Laura White interview Pages 16-17 The independent student newspaper of the University of Sheffield // www.forgetoday.com
By Martha Kelner The Union Sabbatical Officers are calling for the democratic removal of a Students’ Union Council member who was exposed on the leaked British National Party (BNP) members list this week. A member of staff at the University of Sheffield was also identified on the list. Members of representative committees at the Union have united to condemn the Council member and have support from the National Union of Students (NUS).
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 A joint statement from all eight Sabbatical Officers said: “The BNP are a fascist organisation, who stand for an ‘all-white Britain’, an aim which could only be achieved through violence. “Their leader has denied the Holocaust, and many of their members have criminal convictions for violent offences. “They seek to manipulate the democratic process in order to destroy it. There can be no doubt that the BNP are a threat to our diverse, multicultural student community. “The BNP do not represent the views of Sheffield students. Students would not have elected this individual had he been open about his support of a fascist organisation. “The Union Officers, supported by numerous members of Council, believe that fascism has no place in our diverse Students’ Union, and this individual should be democratically removed from his position on Council.” The uncovering of the Students’ Union Councillor on the BNP members list comes despite the Union of Students openly opposing the far right party. The Union has anti-racism and anti-homophobic policies, as well as a Union Statement of Unity urging students to help prevent the BNP from winning seats in the local area. Yusuf Ghumra, Black Students’ Councillor, is shocked by the revelations. He said: “The BNP as an organisation represents hate and intolerance, everything that this Union proudly opposes. “It is alarming to think that they have representation here. This will come as a shock for Black students, particularly Muslims, who have been a primary target of the BNP in recent years. Continued on page 4
End accommodation ghettos, says Hurst By Ciaran Jones Union President Dave Hurst is to release a report detailing the ‘grossly unfair and unaffordable rent levels’ which he claims are ghettoising students living in University accommodation. He is also calling for a day of action next month as part of a campaign against what the report calls ‘socially regressive’ pricing strategies. The Unaffordable University Accommodation report claims that average accommodation prices at the University of Sheffield have increased drastically since 2005. It adds that rent levels are in many cases higher than charges at other universities, with Hurst looking to Leeds, Manchester, and Leicester for comparisons. The document states that the average rent in self-catered accommodation let to students by Accommodation and Campus Services (ACS) in 2005 was £2,742.75, with the average price in catered halls being slightly higher at £3,392.68. According to the report, the average cost of self-catered provision has risen by 44 per cent since then to £3,942.74, while the average rent payable is said to have risen by 61 per cent in catered halls. The average cost in catered accommodation this year is listed as £5,458.47, though the figures in the report compiled by Hurst have factored in an extra £15 per week to the cost to cover the reduction in food allowance which took place in September 2007. The figures are also not like for like comparisons as the 2005 average prices were calculated on the basis of a standard 31 week contract, whereas the average prices for 2008 are based on a 42 week contract length. The Union President is calling for action amongst the student body to show dissatisfaction with what he calls an “untenable situation.” He plans to lead a demonstration on Wednesday, December 3, at 1.15pm to coincide with a meeting of the University Senate. This comes ahead of the deadline for rent charges being decided upon for the next academic year, according to dates listed in the report. Hurst said: “When it comes to the crunch time when prices are set in mid-December we need to
Inside...
Union Councillor on leaked BNP list
Friday November 21 2008 // Issue 5
Dave Hurst plans to hold a demonstration outside Firth Cout on Wednesday, December 3. Photo: Helen Munro have the momentum with us to states that: ‘out of 30 types contract[s at Leeds] are still over show that students aren’t going to of accommodation and room £500 cheaper than a standard configurations, all but one are room in the Endcliffe Village with put up with this. “It’s not just a home student cheaper than the price of the a 42 week contract.’ The charges at the University undergraduate issue; even Endcliffe Village new build rents’. In some cases catered of Leicester cited in the research if you aren’t in University accommodation, it does affect accommodation in Sheffield is provide similar results, with the over £2,000 more, though many report stating: ‘all of Leicester’s you.” Hurst’s report compares the of the figures are not comparing University Accommodation is prices charged by ACS with those like for like rooms and contract cheaper than that of Sheffield at the Universities of Leeds, lengths. University Accommodation.’ Manchester, and Leicester. Despite this, the report claims Regarding Leeds, the document that: ‘Even rooms with 51 week Continued on page 4
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Full guide to the next two weeks’ entertainment
Including exclusive interview with Alphabeat
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Pop special
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NUS conference
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2
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
NEWS UNIVERSITY
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Sheikh honoured by Sheffield By Rachel Blundy The ruler of Sharjah was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Sheffield this month for his ongoing achievements as both a political leader and a renowned scholar. His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi is recognised as having significantly modernised Sharjah, of the United Arab Emirates, whilst also making a great contribution to the growth of its two universities. Commenting on the presentation on Monday, November 10, the University of Sheffield’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Keith Burnett, said: “His Highness is an influential leader and academic within a noble Arab tradition. His commitment to education and his ongoing support to both universities in Sharjah make him a worthy recipient of an honorary degree.” Professor Burnett also stressed the importance of establishing a connection between the University of Sheffield and the University of Sharjah. He said: “Through our partnership with the University of Sharjah we have experienced at first hand the value Middle Eastern countries place on the personal development of their students. “This has been a valuable insight and is already impacting on how we approach teaching both within the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and the wider University.” His Highness is no stranger to academic success. After studying agriculture for five years at Cairo University, he went on to receive a PhD from the University of Exeter and has since published numerous publications on the history and geography of the Arab Gulf area. He later became involved in politics, serving first as Minister for Education and then replacing his brother, Sheikh Khaled, as ruler of Sharjah in 1972. Responding to the tribute, His Highness said: “Sheffield’s recognition is an honour we will cherish for many years. We are fully aware of Sheffield’s excellent reputation in many academic fields and we would like to thank all who made the collaboration agreement possible.” He also hoped that various exchanges between the universities of Sheffield and Sharjah would help to “enhance students’ learning” and lead to “the generation of new scientific knowledge.” As well as being committed to the world of science, His Highness
is also a keen playwright. During his visit to the University, he attended a special performance of his own play, Nimrod, by a cast of Sheffield students. The play follows the fortunes of King Nimrod, a Biblical figure who is thought to have built the Tower of Babel. The production,
years old. However, the police officer in charge of the investigation wrote in an email to Jersey officials that tests showed the skull of a child had been found and that they died in the 1950s or later. Professor Chamberlain said: “The fragments were too small to determine what species they were. The two most likely to be human I later found from carbon dating were 300 or 400 years old. I didn’t comment on how old they were in my report to the police. “The bones were well preserved, and perhaps because they had reports of children going missing they thought the fragments were
more recent. But I don’t know why they assumed this.” A University of Sheffield graduate working as a forensic anthropologist at the site suggested Professor Chamberlain examined the bone fragments as she knew he had special microscopic techniques. This misinterpretation of his findings had a major effect on the ongoing investigation into child abuse and murder at the former children’s home. The £4.5million investigation at Haute de la Garenne started two years ago, and searching of the former home began in February this year.
The Ruler of Sharjah receives an honorary degree. (Inset) Students perform one of his own plays, Nimrod. directed by Professor Dominic Shellard, used costumes from the play’s first showing at the Sharjah National Theatre. After the show, Professor Shellard said: “It was an enormous privilege for the University of Sheffield to stage the UK premiere of this exciting play.
“The performance was exceptional and it was a memorable honour to introduce the play to its creator in a European context. We are looking forward to taking the production to Sharjah where we will perform in the world famous Sharjah Theatre Festival next March.”
Jersey children’s home doubts World AIDS Day By Victoria Hawkins A Sheffield professor thinks that bones found at a former Jersey children’s home may not even be those of a human, despite police saying they are from a child’s skull. Prof essor Andrew Chamberlain, from the Department of Archaeology, doubts police claims that bone fragments discovered at Haute de la Garenne are from a child who died 50 years ago. He examined bone fragments dug up from the site and told police he could not identify them as human. Later on they were proved to be between 300-400
By Mark Duell A University of Sheffield society that works with communities in East Africa tackling poverty and HIV/AIDS is getting reading for World AIDS Day. On Monday, December 1, the University’s International Development Society, SidSoc, aims to raise consciousness of the disease and combat prejudice. Approximately 80,000 people are infected in the UK, and about a third of these do not know that they are HIV positive. Emmanuelle Chazarin Möy, of SidSoc, said: “We all think we
care about AIDS, world poverty, hunger, droughts; but do we really? One of the most important things you can do is to find out the facts about HIV.” SidSoc works in co-operation with communities in East Africa to tackle issues of poverty and HIV/AIDS as well as to raise awareness on a local level. On December 1, they will be outside the Union of Students handing out free condoms with leaflets highlighting the importance of condoms in AIDS prevention. The society will be asking for donations which will go to different projects in East Africa.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
3
Student threatened with knife in Harcourt Road mugging
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Businesses hit by flyer charges
Plug flyering.
Photo: Adam Dobson
By Anna Macnaughton
Andrew Pickering was threatened with a knife on the junction of Harcourt Road and Crookes Valley Road. By Katie-Marie Bailey A University of Sheffield student was left feeling “shocked” and “angry” after being threatened with a knife and mugged, all for the sake of £12. Andrew Pickering, of Springvale Road, Crookesmoor, was crossing the junction between Crookes Valley Road and Harcourt Road when a man approached the 22-year-old and demanded he hand over his wallet. When Pickering refused, the offender became increasingly pushy and aggressive, leaving the student feeling he had no other alternative than to do what the man had asked. The victim, who is studying
for a Masters in International Political Economy, was walking along Crookes Valley Road on his way home from the Information Commons at around 11pm on Monday, November 17. Pickering said: “The man asked me to hand over my wallet. When I refused he said that he had a knife and would use it if I did not do as he said. “He had his hand in his pocket like he was holding a knife. “I asked him to show me the knife if he had one but the man refused. “He then became more aggressive and I decided it wasn’t worth pushing it so handed over my wallet. The man then walked off down Harcourt Road.” He then decided to follow the
man down the road, asking him to take the money but leave the wallet. After a series of exchanges, the man took the £12 from the wallet and left it on the bonnet of a car.
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 Pickering said it was a “bit odd” that this had happened in a fairly public place and that he had never experienced anything
Photo: Olivia Lightfoot of this nature before. He has reported the incident to the police who have taken an e-fit of the attacker . Union Welfare Officer Kathryn Axon has warned students about their safety at night. She said: “Students should try to walk home in groups and keep the amount of money and valuable items they carry to an absolute minimum. “Male students should be as cautious as females in these situations, especially when knives are concerned. “Threats by knives are rare but it is important that students take precautions.” Police are looking for a man of Asian descent, slim in build and 5’9” in height.
Sheffield City Council is trying to cut down on the huge numbers of flyers distributed and thrown away by charging businesses for permission to hand them out. The council said that the scheme was initialised due to flyers being thrown on the floor and ending up as litter. The costs for giving away free literature depend on the number of people circulating flyers at any one time for that company. For only one annual pass, allowing a company to have only one person flyering at a time, the cost would be £75. But a company employing five people to hand out leaflets at a time would have to pay £675. Additional permits cost £175. A Council spokesman said: “The payments will be tiered, so larger businesses will have to pay more.” “[Companies should] hand out free literature responsibly, not forcing them into the hands of people who really don’t want them,” he added. The scheme does not end at the payments, as even with permits businesses will have to adhere to rules. Companies must apply for the permit a week before they wish to use it, and the material to be distributed must be approved by the council. The consent conditions state: “No free printed matter which clearly encourages irresponsible consumption of alcohol can be issued.” “This includes irresponsible drinks promotions which will not be allowed. “Responsible promotions for alcohol must also carry the Drink Aware message.”
Non-EEA students to be given identity cards By Mina Kasherova Controversial identity cards will be issued to foreigners, including international students, from next Tuesday. All foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who wish to extend their stay in the United Kingdom based on marriage, civil partnership, or their status as a student or a dependant will be issued an identity card. British citizens over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a card in 2009. The Home Office claims that ID cards, which will include the photograph and fingerprints of the card holder, are an “easy
and secure way for legal UK residents to prove who they are” and a prevention measure against illegal employment and terrorism threats. However, leaks of confidential information of British citizens in the past year has raised doubts as to whether the cards will prevent or help identity theft. A document published by the Border and Immigration Agency in March directly names foreign nationals who are in the country in order to marry or receive higher education as “higher-risk categories” of people. No explanation is given as to how non-EEA students, who pay up to £12,000 a year for a University degree, present a threat to national security or job
markets. While some British nationals have voiced their concerns about the scheme, international students have fewer opportunities to express their opinions. With only seven full-time International Officers in all of the country’s universities, students have virtually no chance to have a say as to how their personal information will be treated. The Union of Students International Officer, Sajeev Jeganathan, does not like the idea of an identity card scheme as he believes it invades personal privacy. He said: “The scheme may interrupt the studies of students who may be reluctant to get the card.
“We have to increase international representation in the National Union of Students. In my opinion, every union that has a significant number of international students should have a full-time officer.” Jeganathan thinks the idea of a campaign is an effective measure against the scheme. “If every student in the United Kingdom, both international and home, thinks it is a bad idea it has got to be done. It is going to be very tough, but there are definitely elements of hope,” he added. The University of Sheffield expressed a more reserved view on the issue of ID cards. Debora Green, Assistant Director of the Student Services Department at the University of
Sheffield, said: “The University does not actively support the introduction of these cards, but will do all it can to support those students required to apply for them. “We have voiced concerns at every opportunity about the logistics of the scheme, as have Universities UK. “The application for, and issue of ID cards, is going to create additional work for our staff and students. “However, the Student Services Department is doing all it can to support and advise students affected to make the experience as straightforward as possible.” Students at Cambridge University have organised a protest for Friday, November 28.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
NEWS UNIVERSITY
Hurst plans protests over ACS costs Continued from page 1
100
Annual Student Satisfaction Survey 2008
Satisfied Percentage of students surveyed
The report claims that students in catered halls at the University of Sheffield can in some cases pay up to £2,231.21 more than students at Leicester. It is also argued that: ‘rooms [at Leicester] with a 51 week contract are cheaper by over £550 compared against the 42 weeks here’. Charges at the six biggest halls of residence at the University of Manchester are ‘all cheaper than here’ according to the report, though the differences are smaller, with the most expensive accommodation provided by ACS costing £1,641 more. Another key tenet of the report is student satisfaction with rent levels as defined by the Annual Student Satisfaction Survey (ASSS) 2008. Hurst’s report cites the ‘decline’ in students feeling that they are getting value for money in University accommodation. The survey results show that 39 per cent of students in catered accommodation are ‘satisfied’ that they are getting value for money, with this figure rising to 42 per cent of students in self-catered accommodation. Hurst’s report points out that according to the survey results, students in private sector housing reported a 77 per cent satisfaction rate. Only four per cent of students in privately let accommodation stated that they were ‘very dissatisfied’ with value for money, compared to 36 per cent of self-catered students and 40 per cent of students in catered accommodation. According to Unaffordable University Accommodation, the ASSS also showed that students from within the European Union (EU) were ‘“almost three times more likely to choose accommodation based on cost than Home students. ‘“Also Non-EU students were four times more likely to choose accommodation based on cost than Home students.”’ Hurst argues that this effectively means that high rent prices being charged by ACS are forcing international students into private accommodation and reducing the chances of integration between home and international students. He said: “You’re talking about the ‘ghetto’ argument where you’ve got international students who are already pretty much forced out into private sector accommodation because of their already astronomical fees, yet you’re going to end up with people from lower socio-economic
Very dissatisfied
0 Self-catered accommodation (ACS) (Above) Results of ASSS; (Right) average cost of rent. Photo: Helen Munro backgrounds just becoming ghettoised. “So you’re not going to have that mix [of people] which I think is brilliant because it brings people from different classes together who might not see as much of each other and I think it’s a brilliant melting pot, in a clichéd way. “With that being destroyed and people saying ‘I cannot afford it’ - it’s not even that it’s expensive, they cannot afford it - they’re going to have to live elsewhere. “You’re going to end up with people from very well-off backgrounds living in this very nice accommodation, and people living in other accommodation which I’m not saying is poor quality, but they just can’t afford anything else.” Ian Jones, General Manager of Residential Services, said: “Accommodation and Campus Services is very disappointed to learn that the Union President is producing a document which is critical of University accommodation and its affordability, rather than having a constructive discussion with the
University about his concerns. “In fact, our benchmarking with outside providers and other Universities reassures us that we are providing real value to students. “In addition, we listen and act on the feedback which we collect every year from students, making changes in light of this within the year that feedback is given as part of our genuine commitment to ongoing improvement in our service. “We also consult with the Students’ Union as part of our annual rent setting, and did so during the period highlighted in this report. “Without seeing the report it is very difficult for us to comment on the specific figures used, although it appears that some are not valid and are being taken out of context. “However, we will carefully read the report when we receive a full copy of it, and will then make a detailed response which can be shared with Forge Press readers and other interested parties.” When Hurst was elected earlier
Catered accommodation (ACS)
Private sector accommodation
£6000
£3000
Average cost of self-catered rent Average cost of catered rent (based on £50 per week food allowance) £0 2005 this year he promised to take a stand against the University where he felt it was necessary, including by staging protests such as the one he is planning for December 3. He said: “If we can maximise that student engagement then not only does it make the Union a stronger body but it makes the students’ voices heard.
2008 “That’s the whole purpose of this Union; to demonstrate that and facilitate that. If we can win this then it means…when the University says that they’re going to do anything against students’ best interests and will affect them, whether that’s cuts in academic departments or cuts in resources, we’re strong, and they won’t even think about it in meetings.”
BNP list reveals members in University & Union Continued from page 1 “Sheffield Union is not a union where students should feel unsafe or have to look over their shoulders as they walk.” A statement from the Union Jewish Society said: “The Jewish Society is deeply concerned by the presence of a BNP member on our Union Council. “The policies of the BNP directly contravene the tolerant and multicultural society that we would like to see at Sheffield. “Anyone who subscribes to those beliefs is part of the problem
of racism not the solution. We firmly believe that there should be no place for racists and fascists at our university.” The news that a member of the University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union Council was exposed on the list has concerned the NUS. Bellavia Ribeiro-Addy, NUS Black Students’ Officer, said: “NUS recognises the threat the BNP poses to Black, Jewish, Muslim, Disabled, LGBT and Women students, and all those who believe in democracy and human rights. “We fully support students’
unions working to ensure fascist organisations are not able to organise on campuses and threaten the safety of students. “BNP members have a long record of violence and intimidation, including on campuses - a BNP activist was found guilty of assaulting a sabbatical officer at Salford University. “NUS will be working with students’ unions around the country to counter the threat of BNP activity in students’ unions and ensure campuses are safe for all students.”
