WELCOME
EDITORIAL The news recently has been dominated by stories of student activism across the country; from the horrific treatment of students at Warwick by the police, which prompted solidarity demos across the country, to the national demo in London for free education. However, all seems quiet at Nottingham, which has gained a reputation as a particularly apathetic University, but this doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to be concerned about. In this issue, Impact’s news team have investigated two troubling issues at our University. The first concerns the councils who act as the decision-making bodies on behalf of UoN. One of these bodies, the University Executive Board, made the decision to increase tuition fees by 5% for international and postgraduate students joining in 2015. Neither the current Education Officer nor last year’s Education Officer were consulted about the decision. More concerns arise when we consider the other bodies, such as the University Council, which acts as the University’s governing body, and includes the UoNSU President and Education Officer. The body claimed £3,750 in 2013 and £10,787 in 2012 for ‘expenses’. When Impact requested details regarding items claimed as expenses, the University declined to share the information, saying that it would exceed the 18 hour limit to locate it. This raises the question of whether students are entitled to transparency from this committee - particularly as it involves giving money to a committee which includes officers that we elect. We have also investigated the University’s relationship with BP, and how this juxtaposes the University’s green reputation. Despite students’ concerns about the University’s affiliation with BP, the SU seems reluctant to pressure the University into cutting its ties to the company. Perhaps if there was widespread uproar across the student body, the University would bow to pressure to cut ties. So why aren’t Nottingham students angrier? Are we just not paying attention, or do we just not care?
SARAH DEAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
INSIDE ON THE COVER
4
NEWS INVESTIGATION
FROM PAY CHEQUES TO FEE RISES
Making the decisions that affect YOU
8
NEWS INVESTIGATION
BP AND ME
Investigating UoN’s relationship with the oil giant
10 COMMENT
THE POSTGRADUATE PURSUIT
Is doing a Masters worth it?
14 FEATURES
STUDY DRUGS: MORE HARM THAN HELP?
Impact looks at UoN’s study drug consumption
2
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
24 TRAVEL
THE UMBRELLA MOVEMENT
EXPOSURE
THE BEST OF UON
Showcasing our best photographers' work
How activists are hoping to set Hong Kong free
32
FILM Our verdict on 2014's offerings
JÄGER-TRUTH-BOMBS The science behind the shot
MUSIC
The cafes right outside your door
62
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS Delve into some new genres in 2015
FOOD
LENTON'S BEST EATERIES
52
IMPACT MOVIE AWARDS
SCIENCE
34
48
ARTS
66
AROUND THE WORLD IN 6 BOOKS The best the globe has to offer
39 STYLE
REUSE, RESTYLE
Revamp your wardrobe without breaking the bank
SPORTS
77
LECTURE OR LEISURE
Why doesn't UoN offer a sports degree?
3
NEWS
FROM PAY CHEQUES TO FEE RISES
THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS HAVE SEEN AN INTENSIFICATION OF INDUSTRIAL ACTION TAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE UNION (UCU), MOST RECENTLY THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN A MARKING BOYCOTT BY ACADEMIC STAFF AND, AT A LOCAL LEVEL, AN INCREASING DEMAND FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (UON) TO PAY A LIVING WAGE TO ALL STAFF. IN 2013 THE UNIVERSITY DELIVERED A SURPLUS OF £22 MILLION FOR THAT YEAR, A LEVEL CONSISTENT WITH THE £24 MILLION ACHIEVED IN 2012*. IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS ESCALATION IN INDUSTRIAL ACTION, THE MAINTENANCE OF A YEARLY SURPLUS AND THE CLAIM MADE BY THE UON REGISTRAR, DR PAUL GREATRIX, TO CAMPAIGNERS IN NOVEMBER 2014 THAT UON IS “NOT IN A POSITION” TO INCREASE WAGES “AT THE MOMENT”, IMPACT NEWS INVESTIGATES HOW SOME OF THE DECISION MAKING COMMITTEES AT THE UNIVERSITY FUNCTION.**
4
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
UNIVERSITY SENIOR LEADERSHIP: THEIR INFLUENCE, ACTIVITIES AND DECISION-MAKING EXPLAINED
The University of Nottingham’s University Council (UC) acts as its governing body and holds primary powers over finance*. UoN’s Annual Financial Statement describes how the council has responsibility to ‘act as the principal financial and business authority of the University; including approving budgets and financial plans’ and ‘having overall responsibilities for the University’s assets, properties and estates’ as well having ‘to oversee the Students’ Union’. University Council is made up of 25 members, 2 of which, the University of Nottingham Students’ Union (UoNSU) President and the SU Education Officer, provide the student representation on the panel. The latest figures available show the council of the University to be comprised of 14 ‘external’ members, the Vice-Chancellor and 8 academic representatives alongside the SU officers. Figures from the previously mentioned financial statement also detailed the amount claimed as ‘expenses’ by University Council members in each academic years; in 2013, UC ‘expenses’ totalled £3,750 and in 2012 the figure was £10,787. Data from the 2013 statement also showed the preservation of the Vice-Chancellor’s salary at a total of £274,000, while also noting the existence of an ‘accommodation allowance’ set at £42,000 for the academic year and a ‘private health policy’ set at £2,000 for the same period.
“PREVIOUSLY, THE UNIVERSITY HAS PROVIDED HOUSING TO THE VICECHANCELLOR, EITHER ON CAMPUS OR OFF CAMPUS” Following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by Impact, asking for details regarding items claimed as ‘expenses’ by University Council members, the University revealed that ‘this information is held’, but that ‘it would exceed the 18 hour limit [set by the FoI Act] to locate it’. A further FoI request, asking for details of the use of the ‘accommodation allowance’ by the Vice-Chancellor, prompted the University’s Head of Governance Administration to comment that they ‘can confirm that the figure stated in the accounts [£42,000] is an allowance and there is no breakdown’. The response went on to state that ‘previously, the University has provided housing to the Vice-Chancellor, either on campus or off campus’ and that ‘this is standard practice and continues to be in place for many universities across the country. During the recruitment process in 2008 for a new Vice-Chancellor, it was decided that this practice would not continue and, in its place, an annual accommodation allowance would be provided to the ViceChancellor as part of the remuneration package’, it continued. The annual salary or ‘remuneration’ of the Vice-Chancellor and other members of the University’s senior management is decided by a separate decision making body, entitled the Remuneration Committee. UoN’s 2014-15 Remuneration Committee is made up of 7 members, including the Vice-Chancellor, University Treasurer, Registrar and one
further external panellist. In March 2014, a Freedom of Information request was sent to UoN by UCU, asking for the non-redacted publication of minutes from the last meeting of the Remuneration Committee, at which an increase base salary for the Vice-Chancellor was agreed by all members present.
“OVER THE PAST ACADEMIC YEAR, THE UEB HAS MADE A NUMBER OF HIGH PROFILE DECISIONS REGARDING FUTURE INVESTMENTS BY UON AS WELL AS TUITION FEE RISES FOR INTERNATIONAL AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS” In an email sent to a UCU press officer, a UoN spokesperson disclosed that the accessibility of this information was ‘exempt’ because the publication of such material would ‘hinder the free and frank exchange of views’, ‘hinder the frankness of discussions at future meetings’ and ‘greatly prohibit’ the successful operation of the Remuneration Committee as it ‘must operate in a safe space’. The email went to state that there was ‘considerable’ risk involved with the ‘very sensitive issues’ discussed by the committee and of the ‘importance of open debate to reach the best decisions’. In addition to these two committees, UoN also involves a separate panel, the University Executive Board (UEB), in its decision making processes and affirms that the UEB is ‘the University’s senior leadership team’. It is made up of 13 members, including the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Estates Officer. According to the University of Nottingham’s website, the UEB exists to ‘direct the affairs of the University’ and ‘to engage with the external environment affecting the institution and higher education - both nationally and internationally - to inform decision making’. Over the past academic year, the UEB has made a number of high profile decisions regarding future investments by UoN, as well as tuition fee rises for the 2015-16 cohort of international and postgraduate students. The increase in fees is around 5% on the previous academic year, 2014/15 and Students’ Union Education Officer, Adam BK, told Impact that “unfortunately, myself (and I believe the International Students’ Officer) were not consulted as the decision was taken before we took office”. Members of the 2013-14 SU officer team also told Impact that they had no information of or consulted about the intention to raise tuition fees further. In response to questioning by Impact about the rises in tuition fees for the 2015-16 academic year, a University of Nottingham spokesperson said: “University fees are reviewed on an annual basis by University Executive Board and may be adjusted in the light of inflation, university costs and market conditions. For 2015-16 both home fees (where the fees are not statutorily controlled) and international fees were increased”.
5
NEWS
PRECARIOUS TEACHING CONTRACTS: EMPLOYMENT THROUGH THE EYES OF TEACHING STAFF AT NOTTINGHAM
Impact also spoke to a member of the University’s teaching staff, currently employed on a casualised contract to teach and demonstrate by the temporary staffing service, Unitemps, rather than UoN. Casualisation is a term used in the industrial relations and human resources industries to describe the changing of employment contracts so that regular workers are re-employed on a casual or short-term basis. They spoke frankly about the Remuneration Committee’s transparency and how not being technically employed by the University on a secure employment contract has affected their ability to research and prepare for the workload of teaching.
“I BELIEVE THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS CHOSEN TO EMPLOY A LARGE NUMBER OF ITS TEACHING STAFF THROUGH UNITEMPS CHIEFLY IN ORDER TO FRAGMENT THE WORKFORCE” “My opinion of Unitemps as an employment agency is generally very positive, having worked in a number of jobs through them, including my most recent teaching position. However, I believe that the University has chosen to employ a large number of its teaching staff through Unitemps chiefly in order to fragment the workforce. It is no coincidence that during the recent marking boycott the UCU was forced to advise teaching staff employed by Unitemps that they would not be covered by the Union’s legal protection as the dispute was with the University, not with Unitemps. This is part of a long tradition of employers seeking to divide and isolate employees in order to undermine the effectiveness of industrial action on the behalf of teaching staff. “Unitemps also allows for teaching staff to be paid at an hourly rate for specific aspects of their job; i.e. 1 hour per seminar per week, 1 hour seminar preparation per week etc. I would be surprised if this has resulted in an increase in the pay of casualised teaching staff”. They went on to disclose their exasperation at their contract status and concern about the University’s lack of transparency. “I’m sure most teaching staff, and non-teaching staff for that matter, would agree that casualised contracts go hand-in-hand with job insecurity. Most people I know on casualised contracts are unsure what, if any, teaching they will be doing from semester to semester. This kind of uncertainty is unfortunately seen as par for the course these days, especially for those at an early stage in their academic career. I wouldn’t say that it necessarily affects my day to day work, although the fact I’m having to work 2-3 other jobs in addition to my teaching role to help pay the bills probably does. As does the idea that only 1 hour of preparation is needed for a week’s seminars. “For me, the reasons given for not releasing the minutes of the latest Remuneration Committee meeting are disingenuous; the lack of transparency regarding decisions that affect all university employees is extremely worrying. The ‘very sensitive nature of the issues discussed by the Committee’ are precisely the reason the minutes should be 6
released. It is well-known that the pay rises given to Vice-Chancellors and other senior management staff across UK higher education has far outstripped those of all other university employees, including teaching and non-teaching staff, if they receive any at all of course. These issues reflect the disturbing trend in the UK to treat higher education as a ‘business’ like any other”.
“MOST PEOPLE I KNOW ON CASUALISED CONTRACTS ARE UNSURE WHAT, IF ANY, TEACHING THEY WILL BE DOING FROM SEMESTER TO SEMESTER” They continued, “I would add that [the casualisation of labour] is neither a new problem, nor is it exclusive to Nottingham. My School employs a fairly large number of ‘Teaching Affiliates’ on casualised contracts, often PhD students or recent doctoral graduates, who are keen to pursue an academic career and provide an excellent quality of teaching for students. Both of these aspirations are much easier to achieve when you have job security and are given the time to prepare for teaching and conduct further research. Casualised contracts rarely afford teaching staff either of these luxuries as they often have to work other jobs to make ends meet, which inevitably eats into the time they have for research and teaching preparation”.
