Issue 89 FREE Friday 6 November 2015
Gengha Review Fuse went to see Gengha at Leadmill, it was a “spiritual homecoming” FUSE P11
The Impact of Paris on a Acne Shoestring Features investigate Lifestyle explore the the impact acne has on streets of Paris and how young people in the UK to travel on a budget FEATURES P16
LIFESTYLE P23
Micropigs! Are they cute or evil? Is it moral or immoral? Should we be doing this? COMMENT P11
THREE STUDENTS ARRESTED AT LONDON DEMO
Will Morgan Over 160 students from the University of Sheffield took part in the November 4 protest march that received national media attention after it turned violent. At least 12 protesters of the few thousand strong crowd were arrested, three of whom were from Sheffield. The students were protesting
planned changes to convert the maintenance grant into a loan and to limit international students’ options post-study. Speaking exclusively to Forge Press, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Diane Abbott MP said that these changes to higher education will “further dis-incentivise university for lower income families” and said that she “completely opposes them”, although at first she ap-
peared not to know what the protest was about or even what the changes to higher education were. The protest began on Malet Street outside the University of London, before winding its way through central London past the National Gallery and the Palace of Westminster before stopping at its designated end point outside the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) building at 3pm.
Here the combination of class war advocates, anarchists and police kettling tactics led to a violent confrontation between protesters and police. At first eggs and smoke bombs were thrown but as the police began to tackle and shove protesters, signs and other objects were launched. Continues on page 3....
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In Brief...
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Truckload of Coke comes to Sheffield The famous truck is making it’s way to the steel city, one out of 46 location, delivering Christmas cheer all up and down the country. It will arrive in Sheffield on 13 December.
LGBT+ drop in The new LGBT drop in centre will offer legal advice meetings, career workshops and skill-sharing classes. It’s located at The Union Street Centre and will take place at 18-20 Union Street every Tuesday from 10am-6pm.
Student nurse raises £10,300
Sheffield student nurse Georgina Redfearne raised over £10,000 for local charity Neurocare after receiving brain surgery. She was diagnosed with a lifethreatening condition in her teens, and was the first UK adult to undergo the new surgical procedure.
Bus stranded on tram tracks
Editorial
We bring you another scoopfilled issue of Forge Press this week, with information on all of the goings on around campus. We have a particularly juicy issue this week, with Comment looking at whether Sheffield really is the eclectic musical city it says it is, and whether micropigs are cute or unethical. Features take a closer look at the – often unspoken about – issue of acne, and the lasting impact it can have on self esteem, as well as taking a look at upcoming remembrance Sunday. Lifestyle takes a look at the new H&M advert, and the way that fashion is being diversified to respond to the multicultural society that we live in. We also have our regular features of recipe corner, and concourse couture and we have some very trendy students this issue. Coffee Break brings you all of its best boredom busters, and Sport debate over who
is ultimately the best football player in the world right now. It’s getting heavy. News brings you their first hand insight into the 4 November demonstrations in this issue. News editor Will Morgan went down to London (and got stranded) to bring you the very best information from the scene. Three coaches carried eager Sheffield students and activists to London so that they could represent their opinion and their right to demonstrate. In recent years opinions have been commonly documented about whether it’s right to protest or not. Regardless of what you think about how it is right to express an opinion, we as the recipients of a first class education, should be actively fighting for this opportunity to be extended to those less fortunate than ourselves. Like tampons, education should not be a luxury.
Removing the option of a grant means that those who are already disenfranchised with higher education are left even more isolated from the exclusive circle who do get to attend university. Even those of us who do decide that the crippling debt isn’t enough of a deterrent, still come out of uni with £50,000+ plus in debt before we’ve even really started our lives or careers. Whether you agree or not that protests and demonstrations are the right way to make your opposition known, we should be making our opposition known in any way we feel comfortable with. People shouldn’t have to chose between being debt free and being educated.
What not to miss this fortnight Spiderwalk Spiderwalk, the BIGGEST RAG event of the year, is back with a bang! The classic annual 13 mile night hike through the Peak District is happening on the 6th November 2015.
Fri 6 Nov 18:00 - 23:00 Students’ Union Zone, walk is through the peaks. £8 for a ticket, and £30 sponsorship is needed
Spiderwalk provides you with a fantastic Sheffield experience with fireworks, sparklers, mud and a pub meal halfway!
Supertram services were stopped, after a bus became stranded on a tram only section of track. Social media coverage showed that the bus had left the road and driven up the track for a short distance.
It’s also the perfect team bonding event for your society or committee to take part in. Plus, you’ll be raising money for charity.
Micro Pub Arrival
An application has been submitted to the council to turn the former Knowle’s Emporium shop, on Glossop Road in Broomhill, into Sheffield’s third micropub. Opening hours would plan to be noon to 11.30pm daily and there will be a focus on real ale.
Global Food Crawl Sushi or burritos..? Curry or pizza..? Have you ever found it impossible to decide on where to eat? Join us on our Global Food Crawl along West Street and Division Street for a taste of different cuisines from around the globe! We will be visiting a variety of bars and restaurants to sample their food and learn more about the respective culture. After all of the food we will be ending the evening in Bar One for an optional drink
Tue 10 Oct 18:00 - 21:30 Meet at the Welcome Desk, SU £10 for a ticket, £8 for a Residents Life ticket
Have you got the Forge-factor? Keep an eye on this week’s comment sections, there are some hidden tunes floating around the pages. Can you find all five? EDITOR editor@forgetoday.com Polly Winn
NEWS press.news@forgetoday.com Keri Trigg Will Morgan Lisa Latham
FEATURES press.features@forgetoday.com Sheena Sidu Anna Gillies Hallam Roffey
DEPUTY NEWS Jess Davis Nathaniel Robinson Ellena Rowlin
LIFESTYLE press.lifestyle@forgetoday.com Mojo Abidi Mared Gruffyd
FUSE EDITORS press.fuse@forgetoday.com Joss Woodend Kazuma Osaki
COMMENT press.comment@forgetoday. com Robin Wilde Chris Saltmarsh
SPORT press.sport@forgetoday.com Ed McCosh Rob Milne Anthony Phillips
HEAD OF ONLINE ned.westwood@forgetoday.com Ned Westwood
COFFEE BREAK press.coffeebreak@forgetoday.com Adilah Hameed
MUSIC press.music@forgetoday.com Tara Hodgson Charlotte Pick
DEPUTY EDITOR chloe.coleman@forgetoday.com Chloe Coleman PICTURE EDITOR dan.west@forgetoday.com Dan West
GAMES press.games@forgetoday.com Moya O’Rourke Ash Emritte ARTS press.arts@forgetoday.com Joshua Hackett Jo Gallacher SCREEN press.screen@forgetoday.com Rhys Handley Luke Baldwin
COPY EDITORS Sophie Cockett Bethan Littley Emma Quigley Harriet Hales Joanna Booth Lotte Dobson
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Forge Exclusive: “I was tackled SCIENCE & into a railing. I had a knee Technology pressed into my throat”
Tractor beam British scientists claim to have created a working tractor beam. A tractor beam is a device with the ability to move an object from one place to another. Until now tractor beams were confined largely to science fiction such as Star Wars and Star Trek. Researchers utilised sound waves at 40 kilohertz – which is above the human hearing range, but audible to dogs – and 64 small loudspeakers to create a sonic tractor beam. So far they can levitate and rotate small, 5 millimetre polystyrene balls, but the researchers hope that one day similar technology can be used in surgical procedures. Ashley Carley
Will Morgan
...continued from front page An onlooker: “It all happened at once, the chants of “no ifs no buts no education cuts” and “grants not debt” turned into cries of “one war, class war” and “whose streets? Our streets” as the protesters attempted to storm the DBIS building and loud bangs could be heard. In an attempt to stop further mayhem, police split the crowd by creating a cordon two police officers deep halfway through the mass of red square wearing bodies. This seemed to be the point at which the authorities lost control of the protest, as friends were split apart and the police remained silent on their intentions, panic set in. The crowd began to chant “who killed Mark Duggan? The police killed Mark Duggan” harking back to the riots of 2011, before reenacting them by smashing through the police cordon and running through central London.” Over the next two hours protesters engaged in running skirmishes with the police through central London, bringing traffic to a standstill, whilst largely resisting arrest or further police kettles by remaining as one large group. The crowd made its way slowly back to the Palace of Westminster, taking seemingly random turns to evade the riot vans that blocked the main streets. Here police horses and
hundreds of officers in riot gear tried to herd the protest to an area where their disruption would be minimal, but once more their efforts didn’t work. Sahaya James, of the NUS National Executive Committee, said that she found the events “unsurprising because of the speed and severity” of actions taken by the police against protesters. Eventually the police managed to corner the protest on St James’ Street, kettling the small crowd of non-violent protesters for nearly an hour.
In the kettle, a man who only wanted to be known as a “masked anarchist” spoke to Forge Press about alleged police violence that they had experienced. He said: “After being asked to get on the pavement I was tackled into a railing and had a knee pressed into my throat, I don’t understand how these officers can sleep at night when they hurt peaceful protesters, they’re just the paid mercenaries of the state.” The protesters were eventually escorted to Charing Cross tube station and released slowly in pairs.
SU President, Christy McMorrow added: “I received positive feedback about the protest.” “I would say that 99 per cent of the protest had a good energy, and everyone was enjoying the feeling of solidarity. The first years that attended said that they thoroughly enjoyed it, as they got the opportunity to meet new people within the Union.” “I’m happy to say that as an SU, we have no reason to believe that anyone who was with us did commit a crime”
Human Chimaera A 34 year old man has failed a paternity test because his sperm possessed DNA from his unborn twin brother. He absorbed his miscarried twin’s DNA in the womb, causing him to develop two distinct sets of genetic information. According to mythology chimaeras were terrifying monsters lions with goats’ heads and snakes for tails. In this case the man only had peculiar two-toned skin and just 10% of his sperm were genetic matches to his son. Making him the uncle of his own son. Ellie Simms
Alien Megastructures Found The Kepler Space Telescope has found something huge transiting a faraway star, and it’s left NASA baffled. The mass obscuring star KIC 8462852 is too large to be a planet. The most captivating theory is that it’s a “Dyson Sphere”an array of solar panels placed around the star by an alien civilisation - but this is, of course, currently just a theory. More scientific explanations have been suggested; a disk of dense gas, debris from a planetary collision, or comets flung into the system by a passing star, but these hypotheses are flawed. Rosanna Tilbrook
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NEWS UniNEWS Young Professor A very enthusiastic nineyear-old girl has applied for a role at Cambridge University. The role of Professor of Lego caught her eye so much, that she actually applied before the job was even advertised! She pitched her Lego building experience and gave her school teachers as referees. Bizarre BA? Once again, ‘Unviersity Challenge’ has out done itself. Recent contestant Kate Lynes, came on the show and announced she is studying for a degree in “sphincter preservation” at Queen Mary’s. Naturally, Twitter couldn’t wait to have a few laughs at the students expense: “An MD in sphincter preservation? #universityhaschangedsincemyday” It also caused distraction: “I spent so long reading about sphincter preservation that I missed the first few questions. #UniversityChallenge” Boob Loan To most students, our loans are the thing that keeps us sane. The feeling of your student loan landing in your bank account and dragging you away from minus numbers is a wonderful feeling, but not for all. Catherine Bryne, a 22-year-old student Catherine Byrne, who was 22 at the time, blew £14,000 on surgery, Botox and fillers, after only one month of being at university. Who needs books, rent and vodka money anyway?
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Sheffield chainsaw massacre Will Morgan
Sheffield City Council has set up an “Independent Tree Panel” to oversee the removal of trees in Sheffield. This comes after months of concerns about the Council’s felling of trees around the city as part of the Streets Ahead road resurfacing project, including a controversial plan to chop down11 lime trees on Rustlings Road. The Council is to assess 36,000 trees as part of a £2bn road improvement scheme. 10,000 people signed a petition to halt the felling, tree-filled areas have been occupied and a highway tree forum has been set up. Despite the clear popular disapproval, Sheffield City Council called the protests “vexatious and manifestly unreasonable”. To many this seems like a non-issue, made even more ridiculous considering there is now an independent candidate standing in the local elections on an anti-tree-felling platform. The reason for this seemingly trivial issue being blown so out of proportion is simple, extreme politicking. The petition received 10,000 signatures after an extensive leafletting campaign by the
Liberal Democrats, with no party signage being used in the literature, as embroiling the Labour-held council in something so trivial makes them appear useless. As such the council chose to call requests for information “vexatious” to quell this attempt, as the Freedom of Information act 2000 says that an authority can refuse requests that are deemed vexatious. The setting up of an Independent Tree Panel with Andy Buck, the chief of Sheffield’s Citizens Advice, at its head is a further attempt to silence the Council’s critics as they have democratised the felling of trees, as if over half of local residents object to a proposed felling then it will be referred to the panel of five. The story of Sheffield’s embattled trees has received wide media attention, with the BBC, the Independent and the Guardian picking up this tale of council bureaucracy in Europe’s leafiest city. Hopefully this issue will be cut down before it branches out into even more bureaucratic insanity.
Sheffield tops foreign investment tables
Lisa Latham
A national study has revealed that Sheffield is one of the most attractive UK cities for foreign business investment. The city is in the top seven percent of 324 local authorities for inward investment, according to a new Business Location Index created by Grant Thornton. The renowned accountancy firm referenced economic, social and environmental criteria to compile the index,
including transport links, property prices, wages and quality of life. Phillip Woolley, Partner, Grant Thornton UK LLP, commented: “Inward investment is a major component of delivering growth helping to drive GDP, foster innovation, enhance productivity, support and create jobs and ultimately, develop a more vibrant UK economy.” The index enables councils and local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to
advertise their assets and attract further investment away from London, which still remains a key location for business investors. Sheffield’s long standing reputation for heavy industry is shifting as investment in engineering and digital research gathers momentum. The recent completion of new £81 million engineering centre The Diamond is set to generate around £20.6 million per annum for the city, as well as interest in University of
Sheffield’s esteemed Faculty of Engineering, which attracts the third highest amount of research funding in the UK. Grant Thornton’s report references Sheffield as a city of innovation and development. The Sheffield City Region has 343 foreign-owned companies, combining with those of Leeds and York to total 1086, around five per cent of England’s total. Paul Houghton, senior partner at Grant Thornton in Sheffield and a board member of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: “The report highlights that the opportunity for Sheffield and Leeds is fantastic, and we need to use these insights to further strengthen our combined strategies and ensure we are making the most of our respective USPs as places to do business. “Collectively, Yorkshire has a great deal to offer businesses from all over the world, and there’s further evidence here that the complementary offerings of Sheffield and Leeds make Yorkshire the ‘go to’ location for overseas businesses.”
