nu:life Isuue No.4 March 2009
FREE TO A GOOD HOME
www.mynsu.co.uk
The official voice of Northumbria Students’ Union
In this edition...
Elections RAG recap Team Northumbria News “You what you what”-students overheard Spotted
ELECTION TIME Use your vote - the choice is yours Regular features: Entertainment, news, your union, food, sports, horoscopes, spotted plus loads more
nu:life Isuue No.4 March 2009
FREE TO A GOOD HOME
The official voice of Northumbria Students’ Union Editors words:
Well it’s March and that means one thing at the Students’ Union Elections! Election fever is well and truly upon us now, with the voting days taking place on the 24th to the 26th March. The candidates have submitted their nominations and now it’s up to you - they need your vote! But what are we actually voting for I hear you ask. Basically, the elections are your chance to choose who you want to lead your Students’ Union and represent you for the academic year 2009/10. There will be loads of candidates running around on voting days, all eager for your vote. Every Northumbria student has a vote so don’t waste yours! Results night, on the 26th March, is set to be a very exciting night, so make sure you come along to Reds bar, top floor of the Students’ Union building, City Campus, from 7pm. To find out a bit more about the positions check out pages 4 and 5, and log on to mynsu.co.uk to see who the candidates are! As well as the elections we have lots of other exciting things going on. The Musical Theatre Society is putting on a performance of the show ‘Company’ on the 13th and 14th March at 7.30pm. This is going to be a great show and tickets are only £3.50. Bargain! In addition to all that, we are also throwing a massive all day long party for St Patrick’s Day on the 17th March which is going to be so much fun. So anyone in the mood for a great party on that day (that’s most of us then), the Students’ Union, City Campus, is the place to be. Thanks for picking up a copy of NU:life this month. Hope you enjoy it. Debbie x Concept design & production
Contents... 02 - 03 NSU News
What’s coming up Student Success
04 -10 Features
Elections - Find out what you’re voting for Play Safe, Stay Safe New to Northumbria - Find out what January starters think Keep the Metro Public
12 get involved at the su
Find out what we’ve got going on in March
14 - 18 LIght relief
Spotted - RAG special ‘You what, you what’ - Students overheard Horoscopes Ask Alexa - Everyone’s favourite Agony Aunt
17 - 18 RAG RECAP
Find out what went on in Raise and Give week 2009
20 - 21 Food
Review - Flat Bread Café Kitchen Sink
23 - 26 Entertainments
Music reviews, local bands and gigs plus much more
28 - 33 Team Northumbria news
All the news from your favourite sports teams.
Contributors News - Zoe Thomas • Emily Chambers • Emma Carr Features - Editor - Carmel Lawless Contributors - Salman Rizvi • Paul Phillips RAG Recap - Jenny Clark Light relief - Carmel Lawless • Lucille Valentine • Mickey Devereux Food - Tekayu Harrington • Emily Chambers • Emily Petch Entertainments - Editors - Simon Rushworth Contributors - Rosie Wilkinson • Jordan Waller Sports - Simon Rushworth • Laura Gutfreund-Walmsley • Andy Spoors Photos - Richard Fish
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News
NEWS of the eLearning Portal at Northumbria, represented by the fact this academic year’s millionth login was six weeks earlier than last year.
What’s really going on...
How to get to the doctors? Ask away, we will more than likely know the answer and if we don’t we will find it out for you. At the Welcome Desk and the Students’
News... NEWS... News... NEWS... Be in Good Company...
The Warmest Welcome
With the Northumbria Musical Theatre Society!
The society is currently rehearsing for their third major production; a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s musical ‘Company’, and on the basis of last year’s success are confident that it will be a great hit. ‘Company’ was originally a collection of short plays which has been compiled to make a new, exciting and highly thought of musical. The plot of ‘Company’ revolves around Bobby, a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage, the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. The society has given ‘Company’ a very Brechtian feel with a simple, functional set. The Presidents of the society, Richard Brownlie-Marshall and Zoe Thomas feel that it is important to bring musical Theatre into the community and to change attitudes towards the Theatre to make it more accessible. So, The Northumbria Musical Theatre Society is joining with Northumbria Student Community Action for the second year running to put on a Community Performance of the popular musical ‘Company’. ‘Company’ will be performed in Stage 2 on the 13th and 14th March at 7.30pm. Tickets are £3.50 Zoe Thomas
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Union as a whole we strive to have “a positive impact on the lives of all of our students’.
If you feel we could do more to achieve our mission then please let us know by emailing su.welcomedesk@ northumbria.ac.uk.
Opening Hours Monday - Friday 9am-5pm. Saturday - Sunday CLOSED
Millionth Login
Second Year Applied Sport and Exercise Science student, Claire Gilroy has been identified as the one millionth user to login to the eLearning Portal during the academic year 2008/9.
Even if you have never used the service of the Welcome Desk you will most likely have at least seen it.
Whilst Claire is not an extensive user of the eLearning Portal, she enjoys the flexibility it allows when accessing course materials and checking grades. She found the online submission feature and the range of communication tools to be particularly useful. Claire said of
Situated at the main entrance, the Welcome Desk is the first point of contact for students when they come to the Students’ Union. The Welcome Desk is manned by student staff who know firsthand the needs of you, the student, and have extensive knowledge of the Students’ Union and University.
the portal; “I
find the Discussion Board facility an extremely valuable feature, it allows me to catch up with fellow students and enables me to discuss assignments and ideas with tutors and course members”. To mark the occasion, Claire was presented with £50 worth of Eldon square vouchers by Professor Craig Mahoney (Deputy Vice Chancellor), who acknowledged the growing importance
hard Fish
Judges were impressed by the teams design, causing them to battle to the top and take centre stage, receiving awards for ‘The Best Graduate Programme Company’ and ‘Overall Winner’. Phil Barton, one of the winning students, said: “Myself
and my colleagues have put time, money and even turned some hair grey in pushing this business forward. To see the positive feedback from potential investors has given us the belief to expand our business.’
Photo by Ric
Here are just some of the services we offer: • • • • • • •
Provide campus maps and University bus timetables Join up to Societies Sell tickets for SU gigs and events Give directions Sell NUS Extra cards Applications for University parking permits Sell tickets for One Planet and Give It A Go sessions.
And many more. Not only can we help you with all of the above but also with matters unrelated to the Students’ Union or University. Need to know where the nearest supermarket is?
With PENco’s chance of becoming a viable business with an opportunity to succeed, hopes are high for the student’s design being implemented across campus. Congratulations on this fantastic achievement. Emily Chambers
Successful stationers
Four Northumbria Engineering and Business students have achieved two top awards, at the Young/ Graduate Enterprise North East Trade Fair 2009! Held on January 8th, at the Metro Centre, students Adam Atkinson, Philip Barton, Guy Boomer and Keith Griffin collectively named as ‘PENco’, competed against fifty of the UK’s top Universities, to promote and sell their product. After identifying a lack of places to get stationary across campus, on a twentyfour hour basis, the team created ‘The Pencil Case’, an automatic, stationary vending machine.
