several further stages, and it still faces considerable opposition, the poverty of logic in the arguments levelled against same-sex marriages only showed that the real debate is effectively over. It is shameful that 175 MPs tried to deny thousands of couples the happiness of being able to marry the person they love. In a strange way, though, maybe they should be thanked: They themselves ensured that they will fall on wrong side of history.
Censoring Julie Burchill only salvages her from the intellectual attack she deserves James Fyfe I’m offended by Mrs Brown’s Boys. I mean, if anyone out there actually finds an Irish man dressed up as an elderly woman uttering “fuck” continually for half an hour funny whilst a bunch of idiots in a studio audience laugh uncontrollably, then I am judging you. Yet, Mrs Brown’s Boys exists. It’s there, however horrific, souldestroying and vomit-inducing it is, and I can’t, and shouldn’t, be able to do anything about it. I apologise if any reader of Forge Press finds my example to be rather trivial when dealing with the abhorrent writings of Julie Burchill. However, the general principles regarding freedom of speech and diverse opinions are paralleled to that of the recent furore surrounding Julie Burchill.
The said furore began with Suzanne Moore, who originally remarked for her own piece in the New Statesman that “women are angry for…not having the ideal body shape – that of a Brazilian transsexual”. Following a storm of criticism towards Moore, Burchill wrote a piece defending her; a piece in which Burchill labelled those who complained about Moore’s remarks as “time-wasting…dicks in chick’s clothing”, before going on to create an almost ‘us and them’ argument in which she pleads with the “shims, shemales or whatever you’re calling yourselves these days” to not “bully we naturalborn women”. Make no mistake; I find Burchill’s
comments vile, offensive and totally unacceptable. However, I believe it marks a grave day for print journalism when an opinion piece is removed from the public domain following criticism. Indeed, following a public outcry, and a rather worrying intervention from a government minister via Twitter, the article
Transgender pride flag. Photo: torbakhopper/Flickr
was removed without a trace from the Observer’s website. It was the journalistic equivalent of reversing a jumbo-jet over a horsebox before swiftly placing a cardboard cutout ‘Muffin the Mule’ at the scene of the crime, hoping no-one will notice. Our society thrives on equality and acceptance, yet it also thrives
through a free press, a free press that categorically rejects censorship of any kind. Burchill’s comments, however offensive they were, did not warrant censorship. Great strides have been made in our lifetimes to fight against the spread of similarly bigoted views to those of Burchill. Yet, these strides were not a result of brushing the views of those whom we disagree with under the carpet; they were made as a result of directly challenging those ill-judged, offensive opinions and actions. Burchill did not deserve censorship and suppression; she deserved intellectual attack and criticism. In short, bigotry and prejudice exist; it should be our job to strive to address it and remove its rotten influence through reasoned debate and discussion, not censorship.
9
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgecomment /forgecomment comment@forgetoday.com
COMMENT
Valentine’s Day: Chaucer, what have you done? Ella Wildin I don’t share common complaint that many people have about Valentine’s Day, namely that it serves as a cruel reminder to the fact that they are alone or unable to get laid. My grievance with the date is quite the opposite. I am in a relationship, and am fully aware of the absurdity of the notion that proving my love requires showering my partner with cards emblazoned with insultingly bad poetry or generic pink-fluffy-crap. I would rather
shower with her. But this doesn’t prevent the nagging feeling in the depths of my consumerism-cannonaded brain that creeps forward every time I pass a shop window, telling me that I should be buying things. Because that is what we do when we love people, no? A quick look at VDs past is enough to remind me that I will not be engaging in guilt-driven, pointless consumerism over the next few days, but I will engage in unconditional love. And the sooner the Valentine’s sludge is swept into the gutter - along with the vestiges of last week’s snow the better...
Saint Valentine’s Day, unlike many holidays for which we blindly beat the drum without concern for their cultural significance, has no meaningful referent in reality. It is a semantic/ romantic void. At least with Halloween, Christmas etc., there is a religious event that is being co-opted in the name of capitalism (although Baby Jesus probably wasn’t born on the 25th, it’s a nice thought). Saint Val, on the other hand, is just some Roman who we know next to nothing about, who might have died on February 14, and is now raking in the billions for card companies. Nowhere is he
convincingly tied to romantic love in history, and this fatal association only came into being in a poem by the 14th century author Geoffrey Chaucer: ‘For this was on St. Valentine’s Day/ When every fowl cometh there to choose his mate’. O Chaucer, what have you done? The words of one of the greatest poets of all time miserably metamorphosed into the pathetic proclamations that are dribbled over cards, teddy bears and balloons on VD today. For the sake of Chaucer’s dignity, some advice on how to negotiate this defiled date. Couples: enjoy and cherish each other like you would on any
other day of the year, in the face of financial frivolities. And if you can’t resist capitalism’s call, at least write something original in the card. Singletons: thank Val, or your preferred shady saint, that you aren’t being pressured into spending gross amounts of money on offensive tack for your loved one. Or have really good casual sex. But be safe, we don’t want VD translating into Venereal Disease. Although, I’m unsure as to which is more painful?
Without an airport, Sheffield can’t take off Jonathan Coverdale The controversial debate surrounding the future of Sheffield City Airport has been launched back into the spotlight in recent weeks due to the growing support for a petition arguing against the demolition of the site. The online petition, backed by the Federation of Small Businesses, proposes a new independent review of the airport's capabilities and aims to get the support of 5,000 people. This target will almost certainly be reached given the wide range of people that would benefit from the re-opening of the airport. Although the airport has been dormant for the last five years
as a result of its closure in 2008, many people including myself, believe that the project still has real potential and could provide huge benefits to Sheffield's economy. Crucially, the airport could help to attract international companies operating in high growth markets such as environmental services and financial services, allowing the city of Sheffield to become a hub for developing industries. In addition to this, a revived airport would allow local businesses to reach more consumers, suppliers and business partners, keeping Sheffield businesses up to speed in an increasingly globalised business world. As the petition argues in principle, what is required is a fundamental review of what the airport has to offer, as well as
an open, well informed debate amongst politicians, business federations and other actors in the economy to settle this lingering issue. Part of the reason why the initial project crash-landed was due to a lack of perseverance and drive exercised by the owners and politicians failing to give the airport project the stimulus it needed to succeed and flourish. It is time for Sheffield City Council and local MPs to hear the concerns and desires of business owners across the city and initiate a full scale review of the airport, a project that would help to keep Sheffield on a par with other cities in the UK and across Europe. One possible solution to this ongoing saga could be a form of integration and partnership
between Sheffield City Airport and the Robin Hood Airport, complementing each other to create a strong centre of aviation in South Yorkshire. The Robin Hood Airport, though successful in its growing flights programme, serves only those wishing to take leisure and tourism flights to holiday destinations, meaning a business focused Sheffield City Airport would provide an appropriate compliment to Robin Hood, giving South Yorkshire a broad capacity for a range of different flights. Unfortunately, a review of this kind would only ever be driven by local representatives given the lack of political will to revive the airport from central government. The coalition, solely focused on the creation of a new airport facility
in the South East of England, isn't likely to spend its time on a northern aviation project such as this one. This petition asks for a much needed re-assessment of the airport’s capabilities and keeps the possibility of a re-opening of Sheffield City Airport very much alive. Local representatives should hear the cries of local business owners and act on the suggestions laid out in the petition.
Join the Conversation: @ForgeComment on Twitter facebook.com/ForgeComment
10
COMMENT
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
@forgecomment /forgecomment comment@forgetoday.com
In Rod We Trust, for lack of any sign of sanity in the NUS Alex Chafey The image of a useless object incapable of action being president of the NUS is a scary one, but by April Liam Burns will no longer be in office. His replacement will be selected at NUS conference. But the campaign that has received by far the most publicity is an inanimate carbon rod. The idea of the rod comes from The Simpsons, where it beats Homer to become ‘Worker of the Week’ thus indicating his incompetence. It should come as no surprise that a joke candidate has gained so much publicity, when student politics shows itself to be little more than a joke time and time again. To see how absurd student politics can be we need look no further than the habit student politicians have of banning things. In the last couple of years our own student’s union had banned or tried to ban bottled water, Chris
Brown, the pole fitness society, Jimmy Savile, Nestlé and Veolia, but this pales in comparison to student politics more broadly. Derby recently banned a UKIP police and crime commissioner candidate from a Q&A at their union. In Leicester the Students’ Union banned all but one taxi firm from picking up students after reportedly receiving £10,000 from them, then tried to disguise it as an attempt to improve student safety.
‘We may as well bite the bullet and accept that student politics is irrelevant’ This is but a taste of the bizarre, unnecessary and downright authoritarian bans that have been imposed on students across the country by a narrow group of the engaged on broadly uninterested majority. And by the way, if you’re a councillor reading this, these are criticisms, not suggestions. Anyone who continues to
Photo: Fortune Live Media/Flickr
subscribe to the notion that the NUS leadership is primarily concerned with students needs look no further than their response to the rise in tuition fees. It was in the interests of the NUS’ members to campaign against this, which they did well, but showed themselves to be completely selfinterested by popularising the misconception that the rise in fees will price people out of education. This mantra has been repeated by our NUS overlords, but anyone with a student loan, tuition fee loan or maintenance grant knows that the means to pay upfront is irrelevant to a person’s ability to go to university, and continues to be under the new system. If £9,000 fees put poorer students off applying for university it’s only because of the misconception that they will be unable to afford it, an idea the NUS has done everything in its power to promote. The only explanation for this can be careerism, as it runs so very much against the interests of students. Where was the national demo and siege of Labour HQ when the
party introduced and then trebled tuition fees? But perhaps the biggest joke the NUS has cracked so far is simultaneously having a policy against cheap alcohol, while claiming to be ‘the national voice of students’. If they actually spoke to some students they’d see that cheap alcohol is pretty far down our list of concerns. All of this would be worrying if it actually mattered to anyone beyond the narrow sphere of higher education, and if student politicians had any real power. Fortunately it doesn’t and they don’t. These kinds of policies are the product of well intentioned if misguided decision making in some cases, but naked careerism in others. So we may as well bite the bullet, accept that student politics is a hilarious irrelevance, and vote Inanimate Carbon Rod #1 for NUS President. It will be just as ineffective as the leadership we have now, but at least it won’t try to micromanage our shopping baskets in the process.
Join the Conversation: @ForgeComment on Twitter facebook.com/ForgeComment
HBO’s Girls depicts real human beings Hannah Williams All humans, particularly young ones, are imperfect. So why is it that whilst men on TV can be flawed, female protagonists are constantly portrayed as charming, kind and beautiful at all times? Not only is it exhausting to try and follow the standards set by these ladies, but there appears to be an acute lack of relatable characters for young women.
