Forge Press Issue 51 by Forge Press

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The independent student newspaper of the University of Sheffield. Est. 1946.

Issue 51 Friday October 19 2012 @ForgePress /ForgePress

Features ask:

How safe is your student house? p.16-17

Games talk to:

Screen meet:

Kwalee games, and discusses apps, Fuse, p.4

Frankenweenie creators and Tim Burton, Fuse, p.8-9

Campus cats in eviction threat

4Taz and Charlie have been adopted by Kroto in attempt to save ‘pets’ Alisha Rouse The University’s Estates and Facilities management team are threatening two cats with eviction from their campus home. In emails seen by Forge Press, Estates said they will remove the cats, nicknamed Taz and Charlie by students and staff, by Monday. The fluffy friends live on the North Campus, at the Kroto Institute, where they have been

cared for by staff, porters and students for years, becoming like pets to the community. In a move to save the cats yesterday, the Kroto Institute vowed to adopt the cats, getting them microchipped and formally adopted, to deter Estates from removing them. An individual within Estates is said to be taking a very ‘anti-cat’ line and was compared at a forum yesterday to Cruella De Vil. Pat

Smith, from Cats Protection Sheffield said: “Most agencies in Sheffield are full,” and when asked whether the cats would be killed, she replied: “I wouldn’t hold out much hope.” Students and staff in the Kroto community have rallied round the cause, receiving over 200 signatures on a petition to save the cats overnight, as well as bombarding senior staff with emails.

Taz, a orange tabby cat, and Charlie, a black cat, are very popular on the North Campus, with everyone from senior lecturers to students and cleaners backing the campaign. Samuel Valdes, a PhD student at the Kroto Institute said: “The cats have been there for ages on North Campus by the Mappin building.

EVI

CTE

Continued on p.3

Half of students leave door open for burglary Jonathan Robinson Students are putting themselves at unnecessary risk of being burgled by not locking doors, after a random police patrol found officers could enter half of student properties without being noticed by the occupants. On one shift of testing front doors, South Yorkshire police could easily enter 20 student-owned properties. Inspector Darren Starkey, who leads the Sheffield Central safer neighbourhood teams, told Forge Press many cases of students being burgled

were preventable. He said there was evidence that students were not sufficiently locking their properties. “Officers have been conducting regular patrols in student areas trying doors to see if they are locked. “In one shift, 40 doors were tested and over half were unlocked. This allowed police officers to walk into the property undetected. “The testing of doors will continue while officers work together with students to reduce burglaries.” Continued on p.5

NEWS

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Cyclists challenge hitchhikers in local charity fundraiser

Editor

alisha.rouse@forgetoday.com

Alisha Rouse

DEPUTY EDITOR Rowan Ramsden Managing Editor Mikey Smith WEB EDITOR Adam Harley fuse editors fuse@forgetoday.com Arnold Bennett Coral Williamson Head of Visuals Adam Harley News news@forgetoday.com Lauren Clarke Rachel Dixon Jonathan Robinson Comment comment@forgetoday.com Martin Bottomley Hamilton Jones LETTERS & COFFEE BREAK letters@forgetoday.com Holly Wilkinson

From left to right: Alice Lord and Sam Cook, both from the Bummit Committee, and Alex Kohnert and Rob Ricketts from UoSCC Chloe Chen Hitchhikers and cyclists from the University of Sheffield will be racing to Brighton on November 8, in an attempt to raise over £10,000 for charity. The race will take place between Baby Bummit, a Sheffield-based hitchhiking charity society, and the University of Sheffield Cycling Club (UoSCC), the current road race champions at the British Universities and Colleges Sport Championships. 200 hitchhikers will hit the road at 8am from different hitchhiking spots in Sheffield. In about nine hours they will cover

230 miles, relying on the goodwill of strangers to get there. They will be challenged by six cyclists, who will kick start their journey at midnight and pedal continuously for 18 hours across an even longer distance. “The first seven hours of pedaling in darkness will be quite a challenge, so we will go as a team and will take a support car down,” said Rose Phelps, president of UoSCC. Each participant of Baby Bummit is expected to raise at least £65 for four charities: Haven House, which provides temporary accommodation for homeless children and women;

Broomhall Breakfast, which offers a cooked breakfast to vulnerable people; the Sheffield Childrens’ Hospital; and the Cecily’s Fund, which helps to educate orphans in Zambia. Last year, Bummit raised £90,000 for local and international charities as hitchhikers travelled to Bulgaria. “We have been organizing hitchhiking for 10 years but we have never done a race before,” said Jenny Barnes, secretary of Baby Bummit. UoSCC, who have collected £1000 for charities from fundraising cycling trips to London, will try to help Jubilee

Food Bank, a charity food distributor that covers the Shirecliffe area of the city. “I am excited about the race,” said Nicola Moors, a member of the hitchhikers. “It is such a fun and unusual way to raise money for the charities. I hope Baby Bummit will win, though I think the cycling club might have the edge.”

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Literary success for journalism student Rachel Dixon

Amy Durrant celebrating her success at the Ritz

A third-year Journalism student at the University of Sheffield has had her debut novel nominated for the 2013 London Book Award. Amy Durrant, 20, saw the release of her dystopian thriller earlier this summer with US publishing house, Rainstorm Press. The young author from Essex said: “To receive such an accolade is very humbling. “It’s always been a dream of mine to have a book in print and follow in the steps of some of my literary heroes.” The London Awards for Art and Performance recognise the best in British art and entertainment. Last year’s winner of the Book Award was Jackie Kay for Red Dust Road. Amy’s novel Prisms is the first in a trilogy and tells the tale of a seventeen year old girl called Faye, who finds herself fighting to save two parallel worlds from a corrupt and unforgiving conference. Award-winning authors have been quick to offer their praise: “I meant to just read a few pages, go to bed, and then pick back up later. Then, I was over halfway through the book. “All I can say is to buy it, buy it now and read it,” said Jay

Wilburn of Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Prisms is being currently distributed throughout the United States and is expected to soon be introduced across a number of UK book stores. Following the release, Amy will be holding a book signing in Waterstones next month. Balancing her time between writing novels and keeping on top of her studies is “challenging but exciting.” She told Forge Press she has had fantastic support from friends and family and is excited to be working on a further two novels. While working on the sequel to Prisms, Amy has also began work on a third novel titled, Postcards from the Orange Grove. She began work t h i s year, focusing on the idea of human perseverance. The results of the London Awards for Art and Performance will be announced in summer next year.

Features features@forgetoday.com Sophie Allen Lizzy Jewell Nicola Moors Lifestyle & travel lifestyle@forgetoday.com Olivia Adams Laura Davies Sport sport@forgetoday.com Adam Hancock Will Aitkenhead Matthew Smith Music music@forgetoday.com Amelia Heathman Lianne Williams Games games@forgetoday.com Kaz Scattergood Andrew Smith Screen screen@forgetoday.com Phil Bayles Dan Meier Arts arts@forgetoday.com Olivia Middleton Amy Claire Thompson COPY EDITORS Ally Christodoulou Ellen Jurczak Lizzie Palmer Matthew Smith Matt Voice Elsa Vulliamy Media Hub, Union of Students, Wes t ern Bank , Shef f ield, S10 2TG 0114 22286 46 // f or gepress@f or ge t oday.com

Forge Press is printed on 100% recycled paper

For ge Press is published by the Union of Students. View s expressed are not necessarily those of the Univer sity, the Union or the edit orial t eam. In the f ir s t ins t ance all complaints should be addressed t o the Managing Edit or, although a f ormal pr ocedure exis ts.

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‘Fund Education Not War’ proposal passed after record vote Record turnout as Union councillors are elected last night

NEWS

New Leaf petition to get Union council debate

ACADEMIC COUNCILLORS

Rachel Dixon The University’s latest team of Union councillors have been brought into office as students make key decisions in referenda. This year’s council elections saw a record turnout with 4,989 students taking part. Students had the opportunity to vote for their academic and representative councillors until 5pm Thursday. The first of this year’s referenda called for the Union to oppose the University’s investments in arms companies that profit from the arrangement. ‘Fund Education, Not War’, the alternative proposal, passed and will replace previous arms policies. The proposal states that the Students’ Union should maintain a “strong anti-arms trade policy” and invest in more ethical companies rather than those who produce weapons. This alternative proposal was submitted by a petition of over 500 students. In a previous referendum, over 75 per cent of students backed a similar campaign to put an end to

University dealings with arms companies. The second of the referenda concerned ‘Solidarity with Palestine’. As outlined in the referendum, the Union believes Israel should end its occupation of Palestinian territories and allow the return of Palestinian refugees according to international law. Students who voted yes to ‘Palestine solidarity’ voted to ensure that the Union will support the decision to join the global campaign for human rights in Israel and Palestine. This motion was passed. The 2012 Constitutional Review was also passed. Responsible for holding union officers to account, debating Union policy and representing student issues, the Union council is the highest decision making body in the Students’ Union. The council is composed of one representative from each of the University’s 46 academic departments. A further eight representative councillors for various student groups also sit on the council.

Animal and Plant Sciences: Seph Earley Archeology: Aaron Kulakiewicz Architecture: Aftab Shaikh Automatic Control and Systems Engineering: Ben Munyaneza Biblical Studies: Aysha Musa Biomedical Science: Ellen Buckley Chemical and Biological Engineering: Henry Wolff Chemistry: Nadia Konneh Civil and Structural Engineering: Omar Jadallah Computer Science: Sam Brown East Asian Studies: Jessie Smith Education: Dan Brooks Economics: Adam Ellerington Electronic and Electrical Engineering: Saqib Moosa English Language and Linguistics: Tom Daniel English Literature and Theatre: Sam Rae French: Charles Meade Germanic Studies: Lucy Tomlinson Geography: James Flint History: Miriam Dobson Human Communication Sciences: Sarah Wilson Information Studies: Qing Zhang Institute for Lifelong Learning: Mick Lee Journalism: Unsa Akhtar Law: Jack Roberts Management School: Stephen McGlynn Materials Science and Engineering: Hamish Ellis Mechanical Engineering: Furkan Kaya Modern Languages: Rachel Tibbetts

Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: Sam Smith Music: Hannah Donkin Nursing and Midwifery: Stacey Spencer Philosophy: Alastair Pearson Physics and Astronomy: Glenn Jones Politics: Oliver Clay Psychology: Dale Griffin Russian and Slavonic Studies: Ellie Whiteley ScHARR: Mwikali Kivuvani School of Clinical Dentistry: Kieran Bhakta School of Mathematics and Statistics: Hazel Ryan Sociological Studies: Hannah Godfrey Town and Regional Planning: Ally Buckle

REPRESENTATIVE COUNCILLORS Black Students: Al-Hussein Abutaleb International Students: Nathalie Galfrascoli LGBT Students: Emma Galley Mature Students: Tracey Lee Postgraduate Research Students: Opal Mattila Postgraduate Taught Students: Marija Ivoninaite Students with Disabilities: Aleks Loesch Women Students: Lucy Pedrick

Taz-mania as hundreds support cat campaign Continued from p.1 “We received an email which said cat hair was breaching health and safety and that they would be removed by Monday by a cat protection agency. They stroll around outside in the garden. The porters give them food out of their own pocket. “They are friendly and quite domesticated. “I am very happy they are being adopted by the Kroto institute.” Taz and Charlie will be renamed Taz and Charlie Kroto, news which received huge applause at the meeting on Thursday, attended by over 60 students and staff. To deter Estates from removing the cats from their home, the cats will be microchipped with their home number and address as the Porter’s Lodge on the North Campus, where the cats spend many a night. Valdes added: “Everybody in the campus from staff to the porters, they love the cats. The tabby cat has been here for ages and they pay for the food and I just had a chat with the porter, he paid for their vaccinations. They don’t go in the buildings. “It just came out of the blue and I’m amazed by the amount

of people that say they want the cats here.” Students at the Institute were shocked by the emails threatening the cat’s removal, saying they received no prior consultation. News has not followed that Estates’ actions are changing, leaving the fate of the cats still unknown. A spokesperson for the University said: “Staff at the University’s North Campus have been asked not to allow a pair of cats into the buildings as people working in the area are sensitive to animal fur and suffer from respiratory conditions. The University has a strict legal duty of care to its staff and their wellbeing is paramount. It is not appropriate to have animals in the building other than those which are essential for the safety of staff, students and visitors, for example guide dogs. “The cats have been visiting the campus but do not live at the University.”

Join the campaign Follow updates from the campaign: www.facebook.com/ savethecampuscats

200 likes so far

Harriet Brooke A petition to bring back New Leaf to the Students’ Union has been launched, following its closure along with several other food outlets early this semester. 58 people have signed an online petition on the Union website, which means the issue will be discussed at the next Union council meeting. Stuart Archer resolved to tackle the issue and on September 28 started the petition to get New Leaf back, saying the lack of healthy food options was “not good enough.” The petition proposes that a temporary venue for New Leaf is found somewhere near or in the Students’ Union. New Leaf provided a healthy alternative of snacks for students and was one of the most popular eateries in the Union. Stuart Archer said: “For a union that purports to be the best in the country, this is not good enough.” The Students’ Union gives any student a chance to start a petition on their website. If any petition receives 50 signatures then it is added to the next available agenda on the Union council as ‘members’ business’.

Students take debating crown

Jonathan Robinson Two students from the University of Sheffield have won one of the UK’s most prestigious debating competitions, the Edinburgh Cup. Pete Doughton, a MA Politics student, and Charlie Morris, a third year History and Politics student, won the competition, beating teams from 30 universities. Both were also named the competition’s best two speakers. Speaking about the win, Doughton said: “Charlie and I had a great weekend, and it was a huge honour to represent Sheffield. “This was our first competition as a team, and we were surprised at how well we worked together and the great results we got in each round.” The duo are now preparing for the World Championships in December.

NEWS Forge in brief Econsoc to hold Careers Week Econsoc will be holding a week of events from October 22 to help students gain an insight into future career opportunities. Talks, debates and workshops will be held throughout the week to encourage students to think about careers in economics. Last year Econsoc launched the Careers Week - the first of its kind in the University - resulting in Econsoc being awarded Society of the Year at the Academic Awards. Megan Ratcliffe, co-president of Econsoc said: “This year we are planning on making the week bigger as well as publicising within the Students’ Union and around campus.” Jonathan Robinson

TV licensing research finds students unaware of law Research provided by TV licensing authorities has found that 28 per cent of students starting university this autumn are unaware of the law requiring them to purchase a TV licence for online viewing. Over 100,000 new students risk a fine of up to £1,000 as they wrongly believe they do not need a license. TV licensing warn that, regardless of the device and where you are living, a TV licence is required when watching or streaming live TV online. Polly Sculpher

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Amnesty International protest death sentence of Clemons Jessica Pitocchi A demonstration took place last Thursday on the University concourse against Reggie Clemons’s death sentence. Clemons, now 41, has been on death row for almost 20 years in St. Louis, Missouri, over the murder of sisters Julie and Robin Kerry in April 1991. Clemons, along with three others, was accused of raping the girls, stripping them of their clothes and throwing them into the Mississippi river where they drowned. Since his conviction, allegations of police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct and a ‘stacked’ jury have arisen in the Clemons case. Despite Clemons’ pleas of innocence and various petitions and appeals, Missouri is planning to execute Clemons in the upcoming months. Members from the University of Sheffield’s Amnesty International society turned up to the concourse at midday dressed in black t-shirts

Photo: Adam Harley branding the words “I am Reggie Clemons”, wearing blindfolds and holding nooses. Nick Gore, publicity officer from University of Sheffield Amnesty International, said: “We are doing this to raise

awareness of the wider issue of the death penalty and how it should be abolished. “In terms of the Reggie Clemons trial, we are not necessarily saying release him but there is just too much

doubt to justify such an extreme punishment. “We are hoping to collect more signatures for the petition to commute Reggie Clemons’ death sentence.”

