Impact Magazine Issue 229

WWW.IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM | ISSUE 229 | MARCH 2014

NOTTINGHAM’S BEST KEPT SECRET: INSIDE LENTON’S ART SQUATS

“NEVER A DULL MOMENT” IMPACT SPEAKS TO MADE IN CHELSEA’S PROUDLOCK

WOULD YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR DEGREE? UNIVERSITY DROP-OUTS TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES

EDITORIAL Students’ Union elections are already upon us. If you’ve missed out on hearing the slogans of candidates standing in the cold all over campus, never fear. Our /FXT UFBN IBWF CFFO XPSLJOH nBU PVU UP bring you the latest news, scandals and dirty secrets from the campaign trail.

Voting opens on the 6th March, and results will be announced on the 14th.

Last year over 7,000 people visited our website on results night to see the results coming in live.

But our coverage is set to be bigger and better this year. Not only will we be bringing you the results live on the night, alongside detailed insights into the candidates manifesto pledges and question times, Impact will be out on the campaign trail every day. We’ll be bringing you news and pictures, and will help you avoid the bombardment of TXFFUT nZFST BOE EPEHZ TMPHBOT PO MPOH walk to Hallward and Portland.

This year, to make SU elections more fun (because taking a 20 minute detour to avoid talking to someone in a brightly

coloured t-shirt is never fun) Impact want to get as many of you involved as possible. Tweet us your questions for candidates @impactmagazine and we’ll be there to ask them every step of the way. We want you to ask everything from what colour underwear candidates are XFBSJOH UP XIBU UIFJS NPTU TJHOJmDBOU manifesto pledge is. Get involved and join the SU elections fun times. Impact will be with you all the way.

In the meantime, have a read of our GLORIOUS latest issue. We bring you exclusive interviews with hall porters, who tell us what it’s like to behind the scenes on Campus 14s, and what its like to be on the wrong end of a pool cue. We also bring you a blow by blow account of UoN students’ sexual regrets. Tasty.

Enjoy. We’re gonna go steal some sweets and pretend to be interested in what the election candidates have to say for themselves. Lolz.

Antonia Paget and Emily Tripp Editors-in-Chief

WE WROTE, YOU RESPONDED ‘Alice’ on ‘What’s Getting On Your Tits?

Explaining Our No More Page 3 Demo’

‘Chad’ on ‘Why The Wolf of Wall Street has failed…miserably’

“While I by all means understand, sympathise and agree with the cause behind this Page 3 campaign, I’m not sure about the methods. I think people should be concerned about any campaign that aims to bring about press censorship within the Students’ Union.

Surely people have the choice not to pick up The Sun and the Daily Star if the content displeases them so?”

“It didn’t fail as a cautionary tale because it’s not about Jordan Belfort but about Wall Street and how we have a system in place “Tony’s informal and friendly teaching that exists that allows greedy bastards to style has been something I have truly do what they want and get away with it”. appreciated in him, therefore I felt like he was on the side of the students… To hear him then slate some of us behind our backs has made me lose faith somewhat in the English professors at The University of Nottingham”.

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‘FAB’ on ‘“Absolute arseholes” and “idiots”: UoN lecturer slams students and University on public Facebook SURÀOHҋ

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CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

REGULARS

Would you turn your back on your 4 degree?

“There are paties, and then there are PARTIES”

Impact speaks to University drop-outs

Impact gets an insight into the lives of Nottingham’s hall porters

Student by day, waitress by night? 7

“Crabs wouldn’t be fun”

Impact investigates the value of part-time jobs while at Uni

Impact reveals UoN student’s sexual regrets

“No Comment” Made In Chelsea’s Proudlock reveals all

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Comment Travel Science

16 18 20

Food

26

Style

28

Exposure

35

What’s On

36

Gaming

38

Film & TV

42

Arts

46

Music

50

Sport

52 3

FEATURES

WOULD YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR DEGREE? IMPACT MEETS UNIVERSITY DROP-OUTS

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FEATURES As you sat anxiously before your computer screen at 5am on A-level results day, after months of scouring the country for the ideal course at your chosen university, you may never have imagined not wanting to pursue it to the end. However, a staggering 60% of Nottingham students surveyed by Impact admit to considering dropping out of university.

Impact hears from the drop-outs who faced EJGmDVMUJFT NBLJOH UIJT EFDJTJPO BOE DBSSZJOH JU through, and the ones who believe it couldn’t have worked out better.

Alex Noble, a third year History student, left university for two years to pursue a music career before coming back to Nottingham in 2012. “I know a lot of people who have dropped out�, he says. “While I don’t think dropping out is a failure, a university degree is often marketed as the be all and end all�.

But the choice is not an easy one to make.

73% of students surveyed by Impact said that parental pressure or fear of judgement from GSJFOET XBT JOnVFOUJBM JO UIFJS EFDJTJPO UP TUBZ when they considered dropping out.

“I FELT LIKE A COMPLETE FAILURE AND I WAS INCREDIBLY ASHAMED. IT WAS HARD TO TELL MY FAMILY�. “I felt like a complete failure and was incredibly ashamed. It was hard to tell my family�, admits Lucy Craddock*, a PhD student at the University of Nottingham, after leaving Manchester Met University.

5IF TVSWFZ BMTP GPVOE UIBU mOBODJBM DPODFSOT play a major role when thinking about quitting university. 79% of students surveyed by Impact attribute tuition fees, maintenance loans and accommodation contracts as the main reason for sticking out their degree.

The University’s Fees and Regulation guide states that the amount of fees you pay depends on the point in the year you withdraw. If you MFBWF JO UIF mSTU UFSN ZPV IBWF UP QBZ PG the year’s tuition; £2,250 if you’re paying £9000 fees. Drop outs in the second term have to pay IBMG UIF ZFBS T GFFT BOE XJUIESBXJOH JO UIF mOBM term will not see any reduction in the cost of tuition.

“THE STRESS OF WORKING AND PAYING RENT AND BILLS WAS TOO MUCH TO JUGGLE ALONGSIDE MY STUDIES�.

Research conducted by The Ccomplete University Guide and The Telegraph, found that the percentage of student dropout rates at the University of Nottingham fell from 4.1% in

2010/2011 to 0.88% in 2012/2013, coinciding with tuition fees rocketing to ÂŁ9000 a year.

On the other hand, monetary pressures are also a major factor in students’ decision to leave University. Millie Cepelak decided to leave Nottingham Trent University in favour of paid employment: “The stress of working and paying rent and bills was too much to juggle alongside my studies�, she explains. “I was a supervisor at Papa Johns, I did some seasonal work for high-street retail stores and worked at McDonald’s in the City Centre, often doing night shifts. I hated all these jobs.�

Unfortunately, after leaving university Millie GPVOE UIBU OPU IBWJOH B EFHSFF NBEF JU EJGmDVMU to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist.

Now studying Creative and Professional Writing at UoN, Millie tells Impact that she often found herself limited to menial jobs. “You are quite often underpaid and are treated as completely disposable. I was getting turned EPXO GPS BOZ UZQF PG PGmDF KPC BOE XBT UPME I couldn’t even get work experience at a local paper unless I was doing a degree in Journalism�.

Lucy also spoke to Impact about the hard time she had trying to seek employment after dropping out. “I worked full time and paid off my debts. It was in a very bad period of my life�, she says. “I worked as a shop assistant, and I hated it. I would scan the job pages looking for something better, but they all wanted either a degree or managerial experience�.

“[WITHOUT A DEGREE] YOU ARE TREATED AS COMPLETELY DISPOSABLE�.

She also reveals: “Leaving university and working as a shop assistant made me look at what I really wanted to do, and I saw that a good degree could potentially be my ticket to a better future�.

'PS UIFTF TUVEFOUT mOEJOH B DBSFFS PS KPC UIBU offers progression without having a degree XBT WFSZ EJGmDVMU *U JT QFSIBQT VOTVSQSJTJOH then that 62% of students who have considered dropping out admit that fears over employability prevented them from taking the leap.

But what if you were offered a once in a lifetime opportunity?

This was certainly the case for Joe Keogh. )F IBE TJY NPOUIT MFGU PG IJT mOBM ZFBS PG BO American Studies degree at UoN when his band was offered a deal that he couldn’t refuse.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREAS BILLMAN | 5

FEATURES “I had quite a strong music background by the time I’d got to University already, so I assumed I’d go into that industry at some point,� he explains. “I wanted to put 100% into what I was doing. I knew I’d be letting myself down if I didn’t take it�.

After trading the laid back and leisurely student lifestyle for 15-hour days in the studio, Joe admits: “It’s strange looking on Facebook and seeing all your mates gallivanting around�.

But he says he doesn’t regret his decision, adding: “I’m really happy with what I’m doing�.

“I NEVER WOULD HAVE LEFT UNIVERSITY IF I KNEW I COULDN’T COME BACK�.

Whilst Joe is one of the rare few offered this kind of opportunity whilst at university, many students would also drop out if put in a similar position. 79% of students surveyed by IMPACT say they would drop out if they were given the chance to pursue their dream.

There are, however, various options open to those who toy with the idea of dropping out. Alex Noble originally left university on a sabbatical to pursue his dreams of being a musician with his band in November of his second year. At the time, it appeared to be the best decision for them. “Our heads just weren’t really in our degrees. It made logical sense to just focus our attention on the music and make a go of it�.

For Alex, the option to come back to university meant that it was easy to return back to Nottingham when the band’s career prospects began to unravel: “I never would have left if I knew I couldn’t come back. “I don’t think I’d be able to look my parents in the eye if I dropped out fully�.

During his two year sabbatical Alex worked eight-hour days of manual labour, followed by long evenings recording music. Having FYQFSJFODFE mSTU IBOE UIF UJSJOH XPSME PG XPSL Alex now feels “so much more motivated� for his degree than before, explaining: “I’ve seen what it’s like on the other side�.

Alex and his friends welcomed the letter sent by the University alerting them that their sabbatical was nearing its end. “We all went back with open arms, and it was a lot better than the situation we were living in�.

It seems then that a break from education can enable students to get more out of university the second time round. Georgie Dobie took a year out after leaving the University of Southampton due to dissatisfaction with a her Graphics Arts degree.

6 | ABBY ROSS | ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SARAH DEAR AND EMILY SHACKLETON

She used the time to consider her options carefully before applying again: “I had a year out where I just sorted out my head. I wanted to be sure that what I was going into was going to be the right thing for me�. /PX JO IFS mOBM ZFBS PG BO &OHMJTI -BOHVBHF and Literature degree at the University of Nottingham, she has no doubts that dropping out was the right decision: “That year was really HPPE GPS NF *U NBEF NF GBS NPSF DPOmEFOUw When asked if she regretted dropping out of university, Lucy tells Impact that “quitting was a blessing in disguise and now I do not regret it at all. I know if I had stayed at MMU, not only would I have been unhappy, but I probably never would have done as well academically�.

Although the world of employment doesn’t appear promising for student drop-outs, TUJDLJOH UP B EFHSFF UIBU ZPV BSF EJTTBUJTmFE with could potentially be more detrimental than seeking an alternative path.

“I CAN APPRECIATE MY DEGREE A LOT MORE HAVING SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW GRIM THE JOB MARKET IS�.

Needless to say, dropping out of university is a big risk. A degree is necessary to get on the ladder for an ever increasing range of careers, and turning your back on your studies will most likely raise a few eyebrows. .JMMJF TBZT UIBU USZJOH UP mOE B KPC XJUIPVU higher education means she now values the university experience more: “I think I can appreciate my degree a lot more now having TFFO mSTU IBOE IPX HSJN UIF KPC NBSLFU JTw *Name has been changed.

.BLF *NQBDU ZPVS mSTU TUPQ GPS UIF 4UVEFOUT 6OJPO FMFDUJPOT DPWFSBHF JO Last year over 7,000 people tuned into our website on results night for the most comprehensive coverage at UoN. We’ll be bringing you the stories from the campaign trail, investigating the candidates manifestos, and asking the questions you really want to know the answers to.

Follow the coverage from Impact News throughout, and see the winners names released LIVE on results night, Friday 14th March 2014.

Follow our exclusive coverage: www.impactnottingham.com @ImpactNottsNews /ImpactSuElectionsCoverage

FEATURES

CAN YOU MAINTAIN YOUR

DEGREE AND A PART-TIME JOB

WHILST AT UNIVERSITY? “THERE WAS NO LEEWAY FOR EXAM PERIODS IN THE YEAR WHEN MY DEGREE DEMANDED THE MAJORITY OF MY TIME”.

“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THEM ALL WELL”.

“THE [UNIVERSITY] EXPERIENCE AND ENJOYMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY”.

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“It’s hard to juggle degree work, my job, going out and extra curricular activities,” Charlotte McIntyre, second year History student and parttime waitress, tells Impact. “It’s impossible to do them all well”.

She is one of the many students studying in 5V[[PUNOHT [OH[ THPU[HPU H KPMÄJ\S[ IHSHUJPUN act between paid work and university life. It is a challenge also familiar to many nationwide.

According to the IPPR, a quarter of students across all levels of education manage a part-time job alongside their studies.

But is it really worth having a part-time job at university when it could be damaging to your degree?

For Lily Kroes*, it wasn’t feasible. She tells Impact that she decided to give up her part-time job as she was “being legally contracted 12 hours a week, which meant there was no leeway for exam periods in the year when my degree demanded the majority of my time”.

“THE EXPERIENCE OF HOLDING DOWN A JOB LOOKS GREAT ON YOUR CV”.

Two years on, she does not regret her initial decision. “Although things have been a little tighter than they would if I still had the job, the experience and enjoyment I have got out of being a member and captain of the University Boat Club is much more important than money”.

Lily is not alone. An Impact survey reveals that 92% of students committed to a part-time job say that it has had a negative effect on their studies.

Sophie Little’s studies for her English degree suffered as a result of her strict term-time contract. The third year student tells Impact of the negative effects her job had on her everyday life: “I was working till 2am on a Friday and it cancelled out most of Saturday because I was so tired. I felt exhausted after my shifts and my work suffered from it”. :[\KLU[Z ^P[O WHY[ [PTL QVIZ VM[LU ÄUK [OL [PTL commitment a struggle. The University Careers Services recommend that students only work 16 OV\YZ H ^LLR I\[ ZVTL ÄUK [OLTZLS]LZ ^VYRPUN much longer than that. Third year Geography student Sarah Clarke who works at Rock City reveals: “Last term I did around 25 hours a week”.

For some students though, a part-time job isn’t a JOVPJL I\[ PZ H ÄUHUJPHS ULJLZZP[` 7LUU` >LZ[ a third year Sociology student, says she sought employment because she “needed the money to survive”.

90% of people questioned in Impact’s survey say that their main motivation for getting a job was to pay for living costs. According to an Impact survey conducted earlier this year, 67% of Nottingham students said that they receive no form of bursary and 40% are not given any funding from their parents.

For some students, however, the motivation is UV[ ÄUHUJPHS I\[ PZ MVJ\ZLK VU KL]LSVWPUN JHYLLY skills. Third year student Victoria McDowall works as a classroom assistant at a local school in Nottingham primarily to gain experience for her future career.

But she admits that she “wouldn’t be prepared [V ZHJYPÄJL BOLYD Z[\KPLZ MVY H QVI ^OPJO OHK UV ILHYPUN VU BOLYD M\[\YL JHYLLY¹ This opinion isn’t shared by everyone. Despite her long hours, Sarah believes that holding any part-time job can put you in a good stead for a future career: “You learn so many different skills in addition to your degree, and the experience of holding down a job looks great on your CV”.