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Votes could be lost Red flag for under new rules Ed. Officer
Keri Trigg
The University of Sheffield’s position as one of the highest voting student populations in the UK could be under threat thanks to new voter registration rules. Students are being urged to register to vote by 9 November to ensure they are allowed to vote in upcoming elections and referendums. The changes mean that each individual is responsible for registering themselves to vote, moving away from the old system which required only the ‘heads of households’ to register everyone living at their address. The University of Sheffield has previously allowed new students to register to vote when they join, and held registration drives accross campus earlier this year. “It’s absolutely essential that students register to vote,” said Kieran Maxwell, Campaigns Officer of Sheffield Labour Students. “If you’re not an upper class, white man, 200 years ago you wouldn’t have been able to vote. From the chartists to the suffragettes, people have fought for decades to achieve the right to vote. We really are lucky now that everyone having a say in how the country is run is taken as a given. “Registering to vote is so easy to do on the website, and all you need is your National
Insurance Number. Having an influence on how your country is run is definitely worth the potential jury duty. Sheffield’s students hold a large proportion of its votes, though many could lose their vote due to not being made aware of the changes. The total number of registered voters across the city will also determine the number of MPs that will represent Sheffield in Parliament from 2020. “Getting you name on the register is particularly important for students in Sheffield right now,” added Kieran, who has been campaigning in the student villages to make sure everyone signs up on time. “The government is speed-
ing up the process of Individual Voter Registration. Now each student has to register themselves, whereas before the University could register all students automatically. “This will see over a million people being missed from the electoral register, particularly students, BME and young people.” In this year’s General Election, 76% of students in the Endcliffe and Ranmoor villages turned out to vote, compared to the national average of 43% for 18 to 24-year-olds, and 66% of the overall population. You can register to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Keri Trigg
& Robin Wilde Students’ Union President Chirsty McMorrow has defended a fellow officer’s decision to run in the NUS Delegate election. Minesh Parekh was elected as one of the University’s seven representitives at the NUS conference, despite the Big Decision rules requiring officers to remain neutral. He was elected on the sixth round of counting, under the ‘single transferable vote’ system, after coming fourth on first preferences. Bus Section E, Part 1 of the Big Decision Rules & Regulations states: ‘Students’ Union Officers are not permitted to support specific candidates in any Students’ Union election and must remain neutral.’ “I think it’s actually a good thing that Union officers run for NUS Delegate,” said McMorrow. “I don’t know a single Students’ Union in the country that doesn’t have officers standing for NUS Delegate. “Only one officer stood here, if we had three standing I would probably be opposed to it. “There are conversations to be had about how many officers should stand, and I think there are other Students’ Unions where too many do. “Officers, unless they are
standing, should remain neutral. They should not campaign when they are on the job, and I am sure that Minesh didn’t do that.” As well as standing himself, Parekh featured on a graphic circulated on social media encouraging voters to choose him as a National Conference Delegate alongside Josh Berlyne, Maeve McDaid and Lizzy Kelly. McMorrow said: “It was not Minesh’s slate. People ran with things they agreed with him on. “He wanted it to be clear that he always supported those issues. “It was more an endorsement of Minesh from Josh and Maeve. He agreed to be on it.” He also highlighted that last year’s Education Officer Malaka Shwaikh featured on similar endorsements. “Malaka was on a slate last year and the rules haven’t changed. Slates are allowed and candidates are allowed to be on them.” He added: “NUS elections are different from Union Council elections. NUS is about us as a collective SU saying what we want to take to NUS. “The SU constitution [which allows officers to run for NUS Delegate] overrides the election rules. “In the future we should have more clarity.” Find out about the Big Decision of page 8-9.
Junior doctors - not lovin’ it Lisa Latham
University of Sheffield student Lianne Sellors received national media recognition after posting on Facebook that she’d be better off working in McDonald’s than becoming a doctor under Jeremy Hunt’s new contract proposal. The contract, which initially imposed longer working hours on doctors with no corresponding pay rise caused uproar among thousands of medics across the UK. Angry protesters are campaigning for the plan’s withdrawal, and the British Medical Association will open a ballot on Thursday November 5 to decide whether to pursue further industrial action. Lianne Sellors, 23, posted on Facebook while on her break at McDonald’s. She wrote: “I am hugely angry and disappointed at what lies ahead. The new
contract is not fair (I’d be better off staying at McDonalds), and it’s NOT SAFE.” Hunt has since released another statement offering concessions for doctors, including an 11 per cent pay rise, in an attempt to subdue protesters and prevent a potential strike. The BMA argues that doctors will still face an overall reduction in pay of around 26 per cent. Most importantly, the risk of an increase in mistakes made by exhausted doctors remains, compromising the quality of treatment for patients. Speaking to Forge Press, Sellors said: “For me it is NOT about the money. It is primarily about the effect this contract will have on patient safety.” “During my time working at McDonalds I have occasionally worked 70 - 90 hours weeks whilst not at University. They have left me emotionally
drained and physically exhausted. McDonalds is a very tough job, and during times when I have been tired, I have made mistakes.” Hunt’s new contract threatens to remove the safeguards that prevent hospitals from overworking junior doctors, meaning 70 - 90 + hour weeks could become the norm. “So when I say I would be “better off” staying at McDonalds, I mean that I would rather be at risk of putting the wrong sauce on a burger, than putting a patient’s care/safety at risk due to tiredness.” “Essentially, I have always wanted to be a Doctor and I am extremely excited that in a few months I will have achieved that dream. However, this new contract threatens to make my job extremely difficult and I want nothing more than to be the best doctor I can be!”
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Tab sparks outrage over “insensitive” survey
Chloe Coleman
Students are outraged by the Tab’s sexual assault survey. The Tab published a sexual assault survey last month which has angered many University of Sheffield students due to its insensitive and triggering nature. The survey, which was published last month, received
mixed reactions across the country, however the comments on the Sheffield branch of the Tab facebook post were wholly negative. The survey consisted of questions such as: “Is someone ‘asking for it’ because of what they are wearing?”, “If you go back with someone after a night out, should you be expected to
sleep with them?”, and “where were you raped?” Harriet Street, student at the University of Sheffield spoke to Forge Press about her experiences taking the survey: “This survey asks incredibly personal questions of a very sensitive nature, many of which could be triggering to victims and survivors of sexual harassment and assault. “This is a casual survey that will not provide any significant research or conclusions, and as a publication that reaches young people from all backgrounds, The Tab have a responsibility not to publish or share unnecessarily triggering and insensitive articles such as this. “Sexual assault is a very serious, very real part of many people’s lives, a part that they often do not wish to think about unless absolutely necessary, and I am disappointed that not only did The Tab publish this survey, they brazenly and consistently ignored complaints about the
nature of its content.’” Georgie Darling, another student at the University of Sheffield mirrored Street’s point: “It’s very insensitive and I doubt they’ll get any feedback to questions like ‘have you ever raped someone?’” Emma Stead, Philosophy student and president of a Unionsociety said: “I was shocked by how detailed the survey was, it was definitely unethical and there were some questions I chose not to answer.” Speaking to Forge Press, Women’s Officer Sharmin Jahan said: “Having a survey which asks questions regarding the causes of sexual assault can be triggering and suggest victim blaming.” “Sexual assault is very serious and a real part of many peoples’ lives. The Students’ Union offers a variety of support and if this survey has affected you or anyone we are more than willing to offer support.”
Campaigners camp out on Union concourse Will Morgan
A group of 24 students, and a lucky member of Forge Press, slept overnight on the Students’ Union concourse Friday October 23. Beginning at 8pm and finishing at 8am, the participants spent the night shivering on a thin layer of cardboard in their sleeping bags, with the aim of increasing awareness of the plight of asylum seekers and to raise funds for ASSIST Sheffield. ASSIST Sheffield is a local charity that helps asylum seekers who have become destitute through having their claims of asylum rejected. Their help comes in the form of food, shelter and money, all of which a failed asylum seeker is denied by the government. Robert Spooner, from ASSIST Sheffield, gave a talk to the soon-to-be cold campaigners about the struggles facing asylum seekers in Britain, highlighting the government’s legislation that denies them work or financial assistance as a major cause for homelessness and destitution amongst asylum seekers. He described how in 2003
you could find people “sleeping in telephone boxes and train stations” as a result of this legislation, inspiring him to help set up ASSIST Sheffield. ASSIST Sheffield gives 85 refugees a £20 stipend every week, as well as housing over 30 people in houses that they have bought. A refugee from Zimbabwe who volunteers for ASSIST, Victor Mujakachi, also gave a talk saying that he felt “honoured” and “inspired” to talk to young people who want to hear from an asylum seeker. He gave the assembled students an idea of what it is like to flee persecution and fear, only to experience it in the place that you flee to. Victor said that any students who want to help should look into volunteering for the South Yorkshire Legal Help Service or Voluntary Action Sheffield. The cold campers were awoken at half past seven in the morning by the RAG organisers with The Lion King song ‘The Circle of Life’ before groggily traipsing into the Students’ Union for warmth. A journalist from the Sheffield Tab also attended the event, however briefly,
to ask questions to the campaigners like “What’s your favourite snack?” and “could you sit closer together so you
look more like a couple?”, eventually leaving the event despite claiming that 24 of “us” braved the cold.
SSD waves to manipulate data, via sound waves Jessica Davis A new SSD design uses sound waves, ‘singing’ to manipulate data. This particular scheme comes from engineers at the Universities of Sheffield and Leeds in the UK. In a paper by Physics Letters, they mentioned a new approach to an experimental technology known as “racetrack memory.” This will utilize surface acoustic waves, which is a variety of sound wave that exists only in two-dimensions, to manipulate bits of information. These move in different directions as determined by variations in the sound’s pitch, so, in a near-literal sense, the memory is manipulated by “singing.”
Crime awareness course rolls out Jessica Davis The University of Sheffield teamed up with South Yorkshire police and Welfare Committee students, to raise awareness of safety in our city, taking place Monday 9-11 November. Although crime levels are at a low, with a 4 per cent decrease compared to last year’s 51 per cent, the week is still pushing to keep students aware on the best ways to protect themselves and also their properties. The Diamond Exhibition Space will be holding a stand every day from 10am until 4pm providing advice, free personal attack alarms, mugs and crime reduction fact sheets. Students will also be able to protect their property effectively, by marking their property and adding it to the Immobilise National database, which allows police to identify the owners of stolen property. Edge West Entrance Reception will also hold a stand from Monday 7 to Friday 11 November between 4.30pm and 6pm. Here, the team will providing the same service so it will reach and benefit as many university students as possible.
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NEWS
A loving Jess-ture? By Jess Green & Jess Davis
A modern day Romeo has launched a university-wide search for his Juliet, but with a modern emailed twist. Over 200 students and staff named Jess, Jesse, Jessie, Jessy or Jessica have received an email through their university accounts from Alex Carr, asking if they were his mysterious lover. The list also included more than one male Jesse and numerous members of staff at the University, who were very surprised with the email and have been part of the stream of responses ever since. Alex emailed after he was struck by love at first sight, when he was dressed as a Viking on Halloween, he met Biology student Jess. He explained the situation in his famous email: “I didn’t get her number so I’m saying hi to everyone who might be her.” Replies were made within minutes, ranging from: “Sorry #notyourjess” to others asking to be kept up to date with the romantic tale. A response from a Jess even went so far to suggest wedding
bells in the couple’s future and this resulted in further Jess’s chipping in asking to be bridesmaids at the ceremony. Some recipients weren’t so supportive however, as one took to writing a blog post on the ordeal, pointing out how his actions to finding her were malicious and a form of harassment. In response, various Jess’s said this was out of order and still continued to wish Alex the best of luck in his quest for his lovebird and replied a stream of opinions, all stating how her blog post was not suitable and was extremely out of order. Lewis Catchpole, University student, said: “What she has said to him is far worse than sending an email to 300 Jess’, it’s public shaming.” Some students, who aren’t a Jess, have shared what they think about the email saga. Sam Koster, a journalism student at the University, stated: “I don’t understand why some people are so upset, if it wasn’t you then just ignore the email.” Sian Bradley, University student, also added: “I think it’s a bit odd but has been blown out of proportion. It’s
not harmful behaviour.” Yet unfortunately the efforts of Alex have not yet resulted in his finding of Jess. All who replied wished the romantic luck in his endeavour
to #findJess; with the hashtag being formed early on in a bid to find ‘the one’ through social media.
The University of Sheffield has reached an agreement to expand a partnership with Nanjing Tech University. The agreement comes after Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Keith Burnett met with China’s President Xi Jinping to discuss higher education partnerships. The agreement with Nanjing Tech University will establish a Joint Institute allowing students to gain a Sheffield degree without leaving China but students will still be able to travel to Sheffield if they wish. Additionally, the Joint Institute will seek to develop postgraduate collaborations as well as joint research initiatives, starting with Green Chemistry. Many existing collaborations between UK and Chinese universities concentrate on business and engineering courses meaning the University of Sheffield and Nanjing Tech University are leading the way in science. In a statement Sir Keith Burnett said: “I am delighted to welcome the establishment of the Nanjing Tech-University
of Sheffield Joint Institute,” “The Joint Institute will build on the University of Sheffield’s already significant success in high-impact research collaboration in China, in particular in such vital areas as sustainable energy and food.” Academician President Huang Wei from Nanjing Tech University also commented on the initiative saying: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with the University of Sheffield.” “The Joint Institute will become a platform that not only offers world-class teaching and research opportunities for students in China as well as other countries, but also promotes knowledge exchange between young talents and scholars of our two countries.”