‘She does not have the body the media tells us all women should have’ There are no imperfect protagonists who haven’t quite grasped what they want to do in life, who mess up in relationships, who are selfish and unaware of the consequences of their actions. In short, there is a lack of accurate portrayals of young women in the media. That is, until the arrival of Girls. Created by Dunham as a selfaware exploration of young women in their twenties, the show is not afraid to make its characters
imperfect and at times unlikable. It is Dunham’s characters’ selfish nature, their sense of entitlement and their fickle attitude that have attracted criticisms that the protagonists are unlikable. Dunham’s characterization offends the sensibilities of people who believe that women must be demure, kind and, to use that loathsome word bandied around
‘Dunham is unafraid of portraying youth and all of its flaws’ by elderly reviewers, ladylike. For what they do not realise, nor appreciate, is that Dunham is self-aware about the nature of her characters and parodies their selfish attitudes; she is unafraid of portraying youth and all of its flaws. Although not trying to set an example for young women, Dunham is doing something better, she creates relatable characters who reflect real imperfections. This is what is so sorely lacking in depictions of young women in the media today; the ability to say that these flaws don’t make you a bad person, they make you a young, inexperienced human being.
Furthermore, Dunham’s central character, Hannah, who she also plays, is accepting and proud of her sexuality and her body. Much has been written on Dunham’s physique; although she is undoubtedly attractive her body does not fit into the stereotypical female body as portrayed on screen and depicted in the media. She is not size 0, and she does not have the body the media tells us all women should have; big breasts, unfathomably long legs and a ridiculously tiny waist. And yet she looks gorgeous. There can clearly be no better role model to young women than somebody whose body differs from what is normally acceptable for Hollywood, and who looks comfortable and wonderful in her own body.
Got an opinion on the topics discussed this fortnight? Contact letters@forgetoday.com
11
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgecomment /forgecomment comment@forgetoday.com
Catholic church is troubled, but not the only faith with an identity crisis Jonathan Marsh Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world on February 11 when he unexpectedly announced his resignation from the papacy, the first Pope to do so since 1415. In his resignation letter, His Holiness cited a “lack of strength of mind and body” as his reasons for stepping down. Elected in 2005 at the ripe old age of 78, he has served only eight years of what is normally a job for life.
‘He called homosexuality an “instrinsic moral evil”’ Succeeding Pope John Paul II was always going to be a tough act to follow. John Paul was hugely popular, well travelled, a moderniser of the Catholic Church and aimed to reform and reposition the church in the eyes of other religions and the world. For 27 years he was the man steering the Catholic Church into the modern world until his death at the age of 84.
It seems then that Pope Benedict may have done some serious back-pedalling on the good work of his predecessor, damaging relations with both the Islamic and Jewish communities in deeply embarrassing gaffs. He managed to call homosexuality an “intrinsic moral evil” and labelled rock music as a “vehicle of anti-religion”. What has this done for the view of the Holy See now? Well in my view, not a lot. The Catholic Church seems to have taken its first baby steps along the path of modernising and rebranding itself, only to have run straight back into Vatican City, slam the doors shut while hanging a sign outside saying ‘15th Century Values Only!’ Singling out Pope Benedict in all this is very easy, but Catholicism is not the only religion with identity issues. The Church of England, for example, was recently in the press for its failure to pass legislation that would allow women to become bishops. It has
also opted out of Government legislation legalising gay marriage. These are just two areas that religious organisations, in general, seem to find impossible to overcome their medieval viewpoints. The Catholic Church may need to find itself a new PR team to help the next pontiff with damage control and rebranding from Pope Benedict’s brief time at the helm. When electing the next Pope the conclave of cardinals should maybe look to someone slightly younger (the average age of a Pope is 62). Possibly someone slightly more moderate in their views and someone maybe, just maybe, willing to set an example and drag Catholicism kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Any apology meaningless: The Sun’s morbid Steenkamp front page is beyond the pale Emily Owen The Sun is hardly known for feminist liberation, but last Friday’s front cover was beyond the pale. The paper chose to illustrate the recent death of Reeva Steenkamp in an unresolved incident involving her Paralympian boyfriend Oscar Pistorius, who has been charged with murder, using a full-sized image of the victim in a bikini on the front page. This shocking decision goes far beyond the Sun’s usual tastelessness. The use of such a heavily sexualised photo to portray a woman who so horrifically lost her life is a sickening example of how low this organisation will sink. An attempt to make a formal complaint was met with the response that as she was a model, the use of the picture was perfectly legitimate. She was, however, also a daughter, a friend, and a law graduate. But maybe an image of Reeva Steenkamp in her graduation gown wouldn’t have sold as many copies.
The cover renewed outrage at the already controversial paper, with prominent figures such as John Prescott taking to Twitter to express their disgust. What makes the decision even more baffling is the Sun’s astonishingly hypocritical criticism of ITV for accidentally showing a brief image of the Duchess of Cambridge in a bikini – apparently, only royalty deserve respect and discretion, and the dead don’t get the same privileges.
‘An image of Steenkamp in her graduation gown wouldn’t have sold as well’ Unfortunately, the issue is so much bigger than this isolated case. The majority of those outraged at the cover already see the Sun for the backward, bigoted, agendaladen paper it is. But for most of its 2.4 million readers, the image probably prompted little reaction. Those who buy the Sun already know that the paper will be full of sexist, degrading images – they
only have to open the front page to see naked women, or turn to the comic section for a quick ‘joke’ that more often than not has a woman as its punch line. The problem is not simply the Sun. It is simply a manifestation of a much larger aspect of culture that deems it okay to see women portrayed in such a way. As long as the demand for such demeaning material is there, it will continue. But equally, as long as papers such as the Sun continue to use their wide reaching influence to promote these messages as acceptable, people will continue to deem it so. There may be many that are patiently waiting for a grovelling public apology from the Sun. And indeed, it may come. But as long as the Sun and similar media continue to consistently reinforce the idea of women as being primarily a body to look at, and a career woman, a sister, or a victim, second, any apology will be empty and meaningless.
COMMENT Editorial
A quick chat about No More Page 3, the referendum saga and Sainsbury’s On Friday, the Sun printed a vile front page. It seems no woman is safe from their misogyny and masturbation-fodder, and the move should have shocked no one of sane mind. Does this strengthen the argument that the Sun should have been banned from sale in our Students’ Union? (Note: I use the term ‘banned’ dear reader, as that is the term used in the policy itself. I’m a journalist after all.) Not really, no. This populist shock-factor is the Sun’s business; not a business I approve of, but a business a large portion of the British population actively endorse. Our enlightened, holier than thou, higher education bubble knows better, we know that Page 3 is merely the entertainment of the uneducated populist masses, and we are all so much better than that, right? Union council certainly seem to think they are. But the fact is that this University is comprised of thousands of students of a wide range of ideologies, many of whom now unfortunately think the lefties who run this Union have no intention of hearing their views. I am a self-proclaimed farleft leaning, wailing feminist. I talk about misogyny at my Nan’s kitchen table and bore my family to tears. Meanwhile, they think I am a pretentious, over-educated prat, who has about as much
awareness of the ‘real world’ as Abed from Community. Unfortunately, the No More Page 3 policy, which banned the Sun, got sped through Union council with no thought of the consequences. I sat in despair, watching my feminist comrades announce that a referendum would only “get nasty”. What did they think was going to happen if they just pushed it through instead? Now for a large portion of the student body, their first experience of feminism is a group of people who couldn’t be bothered to find the “time or resources” to campaign to make change, and instead used the privileged platform they are given at this Union to place a controversial policy with minimal effort. This betrays the vibrant and courageous history modern feminism is grounded upon. A referendum would have been an excellent opportunity to educate people about the argument and change some minds, but instead the anti-Sun lobby have eloquently said “Well, you can just buy it from Sainsbury’s instead.” People are being encouraged to just go ahead and buy it anyway, no argument or education has occurred. The same people will go on buying the Sun, and the same people won’t. And that, I’m afraid, achieves shit all.
Alisha Rouse - Forge Press editor alisha.rouse@forgetoday.com
D.A.R.T.S.
Forge Press takes its satirical aim
Website of the fortnight:
Quote of the fortnight:
25 Celebrities That Look “Ah yes KMPG. People in morphsuits with frisbees. That Like Mattresses http://tinyurl.com/ celebbed Officer elections: Slow year for lame slogans Around this time, it’s the festive season for us all where we come together to celebrate the political process and an inevitable torrent of glorious puns. Except this year, we’re in for a letdown. Take Activities Officer candidate Joe Burton’s slogan: “Embrace Burton for Activities Officer”. Seriously? Not to rain on anyone’s campaign - I’m sure all candidates’ policies and ideas are good and all - but that’s just piss-poor. But since we’re all about equal opportunities, here’s a rundown of all the other mottos that are putting the “low” into “slogan”. “Let Arkle make your sports
classic graduate recruitment tool.” - Richard Alderman, Sheffield SU Education Officer
sparkle” - Nothing against a bit of glamour, but putting glitter all over football pitches? That’s a dick move. “Mary had a Little Plan!” If Stalin was fond of British understatement... “Things Can Only Get Becca” Talking shit about your predecessor is a bit harsh. “Vote Kat Chapman, Helping your journey” - Are you trying to ship me off overseas? Chapman is such a punnable name, too... “The Power to Do More” - Pretty sure we’ve got electricity all around the Union, but thanks! “TRANSFORM YOUR UNION: David for Development!” - WHOA THERE CAPTAIN CAPSLOCK. “No puns, just Alex” - Really? No puns? Goddamn spoilsport.
12
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
ADVERTISEMENT
13
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgepress /forgepress letters@forgetoday.com
Your comments on www.forgetoday.com to: Sun-banning thought police
LETTERS
Forge’s coverage of the ban on the Sun - keep up the good work
The irony of our argument is that this decision was made through our democratic processes, precisely though sections of the website such as “I want change” and “you run us” Jon Gleek
I’d just like to say I’ve really enjoyed the coverage of the recent decision to block the sale of the Sun in the union.
but it’s great to see a story that has obviously irritated, outraged or mildly displeased more than a trivial number of students being pursued so doggedly.
All the union has decided is not to sell it on it’s own property, as is it’s right. Whether you agree with it’s criteria for what it sells or not, or believe it to be inconsistent, one thing is clear. There has been no assault on freedom or democracy here. Hannah Morby
I realise that I’m quite opinionated on the subject (and also that I have criticised Forge Press publicly on occasion too),
The recent article Penises and pompoms: the Sun is banned, but look at what you can still buy actually made me laugh out loud.
Please get your facts right before writing an article. The decision was made by the Students’ Union council, not the Officers. There is a big difference.