It’s not just career skills that Nottingham students are concerned with when undertaking part[PTL ^VYR" ÅL_PIPSP[` PZ HSZV PTWVY[HU[ .LVYNPUH Charles, a third year English student, works as a Student Brand Manager for the educational charity Teach First and believes her job gives her the room to keep things balanced.

“Having had part-time jobs alongside university life in the past, I have found this work more manageable alongside my studies due to it being JHTW\Z IHZLK HUK ÅL_PISL¹ 6UL ^H` VM HJJLZZPUN ÅL_PISL ^VYR ^P[OPU [OL University is through Unitemps. Reece Bolton*, third year Computer Sciences student, has MV\UK <UP[LTWZ \ZLM\S MVY ÄUKPUN ÅL_PISL ^VYR VU University Park itself.

“I haven’t got the time for a proper job, but I’ve managed to earn a fair bit of money doing random jobs for Unitemps. It’s been useful when the heating bill goes up”.

“IT’S BEEN USEFUL WHEN THE HEATING BILL GOES UP”.

Ilze Skujina, JobZone Manager of Unitemps tells Impact: “Unitemps offer a range of part-time, ad OVJ HUK ÅL_PISL ^VYR VWWVY[\UP[PLZ VU JHTW\Z and with local employers. All vacancies are advertised online and so you can apply for as much or little work as you are interested in”. ( WHY[ [PTL QVI JHU IL KPMÄJ\S[ [V THUHNL ^OLU trying to navigate an already stressful and timeconsuming university experience. But many Z[\KLU[Z ÄUK [OL ILULÄ[Z ^VY[O^OPSL ^OL[OLY P[ helps pay the bills or prepare for a future career.

OLIVIA DE COURCY. ADDITIONAL REPORTING: WILL HAZELL | 9

FEATURES

10 | MILLIE CEPELAK, ROSIE BALDOCK, EMILY SHACKLETON AND AKOS PAL

FEATURES FEATURES

â&#x20AC;&#x153;NO COMMENTâ&#x20AC;?

OLIVER PROUDLOCK BARES ALL

Either Oliver Proudlock has been bound to an intensely tight contract, or he hates Made In Chelsea so much that he refuses to talk about it.

Proudlock told Impact L_[YLTLS` IYPLĂ&#x2026;` HIV\[ his time on the show and his clothing brand Serge DeNimes. >P[O OPZ HUZ^LYZ [V V\Y X\LZ[PVUZ HIV\[ [OL OP[ E4 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;scripted realityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; TV show averaging at an PTWYLZZP]L MV\Y ^VYKZ LHJO [OPZ ^HZ KLĂ&#x201E;UP[LS` not Impactâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most insightful interview. >OLU HZRLK OV^ T\JO VM OPZ SPML OL SPRLZ [V keep off-screen, what viewers can expect for next season and whether the cast will be taking any more group holidays next season, Proudlock answered â&#x20AC;&#x153;no commentâ&#x20AC;?. Not a particularly intriguing answer - but maybe he just really doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to talk to us.

In one of the few answers Proudlock gave YLHJOPUN V]LY Ă&#x201E;]L ^VYKZ Impact can exclusively reveal that living with Jamie Laing and Francis Boulle is â&#x20AC;&#x153;a lot of fun. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never a dull momentâ&#x20AC;?.

After playing on the Made In Chelsea app where you can go on dates with Proudlock to improve your social status, Impact concluded that this medium would have probably led to a better PU[LY]PL^ >L [OPUR ^LÂťSS Z[PJR [V JVU]LYZH[PVUZ with pixelated Proudlock in the future. #NotSoSerge.

Asked whether heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d rather follow Jamie or Spencerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love advice, Proudlock told Impact: ¸0 WYLMLY [V ^VYR [OPUNZ V\[ MVY T`ZLSMš >LSS obviously â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both of them have had far too many failed love interests on the show for us to follow their advice at all.

On track to be named as Impactâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worst interview ever, Proudlock perks up a bit when talking about his clothing brand Serge DeNimes. >P[O OPZ HUZ^LYZ YVJRL[PUN [V HU H]LYHNL VM ^VYKZ ^L TH` OH]L Ă&#x201E;UHSS` JH\NO[ OPZ H[[LU[PVU To put things in perspective, Serge DeNimes sells suede and denim SnapBacks for ÂŁ38 and gold padlock necklaces for ÂŁ188. Clearly a goto designer for the edgy Comme Des Garcon generation, Proudlock told Impact: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I try not [V WPUWVPU[ [OL J\Z[VTLY ILJH\ZL 0 HT H Ă&#x201E;YT believer that you should wear what you wantâ&#x20AC;?. >L HSZV HZRLK 7YV\KSVJR ^OH[ OPZ PUZWPYH[PVU was for his designs. He told us that he â&#x20AC;&#x153;takes PUZWPYH[PVU MYVT BOPZD L]LY`KH` Z\YYV\UKPUNZš Seeing as there are no tropical birds wandering around Chelsea, could this mean his peacock jumper was inspired by seeing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;peacockâ&#x20AC;? of one of his housemates?

SARAH DEAR | 11

FEATURES

“I’VE BEEN THREATENED WITH POOL CUES” HALL PORTERS REVEAL THE PERKS AND PET HATES OF THE JOB Whether or not you remember your hall porters, they will have had a bigger impact on your hall experience than you might think. Although the relationship between the porters and students is usually a laid-back one, there are the occasional tricky moments. Impact spoke to four porters, who shared with us their funniest and weirdest stories from the job.

“THEY BECOME A DIFFERENT PERSON” Interaction with the porters is usually a rare occurrence, with most students only coming into contact with them if they get locked out of their room or something similar. However,

this generally relaxed atmosphere can change when alcohol is involved, and this is when the porters generally have to get more involved in student life.

One porter, Joe Welply* tells IMPACT: “There was one incident where I was checking the toilets and one of the doors was half open.

There was a student in there passed out and they had obviously got really, really drunk. They could have choked on their own sick”.

Todd Duncan* also mentions students who get too drunk to make it back to their own rooms: “They can’t remember which room is theirs so they walk into other people’s. I’ve had people tripping up stairs, walking into walls and injuring themselves because they can’t stand on their own two feet”.

Incidents like these are just something porters have to deal with – especially on weekends.

“There are some people who get pretty loaded on a Friday or Saturday night and they become a different person. They will come up to you like ‘you alright mate?’ then the next day they forget all about it. But this happens in a nice way; there is nothing malicious in it.”

“THERE ARE PARTIES AND THEN THERE ARE PARTIES” Hall porters have pretty much seen it all, but there are some students whose partying habits still leave them shocked. Callum Williams* tells us of an incident involving a student putting a paddling pool in the hall kitchen.

“There are parties and then there are parties.

It’s quite funny to see a paddling pool in a pantry but someone has to clear it up. It just went a bit too far”.

It seems that students can be pretty amusing even without drinking. Joe says “some students

12 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICO ENDERS

FEATURES

are quite good at blowing up the microwaves, putting it on for thirty minutes when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only meant for threeâ&#x20AC;?.

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no getting away from pranks in university halls, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just the classic A$MJOHmMN QSBOL UIBU IBMM QPSUFST IBWF UP EFBM with. Stuart Hilen* recalls a particular prank played on a trusting student who never locked his door. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One weekend he had gone home and his hall mates had pulled out everything in his room and set it out in the corridorâ&#x20AC;Śitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really hard not to laugh when you have a situation like thatâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THEY GANGED UP ON MEâ&#x20AC;?

Joe remarks that students can occasionally be rude to porters: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not long ago I had an incident of loud music, when I told them to turn it down they ganged up on me. Sometimes they start having a go at you and try and tell you that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the right to stop them.â&#x20AC;?

However, Callum adds: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get one who is a bit mean, but usually their friends will drag them offâ&#x20AC;?.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worse than the hallsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own students being rude? Students from other halls. Todd admits that the worst students he has to deal with are those on Campus 14: â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are just absolutely wrecked. You get some roaming around the hall with drink and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll try to chaperone them back to the bar and they can get quite abusive - Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been threatened with pool cues. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just part of the job and you have to deal with itâ&#x20AC;?.

a big part in making halls seem like a home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some students are from abroad or miles away from home so you know that sometimes they might be homesick,â&#x20AC;? Joe tells us. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The most important thing is to make them feel at homeâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;STUDENTS DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T REALLY SEE YOU WHEN YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE HELPING THEMâ&#x20AC;?

Despite all the drunken behaviour and occasional confrontation, all the porters agree UIBU UIFZ FOKPZ UIFJS KPC $BMMVN SFnFDUT UIBU after each group of students left he really missed them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to treat students as if it is their home; if you respect them they respect youâ&#x20AC;?.

Some students forget just how much hall porters do to help them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see you when you help them with the light in the room, when the bulb is gone and when they blow all the fuses,â&#x20AC;? Joe says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really see when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re helping them, they only see the negative sideâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s satisfying when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going and they appreciate the help youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given to them. You have to make them feel comfortable and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most important thing,â&#x20AC;? he adds.

*Names have been changed.

Hall porters not only take care of drunken students and change light-bulbs, they also play

CHARLOTTE MCINTYRE | ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY OLIVIA REDMOND AND JACOB STRAUSS | 13

FEATURES

“I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HIS NAME AND HE GAVE ME AN STD”:

UON STUDENTS SHARE THEIR SEXUAL REGRETS WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE SEXUAL SIDE OF UNIVERSITY LIFE, THEY TEND TO FOCUS ON THE FREEDOM, THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE GOOD TIMES. WE DON’T USUALLY HEAR ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE THE MORNING AFTER, SO IMPACT ASKED WHAT SEXUAL ANTICS DO NOTTINGHAM STUDENTS REGRET?

“I cheated on him four times. I regret some, but not all instances”

“We know what each other likes PM [OLYL»Z UV MLLSPUNZ P[»Z ÄUL¹

“Porn is a great teacher”

“Men suck and sex isn’t all that”.

“I didn’t even know his name and he gave me an STD”

“I took his virginity in a one night stand”

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“I almost always have sex on [OL ÄYZ[ KH[L¯ H IPN TPZ[HRL ¹

“Light bondage 10/10 would recommend”

“I wanted him for ages beforehand!”

“You can’t have too much of a good thing!”

“It helped me to break up an unhealthy relationship”

“Crabs wouldn’t be fun”.

INFOGRAPHIC BY HARRY DINSDALE | 15

COMMENT | DEBATE

SHOULD STREET-DRINKING BE BANNED ACROSS NOTTINGHAM?

YES From next March, Nottingham police will be given further powers to enforce a ban on streetdrinking following a decision by the Labour-run local council. No doubt these plans will raise a few predictable questions: what about a hot lazy summer afternoon with a cold beer in the park? Or mulled wine at the Christmas market?

These are not the kinds of public drinking that the policy has in mind. The proposal is clear that enforcement of the ban is to be at police discretion. It will not be illegal to drink publicly, but it will be required for the individual DPODFSOFE UP TUPQ ESJOLJOH JG B QPMJDF PGmDFS requests it. Anyone who claims that this is some kind of menacingly meddling manoeuvre the council wants to pull on people who are enjoying themselves are misguided.

Alcohol is a real problem in Nottingham. The city has amongst the highest number of alcohol related hospital admissions in the country, rising on a yearly basis.

Much crime is alcohol related, and antisocial street-drinking, which can often turn aggressive, violent and intimidating, can be detrimental to communities. Evidence suggests that 78% of all assaults are related with alcohol consumption in some way.

The ban has been widely supported by local councillors for years, who understand how anti-

social drinking is undermining any progress made with respect to feeling safe in the city.

And it is not only an issue in the heart of town: a third of incidents occur outside of the city centre.

The councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Strategic Plan sets out how the street-drinking ban is only a small part of a bigger picture. Specialist groups are helping SFIBCJMJUBUF BOE BTTJTU UIF NPTU QSPMJmD TUSFFU drinkers: people who are usually marginalised by society, such as the homeless and addicts.

Licensing and pricing is also being looked into as a disincentive. :FT /PUUJOHIBN XPVME CF UIF mSTU &OHMJTI DJUZ to enforce a city-wide ban, but the time is right to lead from the front.

NO The police force is an institution in disrepute; from national stories such as the stitch-up of former chief whip Andrew Mitchell, to localised abuses of power, notably the use of racial QSPmMJOH JO ATUPQ BOE TFBSDI UBDUJDT 8IFO UIF police have failed in spectacular fashion, they are not held accountable: see the grim Mark Duggan inquest verdict.

These problems are evident in Nottingham: in 2012 Nottinghamshire police were accused of â&#x20AC;&#x153;blatant racismâ&#x20AC;? following a report into their stop and search strategy.

16 | LOUISA CHENCINER AND JEREMY DOBSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCLARTY

Why exactly are such injustices relevant to the issue of street-drinking? In giving the police UIF BVUIPSJUZ UP mOF BOE QPUFOUJBMMZ DVGG TUSFFU drinkers outside of the city centre, the council may be extending the avenues with which the police can act on its entrenched, collective prejudices. The police force works much like a dilapidated building: why give it an extension before the necessary repairs are made?

Extending this ban from the city centre to other areas is likely to disproportionately affect poorer areas. An academic study in 2012 into the issue of prohibiting public drinking in urban spaces shows that such laws are inconsistently enforced, leading to the further marginalisation of the already marginalised, as well as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;displacementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: street drinkers moving to less safe but more covert areas to drink.

Understandably, this ban is already in force in the hub of Nottinghamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drinking culture - the city centre. But for surrounding areas, mOJOH QFPQMF TUSBQQFE GPS DBTI XJMM EP MJUUMF to improve social relations. It just seems to be an exercise in box ticking: when someone complains about student binging, the council can point to this ban and everyone can feel a little happier with the progress thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been made. It is empty populism.

This ban will only empower a police force in need of an overhaul at the cost of criminalising people in need of support.

DEBATE | COMMENT COMMENT | COLUMNISTS

STUDENTS SHOWING INITIATIVE? SORRY, THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PROFOUNDLY DISAPPOINTING During recent University and College Union strikes, a group of History undergraduates decided to make up for lost contact-hours by holding their own lectures. That students would not rather waste the extra time in the pub or on Fifa is surprising enough, but the following PGmDJBM SFTQPOTF GSPN UIFJS 4UVEFOUT 6OJPO even more so.

1PTUHSBEVBUF 0GmDFS -VDZ (JMM DMBJNFE UP CF â&#x20AC;&#x153;profoundly disappointedâ&#x20AC;? at what she saw as â&#x20AC;&#x153;smug political posturingâ&#x20AC;? masking itself as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;noble crusadeâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The group states that their objective is not ideological,â&#x20AC;? she wrote, but â&#x20AC;&#x153;several of the organisersâ&#x20AC;Śare members of POF TQFDJmD QPMJUJDBM QBSUZw Here you had a group of students demonstrating skills in initiative, organisation, communication and independent-thinking: the exact kind of qualities a university education is supposed to instill. Yet rather than being

QSBJTFE CZ BO PGmDFS NFBOU UP SFQSFTFOU UIFN UIFZ GPVOE UIFNTFMWFT MBCFMMFE BT TFMmTI disingenuous and mean-spirited.

Gill could have commended the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts at the same time as encouraging them UP SFnFDU PO UIF NPUJWBUJPOT GPS UIF TUSJLF Instead she decided to outwardly criticise them; much like if Bob Crow condemned a group of commuters for car-sharing on the day that one of his strikes prevented them from taking the Tube to work.

Quite clearly, Gillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outburst is a coded criticism of a group of students who may not conform to her own political outlook. Despite the organisersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; claims, the lecturers may very well have been intending to make a political point.

But so what? I must have missed the memo that restricts student protests to those with left-wing politics, placards and Che Guevara t-shirts.