Nationwide delays for students receiving loans Ben Scull Students in parts of Britain are still waiting for their maintenance loan payment from the Student Loans Company. The payment was due to be made on September 24 2012. However, some loans are over two weeks late. The SLC have released the following statement: “If you have registered and your university

has confirmed this, your payment will be paid within the next few days. “Payment dates vary depending on the university or college you attend. You should allow a few working days for the funds to reach your bank account.” A SLC spokesperson told Forge Press: “One of

the main issues is that we are yet to receive confirmation of attendance and there has been a universal problem with the system as a whole, not just in Sheffield.” The delay with payments has caused frustration to many students. Third year Law student William Young

said: “I was initially told I would receive my loan on September 24 2012 and then on October 8 2012 but I am still yet to receive it. “My entire application this year has been a catalogue of errors. If I do not get my loan soon I won’t be able to pay my rent.” The SLC and University of Sheffield registration service said that all payments will be processed within three to five working days.

MEETS PAUL BLOMFIELD MP

Central MP calls for student visa reform Jonathan Robinson and Lauren Clarke

Corrections & clarifications In the September 14 issue, Forge Press published a story entitled the 9k effect, which looked at the drop in application numbers for undergraduate courses. Portions of the story were based upon data which Forge Press has since learned were out of date. The original version stated that international applications had dropped this year. The final figures show that, in fact, international applications increased this year, making it the University’s biggest ever number of applications from international students. Forge Press is happy to clarify this error, and apologises for any confusion it may have caused.

Controversial changes to the student visa system is “killing” economic growth and deterring international students from studying in Britain, according to a Sheffield MP. Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, has called on the Home Office to take international students out of net migration figures as it is making students feel “unwelcome”. Visa requirements currently mean that those coming to study at degree level will have to speak a higher level of English. UK Border Agency staff will be able to refuse entry to students who cannot speak English without an interpreter. Mr Blomfield said government pressure to bring net migration figures down was deterring foreign students from applying to study in the UK. He believes instead they should be given special

status and safeguarded because of the contribution they make to the economy. Speaking to Forge Press, he said: “International students shouldn’t be put in the [net migration] category. “The process of getting a visa should be robust but it doesn’t have to be as

complicated as it is now. “The system should have more discretion as international students don’t need the same level of English for every course.” When international students are included in migration figures, Mr Blomfield says people can jump to the wrong conclusions about wider immigration rates. Currently about 5,000 jobs in Sheffield depend on international students and, according to study by the University of Exeter, this could double by 2025. However, Mr Blomfield said current visa regulations could jeopardise e c o n o m i c growth. He said: “This government’s policies are

killing a very successful area of growth. “We should be showing the world that we can make decisions about the criteria of the sort of people we want to come to the country.” Universities UK has campaigned for the government to remove university sponsored non-EU students from the net migration count as this could allow the Home Office to no longer restrict places. Mr Blomfield also said the UK Border Agency’s decision to scrap London Metropolitan University’s licence to recruit international students was a “big risk” for the whole university sector.

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Students living in wards with highest burglary rates Continued from p.1 “Burglars know that students are often new to the city and away from home for the first time, and therefore not as conscious about security measures. “This can lead to student and multiple occupancy properties being targeted by burglars.” It comes after figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request showed traditional student-populated areas have some of the highest burglary rates in Sheffield. A total of 4,861 offences of burglary have been reported in Sheffield so far this year with student areas among the worst affected. Crookes was one of only three wards in Sheffield to have recorded an increase in burglaries year-on-year even though this year’s figures only apply for the first nine months of 2012. Last year the ward recorded a total of 189 burglaries; however, so far in 2012, 192 burglaries have been reported to police. The figures include the number of burglaries and attempted burglaries recorded by police in Sheffield from January 1 to September 30 2012. Broomhill, which has one of the highest proportions of studentto-let properties in the city and includes Endcliffe student village, has so far had 231 incidents of property being burgled from. Olivia Adams, a third year student at the University of Sheffield, lived in Broomhill last year but had her house burgled in broad daylight while housemates were upstairs. She told Forge Press that her friends returned home from watching rugby at Varsity and found her television missing. “I found the whole experience very stressful and never expected it to happen to me. “My television was the only thing of value in the communal rooms. Everything else we kept locked away in our rooms. “We couldn’t claim insurance on it because one of my housemates had left the back door propped open. “Three of my housemates were in and heard noises but thought it was each other. “I think it was an opportunistic burglar, who saw his chance and grabbed it.” According to the figures, there is a daily average of 17 reported cases of burglary in Sheffield. Every week Broomhill has on average six offences of property, cars or businesses being burgled, while Crookes has almost five. South Yorkshire police said there was evidence that students were being specifically targeted because of their poor security. Starkey said: “South Yorkshire police is aware of the increased number of burglaries in areas of Sheffield predominantly populated by students. “Student properties present two main opportunities for burglars. There are often multiple laptops and other electrical equipment in one shared property, and unsecure doors and windows make a burglar’s job very easy.” He added: “It is important to

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Arbourthorne (216) Beauchief & Greenhill (122) Beighton (124) Birley (100) Broomhill (231) Burngreave (229) Central (330) Crookes (192) Darnell (335) Dore & Totley (94)

11 East Ecclesfield (101) 12 Ecclesall (113) 13 Firth Park (208) 14 Fulwood (66) 15 Gleadless Valley (289) 16 Graves Park (133) 17 Hillsborough (141) 18 Manor Castle (242) 19 Mosborough (205) 20 Nether Edge (127)

21 Richmond (264) 22 Shiregreen & Brightside (186) 23 Southey (185) 24 Stannington (94) 25 Stocksbridge & Upper Don (50) 26 Walkley (152) 27 West Ecclesfield (84) 28 Woodhouse (248)

NEWS

Forge in brief Forge Radio nominated for national award Forge Radio has been nominated for ‘Best Student Radio Chart Show’ in this year’s Student Association Radio Awards. The awards celebrate the diversity of content and talent in student radio and helps to launch new talent into the radio industry. Forge Radio station manager James Kenny, has described the nomination as a “really good achievement”, saying how the team are “delighted to have been nominated.” He gave special thanks to last year’s head of music Danielle Hunt, who co-ordinated the chart show, and presenters Ollie Sly and Dan Williams, who visualised the chart show for the first time. This year’s awards will be hosted by Nick Grimshaw and Dave Berry. Aidan Phillips

Number of offences of burglary in Sheffield

(January to September 2012)

50 - 99 100 - 149 150 - 199 Forge Radio team members: Danielle Hunt, Michael Whitehouse and Alex Nye

200 - 249 250 - 299

Britain to have ‘wetter summers’

300+ highlight that these incidents are not isolated to a particular time, when students are not at home for example. They are occurring throughout the day and night. “To tackle this issue, police officers will be increasing their focus on areas that contain high numbers of multiple occupancy properties.” Students’ Union welfare officer Jon Gleek said he wasn’t surprised that police had seen a rise in student-related burglaries. “Student houses are seen as good targets for burglars because the houses often have multiple items which are easily grabable and easy to sell on. “It is also really important to get appropriate insurance for your property and check the small print of the terms and conditions to see if things like window locks are required in the policy.” PC Bob Kenney, universities liaison officer for South Yorkshire police, advised students to keep their valuable property out of sight.

Do you feel safe from burglary in the area you live?

Nikki Kellett, Speech and Language Therapy MA

Elle Pierpoint, Third-year Politics

“I do feel safe. I live on the ground floor so I make sure that all my doors are locked. I think there’s plenty of campaigning to raise awareness.”

“I know people on my street who have been burgled, but most of them left the door open. Burglars know there are going to be about five laptops in a student house.”

Poor UK summers could become the usual, a University of Sheffield climate change expert has warned. Dr Edward Hanna of the University’s Department of Geography said: “It’s virtually impossible to predict the weather for any particular summer but we could have cooler, wetter summers on average in the UK.” A study of the last six summers’ climate data was jointly carried out by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA), Rutgers University, the University of Washington and the University of Sheffield. The study points at a change in summer Arctic wind patterns as a consequence of global warming. A shift in wind patterns has resulted in ‘Arctic Amplification’, multiple processes that include record low summer sea ice thickness, and loss of Greenland ice due to increasing temperatures. This has led to erratic weather conditions in Western Europe, Greenland and North America. Elisha Punshi

For further analysis, read our ‘Security Unlocked’ feature on p.16-17.

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Kate Bishop, Speech and Language Therapy MA

Nick Hewitt, Geography

First-year

“I’m more security conscience following people’s errors. Because people have more expensive stuff now, they care more as they have more to lose.”

“My door is broken so I have spoken to Maintenance but nothing is being done. I don’t feel safe leaving stuff around. I haven’t heard much about burglary awareness.”

Photo: iStockphoto.com/ buzzanimation

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NEWS

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National news Killers to appeal ‘life means life’ sentences

Sheffield to face £50m more cuts

North hit harder by council budget reductions than south Council leader Julie Dore condemns coalition deal for Sheffield

Leading judges will soon hear appeals by three killers against the length of their sentences. Among the cases under review by a panel of five Court of Appeal judges are those of two murderers who have been ordered to serve the rest of their lives behind bars. As well as the appeals by David Oakes and Danilo Restivo against ‘whole-life’ orders, the court will be dealing with a challenge by rapist Michael Roberts, known as the ‘Bermondsey Beast’, who has been told he will never be released from jail. Judges will also hear an appeal by Kiaran Stapleton, who labelled himself ‘Psycho’ in court, for shooting a stranger in the head at point blank range in July. Stapleton was jailed for life with a minimum term of 30 years over the death of Indian student Anuj Bidve, 23, in Salford.

Lauren Clarke Sheffield will face £50 million more council budget cuts next year. Job losses are expected in the hundreds and the council has warned that nearly every service will face cuts. The cuts in Sheffield city council’s budget have resulted in a £280 decrease in money available per person to provide services in the city for the past two years. A rise in council tax may be a way to protect jobs and services as the council will have to save £50m from its 2013-14 budget, £10m more than initially expected. Northern cities are being hit hard by the coalition’s decision to drastically cut council budgets. Paul Blomfield MP for Sheffield Central said: “governments are unfairly hitting Sheffield and other big cities in the north, our council is facing its third budget cut in four years. “MPs are protecting the shire counties they were elected from.” The north has been hit harder by local council budget cuts than the south. This trend has continued from the past two years and is causing uproar in Sheffield. In Sheffield city council’s most recent budget report it states: “The government’s cuts are disproportionately affecting the most disadvantaged areas.” The cuts “are hitting northern towns and cities hard at the same time as some areas of the wealthy south are receiving almost no cuts at all.” Areas like East Dorset had no cuts in this years’ local council budget and Richmond-upon-

Rachel Dixon

Kiaran Stapleton

Deal stuck over independence vote

Scottish

The terms of a Scottish referendum on independence have been signed by prime minister David Cameron and first minister Alex Salmond. The agreement means the referendum will ask Scottish voters a yes/no question on whether the country should leave the United Kingdom. A question on more powers will not appear on the ballot. Jonathan Robinson

Sheffield’s Got Talent Britain’s Got Talent will be holding auditions in Sheffield for the first time ever next year. Producers of the television show will be scouting out talent on Tuesday November 6 2013, ahead of the judges’ audition tour. Auditions will take place in Sheffield city hall and are open to performers of any age. Sam Donnelly, the programme’s executive producer said: “We want to make sure that our next series is packed to the rafters with the very best variety talent.” Adela Whittingham

Thames had only a £4 cut per person. This trend is set to carry on as Sheffield city council have calculated that by the financial year 2015/16, it will have £170 million less to spend than it did last year. This means that for every £3 it spent last year, the council will only have £2 to spend in 2015/16.

Cllr Julie Dore Labour council leader Julie Dore said: “The implications of this government’s cuts agenda for Sheffield, and other towns and cities in the north of England, are potentially more devastating than that of the Thatcher administration of the 1980s. “The Liberal Democrat party have completely failed to deliver a fair deal for Sheffield, instead deciding to support the Tory policy of hitting northern towns and cities with greater levels of deprivation hardest in favour of prioritising funding for areas in the wealthy south.”

HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER: THE CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE

Attorney general to apply for original Hillsborough inquest verdict to be quashed Jonathan Robinson The attorney general will apply for the original inquest verdict into the deaths of 96 fans at the 1989 Hillsborough disaster to be quashed. Dominic Grieve QC believes there is enough evidence to apply to the High Court to overturn the original findings, allowing a new hearing to be held. The move follows a damning report which exposed evidence of cover-up by South Yorkshire police and attempts to shift the blame onto Liverpool fans. The original inquest, carried out by coroner Stefan Popper, returned a verdict of accidental death. The inquest angered families of the disaster after it only took into account events up to 3:15pm – just nine minutes after the match was stopped. Popper said victims were either dead or brain dead by this time.

The inquest, therefore, did not investigate the police and emergency services response after that time. However, the Hillsborough Independent Panel concluded that up to 41 of the 96 who died could have been saved if police failures been been addressed. It also revealed 116 police statements were removed or changed to cover-up negative comments about the policing of the FA Cup semi-final. Mr Grieve said: “My consideration of the evidence is far from complete but, given the anxiety further delay may cause the families affected by the Hillsborough disaster, I have decided to take an exceptional course. “I have determined that I must make an application to the court.”

But he admitted the procedure will take time and acknowledged the wait for justice has been painful for many. Last month, prime minister David Cameron said Mr Grieve w o u l d review the

report to decide whether to quash the original inquest on the grounds that it was flawed. Meanwhile, the director of public prosecutions has announced he will review evidence to decide if charges of manslaughter can be made against police officers. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also announced that a probe of the Hillsborough disaster will be the biggest ever independent investigation into police wrongdoing in the UK. The IPCC said many serving and former officers could be investigated over the events on April 15 1989 and the cover-up that followed.

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NEWS World news

Skyjump attracts Youtube’s highest ever live audience

Photos: Aidan Barlow

Clashes at EDL rally in Rotherham

Viewers of the live YouTube stream of Felix Baumgartner’s historical leap helped break a record on Sunday. The Austrian skydiver jumped out of a balloon 24 miles above New Mexico, USA, breaking the speed of sound and setting the record for the highest ever freefall. But back on earth, more than eight million people broke another record by viewing ‘Fearless Felix’s’ RedBull Stratos stunt live streams on YouTube on Sunday. In comparison, the BBC Sport website received 8.3 million visitors on the first day of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Chloe Chen

800 extra police officers drafted in to calm rival protests

Aidan Barlow Skirmishes and firework explosions were seen in the aftermath of the English Defence League march in Rotherham on Saturday. Shops and businesses were forced to close in the town centre as police struggled to keep roaming EDL members and Muslim youths apart. Three arrests were made by police in a tense afternoon where the threat of violence and racial tensions simmered. Fireworks were set off, causing concern to many onlookers. The EDL called their demonstration after the recent

news that police were slow to take action against Asian men grooming young girls for sex. They were countered by Unite Against Fascism, who argued that the EDL were using racism to exploit people’s fears around the issue. Police drafted in an extra 800 officers to manage the protests. 400 EDL members gathered outside local pubs before their march. One EDL member said: “We’re fighting Sharia Law and ‘Dhimmi’ status. We don’t want to be second class citizens. “We’re also against this grooming. We want to highlight that the police force didn’t stop

‘Sheffield Speaks’ debates free speech Lauren Archer As part of European Local Democracy Week, a series of events, discussions and lectures are taking place throughout Sheffield from October 15. The programme called ‘Sheffield Speaks’ covers a variety of issues surrounding democracy in the community, focusing on free speech. Central to the programme is ‘Speakers’ Corner’, which offers local people the chance to take to

a podium and air their views in 60 second slots. There have also been debates and discussions on current issues such as youth culture and freedom of the press. European Local Democracy Week takes place annually, with events held by participating local authorities from the Council of Europe. These events are aimed at making people aware of and involving people in democratic participation at a local level.

Purple flag awarded Jodie Gadd Sheffield has been awarded Purple Flag status for its ‘versatile’ city centre. The award looks at areas such as late night entertainment and transport, public safety and hospitality. Sheffield is among one of five cities to have been given the award recently, recognised as a

city offering a great night out. South Yorkshire police chief inspector Paul McCurry said: “This award recognises the tremendous effort that the police and partners have done to ensure Sheffield city centre is a safe place.” “This was our goal and I am really pleased that we have been awarded Purple Flag status.”

them.” Another member said: “We want to defend democracy and freedom of speech here today.” Around 250 anti-fascists gathered in All Saints Square in the town centre. They were joined by students from both of Sheffield’s universities. Philip Dellagrammaticas, a first year Music student from Greece wanted to warn students of the dangers of fascism: “It’s important to make a stand against fascists. “Ignorance is not a good thing. It starts with immigrants or Muslims, but it’s not long before they are knocking on your door too.”