The leaked lists also showed that a member of staff at the University is a party member. The employee in question is male and holds a non-academic position within the University. A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said: “The University is an equal opportunity employer and this is embedded in all our activities. “We require all our staff to act in accordance with our diversity policies. As a University, we also place a high value on freedom of thought and expression within the law, and on the right of
individuals to hold a diverse range of views and beliefs.” The list also showed a student who was living at Tapton Halls of Residence in 2003. They were among 12,000 people, including police officers, soldiers, and teachers, to have their personal details leaked on an internet blog this week, reportedly by a disgruntled party member. The BNP have recently been gaining support in South Yorkshire. The party won two seats in May this year at the local elections in Rotherham.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Disabled students left stranded in queues by broken Arts Tower lift By Jo Wendel Students and staff are queuing outside of the Arts Tower door due to one of the lifts being broken beyond repair. The problem has caused concern for disabled students, especially regarding evacuation. Chris Jesson, Students with Disabilities Councillor, is concerned about the day-today situation for students with disabilities using the Arts Tower. He said: “I have on occasion seen wheelchair users being ignored in the queue when they should have priority in the main lifts, especially when the paternoster is also working. “A lot of people don’t know that it is common courtesy to give up a place in the lift if a wheelchair user needs to get on. There needs to be greater awareness of how students with a disability have to evacuate university buildings in the event of fire. “You have to actually go on the internet to find out the procedures. If there was an actual fire, you are not going to be able to know where to go.” But the University has promised it will be replaced with a new, faster lift, but this will take 32 weeks at a cost of roughly £500,000. The pressure on the building has gradually increased since its opening in 1966. This year the situation is worse than ever and many students feel neglected. One student said: “The lifts are the worst. If I start at 12.10pm, and get to the Arts Tower at 12pm, the queue for the lifts will already be out the door. It’s absurd.” Neil Cameron, Director of Estates at University of Sheffield, admits the Arts Tower refurbishment is long overdue. He apologised to the students for the current situation, but said the University is now prioritising the Arts Tower. The building will be especially prioritised in next year’s estate budget. Mr. Cameron said: “I am obviously sorry about the situation. It is dreadful to have to queue. We are working on it, but unfortunately it is going to take some time.” He said part of the problem is the building’s Grade II* listing. Any refurbishment or change to
The Arts Tower lift is broken down and causing problems for students. (Inset) The paternoster is in working order. the Arts Tower are limited and have to be specially approved. Only 5 per cent of listed buildings in Britain reach the Grade II* level of listing. The tower originally housed 100 staff and 1,000 students. Today 300 staff and 2,500 students use the building each day. Earlier this year, one of the two
passenger lifts broke completely, worsening the situation further. Extra lifts will not be installed in the Arts Tower, as there is not enough space. Instead, the pressure on the building will be solved by other means. The paternoster is not allowed to be removed, according to its Grade II* listing, but it will be
refurbished. A contractors’ lift will be temporarily installed at the back of the Arts Tower. This will help ease the pressure on the lifts because, for example, deliveries will be able to be transported into the tower through that lift instead. Once refurbished, there are plans to move in more
Photos: Tom Walker administrative offices rather than seminar rooms. School of Modern Languages and Linguistics (SOMLAL), which takes up almost half of the floors, is moving out of the Arts Tower in December to the new Jessop West building. The Department of Architecture will also move out during the refurbishment.
Radio presenters resign over distasteful comments By Charlotte Chelsom-Pill Two Forge Radio presenters have resigned after joking about the murdered Baby P and making distasteful comments about disability on their radio show this week. Maen Gallagher and Joe Markham began to discuss the death of Baby P early in their Tuesday show, ‘Maen and Joe’, at about 2pm. Gallagher then suggested that they put on a jolly song to follow the conversation. Markham joked that it would be bad taste to play ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers. Gallagher said that there was no such thing as bad taste. After playing the song, they went on to discuss the number of Facebook groups about Baby P.
In response, Gallagher said: “This is why Facebook is so fucking ridiculous.” The presenters, who both study Biblical Studies, were also required by Forge Radio to read out an advert on the show to raise awareness for the University of Sheffield’s’ Disability Awareness Week. While reading the advert, the pair criticised the way it had been written. Gallagher said: “Well, they are dyslexic.” As the show continued, the pair debated issues that the Disability and Dyslexic Students’ Forum might campaign for, including better disabled access. Markham said: “There is nothing worse than when you are sat in a pub all day and you have to go to a cash point and you have to go up some stairs.”
Confusion arose when Gallagher said that this was why they should support dyslexic students within the Union of Students. When asked whether she had meant disabled, Gallagher suggested that by using a lift it would give dyslexic students a rest and “give them time for their brains to grow.” Ben Kennard, Station Manager of Forge Radio, has apologised on behalf of the station. He said: “It is a great shame that the show in question thought it was acceptable to produce such content. “Any views or opinions expressed by presenters do not represent the views of the station and we do have a disciplinary system in place should broadcasting standards be brought into question.”
National Grid, who sponsor Forge Radio, were also criticised by the pair this week. Markham said: “I am slightly embittered about National Grid – I used to work for them.”
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 While the two played a song they were instructed on behalf of the Forge Radio committee to apologise on air, which they did. Gallagher said in a statement: “I regret what happened and my
way of showing that was through my resignation - there’s nothing further I can do about it. “I apologise for my comments about dyslexic students. “It was intended as a ridiculous and outlandish joke, but it was a mistake and I would hate to think that I have upset or offended anyone.” The station has confirmed that they would have sacked the two presenters had they not resigned. Joe Allen, Secretary of Forge Radio, said: “I would like to express the station’s disappointment. It was an incident I do not wish to see repeated again. “We take full procedures so this sort of thing is avoided. Each week the committee review every show and all presenters are warned about defamatory statements and are given training.”
6
NEWS LOCAL
Funding to promote breast milk By Georgia Gregory Breastfeeding is at the heart of a £30million plan towards combating health issues in Sheffield. Nine UK cities have been given a share of the money to become ‘healthy towns’ under plans by ministers to combat obesity. Other towns are engaging in schemes related to cycling, walking, healthy eating and green spaces as part of the wider public health drive being rolled out in England. Not only does breastfeeding reduce the risk of babies developing many illnesses, it also decreases disease later in life, as well as protecting the mother’s health. Breastfed babies have better neurological development and reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome, urinary tract infections and cardiovascular disease later in life. This lower incidence of illness associated with higher breastfeeding rates could also lead to significant cost savings for the UK, in the treatment of illnesses and a reduction in the use of formulas. While UK breastfeeding rates are increasing they are still among the lowest in Europe. At birth, only 76 per cent of British babies are breastfed and this figure diminishes as the baby gets older. Ellie Brown from Sheffield City Council said: “Women will be more likely to breastfeed in places where they feel comfortable. “The main drive is to improve people’s health to ensure they lead happy, longer lives.” Just one in four babies are still receiving breast milk at six months, despite recommendations that babies need it for the first six months of life. The Government is planning more healthy initiatives next year.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
Lights switch-on draws 30,000 By Victoria Haley X Factor finalist Rhydian Roberts was greeted with 30,000 screaming fans as he flicked the festive switch for Sheffield last weekend after a day of fun and excitement in the city. This Christmas, Sheffield will be lit up by 170,000 lamps, 30 crossstreet displays and 75 illuminated columns. Welshman Rhydian Roberts, famous for his platinum hair and operatic performances in the 2007 talent show, turned on the lights last Sunday. To keep the festive cheer he belted out Christmas classic ‘Oh Holy Night’ as well as West End favourite ‘There’s A Place For Us’. Roberts said: “The sun is shining, there’s a huge crowd here, and I love Sheffield. Its a great chance to get into the Christmas spirit, so its a good time to kick start that festive period.” But the 25-year-old singer was not the only celebrity around for the switch on. Fellow Welsh reality TV stars Only Men Aloud, who won BBC talent quest Last Choir Standing this year, got the crowd humming along. Anthony Cotton, who plays Sean Tulley from Coronation Street, was the guest presenter at the Sheffield City Council event that lasted all afternoon. The main stage outside City Hall attracted thousands of excited fans. “It’s been a good day for the little ones, the best in a few years,” said father-of-two Phill Dainton from Hillsborough, who was at the switch-on party. Pudsey from Children in Need was out and about to collect his final donations from guests as they visited the stalls selling festive food and drink. Face painting, fairground rides, and children wearing reindeer hats made the event a real day to remember. And it doesn’t end there for the city. Santa will be greeting children every weekend before Christmas on the Moor.
Sheffield enjoys the Christmas lights party. (Inset) Rhydian Roberts performed in the city.
Photos: Marek Allen
Greens say Sheffield sustainability is ‘not so good’ By Victoria Ryves
Student Rebecca Miller by the Arts Tower bins.
Photo: Olivia Lightfoot
The Sheffield Green Party are calling for a bigger commitment to recycling from the Liberal Democrat run council after the city was ranked the seventh most sustainable city in the country. David Hayes, the co-chair of Sheffield’s Green Party, said: “Although sustainability looks good on paper, in terms of recycling in reality it is not so good.” He said that Sheffield’s Green Party aims to raise awareness of three key issues: waste, renewable energy, and problems with terraced houses. In terms of waste the Green Party cite a contract with waste management company Veolia as a key block to sustainability. Mr. Hayes said: “The contract makes it inefficient for Veolia to increase recycling rates. Veolia are not pushing the recycling of tin and plastics as plastics are going in to the incinerator.” He claimed that although it may appear that Sheffield is improving sustainability with a dedication to recycling, Veolia are
ignoring the profitable recycling of plastic as it is currently being used to power their incinerator. Veolia Environmental Services currently has a contract with Sheffield City Council to be in charge of all waste disposals, including the Berners Road incinerator, until 2036. Mr. Hayes also suggested that the Liberal Democrats have marketed the creation of a wind turbine in theory, but in reality this project has not yet been granted planning permission, suggesting a lack of dedication to the search for renewable energy. Mr. Hayes raised concerns about the planning application for an E-ON biomass generator, questioning its sustainability due to the modes of transport that are necessary to carry the biomass to and from the generator. “Terraced houses need to be looked at. Sheffield’s terraced houses, on the whole, do not have cavity walls and as such are inefficient to heat. Improving insulation will increase the sustainability of the houses,” he said. Sheffield Council has just been awarded a £50,000 grant to give
advice about insulation in these houses. It is suggested that University of Sheffield students can help improve Sheffield’s sustainability by reusing devices rather than recycling them. The survey, compiled by the Forum for the Future Sustainable Development Group, is designed as a guide to help councillors and citizens assess their achievement in terms of sustainability and how than can do better. The cities are judged according to 13 indicators in three areas: the environment, the quality of life in the city and future proofing. The indicators include air quality and commitment to recycling, unemployment rates, and commitments to climate change and sustainable energy. The table of 20 cities was headed by Bristol, which was voted the most sustainable due to the city’s dedication to recycling. In addition, it was credited as being Britain’s first cycling city due to an £11million scheme to encourage more people to ride their bikes rather than use their cars. Last year Sheffield also rated seventh in the rankings.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
7
Forge Radio get rights to record Band Aid Xmas charity single
UNIVERSITY NEWS
More plans to change classification of degrees By Jennie Hurwood
The Forge Radio team’s Band Aid single will be released for download on iTunes before Christmas. By Fiona White Forge Radio presenters are set to follow in the footsteps of Bono, Sting, and Paul McCartney after gaining permission to record Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ The Union radio station have joined forces with Singers’ Society and the Music Players Society to record their version of the song, which will be released on iTunes in time to battle for the Christmas number one. Ben Kennard, manager of Forge Radio, secured the right to record the song after months of negotiations with Bob Geldof’s Band Aid Trust. He said: “Hopefully people will like our version of the song and
we can make thousands for the Band Aid Trust.” He admitted they were very surprised to be given the goahead, as requests are turned down all the time. “Although most of us weren’t even born when the original song was released, you can see the effect the record had over the years and how it remains a Christmas classic,” he said. Presenter Paul Garbett and nine others from Forge Radio and SingSoc will tackle a solo section of the song, while another 40 make up the chorus. Charlotte Winstanley, Chair of SingSoc, held auditions recently to find the final 50 singers. She said: “The talent was amazing and we heard songs from ‘Away in a Manger’ to classic rock
tunes.” Just like in The X Factor, expectant hopefuls stood on a cross and performed to a panel of four judges. “It was a very difficult decision, as there aren’t many solo parts and everyone was very talented,” said Charlotte. The organisers are in talks with Sheffield United, and have been interviewed by BBC Radio Sheffield. The Yorkshire Post will be videoing the recording. They are hoping to make it onto TV and get national coverage of the song, which could then become a chart hit like its predecessors. Warner Brothers gave the recording rights for the single to be digitally downloaded but there will not be a CD copy to buy.
Photo: Olivia Lightfoot ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ was originally released in 1984, when Bob Geldof recruited the most famous singers of the time to record the song. It became the fastest selling single of all time in the UK and went straight to number one, outselling all the other records in the charts put together. All profits went to Geldof’s Band Aid Trust to help starving children in Africa. It is the first version of the song to be released since ‘Band Aid 20’ in 2004. That single took artists including Dizzee Rascal, Robbie Williams, and the Sugababes to Christmas number one. “All we need now is for everyone to keep downloading once it’s been released,” said Charlotte.
Proposals for Community Justice trials By Charlotte Chelsom-Pill A student residential area in Sheffield has been suggested for a pilot community justice scheme. The scheme, which hopes to be in place in Broomhill by May 2009, is designed to prevent and punish criminal activity in community areas. Students and local Broomhill residents will be asked to volunteer for the Community Justice Panel which will meet to reduce the number of offenders entering the criminal justice system. The proposed scheme is designed to bring together all parties to resolve issues when conflict arises. The panel will deal with anti-
social behaviour, neighbour disputes, criminal damage, common assault and minor ABH (actual bodily harm).
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 Although going through the system will not result in a criminal record, Community Justice Panels will have the authority to issue Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
(ABCs.) These will be drawn up and signed by all parties involved. This can then be used as evidence in court when ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders) are being issued. The scheme which was first piloted in Somerset has dealt with over 400 cases in the last three years, and has reduced the re-offending rate to 2.4 per cent. It is said to have decreased the perception of crime within the community, and increased a feeling of community safety and cohesion. It is intended that volunteers for the Community Justice Panels will reflect the diversity of residents within Broomhill. University of Sheffield students
will be among those asked to participate in the scheme. Union Welfare Officer Kathryn Axon has commented on how she feels it will affect students living in Broomhill. She said: “I think they’re a good thing as it will build more links between all members of the community. “It is beneficial as people will not be given a criminal record for little petty things. “It will be good to see the community getting involved.” Broomhill is awaiting a decision from the Council regarding authorisation for the Community Justice Panels to go ahead. If the panels are found to be successful, further systems will be created across the city.
The traditional 200-year-old university grading system looks set to change from classifications to report cards, following a radical review ordered by the Government. Flexible teaching via the internet, year-round enrolment and overseas campuses were some of the other proposed reforms in the nine papers published last week, written by vice chancellors and leading academics. While most of these reforms exist only on paper, from early next year 18 universities will be trialling a new grading system in English, Biology, Accounting and Creative Arts. It is hoped that more universities will join the scheme for the following academic year. In his report, Paul Ramsden, chief executive of the Higher Education Academy, said that universities should issue report cards instead of the traditional class degrees of firsts, 2:1s, 2:2s or thirds. The report cards will give information on students’ performance throughout their time at university. This includes a breakdown of grades by modules, and details of areas in which they have excelled as well as taking into account other skills gained during the student’s time at university. The current proposal is to give the report cards alongside the graduate’s traditional final degree grade with the aim of giving employers, higher education institutions or other interested parties more contextual detail about the abilities of a particular candidate. Mr. Ramsden said: “The present system of classification was designed for a smaller higher education world. “It does not describe the range of knowledge, skills, experience and attributes of a graduate in the 21st century.” Rebecca Watson, Education Officer for the Union of Students, agrees that the traditional grading system is no longer sufficient in representing an individual student’s abilities. She said: “A degree classification shows academic performance and attainment, but is not always indicative of other attributes the graduate may possess. “Even if a graduate receives a lower than average classification, they may possess great interpersonal skills, team leadership skills and have participated in Union projects and societies. “There needs to be some room for the classification system to take into account more than just academic success – to consider students holistically.” David Lammy, the Higher Education Minister, said: “While the UK degree is a highly valued and internationally recognised qualification, we believe that providing clear and transparent information is essential both for students and their future employers” The University is currently launching the Sheffield Graduate Project which aims to make students consider and recognise their attributes and achievements outside of academic attainment.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
NEWS UNIVERSITY
Disabled and dyslexic students hold a week of campaigning to raise awareness By Jennie Hurwood The Disabled and Dyslexic Students’ Forum (DDSF) are holding an Awareness Week aiming to reduce discrimination through better understanding of the issues facing disabled students. DDSF are running a stall and organising a variety of activities from Monday, November 17, to Sunday, November 23, in the Union of Students. They put on a special film screening of Snow Cake, covering autism and the approaches to the condition, and a disability awareness training event for societies today at 12.30pm in the Satpal Ram Learning Centre.
