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Forge Press shares a bag of fish & chips with Sharpe Sean Bean Pages 16-17 The independent student newspaper of the University of Sheffield // www.forgetoday.com

University condemns sports club initiations By Mark Duell University sports clubs have come under fire from the University and Union of Students after dangerous initiation ceremonies were allegedly held at the start of term. The University has condemned the actions of any clubs holding initiation ceremonies and the Union’s Sports Officer, Ella White, met with sports team captains earlier this week to warn clubs of the dangers involved and the penalties they may face.

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A second year student, who attended a sports social last week, said: “Freshers were pressurised into doing things that I’m not sure they mostly wanted to do - and it included drinking to excess. “They were having all sorts of things put into their drinks – they made some of them eat really hot chillis.” A University spokesperson said: “The University of Sheffield deplores any initiation or ‘bonding’ practices by sports clubs which involve intimidation, bullying, humiliation or the forced excessive consumption of alcohol.” At the meeting with team captains on Tuesday, October 7, Ella White warned that some sports clubs may be closed and team members could even be expelled from University if the practices continue. She said: “The University executive board are seriously annoyed and they are taking this issue very seriously because of the fact that it’s in the media but also

because it puts student welfare at high risk. “We’re talking clubs being shut down. If you personally are seen to have done something, that could actually be you ejected from the University.” Two representatives from the University Health Service were also present and warned of the dangers of excessive drinking. There were proposals made by some teams to hold non-alcoholic socials and also to draw up codes of conduct for nights out. The second year student, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “It should be your performance on the pitch and not your performance at the bar which decides whether you get picked. “It’s a shame they choose to have these events because in many cases it can put students off from going to trials in the first place.” The incidents come after the University of Gloucestershire launched an investigation into a bizarre initiation rite, where students had bags over their heads, drinking and vomiting, led by someone in a Nazi-style uniform. The University of Sheffield’s board also had to deal with two very serious incidents involving initiation ceremonies in 2007. Teams practicing initiation ceremonies were issued with a formal notice last year, whilst all clubs were warned against such behaviour. The University spokesperson said: “A policy of zero tolerance towards such behaviour is made clear to all societies before the beginning of term. “Penalties for clubs who indulge in such practices include being removed from access to sports fixtures and other University resources. “In addition, individuals are subject to disciplinary action under the Student Charter.”

Harmful Bullying Pressure

Fuse.

Win

Features

David O’Doherty, Rhod Gilbert & The Mighty Boosh

£50 Tesco shopping gift cards and Hed Kandi perfume & CDs

“I used to say I was going to be a museum tour guide”

Fuse pages 2-3 Comedy special with David O’Doherty, Rhod Gilbert & Shrimps

Humiliation

Continued on page 2

Comedy special

Fuse.

Intimidation

Competitions

Page 26

Gabriella Cilmi

Page 19

Friday October 10 2008 // Issue 2

Industry placement fee concern By Holly Taylor An international student from the University of Sheffield has voiced concerns about the cost of the compulsory placement year required by some undergraduate courses. Although home students also pay a fee for their placement year, the figure is always much less. The home student standard fee is around £3,000 a year while international students often pay up to four times this. Jason Wong, a Mechanical Engineering undergraduate, is currently on a placement year at a manufacturing company in Darlington. After starting in August he has claimed his financial concerns have been aggravated by the University and its handling of the fee paying system. Wong said: “Some international students have to pay 50 per cent of their international student fee for their placement year. “That could be up to £5,050. If placement students pay that from their own salary which is around £12,000 to £14,000 a year, subtracting tax, rent and transport, what are they supposed to live on? “Students I know from other universities have tutors visiting them, constant progress reports to complete and are supported and monitored. We’ve had nothing like this.” Professor Paul White, ProVice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the University of Sheffield, said: “Sheffield, like most other UK universities, charge fees to both UK and international students for placement years. “This is a standardised fee which is in line with the amounts set at other Russell Group institutions.” Despite this being a national structure, the student has discovered discrepancies with Sheffield’s system which have added to his dissatisfaction. Wong registered on the Mechanical Engineering course with employment experience purely because he was told the course format was more flexible. This has resulted in him having to pay 21 per cent of his standard fee (£2,626) – and fellow students registered on the course that offers a year in employment have had to pay up to 30 per cent more. But Professor White added: “The amount we charge students during their placement year is dependent on the scheme they chose to undertake due to the differing levels of support and guidance that is offered.”

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

NEWS UNIVERSITY

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Ciaran Jones

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Robert Golledge Mark Duell

News deputies Holly Taylor Charlotte Chelsom-Pill Comment

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Jonathan Caldwell Oliver Hughes Paul Garbett

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Forge Press is published by the Union of Students. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the University, the Union or the editorial team. In the first instance all complaints should be addressed to the Managing Editor, although a formal procedure exists.

Prince Andrew in Sheffield to open £15m aerospace building By Mark Duell Prince Andrew visited the University of Sheffield on Thursday to open a new £15million state of the art carbonneutral building which promotes cleaner and greener aerospace manufacturing. HRH The Duke of York joined high-profile guests from the world’s aerospace companies and suppliers to open the Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future. The building stands on the former Orgreave Colliery site, once famous as the scene of Arthur Scargill and the National Union of Miners strike confrontation with police in 1984. The opening ceremony was held at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), run in association with Boeing. AMRC Research Director, Professor Keith Ridgway, said: “The Factory of the Future is an exemplar which will show what can be done, and inspire partners with a practical demonstration of the crucial cleaner, greener ways we can manufacture in the future. “The zero carbon footprint of the Factory building also represents the goals of our partner companies in making aerospace manufacturing as sustainable as possible.”

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 Professor Ridgway pointed out that the University often works very closely with industrial partners for the benefit of both parties. Sir Roger Bone, President of Boeing UK, said: “The AMRC epitomizes Boeing’s approach to growth in the UK, that adds value and builds competitiveness in the long term. “With the opening of the new factory and as a long standing UK research partner for Boeing, the AMRC is also helping us to deliver sustainable aviation growth and environmentally progressive manufacturing.” Bond Bryan Architects were responsible for the AMRC design, and the building was built with

HRH The Duke of York chats to guests at the Factory of the Future. sustainable measures, materials A University spokesperson and renewable energy sources. said: “Sheffield has a renowned It also features a temperature expertise in manufacturing, and controlled environment. in particular new materials. The Factory has various “The historic and indigenous sustainability features. Rainwater knowledge in the region has been is collected from the roof and carried over to the University of 98 per cent of the floor space is Sheffield who are a world-leader naturally lit. in metallurgy and engineering.

a recent retrial found the timings of the murder made it impossible for him to be the killer. Mr. Lomax, who refuses to take offers of money for his work, said: “I get contacted a lot by people in prison and the relatives of inmates. I campaign out of a sense of belief that what I am doing is right. “[My work is] a hugely time consuming experience but one that is very worthwhile when you know that the person is innocent and you work on the case until the day they walk free.” Scott helped to run the Justice for Barry campaign while still

a student at the University of Sheffield. After graduating, his interest in the case continued and he wrote two books and numerous articles on the subject. His first approach from America was by James Harry Reyos, an American-Indian man accused of murdering a Catholic priest in Odessa, Texas. Mr Reyos was convicted in 1983, but has since been released on parole. However, he remains a convicted murderer, despite reportedly strong evidence of him being 200 miles away at the time of the murder.

George case graduate heads for USA

By Thomas Ireland A University of Sheffield graduate who played a key role in the acquittal of Barry George over Jill Dando’s murder is now being approached from convicts in the USA to investigate their cases. Scott Lomax, 25, has been approached by people who feel their case is a miscarriage of justice like that of Mr. George, who was acquitted this August of the murder of TV presenter Jill Dando in April 1999. Mr. George had been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2001, but

Barry George has been acquitted.

Photo: Helen Munro “The bond between the local industry and the University makes working together an obvious crossover.” AMRC was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education earlier this year for its collaboration with industrial partners.

Initiations

Continued from front The University and Union of Students are backing the National Union of Students’ call for a nationwide ban on initiation ceremonies, which Ella White also supports. She said: “This is obviously a very serious situation that we find ourselves in and one that cannot be avoided, but I want to be proactive in this issue rather than just telling students that they can’t drink. “I do feel as a group we are easy to single out, but that doesn’t mean we should step away from the problem. I want club sports to be leading the way in terms of responsible drinking.”

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

UNIVERSITY NEWS

‘Stupidly lucky’ student survives 50mph impact from car on country lane By Mark Duell A second year Journalism student who spent 10 days in a coma this summer after being hit by a car at 50mph is returning to University later this month. Tim Lamden was walking home through Churchdown, a village in Gloucestershire, after a night out in Cheltenham on Thursday, August 14. The 19-year-old was then hit so hard that he was found almost 20 metres away from the point of impact. A head injury has left him with no memory of the night. Lamden said: “I wrote off the car apparently. The police told me they had never seen that much damage done to a car by a human. They said it looked like it had been wrapped around a tree. “Some people are impressed when I tell them that but it’s pretty scary really. I got stupidly lucky.” The accident happened outside The Pheasant Inn pub, and the landlady rushed out, covered him in blankets and called for an ambulance. The nearest ambulance station was just a couple of miles down the road and the paramedics attended to him within minutes, with the police arriving soon after. The road was shut for over four hours whilst a police investigation was conducted, which re-routed buses and caused traffic havoc during the morning rush hour. The driver of the vehicle that hit him had been on a night shift and was on his way home from work when the accident occurred. He was taken to hospital with lacerations to his face, which he sustained when he was thrown through the car’s windscreen. Lamden was taken to Cheltenham General Hospital where he was diagnosed with a subdural haematoma (a bleed in the head outside of the brain), a broken leg and two broken fingers. His lungs were bruised and he sustained a significant laceration to the abdominal area. He also had a skin graft with skin taken from his right thigh, which has now healed. He was then transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol,

Second year Journalism student Tim Lamden, pictured in hospital, had a lucky escape after being hit by a car at 50mph during the summer vacation. which specialises in head injury treatment. He was heavily sedated and put into a coma, to the extent that he was put on a ventilator. Doctors put him into a coma because the pressure in his skull was fluctuating and threatened to cause bleeding in his brain.

Lamden then went down with pneumonia as a result of the ventilator, which meant he had to have a tracheotomy operation to let air into his lungs. After 10 days, he was brought out of the coma and the next day taken out of intensive care.

Lamden added: “In all fairness, I haven’t been in any real pain. I just had the longest sleep I’m ever likely to have and woke up healed and pain free. Whilst I was enjoying a 10 day nap it was my family and friends that were really suffering.

“It does make you ponder how fragile life is; I mean, the day after my accident I had a friend who came off his motorbike and died. I certainly value life far more now, I wouldn’t waste a second.” Lamden has been left with a metal plate in his left leg.

Respected History lecturer Kershaw says goodbye By Charlotte Chelsom-Pill Renowned historian Sir Ian Kershaw has retired after 20 years as a lecturer at the University of Sheffield. Students and historians gathered at the Richard Roberts Building last Friday to send off Sir Ian as he left the University. Several guest speakers lectured to an auditorium of admirers on the past achievements of the historian as he leaves to further pursue research projects. Widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, his services to History earned him a knighthood in 2002 following numerous critically acclaimed texts. Sir Ian is most known for his

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 widely studied exploration of Nazi ideology, The Hitler Myth, which was published in 1980. He has also written a twovolume biography on the dictator titled and served as a historical advisor on several BBC documentaries. At the farewell event entitled ‘A Lancastrian in Yorkshire’, the Head of the History department, Mike Braddick, spoke of Sir Ian’s

achievements. He said: “It is an unusual distinction to be able to achieve academic prominence but even more so to achieve nonspecialist prominence with sixth formers and enthusiasts. “For a long time students came to Sheffield because he was here. He will be sadly missed.” Sir Ian, who was head of the History department for ten years between 1991 and 2001, spoke of his pride at the event which was organised on his behalf. He said: “The whole occasion was very touching. Working at the University of Sheffield has been a lot of fun and I’ll look back on it as a period of tremendous fulfilment. It’s with some nostalgia and melancholy that I go.” The University of Sheffield’s Vice Chancellor Keith Burnett,

Sir Ian Kershaw is leaving Sheffield.

who also attended the event, said: “It has been wonderful to know him. He has had such a big impact on the historical life of Britain. “He is fundamentally one of the most important scholars in the UK and this age. I’m very pleased he’s carrying on doing research.” Lottie Tobin, the President of the History Society, surmised the impact Sir Ian’s departure will have on students within the History department. She said: “Everyone who has had an introduction to Sir Ian Kershaw’s books, journals and television documentaries is extremely saddened by his departure as he was such a focal reason for so many history students’ progression to the University of Sheffield’s department.”

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

NEWS UNIVERSITY

Hundreds of students rehoused as private accommodation project delayed By Anna Macnaughton Almost 200 students who had signed contracts to live in the new iQ Steel building on Mappin Street were left without the accommodation they expected after the developer failed to complete building works in time for this academic year. Those affected were told about the problems in July by Corporate Residential Management Limited (CRM), a student accommodation management company overseeing the iQ Steel building. All 185 students were then moved into other housing or allowed to find their own accommodation as iQ Steel was left incomplete after the developer started to fall behind schedule. Students who wanted accommodation in friendship groups were disrupted when they were allocated new housing, although they had the option to arrange their own alternative accommodation with a full refund from CRM . Engineering student Edvarts Dzelzitis, from Latvia, paid £3,800 for a 42-week contract. He said: “There were no problems with this process and everything ran smoothly.

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 “But I’m still unsure about what’s going to happen with the contract cancellation and as an international student it has created a lot of stress at the start of the new term.” Dzelzitis had booked into iQ Steel with friends from his course, but was allocated without them to Rockingham House on Newcastle Street, which has similar features to iQ Steel but lacks free broadband and internet phones. He said: “I was promised free internet - it’s very annoying that I’ve got to pay more money after a promise was made to me.” Students were promised hotel expenses in case of work not being completed, and CRM considered moving them to temporary hotel

The iQ Steel building on Mappin Street has been hit by delays, meaning that students have had to be rehoused.

Photo: Olivia Lightfoot

accommodation, though they decided against it due to the disruption it would cause and the lack of essential facilities. A spokesperson from CRM said: “We secured alternative accommodation for all of the students that had booked in another brand new building in a similar location to iQ Steel, and arranged all of the necessary

paperwork for those students who wished to transfer. Those students who wished to source their own accommodation were given a full refund. “iQ has since terminated the contract with the developer and is in the process of engaging a new contractor who will recommence works over the next few weeks. The scheme will now be completed

early in the new year, well in advance of the 2009 academic year. “iQ liaised fully with the University, the Students Union, and the national code of standards for larger student developments regarding this matter and acted timely to ensure that the students were not disrupted in this unfortunate situation.”

The Pinnacles, another new accommodation block in Sheffield by Park Square roundabout, is also behind schedule. The Endcliffe Village was similarly finished late last academic year, forcing many students to move accommodation after only a few weeks in Sheffield.

and windows have often been left unlocked. “I think landlords could do more to prevent burglaries by installing double glazed windows and securer doors. If there are any students who feel unsure about the security of their homes they should contact their landlords. “We have plans to launch a crime prevention campaign later this year and I urge all students to make sure they lock their doors and windows.” Between the start of Freshers’ Week and Sunday, October 5, eight iPods, seven laptops and five games consoles were stolen from the Broomhill and Crookes areas. During Freshers’ Week a

student’s room in Stephenson Hall of Residence was burgled with the culprit taking a laptop, a digital camera, and a mobile phone. One student whose house was recently burgled on Moor Oaks Road, Broomhill said: “Burglars closely watch your house for a while and work out the best time to try steal from you. “Our burglary was at 7.30am and everyone in the house was in. So even when you’re all in you should lock individual room doors and keep expensive electrical items out of display. You could see laptops and a Wii from our living room window. “We’re now all looking out for each other on Moor Oaks Road in

a Neighbourhood Watch style.” Inspector Gary West, from the Broomhill Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), said: “The local SNT is working closely with the Students’ Union and universities to ensure all students who live in houses of multi occupancy take all reasonable crime prevention measures to guard against being subject to burglary. “This includes ensuring all windows and doors have locks fitted, the property is kept locked at all times and that no valuables are left on open display. Students are also being advised to ensure they security mark all their valuables.” Students are also being warned to be careful with their possessions

after two handbags were stolen in the Students’ Union and a purse was taken from the Octagon staff room during Freshers’ Week.