NATIONAL NEWS
Prison for smuggler
McMuffin
A man has been jailed after using a fishing line to smuggle a “deadly” McMuffin into Wormwood Scrubs prison. Karl Jensen, 27, has been jailed for two and a half years for smuggling drugs, a knife, a plastic Kinder Surprise egg containing five Sim cards, a bottle of vodka, a USB charger and a McDonald’s McMuffin sandwich into London’s Wormwood Scrubs prison. Jensen tied a bag containing the items to a fishing line that was pulled into a cell. Detective constable Andy Griffin said: “the combination [of items] could have been deadly.” Fortunately due to police efforts there will not be any McMuffin or kinder egg induced anarchy within Wormwood Scrubs.
Yorkshire’s insurgent bowlers
New partnership Wheels on bus with Nanjing Tech might go round Nathaniel Robinson
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Jess Davis Controversial changes to bus services across Sheffield have been put in place to improve the bus network, however it has left passengers in fear of disruption. These revised changes will be introduced from 1 November, despite efforts of protests. The service number 70 from Dore, which is to be rerouted away from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, university and schools, causing trouble for regular users. Bus company bosses and Sheffield Councillors have all praised the new fares as making it easier for passengers to get on the first bus that arrives. Sheffield Bus Partnership is now urging bus users to check for changes to their service and information about reduced priced tickets, as the new network has been put in place. However, despite some praise, the Sheffield Trade Union Council has joined forces with Sheffield Peoples Assembly and South Yorkshire Freedom Riders to protest the massive cuts to Sheffield’s bus
services. They are asking why councillors on the public authority for transport are sanctioning cuts made by the private bus operators. They are stating loud and clear that only 3 years ago SYPTE entered into a Quality partnership deal with the private bus operators, in order to stabilise and make sense of the chaos of our privatised and deregulated bus services- so they are now left outraged. Full service changes, bus timetables and route maps can be found online at travelsouthyorkshire.com/ futurechanges.
A group of bowlers used an angle grinder to cut through steel gates at their local green and staged a victory match in revenge over new landlord’s £5 fee. The trespassers included around 30 members of the Newsome Sports and Bowling Club, which has been using the green since 1905. The group stormed through the gates at the green at the Newsome Tap pub, in Yorkshire, and enjoyed a celebratory game of bowls. The ‘break-in’ was part of an ongoing dispute over plans for four townhouses and three bungalows on the 110-year-old Bowling Green. The Landlord said he had offered bowlers the chance to pay to go on the green, at a cost of £5 each time. But after September the gates would be locked and there would be no more bowling on the site. Currently the dispute remains unresolved.
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Friday 6 November 2015 | Forge Press
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Did you make Who is your Councillor? Automatic Control and Systems Engineering: Zeeshan Khan Chemical and Biological Engineering: Hemanshi Galaiya Civil and Structural Engineering: Omar Maniyani Computer Science: Tom Thomas Litman Electronic and Electrical Engineering: Sion Clyant Interdisciplinary Engineering Studies: Yazan Freij Mechanical Engineering: Luke Baldwin Archaeology: Otis Gilbert History:Nathaniel Robinson Music: Alexandra Burns (Alex) Philosophy: Josh Berlyne French: Sarah Boyle Germanic Studies: Ross Lang Ethical & Environmental: Chris Saltmarsh Clinical Dentistry: Aruna Ubhi Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Despoina Chrysostomou Nursing and Midwifery: Hamdah Abdi Animal and Plant Sciences: Artsiom Ramazanau Biomedical Science: Pete Backhouse Chemistry: Jamie Billington Mathematics and Statistics: Fred Gill Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: Sam Weston
Physics and Astronomy: James Bradford Psychology: Tommy Fong Kwan Hin Architecture: Ella MacLeod East Asian Studies: Daniel Higgins Economics: Alexander Richardson Geography: Adam Hanrahan Institute for Lifelong Learning: Simon Todd Sociological Studies: Bee D‘abéillé Lokkit Urban Studies and Planning: Jasmine Chong Law: Abigail Somoye Management School: Eva Xin Yifan Politics: Daria Lipscaia Information Studies: Jahad Al Wahshi Non Subject Councillors Women’s Councillor: Serena Cavasin BME Students’ Councillor: Nazmin Jahan Disabled Students’ Councillor: Katie Pinch PGR Councillor: Billy Bryan LGBT+ Councillor: Lizzy Kelly International Students Councillor: Nadeem Saba Muzzaffar
Who are your NUS Delegates? NUS National Conference: Nazma Begum, Maev McDaid, Lizzy Kelly, Sarah Boyle, Josh Berlyne, Minesh Parekh and Adam Hanrahan. NUS Women’s Conference: Sara Henderson, Nazma Begum, Emma Jackson and Tanya Datta NUS Disabled Students’ Conference: Tanju Cakar
Half of Cllrs Lack Mandate Out of the 41 council races 21 had fewer than 100 votes cast. These findings call into question the mandate of councillors to speak on behalf of their departmental peers. Councillors are elected to represent the interests of their students but with token turnout can they claim to still do this? Three races in particular suffered from poor turnout. Using the University of Sheffield
figure from 2014 it was revealed that the French, Architecture and Sociology department candidates received less than 40 valid votes in their races out of a possible 201, 557 and 395 respectively. Elected councillors Sarah Boyle, Ella MacLeod and Bee D‘abéillé Lokkit were also unopposed raising concerns over their respective mandates and ability to speak on behalf of their peers.
NUS Black Students’ Conference: Nazma Begum NUS LGBT+ Conference: Lizzy Kelly, Declan Downey, Zac Snape, Rish Kumar and Adam Ladley NUS International Students’ Conference: Santhana Gopalakrishnan NUS Postgraduate Conference: Maev McDaid
56 per cent of Councillers Uncontested Data from the 2015 SU council election reveals that 56 per cent of all council races were uncontested. Twenty three newly elected councillors faced no electoral competition in their bid for office. The lack of contested races reveals a significant democratic deficit within the university union. Marianela Gimenez-Asi commented upon the findings saying: “I didn’t really know much about
it. I knew there was an election for something, but it wasn’t really very well explained. I just think if it had been more in my face and I was more aware about it then I probably would have voted. It’s a pretty big deal actually.”” Joe Stevens, an Ecology and Conservation student commented on the lack of advertising of the event: “I didn’t vote - I’m a bit clueless. I saw a few emails but you get so many Uni emails you
just don’t look at them all. I didn’t even look at all. I normally would vote in that sort of thing but I just didn’t hear much about it.”
Forge Press | Friday 6 November 2015
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NEWS
the Big Decision? Facts and figures
What do YOU think? “What big decision is this? I didn’t vote because I didn’t see it advertised so I didn’t know it was going on.” Thomas Wright, History, 3rd Year
“I just assumed it was AV. STV is just confusing. I don’t think there was any information about how that worked.” Chris Yates, Politics, 3rd Year
“I did vote. I got the emails the week before. I just saw that there were a lot of people running and I had to rank them in order of preference. I don’t know my new councillor, I just saw that he was the only one running.” Audrey Dugue, East Asian Studies, PhD
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An adorable micropig. Look at its widdle face.
Bring new technology to market - but these little piggies should stay home
Devon Smith
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n 23 September, at the Shenzhen International Biotech Leaders Summit in China, the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) announced they would soon be selling one of their products as pets. You may wonder why would I want a pet from a genomics company? Well, the product they are selling is the micropig. What exactly are micropigs? They are a type of Bama pig, a breed of pig that is already of a miniature stature, which have been genetically modified as models to study human diseases. They have had their genes altered using certain a technology known as geneediting. This process uses transcription activator-like effector nucleases (or the more catchy acronym TALENs), which enables desired genes to essentially be switched off. Micropigs came to life when scientists decided to shut off the
growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene to study a dwarfism known as Laron syndrome. They have also been used to study those all important stem cells, as well as investigating gut microbiota - the little microorganisms that live in our digestive tract and help to keep us healthy. Apparently they are highly appealing due to their size, as they weigh in at just 15kg when they reach maturity, which is roughly the same size as a mediumsized dog (think of a spaniel). This is an advantage over the previous highprofile pet pigs, otherwise known as ‘teacup pigs’, which grew to sizes of nearly 50kg - needing more a bathtub than a teacup. As you can image, their owners weren’t too pleased and many teacup pigs were sadly abandoned. It is estimated that the pigs will cost around 10,000 yuan, or a whopping £1000 to us Brits, which I think is a hefty price tag for a teeny weeny ‘micro’ pet. They have also stated they have set that price to first “better evaluate the market” – it seems, to me, as though they are seeing how much people are willing to spend initially, to then set the price tag even higher to raise that status of the pig further, making them even more sought after. What’s more is that they are going to offer the choice of pigs with different coat colours and patterns – but what
does this mean exactly? Are they going to offer owners the choice to have the a famous logo grown onto their pet? They believe all this can be done using the same gene-editing techniques, but this doesn’t really make genetic modification (GM) look good does it? It’s abusing the genius of the technology really. They are going to take orders from their customers, just like a fastfood restaurant, to ‘gauge’ the demand.
“Who knows what kind of health care micropigs might need in the future?” So, “who are BGI?”, the scientists turned pig breeders, I hear you ask. They are a genomics institute, or a high-profile science company, who are responsible for the breakthrough in genomic sequencing techniques. That is, they ‘read’ our DNA, following patterns of numbered bases and other influencing factors, just like mystic, in a way. They held a research summit in Shenzhen, China, where they revealed these micropigs to the world. Now, if you’re a scientist you have probably
heard about the use of micropigs in research, or at least you know about animal models. To the rest of the world however, this display might have looked like another cloning experiment, which scares some people. Scientists from the BGI said that the micropigs “stole the show” and “everyone wanted to hold them”. Okay, I get the cute factor, but are they really pets? Should you be taking advantage of the science behind them to essentially fashion them as you wish? To many, the thought of getting a cute little pet pig will be adorable, and I am sure there are many exclamations of “awww” from people when they are shown an image of a micropig. However, there are serious factors that need to be considered when owning a pet pig, which I do not think the BGI have made clear at all. Pet pigs can be destructive. To me, this puts out a massive warning. They do not like to be locked up (e.g. in a flat). So for many, this should be a big no no, but I am sure many previous pig owners did live in a flat. In a small, indoor living space they cannot root or dig, which is their natural behaviour, and that is something you definitely can’t alter with genetics. They could pose possible harm to the environment or other livestock if they escaped. I also don’t think that the impact on the
medical health of the pigs has been fully investigated. Furthermore, will owners be able to get pet insurance and proper health care? Who knows what kind of health care micropigs might need in the future. Will vets even know how to treat them? Scarily enough, this new ‘pig design’ may lead onto the possibility of creating GM dogs and cats. It poses the question, where will such uses of this technology end? How should it be regulated- has this even been properly thought through? This kind of technology should be used to alleviate human disease and create new crop variants, whereas using it to carelessly design pet pigs could hamper this important process. You may think I sound like I am against this sort of genetic modification. But I am not; I am a scientist myself. I am all for GM crops to help develop more reliable and sustainable food sources and for gene therapy purposes to help save lives. I would love to see gene therapy be an actual form of treatment in my lifetime. But using GM just for personal greed, benefit and desire? That’s just not on.
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COMMENT
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ecause we’re wise distributors of unquestionable truth, we feel as though our advice would be indispensable in helping you through your ups and downs at university.
Sheffield’s music scene is much bigger than Def Leppard and arctic monkeys
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Someone who has paid for a ticket to a gig watching it through their phone’s viewfinder.
I bet That someone else looks good on the dancefloor Michael chilton
S
heffield has been cited as one of the leading cities for music in Britain, with the potential to claim the top spot. It’s not hard to see why it’s earned that title, as a look through the back catalogue of Sheffield bred musicians shows. A small selection includes Def Leppard, Human League, Bring Me the Horizon, Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden fame), Reverend and the Makers and While She sleeps. Not only has Sheffield maintained this high calibre of musicians over many decades, but it has seen bands and artists from a wide variety of genres showing how great Sheffield is at producing music of all genres and styles. However, there is caveat to this triumph in Sheffield, that risks jeopardising this ongoing achievement. When you go on a night out in Sheffield, which of the above are you most likely to hear? You
know the answer. I know the answer: Arctic Monkeys.
“these first few shows establish their own identity, aesthetic, persona and sound” I often feel cheated by that in many ways. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the music of Alex Turner and co., but hearing them being played five times in one night (the current record held by Plug as far as I am aware) when there’s a wealth of diverse music is disheartening to say the least. Why don’t we hear other examples of Sheffield’s musical
history, and more importantly, the city’s musical future in the form of emerging artists and bands? What would benefit Sheffield’s music scene no end are clubs, bars and pubs having dedicated local music nights - be it weekly or monthly. A recently published report established just how good Sheffield’s music scene currently is with a daunting 465 active bands across a huge spectrum of genres and styles. I’ve been lucky to encounter just a few of these budding talents and from singer/songwriters to trance, house to metal, there is a musical energy that has to be tapped into before we see the next big thing. So the demand is there, but so is the capacity and ability to sate it. I attempted to find a conclusive number of music venues in Sheffield, but was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of bars, clubs and pubs. These are proving grounds for the aforementioned talent ready to take the stage and are vital
to see any artist grow and develop. Especially in the formative years for aspiring artists, these first few shows establish their own identity, aesthetic, persona and sound that will make them who they are and embed in them a deep appreciation and love of Sheffield. You don’t have to look far to see that in Alex Turner’s lyrics in the early years of Arctic Monkeys. The demand, capacity and ability are there to make the musical potential of this city work; the missing ingredient is the focus on making it happen. There is nothing wrong with recognising the musical titans of Sheffield’s past, but dwelling on them every night to foster that feeling of past greatness will only harm Sheffield’s present and future music scene. If the city’s musicians and venue proprietors can focus and lead a concerted effort for the 465 to leave a footprint on British music, attached to that mark will always be the words “Made in Sheffield”.