Have your say Comment on this article at Forgetoday.com Send a letter to press.letters@forgetoday.com Text us on 07765363716 The week is intended to promote awareness of areas of the Union building and activities that are inaccessible to disabled students, and highlight the prejudice towards disability that occurs every day. Additionally it was to show that there are many forms of disability aside from physical impairment and to encourage Union staff, societies, and committees to gain a greater understanding of working with disabled students. Chris Jesson, Students with Disabilities councillor and chair of DDSF, said: “It’s extremely important to increase disability awareness across the University because it is often misrepresented. “Society does not pay enough attention towards this and there aren’t the appropriate facilities available for those with a mental health condition.” DDSF are working with NUS Disabled Students and the charity Mental Health Matters on the NUS campaign ‘Mental Health Stigma’. The campaign follows findings by Harvard Medical School
Chris Jesson, Students with Disabilities councillor and chair of DDSF, with Union Education Officer Rebecca Watson. Photo: Dan Ascher (HMS) that one in four adults fear of discrimination. the appropriate methods. prevent exclusion of these people will experience a mental health Throughout Disability “It is particularly important by cutting out the strobe lighting problem within the course of a Awareness Week and beyond, that we promote to students on Union club nights has been year and that nearly half of all DDSF are working to reduce the what we do - communication distributed around the Union. adults meet the HMS criteria stigma of mental disorders which between DDSF and societies and DDSF will continue to organise for some type of mental disorder can itself intensify the problem. committees is something I want events throughout this academic during their life. The week is particularly looking to improve substantially as this year to further awareness of the These can take a variety of at the role of Union societies and seems a grey area,” said Jesson. issues surrounding disability, with forms, from anxiety and mood how they can better cater for He added: “We should be one the next one being International disorders, to substance abuse and students with disabilities through of the first ports of call should Persons with Disabilities Day on self-harm. training on approaching and such organisations be considering Wednesday, December 3. Most people who suffer from working with disabled members. the interests of students with The society meets every a mental disorder receive poor DDSF encourage the role of tact disabilities.” Wednesday at 5.30pm in the Moors treatment, if they receive any at in conversation and the training Throughout the week, DDSF has meeting room in the Union. all, as many still do not believe session for societies will ask for been raising awareness of strobe Next week, the LGBT (Lesbian, they are legitimate illnesses. responses on how they would deal lighting’s effects on students with Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Of those who are diagnosed, 55 with certain scenarios involving a photosensitive epilepsy. society are holding their per cent do not tell anyone out of disabled student, with advice on A petition to campaign to campaigns week.
Print journalism graduate gets top NCTJ prize By Leanne Rinne A graduate from the University of Sheffield has been named Student Journalist of the Year by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). Jennifer Smith, who completed her MA in Print Journalism this September, was given an NCTJ award of excellence at the Society of Editors conference in Bristol. This year 1,700 students took the NCTJ preliminary exams in news writing, law, public administration and shorthand. Out of the 200 students who achieved the gold standard of passes in every exam, Smith came top. Senior newsroom figures from all branches of the media attended the annual conference on Sunday, November 9, including Paul
Dacre, Editor of the Daily Mail, and news presenters Jon Snow and Alastair Stewart. Alan Rusbridger, Editor of The Guardian, presented Smith with her award. He said he was delighted to see the NCTJ celebrate the outstanding achievements of talented young journalists. Peter Cole, Director of Journalism at the University of Sheffield, said: “It was a tremendous achievement by Jenny to win this award last week. “She is the best of the best, and I was proud to be at the Society of Editors conference in Bristol when she was presented with her certificate - and to buy her a drink! “Our MA course is currently top of the NCTJ league table for
postgraduate courses.” This award came shortly after The Times Good University Guide 2009 named the University of Sheffield as the best place to study journalism. The BA Journalism Studies degree was placed number one on The Times’ subject league table out of 86 centres offering media courses. Professor Cole added: “Sheffield is the best university to study journalism at undergraduate level, and we were top in the National Student Satisfaction Survey. “So it hasn’t been a bad year. We must be doing something right; or rather our students must.” The Department of Journalism Studies has existed since 1994 and offers students undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Jennifer Smith & Alan Rusbridger.
Photo: David Betts (MagStar Ltd)
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
9
UNIVERSITY NEWS
World maps redesigned by professors
The human poverty map. (Top inset) Map of unemployment. (Bottom inset) Alcohol consumption map. By Amy Taylor There are few things as universally accepted and trusted as the map of the world, but researchers from the University of Sheffield would have us believe otherwise. Professor of Human Geography at Sheffield, Daniel Dorling, and research associate Anne Barford have published a book which suggests that physical geography is not the only, nor the most relevant, data to take into account. The Atlas of the Real World, written with Mark Newman,
Copyright SASI Group (University of Sheffield) & Mark Newman (University of Michigan)
a physics professor at the University of Michigan, is made up of 366 cartograms (statistical maps). These present the world map according to a wide range of geographical factors ranging from population density and education levels to disease and greenhouse gas emissions. Work on the project commenced in 2006 when Dorling and Newman teamed up to use newly created software allowing equal area cartograms to be drawn up. The cartograms twist and distort the continental layout as we know it to reflect social and geographical inequalities, causing
many small developing countries to balloon in appearance. For example, the graph reflects a risk of extinction to endangered animal species, where the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar are swollen to more than twice their normal size. In order to allow easier visual recognition, the cartograms are split into geographical regions and colour coded - such as green for South America, brown for Northern Africa and specific countries marked by shading. John Pritchard is a researcher at the University, and one of the cartographers working on the
project. He said: “I think the maps of disease are particularly shocking and bring home the scale of the problem in Africa better than a table of statistics does.” It is true that while the maps may look puzzling at first glance, the project sheds light on some thought-provoking issues of social inequality. The cartogram showing the number of girls not in primary education reduced the majority of the developed world to thin streaks and left countries such as India, where about 8million fewer girls than boys receive a basic
themselves, for example how hairs and feathers on skin communicate with each other so as to point in the same direction. The American paper, entitled ‘Asymmetric Homotypic Interactions of the Atypical Cadherin Flamingo Mediate Intercellular Polarity Signaling’, was published in prestigious research journal Cell in June. It was written by a team from the laboratory of Jeffrey Axelrod of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and looks at the “flamingo” gene, which affects how cells orient themselves. Professor Peter Lawrence of Cambridge University also made complaints that the Stanford team’s experiments were largely the same as those in a 2004 paper
he wrote, and lacked proper citations for their conclusions. He fears he may lose the credit he deserves for his work, and this may affect future funding. Professor Axelrod denies any wrongdoing, claiming that the team made “rigourous efforts to cite the work of others in our field appropriately”. He said: “Our paper underwent a strict process of peer review prior to publication. Concerns about the review process should be directed to Cell. “We stand by our conclusions as stated in the paper, as well as by our use of citations” Jean-Francois Le Garrec, of France, and Marek Mlodzik and Gary Struhl, based in the USA, have also made complaints.
By Chris Warne
education, enormously inflated. Large discrepancies also occurred in Western Africa. Now this project is completed, researchers are continuing similar tasks, including maps charting languages and the dispersion of their speakers. They also hope to be producing animated maps in the near future. Pritchard added: “We have a series of maps that show deaths at several stages, which would be particularly suited to an animation, and we now have a PhD student looking at extending the website, including ways of mapping the flow.”
Strutt anger at US scientists Students hit by tax By Mikey Smith A University of Sheffield researcher has claimed a team of American scientists have failed to properly reference his work in a recent molecular biology paper. Professor David Strutt, of the University’s Department of Biomedical Science, has made complaints to a Stanford University research team, along with four other researchers. They claim that most of their conclusions in the Stanford paper had already been drawn by other scientists, who had not been properly referenced. Much of Professor Strutt’s research centres around how groups of cells “polarize”
Students from the University of Sheffield could be forced to pay taxes on their household waste under new government proposals. Millions of students and student nurses across the country could be affected by the scheme, which is due to be piloted in April next year. Students in shared houses and halls of residence are currently exempt from paying council tax. But draft Whitehall guidance on the new scheme reveals that they will not be automatically exempt from the new local bin taxes. The proposals have been the subject of heavy criticism from the Conservative party and student groups.
Both say the decision to charge students for the waste they throw away is unfair. Ama Uzowuru, NUS Welfare President, said: “This is a ridiculous idea. “Student houses are bound to produce more rubbish than other households because they have more people living in them, and because they move in and out of their homes more frequently. “This means students will be disproportionately affected by these measures. “We hope that this wrong-headed proposal is swiftly dropped.” Local councils will have to consider whether those who do not pay council taxes, such as students, should be part of the scheme.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
LETTERS
Have your say Star letter: Sheffield’s shiny happy people Dear Forge,
I am writing in reply to the comment made by Hannah Gumbrill regarding Sheffield being the happiest place to live in the UK in Issue Four of Forge Press. Responding to a recent survey placing Brighton as the least cheerful place to live she comments by saying that “not only does it accept unquestionably all races, sexualities and fashion senses, but it is packed full with fabulous places to eat, drink and have fun”. In two ways it would appear that Ms. Gumbrill has not fully explored Sheffield. Firstly, there is an implication in her statement that perhaps Sheffield does not accept “all races, sexualities and fashion senses.” This is clearly utter tosh if you look at the demographics for Sheffield
The winner receives a free meal for two and a Lock-In membership at Your Harley
another implication that Sheffield does not have “fabulous places to eat, drink and have fun”. This only suggests to me that Ms. Gumbrill has not savoured all of the delights that Sheffield has to offer as England’s fourth largest city. It is generally recognised as one of the best places in the UK to party the night away which is in addition to the large number of high quality places to eat and drink that are found here. Unfortunately this seems to be a case of feeling slightly stirred by living in the least cheerful place in the UK. Perhaps her opinion could be changed if she decided to do what I’m hoping to do in a few years time which is to move permanently to this glorious and varied city.
and ask the views of almost any Sheffield resident. Secondly, there is
Yours, Aidan Croft Biology, second year
Star letter is sponsored by Your Harley
Kick ’Em Off conspiracy? Dear Forge,
Well you did it you dastardly swine. Bravo. You foiled our nefarious scheme to steal your printing press and you did it with style. Hours of planning undone, for weeks we had studied your moves, profiled your writers, obtained detailed plans for the building. We were ready to strike and take down your monopolistic and dictatorial rule of student opinion forever. But damn, our curse was our vanity. How could we be so foolish? Publicising our devilish schemes on a public and openly available email list. All our efforts dashed and our rigorous training all for nothing. Night after night invested
in reading manuals to learn the precise techniques to artfully dismantle a printing press piece by piece. We could do it backwards, we could do it forwards, we could do it blindfolded. Then there was the arduous physical training, perfecting the art of concealing these pieces in various and increasingly inventive bodily orifices. Finally, there was negotiating entry. I dare not speak of the terrifying, dark and twisted sexual favours required for a lousy copied key. Hey it was tough, it was imaginative, but we are big boys and girls and we can take it. Yes, you bested us and I bet you feel damn proud. Bravo. Give yourself a big
hard pat on the back each and everyone of you. But don’t be too ready to slip into such an easy slumber. We may be beat, but we aren’t finished. Be warned Forge Press, you haven’t heard the last of us. A communiqué has already awakened our sleeper cells across campus. Self-indulgent and selfdirected anarchists will emerge from the walls ninja style and end your rotten days. You haven’t heard the last of us no sir. Kick ’Em Off Campus is hatching new schemes and next time you won’t be so lucky. Yours, The Kick ’Em Off Conspiracy
High praise Dear Forge, Just to say the piece written by Alex Orton in Issue Four of Forge Press is a refreshing and intelligent point of view in my opinion. I am not saying I particularly agree, but Alex has provided me with handy food for thought for our prospective students and their families. Thank you. Yours, Catherine McKeown Student Support & Guidance
Nightline Dear Forge, On behalf of Sheffield Nightline I would firstly like to say a huge thank you for featuring us in Issue Four of Forge Press. As a service we are extremely grateful for the publicity you provided us with. However, we would just like to state that Nightline is not a counselling service, as mentioned in the article’s title. As a service, Nightline is non-directive with regards to the information and listening telephone and email services we provide. This means that we do not advise people on what choices they should make, but instead we listen to what people have to say and try to allow them to make their own decisions. Although we do offer information, be it in our listening or information calls, we always try to offer more than one option, so that we are not directing the caller to make a particular choice. If students require counselling services, we suggest they make use of the University Counselling Service (UCS). For more information regarding UCS, their website address is: www. shef.ac.uk/counselling. Also, as it was not mentioned in the article,
Write: Forge Press, Union of Students, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TG Email: letters@forgetoday.com Text: 07765363716 Please include your name, course and year of study we thought it might be worth mentioning that the Sheffield Nightline’s contact details are: Info: 0114 2228788 Listening: 0114 2228787 E-mail: nightline@sheffield. ac.uk Additionally the service is open from 8pm-8am every night during term-time.
quiet, productive work why bother? Handing them an eviction notice is all a bit dramatic. And surely if you wanted to get rid of laptops you would disable all the plug sockets? Yours, Alex Gibbins Medicine, third year
Yours, Nightline
Christie IC annoyance critiqued Dear Forge, Dear Forge,
I am one of the IC’s biggest fans, and, now being in the middle of a third major revision stint I still find it the best place to work. However, during these last couple of weeks, several things have started to grind on me. For example, why are the revolving doors turned off at the weekend? Fumbling around with your UCard in the two quid card readers is a thankless task. As they seem to insist on having a sizeable security presence sat behind that desk watching TV and playing solitaire, I don’t see why this should be the case. Another annoyance is the fact that you are unable to sign in if you forget your UCard. Although this tale of woe has not beset me, a close friend of mine, MB, suffered at the hand of this crazy rule last night. As he needed to go into the IC to get a particular book, he had to go all the way home to collect his UCard, and then walk all the way back. Thirdly, why can’t you take hot drinks upstairs? Surely they have the same stickiness factor as a spilt cold drink. I must confess however I enjoy running the gauntlet from the café to smuggle in such contraband to my desk. Finally, the rule about laptops in the silent room. If someone’s messing about or playing BlastBilliards to the point of distraction, by all means throw them out. But if someone’s doing
In Issue Four of Forge Press, Kyle Christie says he is against a free education service on the basis that it would “encourage students to stay at university eternally”. There is no evidence that this ever happened in the UK and it is not happening in other European countries where higher education remains free to all. He also dismisses the idea of having half of the country’s schoolleavers going on to study at university as “absurd”, but offers no explanation as to why he thinks so. Lastly, he bemoans the fact that the government “insist on measuring our eligibility for grants on the salary of our parents”. How else would he propose we distinguish between students whose financial needs are greater than others? Despite having the platform to oppose the recent education cut-backs, Christie is more concerned with rallying against widening access to higher education and allocating funds on the basis of need. Yours, David Mentiply History, MA student
Correction The article ‘Building award for Information Commons’ in Issue Four of Forge Press was written by Jo Wendel, not Natalie Bowen as was printed. We apologise for any upset caused.
Does University accommodation offer value for money?
Paul Dazeley, Psychology, third year
Grant Taylor, Architecture, third year
Natalie Want, Psychology, third year
Clark Leake-Lyall, Biology, third year.
Lawrence Carlos, Architecture, third year
Kendra Arkley, Psychology, second year
“No, they are expensive especially as Sheffield is one of the cheapest cities in the UK. Private housing is cheaper and offers a better location.”
“It was when I was in first year as food was included, but now it’s more expensive as they have modernised them and now costs more without food.”
“Yes, I lived in Broad Lane Court in first year and all bills were included as well as cleaners, but I wouldn’t waste money on catered as you often miss breakfast.”
“Compared with house prices in the area it is not, but with bills included then it definitely is as my house is always cold in winter now.”
“I lived in Sorby Hall and it seemed value for money but I haven’t lived in the newer ones so I don’t know how much they are now.”
“Yes it’s not too bad. I wish I had lived in catered accommodation as I didn’t make the most of the money I spent on food in first year.”
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
11
COMMENT
Less flyering will reduce littering and harassment by event promoters
Big venues can afford the fees; it’s small, student run nights that lose out
By Matt Duncan
By Jo Wendel
The City Council is set to start charging entertainment venues a fee if they wish to hand out flyers in the city centre. I for one agree with them. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like flyers. It is very rare for me to get given a flyer and not to look down and see that I already know about the event because I have previously been given a flyer for it. It is even rarer for me to get given a flyer and to decide to go to that event just because of that flyer. I know that people will say that this is going to cause small venues to lose money but I reckon that if they are clever it could actually save them money. I would say that postering is a far more efficient way of advertising to the people of Sheffield. Venues do not need to pay for someone to stand around all day and just as many people will see a poster as would take (or be forced to take) a flyer.
Flyers are not what I need when I’m rushing somewhere Also, the people that flyer can be annoying. I’m sure that they are all perfectly nice people most of the time but put a bunch of flyers in their hand and they suddenly become possessed with a desire to force as many people to take their wares as possible. Flyers are not what I need when I’m rushing
somewhere, such as through the rain to get to a lecture. Again, postering would be an improvement, in that there would be no people lurching across the pavement at you, just your eye being drawn to a big picture. Then there is the litter. I know that this is technically not the flyerer’s fault but no flyering would equal less paper for mindless fools to chuck on the floor. I realise that by now I am starting to sound horribly like a grumpy old man and not a fun-loving, freewheeling student, but I honestly believe that for once this is a council initiative that has its grounding in good old-fashioned common sense. It’s not just the music
venues who will have to get themselves in line, all sorts of other odd companies try to appeal to students. This week I heard of someone standing on Mappin Street and handing out flyers for custom essay web sites. It’d make a good defence in a disciplinary hearing: “I was given a flyer and thought; ‘well, why not cheat?’” Essays and dissertations written for cash. Beat that offer Embrace. Less litter and fewer people accosting us as we wonder the city will be refreshing. The promoters may complain but everyone is bound by the same law and it is up to them to find new and cleaner ways of getting people through the doors of their clubs.
Flyers and littering in Sheffield are out of control, as anyone who has ever passed the University concourse will know. The problem is increasing all over the city centre, and Sheffield City Council has decided to take action. Ironically enough, the scheme introduced is called Free Literature Consents. “Free literature” meaning free leaflets, flyers and “self-adhesive promotion material”. Yet it is everything but free for the venues distributing, as they annually have to apply for a £700 licence. I am glad Sheffield City Council is taking action against it, but am wondering if this scheme really is the right measure. Naturally, it should not fall on the tax-payers to pay for the venues’ littering. The venues should have to pay for the mess they take part in creating. The aim is definitely good, but this particular solution has several flaws and loopholes. According to the Charities Act 1993, it is free to distribute information on behalf of charities, which is fair enough. However, religious and political flyers may be handed out without any need to reach in the wallet for a Free Literature Consent. So if you flyer
Sajeev Jeganathan, International Officer.
as visa and immigration advice. The adaption to a completely new life style, along with the freezing cold weather, are additional factors of a new life at university in this country. I strongly believe that at Sheffield there is a good balance between students’ expectations and the reality of life here. Since student support is improving, as the needs get higher, student expectations are met more often than not. The University was
recently short-listed for two Times Higher Education Awards, one for the Best Student Experience and the other for Outstanding Support for Overseas Students. I am sure no one will disagree if I say that the Union of Students has made a significant contribution in both those shortlistings. Reflecting from my own experience as a student in Sheffield, I realised the more I got involved with the Union the more I learnt
Sinking under waste paper.