IN RESPONSE TO IMPACT’S INVESTIGATION, THE UNIVERSITY COMMENTED:
“Details regarding members of University Council can be found on our website. As you can see, the majority are not employed by the University and they give their time for free to contribute significantly to University governance, many having to travel significant distances to attend. As well as attendance at Council meetings and sub-committee meetings, many members volunteer substantial time to support the University by sitting on project management groups, leading events and providing professional advice. Examples include significant roles played by numerous Council members in the Impact Campaign, Jeff Randall presenting on media engagement and Dame Liz Fradd’s patronage of the National Junior Leadership Academy.
“THE UNIVERSITY CONSIDERED DISCLOSURE OF THOSE PARTICULAR MINUTES TO BE PREJUDICIAL TO EFFECTIVE PUBLIC AFFAIRS” “Council members are advised that they may make claims for travel and subsistence expenses which relate to attendance at University business events. Expenses are submitted online, however, hard copy forms are sent to the Finance Team so that original receipts, rather than scans, can be held on file to minimise the risk of fraud. As advised in the response, the electronic system does not allow the Finance Team to run reports with individual breakdowns per person; the only means of locating this information is from the hardcopy expense forms.
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
“In the response to your FOI request regarding the Vice-Chancellor’s accommodation allowance, you were advised that it is common practice across universities for vice-chancellors to be provided with accommodation within their remuneration package. During the most recent round of recruitment for a Vice-Chancellor, the University decided to provide an accommodation allowance rather than accommodation. This practice was and continues to be considered appropriate. “As advised by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the University considers each FOI request individually. At the time of the request for Remuneration Committee minutes which you reference, the University considered disclosure of those particular minutes to be prejudicial to effective public affairs. That does not mean that the University would always consider disclosure to be prejudicial and whenever a request is received, the possible impact is considered anew to decide whether or not disclosure is appropriate. This is the approach that the University would take for any request for minutes from any committee.
“WHILST THE STUDENTS’ UNION IS CONSULTED ON A WIDE RANGE OF MATTERS, IT IS NOT STANDARD PRACTICE FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO CONSULT WITH THE UNION ON POSSIBLE CHANGES TO TUITION FEES” “With regard to increases to international and postgraduate student fees, we can advise that this was considered to be a management decision. A range of data was used to inform this decision as well as taking account of the impact on students. Whilst the Students’ Union is consulted on a wide range of matters, it is not standard practice for the University to consult with the Union on possible changes to tuition fees. Other matters, such as accommodation fees, are discussed with the Union prior to confirmation. “The University considers the balance of members on all of its committees to be appropriate. This is reviewed on a regular basis and views of the Students’ Union alongside other members are sought to inform such decisions. “With regard to all of the matters raised, we consider our practices to be consistent with those across the sector”.
*INFORMATION AND STATISTICS OBTAINED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM’S ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2013 AND 2012 ** COMMENTS MADE AT A MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE UON LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN IN NOVEMBER 2014. THE MEETING WAS REPORTED ON BY IMPACT. WORDS BY JACOB BENTLEY IMAGES BY HARRY DINSDALE 7
NEWS
ALLIED
WITH BP UON COMPROMISES
GREEN AGENDA
In recent years the University of Nottingham (UoN) has received a number of prestigious sustainability awards citing the University’s green campuses, long term development plans, new building works and sustainability courses as reasoning behind the recognition. The most impressive of which was receiving the award for the ‘most sustainable university in the world’ in 2011 and 2013 according to the Greenmetric World Rankings. However, after discovering British Petroleum’s (BP) affiliation with the University of Nottingham (UoN), Impact decided to investigate whether the University lives up to its commitment to becoming a leading green university. As it stands, UoN have a number of policies in place to encourage students and staff to be more environmentally conscious. These include the provision of mixed recycling bins across the different campuses, ‘Go Greener Halls Competition’, ‘Ucycle Bike Hire Scheme’, and a travel pass scheme. These schemes contribute to achieving policy objectives identified by UoN including ‘progress towards zero waste’ and promoting ‘sustainable modes of transport’.
BP IS ‘‘A STRATEGIC PARTNER OF THIS UNIVERSITY’’ As well as this, the University’s ‘Strategic Plan 2010-15’ claims that it wishes to use research and teaching to advance the environmental agenda and to improve staff and student awareness of environmental sustainability. Research ‘Priority Groups’ have been established at UoN in order to develop world-class research addressing issues including ‘fossil energy and carbon capture and storage’, ‘accelerating a low carbon economy’ and ‘renewable energy’. The University also created an online course called ‘Sustainability, Society and You’ in January 2014, which involved ten academic schools and both overseas campuses and was Highly Commended at this year's Green Gown Awards.
SUSTAINABILITY UNDER SCRUTINY: UON’S CONNECTION WITH BP However, the University’s sustainable development policies and image are under scrutiny as a result of the relationship with the oil and gas company BP. In a 2012 press release, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement, Professor Chris Rudd, who is also on the University Council, has called BP “a strategic partner of this University”. This has manifested in the STEM scholarship scheme, among others, which involves 8
awarding £5,000 worth of grants to “talented Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths undergraduate students”.
‘‘BP HAS NO SAY IN RESEARCH OR TEACHING AT NOTTINGHAM’’ In the Strategic Development Plan the University of Nottingham claims that the University will endeavour to ‘act collectively in an environmentally and socially responsible way, seeking to mitigate any adverse impacts of its activities’. The Carbon Management Plan sets targets for reducing CO2 emissions by 2020, including requiring average annual reductions of 6GWh in energy consumption and 2,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Absolute carbon emissions reported in the Carbon Management Plan have been already reduced by 4,581 tonnes, leading to a third consecutive year of absolute reductions. Furthermore, investments in a number of key areas, including insulation, carbon management and renewable energy projects, totalling £1,325,000, will result in carbon savings of 1,987 tonnes per year in a payback period of 1-12 years. However, BP’s track record of using unsustainable gas and oil resources conflicts with the University’s mantra, especially after the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. When questioned, Emma Rayner, Media Relations Manager at UoN, told Impact: “BP has financially supported a wide range of research and scholarships from 2008 to the present day and to date has donated more than £2 million for these purposes. The awards support undergraduate and postgraduate research and student prizes to encourage the next generation of engineers and energy scientists. This is essential in helping power companies like BP forge new paths towards reliable, safe and sustainable energy production”. She confirmed that five students were recruited to the STEM scheme in the academic year 2012/13, while less than five were recruited from 2008-2011. BP also defended the scheme to Impact, stating they “want to attract the best graduates especially in STEM subjects… and enable them discover more about BP and the energy sector”. Robert Wine, Group Press Officer, also confirmed that ‘‘BP has no say in research or teaching at Nottingham as a result of these STEM Scholarships’’.
STUDENT CONCERNS
A number of students have also raised concerns about the partnership between the University and BP. In emails shown to Impact,
IMPACT
MAGAZINE a student who wished to remain anonymous contacted the Vice-Chancellor, David Greenaway, to express “concern about the University's connection with BP, specifically their investment in the University, and their presence at Careers fairs”. The student also mentioned the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: ‘“BP pleaded guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter following the worst oil spill in history. This oil spill left residents, businesses, fishermen and the wider ocean environment in severe jeopardy… In light of this, I am disappointed that the University continues to have connections with a company convicted of multiple counts of manslaughter, that has caused so much death to nature, and ruined the natural environment, possibly beyond repair”. The University has committed itself to becoming a leading green University and environmental sustainability is one of nine guiding principles in the University's Strategic Plan. Environmental Strategy aims include: ‘moving towards carbon neutral energy performance, adopting environmentally conscious procurement practice, promoting renewable energy systems and reducing water consumption and waste output’.
‘‘BP PLEADED GUILTY TO 11 COUNTS OF MANSLAUGHTER FOLLOWING THE WORST OIL SPILL IN HISTORY’’. However, the student in question raised this discrepancy: “I fail to see how this can be achieved by keeping ties with an oil giant such as BP that has caused so much environmental damage - there is a conflict of interest here”. A former Environmental Rep on a 2013/4 JCR Committee also spoke to Impact about the issue. They stated that “the University has to find a middle ground; to grow while avoiding the endorsement of any of the companies’ less ethical or less environmentally friendly actions”.
UNIVERSITY RESPONSE
In response, the Vice-Chancellor asked Nalayini Thambar, Director of Careers and Employability, to reply on his behalf: “When inviting attendance at careers events on campus we have an inclusive policy which does not exclude any organisation who works within the law. In this case, the law has been applied to BP with regard to the accident in the Gulf of Mexico... In our experience, the students who choose to attend our careers
fairs and speak to BP have been pleased to have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the organisation and the career prospects that are available to them”. Thambar went on to state: “The BP scholarships support a generous number of Nottingham students through their university career and enable them to gain valuable applied research and work experience that strengthens their employment prospects when they graduate. “The University is committed to a sustainable and green agenda. These agendas are important to us and in the broader context will require engagement by all stakeholders in the energy sector over a long period of time in order for that to be achieved. The Nottingham graduates who choose to work for organisations such as BP will be talented and understand their social responsibilities better than many”, she continued.
SU RESPONSE
After being made aware of this exchange, Emily Holmes, the Students’ Union’s Environment and Social Justice Officer, spoke to Impact about the issue: “The BP STEM scholarship scheme that is run at the University is a really great way for students to pursue STEM education, particularly for those who may not be able to afford to otherwise”. She continued: “Although this may slightly counterbalance the University's green image, it is important to utilise partnerships to provide education and employment links for students. As the world steers more towards green energy, we need intellectuals in the field of STEM research and so it could be argued the partnership with BP regarding the BP STEM scholarship scheme could make a contribution to this”. While members of the ESJ committee told Impact that they are looking to work on a Fossil Fuel Divestment campaign, Holmes acknowledged that ‘‘this is still in the planning stages and we are waiting for the relevant information to pursue this properly’’. She continued, ‘‘If students feel discomfort with the University's partnership with BP I would suggest they direct concerns to me and I will respond appropriately. Personally I will not be raising the issue at this stage, as this is also an issue of social justice and I believe that the scholarship that BP provides is crucial to some of our students at the University”.
WORDS BY YASEMIN CRAGGS MERSINOGLU IMAGE BY EMMA QUAEDVLIEG
9
COMMENT
MASTERS PROGRAMMES FROM RELEGATED ACADEMIA TO YOUR TYPICAL STUDENT
WHETHER YOU’VE ALREADY SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION, OR ARE THINKING AHEAD, MASTERS PROGRAMMES WILL BE ON YOUR MIND. LOUISA CHENCINER LOOKS AT WHETHER THE PURSUIT OF POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION IS CHANGING OUR EXPECTATIONS OF GRADUATES TODAY.
are told repeatedly that the “graduate premium”, a misty enigma of knowledge, confidence and competency associated with those in possession of a degree, is now redundant. It is somewhat unsurprising then that the HECSU survey showed that, six months on, some 13.1% of those who had undertaken a full-time first degree were “in further study”.
As I waitressed at one cosied drinks party a couple of summers ago, I heard proud parental declarations of “Yes [insert name of talented child] is doing so well, they’ve just got onto a fantastic Master’s programme at [insert name of esteemed institution offering Masters programmes for the aforementioned talented child]”.
It appears that these fears resonate with students at the University of Nottingham. A current Masters student at the University told Impact, “I wasn't convinced I was ready for work after graduating and wanted to consolidate my skills before I threw myself out there”.