UK’s Illusions fuel Saudi Arabia’s Appetite for destruction - and stifles Chinese Democracy
Jack Brentnall
F
ollowing the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to the UK, questions have naturally been raised about the UK’s questionable association with regimes with a troubling human rights record. Protests blighted his visit, following him to both Manchester and London. Opponents of the ruling Communist Party made their feelings known, with the Metropolitan Police responding with typical ruthlessness. Shao Jiang, a pro-democracy protester and survivor of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, was arrested for peacefully protesting against the visit in London. In allowing this to happen, the British government proved its willingness to do the bidding of the Chinese state. This complicity between the two governments should come as no surprise. Despite platitudes about the importance of human rights, the British government continues to associate with a multitude of despotic regimes, from the authoritarian Chinese to the fundamentalist theocrats in Saudi
Arabia. For a country that claims to be at the forefront of defending individual rights and freedoms, we have a somewhat sketchy record. In the past the British government has been complicit for the torture of dissidents, most notably in Northern Ireland. In more recent years it has played a role in the rendition and imprisonment of suspects as part of the so called ‘War on Terror’. And it doesn’t stop there.
“David Cameron continues to fund and support some of the most repressive and violent governments” Despite the recent news that the government has pulled out of a deal to train Saudi prison staff, our politicians continue to maintain a cordial relationship with one of the most brutal regimes on the planet. David Cameron has refused to condemn the Saudi government over its recent decision to behead a young activist. He skirted around the question by claiming that Saudi Arabia provide vital security information, blatantly ignoring the issue at hand and then portraying anyone
who questions this relationship as uninterested in British security. This has happened several times already to Jeremy Corbyn, labelled as an Al-Qaeda sympathiser and terrorist-lover, simply for questioning the foreign policy relations of the British government. Meanwhile, David Cameron continues to fund and support some of the most repressive and violent governments on the face of the earth. To understand why this support for such overtly brutal regimes continues, we need only look at the financial benefits that Britain accrues through this relationship. We seemingly conduct a policy that involves no concern whatsoever for the politics of a diplomatic ally, as long as they provide financial opportunities to both the British state and big business. The government cares little who its bedfellows are or how brutal they are. British foreign policy is motivated by a combination of economic gain and a twisted ‘War on Terror’ rationale, with the latter results in the perpetual state terror of British allies upon their populations. Behind the façade of human rights and freedom, we see the deeply rotten roots of our foreign policy. It is vital that the government is kept under constant pressure from those of us who truly believe in the ideas of freedom and liberty, and who believe it should be people, not profit that govern our foreign policy.
“I’m always really horny in the IC… what should I do?” - Holly Binn Anybody who has spent any time on YikYak will be aware that you aren’t alone in your problem Holly! It’s perfectly natural for sexually frustrated students to get a bit randy after several hours of hard studying. We’d suggest that you embrace your sexuality and publicise it with pride. Recognise that many other students will be in a similar situation by jumping on top of your table and announcing your desires to the world. Hopefully another equally studious, sexually charged hard-worker will follow you to the IC showers – which we think are drastically underused. Who actually washes themselves in those showers? Might as well take advantage and relieve some of that sexual tension. It’ll be to the benefit of everyone. Yours, the Comment Counsellors
“I have been lost in the Students’ Union for three days” - Tunnox T. Kayke
Xi Jinping: the Chinese President
The Students’ Union contains many important vitamins and minerals for a growing student, which can be extracted from the most surprising of places. If you have access to water, you may consider growing a small garden for your personal use in the cushions of the Gallery furniture. The bum warmth of hundreds of visitors should nurture the plants and ensure a fertile and plentiful food supply. For navigation, establish landmarks early on, from the weird full-size mural of the Union Officers to the ATM that regularly eats cards, to the secret dungeon underneath Foundry. These will help you establish paths between them in case of emergencies, as well as easily defensible camps to protect you from marauding leafleters. Yours, the Comment Counsellors
Friday 6 November 2015 | Forge Press
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Name-blind ucas won’t help common people - it’s about differing class Nicole Oshishanwo
I Every pic you take, every law you break, Facebook’s watching you Robin Wilde
I
f you’ve got friends with a history of embarrassing themselves in public (and of course you do) you’ll probably have seen someone liking that picture of them in a daft hat from 2009. The reason is that Facebook have made it much easier to search through profiles, with a feature designed to find posts by year and month. This is all well and good while it’s about laughing at the silly politics you held five years ago. But when your future employer decides to search through a full quarter of your existence for any evidence of wrongdoing, have fun being rejected from any job. When the person with a thing for you lets curiosity get the better of them and sees how in love you were with the person who left you last summer, will he or she feel comfortable enough to ever give it a go? When you add your newly signed-up grandparent and they decide to see what their darling family have been up to, do you want them to find the profane and drunken you from Corp, 2013? There doesn’t appear to be a way to switch off this feature, so if you want to avoid that risk of humiliation, your options are limited. You can take down your account entirely and start again,
leaving an odd zombie of yourself, locked in time as if you’ve died. You can trawl through month by month and delete/untag anything untoward, an exercise sucking up hours of time and causing to you repeatedly cringe and smash your head against the desk. As a last resort, you can earnestly ask all your friends and acquaintances to please be nice and never explore your chequered past. That’s a strategy about as likely to be blessed with success as pleading with them on your hands and knees. It feeds into the impression Facebook have been creating of themselves as a bunch of prying curtain-twitchers, intent on not only feeding your personal information into their advertising algorithms, but encouraging all your friends to do the same thing. If social media is remembered for one negative thing, it will be the inability to let the past go. Some of us had deeply shameful or hurtful childhoods, that go beyond simple embarrassment. It isn’t right to be able to easily dig through that. The right to be forgotten is a very real one now, but it isn’t well known or far reaching enough. If we allow everyone we know to reach back into our past, we are preparing the ground for a future with no expectation of privacy at all.
The first tax credit cut is the deepest for democracy ben chandler
O
n 8 May, following a surprise election majority, an emboldened David Cameron hailed the Tory manifesto as one ‘for working people’. But within weeks of winning power his chancellor moved swiftly to cut working tax credits for some of the poorest in society, cuts that were not spelled out anywhere in said manifesto. It ultimately fell to an unelected chamber, the House of Lords, to check the Chancellor in his attempt. Many people who voted for the Tories in May are deeply aggrieved by the Chancellors rapid back-track on preelection promises. A number of Tory MP’s such as Heidi Allen and MSP Ruth Davidson have spoken out against the cuts. Yet, with no mandate to bring in such legislation and considerable opposition within the party, the bill managed to squeeze through the Commons. It took the unelected chamber to stop a government elected on a distorted electoral system from pushing through a bill for which they have no mandate. Cameron has badged the bizarre alliance of the Lords and the left a ‘constitutional crisis’, but the real crisis extends beyond the constitution
and cuts to the heart of our deeply flawed first past the post (FPTP) electoral system. In the UK we observe political traditions that are inextricably woven with our history and have remained largely unchanged for centuries. The result of this is a heavily diluted democracy in the contemporary era. The fact that an unelected body provided the only check on a Chancellor acting outside his authority is testament to how far we have drifted from the concept. Democracy is the Greek word for ‘people power’, yet a party who received less than 30 per cent of the peoples’ votes wield over half the power in the Commons and this is regularly the case. The voting habits of the population never accurately translate to seats within the House. As direct democracy is not practical or possible, proportional representation provides the most democratic and fair alternative, with representation being the operative word. FPTP condemns all those who did not support the victorious candidate within their constituency to political irrelevance for at least five years. They have no representation in Parliament. Those who live in Labour and Conservative
t was announced this week that UCAS will be introducing name-blind applications as of 2017. While this is a welcome move that seeks to address the problem of ensuring that capable people from BME (black and minority ethnic) backgrounds can get into universities, I don’t think it’ll change much. The real issue that needs to be addressed is classism and until UCAS do something about that, we won’t see much change. According to a 2009 Department for Work and Pensions report, when applying for jobs in UK cities, “High levels of name-based net discrimination were found in favour of white applicants”, with 74 per cent more ethnic minority applications needed to be sent to employers to get a positive response. Unfortunately, things haven’t changed that much in the six years since; with one black applicant having to change her name to ‘Elizabeth’ just to get a response. This, and stories like it, has led to the government proposing name-blind applications to graduate jobs: a move I would welcome, given the very real discrimination in the job market. The odd thing is that we just don’t see that same discrimination based on race and based on names during the university application process. If a candidate of a BME background has the same levels of education and preparation as a white counterpart, they don’t face discrimination. At the end of the day, universities just want the best qualified candidates who will complete their degree and pay their fees. What is causing racial discrimination, however, is the classism that is bound up in the university application process. According to Oxfam, BME people in the UK are “more likely to be unemployed, have low incomes… and live in the most deprived areas of the country.” The lack of racial diversity we see at our universities isn’t primarily down to name-based discrimination, but strongholds but do not vote accordingly can go a lifetime with no political voice. Advocates of FPTP claim that deviation from the system would lead to weak, fragmented governments that have failed so spectacularly in the rest of Europe, whilst citing the constituency link and manifesto accountability as reasons for its preservation. However, the tax credits fiasco is the latest in a long line of examples that expose the hollow nature of these arguments. Despite many Conservative voters and MPs being critical of the cuts, not a single MP opposed them in the Commons. For the party, the paramount concern was victory, not the issue, and
Students write exam papers. the sheer bias the application process has in favour those from high socioeconomic backgrounds. Leaving aside spiralling living costs, disappearing maintenance grants, and high fees, one of the most basic barriers to those from low socio-economic backgrounds - who often include those from BME backgrounds - applying is the cost. The UKCAT and BMAT (the aptitude tests required when applying for a medicine, veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences and dentistry) can cost candidates over £150 to take. Although that cost can be reimbursed, some students from the poorest section of our society simply cannot afford to spend that much money upfront for a shot at a test they might not do well in. This immediately closes off access for some students to those jobs in the future and potentially pushes them down a path that doesn’t see them apply to university at all. Aptitude tests aren’t the only way those of lower socio-economic status are discriminated against, however. The high grades universities expect from their applicants also ensure that good students from bad schools find it very difficult to successfully apply
to a university that their attainment deserves. Most universities ignore social status in all but a handful of exceptions, so a student with one A and two Bs from a school where only 10 other students managed an A is viewed the same as a student with the same grades where every student managed at least one A. This is a clear flaw in our system, and until it’s resolved, we won’t see a big change in the diversity of university admissions. This clearly isn’t a negative move from UCAS, there are obviously no bad consequences that can come from reducing the amount of latent racial bias applicants will face. It does represent a complete inability to see the real problem with university applications. The problem is not, and has not been for some time, solely people being discriminated against because of their race. The problem is the latent discrimination that people face because of their class, and I don’t see how this new measure addresses that. Until UCAS address the class imbalance at university, they won’t have worked out how to get more capable people of BME backgrounds into university.
the embarrassment of defeat something to be avoided at all cost. Detractors were forced into line by the party whips. Most of the time, MPs vote along party lines, and not according to the will of their constituents or conscience. As for manifesto accountability, there is no democratic method outside of a cross in a ballot box in five years’ time to check government on manifesto promises.
to this place, largely against the will of the electorate and substantial swathes of government. And it is that very system we need change to get us to a better place. David Cameron is right - there is a crisis, but this is not new. If we are to avoid the shambles of the tax credits row from occurring again we must follow the example set by our continental partners and start to function as a more progressive democracy. The time has come to rethink our constitution, to rethink how we hold government to account and to rethink the powers of an unelected second house. But the start point for all of that is clear. We must bravely move away from our historical roots to find a 21st century solution for 21st century problems. And that begins with saying a respectful goodbye to First Past The Post.
