Issue 88 FREE Friday 23 October 2015
Sexism in Music Marie-Elise Worswick looks at sexism in the music industry and how this should be changed FUSE P4
Old is the New ‘New’ Features discuss the wave of vintage and how old things are the new fashion FEATURES P16
Peddler Night Market Lifestyle ensure you can get the best out of your university shopping experience LIFESTYLE P23
Diamonds are a Builder’s Best Friend Will we all warm to the Diamond? Ever? COMMENT P11
TRIBUTES PAID TO STUDENT KILLED IN COLLISION
Polly Winn A University of Sheffield student was killed in a hit and run incident on Crookes Valley Road. At 9:25pm on Monday 19 October, a collision between a cyclist and a vehicle was reported to South Yorkshire Police. Police were at the scene within minutes, and approximately eight emergency vehicles were in attendance by 9:40pm. Crookes Valley Road was closed off with police tape between Mushroom Lane and the entrance to Harcourt Road.
The Police have said that the vehicle involved was a blue transit van, which failed to stop and was involved in further collisions with stationary vehicles on Providence Road, Walkley. The van was located on Liberty Drive, Stannington, and 30 year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, driving whilst unfit through drink and drugs and causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs. The student was cycling along Crookes Valley Road next to the junction with Oxford Street
when he was involved in the accident. The student was believed locally to be Robert Henry, a fifth year Architecture Student. Debora Green, Head of Student Support and Wellbeing at the University of Sheffield, spoke to the Star: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the death of one of our students “Our thoughts are with his friends and family. We are doing what we can to support his family, friends and our staff.” Leo Care, Director of the School of Architecture’s MArch
course taught Rob for his third year final project. Care sent in a tribute to Rob. “For those that don’t know him, Rob was a fifth year MArch student who had just returned to Sheffield to continue his studies. Rob studied at the School for his degree and is well known by many of us. He was an exceptional student and fantastic personality who will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. Continues on page 5...
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NEWS
In Brief...
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Sheffield Heritage Protected Two Sheffield landmarks have been rated as among the most ‘at risk’ historic sites in South Yorkshire. English Heritage, a company that manage over 400 historic locations across England.
Elephant Art 40 elephant sculptures have been unveiled as part of a public art exhibition. The project is being developed by Children’s Hospital Charity and Wild in Art. The ‘herd’ will be completed and located across the city from July to September 2016
South Yorks Police “Inefficient” South Yorkshire police have been rated as one of nine most inefficient police forces in the country,following an examination from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary.
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elcome to another issue of Forge Press, we’re excited to bring you another paper with more from our wonderful contributors. Last week we had our EGM, and it was incredible to see so many of you wanting to join our time. I was personally overwhelmed by the quality of candidates, and I’m just sorry that we couldn’t find positions for all of you. So I’d like to welcome the new members of our editorial team. Kazuma is our brand new Fuse editor, I’m sure you will all be hearing from his soon. Rhys finally has a friend, our new Screen editor, Luke, and Features finally have their third editor, Hallam. We’ve now also filled all of our committee positions, so all of the behind the scenes stuff will be running smoothly. To any of you who didn’t make the team, please don’t be disheartened. There were
so many of you, and sadly so few positions. There are always opportunities to get involved with Forge, whether it’s with writing, photography, artwork, thinking of ideas, or just coming along for the ride (cough cough, socials). This has been a particularly difficult week for us in the hub, particularly the news team and myself. We’ve all been affected by the loss of one of our students. Finding on reporting on local stories is always exciting, but with the good comes the bad and stories like this make us all reflect. University is a time for adventures, getting to know yourself and sometimes being a bit reckless, but now is an important time think about the decisions you make and how they affect other people. We all need to, now more than ever, stand together and look out for each other. Despite the thousands of
The Tuesday Club Blonde Live
Yorkshire has been declared the second cheapest place in the country to buy a pint, with an average price of £3.15. Herefordshire landed first place with an average pint price of £3.10, with London unsurprisingly being named most expensive at £3.92
Sending love and thoughts to everyone who has been affected.
Tue 27 Oct 23:00-03:00 £9.50 Advance Ticket, in Studio, Foundry and Fusion
Thurs 29 Oct 17:00-19:00
Give it a Go Cake Tasting
Cheap Pints in Sheffield
people at this University, we are a community and losing somebody from that community is a pain that we all feel. The tributes that we’ve heard to Rob over the past few days have been heartfelt and overwhelming in so many ways, and we know that he won’t be forgotten amongst the students and staff of our University.
What not to miss this fortnight “Informed by a plethora of undiluted underground influences, the current wave of British popular music is in its healthiest condition for years. Just a few years back, aspiring musicians would need to fork out for a range of studio instruments”
£10000 Artist Prize
An artist from Sheffield has won a £10000 prize for her painting of Park Hill flats. Mandy Payne was chosen for the Valeria Sykes Award by New Light, a charity that supports contemporary artists in North England. Her work can be viewed at the Royal College of Art in London from October 21 to November 1.
Editorial
“Baking Society does cake tasting! All bakers have to know what makes a good cake so we are running an event, where we test a local Cakeaway’s merchandise! There will be games, cake tasting and a vote to see which cake comes out on top.”
Tickets £2.50, Gallery Room 3, SU
Fri 30 Oct 15:00-18:00
Pumpkin Pie!
“Due to the popularity of this event last year, Pumpkin pies are back for round 2!! And all you need to bring is container to take your pies home in! In 3 time slots 3-4pm, 4-5pm and 5-6pm, choose one that suits you and just turn up along with your box/container”
View room 5, Sheffield SU
Can you find the Marmalade? In this week’s edition of the paper, we have hidden the word “marmalade” in an article...prizes for those who successfully Hunt it! EDITOR editor@forgetoday.com Polly Winn
NEWS news@forgetoday.com Keri Trigg Will Morgan Claire Fowler
FEATURES features@forgetoday.com Sheena Sidu Anna Gillies Hallam Roffey
PICTURE EDITOR dan.west@forgetoday.com Dan West
DEPUTY NEWS news@forgetoday.com Jess Davis Nathaniel Robinson Lisa Latham
LIFESTYLE lifestyle@forgetoday.com Mojo Abidi Mared Gruffyd
FUSE EDITORS fuse@forgetoday.com Joss Woodend Kazuma Osaki
COMMENT comment@forgetoday.com Robin Wilde Chris Saltmarsh
HEAD OF ONLINE ned.westwood@forgetoday.com Ned Westwood
COFFEE BREAK press.coffeebreak@forgetoday.com Adilah Hameed
SPORT sport@forgetoday.com Ed McCosh Rob Milne Anthony Philips
DEPUTY EDITOR chloe.coleman@forgetoday.com Chloe Coleman
MUSIC music@forgetoday.com Tara Hodgson Charlotte Pick GAMES games@forgetoday.com Moya O’Rourke Ash Emritte ARTS arts@forgetoday.com Joshua Hackett Jo Gallacher SCREEN screen@forgetoday.com Rhys Handley Luke Baldwin
COPY EDITORS Sophie Cockett Adilah Hameed Bethan Littley Ellena Rowlin Emma Quigley Harriet Hales Joanna Booth Lotte Dobson
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We are the 91 per cent Will Morgan On 14 October 91 per cent of attendees voted in favour of divesting from fossil fuels at a University of Sheffield debate. The University of Sheffield currently has £3 million invested in fossil fuel companies, roughly 10 per cent of the university’s endowment fund. The debate is the culmination of two years of campaigning by People and Planet Sheffield who campaign for a greener education system through activism and working with the university community. The debate was opened by Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Professor Richard Jones, who spoke about the history of fossil fuel usage in the United Kingdom and in particular Sheffield. The debate was then opened by the chair Professor Marie Kinsey, joint head of the School of Journalism, who set out the rules of the debate and the question “to divest or not to divest”. On the “to divest” side of the debate was Professor Fionn Stevenson and student Liam Hardy, joint head of the School of Journalism and a PhD student
in Physics respectively. They were opposed by Professor Peter Styring and Ali Aiad, both from the department of Chemical Engineering. In her opening speech Professor Stevenson began by setting out why doubting climate change is not a valid argument against divesting from fossil fuels. Quoting the statistic that 97 per cent of actively publishing climate scientists agree that human activity has led to a change in climate, Stevenson said “if 97 engineers out of 100 told you not to cross a dodgy bridge, would you cross it?” The opposition cited the ubiquity of fossil fuels in everyday life as a reason not to divest, with Professor Styring saying that “I don’t see how we can maintain our quality of life” without fossil fuels. Whilst the debaters remained civil throughout, the issue of fossil fuel divestment was clearly emotive for many as rounds of applause and occasional outbursts from the crowd made the general support for divestment obvious. Professor Stevenson summarised why the university should divest by arguing that “we need to return to our
principles”, finishing with the Gandhism “we need to be the change we want to see”. Tension built as the audience’s votes were counted, but soon broke into a standing ovation as the result showed the overwhelming support for
divestment. The result of the debate is non-binding however it does give divestment a democratic mandate when the university makes its decision on divestment.
Derwent students get a chill after boiler breaks Chloe Coleman Hundreds of students living in Derwent were left with no hot water for three days after a boiler broke down. Derwent Apartments, one of the biggest apartment blocks in Endcliffe Village, was without both hot water and heating for the three day period between 11 - 13 October meaning that students were forced to wash in sinks and the bathrooms of friends for a few days. Maintenance teams at the accommodation said that the issue was down a problem with a gas valve and that the long wait for hot water and heating was due to a delay in the arrival of the replacement piece. The problem was fixed on
the afternoon of Tuesday 13 October, however during the time of the boiler breakdown, residents of the £126 per week ensuite accommodation were provided with only a couple of heaters. Welfare Officer, Gabi Binnie said “We believe that our students should never be put in a position where they are without hot water and heating. “We would hope that the University would safeguard against these problems in the future and while maintenance is taking place, provide students with a more adequate source of hot water and heating.”
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SCIENCE & Technology
DNA tags could influence sexuality Geneticists have found a link between epigenetic tags and homosexuality in identical twins of opposite sexuality. Epigenetic tags are chemical modifications to DNA that switch gene activity on and off. The five most commonly dissimilar tags were used in an algorithm that successfully predicted sexual preference 67% of the time. Though the researchers insist that no “gay gene” exists, the experiment aims to improve our understanding of how genes and their modifications contribute to sexual preference. Ellie Williams Earth causes moonquakes Scientists have discovered that the Earth’s gravitational pull is the cause for cracks in the moon’s surface. Fault scarps, or cracks, run across the moon’s surface and are caused in part by the cooling down of the moon’s interior. If this were the only contributing factor then these cracks would be random. Instead, many fault scarps line up with the poles and the equator. It is thought that these scarps are also responsible for “moonquakes”. Ella Hubber
HIV cure HIV might soon meet its match in the form of a new vaccine. Robert Gallo, who first proved that HIV causes AIDS in 1984, and his team are proceeding to human trials of a ‘full-length single chain’ vaccine that works by targeting the HIV virus at its weakest moment – the exact point when it first attaches to our immune cells. Tests on monkeys have so far proved hopeful, though several potential vaccines have failed human clinical trials in the past. Jonathan James
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Student poses naked with dead pig’s head An art student has rowed with Exeter College, after it refused to display a picture of her wearing nothing but a pair of wellies and a pig’s head. Cress de la Fosse, 29, was shocked she was informed she needed to remove her work at the last minute, as the nudity involved wasn’t acceptable for some guests of the exhibition. She has now been forced to search for an external gallery to display her art, which she hopes will draw attention to the issue of the female body shape. Ms de la Fosse says that she was not consulted prior to this decision.
Sexy Gandalf dominates social media Tjitske Van Vark, an 18-year-old student in Australia, recently dressed up as sexy Gandalf for her last day of school and won over the internet. The students had to dress up in costume for her school’s ‘muck up day’ - where senior pupils dress up and prank their peers and teachers as a country tradition. The teenager posted pictures of her cosplay on Tumblr, which have resulted in marriage proposals.
Email Porn A New Zealand high school has had their email system hacked, ending up with porn sent to all 2,700 students. Parents of students at Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland were notified on Monday and the e-mail database was shut down. They now have police working on the case. They suspect that someone had used a Gmail account to hack into the school system.
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Doctors torn up over Hunt’s contract changes Will Morgan More than 200 medical students and junior doctors protested the proposed change to their contracts at Queen’s Social Club Saturday October 17. At the social club, after a sit-down meal, the medics ripped up a two by three metre version of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s new junior doctor contract to show support for junior doctors across the country. Rallies and protests were also held in London and Nottingham, with 20,000 occupying the capital’s streets waving placards saying “Hunt must go” and “tired doctors make misteaks (sic)”. Many see the contract changes as a pay cut as it seeks to extend the normal working hours for junior doctors, everyone below the level of Consultant, from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday - to 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday. An associated issue with this is that, according to the British Medical Association,
fewer junior doctors will want to specialise in areas like Accident and Emergencies where working unsociable hours is the norm. Leader of the protest Rachel Hallam, a fourth year medical student, called the language of the contract “alienating” – echoing the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee chair Johann Malawana who cited
the contract’s obtuse language as a reason for industrial action. As doctors have a duty of care to their patients, strike action is unlikely, with protest more likely to take the form of the cancellation of nonemergency appointments and a ban on overtime. Doctor Andrew Collier, cochair of the BMA junior doctor’s
committee, said: “we urge the government not to impose a contract that is unsafe and unfair. We will resist a contract that is bad for patients, bad for junior doctors and bad for the NHS”. Ending the evening, the medics unveiled a giant birthday cake to celebrate the 20th birthday of Medsin, who organised the event.
study a Masters in the School of Health and Related Research. The visa that the student was provided expired on Monday 19 October. Following the new Tier 4 system that was released in May 2015, students overseas receive a temporary visa after the application to the British embassy gets accepted. Once students arrive in the UK, they complete the biometrics at the nearest immigration office to their
term-time address, they then receive their full-time visa after. Hind said: “I’m running out of time and feeling totally helpless. I was supposed to get in mid September and get to know the city. It’s mid October now and I’m still in Gaza waiting for the border’s reopening.” Hind has her visa stamped on her passport on 16 September, and started to plan her journey to the UK. Due to the complexity of travelling out of Gaza, Hind has been unable to make it to the UK before her visa expired. This is not the first time that a recipient of the Gaza scholarship has been delayed from making it to the UK. Last year, 23 year-old Omarali Falyouna delayed in arriving in the UK. Falyouna arrived in Sheffield on 25 October, 2014 and was able to begin his Masters degree. Education officer Minesh
Parekh told Forge Press: “At the moment we’re waiting for the Gaza border to open, so that Hind can actually make it into the country. “The priority is getting the Home Office and the University to agree to extend her visa conditions so we can make it clear that, as long as she is willing to come and study, that offer is available. No matter whether borders try and impose any restriction on the right to education.” Minesh told Forge Press that the University are currently trying to extend Hind’s visa to November. Audrey Leadley, Head of Student Support and Guidance at the University of Sheffield, said: “The department concerned and student advisers in the Union and the University are in contact with the student and working together to try and ensure this scholarship opportunity is not lost.”