Cartoon: Mark Mackay
advertising a Pastafarian gathering at, say, Vodka Revolution that’s free. But advertising a small DJ playing at Bungalows and Bears would cost hundreds of pounds.
This particular solution has several flaws and loopholes But the biggest problem with the scheme is that it indirectly favours large venues. Clubs such as Plug and Corporation can afford the licence, but for small venues with limited finances £700 per year is a very hefty sum. The Council plan assumes that all the venues are distributing the same amount of flyers, which is hardly
the case. Ben Dunmore is a third-year Philosophy student, who runs the small ‘Fairground‘ night at the Casbah venue. He is outraged by the City Council’s actions. He said: “The license costs around £700 per venue, which means that large clubs will be able to afford to flyer regardless. Despite the law the streets will still be covered with bits of paper that say Bedlam or Jump Around or whatever. “Small promoters who put on innovative gigs will not be able to promote or even compete. They, and the venues they book, simply cannot afford the licence.” The scheme is meant to tackle littering, but has got much more far-reaching consequences. Dunmore goes on to say: “Ultimately if you stifle flyers you stifle the Sheffield music scene. No flyers means that all that is left is Carling Academy, Plug and Corporation.” The licence fee for flyering is just another example of a good idea that has gone wrong in the City Council’s hands. Maybe a pay-perflyer tax at the point of printing would be a fairer system. Having spoken out for the little guy’s right to promote himself, I must point out that the next person to stick a bit of glossy card in my face when I’m in a hurry better watch out.
We should get involved with our cultural diversity
When students arrive at the University for the first time they walk in with loads of expectations; expectations that they have acquired from various sources. In the case of international students there is high expectation due to the hype UK education receives globally and its reputation among overseas institutions. But these students need more than just a warm welcome; they require additional support such
about the diverse culture Sheffield has to offer, and more of my expectations were met. We have students from nearly 125 different countries and more than 30 national societies registered in the Source database. The question comes to mind: “is everyone making the most out of it?” Loads of students talk about travelling and experiencing other cultures and different lifestyles, but I guess we do forget all that
is available to us here in Sheffield. For instance we have the International Cultural Evening which showcases the cultural dances and other arts from around the world, the World Food Festival which serves cuisines from around the globe, and numerous other events. It is such a great opportunity and a perfect platform to build up a network for a bright future which is waiting once you graduate.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
COMMENT
University has wrong priorities on housing
By Kyle Christie During our time at this University, most of us will have some form of interaction with the extensive and expanding world of University accommodation. The vast majority of students spend at least a year in halls or flats built for and run by the University. However, amidst the swipe cards and communal kitchens, there are considerable grumbles about the price and contracts we bind ourselves with while in such accommodation. In light of this, Union President Dave Hurst is currently working on an aptly named report, Unaffordable University Accommodation, a critique of the University’s accommodation policies.
Students can find themselves paying for an empty room for weeks Since I first came to Sheffield in 2005, the average rent in selfcatered accommodation has risen by 44 per cent to £3,942.74. For the tasty food offered by catered accommodation, the cost has expanded to £5,458.47, a rise of 61 per cent. With the building of so many
new facilities, it is unsurprising that prices have gone up. However, is such a dramatic increase worth the luxury offered by the new accommodation in the form of, for example, en-suite bathrooms? Hurst’s forthcoming report highlights 2004 research that showed only five per cent of current students saw en-suite bathrooms as a ‘got to have’. The same research also found that only 10 per cent of potential students saw this facility as ‘important.’ Obviously the University sees its accommodation as a means to attract students in the face of fierce national competition. The increase in en-suite rooms undoubtedly contributes to the rise in rent prices. But as so few students want this luxury, why the focus on them? As the report also comments upon, the competition is that much cheaper already. It seems odd that the University’s answer is to raise the quality of its halls while also raising the cost, rather than offering competitive prices. According to Hurst’s report, at Leeds ‘out of the 30 types of accommodation and room configurations, all but one are cheaper than the price of the Endcliffe Village new build rents.’ At the University of Manchester, the six biggest halls all offer rooms that will burn a smaller hole in your pocket than those from our University.
University flats might be expensive, but the private sector has its problems. One last but vital element in this melting pot of rents and research is the issue of contract lengths. Nearly all those living in University accommodation will be paying for 42 weeks, meaning students can be paying for an empty room for weeks. Inversely, some Erasmus students end up with 37 week contracts and get turfed out over the holidays, along with their possessions. Comparing us to Leeds, the report highlights the inflexibility of our University’s accommodation system, which offers only two contract lengths. Leeds offers five different contract lengths, ranging
Lecturers or border guards? By Natalie Bowen University lecturers are fighting against a government order to monitor overseas students who are bunking off lectures. The Home Office has tightened border controls already because it fears that thousands of nonEU nationals are coming to the UK pretending to be students, but actually working illegally instead. Changes have already begun; from Tuesday November 25 even current students will need to be fingerprinted if they apply for a visa extension. From the start of the next academic year lecturers will be expected to report any overseas student that regularly fails to turn up to university. The government worries stem from bogus students using the
system to get here but then breaking the strict terms of their visa, effectively becoming illegal immigrants. Immigration control is a governmental matter, and lecturers are arguing that they’re basically being asked to spy on their students. Surely overseas students have enough pressure on them without tutors watching them like hawks? The pastoral role of lecturers is to support students, and this would conflict with the proposed legal duty to report students. Would students feel
able to ask for help when they can’t cope at university if they know that telling tutors may lead to losing their visa? Besides, simply not attending lectures does not mean you are employed. There could be any number of reasons why lectures are missed, and overseas students would surely feel persecuted when they are monitored and home students are not. Universities depend on the money overseas students bring; so perhaps some leniency is necessary to keep them.
from 39 to 51 weeks. Combined with the reduction in food allowance in catered accommodation from £50 to £35, it is unsurprising that the Annual Student Satisfaction Survey 2008 showed only 39 per cent of students in catered accommodation and 42 per cent in self-catered accommodation as being ‘satisfied’ when it came to value for money. Now, the University does deserve praise for its dramatic expansion and the rise in quality of accommodation for students. But with 77 per cent of students in the private sector being satisfied with value for money, and purse strings tightening
Cartoon: Kate Carson amongst even the most frivolous students, the University may find itself losing out to landlords and letting agencies. On a personal note, my halls, which are now demolished and no doubt covered in en-suite bathrooms, were rather basic, somewhat boring, and we shared showers and toilets. And it was brilliant. It was affordable, it had a sense of community and it was a great base for any first year student. If the University wants its accommodation to be held in high esteem once again, then it should consider focusing on rents that are affordable, not insisting on more expensive and luxurious rooms.
On song for charity By Amy Taylor There has recently been so much bad press involving university students recently, from vandalism to plagiarism, that it was beginning to feel like our day in the sun was over. We have a bad rep for being disruptive, lazy, and drunken louts. But it just goes to prove that a few bad apples well and truly spoil the whole lot. People can say what they like about university students, because luckily there are far more of us that are contributing to society in a positive way. No one goes all out for charity events the way students do – be it hitchhiking to Europe, parachuting from planes in costume, or running miles in the gloomy British weather simply to give a soul less fortunate a
happier future. The release of the Band Aid single by members of the University’s Forge Radio and SingSoc is one such example of this student charity. Yes, I will admit that by the end of the festive period, the constant repetition of the usual Christmas hits being pumped through any public place makes the idea of strangling myself with tinsel an appealing one. And the Band Aid charity single has before most definitely fallen into this category. But I will readily purchase the single from iTunes when it is released, and I will even grit my teeth and listen several times to see if I can pick out the crooning vocals of one of the Forge Press Sports Editors. And I encourage you to do the same thing. Go on, Christmas comes but once a year.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
Editorials Awareness should last beyond a week The saga with the Arts Tower lift serves as an effective reminder that thinking about the difficulties faced on a daily basis by people with disabilities is not something that is done often enough. Whilst the current faults with the building’s lift mean that many students will have to factor an extra five minutes into their journey to a lecture on one of the upper floors, a student with a physical disability has to face up to these sort of issues each and every day. It is not the University’s fault that the lift is broken, and it is simply unfortunate that the
building’s status as Grade II* listed means that remedial work will take such a long time to carry out. However, the issues flagged up by DDSF chair Chris Jesson regarding fire evacuation are salient, and it is this type of awareness that the Disabled and Dyslexic Students’ Forum are trying to raise as part of their ongoing week of events. We are privileged to have such a diverse student body, and it should not only be during awareness weeks but at all times that we consider the challenges which exist outside the microcosms of our own lives.
The inexcusable comments made by two of Forge Radio’s (now ex-) presenters this week were crass and utterly thoughtless, but not malicious. I was listening live to the show when the comments were made, and I am convinced that they were motivated by ignorance rather than cruelty. Those concerned did the decent thing by stepping down immediately after the show when the potential consequences of their comments were outlined to them, and I hope that this sort
of incident does not detract not only from the reputation of Forge Radio but also from the fantastic achievement of the station in securing the rights to re-record ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ from the Band Aid Trust. It is a real honour that they have been chosen given the number of requests of this nature that are turned down every year, and I hope that the students of this University will get behind their bid to raise as much money as possible for charity.
Radio reputation
ID cards so bad? The issue of ID cards in general is a particularly thorny one, but that doesn’t account for the less than rosy response to the news that as of next week, foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area who wish to stay in the country (including students pursuing a course) will be issued with an identity card. People are always seeking to undermine anything that may be seen as unnecessary bureaucracy, or, as some would prefer to have it, an infringement of privacy. On the other hand, many of
those people (irrespective of their nationality) are concerned about national security. In the same way that going through airport scanners and being intimately frisked despite the fact that you have nothing more threatening than a strawberry lollipop in your hand luggage is frustrating, measures like this are a necessary – or at least, useful – evil, and ultimately solve more problems than they cause, unlike the unhelpful attitudes of those that intend to disagree with them.
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COMMENT
Campaign will fall on deaf ears and full guts
By Alex Orton Having eaten all the pies, Sheffield is about to have a wad of cash for dessert. Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson has announced plans to target £30million of government money at Britain’s 10 fattest towns, boroughs and cities. Sheffield Primary Care Trust will get in excess of £4.7 million to encourage people to take more exercise and eat better. As a member of the student population I know a bit about health campaigns: I’ve been told not to drink so much, get screened for STDs and to eat more fruit. I have done none of these things. In fact I have considered asking the University Health Service for one of their posters that counts the numbers of units in drinks so I can learn what gives best value for money. I have avoided getting acquainted with the nurses’ swabs and filling the little tubs at the doctors’. And by filling out questionnaires I got emailed to me about eating more fruit I won £100. This money was promptly spent on a celebratory steak meal. The point I’m making is that to make Sheffield healthier the Government shouldn’t offer people rewards of vouchers for healthy days out if they walk their kids to school. Where is the logic in saying: “You hate exercise, do some and we’ll pay for you to do some more”? Why not make money instead? Introduce a chip tax. If your postpint kebab cost more than the change left in your wallet you might abstain from it. Many smokers take up
Selling health to the young is a tough task. smoking roll-ups when they start university because they can make cigarettes that are much smaller than straights, so their money goes further. The same could apply to food. If McDonalds became an expensive indulgence then people would learn to cook something better than beans on toast. Up the road in Rotherham, Jamie Oliver’s hoop earring wearing army will teach you how to make meatballs. The NHS also comes into this. Why just give them £30m to try
and persuade people to eat well? Why not charge people to eat badly and give the NHS the tax proceeds to pay for their health care? Smokers pay to have their cancers treated through tobacco tax, so why not put a few extra pence on the price of a pork pie to pay for the heart bypass that follows a lifetime of keeping Ginsters shareholders rich? Although with the size of the hills in Sheffield I don’t know how everyone isn’t fighting fit.
Why pay extra for our student discounts? By Kyle Christie Our little blue card becomes a treasured possession while at university. Not only does it let us into the IC at anytime of the day, it also provides us with money off clothes, food and music. It’s the perfect excuse to spend money on things we can’t actually afford; somehow the phrase ‘student discount’ tips us over that line of financial selfjustification. Unlike other student cities, such as Leicester, we’ve always managed to get along with just our UCard. It’s accepted virtually everywhere across Sheffield. I even once heard of a member of staff who got her card printed blue so she could take full advantage of the student discounts. However, this year we are being encouraged to buy NUS Extra, ‘the definitive student discount
card’. Quite why the Union Officers have decided to promote this card is somewhat of a mystery. It could be that nearly £5 of the cost goes straight back to our Union. Considering the deficit, this might be an easy way of filling some of the gap.
Since when, however, had students had to pay for discounts? We’ve never been big on the £10 cards in Sheffield. A previous President once put forward a policy at an NUS event calling for the organisation to be honest about what each card offers. Nor do I know a single person at this University who has one. Buying the card allows access to discounts from places such as Amazon, Ticketmaster and, well,
McDonalds. This may not seem like too bad a deal. More discounts for only £10 annually sounds a fair price. Since when, however, have students had to pay for discounts? We shouldn’t expect these deals to be provided for us in all circumstances. But the system of student discounts is one that is mutually beneficial to both students and the commercial industry. Students get a small amount off their purchases, whether it be the bare necessities or exuberant luxuries, and shops attract a lucrative and growing market. The introduction, and now promotion, of the NUS Extra card will simply encourage businesses to restrict their offers to those who can afford to buy an additional means to prove they are a student. The economic downturn is
going to hit students especially hard. We could do without having to pay even more to get the discounts we’ve become used to. So perhaps think twice before buying an NUS Extra card. Instead, why not see a film, go to the theatre or treat yourself to that new pair of shoes. All things, incidentally, you can get at a discount with your normal student card. To borrow the image the Union are using to promote the NUS Extra card: don’t be a monkey and look carefully as to whether it’s worth it. And yes, we know a gorilla is an ape, so you won’t win the star letter if you write in about it.
Cartoon: Mark Mackay
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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FEATURES
Cartoon: Kate Carson
By the time students realise that they have picked the wrong degree subject, it’s often too late.
Cap & gown meltdown By Kimberley Long “When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut / a clown / a plastic surgeon [delete as applicable].” If only it was that simple. Childhood aspirations don’t necessarily take into account that generating instant professional success is somewhat more difficult than simply wanting it. Therefore most teenagers wise up; they choose the right degree and gain the right exam results, confident this will make for easy entrance into the perfect career. The reality is that some students are not quite so clued up, or are uncertain as to exactly where they’re headed or how to get there. The unease with which we make choices before, and even during, university threatens to rear its ugly head again when we graduate. A survey carried out by market research firm Opinionpanel Research has found that one in 12 students regretted their choice of degree by the time they had graduated. There were almost 600,000 students starting fulltime undergraduate courses in 2008 according to UCAS. In theory, and according to these statistics, that’s over 4,000 wishing they had a different degree by the time it came to donning their cap and gown. Looking at this figure, it is a strange and unsettling thought to assume that many students have not even enjoyed their degree. The current economic climate plays an influential role in
these statistics. The dwindling proportion of job vacancies and decreasing numbers of potential consumers, who would have produced a bigger demand for skilled workers, means that students are doubting their choice of degree and its usefulness. There are students who have enjoyed and sought value in their study, but are disillusioned with its actual use in job markets which are full to bursting with young talent already.
One in 12 students regretted their choice of degree by graduation Rhiannon Price graduated from The University of Sheffield in 2008, with a 2:1 in Russian, German and French. She spent the third year of her four year degree divided between Klagenfurt in Austria and St. Petersburg. Despite her achievement and plenty of handson language experience Rhiannon is still struggling to find a job four months after graduation. “I did French, German, and Art at A Level. I thought I’d be more likely to get a job if I went in for a languages degree, but even if I had done Art instead, I’d still be in the same position now. “I have been looking at becoming a translator but to do that I need to have a Masters. I’m limited with what I can do with just a languages degree as it’s quite an abstract choice. “In my opinion, you need to get a further qualification, like a PGCE (if you want to become a language teacher) in order to secure a job. I
could always apply for the GCHQ and become a spy if all else failed I suppose.” But other than applying for a job to rival that of James Bond, it is becoming essential to think about postgraduate education in order to attract employers. This is nothing new, however; the student consciousness is actually acknowledging this vital message because it has come to the point when they simply have to. “It’s difficult to get a job without having some extra experience. All the office jobs I’ve applied for have wanted office experience which I don’t have. “Some big companies do offer internships for graduates but they’re mainly in London and you don’t get paid for them. They can be up to three months long and most people wouldn’t be able to afford that after they graduated, especially if they’re not from London to begin with.” Despite the problems she’s facing now, Rhiannon had no reservations while studying for her degree. “I enjoyed my degree and got a lot out of it and learned a lot of skills. Being able to speak other languages and living abroad was and is a fantastic experience. “I don’t regret my choice, even if life after University is difficult to begin with. I don’t think I would have enjoyed anything else”. Any degree is vulnerable to just as much uncertainty in its job outcomes as Rhiannon’s. Becca Heald is currently studying for a postgraduate diploma in Print Journalism after completing a degree in Biology at The University of York. She graduated with a 2:1 in 2007. After having
a year out and spending some time travelling in South America, she moved to Sheffield this September. “I had always dreamed of being a vet so did the sciences at A Level,” she explains. “But I realised I wouldn’t get the results I needed so I changed and applied to study Biology instead. By the second year I’d realised that I didn’t want a career in science. I had always been better at English at school but ended up studying science instead. “For me the only path open from a science degree was teaching and research. I didn’t want to teach and going into labs always made me feel out of my depth. I didn’t relish the thought of those career options.” Finding some work experience in a field that interested her and studying for a postgraduate degree was viable instead. She found that this was where the possibility of journalism emerged. It is reasonable to suggest that students displaying regret in their degree choice might not be in such a difficult position had they realised how essential it was to organise relevant work experience. By putting a lot into all areas of your degree, it is easier to get a lot out. Sarah Lucas, a University of Sheffield graduate in 2007, says: “I knew from day one that a degree wouldn’t be enough, and that was then. If I was looking to graduate in the next few years then I would almost certainly do everything I could to give myself added security. In my mind that means creating a dazzling CV and portfolio so that I am not a
competition, but a threat to other students who want my job.” Such is the atmosphere of upheaval and unrest in recruitment circles that opportunity for quick and painless insertion into industry is unlikely for graduates. The value of a degree as a stepping stone into the employment market is under greater scrutiny than ever before, sweeping the value of enjoyment in learning and extra-curricular skills away from its focus. Demonstrably, graduates are regretting their degree choice because they have misjudged or fallen short of immediate access onto their chosen career path, but the significance and usefulness of the degree programme should not be called into question here.