“The time has come to rethink how we hold government to account” The Chancellor has seized upon the current disarray of the opposition to push through an agenda that did not provide the platform for their election victory and hope that by the next general election, all will be forgotten. Of course, as the Liberal Democrats will testify, there is a chance that all will not be forgotten in five years. However, in the meantime it is sad that the unelected Lords proved the only impediment to the enactment of such an unpopular policy. It is the nature of the FPTP majoritarian system has got us
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FEATURES
Friday 6 November | Forge Press
Forge Press | Friday 6 November 2015
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FEATURES
THE POWER OF THE POPPY
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ast year marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War (19141918), a horrific four year conflict that resulted in an estimated 20 million civilian and military deaths across the world. The unthinkable violence, however, led to little resolution and 21 years later the Second World War was declared. This resulted in as many as 85 million worldwide fatalities between 1939 and 1945. It was a tragedy on an inconceivable scale. Every single one of the victims in both wars was once a living, breathing person with friends and a family, a home and a life. Every individual that was affected as a result of the two World Wars will have endured unspeakable horrors, but because it occurred on such an incredible scale, the pain and anguish of every personal tragedy has dissolved into empty statistics. We come together as a society to acknowledge theis devastating loss on Armistice Day. November 11, 1918 marked the armistice signed at the end of WWI, and thus the event signified a move towards peace and reconciliation between the fighting nations. A minute of silence is held on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month to pay respects to the victims of these conflicts. Nevertheless, despite this ceremonious commemoration, the British government still engages in conflict across the world and uses violence as means to achieve political and economic aims. The British armed forces have been engaged in as many as 26 military conflicts since the ceasefire declared at the end of WWII. Among the most notable was the controversial support of the US led invasion in Afghanistan from 2001 – 2014, an intervention that was widely criticised and led to another 40,500 lives lost. It also caused widespread and lasting disruption of Afghan society and an environmental legacy of landmines, shells and unexploded bombs which will inevitably lead to further deaths. Between 2006 and 2007, 474 people were arrested for taking part in a year-long blockade outside Trident’s base in Faslane near Glasgow. They argue that any use of nuclear weapons could have catastrophic consequences and their abolition is an urgent humanitarian necessity. The distinguished physicist, Albert Einstein, was also an absolute pacifist who was devastated by his part in encouraging the development of the nuclear bomb by writing to the US President, referring to it as the “one great mistake in my life.” Absolute pacifism is a difficult principle to stick to; it holds that the worth of human life is so high that nothing can justify killing a person deliberately. Those who believe in it claim it is never right to take part in a war, even if it is in self-defence. They claim every single life lost in conflict is a
“It seems as long as violence is continued to be used as a means to solve world problems and achieve political aims, cherished lives will continue to be wasted.” unique human tragedy that affects individuals on a profound and inexcusable level. It is an extreme view that is a far cry from contemporary society’s general support of the armed forces. Every year the Royal British Legion launches its annual Poppy Appeal towards the end of October and we begin to see the distinctive red flowers appearing in the media and on the streets pinned to jackets and attached to the front of cars. The poppy has become a powerful symbol since they were the first plants to grow in the battleground sin Flanders after WWI. They represent the blood of the fallen soldiers. They represent war, conflict and pain. The white poppy is a rarer sight. The campaign was first introduced by the Women’s Cooperative Guild in 1933 and was intended to be a lasting symbol for peace and an end to all wars. However, because of the Royal British Legion’s continued involvement in modern day conflicts, it refused to be associated with the manufacture of the white poppy, which was instead produced by the Cooperative Wholesale Society. The white poppy was never intended to offend the memory of those who died in the war, but many veterans contested that it undermined their contribution to the lasting meaning of the red poppy. Indeed many women lost their jobs in the 1930s for wearing white poppies, and although the White Poppy Appeal is still run by the Peace Pledge Union, it is scarcely seen in modern culture, and equally the pledge of peace it represents has been generally disregarded. Nonetheless, the Royal British Legion has a significant role in supporting war veterans, soldiers who are currently serving and today’s armed forces families. The money raised through the Poppy Appeal goes directly into welfare work and provides support for bereavement and help in coping with disabilities, housing and unemployment. One of the ways that the Legion raises money is through their online poppy shop which sells a range of poppy themed items. Whilst raising money to support the victims of war is paramount,
some people believe the Legion undermines the grief suffered by the victims of conflict through the merchandising of the symbolic red poppy. Art is one of the few ways that the grief and devastation caused by war and conflict can be meaningfully portrayed. Pablo Picasso’s cubist style painting of Guernica was helped convey the pain and devastation caused by the 1937 bombing. Similarly, George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia provides us with an unparalleled account of the brutalities of the Spanish Civil War which was poorly reported by the media at the time. Propaganda and official procedures, alongside formal ceremonies can conceal the reality of the suffering that war and conflict cause to the individual on a mass scale. The poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ written by Wilfred Owen during the First World War, was one of the first to illustrate the truth of the gruesome violence he experienced and challenge the accepted mantra that “it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country”. He challenged the status quo by implying that to expect young men to sacrifice their lives in the name of patriotic duty devalues their worth as individual human beings. Last year crowds flocked to the Tower of London to see the display of ceramic red poppies called “The Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red”. Each of the flowers represents a British military fatality during WWI; it was a significant artwork in that it gave unique value to every individual life lost in the conflict. It seems as long as violence is continued to be used as a means to solve world problems and achieve political aims, lives will continue to be wasted. Whether or not this is worth it for the greater good is subject to interpretation. Whether it is on an individual or a mass scale, every life lost is a unique tragedy and until a significant move is made towards peace, these tragedies will continue ceaselessly. The words of the singer Pete Seeger reflect this sad but seemingly perpetual sentiment, ‘Oh, when will they ever learn?’
Artwork and words by Madeleina Kay
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What You Should Know About Acne. I
t is very likely that you will have, at least at some stage in your life, had to battle with acne. In fact around 80 per cent of people aged between 11 and 30 will at some point have been affected by it. For most this will be no more than an extended spell of relatively minor and intermittent spots. For an unlucky few however, acne may become severe. Young people with severe acne can become extremely self-conscious leading to social withdrawal, stress and paranoia when out and about. All to often the end result of all this is depression, made substantially worse by the fact that acne by and large strikes at an already rather vulnerable stage of a person’s life. Yet most people don’t realise just how damaging acne can be emotionally and psychologically and that these effects can be particularly acute in an older sufferer.
“Melissa Martin-Hughes, predicted 3 A* in her A-levels, hanged herself after suffering from depression as a result of her severe acne.” The problem is the familiarity with the stereotype of the spotty teenager. This means if someone has acne, those around them don’t tend to think much of it and dismiss it as just a phase of spots that most people have to go through. Generally, this is the case.
However it also means for the unfortunate ones who develop severe acne, their spots and the effects they’re having aren’t taken seriously. Nobody is to blame for this; those around a severe acne sufferer often don't realise how much of an impact acne can have on someone’s life. Sadly there is no shortage of examples of people taking their own life after battling with acne. In 2012, Melissa Martin-Hughes, a grammar school girl predicted three A* in her A-levels hanged herself after suffering from depression as a result of her severe acne. If you have a friend or relative with bad facial acne, you may naturally see through it, but for them it’s right there literally in front of them all of the time. It’s the first thing they see when they get up and look in the mirror, it’s the thing they’re reminded of every single time they touch their face. They’ll likely spend most of the time looking down at the floor when they’re out and will find it immensely challenging to maintain eye contact in a conversation. They may generally feel uncomfortable in social situations, especially with strangers. As a friend or relative you may not notice it at all, but they do and you’ll never be able to convince them that other people don’t notice it. Another problem that can arise from this is friends making jokes without realising that it’s actually hurting the person. It’s very difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t suffered from severe acne what it’s like. You tend to feel petty. You know in the end it’s temporary, and that there are a lot of other people much worse off than you. Many people have permanent and seriously disfiguring conditions. At the same time, however, acne is always on your mind, for most of the hours of the day. It’s what you're thinking about whenever you’re talking to someone, it hurts when you’re trying to go to sleep and it slashes your self-confidence at a time when you want to be more sociable, at university for example. It stands in the way of building relationships. It’s frustrating and it’s heart breaking. It’s difficult for guys because they can’t wear a cover-up without the inevitable ridicule from their friends that will come with it, but it’s hard for girls because for them it’s not part of that ‘spotty teenager’ image everyone has in their heads. Everyone can think of that classic stereotype of a
teenage boy with a cap, baggy jeans and acne, but girls are under more pressure to have clear glowing skin all the time. There can also be pressure on guys to overcome the ‘spotty’ phase by the time they attend university, however, for those who still experience skin problems at this age it can be seen in some way abnormal. It is important to talk about what acne actually is, and hopefully dispel some myths about what causes people to have it, and why it’s perfectly normal to develop it at an older age. A lot of people think that acne has something to do with hygiene or cleanliness caused by not washing your face properly or by just being dirty. Em Ford, a model turned professional filmmaker who writes a blog called ‘My Pale Skin’, produced a film and article entitled ‘You Look Disgusting’. Comments left on it included ‘I can’t even look at her’ and ‘seriously has she ever washed her face?’ In reality, acne has nothing to do with personal hygiene. Acne is a biological condition that you can’t initially help. What’s the difference between normal skin and skin with acne? Well, many sebaceous glands lie just under the skin’s surface. These glands make the ‘oil’ called sebum that comes up onto the surface of the skin via pores. As a rule, the more sebum you make the worse acne is likely to be, and some people just happen to make more sebum than others. For mild to moderate acne such as that which results in blackheads, whiteheads and small pimples, it is because some pores become blocked. This is due to the skin at the top of the pores becoming thicker, combined with dead skin cells that are shed into the pores .You can see the ‘plugs’ that block the top of the pores as tiny spots known as blackheads or whiteheads. So it’s important to know that the ‘black’ of the blackhead is due to skin pigments and not dirt as some people think. For moderate to more severe acne, such as large spots and inflammation, blocked sebum provides an ideal environment for a bacterium called P.acnes to live and multiply. Small numbers of the bacteria usually live on the skin and do no harm. However, if large numbers develop in the blocked sebum, your immune system may react and cause inflammation. If the inflammation develops, it causes the surrounding skin to become red and the spots become larger and filled with pus or pustules. In some cases,
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Having severe acne can be socially debilitating. Hallam Roffey outlines what it’s like and what you should know. the pustules can become even larger and then form into small cysts. In summary, the natural biological process of your body cause acne; it’s not a result of poor diet or dirt. Many people with acne will actually wash more than usual. Having said this, acne can be aggravated by poor diet and hygiene, so people who do suffer from bad acne should make the effort to follow a good skin regime and try to lead a healthy lifestyle. What else makes acne worse? Well, some contraceptive pills may make acne worse due to the hormones in some of these pills. Acne can also worsen before and during periods, which is not ideal considering the emotional changes already taking place. This is caused by hormonal changes and fluctuations that result in a progesterone level increase and an increased production in facial oil glands such as sebum. Sweating heavily, such as when doing workouts or general hot work may make acne worse as the sweat may add to blocking pores. For the same reasons, some spots may develop under tight clothing such as tight collars or bra straps. There are a couple of rather more bizarre myths that should also be debunked. First off, masturbation doesn’t cause or worsen acne. The same goes for sex. Maybe this is one of those things that can be traced back to adults trying to dissuade young people from having premarital sex, but there’s no evidence to substantiate it. However, there could be an explanation to why some people are still linking sex with acne. Androgens, which are male sex hormones and cause an increased sex drive, may be related to severe cases of acne. So androgens themselves may be related to acne, but not the associated increase in desire for sexual activity. So if you or someone you know suffers from acne, what are the options? Firstly it’s important to note laser treatments and similar options tend to only provide a short-term solution. Topical products such as creams can also help, but they aren’t going to cure severe acne themselves. Speaking to a GP and getting a referral to a consultant dermatologist is the first step. A GP can prescribe antibiotics such as Oxytetracycline that may in some cases work. However only dermatologists can prescribe Isotretinoin, the leading and most effective medication for severe acne. Isotretinoin is a retinoic acid and goes by the trade name of Roaccutane here in the UK. It’s not a drug for the faint-hearted. It has horrendous side effects that can make you wish you had never started taking them. Dry and cracked skin, tiredness, aching joints, nosebleeds and mood swings are actually some of the more agreeable effects. The drug has also been linked to psychological side effects such as acute depression, although this link has not been conclusively proven to exist, and it is difficult to know whether or not any depression is a result of the medication, or if it was already present. James Sillcock, a healthy footballer who suffocated himself aged 26 in 2012 blamed the drug. So too did Jesse Jones, who was the subject of the 2012 BBC3 documentary Dying for Clear Skin related after he committed suicide. Melissa Martin-Hughes, the grammar school girl already mentioned was also on a course of
the medication. However for thousands of others Isotretinoin is a miracle drug. It can completely clear severe acne in just a few months, in most cases with permanent effect. Taking a course of Roaccutane involves regular check-ups and blood and pregnancy tests, but in the end it can more than make up for it, restoring clear skin, and with that someone’s self-confidence and social abilities. It’s definitely an option that should be considered, but a dermatologist will give personalised advice. Finally, if you know someone with severe acne, don’t try treat them any differently but simply appreciate that they might be having a harder time than you realise. Sometimes people with severe acne want to talk about it and open up, sometimes they don’t; let them decide. If they do decide to talk, ask them if they’ve seen a GP or dermatologist, and if not encourage them to go. Getting rid of severe acne is no short process and it can be tough, but being able to look up when walking down the street and finding yourself holding eye contact for the first time in as long as you can remember is unforgettable.
“Dry and cracked skin, tiredness, aching joints, nosebleeds and mood swings are actually some of the more agreeable effects. The drug has also been linked to psychological side effects such as acute depression.”
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Matching Our Heroes
ewis Hamilton’s win in the US Grand Prix on October 25th meant that he surpassed Sebastian Vettel to be placed third in the Formula 1 rankings of drivers with the most race wins. This is continuing evidence of how Hamilton’s form has rarely wavered over the last two years. He has also carried on from his 2014 Formula 1 Championship to win yet another and take his tally to three. This put him on level terms with his idol, the great Ayrton Senna. But consider this, has matching such an achievement gone any way towards dampening his admiration for Senna? Even if we try, most of us will fall short of our hero’s achievements in life. This is pessimistic I know, but realistic. This applies whether these achievements be the 500 plus career goals of Cristiano Ronaldo, the six Olympic Gold Medals of Chris Hoy, or Beyoncé being the most successful female artist in history. All these people have been extremely successful and have achieved incredible human feats. However, while these accomplishments are unrealistic goals for the vast majority of us, there will always be a blessed few that have the wealth, talent and accessibility to compete at the highest level of their game. It is these people who have the opportunity to match or even surpass the achievements of the true ‘greats’. But would it be enough to make us question the talent of our heroes, if we could go beyond their capabilities and success? Senna’s untimely death at Imola in 1994 meant his career and success was cut devastatingly short. This meant that he never went on to win more world titles, which seemed more likely than not judging by his racing history, but his legacy and achievements still remain meaning that ultimately his records live to be broken. As a consequence, would Hamilton or any person be bold enough to consider their own achievements worthy of ‘legendary’ status? If so, are their accolades comparable to those of their heroes? If this was the case, could this be enough to weaken your admiration for the triumphs of your hero? It is a difficult situation to try and imagine, let alone answer, but I think it is a point of interest nonetheless. There is scope to argue that the reason they become our heroes is because they accomplished what they did when it was much harder to do so. Opportunities used to be much fewer and far between, making competitors a brighter star compared to someone who achieves a similar feat in this day and age. But surely there must come a rare point when the ‘new greats’ have to evaluate their own success in relation to their heroes. Although Hamilton can owe his second and third titles in part to the dominant Mercedes of the last two seasons, Senna piloted the McLaren MP4/4. This all-conquering piece of engineering won 15 out of the 16 races in the 1988 season and gifted Senna his first championship win. In the case of 1990, he risked both his and fierce rival Alain Prost’s life by deliberately crashing them both out of the Japanese Grand Prix in order to win his second Drivers’ Championship.