Your comments on www.forgetoday.com to: Anger over the Sun ban Student “politicians” acting sanctimoniously? Well bugger me – that’s a turn-up for the books. Ben Cooper Parts of the Qu’ran and the Bible are derogatory to women. Can we ban Christians and Muslims from the Union as well? George In all honesty, I do not read the Sun. It’s not a paper I want to read. However to ban a paper from University premises is an incredibly rash and ill-thought measure. The Sun’s Page 3 girls do objectify women, however that does not give the Union Council the right to ban the paper. It is essentially sending out the message that “We don’t agree with this view, so you cannot have access to it from the University”. That is clearly wrong. I take the point that one could easily buy the paper elsewhere, but that really is not the issue. The press should be allowed to distribute their newspapers anywhere, regardless of content. If you disagree with the paper, don’t buy it. There is no need for a ban. As the figure’s show in Lauren Clarke’s article show, around 10-12 copies are sold per day. Clearly it is only a minority of students who like this newspaper, but to deprive them of their choice of newspaper is too far of intrusion on the Union Council’s part. Kieran Dean It’s not really a ban… it’s not going to be a prescribed publication, you can still buy it from sainsburys around the corner and read it on campus. It’s more of a commercial decision not to stock a certain paper. It may not have been undertaken on that rationale, but that’s essentially the result. Bored
Dear Forge Press,
Thanks for the good work. I hope that we continue to read coverage of this saga until it reaches its conclusion.
Thanks, Dominic Rout
Your comments on www.forgetoday.com to:
Penises and pompoms: the Sun is banned, but look what you can STILL buy at the Union
It seems to me that there are two competing goals here and the author is perhaps mixing them together. If the decision to remove the Sun is as stated because it “present[s] an unrealistic, and potentially damaging picture of what women’s bodies look like,” then the ban wouldn’t stretch to nude content as a rule; whilst the calendar features risqué poses it isn’t defamatory to a gender as a whole. David
Your comments on www.forgetoday.com to: Stop the Traffik: Real Men Don’t Buy Women
It might sound nit-picky, but most of the article is discredited by your horrendous slogan. After reading the article in its entirety and realizing that the organization is helping to stop all trafficking of both men and women, and learning that the gender disparity of trafficked persons is close to even (by your own admission 10% - I assume more women than men), I am perplexed that you would use such a sexist and bigoted slogan. Chicago-JSO The slogan ‘Real men don’t buy women’ is not actually our slogan; it was a slogan used by the organisers of the campaign as a way to raise awareness of the work they are doing. The sign itself was used to pass around students on campus and was photographed, as a way of spreading the word and encouraging students to learn more about the issue – though it does not cover all victims, it was certainly not intended to be bigoted or offensive. It was simply a way of drawing attention to the cause. Forge Features
14
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
The final adventure
@forgefeatures /forgepress features@forgetoday.com
features
15
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
Could this be the last birthday for Highfields Adventure Playground? Aidan Phillips discovers the battle between the people and the funding cuts Artists: Paolo, age 10 and Rosa, age 8
A
s the tennis ball flies across the pitch, it’s eventually blocked by the graffiticovered wall, hitting the ‘H’ in ‘Rotten Habbits’ that is sprayed in dark green bubble lettering on the concrete surface. The bowler runs after it, crossing footballers and cricketers as he covers the distance of the square enclosure, penned in by metal fences and multi-coloured walls without an inch of grey stone spared. Just outside the entrance is a bouldering wall: a tall steel-face manned by cautious looking staff gripping tightly onto the support ropes. Those who reach the top can see the whole playground, from the funnel slide and zip wire at the far fence to the rope climbing pyramid nearest, and everything else in-between. Apart from the one taped off by health and safety, there’s a kid on every structure, running, spinning, climbing, sliding, flying. Well, they couldn’t leave anyone on their own on their birthday, could they? Saturday February 2 was Highfield Adventure Playground’s 40th birthday, with roughly 30 years spent on its current site on Mount Pleasant Park in the heart of Sharrow - parts of which are in the bottom five per cent most deprived in the country. A fun day was arranged, with 300 people attending the three hour event of drawing, playing, mingling and general clamouring over wooden structures. It was an impressive turnout to celebrate the age of a bunch of wood and nails - even local MP Paul Blomfield and councillors Robert Murphy and Maroof Mohammed attended - although it’s even more understandable when you realise it could be the last birthday that Adventures ever has. With £50 million of cuts needed to be found by March this year, Sheffield city council is planning to withdraw funding from all three of the city’s playgrounds at Highfields and Pitsmoor, estimated at £100,000 a year for adventures alone. Having found this out only six weeks before the cuts take effect, members of the community rapidly rallied together to set up the Facebook group ‘Friends of Adventures’ and started a petition to keep the
place open. So far they have been featured in The Star and Radio Sheffield and have over 1000 signatures on the petition. Sharrow Community Forum and Activity Sheffield cochair Kate West explained why the site was so important to the local area and why such funding needed to be sustained. “This is an urban area with a very low economy and high crime and anti-social behaviour levels. The playground provides a safe place in all this, supporting struggling families whilst providing kids with somewhere to play. “The council pays for electricity, insurance, cleaners, etc., but we’re focusing on the staff as without them this is no longer a guaranteed safe place. They talk about having it as an open access area, which is just inviting older kids to dominate the area and use it as a place to hang out, making it no longer family friendly.” “The plan is to do whatever is necessary to keep the playground staffed. We are foremost lobbying the Council to continue funding it, but in this financial climate we’re aware this could be overly optimistic. So we had a ballot and a majority voted that at the same time we should be looking for alternatives, so our eggs aren’t all in one basket. “Of course, we could organise our own staffing scheme, but the fact is we don’t have the skills and responsibilities required. You have to be very skilled to run this place, to be able to deal with children of all ages, to attend to any first aid needs and many other things which we’re simply not qualified to do.” And Plan B? “Still working on that.” Enter the centre’s building and there’s a ping-pong table, with Activity Sheffield staff challenging young kids to matches. On the wall is a bright pink poster advertising an arts competition, with a first prize of £3. A doorway follows through to another room where children draw on multi-coloured paper with felt tips and parents line up at the refreshment stall, with toast, cake and tea on the menu. Waiting for a drink, one of the parents says why he wants the place to be kept open. “There’s great facilities, staff on site; it’s
just a great little community spot. Me and my daughter come here quite a lot in the early evenings after school. It’ll be a shame if it has to go.” Overlooking the playground outside, local Green Party councillor Rob Murphy explains the wider benefits Highfields has for children’s development. “It’s great for their education, letting them find their confidence and discover new things like climbing, which aren’t possible in other playgrounds, and with an expert in child play and first aid watching over them. As these budget cuts come along, one of the most important things is to allow kids to find out things for themselves.” The first time I heard about Highfields Adventure Playground, it was January 19 at a demonstration hosted by the Save Our Early Years group campaigning against cuts to childcare centres and was attended by all manner of campaigns, including Friends of Adventures. Marching through town with the rest of his family, a local man from Sharrow described the playground as the hub of his community, a supportive environment that allowed people to interact in a multi-cultural area. ‘’We thought we’d come along and make our voices heard ‘’After all, once it’s gone what will the kids be able to do?’’ he said. The passion from locals to keep their playground open and staffed is clearly strong. The group have been petitioning door-to-door for weeks, going round schools, mosques and other community buildings as well as houses. They’ve been holding meetings frequently to discuss their aims, actions and future plans and kept in regular touch with the city council - even arranging to meet with Paul Blomfield MP to try and win him over to their cause. They’ve even got a signature from local Olympian Jessica Ennis, who said she used to play there as a child. Support hasn’t just come from the people who use the playground. Inspector of police David Starkey gave his backing to the campaign highlighting how, without the centre, 8-16 year-olds would be at a higher risk of “involvement in antisocial behaviour and criminality”, and that “trained staff are in the perfect position to identify
a young person whose behaviour may be putting them at a higher risk of offending in the future.” With 25,000 visits a year and widespread local opposition to shutting the site down, it would seem that Adventures stands a good chance of celebrating it’s 41st birthday next year. But wherever money is the issue, priorities have to take place. Cabinet minister for culture, sport and leisure Isobel Bowler said in an email to the group that continuing funding to the site would most likely require a reduction in other Activity Sheffield schemes, a network whose Head Diana Radford says has had to deal with cuts to its budget over the last four or so years. Isobel’s response highlights the attitude the council have had to take in weighing up the importance of each and every service at a time when funds are rapidly shrinking. They’ve had since the week before Christmas until March 1 to make £50 million of cuts to their 2013/14 budget. These come on top of £140 million of cuts already made over the past two years to a budget which currently stands at around £1.4 billion. With such a short timescale to make so many tough decisions, it’s clear they so far haven’t been convinced that Adventures is worth sparing. With a hard job ahead in convincing the council that her cause is more worth funding than others, how likely does Kate feel victory is? “The council gave Stocksbridge Leisure Centre an extra month’s funding, so we have to hold our hopes high. Look at how many people are here, how many enjoy it and see what an important place it is. We’re highlighting awareness to council ministers and local agencies as to how important this place is.” And if that doesn’t work? “Then we’ll work something else out. You can’t give up hope.”
“You can’t give up hope Kate West, Sharrow Community Forum and Activity Sheffield Co-Chair
”
16
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
Can you ke
secret? F
rank Warren, creator of one of the most infamous secret sharing websites of recent years, PostSecret, says that “Secrets can take many forms, they can be shocking, or silly, or soulful.” Frank describes PostSecret as a community art project whereby he encourages people to anonymously write down a secret that has never been shared before on a homemade postcard and then send it to his address in Maryland, United States, from which he then selects the best to be uploaded onto the PostSecret website. What started as a small experiment in E2005 soon escalated and developed into a major success story that swept the nation, as people quickly became addicted to visiting the website and reading what shameful, hilarious or touching secrets had been shared. Frank takes a no holds barred approach to PostSecret, advocating honesty and truthfulness and therefore encouraging others to write down a secret that has never been confessed before, no matter how taboo the subject matter. PostSecret has seen the publication of secrets about criminal activities, sexual assaults and adultery, which truly makes for an unforgettable and insightful reading experience. So far, Frank has received over 500,000 postcards containing intimate anonymous secrets and has selected, scanned and uploaded them every Sunday for the past seven years. When asked about the reasons behind PostSecret’s success, Frank stated that the secrets he receives are reflective of the goings on in everyday life with which many people struggle. Therefore, it could be argued that PostSecret, in some ways, helps to unify people, as the sharing of secrets can be a therapeutic
@forgefeatures /forgepress features@forgetoday.com
exercise; by stumbling across their own secret written in someone else’s words, readers are able to realise they are not quite so isolated. Many secrets centre on emotions of trust, lust and humour, universal themes which highlight that no secret is experienced alone. Whether reading a shared secret to be nosy, or in the hope of feeling connected and supported by finding your secret written by another, PostSecret seems to appeal to all and has everyone hooked and engrossed. The sheer number of Facebook fans and Twitter followers for PostSecret is also evidence of its addictive nature and subsequent success. Frank is also very active in the running of PostSecret live tours, particularly around university campuses in Europe and America, where he meets fans of this phenomenon and inspires them with the significance of sharing secrets and how it can make people to feel strong and empowered. The tour graced the University of Sheffield on December 13 2012 and was met with rave reviews and thunderous applause. PostSecret’s success can also be attributed to its emphasis on the protection of the anonymity of its contributors. As the secret sharers are unidentifiable, they feel more able to tell the whole truth, safe in the knowledge that there will be no consequences and no one will know from whom the secret came . However, when PostSecret was translated into an iPhone App, the price of anonymity came at a cost. Abusive content such as pornographic and threatening material were uploaded and, as the app allowed instant viral sharing of secrets, PostSecret moderators could not deal with the infinite amount of malicious content and the protective anonymity made them unable to remove offensive users. This unfortunately led to the removal of the app and suggested that anonymity can only work in a
17
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
eep a
?