Roger Helmer MEP comes to Northumbria On the 6th March Roger Helmer MEP will be joining students and members of the Conservative Society to provide a talk followed by a question and answer session on the current state of the European Union.
British politics. In addition he has frequently opposed Britain becoming any further integrated with the EU and would like to see the renegotiation of several treaties which would see power returned to the member states. Roger has said that he believes that the British people are perfectly able, and have the pure will, to govern themselves. The Conservative Society is extremely happy that Roger has decided to visit us in the North East. Emma Carr, the Society Chairman, said “Roger Helmer MEP is one of the leading voices of common sense in the European Union. As public opinion shifts towards a more sceptical view of the EU it is essential that students are exposed to both sides of the argument. With that in mind, I’m delighted that Roger will be addressing us at Northumbria University. He’s a passionate and lively speaker who I’m sure will provoke some robust debate.” This is just one of a number of exciting talks that are being arranged by the Conservative Society. For or more information about this or any other event please contact Emma Carr at emma.f.carr@unn.ac.uk. Emma Carr
Roger Helmer has earned a reputation within politics as having a sceptical relationship with the EU, having questioned the part it has to play within
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features PGR reps are able to make the most of the opportunity to input into decision making,
What’s the best thing about working for NSU?
ELECTIONS The nominations are in and soon it’ll be time to vote!
through mentoring and training. I also represent students in the highest academic meetings such as Board of Governors.
What’s the best thing about working for NSU? Meeting loads of new people on a week to week basis and constantly being challenged.
Why should students bother to vote? Because then you can get the change within the Institution that you want as a student.
This is the most exciting moment since I met Paris Hilton in Nando’s! (Ok that never happened, but you get the point.) I feel such a sense of power and control! This is OUR chance to make a difference!
Erm... what is it we are actually voting for? I got up close and personal with some of the current sabbatical officers to find out... Name: Lisa Burton Position: Vice President Academic Affairs What do you actually do? As Vice President Academic Affairs I am the lead officer for the Advice and Representation Centre. I am also responsible for making sure that our fantastic network of course, school and
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Tell us an embarrassing secret about yourself... I have been to see Westlife three times and when I was younger I had a crush on both Stephen Gateley and Mark Feehily.
Name: Debbie Hunt Position: Vice President Communications and Involvement What do you actually do? As it says in the title I’m here to communicate exactly what we do here at the Students’ Union, and try to get as many people involved as possible. I am the editor of this very magazine and lead on projects such as our Go Out and Listen campaign, where we listen to student feedback to make sure we are representing everyone effectively and providing the things people want from their Union.
Being able to make a difference, and working in such an environment.
exciting
Why should students bother to vote? Because you really can make a difference, every vote does count. The people who win the elections will be there to represent you for a whole year, so it’s important that you chose the people you think would be best at the jobs.
Tell us an embarrassing secret about yourself... If I had an embarrassing secret I wouldn’t publish it in a magazine would I? That’d just be silly.
There are 5 full time Sabbatical Positions in total, as well as 5 lay student Councillor positions, and you can vote for the students that you want to represent YOU and lead YOUR students’ Union during the academic year 2009/10. It’s so easy to vote as well so you’ve got no excuses not to. Just log onto mynsu.co.uk or desktop ANYWHERE, it’ll only take a minute! Voting opens at 9am on Tuesday the 24th March and closes at 5pm on Thursday the 26th March. Carmel Lawless
features
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Play safe, New to stay safe Northumbria? You’ve heard it all a million times before... Don’t drink too much, don’t walk around on your own at night, don’t eat peanut butter straight from the jar (or is that just me?) - And yet students are still ignoring their common sense and constantly put themselves at risk, especially on a night out! One Northumbria student shares her experience: “I was out with a friend and his flatmate who I didn’t know very well. We were having a good night until suddenly I started throwing up and blacked out for the rest of
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the night. The flatmate took me home and when I woke up the next day I knew he’d had sex with me. I still don’t know whether my drink had been spiked or the alcohol had just hit me more than usual that night but any guy that takes advantage of a girl in that state is pathetic.”
And it’s not just girls who need to be careful... attacks on men are not as rare as you might think. Hopefully none of you will share these experiences, but just to make sure, here’s a few golden rules to follow:
1. If a bar is promoting 2 for
£5 on trebles but you know even doubles will make you sick, pay the extra pennies and stick to the alcopops.
2. NEVER play ring of fire on
an empty stomach!
3. That random bloke who
offers to share a taxi with you may just be thinking of your bank balance but it’s more likely that he’s thinking about your knickers and how to get into them. Run.
4. Even if you’re Cinderella
and its 11:59pm, back alleys are never a good shortcut.
5. No matter how many
reps you did in the gym today, bouncers will always be stronger than you.
6. Always have the number
of at least 3 taxi companies. Call them all and see which gets to you first. The winner gets to take you home safely, yay!
7. Make a point of telling
your flat mates if youíre going home for the weekend. Being elusive and mysterious may seem attractive but it won’t if something happens to you and no-one notices.
I love a good night out as much as the next person, but it’s always important to keep these top tips in mind. Play safe, stay safe. You know it makes sense! Carmel Lawless
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by Salman Rizvi
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ARE YOU HOUSE HUNTING?
features
Relax…. HOUSE HUSTLERS in the UNION
House Hustler... Now that’s the easy part of house hunting dealt with; what comes next is the marathon task of running from letting agent to letting agent in Newcastle to find your next home. Unless your name is Paula Radcliffe, this is not an easy task!
So, you’ve decided who you’re going to live with, you’ve chosen where you want to live and you’ve made up your mind on how much you want to pay.
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Not a long distance runner? Prefer the smart option? Want a greater understanding of the house hunting market in Newcastle?
If so, you should House Hustler it! We believe HouseHustler. co.uk is the largest student property website in Newcastle, and with the help of our ‘City Hustlers’ we have accumulated over 2000 student properties from over 21 letting agents in Newcastle. As former students from Newcastle, we found the task of house hunting stressful and flawed in essence due to the lack of information available to us at the time. Therefore, we decided to set about changing the environment in which students search for houses from one that
was governed by fear through lack of knowledge to an environment driven by reason through the spreading and sharing of information. With the help of HouseHustler.co.uk, you can compare the rental price of houses to get a better idea of what a good deal really is. You can also view pictures and find out key features of a property such as number of bathrooms, whether the house has a dishwasher (an essential piece of kit for boy’s houses) and availability of off-street parking. As well as allowing students to search for property on-line, HouseHustler.co.uk provides articles and links to helpful websites that increase the amount of information available to students on independent living issues.