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FEATURES honour… It's right up there, if not the best. To be a country's leading scorer before the age of 30, I'm extremely proud.” Whilst this is evidence of Rooney acknowledging his own achievements, no comment is made on his respect for Charlton. Quite rightly, no star would ever publicly claim a loss of respect for their heroes upon beating their record, but the thought must surely have occurred to him. Naturally, by progressing to the highest tier of competition, egos become bigger. Confidence verging on arrogance has often been attributed to success in such a competitive environment. As a result it is to be expected that Rooney, Hamilton or whoever, will rank themselves highly in today’s field of talent. Will they also consider their own name alongside the already established legends of their games irrespective of pundits’ praises? Again this reverts us back to the two questions of greatest interest: do they consider themselves great, and more intriguing, does the matching of their heroes’ achievements somehow dampen their admiration for the their heroes? There is little material offered on the subject and as a result, individually we can do little more than imagine ourselves in such a situation. One day when my flatmates are broadcasting the most listened to radio show, or are more renowned lawyers than Clarence Darrow, or editing a prestigious magazine, then maybe I can go some way to answering the questions made here as they become the new ‘yard sticks’. Until then, it is only something we can speculate about. Perhaps, in the case of our heroes, it is best left that way as they remain the few rare talents that we look up to leaving them exempt from postcareer scrutiny.
We all have idols, those that have achieved all that we’d like to. But what about the rare few that can imitate the sucesses of their heroes, do they become any less heroic? Matt Kew decides....
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Once we have achieved these accomplishments ourselves, a natural result would be for the awe-factor of our heroes to be somewhat diminished.
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Hamilton and Senna have arguably possessed similar advantages in their career, but Hamilton thus far hasn’t resorted to dangerous ‘win at all costs’ strategies in order to guarantee his success. As a result, is Hamilton more deserving of his achievements? If the answer to this is yes, then Lewis has every right to consider himself one of the few sporting ‘greats’ and perhaps a fractional loss of admiration for Senna would be understandable. Obviously the title of this post is taking such a proposition to the extreme. Naturally, Hamilton will have done everything on and off track in order to take three world titles. Of course he will have wanted to maximise his success and achieve all that he can. After all, the career of a racing driver is fantastically short so missing opportunities for success are not an option. But when Lewis Hamilton drove the closing laps to claim his third world title and to match the achievements of his hero Senna, there could have been something at the back of his mind which lessened the wonderment he feels for the Brazilian. A predominant feature in our idolisation of these people is the fact that their achievements seem unattainable to us ‘mere mortals’. As such, once we have achieved these accomplishments ourselves, a natural result would be for the awe-factor of our heroes to be somewhat diminished. Perhaps a possible answer can be found by turning attention to one of the men that was tasked with beating Hamilton’s number 44 car. Following a spectacular Sao Paolo Grand Prix in 2012, in which Sebastian Vettel claimed his third world title, he stated in a post-race interview “To win that third title here, one of my greatest idols, Ayrton… He won three titles. I don’t like talking about myself really, it’s very difficult to imagine that you join them.” Even here, where Vettel has put his name in the history books alongside the legends of the sport, he cannot quite fathom the meaning of this landmark in his career and the subsequent elevation he has to make of his status as a racing driver. A clearer answer is offered away from the world of F1. With Wayne Rooney’s penalty against Switzerland, the player took his tally of goals for England to 50. In the process he surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s 45 year-old record. Rooney’s reaction? "It's a dream come true and a huge
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Islamic Fashion: Sophie Cockett discusses the new era of fashion blogging, and how it has given a voice to minority groups.
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ewind a decade or two and fashion blogging was an alien concept to the majority of us. Granted, fashion blogs started to appear on the internet in 2002, and in September 2003 the first blogger was invited to New York Fashion Week, but it wasn’t until late 2007 that the phenomenon really started to gain momentum. Since then, the growth in its popularity
hasn’t slowed for a second. Not only has it enabled countless women to forge entire careers from documenting their style online (just take a look at the likes of Lily Melrose and Olivia Purvis), but has created an online community of like-minded people who now play a significant role in the fashion industry. Respected by designers as much as the biggest glossy magazines, bloggers have paved the way to a new, digital version of the industry, one which is more inclusive than it ever was before. This idea of inclusivity is illustrated by the fact that the industry is no longer controlled by a few elite gatekeepers. Outsiders to the industry are now admirably earning themselves seats on the front rows of the most prestigious fashion week shows. In addition to this, the fashion industry is becoming more inclusive of minority groups, from people with disabilities, to plus size models (check out Ashley Graham strutting her stuff at New York Fashion Week), and now young Muslim women who want to be fashionable and still follow their faith. In 2007, Chicago based journalist Mariam Sobh, who wore her hijab whilst pursuing a TV
career, launched a website called Hijab Trendz. There was a major gap in the market for a site which could inspire the style choices of Muslim women in the United States, and noticing this, an online destination which now averages two million hits a month was born. Speaking to the Daily Beast: “When I started my website in 2007, I didn’t find anyone else out there that specifically blogged about Muslim women’s fashion from the perspective of what’s hot right now on trends and how to incorporate what was coming off the runways into a look that still adhered to the Islamic requirements.” Seeing how pleasing her advice was to the target audience of girls who were struggling to express themselves from behind a hijab, many other young women started to have their say. Now, you don’t have to look hard at all to find a slice of the internet which is helping Hijabi women to be included in the fun and fearless frenzy that is the fashion industry. Dina Tokio runs a YouTube channel which boasts over 270,000 subscribers. Back to school hijab styles and inspiration for hijab occasion wear are just the beginning on this channel, and Dina shows young girls that not all Western trends need to be ruled out because of religious restrictions. Clothing should cover the whole body up to the ankles and wrists, should cover the woman’s figure, and fabrics should never be too thin or sheer, but if you know what you’re looking for then shopping doesn’t have to be a chore. In a recent BBC Radio 1 documentary, Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts suggested that British high street shops wouldn’t
scream about the fact that they had a Muslim line for fear of alienating their Western shoppers, but this newly created community of Hijabi bloggers are starting to get heard by some of the country’s largest retailers. H&M recently received a whole host of praise for featuring a Hijabi woman in their Close the Loop ad campaign. , H&M’s first ever Muslim model, said it always previously felt like women who wear a hijab are “ignored by fashion” but this seems like a progressive step to be applauded. She features in the fashion brand’s short film wearing wide legged trousers, a dusky pink boyfriend coat, circular sunglasses and a checked hijab.
Looking wonderfully on trend, Maria opened a conversation which has always been strained, and encouraged shoppers and brands alike to look at Muslim women with a healthy curiosity and admiration. Many would argue that it is this inclusivity of all groups, which is the greatest thing to come out of fashion blogging. With more hijabi fashion bloggers and vloggers surfacing online every day, it won’t be long before more brands hear their voices and transform their campaigns to fit the multi-cultural society we live in. The rise of the Muslim fashion blogger is certainly a movement to watch.
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Alexa Chung: The Future of Fashion
Jess Davis reviews Alexa Chung’s new online series, The Future of Fashion, which touches on current issues in the fashion world. Alexa Chung is one of the biggest names in fashion at the moment. Whether she is dominating your Instagram feed, showcasing the latest designer outfits or being papped at secret A-list parties, she is everywhere. Chung is a famous English fashion model, television presenter, and contributing editor at one of the world’s leading fashion magazine publications, British Vogue. Her latest venture is one that all us fashion crazy students are very thankful for, an online six episode series, ‘The Future of Fashion’, illustrating a very personal insight into this fascinating industry. Alexa Chung investigates fashion from a different perspective, within the series, she talks of the path she has taken through the fashion world, something that is very helpful for students and young people who are hoping to pursue a career within the competitive industry. She talks with
professionals in fashion and discusses various topics such as prospective job sectors, scholarships and internships. In addition, Chung also meets with current students who are considered the future of fashion and captures perfectly their views and opinions on what fashion means to them. She interviews students at the beginning of their careers, which is extremely helpful to prospective students who want to pursue a career in the
industry. Not only does the series cover advice on how to succeed in the industry of fashion and related sectors, it also touches on important recurring themes within fashion culture, including body image and diversity. Chung answers the questions of how fashion can actually be utilised in order to combat these issues. Within some episodes, the fashionista discusses her own body image and how she deals with regular criticism of her style and body. As well as touching on current issues within fashion, she also explores the different avenues that can be taken. She challenges the idea of how fashion is very limited career wise, as often it’s thought that the only way in is through modeling, photography or fashion journalism. However, in reality, there is so many more careers to get involved in, for example fashion buying. She explains
various jobs and opportunities that are unheard of and different terminology within the industry. Chung also interviews various famous designers questioning whether fashion is art, how seriously it should be taken and what effect gender has at the very top of the industry. Catch up with her latest series on Vogue.co.uk.
Concourse Couture: Fashion on Campus Photos taken by Maren Koelpin.
Hugh Clark Fourth year Mechanical Engineering student. Leather jacket: second hand, jeans: Nudie, boots: Dr Martens, hat: Shrimps.
Jamelia Flack First year French, Spanish and Portuguese student. Jacket: Next, top and skirt: Urban Outfitters, shoes: Topshop.
Nicolas Sisinni Second year Business Management student. Jacket: Asos, shirt: second hand market, jeans: Elvine, shoes: Vans, bag: vintage.
Tong Liu Postgraduate Leadership and Management student. Coat: All Saints, trousers: COS, boots: Dr Martens, bag: Furla.
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On a Shoestring: Paris
Anna Whittaker demonstrates that it is possible to go to one of the world’s most glamourous cities on a budget, and still have an amazing time.
When people think ‘Paris’, the words ‘beautiful… but expensive’ come to mind. However, after a lot of searching, my boyfriend and I settled on using lastminute.com to book our long weekend to Paris, and it didn’t turn out to be too expensive. Altogether the cost for two people to travel and stay in the capital was only £400.
definitely do it all if you are prepared to keep busy. I would definitely recommend going to the top of the Eiffel Tower as the views are incredible. However, if it’ll break your budget, you can walk to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for free. The stairs will kill your legs but the view at the top is so worth it. Also, Notre Dame is well worth a visit; it’s free to go in and it is so stunning inside that you could easily spend hours in there. As for food, French breakfasts are incredible. We sat outside the beautiful French courts near Notre Dame eating baguettes and croissants on our last day, feeling exactly like a parisien. My favourite spot in Paris was the part of the Seine just by Notre Dame. I could have sat by the river soaking up the sun all day long. It’s a quieter bit of Paris by day; people go down there to read a book or to relax in the sunshine. At night, however, people gather round and dance to French music.
Another unique place in Paris is Montmartre, home to Sacré Coeur. Well known for its appearance in the wonderful film Amélie, it is a bustling village with markets, traditional cafes and beautiful buildings. We ate macaroon flavoured ice cream and chocolate crêpes, and got our picture painted by a French street artist.
Our hotel, L’Atelier Montparnasse, was lovely. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. It wasn’t directly in the city centre, which meant we could explore another area too. The hotel is in Pernety, a cute town on the outskirts of Paris. It’s not too far out and there is a Metro station a short walk from the hotel.
Most of your money will probably go on food and drinks, as you will not be able to resist a Parisian cocktail. But there are loads of affordable restaurants in Paris. The spaghetti carbonara in ‘Pizza Vesuvio’ on the Champs Élysées was amazing. Also, for more of a French vibe, ‘Les Fragines’ in Pernety was delicious.
One of the best things about Paris is that sightseeing won’t cost you much at all. Most of the city’s monuments are free to visit, as long as you show a student card. We crammed a lot into three days; from the Eiffel Tower to a late night boat trip on the Seine, you can
Overall, a few days in Paris cost no more than £300 each, proving that a student should never rule out Paris as a travel destination. A beautiful city with many things to do there, and doable on a budget, it is a must visit.
Recipe Corner: Cheesy Pasta Sauce
After a hard day at univeristy all you want to do is relax and not think about cooking. However, Jessica Lindley has the perfect recipe that is tasty, easy and quick.
Ingredients: -75g grated cheddar cheese -2tbsp butter -2tbsp plain flour -500ml milk -Salt and Pepper to taste -Optional extras: mustard, ham, bacon, mushrooms, peas, chicken Method: -Melt the butter in a saucepan. -Add the flour, cook for one minute, continuously stirring. -Take off the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring each time. Once all of the milk has been added, bring sauce to the boil. Once boiled, turn heat down until sauce is simmering. Keep stirring. -Take off the heat, add cheese and stir in until fully melted and sauce has thickened. -Add any optional ingredients and salt/pepper. -After draining your pasta, put it back into the warm pan and add the sauce. Place on hob for a few minutes if it needs heating up a little. Remember to keep stirring. -Serve and enjoy!
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Society Spotlight: Sign Language Society
A society less known to students, Bronte Howard tells us why it is worth learning sign langauge while meeting new people at the same time.
If you could learn any language, what would it be? It would probably come to a surprise to find out that two out of three adults think that it is more impressive to speak sign language compared to a foreign language, such as Spanish or French.
students of all years, backgrounds and experience in sign language, it creates an informal and enjoyable environment to learn the language. The diversity in the courses that students are undertaking means that it provides the perfect opportunity to meet people who you wouldn’t in your day to day life. With their weekly trips to Interval and other socials, it isn’t all about just learning to sign. Next semester, they will be holding their annual Sign Language Karaoke which is guaranteed to be lots of fun as well as raising money for charity.
Today, it is the second most popular language that British adults want to learn. Unfortunately, the Sign Language Society is highly underacknowledged around campus, despite offering the chance to learn British Sign Language in a friendly and relaxed environment. Even more, it only costs £5 for a yearly membership which is a fraction of the cost of private lessons elsewhere. The society is now entering its fourth year of teaching and providing qualifications. With a cohort representing
There are plenty of ways to get involved. The weekly Level One lessons are currently held on Wednesdays 6-7pm in the Octagon, and the Level Two lessons are held on Wednesdays at 5-6pm. It is still possible to begin lessons this semester, but if you’d like to start the course from the beginning then there will be an opportunity to do so next semester. It doesn’t matter if you have absolutely no experience in signing, if you’ve learnt some before, or you already have completed Level One as there are classes to suit every ability. Additionally, if you are experienced in signing then there is also an opportunity to lead some of the beginner’s classes.