controlled format, where postcards can be selectively uploaded by the creator himself. It seems that the act of sharing secrets and confessions in the safety and comfort of anonymity is a very current issue and one that is especially popular with students. University confession pages have proved to be very sought after and have spiralled from the success of websites such as PostSecret. On such pages students are encouraged to post stories about their escapades around campus and on nights out, which makes for comic reading. Created in October 2012, the ‘Sheffield Uni Confessions’ Facebook page has already gained over 4,000 likes from students and is growing in popularity by the day. This addictive Facebook page has seen over 30 stories shared, mostly based on activities from drunken nights out. The story that secured the most likes from students was in fact a picture uploaded of a bedroom in Endcliffe student village, which was covered from top to bottom in rolls upon rolls of tin foil, ready for an unsuspecting student to discover when returning from a night out. Thoughts on pages like this, though, are divided. Hannah Skillen, a student at the University, said: “The University confession page is a guilty pleasure. Some of the posts are hilarious and it’s all part of the banter. “I think it’s funny that although it is anonymous, people can comment and guess who the secret is about, so in a way no one’s secret is safe.” Another student, David Carlin, disagrees. “A couple of the stories posted are so grim. They seem too shocking and unrealistic to be true, and I wonder whether people are just posting them to make a scene and cause a reaction. “The language used in some confessions is degrading towards women, and I think lads’ banter can overstep the mark and become too cruel when relating to embarrassing sexual encounters.”
When asked to comment about why these confession pages have proven so popular, the creators of the ‘Sheffield Uni Confessions’ page replied: “At one time or another, most students end up in awkward or embarrassing situations. Our confessions page is just a way of sharing these stories within the community and to provide good procrastination and banter material. “We think what made this page so popular is the fact that students feel safe with the idea that their stories go up anonymously, which we believe is the key behind our success.” The success of this page has sparked the creation of many similar pages, most notably ‘Spotted: University of Sheffield, Information Commons, I.C’ whereby students post stories of unusual activities they have witnessed in the library. Given the three-week exam period this page has recently seen a sudden surge in story sharing, as students flocked to the library in their droves and united to proclaim their grief, frustration and humour at the crazy goings on in the silent study section. However, now exams are over and some students are celebrating with drunken nights out on the town, it would seem plausible that ‘Sheffield Uni Confessions’ will be back leading the way with many more shocking proclamations of students’ secrets. What remains clear is that the enjoyment of sharing secrets safe in the knowledge of anonymity will always be attractive and engaging. The elimination of the risk of exposure and the feeling of release when sharing a secret feels safe and therapeutic, and reading the secrets on websites or on Facebook groups culminates in an addictive and thrilling experience which will sustain its popularity in many years to come. Where there are people, there are always secrets. Where there are students, there are often even more scandalous ones.
Words: Hannah Thompson Artwork: Sophie Allen
Where there are people, there are always secrets. Where there are students, there are often even more scandalous ones.
18
Monday Febraur y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
ADVERTISEMENT
FORGE PRESS Monday Fe b ru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
ADVERTISEMENT
19
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
20
Lifestyle & Travel
Fashion Food & Drink Health & Fitness Travel Giving Back Sex & Relationships Technology
Before Christmas, five members of the Forge Press team took part in Lifestyle Does Come Dine With Me. Five people, five nights, three courses and one prize... their dignity.
NIGHT ONE: Adam
Starter Main Dessert
Adam’s Amazing Bruchetta Lamb Tagine
Adam’s World Famous Banoffee Pie
Lamb Tagine 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp ground black pepper 1½ tbsp paprika 1½ tbsp ground ginger 1 tbsp turmeric 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 x shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into 5cm/2in chunks 2 large onions, grated 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp argan oil 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Adam’s Amazing Bruchetta 1 loaf crusty baguette 8 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped and drained Half a small red onion, finely chopped 2 to 3 cloves of crushed garlic 6 to 8 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped 30ml balsamic vinegar 60ml to 80ml extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large bowl, mix the onions, tomatoes, garlic and basil using a large metal spoon, taking care not to mash or break up the tomatoes too much. 2. Add the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix the contents again. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This will allow the flavours to soak and blend together. 4. Slice the baguette loaf diagonally, into thick slices and lightly toast the slices until they are light brown on both sides.
5. Serve the mixture on the warm slices of bread. If you prefer the mixture at room temperature, remove from the fridge half an hour before serving. 570ml/1 pint tomato juice 2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half 55g/2oz dates, cut in half 55g/2oz sultanas or raisins 85g/3oz flaked almonds 1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water 600ml/1 pint lamb stock 1 tbsp clear honey 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
(Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2)
1. Place the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and toss together with half of the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
2. Heat one tbsp olive oil and one tbsp of argan oil in a large casserole dish. Add the grated onion and the remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final three minutes. 3. In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the cubes of lamb, then add the browned meat to the casserole dish.
4. De-glaze the frying pan with ¼ pint of tomato juice and add these juices to the pan. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for two to two and a half hours or until the meat is meltingly tender. 5. Place the lamb in a tagine or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs.
Adam’s World Famous Banoffee Pie 300g oaty biscuits (Hob Nobs are good) 60g butter (melted) 397g tin Nestlé Carnation Caramel 3 large bananas (sliced) 350ml double cream 1 tbsp icing sugar 100g dark chocolate
1. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas Mark 4. Crush the biscuits in a food processor then add the melted butter and pulse to combine.
2. Press the mixture into a 24cm tart tin, with a removable base, in an even layer. Transfer the tin to a baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes, until lightly toasted and set. Leave to cool then gently release from the tin and put on a serving plate. 3. Spread the caramel over the biscuit base and chill for one hour.
4. Arrange the banana slices over the toffee. Whip the cream and sugar together to form soft peaks and spread over the bananas. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water. Allow to cool slightly, before drizzling over the cream.
21
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 2
@forgelifestyle /forgelifestyle lifestyle@forgetoday.com
NIGHT TWO: Liv Starter Smoked salmon Pâté with toasted rye bagels Main Duck stir-fry with orange and Stamford honey Dessert Wow-factor raspberry chocolate mousse pots
Raspberry Chocolate Mousse Pots
Smoked Salmon Pate 5 rye bagels 250g smoked salmon 225g soft cream cheese 4.5 tbsp greek yoghurt 1 tsp creamed horseradish Few drops of tabasco sauce Freshly ground black pepper 5 tiny dill sprigs, to garnish 5 lemon wedges, to serve
1. Preheat the grill. Cut the rye bagels in half and toast under the grill for two to three minutes.
2. To make the pâté, roughly chop the smoked salmon and place in a food processor with the cream cheese, greek yoghurt, horseradish and tabasco. Season generously with pepper and whiz until smooth. 3. Spoon the pâté onto plate, garnish with a dill sprig and arrange with lemon wedges to serve.
Duck Stir-fry with Orange and Stamford Honey 5 duck breasts/legs 2½ teaspoons olive oil 5 spring onions, cut into 2½ cm (1 in) lengths 150 watercress, stalks removed 3 oranges, peeled and segmented
2. Cut the skin and fat off the duck breasts and discard. Slice the flesh into thin strips and add them to the marinade. Stir to mix well then cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, or refrigerate until required. 3. Remove the duck strips, reserving the marinade, and pat them dry. Heat the oil in a wok or large nonstick frying pan over a high heat, then stir-fry the duck for four to five minutes until browned. 4. Pour the marinade onto the duck and allow it to bubble until it reduces and becomes dark and syrupy.
5. Add the spring onions and watercress, stir-fry for one minute, then toss in the orange segments and heat them through.
Main Honey Glazed Gammon served with a Pineapple Salsa, Sticky Carrots and Crispy New Potatoes Dessert Lemon Posset served with a Shortbread Biscuit
Lemon Posset
For the posset 600ml/1 pint 1fl oz double cream 150g/5oz caster sugar 2 large lemons, zest and juice only
1. For the posset, place the double cream and the sugar into a large pan over a low heat and bring to the boil slowly. Boil for three minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. 2. Add the lemon juice and zest and whisk well.
3. Pour the lemon cream mixture into six large serving glasses and refrigerate for three hours.
1. To make the raspberry coulis: tip the raspberries into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Scrape out into a bowl, then pour in the vodka and stir in the sugar to taste (raspberries always vary in sweetness). Pour into a sieve set over a bowl and push the sauce through with the back of a spoon to remove the seeds. 3. Next make the chocolate mousse. Put the chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Pour it over the chocolate and stir with a spatula until the chocolate has melted and become smooth. Set aside.
1. To make the marinade, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Starter Balsamic Red Onion & Goat’s Cheese Tartlets or Sundried Tomato & Feta Tarlets
For the coulis: 150g / 5oz fresh raspberries a splash of vodka (about ½ tbsp) 2-4 tbsp icing sugar Extra raspberries to serve
2. Divide the coulis among six pretty serving glasses, then crumble some brownie over each.
For the marinade: 2 small red chillis, deseeded and finely chopped 2½ teaspoons cornflour 2 cloves garlic, crushed 2½ teaspoons grated ginger Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges 2½ teaspoons Stamford honey 2½ teaspoons sesame oil 2½ tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine 2½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
NIGHT THREE: Laura
For the mousse: About half a chocolate brownie (bought or home-made) 100g/3½ oz dark chocolate broken into small pieces 100ml /3½ fl oz whipping cream 4 medium egg whites 25g /1oz caster sugar
Balsamic Red Onion & Goat’s Cheese Tarlets or Sundried Tomato & Feta Tarlets 500g puff pastry (ready rolled!) 1 large red onion A splash of balsamic vinegar 5 slices of goat’s cheese
1 jar sundried tomatoes 100g feta cheese Rocket to serve
1. Use a biscuit cutter to cut the pastry into 10 circles, roughly mug-sized. 2. Slice the onion and soften in a pan with the balsamic vinegar.
3. Arrange the onion on five of the pastry circles, and sundried tomatoes on the other. 4. Put the goat’s cheese on top of the red onion, and sprinkle feta on the tomatoes. 5. Place in the oven at 180C until golden brown.