Rosie Warren, a second year Philosophy student said the UAF demonstration was important for students to attend. She said: “Students helped end the racist Apartheid regime. It is important to stand with the local community.” Both marches to the Town Hall passed without incident. But in the aftermath of the demonstrations, EDL members and local Muslim youths had to be kept apart by police. There were also minor scuffles between youths and police.

Local media wins TV bid David Ewing A local media group has been awarded a licence to begin broadcasting television in Sheffield. Sheffield Live TV (SLTV) will provide local news, information and cultural programming for the city’s residents. It will launch October 2013. The station’s focus will be on local news and current affairs, with the Sheffield Evening News programme being at the centre of its primetime schedule. The station also intends to run five minute bulletins at least six times a day, and have an hour of live studiobased current affairs discussion. SLTV will cover all of Sheffield’s major events and festivals such as Tramlines, Cliffhanger, the British Bouldering Championships, Doc Fest and Off the Shelf. The company behind the bid, Sheffield Local Television Ltd., represents a range of

Sheffield-based organisations that was originally launched in 2011. The group is led by Community Media Solutions and Cultural Industries Quarter Agency, an agency that focuses on urban regeneration through Sheffield’s creative and digital industries.

What’s on your mind? Comment on this article online: www.forgetoday.com

The moment eight million people watched Felix Baumgartner leap

Amateur astronomers discover planet The first known planet to have four suns has been found by a collection of astronomers. Two volunteers, Kian Jek of San Francisco and Robert Gagliano from Cottonwood, Arizona, began the discovery using planethunters.org, and this was later verified by the Keck Observatory. The planet, named PH1 after the website which helped to find it, is a gas giant slightly larger than Neptune. It orbits one set of stars which has a set of stars orbiting them in turn, meaning this planet has four suns - a rare occurrence due to the extreme environment the planet must occupy. Sam Pierce

UN warns of food crisis The UN have announced that global grain reserves have become so low that severe weather in the US could cause a world hunger crisis in 2013. Reserves are at their lowest level since 1974 as harvests have fallen in a number of other countries including Ukraine. This is combined with rising levels of consumption; in six of the past 11 years food consumption has exceeded the amount grown. Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Research Centre in Washington, said: “We’re now seeing the start of a food supply breakdown, with millions rushing to grab cheap farmland and countries’ food reserves being dramatically run down.” Max Goldbart

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HEAR: Too much money wasted on glorified, damaging CVs Liane Lau

Photo: University of Denver/Flickr

As of autumn 2012, universities will have the option of replacing the 200-year-old degree classification system with a Higher Education Academic Report (HEAR), an electronic document detailing exam and coursework marks, participation in clubs, and extracurricular activities. Fails, resits, and skimmed pass marks will also be shown – warts and all. Replacing the traditional CV and covering letter, the new report card shows employers exactly how a candidate has spent their time at university. Chair of the Steering Group responsible for the HEAR and Vice Chancellor of the University of Leicester Sir Robert Burgess insists that we as a society should move away from the “damaging obsession with ‘first’ and ‘upper second’ degree classifications.” However, out of 24 Russell Group universities, only 14 have requested starter packs for the HEAR. If it was such an important shift for employment, why aren’t there more supporters on board? Admittedly, not all students choose to study at university for the right reasons. The lure of living away from home in a university bubble with our new friends covers up the fact that we will, one day, have to join the nine - five team. In the meantime, whilst some undergraduate students fill up their CV with interesting activities, some are still trying to figure out why their housemates scream at them in terror every time they attempt to microwave tin foil. These hapless individuals don’t need a detailed document

telling their employer that they’ve taken part in various community projects painting a school peace garden, they need all the time they can get to attend a fast-track course in the university of life. That would produce well balanced and streetwise individuals. The University of Sheffield recently announced that they have opted into the HEAR and will introduce the scheme for new undergraduates starting from September 2012. Providing an incentive to work, the university have outlined all the extra-curricular activities which would qualify for the HEAR, ranging from club committee positions to religion and belief tandem learning programmes. Even the prized Sheffield Graduate Award, where parallels can be drawn, is now part of the HEAR.

‘A piece of paper can give a good impression, but the rest is down to the individual’ Sadly, it seems as though the university is telling us that the well respected label of the Russell Group isn’t enough. If the scheme is successful, the university will be seen as forwardthinking front runners that produce world class graduates. If not, they’ll be seen as jumpers on a 200-year-old tradition breaking bandwagon. The HEAR can only get you so far. For those who have excelled throughout their course and have picked up too much work experience to fit on two sides of a CV, it is a handy tool to tackle the graduate employment market.

However, for those who have had extenuating circumstances, the HEAR is a permanent and un-editable document of underachievement and never ending resits. Nowadays, for most graduate jobs, you have to fight through CV sifts, numerical and literacy tests, telephone interviews, and assessment centres before you have a short burst of time to charm your future employers. Hopefully, by that time, you would have shown that you’re a likable graduate. So what exactly is the HEAR for? A piece of paper can give a good impression, but the rest is down to the individuals interview skills. It is often joked that a first class graduate may be a little socially awkward, yet someone who attained a lower second would have spent 3 or more years developing life long social skills. After all, if you’re going to spend 40 something hours a week with someone, it may as well be with a person with an enjoyable personality, rather than making laboured conversations with a brilliant-minded, but awkward individual. In a time where tuition fees are at an all time high of £9,000, universities are essentially arming the ‘class of 2015’ onwards with a pre-written and re-named CV. I dread to think of how much money has been spent on trialling and implementing HEAR. Frankly, it would be more beneficial to throw the money into subsidised textbooks or interview classes.

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Best Prize Ever: EU’s Nobel Peace Prize is a great joke Martin Bottomley After the Nobel Committee’s announcement of the EU’s win of the famed Peace Prize, reactions were mixed to say the least. Opposing expressions of elation and joy that they weren’t universally hated by EU executives were some concerned voices of doubt, best summed up by Foreign Policy magazine’s headline: “Worst. Prize. Ever.” Predictably, the backlash was polarised and passionate on both sides of the fence. Considering the timing of the prize to coincide with Greek riots and Eurozone mayhem, you’ve admittedly got to hand it to the Nobel Committee for their impeccable sense of comic timing. Surely, the award has got to be one of the best high-profile

trolls in recent history. Nevertheless, they were making a very important point: The EU’s been around for decades and, no matter how many trite platitudes Nigel Farage churns out, has done a lot of good.

‘Reactions were mixed, to say the least’ Even if you believe the by now practically indispensable common market could be replaced by a web of bilateral trade agreements, the EU promotes way more than economic interdependence and confusing political structures for unclear purposes. It has invested heavily in science, culture, education and intercultural exchange. From immensely high-profile

research projects such as ITER, the experimental fusion reactor being built in France, to the incredibly valuable Erasmus exchange programme, the EU has brought the world closer together for its citizens. It has enabled practicalities such as easy travel and choice of workplace as well as making Europe a more open-minded and cosmopolitan place. Herein lies the true reward of the EU, one that can never be measured in how much any country would ‘lose’ or ‘gain’ in monetary contributions. Obviously, it’s not perfect. Actually, it’s a hideous mess in some regards. The executive branch is unelected by its citizenry, and the elected parliament’s significant powers are effectively constricted to budgetary decisions. Bigger countries such as Germany carry an imbalance of power, just

ask Greece. Still, a drive towards more transparency and democratic accountability stands in no contradiction to a commitment to an EU that brings people together, opens minds and fosters opportunity.

‘The Prize has to be one of the best high-profile trolls in recent history’ The Nobel Prize is a reminder that the EU has managed to do the previously unthinkable, and tie a warring continent together in relative peace without totalitarian force. But it’s also not really an award, but rather a passive-aggressive challenge to both the member states and the EU to set aside the

petty quarrels and crusty notions of governance, and work together towards a more free but united, inclusive but principled, fair but prosperous, in short: a more perfect union. It’s now up to the member states’ governments to clean up their act and make a start. A democratically elected commission president and a rethink of this Euro thing might be some good ones.

Got an opinion on the topics discussed this fortnight? Contact letters@forgetoday.com

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COMMENT

Sheffield Council: They shouldn’t have time for time-wasters

Photo: Rich Jacques/Flickr

Jonathan Robinson The first item for debate is a motion criticising the government’s £14.4bn public sector borrowing figures for August. The second item for debate slams the government’s education reform, calling it too exam-centric and “a shambles”. Naturally you may presume these debates were heard in the House of Commons. Wrong. Instead, you might be surprised to learn that Sheffield councillors spent over three and a half hours in a public meeting squabbling over these very issues. Michael Gove is nowhere to be seen and nobody from the government is here to listen. The substance of these first two national debates is, therefore, meaningless

in the context of a local council meeting, so what’s the point? Last month, the Labour-run authority in Sheffield scrapped the 40-minute rule allowed on debating motions chosen by the majority party. Under the disguise of opening up accountability and producing longer, livelier debate, it has completely shifted the functioning of local democracy. The move has effectively muted the opposition. In the first full council meeting of October, everybody but Labour councillors agreed three and a half hours was a ridiculous amount of time for the council to debate these first two Labour-proposed motions. What resulted was almost comical as elected representatives debated, for a further quarter of an hour, about the fact they were debating items for too long. The unlimited time allowed

on debating items has gifted Labour councillors with the opportunity to, in no uncertain terms, spend precious debating time roasting the coalition, time which could be spent addressing bread and butter local needs such as business investment and youth unemployment. Because of these delaying tactics, some key issues later on the agenda were overshadowed at the meeting. As seven o’ clock creeped ever nearer, a guillotine motion was passed by the Lord Mayor Count John Campbell so the last six motions that had intended to discuss the improvement of local transport routes as well as the closure of recycling centres, were raced through in a matter of seconds. This denied them a good and proper discussion. With no time limit, nothing is stopping Labour councillors all

having a turn on the party politics merry-go-round. Liberal Democrat and Green councillors quite rightly pointed to the fact that it took 1,340 words before a single mention of the word “Sheffield” appeared in Labour’s motions. For me this is scandalous.

‘It took 1,340 words before a single mention of the word Sheffield’ Anyone who has ever sat through a local city council meeting will know only too well how prolonged and pitiable they have always been, with more amendments than sense. However, if you cut through the jargon and verbal diarrhoea, what councillors decide and debate in the Town Hall can have a real

impact on the lives of people living in Sheffield. Green councillor Jillian Creasy’s words at the Wednesday October 3 meeting, said: “I think it’s valid to criticise government but I think as councillors we have a duty to try to use the powers that we have, however limited they might be, to say what we would do in Sheffield with the terrible hand that we have been dealt by the national government.” There is no point in a council bickering over what decisions the government is making on a national level. Councillors have no power, influence or veto to change any of it. They should instead be investing their time in addressing what defences they can deploy to ensure the poorest are protected from the coalition’s barrage of welfare reforms.

Conservative Party conference: aspiring to what? Nathan Briant In his speech to the Conservative Party conference, David Cameron said that he wants Britain to aspire to greater things. In an attempt to counter Ed Miliband’s One Nation mantra a week earlier, Cameron or one of his flunkies invented the idea of the Aspiration Nation. Just like the idea of him pretending to use Twitter during the conference, it was probably a flunky’s idea that was used. The thought behind it is wafer thin. Still, the party will be able to ditch it pretty soon: as Nick Robinson remarked this week, the Hug-a-Hoodie mantra from around 2005 has now morphed into Bash-a-Burglar. Cameron’s Aspiration Nation is yet another concept built on sand. Cameron said that he does not ‘defend privilege’; instead, he seeks to spread it. Quite how that works is unclear when the very definition of privilege is that it is limited to a number of people. He can say how he wants

every child to enjoy an education of the standard he had at Eton, but nothing he has done in office shows that this is actionable. The free schools he champions don’t do this, as they work to skew performance. The incoherence in hoping an Aspiration Nation forms organically doesn’t end there. Take Cameron’s obligatory reference to the Olympics. He said his proudest moment of the Games was awarding the Team GB swimmer Ellie Simmonds one of her gold medals.

‘Hug-a-Hoodie has morphed into Bash-a-Burglar’ When reminded of the investment that Labour plunged into sport over their years, it’s gratifying to see that there was a clear return. But, of course, Cameron is quick to judge the last government’s overspend. He can’t credibly revel in athletes’ success but moan about how much it cost. He declined to mention how his government will reduce or entirely cut

some of our paralympians’ Disability Living Allowance. He failed to refer back to times when the Tories had control of sports funding, in the 1980s and 1990s when Britain woefully underperformed. In the Atlanta Games in 1996, after years of underinvestment, Britain won one gold medal. This year Team GB won 29 golds. Then there’s that irritatingly catch-all term, ‘young people’. Cameron made clear that he feels that having young people on unpaid work schemes is not immoral. On the contrary, he said that since none of them were being forced up chimneys, they have nothing to complain about. One thing he might be carefully reminded of is that chimney sweeps would have been paid for their trouble. Cameron neglected to mention that lots of young people on government schemes can’t expect that privilege. And, of course, young people don’t come out of the government’s other policies particularly well, at least at face value. We all know about the tuition fees debacle and that doesn’t require further exploration. Then there’s the policy that was announced this week that, if Iain Duncan Smith and

George Osborne get their way, housing benefit will be cut for under 25s. Cameron seems to have wilfully forgotten how much of a financial burden has been and will be piled onto on hundreds of thousands of students and, with the abolition of EMA and housing benefit, other young people who might not experience future education. Rather than explore how much debt young people have and will take on in greater proportions than ever before, Cameron talks of how he is determined to ensure young people become homeowners. His party has criticised the previous government for overspending, yet he seems to think that a similar model across the nation’s personal finances is desirable. So, in short, most of what Cameron said in Birmingham this year was dull, inaccurate or misleading. The theme of the Conservative Party’s conference was ‘Britain can deliver’, another dodgy phrase which is here today, gone tomorrow and could have been suggested by a pizza delivery company. Sadly, I’m not sure what is being delivered is too hot.

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Editorial The Women’s Minibus service is unappreciated and under used Working in the Media Hub ‘till late at night can be a strain on any journalist-in-training, and as editor my life is generally spent in this godforsaken room. Living on Crookesmoor Road, I walk home most nights, generally terrified of walking past the park and up dark streets alone at 2 o’clock in the morning. This week, however, I discovered the joy that is the Women’s Minibus, and for a mere £1.50, the equivalent of three cigarettes or half a pint of cider, I was home within 10 minutes.

@ShefUSElection // in association with PolSoc

US Election 2012

Not once did I look round my shoulder like the paranoid state I am, instead I was delivered straight to my door without fear of harassment, and all for a fifth of the price of a taxi. Unfortunately, there were only two other people on the minibus with me, and with such a fantastic, cheap service available for women students, there’s no excuse to walk home alone and vulnerable, or shell out for a black cab, when the Women’s Committee provide such an important service.

MITTENS The weaker candidate is polling high

Alisha Rouse - Forge Press editor alisha.rouse@forgetoday.com

D.A.R.T.S.

Forge Press takes its satirical aim

Mitt Romney has a tiny face We were going to do an edgy and hilarious DARTS section, both relevant to student life and bitingly witty. But unfortunately, legal problems yada yada, completely slanderous blah blah blah, so we’re stuck with showing you funny pictures from the internet. Enjoy.

Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Quote of the fortnight:

“Spent the entirety of my first meeting of the day spilling yoghurt down myself. I think @MsAmyMasson has never been more attracted to me” - @ Richard Alderman, Education Officer on Twitter

Cameron and Osborne in Downing Street catfight

Website of the Week: Procatinator http://procatinator.com/ You’d think the stereotype of a crazy cat lady would be just that, a stereotype. Turns out it is only half true: We at Comment are crazy cat guys. Cats and politics, that’s all we care about. So Procatinator has a simple concept: It’s a website that has combined music with clips of cats, and it’s a beautiful thing. Say goodbye to your degree and meeting those deadlines, and open your heart to endless kittens.