Students warned of burglars in Broomhill area

By Rachel Blundy Union Welfare Officer Kathryn Axon is calling for students to make sure they lock up their doors and secure their windows after 16 burglaries in the Broomhill and Crookes areas since Freshers’ Week. Student houses have been targeted by burglars who commonly take laptops, iPods and digital cameras. The most common way of entry is through insecure rear doors and open windows, but in some cases Yale locks have been forced open. Kathryn said: “There are always burglaries to student houses throughout the year where doors

Whitham Road. Photo: O. Lightfoot

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

University slams student behaviour after Freshers chaos By Michael Hunter University officials have moved to diffuse tension in one of Sheffield’s busiest student suburbs following a spate of anti-social behaviour during Freshers’ Week. Patience amongst residents in Broomhill has reached breaking point after seven days of chaotic celebration last month. Families in the area are concerned that the increase in petty vandalism, littering and rowdy parties long into the night are a sign of things to come after hundreds of undergraduates returned to their residences. John Birtwhistle, of Broomhill Action Neighbourhood Group, said: “Freshers’ Week is now out of hand. “It is the University’s idea but it is not run by the University, it is run by the alcohol industry.” The University of Sheffield reacted quickly to condemn the recent disruption and have taken a number of measures to safeguard against a repeat. In an e-mail to all students, ViceChancellor Prof Keith Burnett wrote: “Anti-social behaviour of any kind by the minority is deeply disturbing to permanent residents as well as other students, and this is unacceptable to all.” Over 500 posters were distributed around the area and given to registered landlords reminding students of their responsibility in the local community. Professor Dominic Shellard, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for External Affairs, made an apology on local radio before visiting the neighbourhoods concerned to speak with students and residents. But there remain concerns amongst residents that the problems will continue until there is a permanent security presence in the area. Mr. Birtwhistle, whose home on Moor Oaks Road is surrounded by a number of student properties, said: “We need active patrols of the neighbourhood because it shouldn’t be up to an individual to get up in the middle of the night and identify an offender.” Ruth Arnold, Head of External Affairs at the University of Sheffield, said: “We’re looking realistically at what we can do within our legal powers to help the local residents but also motivate the city council into carrying out

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Campaign to boot soldiers off campus By Robert Golledge

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A car in Broomhill that was subject to student vandalism during Freshers’ Week.

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 its responsibilities.” Residents have also expressed their concern at the growing influence of cheap drink promotions around the city’s nightspots, and increasingly at Union events.

Mr Birtwhistle said: “The first intensive tuition they get is in drinking. Freshers’ Week is a crash course in how to behave as a student.” And the retired university lecturer is worried that the disturbances are set to become an everyday occurrence. He said: “This is not a weekend phenomenon anymore, this is every single night. If I try to talk to students about this they say ‘this is a student area’.” Alan Willings, who is also a retired university lecturer and Broomhill resident, added: “If the University flaunts itself as a great place for drinking, then students

Photo: John Birtwhistle

will see it as a great place for that.” Freshers’ Week remains one of the most anticipated dates on the academic calendar, with a host of events taking place at the Union and around the city. Second-year psychology student Gem Stanier, of Watson Road in Broomhill, said: “It’s just brilliant and you meet so many new people. Second year was just as good as first year. “It’s a shame Broomhill residents are upset by the noise but they have chosen to live there.” The Union will be hosting a Healthy Campus Week which will focus on the effects of binge drinking.

A group of students have started a campaign to ban military corps from the Union of Students. The group, entitled ‘Kick ’em Off Campus’, believe the Union should not be giving Officer Training Corps (OTC), such as the Army, Navy and RAF, a platform to recruit students on campus or at Union events. The group also oppose the links the University has with engineering and aerospace companies such as BAE and RollsRoyce, due to their links to the arms trade. Kick ’em Off Campus supporters will be petitioning Union members in the coming weeks with the intention of tabling a motion for referendum outlawing military groups from campus. A spokesperson from Kick ’em Off Campus said: “The main proposal of the campaign is to demolish any link between the Union and the military. As students, as workers, and as local people, we believe it is our right to oppose military recruitment at this and any university. “We believe the armed forces shouldn’t have a platform to manipulate students into joining, perhaps under false pretences. “The blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been shed due to wars with weapons and aircraft designed and built by the University of Sheffield’s partners.” The Sheffield group have the support of Sham Rajyaguru, a UCL student who headed a successful campaign banning the military from University College London (UCL). An OTC spokeswoman said: “Sheffield University Officer Training Corps is affiliated to the University by charter. It is not a recruiting organisation for the Armed Forces nor are its members mobilized for duty in operational theatres. “Officer Cadets in the UOTC benefit not only from the personal development in leadership and management but also have the opportunity to take part in adventure training. It is an excellent way to make friends and they are paid in the process.”

Teacher pupil relationships revealed by research

By Chris Conway Research conducted by the University of Sheffield has uncovered that up to 1,500 intimate relationships develop every year between teachers and students. Since 1991, 129 teachers have been prosecuted and some have signed the sex offenders register. The General Secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, Chris Keates, said that it was a “real anomaly” for a teacher, who has had sex with a student over the age of 16, to be put on the sex offenders register. She argued that the abuse of

trust law had gone too far in cases where the relationship between teacher and student had started after a pupil had reached the age of consent. Mrs Keates said: “If a teacher has a relationship with a pupil at the school at which they teach, it could be an 18-year-old pupil in sixth form, then that teacher can be prosecuted and end up on the sex offenders register.” The Tonight programme on ITV screened an episode on the topic on Monday, October 6, called ‘To Sir With Love’. Mrs. Keates told the programme, that the law was wrong as it allowed a teacher to legally enter a sexual relationship with a sixth form pupil at another

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 school. She said: “Clearly there have to be appropriate disciplinary sanctions in the school where a teacher works to make sure that inappropriate relationships don’t develop. “But it does seem a step too far, when there has been a consensual relationship, to put that person

on the sex offenders register when, in fact, they could have a perfectly legitimate relationship with an 18-year-old at another school.” In 2001 the law was changed, making it illegal for teachers to engage in sexual activity with students (under the age of 18) from their school. Mrs. Keates said that NASUWT raised the anomaly when the legislation was drafted and that it advises every member to keep relationships professional. She has been criticised by child protection professionals for her comments. Zoe Hilton, Policy Adviser for NASUWT leader Chris Keates.

the NSPCC, said: “The law is very clear that if a teacher abuses his or her position by forming a sexual relationship with a pupil they could be prosecuted and this remains the case even if the child gives their consent. “The law is, quite rightly, there to protect children.”

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

NEWS LOCAL

Broomhill takeaway losing up to £10,000 a week due to licensing laws By Victoria Ryves A Broomhill takeaway is campaigning to extend its opening hours after the local authority has started to impose strict licensing laws restricting its operating hours. Northern Sole owner Michael Brown wishes to extend the shop’s opening hours past its existing 12am closing time in order to further cater for the numerous students that live in the area. Previously, takeaways in the Broomhill area would be open in the early hours of the morning where the majority of student customers would stop by after a night out.

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 But outlets have been forced to close early after being told by Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police they could face punishment if they were found to be breaching licensing laws. Takeaway opening hours are being strictly enforced in response to the recent anti-social behaviour of some students in the area. Mr. Brown has established a petition in order to kick-start an appeal to extend the working hours. Dr. Lee Kenny, Chair of the Broomhill Action Neighbourhood Group (BANG), said: “BANG is very concerned about takeaways that are flaunting their opening hours. In general we would like to see the takeaways closing when the pubs close. “We do not object to the law abiding traders in Broomhill but do not want to see a general move towards later opening hours for takeaways.” Dr. Kenny highlighted that the takeaways attract groups of youths after the pubs have closed, creating a rowdy atmosphere in residential areas. Mr. Brown said: “Students have been living in Broomhill a lot longer than a lot of the residents. [Their complaining] is like moving to the seaside and complaining about the sea. “As a result, Northern Sole is losing up to £10,000 a week in profit because I adhere to the

Northern Sole owner Michael Brown is unhappy that he is being forced to shut during peak times for student customers. strict closing time while other takeaways ignore it.” Any violation of stipulated working hours that are attached to Northern Sole’s licensing

Photo: Olivia Lightfoot

agreement can result in up to a £20,000 fine and six months imprisonment. Northern Sole, which has been in Broomhill for 13 years,

has begun a petition in order to combat this enforcement which it sees as unjust. The aim of the petition is to appeal the existing licensing

agreement. The petition can be accessed online as well as by visiting Northern Sole on Whitham Road in Broomhill.

Road branch stated: “I think it’s very unfair. Three of the staff at the store have 29 years’ service between them, and it’s always very busy.” Sheffield Council leader Councillor Paul Scriven said: “Due to the current economic situation I have asked the chief executive to look at how we can enhance our rapid response team to help individuals and companies who find themselves in this situation. “The news that LSUK have announced 110 job losses in the city comes as a blow. My thoughts go out to the workers and families affected.”

By Mark Duell

Last weekend she said that seven babies’ graves had been damaged, including that of her grandson Phoenix Jeffcock, who was stillborn in April 2006. Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for climate change and local environment, Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed said: “I find it impossible to understand why anyone would commit such a mindless act. “I am conscious security in cemeteries is a longstanding issue and we will be looking into what can be done to tackle this problem.”

Sheffield hit by redundancies Baby grave vandals By Mark Duell Sheffield is losing jobs by the dozen after a car parts manufacturer and launderette axed almost 150 workers in the space of 24 hours. This week Goodman Sparks commercial laundry systems cut around 25 jobs, whilst 110 people working for car parts firm LSUK were handed redundancy notices. Sparks is at risk of closure if a buyer cannot be found, and LSUK has just been put into administration after a failed takeover bid. One Sparks worker said: “Everyone is just confused about

One of Goodman Sparks’ outlets. what is happening. We have been told the stores are going up for sale, then that we will be closed by December.” A customer of the Fulwood

A 50-year-old Sheffield woman has hit out at vandals who she claims damaged the grave of her baby grandson. Shirley Jeffcock helped set up Friends of Shiregreen Cemetery following spates of vandalism where babies’ graves were desecrated and ornaments stolen. She said: “I’m so angry - I just don’t know what to do. It seems no matter what we do they still come back. “People who vandalise a baby’s grave are not human.”

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

Dentistry student sky dives to help local kids

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Business group wins European competition

By Jo Wendel

Toni Lemm has raised £450 so far for Cash for Kids, after her sky dive this week. (Inset) Toni in the plane before her jump with the Red Devils. By Rachel Blundy A Dentistry student at the University of Sheffield jumped from the skies this week to raise money for disadvantaged local children. Toni Lemm, 20, completed the charity sky dive in Salisbury, Wiltshire, at the base of Army parachute regiment the Red Devils, in aid of Cash for Kids.

The event had to be postponed for a week due to adverse weather conditions, but Toni finally completed her jump on Wednesday, October 8, in aid of the charity and she raised around £450 so far. She said: “I decided to do the jump in aid of the charity as I am a dental student at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital and thought it was good that the pounds raised

go to kids, some of which I may treat at the clinic. “It was the best experience ever; you know when they say that they are speechless? I actually am. I cannot find words that sum up the jump, it’s something I am definitely going to do again. “My tandem was Danny Wood of the Red Devils, who was absolutely ace.” Cash for Kids, the Hallam FM

official charity (formerly known as Help a Hallam Child), raised over £350,000 last year for 35,000 children in South Yorkshire and the North Midlands. Paul Bennington, the charity’s manager, said that they were “absolutely delighted” to have Toni’s support. Anyone wishing to sponsor Toni can do so at www.bmycharity. com/tonilemm.

University opens new music cube By Mina Kasherova The University of Sheffield’s Music department is on course to move to the Jessop site later this year after the construction of its high-tech new building, dubbed the Soundhouse, was completed. The rubber-clad construction is located on Gell Street and includes practice studios, recording rooms, and rehearsal spaces. Its ‘music box’ design is the work of Jefferson Sheard Architects and careyjones designers, and has drawn much interest among staff and students since the beginning of the academic year. The three-storey building is part of the Jessop development site. It is the first project to be completed, and will be followed by the Jessop West building,

which will host the History and record a significant quantity of English departments, as well as their music. the School of Modern Languages “The bold outline of the building and Linguistics. is complemented by state-of-theWhile the Soundhouse is not due art interior acoustic design which to open its doors to Music students allows sound to be auditioned in until Christmas, it is already complete isolation, thus enabling causing much excitement. even closer attention to musical Third year Music student Flis detail.” Kirk said many students had Vice-Chancellor Keith Burnett fears that after moving out of the said: “The unique state-of-thefamiliar departmental building art Soundhouse is an innovative on Taptonville Road, they could addition to the campus and will lose their spirit of community and allow our students to nurture closeness. and develop their passion for She added: “It looks really cool. music in a modern and creative I think people are really excited environment.” to move.” Music student Chloe MillerSimon Keefe, Head of the Music Smith added: “It’s much better Department, said: being closer to the city centre and “The Soundhouse is the rest of the University campus where undergraduates and and Students’ Union.” postgraduates will practice and The Soundhouse. Photo: Olivia Lightfoot

Students from the University’s student enterprise group, SIFE, have become European champions for their community work and entrepreneurship. The Sheffield team won the prestigious SIFE European Symposium 2008 award after beating teams from Poland, Germany, Albania, and Sweden. Sheffield SIFE Ltd is a studentrun company aimed at teaching students social entrepreneurship whilst making a difference in society. Calum Moore, second year Management student and Managing Director of Sheffield SIFE, said: “SIFE is without doubt the most rewarding, exciting and valuable experience I have had whilst studying at the University. “It’s been truly amazing. I would like to thank all of our ‘SIFErs’ and our advisers. We could not have done it without them.” Nick Morris, second year Engineering and French student and Executive Director of Sheffield SIFE, said: “Instead of just being a regular student society, Sheffield SIFE is an actual business. “It is about sustainable social enterprise in the community. We do commercial projects and then invest the money back into social projects. This award was about those community projects.” Jim Ineson, Executive Director of SIFE UK, said: “This is the first international event that SIFE UK has won in our seven year history, and confirms our progress towards becoming a world-class SIFE organisation.” One of Sheffield SIFE’s projects was helping to teach enterprising and business skills to mentally and physically disabled children. Nick Morris said: “Sometimes it could be things like how to write a cheque, or how to read a bill. It seems like simple things, but these children had not known how to do it.” Another project involved working with St. Luke’s Hospice, helping the hospice learn how to improve stock management and how to make bigger profits. SIFE is an international notfor-profit organisation, originally founded in the United States of America. They have been working for social enterprises for 30 years.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

NEWS UNIVERSITY

Innovative £10million rebuild for By Robert Golledge Plans for a £10million overhaul of the Union of Students building have been revealed. The initial designs show the construction of a massive glass frontage which will extend from the current Union building onto the concourse area, showcasing the hundreds of student activities taking place. The plans will see the Union occupy some of University House, with the two buildings essentially becoming one under the new proposals. Work is expected to start at the end of the present academic year and finish towards the end of 2011. The state-of-the-art design is aimed to be award winning and environmentally friendly as part of the Union’s Vision 2012 restructuring plan. Under the initial plans the whole of the ground floor will be completely remodelled to accommodate a larger Union shop with Student Services and SIDD being relocated to where New Leaf is currently housed. A new café with seating area will be opened at the rear of the ground floor. On level four there will be the creation of new floor space connecting University House with what is currently known as The Gallery.

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 The Source will be relocated to level four of University House which is presently occupied by food outlets. A coffee shop where City View Café is currently located will remain. The Union Sabbatical Officer offices are due to be moved to level four of University House and The Gallery area is to be transformed into bookable meeting space for clubs and societies. The University of Sheffield has committed £9.9 million towards the project, as well as giving over parts of University House. Currently £400,000 has been provided by the Union of Students towards the costs.

It is hoped the Union building will become more energy efﬁcient and eventually win the National Union of Students (NUS) Sound Impact Gold Award, presented to the country’s outstanding environmentally friendly Unions. Alex Pott, Union Finance Ofﬁcer, said: “The redevelopments to the

building mark a really positive step for Shefﬁeld Students’ Union, both in terms of student activity and our services. “Upstairs, the relocated Source area will group together all the different student activities, from RAG to the communities, societies to sports. It really will be a one-stop

hub for everything you need. “It will also provide a large ﬂexible space for use by all types of student groups, plus most committee working areas will be located up there to make sure that our committees get the support and resources they require. “We are all really excited

about the impact this building redevelopment will have.” A spokesperson from Accommodation and Campus Services said: “ACS is really pleased to be working with the Students’ Union to develop and improve the services we offer to students and staff in University House.”