BREAKING THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY BUBBLE /PUUJOHIBN IBT CFFO JEFOUJmFE BT UIF poorest city in the UK. According to the 0GmDF GPS /BUJPOBM 4UBUJTUJDT /PUUJOHIBN T average individual income after tax stands at only ÂŁ10,834, compared to a nationwide average of ÂŁ16,034.

There are undoubtedly overt indicators of poverty in student areas, most notably the Lenton tower blocks which loom over the BSFB T DPWFSU BGnVFODF #VU UIF BDDPMBEF â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;poorest city in the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; might come as a surprise for many students living in Nottingham.

Indeed, the student experience of Nottingham is one which is very much devoid of this pervasive poverty. Students lead lives that are unfathomably detached from those of many local residents. The leafy University community is an outsider in its own city.

The recent High Fliers study declaring UoN the most popular choice for the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top graduate employers indicates the quality of our prospects. This puts in even sharper contrast the distance between those inside the campus, against those outside of it.

IMAGES BY EBONY INYANGETE | ROBERT SMITH AND ROB MOHER | 17

TRAVEL

REPORTING FROM THE FRONT LINE IMPACT SPEAKS TO HASSAN ABDULLAH Hassan Abdullah graduated from Nottingham Trent in the 1990s, before moving to Pakistan in 2005 where he became a news anchor. Now one of Pakistan’s best known journalists, Abdullah has reported from war zones, has had exclusive access to Taliban ‘hit lists’ and has recently begun research into the evolution of jihadi thought; the subject of his forthcoming book. Abdullah spoke to Impact Travel shortly before entering the North West Tribal Territories of Pakistan to cover the current peace talks between the Pakistani government and the Pakistani Taliban (TTP).

18 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AFGHANISTAN MATTERS VIA FLICKR

TRAVEL

WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE? 5IF mSTU EFDBEF PG NZ MJGF XBT JO 4BVEJ Arabia where my parents had been working as pharmacists. I have always taken keen interest in engineering and natural sciences.

Whenever I found the opportunity, I would open VQ BOZ FMFDUSJDBM FMFDUSPOJD EFWJDF mTI PVU the components and build something new. I also used to enjoy playing with chemicals and dissecting animals. My mother often used to wonder how whole chickens would disappear from the freezer.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE EFFECT POLITICS HAD ON YOUR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES? Saudi Arabia was an extremely closed and controlled society back then. There was no Internet access, so politics was not something that grabbed my attention. It was only when I moved to the UK, that I discovered much about the world and global events.

DID YOU ENJOY LIVING IN NOTTINGHAM? I lived in Nottingham for six years and loved it. Generally people were friendly and I have some wonderful memories. Given the opportunity, I would like to pay a visit to Nottingham and help contribute towards its development.

What made you want to become a journalist?

I would say the Iraq scandal was the turning point, including the 45-minute claim and the war of words between the then Blair government and the BBC. The events triggered my imagination and I was reading up to twelve newspapers a day during this period. I have to confess that Alastair Campbell inspired me a lot.

WHAT ARE PRESS FREECOMS LIKE IN PAKISTAN? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bark as much as you want but do not biteâ&#x20AC;? is a famous proverb in journalism circles in Pakistan. Press freedoms are very selective.

There are some sacred cows that cannot be questioned - the military being the least tolerant towards any criticism. Journalists who have questioned narratives promoted by the military

have often been killed. This includes Hayatullah Khan, the journalist who exposed the drone attacks in Pakistan, and Syed Saleem Shahzad who highlighted the nexus between different jihadi groups and Al-Qaedaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s penetration of the military.

chances may not be as bright in the near future.

HOW HAS PAKISTAN CHANGED IN YOUR EYES OVER THE LAST TWENTY YEARS?

To understand these issues, one needs to understand the Islamist undercurrents. The Islamist ideology connects militants from Afghanistan and Pakistan to those in Somalia and the sleeper cells in Britain and other Western European countries.

The standard of living, as well as the general security situation, have deteriorated, and there is now a strong sense of insecurity. Society is becoming increasingly polarised along secular and Islamist lines as well as along sectarian lines, and I anticipate much bloodshed in the coming years.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE LIKE IN PAKISTAN? By nature, I do not shy away from taking calculated risks or confronting dangerous situations, so I actually quite enjoy the day to day challenges here. I do a lot of freelance work and get to travel a lot.

I love going to war zones and reporting from there and often end up in places like Afghanistan and Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tribal areas such as North Waziristan. To really understand the DPODFQU PG iTVSWJWBM PG UIF mUUFTUw POF IBT UP spend some time here.

WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THE RECENT ELECTIONS IN PAKISTAN? While voter turnout had been encouraging, it cannot be denied that the ballot was rigged in parts of the country. Power stays with a dozen or so families in the country so voting is a futile exercise. Also parliament merely acts as a rubber stamp on various policy matters, while the real power rests with the military.

WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON HOW TO COMBAT THE INSURGENCY PROBLEM IN PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN?

While socio-economic factors and imperialist policies often fuel these insurgencies, one should explore the global Islamist agenda. The forces opposed to the Islamist agenda have failed to understand their opponents and have not come up with an effective counter-narrative.

Much needs to be done here.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE EFFECTS OF U.S. DRONE STRIKES ON THE PAKISTANI PEOPLE? There is no doubt that the drones have been instrumental in taking out some of the most IJHI QSPmMF NJMJUBOUT )PXFWFS UIFTF TUSJLFT have also been instrumental in providing a conveyor belt of fresh recruits to the militants.

Those killed in drone strikes are turned into martyrs and their legacy lives on.

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE WRITING ON THE EVOLUTION OF JIHADI THOUGHT?

WILL IMRAN KHAN BE A CREDIBLE FORCE IN PAKISTANI POLITICS IN THE YEARS TO COME?

The books starts with a look at the Makkah Grand Mosque siege in the 70s and the status quo in the Muslim countries back then. It then analyses the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the developments that followed on the theological front; such as how radical Islamists DPOUSPMMFE UIF OBSSBUJWF BOE JOnVFODFE MPDBM jihadi groups into adopting a global Islamist worldview.

There is no doubt that Imran Khan does have a considerable following. His provincial government in the volatile Khyber Pakthunkhwa province is not having an easy ride at the moment. If his government fails here, his

The book also details extensive debates between Al Qaeda members and local and region-centric jihadi groups. It documents the transformation of many pro-establishment jihadi HSPVQT JOUP VMUSB SBEJDBMJTFE "M 2BFEB BGmMJBUFT

ALEXANDER FITZGERALD | 19

SCIENCE

HAPPY APP’IN:

MEET UON’S STUDENT APP DEVELOPERS Games, lifestyle, cooking, education, maps, languages. Nowadays, it seems everything is JV]LYLK I` TVIPSL HWWZ >P[O [OL YPZL VM ZTHY[ phones, apps have become a huge business in the last few years. In 2013 it was estimated by Gartner that 102 billion apps were downloaded.

Despite 90% of these being free downloads, the app market still generated £16 billion last year.

But how do you create a mobile app? Is creating an app only for tech savvy businesses or can students get involved? Impact Science takes a look into students here at UoN who have produced their own apps.

Computer Science student, Adam Guest, has produced a number of apps and his technological skills have seen him take part in events such as the Student Developer Challenge and PayPal Battlehack. He produced an app aimed at students wanting to learn German.

“The app is a revision tool which can be used by any student beginning to learn the language,” Adam tells Impact Science. “It covers the vocabulary and grammar basics we are taught in the UoN German module, and it includes simple tests to test your knowledge on things covered in classes”.

an iOS app called Procuses, which has already had 300 downloads so far. The humorous app HPTZ [V OLSW ¸WYVMLZZPVUHSBZD ÄUK [OL YPNO[ L_J\ZL to use in order to procrastinate adding that new feature/requirement at a moments notice”, according to its description on the Apple App Store.

Gregor Engelmann was part of a team whose app won the grand prize at Europe’s largest student hackathon, ‘Student Hack’, for their app CrowdRelief. “The idea of the app is to connect the community following natural disasters. ¸0UKP]PK\HSZ JHU VMMLY ZLY]PJLZ Z\JO HZ >P-P electricity, and food to other members of the community. Those looking for things will see services offered within their proximity, as the app is location based. Other services include [OL HIPSP[` [V ZLUK UV[PÄJH[PVUZ HUK KVUH[PVUZ [V those helping out”.

“TRY THINGS OUT AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL”.

The University of Nottingham’s HackSoc has proved a valuable place to learn the skills required to create an app in a short amount of But what motivates students to take the leap into time. President Joe Nash told Impact Science app development? Adam says his motivation about the motivations behind starting the society, came from the boredom of revision: “I thought, ZH`PUN! ¸>OH[ KYV]L TL [V MV\UK /HJR:VJ why not make an app that I can test myself was wanting to encourage students to pursue with on the move? The app is pretty simple and programming outside of the Computer Science ^HZU»[ [VV KPMÄJ\S[ HZ 0»K ^VYRLK ^P[O P6: ILMVYL degree, to attend Hackathons and to learn how Plus there is loads of helpful content online”. to create their ideas”.

Adam’s app had been downloaded over 150 times in a month, quite an achievement for an app created as a form of procrastination.

Unsurprisingly, Computer Science students are leading the way for students developing their own mobile apps. Oluwatosin Afolabi produced

20

Alongside running the society, Joe is also a keen web app developer, developing mobile apps through the society and also through Hackathons. “There is a lot involved in making mobile apps and usually it’s not a one man job”, he says.

Ryan Shaw, another committee member of HackSoc, personally created a mobile app to help to help improve security in student houses.

Explaining the importance of the app, Ryan says: “The main motivation behind it is security reasons. Many student houses accommodate IL[^LLU Ä]L HUK WLVWSL ZV H[ [PTLZ P[ PZ OHYK to tell who is in and who is out. ¸4` HWW \ZLZ >P-P UL[^VYRZ PU [OL OV\ZLZ [V determine who is in and who isn’t - if someone SLH]LZ LU[LYZ [OL OV\ZL P[ ^PSS ZLUK H UV[PÄJH[PVU to the other users and when everyone is out, it ^PSS ZLUK H UV[PÄJH[PVU [V [OL SHZ[ WLYZVU PU [OL house so that they can lock up and put the alarm on”. )\[ OV^ KPMÄJ\S[ PZ P[ [V JYLH[L H TVIPSL HWW and what challenges do the developers face during the process? It seems the main skill to developing an app is persistence and a lot of practice.

Ryan explained: “Once I learnt the basics of Android development it was pretty easy to get into the more advanced aspects. There was a pretty steep learning curve to begin with”.

1VL HSZV HKKLK! ¸1\Z[ OV^ KPMÄJ\S[ HU HWW PZ [V make depends on what it’s trying to achieve.

Apps we’ve made during Hackathons vary from taking a couple of hours and being fairly casual to build, to taking days - and even then still being barely functional!”

It seems that HackSoc is a great place to start, so what advice would these students give to others who want to create their own apps?

Joe suggests: “It depends on what kind of app HUK ^OH[ `V\ ^HU[ P[ [V HJOPL]L >LI HWWZ are much easier than mobile apps for example.

Being able to program is an obvious suggestion, though apps also need designers and other

SCIENCE

team members behind them so it’s easy to get involved.

“The best advice I can give is to attend HackSoc’s beginners programming course.

You can go from absolutely no knowledge in programming to creating a working Android app, and will run throughout the semester”. .YLNVY OHK ZVTL ÄUHS ^VYKZ VM HK]PJL! ¸+VU»[ be afraid to ask others for help, it will sometimes save you a lot of time and tears. Otherwise keep calm and code”.

“KEEP CALM AND CODE”.

“HACKSOC IS A VALUABLE PLACE TO LEARN THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO CREATE AN APP”.

App by Oluwatosin

App by Adam Gask

JESSICA HEWITT-DEAN | 21

SCIENCE

THE ART OF SCIENCE Meet Anna Dimitriu. An artist who, quite simply, likes to turn bacteria into art. Known as the founder and director of the ‘The Institute of Unnecessary Research’, this group is a collaboration between artists and scientists who work to cross boundaries between art and science. She is also an artist in residence on the UK Clinical Research Consortium’s Modernising 4LKPJHS 4PJYVIPVSVN` WYVQLJ[ >PUULY VM [OL Society for Applied Microbiology Communication Award, Anna represents an emerging trend of partnerships between artists and scientists that have the potential to engage more people in science from an entirely different angle.

Anna tells Impact Science that she’s particularly fascinated with microbiology - “I have two strains of Staphylococcus aureus up each nostril!” she says.

“THE DIVISION BETWEEN ARTS AND SCIENCE IS A MODERN DISTINCTION”.

She works hands-on with a number of infectious bacterial strains, all of which have to be killed

22 | FAIZA PEERAN

before they’re taken out of the lab, and for her latest exhibition investigating tuberculosis, she’s made a series of miniature felt lungs infected with strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

“It’s probably the strangest part of science”, she explains. “It’s incredibly important to humanity, and the more research that goes into microbiology, the stranger this world gets. There are millions of bacteria in our bodies and they form an integral part of our immune system.

They’re strange and they are everywhere”.

One of the projects Anna is most proud of involved using MRSA and antibiotics to create different patterns on a quilt. This was a public workshop in the V&A and attracted a lot of interest from people who had little or no knowledge about bacteria.

The advantages of artwork like this are really that they encourage conversation, Anna explains: “As people can take part and get involved in the craft, it can help them to understand more about it”.

The division between arts and science is arguably a modern distinction, as historically, scholars often worked in multiple areas.

Leonardo da Vinci, for example, was a scientist,

SCIENCE

mathematician, artist and writer all at once.

These days, we tend to narrow down our ZWLJPHSPZH[PVUZ [V H WHY[PJ\SHY ÄLSK I\[ JHU looking at problems from multiple angles help us understand more about the subjects in question?

“BACTERIA ARE STRANGE AND THEY ARE EVERYWHERE”.

Anna doesn’t see any distinction between science and art, and for her, interest in science based artwork was a logical progression from childhood. “I don’t like seeing a division between art and science – or really any divisionary boundaries between art, history and science,” she says. “I think it’s more about a way of understanding the world”.

There has been a recent increase in the U\TILY VM ZJPLU[PÄJ VYNHUPZH[PVUZ M\UKPUN HY[

projects with the aim of enhancing science’s JVTT\UPJH[PVU ^P[O [OL W\ISPJ >LSSJVTL Trust funded projects such as the ‘Aware Collaboration’ is an example of scientists working with composers and poets. It marks the W\ISPJH[PVU VM ÄUKPUNZ PU ºHJJPKLU[HS H^HYLULZZ» – the sensation where some patients are able to recall their experiences of undergoing general anaesthetic.

Andrew Morley, the anaesthetist involved, says: “These experiences are often very potent and WVL[PJ ( ZJPLU[PÄJ YLWVY[ JHU»[ HS^H`Z X\P[L capture that. Sometimes we need the arts to Z[LW PU HUK ÄSS [OL NHW¹ :V JHU ZJPLUJL HJ[\HSS` ILULÄ[ MYVT JVSSHIVYH[PVU with the arts? Is it able to convey things that science can’t? Anna thinks so: “People who don’t always respond to science communication can respond to an emotional side through art. >P[O HY[ YH[OLY [OHU Z[YHPNO[ W\ISPJ LUNHNLTLU[ about science, it makes you think”.

IMAGES COURTESY OF ANNA DIMITRIU | 23

SCIENCE

A Step into the Past for Modern Medicine?