Honey Glazed Gammon For the ham 1 x 2 kg smoked ham, with skin on 1 litres dry cider 1 litres water
For the glaze 3 tbsp honey 3 tbsp wholegrain mustard 100 ml dry cider Handful of cloves
1. Tie string around the ham to keep the meat in a compact shape as it cooks. Place in a large pan and cover with the water and cider. Cover with a lid and simmer for two and a half hours, until the meat is tender.
2. Leave it to cool in the cooking liquid. Carefully cut the skin off the ham, making sure to leave the fat on. Criss-cross the fat with a sharp knife. Preheat the oven to 220C/ gas mark seven. 3. For the glaze, warm the honey, mustard and cider in a pan and boil until it thickens to a treacle-like consistency. Spoon the glaze over the ham fat, and place in a roasting tin. Dot the cloves over the surface and bake for 20 minutes, or until the glaze has caramelised. 4. Cut slices from the ham and serve.
4. Whisk the egg whites with an electric hand mixer in a bowl until they form soft peaks, then gradually whisk in the sugar until the mixture resembles shaving foam. With a spatula, mix one third of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the rest. 5. Divide the chocolate mousse among the glasses and place in the fridge for a couple of hours. Drop a few raspberries into each glass, pop in a drinking straw to decorate, if using, and serve.
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
22
Lifestyle & Travel
Fashion Food & Drink Health & Fitness Travel Giving Back Sex & Relationships Technology
NIGHT FOUR: Jonathan Jonathan’s Come Dine With Me Menu Friday 16th November, 7.30pm till late
Please come as the following: Me – The Scarecrow Adam – The Tin Man Laura – The Lion Lauren – Dorothy Olivia – The Wicked Witch
--- Starter ---
Follow the Yellow Brick Road Red pepper and sweet potato soup --- Main ---
Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead Pork and Blackberries served on a bed of creamy mash potato with roast vegetables and red onion gravy --- Desert ---
‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ Red pepper and sweet potato soup 700g sweet potatoes (peeled) 2 red peppers (deseeded and cut into chucks) A large onion (chopped) 1 litre chicken stock 1. Cut the sweet potatoes, red peppers and onion into small, even-sized chunks. 2. Put all the ingredients into a large pan. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season to taste. 3. Simmer for about 20 mins or until tender. 4. Put into a food processor and whiz until smooth. Alternatively, mash the ingredients until smooth-like.
5. Reheat and serve, not forgetting the croutons.
‘Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead’
Pork and Blackberries served on a bed of creamy mash potato with roast vegetables and red onion gravy
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
1.5kg rolled pork shoulder or pork lion 800g blackberries A choice of vegetables from carrots, parsnips and courgettes Salt and pepper Butter
Strawberry Cheesecake
For the gravy:
‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
500ml chicken stock A red onion (chopped) 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp plain flour
Strawberry Cheesecake
200g digestive biscuits 30g sugar 100g butter 1 jelly cube 500g cream cheese A packet of dream topping
If you want to make a multicoloured pattern then separate some of the finished cream cheese mix into small cups and add food colouring. Then spread the coloured cream cheese with the back of a spoon.
1. Crush the biscuits and add the sugar. 2. Melt the butter in a pan and add the biscuit mix, stirring it in gradually.
3. Using the back of a spoon, line the base of a tin with the biscuit mix - it should be sticky in texture.
1. Pierce the pork all over with a knife. Sit the pork in a bowl filled with the blackberries, and massage the berries into the pork. Leave to marinade overnight in the fridge. 2. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. Place the pork in a roasting dish with all the marinade and roast for 1 hour 40 mins to 2 hours, or until cooked through. 3. Just after half-way through roasting, add the vegetables to the oven in a separate roasting dish – make sure they have been covered in olive oil. 4. Boil the potatoes in a pan.
5. Preheat the grill to a medium heat. Remove the
pork from the roasting dish, and place it under the grill for 10 mins, or until the skin is crispy.
6. Pour the chicken stock into the roasting dish to deglaze it, scraping the cooked pork and berries from base.
7. Meanwhile soften the red onion in a pan with the olive oil. Add the flour and then pour in the fruity stock, stirring constantly. 8. Steam dry the potatoes, add the cream, butter and seasoning, and mash.
9 .When crackling has formed under the grill the pork is ready to serve, with the stock alongside as a gravy, and with the roasted vegetables and the mash potatoes.
4. Dissolve the jelly in about 500ml of hot water. 5. Work the cream cheese until soft. Stir in the jelly.
6. Make up the dream topping by following packet instructions. You will need to add milk and the contents to a bowl, and whisk until topping is light and fluffy. 7. Add the dream topping to the cream cheese mix and whisk. 8. Pour onto the crumb base and chill until set. 9. Serve and enjoy.
The Scarecrow, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Lion, the Tin Man and Dorothy
23
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgelifestyle /forgelifestyle lifestyle@forgetoday.com
NIGHT FIVE: Lauren Sloppy Joes
Popcorn chicken
1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup minced carrots (can sub chopped bell pepper) 1 cup chopped onion (about one medium onion) 1/2 cup chopped celery 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt 1 1/4 lb ground beef 1/2 cup ketchup 2 cups tomato sauce 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 2 tbsp brown sugar Pinch ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme Pinch cayenne pepper 2 turns of freshly ground black pepper 5 hamburger buns
Bowl 1: seasoning recipe Plain flour Season with salt & Pepper Onion powder Icing sugar Bowl 2: Egg whites Splash of milk
Bowl 3: Panko branded bread crumbs 1. Cut chicken in small cubes 2. Coat in seasoned flour
1. Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Add the carrots and sautĂŠ for five minutes.
4. Dip into bread crumbs
3. Stir occasionally for five more minutes.
3. Dip into egg white and milk mixture
2. Add the chopped onion and celery.
4. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Remove vegetables from the pan to a medium sized bowl, set aside.
5. Repeat
6. Fry in a saucepan of vegetable oil for three to four mins and turn until golden brown.
Lucky charm ice cream sandwiches Makes eight to 12 sandwiches 3 tablespoons butter 1 packet mini marshmallows 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups Lucky Charms cereal 1 pint French vanilla ice cream
5. Using the same pan generously salt the bottom of the pan. Heat the pan on high. 6. Crumble the ground beef into the pan and let it cook on both sides until browned (do not stir) Remove from pan
1. Heat butter, marshmallows, vanilla, and salt in a large pot set over medium heat. 2. Stir continuously for about five minutes.
7. Return the cooked ground beef and vegetables to the pan. Add all of the condiments and stir.
3. Turn off the heat and pour in the Lucky Charms cereal, and stir with a spatula until evenly coated with marshmallow mixture. The consistency will be very thick and slightly difficult to stir.
8. Add ground cloves, thyme, and cayenne pepper.
4. Scoop out the Lucky Charm/marshmallow mixture onto a baking pan.
9. Lower the heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Press down into the pan, flattening as much as possible.
6. Allow to rest for about five minutes and then cut out circular shapes using a cookie cutter.
10. Serve with toasted hamburger buns.
7. To serve, smear about 1/4 to 1/3 cup ice cream between two Lucky Charm cookies, creating a sandwich.
ADAM! Scores on the doors: Adam: 31 Liv: 30
1st
Laura: 30
Jonathan: 30 Lauren: 26
I can’t believe it. I thought I was a terrible cook. The others will never live this down!
24
Monday 18 Februar y 2013 FORGE PRESS
ADVERTISEMENT
Monday Februar y 18 2013 F O R G E P R E S S
COFFEE BREAK
25
@ FPCoffeeBreak /ForgePressCoffeeBreak
Puzzle column: sudokus E
M E
A
D I
S
U Y
M
The quest for the most perfect cornflake in the world Ever had a craving, a craving so strong it consumes your every thought? Now imagine that craving taking over your entire life and compelling you to conceive a truly bizarre concept (that does sound a little cool). Picturing your food of choice? Well one dedicated man is on a journey to track down the perfect cornflake. Yes, cornflakes are his tipple of choice. So far he has spent £36,000 and visited 60 countries on his hunt for the flawless flake.
Facts of the Fortnight
A 27-year-old heir to a sausage empire was handed a ticket for £116,000 for driving at 80 km/ hr in a 40 km/hr zone. This is because the speeding tickets in Finland are based on how much money a person makes.
The little circles of paper that are cut out after a paper has been punched by a hole puncher are called “chad.”
Mick Hobday, a 33-year-old from Fareham, Hampshire, has eaten 4,000 bowls of cornflakes (or their local equivalent) and still hasn’t found his holy grail yet. Mr Hobday conceived his wacky idea whilst on holiday in Mexico
in 2002, and has yet to be unable to find his favourite snacks, saying: “It has not been too difficult finding cornflakes in shops around the world as they are a basic cereal. However, the quality has varied.” Despite being through five
Calling all Intrepid Ice Pole-sitters There is something in the British psyche that means we can never be content with the weather. A genuine topic of conversation, the weather consumes an unnecessarily large part of our lives here in this North West corner of Europe, and we’re never happy with it. During summer, it either rains and there are complaints of the curse of the ‘Great British Summer’, or, if it is sunny then it is too hot, the water levels drop too low, there’s a drought, a hosepipe ban, the end is nigh. We just can’t be satisfied. Winter shares the same fate and the complaints about the snow grow daily, and Coffee Break seems to be one of the few left continuously enchanted by the white flakes as they fall, and to be filled with childlike wonder at the white world left behind.
However, there are those amongst us, ice gods amongst mortals that thrive in these icy conditions, those who challenge themselves to endure the cold; they are the pole-sitting Swedes of Vilhelmnina. Imported from Russia, the competition features six contestants perching on 8.25 feet tall ice blocks for 48 hours, those still standing (sitting) by the end share the £1,960 prize. This year the tributes consisted of two women and four men, who had to endure temperatures of -28°C, although they were allowed a 10 minute break every two hours to relieve themselves. Being the intrepid and hardy folk they are, the participants said that the boredom was worse than the cold – no complaining as far as the eye can see. Apparently the event started when Alvin ‘Shipwreck’ Kelly, a professional stuntman, sat on a pole for 49 days after a bet with a fellow colleague, and drew thousands of spectators to his feat.
continents in 10 years, and to places as volatile as Mali, as exotic as Thailand and as breathtaking as Pamukkale, Turkey, Mr Hobday is still “on the hunt for [his] perfect flake.” His favourite crunchy experience was in fact on the Giza plateau, in Egypt, whilst his worst was when he “ruined [his] flakes with awful camels’ milk, in Mauritania.” And that perfect flake? Well it would “be dark, crunchy, organic and locally grown,” according to Mick.
Quote of the fortnight
“
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
”
Winston Churchill
Have you read it yet? Coffee Break’s Book of the fortnight
Coffee Break’s Word of the Fortnight: Paregmenon, noun: 1. The juxtaposition of words that have a common derivation, as in “sense and sensibility.”