I’ll admit the results of my eavesdropping did render me somewhat impressed. After all, a selection of the very best Russell Group universities were cited and the children, or should I say adults, described did sound suitably accomplished. However, having witnessed many of my fellow frenzied third years hurriedly submitting Masters applications, my perception has, of late, been altered. In accordance with changes made to the British Education System in the 1970s, young graduates are, indeed, a growing species. In their full report, Graduates in the UK Labour Market 2013, the Office of National Statistics described that 12 million, or 38%, of those people in the UK who were not enrolled on any education course were graduates (April to June 2013). The Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU) conducted a survey earlier this year which evaluated the destinations of 256,350 new graduates six months after they left university. Some 7.3% of graduates were unemployed in January 2014, down from the 8.5% recorded in January 2013 and at the lowest level since 2008. It seems that there has been a shift, from the scaremongering of undergrads with the prospect of unemployment, to a blunt pragmatism that the degree you choose now needs to ‘count’. The BBC reported, early last year, on research by the Complete University Guide describing how graduate starting salaries in professional posts have dropped by 11%, to £21,702 in real terms (between 2007 and 2012). Dr Bernard Kingston, the guide's principal author, told the BBC that "these figures show a continuing decline in the graduate premium across many subjects”. My cohort at university have been the lucky beneficiaries of this message. At the ninth hour. Nearing the ends of our degrees. We 10
“HOWEVER, HAVING WITNESSED MANY OF MY FELLOW FRENZIED THIRD YEARS HURRIEDLY SUBMITTING MASTERS APPLICATIONS, MY PERCEPTION HAS, OF LATE, BEEN ALTERED” The government are also increasingly encouraging the pursuit of postgraduate education. In the Chancellor’s autumn statement, he described how the cost of postgraduate courses “deters bright students from poorer backgrounds”. He then went on to announce that government-backed loans, of up to £10,000, will be made available, to those under the age of 30, from 2016-17. These proposals will attract a further 10,000 students into postgraduate study and benefit a total of 40,000 students. It is highly likely that the age limit set on such loans will exert an even greater pressure on new graduates to compete for the opportunity to engage in postgraduate education. It is clear that Masters are progressing from the marginalised to the mainstream. And so, perhaps, submitting a cheeky Masters application is worth it.
WORDS BY LOUISA CHENCINER IMAGE BY JEFFREY ZELDMAN VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
ARE GRADUATE SCHEMES A “HALFWAY HOUSE” FOR STUDENTS WORRIED ABOUT EMPLOYMENT? GRADUATE SCHEMES SEEM LIKE THE OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR STUDENTS JUST STARTING TO LOOK FOR JOBS – BUT ARE THEY AS SIMPLE AS THEY SEEM TO BE? AND WHY IS THE CHOICE SO OBVIOUS? If you’re after a TL;DR, you’re in luck: the answer is no. Grad schemes, as it turns out, are a rigorous, heavily fortified means of entering the real world, despite misconceptions anyone (read: me) might have had.
guidance is heavily weighted towards larger firms in the financial sector, this proportion rises to over 70%, according to the University’s destinations statistics.
This hasn’t always been the case. Graduate schemes, and, more broadly, formal work experience schemes, were as little as a decade ago seen as a way for students to learn a little about their chosen industry and gauge whether they were the right fit. In contrast, the application processes for work experience schemes today, especially in heavily competitive industries like investment banking, are essentially obstacle-ridden gauntlets, pitting thousands of students against each other for highly coveted (and highly paid) roles.
The recession affected this slightly, reducing recruitment budgets and prompting university careers services to promote a wider range of employers and industries. However, it’s possible that this effect was negated by media-instigated student panic. HECSU (Higher Education Careers Service Unit) 2009 survey research found there was a general consensus amongst university careers services that the media postrecession had been thoroughly unhelpful in conveying an accurate impression of the graduate labour market.
According to High Fliers research, this is because of the changing purpose of work experience placements. Rather than an opportunity to gently potter about in an office, they’re often used to directly funnel undergraduate students into permanent positions post-graduation. In 2014, a High Fliers survey found that a terrifying 37% of the graduate roles offered by the UK’s top 100 employers were reserved for those who had already worked with their chosen firm.
Led to believe it was a lot more dire than the reality, students tended to fall into one of two categories: the ‘early-preparers’, who tended to research options as early as 1st year, and the ‘put-offers’, who went on extended gap years or did Masters. More pertinently, the HECSU survey also shows the emergence of a misconception that grad schemes are, essentially, the only “real” graduate jobs available to students. This misconception – which inspired this very column – included the impression that graduate schemes are the “easy option, designed purely to benefit [students]”, and that to do anything else would be tantamount to failure.
It’s clear that employers love graduates – we’re fresh, we’re skilled, we have plenty of transferable skills inexplicably built up from those afternoons playing quidditch. Nottingham graduates are especially sought after, having being named by High Fliers as the most targeted UK university by the UK’s top 100 employers. Targeting methods, in line with the increasing professionalization of work experience opportunities, are fairly aggressive. There’s been a sharp rise in the use of social media, which over 90% of the UK’s top employers now use to promote graduate opportunities. Increasingly, employers also work directly with university careers services, holding their own on-campus presentations and holding skill-building sessions. This drive by a select few employers raises an interesting question: to what extent do students really choose their careers, as opposed to having them chosen for them? UoN, the most targeted university by the UK’s top employers, has seen almost 60% of its graduates go to work in large companies from 2007-2012, i.e. those most present on their campuses. For the school of Economics, where the careers
The punchline here is that, for those unused to research or perhaps under pressure to formulate life-term strategies, there’s a tendency to gravitate towards graduate schemes as the obvious mode of employment. Partially, this is due to unreasonable media postrecession, but it’s also a result of the intense promotion, both by firms and careers services, of opportunities in fairly limited sectors, with fairly limited employers – larger ones, more likely to offer rigorous and formalised graduate training. In a labour market which is only just starting to recover from the recession, the appearance of graduate schemes is a false oasis – easy, they are not.
WORDS BY PRIYA THETHI IMAGE BY UNSPLASH VIA PIXABAY 11
COMMENT
ARE HUMANITIES UNDERFUNDED AT NOTTINGHAM? THE UNIVERSITY SPENDS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE ON THE SCIENCES THAN THE ARTS, BUT TO WHAT EXTENT IS THIS JUSTIFIED? MADDIE WAKTARE AND ABI NOLAN DEBATE WHETHER THE FOCUS NEEDS TO BE SHIFTED.
YES
There are two central truths to this debate:
1. The University of Nottingham allocates £9 million more per year to the Faculty of Science, as a whole, compared to the Faculty of Arts. 2. The Faculty of Science’s overall-yearly-expenditure exceeds that of the Faculty of Arts by £27 million. It seems to have become an accepted protocol that more money is lavished on our friends over at the North Entrance than those paying the same £9,000 fees on the other side of campus.
“WHAT’S MORE, THE HOME OF THE HUMANITIES STUDENT, HALLWARD, IS INSUFFICIENT.” Yes, humble Humanities courses don’t require expensive technical equipment and hours of staff support in laboratory marathons. English students do, however, have to buy all books, as specified as course reading, and receive no subsidisation for these outgoings. Similarly, Music students must purchase their own reeds, sheet music, and fund maintenance of their instruments. What’s more, the home of the humanities student, Hallward, is insufficient. As reported by Impact last year, the building was designed to accommodate 5,500 students, yet, in a busy week it can have up to 51,000 entries recorded on the swipe system. Chris Jagger, University of Nottingham Chief Estates and Facilities Officer, told Impact there are no plans for expansion. Humanities students cannot help but feel personally affronted as £18 million is invested in the extensive renovation of the George Green, the science and engineering library. Yes, arguably, we should have known that Nottingham is renowned for its 'world-class' and 'internationally excellent' scientific research, as deemed by its most recent Research Assessment Exercise. However the university was not portrayed in this way as prospective humanities students sauntered into the Trent building one June, sipping complimentary tea in the majestic building we were told to call home. It stands to reason that the University should declare its financial priorities from the outset: promoting its reputation as a world class institution of scientific research and such endeavours.
MADDIE WAKTARE IMAGES BY NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY VIA FLICKR 12
NO
In picking up a prospectus and choosing a Humanities based course, Humanities students made a choice to study a subject which has fewer contact hours and more independent learning. Libraries are cheaper to run than Laboratories and it would be naïve to think otherwise.
Gervas Huxley, a Teaching Fellow at the University of Bristol and consultant on Higher Education policy, controversially argued that Arts and Humanities are in fact the only subjects to benefit from the fee changes introduced by the coalition government. He described how higher tuition fees are increasing the overall revenues of all universities (The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) estimates revenues will increase from £8bn in 2012/13 to £9.1bn in 2014/15). Speaking in relative terms, the reduction in funding for Arts and Humanities students, prior to 1998, was larger than for any other group of students, such that per capita revenue for these students is today more than double its 1997/8 level, assuming the maximum £9,000 fee is charged.
“THE RESEARCHERS CONCLUDED THAT 60% OF UK LEADERS HAVE HUMANITIES, ARTS OR SOCIAL SCIENCE DEGREES” Furthermore, the lessons received by students in higher education are in no way directly proportional to departmental spending per student. Anecdotally, there exist many Science students who are completely baffled by the navigational skills of Humanities students. Especially when it comes to the unending book shelves of Hallward. In 2013, Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell told the Business Insider how he loves “hiring English majors”. He described how they are now an “endangered species” who can think and write well. Research by the New College of Humanities further supports this view. It reviewed a selection of UK leaders drawn from a number of different professions and activities. The researchers concluded that 60% of UK leaders have humanities, arts or social science degrees. Of this group, the largest proportion was made up of those with humanities degrees. The percentage of leaders with STEM degrees was only 15%. It seems obvious, therefore, that humanities degrees will always offer students a strong advantage; regardless of their funding compared to other subjects. ABI NOLAN
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
PROFS IN PRINT
WHAT IS BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? ACADEMIA: DENSE, DISTANT, INCOMPREHENSIBLE? NO MORE! PROFS IN PRINT SHED LIGHT ON THEIR WORK FOR THE BENEFIT OF IMPACT READERS. IN THIS ISSUE, PROFESSOR CHRIS STARMER TALKS US THROUGH THE GAMEPLAY OF BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS. There is currently a lot of interest in Behavioural Economics (BE) in academia, business, government and the third sector. But what is BE and why should we care about it? It’s essentially the emerging output of a scientific playing field where the rational agent of economics meets the complex being of psychology. The game is underway, and while it’s not yet halftime, both sides have already learned much about their opponents. So far, a key lesson for economics is that we have to be more sophisticated in thinking about ‘preferences’. Economists usually assume individuals act as if they are guided by some stable set of values or desires, i.e. ‘preferences’. Several seasons of play has brought abundant evidence that this isn’t actually the case. If people have preferences at all, behavioural science research points to them being imprecise, liable to change and context-dependent. But why does this matter for the game of economics, and why won’t the traditional economics team get us through the match? Well here’s an illustration, from a policy context: A government might consider whether to undertake, support, or perhaps prohibit some infrastructure project, e.g. building a new airport. In evaluating such developments, governments ask: do the expected benefits outweigh the costs? The question’s simplicity is deceptive, partly because some significant costs and benefits will likely be intangible. For instance, a new airport might create noise nuisance, or damage some visual aspect of the natural landscape, or endanger some rare breed of newt. How could these varied, some would say, incommensurable concerns be considered in a cost benefit analysis? Traditional economics offered a simple, powerful answer by way of tools for translating the value of pretty much anything (including newts, nature and noise) onto a common scale of value - money. Once we do that, so the team captain says, we can balance lost newts against decreased travel times and so on. Here’s where the fun starts: It turns out that there are several different ways to try to measure the monetary values of things. For example, in evaluating an individual’s value for some negative thing
they experience, like, for instance, degradation of air quality, we could measure aggregate willingness to pay to avoid the effect or, alternatively, the total minimum compensation required to just offset the effect. According to the economists’ team captain, these two approaches to measurement should produce similar values. In reality, however, compensation required is usually many times bigger than willingness to pay. This creates major controversy when trying to value something with a big value, e.g. the damage done by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. But what does this have to do with BE? Well, BE tries to explain why measurement tools may go wrong. For example, part of its now accepted wisdom is that people are loss averse (more sensitive to losses than gains). This provides one account of why willingness to accept measures (where people consider losses of things) differ from willingness to pay measures (where people evaluate gains of things).