IMPACT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INVESTIGATES OLD REMEDIES FOR NEW ILLS :\MMLYPUN MYVT H IHJ[LYPHS PUMLJ[PVU& >O` UV[ [Y` H remedy from 15th century England? In fact, this reality may not be very far off. Here at UoN, an intriguing collaboration has struck up between two very different departments looking at the use of ancient medieval recipes to treat infectious bacterial infections and disease.

A partnership between the School of English and microbiologists in the Centre for Biomolecular :JPLUJLZ HPTZ [V Ă&#x201E;UK V\[ ^OL[OLY YLTLKPLZ \ZLK by people dating back to 15th century and further, actually have some basis in fact - and whether they can be used today to combat bacterial illnesses.

The translating of the ancient medical books has uncovered graphic descriptions of, for example, skin infections that are likely to have been caused

by Streptoccocus and Pseudomonas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bacteria that are common in infections today.

So what exactly are in these remedies? Surprisingly enough, they are about as far from modern chemicals as you can get - honey, vinegar, garlic, milk and plantain are a few examples. Before you start to scoff, there is actually some evidence that they work.

Investigating the effects of honey on certain strains of bacteria has found that it has the

capacity to kill the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that causes illnesses such HZ WUL\TVUPH >OH[ÂťZ TVYL P[ HSZV OHK [OL HIPSP[` to reverse the resistance and kill the notorious superbug MRSA. Even the NHS use sterilised honey for wound dressings. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thought that the sugar content of the honey, along with a variety of other inhibitory compounds prevents bacteria from becoming resistant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as over 600 compounds have been PKLU[PĂ&#x201E;LK L]LU PM [OL IHJ[LYPH ILJVTL YLZPZ[HU[ [V one compound, there are still others to contend with.

Along with investigating whether any of these recipes kill bacteria, the group are also looking at whether they can interfere with bacterial communication, which is known as Quorum :LUZPUN 8: Bacteria rely on teamwork and communication, and infectious bacteria will only cause harm to the host and initiate an infection if their population size is big enough to evade any defences host humans may have.

Communication between the bacteria is vital; they need to know there is a large group before attacking. The formation of a quorum is essential to beginning an infection and therefore disruption

24 | FAIZA PEERAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAWSNAP PHOTO VIA FLICKR

VM X\VY\TZ PZ Z\MĂ&#x201E;JPLU[ [V IL HISL [V WYL]LU[ [OL initiation of an infectious bacterial disease without killing the bacteria.

QS-disrupting mechanisms are also less prone to antibacterial resistance, and with the rise of antibiotic resistance ever on the horizon, this idea presents an interesting alternative to the norm.

But why has no one thought about this before? â&#x20AC;&#x153;There has always been a division between science and the arts, and it is only recently that this sort of interaction has been able to occurâ&#x20AC;?, says Christina, a researcher in Viking and AngloSaxon studies, who is in charge of translating the remedies.

The group are hoping for results in the next six to eight months and are enjoying the fact that they are working on something completely different to L]LY`VUL LSZL ¸>LYL Z^PTTPUN HNHPUZ[ [OL [PKLš says Freya, another member of the group. >OH[L]LY [OL YLZ\S[Z WLYOHWZ [OPZ ZOV^Z \Z [OH[ there is scope for unlikely collaborations such as this.

FOOD

â&#x20AC;&#x153;FOOD IS, QUITE SIMPLY, THE BOLLOCKSâ&#x20AC;?

Impact Food scans the Internet to bring you a selection of the best food blogs out there. Whether you like the sound of bacon marshmallows, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cronutsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or following the Nottingham tram line for a culinary adventure, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the blog for you.

THE NOTTINGHAM FOOD BLOG Undoubtedly the most comprehensive GPPE CMPH ZPV XJMM mOE JO /PUUJOHIBN 5IF Nottingham Food Blog is part of a bigger blog, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My Food Huntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Marcus hopes to use the Notts USBN TZTUFN UP mOE HSFBU QMBDFT UP FBU JO BOE around the city. With the tram system growing (urgh the Derby Road commuteâ&#x20AC;Ś) this blog is set to grow too.

Covering everything from fancy restaurant reviews, to the best places to get a decent Friday night sandwich, The Nottingham Food #MPH JT HSFBU GPS mOEJOH IJEEFO DVMJOBSZ HFNT in the city. Time to go on your own tram line adventure and start your own food hunt around Nottingham.

EAT LIKE A GIRL â&#x20AC;&#x153;Always eating and on the moveâ&#x20AC;?, Niamh 4IJFMET USBWFMT UIF HMPCF mOEJOH HSFBU OFX recipes, and cooking ideas. Her dishes range from her signature meaty dishes of pork shoulder and lamb with aubergine and sumac tomato relish, to delicious sounding bacon everythingâ&#x20AC;Ś salted caramel bacon eclair, bourbon bacon vanilla ice cream and bacon marshmallows.

"T XFMM BT TIBSJOH UIF CFTU SFDJQFT TIF mOET from around the world, on the Internet and GSPN CPPLT TIF mOET iQBSUJDVMBSMZ FOHBHJOHw

Eat Like a Girl writes countless restaurant recommendations and reviews. Her 50,000 monthly readers clearly love what she does, and to give a little back, Niamh also teaches cooking classes and leads food tours.

THE SKINT FOODIE Perhaps the blog with the most interesting and shocking back story, The Skint Foodie shares over 200 cheap and easy to make recipes on his blog, making it a great choice for students on a budget.

After going from a well-off, avid restaurant goer, the writer behind The Skint Foodie became an alcoholic, leaving him homeless and living PO CFOFmUT B USBOTJUJPO IF EFTDSJCFT BT iB bit of a shock actuallyâ&#x20AC;?. Despite this, the self proclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x153;urban peasantâ&#x20AC;? found that he could not give up his love of food and so works to share recipes that work within a ÂŁ40 a week budget.

If his money saving tips arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t incentive enough for student readers to visit his blog, the accessible nature of the site and the easy to follow recipes will make even beans on toast look the shit.

To end with a comment from The Skint Foodie himself: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Food is, quite simply, the bollocksâ&#x20AC;?, and there is no doubt this love of food comes across in his blog.

26 | ANTONIA PAGET AND GEORGE HUGHES-DAVIES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KUKKUROVACA VIA FLICKR

THE BOY WHO BAKES 8JOOFS PG UIF mSTU (SFBU #SJUJTI #BLF 0GG &CC Kimber, can make everything from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cronutsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Egg Custard Tartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sound sexy. This is a great blog for home baking - as if you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already get that from the title, with words like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bagarietâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yauatchaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, who could say no?

Kimber frequently posts great recipes for home baking and also makes step-by-step videos showing you how to do it. His blog makes baking look so delicious, Impact Food are already set on signing up for his macaroon making classes in London.

THE LONDON FOODIE This blog tends to look at more high end restaurants, reviewing not only the food but also the wine choices. This former investment banker turned Cordon Bleu chef also travels UIF HMPCF UP mOE UIF CFTU SFTUBVSBOUT NBLJOH his blog a great reference if you are travelling abroad.

FOOD

Dominic Rowntree attributes his love of food to his mum. You might roll your eyes at the clichĂŠ, but in fact his mums â&#x20AC;&#x153;horrendousâ&#x20AC;? cooking encouraged him to go the other way. Modestly dubbed â&#x20AC;&#x153;just another food blogâ&#x20AC;?, he has managed to develop a large following due to the simplicity and honesty of his blog Samphire and Salsify. Impact Food asked Rowntree to share his expertise and blogging tips.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR BLOG NAME? I was actually with my mum, and I told her I wanted to start a food blog. I knew I wanted to have two words, so together we started listing different words and different items of food which people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t use that often. So actually it was my mum who came up with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Samphire and Salsifyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the end.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR A BLOG TO HAVE A NICHE AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOURS IS? The most important thing for me was to make NZ CMPH SFBMMZ TJNQMF BOE DVU UIF XBGnF *G ZPV HP POUP NZ CMPH UIF mSTU UIJOH ZPV XJMM TFF XJMM be a review of a restaurant. No one really cares BCPVU NF TQFDJmDBMMZ UIFZ DBSF BCPVU UIF restaurants, so I wanted to keep the reviews really simple.

I also wanted the reviews to be solely about the restaurant. Sometimes you read pieces by critics and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not always about the restaurant, although the writing can be very good. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the difference with blogs ZPV DBO GPDVT TQFDJmDBMMZ PO UIF QMBDF JUTFMG

HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT OUT AND HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHERE TO GO? I eat out probably two to three times a week. I mOE QMBDFT UISPVHI PUIFS QFPQMFT CMPHT BOE sites, which will tell me where is big in London and about new restaurants about to open.

Having a twitter account for my blog has also proved really useful. Once you gain followers you can start to trade restaurant ideas or ask for recommendations.

NOT â&#x20AC;&#x153;JUST ANOTHER FOOD BLOGâ&#x20AC;?

IMPACT FOOD TALKS TO DOMINIC ROWNTREE ABOUT HIS FOOD BLOG, SAMPHIRE AND SALSIFY â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I WANTED TO MAKE MY BLOG REALLY SIMPLE AND CUT THE WAFFLEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IMPORTANT TO KEEP BLOGGING CONSISTENTLY SO PEOPLE KNOW THEY CAN LOOK AT IT REGULARLYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ULTIMATELY PEOPLE WANT TO READ SOMETHING WHICH IS RELAXED AND CASUALâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO KEEP THE WRITING CASUAL AND NOT TOO FORMAL? As I said, the difference between a blogger and a reviewer is that it is more personal for the blogger. The good thing is that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m by no means an expert on food. There are many foods I try which I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cook myself, which Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure is the same for a lot of people. Clearly I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t emulate what Michelin star restaurants produce.

But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried it, and you still have an opinion, I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the majority of people are interested in and can relate to.

Ultimately people want to read something which is relaxed and casual.

APART FROM EATING OUT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER PERKS THAT COME WITH YOUR FOOD BLOG? What I have loved about my blog is that it has allowed me to meet a lot of people who I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have met otherwise. Obviously there are no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;free dinnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, but the occasional invite to a drinks do, or maybe a restaurant launch, is great. I get really excited by this and you get to meet a load of new people, including chefs or restaurant owners.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR KEY TIPS TO ANYONE STARTING A FOOD BLOG? My advice would be to stick at it, and do it CFDBVTF ZPV FOKPZ JU *G ZPV SF mOEJOH JU B struggle, or you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep up with it, then donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t EP JU * XJMM BMXBZT mOE UJNF UP XSJUF NZ CMPHT because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hobby so I want to do it - people will be more interested in it if you are. #VU JG JU CFDPNFT GPSDFE JU T TJHOJmDBOUMZ MFTT interesting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also very important to keep blogging consistently so people know they can look at it regularly.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHIRA GAL VIA FLICKR | LOUIS FITZHERBERT | 27

STYLE

RACHAEL COONEY

Jumper - Primark - £12.00 Hat - JD Sports - £30.00 Jeans - Levis - £70.00 Shoes - Blue Ink - £60.00 Bag - River Island - £30.00

THE STREET IS MY CATWALK

Coat - Topshop - £55 Jeans - French Connection - £70 Shirt - Gap - £26 Coat - Topshop - £55 Shoes - Converse - £47.99

RICHARD RODRIGUES

DAVID PERVAN Top - Zara - £24.99 Jacket - Adidas Originals - £52 Jeans - Levis - £70 Hat - JD Sports - £35

28 | DIRECTED BY JESSIE ROSEBLADE AND HARRIET BROWN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCLARTY

STYLE

CALLUM MCLARTY Jacket - Adidas Originals - £40 Shirt - Levis - £60.00 Trousers - Topman - £40 Trainers - Nike - £69.99

DAISY FOSTER Jumpsuit - Topshop - £52 Scarf - H&M - £25 Jacket - Topshop - £45 Boots - ASOS - £50

PRIYA PANESAR Jumper - Vintage - £3 Skirt - Reiss - £225 Trainers - Nike x Liberty - £90 Bag - Topshop - £30

ASSISSTED BY PRIYA PANESAR, AMRIT SANTOS, TARA BELL, SARAH DEAR | 29

STYLE

DISPOSABLE FASHION: A BLESSING OR A CURSE? 8JUI TIPQT MJLF ) . BOE 1SJNBSL mMMJOH IJHI streets across Britain, and sites like eBay and Asos offering cheap clothes at the click of a mouse, it has never been easier to shop fast and cheap.

But has the increasing amount of affordable clothing led to a fashion habit that does more harm than good? Or is it a blessing for our wardrobes?

A BLESSING UPON OUR WARDROBES In the modern age shopping can sometimes GFFM MJLF BO BEEJDUJPO 'PS TPNF UIF mMN Confessions of a Shopaholic is a worryingly accurate representation of our relationship with clothes: we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just want that shirtâ&#x20AC;Ś we need it. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that the relationship we have with shopping, and the consumerist culture we live in, is occasionally problematic. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no reason why shopping for a cheap one-wearpurchase canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a good thing.

For the student lifestyle, fast fashion has itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obvious advantages: how many times have you taken a last minute trip to Primark for that emergency fancy dress? Or been low on funds, POMZ UP mOE DSPQ UPQT IBWF CFDPNF UIF 0DFBO uniform?

When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re living on a student budget, highend items are out of the question, and even high street brands such as Topshop, River Island or 6SCBO 0VUmUUFST DBO TUSFUDI GVOET UP CSFBLJOH point.

The desire to impress, express and re-invent ourselves it at its height at university. The way we dress is a method of self-expression, showcasing our personalities. Fashion is a way of demonstrating your lifestyle, and in this scrutinizing, judgemental age, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how we give PVS mSTU JNQSFTTJPOT

Affordability offers us the chance to experiment with our own interpretations of individuality â&#x20AC;&#x201C; taking sartorial risks that might not be viable at high-end prices. Of course, there is the question of quality; it is unlikely that the same kind of quality of clothing will exist in both Prada and Primark, and all too often the high-street is guilty of hiking price, but not quality. But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re buying cheap, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always the option of second hand, or charity shops. Look in the right one and it could be better than a vintage store.

While fast-fashion can be fun and encourage daring, many of us are guilty of the one-wear scenario. Some may consider this a waste of money, but it can be seen as a different kind of investment.

Flicking through your wardrobe there are bound to be certain items that, for you, are synonymous with particular occasions - items which evoke WFSZ TQFDJmD NFNPSJFT GPS ZPV BOE TPNFIPX become souvenirs of times passed. You may not wear these items as much as a pair of jeans, but in terms of sentimentality they will mean so much more; memories that make them impossible to remove from your wardrobe.

30 | HARRIET BROWN, JESSIE ROSEBLADE AND RACHAEL COONEY

â&#x20AC;&#x153;AFFORDABILITY OFFERS US THE CHANCE TO EXPERIMENT WITH OUR OWN INTERPRETATIONS OF INDIVIDUALITY.â&#x20AC;?

University is not the time to be waltzing around in Prada, or signing up to a Topshop creditcard: those things can wait. These years are all about the fancy dress, the emergency LBD, the Converse at Crisis. Fast fashion allows you to be who you want to be, and quickly.

Fast and disposable fashion encourages us to reinvent ourselves over and over again, as we change, so does our taste, and new chapters of our life can be expressed through new styles, without resulting in total bankruptcy.

STYLE

A CURSE AND A CRIME Affordability and accessibility are two fantastic attributes of the British high street. But they have turned shopping into a habitual, oftenmechanised activity; a hobby, a distraction, something to pass the time with.

Cheap clothes are easily replaceable and therefore become temporary, disposable items, both in a material and a psychological sense.

We can afford not to fall in love with our clothes anymore.

There is often little purpose to shopping other than the constant desire for something new. Lured by cheap prices, we succumb to impulsive purchases that we neither need nor really want, repeatedly retracing our footsteps to quench our consumerist thirst.