University nominated for prestigious awards By Ryan Hartfield The University of Sheffield has been nominated in two categories for the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Awards this year. Sheffield, which has a history of success in the competition, is on the 2008 shortlist for Best Student Experience and Outstanding Support for Overseas Students. Sheffield was named University of the Year in 2001, and has been shortlisted for Best Student Experience over the last two years. The Union of Students has been noted by The Times as a particular area of strength and crucial to the

Best Student Experience award nomination. The Library services were also identiﬁed as very good, especially for online resources, but Union President Dave Hurst attributed this nomination to a range of factors. He said: “I believe it’s because we provide an awful lot of support and opportunities in assisting the welfare and development of our students. “It’s easy to forget about all that we offer. From the support and advice we provide, to entertainments, events, activities and representation.” He claims that these achievements stem from our

Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 “comprehensive grasp of what we believed should be provided to our members.” Hurst added: “There are plenty of areas that we can develop and improve on, but when we are compared to others, then we do continuously come out top. “This is demonstrated by both

the NUS and Club Mirror awards for best Students’ Union in the country.” The Outstanding Support for Overseas Students nomination has come from international students giving high ratings to the Union clubs and societies. A high level of support offered by Shefﬁeld’s student services, IT support teams, and the careers service were also taken into account. Jane Chafer, Director of Student Recruitment, said: “At Shefﬁeld, we are proud of our multicultural campus. “We value the individuality of our students and work hard to maintain an environment that

nurtures talent and encourages personal development.” Union International Ofﬁcer Sajeev Jeganathan added: “The University have always put a lot of effort into international students. “It is a great feeling that the hard work of staff from various departments across the University has paid off. “We have a good shot at the title especially because of the constant changes which are implemented towards improving the services to international students at Shefﬁeld.” The results are announced at an award ceremony taking place on Thursday, October 23, at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

Union building revealed

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Research grant A £2million cash boost has been given to cancer research at the University of Shefﬁeld, with Cancer Research UK being one of several contributors, writes Amy Moody. The grant will be funding a team of scientists from the University’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to help them develop new drugs and new methods of examining tumours. The Shefﬁeld team will use imaging equipment including machinery that will allow them to watch cells in action. In addition to this they will also be using scanning techniques which will provide whole body images, enabling them to see where the cancers have spread. Cancer Research UK will be investing up to £30million nationally which will help improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and this will be supplemented by a £3million from the Medical Research Council (MCR) and £1.3 million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Property award A Shefﬁeld student has won a prestigious award for women involved in property, writes Kirsty McEwen. Marie Reavely, a second year Urban Studies and Planning student, won £1,000 as part of her prize package. Marie also received a trophy, access to a mentoring scheme, help in looking for work placements, and membership to the Women in Property Association. A total of 38 students from around the country were competing for the award. Marie said: “I’ve already been offered several work placements with big industry names as a result of the award and it will certainly give me something to talk about in interviews in the future.”

Crookes attack

The huge glass front of the Union will be host to a new reception area. (Inset) The Union of Students: present and future.

Image: Corstorphine & Wright

Sheffield Volunteers get cash boost By Tom Hastings Student volunteers have been given a boost after a charity awarded SheffieldVolunteering with a £96,000 grant. One of the new projects that will benefit from the money will include sports coaching by students in local schools and the community. It will also open up the opportunity for students to accompany young people with special needs on nights out through the ‘Clubbing Crew’. V, the youth charity which provided the money, aims to make volunteering for 16 to 25-year-olds a compelling choice through giving grants to allow the expansion of volunteering in local communities. Stella McHugh, Sheffield Volunteering Manager, said: “The extra funds mean we will be able to develop even more partnerships with local organisations as well as continuing to support the organisations we already work with.”

Shefﬁeld Volunteers with sheep on the concourse. ShefﬁeldVolunteering connects students to a wide-range of volunteering opportunities, and

Photo: Robert Golledge

supports a variety of new and existing projects, aiming to make a positive impact in the local

community. The money, which will be given over the next two and a half years, will support many other existing projects and open them up to more people. Stella added: “With new exciting schemes that cater for different tastes and interests we are conﬁdent even more students will come on board and even more community groups will reap the rewards. “The University has such a pool of talent and experience we are keen to encourage as many students as possible to volunteer.” The ‘Love Where You Live’ scheme, which aims to bring together students and local residents through community projects, is currently funded by ShefﬁeldVolunteering in the Crookesmoor Road area of the city. Broomhall resident Polly Blacker said: “Love Where You Live will really bring people together.”

A 56-year-old man with a pickaxe damaged two vehicles and a student house in the Crookes area of Sheffield last Sunday, writes Mark Duell. Police officers are currently investigating the alleged incidents of criminal damage between 5pm and 5.25pm on Crookesmoor Road and Elliot Road. Nobody was injured in the attack, although one of the cars damaged belonged to a 20-year-old English student at the University of Sheffield. Her car’s back window and breaklights were destroyed and she has had to pay £100 in repair costs. A police riot van was called to the scene, and a police dog was set on the man after he failed to put down a pickaxe. The man was detained by officers at the scene.

Paper success A Forge Press Sports Editor has been nominated for the Guardian Student Media Sports Writer of the Year award, writes Mark Duell. Paul Garbett, 20, is a secondyear Journalism student originally from Congleton, Cheshire. He said: “It came as a real surprise to ﬁnd out I had been nominated for such a prestigious award.” The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 26, in London.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

LETTERS

Have your say Star letter: The need for an Equality Officer Dear Forge, Joe Frake’s suggestion (News, Issue One) that it is “not fair right or equal” that women should have their own dedicated sabbatical officer whilst the other representative committees go without misunderstands the point of these committees entirely. The likeliest oppressor of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT), Black, Disabled or Dyslexic students is hardly the Women’s Officer. ‘Equality’ is not about begrudging the campaign successes of another marginalised group, but about aspiring to their level of representation.

Your texts

Saw that on the Union homepage they had misplaced the apostrophe in Students’ Union Council in one of its logos. Surely this isn’t acceptable for any institution such as ours? Phil Why bother refurbishing the Arts Tower? It’s a grotty, tired old building and is far too out of date. I am facing having a lecture slot moved because people get claustraphobic walking to the 19th floor!! CM

Star letter is sponsored by Your Harley

The winner receives a free meal for two and a Lock-In membership at Your Harley

Respect for Residents Dear Forge, My son took that photograph of the trashed car (page 5). I had heard all the noise from the incident but tried to ignore it because I had got up on both previous nights and just needed to try and sleep. The next morning, there it was: hard visual evidence of the kind of disturbance we suffer nearly every night. It seems that the trashing was a ‘student on student’ job, and that the victim does not want to press charges.

Should Army Recruiters be kicked off campus?

Ian Black, second year, Architecture

Amy Barnes, first year, Maths

“No. They shouldn’t be kicked off campus as no one complains about the OTC.”

“They should have to recruit on a specific recruitment day, as it is a career.”

Rachel Steen, second year, Medicine

Jonathan Poulter, first year, Computer Science

“I don’t really mind as I would never join the army, but at the same time I can see why we need an army.”

“You can’t stop anyone. They have as much right as anyone else to get people involved.”

For this reason, the Equality Officer campaign should be demanding their own sabbatical officers. Unfortunately, the campaign argues this is unfeasible; not only do we suffer a “democratic deficit” but a financial one too. We should ask, however, what we think is more important; a robust and progressive democracy or plasma screens in our Union. As Stephen Fry said in his defence of the BBC: “We can afford what we decide we can afford.” Yours, Sam Browse, MA English student However, the offence was not only against her but also against the community as a whole. The Sheffield Telegraph line about neighbours being ‘driven out’ might sound hysterical, but we really do know someone who felt they had to move out for Freshers’ Week, and several families are thinking of moving house altogether. The remark, in the police’s Broomhill Safer Neighbourhood Report, that Freshers’ Week might be a good time for residents to ‘take a mini-break’, expressed the feeling that it would be nice if the problem neighbours, the ones who need to sleep, would simply

go away. Much of the noise, especially the raised voices as people come home at three or four in the morning, is more thoughtless than deliberate. I would ask for awareness of how far noise can travel at night, and of how even simple things like shutting a window can make an appreciable difference. Above all, Broomhill is a mixed community of students but also of children, old people, and workers who have to be up first thing in the morning. For such a mixed community to be sustainable, basic conditions such as peace at night should be respected on all sides. I know that many students are also disturbed at night, and would urge them to report incidents to University Security on 0114 222 4085. Yours, John Birtwhistle Broomhill resident

Equality Row Continues Dear Forge, I am writing to criticise an article printed in Issue One of the Forge Press about the Women’s Officer/Equality Officer debate, as I feel it is wilfully biased against the change that is needed in the Union. Under the current system, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Students, Disabled Students and Students from an Ethnic

Write: Forge Press, Union of Students, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TG Email: press.letters@forgetoday.com Text: 07765363716 Please include your name, course and year of study Background are underrepresented at Sabbatical level: a move to an Equality Officer would change that. The problem is, any move to get an Equality Officer to replace the Women’s Officer will be met with the same false arguments. In short, an Equality Officer would fight as vigorously as a Women’s Officer on women’s liberation campaigns, but would also be afforded such power to fight for LGBT, disability and ethnic students’ campaigns - a situation that is simply not catered for by the current system. This would not be at the expense of women’s representation, as much as that under the current system, full Sabbatical support is at the expense of representing ethnic students, LGBT students and disabled students. Rebecca Watson states that Equality Officers agree that they cannot realistically divide their time, but that is a far better situation than having groups not represented at Sabbatical level at all. It sickens me that people think that women’s representation must come at the cost of all other liberation campaigns. Here are some truths: 1. An Equality Officer would not end the Women’s Committee’s good work, nor would it end the services it provides. 2. An Equality Officer would offer a far greater voice on liberation campaigns than the current system. 3. An Equality Officer, rather than separate officers for each campaign,

is the only option that would keep the Sabbatical Officer full-time and working for marginalised students. Not only women need representation. The article speaks of the shocking statistic that there is a 15 per cent pay gap between the genders, and it is right that a Sabbatical Officer would fight to change that; but is it not also right that a Sabbatical Officer should fight the fact that people who have an African name are 25 per cent less likely to get an interview for employment, and 18 per cent of those with a Muslim name than their British counterparts? Is it not right that a Sabbatical Officer should fight the fact that waiting times of 10 years are not uncommon for NHS gender reassignment surgeries? Is it not right that a Sabbatical Officer should fight the fact that there is no wheelchair access to Union bars, and that disabled students are ten times as likely to be bullied than their non-disabled counterparts? Is it not right that a Sabbatical Officer should fight the fact that gay and bisexual men cannot give blood, no matter whether they have always practised safe sex, or that 35 per cent of lesbian and bisexual women have attempted suicide? I believe it would be senseless to continue under representing marginalised students, and printing articles that would support such a situation. Yours, Jamie Wroe, third year English Student

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

COMMENT

The Union Council elections will just decide who will make more hot air

Student councillors do more than we might notice; they deserve our support

By Duncan Robinson

By Alex Orton

The Union Council elections are here at last! Democracy is right at your doorstep, kids. Greet it, embrace it, use it. The Union Council will be your voice for the next year. Choose wisely, then, lest your voice be that of an idiot. The Council is a hotch potch of departmental representatives (40 of them), mixed with eight student group representatives of black, LGBT, mature, disabled, postgraduate and female students. As a white male undergraduate I feel extremely underrepresented and repressed. On top of this there are the eight Sabbs, including El Presidenté himself, Dave Hurst. These 56 characters meet up fortnightly and discuss issues. Big ones. You may not know it, but they actually affect the Union. Just have a look at their achievements. The Union Council recently smashed the glass ceiling that stops disabled students achieving their

if anyone buys them. These examples are the ‘highlights’ of the Council’s work in the past year. What tangible effect has the Council had on your student experience? Diddly squat. The Union, thankfully, has many professional, dedicated employees which help it to run smoothly. If the Council disbanded the Union would still work fine: Bar One would still be cheap, the shop would still not be, and Tuesday Club would be as debauched as ever. The Council has a choice, then. It can either stop dealing in vacuity and attempt to make a real positive difference for the students of this University, or it can fade even further into irrelevance.

The Union Council may be the nesting grounds of busy-bodies and powertrippers, but then again so is any democratic body. The very point of democracy is that people put themselves forward for our approval, so we have only ourselves to blame if we elect people we don’t like. The student Union gets hundreds of thousands of our pounds every year in the University’s budget and takings from the shops and venues it runs. I’ve seen what the University likes spending money on – I mean what exactly is the point of those giant TVs stuck all over the IC? – so I would much rather that we get to vote for students to run the Union’s affairs. Last year the Union Council formed committees to look at disciplinary hearings on residency matters. This means that if the University calls you in for a hearing there will be somebody looking at what goes on to make sure that the proceedings give you a fair chance to put forward your side of the story. Which is reassuring if you’ve got to explain why your small social gathering turned into a 400 person,

us to aim for a Union which is driven by students and supported by staff; more than a building; and a landmark new building. Each of these strands will lead us towards our goal of being the outstanding student-led organisation in the UK. As part of Vision 2012, one of my key objectives is to ensure that our building reflects the needs of all our students, providing superb facilities, activities and services, which are

accessible and responsive. We are hoping to incorporate a new front to the building, a new Source area to provide a more flexible space for student activities including quiet areas, and ensure there is space to showcase student activities throughout the Union. A key element to the planning stages is also to ensure that the new parts of the building reflect our dedication to be at the forefront of best practice on

If the Council disbanded the Union would still work fine potential with this utterly vacuous statement: “This Union is positive about disabled students: this Union believes that all students, regardless of disability, are entitled to equal opportunities to participate in all aspects of University life.”

Election time gimmicks? The statement’s banality is quite stunning. Before this proclamation did people think that the Union actually positively hated disabled students? The Council with one bureaucratic sweep banned homophobia within the university. Excellent, now it’s official: homophobia is wrong. But these are just words, where’s the action? In the Union Shop, that’s where. You probably noticed the 5p levy for plastic bags, but you might not have noticed the boycott on Nestlé products. However, the boycott is the subject of a forth coming referendum. The most democratic way to decide if people want Nestlé products would be to actually stock them and see

Cartoon: Kate Carson

all-night rave in your accomodation block. The National Union of Students that represents us throughout the country has its policy motions decided by Union Council members; this year the government is reviewing the tuition fee cap and the NUS are doing their best to persuade them that £3,000 is more than enough and we don’t need any more debt.

We have ourselves to blame if we elect people we don’t like It’s good to know that someone is endeavouring to persuade MP John Denham (he’s the nice man responsible for all the red ink on your bank statements) that we shouldn’t have to pay £3,000 a year for the privilege of attending university. Nine grand is a bit steep just to spend three years dozing gently at the back of a lecture theatre whilst some career

academic tells us it’s very important that we buy the core text book because he wrote it and needs the royalties to buy more tasteful pastel shirts. Although you might be annoyed by people on the concourse rambling at you about baffling policies and referenda that you know nothing of, the Union Council is made up of people who give up their time to try and improve our University. For example, they looked into the issue of disabled access around the campus; it’s good to know that if ever Stephen Hawking wanted to drop by to tell the Physics department about his latest advertising campaign for Specsavers he’d actually be able to get into the place. Most of us ignore all the emails asking for our opinions from our departmental Union Councillor, but despite their attempts to find out what we want them to do when there’s an election we complain about the fact they don’t do anything.

‘Your opinions are the most important to us’ Each issue a member of the Union Officer team reports on their their aims, objectives and activities. Hello, my name’s Alex Pott and I am your Finance Officer. It has been a busy and exciting summer across the Union, particularly as we have almost completed the first stage of our strategic planning for the next three years. Named ‘Vision 2012’, the three year plan incorporates three key strands allowing

Alex Pott, Finance Officer

environmental issues. This includes committing to winning the gold Sound Impact Award, which is an NUS award for outstanding environmental excellence (we currently hold a silver award). The redevelopment of the building is currently in its planning stages, with our architects holding a brief developed by staff members of the Vision 2012 teams. These plans are in the initial stages of consultation with students and staff.

It’s been really encouraging to see so many students answering the questionnaires based on Vision 2012, as your opinions are the most important to us when planning the project. If anyone would like to discuss it in any more depth, please pop in to the officer corridor if you’re passing by (above Coffee Revolution) or drop into my office hour, which is between 11am and 12pm every Tuesday.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

COMMENT

Yobbish acts taint our well-earned reputation

By Hannah Bauling It has recently been reported that the fun of Freshers’ Week has been taken too far by a minority of students, who have taken it upon themselves to vandalise property. Having a good time and meeting new people is, to most new students, what Freshers’ Week is all about. Of course, in reality, having a good time often involves enjoying a few too many student-priced drinks with our fellow Freshers. Everyone has seen people chasing the concourse ducks around following an afternoon drink at Interval or a dishevelled looking friend with what were ‘funny at the time’ slogans on Carnage t-shirts which now simply say “Dave’s slave”.