Palestinian scholarship student left in limbo
Polly Winn
A University of Sheffield Scholarship student is being prevented from arriving in the UK. The 25 year-old pharmacy graduate is unable to commence her course in the UK because the Gazan borders are closed. Hind Al-Alami graduated from Al-Azhar University, and was awarded a scholarship to
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Student killed in collision “will be sadly missed” Polly Winn Continued from front page “I have had the pleasure of knowing Rob throughout his degree and taught him for his final design project in third year. My overriding impression of Rob was a friendlyand warm person who was incredibly focused and driven in all aspects of his life. “Rob‘s proactive approach and positive outlook meant that he was not limited in his aspirations. His first class degree was testament to his skill, creativity and ingenuity. “Rob made the complex process of designing look easy. He was incredibly able and adept at developing projects that were complex, considered, beautifully formed and joyful. He loved the process of designing and making architecture at all levels. “Rob recently worked in practice with Susanne Hofmann and Die Baupiloten in Berlin. Susanne is a visiting Professor in the school [of Architecture] this year and in a recent conversation with her, she said how much she was missing Rob in the office. He had quickly made himself indispensable to Die Baupiloten through his range of abilities and the sheer force of personality. “My last conversation with Rob was a few days ago, as we were getting on our bikes
at the front of the Arts Tower. We had a brief chat about how he was really pleased to back in Sheffield and enjoying the beginning of the MArch course. “He also talked about working with Die Baupiloten and that he had been tasked with editing their ‘Architecture is Participation’ book. He mentioned that the translation from German to English had lost a lot of meaning, which he set about bringing back. “One strong memory that I have of Rob was from third year, with about three weeks to go in his final design project. The site was in the Langdale valley in the Lake District, which is about 10 miles from the nearest railway station.
“Rob decided that he needed to have specific site photos that matched the angle that he wanted for his key presentation drawing. So, he took his bike on a three-hour train journey, cycled the 10 miles to site, took the photos, cycled back and then caught the train home to Sheffield in one day. “It was worth the effort, as the contextual photos provided a fabulous backdrop to the images that he produced! I think this epitomises his passion and commitment, but also his physical ability.” The University’s Architecture Society SUAS cancelled their social on Tuesday 20 October in a tweet at 2:45pm.
Their tweet said: “Due to devastating news, tonight’s I-Word Social has been cancelled. Our thoughts are with everybody affected throughout SSoA & UoS” Police are appealing for witnesses, if you have any information please call 101 quoting incident number 1255 of 19 October 2015. If you have been affected by this news, then please contact the relevant services: University Health Service: 0114 222 2100 University Counselling Service: 0114 222 4134 Central Welfare and Guidance Team: 0114 222 4321
Speak your mind
Lisa Latham
The University of Sheffield’s Mental Health Matters (MHM), Poetry and Open Space societies hosted a Speak Your Mind event on October 16, in support of local mental health charity Sheffield Mind. The three student organisations collaborated to create an evening of poetry readings, live music and open mic sessions in the Raynor Lounge of the Students’ Union. The event raised over £500 for Sheffield Mind and aimed to encourage positive expression of issues surrounding mental health. President of Mental Health Matters society Anna Mullaney
said: “It struck me how many of the poets talked about mental health, which shows the high impact it has on so many people.” Sheffield Mind is an independent charity and part of a network of 170 local Mind associations across England and Wales. They offer a range of services including counselling and anger management courses. “Sheffield Mind is an amazing charity that provides crucial services for the people of Sheffield where the government health services fail,” added Anna. “They’re also really underfunded and in need of money!”
MHM is entirely studentled and supported by Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity. The group hosts frequent events to allow students to talk about mental illness in a comfortable social environment. Louise Haigh MP said in a statement on Thursday, October 22, that mental health services “desperately need increased funding, not just warm words from the Government”. This comes after a patient survey released by the CQC revealed mental health services in Sheffield performing poorly across a range of measures and nationally showing “no notable improvement”.
NEWS Amazon deliver jobs Will Morgan Online retail giant Amazon has announced the construction of a new delivery office in Sheffield creating 270 new jobs. The Sheffield “station” will be located near Meadowhall, at Victoria Park retail outlet. Around 20 administration and managerial positions will be created, and a further 250 drivers will be employed by 12 independent delivery services. These will manage parcels from Sheffield’s new depot seven days a week. In early September the firm announced its development of a second warehouse in Doncaster, creating 300 jobs in the area. Orders packed in Doncaster will be sent to the new Sheffield base and distributed across South Yorkshire from there. Between 2012 and 2014 Amazon created 2000 jobs in the UK. Amazon has faced controversy recently over the treatment of its workers, with a 5900 word exposé appearing in The New York Times telling of depots where temperature would reach 30 degrees Celsius, causing employees to be taken away in ambulances. The exposé also showed that some managerial staff worked 80 hour weeks. In addition, the retailer paid only £11.9 million in tax last year, despite UK sales reaching £5.3 billion, so the economic benefits may be mixed. Because of their unethical practices, Sheffield Students’ Union Council voted to block Amazon from installing delivery lockers in the Students’ Union.
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Union celebrates Black Herstory with exhibition
Keri Trigg
The last week of Black History Month will see an exhibition dedicated to black women open at the Students’ Union. The Black Herstory campaign, launched by the NUS Black Students’ campaign and Students’ Unions across the UK, will open on Wednesday,
October 28. It will be a celebration of black women throughout history and their achievements. The exhibit, which will be on display in the Students’ Union Gallery, will accompany workshops and discussions throughout the week. SU Womens’ Officer Sharmin Jahan said: “Black Herstory
is part of a national launch which a few Students’ Unions across the UK, alongside the NUS Black Students campaign, have planned together. “The exhibit will showcase successful black women and the stuff they have achieved. “We also have a workshop on Black and Intersectional feminism. The last event is the Feminist Friday which is a discussion on Black and Intersectional Feminism which will be chaired by myself and Nazma Begum. The week-long celebration of BME women is part of Black History Month, an international celebration which runs every October. Sharmin added: “Black History Month itself this year has been in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union. “It included various events such as talks and workshops. Some of the events hosted were a talk on ‘the BME Attainment Gap’, a Talk by the
Former Chief Crown Prosecutor of North West England Nazir Afzal OBE, as well as a candle light vigil for the Black Lives Matter Campaign, a panel on intersectionality and much more. “Overall black history month has been a huge success and the BME Students committee at the SU have worked very hard.” Chair of BME committee said “Black History Month is important as it celebrates the achievements of BME people that don’t usually get recognised in the media and in the teaching curriculum. It is also an important reminder for all of us that racism is still alive and ever present as BME students are more likely to drop out of University and it highlights the issues that BME people face such as police brutality in the form of national campaigns such as #blacklivesmatter
Fan fire at Firth Hall Jess Davis
A fire struck in the Univeristy of Sheffield’s Firth Hall building on October 16. The fire is thought to have started from a malfunction within the building. No one was hurt. A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield, said: “We can confirm an extractor fan within Firth Court malfunctioned on Friday 16 October 2015, triggering the fire alarm. “The fan was immediately fixed that same day.”
Three injured in Sheffield You’re hired! Supertram collision Jess Davis
Polly Winn Three people were taken to hospital after two trams collided in Shalesmoor. Trams between Shalesmoor and Malin/Middlewood have been following a collision at 8:30am on Thursday 22 October. Police were called to the scene with engineers from Stagecoach supertram. A spokesman for Supertram spoke to the Star: “We can confirm that services travelling through Shalesmoor are subject to delays this morning following a low-speed collision involving two trams shortly after 8.30am. “We understand that three people have been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure. “Our immediate thoughts are for the welfare of the passengers and our staff involved. “Safety is our absolute priority. We will carry out an investigation into the cause.” For now, Stagecoach Supertram is uncertain how long the delays will continue.
Tram services from Halfway and Meadowhall are terminating at Netherthorpe Road and Stagecoach buses are accepting tram only tickets between City and Hilsborough. First Bus is also accepting Supertram tickets on 52, 81, 82, 84 and 85 routes from the city centre. Sheffield’s tram network opened between March 1994 and October 1995. Expansions are planned for a tram-train pilot project in 2017, where Supertram will extend to Rotherham via an existing heavy rail line. Plans to extend the tram service into Broomhill failed to get government funding in 2004. Between 1994 and 1997, 53 accidents were reported involving Supertram. The last supertram incident reported was in 2005 after a pedestrian stepped in front of an approaching tram. The Department for Transport’s 2015 report revealed that Sheffield Supertram has an overall journey satisfaction rate of 92 per cent.
A University of Sheffield statistician has identified the winning strategy of the TV show The Apprentice by carrying out in-depth analysis of performance of previous contestants. He studied 159 people over a 10-series period to find out how you can boost your chances to avoid being fired by Lord Sugar. His winning strategy includes always shining whilst on a losing team, getting on well with your team mates, being between the ‘perfect’ age of 24 and 31, never being a team leader just to look enthusiastic and have good academic qualifications.
Forge Press | Friday 23 October 2015
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Giant E.coli model takes over Winter Gardens Jess Davis A giant inflatable model of the bacterium Escherichia coli (E.coli) has been unveiled at Sheffield’s Winter Gardens a part of KrebFest. The bacterium was created by artist Luke Jerram for KrebFest, organised by the University of Sheffield, which is a festival to honour the life and work of scientist Sir Hans Krebs. Mr Jerram explained that it had taken him around six months to build the artwork, including a redesign after the first version popped whilst inflated. The 28m replica has been enlarged to the same as an average person scaled-up at the same ratio; they would increase to at a height of 9,000km (5,592 miles) - the same as the distance from the UK to Japan! The artists’ previous works include a giant water slide and installing street pianos in cities around the world. The artwork was made with
the help of Cameron Balloons, a balloon company based in Bristol, the same company which previously aided Mr Jerram make his giant water slide in 2014 and made the Breitling Orbiter Three balloon,
the first to fly non-stop around the world. The giant germ has dominated social media as a result of this, with people tweeting : “Who DOESN’T want to see a giant inflatable
E.coli?” It will be displayed until 3 November, before being moved to the University of Sheffield’s Firth Hall for KrebsFest.
Devonshire demolition gets the go-ahead Nathaniel Robinson
Sheffield Steelers are left outraged, as One Direction change their tour locations. The Elite ice hockey team witnessed their match against Belfast Giants at the SSE Arena in Belfast become postponed, in order for the band to reschedule their concert. Tony Smith, owner of Steelers, called the cancellation “unacceptable” and said it was “not the end of the matter”. One Direction had to postpone Tuesday’s show as a
NATIONAL NEWS
Who’s a pretty boy then? A man has cut off his ears in a bid to look more like his pet parrot. The retired shoe factory worker and eccentric animal lover had his lobes removed in a six-hour operation. Ted Richards, 56, from Bristol is obsessed by his feathered friends and previously had his face and eyeballs tattooed to pay tribute to them. Mr Richards said “I think it looks really great. I love it. It’s the best thing that has happened to me. Mr Richards is currently looking for a surgeon who will shape his nose into a beak.
Get out of the ducking road
One Direction cause havoc
Jess Davis
NEWS
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member of the band, Liam Payne, fell ill. Hockey fans were left in tears when the Belfast game was cancelled, but now One Direction fans will watch the stars, even though it is at the expense of the ice hockey. Harry Styles, band member, expressed: “We very, very much apologise to everyone.” A new date for the ice hockey fixture has not been confirmed yet, although the Giants will offer fans who have bought tickets a full refund or admission for the rearranged game.
Top judges have rejected the legal appeal of the Devonshire Green protesters. The Royal Courts of Justice in London blocked a bid to launch a judicial review into Sheffield Council’s decision to knock down the shops on Devonshire Street in the city centre to make way for flats, a restaurant and shops. When the planning decision was made, councillors said their hands were tied by national guidelines. It was also said by planning officers in reports that the weight that could be given to the buildings’ conservation was ‘limited.’ The original council proposals led to the largest petition the council had ever received with over 18,000 signatures. Anger at the proposals culminated with hundreds gathered outside the planning meeting in March to protest the decision. Nick Roscoe, from the Save Devonshire Street campaign, commented on the Royal Courts decision not to grant a
Duck lanes have been introduced to canal walkways in Birmingham, London and Manchester. The waddle-ways are part of the Canal and River Trust’s ‘Share the Space, Drop Your Pace’ campaign which calls on users of the canals and walkways to be considerate in sharing the space. The Trust says the spaces have become more popular than ever before causing problems for ducks trying to go about their daily business. The new lanes provide equal walkway space for both feathered and non-feathered walkers.
Party Pirate left ship wrecked judicial review saying: “We are very disappointed.” The group had raised more than £15,000 to cover the legal costs involved in the court challenge, which they hoped would overturn the initial planned demolition. Justice Sir John Mitting said he was convinced that even if Sheffield Council had made an error in law by not consulting, he was bound by the rules not to give permission for a judicial review, as quashing the planning decision would serve no purpose. The failure of this legal appeal means that Sheffield Council is free to press ahead
A pirate has been left trapped aboard his vessel in Kent after arguing with his sister. Finbar O’Brien, a former decorator from London, is the captain of the Revenge a replica pirate galleon. Finbar planned to sail to Ibiza and start a pirate party boat nightclub business. His sister, who partially owns the ship, is pursuing legal action to prevent Finbar from sailing away from the UK, and while legal action is pending, the ship can not be moved. Police have boarded the Revenge and seized the keys, preventing Finbar from traversing the oceans blue.