Cabinet strife has reached new heights as the feline faction at No 10 and 11 Downing Street has been snapped in the national press in a vicious, literal catfight. Freya and Larry, the respective cats of Cameron and Osborne, were caught in the act after clawing at each other on the badass streets outside the PM’s house. After ruffling furs, Camcat Larry took a momemt of paws before he pussied out and made a quick retreat for No 10. A spokeswoman for David Cameron denied this scandal but claimed the cats “co-exist” together. The photographic evidence suggests otherwise. Commentators have speculated that the dominance of Freya could be an insight into their owners disputes. Others have suggested it may have merely been some dodgy catnip. Photo: Tambako the Jaguar/Flickr

Adela Whittingham After his defeat in the 1994 Republican party election, Mitt Romney vowed, ‘I never want to run for something again unless I can win’. After the Presidential debate on October 3 it seems that this was a promise Romney intended to keep, with the comeback kid taking a 49 – 45 per cent lead over Barack Obama. The apparently unprecedented reversal for any Presidential candidate in October has caused a lot of arm flapping in American politics, with even Obama’s famously imperturbable former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel being quoted as saying ‘I would prefer to be in a different position… than where we are.’ The Republican candidate is a former businessman from Michigan and commands an illustrious political pedigree, and even looks like the fatherly, reasonably handsome American President that appears in films. His successes in the business world give him an edge in light of the sluggish economic growth under Obama’s direction. With these credentials, however, come significant drawbacks. There have been plenty of moving testimonials in the news from people whose lives Mitt Romney has touched, particularly during his time as a missionary for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon is apparently a non-issue in this year’s election, however it does seem worth noting the Church’s ban on homosexual acts. During his time as governor of Massachusetts, Romney only legalized civil union as

a compromise to the calls for legalizing same-sex marriages. In the 1960s, Protestants argued that John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism would surely have an effect on his allegiance to his country, but it appears 21st century Americans do not share the same concerns about Mormonism. Another ethical issue addressed by the religion is abortion, yet Romney has kept interestingly quiet on his decidedly strong pro-life views. To the sceptical, this may be due to the nine per cent increase in Romney’s female support after the Presidential debate.

‘The result will be down to swing states’ The public has also cottoned on to Mitt Romney’s tendency to fabricate, exaggerate and, on occasion, tell some downright barefaced lies. In fact, 14 per cent of voters without a particular political allegiance do not believe Romney to be honest. Following the Presidential debate, a deluge of Romney-related blogs and articles hit the Internet, with a web search of ‘Mitt Romney lies’ now bringing up around 199,000,000 results. A much-talked about distortion of fact was Romney’s claim that there were 23 million people that were either out of work, or had stopped looking for work. Officially, the figure stands at 12.5 million, with an additional 2.6 million Americans that had stopped looking for work. Romney also controversially slated ‘Obamacare’, the brainchild of the current President that is aimed at reducing the number of uninsured Americans and overall costs of healthcare. Obama announced cuts to reduce the overpayment to private insurance companies, but Romney suggested it will impact

on the people receiving insurance under ‘Obamacare’. Romney’s favourite number for this argument is $716 billion, which started to resemble a football chant during the 90-minute debate. Possibly more precarious than the blatant lying is Romney’s stance on foreign policy. Speaking about the Middle East, Romney announced that there was ‘a longing for American leadership’ in the Middle East. Romney has either forgotten or is maybe happily reminiscent of President George Bush’s quasi-colonialist policy in the Middle East. There are perhaps areas in the Middle East that would benefit from Western investment and aid, but the connotations attached to ‘leadership’ sound like a dangerous foreign policy route for the Republicans. Nonetheless, the American public does seem to be conscious of its past failures, and with two weeks to go before polling day, polls show that Obama maintains a foreign policy lead over his rival. At this point, the result from the polling booths on November 6 will largely be down to the behaviour of the unpredictable swing states, such as Florida and Ohio. It seems premature to be too confident of the result, but despite the lacklustre performance of Obama in the Presidential debate and what seems to be a lack of faith in his Presidential ability, Mitt Romney still does not seem to be the stronger candidate. Putting ethics and values aside, Romney’s lack of experience in foreign policy, and his radical views during campaigning may be difficult to win the hearts of the American public following the botched attempts in Iraq and Afghanistan; the legacy of which is still fresh in the minds of every American.

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LETTERS

DJ Fresh offended by Forge Press review Long distance can make the heart Dear Forge Press, about his teachers after on me, which is completely grow fonder, if it’s worth it being locked in detention. uncalled for. I’ve been Have you guys read Martin Bottomley’s work on your site? If you have a look you will notice it is all offensively negative and reads like the prose of a fourteen-year-old moaning

I am massively offended by his album review; it is completely at odds with the response of the people that have bought my album and reads like a personal attack

Yes, this is actually DJ Fresh.

doing this for 14 years and never been this offended by a ‘journalist’.

Thanks, Dan Fresh

Alisha Rouse, Editor

Your comments on www.forgetoday.com to: Tonight Matthew, I’m going to be forcing vulnerable individuals into an inescapable situation of sexual exploitation

Dear Forge Press, I recently read your piece on the arguments for and against long distance relationships at Uni and I feel that Hanna Davis’ argument against was very over exaggerated. I too have been in a relationship that failed solely because we were miles apart from one another. However, I was with this person for hardly any time at all before university so it seemed silly to carry on when neither of us cared that much.

By saying you think the theme is fine, you have shown a symptom of the integrated trivialisation of the sex trade… which Carnage has endorsed. You’ve missed the point completely. Eleanor

I am currently in a relationship with someone who lives back home in Bolton and there was no doubt as to whether we would stay together when I went back to university for my second year. This is because my boyfriend and I have a committed and mature relationship which I believe to be a novelty amongst those studying at university.

Oh right, because I don’t agree with you I must be brainwashed by Carnage. Great logic.

I’ve had my fair share of wild alcohol induced nights

What a load of guff. You’re talking as if dressing as a ‘pimp’ on a one-off night out could make a young man think that it was actually fine and dandy to sell women’s bodies in the future. This theme only ‘trivialises’ sex trafficking as much as an army theme would trivialise the murder of innocent civilians, or a Baywatch theme would trivialise skin cancer. David

I didn’t say the theme was ‘fine’, by the way. Don’t put words in my mouth. I was just saying that it is utterly inconsequential to society as a whole, and that the writer was making a storm in a teacup. Feel free to call me a misogynist/Daily Mail reader now if you like; from comments you’ve left on other articles, that seems to be about as far as your debating proficiency can stretch. David I think it was you who said “Don’t put words in my mouth.” I never said you were brainwashed… I simply disagree with you. My debating proficiency stretches as far as I can be bothered and right now, I have better things to than argue over the Internet. Feel free to reply though, if it makes you feel better about yourself. I won’t be replying. Eleanor Totally agree with the article, it’s about making people aware of the situation, which is very serious and not condemning the individuals who attend. Sarah Another one in agreement with the article. Saying – as David does – that this is a one-off event that wouldn’t have a long-term effect on students’ beliefs misses the point, which is that this specific event participates in the creation of a sustained culture and atmosphere in which the trafficking and exploitation of women is tolerated, or at least, ignored. H The article did say that it was just trying to raise awareness of those issues, yes. But I still found that ridiculous. How stupid do you think today’s students are, exactly? Do you think that Carnage attendees are just blissfully unaware that sex trafficking exists? And that it’s morally reprehensible? Because I don’t, I think they’ll be very much aware of that and I think they have enough of a moral backbone not to let any number of daft theme nights affect that understanding. You’d be just as well to protest one of the Halloween fancy dress nights in a couple of week’s time and lecture a few zombies about the evils of cannibalism. Have fun changing the world anyway; I’m out. David

Your comments on www.forgetoday.com to: Page 3: We might as well embrace it Can’t say I agree with the argument that Rachel Mantock presents. Personally I hate the idea of opening a national newspaper and seeing a woman reduced to a pair of tits with some sarcastic, bullshit quote apparently made by said woman, reassuring me that “your minds matter too ladies!”. Books like 50 Shades of Grey have (oh so kindly, cheers!) allowed women to think of one kind of sexual fantasy as acceptable, sadly one that still sees men whipping the shit out of us and dominating us in most aspects of life. But hey, if it’s all in the name of sexual liberation then go for it, I guess I should be thankful I’m no longer tied to the kitchen sink. Alex

out, but that all ended in second year because at the end of the day I’m here to get myself a degree. I am not here to ruin my relationship on a drunken whim. So to say that my partner or I have even considered cheating just because we live so many miles apart is a little bit ridiculous. People cheat on other people regardless of their geographical location or how many times they ring/ Skype/text their significant other. Relationships also fail for a number of other reasons other than the stresses caused by long distance.

in Bolton, it’s not that far away” which is true and I think that that has helped to some degree in making my relationship work. However, my housemates are both in long term long distance relationships with their partners who live in both Edinburgh and Bristol and they’re doing just fine. I do however agree that giving up your place at university to move closer to your partner is ridiculous as well as going visiting them at every possible opportunity. Especially if this gets in the way of your life at uni (believe me, I’ve been there).

Admittedly my relationship with my boyfriend is not perfect, but that is nothing to do with the fact that it is a “long distance” one. I would even go as far as to say that sometimes we get along so well and so easily that I would never label us in that way.

I do understand that not everyone believes that long distance relationships work some of the time, but to say that they “simply do not exist” based only on personal experience, for me seems way too closed minded and unintelligent to be considered good journalism.

Some people might read this and think “Oh well her boyfriend only lives

Yours, Alannah Hodgin

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

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Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

Anna Jordan speaks to Dead Beats about their mission to reinvent poetry and revive the Beat movement

o many of us have been there before, prevented through anxieties and a lack of self-confidence, or even just daily life, from expressing ourselves creatively. ‘I want to write but I have other things on’, ‘I don’t think my writing’s good enough’ or ‘no one will read it’ are common thoughts in the mind of the creative. These barriers can make it difficult for potential writers to even get pen to paper, let alone attempting to print - or even perform - their work. Nevertheless, for those who see themselves as short-form aficionados in search of a creative outlet, and like-minded people who will encourage them to get their work out there, Dead Beats could well be the answer. Alex Smith, Adonis Leboho and Jack Mann are third year English Literature students at the University of Sheffield. Passionate about writing and literature, but tired of the linear nature of their course, they began exchanging essays and ideas and found great pleasure in sharing their work. From this beginning came Dead Beats Literary Blog - a creative online space allowing them and other writers to try out different types of writing while getting feedback in an interactive public

“

The anonymity helps, as anxiety can put potential writers off Adonis Leboho

@forgefeatures /forgepress features@forgetoday.com

”

arena. Contributors can even remain anonymous if they are still unsure about sharing their work. As their name suggests, the Dead Beats are largely inspired by the Beat poet generation. Beat poetry evolved during the 1940s in New York and the west coast, though it became central in San Francisco in the 1950s. The movement came about post-WWII when poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti started to question mainstream politics and culture. This group would become known as the ‘Beats’; writers of poetry who wanted to challenge public consciousness and defy traditional writing. The students’ literary heroes range from poets like Kefken and Kerouac to novelists such as Dylan and T.S Elliott and, true to form, Alex wears a Kerouac t-shirt to the interview. “I love a good story. Someone who can turn words and make you feel something,” says Jack. Clearly, Jack and the Dead Beats are not the only ones that think so. The simple idea of a literary blog and sharing platform has led to a very positive response from budding writers and fellow web users. The Dead Beats have earned an impressive following, with around 7,600 likes on Facebook and a devoted Twitter fan base.

“

Everything needs words. People need words to express themselves Jack Mann

”

Adonis suggests that the popularity of the blogging platform lies in its ability to help writers get past personal barriers and finally get their work out there: “The anonymity helps, as anxiety and nervousness can put potential writers off,” he says. “What’s great too is that we’ve created a network which goes beyond Sheffield.” It’s true; the blog has reached an international audience with followers as far as Giza and Dhaka. It reaches a number of different students too, not just those who study English; all followers share an interest in literature, regardless of whether they study it at degree level. The Dead Beats believe that, despite stereotypes and societal issues, poetry is extremely valuable and can be a great way of communicating different ideas. “I think that at school, poetry is seen as stuffy and boring.” says Jack, “I didn’t find poetry until I went to college. Everything needs words. People need words to express themselves.” Having a group especially for those interested in poetry is also a great way to meet like-minded people, and because of Dead Beats many writers have been able to meet more regularly and share their work. Since the Dead Beats started last year, they have branched out into

features

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poetic performances which now make up about 50 per cent of their activities. These can be at DJ sets or poetry slams- a group of poets reciting original work before a panel of judges. So, what makes a good performer? “It’s not always about the words,” says Alex, “stage presence is also important.” “Belief. If you believe you’re the right person, the crowd can feed in to your performance” adds Jack. This shows that appreciation doesn’t have to be about sitting quietly and enjoying written poetry. By focusing on the performative side of poetry, and bringing a live audience in to the mix, Dead Beats have been able to breathe new life into a form usually seen as ‘boring’. If you’re still unsure about the Dead Beats, find out a bit more about them; they’re taking part in a poetry slam as part of Sheffield’s ‘Off the Shelf ’ literature event on Thursday October 25 at 7pm.

The evening will feature some slick poetic performances, a bit of competitive banter with rivals at Hallam University and the warm welcome of legendary beat poet, Michael Horovitz. Horovitz, now 77, became involved with the original Beat Generation writer-performers in the late 1950s. He enjoyed reading early texts by W M Burroughs, Ginsberg, Kerouac, Corso, and Ferlinghetti, works which still resonate with him: “I think of each of them as still very much living buddies, lines and themes of whose writings and activities flash into both my mind and my writings, as well as my performances just about every day or night,” says Horovitz. “When I got an email from an outfit calling itself [the] Living Dead Beats, of course it was rather unusual, and the more I found out about the event they were proposing, the more interested I became.”

Website: http://www.deadbeats.eu Email: deadbeats@live.co.uk To submit your work:

Horovitz and the Dead Beats will be joined by Dr Agnes Lehoczky and Julia Reckless. Lehoczky, Professor of Creative Writing at the University, represented Hungary at the London Poetry Parnassus. She is also a practicing poet and translator. Her latest collection of poetry, entitled Remember was published just last year. Julia Reckless has been published alongside poets such as Billy Collins and Donald Hall and was also published in the Spectator in 2011. With such progress and support already amassed, the Dead Beats are eager about the future of the group: “We want big nights, because they’re the best poetry nights,” says Jack. “It’d be great to get some bands involved, just a room full of story tellers.” Dead Beats have already held a series of events, sometimes collaboratively with Sheffield literary group ‘Wordlife’ and,

during this last summer, participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ideally, they would also like to see their e-book, One, go in to print: “It’s all great digitally, but you can’t touch it” says Jack. Of course, as with any project, funding can be a bit of a problem. “We’ve tried the English department, random funding opportunities and the Arts council. Unfortunately, they’re not really into the e-book,” says Alex. At the moment, their sustainability comes from gigs and sales of their e-book. The guys at Dead Beats are constantly looking to expand upon their ideas and find new ventures. Some contributors have designed t-shirts based on literary ideas that have caught their attention, so much so that they would like to expand their horizons to merchandise in order to get their writers’ and designers’ work out there.

As the three are all in their final year, there have been questions raised as to what will happen to the leadership of the group. “We’re going to try and stay involved after our departure as we can still operate from remote locations” says Alex. Jack agrees: “Yeah, this is not just a university project, it’s a wider project.” As a last word for contributors, no experience is needed to write for the Dead Beats Literary Blog. Adonis, Jack, and Alex emphasise that there is no agenda and that the work does not need to be inspired by Beat poets. Those that enjoy writing should not be put off by doubts or anxieties. Dead Beats encourage budding writers to take a chance, share their work, and join their mission to stop poetry going stale.

“The Beats are dead; long live Dead Beats.”