Although cheap clothes may seem like the only option for students living on a budget, lower prices come at the cost of poor quality material.

So we are drawn into the vicious consumerist cycle of buying more clothes, more often, to replace those that fall apart.

We are too often blinded by the affordability of clothes, the purchase of which is all too easily KVTUJmFE #VU XIFO JU DPNFT UP DIFBQ QPPS quality items there is no sense of investment or longevity; no purpose or real value.

Without realising, we can end up spending more money in the long term. Although affordable clothes will always remain a necessity, what needs to change is the disposable culture that they promote.

This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about eradicating shopping altogether.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about changing the way that we shop,

condensing the process and questioning the motive behind it. We need to buy fewer clothes and buy better clothes. This can mean quality clothes that will last us a long time because they are made to, but can also mean choosing classic, timeless pieces that will transcend TFBTPOT BOE UIF FWFS nVDUVBUJOH USFOET Rarely do we plan our purchases in advance, or consider how pieces will work with and update our wardrobes. Saving and investing a more time and money in quality pieces will instead generate a higher sense of worth.

Although the thought of spending more on clothes is daunting and might seem unappealing and unrealistic, it shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be. It does not require a drastic change. Seek out the mid-range quality staples that you will continue to both like and wear for years, rather than months. Both your clothes and your money will last a lot longer.

Putting thought into the things we want to buy in advance and taking the time to distinguish CFUXFFO B SFBM MPWF GPS TPNFUIJOH BOE B nFFUJOH fancy will restore a connection with our clothes.

8F OFFE UP WBMVF PVS XBSESPCFT BOE mMM UIFN with well-loved, meaningful pieces we will treasure for years to come.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;AFFORDABLE CLOTHES REMAIN A NECESSITY BUT WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IS THE DISPOSABLE CULTURE THAT THEY PROMOTE.â&#x20AC;?

31

STYLE

IMPACT STYLE LOVES

SPORT LUXE Before we know it, summer will be here and with the University gym membership slashed to half price, we’re all gearing up to look our best for when the sun shines. Following the SS’13 obsession with sport luxe, we’ve shared a few of our favourite pieces to nail this trend on a student budget.

Backpack ASOS £20 Nail Varnish Nails Inc £11

ara

ss Z

Dre

Wa tch A

SOS

£4

4.9

9

.99

£29

Shorts Miss Selfridge £32 Bomber jacket Topshop £55

p £16

Sung

o Topsh sses

la

Trainers Nike £100

32

STYLE

AFTER

DARK

Samantha Morris Dress Custom Made £75 Shoes New Look £20

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCLARTY, ASSISTED BY ANDREAS BILLMAN | STYLED AND DIRECTED BY JESSIE ROSEBLADE, HARRIET BROWN | 33

34

35

WHAT’S ON

MARCH

03

Shane Filan Royal Concert Hall

10 The Stranglers Rock City

04

02

Nottingham Forest v Wigan Athletic

Skaters Bodega

Thin Lizzy Experience Rescue Rooms

06

07

08

09

Ellie Goulding Capital FM Arena

Richard Herring Glee Club

Bombay Bicycle Club Rock City

Notts County v Leyton Orient

Your Favourite Enemies Rescue Rooms

HAIM Rock City

Thomas J Speight Bodega

Gabriella Cilmi Bodega

11

12

13

Panthers v Devils Ice Arena

Maximo Park Rock City

05

01

Tala Madani Nottingham Contemporary

Premier League Darts Capital FM Arena

Harleighblu Rescue Rooms

14 X Factor Tour Capital FM Arena

15 Stu Larsen Bodega

16 Drake Capital FM Arena

We Are Scientists Rock City

17

18

19

Metronomy Rock City

Russell Howard Capital FM Arena

Stiff Little Fingers Rock City

24

25

26

Dan Croll Bodega

The Play That Goes Wrong Theatre Royal

Dark Horses Rescue Rooms

20

Mahan Esfahani Harpsichord Djanogly Recital Hall

27 Howler Bodega

21

Natives Rock City

28 The Four Tops & The Temptations Capital FM Arena Saint Raymond Rescue Rooms

31 Coasts Bodega

36 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HARTGOLDFOTO VIA FLICKR

22

23

4HUZÄLSK ] *OLZ[LYÄLSK 4HUZÄLSK ;V^U -*

University Choir Trent Building

29

30

Band of Skulls Rock City

Susan Boyle Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

PAUSE

38 | GAMING

42 | FILM

GAMING ON THE GO, DLC, FILMMAKING STUDENTS HORSING AROUND AND IS AND DIRECTOR LARS VON GAMING GOOD FOR YOU? TRIER

46 | ARTS LENTON’S ART SQUATS, CREATIVE WRITING COURSES AND ‘TWITLIT’

50 | MUSIC

GIG ETIQUETTE, MEET CHLÖE HOWL AND REVISITS BE HERE NOW

PAUSE | GAMING

FLAPPY BIRD, SUBWAY SURFERS AND CANDY CRUSH:

ARE YOU A MOBILE GAMING JUNKIE? For those of you who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a phone, internet or any other form of communication with the outside world, Flappy Bird hit the app market for a brief but glorious few months this year.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the latest in a long line of games that have captured the hearts - and broken the smartphones and wills - of the general public.

So much so that its developer took it off the App Store because it â&#x20AC;&#x153;became an addictive productâ&#x20AC;?.

But why? What is it that makes mobile and casual gaming so damn popular, especially BNPOHTU /PUUJOHIBN TUVEFOUT 5P mOE PVU XF asked a few of you to give us an explanation for your reasons for loving, or hating, small

electronic birds, hard candies and appleslicing.

LIAM KNIGHT

BETH THAYNE

I have a love hate relationship with Flappy Bird.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s addictive, but it also feels a little bit broken in places. I mean youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be nowhere near the pipe and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll die. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud to say that my high score of 69 is obviously because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a massive lad. Just saying. Actually, I died on purpose so I could have got more if I wanted.

2ND YEAR ENGLISH WITH CREATIVE WRITING STUDENT I used to play a lot of Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds, and also Temple Run. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m stuck with a tiny brick phone at the moment, but I steal a go of Flappy Bird from anyone whenever I can. My high score, if I remember correctly, is 21.

5IF HBNFT TQSFBE MJLF XJMEmSF EVF UP XPSE PG mouth or people posting about them on social media. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the fact that the games have such simple objectives and controls and yet seem to CF TP EJGmDVMU

2ND YEAR ENGLISH WITH CREATIVE WRITING STUDENT

PHOEBE GREGGOR

1ST YEAR POLITICS STUDENT I play Subway Surfers the most. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast-paced and silly but with gorgeous cartoon-style design. Plus it has missions and challenges that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need micro-payments for. I think most casual games are popular because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re free to play; developers have found an addictive formula and it keeps people coming back. Subway Surfers is pretty much that.

I did try to play Flappy Bird for a while. My highscore is two. I nearly threw my friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phone across the bus.

BECKY HATTON

1ST YEAR HISTORY STUDENT I play Candy Crush mostly. I like the fact it keeps me entertained but it encourages me to procrastinate from work. Although quite often it leaves me feeling very frustrated.

38 | ROBERT PRIEST | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCLARTY AND LINCOLNBLUES VIA FLIKR

PAUSE | GAMING

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT:

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY Downloadable content, or DLC, is software players can purchase for free, or at a cost, to enhance their original games. It can come in the form of new missions, new characters, EJGGFSFOU PVUmUT BOE NVDI NPSF #VU UIF concept is not without its critics, as paid DLC faces objections in terms of the release of incomplete games, inadequate content or simply existing to raise extra cash for publishers.

In very general terms, the majority of content available for download does not add a great deal to its respective game. A few additional weapons or some new costumes are rarely more than a way to burn cash. $POUFOU UIBU JT USVMZ XPSUI QBZJOH GPS mMMT B GFX vague criteria. It should change the dynamic of the game in some form; entirely new game modes and new playable characters show better results than other additions. New missions are tricky because story-based games like Skyrim and Mass Effect are so intricate their DLC must maintain what makes these games great whilst tweaking slightly.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE THRILLS OF THE ACTUAL GAMES SIT ALONGSIDE FUN NEW DESIGN DECISION, CREATING SOMETHING HIGHLY ENGAGINGâ&#x20AC;?.

The limp additional story packs for .BmB ** lacked the narrative power of the original game, contrasting sharply with the strong Broken Steel add-on which revisited Fallout 3, its predecessorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, ending before taking it in an interesting new direction.

A great debate is to be had concerning whether DLC should bring something new to the table or give more of the same. Games in the second category, whilst often very good, are limited to little more than that - admittedly admirable - label. Borderlands: The Secret Army Of General Knox maintains the strong story and maniacal gameplay fun of the original but feels slightly capped at a certain level.

The former category allows for developers to excel beyond all expectations and deliver something fresh that is worth buying. Notable examples in recent years include Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

These DLCs combined the strengths of the original with a new art direction, new gameplay elements and new story missions. The results are excellent. The thrills of the actual games sit alongside fun new design decisions and create something highly engaging.

On the other hand, gamers can feel cheated PVU PG UIFJS NPOFZ JG HBNFT GFFM VOmOJTIFE when content is left out and planned for later DLC release. Such concerns are not unfounded but the situation is by no means out of control.

Thankfully, most triple-A games largely feel complete and DLC is an added bonus. Saints Row 3 and Dishonoured were excellent by their own merit, leaving the question of DLC for another day.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN THEN AFFORD TO BETTER THEIR EXPERIENCE MAY FEEL UNFAIRâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE MAJORITY OF CONTENT AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD DOES NOT ADD A GREAT DEAL TO ITS RESPECTIVE GAMEâ&#x20AC;?.

A broader argument levied against this content is where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acknowledged that games are usually made to completion, but the fact that some people can then afford to better their experience may feel unfair.

Whilst the annoyances may be absorbed in the case of smaller pieces of content, UIF JOGBNPVT ATFBTPO QBTT JT EFmOJUFMZ B problem. This allows gamers to buy a pass which grants access to all future DLC at a high price. Not only does this seem unjust but it also undermines the used-game market as subsequent players have no means of getting such content.

DLC can be great but is too often merely â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;alrightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and occasionally very poor. The best DLCs change things up whilst maintaining a link with the original game and that the quality of the original must never be affected by QMBOT GPS %-$ 8IJMTU UIF mTDBM QSPCMFNT PG affordability are harder to tackle, some ground has been made by the abolition of season passes by EA but we can only wait and see if other remedies are granted.

TOM WELSHMAN | 39

PAUSE | GAMING

YEAR OF THE HORSE:

A CELEBRATION OF THE BEST HORSES IN VIDEO GAMES. Ah, the horse. Equus Ferus Caballus, manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other best friend. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder that these glorious creatures have bagged themselves a spot on the zodiac, what with being an integral component in the shaping of whole civilizations and all that. Finally their year has come, and in celebration of our equine friends we here at Impact Gaming want to shine a light on the best mares and stallions video games have to offer.

AGRO (SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS)

RUIN AND DESPAIR (DARKSIDERS SERIES)

Shadow Of The Colossus is a game that is best described as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the touching story of a boy and IJT IPSTF 4BEMZ UIF XIPMF AmHIUJOH HJHBOUJD monsters to restore a girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lost soulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thing kind of steals the spotlight. Yes, the game does contain a string of gruelling battles wherein a mere boy topples immense behemoths, but please spare a thought for Agro, the horse that gets absolutely none of the credit.

Any game series that features the Horsemen of the Apocalypse is practically guaranteed to contain the most badass stallions in the CVTJOFTT 5IF mSTU HBNF JO UIF Darksiders series stars War, and with War comes Ruin, possibly the angriest looking horse of all time.

After all, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the one who carries Wander (the boy) all over the Forbidden Land, while they search in vain for the gargantuan beasts that they have to slay, like a man hell-bent on getting his family to the nearby holiday resort without asking the locals for directions. After countless hours of soul-searching (eh eh...), "HSP TFFNJOHMZ NBLFT UIF VMUJNBUF TBDSJmDF CZ hurling Wander to safety when a bridge gives way beneath the two of them.

EPONA (LEGEND OF ZELDA) Arguably the most famous horse in gaming history, Epona has accompanied Link on numerous adventures to save the kingdom PG )ZSVMF 4IF mSTU BQQFBST Ocarina Of Time as an untameable horse subdued only by Linkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mad ocarina skills. While having Epona certainly makes travelling through Hyrule FBTJFS JU T BDUVBMMZ QPTTJCMF UP mOJTI UIF HBNF without acquiring the poor mare.

40 | ADAM BATCHELOR

Although the game doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feature as much IPSTF UJNF BT POF XPVME FYQFDU 8BS T mSF breathing beast does play integral roles in two of the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boss battles, one of which JT UIF mOBM CBUUMF Darksiders 2 stars head honcho Death and his trusty steed Despair, an FNBDJBUFE DSFBUVSF FOHVMGFE JO HSFFO nBNFT Despair might be as angry as Ruin, but since he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a face, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never know for sure.

HUDSON HORSTACHIO (VIVA PIĂ&#x2018;ATA) In a world populated entirely by animal piĂąatas, horses stand above all others, and Hudson here is the most famous of them all. As well as being the cover star of the games, he also stars in the TV show adaptation, which follows the adventures of him and his friends.

Unfortunately, in the Viva PiĂąata games, the Horstachio breed is pretty useless.

ALL OF THE HORSES IN RED DEAD REDEMPTION For those uninitiated in the struggles of John Marston, Red Dead Redemption is effectively Grand Theft Auto set in the Wild West. Instead of stealing automobiles, citizens of New Austin traverse the great American landscape using equestrian methods.

There are a wide variety of breeds available, ranging from the beautiful Hungarian Halfbred to the sickly looking Jaded Tersk. These wonderful animals form the backbone of the game, with almost all missions including horse travel of some kind, whether thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s simply getting from A to B or chasing down vicious outlaws across the gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful countryside. Outside of missions, players can participate in plenty of other equine-related activities such as chariot racing or maybe even committing a bit of grand theft horse if they feel like it.

W

PAUSE | GAMING

A GAME A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY? Video games have been in the centre IMPROVED REACTION TIMES of controversy for years with people from every walk of life offering their Research shows that gamers process own opinions and research into information much faster and without loss in precision, especially if playing games that UIF NBUUFS *U JT B NJOFmFME USZJOH UP require fast reactions and enhanced special navigate through the opinions and awareness, such as #BUUMFmFME or Halo. facts, so Impact Gaming tried to shed Reaction time improvement is slightly higher some light on the matter to help you for gamers than non-gamers. So if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re off to better understand what you are in for. play a tennis match itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea to play an action game the night before.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with the good stuff.

BETTER PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES When you have spent most of your time trying to win Tetris, troubles packing your suitcase seem a problem of the past. The American Psychological Association published research in 2013 claiming that video games help boost memory and cognitive skills. Puzzle games especially challenge players to use their logic BOE mOE OFX BOE JOOPWBUJWF XBZT UP TPMWF UIF puzzles. University College London found that video games such as Starcraft can develop iCSBJO nFYJCJMJUZw

PAIN RELIEF In 2010 researchers found that exposure to video games helped to reduce anxiety or pain caused by medical procedures or chronic illness. Playing a game keeps your brain busy and it is not able to process pain as effectively as it would normally. Those treated for burn wounds, for example, reported a 30-50% reduction in pain. Gaming also releases endorphins in the brain that are associated with happiness, again helping distract gamers from pain.

Unfortunately, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always a bed of roses for gamers, and all games do come with health risks. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t panic though, a lot of these are easily preventable if you are aware of the risks.