“Snow. Snow, snow, come out in the snow. Snow, snow, just look at the snow. Come out, come out, come out in the snow. I want to know if you like snow. Do you like it, yes or no? Oh yes, oh yes, I do like snow. Do you like it in your face? Yes I like it any place.” Excerpt from Snow by Roy McKie and P.D.Eastman
“Although as artificial as his use of traductio, this use of paregmenon at least reveals Sidney’s ingenuity and wit.” - Sherod M. Cooper, The Sonnets of Astrophel and Stella Tawpie, noun: 1. A foolish or thoughtless young person. Do ye no hear me, tawpie? Do ye no hear what I’m tellin’ ye? Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Weir of Hermiston
26
Monday Febraur y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
ADVERTISEMENT
27
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com
SPORT
Forge Sport’s Heroes and Villains of the fortnight Danny Welbeck Many United fans were surprised to see him in the starting line-up against Real Madrid, however he played arguably the best game of his career.
Select BUCS Results All results February 13
BADMINTON Sheffield Hallam Men’s 2nds 7-1 University of Sheffield 2nds BASKETBALL Leeds Met Women’s 2nds 93-25 University of Sheffield’s 1sts
from
RUGBY UNION University of Manchester Women’s 1sts 5-7 University of Sheffield 1sts
LACROSSE University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts 16-8 University of Plymouth 1sts TABLE TENNIS Sheffield Hallam Men’s 1sts 15-2 University of Sheffield 2nds
Katie Summerhayes Born and bred in Sheffield, she picked up World Championship silver in slopestyle skiing.
NETBALL University of Bradford 1sts 32-29 University of Sheffield 3rds
Result February 10
from
AMERICAN FOOTBALL University of Derby 14-6 University of Sheffield
Result February 9
from
WATER POLO University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts 10-1 MMU Cheshire
Efe Ambrose
Floodlights
He might have won the Cup of African Nations, but the Celtic centre back was at fault for two goals and missed a sitter as his side lost to Juve.
Darkness delayed two notable fixtures after electrical faults. Fulham v Manchester United and The Superbowl were both affected.
Select BUCS Fixtures All fixtures February 20
TENNIS University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts v Durham University 3rds, Time and Place TBC University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts v Sheffield Hallam 1sts, Abbeydale, 11am
for
FOOTBALL University of Sheffield Men’s 2nds v University of Newcastle 2nds, Norton, 2pm University of Sheffield Men’s 3rds v Sheffield Hallam 3rds, Norton, 2pm
BADMINTON University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts v Leeds Met 3rds, Time and Place TBC HOCKEY University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts v University of Manchester 1sts, Goodwin, 3.30pm
All fixtures February 27
for
RUGBY UNION University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts v University of Liverpool Men’s 1sts, Norton, 2pm University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts v University of York 1sts, Norton, 2pm RUGBY LEAGUE University of Sheffield V University of Lancaster, Promotion Play-Off, Time and Place TBC
28
SPORT
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com
Varsity 2013: Let the battle commence
Now in its 16th year, Varsity is underway with Hallam currently leading 2-1. To help you get your head around the event, Will Aitkenhead has compiled a complete guide to this years competition with a run down of all the sports, last years results and a few stats thrown in.
Athletics Held at the world-class facility in the EIS, the Athletics is a superb event that is well worth getting to if you have chance. There’s lots going on and Uni will fancy their chances this year. Last year: Uni 65-50 Hallam Badminton Traditionally a strong area for Hallam but Uni will hoping for an upset and the Men’s 1st team have had an excellent season, sitting top of their division. Uni’s best hope of a point might come in the Women’s, however, as Uni and Hallam sit 5th and 6th in the league. Last year: Uni 0.5 – 2.5 Hallam Basketball Uni Men’s 1sts drew their 2nds in the cup this year and both sides have had strong seasons. Hallam 1sts are top of the division above them, however, and still unbeaten. Uni’s women 1sts have endured a tough season and with Hallam in the Northern Premier division they face a struggle to pick anything up. Last year: Uni Men’s 1sts 51-73 Hallam Uni Women 2nds 46-76 Hallam Boxing Staged for the first time last year, Fight Night in the Octagon went down an a storm and was one of the best events of Varsity 2012. Last year: Uni 1-2 Hallam Canoe Polo The final leg of Aquatics Friday, canoe polo has the same rules as water polo but the difference being that each player is in a kayak. Uni’s men’s side this year have World Championship silver medallist Jamie Thomson in their ranks and achieved silver at
Uni BUCS championships last year. Last year: Uni Men 5-6 Hallam Uni Women 5-3 Hallam Climbing An under-rated event, the climbing is worth a massive three points and can be very important come the final day. The points are awarded to the top performing man, woman and team of six. Each climber has two and a half hours to complete the 20 routes, picking up points along the way. Last year: Uni 2-1 Hallam Cricket Cricket is played indoors with some significant rule changes. Runs can be scored by hitting the walls and you can also be caught out off the walls. Uni Men reached the national finals last year and are in the national semi finals this year having already beaten Hallam three times this season. The women have struggled since losing Pakistan international Urooj Mumtaz Khan. Last year: Uni Men 1sts lost by 3 wickets Uni Men 2nds lost by 4 runs Uni Women lost by 6 wickets
Cycling Worth two points this event is split into five disciplines. The cross country sees an off route four lap test and the BMX is a straight race between four riders. Last year: Uni 5-0 Hallam Football The showpiece finale of Varsity returns to Hillsborough once again. Throughout the day the lower teams will battle it out at Norton. The event concludes with the Women’s 1sts followed by the Men’s 1sts which is what it all came down to last year. Last year overall: Uni 3-3 Hallam Futsal Identical to football except played indoors and with a smaller, heavier ball. The goals are also smaller and there are five players on each side, including the goalkeeper. This is well worth a watch. Last year: Uni 3-9 Hallam
Uni triumphed in the athletics event last year
Photo: Andrey Vasilyev
Hockey With six matches in total each match is worth one point to the overall total. The 1st and 2nd team games form part of the ‘Abbeydale Wednesday’. Traditionally Hallam have a strong record in the hockey but the Uni sides are all enjoying strong seasons and Varsity will be closely fought. The women’s teams probably hold Uni’s best chances of picking up points. Last year overall: Uni 1.5–4.5 Hallam Judo With five different weight categories the Judo is always tense and dramatic with a four minute time limit on each fight. Competitors try and carry out moves on their opponents, which pick up points, an Ippon move will win the fight immediately. Last year Uni dominated in the lower weight divisions and managed to pick up the trophy. Last year: Uni 40-25 Korfball Korfball is a mixed gender sport and has a likeness to basketball and netball. Eight players on each side, with four male and four female players. Points are scored by throwing the ball through their opponent’s hoop. Last year: Uni 1sts 8-11 Hallam Uni 2nds 2-8 Hallam Lacrosse Another event mid way through the main week of competition, Lacrosse is hard fought and physical on the mud bowl of a pitch at Abbeydale. The men’s sides are both struggling down the bottom of the North Premier League whist the Uni women are in the division above their counterparts. Last year: Uni Men’s 5-23 Hallam Uni Women’s 6-10 Hallam Netball Always epic, netball is one of the best supported clubs at Varsity every year and provides a great spectacle. Both 1st teams are in the same division and Hallam are currently top, but it stands one a piece on the head to head between the two sides. Last year overall: Uni 2-1 Hallam Rowing Another sport that Uni normally excel in, owing to excellent numbers in their ranks. A variety of races take place over 600m and often the differences between the two sides are a matter of inches. Uni have won the event for the last five years running. Last year: Uni win Rugby League Rugby League has been moved this year to be part of the famous Abbeydale Wednesday which should help with raising its profile. Uni currently sit top of the Yorkshire league but with Hallam in the league above them they are unquestionably underdogs. Last year: Uni 6-54 Hallam Rugby Union The Men and Women’s 1st XV games both take place at the Don Valley Stadium this year. Uni Men’s 1sts have had a good season so far and with Hallam
Boxing Varsity was a massive success last year Photo: Nurul Liyana Yeo struggling in the league above an upset is on the cards again. Both 2nd XVs are scrapping against relegation in the league whilst Uni Women have already beaten Hallam this season. Last year overall: Uni 4-0 Hallam Sailing The event takes place every year at the Winscar Reservoir and sees a variety of races in different types of boats with the winner of the most races taking the one point on offer. Last year: Uni 6-3 Hallam Squash Fast paced and frantic, squash takes place on rackets day at the Hallamshire Tennis Club. This year’s competition looks set to be the best yet. There are two teams with 10 points available between them, the winner overall taking the Varsity point. Last year: Uni 8-2 Hallam Swimming ‘Aquatics Friday’ could be a defining day in this year’s Varsity. Two points up for grabs this year as the swimming has been split between Men and Women. Held at Ponds Forge a world-class facility it is great for spectators and competitors alike. Last year: Uni 105-115 Hallam Tennis Another Varsity stalwart this is always a great event with an electric atmosphere at The Hallamshire Tennis Club. Two men’s teams and women’s sees three points up for grabs all together. A combination of doubles and singles sees a total of 12 matches in each game. Last year: Uni 2-1 Hallam Trampolining The scene of Ben Baldwin’s famous explosion last year, as Uni beat Hallam for the first time in 10 years. Bryony Page is the star for Uni, she won a gold medal at the World Cup for Great Britain last October. Last year: Uni 24-13 Hallam
Ultimate Frisbee Players must pass the Frisbee between themselves but cannot move with it. Points are scored by throwing the Frisbee to a player in the opposing side’s end zone. Uni’s side will be looking to double up last year’s victory. The women’s team play the indoor version of the game the day after at Goodwin sports centre. Last year: Uni 13-3 Hallam Volleyball A fun and fast sport that gained a lot of supporters from the Olympics. In the indoor version of the sport each side has six team members and are allowed three consecutive touches before the ball must pass over the net. Ex Uni students Kieran O’Malley, Dan Hunter and Dami Bakre all competed for Team GB in the Olympics so there is a strong Volleyball pedigree at the University. Last year: Uni Men 0-3 Hallam Uni Women 2-3 Hallam Water Polo Water Polo is fierce and hard, requiring extreme levels of fitness. Hallam Women were BUCS champions last year but Uni are so far unbeaten in their league campaign. The Uni men are also in the league below Hallam but that doesn’t mean the result will be a foregone conclusion. Last year: Uni Men 8-6 Hallam Uni Women 4-5 Hallam See the next issue of Forge Press for all Varsity fixtures and the predictions of the Forge Sport Editorial team. More information on tickets and venues can be found at sheffield. ac.uk/union/varsity/ Forge Sport will be live tweeting the whole of Varsity 2013. Follow us @forgesport
29
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com
SPORT
Ennis reflects on her year of ‘madness’ Matthew Smith In the past year, only a person physically allergic to sport can have failed to have heard of Jessica Ennis, especially in the fair city of Sheffield. 2012 Olympic Heptathlon champion, and with her face plastered on a frighteningly large poster on John Lewis, Ennis has become a darling of the media. But after meeting and hearing her in person, Forge Press is pleased to announce that such sweeping praise hasn’t stopped her from being a thoroughly grounded individual. “It’s just been madness”, she beams, “a mother came up to me, and told me her kids, when they played, were fighting over who got to be Jess Ennis”. Speaking openly does not seem to be an issue at all for Ennis, a welcome change from the stereotypical athlete as recalcitrant interviewee. She knows how difficult it has been to get to this point, and isn’t shy about mentioning when things were a lot more difficult for her. Being mixed race, Ennis was the target of bullying at school, but says it was this that helped formulate the steely character needed to succeed at top level athletics: “It was all about saying