Search through thousands of properties from 21 Newcastle letting agents from our new touch screen computer in the STUDENT UNION. Don’t run around House Hustler it, Newcastle’s biggest student property finder website. Use our touch screen Kiosk in the UNION or go to www.househustler.co.uk Don’t let house hunting run your life.... Your next house is fingertips away.
Due to the success of HouseHustler.co.uk’s service in Newcastle, we have now teamed up with Northumbria Students Union to have our touch screen computer kiosk in the main reception area of the union building. This allows you to access the HouseHustler.co.uk database from the heart of your University through the power of your fingertips.
NOW YOU CAN USE HOUSE HUSTLER FROM INSIDE THE NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS’ UNION BUILDING, CITY CAMPUS. If you have any housing issues contact Rachael Brannan, Vice President Welfare and Equality, at rachael.brannan@northumbria.ac.uk, or pop into Accomodation services
Northumbria University Students Union
Features
Keep Our Metro Public! Back in September your Student Council voted unanimously to support the local ‘Keep the Metro Public’ campaign and thank god they did.
Thousands of us students use the Metro every day and I for one do not wish to see it taken over by some money-grabbing private company who prioritises its shareholders over the people who actually use the service. 10
Compare that to our beloved Metro, which achieved 96% punctuality last year and has recently been ranked one of the UK’s leading train operators and it’s clear to see which has been more of a success.
Privatisation has been tried before on public railway systems and has failed. Since British Rail went private and became National Rail in 1996, it has received four times the amount of government subsidiaries and for what? An often unreliable service that is more expensive than anywhere else in Europe. Metronet was the private company that vowed to maintain and improve two thirds of the London Underground network. They received £70 million a month of government money, pocketing a rather tasty £1 million a week in profits. Somehow they still managed to fall into administration in July 2007, leaving the government - i.e. the tax payer - to pick up the pieces. Yet another failure is Railtrack, which had to be ‘re-nationalised’ due to its inefficiency and woeful safety record.
Student Council agreed to back the campaign because the Metro plays such an important part in many students’ day-today lives, whether just going a few stops to Chilli Road or Jesmond or breaking out of Sunderland into the haven that is Newcastle (no offense Mackems). We’ve seen National Rail descend into an unreliable mess - don’t let our Metro suffer the same fate! Get involved in the campaign and help stop this madness of privatisation! Contact Paul Phillips (KMP steering committee member) on p.phillips@ northumbria.ac.uk
NSU:SHOWS 2009 PADDYS WIGGLE
SATURDAY 14TH M AR
10PM-LATE £3 BEFORE 11PM
ST PATRICKS DAY
ALL DAYER
IRISH BAND, DANCERS , BAILEYS FOUNTAIN, FREE PINTS OF GUINNESS, FREE GUINNESS HAT, IRI SH TUNES, PINTS FROM £1.50!
/£4
TUES 17TH MARC
80’S UV RAVE WIG SATURDAY 21ST M
H
DS FREE| 11AMR-LEA TE
CHAV WIGGLE ARCH
CH
GLE
10PM-LATE
£3 BEFORE 11
PM/£4
SATURDAY 28TH
MARCH 10PM-LATE £3 BEFORE 11 PM/£4
EASTER BUNNY B LOWOUT
FREE DRINKS VOUCHERS, B UNNY BINGO, BUCKING SHE FRIDAY 3RD APR EP, T-SHIRT FO IL R THE FIRST 5 £ 5 A D V R E 00! DS
BAT FOR LASHES DUKE SPECIAL
11AM-LATE
PLUS SPECIAL G
UESTS
THURS 9TH APR IL £12.50 ADV | 7:30 PM
PLUS SPECIAL £FRI 1ST MAY GUESTS 12.50 ADV 7:30P
CONCERT TICK ETS FROM: NSU | CITY HALL | B ONLINE: WWW.S EATDOWN | RPM EETICKETS.COM | REFLEX | WWW.TICKETM OVER THE PHON AS TE R. C O .U E: 0191 227 4757 K NORTHUMBRIA STUDENTS’ UNION 2 SANDYFORD RD | NEWCASTLE NE1 8SB
M
Membership services
Whats on in March... Give it a Go! Break Dancing
When: Weds 4th March - 5pm Location: Venue Come along and join the NSU Break Dancing Society while they show you some moves to get you started - before you know it you’ll be tearing up the dance floor.
Skills Programme:
English Language Conversation WHEN: 11th March - 2pm
Problem Solving WHEN: 11th March - 3pm
Essay Writing
WHEN: 12th March - 4pm LOCATION: Coach Lane SU
Cost - FREE
Essay Writing
Street Art
Plagiarism
When: Weds 18th March 2pm Location: Venue Try your hand at some graffiti art with the NSU Street Art Society and create a masterpiece from a can of spray paint.
Cost - £2
If you want to get involved with
Northumbria Student Community Action or
WHEN: 25th March - 2pm
WHEN: 25th March - 3pm
English Language Conversation WHEN: 26th March, 4pm LOCATION: Coach Lane SU
Junction49 two of our fantastic volunteering projects... Then please get in touch with Yvette Hawkins yvette.hawkins@northumbria.ac.uk
TEL: 0191 243 7736
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Spotted
horoscopes
If you’re the lucky person we’ve spotted this issue then email d.hunt@unn.ac.uk to find out what you’ve won! Make sure you turn up to events in the Students’ Union to see if you get “Spotted” next month!
See anyone you know?
March
Spotted Spotted Horoscopes... Aquarius
20 January to 17 February
Hands-on therapy such as massage is more effective than talking. An old love returns but you are in the midst of a crisis. You are the cause of the success as much as you are of the failure. Face it, face yourself.
Pisces
18 February to 19 March Someone who you had written off returns and impresses you, or a person who you have loved disappoints you. But next month it will go the other way again. Either way you like the outcome.
Aries
20 March to 19 April So love has come but it seems to be hard going. Can you keep up the pace until you get your second wind? This is truth time, when it all becomes clear what you value and how you are appreciated.
Taurus
20 April to 19 May
You What You What?!
“
You guys really do come out with some stupid comments sometimes, here’s what I’ve overheard this month...
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• [In a game of Articulate] “It’s a plant... It grows in Scotland... Haggis!” • “Hmm... Smirnoff Ice or Bacardi Breezer? Bacardi. I need the vitamin C from the
orange flavour.”
• “Sheep are such pointless animals, I mean we don’t even eat them, we only eat lamb” • “How do chickens lay eggs? Do they poo them out?” • “Where’s Eastern Europe?”