• Write something- it could be a poem, short story (2,000 words max), an experimental piece or a review. • Email it to deadbeats@live.co.uk • Wait for a response. This may take a while depending on how many submissions the site gets at the time.

Words: Anna Jordan Artwork: James Grover Photograph: Sara Hill

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

SECURITY UNLOCKED Your safety at university is paramount: Forge Press shows you how to protect yourself and your belongings

Words: Nicola Moors Legal Crime Defi

nitions:

Burglary - trespass ing into a ilding with an intent to commit a crbu commit a crime, or ime. Such crim es may be thef intending to t and GBH Robbery - stealing from someone us ing force or threat of force Theft - taking prop erty from anothe r person without their consent

@forgefeatures /forgepress features@forgetoday.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

20 per cent of student robberies occurred in the first six weeks of term Complete University Guide

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features

FORGE PRESS Friday O c tobe r 1 9 2 0 1 2

“

In the last academic year, there were 923 burglaries Police advice

”

ou have just snuggled up under your cosy duvet when suddenly a chill creeps over you, ‘Did I lock the back door?’ you wonder. Dismissing the thought and presuming that one of your housemates will check it later, you curl up drifting off into a deep sleep - after all, you couldn’t possibly get out of bed after settling into such a comfortable position. It is still dark outside when a housemate wakes you up, searching for something in your room, although you don’t recognise the figure and it definitely looks too big to be one of the girls. Frozen in place, you can only watch as the burglar continues to hunt, hurriedly shoving items into a rucksack. There goes your laptop and that expensive bracelet that you got for your birthday. Sounds a bit like a horror story, doesn’t it? Only, it could happen to you. Similar scenes to the one described above are being played out across the country, because burglars know that student houses are often a minefield for the latest expensive gadgets, such as iPhones, laptops and sound systems. It is no wonder that the 16-24 age group is three times more likely to be burgled. Let’s face it: four students in one household usually equals four laptops and mobile phones, not to mention the rest of the technological gadgets that, to students, are indispensible. According to the Complete University Guide, a third of students will become victims of crime, with 20 per cent of student robberies occurring in the first six weeks of the academic year. Figures on the police.uk website show that over the last academic year (September 2011- August 2012) there were 923 burglaries and 143 robberies within a one mile radius of the university campus. Typically student- based areas, such as Crookesmoor, Ecclesall Road and the city centre, have higher crime rates than other areas in the city. At the moment, universities are not obliged to publish crime statistics involving their students so any figures that have been obtained, while factually correct, may slightly exaggerate the truth. Third year English Literature student, Doug Dunn, experienced such a crime at the end of June this summer. The 20-year-old explained how simply leaving a window open led to being burgled. ‘’It was a warm night so we kept the window open to let a breeze in. Before going to bed, we had pulled the window closed, but left it slightly ajar. During the night, someone found the window, wrenched it open, climbed inside and stole a laptop. They left by the back door. ‘‘Luckily no one was injured but the incident has left us uneasy. ‘’Although I now live in a new house with mostly new housemates, those of us who lived in the house that was burgled are noticeably more worried about safety – even checking the windows and doors if we are about to fall asleep. ‘’At first after the incident, my housemate even barricaded himself in his room by using objects to ‘lock’ the door. ‘’It is so important to be vigilant – a window left open, a door not locked properly and suddenly your property can be violated. Although it probably won’t happen everytime a door or window is left unlocked, you don’t want to take chances.’’ Unfortunately with crime, it mostly is just chance. However there are steps that you can take to ensure that your property, your belongings and, most importantly, yourselves are kept

safe. After all, it is no coincidence that privately owned valuable property a forensic code allowing them to be traced student accommodation is more likely to be burgled due to back to you - the liquid is almost impossible to remove and a lack of security features. For example, Endcliffe Student can’t be seen by the naked eye. The company have released Village is monitored constantly by security guards and all of a kit marketed at students which can be bought for just £20, the buildings have doors that lock automatically when they including delivery, window deterrent stickers, coding system are closed. and property stickers. To minimise any chances of being burgled, make sure that Let’s say the worst happens and you do get burgled; at you always lock your windows and doors, especially when the very least, make sure that you have house insurance. you are not in the room. Potential criminals see unlocked Research shows that over half of victims of theft didn’t have doors as an invitation into your home . insurance for their belongings. This should cover the cost of Unfortunately condensation can be a big problem for anything that might get taken - especially laptops which can students and airing rooms can help to prevent the condition. cost hundreds of pounds, although an excess may have to be To counteract this, most windows should come paid before you can claim. with a safety lock where However it is not just your house that you need to you can leave the keep secure - your own personal window slightly ajar safety should be paramount. but still locked. Males are just as at risk of If everyone is out of being attacked or stolen from as the house, especially women are, so guys, these tips in the evening or at apply to you too. • Never leave valuab night time, leave a With the risk of sounding les on show light on. Whether like your mother, try to avoid • Always lock win dows and doors a bathroom light walking in unlit areas at night • Get home insura or one in the and, if you can, always try to get nce hallway, this will taxis home. make the house Using your mobile phone look occupied - this in public, especially if it is an is also important if expensive make, can alert wouldthe house will be left be criminals that you own such a empty over the holidays, gadget. Only use your mobile in an especially Christmas and summer. emergency and try to minimise your During the holidays, it may be useful to keep any valuables texting when walking around so you can stay aware of that you aren’t taking home with you in locked storage. Also, your surroundings. do not leave valuables out in the open where people walking If you need to report a crime, there are several numbers past may see them - you could simply pop your laptop under that you can ring: your desk or hide it under your bed. · Only ring 999 if you feel that you need an emergency In case your laptop does get stolen (or a cup of tea is split response; - it happens), backing up your work is the next best thing. · To report anti-social behaviour, call 101 in the Sheffield You’ll definitely thank us for this tip. area; Always ask to see the identification of any ‘handymen’ who · To report a crime to the local police, ring 0114 2202020; ask to enter the house - if in doubt, don’t let them in. · If you witness a crime, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 Alongside these tips, there is an innovative technology – all calls are confidential so you will not be asked to go to that has a 100 per cent conviction rate and is proven to be a court or have any of your details traced. deterrent to would-be thieves. To buy a SmartWater kit, go to www.smartwater.tv/ With the impressive figure of achieving over 1,000 studentshop/ convictions, SmartWater is a liquid that gives your most

Top Safety Tips:

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

Fashion Food & Drink Health & Fitness Travel Giving Back Sex & Relationships Technology

Lifestyle & Travel WHAT NOT TO MISS THIS FORTNIGHT

Lifestyle’s pick of what’s on in Sheffield

By Katie Tysoe

TDR™ CAR BOOTY AFFAIR

FRIGHT NIGHT

Saturday October 6 to November 3 at a Month of Sundays Gallery, 365 Sharrow Vale Road, FREE.

Sunday October 28 at Sheffield City Centre, FREE.

Brainchild of legendary Sheffielder Pete Mckee, this month’s exhibition at a Month of Sundays Gallery has been collated by The Designers Republic, a Sheffield based graphics company that designs much of the imagery you see around the city. This exhibition showcases archives from the most influential graphic design and communication agencies, dating back to 1986. If you fancy digging into your pockets, artwork will be for sale, “selling off rather than selling out” so bag yourself a Pulp promo poster, and decorate your student room.

It’s back, the legendary Halloween Carnival that attracts over 40,000 visitors. Packed with even more scares, fancy dress, food stalls, and rides, this is not to be missed. This year award-winning magician Steve Faulkner comes to City Hall for an evening of magic and mindreading entertainment, tickets available for £12. If last year is anything to go by; giant puppets, a Ghostbusters car and Sheffield’s very own Tardis, this year’s Fright Night looks set to feature even more fun and crazy festivities.

ALT.COM.CAB

Monday October 22 at the Harley, £3 entry.

Thursday October 18 to 21 at the Hop, West One Plaza, FREE.

Describing itself as the ‘whimsical future of alternative comedy’ alt.com.cab is an alternative comedy cabaret production company based in Sheffield that looks set to provide a night of smart, experimental and chaotic comedy. For some light-hearted fun, head down to the Harley for a mere three pounds to see some up and coming comedians. With previous nights including Tom Burgess of the Sheffield University Comedy Revue, you will be treated to some of the best talent alternative comedy has to offer, so loosen them belts for a night of belly-busting laughter.

Review

Olivia Adams & Laura Davies To celebrate the launch of their new winter menu, we headed down to sip a few cocktails and sample the food on offer at the Wick at Both Ends. The almost retro interior and dim lighting creates a warm atmosphere, and at the time we went (early evening), the crowd was a mixture of students and young professionals, enjoying the Wick’s generous ‘after work drinks’ offers. We watched as the bar staff expertly mixed us apricot stone martinis, before being seated. We chose to share a selection of the tasty ‘Wick & Mix’ starters on offer; mini short-crust pastry leek and potato pie with creamy mash and veggie gravy, homemade mushroom soup served in a tea cup, duck liver terrine and carpaccio of smoked venison. By far our favourite were the Yorkshire wontons - filo pastry parcels stuffed with slow cooked beef shin, horseradish and spring onion, deep fried until crispy and served with a rich red wine gravy for dipping. Served on a variety of stylish slates and wooden boards, the

GREEN HOP BEER FESTIVAL

A mini beer festival is being held at The Hop, featuring beers produced with new-season fresh (green) English hops by local and regional breweries. The focal point of the event will be a talk and tasting session on Saturday October 20. Ossett Head Brewer Paul Spencer will be joined by hop farmers Ali and Richard Capper of Stocks Farm, Worcestershire and Paul Corbett of hop merchants Charles Faram. Starting at 2pm, participants will learn about the English hop industry, sample new season hops and taste a variety of beers. Tickets for this event are £5, available from the Hop.

The Wick at Both Ends spread was certainly a sight for those who believe that we “eat with our eyes”. Though the portions were fairly small, the high quality of flavours and the low price (£3.95 each or three for £10) definitely made up for the size and left us excited for what was to come. Our second course needed a second cocktail, so we opted for two kiwi caipirinhas. A refreshing mix of fresh kiwi and sugar cane rum. For mains, we were spoilt for choice. The menu read beautifully, making our mouths water at every dish. From fish and chips, to lamb neck braised in red wine, spicy vegetable skewers and partridge wrapped in bacon, this winter menu couldn’t be made any more enticing. Eventually we decided on a grilled Tilapia served with spiced new potato and a celeriac

salad (£7.95), and a chicken and butternut squash tagine served with pitta bread (£6.75). The fish, accompanied by delicious potatoes, was slightly disappointing due to the huge number of bones, which compromised the culinary experience somewhat. However, the tagine was packed full of flavour and completely delicious. So good, that the dish was practically licked to a shine... As all good foodies know, there is always room for dessert and this was no exception. Accompanied by our third cocktail choice, lychee blossoms, two slices of homemade vanilla and strawberry cheesecake were hastily polished off. Creamy with a buttery, crumbly base, this was cheesecake heaven, and that’s coming from two cheesecake lovers. Overall, a fantastic meal in a cozy setting with great cocktails. What more could you want? The Wick at Both Ends, 149 West St Mon–Fri: 12-9pm Sat–Sun: 12-8pm After work drinks: Mon-Fri, 5-9pm

Relationships

David Robertson First date. It’s reaching the end of the night and the evening’s going well; conversation and booze have flowed beautifully in tandem and the air seems chemically charged with a heady blend of anticipation and possibility. Just what could go wrong from here one asks? Settling up, that’s what - or more to the point, doing the wrong thing when settling up. Now call me a fossil, but surely this is strictly male terrain? Glancing at the statistics, opinion here generally is somewhat divided between the sexes. A 2010 survey conducted by Cosmopolitan found that less than 25 per cent of women thought that men should always pick up the tab on a first date, in contrast to the beliefs of four out of five men. Less strikingly, a survey carried out in 2011 by steamy-named dating website Smooch.com, revealed that 44 per cent of women felt that blokes should pay, in comparison to the views of 64 per cent of men. So, it would seem that mine also falls prey to this particular gender-bias. However, let me try to rationalise. Would-be modern thinkers might argue that with greater gender equality in society, splitting the dinner tab should be considered progressive. Socio-politics aside, nothing could be less romantic or damaging to a man’s chances. It matters not, whether one of you sipped soup of the day whilst the other plundered a mixed grill. Or that your last gratifying expense was a three-fortwo deal on Coco Pops, as your date berates the price of lobster. Such ethics become irrelevant when contesting who should foot the bill.

Student Life Minghao Yu

This is based around a universal truth as old as Adam’s rib. Namely, that broadly speaking, men chase and women choose. As a result, men should be keener to make a good first impression by forking out as a token of respect. Naturally, we want to appear a ‘good catch’.

“Naturally, we want to appear a ‘good catch’”

Responsible and generous, there’s barely a moment’s pause between a perfunctory scan of the total and the echo of our finest plastic hitting the saucer. Offers to go halvsies simply won’t stand. Archetypal ‘lads’ may call it “putting in the legwork”, but they have a point. If a chap strikes dating gold, they will gladly spoil. But what of more flawed and frankly, realistic first dates? You know the type: midway through starters, she drifts off, cold, more interested in the rain outside. Meanwhile, your covert rummaging with your smartphone practically elevates checking football scores into a sport itself. No? Just me, then. In seriousness, if it’s evident the pair of you are about as compatible as a finger trapped in a doorframe and the chances of a second encounter are nonexistent, then one could argue, what does any of the above matter? Nevertheless, as a man there is something inexplicably awkward about not covering costs on a first date, good or bad. Is the alternative emasculating? Perhaps. However, crucially, that does not suggest that men narrow-mindedly assume this duty because of any presupposed superiority over women - far from it. Personally, I’d genuinely want to pay, because it felt like the decent thing to do. And if that sounds too Victorian for some, then hand me a penny farthing and I’ll be on my bike.

Has the increasing number of smart phones on the market completely baffled you? Are you totally lost in a sea of new age technology? With Apple dominating the market and releasing new iPhones constantly, it can be easy to overlook the other options. Competition between Apple, Samsung and HTC has become intense recently, perhaps due to the release of the long awaited iPhone 5. As a consumer, it’s easy to become baffled by the technical language and the lists of technical specifications. So we’re here to help you out with a simple guide to why the iPhone is the front runner in the complicated world of smart phones. It is often said that the iPhone is the best smart-phone in the world. Thanks to Apple’s undeniably superb workmanship and good user reputation, the iPhone is statistically the most popular smart phone in the United States and

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@forgelifestyle /forgelifestyle lifestyle@forgetoday.com

First date drama:

Student Life

Who should pay the bill?

Laura Davies

Glenn Hicks So there you are, sitting opposite and staring wantonly into your potential lover’s eyes on your first date. You’re a little nervous, but hopefully quite optimistic – until, the age old (well, quite modern actually) question arises – who should pay? My take on it is that you should both just grow a backbone! If you can’t negotiate your way around a bill then I can’t say I’ll be holding my breath waiting for the announcement of your upcoming nuptials. The best thing to do in my eyes is a 50/50 split of the bill –it keeps things fair and equal, and that’s what men and women are supposed to be, right?

“Keep things fair and equal, that’s what men and women are supposed to be, right?”

Of course this might not sound like an ideal solution to the fair maidens and knightly sirs on campus, who’ve watched one too many episodes of Downton Abbey. Some women expect their experience of gender relations to read like the pretty pink diary of a Disney Princess; and some men presume that their date is a fragile little thing, surely to be protected by their masculine might and chivalry.

Well, in my eyes, chivalry is dead, and good riddance to it. If you want to live by 18th century manners, I’m sure the Amish will take you in. But, you might say, sometimes it’s just nice when someone else pays – and they want to do it as a friendly gesture. I’d say fair enough, it might be a nice little treat once in a while, but on a first date? I’d say no. And even then you get the “do I have to reciprocate next time?” dilemma running through your head. Anyhow, here’s a quick guide if you’re a bit lost: If you’re going to the cinema (terrible first date idea anyway) then pay for your own ticket. Going for a meal? Split the bill. Going for a drink? Definitely the best date in my opinion, nothing gets rid of the awkwardness like gin. Then adhere to the age old rounds system, and hopefully you’ll leave on an even number – or you can use it as an excuse to stay a little longer if you don’t. And if the other person can’t really afford to go out (we’re students after all) then do something cheap – watch a DVD, go for a coffee or just have a wander round town. Your date should be about sharing your personalities – not your money!