LACK OF SLEEP Gaming resulting in a lack of sleep can lead to a whole bunch of issues, especially if you have a 9am lecture the next morning. Excessive use of your sleep-time for your game-time can also cause insomnia which will undoubtedly have an impact on other aspects of your life.

ADDICTION As with all things that bring joy, gaming can become addictive. This warning label basically speaks for itself, because we all know how easy it is to get stuck in a game.

HEADACHES/DIZZINESS A large proportion of gamers that do not take a break from gaming every few hours say that they have experienced headaches and dizziness. This is often caused in games with severe motion blur, and is frequently a result PG DPODFOUSBUJPO PO GBTU QBDFE mSTU QFSTPO shooter games.

So a game a day can keep the doctor away, but if you overdo it, the good might not always outdo the bad.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD LAKUCS | 41

PAUSE | FILM & TV

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION:

THE CHALLENGES OF BEING A STUDENT FILMMAKER Impact spoke to Daniel Brophy, the President of Filmmaking Society about his role, opportunities in the local area and what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like CFJOH B ZPVOH BTQJSJOH mMNNBLFS

XIP XBOU VT UP mMN FWFOUT BOE NBLF promotional videos. Students can get involved in anything; directing, editing, cinematography and writing.

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO AT FILMMAKING SOC AND WHAT ROLES CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED IN?

WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

8F NBLF mMNT CVU XF BMTP NBLF WJEFPT GPS other societies and groups outside of the Uni XIP IBWF PGUFO OP LOPXMFEHF PG mMNNBLJOH

3JHIU OPX XF SF XPSLJOH PO B TIPSU mMN B LJOE of dark fantasy about 30-40 minutes long, called Down The Rabbit Hole. People from a local production company are also working on that with us.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also doing an on-going promotional DBNQBJHO XJUI /JHIUMJOF HPJOH BSPVOE mMNJOH various societies with their mascot.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BECOME A FILMMAKER BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE FAMOUS, AND DEFINITELY DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T DO IT TO MAKE MONEYâ&#x20AC;?.

WHAT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR STUDENT FILMMAKERS IN NOTTINGHAM? CSN (Creative Student Network) is also a Uni group, which although isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involved as much with production, is good if you want to learn more about the industry. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also a good MPDBM mMNNBLFS DPNNVOJUZ JO UIF DJUZ XIJDI JT a good way to get involved with projects and to network.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACED MAKING YOUR FIRST FILMS? .Z mSTU mMN * XSPUF DBTU QSPEVDFE BOE QSFUUZ much did everything myself. The biggest challenge was managing a fairly large crew, CVU JU NBEF NF B CFUUFS mMNNBLFS *U T BMM BCPVU QSPHSFTT BT UIF mSTU UIJOHT ZPV EP BSFO U BMXBZT going to be that good.

32

PAUSE | FILM & TV

â&#x20AC;&#x153;ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALL ABOUT BEING CLEVER AND TRYING TO AVOID SPENDING MONEY WHEREVER YOU CANâ&#x20AC;?.

WHAT ABOUT SECURING FINANCING FOR YOUR FILMS? I tend not to. From experience, making friends XIP IBWF UIFJS PXO FRVJQNFOU BOE mOEJOH people willing to help out for free is the best way to do it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often too expensive to buy your own equipment. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about being clever and trying to avoid spending money wherever you can.

WOULD YOU SAY NOTTINGHAM IS A GOOD CITY FOR YOUNG FILMMAKERS? :FT EFmOJUFMZ #FGPSF * DBNF UP /PUUJOHIBN * E BMXBZT XBOUFE UP NBLF mMNT CVU OFWFS IBE UIF

opportunity. When I came here it was very easy to jump into.

WHAT THREE FILMS WOULD YOU SAY HAVE HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU? * E TBZ UIF mMN UIBU mSTU HPU NF JOUFSFTUFE JO mMNNBLJOH XBT Star Wars * mSTU TBX JU XIFO * XBT mWF BOE JU DFSUBJOMZ IBE B CJH JNQBDU PO NF * E BMTP TBZ B 5BSBOUJOP mMN QSPCBCMZ Pulp Fiction. In terms of editing and non-linear storytelling, I learned a lot from it. Lastly, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d TBZ POF PG NZ GBWPVSJUF mMNT PG BMM UJNF Donnie Darko.

WHAT TIPS WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING FILMMAKERS? *U T TPSU PG DIFFTZ CVU KVTU HP GPS JU 8IFO * mSTU joined Filmmaking Society I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know a great deal. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to use the cameras or the sound equipment, but this is something ZPV MFBSO *U T BMTP BCPVU DPOmEFODF 0ODF ZPV TUBSU ZPV MM mOE ZPV QSPHSFTT BOE MFBSO UIJOHT very quickly.

IS MAKING YOUR OWN INDIE FILM STILL A VIABLE METHOD OF BREAKING INTO THE INDUSTRY? It is, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harder than it was in the past because the market is so saturated. If you go UP BOZ TUVEFOU mMN GFTUJWBMT UIFSF BSF TP NBOZ submissions in every single category. It is still possible, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say the key is networking.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also important to remember that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be famous or Oscar winning to be a mMNNBLFS %PO U CFDPNF B mMNNBLFS CFDBVTF ZPV XBOU UP CF GBNPVT BOE EFmOJUFMZ EPO U EP JU UP NBLF money. If you know enough people, and are willing to meet people and to work, generally for free, you never know what is going to come up.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;THE FIRST THINGS YOU DO ARENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T ALWAYS GOING TO BE THAT GOODâ&#x20AC;?.

SAM TODD | 33

PAUSE | FILM & TV

Melancholia

THE CONTROVERSIAL

CAREER OF LARS VON TRIER â&#x20AC;&#x153;What can I say? I understand Hitlerâ&#x20AC;Ś and I sympathise with him a little bitâ&#x20AC;?.

Lars von Trier is no stranger to controversy.

8JUI DPNNFOUT MJLF UIJT UIF mMNNBLFS XBT branded persona non grata by the Cannes Film Festival board of directors in 2011 and subsequently withdrew from the public stage, saying that he would â&#x20AC;&#x153;refrain from all statements and interviewsâ&#x20AC;?.

While von Trier may carry with him a reputation for provocation (incidentally, he is not a Nazi sympathiser), the Danish-born director remains one of the most interesting and experimental directors around. Dominating the Scandinavian mMN JOEVTUSZ IF EPFT FWFSZUIJOH QPTTJCMF to subvert the conventional methods of mMNNBLJOH Several years after graduating from the National Film School of Denmark in 1983 and completing the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Europaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trilogy, von Trier established the Dogme 95 movement alongside fellow Danish director Thomas 7JOUFSCFSH XIPTF NPTU SFDFOU mMN The Hunt has been nominated for Best Foreign Antichrist

32 | FELIX TAYLOR

-BOHVBHF mMN BU UIJT ZFBS T 0TDBST TFU VQ as a means of deconstructing the tropes and values of western cinema.

A set of ten rules known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Vow of Chastityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was put together, which included the mandatory use of handheld cameras and a ban PO BMM PQUJDBM XPSL mMUFST BOE TQFDJBM MJHIUJOH These rules were used as a way of returning to the traditional methods of storytelling, focusing more on acting and plot rather than sound effects and visual spectacle. Many of WPO 5SJFS T mMNT DPOUBJO FMFNFOUT PG UIF %PHNF manifesto, most notably The Idiots, though he is yet to produce anything completely Dogmeapproved. )JT FYQMPSBUJPO JOUP UIF QPTTJCJMJUJFT PG mMN continued into the 21st century with the release of Dogville and Manderlay, both of XIJDI XFSF mMNFE PO B TUBHF MJLF TFU XJUI UIF WJMMBHF CVJMEJOHT NBSLFE PVU PO UIF nPPS JO chalk. Von Trier also released the documentary The Five Obstructions, in which he challenged director Jørgan Leth to remake the same short mMN mWF UJNFT FBDI XJUI B EJGGFSFOU PCTUSVDUJPO (with no shot longer than 12 frames, for example). *OUFSFTUJOHMZ FOPVHI UIF mMNT PG IJT UIBU resonate the most are those that deal with the isolation and mistreatment of women. Charlotte Gainsbourgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crippling grief in Antichrist, the vulnerability of Nicole Kidman in Dogville and the psychological trauma of Emily Watson in Breaking The Waves BSF BMM mUUJOH FYBNQMFT :FU POF PG WPO 5SJFS T NPTU CFBVUJGVM mMNT is Dancer In The Dark, starring Icelandic musician Bjork. She plays Czech immigrant and single mother Selma who is forced to work in a factory. She suffers from a hereditary disease that gradually causes her to go blind.

Nymphomaniac Following Antichrist and Melancholia, Nymphomaniac XJMM CF UIF mOBM QBSU PG WPO 5SJFS T A%FQSFTTJPO USJMPHZ B TFU PG mMNT that explore the varying forms of grief and unhappiness. Played by both Stacy Martin and Charlotte Gainsbourg, Nymphomaniac documents the unrelenting sexual voyage of Joe as she struggles to deal with her addiction, alongside von Trier regulars Willem Dafoe and Stellan SkarsgĂĽrd.

The directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost Hitchcockian fascination with his female protagonists is at times unbearable to watch. The camera remains mYFE PO UIFJS FWFSZ NPWF TDSVUJOJTJOH FBDI FYQSFTTJPO BOE FNPUJPO VOUJM mOBMMZ JU QVMMT away and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re left feeling vulnerable and confused.

One of the most experimental and controversial PG NBJOTUSFBN mMNNBLFST -BST WPO 5SJFS T images are shocking and sexually explicit, yet are presented in ways that feel somehow USVF UP IVNBO OBUVSF i" mMN TIPVME CF MJLF B rock in the shoeâ&#x20AC;?, the director once quipped. )JT mMNT NBZ GFFM VODPNGPSUBCMF CVU XIBU they represent are fascinating insights into the troubled minds of his characters.

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PAUSE | ARTS

ART SQUATS: LENTON’S BEST KEPT SECRET IMPACT ARTS INVESTIGATES THE EXCITING NEW TREND OF ART SQUATS, EXPLORING HOW THEY HAVE DEVELOPED FROM THE AVENUES OF PARIS TO THE STREETS OF LENTON. WE SPEAK TO THE ARTISTS TAKING OVER NEGLECTED BUILDINGS IN BOTH PARIS AND NOTTINGHAM AND BRING YOU EXCLUSIVE IMAGES FROM THE INSIDE OF LENTON’S VERY OWN ALTERNATIVE ART VENTURE.

PARIS Art squats are based around cultural production and create spaces for artists to produce and showcase their work in city centres where studio rent is notoriously high. Impact Arts travelled to Paris and met with Erica; resident artist from the renowned Rivoli 59 art squat. Erica explains: “In Paris there are empty buildings and it seems absurd to leave them empty”. Many of these unoccupied buildings are attractive to squatters; up to 80% of squats in Paris are art squats.

In 1999 a group of young artists known as KGB broke into to 59 Rue de Rivoli. They transformed the building into a creative working environment which gained huge amounts of public interest. %FTQJUF UIJT UIF 'SFODI 4UBUF mMFE DPNQMBJOUT against this anti-establishment art movement and the artists were evicted in 2000.

But following Bertant Delano’s election, the French Government purchased the building, legalised the squat and allowed artists to work in a safe and protected environment. With up to 40,000 annual visitors, the art squat soon became the third most popular contemporary arts centre in Paris and a key symbol in the alternative cultural art world.

La Miroiterie, a former mirror factory in the north eastern suburbs of Paris was opened by artist Michael Ktu in 1999 and, like Rivoli, became home to many different groups of artists. La Miroiterie was forced to close in 2013, but former squatter and artist Pierre says this is no reason to be pessimistic. He tells Impact Arts: “Art squats are like the phoenix. No matter how many are killed off, they will be forever reborn”.

American Photographer Sue Rinsky has been fascinated by art squats ever since she moved

46 | HANNAH HILL

to Paris, describing them as “time capsules of glorious authentic culture”. Sue describes the fast-moving trend of art squat culture as the “most sincere expression of art”. Aiming to engage with audiences of all kinds they are much more than “just art” but instead offer an authentic environment of “learning and engagement”.

NOTTINGHAM This movement of alternative art is not restricted to derelict Parisian streets; Nottingham is also home to the alternative artist lead venture ‘Primary’.

“Primary is an artist-led space that supports creative research and the development of new ways of engaging audiences - a place of sharing and experimentation”. Michelle Bowen, in charge of the development of Primary tells Impact Arts that the organisation sees the building itself as a crucial part of the creative process. The need for the studio, coupled with highly skilled artists, “ensures an active, interesting and professional working artists environment”.

Located on Seely Road in the heart of Lenton, Primary encourages collaborations between artists and regards the shell of the building as more than a mere means of display, but as a fundamental tool in shaping the art created there.

Primary is run by charity Nottingham Studios Limited which started in 2003. It was pioneered by three city centre artists who recognised the severe lack of studio working space. In 2011, Nottingham council granted a lengthy and subsidised lease on Primary, previously a school, while the Arts Council funded

refurbishment. As Michelle Bowen says IPXFWFS UIF PSHBOJTBUJPO JT OPU ZFU B mOJTIFE product: “Primary is still in the early stages of discovering what it is and what we do”.

Primary has 17 studios and can support 30 artists and artist groups within this unique space. Michelle describes the scope of work produced as much more “holistic” than just artists; Primary is an echo of the contemporary visual arts. She describes the artists there as a “broad church” embracing a huge variety of skilled professionals including a baker, branding and graphic designers, writers, performance artists and sculptors.

Currently, Primary is only open to the public for special events, but with 2014 heralding the introduction of a new external curator and a new FWFOUT QSPHSBNNF NBOBHFS 1SJNBSZ T QSPmMF JT on the rise. From late March, Primary will open its doors to the public inviting visitors to embark on a journey around the studio. The public will be able to meet the artists and have access to their entire body of artwork instead of individual QJFDFT TFMFDUFE GPS mOBM EJTQMBZ BMMPXJOH GVSUIFS intellectual insight into the creative processes of those involved.

Rivoli 59 artist Erica describes her “working studio” environment as abolishing the “elitist image” associated with galleries by introducing a “greater proximity” between the contemporary art world and the public. This change in direction for the art world breaks down the traditional boundaries between art and the audience, and in so doing encourages us to think differently about the art itself.

Primary is just the latest example of this new NPWFNFOU BOE JT TFU UP nPVSJTI JO UIF OFBS future.

PAUSE | ARTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREAS BILLMAN | 47 38

PAUSE | ARTS CREATIVE WRITING:

WORKING THE SYSTEM

The question of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;can you teach creativity?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; has been battled over ever since creative writing courses migrated across the Atlantic to the UK in 1971. The debate has been torn both ways: in an Impact Arts survey, 74% of Nottingham students think that creativity cannot be taught.

But 96% also said that a Creative Writing degree would make someone more likely to become a successful author. Ian McEwan and Kazuo Ishiguro (UEA Alumni) are held up as poster boys of these coursesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success. Alternatively, TPNF BSHVF QBTTJPOBUFMZ BHBJOTU UIF BSUJmDJBM production of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cookie-cutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; writers and battery bred poets.

UCAS offers 78 undergraduate courses relating to Creative Writing and UoN offers its own course of English with Creative Writing, launched in 2010. The biggest problem

students have with their Creative Writing courses is assessment. 64% of UoN Creative Writing students who took the Impact Arts survey said that the mark scheme was unfair.

Their main issue is the extent to which tutorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; personal subjectivity comes in the way of objective marking. One Creative Writing student commented: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that the marking JT OFDFTTBSJMZ VOGBJS JU T KVTU EJGmDVMU XIFO ZPVS opinion of what good writing is differs from your tutorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;?.