This good fortune cannot be bottled. Pass it on to someone who can act on it when you cannot. If it’s kept alive it will come back to benefit you so be generous.
Gemini
20 May to 20 June
Stay ahead of your deadlines and complete the work by the 8th because life does go a bit mad after that. You will be able to follow a written down plan though so I hope you have one.
Cancer
21 June to 21 July
The issue does not go away until June but stop analysing and take action - this leads you to solutions. And don’t forget that you can call on your old friends to help you. Give it a go.
Libra
22 September to 22 October
People are talking in your language and you are better at it than they are. There will be friction because you can’t resist rubbing it in; and the heat and the passion that comes along with it is good.
Scorpio
23 October to 21 November
You are out of your element but trust your intuition and make as much progress as you can. Towards the month end part of what you imagined comes to life; part of what seemed to be fantasy is real.
Leo
22 July to 22 August Play follow-the-leader because doing anything else is going to confuse things. You are big enough to take a back seat until later. It provides a whole new way of looking at the problem.
Sagittarius
22 November to 20 December The sudden changes and setbacks this month are adjustments, time to reevaluate yourself and your finances. Don’t resist it or ignore the truth because this is where it goes well next month.
Virgo
23 August to 21 September After the travelling, losing your temper and getting surprising help from a well meaning woman you are able to focus on your creative projects.
Capricorn 21 December to 19 January The love of your life seems to be the cause of your troubles but this time it really is nobody’s fault. Don’t take it personally but you are not the only clever person around. Trust someone. Lucille Valentine
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light relief
RAG WEEK
The start of semester two saw RAG week
Everyone’s favourite agony aunt is here to answer YOUR problems.
Ask Alexa... Dear Alexa,
Dear Alexa,
I’m a first year student and I can’t seem to settle in. I’ve missed the past three weeks of lectures because I simply haven’t got the motivation to get out of bed. I loved my course at A-level but at university a lot of it’s boring me to the point where I just don’t go to the lectures. I seem to sleep more than I’m awake at the minute. I’m also missing home A LOT and feel very lonely as the Halls of Residence I’m in are very isolated compared to other halls. Please help - I don’t want to fail my course and I don’t want to drop out but that’s the way things are heading.
I’m a virgin but have recently started seeing a boy I met on my course. He always talks about how experienced he is so I lied and told him I have slept with men before. The thing is I don’t think I am ready to sleep with a man, or ever will be. I do however sometimes imagine my female friends in sexual ways even though I like this guy. What’s wrong with me?!
But to be honest I don’t think that’s the real issue here. For a lot of people, coming to uni is a sexual awakening and a chance to realise who they are truly attracted to. Have you ever thought you may be a lesbian? Or at least bisexual? There is nothing “wrong” with you my dear and what you’re going through is, in my opinion, perfectly healthy so stop worrying and just enjoy yourself honey.
Alexa If you have a problem and you want to Ask Alexa email this address: m.d.a.devereux@blueyonder. co.uk
Worried in Walker
Dear Worried The first thing you need to know is the rule of three. However many girls this guy says he has slept with, divide that by three and you have his real number. So twelve would become four.
Mickie Devereux
Dear Homesick Many people find aspects of their chosen subject boring. My first piece of advice would be to speak to your guidance tutor as they will be able to help and you might even be able to transfer to a similar degree that suits you better. Also, everybody misses home but why not think about joining a society and
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meeting some more people as it sounds like the only things your doing is lectures and staying in your room. Get out there and enjoy the best years of your life instead of wasting them! Hope this helps you dear.
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SUDOKU
Homesick in Halls
Get your RAG out! take over Northumbria University, and no one passing through Newcastle City Centre could have failed to notice the student driven fundraising activities. It’s likely you were met at least once by the hordes of students strolling the streets in their orange and green t-shirts, encouraging the public to “Raise and Give” in the name of charity.
The aim of the game was to raise as much money as possible for three chosen charities; Marie Curie Cancer Care, Friends Action North East, and COCO Children’s Charity. The RAGgers were determined to do this whilst having as much fun as they possibly could along the way. A number of activities took place throughout the week, with the intention of reaching as many students as possible. Amongst the events was a huge bar crawl held in conjunction with Mood. This was possibly the biggest and best pyjama party to have ever hit Northumbria University, and offered all students the opportunity to have an awesome night, whilst feeling they were helping to make a difference. Aside from all the weeks exciting events, congratulations are definitely in order for the students who roamed around the town and the campus in arctic conditions, doing some serious oldschool collecting. All they had were their buckets and their charm, and the hope that the public of Newcastle would give generously, which they certainly did over the duration of the week. Despite the unbelievably low temperature and persistent snow, the students involved had a great sense of spirit and got a great deal out of joining in. One student, David Gardner, really got into the fundraising spirit, and commented “My favourite memory of RAG week was
getting dressed up in drag and going collecting down Northumberland Street”. Another RAGger, Amy Large, said she’d decided to get involved in the week’s events because “It looked like a good cause and was a bit different... I’d definitely do something like this again!!” RAG Co-ordinator Lynne Jackson relishes her role within the University’s fundraising campaign, and finds the fact that students can bring so much financial help to the chosen charities very rewarding. “It’s great when all the volunteers come together in their fancy dress and face paint and just have a really good giggle,” says Lynne, “I loved it when I was at Uni, and it’s great to see that in other people every year.” And she adds, a huge satisfaction comes from seeing where the moneys going and who it’s benefitting. “It’s great to be able to go and visit the Marie Curie hospice and see how far the money can actually go. It’s also good to see how much being involved with RAG can benefit the students. They’ve got dissertations, assignments, jobs and lectures to juggle, so to also get involved in this is fantastic. It does reflect so well on them when they go to apply for jobs later on because it shows good communication, competitiveness and selflessness.” And even if you didn’t get involved in RAG week this year it’s never too late to do your bit. For the first time, the Northumbria RAG team are running charity events all through the year, so keep your eyes peeled, or contact the Union, to find ways that you can help your University make a difference within the community.
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RAG WEEK
a mission to blag
One of the many amazing gifts from highlights of various generous businesses across the week was
The RAG Blag undeniably the RAG Blag. Held on the Friday of the ultimate week of fundraising antics, the Blag gave everyone in the University one last opportunity to grab a piece of the action.