I’m no different to any other kid”. Jess’ journey to Olympic gold was of course via this University, where she studied Psychology and Sports Science, graduating in 2007, before receiving an honorary doctorate last year. During her time at the University, Ennis was able to compete at a competitive level alongside her degree, and clearly knows the importance of university sport in aiding athlete development. She thoroughly supports the University’s ESPS project, which gives bursaries to genuine athletic hopes, recently presenting one to Jazmin Sawyers, the long-jump prodigy interviewed by Forge Sport last year. Since then, things have not always been smooth. The darkest days came in 2008, when injury ruled Ennis out of the Beijing Olympics, a time she sees as the complete opposite to four years later. “It was horrible, really difficult, at the time I was really upset. But I thought to myself, it’s just not supposed to be my time yet”. When an athlete is at such a low ebb, the role of the coach becomes even more crucial that its usual essential role, and Ennis admits she owes much of her success to Toni Minichiello, who has remained her coach ever
Ennis dominating Sheffield City Centre
Photo: Geograph
Minchiello coaching Ennis at the 2012 Olympics
Photo: Zimbio
since she was nine-years-old. “We have a very unique relationship” Jess told us. “Things don’t always go well, but we’ve had a very successful relationship”. Forge Press heard from Minichiello himself - speaking before he lost his full-time job with UK Athletics - who echoes his charge’s sentiments. Remembering when he first met nine-year-old Jess, he talks of “a very sassy kid, but determined, then year on year she just got better and better. “I’ve heard it described as being like an old married couple. There is a bit of needle there, but you need that. “She’s awesome. Anyone who breaks four British records in a year, that’s pretty special. It was fortunate the young lady crossed my path, and has stuck with me”. So to London. At first glance, Ennis’ gold medal was a somewhat simple victory, as she beat the second-place finisher
by over 300 points, scoring 6955 points, a Commonwealth record. However, Ennis breaks those illusions by talking of the years of back-breaking work that were needed, not just physically, but also breaking a cultural perception of women’s sport. “The Olympics have put sports people on the cover of magazines. It puts a different body out there to look at. “People have a perception of women in sport, I hope we’ve improved it”. At the Olympics, preparation was key. “I was conscious not to go down to the stadium too early. But when I stepped out , it was the most amazing experience of my life.” Certainly the first day could not have been much better for Jess. Her time in the first event, the 100m hurdles, was not only a personal best, it would have been good enough to finish fourth in the final of that singular event. However, the second day was
the true test, as she struggled somewhat in her weakest events, javelin and long jump. “The night before I could not switch off. I was so nervous, the long jump had given me a lot of trouble that year. I thought, if I mess up, it’s over”. Luckily, Jess did not mess up. A score of 47.49m in the javelin meant she needed only to finish sixth in one of her strongest events, the 800m. She won. Then she cried. “I never get emotional in public, but it was such a relief, it choked me up. You just hold it in for those two days, but I knew what I’d achieved”.
studded line up for the event at the English Institute of Sport. Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz won the men’s high jump competition with a season’s best performance of 2.21 metres but he just failed to claim a new British record. “It was only my second competition so to be jumping that high is pretty good,” he said
afterwards. Going on to add, “I’ve been training hard, I’ve not done too many competitions indoors so I know that when I come out I’m ready to go and today I showed that.” Christine Ohuruogu, Beijing 400m gold medallist and silver medal winner at London 2012, was second in the 200m as she attempts to improve her
sprinting ahead of the outdoor season. Holly Bleasdale, who finished sixth in the women’s Pole Vault in London, won the event in Sheffield with a height of 4.77 metres, taking her to the top of the world pole vault rankings. The championships were being used as trials for the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg next month.
Jessica Ennis was speaking at Sheffield City Hall on November 30 at the event ‘An Evening with Jessica Ennis’, in aid of The Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Sawyers looks to big picture following first competition of season Athletics UK Indoor Championship Will Aitkenhead Following her first outing of the season at the UK Indoor Athletics Championships in Sheffield last Sunday, Jazmin Sawyers, was in a confident mood looking ahead to the rest of the year. The University of Sheffield student, who jumped an indoor personal best of 6.10 metres to finish fifth, said afterwards, “All in all I think it went well. I jumped an indoor PB in the first competition of the season after having to adjust to a lot of change.” She went to add that it has not been the easiest of periods for her following a change in her routine but was happy how she had come through the transition, “I have to put it in perspective, I’ve changed my technique, my run-up, and my whole training structure; to come out and jump further than I ever have before is actually a great achievement considering it all.” Looking forward, the Law and Criminology student is confident that she can push on, “Of course
I’d have liked to have jumped further, but that will come, the indoor season isn’t my main focus. “It was great to be involved in another senior national championship, experience with these older athletes and bigger names is exactly what I need to continue having during my transition into the senior world of athletics.” The long jumper, who picked up a bronze medal at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Barcelona last year, felt that her education in the sport has been helped a lot by this competition, “I’ve learnt a lot about where I am in terms of my jumping this weekend, so we now need to take that back to training and work on the things that need improving and get ready for the outdoor season.” Dominique Blaize won the competition with a leap of 6.29 metres. Elsewhere across the weekend, another University student, Johnny Sawyers, was competing and he managed to finish 11th in the men’s triple jump with a distance of 14.61 metres. Despite Jessica Ennis’ decision to opt out of the indoor season this year there was still a star
Sawyers in action earlier this year
Photo: Zimbio
30
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
SPORT
@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com
Plucky potters hold their nerve for maiden success in Liverpool
Volleyball beaten Women’s Volleyball BUCS Northern 2B University of Sheffield 1sts University of Leeds 1st
0 3
Matthew Smith
Mark Devlin, Simon Smith and Matt Simmons with the BUCS trophy in LIverpool
Nine-ball Pool BUCS Championships Adam Hancock The University of Sheffield’s Nine-ball pool team enjoyed a triumphant weekend at the BUCS Championships in Liverpool, taking the trophy in the team event. Sheffield 2nds overcame Manchester 2nds 2-1 in the final after defeating York in the semifinals.They became the first team from Sheffield to win silverware in a BUCS pool competition Simon Smith, Matt Simmons and Nischith Raphael made up the winning team and they were captained by Mark Devlin. The team was rocked by the withdrawal of Raphael half way through the tournament, after he sustained a wrist injury.
However, the rest of the team battled on to overcome Manchester in a tense final with Smith holding his nerve to secure the win despite the intense pressure. Speaking after the success, Devlin said: “This victory means a lot as it really establishes Sheffield on the ever-growing University pool and snooker scene. “It is the culmination of many years hard work in growing pool and snooker at the University and hopefully can act as a platform for further success in the upcoming years.” Sheffield 1sts suffered disappointment after losing to Ulster in the Quarter-finals, with Sheffield 3rds losing in the early rounds despite a strong showing against Southampton 1sts in their opening match. In the individual event, Lee
Photo: David Graham
Farren produced a fantastic display to reach the last 32. After defeating Ross Malloy of the University of Salford 5-1, Farren narrowly lost out to Adam Skyes from Manchester Met with a place in the last 16 up for grabs. Farren produced the best individual performance of the weekend, with the rest of the team also performing strongly in the singles event. Ian Withers, Mark Devlin, Adam Hancock, Nikola Avramov and Nischith Raphael all made the last 64, after some accomplished performances. Several members of the team were making their first performance in a BUCS tournament, highlighting the recent progress of the University of Sheffield Pool and Snooker society. The singles tournament was won overall by Ben Buckley.
This game began 40 minutes late after the visitors were delayed in the snow, however Leeds made up for lost time with a dominant 25-13, 25-19, 25-20 victory. Early Sheffield mistakes proved costly in the first set, as Leeds raced into a 5-0 lead. Sheffield attempted to recover, but errors from Josie Holly and Melina Li meant Sheffield never closed to within three points of their opposition. Leeds at one stage took nine straight points, going 20-8 up. Sheffield at no point looked to be playing badly, with Yvett Talas finishing particularly accurately, however Leeds serenely served out the opening set, despite a phenomenal diving save late on by Danielle Barnes. Leeds looked to pick up where they left off in the second game, however Sheffield kept tabs early on. However, Leeds got the break when a shot deflected off Holly out of Pamanes’ reach, and Leeds were soon able to convert 9-7 into 17-10. Sheffield called a time-out, but to no avail as Leeds extended their lead to 10 points. An
Photo: Matthew Smith excellent spike by Elena Konton put Sheffield back in it briefly, winning five straight points, but Leeds stamped out any possible recovery and served out for 2-0. In the third, and final set, Sheffield started badly again and never recovered. Leeds strode into a 6-1 lead before Sheffield were forced into another time-out - they needed five, Leeds never needed any. Leeds went on runs of seven and four consecutive points and were 13-5 up, before Sheffield showed real respectable fight, sticking to Leeds in the rallys, but they were never consistent enough to threaten.
Barry boosts Blades to beat Colchester Football nPower League One Sheffield United Colchester United
3 0
Michael Clegg Sheffield United rose to second place in League One after an important win against relegation candidates Colchester at Bramall Lane.
Barry Robson opens the scoring
It was a perfect start for United, with Barry Robson putting an emphatic penalty to the right of the Walker in the fourth minute, and earning his place in the starting eleven. For the next ten minutes Sheffield dominated, attacking the Colchester defence effectively through the incisive runs made by left-back Danny Higginbotham and lofted goal kicks to the considerable aerial presence of forward Dave Kitson.
Photo: Blade Sports Photography
The Bramall Lane faithful came to life as United pressed for a second goal. This goal seemed to have arrived when Kitson rose up in the box to expertly head the ball past Walker from a cross. Kitson’s effort was contentiously ruled offside. An unchanged United started the second half brightly. The game continued with Sheffield largely in control, although Colchester’s Jabo Ibehre proved a constant presence, if not necessarily a constant threat, in United’s half. In the 74th minute Kevin McDonald scored his first goal of the season with a low, hard drive past Walker from outside the box. This knocked the fight out of Colchester, and for the rest of the match Sheffield, perhaps with an eye on goal difference, continued harrying the visitor’s defence. This paid off when Kitson scored a deserved third, tapping in substitute Diego De Girolamo’s parried shot from close range. Ultimately, it was a capable performance by Sheffield, three points, three goals and three wins in three providing them with plenty of positives ahead of next week’s pivotal match against Bournemouth. The win moves them up to second in League One.