“IF PEOPLE HAVE PREFERENCES AT ALL, BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE RESEARCH POINTS TO THEM BEING IMPRECISE, LIABLE TO CHANGE AND CONTEXT DEPENDENT” However, this is only one corner of the pitch and researchers working as part of the ESRC funded NIBS Network (at Nottingham, UEA and Warwick) are currently exploring other dimensions, such as the intuition that individual valuations of things may be imprecise. This is a relatively new idea for economics, but potentially important in understanding why measurement tools produce such different valuations. Of course, some say you can’t put money values on things like nature, but this misses the point: it’s not about money, it’s about trying to compare things on some common scale. And the danger is that unless you do this, very important (but less tangible) things may get left out of the balance. BE shows us that standard valuation tools go wrong. However, this is the first half, not the final result, because BE may also teach us how to play the game better next season. WORDS BY PROFESSOR CHRIS STARMER IMAGE BY CHRISTIAN SCHEJA VIA FLICKR 13
FEATURES
“IT'S BASICALLY RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH YOUR HEALTH, AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FACE AN EMPTY CHAMBER” IMPACT INVESTIGATES THE USE OF STUDY DRUGS AMONGST UON STUDENTS
14
IMPACT
MAGAZINE This January, thousands of students will be cramming for exams and struggling to meet deadlines, but just how far are some students willing to go in the quest for academic excellence?
India, I believe”. The ease of buying such drugs is evident from a quick search which shows a variety of sites selling Modafinil to those who do not have a prescription.
Many students are now turning to ‘study drugs’, a range of substances that are taken with the purpose of increasing one’s concentration in order to aid studying. Given their stimulant qualities, it’s easy to understand why students may opt for the drugs during stressful times, but a recent Impact survey revealed just how popular study drugs are amongst University of Nottingham (UoN) students, with 45% of respondents admitting to have tried them.*
Sam Holland spoke to Impact about the variety of methods he has used to purchase study drugs. After failing to convince a doctor that he had ADHD, Sam managed to get Ritalin through a friend with a prescription. “Ritalin is just about knowing someone with a prescription”, he tells Impact. Sam also purchased Ethylphenidate, Noopept and Piracetam online as “the legal substances are widely available on the internet”.
“THEY’RE VERY EASY TO GET HOLD OF, I'M SURE I COULD HAVE ASKED A FEW PEOPLE IN MY PHONE BOOK”
He also managed to buy illegal drugs to enhance his studying online. “Speed was a little harder to source, but even illegal drugs are easy to order now using deep web black market marketplaces. These marketplaces will dominate the drugs culture more and more as time goes on, and there is not really much the government can do to stop drugs in the post besides having more sniffer dogs at customs or at the mail centres”.
“I was curious to see what sort of effect they would have”, third year chemist Sam Holland* tells Impact. “I saw them as an aid to my revision and work, and as a tool to be utilised - much like how people may use caffeine as a tool to help focus, stay awake and for energy”. So just what are the study drugs that UoN students are taking? Our survey found that after over the counter caffeine pills (such as Pro Plus), Modafinil was the most popular study drug amongst students, with 29% telling Impact they have tried it. Modafinil is a eugeroic drug, meaning that it is used to improve alertness by increasing activity in the brain. Like many of the other study drugs, it is most commonly used to treat sleep disorders. Another popular study drug used by UoN students was Ritalin, a drug often used to treat ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), with 13% admitting to taking it. 6% of UoN students have also tried Armodafinil, which is used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness. While study drugs are not illegal, most tend to be prescription-only, meaning that many who use them for academic work will be taking them unlawfully. Impact’s survey revealed that 31% of students had taken drugs that were not prescribed to them.
“I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY ARE VERY EFFECTIVE WHEN REVISING, PARTICULARLY WHEN MAKING LARGE QUANTITIES OF NOTES OR GOING THROUGH LONG LECTURES” “They are very easy to get hold of, I’m sure I could have asked a few people in my phone book”, third year student Danielle Gibson* tells Impact when discussing Modafinil. Danielle herself managed to get hold of Modafinil through a friend of a friend. This seems to be the general consensus amongst those surveyed, with many telling Impact that a friend sourced the study drugs for them. Others sourced the drugs online. Second year student Robert Murray* is one of those who purchased his study drugs online. He tells Impact: “They came from a pharmacy in
So just why are students abandoning energy drinks and black coffee and turning to stronger substances to keep them alert? When asked in our survey enhancing focus and concentration, and wanting to be able to stay awake for longer, were the main reasons behind students taking study drugs.
“I HAVE EVEN COMPLETED A FULL DAY OF PRODUCTIVE REVISION AFTER ONLY THREE HOURS SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE” Robert tells Impact: “I have always found that I have quite a short attention span, so when it comes to revision I tend to procrastinate a lot or get bored of the subject that I am working on quickly which is very unproductive”. So just how effective are study drugs? Do they really enhance concentration as much as they claim to? It would appear that in some cases, yes, as of the students surveyed by Impact, 41% said that upon using study drugs they received the desired effect of more efficient studying. Robert found them to be effective, telling Impact: “I have found that they are very effective when revising, particularly when making large quantities of notes or going through long lectures”. Robert adds that: “A bonus effect I also noticed was that they are very good for keeping you awake and alert. When taking the study drugs I am able to stay awake and alert for long periods of time, I have even completed a full day of productive revision after only three hours sleep the night before”. Danielle also gained the desired results from the study drugs telling Impact that “I definitely worked more efficiently”. However, having only dabbled with study drugs for the first time, Danielle has a slightly more dubious attitude towards their efficiency. She admits that “this could have been because of the effects of the drug or from a placebo effect. I’m not ruling out that it could have all been mental”. Fourth year student Harry Thompson*, also found a benefit to taking study drugs. He tells Impact: “Modafinil genuinely is the wonder
15
FEATURES drug people make it out to be, that is of course if you avoid all the side effects. It’s basically Russian roulette with your health, and I was fortunate enough to face an empty chamber”. Effective or not, it seems as though many students are feeling the need to experiment with drugs in order to enhance their studying performance. The majority of UoN students surveyed by Impact felt that academic pressure leads to people taking study drugs, with 63% agreeing that this is the case. “The pressures in third year are immense. I also put a lot of pressure on myself to do well”, Danielle admits. Robert also agrees that placing stress on oneself was influential in his experience, telling Impact: “I think it was my own stress about failing exams based upon previous experiences and the knowledge that I am not great at revision that was the greatest factor”.
“IN AN IMPACT SURVEY, OF THOSE NOTTINGHAM STUDENTS WHO HAD TAKEN STUDY DRUGS, 34% EXPERIENCED BAD SIDE EFFECTS” However, there are a number of resources available to students on campus who are feeling overwhelmed by academic pressures. Impact speaks to Dr Barbara Taylor, Head of Academic Support, who shares: “It is often helpful to talk about study to someone outside your School or Department if you are feeling pressured. A conversation can put the problem into perspective and help you find strategies that will work for you. You can book a one to one appointment with one of our study support tutors by contacting Academic Support” Visiting UoN’s Academic Support service in the Student Services Centre isn’t going to give you the superhuman ability to stay awake for 72 hours, but it provides a far less risky solution to deadline and revision stress than taking study drugs, which can have undesirable side effects. Of those Nottingham students who had taken study drugs, 34% experienced bad side effects. Danielle admits that, despite Modafinil having the desired effect of increasing her productivity, she experienced both “a lack of sleep and appetite”. However, Danielle dismisses these side effects and tells Impact that sleeping and eating
16
are usually things that get in the way of her studying anyway. She adds that she does “both in excess just as a form of procrastination”. Side effects can range from the more commonly experienced headaches to far more serious symptoms, including stomach aches and nausea. One Nottingham student surveyed by Impact even commented that they suffered from psychosis, which they believed was a direct result from taking study drugs. Despite study drugs being perceived by students as relatively safe due to their legal nature, the extent of side effects suffered by some University of Nottingham students portrays a completely different story. Steven Johnson*, a UoN student, admits to Impact that having taken both legal study drugs and illegal substances he felt cripplingly depressed for over two hours whilst on Modafinil, which he described as “worse than any comedown”. Steven is not the only one to experience feelings of depression as a result of taking such drugs, and in some cases undesired side effects can be so bad students are forced to stop taking them. Impact hears from another UoN student, Amy Conway*, on the problems she faced due to regular use of study drugs, in particular Ritalin. She reveals to Impact that, after taking Ritalin a number of times, her “comedowns became increasingly worse”. Amy added that she felt so drained from taking the drug she feared it would bring on depression “to the point where [she] had to stop using it”. UoN student Chris Johnson* tells Impact that buying drugs online can be risky: “you could end up with impure/illegitimate stuff and that’s where it becomes dangerous”. He went on to state: “Study drugs are a choice not to be taken lightly, but if used correctly and in moderation they can really help you stay on task if you’re easily distracted”. The risk of taking such drugs are high, but many students continue to use them to enhance their academic work. With 48% of UoN students admitting they would consider taking study drugs in the future, Nottingham’s study drug culture doesn’t seem to be on the decline. WORDS BY NATASHA GREGSON, ABBY ROSS AND CHARLOTTE MCINTYRE *SURVEY CONDUCTED NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2014, 104 STUDENTS SURVEYED IMAGES BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD AND FAUSTO GERNONE
FEATURES
“WE HAVE A PARLIAMENT THAT DOESN’T FULLY AND PROPERLY REPRESENT THE SOCIETY ON WHOSE BEHALF IT IS MAKING POLICIES” IMPACT MEETS MP CAROLINE LUCAS Caroline Lucas is an MP for the Green Party, and has been named MP of the Year 2014 for her work in empowering oppressed groups. Lucas has also been widely noticed for her involvement in protests against fracking, and for wearing a ‘No More Page Three’ t-shirt in parliament. WHEN DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS? I became involved in politics in the 1980s; I was very involved in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. In the 1980s the possibility of a nuclear war - and certainly nuclear accidents - felt very high. In 1986, I read a book called Seeing Green by Jonathan Porritt. It was a book that put together lots of the issues I’d been working on; whether that was nuclear disarmament, concern about the environment or women’s groups, and so forth. It put it all together into a very rigorous analysis and demonstrated that there was actually a party political response to this via the Green Party. I put the book down and joined the Green Party on the same day. WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST POLITICAL INFLUENCES? My biggest political influence is probably someone that no one has ever heard of. Her name is Petra Kelly, she was a German Green Party member and she was one of the first German Greens to be elected in 1983. She was the most extraordinary woman; she entered parliament wearing a pair of jeans and carrying arms full of sunflowers and she, for me, was just a huge inspiration. She was a very strong feminist. I was lucky enough to meet her a couple of times. Sadly, tragically, she was killed in 1992 so she was only in her 40s when she died. But, for me, seeing what she achieved in Germany was a huge inspiration.
18
IT SEEMS LIKE AN ECHO OF PETRA KELLY’S STYLE WHEN YOU WORE A ‘NO MORE PAGE THREE’ T-SHIRT IN A PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE. That’s true. I wasn’t thinking about it at the time, but that’s a very good point. And I think she got away with wearing jeans, while I had to put my jacket back on to cover my ‘No More Page Three’ t-shirt because the chair thought it was not reputable to be wearing it.
“PETRA KELLY WAS THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN, SHE ENTERED PARLIAMENT WEARING A PAIR OF JEANS AND CARRYING ARMS FULL OF SUNFLOWERS” YOU’RE PART OF THE 23% MINORITY OF WOMEN IN POLITICS. WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE STILL SO FEW WOMEN IN POLITICS AND HOW DO YOU THINK WE CAN ADDRESS THIS? First of all I think it’s a really important question. I think it’s quite wrong that we have a parliament that doesn’t fully and properly represent the society on whose behalf it is making policies. And that means we need far more women; it also means we also need far more people from ethnic minorities, more people with disabilities, people from all types of backgrounds. In terms of what we can do about getting more
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
women in parliament, I think there are a number of tools. For instance, I’m personally in favour of all women shortlists - at least until we reach parity of men and women in parliament. One of the proposals I’ve long made is that job sharing should be possible.