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Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
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AMRC branches out to Korea with new KAMRC Claire Fowler
A new branch of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) is to be established with Boeing in the Republic of Korea. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by: the University of Sheffield, the Korea Institute of Carbon Convergence Technology, the Jeonju University and the Jeonju City, plans for a new branch of the AMRC in Korea called the KAMRC have been acknowledged. Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean of the AMRC, Richard Scaife, head of the AMRC Composites Group, and Jounghwan Lee visited South Korea where they signed the Memorandum. The new branch will lead to stronger links to Korea as well as collaboration on key research. A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said:
“The new Memorandum of Understanding will lead to further collaboration on research, support Korean suppliers to AMRC partners and promote educational cooperation on the joint development of manufacturing courses and student exchanges.”
While links are being made across the globe further plans for the AMRC are being made right here in Sheffield. Construction work is well underway at the old Sheffield airport which is due to become the new £43 million Boeing Factory 2050. The AMRC website boasts
that it will be the world most advanced factory and is being built in order to satisfy the high demand for advanced manufacturing. Work began on Factory 2050 back in May and is scheduled for completion at the end of this year with promises to create hundreds of jobs.
New club set to change Sheffield’s dance scene
Jessica Davis
A new nightclub has opened within Sheffield’s famous Wicker Arches and is set to provide the city with some of the biggest names in dance music. ‘Arch 9’ has been granted acceptance from the licensing
committee, to open its doors 9am until 5am every day of the week. The new club has two floors and it will operate as a cafe during the day and then turn into a dance club in the evenings. Arch 9 can hold up to 515 people when in full capacity, including 20 staff
members. One founder of the new club, Spencer Fearn, was born in Sheffield and expresses how he wants to give something back to his hometown and provide some of the biggest dance acts to the city. He believes that Arch 9 will put Sheffield back on the map
in terms of the music world by providing a space for cultural events and exhibitions in the near future. The club are promising big things, as they have already announced that acts such as Clean Bandit, Leftwing and Kody and also Dale Howard. The student night is run by Voodoo events, ‘Vision’, and will be held every Thursday. However, not everyone is that thrilled with the arrival of the new club. The owner of the neighbouring arch (Arch 7) objected the application of planning. Peter Roberts stressed that he is concerned about the excessive noise it will bring to the area. As well as this, he felt as though the club will deteriorate the area further, by contributing to its already excessive drug use in the area. Also littering and the volume of people within the club at the same time are concerning, in regard to the risk of anti-social behaviour.
University’s £21 millon investment Lisa Latham The University has announced that £21 million has been allocated for research into the UK’s “Engineering Grand Challenges”. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is funding the project, with an additional £11 million investment from industry to tackle same of the UK’s major science and engineering shortcomings. Following a call from EPSRC in early 2015, four “Engineering Grand Challenges” have been established and will undergo extensive research from 19 UK universities and 80 partners. Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “From ground-breaking work with robotics to advanced air-flow simulators, this investment will help tackle our aging water infrastructure and air pollution in cities to improve the lives of millions of people around the world.” The project was announced by Johnson during a visit to the University of Cambridge, who will manage the research into improved air flow systems in cities to reduce levels of pollution and enhance air quality. The University of Sheffield will receive £3.9 million to lead research into the UK’s aging water infrastructure and develop resilient systems in preparation for anticipated future needs. This consortium will collaborate with Thames Water, Northumbrian Water, Scottish and Welsh Water to innovate the UK’s water supply. A further £500,000 will be provided for further research into mathematics, analytics and predictive modelling. This will aid understanding of complex natural systems and be used in conjunction with the existing engineering systems that underpin modern society to enhance performance and reliability. Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC’s Chief Executive, said: “The projects announced today will help us plan and maintain our cities, reduce our energy consumption and develop new materials, innovative devices and technology. The UK has world-leading academic talent to enlist in the challenges we face as a country and as a species. Investing in research is investing in the UK’s future.”
Forge Press | Friday 23 October
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NEWS
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Living wage campaign respond to University announcement Polly Winn In September, the Students’ Union and Unicus announced that they will pay a living wage. The Union announced in a statement that it would be paying a living wage of £7.85 per hour, and removing the age discrimination rates for under 21s. This was announced on 18 September in a joint statement with the University, the change was effective immediately. The statement released from the University included positive comments from the Head of Commercial services at Unicus, and Union President Christy McMorrow. Forge Press spoke exclusively to the Living Wage campaign about the announcement. Rosie CarterRich, Co-Chair of Sheffield Living Wage Campaign said: “Obviously we’re really happy because this is a pay increase for many more staff. “The reason it’s come through really is because it’s
part of the restructure. So this is Ally Buckle and Yael’s work, which means that all of these years of campaigning have been effective if not immediate. “However, we have got some problems.” Carter-Rich told Forge Press: “When the living wage is increased in November, [the University and Union] are going to be under the living wage again. “Moreover, as it’s gone to core staff it’s not paying all staff the living wage which is something that we want to push for.” The Co-Chair of the living wage campaign also commented that Unionisation was a main objective of theirs for the future. “We’re not going to give up on unionisation just because of this increase in wage which is obviously great, but it’s almost easier for people to feel complacent and secure and unfortunately we just can’t ensure that, especially when
it’s not accredited.” “Increasing wages is one thing but we want to ensure that this comes with the number of hours staying, how much people are being paid over time, how much overtime they’re getting. “As it’s core staff this doesn’t include the casual staff which
is the majority, so we are happy but hesitant.” SU President Christy McMorrow said: “It’s fantastic that our Union has been able to respond to the great work of student activists calling for a living wage over the last few years. “I’m also proud that
our SU has removed age discrimination on the minimum wage for casual staff. With many students under 21 working in our services, this is a big improvement, and we hope to continue to work towards a statutory living wage across our campus going forward.”
Forge Press: blast from the past Nathaniel Robinson In 1968 students faced many of the same struggles as their contemporary counterparts. Forge Press’ predecessor DARTS ran a story in which a student, Chris Walker was ordered to leave his accommodation for making noise at an unsociable hour. The justification given by the landlord for this act was that he “kept her and her husband awake.” This seems like an all too familiar tale of students partying into the early hours of the morning or engaging in insalubrious behaviour.
But a flatmate of Chris, said that he “woke up at 3:30am and decided to work”. It’s safe to say that we have all done far worse things at half past three in the morning than work. Chris said it was impossible for him to make the slightest noise without the land baron hearing, as his bedroom was directly above the landlord’s. Eventually the landlord capitulated, In an act of solidarity against 1960’s landlord pernicious despotism, Keith Walker and John Lowbridge, both flatmates, condemned the decision as harsh and
unjust and suggested that they will probably leave the authoritarian fiefdom alongside Chris. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde “the next day she changed her mind and said that she did not want us to fail our exams on her account”, according to Mr Lowbridge. Despite being the Warden of Lodgings, Miss Ball, showed her competence saying that she did not know the facts of the particular case and did not want to make a statement – despite it being her job as Warden of Lodgings to know the ongoing within accommodation.
Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
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COMMENT
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What’s in it for us? As University of Sheffield students vote to support fossil fuel divestment, Chris Saltmarsh argues the human element needs to be at the heart of the environmental movement.
The Arcitc.
forget about degrees and ice caps. focus on humans as the victims of the climate crisis
Chris Saltmarsh
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n Wednesday 14 October the highly anticipated public debate on whether the University of Sheffield should divest from fossil fuels took place. To my continuing joy, the debate went about as well as it conceivably could have. 91 per cent of the audience voted in favour of divestment. The University now has a huge mandate to commit to fossil fuel divestment. We’ve given them until COP21, the global climate conference in Paris at the end of November, to make a formal decision, and now we’re not going to take no for an answer. Our emphatic victory wasn’t the only positive thing to come out of the debate either. It was both refreshing and encouraging that the debate was framed around the humanitarian costs of climate change. The pro-divestment debaters made the points that climate
change is happening right now, with serious impacts on human life, and that it will continue to wreak more havoc for humans around the world in the years to come if we don’t take action immediately. This line of argument is largely in contrast to the dominant narrative pushed by the environmental movement of the last few decades, and Big Green groups like Greenpeace and 350. org. Too often and for too long, these groups and the movement as a whole have framed climate change as a crisis of ice caps melting, polar bears dying, and increasing degrees of global average temperatures. I think that this can largely be to blame for the failings of the movement. Of course, I recognise that all of those things are hugely important. As an animal liberationist sustainability nut, I can make the link between carbon emissions, rising average temperatures, the resultant melting of Arctic ice caps. I also really really don’t want polar bears to die because of our addiction to fossil fuels. I see it as obvious that melting ice caps lead to sea levels rising and the flooding of some of the most densely populated parts of the world and the sinking of small island nations. Big Green groups, however, often fail to make this connection explicit, and
this means that wider society doesn’t make the link either. For many people, climate change is this distant thing that they understand is kind of important to act on, but without necessarily having a thorough understanding about why. This really isn’t conducive to mass action on climate change, and that’s what we desperately need.
“We haven’t made the case that climate change will force people out of their homes” We haven’t connected the polar bears to the hundreds of millions of environmental refugees that the UN predict climate change will cause. We haven’t made the case that climate change will force people out of their homes and communities, take away their livelihoods, destroy vital infrastructure and threaten their food security. These will be caused by more droughts, more flooding, and more frequent and severe natural disasters: all a result of our carbon emissions.
The current refugee crisis has invoked huge popular and active support from ordinary members of civil society who were clearly affected by powerful images of the human suffering of those refugees. We clearly have the capacity to empathise with and take action for our fellow humanity, no matter how geographically far detached we are from them or their struggle. Why can’t we, as a movement, recognise that and frame our arguments around it? Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly believe that the environmental movement is in the best position that it has ever been in. Through the global campaign for fossil fuel divestment, we have found our enemy: fossil fuel companies. For too long, we placed the blame for climate change and the burden of responsibility on each other and our modern way of life. Finally we have identified fossil fuel companies as the real bad guys, and it doesn’t look like we’re going to stop until we’ve taken them down. This is really exciting and is already winning victories such as Shell stopping its oil exploration in the Arctic. But how do we push the movement to the next level? There may be more people campaigning on climate change right now than ever before, but how do we take it one step further? How do we mobilise the masses of civil society
to take action on climate change and address the root causes of the climate crisis? We need to keep talking about fossil fuel companies as the bad guys, but start emphasising that vulnerable human communities are their victims. By arguing in terms of the loss of human life and the disruption to our civilization that climate change will bring, we can get more people into the movement. Its hard to care about degrees Celsius, ice caps and sea levels. Its much more difficult to ignore human suffering and deaths. If we want to put up a serious fight against climate change, and win, the environmental movement needs to move beyond ecologists, people who care about polar bears, or those lucky enough to have come to a deep understanding of the wide-reaching effects of climate change on their own. To create a sustainable future, we need to seriously challenge and disrupt the fundamentals of our current economic and political systems. We can only do that effectively if we mobilise civil society, and we can only do that if we talk about climate change as a humanitarian crisis.
Read more about the divestment debate on page 3.
Forge Press | Friday 23 October 2015
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COMMENT Below the line
It seems that last fortnight, some people to whom we contractually have to pay attention thought that Below the Line was quite a good little segment. Fortunately, since the internet is a boundless sea of idiocy and it’s all copyright free (we assume) we’re happy to plumb those depths until our spanners rust and our plungers turn rank. Onwards to stupidity! On Prison Architect (a fun game about running a prison) “This is a truly disgusting idea and the creators should be deleted from the gene pool by any means necessary.”
A bag in a tree.
- Gene Starwind, cuddle monster (Mother Jones)
Carrying Food in Plastic Isn’t My Bag Madeleina Kay have always had a simple answer to that question of whether we really need plastic bags: No. And it’s not to do with the 5p charge that has been recently introduced by the government to reduce plastic bag use by 80%. 7.64 billion carrier bags were handed out by supermarkets in 2014, a wasteful figure that has been rising steadily year on year. Most of these bags end up in landfill or damage the countryside by harming wildlife and causing a blight on the landscape. The ethical and environmental case for re-using bags is indubitable, but too many of us still indulge in the wasteful habits for convenience. It is hoped that charging for carrier bags will generate £60m savings in litter clean-up costs and £13m in carbon savings. However, this landmark action is not a novel idea, England is the last of the countries in the UK to implement a charge for carrier bags; Wales introduced the charge in 2011 and saw a 70 per cent reduction in use. I feel like I can justify preaching the
I
recycling ethic, safe in the knowledge that me (and my Dad) have been taking our indestructible “Bags for Life” to the supermarket for years and any plastic carrier bags we do pick up get reused as bin liners in our collection of ridiculously small bins.
“Supermarkets too should be pressured into helping reduce waste” I even buy biodegradable bags to recycle our compostable kitchen waste, curse at our landlady every time I discover unwashed yoghurt pots in the recycling bin. Can’t you just feel the smug sense of self-righteousness oozing from this paragraph? I also reuse old newspapers as handy pet bedding… It’s quite satisfying to know your rabbit
will be defecating on photographs of David Cameron’s face. Initially, the money raised from the charge will go directly to retailers, although most are expected to donate the profits to good causes. However, I think that as well as placing the responsibility on the consumer to reuse and recycle more, the supermarkets too should be pressured into helping reduce waste. I am constantly infuriated by the amount of plastic wrapping that I have to remove from everything I buy from the supermarkets. Every carton of grapes, packet of courgettes or Little Gem lettuce, even my fresh basil plant is wrapped in a nice patriotic Union Jack Sleeve. It makes me proud to be British. Oh, and someone should probably tell Mr. Kipling that his lemon slices are so exceedingly good that they don’t even really need to be “individually wrapped for freshness”. The case for the new levy is compelling, but somehow I feel slightly perturbed that introducing financial penalties is the only way to successfully discourage damaging and irresponsible behaviour.