Most of us make an effort to be part of the local community However, there is a big difference between making a little too much noise while stumbling home after a night out, and acting like football hooligans This is all a great shame because there are so many ways in which we enhance Sheffield as students of the University. In terms of the local economy, we pour money

into shops, pubs, clubs and other businesses around the city, and the University provides over 7,000 jobs. The University also has building contracts which employ external contractors. Each year an estimated £120million is put into the local economy by student and University activities. Many students dedicate their time and effort to the Students’ Union organisation Sheffield Volunteering which is involved in projects that are of benefit to many, including people with special needs, the elderly and the homeless. Last year the Give As You Rent Appeal, which offers students the opportunity to make a small donation to local homelessness charities when they pay for their student accommodation, raised over £25,000. A third of the University’s graduates stay on to live in Sheffield, using their skills for the benefit of the local economy. However, stealing traffic cones and throwing toilet paper around the streets does tend to draw people’s attention away from the fact that our alumni are hard at work in their city. Two weeks ago we all received an email from the ViceChancellor and the Welfare Officer that branded the antisocial actions of the foolish minority “unacceptable”, and reminded us all of our responsibilities as “good

Fresh from causing trouble in the neighbourhood. neighbours”. The University’s response of reminding us to behave and looking for the exact culprits is the correct one; it is good that no parties involved have called for any punishments to be directed against students in general. The University has invested in extra security guards, on patrol for longer periods of time, and has contributed money to an increased police presence. Taking into account all that

we do for the city, as students, and considering the efforts that the University is making to put a stop to any harmful behaviour, perhaps our neighbours could be a little more easy-going if we are a bit too lively after a night out, for this one week of the year. After all, they frequently benefit from living in the vibrant, bustling university city of Sheffield – a city that would not be anywhere near as lively without its 55,000 students.

Cartoon: Mark Mackay While the antagonistic actions of a few people during Freshers’ Week should be condemned, residents in the area need to keep sight of the fact that most of us make an effort to become part of the local community, rather than a nuisance to it. We should all be able to enjoy Freshers’ Weeks to come without losing sight of the fact that we’re at University to get a degree, not an ASBO.

Satisfaction survey shambles Builders fail iQ test

By Craig Purshouse Despite the return to lectures and freezing weather, there is one reason to celebrate. According to the National Student Survey, we are the 28th most satisfied students in the country, scoring an admirable 87 per cent. Compare that with Leeds (76th) and Manchester (84th).

We are also a respectable 22nd in The Times’ Good University Guide. But do these league tables accurately reflect how great our University is? The NSS process can be easily manipulated and is wholly subjective because it is voted for by students at each institution. Let’s not forget the recent scandal at Kingston University where a lecturer told students to give it a better rating than they thought it deserved, in order to boost Kingston’s position in the table. The Kingston lecurer made the valid point that a university that does well in league tables has better respected degrees, so doing down your university could lead to devaluing your own degree. While Kingston was the only institution that was caught

openly saying this, most students will be doing it without any need for prompting. After all, nobody wants their university to be the least satisfying in the country.

The NSS can be easily manipulated and is wholly subjective Alternatively, some students may be overly harsh, which is perhaps why establishments with good reputations such as Bristol, Imperial and LSE did not do particularly well. The University of Sheffield has much to be proud of, including our ranks in these tables; but the results are flawed and should not be taken as a a perfect account of satisfaction.

By Suey Robinson Moving in with friends is an exciting prospect for everyone. Plans will be made for moving in parties, late night chats, and much more. So clearly the people who were expecting to move into the iQ Steel building this semester are in for some disappointment. The new accommodation was

not completed after the building contractors pulled out. Whilst the students have been given a full refund if they wish to find their own accommodation or the option of living in another brand new building in a similar area, their education and lives have clearly been disrupted. People may already be having financial difficulties and they should not have to pay extra for services which they were expecting to be included. Newly-arrived international students have already had the anxiety of travelling hundreds of miles to come to the University of Sheffield. They do not need to be put under more stress. We can but hope that everything will run smoothly once the new construction team starts work on finishing off the iQ Steel building.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

Editorials Respect residents, and one another Students have been in the stocks for the last few weeks, riding out the media frenzy of initiation ceremonies in light of the revelations regarding the University of Gloucestershire, and the anti-social behaviour issues which we have encountered at a more local level. It’s important to keep a sense of perspective in situations like this. In both instances, and I think that this holds not only for Sheffield but universities across the land, it only takes the unfortunate actions of a misguided minority to sully everyone’s reputation. Equally, I believe that these actions derive more from temporary lapses in common

sense rather than premeditated idiocy. Drawing a line in the sand as to where a bit of joking around stops and genuine intent arises is virtually impossible, particularly because any incidents should be looked at on a case-by-case basis rather than from an inflexible, objective standpoint. The Union of Students, as well as the University and the NUS, have reminded students of their social responsibilities more than once over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully it will now become more apparent than ever that a student status is not a licence to roam free without due consideration for others.

The start of another academic year meant that it was only a matter of time before a spate of burglaries took place. Student houses are favourable targets because criminals know that they are likely to find expensive goods such as laptops, mobile phones, music players and games consoles which they can quickly sell on. Without painting the student community as naïve and vulnerable, it is important not to be complacent about becoming the victim of this sort of crime. For many young people it is their first time living away from home, and

security may not be a predominant concern. Multiple occupancy houses mean that noises can go undetected or windows can be carelessly left open, and students in halls of residence will not necessarily be able to recognise one another yet to a sufficient extent to pick out anyone that shouldn’t be in their buildings. Whilst there is no need for a vigilante crusade against people that may only be committing the crime of looking slightly shifty, it is worth remembering to be a little bit more cautious, especially in view of recent events.

Do we need a new Union building? Most people would probably say no, I think; after all, if we are already the leading Union in the country according to the NUS, why should we bother? Well, staying at the top is

all about being ahead of your competitors, and the exciting plans for the future of the Students’ Union, both in its design and its principles, look like keeping us on top of the pile in generations to come.

By Victoria Trow

But for international students the price of pursuing a career in their chosen industry is high. The typical international student tuition fee for one year of study at the University of Sheffield is £13,050 whereas UK students only pay £3,145. This is an astronomically large amount, and the source of many well-justified complaints that universities use international students as cash cows. For an international student these fees are only cut by up to 50 per cent, despite the fact they do not attend university for the year they are paying them. Jason Wong, an international student, studying at Sheffield and currently taking his placement year, is paying 21 per cent of the £13,050 sum which equates to £2,740, Some of his fellow students have paid up to 50 per cent. The Mechanical Engineering

Keep security in mind at all times

Vision 2012 will see Sheffield stay top

COMMENT

The military are not responsible for politics

By Kyle Christie I’ve never wanted anything to do with the Army. The gruelling training and a somewhat macho culture has never held much appeal for me. I did go paintballing once, and that just hurt. Subsequently, I’ve never been inclined to join the OTC (Officer Training Corps) or any such organisation. But then again, I’ve never wanted to partake in the Dodgeball team or the Medieval Re-enactment Society either. Having said this I’ve no problem if other students want to; after all, the sheer number of activities available at the University is something to celebrate and be proud of. However, a group calling itself ‘Kick ’em Off Campus’, who are campaigning for groups such as the OTC to be banned from the University, apparently do not share the same sentiments. With the objective of countering what it claims is the increasing “militarisation of our University campus”, the anti-war group are also aiming to force the University to cut its ties to the defence industry. A similar campaign at UCL (University College London) last year was successful but resulted in an uproar from the wider student population. There has long been an antiwar presence on our campus, but never before has it been coupled with opposition to an organisation which offers a chance to earn money, undergo useful training and help with community projects. It is worth remembering that members of the OTC do not have

Territorial Army recruiters are facing protests about their presence. to join the Army after graduation, can leave at any time and are “neither trained nor liable for mobilised service”. A campaign to ban the OTC would achieve little more than restricting the activities that students can undertake. An ideological vendetta surely cannot be sufficient grounds to justify this. The variety of political opinions one encounters at university is to be welcomed, but forcing these down people’s throats is not. Would the same group wish

to ban Conservative Future or Labour Students on the grounds that the political parties they associate with were pro-war? The Government takes decisions on the use of the military and it is against them, and not fellow students, that any political opposition should be directed. In this case politics is no excuse for attempting to prevent students from engaging in the activities they want to. I’m all for a politically-engaged student population, but this campaign has grossly misplaced its targets.

Tuition fees for a year in employment are unfair

The prospect that a student should have to pay tuition fees during a placement year or year in industry is unquestionably wrong. They are working and living away from university and home. They are paying rent for accommodation and living expenses to gain experience in industries with skills shortages.

student has become disgruntled by the fact that he pays all of this money, with the assumption being that the University would regularly follow up his progress and closely monitor him and his two classmates working at the same establishment. He argues that many other

When working away on placement there can be no justification for paying universities offer this close monitoring and support to students on placement to ensure they gain as much as possible from the experience. Wong obviously feels like he is paying for nothing because he is not in Sheffield to use University facilities and no attempt has been made to provide any services to him whilst he is away working in industry.

In all fairness it seems like he is paying for thin air. Where does this money go? Students throughout the country have to pay the £3,145 for the privilege of studying. Even if it is only six hours of contact time a week. We pay these fees whilst we are studying here, but when working away on a placement which could be hundreds of miles from the University, getting an experience of something more real world than just writing essays, there can be no justification for paying. So why should any one member of the

student body have to pay such absurdly big amounts just for the privilege of no discernible services or facilities? In a perfect world tuition fees would be non-existent and we would be able to avoid pushing our bank cards further into the great void called debt for just six measly hours a week. However the word ‘perfect’ is always just a distant dream in the quagmire of student finance. But the University could take at least some measures to either provide something in return for the money these people pay, or just stop charging them at all.

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Initiations: Fair game or foul play? By Daniel Baird The majority of us have seen it during our time at University. It’s a Wednesday night and Bar One is at bursting point with sports clubs cheering amongst a gaggle of mid-week revellers. By the early hours of Thursday morning you need to hitch up your hems to wade tentatively through the murky waters by the Fusion and Foundry toilets as the sleek, toned (you probably need to use your imagination there) and war-painted members of the University’s sports teams embrace their latest best friend. Following the recent revelations of undignified and intimidating initiations into sports clubs at the University of Gloucestershire, universities all over the country are beginning to review the way in which these introductory socials are conducted. Footage from a rugby club social exposed a senior player marching newbies with plastic bags on their heads through Cheltenham before ordering them to drink sickening amounts of alcohol. The incident, filmed during Freshers’ Week 2007, has courted all the more controversy because the dictatorial social leader was attired in military officer uniform and sporting a swastika armband as he roared orders at new

Most students involved in sport are not subjected to debauched socials recruits. The Journalism student who filmed the event admitted that her initiation into the University of Gloucestershire’s women’s hockey team was an uncomfortable ordeal. The social involved the girls having their bras stuffed with raw fish, which they later had to eat. Following the appearance of these disclosures from the University of Gloucestershire, NUS President Wes Streeting released a statement taking an uncompromising approach to socials of this nature. “We are totally opposed to student initiations, and we strongly encourage all students’ unions to ban them. They put students at serious risk and exclude students who don’t want to take part in that binge-drinking culture.” Binge-drinking culture is an issue that appears regularly in the media, not only in relation to universities but Britain generally. Many role models in British sport are at the top of their game whilst also indulging in late nights; the hangover from which is all the more painful when the paparazzi have been circling. On the surface, sports team initiations seem mildly amusing

for the juvenile stupidity that is involved. Not only in the coercing of fellow students into drinking far more than is good for them, but also willingly being on the receiving end of such humiliating treatment. Initiations have however, when seriously considered, long been a dangerous and unnecessary fixture in higher education. In the autumn of 2006, a new student at the University of Exeter died having suffered alcohol poisoning during a golf club initiation. Initiations, or hazings, are a trend that became popular with fraternities and sororities at colleges in America who would regularly stamp their authority on new members. The unpleasant activities associated with it led to many schools banning hazing as early as the nineteenth century. At the University of Sheffield there has been mixed feedback in regards to sports club initiations. One postgraduate recalls that whilst being introduced to University sport he, as the ‘lad’, had to keep up with his ‘dad’ at the bar. The peer pressure of the evening still angers him as he was pushed to become so drunk that he fell and broke his nose before he had even got to the concourse ahead of the Wednesday night out at the Students’ Union. A student who works in Bar One said that the scenes on the sports night after Freshers’ Week this year were appalling. “One boy was so drunk that he could barely lift his head off the bar. Other members of his club lined up five shots of sambuca and five shots of tequila. Then they made him drink it. It was awful, I couldn’t watch.” One second-year English Literature student was stunned by the actions of sports team members at The Edge bar last year. She said: “They stood in a circle, and at first no one paid them any attention, but then they dropped their boxers and started playing with themselves. I guess the idea was that the first person whose embarrassment got the better of them was the loser and had to buy the first round. Bar staff and security made a move to stop them and they pulled up their pants and waddled out.” Others who have been involved in sports teams, however, state that their experiences of initiations at our University have not been sinister affairs. One member of the Ultimate Frisbee club, when talking about her initiation, said: “It was pretty uneventful. Just boat

races and a three pint challenge, which involved drinking three pints from a Frisbee through a straw in the fastest time.” An American Football player at the University also stated that the

initiation socials were pretty low key. “We don’t really have anything. We always think about it but nothing ever materialises.” It would seem that although most students involved in sport are not subjected to debauched socials, unsightly activities still occur at the University. No one could sincerely say that there is anything remotely enjoyable about drinking to the point where our health is at risk. It is bad enough that we push our limits through our own irresponsibility without others shouting abuse in our ears. The attention and disapproval that has appeared so prominently is largely related to the domineering attitude and harassment that has existed in recent years. Our sports clubs

The social involved the girls having their bras stuffed with raw fish have a lot to be proud of and the camaraderie involved is something that everyone at the University recognises emanates from the hearty socials. It has become apparent, however, that the initiations in question are considerably damaging to the sports clubs, not only in relation to the players who turn their backs as a result but crucially the funding that the clubs may also miss out on.

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Fish, chips & Bean Forge Press meets Sean Bean. In a fish & chip shop.

By Kate Dobinson Sashaying past a brimming barrel of greasy chip fat whilst holding a dictaphone loftily above its swirling contents is not the typical setting for meeting with a major Hollywood star. But then why wouldn’t Sean Bean, whose other commitments include commandeering Gondor’s army and fiercely supporting Sheffield United, be inclined to nibble the odd chip or two at the Broomhill Friery? Whilst stopping off at his nephew’s fish and chip shop, Bean chats to us about the meaning of life, amongst other things. Your filmography is an extensive list and so the multitude of roles that you take on suggests that you’re quite the chameleon. Would you say that versatility is the essence of your acting self? I like to diversify in the roles that I play and I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to do that throughout the majority of my career. I’ve just been playing a character in a production called Red Riding which is for Channel 4 in Leeds where I play a steel magnate from the 1970s. It’s set in 1974, it’s a trilogy, it goes to 1980 then 1983, so that was quite an interesting character to play. Then I played [pauses] I’m just trying to remember what I’ve done this year! Pretend you’ve just taken a large dose of fish oil to enhance the memory; is there a favourite role amongst the heroes and villains, the semirugged and just plain wild looking characters? I’d probably have to say Sharpe in the sense that I’ve grown up with it really since 1992. I’ve been playing that character on and off up to the present day. Villains are very good characters to play, they’re very interesting characters psychologically. In the Patriot Games, The Island, Bond, they’re all very interesting but very different villains - no two villains are the same. You reportedly have a scar from Mr. Ford upon your forehead; do you ever take anything else as a souvenir? Hobbit hair? A snippet of Orlando’s chest hair perhaps? Or maybe you don’t have a thing for hair. It was a long time ago – 1990, 18 years ago! It was great with Harrison Ford, yeah, he lived up to all expectations. He’s a good guy, quite a tough guy, you know: he got stuck in with the fights, and we had a good time playing that. I’ve got things like my sword from Sharpe and my uniform. I tend to just collect things, not surreptitiously. So do you ever wear Sharpe’s uniform around the house? Not really. You said not really… [Laughs] No course not. No. Definitely not. No.

The many faces of Sean Bean: (from left) with Broomhill Friery employee, Julia Hill; in ITV’s war-time drama, Sharpe; (top right) alongside James Bond as 006 in Goldeneye; (bottom right) as Boromir in Lord of the Rings. (Main pic) Tucking into fish and chips at the Broomhill Friery. Photos (far left & main): Olivia Lightfoot

Do you agree with Samuel Johnson’s observation that “men think meanly of themselves for having not been a soldier”? Is that why you became involved in the Napoleonic war sagas? Well it is very ‘boys’ own’ stuff, some of it’s tongue in cheek, some of it is historically factual in the sense that we did the battle of Waterloo and various other battles accurately. But you know it’s just something that’s great fun to do for me, I wouldn’t say that I would

want to be a soldier, no, but I get to ride horses and have sword fights and always kind of, well, win [laughs]. Whilst you were playing Alec Trevelyan in Goldeneye, did you ever want to play 007 instead? I’d rather be Sharpe really! Sharpe could beat the shit out of James Bond if they had a fight one day, which will never probably happen. I was never in the frame for Bond because I was doing Sharpe at the time in Russia. I was quite pleased to play 006 in Goldeneye. But you play that part and you finish it and you get away and you’re not tied down to any future productions. Do you tend to choose characters which have some significance to you? You were cast some time ago in the ITV production of Henry VIII; did your choice have something to do with the fact that he is a fellow Yorkshireman? I suppose it helped, I didn’t have to learn an accent! It was a good role in a good production, and he’s a really good character, Sir Robert Ask, he was quite an important figure in English social history. I’ve played American characters and South African characters, characters where you have to learn accents. I always find it especially interesting and satisfying to play a character from my home county of Yorkshire.