After collaborating with the Singers’ Society, The Sign Language Society were awarded with the Collaboration Award at the Volunteering Awards for providing workshops for children, giving them the opportunity to learn how to sign some songs. The Sign Language Society often co-host Sign and Sing Give It a Go sessions. So, if you also have a passion for singing, this is a great way to combine the two! Later this year, the society will be also working alongside the Singers’ Society to perform their annual Christmas Carols at Firth Court. If you think you’d like to get involved, more information can be found on the Union website, as well as on their Facebook page.
Review Corner: Secret Egypt
Lewis Wiley tells us about an unique exhibition at Weston Park Museum.
Weston Park is one of the best places to visit in Sheffield, come rain or sunshine. The museum is especially good and the new ‘Secret Egypt’ exhibition does not disappoint. Aimed at all ages, there is something for everyone, from a build-your-own cushion pyramid, to simple and easy to understand historical information for those who need a whistle-stop tour of Ancient Egypt. The exhibition is free entry and open until the 10 April 2016, with over 100 objects kindly loaned by the Birmingham Museums Trust. It is a vibrant and varied
display, with various mummified animals, a selection of pottery, and most impressively a well preserved mummy complete with coffin.
mummy and coffin of Namenkhetamun dates from around 600BC and shows just how good the Egyptians were at preserving their dead.
Whilst trawling through the various displays and briefing myself on all that is Ancient Egypt, children, parents and grandparents all looked wide-eyed and interested. This is the beauty of an easy to access exhibition: anyone can get involved and learn something new at relative ease. Go at any pace, take in as little or as much as you want, and have an enjoyable trundle around one of Sheffield’s best museums.
A whole case is devoted to the different canopic jars – used to store internal organs after removal – and the various gods and goddesses associated with them. The stomach, lungs, liver and intestines were all removed and natron oil applied, to dry out the body and retain a likeness to the deceased.
The actual content of the exhibition is great: a captivating blend of wizened beings, snakes and birds, and various assortments of pottery and belongings. There are even replications of Egyptian relics, placed there as a comparison point to help bolster your knowledge and find out the truth about ‘Secret Egypt’. Furthermore, there are various anecdotes about conspiracy theories surrounding Egypt. For example, were the pyramids built by aliens? Nevertheless, the archaeological evidence presented seeks to dispel the mysticism surrounding Ancient Egypt that is generated through pop culture and various perversions of history. My favourite part, was the informative, engrossing, and somewhat grisly displays about the Egyptian afterlife. The
It is a great exhibition, and not just for those historically inclined. With talks on each week about various aspects of ‘Secret Egypt’ and a fantastic exhibition, this is a really strong showing from the Museums Sheffield and definitely worth a quick visit.
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Friday 6 November 2015 Forge Press
COFFEE BREAK
Heres what is new to Netflix this November... Home Alone - This Christmas classic tells the story of an 8 year old boy called Kevin who is accidentally left home alone. Home Alone 2 - Join Kevin McCallister on his journey to go home, when he accidentally jumps on a flight to New York. The Duchess - Keira Knightley plays a women who is unhappy in her marriage and begins an affair with politician called Charles Grey. Last Days in Vietnam - This documentary explains what occurred in Vietnam during the final war days. Chicken Run - Rocky and Ginger lead fellow hens to escape from the dismal farm, where they are held captive.
Dingbats Key & t
BAN ANA
R Y S
Quote of the fortnight: “Sorry, who? what? they did not think of pulling out?� Chloe Coleman, Deputy Editor.
and chill.
Photograph of the fortnight
Caption: Its November already?! Essays and Deadlines.
National Days in November 8th November - Cappuccino Day 10th November - Vanilla Cupcake Day 11th November - Sundae Day 12th November - Chicken Soup for Soul Day 16th November - Fast Food Day 19th November - Play Monopoly Day 23rd November - Eat a Cranberry Day 23rd November - Espresso Day 26th November - Cake Day 28th November - French Toast Day
Forge Press Friday 6 November 2015
Easy
27
Sudoku
COFFEE BREAK
Medium
Hard
Crossword Across
1 Solution (6) 5 Rear (of the body) (4) 9 Grown-up (5) 10 Baddie in a film (7) 11 Timetable (of events) (8) 12 Adhesive (4) 14 Nevertheless - all the same (6) 15 Doll (with strings attached, like Judy?) (6) 18 Speak (4) 20 Extinct reptile - is around (anagram) (8) 23 Sure (7) 24 Bid (in an auction) (5) 25 Exam (4) 26 Outcome (6)
Down
Answers
Credits for the crossword: Matthew Sapsed
2 Badly-behaved (7) 3 Retire (from a battle) (8) 4 Disgust - uprising (6) 5 Courageous (4) 6 Go on all fours (5) 7 Overtake (on the road) (4) 8 Come up with (a new app, eg) (6) 13 Funny (8) 14 Secure (a label) (6) 16 Lively - full pay (anagram) (7) 17 Evening meal (6) 19 Great in size (5) 21 Uncommon (4) 22 Piece of information (4)
Across: 1 Answer, 5 Back, 9 Adult, 10 Villain, 11 Schedule, 12 Glue, 14 Anyway, 15 Puppet, 18 Talk, 20 Dinosaur, 23 Certain, 24 Offer, 25 Test, 26 Result. Down: 2 Naughty, 3 Withdraw, 4 Revolt, 5 Bold, 6 Crawl, 7 Pass, 8 Invent, 13 Humorous, 14 Attach, 16 Playful, 17 Dinner, 19 Large, 21 Rare, 22 Fact.
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Forge Press | Friday 6 November 2015
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SportsThoughts : Clash of the Titans It’s that age-old question (well, a few years old anyway) - who is better, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Photos: Tumblr
Nikhil Verkaria The Messi v Ronaldo debate is one that has raged on for the last few years, as two players have dominated world football. They’ve shared the last seven Ballon d’Or trophies between them, but who is ‘better’? The word better in itself leads to confusion, but I believe Lionel Messi is not only greater than Cristiano Ronaldo, but the greatest player to have ever lived. For one, he’s certainly not built for football. He looks more like a geeky kid into his computers than a footballer, especially in his younger days with his shoulder length hair. His journey into football has been remarkable. Signed into Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy on a piece of tissue in a restaurant after they offered to pay for his growth hormone treatment, the rest is pretty much history. Since making his debut in October 2005, he has broken every record in the book. He has the most Ballon d’Ors titles in football history, with four. He is the bookies favourite to pick up a fifth in January 2016. Since 2007, he has been a Ballon d’Or finalist every year, meaning he’s had eight appearances as a finalist, more than anyone else. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most goals in a calendar year with 91 in 2012 and went on the longest goalscoring run in a league season in 2012-13, scoring 33 goals in 21 consecutive games. This run was only ended by injury. He is the only player in the history of football
to score consecutively against all the teams in a competitive league, as well as being the only player to both score and assist in all six major competitions in a calendar year. In European competitions, his record is just as extraordinary. He has been top scorer in five UEFA champions league seasons, four of them being consecutive and has also scored in the most cities and countries in the Champions League. He is the top scorer and assist-maker in the history of La Liga, as well as being the top scorer in El Clasico history. He has scored at least 40 goals a season for the last six seasons, and holds the goalscoring record for every competition in the history of FC Barcelona (except the Copa Del Rey, when he is usually rested). Messi has been an integral part of a club which has become famous for a brand of football that has seen them dominate European football and inspire fans all over the world. Furthermore, it is in the moments that Barcelona needed inspiration themselves that he has popped up. Lionel Messi is something else. He isn’t perfectly built, he’s not the strongest or the biggest. But he has broken every record in the book and helped to perform in a team which has become arguably the greatest club side of all time. He has made us all hold our breath and in the biggest moments of all, he has delivered. He can do things that no other player can, and probably ever will be able to do. That’s why he’s the greatest.
MESSI In Numbers Appearances
467
597
Goals
Club titles
Ballon D’Or Awards
RONALDO In Numbers
759
Goals
Appearances
504
At last count, I have lost around seven friends trying to argue that Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi. The debate really is that fierce. They have reached the top through different ways. Ronaldo has managed it through incredible hard work and dedication while Messi has managed it by sheer talent. For most of their careers, Ronaldo and Messi have averaged close to a goal a game in a season. Since the Portugese moved to La Liga, he has scored 326 compared to Messi’s 338. In the Champions League, Ronaldo is five goals ahead of Messi in the goalscoring charts. There is not much to separate them on the basis of goals scored. Many have argued that Ronaldo doesn’t do much other than finishing opportunities created by his team-mates. However, there is evidence that suggests he does more. In the last three seasons, Cristiano Ronaldo has had 51 assists compared to Messi’s 57. That’s a lot of assists for someone who just scores tap-ins and penalties. Ronaldo has performed incredibly well in two really competitive leagues. He has won a league title, domestic cup, Champions League and European Golden Boot with two completely different teams. He has the strength, speed and skill-set to perform brilliantly at any level. The same cannot be said about Messi. I believe that he may not be able to do what he does for Barcelona week in week out in the Championship. Cristiano Ronaldo could play for Accrington Stanley and still manage
Siddharth Solanki to score a hat-trick every other week. In my opinion, Cristiano Ronaldo is the perfect footballer. There is nothing that he cannot do on a pitch. Ronaldo can be a target man on the pitch but he is definitely a target off the pitch for the media and many football fans. It is his arrogant and selfish persona that sways people’s opinions on who the better player is. It might be true to some extent but it should in no way affect public perception of his footballing ability. Sepp Blatter’s comments about how Messi was a ‘good boy’ and Ronaldo a ‘commander’ who spends more on his hairdo exemplifies the problem. There have been other examples in the past where a footballer’s off-the-pitch actions have resulted in people undervaluing the player’s ability to perform on the pitch, David Beckham being one. His behaviour on and off the pitch has led to people overlooking how good he actually is and how hard he has worked to get there. Many prefer Ronaldo’s flair and commanding physicality. We are lucky to be alive in the era of Ronaldo and Messi. Most of us have merely heard how good Pelé was and only seen highlights of what Maradona could do. Right now, we are witnessing players as good as them, or maybe even better. We should just enjoy two of the greatest players of all time in their prime putting in extraordinary performances every single week on the pitch. (But Ronaldo’s better of course.)
Club titles
Ballon D’Or 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 Sonny Bill Williams American Pharoah Jose Mourinho
STAR PERFORMER
Great Britain Gymnastics team Max Whitlock (pictured right) became the first British male gymnast to win gold at the World Championships when he claimed gold in the pommel horse. Louis Smith claimed silver in the same event. The men’s team also claimed silver, while the women’s team won their first ever world team final medal by claiming bronze. The result means both the British men and women’s teams have qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics where they will hope to build on the four medals they secured at London 2012.
Two years after heartbreak in the Rugby League World Cup final, Sonny Bill Williams struck gold by switching codes and featuring as New Zealand defeated Australia 34-17 to retain the Union equivalent. Following the game he grabbed even more headlines, gifting his winner’s medal to 14 year-old Charlie Line in a touching show of magnanimity.
American Pharoah retired last weekend, but only after setting a record that may take a long time to match, if ever. The thoroughbred followed up winning American horse racing’s fabled Triple Crown with victory at the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the most lucrative meet in the calendar.
Jose Mourinho has become a stark example of a manager hoist on his own petard. The belligerent Chelsea boss has seen his side stumble through the Premier League, with the defending champions in 15th after 11 games. The pressure will continue to grow unless Mourinho turns it around.
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Sports Personality of the Week Rob Milne spoke to Ultimate Frisbee Men’s 1s captain Max Larkinson about the newest BUCS team
The University of Sheffield have a new team playing in BUCS league fixtures this year. For the first time the university’s Ultimate Frisbee team, who had previously only competed in Varsity and other oneoff events, will now take on opponents from around the country. Cambridge-born Max Larkinson is the Men’s 1s team captain for their inaugural BUCS season. Now in his second year, he was introduced to the sport when he arrived at university and has pushed on since then. Max said: “I had played Frisbee before, I am sure most people have, just chucking a disc around in the park with my mates, but I didn’t start Ultimate until last year.” The Genetics and Microbiology student clearly loves the sport which was created in the mid-1960s in the USA by students of Amherst College. “The great thing about Ultimate Frisbee is that it’s
an exciting, fast-paced, competitive sport that is growing every year.” He has been impressed with the growth of his own team too. “In 2013 we didn’t even qualify for Nationals.”
as weekend tournaments. Now we’ll be competing in Wednesday fixtures as well so we’ll be playing more games and earning more BUCs points, which can only be a good thing for the Uni. This will really help develop the
With his new role as captain, Max doesn’t have time to compete in other sports, but is a former kickboxer, having competed for two years. He said the transition was quite unusual. “It was a bit of a weird transition going from a combat sport to a non-contact one, but I’m glad I did it.” With his attention entirely focused on Ultimate, Max is excited to finally be competing on a BUCS Wednesday. “We did actually participate in BUCS before, but only
club as a whole.” The community aspect of the sport is also important to the University of Sheffield captain. “Everyone knows everyone and since it’s self-refereed, there is a lot respect between players.” The game as a whole relies heavily on the spirit and nature of the Ultimate Frisbee community to allow the games to run smoothly. In the UK there is now a national team playing under the name of “Great Britain
“Last year we didn’t just qualify, we finished 5th best in the country!”
Ultimate”, which is supported by fundraising efforts. The University of Sheffield team lost their opening game against York 10-12 in a tight affair but Max competed against Hallam in Varsity last year too, a highlight of his time playing Ultimate up to this point. “Varsity was sick,” said Max, “We had played Hallam a few times that year in same close matches so the rivalry was in full swing. But when it came to the big game we smashed them 15-4.