The change in plastic bag use should have been manifest because of the ethical and environmental justifications, not because of penny-pinchers quibbling over 5 pence. But that is the fundamental problem with a society constructed on capitalist principles; no action has worth unless it is assigned a monetary value. Despite this, it is quite heart-warming to see the variety of colours, sizes and textiles of all the different bags hanging from people’s’ trolleys, as they trudge around the super-market. I even saw a woman walking out of the Tesco on West Street carrying a dozen oranges by their mesh sack. I question whether I would have seen such a sight a few weeks ago? There are a few exemptions to the carrier bag charge; it doesn’t apply to paper bags, or stores that employ fewer than 250 members of staff. And superscrimpers should not fear the next time they plan to buy a live gold-fish, a piece of root ginger or an axe; a plastic bag will be provided free-ofcharge.
diamonds are a builder’s best friend
rosy roche
A
s the early weeks of term draw to a close and term is very much underway again, the IC entraps 900 students in peak study periods, and the Diamond sulks, neglected. Its shiny desks lie desolate for most of the day, and its eight-plug sofa booths remain unoccupied. It hasn’t caught on – despite the free bags and badges, Sheffield remains unconvinced. Hurtling through its over-sized revolving doors, one finds oneself in a mysterious, aimless hall. Is this a café? Is this a corridor? Is it too hipster for walls? The Diamond’s ground floor is in the midst of an identity crisis which cannot be redeemed by its excellent vegan sausage and onion chutney sandwiches. An unwelcome realisation hits you – the Diamond has much the same problem as the IC in that it’s either around eight million degrees, or sub-zero. Sweating, you gaze around, and realise that you have no idea where anything is. Without so much as a toilet sign, the trek to find your lecture is a serious expedition over the multicoloured levels. You climb down into the building’s belly, and happily come across Lecture Theatre One. As you settle into
your lecture, you can’t help noticing construction workers through the room’s internal windows. As they climb up stepladders, to fiddle with light-fittings, you feel uncomfortable and anxious for their safety, as well as for the discussion of Freud you are distracted from. The Diamond’s ironic transparency is both exciting for those of us who have never seen a lab before, and also slightly unnerving as you learn while you’re in the human equivalent of a fishbowl. As you ascend the stairs to reach the upper levels, the glass bannisters are now replaced and smash-free, and pretty much all secured (without those dodgy wooden wedges they were using for a while). You reach the barriers, swipe through with surprising ease and then stop to contemplate the bizarre space. While the innovative desk shapes, massive chairs and individual desk lamps are aesthetically pleasing and comfortable, it becomes clear that the place is just as spatially inefficient as the IC. It could probably double its capacity with fewer holes in the floors and desks in more conventional shapes – rectangles are quite good apparently. The building is still operating under restricted opening hours of 6am-8pm, so will continue to dissatisfy those who prefer to burn the midnight oil as they slave away over essays and lab reports. Despite this, the working environment is great. It is bright and airy, with plenty of silent study spaces and more relaxed areas to work. It doesn’t have the power-rationing of Western Bank, and is quieter than the IC. The facilities are great, and despite the distractions of onlookers, the labs are better
On a mass shooting at a zombie themed party “The idea that zombie movies and TV shows are so popular provides an insight into what ails our society. “I guess if you can embrace the fantasy that homosexuals can “marry”, you will believe anything.” RetiredFire, World Heavyweight Shoehorning Champion (Breitbart) On A mother of four struggling with tax credit cuts “Hate to disappoint @OwenJones84 but she is getting exactly what she deserves for voting Tory. Zero sympathy.” - Martin Valentine, alleged socialist and somehow an elected councillor (Twitter). On Chinese State Visit to Britain “Hope queenie counts her corgi’s before and after dinner” - Grissom, British Ambassador to China (Daily Mail). On 5P plastic bag charges
than anything we had before - the experience of engineering students has been greatly improved with its light, open and clean atmosphere. With 969 new study spaces, even the Arts and Humanities students can’t complain, now that it might potentially be possible to get a seat during exams. Some signs and temperature control would go a long way, but once it’s completely finished, Sheffield will learn to love it.
“NEED TO BUY BIN LINERS NOW AS MOST RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE DID REUSE THEIR PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS FOR THAT USE . NOT SO THICK AS YOU THINK , MATEY”
Want to write for Comment? Email press.comment@forgetoday.com
“the threat of a new cold war kinda solves the conundrum of do we build affordable housing on the green belt”
- ScottieDog, Minister of State for Indoor Voices (Daily Express). On Nuclear Disarmament
No student access to the student study space.
- MattThePleb, Institute for Perspective Studies (Guardian) On Star Wars Episode VII “More idiotic, stupid, mindless crap from the ***Geritol For Lunch Bunch***. Another ‘shiny thing’ meant to distract from 0smabo’s socialist-commie filth and sewage.” - GDNCTR, (Breitbart)
Film
Critic
Remember - Below the line comments are a prescription drug and should not be consumed outside of the controlled environment of this paper. If you find yourself drawn towards them, promptly administer a firm slap to your own face. -Robin and Chris.
The diamond still under construction.
Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
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COMMENT
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Bake off was delightful, tories very frightful
isaac stovell
High Time for drugs reform jack brentall
D
uring his time as Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg commissioned an investigation into the benefits of cannabis legalisation, and the results announced this week are resounding, if not totally surprising. Treasury analysts claim the legalisation and regulation of cannabis could help generate hundreds of millions in tax revenue each year. Along with this they highlighted the evident benefits of cutting police costs and a decrease in the criminalisation of drug users. The study found that in 2014, over two million people between the ages of 16 and 59 used cannabis, between them smoking a total of 216 tonnes. To put that into perspective it constitutes over five per cent of the working population. It is the most commonly used drug after alcohol and tobacco in the UK and the widespread legalisation and this study shows the evident financial benefits that legalisation could bring. But financial gain is not the only reason we should be supporting legalisation. Recent events in America show that it constitutes a serious and viable policy. 23 states have approved the use of medical marijuana and five have legalised recreational usage. This program of legalisation has also failed to see any rise in use amongst adolescents. When coupled with relative safety of cannabis compared to other drugs (including alcohol) and the obvious point that what anyone does with their own body is their business and theirs alone, the case for cannabis legalisation seems to be an open and shut case. Despite this, the government refuses to change course and continues to criminalise and demonise individual drug users. This begs the question
Is it a plane? No, it’s supertram! Robin Wilde
I
f you’ve been lucky enough to take a tram recently, you’ll have noticed a small temporary adjustment in the fare you paid. This has been promoted by Supertram as a 21 per cent fare cut by way of apology for continuing maintenance going on until 2018. Having had the misfortune of hauling suitcases that resembled a pallette of bricks halfway across this fair city, the trams were a source of welcome relief for me in first and second year, helpfully taking the edge off what was otherwise an interminable pain - instead making it a pain that terminated at Malin Bridge, via Hillsborough. For each of these journeys, I knew to have my £1.50 ready - a little steeper than the bus for a journey to university, but more comfortable and with more
of why they do so, despite so much evidence to the contrary. While the Conservative Party have long claimed to advocate a politics of individual freedom, their record on drug use is shockingly authoritarian. They backed Gordon Brown’s decision to raise cannabis to a Class B drug in 2008, placing it in the same category as amphetamines and barbiturates. The penalty for individual possession can be up to five years in prison. By standing against such overwhelming evidence, the Conservative Party proves that despite its posturing about freedom and liberty, it is fundamentally driven by a strongly paternalist and authoritarian ideology. So what does the future hold? The heavy reliance of the Conservative Party on the so called ‘grey vote’ and the authoritarianism of Cabinet members such as Home Secretary Theresa May suggest that the party is unlikely to change its mind on drug legalisation. And while the election of Jeremy Corbyn may hint at a change in Labour policy, the conservatism of the rest of the parliamentary party represents a serious obstacle in achieving any major policy shift. We can’t carry on with a prohibition that doesn’t work and that criminalises users for a totally self-regarding action. We are all able to make our own decisions without the intervention of the government in such matters. And as history shows, prohibition almost never works anyway. As a result this leaves all of us who advocate legalisation and freedom with a responsibility to continue putting the case, proving again and again why it is something worth fighting for. There will come a time where they cannot ignore us any longer.
personal space, so a worthwhile tradeoff. You’d expect me, then, to be quite pleased about the fare dropping to £1.10. Well, yes and no. You see, a student fare for the buses is £1. A good deal that makes bus travel affordable and convenient for almost all of Sheffield’s tens of thousands of students. In exchange, we learn not to have great expectations from the motorised box on wheels. It’s occasionally full of the drunk or irritating from all walks of life, the drivers can be surly and the timetables can be advisory at best - but it’s a bus, what do you expect? By paying a little bit of a premium, we got that extra bit of legroom and a little less body heat because people who were content to endure not having those things saved their money and got the bus, or walked. It’s a worry for me that we might end up in a situation where we don’t think of the tram as the ‘nicer’ option, and if quality slides, we’ll more easily shrug it off with a “well, it’s cheap”. There are sometimes problems with
This last week has seen two immense events in very different celebration of Britishness, watched by vast swathes of the country with very different reactions. I’m talking about the Conservative Party’s heavily-protested Manchester conference, and, of course, the final of The Great British Bake Off (don’t worry – no spoilers). GBBO has become an unexpected mass-culture sensation. Americans recoil in horror from tweets wondering what on earth has suddenly become so important about puff pastry. People who once tried and well-kind-of succeeded to make a cheesecake have emerged from the woodwork in their millions, pretending they’ve been keen bakers all along, and jumping with gusto into the fast-growing following of the best reality show to grace the BBC in, er, probably ever. Old people, students, yuppies, families – this fanbase hoards demographics like nothing else. What is it about it that gives it such broad appeal? I think it’s patriotism. Not the ‘God save the monarch but not-so-much the migrants’-type that right-wing media outlets espouse (there was actually, I kid you not, a Daily Mail article complaining that GBBO was too diverse), but a quieter, quainter, more quintessentially British kind. This ‘nice’ patriotism is less pride and more a wholehearted appreciation for the brilliant diversity of people constituting our society, taking delight both in the variety of backgrounds that people are from and the variety of interests that they share. And when large population groups converge on a single shared joy – namely, competitive televised baking – this golden heart of British character shines. There is no exclusion, no jibes, no division, just friendly people who have devoted similarly enormous portions of their lives to making cakes (and other stuff). Take a look at some of the contestants: Tamal, the Tumblr-heartthrob who devises inventive desserts while training as an anaesthetist; Ian, an unassuming travel photographer whose new life bus capacity in Sheffield. That’s not an indictment of First or Stagecoach - it’s a reality of living in a major Western city. By lowering tram fares Stagecoach - who own many bus routes as well as the Supertram - may be trying to divert some passengers from one form of transport to the other. That’s a fine idea, and it might well work - but it’s no long term solution. There will continue to be spikes of passengers on both trams and buses - again, it’s a reality - and all the equalisation of fares will achieve is to mean there are spikes on both forms of transport. Then we get to the direct financial rationale for the fare cut. Either we assume that Stagecoach were making serious profits from that extra 21 per cent on each ticket - in which case privatised public transport has been screwing passengers again, with the money not ploughed into line extensions or service improvement - or they’re fearful of backlash over maintenance work and are trying to make concessions via taking a financial hit as a result. I like to think the people of Sheffield
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Home Secretary Theresa May, outside Lib Dem party headquarters. as a househusband has swept him up in an eccentric baking craze; Nadiya, an endearing self-deprecating motherof-three whose lively facial expressions alone have inspired at least a dozen Buzzfeed articles. The ease with which such diverse people get along in good spirits displays what I’m on about – Britishness isn’t really anything concrete, there is no single set of sociocultural characteristics that ‘a British Person’ necessarily has - and that flexibility is in itself something very British. The key here is the attitude of acceptance, of not taking oneself too seriously, enjoying what is good and working together to avoid what isn’t, of not politicising your differences to others. GBBO has helped capture and define a new kind of national pride, one that finds itself attached not to our historical nation, but to the real, weird, lovable people living in it, and while that may be pretty vague, it’s also drastically nice. So, why did I mention the Tory conference? Because this is a Comment article for Forge Press, so I can’t just talk about GBBO [Editor’s note: fine by us, we like a quiet life]. Comments, policies and the whole general ideological crusade from the Conservatives rally against the idea of a nice, relaxed, inclusive Britain. David Cameron’s vile takedown of Jeremy Corbyn, implying that being willing to negotiate with people we disagree with to try to find common ground and peace is a comparable stance to supporting those
people, shows a streak of deep-rooted intolerance. Jeremy Hunt’s comments about tax credit cuts, maintaining that those with little money should simply work harder, longer, worse hours to sustain themselves, shows an attitude to work that sends economic development backwards and definitely doesn’t leave room for most people below the average person’s privilege bracket to find time for hobbies (like baking, or questioning the wisdom of the Conservatives). If we are to take seriously the values of individuality and positivity in this country, we should reject outright much of the thinking of the Conservative Party. It idolises economic rankings above all else, squashing joy and opportunity out of the lives of many. It idealises capability above contentment, punishing people who by whichever antiquated Etonian yardstick aren’t pulling their weight ‘for Britain’. At root, they think British people exist to serve the interests of the country, and the country exists to serve the interests of its rightful rulers: them. Get stuffed, one should say. We exist for ourselves, our eccentricity and variety and niceness, and the community that naturally springs up from these factors. And politics can only go so far; true change is cultural – which is why GBBO is such a delight. It’s nice to see this old, but always refreshing Britishness rearing its head, as if to suggest we calm down and forget about ‘all this austerity palaver’ and have a cup of tea.
All the world’s a Stagecoach. And all the men and women paying customers. are patient enough to understand - or have no more than a minor Yorkshire grumble about - the delays for improvement work. People know rails need to be maintained, timetable boards installed and upgraded, trams repaired. If people are complaining it’s about lack of access because the tram lines are closed, something a 40p rebate for each journey doesn’t directly address, especially since they’re then likely to get the bus and thus no discount.
It also puts Stagecoach in the awkward position of having a £1.10 ticket just long enough - three years that it becomes normal, before hiking it back up to £1.50, or ending the lower fares while people still remember the old ones, but long before the maintenance for which the cut was instituted is actually complete. Both courses of action will cause far more long-term consternation than if they’d just made the stop announcers sound a bit apologetic for a while.