Giving Sheffield students wings

despite it being three quarters empty, then you may be in luck. Reach your hand under the desk (avoid the inevitable chewing gum) and you may be the recipient of a cheeky Bull Man delivery, conveniently stuck to the underneath of your desk. When you’ve dragged yourself out of bed and managed to stumble halfasleep all the way to Uni, this is the perfect remedy, allowing you to focus and feel bright and fresh for those important lectures. So who is this infamous Red Bull #SheffBullMan Man, that only visits under cover of darkness? Sean Wilson(@wilsea05): If you’re reading this, please, deliver The red bull fairys been!!!!! Still pretty us some more wings soon... confused about it all... Katherine Yates (@K_A_Yates): What a babe! Thanks #sheffbullman

Charles Jones (@ChazJones1): Thanks #sheffbullman it’s making this lecture much more bearable #wings

Laura Davies (@laura_davies80): The girls on Marlborough Road will be flying tonight... Cheers #sheffbullman for the red bull!

Christopher Jones (@chrisjones792): There’s a redbull milkfloat chipping about Sheff. Hopefully it delivers to my house. Need some wings. #sheffbullman

Food

Lifestyle’s Cheap Eat Pizza Pastry by Camille Brouard

Like homemade pizza, but easier to make and just as delicious. This recipe provides two to four portions depending on side dishes and is less than £2 per portion(depending on toppings).

Base:

-Readymade flaky pastry (£1.32 Morrisons own-brand or £1.75 Jus-Rol pastry, the latter is more expensive but easier to separate)

Tomato Sauce:

iPhone vs. the rest

Europe. With the latest display technology and hardware, the overall performance is very good. It can’t be denied that at least when there is a glitch in their design, Apple are the first ones to point it out and briskly sort it out. The Apple design, with simple, easy to read icons and the way that everything seems to work together seamlessly is one of the biggest draws. If your iPhone ever becomes lost or stolen, Apple is there to rescue you with their clever iCloud app, which backs up your content online. However, one of the biggest disadvantages about having a smartphone, is the battery life. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to go with Apple, Samsung or HTC, their battery life is, simply put, rubbish. Perhaps it’s the fact that they do everything, and therefore you will probably spend a large amount of the day using it’s many functions, it’s just a fact of life that you will

For the past week, a mysterious milk float has been making it’s way around Sheffield’s streets. Delivering do-it-yourself milk cartons, which, when left on your doorstep overnight, are magically filled with Red Bull by morning. This clever marketing strategy has got students talking, not just in lectures but also on Twitter (#SheffBullMan). Not only do Red Bull appear to have started doing these mysterious home deliveries, but also lecture deliveries. If you’re one of those ‘rebels’ that sit in the back row of the lecture theatre,

The elusive Bull Man

probably have to charge your phone daily. Some HTC models and also some Samsungs actually have removable batteries, a definite advantage over the iPhone design. Spare batteries for these can be picked up online for a matter of pounds, reducing that risk of getting caught out halfway through the day. The thing is, when you are spending hundreds of pounds, surely you might as well just go all out and get the Top Dog in the smartphone stakes. Trust us, once you go iPhone, you won’t go back. But no matter what anyone says, these fancy new smartphones simply can’t compete with the old Nokia brick hiding in the bottom of your cupboard that lasts for weeks on end. Why? Because they don’t have Snake. What a classic.

-Oil for frying -1 tin chopped tomatoes (26p, Morrisons value) -Half an onion, diced -Mixed herbs (or oregano) -Salt and pepper to taste -Ready made sauce is also an option.

Toppings:

Whatever you fancy! I’ve used mushrooms and feta cheese, but you can use anything from sweet corn to spicy chicken.

Method:

1. Set oven to 200°c.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan and add diced onion: fry on a medium heat until just brown. Pour in chopped tomatoes and mash with a spoon if necessary. Add salt, pepper and herbs. Leave pan to one side. 3. Roll out pastry onto a flat surface and cut off a decent-sized, rectangular slice.

4. Lay out pastry on a baking tray with over an inch of space around every side. Lift pastry around edges to keep in the sauce. 5. Pour sauce onto pastry, making sure not to overfill (leftover sauce always comes in handy!) 6. Evenly spread toppings over pastry.

7. Leave in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Serve and enjoy!

Camille’s tips:

*Cut into small strips after cooking for tasty snacks. *Always reheat leftovers in the oven to retain crispiness. *If your sauce is too thin, reduce it by using a medium-high heat and constantly stirring for at least three-four minutes. *Don’t fancy tomato sauce? Pesto works really well too.

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

Lifestyle & Travel Travel

Fashion Food & Drink Health & Fitness Travel Giving Back Sex & Relationships Technology

Is a ‘gap year’ worthwhile?

Does taking a year out make you more worldly than the student sitting next to you who came straight to university? Robyn Lewes Gap years are a concept that has come more and more under the firing line in recent years. Seemingly this is because the connotations have become less about broadening horizons, and more about the drink and drugs aspect of going to a foreign place and feeling like you can lose all your inhibitions – and perhaps dignity whilst you’re at it. Being someone who took the opportunity to travel for a year before university, and who returned with nothing but incredible memories, it is difficult not to sing the praises. Continents I had never set foot on, new cultures, new people, new experiences – what’s not to love, right? However, generally the gap year stories wich are

m r.co

yea

gap

. www

so widely criticised, tend to reflect young people travelling abroad with no real aim to understand the country they are visiting. They simply abuse it for cheap drink and drugs to be found, and enjoy the novelty of doing this in a climate much different to that of rainy England. The most famous example of this would be the ‘Full Moon’ parties which take place in the popular backpacker regions of Thailand. On the face of it, the trend is difficult to defend. People are travelling to a far flung place steeped in history, yet choosing to spend their time in the most westernised areas, using all kinds of substances and drinking ‘buckets’ of Thai whisky in order to convince themselves that they are having a great time. With that reputation, it is hard to form any solid argument that those experiences are worth anything once you return back to the real world. But perhaps we are looking at this the wrong way. If you set out to achieve nothing more on your gap year than to shake off the worries of the world and enjoy one of your last chances to live without responsibility, spending your time at Full Moon parties may be exactly what you desire. However, if your original plan was to soak up incredible new experiences all over the world, but y o u r r e t u r n struggling to remember half of it, then it is difficult to say you made t h e most of your time. I guess the point I’m making is that as long as you have goals to achieve - whether that be work experience, different places you want to visit, or simply doing a 9-5 day to have a year out from academia - the world can be your oyster.

During my gap year I embarked on three separate ventures. I did charity work in Malaysia, I worked at an American summer camp, and I backpacked around Australia. All were startlingly different but all equally eye opening. Of course, you may have decided that taking a gap year wasn’t worthwhile for a variety of reasons and headed straight to university. Perhaps you were just desperate to move out, or perhaps you didn’t think you’d be able to get back into the swing of things after a year of rest? I remember the prejudiced shock I felt when, after my A-levels, I asked someone if they were going on a gap year and they simply said no as they “didn’t see the point”. Each to their own. If you don’t feel travelling is right for you then don’t go. Just because someone rode an elephant in India does not make them more interesting or worldly than you. In summary, the clue is in the name. If you choose to embark on a gap year then that is what it is, a big gap of time which you can do with as you please. The possibilities are endless, and no-one except you can judge whether it was personally a worthwhile experience.

Giving back

Stoptober: a 28-day stop smoking challenge exchanging information. Participants who sign up for the challenge can be provided with a motivation kit, Thousands of people across England are including text messages and Facebook taking part in Stoptober, the latest anti- updates to provide daily support. smoking campaign. A Stoptober app is available on People around the UK are taking part in smartphones and the Smokefree Facebook the 28-day challenge to stop smoking. page is available to reference. According to Chief Medical Officer Jean King, Cancer Research UK’s director Professor Dame Sally Davies, the great news of tobacco control said smoking kills 100,000 about this challenge is by quitting smoking people on average each year and makes up for 28 days, you are five times more likely to one fifth of all cancer cases. stay smoke-free. She also said one in two long-term smokers Stoptober is a government-sponsored will die prematurely from a smoking disease. organisation that provides help, advice and She added: “Stopping smoking is the best support every step of the way for people who expression of responsibility to your own want to quit smoking. health, as well as those you love and cherish”. It encourages people to get together She also suggested that some smokers in communities to help each other by should try quitting again, even though they’ve failed before. Statistics state two-thirds of smokers are willing to quit. This was investigated by Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. Stoptober provides a great opportunity to join thousands of people in their fight against www.colchesterhospital.nhs.uk cigarettes.

Xixi Wei

This campaign is funded by the Department of Health, and supported by Cancer research UK. Celebrity Stoptober advocates, including the former England football player Ian Wright, have also pledged their support. It was hoped by doctors that England’s eight million smokers would be encouraged to try to quit in this realistic challenge. NHS Sheffield Stop Smoking Service offers a great number of fully trained advisers who are ready to give you free support to quit. The Quit-Stop address in Sheffield is at Charles Street. Those who manage to stop smoking could feel the benefits of better skin, less stress, and save money.

Quoting from the Stoptober Community on Facebook, it said: “We know stopping smoking can be tough, but you will reap the benefits when you do. “From playing footie with the kids and not running out of breath, to taking that extra break away with the money you’ll save, you will feel the difference in yourself as well as your pocket.” Does that touch you? If you’re still addicted to smoking it’s not too late to give up for the remainder of Stoptober.

Want to quit?

The NHS Sheffield Stop Smoking Service’s free helpline is:

0800 068 4490

Follow @Stoptober on Twitter www.smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober/

FORGE PRESS Friday O c tob e r 1 9 2 0 1 2

@forgelifestyle /forgelifestyle lifestyle@forgetoday.com

Fashion

Clothes shopping on a student budget spruce up my wardrobe. Not only do the prices attract buyers to the site, but you are able to purchase pieces Whether it’s a summers afternoon outing in which are well and truly unique at the click a dainty tea dress, sandals and a trilby hat, of a button. There is nothing I love more than to have or wrapping up warm in chunky knitwear classics with a snugly pair of winter boots - an outfit idea in my mind and not be deterred one thing both seasons have in common is because of the price tag. I find something quite challenging and looking good. thrilling about logging onto eBay, typing As many of us girls know, in my search and trawling through the achieving a look and endless pages until I find the right putting it together are piece at the right price. two rather different, Another option is charity shops, and at times, which offer fabulous outfit ideas stressful things. and alternatives, even if you Hands up for should run it through the wash those of us who before wearing it. dread nights out With fashion taking a with the fear that general cyclical shape more we will simply and more nowadays, a have nothing to granny-style jumper may wear, despite a be right at the top of your wardrobe that shopping list. is fit to burst Next time Miss Selfridge with clothes? tries to con you with a So, with £50 item, pop down to student loans your local British Heart freshly stowed Foundation first, and in our bank trust me – you will be accounts, amazed! why not Faux fur collared leather jacket And it doesn’t end hold off on £29.99 from eBay- a great budget there. I always seem To p s h o p option to spot a good bargain online for a at the supermarket, day or two and that’s not just the and look BOGOFFs on Cadbury’s chocolate. at how we can Next time you pull the short straw and achieve fantastic, on-trend outfits through bargain shopping on an extremely student have to go and get the grocery shop, have a look at the clothing ranges on offer at Tesco friendly budget. (Florence & Fred) and Asda (George). But where to shop? Trust me, you will be pleasantly surprised As far back as I can remember feeling vaguely fashion-conscious, eBay has been by what you find. one of my first calls of thought if I want to

Louise Kirby

Save or Splurge?

See if you can see a huge difference between some of these higher priced items and a good old bargain

£££

Jack Wills wax jacket - £140

Tesco F&F wax jacket £30

How to make an outfit look more expensive than it really is...

Here are our top three tips to help you spruce up one of your budget outfits. You can feel a million dollars without having to splash your entire student loan! 1. Dress plain pieces up with chunky 3. Go by the rule; a cheap top and a more expensive outer layer. This wired necklaces or Aztec jewels. really works for a more expensive 2. A splash of bright lipstick quickly look. spruces up even the plainest of outfits.

Tesco F&F jumper £16

Topshop striped jumper £60

Top 5 tips for shopping on a budget and still looking good!

1. Having an image of the piece you are looking for in your mind and

setting a maximum price to pay always helps. This way, if the cost of it turns out less, it always feels like a bargain!

2. If you are a confessed ‘shopaholic’ and cannot avoid the temptation

to splurge, put aside a certain amount of money at the beginning of each month that you can afford to spend on clothes.

3. Borrow, swap, mix ‘n’ match with friends – hello wardrobe face lift! 4. Steer clear of temptation – if you know you can’t afford high-street

luxuries one month, then don’t put yourself through the ordeal of resisting them. It’s too much hassle and makes you feel rubbish when you come home empty handed.

Subscribe to groupon.com for offers not only on retail, but restaurant and bar discounts, spa days and other goodies. Look to saving money, not spending it!

COFFEE BREAK

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

@ FPCoffeeBreak /ForgePressCoffeeBreak

overheard Puzzle column: sudokus

Outside of Bartolome House: Girl: “He was so generous when we went out for drinks I just had to sleep with him.”

in sheffield

Inside WHSmiths: Guy: “What does a dictionary look like?”

S Y

Want to win an iphone? The Danish website, SingleSex.dk, is offering an iPhone to the man with the smallest penis. Men can post (anonymously, if they like) a picture of their penis in “rigid mode” and next to a tape measure, and the smallest entry will win. Simple. The website has also asked the site’s female members to vote on each penis, with the most popular also picking up another prize. Morten Fabricus, the man behind the website, told AFP that “the smallest is the extreme. It’s a competition which is weird and funny and almost too much.

“It’s a competition which is at the core of manhood, the most important thing for a man. “There are so many unhappy men out there, who think you have to have a giant penis, but it’s not normal to have a huge one.”

lecture puzzle

Draw this three crossing square pattern with pencil in one continuous line so that you don’t take the pencil point off the paper. You aren’t allowed to go over any part of the line twice, or even cross it. Find the answer online at: www.forgetoday.com/category/ coffee-break

Photograph of the Fortnight: Meerkats in the Quote of the autumn leaves at Blair Drummond Safari Park fortnight Meerkats are adorable. Despite being forever linked with insurance and one Mr Aleksandr Orlov, with his dressing gown, these little creatures are just as happy playing in the autumn leaves. The resident meerkats of Blair Drummond Safari Park, in Scotland, have had their enclosure filled with beautifully coloured leaves in which they can play, dig and scurry about to their hearts content. However, the new surroundings also contain a

On This day 796 yEARS AGO:

King John I died at Newark Castle King John I died on October 19 1216, after contracting dysentery in King’s Lynn whilst marching against the rebel force, which was trying to overthrow him. John was born on Christmas Eve 1167, the youngest son of Henry II and his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine. He spent the majority of his life trying to wrench the crown from his older brother Richard I, known as the Cœur de Lion, and attempted to revolt in 1192 with King Phillip II of France as his ally. John tried to spread rumours that Richard had been killed or lost, when in fact he was being held prisoner by Leopold, Duke of Austria and was handed over to Emperor Henry VI. However, his attempt was unsuccessful and when Richard returned home he f o r g a v e his brother, saying he was “a child who has had evil counsellors.” After Richard’s death

in 1199, John became king but his reign was far from peaceful. In 1204, John’s army was defeated in Brittany and John had no choice but to retreat. His military standing among the nobles fell and he was given a new nickname - John Softsword and in 1214 his barons revolted against him. John was forced to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215, which guaranteed the people of England rights that the king could not go back on. However, just a year later John tried to reneged on the Magna Carta, which resulted in the barons declaring war on him and after contracting dysentery, he died in Newark Castle. It is often thought that King John m a n a g e d to lose a significant part of his b a g g a g e t r a i n , including the Crown Jewels, whilst crossing the Wash, in Lincolnshire just a few days earlier. Oops.

wonderful surprise. Hidden within the piles are the meerkats favourite dish, mealworms. Yum. The park manager, Gary Gilmour, said “it helps stimulate their natural digging action and keeps them occupied for hours.” So if you happen to be near Stirling in the coming week (because, let’s be honest, it’s really quite likely) then why not visit these cute little animals, and explore the rest of the park as well. The park is open until October 28, before it closes for winter.