It’s difficult to get a job without having some extra experience One of the foremost problems amongst the new wave of students experiencing difficulty after graduation is that they only started to build on their employable persona in their penultimate year, and this is too late. In testing times as ours, transferable skills and insider knowledge regarding the best route into your chosen industry should be identified and worked towards from day one. Whilst there simply may not be enough jobs to feed the hungry pool of graduates, students need to be fully conscious of this fact and commit themselves to playing the game.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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FEATURES
FEATURES
Hero to zero and back again (Above) Laura performs at Population. (Right) After being voted off The X Factor. And what about Simon? Well me and Simon were never in touch over the phone or anything because he wasn’t my mentor, but I respect him in so, so, so many ways. He’s achieved so much and I’m hoping he will advise me in my career and whichever way I go with my music.
Forge Press talks to X Factor star Laura White, whose exit has sparked public outcry
Next year I just want to develop myself as an artist as much as I can How do you feel about his criticism of your image? Honestly, I completely understand, he was working on me as an artist not as a person. He’s looking for me as a product and I understand that. Any advice he gave me I learnt from and that’s fine.
By Bethan Hill It’s a rare thing when a reality TV contestant really causes a stir. But the departure of Laura White from The X Factor has done just that. The former favourite being voted off has provoked complaints to Ofcom and plans to boycott the show. She has even been mentioned in Parliament. So it was with great excitement that I went to meet her before she performed at Population on Monday night. I’ve never seen a Union club night quite so excited. People were trying to sneak back stage and sweet talk the bouncers into giving them information. This is no reality show reject. I was ushered back stage, past the jealous looks of her fans to meet the girl herself. There was just one stipulation: don’t mention Louis Walsh... So, how are you and how are things going since you left The
X Factor? It’s been absolutely amazing since I’ve left the house. My first initial reaction when I left was that I was distraught. But since then it’s been crazy! It’s been endless gigs, three gigs a day, every day. You must be tired! I’m so tired, my vocals are tired, and you can hear it. I’ve been doing interviews and photo shoots and then hopefully I’ll just continue with my writing and look to release something next year. How has it been having your departure from the show mentioned in Parliament? It’s so, so strange for me because, you know, I was just a girl from Bolton and it’s caused so much controversy. But at the same time I was so, so excited that it caused so much uproar and people believed in me. It gave me a really big confidence boost. People were even threatening to boycott the show...
How long have you been singing for? Obviously I’ve really, really loved music since a very young age. I started playing the piano at seven, so music has been my life. I started professionally singing, doing jazz and things, when I was fifteen. That’s when I first started taking it really seriously. I started songwriting only 12 months ago. My writing has made me as much as my singing. I think next year I just want to develop myself as an artist as much as I can, and as a writer as well. I definitely want to release an album of my own writing.
I know! I’m just hoping they’ll follow me now with my music. How do you feel about Daniel leaving on Saturday? Daniel was definitely one of my closest friends in the house. I’ve spoken to him since, and I’ll support Daniel whichever way he goes with his music and as a friend. I’m going to meet up with him the second that he’s free, but I’m sure he’ll be busy now for a long time. But he’s done amazing, he lasted a long time on the show and I’m sure that he’ll go onto really, really big things.
People were trying to sneak back stage and sweet talk the bouncers Now, I’m going to ask about some of your fellow contestants. Give me the first word that pops into your head. Eoghan: So, so sweet. Diana: Crazy. JLS: Ladies.
Laura White was a favourite to win The X-Factor before her shock exit. Rachel: People think she’s a tiger, but really she’s a pussycat. Ruth: Latino! There’s nothing more! Who do you think is going to win The X Factor? This year I’m hoping there’ll be
a change because the show’s been so different musically. In terms of winning, I think I’d like JLS to win, just because it’d be a change, but you know there’s so much talent I’m just really not sure who’s going to do it.
I’ve got to ask you about the woman of the moment: Cheryl. What’s she like? Cheryl is absolutely amazing. In terms of my music, she really understood me and we worked fantastically together, and on a personal level we were such good
friends. She was there for me through it all and I couldn’t have asked for more. Are you still in touch with her? I am yeah, she’s lovely, she is.
How does it feel to be number one in the charts? Our dream was to be number one and we achieved that. I hope people continue to buy the single, it’s for a fantastic cause. You know, my own songs
have also gone to number one in the download chart. It’s so surreal, it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m just glad to get my voice and my music out there more than anything.
I was just a girl from Bolton and it’s caused so much controversy ‘Hero’ is keeping everything off the number one spot. It knocked Cheryl off... It knocked Cheryl off! I was so embarrassed. I was like, don’t mention number one! We’re still going strong though. I see you drinking the student staple there, a nice cup of tea... Yeah, I drink tea, I drank tea when I was at university. I was at Bolton Uni studying creative writing. I left to go into The X Factor. And finally then, what do you sing in the shower? Ooh... I always sing ‘I Will Always Love You’ in the shower. I don’t know why, but I always sing it. Probably because of its good acoustics! Laura relaxes with a cuppa whilst chatting to Forge Press. Photo: Rebecca Yap
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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FEATURES
An extraordinary & mindboggling NUS conference By Kyle Christie For the past two years the National Union of Students, that distant organisation we associate with little more than discount cards, has been faced with the issue of ‘reform’. Say this word to one of the hundreds of political hacks that attend the conferences, and you’ll get a reaction of either unadulterated joy or utter revulsion. To provide some background to those of you lucky enough to have ignored this debacle: the NUS is a highly political organisation. Different groups and factions vie for positions and policies at every conference and meeting. The various groups include Labour Students, Student Respect and a host of left-wing groups with the words ‘socialist’, ‘revolutionary’ and ‘people’s’ in various orders. Two years ago, proposals were put together calling for reform to the NUS. This included modifying how the conferences work, changing the elected positions in the organisation, and adding a non-student board of trustees to help with legal and financial matters. The result has been a divisive debate during which many of those on the political left have fallen on the side of opposing the reform, and everyone else has generally supported it. In order to be passed the reform needs to be voted for twice, at two different conferences. Last year, it was voted for at a conference in December, but failed at a conference during Easter. So another conference was called for November this year, in an attempt to start the process again.
I can’t emphasise enough the absurd nature of an NUS conference I didn’t say it would be easy to understand. Having attended three conferences before during my previous incarnation as a Union hack (I’m now in recovery), I tagged along with the Sheffield delegation to the NUS Extraordinary conference in the delightful city of Wolverhampton. I can’t emphasise enough the absurd nature of an NUS conference. You’re thrust flyers declaring not only the evil nature of this or that proposal but the end of capitalism itself. The political conviction of delegates is electric. It’s as if you’re in 1968 preparing to protest against some dictatorial government. Indeed, many of those attending the conference would give everything to be transported back 40 years into the heyday of student radicalism. Most students, for better or worse, are not members of political groups. Yet to attend an NUS conference, you could be convinced that students from Exeter to Edinburgh are placard-waving
Cartoon: Mark Mackay
An NUS conference plays host to an eclectic range of groups. hacks who talk of little but tuition fees, neo-liberalism and just what support they should offer various South American governments. If you think the Union elections are irritating, I’d imagine you’d run out of Wolverhampton Civic Hall quicker than you can say the words “Save NUS democracy!” I was greeted by the news that I would be unable to take any photographs or videos of the conference. No explanation was given for this strange and counter-productive policy, but I had accepted it by the end of the day. This was only after a failed attempt to take a sneaky photo of the conference was foiled by NUS staff. NUS President Wes Streeting (he’s the one always quoted in The Guardian) greeted us with his passionate case for reforming the NUS. “Tell me this is not a union crying out for change!” he shouted. Judging from the response, few seemed to disagree, though the delegate who commented that “he talks shit, but in such a good way he can make you like it” remained unconvinced by the rhetoric. Streeting remains a divisive figure: when responding that he would “go home and shoot myself in the face” if the reform failed to pass, he conceded from the conference reaction that some might consider this an extra reason to vote against the changes. He will be up for re-election next year, having decided not to shoot himself in the face. An NUS conference is as rife with sound-bites as it is with inflammatory leaflets. From the often-repeated mantra that “the
status quo is not good enough for us” to the declaration that we “cannot restrict ourselves with the tools of oppressors”, Wolverhampton was awash with linguistic gems that Wednesday afternoon. More delegates - the proud, the nervous, the veterans - all arrived on the podium to make their case for or against ‘reform’, or one of the 15 possible amendments to the motion. They range from the tweedjacket wearing sabbatical, the well-built jock with his position emblazoned across his hoodie, and the Mohican-sporting radical. Stereotypes are hard to avoid. Some, you can imagine in Parliament within 20 years. But you could just as easily see them remaining here, pontificating to the same people on the same inane issues; such is their enthusiasm for this confrontational sparring ground.
One delegate does shout “bollocks” and storms out at this point The delegates were asked to vote on such proposals as ensuring all delegations are split equally along gender lines, and whether or not to lift their ban on the BNP. Both failed to pass. It is worth noting that an NUS conference is the very height of political correctness. I expect it would be easier to get offended at the offices of Amnesty International. Amid the many jokes directed at investment bankers, we
hear from Rob Owen, who is on the NEC (National Executive Committee) and has emerged, no doubt through no fault of his own, as the figurehead of the antireform movement. He tells us that the conference is a joke. I agree with him on this point. From the position of an observer, you realise just how detached the organisation represented by the 1,000 people in the hall has become from the daily reality faced by students. It’s little wonder that the Government and the media, let alone students, ignore a navelgazing NUS which for so long as been obsessed with its own structures and petty issues. Finally, the vote that delegates from Aberdeen drove 10 hours to participate in takes place. Each card is raised, high in the air, from the back row to the executive on the platform. It’s so tempting to shout a number – about 130 would do – and disrupt the count, but the thought of hundreds of tense political hacks glaring towards the balcony at me, and my journalistic integrity, stops me from doing so. One delegate does shout “bollocks” and storms out at this point, but my disruption would have garnered more attention. They’ve been told the NUS will die if it doesn’t change. They’ve also been told that these reforms will destroy the last remnants of democracy in the NUS. Which of us would want to be faced with such a weighty decision on our shoulders? In the end, they choose the destruction of democracy over the death of their organisation, by 614
votes to 142. At the announcement of the result, 614 of the delegates roar with triumph over their political opponents who trumped them at the last conference. However, 142 delegates, including our President, Dave Hurst, Education Officer Rebecca Watson and Women’s Officer Fiona Edwards, remain stony faced in the face of what they will see as only a temporary defeat.
You realise just how detached the organisation has become from reality During the dark and tired bus journey back, I trip over an unfortunate realisation. The NUS does matter. Not so much because of what it does now, which is at best illjudged and at worst irrelevant, but because of its potential. Next year will likely see the start of the tuition fee review, and the calls to scrap the cap on topup fees will be echoing down the corridors of power. A student movement united around this threat rather than bickering amongst them will have a real chance of success. Considering the chaotic nature of the organisation though, its own internal and unnecessary infighting may dominate at a time when students need a national representative body more than ever. However, if the NUS fails to sort itself out, then we need to seriously consider whether staying in such a costly, dysfunctional organisation is really worth it.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
FEATURES
A snapshot of the life of the ‘photo man’ By Rebecca Yap Clouds of dust settle back to the parched dirt road as the Jeep photographer Tim Smith is travelling in slows to a halt. Three trips, sponsored by the British Council, to Yemen – a country where paperwork is troublesome, security checks are tight and photography of women must be done in secret – taught Tim that rigid itineraries lead nowhere and that there are no fixed answers to questions about why they are stopping. Now miles away from Yemen’s third largest city Ta’izz, a small crowd grows alongside the Jeep. Many Yemenis have come with arms outstretched, their wrinkled hands clutching yellowed British documents in the hope that “the white man from Britain” might be able to help them retrieve the pension they were entitled to during days of labour in Britain. They have come to the wrong man. All Tim has is a stack of portrait shots of Yemenis he had taken as an example to other Yemenis who might volunteer to have theirs taken. Among the crestfallen Yemenis, a man starts pointing at a picture and repeating excitedly: “That man is his father! That man is his father!” By sheer coincidence, the son of Fayed Ali Al-Ahmed, a man Tim photographed in Newport in 1984, recognised the picture of his father and agreed to take Tim to him once again. A few days later, Tim made a worthy trip back to Ta’izz where he met Fayed Ali Al-Ahmed and took his portrait for the second time; a moment in 2007 forever sealed in his memory. Twenty-six years ago, Tim unwittingly began documenting the full-circle walk of British Yemenis – how they sailed from Yemen, settled for decades in Britain, but later went home to the Yemen they left behind. In pursuit of photojournalism ambitions, he studied photography at Gwent College in Newport, South Wales after completing a degree in Ecological Science at Edinburgh University. During his time there, he lived near the dock in a small cosmopolitan terrace named Dolphin Street. “It was a multi-cultural street
in every sense. There was no segregation,” said Tim. Constantly taking pictures on the bustling street and in the nearby school, children dubbed him the “photo man”. He later set up an exhibition based on the Dolphin Street project. After graduation in 1984, Tim refused to join the rat race in London and later accepted an offer to work on a project about Sheffield’s steel industry. “The Don Valley was full of steelworks. You could smell it from afar,” said Tim. It was while working on the Sheffield project that he first met British Yemenis who slogged in the steel factories shovelling coal, and he began photographing them. Fast forward 20 years and the British Council had the idea of setting up an exhibition titled Muslims in Britain and sent six photographers to six Arabic countries. Tim was one of them and decided that since he had several encounters with Yemenis back in Sheffield that he would go to Yemen, thus sealing the connection between the years of work between Sheffield and Newport.
surrounding Red Sea and Indian Ocean that bordered Yemen made the country the trading hub between Arabia, Africa, the Mediterranean, India and the Far East. The port of Mokha, now a poor and dusty fishing town, was once heralded as the origin of coffee before unprotected relentless trade reduced the treasured resource to nothing more than a commodity.
Yemen is a place where Arab hospitality is not an unfounded cliché
In more recent history, Aden became the latest jewel in the British Empire which made use of the port to refuel coal-fired ships and as a shortcut from Britain to the rest of its vast eastern empire. Yemeni men around Aden joined the Merchant Navy as sailors, eking out a living carrying out menial tasks below the deck and settled all over the world, laying the foundations of Britain’s longest-established Muslim community. The Yemeni population in Sheffield settled in lowly-paid unskilled labour in steel factories. “Just wrestling with these huge amounts of molten steel all the time, it’s the hardest work I’ve ever seen anyone do,” said Tim. Long hours earning money to send home to Yemen subjected them to a workhome-work routine, isolating them from interaction. The Sheffield Yemeni population, who congregated in Attercliffe or “Little Aden” back in those days, had no pressure to learn English and their English vocabulary was largely limited to factory jargon. Then in the 1980s, economic depression and pressure
Yemen is a place where Arab hospitality is not an unfounded cliché. “It is an extraordinary place with the friendliest people. People who don’t have a great deal readily invite you into their houses to stay,” muses Tim. “If you ever go to Yemen, I recommend you go in the mango season because the mangoes are fantastic. “With the news on terrorism, the positive stuff gets forgotten. It is more dangerous to travel along the M62 to Manchester airport. Of course, be smart in answering if asked ‘What do you think of Tony Blair and George Bush?’” Tim joked. Yemen’s vibrant and colourful culture and history also inspired Tim to embrace more colour work over his usual black-and-whitestyled images. Yemen is one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the world. Thousands of years ago, Indian and Arab boats dominating the
from far-right parties in Britain led to escalated racial segregation and British Yemenis losing their jobs, triggering the flow of British Yemenis over to America or back to Yemen. The remaining British Yemeni families have produced a younger generation of British Yemenis born and bred in Britain and adept in English, the language that separated their parents from the rest of British society.
The Yemeni population in Sheffield settled in lowlypaid unskilled labour On Sunday, October 19, a monochrome photograph projected on the plain white wall at the front of Activity Room Three in Sheffield’s Weston Park Museum draws attention to the image of cheap, back-breaking work done by a Yemeni man operating lifting gear at the Thomas Clarke and Sons foundry in the Don Valley, Sheffield back in 1984. All around is the soft murmur of people. Mostly the visitors are older local people who have walked through Sheffield’s steely history and sporadic numbers of people with mixed Yemeni heritage, and the occasional aspiring young photographer. They have gathered for the exclusive world premiere of Tim’s latest and tenth book, Coal, Frankincense & Myrrh: Yemen and British Yemenis, a consolidation of his years of interaction with Yemenis. Coal, Frankincense & Myrrh borrows its name from the integral role coal played in the lives of British Yemenis and the importance frankincense and myrrh had to trade in the then prosperous Yemen. The book looks at the lives of Yemeni sailors and their families with special attention to Sheffield Yemenis who are very much a part of the city both today and in its history. Reader offer: To get a copy of Coal, Frankincense and Myrrh at the reduced price of £11 (plus £2.50 postage and packaging), send a cheque payable to Tim Smith to: Tim Smith, 5 Bankside Terrace, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD17 7NF.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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FEATURES
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
LIFESTYLE
Passing the fashion baton: new kids on the style icon block By Sarah Barns and Bethan Hill When reading any fashion magazine, it’s unlikely that you won’t come across the likes of Jourdan Dunn and Alice Dellal. But although you might not know their names yet, these, amongst numerous others, are the new kids on the block ready to take the fashion crown from the ‘golden oldies’. Lifestyle has uncovered the fresh faces that will be taking over the style baton and whose faces will be plastered over magazine spreads and advertisements for the next decade. Kate Moss and Agyness Deyn
Hot or not?