Sharpe could beat the sh*t out of James Bond if they had a fight Would you say that the Hollywood circuit is second best to Sheffield then? I prefer living here, I’ve lived in LA and worked in lots of different cities in America but I prefer being here. The productions we stage over here are far superior and they have a message and they have a meaning. In terms of money it’s not so great. That’s where the big bucks are, in America. Well it used to be, I think that’s sort of panning out now, a lot of American producers are coming here because they realise that there is a lot of talent, not only in actors but also in the production, cameramen and film crews over here who are particularly skilled technicians. Do you believe that is something which needs to be paid more attention and tapped in to? It always does really, I think they’re doing Robin Hood but I think Russell Crowe is playing him. He’s from Sheffield isn’t he really? Robin Hood not Russell Crowe! I think it’s difficult times at the moment; people are not prepared to invest their money in many things. Over here I think you can observe more, and you meet and deal with real characters every day in every day life. You can sometimes get a bit lost in Los Angeles, it’s a kind of fairy tale world. To get down to reality then; what do you sing in the shower? I do sing in the shower. Probably ‘Strangers in the Night’, not intentionally it just seems to come out that way. What’s the best invention in the world? Sheffield United. Well we invented football didn’t we! I don’t know, I suppose film and television maybe. The meaning of life? Monty Python.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

studentmediaday2008 Interested in a career in the media? Involved in student media? Want to expand your knowledge of the industry and improve your skills base? This unmissable event will host a series of talks from professionals within the media industry. Throughout the day youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn how the industry works, how to hone your skills and how to carve out a career in the media. Speakers include: Ross Fletcher (BBC), Dan Morfitt (Kerrang! Radio), Matt Withers (Media Wales), Matthew Schofield (Capital Radio), Margaret Hicks (Press Association)

Saturday 18th October 10am-3pm Fusion, Union of Students Tickets ÂŁ3 from the Union Box Office

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Gabriella Cilmi: Nothing Kylie & Jason about me By Kimberley Long This year has seen a resurgence of singers with more soul in their tunes than swagger in their dance moves. From the ’60s tinge of Duffy to the heartbreaking lyrics of Adele, they’ve had the sky high record sales to prove it. So here enters Australian teenager Gabriella Cilmi (her distinctive surname, pronounced ‘chill me’ for those who still don’t know, is thanks to her Italian heritage). With pixie features and school girl charm she was soon winning over the hardest of critics. Making her British TV debut on Later with Jools Holland late last year, Cilmi showcased her distinctive fractured vocals and established herself as a huge new talent to be reckoned with. As the cold winter days were left behind us her debut single ‘Sweet About Me’ drifted in on the summer breeze. With Cilmi’s coy statement that there was nothing sweet about her, it was soon on radio play lists across the country and peaked in the UK charts at number six. This was soon followed by her album Lessons to be Learned, a collection of endearing but soulful tracks which charted in the top 10 over the summer. Despite achieving chart success at such a young age, stardom has taken its time in coming. Having signed a record deal in her early teens her album has been three years in the making. “It’s weird listening back to the album because there’s

some vocals on there that were recorded when I was thirteen,” says Cilmi. Anyone listening to it would be hard pressed to find them in amongst her smooth sound that is surprisingly sophisticated for her young years. Like every young female singer around at the moment Cilmi has been subject to countless comparisons to everyone’s favourite tabloid fodder, Amy Winehouse. While it has been mainly complimentary (think great voice and timeless tunes, rather than slightly mental behaviour and scary weight loss) Cilmi is fairly bewildered by it all: “I’m forever reading things that say ‘Gabriella Cilmi says she is not the new Amy Winehouse.’ It does get annoying to be compared to someone all of the time, but she is a great artist so

it’s not too bad”. But becoming the industry’s new Mrs Fielder-Civil was the last thing on Cilmi’s mind: “I didn’t know who she was when I was recording my album,” she admits, without the faintest hint of irony.

You probably do more photoshoots than you do live performances With her apparent coke snorting exploits and dramatic love life, we can hardly be too surprised that artists such as Winehouse may be becoming more famous for her late night antics than her musical talents. It seems though, that even someone as relatively ‘normal’ as Cilmi has received her fair share of press interest. The often demanding attitude of the British tabloids is something that she has already had plenty of experience with: “I was in this car coming back from a venue once and they opened the door while I was in the car which was really weird”. She remains tightlipped about her private life, leaving the press with plenty of room to speculate. “They published this photo of me and my keyboard player walking out of a venue where we were playing a gig. That was pretty funny. “I had my family ringing me up saying: ‘Who’s that?’ It’s like ‘sorry, it’s really not that exciting. It’s just my keyboard player.’” Gabriella already has plenty of experience touring, supporting the Sugababes on their last UK tour and with James Blunt and Rufus Wainwright in her native Australia. “I loved touring Australia with James Blunt because I played venues like the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. It’s one of the biggest venues in Australia to play so that was really special for me.” Touring with such musically diverse artists has demonstrated the wide scope of Cilmi’s appeal, and has built her a fan base that crosses the generations and the

genres, with even the ever temperamental Liam Gallagher admitting to ‘Sweet About Me’ being one of his tracks of the summer. This young lady is not to be easily pigeonholed. As she turns 17 this month Cilmi will embark on her first UK solo tour. She is l o o k i n g forward to finally doing what she became a musician to do: play live music. “You probably do more photoshoots than you do live performances. I didn’t expect that at all,” laments the highly photogenic teenager. “I can’t wait to finally get out on the road and play some music”. So what can fans expect from the tour? Well, with musical influences veering towards Led Zepplin and her fellow Aussies Jet, expect more guitars than the bubble gum pop of Kylie and Jason. “In Australia, we have this image of pop as miming on TV shows,” she says with the slightest hint of derision. “We’re planning a few cover versions for the tour that we’ll change every night. All I can really say is there might be a bit of Johnny Cash thrown in there”. So what does she think of the cities she’ll be visiting on her tour? “It’s cool to be able to play gigs in places like Sheffield, so many great bands have come out of that city”. With a stack load of chart success already to her name and a new album currently in the works, it seems that the sounds of Miss Cilmi will be filling the airwaves for some time to come. But if pop stardom had never come beckoning there was always a back up plan: “I used to say I was going to be a museum tour guide if I couldn’t do this.” Anyone for whom Lessons to be Learned was the soundtrack to a lazy summer afternoon will be thankful that ultimately it was the music career that won.

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Artwork: Kate Carson

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

FEATURES I see a fat, ugly girl. What do you think society’s role in eating disorders is? I think that society is partly to blame for the extent that eating disorders reach in part but not to blame completely. Weight is so frequently tossed around like some sort of ball, everyone talks about it don’t they? Magazines don’t make it any better. One week you see a celebrity who’s painfully thin and they are saying they should get help. The next week, they are doing another story on another celebrity who may have put on 14 pounds maximum but are being scrutinised for letting themselves go. This has to have some sort of damaging effect on people. If you were to diagnose yourself, would you say you are suffering from an illness? I am not sure. I have been told that I have anorexia for such a long time that I just accept it now.

There is a high possibility I won’t be able to have children

Living with an eating disorder

By Clare McPartland “My stomach is back flipping with the thought of going to the store. I’m only going to get Diet Coke but it’s full of food and I’m scared in case I fuck up, surrender to myself.” This is just one of the bulletins Lily posted on her MySpace today. She’s 19 and suffers from anorexia and severe depression. Over the course of a few days, Lily and I exchange emails, and she bravely tells me the truth about living a life with an eating disorder. When did everything start for you? My first ever counselling session was at the age of eight. I saw a psychologist because my parents were beginning to worry about my mood. I was diagnosed with mild depression and put into various therapy groups and also saw a psychologist for about six months. Things with my mood levelled out and it wasn’t too difficult for quite a while. How did things develop after that? Food has always played a very big part in my life and in the family. From a very young age I remember being forced to stay at the table until my plate was completely cleared. This caused me to have a lot of resentment towards food. I used to hide it in disgusting places like behind the fridge, I’d throw it out of the window, or put it into food bags and wait until I could throw it away. The first time I remember making myself vomit, I was nine years old. I was badly bullied throughout school and at first, I made myself throw up as a way of being able to stay off school. I realised I could expand on this “idea” and use it to

get food out of my body. I started to purge every so often, it didn’t get to being every single day for a long while. Was there a key moment when you think it got serious? I am not even sure of when it actually became a big problem. I do remember when I was being measured for an outﬁt for a dancing competition and I was no longer the smallest in the dance class. I was so distraught. I started to really think I was fat then. I was taken into hospital at the age of 13 and kept in there to be tube fed for a while. I did take it out on a few occasions until they threatened for me to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. I then started complying with my treatment and medication. When they had gotten me up to a ‘more healthy’ weight, I was taken into an Adolescent Psychiatric Unit and I remained there for nine months. I underwent serious therapy sessions, group therapy, art therapy and one-to-one sessions.

I know deep down that if I keep on with this then it may kill me What was it like there? Eating while in there seemed like hell. After meals, I was not allowed to walk, I had to be taken from the table to my room and then I had to be watched on bed rest. This was so that they could see that I wasn’t vomiting or over-exercising. Over the next several years, I was in and out of hospital for my anorexia, self-harming and uncountable suicide attempts, the last of which was two months ago now. If you’ve made progress recovering, what’s knocked you back? Not long after I was discharged

from hospital, I was sexually assaulted and this sent me spiralling right back out of control. This made me detest the thought of recovery. I was “healthy” and optimistic but when that happened, everything just seemed so bleak. It seemed like whenever I was healthy, bad things kept happening to me. How does your eating disorder affect relationships, both with friends and romantically? In relationships, I find it extremely difficult, especially when it starts to get intimate. I haven’t had a relationship in a long time. I don’t like people to see my body because I am so ashamed of it. Also, I have a lot of scars from slitting my wrists and various other self harm scars all over my body. I hide these on a daily basis because I am scared of people commenting on them. I also find it hard to trust men in relationships because of my assault; sexual relationships are particularly difficult for me. It is hard for me to go out and meet friends because I won’t eat out. Aside from not eating out, do you avoid other things because of your eating disorder? Yes, all the time. I won’t go to friends’ houses because of my fear of many types of food. I won’t eat fast food. I won’t eat anything without knowing how many calories is in it. Never ever will I go out if I am meant to be exercising. It interferes in more areas of my life than I could even begin to tell you. Describe your average day. My average day would be a 7am start. I’ll brush my teeth, weigh myself, exercise, weigh myself again and eat a maximum of 500 calories – on a bad day. Also, take uncountable diet pills, appetite suppressants and such. When you look in the mirror what do you see?

I then move the topic on to the issue of online social networking sites, which are used by people with health problems; including those with eating disorders. This is how I found Lily, her proﬁle mixed in with thousands of others, used by people who post intimate details of themselves. They let anyone with access to their page know all about their eating habits, their weight, methods of hiding their behaviour from friends and families and perhaps most shockingly, putting up pictures of themselves scarcely clothed, allowing people to comment on their bodies. I stumbled across these sites accidentally, unaware of the scale that pictures of celebrities were worshipped, and brutally honest accounts of people’s behaviour and lives were splashed across the web. I wanted to know more about what Lily felt about this community; why she used it and if she thought it helped or hindered her anorexia. Do you feel that the social networking site to which you belong is part of a positive or negative community? I feel that as long as people are there to give support to the people that are asking for it, it can be a very healthy place. However, there are many people on there who are out to promote the unhealthy areas of this illness. For example, giving “diet tips”, or “thinspiration” (pictures of very skinny people used as motivation, or inspiration) among other things. Many of the uses of the sites refer to anorexia as ‘Ana’ and bulimia as ‘Mia’, almost turning the disorders into real people. What do you think of these terms? I hate those terms. I feel that they are a little like slang words that have adopted a whole new meaning. The words are horrible abbreviations that are often used to refer to a person instead of a mental health problem. For example; “Ana has been horrible today. She has been telling me how fat and disgusting I am...” Do you think things like this and the sites in general almost glamorises aspects of eating disorders? I don’t think that it glamorises eating disorders in any way really. Not if the people that you are talking about are there to listen and to support you.

However, there are some things that are said and done that really do try to glamorise them. I don’t really understand how something like this could ever be glamorous but I guess some people have some sort of illness that makes them see it this way. In my opinion, it certainly isn’t an eating disorder. There are features on some websites such as ‘truth boxes’, a place where users of the site can leave comments without you knowing who left them. One girl I spoke to said comments have been so horrible they’d caused her to relapse. Have you had any nasty experiences with people? Yes, I have had some horrid encounters with small-minded people who have really no interest in even learning about eating disorders. Comments like: “Look at you! Eat a pie!”; or “You’re fat, lose twenty pounds”, really don’t help and they do hurt. How do you feel knowing a large number of people have access to very intimate photos of yourself? I don’t mind it so much. Most of them will never meet me; those pictures are mainly there for me. I don’t really understand how I feel about this myself to be honest. I don’t see them as being intimate though; they are very personal but not intimate. Some of the pictures of you have up to 20 or 30 comments from people. Do you comment on peoples’ photos and encourage them to keep losing weight? No, never ever would I ever do that. I don’t encourage people to have eating disorders and the one thing that makes me happy is when someone makes the amazing decision to recover.

After meals, I had to be taken from the table to my room to be watched Do you have any friends with an eating disorder or do you only know people online who suffer from them? There are some people on MySpace that I do consider as real friends. I talk to some of them about things other than eating disorders. However, I think that they will never truly understand the comfort that I ﬁnd when I am talking to people about things that I don’t talk to many other people about. It makes me feel so much less lonely and more normal. I would never ever recommend these sites to anyone. It can be very unhealthy to some people and I feel that they don’t realise this until they are too far into it. I decide to ask Lily about the future; where she sees it going and where she would like it to go. I wonder if she thinks anorexia will be with her forever, and ask if she thinks she’ll ever be truly rid of it. One day, maybe it will leave me, but that will take a conscious decision on my part. I doubt that I will ever fully recover from this though. How do you feel about the fact that your eating disorder could kill you? I try not to think about this, I won’t let it go that far. I do understand that eating disorders do kill, but I won’t get to that point. Describe your perfect future. I would love to be able to look in the mirror and like what I see, feel comfortable and not have food control my whole life.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

LIFESTYLE

Toast and tea with t-shirts, tickets and art: hold the sugar By Sarah Barns Shopping these days combines a generic mix of high street attire with the clichéd use of vintage for the creation of that ‘individual’ look. Toast, tucked away in the Forum on Division Street, is breaking away from the norm and offering shoppers something a little different to tickle their retail taste buds. Toast is independently run and independently owned by Richard Ledger, aged 23. Rich wants to educate the masses and teach them that there is “more to shopping than Topshop and H&M.” In order to do this, Toast showcases t-shirts and art from numerous independent local and

It aims to appeal to students and clothing buyers with a conscience international underground artists and designers. To get people involved Rich spent many weeks trawling social networking sites for artists and fashion designers. He described everyone that got involved as “extremely enthusiastic and happy to take part.” Rich wanted to ﬁll a gap in Shefﬁeld by providing a space for independent, up-and-coming

Photo: Richard Ledger

Toast, located in The Forum on Division Street. designers, such as Concrete Hermit and Royal Stock, to show off their work. Rich praises these designers,

saying: “The quality of prints, quality of design and quality of products gets better every season.” Toast aims to branch away from the repetitive, trend-chasing nature of high street chains.

The giant outline of a piece of toast on the back wall is striking and eye-catching

Hot or not?

The Toast wall.