Have you seen it yet?

“

Lady Astor: “Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink.” Winston Churchill: “Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it.

”

YouTube it:

Marshmallow people 1, 2 and 3

Coffee Break’s Word of the Fortnight: Hieratic, adj.

“I’m so bored.” An often heard student refrain, the marshmallow people suffer from the same affliction and do bizarre and wonderful things to alleviate it. “I’m so hungry.” The hangover cry that echoes through the streets of Sheffield on a Thursday morning after Corp. Well the marshmallow people suffer from that too, although their idea of food is slightly different to a student’s. Go on, watch it, if only to laugh at “into the ravine.” YouTube search: ‘Marshmallow people’

1. Highly restrained or severe in emotional import. 2. Of or pertaining to priests or the priesthood; sacerdotal; priestly. 3. Noting or pertaining to a form of ancient Egyptian writing consisting of abridged forms of hieroglyphics, used by the priests in their records. 4. Noting or pertaining to certain styles in art in which the representations or methods are fixed by or as if by religious tradition.

Hieratic, n. 1. Ancient writing.

Egyptian

hieratic

“At first, in a hieratic performance, as if in slow motion, the king submitted with mournful joy, bowing his meek head.” - Umberto Eco, Foucault’s Pendulum

FORGE PRESS Friday O c tob e r 1 9 2 0 1 2

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

SPORT

@forgesport /forgepress sport@forgetoday.com

Matchdebating

Debate: After the revelations of the past fortnight, is Lance Armstrong totally disgraced?

Armstrong’s image is Charity work proves he destroyed by scandal is still a real hero

Adam Hancock When you truly believe in someone and pin all your hopes on them, it can really hit you hard when you find out it was all a fantasy. Remember how you felt when you discovered Father Christmas was a myth? That’s how I felt when the US Anti-Doping Agency released their damning evidence against Lance Armstrong. The man I had grew up admiring was laid bare in front of the world. Allegations of doping throughout his entire career were alarming enough.

“The real losers in this scandal are the forgotten men of the peloton” However, the hardest hitting evidence, came with the accusations that he encouraged doping in his team, bullying lesser riders to join him on the dark side of cycling. That really was the straw that broke the camel’s back. If his reputation was ruined when we found out he could have cheated his way to seven yellow jerseys, it was destroyed when we heard how he allegedly led the doping branch of the US Postal Team. This was the man who spoke so staunchly against cheats in the sport.

Selected BUCS Results Football

All results from 17th October

Badminton

Sheffield Hallam Women’s 1sts 1-7 University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts 8-0 University of Leeds Men’s 2nds

For years, Lance was a superhero. He dominated the sport, defeated cancer and slammed those in the peloton who dared to cheat. If he had donned a cape and rescued old women from near car crashes it would not have surprised you. Like the old adage goes, the higher you fly the further you fall. And boy has Armstrong fallen. When a sports star cheats it always ends in tears, but when the star cheated his way to seven Tour de France wins, the hatred reaches new levels. The real losers in this scandal are the forgotten men of the peloton. Those who refused to dope, suffered the torture of the Tour and gained no glory or attention. Take, for example, Scott Mercier. The US Postal rider resisted constant pressure to dope. His ‘punishment’ was to lose his contract on the team and was consequently forced to quit cycling. These people are the real victims of the Armstrong scandal. Cyclists who loved the sport, trained to their full potential and were still defeated by drugs. It has been argued that Armstrong is still a true champion as there was so much doping that the sport found a so called ‘level playing field.’ Try telling that to Mercier after he had slogged his weary body over Alpe d’Huez whilst drug fuelled cheats rode past him. Armstrong no doubt did great work

Volleyball

Newcastle University Women’s 1sts 0-3 University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts 3-1 University of Leeds Men’s 1sts

Basketball

Teeside Men’s 1sts 113-104 University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts 59-47 University of Sunderland Women’s 1sts

Ella Lynch

for charity and inspired many. However, surely he knew that presenting himself as a God-like figure was only going to batter his reputation more when the allegations finally gained credence.

Table Tennis

Newcastle University Men’s 1sts 1-16 University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts

Fencing

University of Manchester Men’s 2nds 106-134 University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts University of Sheffield Women’s 1sts 135-59 Durham University Women’s 2nds

Tennis

Leeds Met Women’s 2nds 4-8 Universiy of Sheffield Women’s 1sts

The ongoing controversy surrounding doping in the cycling world has set many alarm bells ringing for me as I have grown up idolising Lance Armstrong. However, what the man has achieved and overcome personally surely likens him to legendary status. As a fairly amateur cycling enthusiast it was shocking to hear the extent of the allegations a g a i n s t Armstrong and that his Tour de France titles would be taken away from him. I felt pained to believe that this man would have cheated. For a lot of Americans especially; Armstrong is a hero and he a l w a y s will be. It seems that the majority of the cyclists

Selected BUCS Fixtures Football

24th October: Men’s 1sts away v Sheffield Hallam 2nds 31st October: Men’s 1sts home v Sheffield Hallam 2nds

Rugby Union

31st October: Women’s 1sts home v Northumbria 1sts

during that period were probably dabbling with performance-enhancing drugs as many have admitted to doing so and have become the whistle blowers on the professional cycling teams, namely Armstrong’s US Postal Team years. However, the sport of cycling has vastly moved on since that era and is now a very clean sport with the likes of Bradley Wiggins proving that today races are won without the use of drugs.

“He is a man who has brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people” A line should be drawn now, but Armstrong, who denies using drugs, will remain a legend in my eyes. If you look right back to his childhood, Armstrong was always a keen athlete and firstly became a triathlete before going pro in the road racing circuit. He was a gifted bike rider with an above average aerobic capacity which enabled him to make the most of his natural attributes as a cyclist. He has competed in 13 Tour de France competitions and won the title seven consecutive times after battling testicular cancer which had given him a far less than 50 per cent chance of recovery. He has committed a large part of his life to the sport. Cycling up the snowy mountains in the Alps and

Rugby League

31st October: Men’s 1sts home v Hull 2nds

Hockey

31st October: Men’s 1sts home v Liverpool John Moores 1sts

Netball

31st October: 1sts at home v Newcastle 4ths

Fencing

31st October: Mens 1sts home v Newcastle 4ths

Basketball

31st October:

only turning back when the snow stopped his wheels from turning. He has put in the mileage and gruelling hours to build up the physical strength. Any other physically fit and able bodied man would struggle to cycle the Tour de France let alone after going through chemotherapy and brain surgery to overcome cancer and to then win seven tours. With extra help from drugs or not, it is an incredible achievement. His charity work is also astounding. The Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised close to $500 million with the iconic yellow LIVESTRONG branding and is a resource for strength and determination for those suffering from cancer. TV commentator Phil Liggett has remained on the side of Armstrong throughout what he has called the “witch hunt” against him. A key point to remember which Liggett put forward is that he is a man who has brought a lot of happiness to a lot of people. He has elevated the status of cycling introducing a lot of bike riders into the sport and cycling as a pastime. In his latest statement Armstrong has said: “I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year-old on the planet.” With recent Iron Man triathlon titles to add to his numerous trophies, Lance Armstrong remains a legend and I believe that he is still an awesome human being.

Women’s 1sts home v Leeds Met 2nds

Golf

31st October: Home v Leeds 1sts

Tennis

31st October: Women’s 1sts home v Chester 1sts Men’s 1sts home v Northumbria 1sts

Table Tennis

31st October: Mens 1sts home v Newcastle 4ths

FORGE PRESS Friday O c tob e r 1 9 2 0 1 2

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Blades slash County in Trophy Football JPT Second Round Notts County Sheffield United

1 4

Joss Bennett A match which at first promised to be an entertaining and tightly fought encounter turned out to be an easy win for last year’s defeated League One play-off finalists, Sheffield United. Notts County fans could be forgiven for thinking before the game that they were the slight favourites to head into the quarterfinals of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, previously unbeaten at home this season and with 10 points in their last five league fixtures. And it was the Magpies who started brighter. After a scrappy opening 10 minutes, Enoch Showumni came closest when his headed effort from a freekick was well saved by George Long. But Sheffield United held off the home side’s early advances and scored their first just two minutes later. Daryl Westlake launched an excellent ball into the box from deep

before Chris Porter got the beating of two Notts County defenders to flick on for the unmarked Shaun Miller to volley home in style for his first goal in red and white. The Blades continued to pick up confidence from the goal and looked to get more before half-time but it was Notts County again cursing their luck when Hughes’ header was brilliantly saved by Long. On the verge of halftime, United came forward again when a fine move ended with a Ryan Flynn effort from the edge of the

box. Polish goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski managed to push his shot around the post but was powerless to prevent Harry Maguire from close range with the last kick of the half. In the second half, the away side’s momentum helped them to a quick double less than 10 minutes after the break. First Miller doubled his personal tally with a finish from a corner, then shortly after Maguire got his second with a fortunate cross-comeshot that looped over the

Shaun Miller celebrates one of his two goals

unsuspecting Bialkowski and into the corner to put the result beyond doubt. At 4-0, the Blades defence began to relax a little too much and afforded the opposition three excellent chances to get back into it. But local boy Long was in superb form, denying Yoann Arquin and doing enough to put off Hughes again, before Jordan Stewart curled an unstoppable shot inside the far post with 15 minutes to play. Danny Wilson’s side will now play Coventry away in the area quarter-finals.

Photo: Blades Sports Photography

Sharks snap up big victory Basketball BBL Cup First Round Sheffield Sharks Cheshire Jets

90 59

Ryan Bramley The Sheffield Sharks finally put an end to their poor start to the season in style with a big win over the Chesire Jets at the EIS last Friday night. The Sharks were on a three match losing streak prior to the game, but captain Mike Tuck led the team by example, dominating the boards consistently to help seal the win. The Sharks got off to a slow start, going down 8-3 early in the first quarter. However, 6’6” forward Olu Babalola caused problems for the Jets with his physical presence in the key, but failed to

consistently convert his free-throws from the line. However, the Sharks came alive five minutes into the game. Andrew Bridges made his mark early on with two clean three-pointers that gave the hosts a lead that they would maintain for the rest of the game. The Jets continued to threaten, but they were well and truly overrun defensively in the second quarter with a 13-0 run in favour of the home side. Top point scorer Gage Daye used the drive-anddish technique to great effect, as well as notching 19 points individually throughout the game. But it was Tuck who stood out for the Sharks before the break. His rebounds were almost uncontested as he continued to convert missed shots at the rim. 4926 down at the half-time

break, the Jets seemed completely demoralised on court as they struggled to find an answer to what was an awesome team display by the hosts. Sheffield continued to maintain their lead in the second half; despite a more competitively matched third quarter, the lead was still 23 points going into the final ten minutes. Chez Marks was impressive for the Jets, breaking through the Sharks defence with a couple of great individual moves to the hoop. But his efforts were in vain as Daye silenced any chance of a comeback with an impressive string of shots from distance. By the fourth quarter, the game as a contest was well and truly over, giving the home side a chance to showcase their talent. They continued to create chances for one another;

forward Colin Sing had the whole key to himself in a fast-break move that started a nine point run for the Sharks without reply. But the Cheshire Jets’ lacklustre performance was epitomised by a huge block by Tuck late on, denying 6’6” forward Shawn Myers in outrageous fashion. Micah Williams then hit arguably the shot of the match: with little time left on the shot clock, he targeted the basket from distance, dodged a block attempt in mid-air and threw up a fantastic twopointer on the way back down to ground. Zach Gachette closed the scoring for the Sharks, and despite a three-pointer from Marks on the final buzzer, the Sheffield side ended their losing streak and sealed their place in the next round with an emphatic 31 point victory.

SPORT

5-Live-a-Side

5live commentator Darren Fletcher, and Robbie Savage Ollie Turner Last weekend not only was Sheffield, graced with the presence of the BBC and radio shows from Radio 3, 6Music and 5Live, but was also part of breaking a Guinness World Record . On Saturday, at the Sheffield United Academy, 464 players took part in a continuous 5-a-side match over the course of 24 hours to break the world record. The record-breaking attempt started at 2pm on Friday with a Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday legends match, featuring former steel city heroes Curtis Woodhouse, Alan Quinn. Forge Radio station manager James Kenny also managed to worm his way into the lineup.

The game continued through to the early hours of Saturday morning, with 5Live presenters and volunteers all coming on to play in their part in breaking the World Record. The record was broken at around 1:30pm on Saturday afternoon, with 5Live presenters, pundits and volunteers all celebrating a fantastic achievement, before a match between the Fighting Talk and 606 pundits. Colin Murray suffered disappointment as he broke the ligaments in his ankle early on, but the game was played with good spirit and commitment between ex-pros including Robbie Savage, finishing in a 3-3 draw.

Steelers win Ice Hockey Elite League Sheffield Steelers Belfast Giants

2 1

Matthew Smith The Steelers recovered from a disappointing 4-2 reverse at Fife the night before to beat the Giants on Sunday at the Motorpoint. Ryan Finnerty gave a debut to Tom Sestito, and the forward from Utica had a debut to remember, not only for a spectacular fight, but also for a well taken goal and assist. Things looked bad after just four minutes, as Belfast took the lead on their very first powerplay, Johnny Peacock sliding home. But the Steelers were only behind for a short time. On 11 minutes, Sestito made himself an instant Steelers

hero with a close range goal. Sestito, just 19 seconds into the second period, then provided the winner. His pass found Stephen Goertzen, who secured the points for the home team. There was still time for plenty of blood and guts on the ice however. The Giants perhaps deserved an equaliser, and goalie John DeCaro had to be at his best throughout the final period to keep his side in front. There was also time for Sestito to be binned for fighting, but the Steelers held out, and moved into second in the Elite League, one point off the leaders the Belfast Giants. However, the Steelers have played two games more. Finnerty said afterwards: “Of course Tom will get the headlines, but the other guys tonight dug deep.”

Forge Sport’s Heroes and Villains of the fortnight PAUL WOOD

HEATHER WATSON

GARETH BALE

LANCE ARMSTRONG

The Warrington Wolves prop played on with a ruptured testicle during the Grand Final defeat to Leeds at Old Trafford.

The youngster became the first British woman to win a WTA singles title since 1988 as she won the Japan Open and made the world top 50.

After an awful dive against Aston Villa, Bale topped this by tripping himself up with a shocking dive against Scotland.

The U.S. Anti-Doping agency revealed their full evidence against Armstrong, showing his years of cheating as he encouraged others to dope.

SPORT

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

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Where it all began: Sheffield v Hallam

Action from the BT Local Business Stadium as Sheffield and Hallam played out a thriller. (more romantically known as the manager. Football Coach and Horses Ground) with A stroll around the tiny Sheffield and Hallam battling in clubhouse confirms this. Sheffield Sheffield and Hallamshire the first round of the Sheffield are the oldest football club in the County Cup and Hallamshire County Cup. world and they have an incredible For all the history which history. Sheffield FC 3 They proudly display pictures Hallam FC 2 surrounds this grand fixture, there is hardly any media from a friendly with Inter Milan, Adam Hancock coverage surrounding the images of trips around the Have a think about the oldest game. Sheffield manager Curtis world including a seven-a-side Woodhouse was hardly in tournament in Hong Kong. football fixture in the world. Almost any club you can Aston Villa v Everton? demand for interviews with only Liverpool v Manchester United? me and a freelance journalist think of has sent something to speaking to him. Sheffield, many congratulating Nope, not even close. “If I’m gonna be honest, I don’t them on 150 years of existence. That honour belongs to two teams much lower down the think many people are aware There is a signed England shirt, footballing pyramid. Sheffield FC of the fixture. I wasn’t away club pendants from Australia, and Hallam FC are officially the this was the oldest fixture in even a signed picture of Svenoldest rivals in football and they the world until yesterday,” said Goran Eriksson. It’s clear the Woodhouse. footballing world believes they contested the very first fixture. “I do think it should be more have a lot to thank Sheffield Fast forward to today and things are very different well known in the football world for. After all, this is where it all from that glorious opening to as it is the oldest, there ain’t began. anybody older than this it should In terms of the rivalry with association football. Just 228 people were at the maybe be out there a little bit Hallam, it is unsurprisingly BT Local Business Stadium more,” continued the Sheffield pretty fierce. The clubs often

played each other when they were in the same league, but now Hallam have dropped a division these fixtures are more of a rarity. Speaking of the derby, Woodhouse said: “I think because a lot of the lads know each other who are playing together then it adds a bit of spice because they’ll get bragging rights and their will be a bit of banter on Twitter.” “It will be great to get a good cup run going and to get a win against over our rivals from just down the road will be fantastic for the boys.” As for the game, it was a feisty affair and a real thriller. Sheffield grabbed a late 3-2 win, with substitute Aaron Martin scoring with a last minute header. The football was of good quality and Hallams opener from Ben Kistell was a sensational low swerving drive.