The penultimate day of RAG saw the week’s charitable students descend upon Newcastle on 18
the city. The goal of this task was to auction off the day’s findings in a bid to raise even more money for the week’s causes.
to know it’s all for a good cause!” But there were also some pretty impressive material items up for grabs as well. A HP printer worth £40 went to Product Design Technology student Henry Sanders for just £14. Henry was eager to snap up this fantastic buy because as he pointed out “It was
a bargain and... I needed a printer!” Another little bargain
went to Stuart Dean, who managed to bag himself a £50 Coca-Cola mini fridge for the incredible price of just £20. Despite seeming apprehensive about his purchase, and admitting to not being able to carry it home, he seemed pleased enough and confessed “I was feeling really
The blaggers were highly successful in convincing their chosen shops and restaurants to donate kindly in the name of charity. Food vouchers were a very popular order of the day, with many of Newcastle’s most hospitable eateries doling out vouchers and asking for nothing in return. A meal for two at Frankie and Benny’s was sold to one lucky bidder for just £8- a fraction of its actual value. And £30 worth of Spice Cube vouchers went for less than half their value... a treat for both the buyer and the charity! Journalism student, Siobhan Cullen was very excited to snap up a fish and chip meal for two at Eldon Square restaurant, Bimbis & Sons for just £4, upon which she commented “Lovely, and
food always tastes better at a discount. Plus it’s a bonus
charitable today... and I’ve had a bit too much to drink!”
But the ultimate gift up for grabs was a Pandora bracelet and two charms, valued at over £140, but being sold to one lucky boy for just £86. The auction happened at the perfect time for this lucky buyer, who was making the generous purchase as a Valentine’s Day gift, and wouldn’t even divulge his name for fear of his plan being scuppered! The RAG Blag was definitely a sure fire winner of a fundraising event, and keep your eyes peeled for news of the next auction, due to be held soon to sell off yet more items in the name of RAG!! But even with all those bargains we still managed to raise a fantastic amount of money for charity! Jenny Clark
How can your classes be more engaging? Would you like the opportunity to express your views on “How your classes can be more engaging?” Well now’s your chance! The School of Computing, Engineering and Information Sciences is offering you the opportunity to submit your opinions and experiences in a 1000 word essay. The winner will receive £150 and the opportunity to see their winning entry feature in EMERGE, the University’s new Learning and Teaching journal. This competition is open to all students in CEIS. Submissions by email to eb.ceislearningandteaching
Deadlines for
both competitions:
27 March 2009
Higher Education Academy (HEA) Engineering Subject Centre Award 2009 Are you a student on an Engineering or Engineering related course e.g. mathematics, computer networks?
If yes, you can also submit your entry on “how your classes can be more engaging’ as part of the HEA Engineering Subject Centre Award 2009 competition. The winner will receive £250, plus all expenses paid attendance at the Higher Education Academy’s annual conference in July 2009. All shortlisted entries will be published on the Engineering Subject Centre’s nationally recognised website at http://www.engsc.ac.uk/ us/fundopps/student_awards.asp Submissions by email to kate@engsc.ac.uk
Criteria for both competitions: The essays will be assessed against the following criteria and should:
include suggestions of good and/or innovative teaching, learning and assessment methods in the subject area • be sensitive to cultural, contextual and institutional differences • be of sufficient quality to be exposed to a national audience (well structured, accurate use of grammar, spelling, punctuation and style) • provide an individual and honest account • not exceed the 1000 word limit • be submitted by email in Microsoft Word format.
FOOD
FOOD
Flat Bread Café Kitchen Sink... review 6.30pm 10/02/2009 Skint...
Fancy a lighter alternative to your average curry? A meal out with mates in funky surroundings? Or even just a quiet night with a bottle of wine and a special someone? The Flat Bread Café is the place to go. Tucked down High Bridge Street, this restaurant is hidden away from the usual restaurants surrounding Monument and Grey Street.
We were warmly welcomed from the start. With the restaurants Moroccan inspired
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to order with flavoursome and fresh ingredients, inspired from across the globe. After ordering one last flat bread, which helped to mop up the delicious juices, we were stuffed - but of course there was room for dessert.
decor, low lit lighting and laid-back vibe, the atmosphere seemed perfect for a night with the girls. When given the menu, the “tear and share” concept was unusual. Eating with flatbread as cutlery has never been a speciality of ours, but the menu sounded so appealing and we didn’t hold back. It consisted of a large choice of flavoursome dips, curries and tagine’s. Ordering from the student friendly, early Bedou special (priced at £9), we had a choice of two dishes and one flatbread each. With a view of the open kitchen, we watched the chefs bake the flatbread in large clay ovens. The smell was to die for. However, luckily the speedy service didn’t leave our tummies rumbling for long. The smoked aubergine Merza, garlicky hummus, spicy lamb and mint Khoresh, and sticky date and turkey tagine, accompanied the warm flat bread perfectly. It was obvious all dishes were made
A varied choice made decisions tough. However, after much deliberation we chose their experimental take on carrot cake and the baked cheesecake, one of the manager’s favourites. And gosh, we weren’t disappointed! The whole experience was well worth the money, costing us a reasonable £12 each. For the larger appetites out there, the £15 special also seemed good value. The Flat Breads motto is; Ethical, Fresh, Caring, Fusion and Stimulating. It certainly proved just that. The manager told us all ingredients were organic and fair trade, making us leave feeling even more satisfied. We recommend this gem of a place to all you students out there. With its healthy twist on your average curry and wallet friendly deals, Flat Bread Café is worth a visit, morning, noon or night. By Emily Chambers and Emily Petch
Almost two months have passed since the second loan instalment and I’m guessing we’re all in the same boat... HMS CASHLESS! Cottage pie
This month’s recipe is a favourite cheap dish of mine. It may take a bit of time to cook but I would recommend making about 6-8 portions as it will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days (depending on how clean you are!). You can’t get cheaper meat than beef mince and I’m sure every student kitchen will have a few potatoes that need using up lurking somewhere! You will need (for 4 people, or 3 hungry rugby players)
600kg Beef Mince (beef rump mince if you’re posh!) 1 Onion (diced) 2 Carrots (peeled and chopped) 2 Cloves garlic (crushed) 4 Large potatoes (peeled) Worcestershire Sauce Tabasco Brown Sauce Beef Stock cube 2 tbsp Plain Flour Butter Oil Salt and Pepper. Egg yolk
Method In a hot deep pan with some oil, fry the mince (in batches) until golden brown and drain off the excess fat in a colander. Wipe the pan clean, then put onto a medium heat with some oil and add the onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes or until the onions are opaque. Add the browned mince, carrots and flour and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring constantly (this is to cook the flour). Add a few pinches of salt and pepper at this stage. Make roughly 2 pints of stock according to instructions and add some to the mince (but not all), bring to the boil and then reduce down to a slow simmer. Roughly chop the potatoes to the same size simmer in water. Add Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco and brown sauce at this stage. Keep checking how it tastes and add any of the above sauces if necessary. Keep checking the mince, if it has become too dry then add more stock, it should look fluid but a little bit thick. The mince will need about 30-45 minutes to cook so utilise this opportunity to do some washing up! Pre-heat grill. Mash the potato when it is soft enough and add salt, pepper and butter. Transfer the mince into an oven proof dish. Add one egg yolk into the
mash and layer the mash on top of the mince. Place under a grill until the mash has become brown and serve.