Tartan D&G and McQueen splashed it all over their catwalks recently. It’s been revamped and sexed up and luckily you won’t look like a Scotsman in a kilt. Verdict: Hot

Photo: Richard Ledger

It aims to appeal to students and “clothing buyers with a conscience.” The shop isn’t ‘anti high street’ but pushes the boundaries on shopping expectations. It sells all sorts of treats and novelties from t-shirts and tote bags, to art, club tickets, and tea. The prices are extremely competitive with those on the high street, with t-shirts ranging from £18 to £28 for limited edition pieces. Comparing this with the massproduced £25 tees in Topshop may encourage you to branch out in

Christmas Shops are putting up their decorations, adverts are on the TV and Christmas jingles can be heard approaching from the distance. It’s October. Verdict: Not

Meadowhall Fashion shows, a new free personal stylist service and an appearance from Gok Wan. Head down between October 16-18 to join in. Verdict: Hot

your shopping tastes. There are about twelve brands in the shop at the moment, giving the consumer a wide variety of designs and styles to choose from. The design of the shop itself is quirky. The giant outline of a piece of toast on the back wall is striking and eye-catching. The art exhibition on the wall also gives the shopper something more interesting to look at than big brand names cluttering up the place. Stand out pieces of art are by Michael Latimer and Phlegm, and they are well worth checking out as you browse around the shop. Rich is born and bred in Shefﬁeld and grew up in the Manor area of the city. He feels strongly about supporting local artists and designers and has encouraged the likes of Toddla T to jump on the Toast bandwagon. Rich’s ideal vision for the future is to “keep going, and attract many more names and brands into the shop.”

Henderson’s Relish Crisps A new flavour, handmade with natural flavours. A tasty way to enjoy the Sheffield landmark. Available at the Union Shop. Verdict: Hot

He would also rather “stay off the high street but stay in central locations such as arcades.” The plan is to open a t-shirt shop and café and have outlets in Shefﬁeld, Leeds ad Manchester. Rich says: “Ideally I want to be known as a solid, independent retailer.” Toast is also hosting a night called ‘Toast’s Special Sauce’ at Bungalows and Bears.

Stand out pieces of art are by Michael Latimer and Phlegm: check them out Rich describes this as a “pretty cool bar night of genre crossing music with a different mix of DJs.” Toast is now online. The website is still quite new but you can check out all sorts of things including music reviews and a daily blog by Rich. Check out the website at: www.cookedbread.com.

Kerry Katona She’s launching a new perfume in October that she says will be better than Jordan’s. She says it’ll make your boyfriend go: “Phwoar, come here!” Verdict: Not

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

LIFESTYLE

The dangers of not obeying student etiquette

Sixty Second Student By Sarah Barns

By Bethan Hill Etiquette. The unwritten laws by which we are governed. The word generally brings to mind thoughts of ladies of the Jane Austen era, sipping tea gently so as to be worthy of a man like Mr Darcy. You might think then, that etiquette is dead and buried. Certainly, we as students are not constrained by social norms, right? It might be the case that we’re no longer told what to wear, who to talk to and in which direction our little ﬁnger should be pointing, but there are still certain codes of conduct that students should abide by. For example, certain points of etiquette are necessary within the conﬁnes of the student house. Many of us know how annoying it can be when a certain housemate just refuses to wash up their dirty dishes. Or when someone cooks something particularly smelly. So in this case, try to be considerate of the kitchen space. Make as much mess as you want to in your room, but in the kitchen, it’s really best not to leave dirty dishes sitting around for more than a couple of hours. Moving from the kitchen to another communal area: the bathroom. This is another room where it’s best to keep things tidy. Try not to leave a shampoosplattered shower or a mouthwash stain around the sink. These crimes can usually be traced back to the perpetrator. And if you’re the only brunette in a house full of blondes, those brown hairs will always be traced back to you. Now to the bedrooms, where etiquette is a little different to that of the communal areas. It goes without saying not to make a mess in someone else’s room (but there, I’ve said it anyway).

Lee White is a 19-year-old Architecture student living in Ecclesall. If you could project yourself into the past, where would you go and why? Deﬁnitely back to the sixties, it’s where all the cool kids were. What do you consider the greatest threat to mankind? Man, of course.

Explore a variety of banks to get the best deal for your money.

If you were a professional wrestler, what would your ring name be? The Sponge. I would absorb the opponent’s power and strength and then defeat them.

Etiquette of the Jane Austen era even stated the correct way of drinking tea. In people’s bedrooms you need to look harder for what etiquette is appropriate. For example, does your ﬂatmate mind that you’re wearing shoes in her room? Is she comfortable having you lying on her bed? To work these things out you can usually tell by reading body language. If any sudden movements are greeted with awkward facial expressions, you’re probably making her uncomfortable.

Is your ﬂatmate comfortable having you lying on her bed?

And now to etiquette in polite society, otherwise known as lectures. You’ll be sitting in very close proximity to many fellow students so bear the following in mind. If you have a cold, take tissues. There’s nothing worse than a

What were you doing at midnight last night? Me and my house mates were competing on Mario Kart and having a heated debate about Superman.

sniffer. Sitting through an hour’s lecture is bad enough without believing that you’ll be leaving with the plague. The same goes for the library, or any public space where you’re likely to be heard. As for that other public space: the club, pub or ballroom, well, you’re likely to be told if you’re etiquette is out of order here. A little tipple can loosen even the tightest of lips.

What would you spend your last £5 on? A Starbucks drink just to be pretentious. What was the last lie you told? I don’t usually lie that much. Ha. Do you have any tattoos and piercings? When I become a professional wrestler I’m deﬁnitely getting ‘Sponge’ tattooed somewhere.

Lifestyle Review: Cocoa By Kari Bremner Every so often you come across a business that is about more than just sales and profit margins. Cocoa, a chocolate and confectionery shop situated on Ecclesall Road, is such a business; a shop that offers a sanctuary and a source of inspiration to its customers. You only have to flick through the first few pages of their customer comment book, entitled Dear Cocoa, to get a sense of the overflowing praise and love for the place that past visitors have had. Love may sound a strong word to use but this really is the level of feeling that their dedicated followers express. Anne White, co-owner of Cocoa with Kate Shepherd, explains to me, the feeling is mutual. She says their customers have become more than customers to them. Many are now firm friends. Perhaps the secret to the shop’s success lies in Anne and Kate’s passion for chocolate; an enthusiasm that goes beyond the

love of merely scofﬁng Dairy Milk and is concerned with the origins and artistry of the best chocolate money can buy. During their chocolate tasting sessions a ‘chocolate atlas’ is used to show you where the delights you are tasting actually come from and the girls hope soon to create the facilities to make their own home made chocolates. Now that’s dedication.

The ‘Butterfly Kingdom’ is a sumptuous boudoir of cushions and drapes Currently the shop consists of a chocolate counter and sweetie selection at the front, as well as a fabulous seating area crammed with chocolate-themed antiques (watch out for the gold fish amongst the crockery!) at the back. The ‘Butterfly Kingdom’ is a sumptuous boudoir of cushions and drapes. It is located upstairs and is used for chocolate tasting parties.

The scent of cocoa and parma violets greets and awakens your senses as you enter the shop. The hot chocolate, comparable to that of Café de Flore in Paris, is a luxurious treat and with the soothing trills of the Ámelie sound track playing in the background Cocoa transports you to a Francophile heaven. However, the experience is given a romantically English edge by the dainty tea cup and saucer the drinks are served in. The chocolate museum, artwork and library that surround you provide a feast for the eyes while your taste buds are more than entertained, particularly by the beautiful cup cakes. If this isn’t testament enough, then amongst the chocolate shop’s avid fans are the original owners who Anne and Kate bought the shop from two years ago, having worked there as students at Shefﬁeld Hallam. Anne tells me the previous owners are delighted with the continued ﬂourishing of Cocoa and the girls show no sign of slowing down on their chocolate crusade.

The chocolate and sweet paradise that is Cocoa.

Photo: Kari Bremner

LIFESTYLE

Diaries of a very noughties student

Dear diary, As my first entry of the year I’m sure you’re probably thinking it’s going to be all about my scandals and debauchery from Freshers’ Week: sex, sex, sex and all that. Well, sorry to disappoint. It is about sex, but more so about the lack of. Yes that’s right, go ahead and laugh; the Sex and Relationships columnist has lost her sex drive. I’m no stranger to a bit of fun and frolics at University, so when I realised my libido had dropped so far off the radar that sex on a plate with a cherry on top was not even remotely intriguing, I was both shocked and very sad. Being a single female exhibiting what I would call a very high sex drive, this realisation threw me into a state of denial. My denial came in the form of texting anyone who had a pulse and using what women really think of as our best friend. All to convince myself I was still horny, but still no luck; my sex drive equals none. Now I’m not too worried as I know the good old libido is one of the top sexual complaints amongst couples and singletons. I’ve had this problem before, but I was in a relationship back then so it was much easier to work it out with someone else. However, now being single, I must face these dark times alone. It seems the only option for singletons is to either go out on the pull and perhaps sleep around until our sex drives return, or to keep on pleasuring ourselves. For those of you who are in a relationship, count yourselves lucky, as you have the opportunity to not only work and gain back your sex drive, but it can lead to a much better sex life for the two of you. Believe me, I know. And as for yours truly, don’t worry about little old me, I’m sure it will be back in time before the next entry. I find the sex drive to be a bit like a bad memory from a one night stand, it always comes back.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

You are what you eat... Or are you? By Bethan Hill We have all become used to scary reports telling us that if we don’t start to eat ‘right’, we’re all doomed. And we all know that we should be eating certain things. Getting your five portions of fruit and vegetables has almost become a cliché. But how much are any of us doing about it? And with all the recommended dietary advice we are given, is it even possible? I decided to give it a try. For the last week I have been living (or rather, eating) the life of a virtuous nutritional guru to answer a few questions. It’s not a diet, it’s a health experiment. Firstly, is it possible to eat everything we are told to eat in a week? Is it easy? How does it fit in with a student’s lifestyle? First things first, I had to find out what I was supposed to be eating. For this I consulted the nutrition bible that is www. nutrition.org. uk, home of the British Nutrition Foundation. Here is where I found the rules I would be living by. These rules, in short, are the following: a) eat and drink more wholegrain s t a r c h y carbohydrates, like bread, rice and pasta b) eat more fruit and vegetables: five portions a day c) drink more water d) eat and drink

less sugar, salt, saturated fat and alcohol e) eat three portions of low fat dairy per day. A portion is equal to 200mls of milk or matchbox sized piece of cheese f) eat two portions of fish per week (one must be oily, like salmon or mackerel)

Getting your five portions of fruit and vegetables has almost become a cliché g) exercise five times a week for at least thirty minutes. Now I had my rules, I decided to devise meal plans for the week. Not being prepared doesn’t work when you’re eating a strict diet, as you have to plan how to get each individual nutrient group in. Sadly the rules suggest that yummy things like chocolate, crisps and biscuits are to be reduced, but I decided to cut them out completely. I ended up devising daily meal plans that looked something like this... B r e a k f a s t consisted of porridge with skimmed milk (that’s one of my dairy intake as well), honey (no sugar here), and raisins (that’s one of my five a day). With this a glass of orange juice (two of the five). Lunch was a brown bread sandwich with chicken and salad. Dinner was brown pasta with tinned tomatoes, mushrooms (three out of five), peppers (that makes four), and tinned salmon

Acceptable foods on the healthy eating regime. (there’s my oily fish). Sprinkle cheese on top and there’s another portion of dairy. Follow with a yoghurt and that completes my dairy quota. When I was feeling a little peckish I could snack on bananas (bingo – five portions of fruit and veg) and a packet of raisins (more raisins). I also scheduled in some swimming sessions to top up my daily walks to and from University. So, now it was time to see how I would fare. I went shopping the day before the challenge began to stock up. And here is where I encountered my first hurdle. My nearest food shop is a tiny Tesco Express which doesn’t stock any of the healthy items I wanted, so I had to head into town to Somerfield. A whole £35 later and

Porridge just isn’t an option when your head is banging with a hangover I had my supplies. The walk back to my flat, laden with shopping bags, was not particularly fun. I managed to get over the trauma though, and headed out for a night on the tiles, toasting goodbye to my life of sinful chocolate eating. When I woke up the next morning though I encountered another problem: the hangover. Porridge just isn’t an option when your head is banging and all you want to eat is a Pot Noodle. So I postponed the start of the mission to the following day, and

Photo: Bethan Hill

learned that if you want to eat healthily all the time, drinking to excess is not an option. However, when I got officially started the next day, I found it surprisingly easy. Knowing what I was going to eat in advance was definitely a plus as I didn’t have to put any thought into deciding. Having embarked upon a jampacked new postgraduate course, I found the food I was eating was helping to power me through my seven hour day. The food was all really tasty too, and I certainly haven’t missed anything like white bread or pasta. I won’t be rushing back to them either. I did have a couple of moments when, for convenience, I wanted to eat the nearest thing, which was usually a biscuit. But I persevered. Although I did eat a chocolate on Friday evening. Have mercy. But for the past week, I haven’t drunk any alcohol or let a refined carbohydrate pass my lips. I haven’t even had any chocolate (bar Friday’s Quality Street shaped slip-up). And how do I feel at the end of it? Was it all worth it? In my opinion, it was.It has made me realise that I don’t need to eat chocolate every day. Putting good stuff into your body makes you feel good, which makes you want to put bad stuff in a bit less. And now, to celebrate my week of virtuousness, I’m off to have a glass of wine and a chocolate bar. Old habits die hard, but it is the weekend, and if you can’t have the odd treat you’d go mad.

Student gadget round-up By Vicky Shaw & Hannah O’Connell The Info Scan This ultra-handy gadget will save you valuable time in the IC. Instead of scribbling pages and pages of notes for essay research, you can simply scan the text from books or journals using the Info Scan. This useful gadget can hold up to 500 pages of scanned text which you can directly download

onto your PC. It’s slightly pricey but at the size of a highlighter it is so much lighter to carry home than borrowing loads of books. Available for £89.99 from www. scanningpens.co.uk. Emergency Mobile Phone and iPod Charger If you’re sick of getting cut off mid-conversation or stuck with no entertainment on a boring bus journey then this gadget is for

you. This portable charger needs only one AA battery and will give you up to two hours extra time for both electrical devices. It’s small enough to carry round in your bag or pocket so you won’t get caught out again. Available for £9.99 from www. cooltoyz.co.uk The Beer Machine An ideal gadget for the perfect lads’ flat. It does exactly what

you’d expect - makes beer! It’s fairly pricey at £100 but between a group of five that’s only 20 quid each. Just think of all the money you would save throughout a year with 17 pints brewing per week. The Beer Machine produces delicious home brewed beer - all you have to do is add the included beer mix. Available for £99.99 from www. iwantoneofthose.com.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

TRAVEL

English Girl By Danielle Appleton Every fortnight Danielle will be reporting back to Forge Press Travel about her year abroad in Oregon, USA. I am now officially a student in America! There are not enough words in this article to fully explain how different it is here compared to Sheffield. For a country that speaks the same language as us there are a lot of differences when it comes to communication. My new friends don’t know what “trousers” or “corridor” means, and they look at me in a complete state of confusion when I say “It’s half past five” instead of “five thirty”. Certainly the biggest change for me has been getting used to sharing a dorm room. My roommate is called Kelsey and she is absolutely lovely but it is entirely new to me to not have

I love it, I’ve made so many friends simply because I’m from the UK any personal space at all. I have to tiptoe round my bedroom in the morning so as not to wake her up, turn the light off when she wants to sleep and listen to my music through earphones so as not to disturb her reading. Another big shock was to suddenly be underage all over again. After over two years of freely being able to walk into a bar and order a drink, I am now suddenly restricted to Pepsi and apple juices in the canteen. However, despite the cultural differences I love it here. I have made so many friends simply thanks to the fact I am from the UK. The Americans absolutely adore the English accent and I am constantly being asked to speak to random people just so they can admire it. The campus itself is amazing. It looks like it is straight out of a TV show. There are green spaces everywhere; people are constantly outside playing Frisbee, basketball or having barbeques on the field. It has been hard work adjusting to an utterly new culture, but I am so glad I am here, and right now I love being ‘The English Girl’!

The Pride of the South Coast By Caroline Vann Jones With the overdraft well and truly maxed out and nobody willing to offer me a job, the summer began to look pretty bleak. A couple of weeks into the holiday I had been forced to start living the dream vicariously through regular trips to the sun bed. It was therefore nothing short of a relief when my friend Joe announced that we were going on a budget break for his birthday to Brighton for the biggest annual event on the city’s calendar: Gay Pride. A week later we checked into the Walkabout hostel which was, whilst in the perfect location, absolutely disgusting. The

shower room looked like it had come straight out of Scream and there was a trail of vomit leading to our dorm. Once we were over the initial shock, we quickly got over it and decided to embrace the Pride atmosphere. The main events of Pride were scheduled to take place on Saturday but we arrived on the Thursday so that we were there for the run-up, which was undoubtedly the best part. The clubs were packed, but not completely rammed, and the atmosphere was electric. We spent our first night in a club called Revenge dancing to Kylie on repeat, downing Lambrini and watching lots of scantily clad men dancing on a podium. On Friday we headed for

City spotlight: Singapore By Caroline Vann Jones The Asian travel experience couldn’t get much better than Singapore. Going from staying in run down Thai hostels to suddenly drinking the original Singapore Sling in Raffles Hotel seems a little surreal, but alas this is just standard practice for those residing in this wealthy country. The Mount Faber Sentosa Cable Car trip is an unmissable part of the Singapore experience. It takes you from the mainland to Sentosa Island (where you’ll find the southernmost point of continental Asia), providing amazing 360 degree views of Singapore as you sit back and enjoy the ride.