“I THINK WHAT HIGHER EDUCATION HELPS DEVELOP IS THINKING FOR YOURSELF, HAVING INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT AND BEING ABLE TO SCRUTINISE AND CHALLENGE WHAT YOU’RE TOLD” But I think we also need to change the cultural representation of parliament. Many people just watch Prime Minister’s Questions, or hear David Cameron say ‘calm down dear’, or they’re put off by the general yahoo of politics. This doesn’t exclusively affect women, but I think women in particular, in my experience, find this a really odd way to behave. It’s not constructive, it’s not helpful, and it’s not serious. So I think if we did more to change the culture of politics it would encourage a lot of people to come into it. YOU HAVE A PHD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER, AND A COUNCIL CANDIDATE FOR BRIGHTON (NEIL SCHOFIELD) RECENTLY DESCRIBED YOU AS FORMIDABLY TALENTED. DO YOU FEEL THAT HIGHER EDUCATION HELPED YOU DEVELOP THAT TALENT? Undoubtedly. I think higher education helps develop thinking for yourself, having independence of thought, and being able to scrutinise and challenge what you’re told. And I think that’s a vital ability - it’s not only obtained through higher education, but higher education is a very good way of developing those talents. DO YOU THINK HIGHER EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT IN A POLITICAL CAREER? Well I think it’s important but not exclusively so, it comes back to the idea of the mix of people we have in [parliament]. I think it’s also incredibly important to have people who have had all kinds of experiences.
YOU’VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THAT YOU DON’T BELIEVE MPS SHOULD HAVE SECOND JOBS, AND YOU EVEN STOOD DOWN AS GREEN PARTY LEADER TO FOCUS ON YOUR PARLIAMENTARY DUTIES. DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS ANY ARGUMENT FOR MPS TO HAVE SECOND JOBS? I can see the argument; MPs need to keep a foot in the real world. From my experience of being an MP, this is more than a full time job. If you’re doing your job properly on behalf of, in my case, over 70,000 constituents, the idea that this can just be something that you do on the side, alongside not just second jobs but many people here have third, fourth and fifth jobs, I think that undermines the importance of the job of being an MP. HOW DO YOU FEEL THE GREEN PARTY’S POLICIES CAN BENEFIT STUDENTS AND PEOPLE HOPING TO GO INTO HIGHER EDUCATION? I was out with some of the people who were protesting in the streets last week here outside parliament; they were protesting about the tuition fee issue. One of the things that the Green Party proposes is a so-called ‘Business Education Tax’, which is a very small tax on the largest 4% companies in this country. It would still mean that corporation tax is around the average for more economically developed countries, but it would mean that you could raise enough money to fund higher education and get rid of tuition fees altogether.
“I THINK IF WE DID MORE TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF POLITICS AS WELL IT WOULD ENCOURAGE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO COME INTO IT” I’m concerned about what I see as an increasing sense of education as a commodity that can be easily privatised, and easily bought and sold. The idea of education for its own sake is now very far from the political agenda. I want to reinstate education as a common good, not just as an individual benefit in order to get a job. Having an educated population is something that is important in and of itself. WORDS BY GEORGE MAIER IMAGE BY WORLD DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENT VIA FLICKR
19
FEATURES
THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM’S MOST SUCCESSFUL GRADUATES
FROM A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER TO A HOLLYWOOD ACTOR, IMPACT FINDS MORE ABOUT UON’S MOST SUCCESSFUL GRADUATES
20
With its membership to the prestigious Russell Group, consistent high appearances on league tables, and the production of world renowned research, the University of Nottingham is often considered to be a top choice for prospective students. Across all disciplines, Nottingham alumni have achieved success in almost every single possible way. Here are just some of UoN’s most notable graduates.
“ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES, NOTTINGHAM ALUMNI HAVE ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE WAY” THEO JAMES Theo James has come a long way since studying Philosophy at UoN. Now he’s more likely to be found on the red carpet or the set of a Hollywood blockbuster. After starring in The Inbetweeners Movie as James (yes, that guy who asked Jay for a spare note with disgusting consequences), Theo has starred in Divergent, based on the bestselling young adult novel by Veronica Roth, which reached #1 at the box office during its opening weekend and went on to gross $288 million. Theo will turn 30 next year and is set to star in the film’s sequels Insurgent (2015) and Allegiant (2016). So students of Nottingham, if you want to follow in Theo’s footsteps, then now’s the time to make a trip to the New Theatre and get involved.
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
TIM MARTIN Hands up if you’ve visited a Wetherspoons during your time at Nottingham. You will have done during 7 Legged, if no other time. The founder of Wetherspoons, Tim Martin, studied Law during his time in Nottingham before starting up the pub chain in 1979. Cheap and cheerful, the company has over 920 outlets selling drinks at an affordable rate in a friendly atmosphere, and is one of the best known pub-chains in the country for this reason. So if you want to become the next Tim Martin, spending time in Nottingham’s watering holes is probably a good place to start… for research purposes, of course.
“THEO JAMES HAS STARRED IN DIVERGENT, WHICH REACHED #1 AT THE BOX OFFICE DURING ITS OPENING WEEKEND AND WENT ON TO GROSS $288 MILLION” DR STEWART ADAMS OBE Now here is an accomplishment that many students will be thankful for. The University of Nottingham’s very own Dr Stewart Adams OBE is the pharmacologist who created ibuprofen, for which he earned his OBE in 1987. He was provided with a scholarship from Boots company in order to help research Penicillin. It took him a lengthy and worthwhile 16 years to progress ibuprofen from an idea to an available product. So next time you have a post-Crisis (or even a postWetherspoons) hangover and reach for the painkiller, you can do so in the knowledge that an alumni of the university is helping to kill that hangover. You’re welcome. Fittingly, Adams himself has admitted to using the drug for the same purposes as us students do. JESSICA ELGOT Chances are you’ve spent many an hour of the late night/early morning trawling through The Huffington Post online, all in the name of procrastinating with a worthwhile purpose of reading about the news. English Literature graduate, Jessica Elgot is Assistant News Editor at The Huffington Post, and hence is highly likely to be responsible for this usage of time. Not only is she a Nottingham graduate, but she is an award winning writer, with her work focusing upon immigration and extremism earning her the 2011 Wyn Harness Prize for journalism.
“THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM’S VERY OWN DR STEWART ADAMS OBE IS THE PHARMACOLOGIST WHO CREATED IBUPROFEN, FOR WHICH HE EARNED HIS OBE IN 1987” SIR JOHN SAWERS For any resident James Bond fans, you most probably have heard of Sir John Sawers. He is the former chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, in office from 2009 until this year. Before taking on one of the most important roles in the country, he was a Physics and Philosophy student at UoN and was also a committee member of your very own Students’ Union. Furthermore, he has personally cited this year as one of the reasons for him being asked to join MI6 due to
the acquaintances it enabled him to make. So if you’ve ever needed a reason to get involved with the SU, here it is. SIR CLIVE GRANGER We’ve all passed the Clive Granger building, the home of the School of Economics, and have endearingly sighed at the questionable aesthetics of the building. However, the man it’s dedicated to spent a lengthy 22 years at Nottingham, impressively progressing his way through the ranks from mere undergraduate to researcher to lecturer. With a Nobel Prize and a Knights Bachelor under his belt, he is certainly notable alumni, and arguably worthy of a more attractive building. JEFF RANDALL Further representing the University of Nottingham within the world of media is the journalist Jeff Randall. With a degree in Economics, he has experience in both broadcast and print journalism having been a columnist for The Daily Telegraph and writer for The Sunday Times. He is most well known for hosting his own Sky News show titled Jeff Randall Live. If you are a business student it is likely you will encounter him at some point during your university career as he is an honorary Professor here at Nottingham. DR AMANDA HORTON-MASTIN Everybody loves Comic Relief. Funny musical skits on tv, hilarious red wigs and the novelty of wearing a big, red sponge on your nose for a whole day, all whilst raising money for a charity that helps vulnerable children. As the Director of Innovation at Comic Relief, Dr Amanda Horton-Mastin is responsible for all this Red Nose Day fun. She earned her PhD here at Nottingham as a research chemist and then went on to work for the charity. Therefore, she is living proof that your degree discipline does not necessarily limit or restrict career options, and that scientists do indeed have a sense of humour.
“THANKS TO OUR ALUMNI YOU CAN READ QUALITY JOURNALISM, EASE THE ACHE OF BITTER HANGOVERS AND ENJOY FUNDRAISING FOR WORTHWHILE CHARITIES” BRIAN MOORE Another Law graduate, Brian Moore, has played rugby for England whilst maintaining the ability to practice as a lawyer. Talk about successful multitasking. His rugby career has been impressive, with him winning five test caps during two British and Lions tours, and in 1991 earning the incredible award of World Rugby Player of the Year. So, if you are a budding rugby player, you’re in one of the best places in the world for it, literally. Thanks to our alumni you can read quality journalism, ease the ache of bitter hangovers and enjoy fundraising for worthwhile charities. With this broad breadth of end professions you should feel rather reassured about any future career prospects. Apparently, everything really is possible, and a degree from the University of Nottingham truly can get you anywhere - even if it’s just to the Wetherspoons down the road. WORDS BY ROBYN TURNOCK IMAGE BY COLIN HOWLEY VIA FLICKR 21
FEATURES
LETTERS
TO MY
FRESHER
SELF
IF YOU COULD WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF, WHAT WOULD YOU INCLUDE? FIVE WRITERS SHARE WHAT THEY WOULD PUT WITH IMPACT.
To my Fresher Self, To my Fresher Self, Isn't everybody at uni just so much funnier and so much cooler than little old you? And isn't it just so cool how James was born in Hong Kong and Milly spent her gap year in Tibet? Most of all, isn't it great how nobody actually knows anything about you? Uni is undeniably a fresh start. By all means, please exploit this opportunity for a little bit of reinvention. However, do proceed with caution; go slowly and start small. A little white lie here, a little exaggeration there, and before you know it you will be in too deep. Once the overwhelming, confusing concoction of novelty and fear commonly titled ‘Freshers’ Week’ - is done, life will soon resume to be mundanely normal. All it takes is a drunken slip up or a quick Facebook stalk for that cool guy with the cool hair and quirky music taste to realise that in fact you weren't actually at the barrier of Jamie T's first gig. Instead the pictures of you sweatily clutching the "I heart Taylor Swift" sign will portray a very different person. And that is just awkward. Robyn Turnock
IMAGE BY ALEXANDRA FARZAD 22
I hope you're well. Hope the dodgy tap in your shower still works. And you're eating something more than just Müller yoghurts. If you're still being a snob about Ocean, I'm telling you right now that this isn't going to last. One day, sooner than you think, a dip in those sweaty waves will actually tempt you. I swear. I know you think you're all above it with your Stealth and your CMYK, but just you wait until you get hooked on ‘Let It Go’ - nowhere else is going to satisfy your singalong needs. Sing louder, no one cares. But please, never take your top off for ‘Baywatch’, we have to draw the line somewhere. Also - this one's important - after a significant amount of research (overspending), I've come to the personal conclusion that your overdraft counts as free money. So make it rain, baby. P.S. Just going to give you a heads up here, I'm not sure your cooking is going to be that much better than hall food. Sorry. Emma Doyle
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
To my Fresher Self,
To my Fresher Self, Starting university is daunting and you’re wondering how move-in day came around so quickly, but university really isn’t as scary as you think. The Freshers’ Week pressure to make friends with everyone in your hall will soon seem overrated. In fact, you won’t talk to the majority of the people you meet in the first week again during the first semester. You should know that food is going to become a sore point. It would be wise to start budgeting for pizza nights because, aside from the lasagne, food goes downhill after the second week and there’s really no going back. Another pointer: signing up for salsa classes when you’ve never enjoyed dancing is not a good idea. £28 for a semester is only justifiable when you go more than once. When money’s running low, you’ll remember how much you wasted thinking you’d want to venture out into the cold at 7.30pm on a Tuesday night. Try not to worry too much about workload as the first year of university is both the first and last time you can get away with only getting 40%! Enjoy yourself before the real pressure starts. Tamsin Parnell
To my Fresher Self, As a fresher you pretty summed up every student stereotype. Lectures and seminars? What? Making it onto campus was a huge achievement; surely getting from BGP to Coates for 9am deserves a medal, or at least a celebratory bar of chocolate. Your attendance was almost perfect in autumn, but it was spring semester when things got bad. You made it to not one of your Language and Context lectures, and ironically that was the only module you got a first in. Now it’s second year, you’ve learnt your lesson (sort of) and have been to at least 90 percent (well, 60 percent) of your pitiful 9-hour week of academic teaching. First year is for making mistakes and, girl, you managed to make a lot. Somehow you succeeded in breaking the one rule everyone swears by. Don’t shit where you eat. To be less crude, don’t sleep with your flatmate. I wouldn’t recommend it. Given the opportunity to redo first year, you probably wouldn’t make that decision. The most important thing you learnt as a Fresher? Value your home friends. Despite being vehemently against them coming to the same uni, there are only certain mates that will hold your hair back whilst you’re sick through your nose during the worst hangover of your life. And nothing is quite as exciting as bumping into them in Crisis and tackling them to the ground from the sheer joy of seeing their faces.