Chef’s notes... It’s important to brown off your mince before cooking as this will get rid of any excess fat and water which you most probably don’t want to consume! Adding flour will help thicken your stew, but it will require cooking out otherwise you will be left with a grainy texture. The egg yolk helps the mash turn into a nice golden brown, alternatively, you can use cheese for this. I instantly turned my nose up when I first heard of putting brown sauce into a stew, but when I tried it for myself, I quickly changed my mind! One last note... it angers me when people thinks Shepherd’s Pie is made with beef mince... after all, what do shepherds for a living? Tek Harrington
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Entertainment
CD Reviews... The Fame Lady Gaga,
Lady Gaga shot to the top of the single’s chart with the lead single from this album, ‘Just Dance’ and the rest of the album follows in a similar note.
It’s Not Me, It’s You Lily Allen
To be honest I didn’t really like Lily Allen’s first album, but I have to say I am quite surprised by this one. The album is a lot more upbeat than her previous one. Some of the songs are a strange mix of sounds, namely ‘Not Fair’ which has a country backing that doesn’t really seem to go with the lyrics. Politics is also touched upon in one of the songs, a tribute to George Bush. Some of the tracks, however, really reminded me of other songs; ‘Who’d Have Known’ reminded me of ‘Shine’ by Take That, which was just weird. All in all, considering I didn’t like her previous album, I thought that this album was really quite good. Rosie Wilkinson
The majority of the album is synthesised electro pop. Whilst some of the songs are quite catchy I felt that the album became a blur as the songs seemed to merge into one as they all sounded quite alike. Similarities can be drawn between Lady Gaga and Gwen Stephanie and this is very much recognisable in this album. To be honest this isn’t really what I like listening to. But if you liked her first single then you are sure to like the album. Rosie Wilkinson
Everyday Demons The Answer
It would be easy to dismiss the answer as simply AC/ DC copyists, there is clearly an influence there and are they currently opening for the band, but they do seem to have something about them. They do already have a claim to fame with the song ‘Never Too Late’ from previous album ‘Rise’ appearing on an edition of guitar hero, so if they’re good enough to be handpicked for that game they are good enough for me. Songs such as ‘Demon Eyes’ and ‘Too Far Gone’ resemble rock from the 70’s and 80’s, before it got silly and involved spandex and pyrotechnics. So if you like your music heavy accompanied with throaty vocals check these boys out. Simon England
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Entertainment
Entertainment
Bridie Jackson
Now for something different, Bridie Jackson is an enchanting singer songwriter based in Newcastle with an
Local Bands...
Gig Reviews... Emmy the Great
Asobi Seksu
Even though her excellent debut album ‘First Love’ has just been released, Emmy the Great managed to capture a packed out Cluny’s attention for over an hour with folk and country tinged songs of loss and love.
Support came from local band ‘me and the twins’ who were formed at Art College in Hartlepool.
Cluny, Newcastle
The View
Newcastle University The first thing that was immediately noticeable when walking into the Basement at Newcastle’s SU was the very hyped up young crowd. They were already bouncing up and down to the background music! The supporting act was ‘The Law.’ I don’t know much about the band and I’m not entirely sure what their image is meant to be, but one or two of their songs were good. They, however, got a good reception from the crowd. The View’s set was a combination of stuff from their new and old album. There is definitely a marked difference between the two. The old classic ‘Same Jeans’ sent the crowd mad as did their first release off their new album, ‘5 Rebecca’s.’ The rowdy under 16’s went mad, crowd surfing and throwing as many drinks as possible, and were loving every minute of it. The View certainly appeal to a young audience, however, with their new album there is definitely potential to attract a wider crowd. Rosie Wilkinson
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She initially seemed quite modest; claiming she was not sure how they got to do a headline tour, but it was evident after the first song that she is a talent to treasure dearly. When she was onstage on her own there was no noise from the crowd so every word she sang and every note played on her guitar could be heard perfectly. Her backing band was made up from members of various other bands and combined well with her to flesh out some of her songs, but also left her to do some of the more delicate songs such as 24 on her own. Clear highlights were album title track ‘First Love’ which she dedicated to Alexandra Burke as it is about her love for the song ‘Hallelujah’ and borrows a couple of lines from it. Other standout songs were ‘Dylan’ and ‘We Almost Had a Baby,’ both played with the full band and previous single ‘The Hypnotist’s Son.’ She also played a gorgeous cover of Skeeter Davis’ ‘The End of the world’ and for the encore she listened to requests from a clearly knowledgeable crowd. Simon England
★ ★★ Dir. Frank Miller BY JORDAN WALLER
Cluny, Newcastle
Consisting of a drummer, bassist and two guitarists they play an intense instrumental set reminiscent of ‘Mogwai’ and ‘My Bloody Valentine.’ During songs they faced each other with the only real interaction coming occasionally between songs by one of the guitarists, Paul. My personal highlight was ‘I Taste Revolution in Her Kiss and Octopus.’ Although they have hardly any commercial appeal I hope they continue to make music and it appears they may be reinvigorated to do so as they played their first new song in 6 years. Hopefully this means new material will come out soon. The headline ‘Asobi Seksu’ hail from New York and play a similar style to the support band but have a more shoegaze element to their sound reminiscent to the ‘Cocteau Twins’ shimmering dream pop. Singer Yuki Chikudate’s voice is sometimes used as another instrument to give the band a different dimension. They mixed songs off their current album ‘Hush,’ such as previous single ‘Me and Mary’ as well as material from older album Circusí such as the brilliant ‘Thursday’ and ‘Pink Cloud Tracing Paper.’ The set ended with a chaotic and wonderful version of ‘Red Sea’ with Yuki also having a bash on the drums. This left a slight ringing in my ears after the gig, which in this instance was the sign of a good time. Simon England
The Chapman Family Mumford and Sons
Cumberland Arms, Newcastle On inspection of their myspace page, I found that their sound is described as Folk / Bluegrass / Afro-beat and this seems to be a good description of their music. They took to the stage with an organ, banjo and double bass instead of more conventional instruments and laced their songs with four part harmonies. ‘Little Lion Man’ managed to turn the gig into a hoedown with the crowd foot tapping and clapping along as well as the occasional whoop and yeah blurted out, you just couldn’t help but smile and join in. The pace did slow down for (but the quality doesn’t drop) ‘Sister and Awake my Soul’ which had an almost gospel, uplifting tone to it. They then finished with ‘Dust Bowl Dance’ which begins slowly but the tempo builds as the songs continues and culminates in what could be described as a jam by the band that could go on for as long as they wanted it to. And going on for a long time wouldn’t be a bad thing based on the quality of this gig. Simon England