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Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
FEATURES
When did old become the new ‘new’? With the storming success of shows like The Great British Bake Off, Laura Mullan explores why we are so keen to bring back tradition and revive the old
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ith soggy bottom catastrophes, mind-boggling flavour combinations and endless innuendos from hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, the search for Britain’s best baker has become an unlikely reality television phenomenon. Desperate for another lick of the Great British Bake Off bowl, over 14 million people tuned in to last week’s final, making it the most watched television programme this year. These impressive viewing figures seem to suggest a baking renaissance is unquestionably in our midst. But in a machine age when state-of-the-art phones, games consoles and other gadgets are at our fingertips, why did most of us decide to spend our Wednesday night in tears over Nadiya’s lemon drizzle cake? Why did this traditional, and somewhat oldfashioned, pastime become a trend? When did
old become the new ‘new’? Cultural trends are truly accidental. It’s notably difficult to predict what will and what won’t be successful. Donning an apron and armed with a whisk in hand, perhaps the Great British Bake Off has managed to concoct the recipe for commercial and cultural success. This BAFTA award-winning show encapsulates something which is quintessentially and nostalgically British about the way people connect to one another; through a shared enjoyment of heart-warming food. It appears that “food porn” is by all means the great unifier of modern Britain. By conjuring up an image of a quaint British get together, edged with characteristically English bunting, the creators have helped to ignite a warm glow within the people who are British themselves, as well as a sense of amusement and curiosity amongst onlookers. The show means we are introduced to a diverse
range of interesting and varied individuals and get to see them do something they are good at. In contrast to the abundance of reality shows that revolve around spite, humiliation and outrage, this is a good-natured television show where contestants aren’t jibed; it’s truly refreshing. It is a reality television show where you don’t have to rush for the remote control in fear of what malicious event will occur next. The rudest comment said is usually merely a jovial double entendre of Mary Berry getting all hot under the collar in the tent. This is, put simply, ‘nice television’; a kind affair where the only sense of jeopardy comes from a soggy bottom which threatens baking elimination. In a similar vein to the Great British Bake Off, other television shows such as the Great British Sewing Bee have sprung to life, paying homage to intricate long-established skills, as contestants compete to be named Britain's best home seamster.
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FEATURES
Cultural trends are truly accidental. It’s notably difficult to predict what will and what won’t be successful.
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The rise of these kind of shows, about somewhat old-fashioned pastimes, evoke nostalgia. They represent what we judge to be a more peaceful, stable life that people yearn for as our own lives change so rapidly. Traditional and old things have become fashionable because we just want to stop for a bit and slow down. But is this appreciation of the old, of the traditional, anything new? I think not. Glancing through my iPod, it is near impossible to find an artist who doesn’t revert to the traditional music of past decades to spark their imagination. The enduring legacy of rock-and-roll icon Buddy Holly is often cited as a springboard for the Beatles’ creativity. Moved by the quirky vision of Buddy, the Beatles were encouraged to choose an insect orientated name as homage to Buddy’s band: the Crickets. With erratic fluctuations between tender sighs and exuberant “Holly hiccoughs”, musicians across the globe have continued to be inspired by the curious lustre of Buddy’s voice. However, he also left a visual impression on musicians such as Elton John, who allegedly wore spectacles in imitation of the famous Holly horn-rims, ruining his eyesight in doing so. With a honeyed, Sam Cooke worthy croon, up-coming artist Leon Bridges similarly reverts to the past by mimicking the soulful character of the 60s, whilst prominent rap figure Jay Z often pays homage to the complex rhythmic phrasing of Grandmaster Flash. On the surface this may seem like simply replication, when in reality this admiration of the past has in fact laid the foundations for the development and growth of our musical sphere. This reversion to the past is also vividly apparent in the fashion industry. Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy and Coco Chanel are just a few icons of the fashion world whose images have been emulated time and time again.
Casting the word ‘old’ aside, the industry has revered its looks as classic and timeless because they are resourceful and easily adopted. As each decade passes we see the floral flares of the 70s, the acid washed jeans of the 80s, and the choker necklaces of the 90s, reappear in an almost cyclical way. Our generation wholeheartedly relies on the past to provide inspiration for the present and insight into the future. This love of the old is no more evident than in the city of Sheffield. Shuffling along the winding streets at the city’s heart, one thing you cannot help but notice is the abundance of vintage thrift stores which have punctuated this city’s mosaic red brickwork. Individuals with larger than life attire emerge from their doorways, their shirts emblazoned with patterns so startlingly they would make the Fresh Prince of Bel Air cower in fear. “I should’ve been born in the 90s” you may hear the children of the noughties mutter, as they walk by in their retro style clothing. It is no coincidence that the most popular night out at the Students’ Union is retro night Pop Tarts, an award winning student night that is a guaranteed sell out. With painful austerity cuts, an increase in child poverty and a rise in mental health problems across the UK, it’s understandable why we may try to echo the past-times, music, clothing and indeed spirit of decades past. In doing so perhaps we are trying to echo what we judge to have been the ‘golden era’. We are romantically imagining a different time period is better than the one in which we are living in. Maybe nostalgia is allowing us to momentarily deny the present. As we knead bread, sew dresses and croon to the silk smooth melodies that our parents danced to, we can kid ourselves that this current time period is sub-par. This is far from the case. But perhaps we just won’t realize it until we’re shuffling along the winding streets at the heart of Sheffield, and see a girl emerging from a thrift shop wearing the same outfit we used to covet fondly only a few decades ago.
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Friday 23 October 2015 Forge Press
FEATURES
CHALLENGING THE MYTHS OF MENTAL HEALTH
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he phrase ‘mental health’ holds more weight than many can handle. It can evoke fear, a lack of understanding, and even discomfort. Mental illnesses are perhaps some of the most misunderstood conditions that a human being can experience in their lifetime, for unlike most afflictions, there appears to be no tangible cause. You cannot touch dopamine or serotonin, or any neurotransmitter for that matter, as you could your arm to feel the unpleasant warmth of a gash. It is the intangible nature of mental illness that makes it as terrifying as any other ailment, as those affected
2008). People who suffer from depression, one of the most common mental health issues, are familiar with phrases such as ‘you’re just having a bad day’, or ‘suck it up’. They may also be well acquainted with the question: ‘well, why are you depressed?’ Sadly, depression is not as simple as these phrases make it out to be. It is more than just having a bad day, and those affected by it cannot just shake
it off. It can be chemical, genetic or environmental, and regardless of its origin, it has the potential to strike at any time, impairing how an individual functions in their everyday life – be it socially, at work, or even in the home. When most people think of depression they have a tendency to assume it just means somebody is very sad or under the weather; but this is quite a simplistic approach to depression. Depression can cause a
“Severe anxiety can literally cause physical pain to the point of mimicking a heart attack, yet many people are told to get some fresh air or try deep breaths” by mental health problems may find that they are no longer themselves. According to the World Federation of Mental Health, 10 per cent of children, aged five to 16, have a clinically diagnosable condition, yet 70 percent of children and adolescents have not had the professional intervention they needed at an earlier age (Children’s Society,
Mental illness is widely misunderstood. Khaled Hejres tries to remove the stigma
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It is more than just having a bad day
lack of appetite, but it can also encourage overeating as a coping mechanism. A person with depression may find they withdraw from their friends and family, and often find that the hobbies and activities which once engaged and intrigued them no longer hold the same appeal. Alongside depression, another common mental health issue is anxiety. Many people will use the term ‘anxiety’ whenever they are feeling particularly apprehensive, for example, before receiving exam results, or when they receive a text from a love interest. Clinical anxiety, however, is worlds away. Anxiety makes you feel as though something terrible is about to happen even though your life could be absolutely perfect with not a thing out of place. That is exactly what mental health issues do; they create irrational fears or thoughts that often damage the self-esteem of the person they affect, and may even hinder their ability to perform some of their daily tasks as a result of these thoughts and feelings. Recounting her experience with anxiety attacks in an article, Sarah Robertson, a mental health advocate and contributor to the Huffington Post, writes: “Severe anxiety can literally cause physical pain to the point of mimicking a heart attack, yet many people are told to get some fresh air or try deep breaths.” A lot of the time mental health is stigmatised by a seemingly unenlightened crowd. The internet has become a haven for the loudmouthed, and sadly freedom of speech means even the views that most of us would find utterly ridiculous are shared in the public domain. The web, once meant to be a database and collective of knowledge, theories and ideas, has become a breeding ground for ignorance. Those suffering from mental health issues
can find themselves attacked by ‘trolls’ who will immediately label the person as an attention seeker, thus causing more damage to the selfesteem of those suffering from psychological conditions. Any courage that came with the ability to share their experience with others can be shattered in a matter of minutes. For most, the internet is nothing more than a tool and such people are to be ignored at all costs, however, to the sensitive mind looking for an outlet, this can very discouraging. Though not all seek to discourage, there are many out there who are more interested in providing support, and seek to educate the masses. Two weeks ago was World Mental Health Day, hosted by the World Federation of Mental Health. The event aims to raise the general public’s awareness of mental health, and to rally support for those who may suffer the effects of this formless malady in all its variations. World Mental Health Day falls on the 10 October each year, with participants organizing marathons and other initiatives in order to raise awareness. Events such as World Mental Health Day allow the global community to come together, and reach out to their friends, family and neighbours who may be suffering from a mental health condition. They alleviate the stigma that tends to follow the discussion of mental health and allow healthy dialogue to take place. World Mental Health Day is an annual event organised by the World Federation of Mental Health who also organise initiatives such as ‘Depression in the Work Place.’ Mental health conditions are serious states of mind that can affect the overall well-being of a person, it concerns all of us, be it directly or indirectly. Read more about mental health on page 5.
FEATURES
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Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
FEATURES
Sexuality in the media. Why all the fuss?
? K C A B P E T S GA
N I K A T I
t’s 5pm, I’m having a well-deserved break from my studies so I scroll down my social media newsfeed absentmindedly when alarm bells ring. I click on a headline that reads: “Sorry, ladies! GBBO heartthrob Tamal reveals he’s gay – and looking for a boyfriend.” For my housemates and I who have been religiously following the show it has been a tough few weeks; I read on, click on related articles, and share the link on my Facebook page. Soon, I realise that the sexual preference of the baking star is everywhere. Why are we all so interested that a contestant on a television show is gay? Does it make a difference in our lives or is it just great gossip material for pre-drinks? It begs the question whether or not it is a good or bad thing that sexuality is discussed so
openly like this. Should it be concerning that in a society that proclaims tolerance and acceptance, heterosexuality is still assumed to be the norm? Many high profile figures feel the need to announce their sexuality as a big news story. This could be seen as a positive move to encourage others, but in a truly progressive society surely people should not feel the need to make a statement regarding their sexual orientation? If we revisit the example of The Great British Bake Off star Tamal once more, there is something concerning in the fact that it was presumed he would be heterosexual; his coming out as gay shocked many. As a modern society, we pride ourselves on being tolerant, open-minded and accepting. In Tamal’s case, he wasn’t coming out, merely
setting the record straight that the sudden female attention was wasted on him, he likes guys. When the coming out of reality TV contestants or any other high-profile individuals becomes such a huge news story, this highlights a flaw in our outlook on sexuality, and in particular the media response to sexuality. YouTuber Ingrid Nielson attracted millions in her 30 minute video where she announced she identified as gay, and faced criticism from fans. Maybe once these announcements are considered unnecessary and sexuality no longer becomes a juicy news story, we can truly label ourselves a tolerant, inclusive society. In an ideal world, sexuality would have no place in the public eye as it would be of little importance. However in a media obsessed world it is inevitable that the issue will remain prominent for some time. Celebrities’ lives are followed in intense detail. Thanks to the rise of online content, websites are constantly updating their gossip pages with stories and most tend to surround the love lives of the rich and famous. In a study conducted in August 2015 by the National Readership Survey, 94 per cent of over 15 year olds said they read printed or online newspapers and magazines. These figures have increased by 29.5 per cent since digital transcription. Huffington Post have argued that there is much support for the opinion
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FEATURES Contributor Julia Hodder delves into the media’s apparent obsession with sexuality that in a society that has become so accepting, seems outdated and oldfashioned.
that social media is a very dangerous place to attempt to conceal information. Many athletes are inevitably victims of accidental revealations of their private information either through their posts, the public’s interpretation, or of course the intense scrutiny they receive due to their fame. There seems to be a simple solution to this problem: do not engage in social media. However, this is far easier said than done, as it is borderline impossible to name a celebrity or someone of significant stature who does not have an online presence. Indeed, it can sometimes even aid celebrities in getting their story out there should they wish to have it told. There is an argument to be made that celebrities, acting as role models particularly amongst teenagers, have encouraged individuals to be more truthful about who they are as people and be proud of their sexual identity regardless of what it may be. The media, as all-consuming as it may be, isn’t always a valid source of information and education. Often stories are over-dramatised to engage readers and have little factual substance behind them. They tend to focus on the emotional side of things, in an attempt to produce a story that people can relate to and will want to read. It can lead to openmindedness, but it can also provoke negative attitudes depending on how they choose to paint a particular story. Readership isn’t the only appeal of making sexuality news. The recent outburst in relation to Tamal’s sexual orientation has provoked great interest, and consequently, high profits. Statistically, magazines represent £500,000 readers and whether an advertisement, an article or photography, each represents an income of £100,000. Sexuality in the news isn’t always necessarily a negative thing. There is something to be said for the impact high profile figures can have when being open about their sexuality. For those struggling with their sexual orientation, seing someone they admire either coming out or talking about their sexuality as something not to be ashamed of can be an inspiration and encourage others to do the same. It appears at first glance that while we still need to address the issues of prejudice that surround sexuality, tolerance is no longer the only message we need to be sending out. A deeper issue needs to be considered when thinking of social norms regarding sexuality, the preferences of celebrities, and how this should be dealt with.
Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
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Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair comes to Sheffield four times a year. Famous for its vintage tea rooms, beauty salons, hand-made jewellry and affordable vintage clothing. We sent Kathryn Jamshidi to see what all the fuss is all about. This month, the UK’s number one vintage fair returned to the ballrooms of Sheffield’s City Hall to host another fabulous event. The impressive venue was adorned with everything from 60s dresses to homemade jams and as I quickly realised, vintage garments were not the only offerings the stallholders had. As I weaved my way through the stalls, I discovered an array of handmade clothes, upcycled furniture, aged posters and antique crockery. With so much on display it was easy to spend hours pacing around the fair, taking in all the glamour and history that it had to offer and finding new, unearthed treasures
with each lap. The extensive assortment of produce was not the only surprise, I had expected the fair to be heaving with swarms of hipsters digging through the rails to find the most obscure item possible in order to reaffirm to the masses that they are anything but mainstream. Instead the event had attracted families, couples and students looking for a fun day out, and an older crowd eager to find authentic merchandise from their heyday. Even the husbands begrudgingly following their wives around the room found a few hidden gems in the form of vintage comics and retro car adverts. As for fashion, there was no shortage of beautiful pieces, all on offer at extremely reasonable prices. Fur coats, cropped blouses, brightly-coloured skirts and beaded tops lined the walls of the ballroom whilst ornate handbags, suitcases and heels were artistically stacked up on the floor. There was no need to sort aimlessly through piles of someone else’s high street cast-offs in the hopes of finding something fabulous, like so many of us are forced to do in our local charity shops. Every item on display was a gorgeous, one-off piece that the seller had handpicked to
represent their brand. For me, the most impressive clothing stall was Adorned Vintage; run by York Psychology graduate Sarah, the stall offers a variety of upcycled clothing including jackets, dungarees and tops. Sarah revamps all the clothes herself, crocheting and painting designs on to second hand items in order to give them a new lease of life. After growing up helping her mother make jewellery, Sarah decided to try her hand at upcycling some clothing and soon the business blossomed. It was certainly refreshing to see someone straight out of university making a living out of something that they’re so passionate
about. For most of the stallholders vintage seemed to be something of a family affair. I spoke to a vendor, Alison, whose stall focuses on handmade products; she creates retro-style dresses, whilst her mother makes childrenswear and
her husband crafts dainty teacups and saucers in to lamps. Each stall was also entirely unique and dressed in such a way that proves the seller to also be an artist, whose attention to detail is second to none. The jewellery stands were particularly eye-catching and made for a photographer’s paradise as they were laden with every girl’s best friends; diamonds, pearls, rings and antique perfume bottles. Hidden away from fur coats and pearl necklaces sat my favourite stall at the fair, Forsaken Dreams, run by Zoe and Ruth. Together they have sourced a marvellous array of retro coasters, prints and cards emblazoned with the faces of old Hollywood stars such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, along with furniture that they’ve refashioned themselves. The stall was hugely popular amongst those with an interest in the glamour of previous eras but perhaps don’t want to dress like they’ve just walked off the set of Roman Holiday. I couldn’t resist purchasing a few necessities myself and ended up walking away with an upcycled wine table and prints of Marilyn and Audrey.
After doing numerous laps of the room – something that becomes harder when you’ve got a wine table in tow – customers were invited to take a seat in the tea rooms and enjoy one of the many sweet treats on offer from the Secret Cake Club. The Mads and da Bads DJs were playing a host of swing, rock ‘n’ roll and blues music that provided a suitable soundtrack for the event. Meanwhile people were also queuing up to pay a visit to the Diamond Diva’s Beauty Parlour in order to get their hair pinned up into victory rolls and their make-up done in an authentic 1940s style. After spending four hours submerged in a world of vintage, it was time to resurface to the bores of contemporary life where people clutch on to their iPhones as if they’re a lifeline and if you smile at someone in the street you just look plain creepy. Lou Lou’s Vintage Fair well and truly transports its customers into a different era; one where everyone is welcoming and takes pride in their craft, where talking to strangers is fun and interesting
instead of being that thing your mum warned you not to do. The assortment of clothes, accessories, homeware and antiques that you couldn’t find anywhere else makes for a unique shopping experience whilst the combination of music, food and costume tie the whole event together to make it a truly wonderful day out.
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Forge Press | Friday 23 October 2015
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LIFESTYLE
Review: Peddler Night Market
Jessica Nelson tells us about her recent trip to Peddler Night Market, and why it is a must-do for all food and music lovers!
The Peddler Anniversary Night Market not only brought local music, art and food to life, but was an event that helped bring the Sheffield community together. From graffiti artists to fire-eating performers, Peddler Market demonstrated how much local talent there really is around us. A whole range of different bands performed throughout the weekend, so there was something to suit everyone’s
music taste. The musicians playing had a huge amount of support from their fans, who sang and danced along to their songs by the main stage on Arundel Street. The market is of huge importance to upcoming bands, helping them get noticed and allowing them to perform to big crowds. The main event was a performance from the Steelcats on Saturday evening, which attracted people
Their big anniversary weekend, which ran from the 2 to 3 October, was a bigger celebration than usual, with a huge turnout. Peddler’s popularity is fast rising, and I am sure this will soon become a staple event in Sheffield’s calendar. For food or music lovers, Peddler Market is a must-go.
of all ages. If you love exploring different realms of local music, Peddler is the place to be. The lively atmosphere on the streets contrasted to the quiet, chilled out vibe in the open rooms. Local artists were invited to present some of their works in small rooms scattered around the market. Visitors were free to wander around, appreciating the artwork and asking the artists about their pieces. There was certainly no shortage of food and drink at Peddler Market either. The streets were lined with bars selling everything from cocktails and fruit smoothies to pints of beer. Food vans were also in abundance on both evenings. From the eclectic tastes of Manjit’s Kitchen to a more traditional dish of pie and mash, there was something to please everybody’s palate. The Smokin’ Blues trailer, placed on the entrance of the street on Saturday was by far the most popular,
attracting massive queues. Their BBQ pulled pork brioche bun was well worth the half hour wait. After dinner, people made their way to the dessert stalls, which sold everything from hot chocolates to crepes and ice cream. Hidden at the bottom of the street was also a fashion hub of vintage clothing and market stalls, perfect for a break from the eating, drinking and dancing. Peddler Market is a bi-monthly event.
Concourse Couture - Fashion on Campus Photos taken by Maren Kölpin
Sam Morgan-Whynne Third year Philosophy student.
Meng Chen Second year Sociology student.
Terence Au Third year Biomed student.
Alice Pomfret Fourth year Law student
Shirt: market in Tansania, jeans: Topman, shoes: Nike.
Two-piece: Moveup, cardigan: & Other Stories, shoes: H&M.
Jumper: H&M, jeans: Topman, boots: Thrifted.
Coat: Primark, scarf: Urban Outfitters, jeans: Pull & Bear.
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Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
LIFESTYLE
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On a Shoestring: Madrid
A beautiful city enriched with culture, Madrid is a must visit, explains Mared Gruffydd
Being the capital city of Spain, Madrid is a tourist hotspot without it being too busy and without losing its charm. It is the perfect destination if you’re looking for a few days’ break, especially in autumn as it is not too hot, but not yet cold there either, like it is here. Home to the Spanish royal family, Madrid’s El Palacio Real, is not to be missed. Students pay only €5 to visit the elegant courtyard, the armoury room, and the inside of the palace, from the main staircase to the huge, extravagant dining room which is still used today to host important meetings and dinners. Anyone can also visit the royal gardens for free, in which a stunning view of the palace is seen right in front of you, as well as a wonderful fountain. Not far from the palace is the Parque del Oeste, where you can see a beautiful view of the city from a great height. Madrid is the highest capital city in Europe, and so from this point you can even see the city’s impressive surrounding mountains. The park is home to the Templo de Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple which was dismantled in Egypt and then rebuilt in Madrid. Make sure you visit this temple at sunset for a breathtaking sight.
Madrid is famous for its many plazas, and two of the biggest are Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor. At the Puerto Del Sol you can see the statue of El Oso y el Madroño (the Bear and the Strawberry Tree). This statue is the symbol of the city and is seen on its flag. The Plaza Mayor is equally as impressive, with unique copper-coloured buildings all around the square and many places to eat. Don’t miss out on a relaxing supper the European way; sitting outside as late as 11, people-watching, eating paella and drinking cerveza or vino. One of the best things about Madrid is that there are thousands of bars and restaurants to choose from, all offering food and drink at a very reasonable, low price. One of my favourite places to eat is the Museo del Jamón, famous for having appeared in a Pedro Almodóvar film, but also for the sight of hundreds of hams hanging from the ceiling. Here prices for ham, chorizo, or calamari baguettes start at €2.50. Additionally, when in Chueca, the well-known gay district of Madrid, make sure you visit the unmissable Ángel Sierra. This bar is one of the oldest in the city and has not changed since its first opening. Don’t miss out on the sidras, cervezas and vinos which start at €2.70.
Recipe Corner: Quinoa and zucchini bites
Lifestyle contributor, Giorgia Guantario, explains how to cook a quick and easy recipe that is gluten free and high in carbohydrates and fibre
Ingredients: (for eight quinoa bites) -180g quinoa -two medium-sized eggs -50g parmesan cheese -2 medium-sized zucchini/courgettes -salt, pepper and lemon zest to taste
Method: -Preheat the oven to 180C. -Thoroughly rinse the quinoa to remove bitter coating. -Bring two cups of water to bring the quinoa to boil, reduce the heat and cover the pot. -Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. -Rinse and grate the zucchini and place them in a bowl with the cooked quinoa. -Mix in the eggs. -Add parmesan cheese and mix again. -Add salt, pepper and lemon zest to taste. -Place the mixture in baking liners or an oiled muffin tray. -Bake for 25 minutes.
Madrid makes it very easy for tourists to experience Spain’s rich culture, from visiting the various museums like the Museo de Reina Sofía where Picasso’s Guernica is seen, to even an opportunity to see a flamenco dance at a price of as low as €25, with a drink included. Also, don’t miss the Plaza del Torros, an easy visit by metro, where tourists are welcome to look around Madrid’s famous bullring. A guide will describe to you what normally happens at bull-fights and his opinion on these fights, which he describes more like a bull ‘dances’, is very interesting. As for where to stay, there are many cheap hostels, one being Mucho Madrid on the Gran Vía. This hostel is right in the heart of Madrid, close to all attractions and is perfect for students as breakfast is included in the price. After visiting Madrid, it has quickly become one of my favourite cities, even though I was only there for a short four days. However, this is plenty of time to experience the city’s bustling barrios, taste traditional food, visit famous museums, walk around stunning gardens, relax in the sunshine, and find beautiful and unique spots, shops and plazas.
Forge Press | Friday 23 October 2015
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LIFESTYLE
Fashion Column: Is Fashion a Culture?
Lifestyle fashion journalist Jess Davis explains why designer Prabal Gurung’s most recent collection suggests fashion has become more cultured
While catching up on New York Fashion Week, I couldn’t help but notice how the fashion world is changing. Something caught my attention whilst looking at all the latest shows, collections and designers; instead of the latest issue of ‘negative body-image’ being projected onto us by Victoria Beckham’s model line-up, as they were struck down as too skinny. This has dominated social media
and somewhat saddens me, as fashion is so much more than that. Fashion is something subjective to every individual and can be used in such a way that can send shivers down your spine, something which Prabal Gurung’s collection did for me.
contrasting with floaty, chiffon gowns. Gurung stated: “All I wanted to do is show a little of where I’m from,” he said, “and show it to the rest if the world.” He added: “I hope they’ll be enticed to go visit, because that’s what Nepal needs right now.”
Prabal Gurung’s Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear line caught me like a rabbit in headlights. Instead of the usual strut, strut, strut, pose, pose, pout, twirl etc, we were greeted by what was truly an outstanding magical sight. Gurung bought out 30 Buddhist monks on stage.
His collection is aiming to inspire people to visit Nepal, learn more about their culture and see past the disaster. Gurung strives to not let the earthquake define them and to shift the focus onto a more positive light of rich culture and hope. This highlighted to me how the world of fashion is definitely evolving into a more culture-based phenomenon. They way Gurang has expressed his background culture and respect for Nepal in such a creative way shows how fashion can shock and impact the masses.
Why I hear you ask? This was all in aid of showing respect through chanting a prayer of gratitude for the world’s help during the devastating earthquake that killed thousands in Gurung’s native Nepal in April. His whole show was dedicated to Nepal; this was shown through the garments the models paraded down the runway. No dark colours were in sight, instead only a gentle flow of warm, happy shades such as saffron, rose, peach, lemon and other burnt oranges and yellows. Something which caught a lot of attention was the
A closer look at his collection can be found on Vogue Magazine’s website. white pure dresses which were embroided with orange and yellow, symbolising hope and clarity. Fringes and sparkle also made an appearance throughout the collection,
Where to Eat: Lucky Fox
Emma Williams, headed to Division Street to try her first chicken burger and syrup pancakes at one of Sheffield students’ favourite restaurants If you are looking for a way to fill a few hours of the day with affordable food in a relaxed atmosphere, Lucky Fox is the place for you. Located on Division Street, it is midway between both University of Sheffield and the town centrea perfect place to spend the monotonous three hour gap between lectures. The menu is extensive, the staff are friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. There is not a lot more you could look for in a small café. After deliberating over the menu we settled for the pancakes and a personalised fried chicken sandwich, topped with bacon and BBQ sauce. With an all-day breakfast menu (which makes Lucky Fox an instant winner in my eyes), a chicken menu and a lunch menu, there was plenty to choose from, but with Brooklyn chicken being their speciality, it seemed the obvious choice
and certainly did not disappoint. Arriving at 12.30pm on a Saturday it was inevitable that there was going to be a wait, but it flew by as there is plenty to look at in the small deli. Despite seating only 18 people, Lucky Fox does well in making it relaxed and laid-back through their use of quirky décor and country music, adding to the western theme throughout the restaurant. Embellishing the walls with cacti, skateboards, maps and art, nothing seems to match, but that is what gives it its unique atmosphere. Upon sitting at the table, we were given a bottle of water (always great as a student because you don’t need to spend unnecessary money on drinks), and two meals came to a grand total of £13.50 – a bargain for the amount of food we received. The pancakes were the thick, American kind and came with a pot of maple syrup and Nutella. After repeatedly waiting for my food to go down and trying to eat more, I was still unable to finish the meal, acting as both my breakfast and my lunch and leaving me completely stuffed! The burger was crammed with chicken and smoky BBQ sauce, served in a basket, and seemed to be the most popular choice amongst other tables, with their speciality Brooklyn chicken being the right amount of crispy and greasy – perfect hangover food.
The Lucky Fox is highly recommendable for its value for money, quality of food, and its quirkiness of setting. Although a bit too intimate for a first date, it would be an ideal venue to catch up with a friend or a cheap spot for a day when you don’t fancy cooking. Its simplicity from the outside on such a busy street means it quite often is overlooked, yet once you have discovered and tasted the food of Lucky Fox, I promise you it is a place you will be returning to in the not so distant future.
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COFFEE BREAK
Halloween Classics Halloween is just around the corner, so here are some all time classical movies to watch. Halloweentown (1998) This Disney Channel classic embarks on a journey in which three siblings grandmother and discover that she’s a witch from a town called Halloweentown! Nice little throwback Scream (1996) A Ghostface killer, reappearing in the subsequent movies, kills teenagers living in a small town. A Halloween Classic! Here are some more to watch: Beetle Juice; A Nightmare before Christmas; Carrie; Halloween (of course); Ghostbusters; Disturbia; Casper; Trick r treat; Hatchet; Nightmare on Elm Street; Jeepers Creepers; The Exorcist; The Creep Show; Young Frankenstein; Frightnight; Saw; Sleepy Hollow.