Ever since Sarah Doukas, founder of Storm modelling agency, spotted Moss at JFK airport in New York at the tender age of 14, her career and life has been played out before our very eyes. Notorious for her party lifestyle and avoidance of the press, Moss dominanated the 1990s and has appeared on over 300 magazine covers. Known for her hot pants, Marlborough lights and long blonde hair Moss is estimated to be worth up to £9 million. But there is a new kid on the block ready to steal her limelight. Step forward, please, Agyness Deyn. Hailed as the “ambassador for British youth culture” and “fashion’s next top supermodel”, it appears the public have fallen head over heels in love with
the blonde waif. Aged 25, she is nine years younger than Moss and seems to be symbolising everything British teens are currently interested in. Like Moss, she dates rock stars and has tried (unsuccessfully) to turn her stylish hand to singing. Is the fashion world ready for a new cool cat? Agyness fits the bill with her outlandish dress sense and strong Lancashire accent so hopefully she will be here to stay.
Thermals They don’t have the most stylish reputation but they look just like leggings with the added bonus of keeping you nice and warm on those chilly days. Verdict: Hot
Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn The first ever black supermodel to appear on the cover of Vogue in Paris and the UK, Naomi Campbell has remained in the spotlight since her modelling debut in 1978 after appearing in Bob Marley’s music video for ‘Is This Love.’ Campbell is renowned for her fiery temper and her most recent escapade was assaulting a police officer after her bags went missing at Heathrow Terminal Five. She has appeared on over 500 magazine covers and does lots of work for charity. She also classes Nelson Mandela as her “adopted grandfather”. Ready to take the Campbell crown is Jourdan Dunn, an 18year-old “rising star” from London.
She is reported to have been ‘discovered’ in Primark, which she strongly denies. “Everybody says I was spotted shopping in Primark. I wasn’t shopping. I was with my friend: she wanted to go in, I wanted to go home - and we were just mucking about in the sunglasses section,” she said. Dunn was the most talked about model at the spring/summer 08 fashion show after appearing on 75 runways. She was the first black model to appear on the Prada runway in Milan since 1997 when Campbell appeared for the label. She hopes to get more women of different ethnic origins involved in fashion and with the hype surrounding her so far, this is a task she is likely to fulfil. Claudia Kroes
Schiffer
and
Doutzen
The 5’11” German model doesn’t really possess the quirky look favoured by the fashion world. Her appeal lies solely with the fact that she is classically beautiful; reminiscent of Bridgitte Bardot. She doesn’t experiment too much with her look, but gets it right every time. She has lent her face to a thousand brands, from Versace to Accessorize. She acts as a spokesmodel for L’Oreal, trying to convince us that it’s their anti-wrinkle creams, not her enviable genes, that have her looking so good at 38. The successor to her crown is Doutzen Kroes, the 23-year-old, 5’10” Dutch model. Like Claudia, Doutzen has been compared to Bardot, and possesses the same kind of blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. She is a Victoria’s Secret Angel, but like Schiffer is best known for her editorial rather than runway work. She has promoted many of the same top name brands as Claudia, and has also become a L’Oreal girl. You’ll see her promoting everything from lipgloss to hair
Friday night television Now that Jonathan Ross has been suspended from the BBC, TV on a Friday night is looking pretty bleak. There really is no excuse to not go out. Verdict: Not
highlighting kits as she is L’Oreal’s current favourite beauty. Both girls are what many would call ‘wholesome’. There’s not much of the rock ’n’ roll about these two. They both list their hobbies as being outdoors-y activities like horse riding and water sports. Not quite what we’ve come to expect of the high octane worlds of celebrity and fashion. Linda Dellal
Evangelista
and
Alice
Karl Lagerfeld, Creative Director of Chanel, once said of Linda Evangelista: “There is not another model in the world as professional as she is.” Linda, now 43, was discovered when she was 12-years-old, during the 1978 Miss Teen Niagara Contest. Her parents are Italian, but she grew up in Canada. She was a member of the first group of supermodels, the models whose names everyone knew and whose faces could sell a million designer outfits. She famously uttered the muchquoted line: “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.” She has become known as The Chameleon thanks to her experimental attitude to her look, particularly her hairstyles. This was sparked off in the late ’80s, when she cut her hair into a radical short crop. Alice Dellal is clearly the pretender to her chameleon throne, due to her shocking half-long, halfshaven hairstyle. The English model has Iranian and Brazilian blood, which explains her dark, exotic look, not unlike Evangelista’s. She is fairly new to the modelling scene, at only 20-years-old, but is already making a name for herself on edgy magazine covers, like Dazed and Confused. She has shot high profile campaigns for Burberry and has taken over from Kate Moss as the face of Agent Provocateur. The quirky look never goes out of style.
Estée Lauder Their most recent fragrance is the beautifully named Sensuous. It may be a bit pricey but it smells just like Christmas – what better way to bring in the holiday season? Verdict: Hot
Fake tanning Winter is the perfect time to take a break from the laborious tanning process. No one will believe that you got that glow from sunbathing in minus temperatures. Verdict: Not
Nineties catwalk queens Kate Moss &
Doutzen Kroes and Claudia Schiffer on
Homemade pies There’s nothing better than a tasty pie, so head to the newly revamped Nottingham House in Broomhill for a varied selection at very reasonable prices. Verdict: Hot
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle Review: Pole dancing
Sixty Second Student By Sarah Barns
By Vicky Shaw & Hannah O’Connell When you hear the words “pole dancing” your first thought might be of Spearmint Rhino, but think again. Pole dancing is the new fitness craze sweeping through the UK, with classes springing up everywhere. Not only is it a great way to tone up but it also builds confidence, so it really is a workout for the mind, body and soul. Pole dancing has been made popular by celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Kate Hudson and Teri Hatcher, who regularly take the ‘S factor’ stripping classes in LA for rigorous work outs prior to filming. Although the sex element still remains – remember Kate Moss in that White Stripes video? – it can also be a great way to have a laugh with your friends, as we found out when we tried it for ourselves. As avid dancers we were excited about giving pole dancing a try. However, as we entered the empty bar and spotted the floor-to-ceiling poles, the realisation that we had to swing ourselves around them whilst looking graceful suddenly hit us.
Naomi Campbell.
Lianne the Polestar professional.
Matty Kennedy, 19, is an Economics student living in Crookes.
If you could project yourself into the past, where would you go and why? Back to the 1960s to stop John Lennon meeting Yoko Ono. I blame her for destroying The Beatles. Lifestyle writer Vicky gets into the swing of things. Standing around, nervously looking at the other pole dancing students, we were momentarily filled with dread as we envisaged crashing in a heap at the bottom of the pole. This feeling was short-lived as the teacher, Lianne, made us relax into the class by doing some warmup exercises to make sure we didn’t injure ourselves. Then it was time to slip into our shorts and stilettos. Lianne started off by demonstrating some fairly simple moves and then we had chance to practise them on the pole ourselves. At first everyone was reluctant to use the pole but in no time at all the students were eager to try out the moves, strutting their stuff like professionals. Even though we were having a
Photos: Helen Munro
great time we couldn’t forget that it was tough exercise as it was extremely tiring constantly pulling your body weight up the pole. It was easy to see what good exercise it is and the strength you can build from balancing on the pole is truly impressive. During the short choreographed routine that we learnt, our confidence soared and we started to lose our inhibitions and really began to perform. The experience was fantastic. Pole dancing completely takes the monotony out of exercise, builds up your confidence and teaches you a great new skill. For a taster session it cost £20 for two hours with Polestars, which seems pricey but it’s totally worth it. For more information and bookings go to www.polestars.net.
What do you consider the greatest threat to mankind? Purple Aki. What were you doing at midnight last night? Probably lounging around the house waiting for my housemates to hurry up and get ready. What would you spend your last £5 on? KISS memorabilia, I’m an avid collector and I could always just pawn it on eBay. What was the last lie you told? Actually I would have stopped Lennon meeting Ringo so I lied about five minutes ago. Do you have any piercings or tattoos? In a moment of madness I got both of my nipples pierced.
Swapping clothes with Twiggy By Ellie Andrew
the cover of French Elle.
Celebrity names Naming babies after celebrities seems like a new phenomenon, but there’s something a little tragic about the new generation of Shakiras and Beyoncés. Verdict: Not
The rise of cheap disposable fashion has led to a large pile of clothes still with their labels on shoved in the back of the wardrobe. Instead of finding the time to eventually sort them out and consign them to the charity shop bin, why not have a clothes swapping party? It is a fun way of getting rid of your unwanted impulse buys. You can also hopefully get your hands on that designer top of your friend’s that you have been coveting. Get all your friends together and make sure everyone brings along some good quality clothing. Head to the supermarket and buy some cheap food and drink to help create the party atmosphere. Then sort out all of the clothes. Put t-shirts in one pile, skirts in another, and so forth, and then get swapping. Laying down some ground rules, such as letting those who bring the most have first choice, can help to avoid a tussle over that top which
everyone has their eye on. You don’t just have to swap clothes with your friends though. Larger events in shops and bars are available. There is even one in our very own Millennium Galleries coming up on Wednesday, November 26. Whatever you end up with at the end of the night you still have the satisfaction of knowing your old clothes are not just rotting away in landfill. You will also hopefully have gained some great new outfits and all for free. Twiggy presented a television show called Frock Exchange which was a series on BBC Two during October. It followed Twiggy and Lauren Laverne as they hosted a series of clothes swapping parties, showing you how to re-style old clothes and look swap-tastically great. You can still catch the programme online at BBC iPlayer to get some hints and tips for your own party. You can also download their free party pack and get advice on how to re-invent old clothes.
Take tips from Twiggy and transform your wardrobe by swapping clothes.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
LIFESTYLE
Diaries of a very noughties student
What were you doing at 10.04pm last night?
Dear diary, The recent results of the American presidential election (God bless you Obama) have made me think about sexual politics. Power is truly something that can divide or unite us. Power in the bedroom is a topical debate as either he wants it and she’s got it, or he has it and she doesn’t know how to get it. But in reality can we reach a balance of power in the bedroom? Yes we can! Speaking for the dominant female, we do enjoy playing the leading lady. So men take note; when a girl initiates the lead do follow, and when she wants you to lead, bloody well do it! Now, I’m not advocating RedTube material here, so please don’t send them running half way down the street in fear of your porn star tendencies. I’m just saying mix it up a little. There’s nothing worse than being in bed with a timid boy; any girl will admit this. So what’s the solution? Well, there is the old “give and take” scenario, or perhaps role play if you’re into that kind of thing; pupil tonight, teacher tomorrow. Also, be more vocal. Tell him or her (or even ‘them’, if you’re lucky enough) what you want. Telling each other what you want and how you want it done is the ultimate power balance. Can we be more vocal? Yes we can! Can we dominate him one night and be dominated the next? Yes we can! Thus power can be equal if you wish. Though if you are just a one trick dominatrix pony, I wouldn’t see it as a bad thing as there are still innocents out there who need to be shown exactly how it’s done.
By Bethan Hill According to a recent survey, the time of day when we are most likely to be feeling creative is in the evening. At 10.04pm to be precise. The findings are contrary to what many of us believe: that we are at our mental peak first thing in the morning. Why else are so many of our exams scheduled at 9am? But this survey, carried out on over 1,000 people, has created quite a stir. Should we now be taking our exams at bedtime? At the other end of the scale, the afternoon has been found to be our least inspired time. At exactly 4.33pm we are said to hit a creative slump. That’s not much use for those of us with lectures, seminars and exams in the afternoon is it? A favourite way to kick-start the brain is to take a shower, although a large number of us are said to be prone to forgetting our ideas soon after the eureka moment. There could be any number of hidden geniuses out there who simply forgot their brilliant idea. As a weary postgraduate I’m not sure this theory applies to me. Adjusting to an actual 9 to 5 routine has me exhausted by the end of the day. At 10.04pm my most c r e a t i v e thought is likely to be the clever addition of a Hobnob to a mug of tea. So I decided to ask three fellow Lifestyle writers to
record what they’ve been thinking at this magic hour, to see if the 10.04pm theory really applies to us students. Tessa Norman, third year English Literature student I think of myself as a morning person, so 10.04pm is not my most productive time of day. At this point, somewhere halfway between evening and night time, I am usually either out with friends or relaxing before having an early night. Yesterday at 10.04pm I was on a funfair ride at a fireworks display, contemplating how safe my harness was and what would happen if I flew out of my seat mid-air, (which needless to say, spoilt my enjoyment of the ride somewhat!). As you can tell, I find it hard to switch off my thoughts and imagination. I do some of my best thinking when my mind is half occupied; when I’m at the gym, I’m probably planning what to have for dinner or thinking of essay ideas. If I’m not out at 10.04pm, I am probably curled up in my dressing gown, reading a book or watching television. I would much rather go to bed early and wake up with a refreshed mind the next morning than battle with tiredness late into the night. I am at my most creative at around 9am. I love waking up early and getting on with my work so I can feel like I have achieved something before my housemates have even woken up.
At 10.04pm are you doing your best thinking? Caroline Vann Jones, second year French student I have never been a daytime person and have always vehemently maintained that late at night is when I am at my most productive. However, when I took a look back to 10.04pm yesterday, I was forced to rethink my stance. Instead of making a start on my first novel or undertaking other such pressing tasks, I was sprawled out on my friend’s sofa, watching yet another repeated episode of How to Look Good Naked. I even had my books by my side, and earlier, at around 7pm the good intentions had been there too, but as the night wore on it became clear that my motivation was at an all-time low (not unusual). By 10.15pm I decided that it was finally time to tear myself away from the TV but my calling was my bed and not the French grammar revision I should have been doing. I went home and justified my decision to go to sleep with the promise of a 6am start at the IC. Obviously I was still in bed at midday and the whole process will undoubtedly happen again tonight. Perhaps the time has come to face the distressing reality that the real issue is personal motivation, rather than the time of day. Sarah Barns, second year Journalism student It’s 10.04pm and I’m sweating over a joyous read about news values and how they apply to alternative media sources. I am hastily trying to piece
together a 2,000 word essay by tomorrow morning, and have currently written 52 words, 23 of which are the title of the essay. I wouldn’t say 10.04pm was the time I am at my most creative but today it seems to be the time I am most productive.
Should we, in fact, now be taking our exams at bedtime? It may also be that sheer panic has set in and I should have focused on this essay at least a month ago. I do believe that people are more creative in the evening because the day is filled with necessities such as work and studies where as in the evening you have time to let your mind wander. Perhaps 10.04pm is the time for relaxation, recuperation, and letting the creative juices flow. In my case it is currently a time for a frenzied search through Google Scholar. It seems, therefore, that the time of day doesn’t necessarily impact upon our creativity levels. While some of us genuinely are creative night owls, others of us will be up with the lark forever. The general consensus seems to be that the time of day isn’t the most important factor in determining our creativity. What’s most important is the motivation factor, something which this study doesn’t seem to mention. There’s nothing like a looming deadline to kick you into action.
One week with a Blackberry By Kimberley Long Finding you’ve got an email from Facebook informing you that someone’s written on your wall isn’t the most exceptional of events. But when it’s your phone telling you in the middle of Fuzz Club it’s something else. The new BlackBerry is aimed at people who want something that looks more like a phone in their
pocket than the small computers they’ve had before. And at first glance it looks like any other flip phone. But this gives you more than simple phone technology. Once you flip it open the difference is clear. The keypad is set out in QWERTY style with only one or two letters per key. After a few goes you get used to it, but at first texting can be a nightmare as you readjust to
typing with your thumbs over more keys. This phone is chock-full of features, the best obviously being the ability to check your emails anytime, anywhere. You can also set up wi-fi where it’s available, but the connection can often be slow or won’t connect at all. Other fun things include BlackBerry chat, which you can use to text other users for free, a couple of games, and a maps
function, which is fairly difficult to navigate. The phone is available exclusively on O2 with their new student Social Studies contract, which gives you 600 minutes talk time and 1,000 texts a month for just £35 on an 18-month contract. Plus when you sign up you get £20 to spend at play.com, and the chance of winning an Xbox. For more info and to have a look at the phones themselves log on to www.02socialstudies.co.uk.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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TRAVEL
Diet disaster By Danielle Appleton I am still having an amazing time all the way in Oregon, but I do have one thing to complain about: the food here is awful. Before I arrived I was looking forward to the fact that I wouldn’t have to cook for myself as I would be living in self-catered halls. Last year I survived the whole year on takeaway pizza and pasta topped with cheap tomato sauce, so I figured things could only get better. How wrong I was.
It is hard to stay healthy while surrounded by so much junk food I thought it was unfair of me to stereotype that Americans lived on burgers and chips, but in this case it is fair to assume that. I have no idea how most of them stay so skinny, as in general they eat huge waffles topped with syrup and whipped cream for breakfast, a burger for lunch and a pepperoni pizza for dinner I am not exaggerating. Even their vegetables are covered in grease and oil. It is hard to stay healthy while surrounded by so much junk food temptation. My favourite meal so far has been a British classic: fish and chips. Last weekend we took a trip to Newport Beach and had a fantastic time. The beach was beautiful, and the weather even squeezed out some sun for us. We paddled in the sea and ate lunch down on the dock, where there were about 40 seals lazing around in the sun. We also went whale watching on a boat, which was surprisingly successful; I actually did spot a whale, but only for about two seconds. It was a lot of fun relaxing on the boat with a pair of binoculars waiting for a sighting, and the view of Newport Beach was often breathtaking. We walked along the beach to some interesting looking shops, where they sold hand-made crafts and “candy”, and the people who worked there were fascinated by the fact I was English. A sweet old couple in one shop even offered to make me a cup of tea, and asked if I’d ever met the Queen. I guess our stereotype isn’t too bad.
Basaseachi Falls within Basaseachic National Park in Mexico. (Below) Las Pozas surrealist sculpture garden near Mexico City.
Infected by the travel bug further my education, so I decided to leave it all behind and go on an exotic excursion.