“As for this year, I’m looking to smash them again.” You can see why Max is the leader and captain of the team, but he will need to convert that passion into results if the team is to make a mark on a national scale and help the popularity of Ultimate Frisbee continue on its upward spiral. The involvement in weekly BUCS matches is only the beginning for one of the fastest growing sports in the country.
Wonderful Wednesday humble Gunners Football
Capital One Cup Round 4
Sheffield Wednesday Wallace ‘27, Joao ‘40, Hutchinson ‘51
Arsenal Anthony Phillips Sheffield Wednesday produced an outstanding performance in front of 35,000 fans at a packed Hillsborough to defeat Premier League giants Arsenal 3-0 in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup on 27 October. The Owls reached the last eight of the competition for
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the first time in 13 years thanks to goals from Ross Wallace, Lucas Joao and Sam Hutchinson. Arsenal fielded a strong starting line up with nine senior internationals, with Per Mertesacker and Petr Cech among those joining youngsters Alex Iwobi and Glen Kamara, but named a bench packed with youth players including 17-yearold Krystian Bielik. Arsene Wenger’s game plan was wrecked after the opening five minutes when striker Theo Walcott replaced the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Walcott himself was then substituted in the 20th minute, and replaced by inexperienced youngster Ismael Bennacer. Wednesday began to feel comfortable in possession and they took the lead on the 27th minute thanks to a wonderful goal from Ross Wallace. Wallace ran onto a pass from Daniel Pudil and calmly stroked the ball in from 18 yards and past Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal. Wednesday continued to
apply pressure and their second goal of the evening came when Portuguese striker Lucas Joao rose highest to meet Ross Wallace’s looping cross and power the ball into the right hand corner of the goal to give the Owls a 2-0 lead at the break. Joe Wildsmith was making only his fifth senior appearance in goal for the Owls but he was barely tested all evening with Iwobi having a low fizzing shot fly wide of his goal. Six minutes into the second half, Wednesday were 3-0 up and the large contingent of Arsenal fans were stood in silence. Sam Hutchinson managed to bundle the ball in from six yards out after more
good work from Wallace down the wing. Although Arsenal managed to have 71 per cent of the possession, they struggled to break down a Wednesday side that was unbeaten in eight games heading into this encounter and could have conceded more goals had Wallace and Joao not had shots go narrowly wide. Striker Olivier Giroud was an isolated man up front and Mathieu Flamini was outplayed by Wednesday’s Barry Bannan. With Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United now out of the Capital One Cup, the Owls will hope to emulate city rivals Sheffield United by reaching the semi-finals. They face Stoke City in
the fifth round, with the tie at the Britannia Stadium taking place on Tuesday 1 December. Having already dumped two Premier League opponents out of this competition, Carlos Carvalhal’s side will be hopeful of reaching the last four for the first time since they won the League Cup in 1991. Owner Dejphon Chansiri’s main aim, however, is to win promotion to the Premier League, and the Owls boosted their hopes of achieving that by making it nine games unbeaten. Wednesday followed up the win with victory over Nottingham Forest and a draw against Championship leaders Brighton.
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Forge Press | Friday 6 November 2015
Frisbee lose in second BUCS encounter U. Frisbee
University of Sheffield Men’s 1s University of Durham 1s
Ollie Thrift Photo: Sam Kite It was a disappointing afternoon for the University of Sheffield Men’s Ultimate Frisbee 1s at Goodwin as they lost their second consecutive game in BUCS 15-5 to the University of Durham. Sheffield got the initial point with some patient build up play and some useful dummies with Dan Sumner managing to hold on to the frisbee in the end zone. Durham equalised almost immediately with some loose Sheffield defending allowing the visitors to counter-attack quickly. Durham played a high defensive line and this caused a number of errors from the
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home side which allowed the visitors to jump into a quick 4-1 lead. Sheffield threw a long arching disc over the Durham defence, most of whom were up the field pressing the Sheffield offence. Sheffield captain Max Larkinson ran into the path of the frisbee and held onto the catch to make it 4-2. As Sheffield attempted to get a third, a loose pass allowed Durham to complete a short pass and claim their fifth point of the afternoon. The home side continued to try and get back into the game and they managed to pull the score back to 5-3 thanks to a well worked build up that allowed Mathew Wright to complete the catch. Unfortunately, the Sheffield defence just couldn’t cope with
Durham and Sheffield soon found themselves down 7-3. The visitors then pressured Sheffield in their own end zone and capitalised, managing to get a score and establish an 8-3 half time lead. After the restart, Durham quickly made it 9-3 but failed to make it 10-3 when the Sheffield defence managed to intercept the frisbee in the middle of the park. However, Sheffield’s offence failed to make the most of it, squandering an opportunity to get a point. The Durham side was ruthless in all areas of the game and made it 10-3 soon after. Larkinson was the standout performer for the hosts, and he scored his second of the day after completing an impressive move to make the score 10-4. Durham continued to dominate in the middle of the park though, and added four quick points in succession. Sheffield’s offence continued to falter and Durham snatched two more interceptions to take them within one point of victory. Sheffield got another point back but it was too little too late to have an impact on the result. Durham gained the winning point after forcing another interception to win 15-5. After the match, Larkinson told Forge Sport: “I’m disappointed with the result, but we can take some positives from the game.” Read page 30 for Forge Sport’s interview with Max Larkinson.
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SPORT
Squash grind out Newcastle win Squash
University of Sheffield Women’s 1s Newcastle University 1s
Daniel Morris The University of Sheffield Women’s Squash 1s returned to winning ways with a tense and hard-fought 3-1 victory over a strong Newcastle University side at Fulwood Sports Club. A win for third-placed Sheffield saw them leapfrog their opponents into second place in the BUCS Northern 1A division. Tilly Spence played in the opening game and it didn’t take long for her to show her abilities. Some fantastic play, including several unreturnable serves saw her jump to a two game to nil lead. Newcastle fought back however, taking the third game with a tense 9-11 win. Spence remained calm and collected when it was needed and played out the last game in style to take the match 3-1. It was a similar story in the next set with Sarah Gill. A solid, confident performance saw her win all three games swiftly with Gill’s powerful shots forcing a large amount of errors from her opponent. The game was competitive, with the Newcastle opponent
forcing a number of excellent rallies. Ultimately though, Gill was too hard to break down and comfortably saw out a victory to give Sheffield a two game lead. Newcastle then showed why they entered the game as favourites; a fine performance from the Newcastle player Cooper saw her take all three games from Lucy Tetlow. The frustration was clear from Tetlow, and the match just wasn’t going her way. Despite some excellent flashes of play, the match went to Newcastle, setting up a tense ending to the day. A gripping last match then followed. Captain Maria Bainbridge put in another excellent performance to defeat a solid Newcastle opponent. With a victory sealing the contest for Sheffield, Bainbridge thrived off the pressure, hitting many superb returns and sublime lunging shots to win the game 3-0. The victory was a welcome return to form for the Sheffield team, who had lost their previous game. The Women’s 1s next face Leeds away on Wednesday 11 November.
Volleyball ease to victory over Liverpool Volleyball
University of Sheffield Men’s 1s University of Liverpool 1s Tom Holden Photo: Sam Kite The University of Sheffield Men’s Volleyball 1s achieved a third consecutive BUCS Northern 1A game by comfortably beating the University of Liverpool Men’s 1s at Goodwin 3-1. Liverpool, who came out on top in the two teams’ last meeting, started the game strongly by taking the first set 25-23. This was a result of some strong defensive work,
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with their captain leading by example, blocking several spikes as well as chipping in with six hits of his own. Earlier on in the set, both teams struggled to deliver an effective serve with three balls in a row failing to find the court, though Sheffield’s Adam Antos broke the trend with two aces. Despite the stronger service from Sheffield, Liverpool reeled off the points to take the set. However, the hot start from Liverpool burned out at the beginning of the second set, with the visitors making four errors in five points.
Unforced errors continued to blight Liverpool, while Sheffield began to crank up the pressure. This resulted in five straight points for the hosts, which in turn won the set 25-22 after a venomous spike from Oliver Pyke to seal the second. The third set proved a tight contest in the early stages, with both teams trying to break away. It was Sheffield who managed to do just that, coming out stronger in a couple of jousts and making timely blocks to keep Liverpool off the scoreboard. Two spikes from the home team put Sheffield within range before a clumsy error from the away side then gifted them a point to secure the set 25-19. Heading into the fourth set 2-1 up, Sheffield showed their class and dominated proceedings. However, valiant defending from Liverpool did reap some rewards, when they managed to keep a huge rally alive with the point seeming a certainty for the home team. A stunned Sheffield then failed
to capitalise on the return and Liverpool closed the lead to one point. As the set developed, Sheffield’s offense seemed too much for the visibly tired away side and they began to extend the gap between the teams. Pyke again proved effective with nine hits in the final set. A mistake by Liverpool’s setter then handed the victory to Sheffield with the final set finishing 25-16.
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After the game, Sheffield captain Cameron Bartlett told Forge Sport: “We didn’t start that well. We made quite a few mistakes but as the game went on we made less and took control”. Sheffield’s 3-1 victory puts them on nine points, and leaves them in a strong position after the first four games of the season.
32 Friday 6 November 2015 | Forge Press
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Football 1s put four past Beckett to extend winning run Football
Featured Game of the Week
University of Sheffield Men’s 1s Leeds Beckett Men’s 2s Arne Dumez Photo: Arne Dumez The University of Sheffield Men’s Football 1s remain undefeated this season as a 4-0 win against Leeds Beckett 2s at Norton extended a fine run of early seaon form. Proceedings kicked off with a bang as the home side immediately cut their way through the guests’ defence. Mark Waters made himself known in the Beckett half with a well-aimed shot in the opening minute. He then sent another ball flying towards the visitors’ net a minute later as Sheffield dominated the opening stages. Joe Ford scored the first goal for the home side with a stunning header in the eighth minute. Effective defensive work by Sheffield allowed Bradley Johnson to put in a terrific assist that tore through the Beckett defence. Despite Beckett attempting to gain a foothold in the match, Sheffield were the much better team throughout the opening periods and refused to allow Beckett players any space or time on the ball.
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Beckett finally managed to make it into Sheffield’s half in the 27th minute of the game and they created a fantastic opportunity. The striker was unable to properly control his shot and sent the ball rocketing over the Sheffield crossbar. The away side continued to try and plug away at the
Sheffield defence and home goalkeeper Jack Farthing was able to make a solid save after another shot from Beckett. The wet pitch was starting to make things difficult for both sides whose players were struggling to keep their footing or control the ball properly. Moments before the end of the first half, Sheffield doubled their advantage when Waters scored after good attacking play from the Sheffield side. At the start of the second half, Waters continued to trouble the Beckett defence. After good dribbling and attacking movement, a Beckett defender threw out a desperate block to stop a third goal. Sheffield continued to camp in the Beckett half and they had their third when Brad
Johnson curled a shot past the Beckett goalkeeper to make the score 3-0. In the 59th minute, James Reed scored a fourth after more well-worked play from Sheffield saw them once again carve open the Beckett defence, and the home captain converted with confidence. Sheffield could have scored a fifth when Joe Hunt had a stinging shot saved by the Beckett keeper. The away side broke quickly and could have pulled a goal back had Farthing not produced another tremendous save in the 67th minute to keep the game at 4-0. After substitutions by both sides, Beckett made it much more difficult for Sheffield to play the football they had been playing for the duration of the
match. The visitors had a final chance in the 87th minute but were once again unable to convert thanks to another good save from Farthing. After his side sealed a third successive win captain James Reed told Forge Sport: “I’m delighted. “The boys have scored fifteen goals and conceded none, and we haven’t looked like conceding. “We are outworking teams and we have enough quality here to beat anyone.” The win over Leeds Beckett secures Sheffield’s place at the top of BUCS Northern 2B with nine points. Victory takes them narrowly above their next opponents, York 1s, who they play on 18 November.
Basketball 1s continue perfect record
Basketball University of Sheffield Women’s 1s University of York 1s Dominic Lowe The University of Sheffield Women’s Basketball 1s continued their perfect start to the BUCS season as they claimed a 69-39 victory over the University of York Women’s 1s. The manner of victory was even more impressive as Sheffield were without injured
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club captain Elina Helavouri. Her absence did not seem to affect the team as they recorded their third successive victory in a row. Sheffield started the game strongly and rushed out to a 7-0 lead after strong attacking from Courtney Shaw who managed to cut open the York defence by continually driving towards the rim.
York conceded many fouls in the opening quarter and Sheffield were able to take a comfortable 15-7 lead. The second quarter did not start well for the Sheffield team, whose poor defensive performance was exploited by York, who created plenty of open shots. Unlike the first quarter, Sheffield struggled to create their own scoring opportunities against a resolute zone defence. Sheffield managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over and slowed down York’s scoring with the help of Mariana Barragan whose aggressive play on the boards led to her picking up several free throws. At half time, Sheffield held a narrow lead of 28-21. The third period started with a stalemate with both teams’ defences too strong to be
broken down. Barragan continued to be the star player for Sheffield, putting in tonnes of effort to work the create high quality shots and put pressure on the York defence. Belen Carrenop helped the home side pull away from a resolute York side as her fastpaced attacking and consistent finishing around the rim helped Sheffield pull out to a huge 4226 lead at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a hard fought affair with York refusing to allow Sheffield the victory. Within the opening six minutes of the period, both sides were over the foul limit. Despite the strong full-court pressurising tactics from York, Sheffield managed to extend their lead further with the help
of Shaw’s dynamic attacking, taking the game 69-39. At the end of the game, Elina Helavuori told Forge Sport: “I thought the game went really well. “We started off a bit nervously but then, towards the end, we started doing a lot better and I think all the players found their own place on the court.” Courtney Shaw finished with 17 points whilst Mariana Barragan finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block. All eyes will be on the looming clash with close rivals Sheffield Hallam University on Wednesday 18 November, and Helavuori will be keen to return and help Sheffield continue their impressive run of form.