The journey will soon begin. Yes, the journey of a new beginning, the journey of new friends and new places, bad food and beds that make weird noises, some crazy nights and some inspiring ones, but it will all be worth it. I have just one piece of advice for you: there is absolutely no concept of time. In the blink of an eye, time will pass so quickly and you won’t even realise. There is not one second where I wish I could rewind the amazing first year. So close your eyes and do whatever you want to, eat whatever you crave, run around the halls if that’s what you really want to do (but the hall porters might not let that happen). In other words, there will be times when you’ll probably end up making some silly decisions and you’ll regret them later - but who doesn’t? I made some terrible ones but I still have my friends and I’m still alive, right? No matter what, come what may, it will all be worth it. Be yourself, and find time to be happy. More than anything, find time for yourself, for it’s going to be these years that shall carve your future. All the very best, and if you ever think that you have made the worst decision of your life, read this letter again, for the Future You is very, very happy. Sanjana Parikh
Just try not to screw up as much as you did last year. Katie Randall
23
TRAVEL
SPOTLIGHT ON:
HONG KONG Hong Kong lies at the tip of Southern China. Described as a vibrant and spirited city, with a spellbinding natural harbour and futuristic architecture, Hong Kong has an energetic pulse and a noticeable lust for success. Whilst soaring towers frame a new world skyline that protects a dense metropolis below, the city stands against a backdrop of sprawling green mountains; a setting which perhaps embodies the very essence of modern China. From a distance, Hong Kong can be mistaken for an independent nation rather than a region curiously under control of another. Yet, Hong Kong has never truly been free, carrying a complex history of dispute and foreign authority alongside its otherwise glossy world image. A British colony from the 1840s, Hong Kong was occupied by Japan during the Second World War, before being reclaimed by Britain, until 1997, when the territory was taken by mainland China. Yet despite remaining under the grip of China, Hong Kong has a degree of autonomy from the People’s Republic through its own political system. However, a dark cloud has hovered across Hong Kong over recent months in the form of the ‘Umbrella Movement’ - a series of nonviolent civil disobedience activities asking for full democracy in the election of the next Hong Kong leader in 2017. This request opposes the election plan constructed by China whereby a 1200 strong, carefully selected Chinese committee will vote on up to three electoral candidates before the Hong Kong public is able to vote.
“FROM A DISTANCE, HONG KONG CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR AN INDEPENDENT NATION, RATHER THAN A REGION CURIOUSLY UNDER CONTROL OF ANOTHER” Carried by protesters for much of the movement, the coloured umbrellas seen in media discourse were originally used as protection against police pepper spray, but they have since risen to become an iconic symbol for the demonstrations. 24
While floating brollies have fronted the campaign visually, it is the students of Hong Kong who have led the campaign to global publicity, with a number of groups including the Hong Kong Federation of Students and student activist group, Scholarism, taking part in civil disobedience activities.
“THE REPUTATION OF THE CITY POLICE COULD PROVE TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST VICTIMS OF THE MOVEMENT” The leader of Scholarism, Joshua Wong, has become a face of the movement through leading campaign efforts and taking on a 108 hour hunger strike in December, which asked the government to recommence dialogue on electoral reform. Wong later quit his strike due to medical advice. The movement first gained momentum in June 2014, when over 700,000 citizens participated in an unofficial referendum vote requesting a public voice in the shortlisting of candidates for the 2017 elections, before Beijing judged the vote as illegal. By July, tens of thousands of protesters took part in one of the largest pro-democracy rallies Hong Kong has ever witnessed. However, the chance of democratic election was ruled out with mainland China stating that only candidates approved by Beijing could run. Events intensified between September and December, when over 10,000 campaigners occupied the centre of the city in protest against China’s crushing decision. As friction between activists and police mounted, a number of violent incidents occurred, including an attack by police on a male protester in October, which shocked not only the community in Hong Kong but much of the world too. Leading the protester into a dark corner, Hong Kong police officers kicked and beat the man to the ground, causing wounds to his head, neck and back. This was not only an abuse of police power, but a moment that would firmly etch itself into the memory of a generation.
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
By late October, the movement reached new frontiers when the United Nations Human Rights Committee stressed the need for the right to vote and the right to be elected. Beijing responded again by stating that its policy on the Hong Kong elections was fixed. Tactics used by police included baton charges, leaving some protesters bleeding, and the use of pepper spray which caused vomiting. This was seen by the public as brutal in comparison to the non-violent ‘love and peace’ approach taken by protesters and has worked to tarnish the reputation of the Hong Kong police. In fact, the reputation of the city police could prove to be one of the greatest victims of the movement; from using sledgehammers to remove protest barriers, to the unforgiving use of teargas, the general public have been shocked at the rough conduct of the police. The movement has also impacted the wider community in Hong Kong through disruption to the lives of regular citizens via road blockages and school closures, economic loss for local businesses and an apparent widening of the gap between Hong Kongers, tourists and immigrants from mainland China. Thus, the movement is said to have ‘paralyzed’ the city.
“UNLEASHED FROM THE CAGE OF THE CLASSROOM, STUDENTS HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO A REALM OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND FREE SPEECH ON THE STREETS OF THEIR HOMELAND” However, much hope and positivity has also emerged, mainly through the unity of young people across the city. For many who have grown up in crowded tower blocks this was the first opportunity to become active on the ground in their own city. Unleashed from the cage of the classroom, students have been exposed to a realm of creative expression and free speech on the streets of their homeland. A third year University of Nottingham student Naomi, who is studying in Hong Kong for a year, explains a positive experience of the
movement: “I went down to see the protests a couple of days after they started and it really was incredible to witness. The atmosphere is hard to describe, I guess the best word for it is uplifting. It was very peaceful and everyone was looking after each other, handing out food and water and even doing their homework! “I spoke to some locals about it, and they had mixed opinions; some were very supportive and spent a while camped out there, whereas others thought that they should be grateful that they already get any kind of vote and that the protests were pointless, as they didn't see Beijing changing their mind”. She went on to state: “My roommate is from mainland China and she thought that locals should be grateful they get a vote at all, even if it is restricted, and was certain that Beijing would not change their mind. There were also signs all around my university campus with phrases like ‘If not now, when?’ and pictures of the protests and the police using tear gas”. As a result of this, demonstrations have also occurred across the globe, with many taking place in front of Chinese embassies. A petition to the White House was also created and much support for Hong Kong was seen in Taiwan, including a gathering of over 10,000 people in Liberty Square in Taipei. For activists though, the Umbrella Movement represents not only a campaign for today, but one entwined with tomorrow. Many have future generations firmly in their minds and remain thirsty for a future filled with greater autonomy. The movement has been cited as a generational revolution; one that will ripple into decades to come. With common social and political goals, protesters have united a generation, sparking hope of a new order for the future which they themselves can forge. But for now, Hong Kong remains tangled within China’s ever expanding net of power, and its campaign to swim free from its captor trudges on.
WORDS BY CAITLIN KELLY IMAGE BY PASU AU YEUNG VIA FLICKR 25
TRAVEL
THE DEATH OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF? The Great Barrier Reef: one of the most exquisite gems that we have on this planet. Home to a diverse array of tropical marine life, over two million people visit this breathtakingly beautiful destination per year. For now, it seems inconceivable to imagine the earth without it, yet recent concerns have brought doubt over the future of the reef.
“US BANKS HAVE REFUSED TO INVEST IN ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REEF’S AREA” In November last year, President Obama presented the problem to a global audience, urging the Australian Government to do more to preserve the earth’s natural heritage. He voiced concerns that the reef will otherwise become a destination that his grandchildren will be unable to see - a harrowing thought for us all. The size of the reef has halved in the past 30 years and it is evident that immediate action must be taken; the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has threatened to list the Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’, with a decision to be made early this year. Australian Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, disputed Obama’s claims despite evidence that the Queensland Government is not stepping up to its responsibilities. The Government is subsidising a mine-to-port railway, which would expand the major coal port located adjacent to the reef. An expansion would lead to an increase in dredging and shipping, directly affecting marine life. Shipping traffic is predicted to increase by 480 ships per year, potentially exposing the reef to further pollution and waste, altering the water’s chemistry. Australia’s attitude towards the coal industry in general is a cause for concern. The rise in coal exports will produce destructive carbon emissions whilst also driving down coal prices, encouraging the world to use coal over less damaging renewable fuels. It seems that Australia is behind the times with their practices; many US banks have refused to invest in any further developments within the reef. A further 26
worrying factor is that the organisation in charge of conservation, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, is facing budget cuts meaning the number of people designated to look after the reef is dwindling. It’s only fair to acknowledge that Australia is taking steps to protect the reef, but it may be a case of too little too late. Debates over the controversial issue of dredging led to a new bill banning the practice within the World Heritage Site for the next 10 years. Dredging can smother marine life and cause coral diseases, so this is a positive move in the right direction. It’s not only the Government’s actions that are threatening the existence of the reef. The Crown-of-thorns starfish feeds on the reef’s coral and is responsible for half of the corals’ decline in the past 30 years. Tourism is also detrimental, with careless visitors dropping anchors onto the coral and resorts emptying waste into the sea.
“THE SIZE OF THE REEF HAS HALVED IN THE PAST 30 YEARS” The Government has implemented the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan, outlining how they will improve the situation. However, critics have noted that the plan does not focus on climate change at all - the biggest factor destroying the reef. Of course, the problem of climate change is a responsibility worldwide. Water acidification, coral bleaching and rising sea temperatures are problems that we are creating through our behaviour around the world. Will the reef survive? There is evidence that coral can acclimatise and adapt to more acidic conditions, it’s true that the reef is one of the most resilient tropical marine ecosystems in the world. But this may not be enough; we need to work on a global scale to save this wonderfully unique environment, not push it as far as it can go. The more threats we present, the less resilient it will become. WORDS BY JOANNA HILL IMAGE BY PHILIP RAWLINSON
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
PANAMANIAN IDENTITY:
LATINO HERITAGE VS AMERICANISATION
Panama, a land in the Americas, holds a culture so diverse that a foreign eye might have trouble categorizing it into modern standards. A nation with a vibrant, traditional Kuna culture: colourful attire, plates of fresh fish and patacones (fried plantains), and a traditional music of meringue típico, some suggest it is being overshadowed by American influences. This is bound to raise questions as to what is the ‘authentic’ Panamanian culture of today, creating an identity crisis among the natives. Panama had a varied population to begin with. From a mixture of indigenous tribes and immigrants of over 500 years, brought to build the Panama Canal, to Afro-origin slaves and the aftermath of the Spanish colony, ethnic diversity is evident. The country’s geographical location also plays an important role in Panamanian culture, as the nation stands as one of the world’s greatest trading spots. The Panama canal was finished in 1914 with the help of the US and is the only connection linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Not only did the canal become a hub for overseas trade but it also marked a new vital link in world shipping. “Puente del mundo, Corazón del universo” - bridge of the world, heart of the universe. This common Panamanian saying speaks of the importance of the canal in the global economy and reflects Panamanian national pride. Generally, locals strongly believe that their country differs from the rest of Latin America due to its rich history, unique geographical location and close affiliation with the US. However, global footsteps have marked the country. Panama is a kingdom of crossroads, a microcosm of the Americas, and has frequently been described as having been ‘born globalised’ – a claim made apparent by the clear Americanisation of the country. Stretching from the never-ending skyscrapers to the numerous US brands, Panama seems to be emerging as an extension of the Land of the Free. Anything popular in the Big Apple will unconsciously thrive in Panama; franchises such as McDonalds and Forever 21 are flourishing in the country’s economy. The local consumption of such American brands is so habitual that the question of why the local market is not as successful arises. Is it because Panamanians believe that what
derives from the US is intrinsically superior? Not necessarily, because Panamanians are so confident in their identity that many don’t even consider the effects of their foreign consumption. It has become so natural to them that US culture has merged into their own culture. Despite this, locals consider themselves to be extremely Latino; they embrace and incorporate American influences in their daily lives without filtering their actions. Their laid-back lifestyle causes them to overlook the effects that accepting these trends has on their own culture.