In terms of places to stay, the Little India quarter cannot be beaten. It is full of quirky hostels and cheap eateries, therefore becoming a hotspot on the backpacker scene. Unfortunately, though, like most places there are low points, in this case the expense. To enjoy the majority of Singapore and all it has to offer, a lot of money is a necessity. The malls are amazing (despite the constant heckling), although the nightlife is limited for travellers, with most places being fairly clinical and full of pretentious businessmen. If you do have any extra cash a stay in cosmopolitan Singapore is not going to be something you’ll regret.

the North Laines which are narrow streets full of individual boutiques, cafés and bars. The Laines are an eclectic mix of so many styles and tastes and a major asset to Brighton.

The tanning potential is limited but there is plenty to do and see Walking around them I temporarily forgot I was still in this country as the atmosphere was different to anything I’ve experienced in England before. That night was noticeably busier, and our attempts to get back into Revenge were unsuccessful with queues out onto the road, so we drowned our sorrows in numerous gay bars along the beach front. We also managed to fit in a quick drink at our only non-gay stop of the weekend, a bar called Audio, and it was well worth it; cocktails, a fairy light lit terrace looking over the sea and some aesthetically pleasing barmen. Saturday was the legendary Gay Pride March. We were met by a trail of floats, thousands of people in costumes, loud music blaring, and, right in the heart of it all, a group of tedious antigay protesters who were failing dismally in their campaign. We followed the

procession, eventually finding our way to Preston Park, where the festivities continued in the form of a massive fair, a couple of ‘clubs’ set up in marquees and yet more people in drag. A few hours later we left to get ready for the night ahead. The main attraction of the evening was a gay night at music venue Concorde II, underneath the beach promenade. If you heed only one piece of advice about Pride, it is get everywhere early. We arrived at 11pm, and it was already one in, one out, and the queue wasn’t moving. This was the case in every other bar and club in Brighton on Saturday night and even shops had half an hour long queues out of their doors. We were left with no other options but to go and drink on the beach, which was fine, but a disappointing climax to the Pride weekend. The next day, hungover and all Prided out, we spent a couple of hours going on the rides at the famous pier before starting the long drive home to Bristol. Despite a couple of minor setbacks, Brighton turned out to be an amazing place to go for a short break. I must admit that the tanning potential is limited, but you won’t want to stay on the beach with so much else to do and see. I think Pride is a must for everyone at some point, but if that really doesn’t tempt you, this dynamic city alone should.

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

PUZZLES & HUMOUR

Coffee Break Insider Knowledge: Café Nova

CROSSWORD

By Kate Dobinson Café Nova is a superb little place of impish proportions. Concealed in the brick walls of Surrey Street, this understated Italian restaurant is home to the finest biscotti crème brûlée in all the land. A warm and comfortable glow bathes the small, intimate space with charming effect. This restaurant is the kind of place that you would spend a long and lazy evening in, drinking red wine and devouring quality food from the wide-ranging menu. What’s more, Café Nova lays claim to an array of clever and simple student deals that are unsurpassed by any other eatery. Mumbling ‘‘British summertime’’ at any point to your waiter during a meal this summer would have entitled you to a free dessert. Supposedly this was an adequate proclamation of love for the British summertime that the staff of Café Nova embraced wholeheartedly. Prior to this the keyword was

Great food and, if the dice roll in your favour, some great discounts. ‘‘Pavarotti,’’ in celebration of the late opera singer’s prodigious talent. This took a generous 15 per cent off the bill. Continuing deals are just as satisfactory for the student purse strings. Monday night promises you and your spouse/housemate/ mother two pizza or pasta dishes and a bottle of red or white wine, for an utterly astonishing £9.99. So even if your date lacks flavour, the food won’t, and the evening

does not even cost you more than a tenner. Furthermore, if you take the time to book a table you will be offered a dice when you ask for the bill. The number that the dice lands on is representative of the discount you receive. Kissing the dice, shaking it 10 times or whatever good luck ritual you have, may be useful in rolling a six for sixty per cent off your delicious meal.

Picture of the fortnight

Across

Down

1. Come into existence (9) 7. Desert plants (5) 9. Entice (5) 10. Paddles (4) 11. Pugilist (5) 14. Brass instrument (5) 15. Wood file (4) 18. Magical incantation (5) 19. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5) 20. The history of a word (9)

2. Profit (4) 3. Country (6) 4. Moderate (9) 5. Performer (5) 6. Pig pen (3) 8. Rotund (9) 12. Downhill ski race (6) 13. Lance (5) 16. Make a request (3) 17. Hard work (4)

Competitions £50 Tesco gift cards

Water Pol-ayaking: University of Sheffield students inventing a fresh aquatic game in front of The Dam House. See your pictures here. Email press.features@forgetoday.com or send a picture message to 07765363716.

SUDOKU

OVERHEARD IN SHEFFIELD In a Lecture First boy: But I want to have my cake and eat it! Second boy: No, you want to have your cake, eat it but also have a stripper jump out of it. First boy: You’re right. I want to have my cake, eat it and have what’s in my cake eat me. In Interval First girl: I like their stuff but I think it’s so irresponsible that they named themselves after Ecstasy. Second girl: Do you mean MDMA? First girl: Yeah, why? Second girl: Because the band’s called MGMT.

To celebrate the opening of the new Tesco Express store in Sheffield, Forge Press has teamed up with Tesco to give four lucky readers the chance to win £50 each in Tesco gift cards to spend in the new store on Barnsley Road, Sheffield. The new Tesco Express store opened on Thursday, October 2, when the store made £500 donations to Whiteways Junior School and Sheffield Hospital, who both came to cut the ribbon and officially launch the new store. Enter this competition and you could be stocking up on all your

Hed Kandi perfume & CDs To celebrate the launch of Eivissa, Hed Kandi’s first fine fragrance, Hed Kandi would like to offer three lucky readers the opportunity to win a sample of the brand new fragrance, plus a Hed Kandi CD. From the world of Hed Kandi comes Eivissa, a fragrance that captures the very essence of Ibiza. Like the best Hed Kandi club mix,

favourite products from Tesco. Your new Tesco Express store opens from 6am until 11pm, seven days a week. To be in with a chance of winning, simply send your answer to the question below, along with your name, address and telephone number, to forgepress@forgetoday.com by October 24. The first four correct entries drawn after the closing date will receive £50 in Tesco gift cards each. Question: Which two organisations did the new Tesco Express store donate to as part of their opening celebrations?

Eivissa (which means Ibiza in Catalan) is a magical blend of sexy, seductive, and opulent notes. The fragrance is available in Boots and The Fragrance Shop, priced £17.50 for 50ml bottle. For your chance to win email the answer the following question to forgepress@ forgetoday.com along with your name, address and telephone number. What does the fragrance name Eivissa mean in Catalan? Majorca, Ibiza or Menorca?

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

SPORT FEATURE

Sheffield graduate is F1 wheel spin doctor By Claire Lorenc For many, the dream of making it as a motorsport journalist often fails to turn into a reality. However, for the lucky few that do make it, there is the chance to travel the world to intensely follow what they truly love. That was the case for Alastair Moffitt, whose ambition and hard work finally paid off after graduating from the University of Sheffield in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. Eight years on and Alastair has risen to the dizzy heights of working for one of the leading car manufacturers in Formula One and travelling the world accompanied by some of the best racing drivers on the planet. Alastair explains how he managed to do it. “I work in the public relations department of Panasonic Toyota Racing, the Formula One team. I am responsible for all the editorial output from the team and I also work with my colleagues to set up interviews, liaise with the media and

prepare strategies. “At the track I work directly with our drivers and top management to meet the needs of the media. I travel to most Grand Prix events during a season and there are over 200 journalists on site at each race, so it is pretty busy but

very rewarding.” Furthermore, it seems like this kind of job has a lot to offer the former student, and Alastair believes it is great to be “travelling the world and experiencing the world’s most popular annual sporting event live every other week.” He cannot hide his glee at being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with and meet the likes of Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. He also works alongside 34-year-old Toyota driver Jarno Trulli, who has had eight podium finishes throughout his steady career, and loves the feeling of being part of a team.

It is an amazing feeling to stand in the garage when the cars fire up “It is an amazing feeling to stand in the garage when the cars fire up and head off for qualifying or the race. One thing which surprised me about this job is how rewarding it is to work in a team; the atmosphere and the camaraderie at the track are great, and if you’re having a tough day there is always someone around to cheer you up”. However, the job which seems ever so perfect does have some downsides. “Formula 1 is very demanding in terms of time and I spend a lot of time away from home, which can be difficult.” Alastair’s job means he travels the world regularly and spends most of his time outside of the UK. Now 29-yearsold, he currently lives in Germany, where the team is based. Yet Alastair still holds the Steel City close to his heart and looks back on his time at university with fondness. “I had a great time in Sheffield, first studying there and then living in the city for several years. It is an extremely friendly city and the people are generally pretty welcoming. “It is not a particularly pretentious city or university; more down to earth than some I have experienced. “I will always be very grateful for my experience there because without it I simply could not do what I do now. Journalism is a

Former student Alastair Moffitt (left), the Toyota F1 team in action (above). very particular skill, even if many people assume they could easily be a good journalist, and the support and advice given by my lecturers was invaluable.” It seems that Sheffield is also a good place for variety. Along with working towards his dream job in motorsport journalism, Alastair

Every aspiring journalist dreams of becoming a sports or music writer was in a band. “I used to be a drummer in a band called The Outpatients so I probably damaged a few eardrums over the years.” Good job he was so talented at writing. “I wouldn’t be doing what I do now if I hadn’t taken the journalism course at the University of Sheffield, it’s as simple as that. The Journalism department is well respected within the media and has a great relationship with the Press Association, which I am sure helped me when I applied to become a trainee at PA Sport.” Alastair also discussed how the University took the news of what he wanted to do with his life and how he was supposed to get there. “I have always had a passion for motorsport, and in particular F1, but one of the many important

lessons I learned at university was realism. “Pretty much every aspiring journalist dreams of becoming a sports or music writer but in reality it is quite rare to go down that route professionally. “I never expected to become a sports journalist, let alone travel the world covering Formula One and eventually move to work for a team. “I didn’t plan for my career to follow that path but it did and I’ve fulfilled more than a few lifetimes’ ambitions.” And that’s how it’s done. Finally, Alastair left some advice to students about pursuing their dreams, whether they are in Formula One or not. `“Generally you need three things to achieve your ambitions: hard work, experience and luck. Even if you’re the best qualified and most determined candidate, you probably won’t get the job without experience. “I worked part-time for PA first and then when I was fulltime I did motorsport reporting for them in my spare time – if I hadn’t there was no chance they would have trusted me to become a motor racing correspondent. “It goes without saying that without hard work, very few people achieve their targets, that’s obvious, and then you always need a bit of luck along the way.”

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

Boost for Uni cyclists The University of Sheffield Cycling Club has registered a record amount of new members, keen to emulate Team GB’s Olympic success in the Velodrome, writes Erin Heywood. The cycling club, captained by third year student, Simon Crossley, has adopted a new fitness regime this year, with members attending 7.30am spinning sessions at the Goodwin Sports Centre in a bid to improve the fitness of riders. The club’s first BUCS test will be in the Hill Climb event taking place on the October 25 in Derbyshire, where the University of Sheffield team will look to build on previous successes in the competition. Sheffield’s cyclists will compete in various disciplines over the year, with the club regularly holding cross country, down hill, BMX and Dirt Jumping rides in and around Sheffield.

BUCS in charity link

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) has announced a five year partnership with leading sport for development charity Right to Play, in a deal that will provide Britain’s university students with the chance to help worthwhile causes. The deal will see the creation of a ‘Pay for your Right to Play’ day on March 25, 2009, which will encourage students to donate £1 to take part in university sport. Following the launch, Right to Play and BUCS will undertake a recruitment drive to secure a Student Ambassador in every university and college in the UK. These ambassadors will be in charge of leading their university’s efforts to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

NEWS & COMMENT SPORT

Karen Rothery, Chief Executive at British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) said: “This partnership is the first of its kind for BUCS and over the long term will show how student sport can bring about social change in disadvantaged countries and the UK.”

Superbike invite for student

A University of Sheffield student has been offered a chance to ride in the Japanese Superbike Championships after moving to the country as part of a study abroad programme. Kath Sanderson, aged 21, combines her degree in Japanese Studies with motorcycle racing and has recently moved to the Japanese city of Okayama for a 12 month long study programme. Kath hopes to find time in her study schedule to ride on the world famous Suzuka race circuit and has been invited to the Japanese Superbike Championships next year by the Moriwaki race team. Kath has been racing for over six years and this year rode an Aprilia RS250 motorcycle for Team Feisty Racing, the only all-girl road race team in the country.

Sheffield gets its skates on

Sheffield will welcome some of the world’s top young figure skaters next week, as Ice Sheffield plays host to the four day John Curry International Ice Skating Grand Prix. Sheffield is one of nine host cities including Mexico City, Madrid and Cape Town, with the grand final taking place in Seoul in December. Skaters will compete in male and female figure skating events with the showpiece ice dancing competition also taking place. The event takes place at Ice Sheffield from Wednesday, October 15.

Mistakes must not go unpunished By Oliver Hughes Football fans pay good money every week, spending thousands of pounds a season travelling to watch their beloved team play. They don’t pay to watch the referee. For too long now football has been dominated by terrible decisions, costing teams crucial points and infuriating the loyal masses. There are far too many referees who love being the centre of attention. They crave the controversy. After all, if a referee has a good game you never notice them. According to the Premier League’s head of referees Keith Hackett, referees are fitter now than ever before, but what’s the point spending thousands of pounds on fitness training referees when they can’t even get the most basic decisions correct? The top teams also seem to edge decisions in their favour. Manchester United, for the past two games, have had the fortune of being gifted two goals which completely changed the complexion of their matches and basically ensured the result in their favour. Teams like Bolton go to Old Trafford with the mentality of defending for 90 minutes in the hope of maybe snatching a point or indeed all three. But what hope do they have when refereeing incompetence

and not footballing brilliance causes their game plan to come undone? The referee, Rob Styles, who couldn’t have been closer to the incident without making the tackle himself, awarded United a penalty to the complete bemusement of everyone in the stadium despite the fact that Jlloyd Samuel had clearly won the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, somehow Styles is allowed to continue refereeing at the top level without any repercussions for his ineptitude. Something more needs to be done. Yes, referees have a tough time, the abuse they receive on some occasions sometimes makes you have a shred of sympathy for

Referee Rob Styles.

them. But what is really being called for is consistency. One week a penalty is awarded against your team for shirt pulling, the next your team appeals for the decision and the referee looks at the protests as if your team’s players just offended his mother.

Referees must be punished for consistently poor performances But it’s not as if this is the first time Styles has made a poor decision. Last season he awarded Chelsea a penalty against Liverpool after he adjudged Steve Finnan to have fouled Florent Malouda in the area when there was clearly minimal contact. Then, after regaining his status as a Premier League referee, he awarded what has been regarded as one of the worst awards of a penalty ever after Birmingham City’s Gary McSheffrey went to the ground from a slight shoulder barge by Sun Jihai, then of Manchester City. Then, there was the goal that never was, involving one of Styles’ refereeing counterparts, linesman Nigel Bannister who gave Reading a goal when the ball hadn’t even been between the posts; in fact it was about three yards wide. So what can be done? Well, for a start referees must get punished for consistently poor performances. It seems that these well-paid referees answer to nobody. Video technology will be a constant talking point but how can the football authorities handle the prospect of a computer referee when they can’t currently control their human equivalent?