Although not necessarily a new band locally, Stockton on Tees ‘The Chapman Family’ are currently reaping the benefits of Northern Working Class Cthic, and building a rather impressive status for themselves on a national level. Filling the void left since punk died and Kurt Cobain shot himself they offer a raw juxtaposition of yelping angsty vocals and loud trashy self-destructive guitars. A rare treat that will please everyone from the indie lovers to the hardcore punks amongst us. Often compared to the likes of ‘Sonic Youth’ and ‘Joy Division,’ ‘The Chapman Family’ are an uncompromising force to be reckoned with. ‘Destined for greatness,’ in the eyes of the NME, this is a band you need to see. Live performances are literally performances, no music by numbers here. Unpredictable tour de forces’ where passion and vision comes first, music ability second. Often ending with smashed guitars and injured band members they are one of the few bands around today that can make such antics seem original and exciting. Creating a balance between raw noise and catchy lyrics they are the type of band that get people interested in music and piss of parents. Start 2009 off properly and go and see a band that has the potential to cause a revolution. www.myspace.com/thechapmanfamily
odd cluster of influences such as Janis Joplin and Michael Jackson (no relation) and she cannot help but warm you with her music. Jackson harnesses a folk sound with soaring soulful vocals not unlike those of the 60s icon Joni Mitchell. Picking up a guitar at the age of 5 and spending most of her youth travelling around Europe Bridie Jackson’s background seems almost like a beautiful folk fairytale come to life. Being a musician seems almost written in the stars for young songstress. In a live setting Jackson immediately captures the room, winning everyone over with both her music and disarming personality. Embodying a humble and likeable persona between songs cannot help but bring a smile to the most hardened and jaded of faces. Fresh from supporting the likes of Nick Harper and Matt Costa, and now signed to Urban and Eastern Records, in Bridie Jackson we have our very own northern contender for the South’s Laura Marling. Debut EP is out early this year. www.myspace.com/bridiejackson
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When you
Entertainment
Florence and the Machine With all the hype surrounding her in all the ‘ones to watch out for in 2009’ polls I was quite interested to know what Florence was like and if this hype was affecting her in any way.
This was only the 4th date of the NME tour so she was clearly excited about playing with such a good line-up, and clearly getting on with the bands. Tales of exploits dressed as vampires in Glasgow and dressing in a cape showed that the theatrical elements in her music occur in her life as well. She has fond memories of Newcastle saying it’s a great place to do gigs having played here on headline tours as well as supporting MGMT. Rather than reeling a set of standard bands she talked about extreme emotions such as love, pain and fear as well as books influencing her. A couple of Albums by Arcade Fire and Beirut as well as the song Simon Says by Pharaohe Monch, although that was possibly mentioned for my benefit. We ended with some quick fire questions:
What are your plans for after the NME tour?
To finish the album
Favourite cheese?
Had some good ones from Alex James Best gig as a performer?
Iceland Airwaves Best gig as a punter?
Gus Gus Favourite band?
and
with like me,
and
you know farmers from
,
Liars Simon England
can support my
,
strengthen my community and protect our
Xmas or Birthday?
Other people’s birthdays Touring or writing and recording? Performing Favourite Food?
Sushi 26
choose
www.fairtrade.org.uk
.
Team NOrthumbria
Team NOrthumbria And Burton played on despite knowing her father - a volunteer fire-fighter - could be called into action at any time should the flames creep closer to her rural home town.
Burton braves OZ ordeal. Battling Aussie star Tessa Burton put netball first despite the devastating bush fires which laid waste to huge swathes of her home state of Victoria last month. The Team Northumbria import faced a punishing schedule of Netball Super League clashes at the same time as she kept one eye on the heart-wrenching situation back home.
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“My home is around threeand-a-half hours North West of Melbourne, but thankfully it, escaped the worst of the fires,” she said.
“But my family and friends were on constant alert and we knew my dad could be called away at any time. Last year there were fires on a much smaller scale and he was away for some time. It’s always a very difficult situation. I have friends who have lost everything and it’s hard being over here and feeling totally helpless. But netball is giving me a focus and it helps having my fellow Aussies Carla (Dziwoki) and Talei (Bari) around for support.” TN’s Aussie trio were quick to settle into life on Tyneside and have made a huge impact on and off the court. But the bush fires which killed more than 200 of their fellow countrymen brought home the fact that they are thousands of miles from friends and family.
“It makes you think about that sort of thing,” added Burton. “The three of us have become pretty close and we’re like a family in our flat in Newcastle.
Gareth McKenna, Manager of Team Northumbria, was the brains behind the Women In Sport initiative when it was launched in 2008 and a year
When we saw what was going on back home we were all shocked and we wanted to help.
The whole world was forced to sit up and take notice and it was a terrible time for everyone involved. But I think the netball gave me the focus I needed. Now all three of us just want to finish the season on a high. We’re still a young team that’s developing and Netball Super League is a tough competition when you have no experience of the sport over here.” Burton, Dziwoki, Bari and Jen Montgomery were all selected for the England Universities squad in January ahead of the 2009 Four Nations Event. The quartet are hoping to make the British Universities squad ahead of this year’s world student netball competition.
on he explained:
Northumbria performance golf squad. The 21-year-old will become a teaching professional later this year and encourages young females to take up golf through her work with Northumberland County Girls.
Here come the girls Women and girls from across the North East were urged to get active and stay fit after Northumbria University celebrated the first anniversary of a groundbreaking scheme aimed at promoting female sport.
“We now have more than 2,000 girls from across the North East engaged in our Sport In The Community programmes.
In addition we have 350 women taking part in competitive sport at Northumbria University and we are home to more than 350 female performance athletes. We also employ seven female performance coaches and we feel women at every level can gain inspiration from a university committed to getting more women into sport. We launched Women In Sport in response to government figures which show that one in five females give up any kind of regular physical activity after the age of 16. That is something we want to change in the North East.” Tyne Tees Television and the local press covered the event at Coach Lane Sports Centre where performance athletes from the worlds of netball, football, rugby, basketball and golf came together with a common aim.
“Team Northumbria has been working towards getting more women involved in sport for some time now but the Women In Sport programme formalises the great work that they’re doing,” she said. “Without Gareth and the team of support staff and professionals at the University I wouldn’t be on the road to becoming a golf professional. When I reach that point I hope I can inspire other girls to follow my lead and Northumbria University is a great starting point for any females in the North East who harbour serious sporting ambitions. But the great thing is they also offer sport and active lifestyle programmes for individuals who don’t take their sport too seriously and simply want to keep fit.” For more information on the range of sporting opportunities on offer at Northumbria University visit www.teamnorthumbria.com
And it is hoped more females will be encouraged to take up sport and physical exercise from within the university community and beyond. Nikki Hunter, of Forest Hall, graduated from Northumbria last year after three years working within the Team
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Team NOrthumbria
Team NOrthumbria and co-ordination, as well as learning how to work in a team,” Teate elaborates, potentially making them
Cheer up... ‘Easy, easy, easy.....’