Thomas Legendre, lecturer in Creative Writing at Nottingham, told Impact Arts that tutors look at: â&#x20AC;&#x153;One: technique, coherence, and control, two: grasp of the medium, strength of aesthetic ideas, and imagination and three: clarity of intention and executionâ&#x20AC;?. A marking criteria which uses ambiguous and subjective concepts

48 | EVE WERSOCKI MORRIS | IMAGE BY EBONY INYANGETE

such as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;imaginationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;aesthetic ideasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seems inherently problematic.

But Matthew Welton, lecturer in Writing and Creativity, told Impact Arts that it was possible UP QMBZ UIF TZTUFN i5IFSF BSF GBJSMZ TVSF mSF ways that you could can get a Firstâ&#x20AC;?. He hints that these ways include avoiding clichĂŠs, familiarity and being creatively experimental â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a beautiful sonnet comparing love to a red rose may be emotionally relevant to the writer but will probably not score high marks. If creativity is aligned with individuality these assessments are potentially more formulaic than creative.

This is assuming that all students enter a degree to achieve good marks. Welton prizes students who â&#x20AC;&#x153;donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really care what grade they getâ&#x20AC;? but focus on â&#x20AC;&#x153;success in their own termsâ&#x20AC;?. For some

PAUSE | ARTS students, a Creative Writing degree may have little status and becomes simply an enjoyment, not that the two are mutually exclusive. A potential publisher will not consult an authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree, but instead consult their writing; they may not even know if this author has taken a creative writing course.

;>0;;,930;<9, HERE ARE SOME OF THE BEST RESPONSES TO IMPACT ARTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FEBRUARY â&#x20AC;&#x153;TWITTERLITUREâ&#x20AC;?

COMPETITION, CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SUM UP THEIR FAVOURITE LITERARY WORKS IN JUST 140 WITTY CHARACTERS. #TWITLIT #MINICREATIVITY

Success as a published author ultimately depends on popularity. At the lowest level, high ranking novelists adhere to a gap in the cultural marketplace. Presenting your writing in the public light of a seminar can only be a positive.

Alix Hattenstone, 2013 graduate of English with Creative Writing at Nottingham, says that: â&#x20AC;&#x153;the most useful thing for me was workshopping storiesâ&#x20AC;? in seminars and that â&#x20AC;&#x153;peer feedback was often more detailed than teacher feedbackâ&#x20AC;?.

Zoe Aston @ZoeAston - 2m @ImpactArtsTeam 1984: poor Winston alone, ooh a woman, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like me! Oh shit, maybe our hideout wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so safe. Rats everywhere. Kill her instead.

Reply Retweet Favourite More

It is undeniable, even the harshest critics of creative writing courses will not deny it, that practicing writing makes for a better writer. Kiran Benawra, another UoN English with Creative 8SJUJOH HSBEVBUF TBZT i* mOE * DBO CF RVJUF MB[Z when it comes to writing, so doing the course with all the deadlines meant you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really make excuses for putting it offâ&#x20AC;?. Indeed 91% of current Creative Writing students surveyed

by Impact Arts say they are better writers than when they started.

Rebecca Hoyle @RebeccaHoyle - 6m @ImpactArtsTeam R&J: He was a boy. She was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?

WAIT. Family feud. Murders. Suicide #happyvalentinesday Reply Retweet Favourite More

A top degree may not be the most important outcome of these courses. Doing English or language modules alongside Creative Writing may be useful for a career-minded student.

One student told Impact Arts that they â&#x20AC;&#x153;would rather do a course on something that would give me a stable career to support my writingâ&#x20AC;?.

Aspiring authors should remind themselves that becoming the next J.K. Rowling is never a certainty and that the penniless novelist is not a clichĂŠ for nothing.

In this sense, paying ÂŁ9,000 for three years of a EFHSFF NBZ OPU CF B XJTF mOBODJBM JOWFTUNFOU if a career is neither guaranteed or the pay off is not immediate. But that ÂŁ9,000 opens the doors to the wider university experience as well. Authorship is also not the only role which requires creativity; advertising, journalism, and UFBDIJOH BMM SFRVJSF DSFBUJWF nBSF -FHFOESF stresses that â&#x20AC;&#x153;there is no single purpose of Creative Writing courses, even for a particular individualâ&#x20AC;?.

A writer reads, a writer writes, a writer improves and edits their work. These courses simply provide a framework, and a motivation, for writers to continue to do this. New writers who emerge from these courses are not formed into one standardised mould, they will not all achieve the same results, and they will not all produce novels or poems in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Nottingham Styleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Fundamentally, how these coursesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; function is to provide a creative opportunity and experience, alongside the usual university experience, and it is down to the discretion of the individual student approach to the course, academic or experimental, to develop their own creativity.

Jessica Keavney @JessicaKeavney - 5m @ImpactArtsTeam Gatsby: mysterious millionaire attempts to woo his ex gal. In a bid to rewrite the past, he ends up dead in a pool #lol #lovesucks Reply Retweet Favourite More

Alex Mawby @AlexMawby - 10m @ImpactArtsTeam Paradise Lost: boy meets girl. Girl gets a bit peckish. Condemns humanity to eternal damnation.

Reply Retweet Favourite More Vicki McDowell @VickiMcDowell - 17m @ImpactArtsTeam The Help: nice white girl writes black servant stories about horrible white women bosses. Best bit? Poo in pie. #classylady Reply Retweet Favourite More Olivia De Courcy @OliviaDeCourcy - 22m @ImpactArtsTeam 4POT -PWFST $BVHIU .VN TJUUJOH CZ UIF mSF TJOHJOH i$BO U -JWF JG Living is Without Youâ&#x20AC;?. #leavemealone #cringe Reply Retweet Favourite More James Hamilton @JamesHamilton - 29m @ImpactArtsTeam Girl with a Pearl Earring: Maid gets painted in oversized jewellery.

8JGF mOET PVU /FWFS USVTU %VUDI BSUJTUT #lifelesson Reply Retweet Favourite More Sam Todd @SamTodd - 31m @ImpactArtsTeam Enders Game: A young boy is taken from his family and tricked into committing genocide against a misunderstood alien race. He feels bad.

Reply Retweet Favourite More Will Hazell @WillHazell - 36m @ImpactArtsTeam Brave New World: A man spends his life being a total killjoy, and refuses to shut up, chill out and have a good time Reply Retweet Favourite More Alice Child @AliceChild - 40m @ImpactArtsTeam Dorian Gray: sex, parties, drink, opium, sex, money, prostitutes, a creepy painting, sex. WHY CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T I BE YOUNG FOREVER #yolo Reply Retweet Favourite More Emma Lawton @EmmaLawton - 47m @ImpactArtsTeam Twilight: Girl meets vampire boy. Werewolf boy gets jel. Supernatural family confrontation sucks the fun out of Sunday roasts tbh Reply Retweet Favourite More Eve Wersocki Morris @EveWersockiMorris - 52m @ImpactArtsTeam Hamlet. Prince meets Ghost. Evil Step Father is horney and murderous. Everyone ends in mincemeat. "'BNJMZ.BUUFS 4IBYmMN Reply Retweet Favourite More 49

PAUSE | MUSIC

FUCKING PEOPLE OFF: HOW NOT TO BEHAVE AT A GIG We have all been to gigs with that dick starting a mosh pit in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; COUPLE front of you, forcing you backwards into the person behind, Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made your way to your position in the whilst a couple in front of you are more concerned with the crowd and you realise youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re standing behind that DPVQMF 1%" UP TPNF JT UIF EFmOJUJPO PG B feel of each others tonsils than the act they paid money to see. strong relationship. Nobody enjoys watching The list is endless when it comes to what should be, and what the wandering hands and overzealous mouth shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be allowed in gigs, but Impact Music have brought you actions of a couple, but it always happens.

5IFO UIF CBOE mOBMMZ DPNF PO BOE XIJMTU ZPV the big four to watch out for. may be jumping and having a good time, the

MOBILE PHONES

THE INEVITABLE MOSH PIT

When it comes to mobile phones, everybody has taken a picture of their favourite artists on stage, or taken a fuzzy recording of their song of choice. But there is a line that has to be drawn. At their recent gig at Rock City, London Grammar were only visible by looking through QIPOF TDSFFOT mMNJOH QIPOF TDSFFOT 8BWJOH phones in the air is also inadvisable for the QFSTPO mMNJOH UIF DPOUFOU XJMM OFWFS CF BT good as looking past your screen. You pay for seeing the band itself, not a recording easily found from previous gigs on Youtube.

Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter what gig you are at, from Bombay Bicycle Club to Metallica, a mosh pit will always appear. Granted, they can be fun for those involved, but the bouncing from side to side into other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;less mosh pit inclinedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; viewers will ruin their night for the sake of yours.

The start of mosh pits are always the same; outstretched arms spread across the bodies of those next to you. The multiple steps back to create a space big enough for half the audience rather than four sweaty individuals follows and then the subsequent count in and push forward. We have all been there, most have been involved in them, but if you just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fancy it, being part of the human pinball experience is never fun.

50 | DANIEL JONES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCLARTY

couple are locked as one. Nobody enjoys this, but it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t continue to happen.

THE â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;SNEAK INâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; MOVE â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just going to my friends over thereâ&#x20AC;?, he shouts, whilst pointing to an area of overpopulated space. It happens at every gig, and to be fair who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to move forward and be closer to the action? But in regards to gig etiquette, there are two sides to this story. You get annoyed by that six foot mWF HVZ XIP IBT OPX CMPDLFE ZPVS WJFX BOE proceeds to pull through this rest of his mates.

Equally, whilst trying to push through yourself, you are met by an angry pair who wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let you through because the metre or so space in front is their claimed breathing territory.

PAUSE | MUSIC

IMPACT INTRODUCING: CHLÖE HOWL IMPACT MUSIC INTRODUCES ONE OF THE BBC SOUND OF 2014 NOMINEES, CHLÖE HOWL, AS SHE HEADS OUT ON THE ROAD WITH ELLIE GOULDING TO PLAY THE BIGGEST SHOWS OF HER CAREER SO FAR. YOU’VE RECENTLY BEEN NOMINATED FOR SOME HUGE AWARDS. HAVE THINGS CHANGED MUCH? I guess it just means that you get a lot more people seeing your name which is good, so it’s just an easier way for people to discover you.

It’s also nice to know that you have the support of people like the BBC and the Brits, so it’s all really positive.

YOUR LATEST SINGLE ‘PAPER HEART’ HAS HAD ALMOST HALF A MILLION LISTENS ON SPOTIFY. WHAT WAS THE INFLUENCE BEHIND THE TRACK? Basically I wrote it when I was really tired and in a really bad mood. I got messed about by some guy for months about a year before I wrote it, and I wrote the song to make it out like I was actually the one that ended things. So it was a bit of therapy really. I have no idea if he knows it’s about him as I don’t really talk to him anymore. He’s a bit deluded because he thinks he’s the nicest guy in the world.

YOU WERE SIGNED STRAIGHT AFTER YOUR EXAMS, WAS THAT CRAZY BEING SO YOUNG? It’s weird because I have been working at it since I was really young, so in the least arrogant way it felt quite natural. It was a gentle build up but then when it all came together I was like “fuck yeah!”

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR HIGHLIGHT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? Supporting Bastille was pretty cool. At the time that was my biggest crowd. It was really fun to see how enthusiastic their fans are, and to play in front of a big and really ‘vibey’ crowd.

FORGOTTEN CLASSICS: ‘BE HERE NOW’ BY OASIS 1997 will be remembered as a year of change in the minds of many a Briton. We lost the beloved Princess Diana and gained the complicated premiership of Tony Blair.

Also released upon the world was the third album from Oasis, who seemed almost unstoppable at this point in their career taking over the charts and public consciousness.

Noel himself remarked that Be Here Now would be the album that made them or broke them, along with the fact that himself and his brother IBE CFDPNF DFMFCSJUZ mHVSFT XIPTF IFEPOJTUJD antics ruled tabloids for the better part of a few years.

From the soaring opening track of ‘D’ya know what I mean’, we are laid bare by an album heaving in production. The guitars are piled on thick, drums crash around and Liam’s snarl sounds more nasal and impassioned than ever.

Many critics deemed this album inferior to Morning Glory. But Impact Music disagree.

Stand By Me has a loveable chorus that is as endearing as it is well-written, whilst It’s Getting Better Man ploughs on as one of the band’s most rocking tunes to date.

we see Oasis not merely seeking rock ‘n’ roll immortality, but pushing far beyond.

Noel opens out his soft side with the fragile Don’t Go Away, written about guitarist Bonehead’s late mother. Fade In-Out is a Zeppelin-esque super jam that transcends all Oasis typicality, and I Hope, I Think, I Know, demonstrates Noel’s supreme talent for writing melody. The Girl In The Dirty Shit B mWF NJOVUF plodding anthem, sees the humorous side of the Gallaghers.

Whilst Be Here Now may not be the shining statement of optimism that is the seminal Morning Glory, it is a successful follow up, a task that in itself was near impossible. Here MIKE BURMAN | 51

SPORT

TEN-PIN BOWLING WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BOWLING? )V^SPUN PZ HS^H`Z M\U >OL[OLY `V\»YL IV^SPUN Z[YPRLZ VY N\[[LY IHSSZ WLVWSL HYL HS^H`Z ZTPSPUN (Z a sport, it can be as competitive as you make it; you can approach it from a completely social perZWLJ[P]L VY [HRL P[ X\P[L ZLYPV\ZS` >OPJOL]LY `V\ JOVVZL `V\»SS Ã&#x201E;UK `V\ JHU PTWYV]L ]LY` X\PJRS` ^P[O a bit of effort and may want to try a tournament, which are great club days out. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re handicapped so everyone can play together. The lack of division makes for a really friendly club, and excellent atmosphere.

HOW MUCH IS IT TO JOIN AND TAKE PART? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s £10 for a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership and £6 for three games every time you decide to take part. That is a

ZH]PUN ^OPJO HTV\U[Z [V X\P[L H SV[ PM `V\ QVPU \Z L]LY` ^LLR >L IV^S L]LY` ;O\YZKH` H[ WT at MFA bowl in town and then go to the local pub afterwards.

IS THERE A STRONG SOCIAL SCENE IN THE SOCIETY? >L OH]L H NYV\W WVSPJ`! PM V\Y TLTILYZ Z\NNLZ[ ZVTL[OPUN HUK HYL RLLU [V KV P[ [OLU ^L [Y` V\Y ILZ[ [V KV P[ >L»YL ]LY` Ã&#x2026;L_PISL ZVJPL[` PU [OH[ ZLUZL >L OH]L WVRLY UPNO[Z SHZLY X\LZ[Z HK]LU[\YL golf, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been to greyhound racing as well as Crisis socials. Our members always socialise together outside of the club too.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU OFFER? >L OH]L X\HSPÃ&#x201E;LK PUZ[Y\J[VYZ [V OLSW WLVWSL VM HU` HIPSP[` [V HJOPL]L [OLPY NVHSZ >L HYL WHY[ VM =HYZP[` HS[OV\NO \UMVY[\UH[LS` P[ KVLZU»[ JV\U[ [V^HYKZ [OL WVPU[Z Z`Z[LT ;OLYL»Z H SHYNL YHUNL VM HIPSP[PLZ ^P[OPU =HYZP[` HUK `V\ KVU»[ OH]L [V IL H ZLHZVULK WYV [V IV^S MVY \Z >L HYL HMÃ&#x201E;SPH[LK ^P[O [OL );)( ZV ^L JHU VMMLY JLY[PÃ&#x201E;JH[LZ ^OPJO YLJVNUPZL WLVWSL»Z HIPSP[` VU H UH[PVUHS SL]LS

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AT YOUR UNI? JONO HOYER CAUGHT UP WITH JAMIE BOAST AND TOM HORNE FROM UON WIND AND SAIFUL SALIHUDIN AND FRAZER BOWEN FROM UON TEN PIN BOWLING TO TALK PINS, PRICES AND PARTYINGâ&#x20AC;¦

WINDSURFING WHAT IS WINDSURFING? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s literally a cross between every water sport you can think of.