“IT IS DIFFICULT TO CLASSIFY PANAMANIAN IDENTITY, AS IT EXISTS AS A MELTING-POT OF CULTURES” It seems that the American culture is slowly taking over the Panamanian culture and the nation too. In fact, Manuel Noriega, a Panamanian ex-dictator who was captured during the US invasion and spent time in captivity in France, was astonished by the images of his country upon his return. During his time away, Panama had changed so immensely that he thought he had arrived in Miami. Are the influences, therefore, apparent only to external eyes? It is difficult to classify Panamanian identity, as it exists as a meltingpot of cultures. American influences have been welcomed so naturally that the line between the two cultures has become blurred. Without a doubt, Panama is either forming a more diverse cultural identity or it is slowly losing its authenticity. Either way, the topic of identity crisis remains a sensitive one for Panamanians, thus they proudly protect their nation, wishing not to be considered a part of either Central or South America. Instead, Panama perhaps wishes to be known as a country that brings nations together; Panama, the canal of the worlds.
WORDS BY ELENI PHILIPPOU IMAGE BY YVES PICQ VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 27
TRAVEL
THE FUTURE OF
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY Technological advancements have seen the travel industry develop more rapidly every day, and as a result the face of travel is now almost unrecognisable compared to 20 years ago. The success of budget airlines has opened up international travel to people who would not have had the opportunity to explore the world just a few years ago. This is a huge benefit to students, who can now easily take a gap year or year abroad that previous generations could never have afforded. Thanks to phone apps, such as TripAdvisor, travellers can find hotels and restaurants at the touch of a button as the Internet has all but obliterated the need for maps and guidebooks.
“TODAY WE CAN BLOG, TWEET AND POST PHOTOS AT 30,000 FEET” Ever-advancing technology clearly has its uses, and the majority of us would not be able to travel so easily without it. But, like most things, it has its downsides, and some can’t help wondering if travel technology could go too far. With this in mind, we are forced to question the possible long-term consequences of these advances and what it could mean for society. With technology evolving on a seemingly daily basis, the way we travel is constantly being revolutionised, making our journeys safer, easier, and more enjoyable. Rail connections between the UK and mainland Europe are improving every year, with new state-of-the-art trains slashing journey times. Last year it was announced that Eurostar would be launching a direct service from London to Amsterdam in December 2016, meaning that the Dutch capital will soon be just a four-hour train ride away. The recent launch of budget transatlantic flights have transformed the way we see long-distance air travel, and for many the other side of the world is now within easy reach. While aviation’s carbon footprint has long been a cause for concern, the prospect of guilt-free air travel is edging steadily closer as the industry explores ways to reduce its impact on the environment. In 28
2008, Virgin Atlantic launched the first commercial flight powered on biofuel, and further progress is being made in the development of renewable fuel. To prevent environmental damage, air traffic controllers now use technology to monitor and direct flight routes, choosing the path that is most economically efficient. Measures like this mean that environmentally friendly air travel could soon become possible.
With long-distance flights now universally accessible, even more technological developments are helping to enhance our travelling experience, making the process simple and comfortable – an unbelievable feat when compared to travel conditions of the past. While most of us still remember a time when the use of mobile phones was banned on planes, in-flight Wi-Fi is now available on an increasing number of journeys. All airlines are expected to offer this service within the next few years, with even low-cost carriers set to be on board by 2018. Rather than contenting ourselves with a book, today we can blog, tweet and post photos at 30,000 feet – our first holiday selfie can be filtered and uploaded before we even touchdown at our destination.
“ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AIR TRAVEL COULD SOON BECOME POSSIBLE” While it may seem like the industry has advanced as far as it can, there are more technologies on the horizon that, although alien to us now, may soon be a regular part of the travel experience. Some of the projects in the pipeline will surely be beneficial, while others sound a little dubious. Air travel can already feel claustrophobic, and in a decade’s time we could be flying in windowless planes. Designed to save fuel, these aircraft will instead be fitted with screens showing projections of the sky outside. Just when we thought cabins couldn’t get any more cramped, a design has been released for a new concept
IMPACT
MAGAZINE cabin that would do away with seats in favour of individual pods stacked on top of one another. Closer to ground level, hovering trains have recently been tested in Japan and are hoped to be in regular circulation by 2027.
“IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD, TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY IS AN ESSENTIAL LIFELINE” There is undoubtedly a lot to be said for travel technology, but some of the latest ideas have proven to be controversial and even dangerous. Plans for a new runway at either Heathrow or Gatwick are causing conflict following concerns over noise pollution, insufficient infrastructure and the estimated price tag of up to £18.6bn, prompting a widespread debate over the project’s viability. In 2014 the world witnessed what can happen when air travel goes horribly wrong, when a co-pilot was killed during the testing of the Virgin Galactic spacecraft. While Richard Branson is still pushing forward with plans to launch the first space tourism flights, the horrific accident left the world shaken and led many to question the safety of the venture. Having said all of this, technology and travel developments hold the power to improve people’s lives more than we can imagine. A recent Channel 4 documentary, Worst Place to be a Pilot, examined the Indonesian airline Susi Air, whose planes navigate some of the world’s most dangerous territory to deliver vital supplies to remote tribes. As this programme illustrated, in places where people are almost completely cut off from the rest of the world, travel technology is an essential lifeline.
“IN THE NEXT DECADE ALONE WE FACE THE PROSPECT OF WINDOWLESS PLANES, SPACE TOURISM AND HOVERING PUBLIC TRANSPORT” The world of travel has come an incredibly long way over a short period and continues to venture into increasingly uncertain territory. The potential for even further expansion begs the question of how far we could take things. In the next decade alone we face the prospect of windowless planes, space tourism and hovering public transport, but the development of technology does not come without difficulties and many obstacles may jeopardise future improvements. With colossal amounts of money being spent on new travel advances, it isn’t possible to know how effective they will be in the long run. Similarly, whilst modernisation is certainly a positive thing, in the midst of a financial crisis it is becoming increasingly more difficult to justify the cost. And, most importantly, are we really willing to put lives at risk for the sake of facilitating travel?
TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY TIMELINE 3500 BC
The invention of the wheel
JOHN T DAVIES / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
1903
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, invent and fly the first successful aeroplane
KYLE WOOD / FLICKR
1911
Voyage of the Titanic
1950
First package holiday created by Vladimir Raitz with Horizon Holiday Group
1969
First flight of the Boeing 747 and the first moon landing
1971
First low-cost airline Southwest Airlines launched
NASA
MATT BUCK / FLICKR
1994
The opening of the Channel Tunnel
2000
TripAdvisor founded
2008
Airbnb established
In any case, as the global population rapidly expands and the world faces a resource crisis, the travel industry is sure to keep moving forward. It seems inevitable that in the coming years travel technology will take centre stage. WORDS BY GEORGIE CAUTHERY IMAGE BY ‘AERO ICARUS’ VIA FLICKR 29
SCIENCE
VIRTUAL REALITY THE FUTURE IS COMING
Virtual Reality technology involves rendering an immersive 3D computer generated environment that the user can interact with and explore. This is achieved through a head-mounted display, and additional sensory experience can be given to the user through audio and video feeds. The user is allowed to interact with objects inside the environment in real time, and this can be aided through a physical handheld controller or a motion detection sensor, not unlike Microsoft’s Kinect.
“IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO PUT ON A HEADSET AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE SURGERY ON A 3D HUMAN MODEL” So what’s all the fuss about? Well, the applications for such technology really do stretch only as far as the imagination! Several industries, from the obvious gaming possibilities through to architecture, military and medical applications, could benefit enormously from such technology. Imagine being able to put on a headset and see a 3D model of the building you’re designing as an architect, or having the opportunity to practice surgery on a 3D human model before having to experience it in real life. Aside from the potential for multiplayer gaming to explode even more as a worldwide phenomenon, the training applications for virtual reality tech could make vocational education far more immersive. As for the gaming aspect, in May 2014, Samuel Gibbs wrote an article for The Guardian on Sony’s Morpheus project and stated that “in March, the independent manufacturer of a forthcoming VR gaming headset, the Oculus Rift, was bought by Facebook for $2bn. Later that month, Brendan Iribe, the Oculus CEO, claimed that the two companies would one day build an online multiplayer virtual reality game for one billion players”. 30
Imagine coming home from university, school or work and being able to put on a headset and physically appear to be in a completely other world, interacting with people on a global scale. This experience has been one that gamers have dreamt of for years. However, it is important to question what the consequences would be if such technology was made available commercially and how it would affect our interaction with other humans daily. Could we end up with an entire generation of people so fascinated with a virtual world they forget about the real one? This may seem a farfetched and implausible concept, but we’re all guilty of spending increasingly more time on our smartphones these days, especially on social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Snapchat. Any company wishing to market such an overwhelming experience should consider putting limitations on the length a player can play for, otherwise it would be easy for players to become too immersed within the game, resulting in them playing for an unhealthy period of time. This is already an existing problem within the gaming community.
“COULD WE END UP WITH AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF PEOPLE SO FASCINATED WITH A VIRTUAL WORLD THEY FORGET ABOUT THE REAL ONE?” An 18 year old from Taiwan died after doing a marathon on Diablo III for 40 hours in August 2012, and authorities noted that the length of sitting still could have caused a fatal blood clot. In February of the same year, another gamer was found slumped over with his hands on his keyboard after playing the smash hit League of Legends for 23 hours straight, with the cause of death reported as cardiac arrest. It must be noted that these deaths are from extreme circumstances, but it does
IMPACT
MAGAZINE give weight to the rise of game addiction and the possibilities for abuse of any potential VR technology set to be released. If there are such dangers with releasing the technology commercially, then perhaps it could be used as a training aid in certain professions. VR tech is already being used by military personnel around the world. Not only the Army but the Navy and Air Force are using such technology, uses include flight, parachuting, battlefield and vehicle simulation. This gives the military the ability to train the reactions of their soldiers extensively with a variety of situations before they’ve even taken a step out the door.
“VIRTUAL REALITY THERAPY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING PEOPLE WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER” Medical professionals and students across the world also have access to technology that allows them to practice performing surgery in a safe and controlled environment, without the risk of a mistake costing a human life. This benefit does not just apply to physical ailments, but virtual reality therapy has been successful in helping people with everything from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to several phobias. The technology provides a safe environment to perform treatments such as calming the patient or having them face their fear without any actual danger being necessary. From business to construction, there are a multitude of industries that already benefit from VR tech, and this could vastly be expanded in the coming years with the improving development of such technology.