Dingbats DR. do
007 Baltic
H E HENRY R Y
Quote of the fortnight: “Luke, I can see your little pink thing moving around!” Polly Winn, Editor, getting a bit too into Google Docs
Friday 23 October 2015 Forge Press
Photograph of the fortnight
Caption: How University of Sheffield Students feel in Week 4 (drowning in work)
Things to do in Sheffield - Visit the Crucible Theatre - Sheffield Winter Gardens - The Botanical Gardens - Rivelin Valley Nature Trail - Eccelsall Woods - Sheffield Manor
- Mayfield Alpacas - Bank Street Arts - Ponds Forge - Sheffield’s Lost Castle - The Peak District! - Carver Street
Forge Press Friday 23 October 2015
Easy
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Sudoku
COFFEE BREAK
Medium
Hard
Halloween Crossword Across 1 Shock (6) 5 Hours of darkness (5) 9 Great (5) 10 Public image - on spear (anagram) (7) 11 Late (4) 12 Sad (8) 14 Eerie (6) 15 Panic (6) 18 (African) animal - one leapt (anagram) (8) 20 Light (from a 6, say?) (4) 23 Beat (your fears) (7) 24 Make afraid (5) 25 Poetry (5) 26 Chewy sweet (6)
Down
Answers
Credits for the crossword: Matthew Sapsed
2 Put back (7) 3 Bloodshed (4) 4 (Posh) man’s headpiece (3,3) 5 (Local?) part of the Atlantic Ocean (5,3) 6 Phantom (5) 7 Electric public vehicle - arm cart (anagram) (7) 8 Second-hand (4) 13 Clapping (8) 14 Person who takes risks (7) 16 Set free (7) 17 Vital force - 6 (6) 19 Metallic (sounds - from a can?) (5) 21 Sob (4) 22 Yeah, right! (2,2)
Down: 2 Replace, 3 Gore, 4 Top hat, 5 North Sea, 6 Ghost, 7 Tramcar, 8 Used, 13 Applause, 14 Chancer, 16 Release, 17 Spirit, 19 Tinny, 21 Weep, 22 As if.
. Across: 1 Fright, 5 Night, 9 Super, 10 Persona, 11 Dead, 12 Pathetic, 14 Creepy, 15 Terror, 18 Antelope, 20 Glow, 23 Conquer, 24 Scare, 25 Rhyme, 26 Toffee.
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Sports Thoughts
Forge Press Sport contributor Siddharth Solanki talks about the huge crisis at Fifa. Image: Wikipedia Commons The Fifa house of cards is tumbling down. It is fascinating to watch corruption in this comically grotesque organisation slowly being destroyed. Sepp Blatter (Fifa president), Jerome Valcke (Fifa vice president) and Michel Platini (Uefa president), arguably three of the most powerful people in football, have been handed a provisional suspension for 90 days by an independent ethics committee. This must surely be the end for Blatter. He is also facing criminal charges in Switzerland
and is being investigated by the FBI, so I don’t see a way back for him. For the sake of football fans across the world and Fifa, I hope it is the end for him. Valcke seems to be heading down the same path. Platini was the frontrunner to succeed Blatter as the Fifa president but this suspension has dealt a massive blow to his campaign. His dream lies in tatters but with Fifa you never know. Some have argued that although Blatter has led an organisation that has been continuously embarrassing the sport for decades, he has overseen an increase in the financial power of Fifa and enabled the expansion of the game around the world. He was only continuing the expansion job started by Joao Havelange, Sepp Blatter’s predecessor. Before they came along, Fifa existed to serve the big European and South American nations. Havelange changed this and Blatter followed. Under the two, the Fifa World Cup has grown to become one of the greatest sporting spectacles on this planet. Under Blatter, we have seen the first World Cup in Asia (South Korea and Japan, 2002) and Africa (South
Africa, 2010). For all his faults, he has done a good job getting the World Cup to different
This must surely be the end for Blatter
places like Asia and Africa. There may be questions over how those World Cups were allocated to the respective nations but it did play a part in making football more popular across those areas. Fifa’s and Blatter’s good deeds end right about there. Blatter’s 18 year reign as Fifa president has been embroiled in endless corruption scandals. It has reached a point where the big sponsors like Coca Cola, Sony have had to step in to tell Fifa to undergo reform or risk losing it’s sponsorships. I am just disappointed that they did not take action earlier. Money talks at Fifa so if the sponsors threaten to cancel their contracts, Blatter will be left with no choice but to leave. Corruption is rampant throughout the organisation, so getting rid of the figurehead
is not the only solution but it is a start. Before the suspensions were announced, Platini was the favourite to succeed Blatter. Most people thought Platini would be the man to bring about change in Fifa. Fortunately, his wrong doings were exposed in time. It was revealed that Platini had voted for Qatar to host 2022 World Cup and that his son, Laurent Platini, had been offered a job as the chief executive of Burrda, a Qatari sports company. Coincidence? Probably not. Now that Blatter has been given a provisional suspension, Issa Hayatou will step in as the acting president of Fifa according to the organisation’s rules. He is the long standing boss of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the senior most vice president in Fifa. To no one’s surprise, he is another Fifa official facing allegations of corruption. He will hold power until the new election that will be held in January. Fortunately, this is only a temporary appointment. Hopefully, the domino effect of the suspension of the most powerful men in football will continue and get rid of everyone corrupt in Fifa.
There are systemic problems throughout Fifa so reform is going to be a long and hard process. No-one knows the full extent of corruption except one man, perhaps. Andrew Jennings seems to know how bad things are in Fifa after chasing their executives for more than 25 years. In his new book, ‘The Dirty Game’, Jennings rips into Fifa by revealing into the number of scandals that have been going on in the organisation. He does not paint a pretty picture. No-one seems to have a clue about the way to bring about reform. The only time I have seen Gary Neville unable to answer a question about football was when Ed Chamberlin asked him about what Fifa is going to do about this problem. If Gary Neville was stumped by this question, how is a mere mortal like me going to suggest any plausible solutions here. Fifa has been bringing the sport to disrepute for far too long now and it is now time to clean up their act. Without pressure from all sides, Fifa will continue making decisions that will benefit their ridiculously wealthy executives instead of the fans.
Forge Press Sport contributor Thomas Holden reviews Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World by Graham Hunter In 2012 Pep Guardiola ended his reign as Barcelona’s first team coach after four of the most successful managerial seasons ever overseen by a manager in La Liga. Winning 14 trophies in that time is unarguably a magnificent feat, and yet Graham Hunter doesn’t just do Guardiola’s monumental legacy justice - he surpasses that. Hunter, a well-renowned European football journalist, provides an in depth, intimate and enlightening chronicle of FC Barcelona’s golden era, enhanced with rare interviews uncovering details not before disclosed. Not only does he pay tribute to the squad members that partook in the sensational
dream team, but he offers insights into the directors, the youth system, the history behind choosing Pep and the effect that Johan Cruyff had on constructing the ‘tiki-taka’ style of play which is now embedded in Barcelona’s genetics. For any lover of football, it’s a certified page turner. Any doubts about the impact of certain players within the system are almost impossible to justify when you read about the history and the relationships on and off the pitch between the players. One example is of the hugely underrated Sergio Busquets. Xavi, the midfield veteran, finds it hard to temper his gushing praise for the hard tackling defensive midfielder, despite
the harsh criticism Busquets has received over the years. The development of the players is also highly fascinating. One particular section describes the intensity of Puyol’s competitive attitude as a young boy where he
once scraped his face along a concrete surface to return a ball in a friendly game of football tennis. And, of course, Lionel Messi is covered in phenomenal detail, from his struggles as an undeveloped teen to being the world beater he is today. Yet this is only a small percentage of the intimate insight into Pep’s team. Puyol and Pique’s brotherly love is discussed, showing the interesting relationship between the two very different characters from different backgrounds. There is also a mention of how when Pique was a young boy and had joined Barca’s youth, Louis van Gaal visited his family for an evening meal. When it was mentioned to van Gaal that Pique was at Barca, he pushed
Pique over in his own living room to prove the fact that he was too skinny to make it. The quality of Hunter’s journalism is unrivalled when it comes to the Catalan giants, and Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World is an exquisite piece of football literature. Whether you’re a fan of that all-conquering team or a lover of the beautiful game, this book is an essential read. To read the full review, go to Forgetoday.com/press/sport
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Winner of 2012 Football Supporters’ Book of the Year. Winner of Football Book of the Year at the British Sports Book Awards.
Forge Press Sport Awards
The Forge Press Sport editors look at who has been making headlines in sport, for better or worse... Photos: Tumblr STAR PERFORMER: Argentina Rugby Union team
The ninth ranked team in the world before the tournament began, the Argentinians produced a superb performance in the quarter-finals to defeat an Irish team ranked third. Playing brilliant rugby at times, the Argentinians won 43-20 and booked their second semi-final place in the past three tournaments. Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez has played a central role in the Pumas’ thrilling resurgence, leading the scoring charts going into the semi-finals with 70 points.
Howard Kendall
Laura Trott
Massimo Cellino
On Saturday Everton and football itself lost a true great as Howard Kendall passed away aged 69. Kendall was instrumental in the Toffees’ 1970 league success before delivering two titles, two FA Cups and a European Cup Winners’ Cup as manager.
A golden girl of London 2012, Trott continues to dominate cycling after winning three golds at the European Championships. Only 23 and with Olympic, World and Commonwealth golds, she could become Britain’s greatest cyclist.
Leeds United Chairman Cellino sacked Uwe Rosler after just 12 games in charge, making Steve Evans the sixth manager of the club in 30 months since the eccentric Italian assumed control.
30 Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
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Sports Personality of the Week
Forge Sport Editor Anthony Phillips interviews Connor Byrne, a University of Sheffield climbing prodigy. Photo: Connor Byrne Tell us a bit about yourself.
long time out.
My name is Connor and I am currently in my second year of Aerospace Engineering. I intend to continue my studies with a Masters in Systems Control.
What competitions have you been involved in, and what were your results?
When did you first involved in climbing?
get
I first got into climbing when I was eight years old. The local sports centre had a small climbing wall. I went once a week and soon I was lead climbing. My climbing instructor encouraged me to take part in more competitions that I soon began to win. Have you had any serious injuries whilst climbing? When I was 10 years old, I broke my leg and this resulted in a hole in my cartilage. I was forced to take a year out which was difficult as I always wanted to get back into climbing. It took a long time for me to get my fitness back after such a
Initially I just took part in small local competitions and then some national competitions. When I started to win these, I was selected for the Junior British team and took part in international events. The standard in Europe is very high and I was very proud to finish 17th at the European Youth Championships in 2012 and sixth in a European Youth Cup event in 2013. This year I came 27th at the World Youth Championships in Italy. I was lucky enough to compete at some of the Senior World Cup Events. The atmosphere at these events is awesome with over 10,000 people watching some of the best climbers in the world. Domestically, I have won the British Lead Climbing Championship for the past
five years and I finished third in the Senior Championship two years ago. At university, I came third in the BUCS Championships and hope to win it this year. How much training a week do you put in and what is the most difficult thing about learning to climb? I train four to five times
a week. My training is a mixture of route climbing and bouldering as well as gym work. Learning to climb is really easy, we all climb as children and it’s a very natural thing to do. Obviously some people fear being high up and trusting the rope, but I love the big overhanging walls, and there is always bouldering if you are scared of heights. Climbers are all really supportive of each other and encourage everyone whatever their ability. Watching Para climbers is very inspirational, especially the blind climbers and their trust in their partners. What are your future aspirations with regards to climbing? My future aspirations are to win the BUCS lead event in Sheffield on November 25th and to be selected for the World University Games. I also want to try and make the final of the Senior British
Climbing Championships. Are you involved in the University of Sheffield mountaineering club? And how popular is it? I am currently in the process of joining. The club is popular for people who enjoy climbing both outdoors and indoors, and is a really good way to get into climbing. Why should people get involved in climbing? Climbing is great fun, it is a very social sport and it involves a lot of problem solving. There are different styles of climbing from bouldering to lead and stuff like technical or overhanging moves. It is not just exercise for the body but also for the mind. I enjoy it and I’m sure a lot of other people do too.
Sheffield sides enjoy Non-League Day
Established by former BBC journalist James Doe in 2010, Non-League Day utilises the absence of Premier League and Championship football during the international break in October to promote football in the fifth tier, the National League, and below. The day allowed Hallam FC and Sheffield FC, the oldest and second oldest football teams in the world, to bring in spectators and give them a sample of semi-professional football. It gives both teams a bumper attendance, far exceeding their average for the season and brings in much needed revenue for teams struggling to survive in a game now dominated by money.
Hallam FC
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Hemsworth Miners Welfare
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Ed McCosh Hallam FC celebrated their first ever Non-League Day but were unable to mark it with a victory as Hemsworth Miners Welfare prevailed 2-1 at Sandygate. A stunning goal from Micah Bishop was not enough to prevent Ryan Hindley’s side from slipping to their third defeat of the season in front of a crowd of 325. The attendance was itself a great success for the Northern Counties East League Division One side, whose previous highest league turnout this campaign was 108. Sandygate, the world’s oldest football ground, was finally able to host its first Non-League Day after five editions in which Hallam played away from home. Home advantage counted for little though, as Hemsworth scored with their first meaningful attack. Bill Law squared the ball to Shane Kelsey and although home goalkeeper Jack Dennison denied the striker,w Nash Connolly’s follow-up was turned into the net by Law,
who claimed his tenth goal of the season. Hallam were not behind for long, and they responded in spectacular style with 15 minutes gone. A corner was cleared only as far as Bishop, who chested the ball down and rocketed a volley in off the crossbar from 30 yards to restore parity. Bishop’s goal was a touch of magic in an altogether uninspiring first half, in which neither side held the ball for long enough to establish a clear-cut chance. Hallam striker Michael Blythen had already notched 18 goals before this encounter, including 11 in his last five outings, but his withdrawal through injury in the first half prevented Blythen from adding to his total and blunted the home side’s attack. The second half began brightly, with Jordan Turner beaten to the ball narrowly by Hemsworth keeper Chris Snaith after a defencesplitting pass from Bishop. At the other end, Dennison was forced to tip a curling effort over the bar, before the home goalkeeper was beaten by a scuffed Kelsey effort that trickled into the bottom corner. Turner had the best of a meagre selection of chances for Hallam in the second half, taking advantage of a
defensive error only to drill his shot directly at Snaith. Hallam FC’s Non-League Day co-ordinator Pete Wilding told Forge Press Sport: “Today is about getting the club out there, getting people involved who have perhaps never even heard of us. “That’s why we’ve done the initiative to get all season ticket holders in for free and it’s worked really well today. It’s tripled out biggest league crowd of the season at home.” Despite the defeat, which comes after manager Hindley celebrated a year in charge of the club with a 5-1 victory over Rossington Main on Tuesday, sprits were high at Sandygate. “Apart from the result I think it’s been a great day for the club,” said Wilding.