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS THAT WINDSURFING IS EXPENSIVE AND TOO TECHNICAL, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT? >LSS MVY Â&#x2030; H `LHY ^L WYV]PKL TLTILYZ ^P[O full kit, which includes three new sails purchased last year, and the opportunity to windsurf all year YV\UK >PUKZ\YÃ&#x201E;UN PZ HSZV H ZWVY[ ^OLYL PM `V\ want to progress quickly itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly possible.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll probably fall in a little if you try new things but at the same time you can still windsurf casually if you prefer to stay reasonably dry. Half VM V\Y TLTILYZ OHK UL]LY KVUL ^PUKZ\YÃ&#x201E;UN before so most people are in the same boat, so to speak.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST WINDSURFED? The sport was exhilarating and the people were really chilled and welcoming. It was just great fun as I felt very at ease.

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT THE SPORT? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most faced paced non-motor powered water sport; you can reach speeds of in excess VM TWO PM `V\»YL NVVK >L VMMLY H ]LY` JOLHW deal which would be inaccessible outside of Uni. There are also opportunities to go on trips to places like Bristol, Cornwall, and Liverpool and join 250+ people for a weekend full of partying HUK ^PUKZ\YÃ&#x201E;UN

52 | JONO HOYER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN CONNOR AND UONBOWLING INSTAGRAM

SPORT

WHAT’S ON YOUR DOORSTEP?

N O T T I N G H A M GREYHOUND STADIUM Greyhound racing has been on the wane in recent times. Over the past 65 years the number of tracks in England has reduced from a total of 85 to 25. However one track that has survived can be found here in Nottingham. It may be the slightly seedy relative of horse racing; swap top OH[Z MVY ÅH[ JHWZ HUK IV[[SLZ VM WPUR 3H\YLU[ Perrier for pints of Grolsh. Nevertheless there is a memorable social occasion to be had at Nottingham dogs at any of the four meetings held there per week.

TICKETS

GETTING THERE

>P[O [OPZ PU TPUK -YPKH` VY :H[\YKH` UPNO[ ^V\SK be the best meeting to go to as an alternative way to start a night out. If they can attract enough numbers, dog tracks are capable of generating an exciting atmosphere. Though evenings attract a mixed crowd, you’ll see a clear divide: those there for the racing, who stalk the betting ring carrying carefully annotated race cards, and those there for a few beers and a few £2 bets on the Tote.

A stone’s throw from the racecourse, the dog track is located at Colwick Park around two miles from the city centre. Once in the centre of town there are two possible bus routes to the stadium.

One is the number 44 which leaves from King Street, the other the link two (yellow park and YPKL ^OPJO Z[VWZ VU 7HYSPHTLU[ :[YLL[ HUK Collins Street. You may think it easier to get a taxi which comes to approximately £8, an inexpensive option if travelling with a crowd.

There are three night meetings held per week; on 4VUKH` -YPKH` HUK :H[\YKH` L]LUPUNZ ;OL ÄYZ[ race is at 18.28 and the last at 22.15. Admission costs £5 for the Monday meeting and £6 for both the Friday and the Saturday. Alternatively, if you have a few hours to spare, there is slightly less lively meeting on Tuesday afternoon with free admission.

ATMOSPHERE

FOOD AND DRINK

A pint of Grolsh, their best lager, will cost you £3.50. From the downstairs snacks bar, a cheese burger costs £2.60 and sausage and chips £3.60. If you want to make the evening more of an occasion you can book a table (£1 booking MLL PU [OL YLZ[H\YHU[ \WZ[HPYZ ;OLYL `V\ JHU get a three course meal for £16, including a set menu with four options per course. You get table service for bets as well as for drinks which is a novelty. The restaurant also offers a birdseye view of the track.

A visit to Nottingham dogs could well provide a new experience for many, with Friday and Saturday evening meetings timed perfectly for a social occasion.

IMAGE BY PAUL FLETCHER | DAN ZEQIRI | 53

SPORT

IMPACT SPORT SPEAKS TO STUDENT REFEREES ABOUT ABUSE, COMPETITION AND WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK IN THE BIGGEST FOOTBALL CLUB IN THE COUNTRY. It’s strange to think that the biggest football club in the country has only just introduced referees to police its games, but if you go down to Grove -HYT VU H >LKULZKH` :H[\YKH` VY :\UKH` `V\»SS ÄUK [OH[ OH]PUN HU VMÄJPHS KYLZZLK PU ISHJR is still a novelty.

There are ninety teams in Nottingham University IMS and over one thousand players who regularly turn out to play for their respective halls, courses or societies. Until this year, they never had paid VMÄJPHSZ Harry Copson and Sam Dean are two of the student referees that have been employed by IMS co-ordinator, Glynn Dignum, to take charge of games this year. But neither of them had ever considered it before.

Currently, referees only control the IMS Football ‘Super League’, and the standard leagues are still unsupervised. This is partly due to costing; safer and more comfortable with the game, as it costs a team £400 to enter the Super League they only have to focus on football”. compared to £200 for the standard leagues, as a result of the payment of the referees, who receive Tom is in prime position to compare taking £16 per game. Dignum is keen to extend the JVU[YVS VM HU 04: Ä_[\YL JVTWHYLK [V NHTLZ H[ H referees to the whole of IMS in the future, despite higher level, having refereed both the Nottingham the extra cost.

Forest and Notts County Academy teams and ILLU HU HZZPZ[HU[ YLMLYLL [V /V^HYK >LII [OL ¸>L JHU Z\IZPKPZL WHY[ VM [OL JVZ[" ,UKZSLPNO MVY ,UNSPZO >VYSK *\W -PUHS YLMLYLL example, sponsor IMS, and some of the money /L WVPU[Z V\[ [OL KPMMLYLUJLZ PU ZRPSS HUK Ä[ULZZ levels, but is keen to underline that the majority of games are played in a fair spirit: “A lot of the time, players are well behaved, but can be prone to getting frustrated with the way that either they, or their own teammates, are playing.

“I think you have to be careful to look at the line between player frustration and direct abuse aimed at you. My worst experience was abandoning a local game after being head-butted by a player, but it was the only game out of over 150 that I’ve had something that bad happen”.

“I got an email from Glynn who said that next year there was an opportunity for people to get paid to ref the IMS games”, Sam tells Impact Sport, “and they would get a free referring X\HSPÄJH[PVU [VV 0 [OV\NO[ ^OH[»Z [V SVZL& 0[»Z ZVTL[OPUN [V KV VU >LKULZKH` HM[LYUVVUZ ^OLU Harry and Sam have never encountered this level I’d normally be doing nothing anyway”. of abuse in their experiences of refereeing to date. “I’ve never used a card once”, Sam says, and Harry agrees: “As football goes, IMS is quite “THE FIRST THING IS NOT TO easy to referee; most people know each other RESPOND; TO MAINTAIN AN AURA and you don’t get a lot of problems. Besides, there’s no point in dishing out cards because OF CALM AND CONTROL”. there’s no follow-up punishment system”.

So is it about the money or the experience? “A bit of it’s about the money”, Harry admits. ;OH[ ZHPK YLHJ[PVUZ JHU KPMMLY ¸;OL ÄYZ[ [OPUN PZ “Everyone at uni is looking for a bit of extra not to respond; to maintain an aura of calm and money and we get paid £8 an hour. It’s also really control”, Harry explains. “If you start responding good to have on your CV, particularly if you want to things people say to you then you’re just going to go into careers like teaching”. to make things worse”.

Dignum joined the University in October 2012 in a newly-created post, and soon realised that the However that can be easier said than done: introduction of referees to IMS sport would great- “On the occasion that I have got a fair amount S` ILULÄ[ [OL Z[\KLU[Z PU]VS]LK! ¸( SV[ VM [OL SHKZ of abuse I have sworn back at people”, Sam say that they can govern the games by themHKTP[Z ¸>OLU `V\»YL H Z[\KLU[ HUK `V\ RUV^ selves, but it helps with controversial decisions they’re a student, you’re all on a similar level and things like that. It’s hard to referee your own and it’s not like you’re refereeing children. So if match – you try not to be biased but usually as someone called me a wanker, I wouldn’t have a a consequence you end up being biased against problem with telling him to get on with it. I have your own team”. lost my temper before, and I realise it’s a bit stupid”. ;VT ;VSVUK H Z[\KLU[ HUK -( SL]LS Ä]L YLMLYLL agrees: “I think it is a great step forwards as the +PNU\T HZ [OL WVY[ VM JHSS MVY KPZZH[PZÄLK Z[\‘self-refereeing’ system that was in place in IMS dents, has not received a single complaint about previously doesn’t work. People end up hurting H MVV[IHSS YLMLYLL ¸>OLYL 0 WYL]PV\ZS` ^VYRLK each other, or tend to favour their own team, so in the city, it was really challenging, but here, may not make the correct decisions. I think the P[»Z TVYL [OH[ WLVWSL HYL OHWW` [V IL ILULÄ[PUN presence of referees allows the players to feel from the fact that there’s someone in the middle

54

willing to support the sport. Most of the guys are perfectly happy with that, and that’s credit to the students at the University”.

that they gave us went to pay for refereeing courses and the referees kit. If you ref in a local league, you have to buy all your own kit, but here we have free branded kit for the refs.

“Similarly, we put a refereeing course on in October and we’re putting another one on in late February for another batch of refs, which is subsidised. The FA charge £125 per person but we only pass on £25 of that to students”.

There is no expectation for the referees to further their experiences beyond IMS level. Harry and Sam freely admit that they would not feel comfortable taking control of a game at a higher level, and are happy to do it as a hobby.

Tom, however, is eager to achieve more. He is SVVRPUN [V JVTWSL[L OPZ SL]LS MV\Y -( X\HSPÄJH[PVU next season before looking towards refereeing at professional level, although his goals are modest for now: “It’s certainly something I’d like to pursue in the long run, but I think what is most important is to consolidate your knowledge and L_WLYPLUJL HUK I\PSK ÄYT MV\UKH[PVUZ ILMVYL `V\ dream big.

“I HAVE LOST MY TEMPER BEFORE, AND I REALISE IT’S A BIT STUPID”.

“If you can do this, then you can rise quickly, whilst being safe in the knowledge that you have experience to back you up”.

For Dignum, the key is to maintain the friendly ethos of IMS sport: “IMS is competitive, but it’s meant to be enjoyable and fun as well, and that’s YLHSS` PTWVY[HU[ >L KVU»[ ^HU[ P[ [V ILJVTL ÄLYJLS` JVTWL[P[P]L ^OLYL WLVWSL HYL OVSKPUN H NY\KNL VY HYN\PUN VY ÄNO[PUN V]LY KLJPZPVUZ “At the end of the day it’s meant to be an enjoyable experience for students, and we think it should stay that way”.

SPORT

MEN IN BLACK:

THE STUDENT REFEREES OF NOTTINGHAM “MY WORST EXPERIENCE WAS ABANDONING A LOCAL GAME AFTER BEING HEAD-BUTTED BY A PLAYER”.

“IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO CONSOLIDATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, AND BUILD FIRM FOUNDATIONS BEFORE YOU DREAM BIG”.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMANUEL CROVA VIA FLICKR | JONNIE BARNETT | 55

EXPOSURE

VARSITY 2014

56 |

EXPOSURE

Images by: Nico Enders, Callum Mclarty, Martin Sylvester, Ben Tynegate.

RESULTS: UoN 4 - 3 Trent in the Ice Hockey - 27/1 i6P/ PWFSUVSOFE B UISFF HPBM EFmDJU UP FNFSHF WJDUPSJPVT JO UIF PQFOJOH 7BSTJUZ mYUVSFw UoN 12 - 40 Trent in the Rugby League - 7/2 “Trent made their class count as they beat UoN to level the series at 1-1” UPCOMING FIXTURES: American Football - 23/2 - Clifton Campus Swimming - 12/3 - University Park Swimming Centre Netball and Table Tennis - 14/3 - Clifton Campus Lacrosse and Women’s Rugby - 22/3 - Clifton Campus Hockey - 28/3 - Beeston Hockey Club Football - TBC Cricket 4/6 - Clifton Campus

| 57

Editorial Team

/ImpactNottingham

@ImpactNottingham

impactnottingham01

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EDITORIAL Editors-in-Chief Print Editor

Antonia Paget and Emily Tripp Adam Keyworth

MANAGEMENT Managing Editor PR, Distribution Secretary Associate PR Secretaries Events Manager Advertising Manager

Francesca Garforth Lily Glasson Kati Hall and Annabelle Wright Ryan Bagnall Katy Roe

DESIGN

Design Editors Harry Dinsdale, Grace Mclaughlin Associate Design Editors Leah Bingham, Charlotte Albert, Saanchi Prithani

IMAGES Image Editors Video Editor Associate Video Editor

Ben Tynegate, Callum Mclarty, Andreas Billman Ntobeko Chidavaenzi Kevin Hassan

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SECTIONS News Editors Comment Editors Sports Editors Associate Sport Editor Features Editors Associate Features Editor Features Online Editor Travel Editors Music Editors Film Editors Associate Film Editor Style Editors Arts Editors Associate Arts Editor Science Editors Food Editors Gaming Editors

Ella Funge, Belinda Toor, Kat Rolle Robert Smith, Rob Moher John Mastrini, Jonnie Barnett Dan Zeqiri Will Hazell, Emily Shackleton, Alex Mawby Sarah Dear Alex Mawby Gianlluca Simi, Alexander Fitzgerald Alex Neely, Daniel Jones Sam Todd, Lucy Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Boyle Bharat Samra Harriet Brown, Jessica Roseblade Alice Child, Eve Wersocki Morris Emma Lawton Jessica Hewitt-Dean, Faiza Peeran Louis Fitzherbert, George Hughes-Davies Robert Priest, Richard Lakucs

Contributors Jono Hoyer, Hannah Hill, Felix Taylor, Adam Batchelor, Tom Welshman, Samantha Morris, Rachael Cooney, David Pervan, Richard Rodrigues, Priya Panesar, Daisy Foster, Jeremy Dobson, Louisa Chenciner, Charlotte McIntyre, Olivia Redmond, Jacob Strauss, Abby Ross, Mike Burman Cover Image: Andreas Billman & Ben Tynegate

Get in touch editorinchief@impactnottingham.com antonia.paget@impactnottingham.com emily.tripp@impactnottingham.com adam.keyworth@impactnottingham.com managing@impactnottingham.com prdistribution@impactnottingham.com website@impactnottingham.com webdev@impactnottingham.com design@impactnottingham.com images@impactnottingham.com videoeditor@impactnottingham.com news@impactnottingham.com features@impactnottingham.com comment@impactnottingham.com style@impactnottingham.com travel@impactnottingham.com science@impactnottingham.com food@impactnottingham.com film@impactnottingham.com music@impactnottingham.com gaming@impactnottingham.com arts@impactnottingham.com sports@impactnottingham.com editorinchief@impactnottingham.com emily.tripp@impactnottingham.com antonia.paget@impactnottingham.com adam.keyworth@impactnottingham.com

Apologies We would like to apologise to Anandi Vara for misspelling her name, and for not stating that she was the winner of the Arts photography competition.

We would like to apologise to Andreas Billman for also misspelling his name.

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