British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) fixtures WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15th BADMINTON Men’s 1st v Liverpool 1st Men’s 2nd v Teesside 1st Women’s 1st v Newcastle 1st BASKETBALL Men’s 1st v Northumbria 2nd Women’s 1st v Liverpool 1st

Newcastle 2nd v Men’s 2nd Teesside 1st v Men’s 3rd Northumbria 2nd v Men’s 4th Leeds Met 2nd v Men’s 5th York St. John 1st v Women’s 1st Hull 1st v Women’s 2nd Women’s 3rd v Huddersfield 1st Hallam 3rd v Women’s 4th Women’s 1st v Bradford 1st NETBALL Women’s 1st v Leeds 2nd Hull 1st v Women’s 2nd York St. John 5th v Women’s 3rd RUGBY UNION Nottingham Trent v Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd v Leeds 2nd Bradford 1st v Men’s 3rd Loughborough 1st v Women’s 1st

Uni Hockey in action. FOOTBALL Durham 1st v Men’s 1st Leeds 2nd v Men’s 2nd Hull 2nd v Men’s 3rd Women’s 1st v Teesside 1st HOCKEY Men’s 1st v Hallam 1st

RUBY LEAGUE Bradford 1st v Men’s 1st SQUASH Leeds 2nd v Men’s 1st Hallam 2nd v Men’s 3rd Women’s 1st v Lancaster 1st TABLE TENNIS Men’s 1st v Northumbria 2nd

TENNIS Hull 1st v Men’s 1st York 2nd v Men’s 2nd Leeds 2nd v Women’s 1st VOLLEYBALL Hallam 1st v Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd v Leeds Met 2nd Women’s 1st v Leeds Met 1st WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22nd BADMINTON Leeds 1st v Men’s 1st York 2nd v Men’s 2nd Women’s 1st v Manchester 1st

GOLF Men’s 1st v TASC 1st HOCKEY Leeds Met 1st v Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd v Hull 1st Men’s 3rd v Hallam 2nd Men’s 4th v Hallam 3rd Men’s 5th v Northumbria 2nd Women’s 1st v Newcastle 2nd Leeds 3rd v Women’s 2nd Leeds Met 3rd v Women’s 3rd Women’s 4th v Newcastle 4th York 2nd v Women’s 5th

NETBALL Durham 1st v Women’s 1st Newcastle 2nd v Women’s 2nd TASC 3rd v Women’s 3rd RUGBY UNION Hallam v Men’s 1st Newcastle 4th v Men’s 3rd Women’s 1st v Leeds Met 1st RUGBY LEAGUE Men’s 1st v Leeds 1st SQUASH Men’s 1st v Newcastle 2nd Men’s 2nd v Huddersfield 1st Northumbria 1st v Women’s 1st

BASKETBALL Sunderland 1st v Men’s 1st Women’s 1st v Leeds 1st

TABLE TENNIS York 1st v Men’s 1st Women’s 1st v Durham 2nd

FENCING Men’s 1st v Leeds 2nd Women’s 1st v York 1st

TENNIS Men’s 1st v Durham 2nd Men’s 2nd v Huddersfield 1st Women’s 1st v Leeds Met 3rd

FOOTBALL Men’s 1st v Teesside 1st Men’s 2nd v Durham 2nd Men’s 3rd v Leeds Met 4th York St. John 4th v Men’s 4th

The table tennis club. LACROSSE Leeds 1st v Men’s 1st Women’s 1st v Leeds Met 1st

VOLLEYBALL Men’s 1st v York 1st Men’s 2nd v Sunderland 1st Women’s 1st v Hallam 1st

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

SPORT NEWS

Ambitious High Peak Club looking to climb higher than ever By Tom Hastings After great success at last year’s Sports Awards and victories in both the Varsity and BUSA Climbing Championships, the University of Sheffield’s High Peak Club is hoping for an even greater year. With a new committee, new members, and a number of events already organised for the coming months, President Dan Waters is extremely positive. He said: “The first few weeks have been great for the club, with plenty of new members joining and loads of interest at the Sports Fair. “We gained new members of all experience levels wanting to climb, walk, bike, or do all three. We had a brilliant turnout at all the Freshers’ events, and there was a much higher than usual turnout for the Freshers’ biking events.” The success of the first few weeks followed a busy summer for club members, with many taking part in activities all over the world. Several groups tackled climbs in the Alps, whilst others challenged themselves in a form of free-climbing in the Shawangunks Ridge region of New York, USA. Members took part in sport climbing in Frankenjura, Germany, an all-girl walking trip in Corsica, and an ascent of Denali in the USA, a mountain region with peaks as high as 6,000 metres. The committee have worked hard to ensure that there are plenty of events for all levels of expertise on top of its usual weekly activities. Waters said: “Over the course of the next year we have some great events planned, including seven weekends away, trips to Wales, the Lake District and Scotland, as well as a number of great socials. “The club’s main aims for the year are to get all new members integrated within the club, to help them improve, but above all enjoying themselves.”

Trophy champions face tough challenge By Matt Duncan The University of Sheffield’s successful women’s badminton team face a difficult task to retain their BUSA crown having lost three of their top players after they graduated in the summer. Club President Kimberley Lau feels expectations are lower than last season, when the club lifted the BUSA Knockout Trophy having finished fourth in the league. Lau said: “We will be trying our best to perform as well as last year but we know it will be tough. “Winning BUSA was pretty amazing; we really didn’t expect to win it but it was so exciting. We are hoping to find some new players in the next couple of weeks so we can push for more success this season.” Over 400 people signed up to the badminton club at the Sports Fair and the club are optimistic that some of the new players will be able to help maintain the high standard set last year. “We have had a good response

at the fair and now have to wait and see how many turn up for the sessions,” said Lau. As well as the women’s triumph, both the men and women won their Varsity matches last year. Lau believes Varsity is a huge event on the club’s calendar. “It’s always one of the main matches that we train for through the season. Winning it is a great feeling.” The club’s women have won the Varsity fixture for a number of years in succession, but the fixture has always been a tougher proposition for the men’s squad. The men will be hoping that they can live up to the example set by their female counterparts and push on in the next few months. Lau says success will depend on the standard of new players coming into the club. “The strength of the club will be a lot easier to judge after the new arrivals have settled into the team.” The women’s squad begin the campaign with a trip to Newcastle on Wednesday, October 15.

Women’s Football launch new squad By Alice Weekes

First year students enjoying the High Peak Club’s welcome session.

The University of Sheffield’s Women’s Football Club have entered a second XI into the BUCS competition for the first time in the club’s history. Following a successful campaign last season in which the team reached the finals of their competition as well as battling out a respectable 2-2 draw with Sheffield Hallam at Varsity, club President Peggy Aherne felt the time was right for a fresh challenge. Aherne spoke with confidence regarding the second XI’s prospects this season: “I have every faith in the team to do well, but no matter what happens our second XI is renowned for sticking together”. To enhance such positive development, a professional coach has been recruited. This is a move that will prove vital if the team are to accomplish

Aherne’s expectations of winning this year’s Varsity match as well as finding their footing in the unfamiliar territory of the BUCS championships. Aherne stated the main aim for this season is for the second XI to establish themselves within the BUCS league. One of the fastest growing sports in the country, women’s football is now more popular than ever before. Such marked growth has been mirrored nationwide with the FA recently announcing plans to create a Super League by 2010, which will give the women’s game unprecedented exposure. Women’s football is now the biggest female participation sport in England and developments such as those within the University of Sheffield will not only help to further increase participation but ensure that the quality of football and competition also improves.

New look for hockey club after £5,000 kit contract By Tom Ibison The University of Sheffield Men’s Hockey Club have signed a deal worth £5,000 with kit manufacturer Kukri that will see all six men’s teams playing in new sportswear this season. The women’s club have also penned a similar contract which will run for one year, with the option of extending it. Orlando Prestidge, the club kit secretary and designer of the new kit said: “We wanted a uniformed look for all the teams. “We wanted to look good both on and off the pitch in order to help us move forward as a club. “I am very happy with the look and quality of the kit and am looking forward to showing it off once the BUCS league season starts.” After an up and down season

last year, the club are looking for a fresh start with the new kit and the financial backing of their sponsors Accenture and the University of Sheffield Alumni Foundation. New club captain Sam Harrison said: “Both mine and the women’s captain Jess Sinton’s main aim behind the kit deal was to create a more professional look for our teams. “We believed if the teams looked more professional, then they’d act more professional and would get better results.” This push for professionalism has seen the appointment of a new first team coach, Australian Josh Poke, and the club are aiming high this year. “I believe the club can achieve a lot over the next season,” Harrison said. “I have a strong feeling that our seconds, thirds and

fourths could all be fighting for promotion this year, and with the new organisation of the BUCS competition I could see a few exciting cup runs as well. “We will fully admit that as a club we have underperformed over the last few years and this is where that is to change.” The University of Sheffield squads will look forward to this year’s Varsity event after success last year. Although both the male and female first team squads were heavily beaten, the second and third squads all recorded victories to pick up the hockey Varsity point. The first team open their season on Wednesday, October 15, with a home game against local rivals Sheffield Hallam, whilst the second, third and fourth squad all travel to Newcastle. The fifth squad visit Leeds Carnegie.

Club members model the new kit.

Photo: Olivia Lightfoot

FORGE PRESS Friday October 10 2008

Council in £150m World Student Games debt By Paul Garbett Sheffield City Council still owe around £150 million to financial lenders for facilities and infrastructure built for the 1991 World Student Games, a council report has revealed. In a report to the Audit Commission, Deputy Director of Corporate Resources Laraine Manley revealed the council owes nearly £1billion to lenders with around £150 million believed to date back to when Sheffield hosted the games in 1991. The loans were used to construct facilities such as the 25,000 capacity Don Valley Stadium, Ponds Forge Aquatics Centre, and Sheffield Arena. Other loans were taken out by the council to fund the construction of the athletes’ accommodation which has since been used as housing. The World Student Games was a huge regeneration project for the city in 1991 and saw the development of new leisure facilities which have gained Sheffield a reputation as a top centre for sport. The cost of building the venues for the World Student Games is estimated at £140 million with the loans due to be paid off by 2023. Sheffield City Council’s Head of Strategic Finance, Ryan Keyworth, believes the investment in sporting facilities has since brought many large scale events to the city, which could not have been accommodated previously. He said: “What Sheffield has had since the World Student Games is a world class sporting infrastructure which has attracted further investment through venues like Ice Sheffield and the English Institute of Sport.” £268m of the debt is believed to have been borrowed from commercial banks, with the troubled bank Northern Rock known to have been a previous lender to Sheffield City Council. However, Keyworth played down talk that the council’s loans were a financial risk in the current economic climate.

Don Valley Stadium, now temporary home to Rotherham United, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. He said: “We have always used credit ratings to assess who we borrow from and who our money is lent to, and we will only ever use secure financial institutions. “Northern Rock were a company we had done business with before, but they would no longer meet our strict credit rating procedure.” In the borrowing report, Ms. Manley said the council needed

to prevent the situation from getting worse by maintaining its £20m cash reserves, avoiding overspending, and encouraging better financial management to keep capital debt increases as low as possible. The council are also ensuring they are getting the best possible deals from the sale of council property. The Audit Commission is an

independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is used economically. Last year they reported that although Sheffield City Council had not performed badly compared with other councils, there was room for improvement. The council were also awarded three stars out of a potential four for financial management.

Student sailor competes for Britain By Jonathan Caldwell A third year Architecture student at the University of Sheffield took part in the World University Match Racing Sailing Championships in July, representing the British Universities Sailing Association. Adam Richards took part in the event near Gdansk, Poland, along with four other students from Universites of Cardiff and Exeter respectively. The British team was up against a tough field, with six teams ranked within the top 100 in the world. Seeded third for the event, the British team had a medal in their sights but a series of small tactical errors and a gear failure meant that at end of the first day of races they were out of contention. Despite finishing 11th overall after the four days of events, the team did enjoy three wins, two of which were against teams ranked

above them. Richards said of the event: “Obviously we were so disappointed not to have won a medal because we definitely thought we had it in us. “It was just our first day which let us down, we lost a couple of really close races and then we had our technical problem.” He did admit that his BUSA commitment can distract him from competing for Sheffield. He said: “The last couple of years I have really just focused on BUSA above racing for this University, which is a shame.” After finishing his studies Richards intends to try and succeed as a professional matchracing sailor. He said: “We want to try and compete as much we can over the next year, basically to experience life as a professional. “It will be difficult to support ourselves but we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Richards in action at the World University Match Sailing Championships.

NEWS SPORT

Squash merger By Andrew Marsh

The University of Sheffield Squash Club are welcoming their partnership with a professional club. They will also be receiving training from a world-ranked Sheffield graduate. The merger with Fulwood Sports Club allows the squash team to use their facilities and represent the club in the Sheffield & District LTA League. Will Bennett, President of the University Squash Club, said: “They have better courts and facilities down there. Goodwin isn’t really an option for us because it’s too expensive. They are charging £40 per person to play once a week which I think is stopping players coming to us. “It’s really not helping our club. With us you can play Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at £4 a time and they have club leagues we can play in which is pretty good of them.” Bennett is also confident about prospects for the upcoming tournament at University of Reading at the start of November, and the year ahead. He said: “Last year we won the D category as well as the C category. I closely lost in the B section. We usually do well in the lower ranking competitions. “We have got a lot of good players this year. Our third team for the current campaign are looking stronger than our second team from last year so they should do really well.” The club are trained by Mark Fuller, a University of Sheffield graduate who is currently ranked 254th in the world.

Basketball aim high By Alex Orton Expectations are high for the University of Sheffield’s men’s basketball team according to Will Platt, their captain. “Our goal this season is to win promotion, anything less than that would be a disappointment,” said Platt, looking forward to the upcoming campaign. The departure of Pawel Szafraniec as coach and his replacement with Steve Barnett has not fazed the team. “Steve’s done a lot of work with the Sheffield Sharks (Sheffield’s top flight basketball team) coaching them. We’ve had one training session so far at Goodwin Sports Centre, he was really good and it went really well.” said Platt. “We’ve got quite a few plays set up, but because we haven’t got a lot of height our strength really is our speed across the floor. We’re also going to defend with a full court press on all plays.” The previous season had been difficult for the team: “We started quite badly, we lost our first three games but after that we picked up and finished the season winning five and losing five within our division. “We didn’t play over the summer last year, but that’s changed quite a lot. A few of us stayed in Sheffield over the summer and have played two or three times a week.”

SPORT Hundreds queue for Intra Mural By Ben James

BUCS Preview Page 30-31

Council’s World Student Games Debt Page 31

Rusty rugby firsts suffer Worcester loss

Hundreds of students queued at the Goodwin Sports Centre from as early at 3.30am last Friday, hoping to register teams in the hugely successful Intra Mural sports competition. Intra Mural sport is a series of leagues enabling staff and students to play sport at a recreational level. The sports include football, netball, hockey, squash and badminton. The University of Sheffield’s Intra Mural competition is one of the largest in the country with over 800 teams taking part. Although registration for the competition did not open until 9am, students queued from the small hours of the morning to ensure their team were in the University league. Spencer Taylor, Football Development Manager at Goodwin Sports Centre, said: “The queues are getting bigger and they’re getting here earlier, I spoke to a lad at the front and he was here from 3:30am.” One of those near the front was second year Medicine student Wilson Rycroft. He said: “It was a bright and chirpy at 4:45am when I arrived. Intra Mural is such a great opportunity to play football with your mates, you can’t afford to miss out.” Friday, October 3, saw the registration for outdoor sports like football and hockey, whilst Saturday, October 4, saw registration for indoor sports such as netball, badminton and squash. Third year Geography student Leo Roberts woke up at 5am to register. He said: “It’s great fun and there are some good rivalries. We’re a Geography team and we hate the History team.” The Intra Mural competition is organised by U Sport, the University department in charge of sport, health, and fitness. Registration is now complete with leagues set to start on October 13.

Photo: Helen Munro

Men’s rugby union firsts in action against a tricky Worcester side. By Rob O’Connor Men’s Rugby Firsts Uni 16 Worcester 25

Students queue at Goodwin.

A cautious looking Sheffield first XV began their season with a stale 16-25 defeat to Worcester. The hosts’ display was solid defensively but they lacked invention on the few occasions they made it as far as the Worcester 22. The well worked phase of play in the backs that saw Alex Murphy give the home side the lead early on provided the exception to this.

It was one of the few positive aspects to come out of the game according to sidelined captain Rob Grocock. Grocock felt that whilst the side gelled well considering the influx of new players, the display was a rusty one, especially in lieu of a promising pre-season. The home team’s inexperience showed for much of the first half as they appeared happy to cling on to their slim lead, extended to ten points by a fine Matt Poulten penalty. It was to be short lived however, as a strong Worcester side swiftly levelled the score at 10 points apiece just before half time. The

first period was predominantly a disappointing, scrappy affair. It was to be a frustrating afternoon for backs and spectators alike as poor handling and a succession of careless errors hindered either side from threatening regularly. For all of Sheffield’s endeavour, their inexperience as a unit was to prove their undoing as the game wore on. Soon after half time they found themselves on the back foot after some static defending allowed their line to be penetrated for a second time. A fine kicking display from stand-in outside half Matt Poulten kept Sheffield clinging on to the

visitors’ coat tails when the gulf in performance might have made the points difference between the teams even greater.. The latter stages saw the Sheffield defence left structureless at times and a defensive lapse let in the visitors for the final score of the afternoon. The consensus in the Sheffield camp was that a lack of leadership and focus was ultimately the teams undoing on the day. However, centre John Mogg was eager to point out that with such a young and newly-formed team, the potential within the squad far outweighs what was ultimately a flat performance.