Sheffield FC
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Loughborough Dynamo 2 Anthony Phillips There was an attendance of 327 fans at the Coach and Horses ground in Dronfield, Derbyshire on Non-League day to watch the world’s oldest football team, Sheffield FC fight back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against Loughborough Dynamo. Loughborough captain Rob Norris took advantage of some very sloppy Sheffield defending to score first after 15 minutes. A cross from the left allowed Norris to get in front of his marker and power a header into the net to make the score 1-0.
Sheffield were unable to get into the game during the opening stages and their closest effort in the first half came when Matt Roney fed the ball to Bruno Holden but his curled effort narrowly went over the top of the bar. More terrible defending from Sheffield FC allowed Norris to score his and the Dynamo’s second. A short pass back to goalkeeper Tom Dunn saw him stranded in no man’s land and Norris was able to steal the ball and tap it into the empty net. Loughborough could have gone into halftime with a three-goal lead but Brown’s shot from thirty yards rattled the crossbar. In the second half, Sheffield began to get into the game and they pulled a goal back in the 65th minute thanks to James Gregory. Neat interplay between Roney and Holden saw the ball played towards the back post and Gregory was on hand to drive the ball furiously into the net. Seven minutes later, Sheffield had their equaliser thanks to a Temi Raheem strike that flew into the top corner to tie the game up. Sheffield could have sealed victory in the latter stages but settled for a point.
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SPORT
Five star performance from Hockey 1s University of Sheffield 1s
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University of Manchester
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Alex Mynter The University of Sheffield Women’s Hockey 1s faced northern rivals Manchester at Goodwin. Both sides were looking to get their first victory of the season after Sheffield lost 4-0 away to the University of
Birmingham last week. Manchester got the game underway and the opening 15 minutes of the match was a cagey affair with no real chances for either side. Sheffield looked the most dangerous going forward but were unable to penetrate the Manchester defence. Sheffield’s star player was Elaine Livera who constantly caused the Manchester defence trouble on the left hand side. Livera eventually reaped the rewards of her hard work,
scoring a deflected goal 10 minutes before half time to give Sheffield a 1-0 lead. The intensity of the game was upped after half time with Manchester starting to gather a foothold in the match. Sheffield however showed their class and doubled their advantage thanks to a fine goal from Rebekah Woods, which sapped any momentum Manchester had. As the match entered its final stages, Manchester began to look stretched and Livera was on hand again to
score a close range effort that effectively sealed the game for Sheffield. Less than a minute after the restart, Sheffield had four goals to their name. Penny Ellis scored an outstanding solo effort that flew into the Manchester goal and drained any energy the Manchester defence had. Five minutes before the final whistle, Sheffield added a fifth goal thanks to Sarah Bailey-Harrison who scored after an intense goalmouth scramble.
With a 5-0 victory and their first win of the season under their belt, captain Alice Williams told Forge Sport “the result was down to a huge team effort that showed plenty of grit and determination”. Although the manner of victory was impressive, Williams added that “there were still areas of improvement, especially from inside the 25”. The 1s now travel away to Leeds Beckett for their next fixture on November 4th.
Table Tennis 2s Fencing 1s win Leeds duel cruise to win over rivals University of Sheffield 2s
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Sheffield Hallam University 2s 2 Ollie Thrift The University of Sheffield Men’s Table Tennis 2s secured an emphatic victory over arch rivals Sheffield Hallam, winning 15-2. After winning their first BUCS fixture of the season against Durham 9-8 last week, Sheffield was hoping to seal a dominant victory over their varsity rivals. The Sheffield players Kendrew Hsu and George Cox were instrumental in the victory
with both of them winning their four singles matches to love. In the doubles, Hsu and Cox combined brilliantly to overcome Hallam captain Tom Cheung and Ashley Gibson 3-0. Hallam captain Cheung told Forge Press Sport: “Today we came up against a quality Sheffield team”. With the victory Sheffield now sit atop the BUCS Northern 2B division on six points and with a game difference of 14. Sheffield captain Justin Tetlow said: “I’m pleased with the performance of the team. “On the basis of this good start promotion is certainly on the agenda.”
University of Sheffield
119
University of Leeds
114
Luke Wilson The University of Sheffield Women’s 1s fencing team defeated the University of Leeds in a fiercely contested battle 119-114. Going into their second game of the season after a nailbitingly close 125-122 loss to Newcastle 2s in the opening BUCS clash of this year’s tournament, Sheffield started strongly, winning the Sabre game 45-25. Throughout the game, Sheffield extended the margin between them and Leeds more and more with every bout, with a crucial performance from Lizzie Billington, who only lost five points throughout the
whole series of sabre bouts. Going into the foil with a twenty point lead proved useful for the black and gold as they started on the back foot with Leeds gaining a considerable lead over Sheffield until Hannah Walsh took twelve points in the seventh bout. Leeds managed to dent Sheffield’s impressive points margin, but only slightly, to twelve points. The match points stood at 8169 going into the final series of bouts named the Epee. As these got underway, it began to look as if Sheffield would lose their second consecutive match with Leeds leading 3521 after the seventh bout. However, two impressive bouts from captain Caro Kyllman added nine and twelve points to Sheffield’s total in the third and eighth rounds. These points proved crucial in giving Sheffield the 119114 victory. After the match
Kyllman added, “I never expected that, I just kept going. I wasn’t going to think about the score, just the next point and the next point and so on.” Kyllman also noted how important this victory was after the close defeat to Newcastle last week: “We really needed to win this match as away matches are going to be hard because we can’t have a full team there, so I’m really happy about this one.” The Women’s 1s next face the University of Manchester away on October 28th.
Read more of this week’s BUCS online at: forgetoday.com/ press/sport
Squash 1s thrash Bangor as 2s defeat York University of Sheffield
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Bangor University
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Arne Dumez 14 October Game of the Week University of Sheffield Women’s Squash 1s opened their BUCS campaign by flattening Bangor University 4-0 at Fulwood Sports Club. Newly-promoted Bangor were seeking a successful start to their Northern Division 1A season, but defending champions Sheffield gave the visitors a baptism of fire with a crushing victory. Tilly Spence began the opening encounter in stunning fashion, winning the first game 11-0. Her opponent eagerly upped the ante but failed to peg Spence back, losing 11-4. Spence claimed the third game and the first match for
Sheffield with a stunning 11-3 victory. The second match was defined by Sarah Gill’s strong serve and clever footwork. She quickly defeated her opponent 11-2 in the first two games. The hosts secured a second point as the third game came to a close with an 11-3 victory. Bangor failed to recover in the third match as Lucy Tetlow took to the court, promptly winning the first game 11-3 and making the rest of the match seem like a mere formality. With the second and third game won 11-1 at an alarmingly fast rate, Bangor’s chances of retaliation on the scoreboard were looking bleaker by the second. Maria Baimbridge dealt the final blow in the fourth match, winning the first game 11-3 before procuring two more games 11-4 and 11-5 despite the best efforts of her beleaguered opponent. With one match completed the defending champions
have accrued the maximum possible tally of 15 points. Meanwhile the Women’s 2s kicked off their season with a hard fought win over the York 1s, Daniel Morris reports. Points were the decider in a tense clash after sets ended honours even at 2-2.
It was Sheffield who went two sets up after both Ella Bourne and Cat Broome swept aside their opponents three games to nil. Despite defeats for Elle Margerison and captain Miriam Emanuel, a quick tally of the points soon revealed
Sheffield had been the victors. In a post-match interview Emanuel told Forge Press Sport: “We’re optimistic as we did well last year. “The team are great, if we can play consistently like we did today it should be a good season”.
32 Friday 23 October 2015 | Forge Press
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Women’s Football 1s hit for six by Leeds Beckett 2s Forge Sport
Featured Game of the Week For more, listen to the Sport Sheffield podcast on Forge Radio, or visit Forge TV for highlights. www.forgetoday.com
University of Sheffield 1s
1
Leeds Beckett University 2s 6 Nicole Oshisanwo Photo: Jack Buller It was a disappointing day for the University of Sheffield Women’s Football 1s as they were beaten heavily by Leeds Beckett University. The final score was 6-1 and continued to highlight a leaky Sheffield defence that conceded five in their opening match last week against the University of Manchester. A win could have propelled Sheffield up the table to second place, but their free scoring opponents capitalised on Sheffield’s tiring defence to make it the second game in a row Sheffield have played in which seven goals have been scored. It was a quiet start to the first half, with neither side really having a grip on the game, until Leeds opened the scoring in the 25th minute. A run down the right hand side into the Sheffield box caused some panic, with a Sheffield defender making a strong challenge and unfortunately giving away a penalty. The Leeds Beckett player
dispatched it with aplomb, sending it low into the left corner, giving goalkeeper Francesca Meakin absolutely no chance. Sheffield had almost made it to halftime with just a one goal deficit, but Beckett’s pressure paid off and in the 40th minute, another good run down the right hand side from the dangerous number 9 led to a shot at goal. Meakin could only parry it and watched despairingly as a Leeds player rifled in an excellent curling effort from outside the box to make the score 2-0. Sheffield almost levelled immediately after and had the goal in the back of the net after an excellent through ball but the referee blew for offside, much to the consternation of
the Sheffield bench. Sheffield started the second half brightly with a flurry of chances, but Leeds scored again with a long range dripping shot to extend their lead to 3-0 and put the game out of sight for the Sheffield girls. In the 75th minute, Leeds added a fourth when their striker was found unmarked in the Sheffield box and powerfully struck a shot into the far top corner. The striker turned provider five minutes later when she played a perfectly weighted through ball into the centre attacking midfielder who was able to guide the ball into the net and past the onrushing Meakin to make it 5-0. Tiredness was creeping into the Sheffield defence, so it
was no surprise when, with less than ten minutes to go, the Leeds number 12 raced onto a weak back header from a Sheffield defender to put the gloss on an emphatic victory for them. Sheffield would grab themselves a consolation goal with the last kick of the game, as a cross into the box from the right hand side led to a bit of a scramble and the referee awarded a penalty. Kate McGreavy stepped up to take it and scored emphatically, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, and recouping a little bit of pride for the team. After the game, Sheffield’s captain Rhena Eames expressed her disappointment with the performance and the result, telling Forge Press Sport: “We’re quite a fresh
new team, but even the easy things weren’t going right. “It was just all going wrong from the off. “We’re really disappointed”. “Training on Monday was a lot stronger than that performance, so hopefully all the girls will get used to where they’re playing and we’ll turn it around.” Eames also saved a few words for goalkeeper Francesca Meakin, adding: “I will always have faith in Fran, she’s a very strong keeper”. In the end, a deserved victory for Leeds Beckett 2s, with Sheffield making too many basic errors in possession. Sheffield’s next BUCS fixture is away to the University of Central Lancashire on Wednesday 28 October.
Rugby Union 1s no match for Durham University of Sheffield
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Durham University
66
Nikhil Verkaria The University of Sheffield Rugby Union Men’s 1s failed to bounce back from their 31-21 defeat to Hull last week with a poor 66-25 defeat to Durham University 3s at Norton. Sheffield went through all of last season unbeaten but have now lost two in a row after being humbled by a strong, ruthless Durham side. To make matters worse, captain Dan Kelly was taken to hospital with a nasty looking arm injury. Durham started the game
well and scored a wonderful try through their open side flanker after just six minutes. The fly half missed a difficult conversion from the angle, meaning Durham led 5-0. Sheffield then got on the scoreboard, with a penalty from fly half Fergus Wood making it 5-3. Durham always looked stronger in the scrum however, and continued to win turnovers in the tackle, preventing the hosts from building up momentum. Durham then scored two tries in quick succession, with their full back crossing after 24 minutes. The conversion was scored by Durham’s fly half, before the visitors got another soon after with a penalty try. The home side was penalised by the referee for a high tackle as Durham’s right winger attempted to get through the
Sheffield defence. The conversion was again kicked successfully, giving Durham a 19-3 lead on 27 minutes. It was in this incident that Kelly picked up a potentially serious arm injury which forced the home captain off the field. It looks like he may be out for some weeks, which would be a major loss for Sheffield. The hosts then got back in it however, as Miles Warriner scored a scrappy try Sheffield’s first of the game. Wood missed the conversion, meaning it was 19-8 to Durham. The visitors then made the game safe with two quick tries just before half time. Quick passing play saw their hooker cross, with his try successfully converted by Durham’s superb fly half. They then
scored again on 37 minutes, their right winger breaking and using exceptional feet to weave in and out of Sheffield’s defensive line. This try was also converted, giving Durham a lead of 33-8 at the break. The second half started in exactly the same manner as Durham’s left winger added a try under the posts which was converted on 41 minutes, before showing superb footwork and speed to do the same again, although this time the conversion was missed. This meant Durham led 45-8 after 43 minutes. On 46 minutes, they scored again, with their replacement scrum-half crossing. Durham’s fly half found his kicking boots again and converted, making it 52-8. Sheffield then scored two tries of their own in quick
succession. They were scrappy efforts but somehow, on both occasions, the ball was grounded. One of the tries was converted by Wood, meaning Sheffield trailed by 32 points. Durham then notched two more converted tries of their own, making it 66-20 and then, right at the death, Sheffield scored their fourth, securing a bonus point despite defeat. Fergus Wood missed the conversion at the death, and it finished 66-25 to Durham. Sheffield will be very disappointed to have lost two on the bounce, with defeat compounded by the injury to Kelly. However, their fine form last season shows they do have the ability to bounce back strongly and recover from this early season blip.