By Robert Burstow Travelling is without a doubt one of the foremost experiences in life. For me, experiencing the world, outside of your own existence seems an essential part of learning in life; for how can one even begin to comprehend the immensity of life if one knows of nothing but oneself? After enduring a reasonably stressful culmination to my sixthform experience, I felt unwilling to immediately uproot, relocate and commit myself elsewhere to
We left England with nothing but a guidebook and a bit of a hangover What followed was a gap year I am unlikely to ever forget, and the opening up of a world I am eternally grateful for. First came the mindless fulltime work in retail that thankfully rekindled my desire to move-on
City spotlight: Bergamo By Caroline Vann Jones Milan may be the fashion capital of Europe but unless you plan to spend the majority of your holiday in Chanel or Gucci, this city doesn’t have a huge amount else to offer. Admittedly the intricately decorated cathedral, better known as the Duomo, is stunning and the views from its rooftop are incredible, but I couldn’t help wanting more from a destination that is supposedly the pride of Italy. Once the shops had been trawled and the only strip of bars exhausted, it seemed like time to move on. My search for a real Italian experience led me to Bergamo, a small town around 40 kilometres from Milan itself. The cobbled streets and ancient buildings
make this place seem quaint, but at the same time it benefits from a lively town centre. Built on a hillside, it has a unique position and amazing scenery. The steep
The Cathedral of Milan, the Duomo.
walk to the summit is pretty tough but it is definitely worth it, with plenty of restaurants and delicatessens around to provide respite along the way. From the peak, you have to descend down a network of streets flanked by one-off boutiques and gift shops. Several hours can be easily passed in all these different shops and, unlike Milan, Bergamo is actually affordable for the average tourist so browsing isn’t dangerous. There are plenty of youth hostels and hotels on offer and transport links to major cities are frequent and reliable. The airport is just minutes away from the centre, with budget airlines scheduling regular flights out here daily so if you’re thinking of a weekend away, you can’t go far wrong with Milano Bergamo.
and continue my education, and the travelling which succeeded it was the most refreshing, liberating and enlightening experience of my teenage years. After working full-time in a supermarket for a few months, a group of us left for South-East Asia, travelling Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China and north India with an adventure ecotourism company. The company arranged the majority of our lodgings, meals and transportation with enough independence to leave the participants feeling supported rather than overly mothered. All we had to do was commit ourselves to meeting our guide at a certain time and date and coordinate our flights. Travelling with such a company was a wise choice for inexperienced travellers such as ourselves. Our guides were able to teach us more than we could ever imagine about local culture, etiquette and environment, and the places we visited and stayed in were often hidden places off the beaten track that by ourselves we would never have been able to find, let alone arrange. As someone who had rarely left home for more than a couple of weeks, I think it was a rational choice to travel with friends, on a preset route with a travel company when flying to the other side of the world. However, the group schedule and timetables began to feel very restrictive. We would be shown an amazing place, for example, and then told we were leaving the next day without even the opportunity to truly experience everything the
area had to offer. After successfully completing my first year of studies and with a new-found interest in travelling internationally, I set off on a month long trip to Mexico. This time I would travel independently with only one other individual and found the trip a logical progression from my previous experiences.
More than anything, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. We left England with nothing but a guidebook, a few ideas about places we wanted to visit and a bit of hangover, yet ended up having another eye-opening and revelatory experience. I am in the process of planning where I intend to travel after my studies; climbing Kilimanjaro and travelling Europe in a camper van appear to be the most appealing and exciting options amongst my contemporaries.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
PUZZLES & HUMOUR
Coffee Break Please share my umbrella... By Rebecca Yap If it takes two summer months to win over the girl or boy of your dreams, then in England the romantic charm of the umbrellas should work like a charm during rainy winter. There is a nostalgic allure and chivalry when a trusty ol’ brolly pops open, and blooms into a domed flower. There are countless stereotypical scenes in the history of cinema of windswept lovers lip-locking in a tight embrace under an umbrella while the rest of the world rains down around them. Such movie moments have attributed the umbrella to themes of shelter, loving protection and clichés of weathering storms together. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964), the second of Jacques Demy’s informal trilogy of homage to 1950s Hollywood musicals, features the saccharine sweet romance and heartache between a pair of young lovers. Of whom the female, played by the timeless Catherine Deneuve, works in an umbrella shop. The umbrella is rife with romantic allegory and enchantment, but it is a clever invention that has
Romance in the rain made easy. faithfully weathered the elements for over 4,000 years. Umbrellas, originating from the Latin root word ‘umbra’ meaning shade or shadow, were first designed to provide shade from the sun. Later, the Chinese were the first to waterproof their umbrellas for rain by waxing and lacquering their paper parasols. The umbrella became popular to the Western world, especially in rainy northern Europe beginning in the 16th century. Carved out of whalebone or hard woods and covered with
alpaca or oiled canvas, the early European umbrellas were heavy and cumbersome. Umbrellas were regarded as a feminine accessory until the Persian traveller and writer Jonas Hanway (1712-86) publicly carried an umbrella in England, and for 30 years he influenced other men to follow suit. English gentlemen often referred to their umbrellas as a ‘Hanway’. The first all umbrella shop James Smith and Sons opened in 1830 and is still standing today at 53 New Oxford Street in London. Innovation in the late 20th Century has made brollies delightfully portable. This is all thanks to lightweight materials and mechanisms from the Far East such as aluminium and fibreglass. There are new frames with a double automatic mechanism for closing and opening, new fabrics which come in a riot of colours and coatings such as Teflon. Whether you’re floating Mary Poppins style from a cloudnine romance by the end of the winter or not, it is certain that the umbrella is far more reliable than a Tesco bag tied over ghdstraightened hair.
Picture of the fortnight
CROSSWORD
Across 1. Eternal (9) 6. Water barrier (3) 7. Precious gem (7) 9. Mistake (5) 10. One of the senses (5) 12. Expert (3) 13. Beer mug (5) 14. Score (5) 16. Very old (7) 18. Self (3) 19. Stage name (9)
Down 1. Military chaplain (5) 2. Compunction (7) 3. Survival (9) 4. Fifth sign of the zodiac (3) 5. Emblem (5) 8. Tried (9) 11. Physician (7) 13. Frighten (5) 15. Tempest (5) 17. Drinking vessel (3)
Last issue’s crossword solutions: ACROSS 1. Steady, 4. Scar, 8. Gaunt, 9. Ogres, 10. Beneficial, 13. Distinctly, 17. Idiom, 18. Ample, 19. Yolk, 20. Urgent. DOWN 1. Sage, 2. Elude, 3. Dot, 5. Corgi, 6. Result, 7. Zodiac, 11. Enigma, 13. Oddity, 14. Still, 15. Lapse, 16. Tent, 18. Air.
FROM FORGETODAY.COM Forgetoday.com have set up temporary residence on Netvibes. You can now read and comment on articles, listen live and listen again to Forge Radio shows, download podcasts, view photos, and watch videos. The full Forgetoday.com site is on its way and should arrive sometime in early 2009.
Fraser Wilson snaps the sun rising over Crookesmoor after a long night out. See your pictures here. Email press.features@forgetoday.com or send a picture message to 07765363716.
SUDOKU
OVERHEARD IN SHEFFIELD In The Gallery Girl on phone: Mum, why do you want to know what I’m wearing? In the Union Girl: I would have gone out last night but I was weeing all evening. At home Guy bumps elbow. Girl: Oh no! That was your silly bone! In the Media Hub Girl: I always get wet at Tuesday Club.
KEOC strike back It was with no small amount of amusement that I saw Kick ’Em Off Campus had had yet another genius idea this week. For those of you who blinked and missed it, the renegades decided to sneak around the Union building and surreptitiously flypost 40 posters (we’re heading for a recession, times are tough; they did splash out on snazzy yellow paper, though, with its connotations of, err, cowardice). They were kindly
reminding everyone to ‘secure’ their printing press, which I’m sure was useful to students who share in their glorious fixation with all things mechanical. So, we can only guess which act of petty rebellion they’ll try next. Building an army of snowmen in Roar? It seems that’s the sort of place they’d fit in; I loved the fact that one of their protestors at the Graduate Recruitment Fair was pictured w e a r i n g camouflage trousers. Imitation, as they say, is the sincerest form of flattery.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
Higgins blasts snooker
Former World Snooker Champion John Higgins has blasted world snooker bosses as “pathetic” and “stupid” for failing to hold ranking tournaments elsewhere in Europe. Higgins’ criticism relights the debate about whether Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre should continue to host the World Championships after their contract expires in 2010. Higgins said: “Coming to new countries, you really see the excitement in people’s faces. Europe is just like Britain was when I first turned professional. It’s a buzz, something that’s happening, like a volcano about to erupt. I get the exact same feeling when we come to Poland or Germany. “In Berlin there were 1,400 people in each session then just a few weeks later we went to the Northern Ireland Trophy, which is a ranking event, and there was like 30 people sitting there. “It just made you think, why can we not have the German Open? The world association is stupid really. “I mean, they may be running the World Championship, Masters and UK Championship, but some of the other tournaments...it’s pathetic. They’ve just been sitting back and let things slide.”
On the Rhode to title shot
Sheffield boxer Ryan Rhodes took a step closer to a world title fight last weekend, after winning the WBC international light middleweight crown. Rhodes, aged 31, defeated South Africa’s Vincent Vuma on a unanimous points decision to lift the WBC belt at London’s 02 Arena. The victory means Rhodes now moves into the WBC Junior
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NEWS & COMMENT SPORT Middleweight top 10, which could lead to a shot at WBC world champion Vernon Forrest in 2009. Following the fight, Rhodes said: “I was a forgotten man four years ago but now I’m in the top 10 in the WBC rankings. “If I don’t get a world title fight within a year then the other champions are running scared. I said this will be my best year in boxing when I win on Saturday night.”
Athletics back on track
The English Institute of Sport in Sheffield will hold the AVIVA European Indoor Athletics Trials and UK Championships for the sixth consecutive year In February. The event will offer another opportunity for British hopefuls to gain their places in the GB team heading to the European Indoor Championships in Turin, Italy, which begin on March 6. The meeting also decides the National Champion for each event. Local star Jessica Ennis provided some of last year’s highlights and it is hoped that she will be fit enough to compete again this year. The two day event takes place on Saturday, February 14 and Sunday, February 15, with advanced day tickets available for £8 from the Sheffield Arena Box Office.
Watch the Blades for just a fiver
Students have a chance to see Sheffield United in Championship action against Wolves for just £5 when the two sides clash at Bramall Lane on Tuesday, November 25. Tickets for the game can be purchased from the Union Box Office or at United’s Bramall Lane Ground, with kick off at 7.45pm.
British sport remains a source of pride despite the winter gloom By Jonathan Caldwell On the face of it, British sports fans have had little to cheer about in recent weeks. England’s rugby league team fell desperately short of their expectations at the recent world cup in Australia and never threatened to reach their full potential.
We must not lose sight of the acheivements of our nation’s sportspeople
all time. While Calzaghe’s reign drew to a close, another Briton, David Haye, made a stunning statement of intent in his pursuit of heavyweight glory. Haye’s demolition of American Monte Barrett was as comprehensive as it was refreshing: unlike most modern boxers he is prepared to risk his reputation by fighting top quality opponents in order to enhance his career, rather than picking opposition he is sure to beat. The Londoner has already challenged the mighty Klitschko brothers in
Martin Johnson’s union side have equally failed to impress. His men look very much a work in progress and that World Cup win in 2003 feels like a lifetime ago. The less said about the England cricket team the better. Having crushed the South Africans so convincingly in the one-day series in the summer, Kevin Pietersen’s side will have been full of confidence heading into the tour of India. But heavy defeats in the first two internationals have well and truly burst their collective bubble. Yet with the Sports Personality of the Year award less than a month away, it is vital that we do not lose sight of the great achievements of so many of our nation’s sports men and women. Joe Calzaghe’s comprehensive victory over Roy Jones Junior should mark the end of a truly great career for the Welshman. He must surely go down in history as one of the finest fighters of
his drive to the top, and while he may not have the quality to beat either Wladimir or Vitali at this stage, his courage is admirable.
The line up for this year’s Sports Personality award is as strong as ever At the same time, Andy Murray has surely proved once and for all that he has the quality to be the first British male to win a Grand Slam singles tennis title since Fred Perry in 1936. While the Scot’s technical ability has rarely been questioned, his temperament has constantly been the subject of scrutiny. But the manner in which he has recovered from defeat in the US Open final earlier in the year has been magnificent, and if he continues to progress at the current rate then a major championship victory will be within his grasp. Add to these achievements the success of Lewis Hamilton and a somewhat rosier picture of British sport emerges. Going into the final corner of last month’s Brazilian Grand Prix he must have thought that he had lost the championships at the last moment for the second year running, but a sizeable slice of luck saw him become the youngest ever world champion. While some will see his victory as somewhat fortuitous, most commentators agree that his rewards were merited by his consistent excellence over the course of the whole season. So, all is not lost. With these names alongside those of our Olympians, the line up for this year’s Sports Personality award looks as strong as ever. Great Britain’s David Haye.
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) results WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12 BADMINTON Leeds Met 1st 8-0 Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd 2-6 Leeds Met 2nd Women’s 1st 5-3 Liverpool 1st BASKETBALL Men’s 1st 70-108 Durham 1st FENCING Men’s 1st 131-115 Newcastle 2nd Women’s 1st 105-135 Leeds 1st FOOTBALL Leeds Met 2nd 1-2 Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd 6-4 Newcastle 1st Men’s 4th 0-2 Hallam 4th Women’s 1st 6-1 Durham 1st
HOCKEY Manchester 1st 4-4 Men’s 1st Leeds 3rd 3-4 Men’s 2nd Newcastle 4th 2-1 Men’s 3rd Men’s 4th 3-1 Leeds Met 2nd York 2nd 5-1 Men’s 5th Leeds 2nd 1-4 Women’s 1st Durham 3rd 4-1 Women’s 2nd Women’s 3rd 11-0 Women’s 4th Hull 2nd 3-0 Women’s 5th
FOOTBALL Men’s 1st 1-0 Leeds Met 2nd Leeds 2nd 4-2 Men’s 2nd Women’s 2nd 0-7 TASC 2nd
LACROSSE Women’s 1st 26-2 Hull 1st
Women’s hockey in action.
NETBALL Northumbria 2nd 32-37 Women’s 1st Women’s 3rd 48-5 Hull 3rd
TENNIS York 1st 0-10 Men’s 1st Sunderland 0-10 Men’s 2nd York 1st 6-4 Women’s 1st
RUGBY UNION Men’s 1st 6-5 Manchester 1st Hull 1st 17-0 Men’s 2nd Women’s 1st 10-17 Edinburgh 1st
VOLLEYBALL Men’s 1st 3-2 Liverpool 1st Women’s 1st 3-1 York 1st
SQUASH Men’s 1st 5-0 Durham 2nd Men’s 2nd 3-0 Bradford 1st Manchester 1st 4-0 Women’s 1st
Men’s basketball against Durham.
Women’s 1st 46-41 Liverpool 1st FENCING Northumbria 129-60 Women’s 1st
TABLE TENNIS Northumbria 1st 6-11 Men’s 1st
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 BADMINTON Liverpool 1st 4-4 Men’s 1st Leeds Met 2nd 2-6 Men’s 2nd Women’s 1st 3-5 Newcastle 1st BASKETBALL Men’s 1st 95-80 Hallam 2nd
HOCKEY Hallam 1st 5-1 Men’s 1st Women’s 1st 19-0 Sunderland 1st Women’s 2nd 3-0 Hull 2nd Northumbria 3rd 5-0 Women’s 3rd Women’s 4th 2-4 Huddersfield 1st Women’s 5th 3-2 York 2nd LACROSSE Newcastle 1st 2-11 Men’s 1st Durham 3rd 19-5 Women’s 1st
SQUASH Northumbria 2nd 0-5 Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd 1-4 Durham 2nd Newcastle 1st 5-0 Men’s 3rd Lancaster 1st 1-3 Women’s 1st TENNIS Men’s 1st 8-2 Durham 3rd Men’s 2nd 10-2 Sunderland 2nd VOLLEYBALL Men’s 1st 0-3 Hallam 1st Hull 1st 3-0 Men’s 2nd Leeds Met 1st 3-0 Women’s 1st GOLF Newcastle 2nd 4-2 Men’s 1st
NETBALL Women’s 1st 27-24 Women’s 2nd Hull 1st v Women’s 3rd RUGBY LEAGUE Men’s 1st 26-12 Bradford 1st RUGBY UNION Newcastle 2nd 42-27 Men’s 1st Men’s 2nd 12-20 Leeds 3rd Women’s 1st 10-15 Loughborough
The women’s rugby team.
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
SPORT FEATURE
Football journeyman travels into coaching
Adrian Littlejohn in action for Port Vale. (Below) Celebrating one of his 79 career goals. By Michael Hunter Professional football is a short career. And if you haven’t earned millions in the Premier League alongside Rooney and Ronaldo in the world of showbiz parties, glossy magazine deals and lavish sports cars, finding a new career isn’t easy. Adrian Littlejohn is the archetypal journeyman, having played for nine different Football League clubs in a near 20-year career. His journey included two spells at Sheffield United and a brief stint in the top flight of Chinese football. By the time he retired two years ago, the versatile winger had notched up almost 500 firstteam appearances and 79 goals.