No, the crowd are not stating the obvious about the odds of Northumbria thrashing Newcastle at the Stan Calvert Cup. This chant greeted the Northstars, Team Northumbria’s valiant cheerleading force at a recent rugby match.
“Obviously this upset some of the newer members of the team”, says Carolyn Simpson, Northstars veteran and ace reporter with TN. Taking abuse from the crowd is a regular contention these talented women learn to deal with. In the vein of Kirsten Dunst, ‘Bring it On’ is the attitude they throw back. For the record, it’s damn hard.
“Concentration and willpower is a must” explains coach Danielle Looker. “The members of the squad have to be able to work as a team and take direction. “Fitness is also key to being a good dancer, and as the girls will tell you, the warmups are the hardest part of training!” The training sessions take place twice a week for up to three hours so the squad are in fine fettle for performing at TN Rugby Union, Falcons, Eagles and Gateshead Thunder matches. Not only are the young women friendly and welcoming, they’re
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more attractive to employers than the stereotype suggests.
“Dancing is my life,” states Dance and Choreography committed.
student Sophie Henderson, currently rested with a dislocated knee but still attending training and spurring on her team-mates. Their popularity is proven with 112 sign-ups at last September’s auditions. With a mere three places to be filled, competition was ferocious.
“Certainly cheerleaders have to pick up a routine quickly and perform it accurately in the centre of a rugby pitch, but personality counts too,” says Rachel Teate, co-captain of the Northstars and thirdyear Performance student.
“I look for genuine, enthusiastic girls to transform into the best performers they can be. At the end of a training session we can all go on a night out together”. The ability to Looker agrees:
stand in hail and snow during a match helps as well. Women from a variety of backgrounds freestyle-d, jazzed and street-danced their way in, including those studying Law and a Masters in Business.
“Cheerleading keeps me fit but it has also built up my confidence
For those not quite making the cut, dance classes are run by co-captain Charlotte Smythe, incorporating cheerleading routines and taught to
“It means we’re never short of stand-ins for the squad!” Smythe enthuses. around 40 people.
Being on a smaller budget than the Northumbria Darts team has not deterred the Northstars from competing at the British Cheerleading Association National Championships. In 2007 They waved a pompom in the faces of 16 other teams in the Senior Dance category and came first, making it a third time win. This year they will pick up valuable Stan Calvert points as well. It’s not only the winning that counts for
“The most amazing feeling is seeing the girls pick up my choreography and make it their own,” says Looker. “To see the unity between the girls as they’re performing makes me the proudest coach. But after three years, it is time for me to choose a successor. this strong yet earnest team.
If they’ve got incredible team spirit and a good booty shake, I’ll be leaving the Northstars in safe hands!” Laura Gutfreund-Walmsley
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Team NOrthumbria
Team NOrthumbria The University used the Falcons’ Challenge Cup tie against French side Brive to showcase their ambitious plans for the Kingston Park site.
Park Life Supporting Sport
And guests were bowled over by a scheme designed to benefit staff, students and the local community for many years to come.
Northumbria University has kicked off a new era in North East Rugby after officially taking over Newcastle Falcons’ Kingston Park stadium. And more than 400 staff and students celebrated a major step forward at a European fixture hosted by Deputy Vice Chancellor, David Chesser.
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we want to do is ensure Team Northumbria’s rugby sides regularly play out of Kingston Park. Why not host BUCS (British Universities &
A finger buffet and university pegged bar prices were included in a credit-crunch busting ticket price for all those buying Northumbria seats. And even a last-gasp defeat for Steve Batesí Falcons failed to dampen the spirts of a boisterous University contingent. Mr Chesser said: “If
we can work alongside the Falcons to ensure they enjoy a high level of success in the future then we’ll have something very, very special here. The Brive match was the start of what we hope to achieve as the new owners of Kingston Park. As one of the largest organisations in the region we can really make a difference to rugby in Newcastle and the North East. It’s great to be in a position where we can get behind the Falcons and offer a benefit to our staff, students and, of course, elite rugby players. As we move forward what
Colleges Sport) fixtures here at 6pm on a Wednesday night under the floodlights? University rugby is being played at a very high level these days and now we have the facilities to match. Of course Northumbria University has had strong links with the Falcons for many years now - Jamie Noon is the perfect example of a former student who continues to play the game at the highest level - and this move simply strengthens those links. If you factor in our new £26m city centre sports centre which will open in 2010 it becomes clear why we can offer something unique in the future. Many universities boast excellent facilities but very few are able to offer them within the city.”
Northumbria is now the only university in the UK which can offer an outdoor facility of the quality of Kingston Park and there are exciting plans for the future to tie in with the city centre scheme.
Northumbria University and Team Northumbria found themselves at the centre of Newcastle’s indoor sporting action last month.
Over a packed weekend at the Metro Radio arena, Northumbria University sponsored Newcastle Eagles and Newcastle Vipers - proving just how much of an up and coming force the old Poly is.
Following last month’s unveiling of the Northumbria Suite at Kingston Park the home of Newcastle Falcons rugby Team Northumbria seems to be building something of a monopoly on the city’s sports. Although at this stage Northumbria’s presence at the arena is on a sponsorship level, the bonds are beginning to tighten. Team Northumbria’s relationship with the likes of the Eagles and the Falcons benefits both parties. Players such as Jaime Noon and Toby Flood able to make a step up to the big leagues and in return Northumbria gain hot prospects capable of improving university sport across the board. Everyone’s a winner. The Eagles squad that played Milton Keynes Lions included TN prospect Jamie Glen. Glen has starred in Team Northumbria’s recent upturn in fortune and has been in the Eagles squad for the majority of the season. Coming off the bench, the teenager instantly shot a three pointer to help the Eagles to a win.
“Obviously my main aim will be the Eagles but I will try my hardest to improve with Northumbria.” He added. Northumbria completed a landmark sporting weekend by sponsoring the Vipers against Basingstoke Bison in ice hockey’s elite league. However in a real coup Team Northumbria took to the ice immediately after the Vipers’ victory for the first match in the 2009 Stan Calvert competition. Our hotshot flames claimed a thrilling 6-5 win and you can check out a full round-up of Stan Calvert action in next month’s NU:Life. Andy Spoors
After the game Jamie said:
“Team Northumbria have given me the opportunity for game time and it’s good for me.” 33