Photo: Adam Hancock Kistell was a stand out player during the match, highlighting how semi-professional players can still play at a high standard. As I walked around the tiny terraces around the ground, it was hard not to think that Sheffield are missing a trick by not maximising their brand. They are, after all, the oldest club and should be higher up the football pyramid. The club told me that Chairman Richard Tims is looking to use social media to gather support and with their history this is wise. During an international break, attending this fixture was a real pleasure. Many students are accustomed to attending Hillsborough and Bramall Lane but with two historic football clubs on the doorstep it really is a worthwhile trip. After all, you could be taking in a major piece of history.

Medal success for fencing team New Minibus for Uni Fencing Steph Bryant The University of Sheffield fencing team achieved marvellous results gaining a silver medal in the British Senior National Championships. 19 teams gathered at the English Institute for Sport to battle it out in all three weapons; and with some of the biggest names in British fencing all under one roof, including Olympic Team GB fencer James Davis, the standard was high. The Men’s Épée team had a good start, managing to win both fights, but they seemed to be lacking in confidence. Sheffield glided through the rounds with a focused approach, defeating many of the favourites including Oxford who were the only other university team. After dominating their semifinal match, Sheffield could hardly believe their luck when facing London-based Haverstock A team in the Men’s Épée finals. Boasting a team with the 2nd, 4th and 7th current UK rankings, victory seemed an extremely tall order for Sheffield with all three fencers presently unranked.

However, Sheffield rose to the challenge, despite all team members experiencing faults with their swords. But the gold medal was just out of reach for Sheffield, as Haverstock returned their hits with fast and furious skill.

Captain Stephen Edgar said: “As a team we pulled together, took it one fight at a time, and kept winning.” Amy Hyman, also stormed to a silver medal in the Women’s Foil Team Championships with Salle Boston.

Joe Littler, Stephen Edgar, Amy Hyman and David Stewart-Watson

Matthew Smith Sport Sheffield launched their new minibus on Thursday, which will be available to all sports clubs at the University. £20,000 was raised by the University Alumni Fund for the bus, which will also be made available to local communities and clubs when not in use by the University. Head of Sport Tracey Baker cut the ribbon to unveil the bus, which has been a long term project for the alumni fund and Sport Sheffield for over a year.

Club sport manager Andy Cox made a speech: “It’s going to be great for the sports clubs for their experiences. It’s helping us achieve our mission of providing the best possible service for our students.” The director of Alumni and Donor Relations, Miles Stevenson, was also present, and spoke to Forge Press: “It’s not just a wonderul facility for us, it’s a wonderful facility for people in the city.” Sports Officer Luke MacWilliam said: “I think it’s fantastic. It can only be a good thing for sport at the university.”

The minibus will be available to all sports clubs

Photo: Matthew Smith

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Cricketers get indoor season going with triple win Will Aitkenhead

The University of Sheffield Cricket Club began their BUCS indoor season in sensational fashion with three wins out of three in the first round of the BUCS league at Headingley on Saturday. Beginning their campaign against Bradford, captain Chris Murrall surprisingly opted to leave out veteran all rounder Mark Williams and instead fielded an extra batsman in the form of Orban Holdgate to go with the new 10 over format.

After two early wickets Sam Hickinbottom, back after a year abroad playing baseball in America, and Murrall combined to steady the ship and Sheffield were 61/2 at the half way stage. Oli Perry’s arrival helped up the run rate with a quick-fire 12 including the shot of the day, straight down the ground for four. All the while Hickinbottom (34*) was steadily accumulating and he combined with last man Chris Hooper to take the score to 113/4 at the close. In the field Sheffield struck early with a direct hit run out from Murrall to dismiss the

Chris Hooper scampers home for a single

Photos: William Atkinson

Bradford captain first ball. Perry bowled a good spell of 1/26 and Hickinbottom was miserly with his effort of 1/12 as Bradford were dismissed for just 71 to get Sheffield off to a perfect start. The next game saw the eagerly anticipated Sheffield derby. Williams was recalled back to the side at the expense of Perry and the old timer opened the batting with Hickinbottom. They got off to a flyer and had reached 34 off just three overs before Hickinbottom was run out. Holdgate came to the crease and continued the flying start before Williams was also run out with the score on 56. It continued to rain run outs as Holdgate sacrificed himself and then just two balls later Murrall sold Aitkenhead down the river to run him out without facing a ball. The skipper atoned for his error, however, and added 35 with Hooper, which included two huge sixes from the opening bowler. Sheffield finished on 108 to just hold the advantage at the half way stage. Hallam started well and were up with the rate all along and it looked set to be another thriller as they needed 36 from the last three overs. That soon became 16 from the last over with three wickets

remaining and Hickinbottom to bowl. Nine from the first three swung the game Hallam’s way but a run out by Aitkenhead and then a two left Hallam needing four to tie from the final ball. Hickinbottom held his nerve to bowl a dot ball and cue pandemonium among the watching crowd. In the final game of the day Sheffield were again asked to bat first against Leeds University and lost an early wicket as Williams edged behind for four. Hickinbottom was scoring freely though and quickly reached 25. The others were struggling to score, however, and a couple of run outs didn’t aid the cause. When Hooper edged behind for a duck Sheffield were in a bit of trouble at 63/4. Hickinbottom returned to the crease and together with Aitkenhead started the recovery. With two overs left they were only on 71 but some big hitting saw the penultimate over go for 21 and when Aitkenhead was dismissed last ball of the innings for 18, Sheffield had reached 102, thanks mostly to 45* from Hickinbottom. The returning Yank continued his heroics by taking a caught and bowled in the first over of the Leeds innings. Steady

Women’s Hockey BUCS League Northern 1A

Not long before the half time whistle went, Liverpool again broke past the Sheffield press. They attacked quickly down the right wing, leading eventually to a lucky deflection past Alice Mellar, 3-2 at half time. Liverpool started the second half strongly, putting the defence under pressure. However, a great finish, from a move through the midfield, by Rachel Clarke restored Sheffield’s confidence. A final goal from Phoebe Lole ended a strong scoring performance from a muchchanged team from last year. Liverpool pushed hard until the end and pulled one back, but the home side were already well out of sight. The defence was strong throughout, and Rachel Drohan and Alice Williams worked especially hard down the wings to make sure Sheffield kept control until the end of the game. This result was part of a great start to the season for hockey at Sheffield, with all eight teams winning on Wednesday. This surely bodes well for the rest of the season for one of the University’s biggest sports clubs.

Heaven for hockey after perfect start Men’s Hockey BUCS League Northern 1A University of Sheffield 1sts University of Durham 2nds

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Oli Dixon University of Sheffield Men’s 1sts started off their campaign with a comprehensive victory over a strong Durham side. After a mixed pre-season, Sheffield will be glad to get their league campaign up and running with a victory at Goodwin. Both teams began the game nervously with typical early season mistakes creeping in. Durham bossed the early stages, having the lion’s share of possession. However it was Sheffield who took the lead early in the first half against the run of play. Midfielder James Wright flicked home from close range after a break from Owen Davies. Despite a lack of possession, Sheffield did look threatening, particularly through the talismanic midfield duo of Tom Phillips and Matt Godden.

Durham scored early on in the second half, a deserved equaliser. After this Sheffield got their act together, being well marshalled by Captain Robert Bloss, who was ever present at the heart of Sheffield’s steely defence, which also included the formidable Will Tew and Robert Joulle. Owen Davies scored the crucial second goal for Sheffield. Having been played through by Tom Phillips, Davies buried an unstoppable shot in the bottom corner from an acute angle. As the game progressed Durham became increasingly anxious, and started to attack more and more. A string of topclass saves from Sheffield keeper Clem Teagle, not only kept Sheffield in the game, but also dented Durham’s confidence. Rafael Costello sealed the victory from close range in the dying embers of the game, to give the 1st XI a deserved and wellfought victory. Harder games will follow, but for now Sheffield should feel satisfied. A victory over Manchester Met next week would cap a great start to the league season.

University of Sheffield 1sts University of Liverpool 1sts

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Amy Brook In the first BUCS match of the season, women’s hockey pulled out a win from a tough, tight fixture at Goodwin. Sheffield started well, putting Liverpool under pressure, resulting in many short corners. Isabel Millar confidently dispatched one with a good strike to the right post. Liverpool responded with a quick break down the middle ending in a calm finish under pressure. Millar then got her second goal of the match by finishing off a smooth passing movement through the whole team. Sheffield then pushed their lead further by bringing a free hit on the right out to Amy Brook, who slipped the ball to Kate O’Sullivan in the D. A calm finish past the onrushing goalkeeper put Sheffield 3-1 up.

The men’s hockey firsts in action against Durham, on their way to victory at Goodwin.

Photos: Kieran Bhakta

Sheffield celebrate a wicket and economical bowling from Williams saw Leeds fall behind the rate but with wickets in hand. Murrall brought himself on in hope of a breakthrough and it had the desired effect as the Leeds opener was bowled round his legs to make it 48/2 from six. Hooper’s last over was expensive though and 20 were needed from the final over. Hickinbottom once again delivered an ice-cool performance, however, with the ball and Leeds finished four runs short. Sheffield now sit top of the division and will face Teeside and Leeds Met in the next round of fixtures on November 10.

Derby win for women’s rugby Women’s Rugby Union BUCS League Northern 1A

University of Sheffield 10 Sheffield Hallam University 5 Maighread Ireland University continued their perfect start to the season, following a 71-14 demolition of Cheshire with a victory over their bitter rivals. Hallam got the first score of the match on 15 minutes, but failed to convert their conversion. After some solid passing from the back line, University then had their first score after Lucy Okeden broke free down the left wing and scored her first try for the University in only her second match. The University forwards worked hard, gaining ground phase after phase leading to Ashleigh Creswell having a try controversially disallowed for the ball being held up. Both teams remained level at 5-5 at half-time, but University held the majority of possession, yet they still couldn’t cross the line. Hallam looked dangerous at times but excellent defence from Sophia Taylor and Annabel Faulkner kept them at bay. With 10 minutes to go the university secured their victory. After some excellent handing-off from team captain Hannah Reid and a quick tap and go, Katie Miller managed to drive the ball over the line. The University of Sheffield sit top of the highest division in women’s university rugby in the north, securing a hard fought, team victory at fortress Norton.

Friday O c tober 19 2012 FORGE PRESS

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Netball off to a flyer with victory over Hallam

Six of the best for Uni Football BUCS Mars Northern 2B

University of Sheffield 1sts University of Hull 1sts

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David Street

Uni’s netball team produced a strong performance both in defence, and (below) in attack. circle and rarely missing from think we won by playing all the Netball shooting opportunities. way through the court and using BUCS League Northern 2B Both sides took and lost leads particular individuals – I think until three goals from Lee that was our main strength,” she University of Sheffield 1sts 37 Witkowski gave Uni a two goal said. Sheffield Hallam 1sts 32 advantage. Then came the move “It was a really good game, of the match. I really enjoyed it and Hallam Centre Hannah Murray are a good side. Now I’m just Danny Wayne Armstrong swooped to intercept a lazy looking forward to the next game The University of Sheffield Hallam pass from deep inside and we’re focused on gaining Netball first team got their their goal third, instantaneously promotion this season,” she season off to a winning start as making a coruscating cross-court continued. The next game for Uni will be they managed to hold off a late pass to Hammett who scored with surge from Sheffield Hallam the last act of the second quarter away to Newcastle who sit one place above them in the league to record a spirited win over to make it 20-17. Uni goal keeper Hazel Nichols on goal difference after one game their local rivals at Goodwin on kept the Hallam attack at bay in played. Wednesday night. Uni started the stronger and, the third with a tenacious display holding a noticeable height of defensive play making up for advantage, raced to an early lead. an earlier foul for dangerous Undeterred, Hallam were happy contact. At the other end Uni’s to soak up pressure and attack on the break and led for most of relentless fast pace in attack paid the latter half of the first quarter off as they made the most of their before a Sheffield comeback was shooting chances to go into the final quarter eight goals ahead at mounted. Only a Hallam goal on the 30-22. Early goals in the fourth whistle to make it 8-8 prevented Uni from going into the break quarter seemingly had Uni cruising to victory but sloppy ahead. Uni maintained their pressure play allowed Hallam back into after the restart and goals from the game momentarily as Uni goal shooter Grace Hammett saw appeared content to just coast to them pull ahead, her inclusion the final whistle. But, with some determined from the substitutes bench proving to be an inspired decision defending from Nichols and with Murray providing the engine from Uni coach Kate Vivian. But Hallam, tidier in possession room in the centre, Uni ticked and building attacks from centre over and towards a vital three court, replied with five goals of points and a hard fought 37-32 their own. Hallam goal shooter win. Uni captain Janické Pilkington Hannah Phillips gave Uni plenty to think about by intelligently put the win down to teamwork in creating space inside the goal the latter stages of the game. “I

Photos: Tobias Klenze It was a succesful day for all the University of Sheffield’s netball teams, with all three teams winning their matches. The seconds picked up a win against the University of Sunderland firsts at the English Institute of Sport. A hard fought encounter saw University triumph with a 32-27 win. The third team also secured a strong victory as they defeated the University of Durham thirds 30-24. The third team now travel to York St John University next Wednesday.

Despite a mixed pre-season and starting the game on -1 points, having not submitted their County FA affiliation on-time, the Men’s 1st team kicked off this season’s campaign emphatically against Hull. It was a game in which Sheffield dominated and Hull never really threatened. Sheffield had the majority of the early possession and Ashby and Brookes controlled the central midfield. After 12 minutes, Sheffield made their possession count. Doyle received the ball on the left wing and his near post shot went in under the keeper’s body. Four minutes later Sheffield doubled their lead after Stephen Moules’ excellent shot from 20 yards sailed into the net. Hull had barely been in the game but after finding themselves 2-0 down managed to force a few openings. However their shots were speculative and Seymour in goal had very little to do. Conversely, Sheffield started to create clear-cut chances. Doyle gave the Hull left back a tough time and created several openings for the strikers. Mark Bird also went close but the third goal took a while to come. Just before half time the third goal came. Doyle sprinted down the touchline to reach a pass and his high cross into the box was at the perfect height for Kitgrave. His powerful header could not be kept out by the keeper’s fingertips. Hull insisted Doyle was offside but although it was certainly close, the game was anything but. After the break, Hull did improve. Sheffield’s passing moves of the first half were not quite as evident and they gave away several free kicks in potentially dangerous positions. but Hull were wasteful. Eric Wedge-Bull then made it four, receiving a long ball from defence and chipping it over the keeper, putting Sheffield 4-0 up. Sheffield were spending more and more time in the opposition half. Moules had several good chances, which the keeper did well to save. The game had already been won, however there was still time for a couple more goals towards the end of the game. With around 15 minutes left, Doyle got his second goal of the game. He produced a great shot, which nestled into the right hand corner of the net. Shortly after, Wedge-Bull also got his second. Hull allowed him too much space as he dribbled into the penalty box and he had time to pick his shot which comfortably beat the keeper. Ultimately, Sheffield produced fine passages of play and scored high-quality goals. However, they will surely come up against tougher opposition.