From where Sheffield United were to where they are now is amazing Nowadays Littlejohn is back in Sheffield nurturing the talent of the future as the Blades’ Football Development Officer, and he says the switch from player to coach was not a difficult one when the time came. “For the past five or six years I’ve been coaching anyway. I got my coaching badges at Sheffield United while taking the under14s at the Academy so I always kept myself involved in that side of things,” he revealed. “My last professional club was
Mansfield Town and one of the managers left quite suddenly. When someone else took over we didn’t really see eye-to-eye so at the end of that contract enough was enough”. The 38-year-old expressed his delight to be back at a club where he had such fond memories as a player. “It’s absolutely fantastic”, he said. “I had some excellent times here. Probably the best times of my career were at Sheffield United so it’s really nice to be back. “The facilities here now are fantastic. From where Sheffield United were to where they are now is absolutely amazing. Everything is in the right place from right at the top all the way through to the juniors so it’s going the right way.” Littlejohn was brought to the club as a promising youngster in the early 1990s and went on to feature in the inaugural season of the Premier League. He scored some vital goals along the way to help keep United up that season but injury kept him out most of the following year as the Blades were relegated. Now he believes the club are in great shape
to challenge for a place back in the top flight. “With a little bit of luck and the way it’s going let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later. I think in this division everybody is beatable so if you can just put a good string of results together you can really be fighting for a chance up there.” After four seasons and nearly 70 appearances in red and white he made a £100,000 switch to Plymouth where he spent three years under the guidance of future Blades boss Neil Warnock. By 2001 the attacking midfielder found himself back at Bramall Lane alongside Warnock, having also played under him at Oldham and Bury. However, an injuryplagued season limited him to only three appearances before he made the decision to move to China. He recalled: “It was a strange eight months over there, getting used to the way of life. I’d be going to training and there would be kids walking round with no shoes on their feet.” His return to England yielded shorts spells at Port Vale, Lincoln City and Rushden & Diamonds while he pursued his coaching badges. Now a fullyqualified coach, Littlejohn won’t rule
Photos: Gerard Austin out the possibility of following in Warnock’s footsteps if the chance comes along, but raised concerns about the lack of black managers in English football. “If you look around there’s a lot of black players in the Premiership and Football League but there isn’t many black managers about. Whether that will change with Paul Ince getting the Blackburn job I don’t know.
You’ve got to look hard for any black managers - they do deserve a chance “But you’ve got to think and look hard for any black managers. They do deserve a chance – there are a lot of black coaches out there who’ve got the qualifications. Whether they get the chance or not is up to the chairmen of football clubs. “It hasn’t really been at the forefront of my mind that I’ve got to be a manager, or that management is my goal or something I really want to do. But if the opportunity arose and if it was the right thing for me then I probably would do it.” For the moment though, the exUnited star has no eyes for a move and is a key figure in the club’s community coaching. Littlejohn has plans for developing United’s links with the local community, through regular events held in Shirecliffe and at the Derek Dooley centre in Crookes.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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NEWS SPORT
Olympians steal the show as Sheffield hosts swimming championships By Jonathan Caldwell Sheffield played host to the first nationwide student swimming championships between Friday, November 14, and Sunday, November 16. The BUCS Swimming Short Course Championships, which took place at Ponds Forge, brought together in excess of 1,000 swimmers from universities across Great Britain. Notable names taking part included Team GB Olympians David Davies, Liam Tancock, and Andrew Hunter. Davies and Tancock were both representing Loughborough University while Hunter represented the University of Stirling. Unsurprisingly, it was the competitors of Beijing that dominated the university championships. Tancock won in all his disciplines, taking first place in the 50m freestyle as well as in the 50m and 100m backstroke. Davies and Hunter went headto-head in the 800m freestyle, with the former taking first place by a massive 10 seconds. Hunter won in both the 100m and 200m freestyle whilst Davies was victorious in the 1,500m freestyle. There was something of an upset in the 400m freestyle when Davies, who won silver in the men’s marathon 10 kilometre open water swimming in Beijing, was beaten in the 400m freestyle by Ewan Johnston, Hunter’s teammate from the University of Stirling. The University of Sheffield’s top performers were Sarah Ryder, who produced the eighth fastest heat in the Women’s Open 400m Freestyle, and Rebecca Hobson, who was seventh fastest in the 200m backstroke . Their performances gained the University 13 points for the BUCS league table, which means that Sheffield finished in 28th place in the Short Course Championships. Loughborough, Bath, and Stirling occupied the top three places respectively. The BUCS swimming championships will return to Sheffield in February for the Long Course events, and again in March for the Team Championhips.
The BUCS Short Course Swimming Championships brought more than 1,000 competitors to Ponds Forge.
Photos: Marek Allen
Success for snowboarders at Edinburgh event By Jonathan Caldwell
Sheffield’s Paul Smith in action at the championships in Edinburgh.
Snowboarders and skiers from all over the country took part in the British University Dryslope Championships 2008 in Edinburgh on Friday, November 7, and Saturday, November 8. The championships saw participants competing in a combination of race and trickbased events with the Sheffield team, consisting of six members of the University’s snowboarding club, challenging in four different disciplines. The event was held at Midlothian Snowsport centre, Europe’s longest artificial snowsports facility. Former University stars Steve Fletcher and Josh Haile were in attendance, though they could not compete after having graduated. The first event of the weekend was the Grand Slalom, a
straightforward timed race to the finish. Sheffield’s Paul Smart, a Chemistry Postgraduate, finished a close second place. Smart went one better in the following discipline, the Slopestyle. The Slopestyle is a trick-based event in which boarders are judged for their style on the course’s ramps and rails. Smart’s Backside Rodeo and effective use of the rails saw him claim first place. Uni’s Rob Barthorpe also made it to the final of the Slopestyle. Saturday’s action began with the BoarderX races. Smart and Club Captain Polly Baker qualified for the event owing to their speed on the Grand Slalom, and while Baker was eliminated in the second round, Smart progressed to the quarter final. The Slopestyle champion was denied the chance to claim a second victory due to a controversial disqualification when he was
adjudged to have been too quick out of the starting blocks. The final event of the competition, the Big Air, allows the boarders just one trick to impress the judges. Sheffield’s start to the event was less than ideal however, as both Baker and Ben Kolb injured themselves before the session had even begun. To make matters worse, Dan Sadler broke his snowboard in the warm-up. Ben Marshall and Smart did manage to make it beyond the practise round and into the Big Air final, yet neither was able to repeat their qualifying performance in the final. Captain Baker was delighted with the weekend. She said: “Everyone had an awesome time both competing and spectating over the weekend. It was great to see that once again Sheffield came up with the goods.”
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FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
SPORT NEWS & REPORTS
Sheffield on a roll By Oliver Hughes
Men’s squash Uni 5 Durham 0 After a superb start to the campaign, men’s squash took yet another scalp as they romped home by defeating Durham seconds by five games to nil at the Hallamshire squash and tennis club. The team now sit proudly top of Northern Conference 2B after four wins out of four. Captain Tom Anthistle was thrilled with the result and hopes the team can build on the success and challenge for promotion this season. “I’m really happy with how the team’s playing at the moment. There’s still a bit of work to be done, but everyone’s playing really well and consistently so I’m happy with the way the team has played this year.” Sheffield were already awarded a head start after Durham failed to provide a fifth player, and they took full advantage as Paul Snape defeated Durham’s George Harper 3-1 in games. Steven Spedding then won the third pairing match with ease, trouncing Will Foubister 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 to put Sheffield firmly on the front foot. Skipper Anthistle added to Durham’s misery with an 118, 11-4, 11-4 victory over Pat McConvery, before Will Bennett completed the rout 11-7, 11-6, 11-6 against Durham captain Sam Williams. Sheffield now look ahead to the forthcoming crunch game against league title rivals Newcastle, with Anthistle confident of grabbing a win. “Newcastle will be the one tough match of the year. They’re the team who have won the exact amount of matches as us, so it’ll be tough. “But I think with the team we‘re able to put out we can snatch a win.”
Spirited Uni powerless to prevent Durham victory By Ross Turner Men’s basketball Uni 70 Durham 108 A strong performance by an experienced Durham side condemned the men’s basketball team to defeat. Captain Will Platt refused to be downbeat after the game. He said: “We were expecting a tough game but it was a good team effort and I’m pleased with the side today. It was not a bad scoreline and it shows that we are improving with every game, and I am looking forward to see what we can achieve this year.” The loss came against a Durham Wildcats team who are top of the league, having beaten every other opposition by at least 50 points. The determined play by the Sheffield team also kept Durham to their lowest points total of the season so far. The visitors started the game at the Goodwin Sports Centre strongly, registering three quick scores without reply in the first couple of minutes. Sheffield were made to rue two missed free throw chances opportunities early in the first quarter, but recovered with some skilful movement and shooting to hold Durham to only a three point lead at the end of the first period. The start of the second quarter saw more resilient play from Sheffield in defence and accomplished finishing in attack, the highlights of which were some spectacular long range shots from Joe Faddoul on the edge of the court. However, the committed hosts were unable to prevent the clinical Wildcats from beginning to dominate the game as half time approached, and the visitors gradually began to pull away. After the interval, Durham continued to dictate the play and built on their 52-43 point lead.
The men’s basketball team could not stop the Durham side storming to victory. One of Durham’s most influential players was sinbinned in the third for constant haranguing of the referee, but the side seemed unperturbed and began to overwhelm the Sheffield defence. By the end of the third quarter Durham had taken a 76-61 lead and any chance Sheffield had of
getting back into the game seemed to have disappeared. The Sheffield side visibly tired towards the end of the game, and were unable to produce the kind of inspired play required to overcome their opponents’ pace and power. Whilst the ending score was a fair result, Sheffield can take
Photo: Marek Allen
heart from the resolute nature of their performance. They will probably not meet another team that pose such a threat as Durham, and if they manage to improve on the play that kept their opponents at bay in the first quarter they certainly have a chance of doing well this year.
Athletics success at Northern England Indoors By Paul Garbett
Action from March’s Varsity meeting.
Photo: Jarek Bogdanowicz
Athletics club captain Steve Garrett said the team was “now a proper club” after finishing third in the Northern England University Indoor Championships. The University finished just six points behind rivals Sheffield Hallam, who won the event, held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield on Wednesday, November 19. The Sheffield athletes produced a strong display, finishing second in the men’s table and third in the women’s event. Sheffield scored a combined total of 605 points, finishing third overall behind second place Leeds with 605 and winners Sheffield Hallam with a score of 607 Garrett said the team were disappointed to come so close to winning the championships, but that they could take a lot out of the event, which saw 12 universities in the north of England compete. He said: “I’m really happy to come third, but we were so close to winning and six points in athletics is nothing. However, the result
is really promising for the club ahead of Varsity and hopefully we can keep the level of performance up as there were some excellent individual results today.” The third place finish in the Northern Indoor Championships marks an impressive turnaround for the club, who were heavily beaten in March’s Varsity event. A loss which prompted criticism of the University’s sport structure from the then athletics captain, Mark Grimshaw. Garrett believes an increase in members and better organisation have dramatically helped change the fortunes of the club. He said: “We’ve now got lots more members, good leadership in place and we’ve finally got the club organised. “We’re a proper club now and not just a group of individual athletes. By having more social events we’ve also got people together more which is helping the team on the track.” Sheffield’s star sprinters particularly impressed, with Matthew Quine completing a stunning double by winning the men’s 60m and 200m events.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 60m sprint, Suiki Cirillo produced a fine run to finish first. Sheffield came second in the 4 x 200m relay, after losing the lead with just metres remaining. On the field, Katie Noonan put in a strong performance in the long jump and shot put while Peter Drake did well in the men’s high jump. The Sheffield captain also praised Dave Roberts, who demonstrated his athletic versatility by competing in no less than seven events including the 60m sprint, shot-put, and long jump. The event, hosted by the University of Leeds, was the first time universities from northern England have competed in a separate indoor championships. Sheffield’s nominated athlete of the day was Suiki Cirillo, who received a pair of Nike trainers and a gift bag from the sponsors. Sheffield’s athletes will now look to continue their strong form into the BUCS indoor championships, which will also take place at the English Institute of Sport in March 2009.
FORGE PRESS Friday November 21 2008
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REPORTS SPORT
Amukapemu strike gives solid Sheffield a third round shot By Oliver Hughes Men’s football firsts Uni 1 Leeds Met 0 Midfield maestro Matthew Amukapemu’s ingenious footwork and brutal finish dashed the hopes of Leeds Met’s revenge plan as the University of Sheffield men’s football first team clinched a superb second round cup victory at Norton. After dominating in a 2-1 league win the previous week away at Leeds Met, Sheffield had hoped this game would have been a breeze, but a resilient Leeds side were not in the mood to be outdone for a second week in a row. In a balanced first period, it was the home side who had the greater chances. Striker Ollie Wayne had two glorious opportunities, but the Leeds goalkeeper proved equal to both of his efforts. The first came inside the opening five minutes as Sean Rushton darted down the left flank before sliding the ball inside the right back for Cameron Grey to dash to the byline and square the ball to Wayne, who fired at the goalkeeper. The strike partnership of Wayne and Grey linked up well again as a superb one-two between the pair put Wayne through on the keeper, but he parried the ball away. Leeds’ first half-chance came with a rasping 25-yard shot from the left side of the area, though good hands from Joonas Puolamaki kept the effort out. The away side failed to create much in the first period and Sheffield almost capitalised on some slack defending as Nic Hallam slid the ball through the defence for Rushton who fired the ball in to the near post but yet again the Leeds goalkeeper frustrated the home side. Sheffield’s coach Pete Cooper called for patient passing during the half-time break and those words seemed to spur the team on as they came out for the second half with a determined swagger.
Leeds Met struggle to cope with Sheffield’s determined display. However, after dominating the opening minutes of the second half, a Leeds counter attack almost caught the Sheffield defence off guard. Only a great save by goalkeeper Puolamaki ensured the scores remained deadlocked. All that was to change fifteen minutes into the second period when Sheffield’s good use of the wings made Leeds pay for
Photo: Richard Timbrell
their narrow shape. The ball was crossed in from the right flank which Wayne nodded down to Amukapemu, whose neat footwork gave himself a yard of room to lash into the top right corner. The old adage that you’re never more vulnerable to conceding when you’ve just scored almost came into fruition when Leeds nearly hit back straight away. A
cross from the right to the back post almost caught the Sheffield defence unawares but for a superb reflex save by Puolamaki. He was then called into action for a second time after a flighted free kick from just inside the Leeds half found a head and the ball looked destined for the top corner but Puolamaki got a solid hand to it and palmed it away. At the final whistle captain
Tom Macleod praised the way the team played despite not having a full strength squad. “We knew they’d be out for revenge, but we matched them all over the pitch. First half was pretty even but second half we battled well and after the goal we were the better side. “We weren’t at full strength but I’m delighted with the way it is going at the moment.”
By Jonathan Caldwell
lost a match which they dominated for long spells. Loughborough’s clinical ability to take their scoring chances turned out to be the difference between the sides. The hosts could not have wished for a worse start to the game.After just four minutes Loughborough’s Ludi Lacrosse picked up a loose ball around the halfway line, dodged the despairing challenges of several of the Sheffield players, and ran the ball home. What followed was 15 minutes of unrelenting pressure from the home side, yet some heroic rearguard action by Loughborough prevented Sheffield from levelling the scores. To make matters worse, midway through the first period, Leah Fitzgibbon scored a second try for the visitors in a manner not dissimilar to her side’s first success. The second failed conversion attempt meant the
scored remained at 10-0. Sheffield did make the breakthrough just before the interval. Another period of sustained pressure granted Rachel Simpson an opportunity to score which she did well to take. The second half saw the home side very much in the ascendancy. Their efforts were reward when, with just a quarter of an hour of the match remaining, a superb run by Kathryn Ellis resulted in a try. With neither side able to convert any of their tries, the scores were locked at 10-10 going into the final minutes. Although Sheffield looked the team most likely to win the match, a late try by Loughborough’s Emma Lightsburn denied them a hard-fought victory. The game will be remembered for the high quality rugby on show throughout.
Brave Uni push Loughborough to the limit Women’s rugby Uni 10 Loughborough 15
Sheffield push Loughborough to the wire.
Photo: Richard Timbrell
Women’s rugby captain Sade Hacking was delighted with her side’s performance following their narrow defeat to Loughborough. She said: “We were very unlucky. Their first two tries came from lucky breaks that their players had to run the length of the pitch to score. “We were in their half the whole time. Each and everyone of our team played above and beyond what was expected of them. “We have shown such a massive improvement over the season so far; we played Loughborough in October and they beat us 37-10.” Sheffield can indeed count themselves unfortunate to have
SPORT
Men’s Football report Page 31
Men’s basketball report Page 30
Sunderland crushed by Sheffield masterclass
Sheffield enjoyed a comfortable victory over their Sunderland counterparts. (Inset) The Uni keeper cuts a lonely figure in goal on a very quiet afternoon. By Colin James Women’s hockey firsts Uni 19 Sunderland 0 The women’s hockey first team cruised into the next round of the Northern Conference Cup with a crushing win over Sunderland University on Wednesday, November 19. The result was never in doubt as the team smashed in 19 unanswered goals. Sheffield took the lead after just five minutes. Early pressure resulted in a scramble near the Sunderland goal, and when the
ball broke to Becca Johnston she calmly shot into the top left-hand corner. A minute later the home side doubled their lead. After a sweeping move Georgia Bayliff crossed to Johnston who shot low and hard into the corner. It took Sunderland ten minutes to even have an attack, but when that broke down Sheffield countered to score their third goal. Jessica Sinton picked out Nicola Hussey who dispatched a crisp shot from the edge of the shooting circle. By this point it was clear that the Sheffield team were too good for their opponents and on 15 minutes substitute Judith
Smeur scored the fourth goal with virtually her first touch. Smeur pounced when the ball rolled loose after a double save from the Sunderland goalkeeper and scrambled the ball home. When Smeur’s mazy dribble was stopped by a foul, Sheffield took the free-hit quickly and Jo Hancock added her name to the growing list of scorers. Ten minutes before half-time the visitors failed to clear the ball after a succession of penalty corners and Bayliff was left with a simple close-range finish. A superb right-wing run and cross from Smeur created the next goal for Bayliff to make it 7-0. Becca Johnston scored the
eighth before the score became 9-0 when Hancock fed Smeur who crossed for Sinton to score again. Rachel Sharp scored on the stroke of half-time to ensure that Sheffield went into the break on double figures. The goal was a thing of beauty with the ball passing through several sticks in a move that spanned the length of the pitch before Sharp applied the finish. The hosts struck early in the second half when Bayliff scored from close range after a re-taken penalty corner. On 41 minutes Johnston scored the best goal of the game to make it 12-0. The Sunderland defence never got to grips with Smeur’s
Photo: Helen Munro
skill and it was from one of her trademark slalom runs that Johnston was presented with a tap in. The second half became a procession and saw Nicola Hussey seal her hat-trick with two more goals. Sharp, Bayliff and Smeur added to their earlier efforts and penalties by Laura Cooper and then Natalie Dent sealed the emphatic win. Coach Darius Virabi was understandably pleased with his team’s performance. He said: “That was our best win and we are unbeaten so far. We played really well. We are well on the way in the league but a good cup run will boost morale.”