Sheffield fought hard but to no avail
Photo: Matthew Smith
Table tennis thrash Scots Men’s Table Tennis BUCS Quarter-Final University of Sheffield 1sts 12 St Andrews 1sts 5 Tristan Gretton Following their 17-0 annihilation of Durham 1sts to seal the Northern 1A title, the 1sts dispatched the top Scottish team by a clear margin in the knockout format to extend their undefeated season. St. Andrews had no answer for Mike Fraser’s overwhelming speed, aggression and technical ability. Fraser won three out of four matches, as did team captain Tristan Gritton. James Atkins eventually pulled through against the St Andrews no. 2 to record 3/4 wins with some strong backhand play.
Biao Yang got off to a slightly slow start but made amends, also beating the St Andrews no. 2, showing what a mercurial player he can be. The top St Andrews player deserved credit though for a defiant performance that saw him win four of his team’s points, and remain unbeaten in all competitions. It took impressive skill to beat Gretton and Fraser on the same day, who had both previously only lost one match out of forty-four matches in all competitions. The team will be licking their lips at the thought of the semifinal clash with Manchester 1sts. Whilst Manchester are not to be underestimated, the firsts will go into the match as strong favourites after previously beating their opponents 13-4 and then 14-3 in rampant league performances.
31
FORGE PRESS Monday Febru a r y 1 8 2 0 1 3
@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com
SPORT
Winter Varsity events postponed after venue change Matthew Smith Winter Varsity 2013 has been rocked by confusion after the skiing and snowboarding events were postponed due to issues with the Castleford Xscape venue. Castleford was due to be holding the event for the first time after the Sheffield Ski Village was destroyed by fire last year, however the venue has been changed to a dry ski slope in Swadlingcote, near Derby, after the Xscape slope was revealed to be inappropriate for spectators.
According to Sports Officer Luke MacWilliam, “Castleford wanted to limit us to 30 people watching on the slope. “The rest of the people would have been in the bar area, which again only looks out on the bottom of the slope. They said we could stream it into the bar areas on the TVs. However, all their screens are contracted to Sky Sports, and so have to show Sky all day every day. We would have had one fixed camera on projection at the end of the room. “It wasn’t a spectator venue at all. It would have lost money and
Alan MacDonald in action for the University Ski Club
would not have been enjoyable.” MacWilliam praised the ski and snowboarding clubs, who he says have been in on negotiations from the very start. “They’ve been involved right the way through from the first conversation. We had a meeting with SheffSki, the snowboard club and Hallam’s snowsport club. After that meeting it was agreed that we would pursue Castleford. When we decided that wasn’t the right venue, they were fully supportive of the decision.” When asked about the short notice at which the event was
Photo: Sheffski
cancelled, MacWilliam said that he was unaware of issues until a very late stage. ‘I didn’t have any direct dealings with Castleford until two days before cancellation. Hallam had been taking the lead on the event. “The impressions that I got from Castleford was that we could do it a certain way, but when we sat down face to face it transpired what we thought we would be able to do wasn’t the case, and so we decided it wasn’t worth putting the event on.” MacWilliam said that the event will still take place within a week of the Ice Hockey 1sts game, and believes that the new venue will allow “a better spectacle”. His biggest regret seems to be the demise of the Sheffield Ski Village: “That’s the real killer in the situation.” “We’ve been forced into a situation when we’ve had to do something a bit different. We haven’t got it quite right first time around, but we are confident that this event will be similar to how the event was at the Ski Village”. The dates are yet to be ratified, but MacWilliam is hopeful that things can be secured. “The clubs want a big event, they love the atmosphere, it’s a great occasion. “We’re working as hard as we can not to lose that essence of the event.”
Castleford Xscape
Photo: Geograph
Five-star Uni triumph as Hallam are left Saul searching American Football Steelbowl Sheffield Sabres Hallam Warriors
40 20
Matthew Smith Uni drew first blood in Varsity 2013 thanks to a convincing victory for the Sheffield Sabres in the Steelbowl. The Sabres opened the scoring midway through the first quarter. After a sustained spell of pressure, Saul was able to crash over for a touchdown. The kick was good for 7-0. Hallam responded superbly, and for the next 15 minutes were very much the better side. The Warriors gained possession in the
Uni half, and on the second down a zinging throw found Musonda in the end-zone. Hallam took the lead after successfully completing the two-point conversion, Adenkanmbi making it by the touchline. At the end of the first quarter, it was 8-7 to the visitors. The class of champions was soon in evidence however. Although a false start by Payne meant the Sabres had to go 15 yards in four downs, they made it in three thanks to some ingenious screen plays, Saul diving home. Sharrock converted the extra point. The Warriors hit back briefly, Vater scoring. Hallam went for an extra two points again, but this time failed. The Sabres responded to this by gaining 19 points without
reply. Saul got his third with a 10-yard run to the right corner to put his team in front at halftime. Minutes after the restart was at it again with the score of the match; a thundering 60-yard sprint, before he made his and the Sabres’ fifth after a pulsating team effort. The Warriors responded briefly; Adenkanmbi scored a blistering six points on the third down, to score what were the final points his team would manage, as they failed on another bonus twopointer. In the final quarter, the hosts ran down the clock, although there was time for the Sabres to ice their Steelbowl cake, as Broughton added a different name to the score-sheet, before Sharrock added the last point.
The teams face off at the line of scrimmage
Photo: Tobias Klenze
Hallam run rampant in inaugural ice hockey match Ice Hockey Varsity 2013 University of Sheffield 2nds 1 Sheffield Hallam 2nds 7 Matthew Smith People crammed into the tiny Ice Sheffield Arena to watch this brand new Varsity event, with spectators even sat on the stairs in order to get a view; however those in black and gold left feeling immensely disappointed after one of the most one-sided fixtures in recent memory. Incredibly, given the result, Uni drew first blood, Casey scoring in the opening minutes, however Hallam were quickly level after a goalmouth scramble. On 16 minutes, Hallam took
a lead they never looked like relinquishing. Toone was this time helpless as a well placed shot went across him into the bottom right corner. Straight away after the break, that lead was doubled. Sellars replaced Toone in nets, and his first two actions were smart saves. His third was to pick the puck out of his net. Uni were 4-1 down on 36 minutes, as two Hallam forwards converged on Sellars, who could do nothing about the placed finish that put the result beyond doubt. The tempo went from the game after this score, and in the final twenty minutes it seemed to be a case of how many Hallam wanted to score. They got a fifth on 41 minutes; Toone, back in nets for the final period, was unlucky, as the puck hit the post, rebounded
off his prone back and nestled in the Uni goal once again. Hallam followed this with two strikes in a minute as Uni looked utterly demoralised. The sixth came after a Toone fumble, and the rout was complete when Hallam showed to top teamwork to construct a counter attack and score, after Lepisto missed a chance for a consolation. The game was over bar the shouting, and a scrap on 56 minutes between Burnett of Uni and a Hallam player, which saw both to the sin-bin. At the conclusion there was sporting spirit on show as the players – who play for the combined Sheffield Bears team – posed together for a photo. However, there was no doubting which side had the upper hand in this year’s Winter Varsity.
Casey’s early goal proved a false dawn for Uni Photo: Philippa Wheeler
Monday Februar y 18 2013 FORGE PRESS
32
SPORT
@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com
No miracle at the Motorpoint as Uni lose ice hockey thriller Ice Hockey Varsity 2013 University of Sheffield 1sts 4 Sheffield Hallam 1sts 5 (after extra time and penalties) Aidan Phillips A determined fightback by Uni in the dying moments of full time wasn’t enough to prise the Varsity title from Hallam’s grip as the boys in purple and white won the men’s ice hockey 1sts in a penalty shoot out. Almost se4,000 spectators in Varsity ice hockey’s biggest crowd ever were treated to a last minute comeback and intense sudden death showdown in a game that looked over before the first period had even ended. Hallam were on the attack right from the off, hitting the inside of the post within the first three minutes. Dominating possession, their breakthrough came on the seventh minute when Anton Egorov scraped the puck in to send them 1-0 up. The lead was extended to 2-0 five minutes later when Tom Briggs sent his shot flying into the back of the net from four yards out. With Uni struggling to create chances and their keeper under constant pressure, the third goal didnt take long to come, with Alex Harding dribbling his way towards the net and making it
3-0. As Uni spectators feared the game was slipping away for yet another year Eric Lee-Cheong gave them a lifeline, clawing one back straight away to send both teams into the break at 3-1. The second period saw much of the same with Hallam looking the most dangerous coming forward. Harding grabbed his second of the game on the 26 minute mark, sneaking a shot inside the left post with the crowd only knowing the puck had gone in once the buzzer sounded. After dribbling his way through the defence, Ryan Olrin’s wide shot summarised the period for Uni, who did a far better job of setting up chances but couldn’t capitalise on them. Tempers began to flare, with Uni’s Pete Philips and Hallam’s Ben Hall dropping their sticks in an attempt to throttle each each other next to the Uni goal. With three minutes of the period left, Uni’s Ryan Jinn scuffed a shot in front of goal, with both teams entering the final third at 4-1. The third period proved to be the most intense of the three, with Uni showing a lot more spirit pushing forward. Their determination was rewarded after five minutes when Lee-Cheong closed the gap to 4-2. Forwards from both teams had better luck breaking through their opponent’s defences, with Hallam’s Harding and Uni’s Jinn both squandering one-on-one
Hallam’s man of the match Harding in action
chances. Showing far more composure and precision in their passing, Uni’s patience finally paid off with 100 seconds to go, as Adam Simpson laid off Micheal Szollosy for an easy tap in in front of goal. Not finished yet, he charged down the right wing and smashed the puck in for his second in two minutes, equalling the scoresheet with only 15 seconds to go. As both teams entered sudden death, Hallam nearly clinched it within 30 seconds, forcing Uni’s keeper to dive onto the floor to block his goalmouth. Despite a string of chances, neither side could break the deadlock and the game went down to a penalty shoot out. With everyone in the arena on their feet, the first nine shooters were unable to find the net, leaving the moment of glory to Alex Harding whose final penalty secured victory for Hallam. Sheffield Union sports officer Luke MacWilliam described the afternoon as an “emotional rollercoaster.” “There was no expectation to win this game so to come back from 4-2 with two minutes to play shows what an incredible spirit the team’s got. “The never give up attitude was a credit to the players involved, they set a great example. “Bring on the rest of Varsity.”
Peter Phillips faces up to the Hallam defencemen Photo: Adam Harley
Photo: Alisha Rouse
Rob Firth launches another Uni attack
Photo: Will King