So with such a promising future for virtual reality, why isn’t everyone investing in it right away? Well there are limitations to the current technology; the experience of a user is limited by the hardware that the virtual reality environment is built on. So far the head-mounted displays used by most VR experiences are very expensive to develop, and even more so to maintain as few technicians have enough experience with the hardware to diagnose and subsequently fix any issues that arise with regular use. This all adds up to high development costs, and even higher long term costs, making the technology commercially unviable at the moment. On top of this, the psychological and social desensitisation potential could affect a user without them even knowing. In a virtual world where the consequences of your actions have no bearing in reality, it could be easy enough to forget the real consequences of such an action. In an extreme situation this could translate to an action that would be performed by the user in a virtual environment being performed in reality. At the end of the day, should we look forward to the prospect of commercial virtual reality tech? Definitely. But we should also be aware of the potential risks of the technology before we using it.The technology has the ability to create experiences that would encourage imagination in its users and definitely increase the effectiveness of any training simulation, to the extent that it’s worth developing.
WORDS BY JAMIE RODGERS IMAGES BY THE US NAVY AND SERGEY GALYONKIN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
31
SCIENCE
JÄGERBOMBS HOW MANY IS TOO MANY? Ah, Jägerbombs - the best way to start a good night out, and often the sure-fire way to end that same night throwing up into a sink. For many of us, these intoxicating bundles of joy have become the main event of the alcoholic lineup consumed at bars and clubs. Some Nottingham venues have embraced the trend and started to add ‘Jäger Pints’ to their menus - a cocktail consisting of 5 Jäger shots poured into a pint glass filled with an energy drink. These high caffeine, high sugar, alcoholic bombers are a triple win, right? Maybe not.
"DESPITE ALL THIS, SHE CLAIMED THAT SHE DIDN’T EVEN FEEL THAT DRUNK" Recently reported in national press, Jayde Dinsdale, an 18-year-old girl from Somerset, suffered three cardiac arrests after having 10 Jägerbombs over the course of a night. She was rushed to hospital and put into an induced coma after being saved from death by her father who happened to know CPR. Despite all this, she claimed that she didn’t even feel that drunk. This is because Jägerbombs can have a strange effect on the central nervous system. Energy drink are a stimulant which mask the depressive effects of the alcohol, making it hard to tell how drunk you are actually getting. This makes excess drinking all the more likely, and when you’re taking in excess levels of sugar and caffeine, the consequences can be dangerous. But how much sugar and caffeine is actually in these drinks? Let’s start with the sugar content. A standard Jägerbomb consists of one 25ml shot of Jägermeister mixed into half a can of energy drink. Half a can of energy drink contains approximately 14g of sugar, and a shot of Jäger contains 11g. This means that for every Jägerbomb you drink you’re taking in 25g of sugar – two grams more than a standard milk chocolate bar. The sugar found in fizzy drinks including energy drinks is classed as added sugar. The maximum amount of added sugars you should consume within a day, according to both the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), is 37.5g (nine teaspoons) for men and 25g (six teaspoons) for women. So for women, every Jägerbomb you drink is the same as taking in your full daily maximum of added sugar in one mouthful, and for men 32
just two Jägerbombs are enough to exceed your daily maximum. This means that when Jayde Dinsdale drank ten Jägerbombs, she had taken in 1000% of her daily maximum (63 teaspoons of sugar) in one evening. This 250g dose would be the same weight in grams as a fully grown adult stoat burrowing its way through her bloodstream. Next, let’s have a look at the caffeine content. A can of energy drink usually contains 82mg of caffeine, so one Jägerbomb will typically contain 41mg. This is just over 10% of the recommended daily caffeine intake (400mg) which most brands officially advertise; however, many people’s caffeine tolerance is lower than this, as it varies depending on your age, body size and mental health. If an average person were to consume ten or more Jägerbombs in a night and exceed this 400mg limit they would be prone to insomnia, anxiety, muscle tremors and heart palpitations amongst other nasty side effects from the caffeine. The heart rate would also be elevated; however, this would initially be masked by the alcohol, and would only reveal itself the following day.
"ONE JÄGER PINT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A PINT GLASS OF COFFEE WITH 26 SUGAR CUBES THROWN IN" Finally, let’s look at ‘Jäger pints’. How much caffeine and sugar is in one drink? Too much would be the short answer. With a grand total of 145mg of caffeine and 104g of sugar, one Jäger pint is the equivalent of a pint glass of coffee with 26 sugar cubes thrown in - more sugar than you would get from eating three whole Mars bars in one go. Ingesting high levels of these substances on their own would provide individual risks, but when combined, excessive consumption of caffeine, sugar and alcohol can lead to rapid or irregular heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, sleep trouble, weight gain, vomiting - and even sudden death. So next time you’re at a bar and you see an offer on two-for-one Jäger pints, maybe think twice before potentially landing yourself in A&E for the night. WORDS BY MATTY GEELEHER IMAGE BY YVES PICQ VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
THE CONSEQUENCES OF KEEPING ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY Most of us enjoy going to the zoo or marine parks to see rare and beautiful animals up close, but we often fail to question how living in artificial and confined environments affect animal behaviour. There have been a number of documentaries and reports in recent years about the horrors of keeping animals in captivity, so just how does it affect the animals? For a start, there is inadequate space to exercise in captivity, particularly for large animals such as elephants, which have on average 18,000 times less space than they would have in the wild. Not having enough room to move can lead to problems in elephants such as arthritis, chronic health problems and joint problems.
“COPENHAGEN ZOO KILLED MARIUS, A TWO YEAR OLD GIRAFFE, AND DISSECTED IT IN FRONT OF VISITORS” Woburn Safari Park is a prime example of how animals are poorly treated in captivity. A 2010 BBC report revealed that the Safari Park was found to keep lions ‘crowded’ and locked in a small enclosure for 18 hours a day. Animals in captivity can develop repetitive behaviours called stereotypical behaviours which include pacing, biting themselves and excessive self-grooming. This is a sign of stress and boredom and environmental enrichment is required to prevent this. Life in captivity also tends to dramatically reduce the lifespan of the enclosed animals. The lifespan of wild elephants is 60-70 years, whilst those in captivity typically die before the age of 40 years. The oldest elephant to live in captivity died at 55 years. Studies also found that 75% of elephants in UK zoos were overweight and only 16% could walk normally, whilst 40% of lion cubs in captivity are shown to die before the age of one month. As well as this, animals are unable to socialise in large family units as they would in the wild. The other animals that they are kept with are often from different families or even countries as family units in zoos are often disrupted where animals can be routinely switched around.
In the 2013 documentary Blackfish, an orca calf is seen being separated from its mother and moved to a different marine park, leaving the mother screaming for several days. The documentary also shows the tension caused by putting whales from different families together where they might fight and scratch each other. In some countries captive animals are beaten, abused and chained up. Until recently, many animals were made to perform tricks which are unnatural and cause fear in animals, and if they did not conform they were punished. One of the main focuses of Blackfish is to show the danger that wild animals pose to trainers and keepers. The captive orca Tilikum caused the death of three individuals, including its trainer Dawn Brancheau, whom he killed during a public show. The whale was shown to be aggressive with other killer whales, and after the event he was no longer allowed to perform. One shocking fact is that surplus animals in zoos are killed. It is thought that there are 200,000 surplus zoo animals in Europe at any one time. Earlier this year, a worldwide controversy reported in The Guardian and Independent revealed that Copenhagen Zoo killed Marius, a two-yearold giraffe, and dissected it in front of visitors. Although the giraffe was healthy, it did not fit with the breeding programme of the park and, despite offers from other zoos to house it, was killed. A month later, the same zoo then killed a family of four lions to make more room for a new male lion, as they felt the lions could not naturally survive and would have been killed by the new lion anyway. In 2007, it was found that members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria had been actively encouraged to kill unwanted animals and hybrids as they took up too much space and time. Of course not all zoos and national parks can be criticised. Many care for injured or rescued animals that would simply not survive in the wild. However, it is shown that the unnatural environment, lack of social stimulation and separation from families can have serious negative effects on animals in captivity.
WORDS BY JESSICA HEWITT-DEAN IMAGE BY YVES PICQ VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 33
FOOD
JUST A STONE’S THROW AWAY
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
YOU WON’T HAVE TO STROLL FAR FROM YOUR DOORSTEP TO GRAB A BITE WITH IMPACT’S LOWDOWN ON LENTON’S BEST LOVED CAFES AND RESTAURANTS.
SAVERA TANDOORI 365 DERBY ROAD
34
LAUREN WILSON
You’ve probably passed this little place many a time while dashing to Uni Park campus and never given it a second glance; however, once you’ve enjoyed one of the delicious curries on offer you won’t be able to resist stopping in. All of the staff are very friendly and the decoration inside is pleasant. Impact Food recommends the Lazeeza or Handi’s Special. Whilst there is always the debate over which is better, the garlic or the peshwari naan, the Sunday two-for-one deal on curries will cure that end-of-the-weekend feeling without breaking your budget! So if you’re craving a curry, Savera Tandoori can provide the perfect post-lecture fix; either enjoy inside or take-away. Monday to Sunday 5pm - 12pm Lizzie Frainier
CROCUS CAFÉ 2 CHURCH SQUARE
LAUREN WILSON
Crocus Café still remains a relatively hidden gem in the centre of Lenton. This volunteer run café is managed by Real Lives CIC and aims to help those with mental health problems by offering peer support, therefore making it a fantastic place to help the local and wider community. Specialising in organic vegetarian food, the menu is incredibly affordable: paninis cost no more than £3 and you can get a huge salad for under a fiver! Don’t miss their Thursday evening ‘Come Dine with Crocus’ nights, starting at 7pm. Previous themes have included tapas, burger night and Italian night. It won’t even set you back too much, as a three course meal will only cost about £10. Another added bonus is that it's bring your own bottle, making it the perfect place for birthdays or a house meal. Weekdays 10am-3pm; weekends 11am-3pm Mike Winnington
WARSAW DINER 93-95 DERBY RD
‘HANNAH’ / FLICKR
If you are looking for a breakfast that is worth getting out of bed for, Warsaw Diner is the place to go. Located just off Derby Road, it is just a stone's throw away from all of you Lenton locals. They have an array of US breakfast favourites on offer, including pancakes and waffles! Impact Food recommend The "Bad Ass" breakfast (including 2x pancakes, 2x bacon, 2x sausage, 2 x eggs, hash browns and unlimited coffee, £6.95) and, for any fussy eaters, there is a 'build your own breakfast' option. Expect speedy service with a smile, sure to put you in a good mood on your break from essay and exam hell, or to help banish that Saturday morning headache. Warsaw Diner is the closest you will get to a real feel American breakfast without breaking the bank. Tues - Sunday 9.30am -2.30pm Heather Corser
TOAST 202 DERBY ROAD
TOAST DELI & CAFÉ
Nestled at the top of Lenton, TOAST hits the spot if you’re looking to escape the greasy fry-ups, instant coffee and bare walls of your student kitchen! This café/deli takes the philosophy ‘quality speaks for itself’ into a whole new dimension of gastronomical pleasure in quaint yet stylish surroundings. As its name would suggest, the café’s famous DIY option consists of a selection of warm and freshly baked artisan breads, jams and spreads; these make for a heart-warming breakfast once you’ve toasted them to your liking using the vintage toaster on your table - just make sure you don’t double dip your knife into the spreads! The rustic menu is deli inspired, homemade and the portions are big; antipasti, a selection of local cured hams, French cheeses and olives are just some of the choices on offer! No time to stop? These can all be placed into an artisan sandwich or salad ready to take away for a delightful healthy lunch. The décor is sophisticated, with the mintcoloured walls brimming with goods, both savoury and sweet. Italian wines and pasta would make a perfect gourmet gift for any occasion. Treat yourself at this casual deli/café whenever some indulgence is necessary! Tues to Fri 9am-3pm; Sat 9am-2pm Remi Gianquitto
IMPACT
RAPID RECIPES
MAGAZINE
MICRO-MUG MEALS
JEFFREY CHIANG / FLICKR
LAUREN WILSON
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFIN
GET YOUR CHOCOLATE CAKE FIX IN 60 SECONDS FLAT 2 tbsp butter, melted 4 tbsp self raising flour 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp cocoa powder 3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp of chocolate chips 1 egg yolk 1 tsp of vanilla essence Ice cream of your choice/ whipped cream for serving (optional)
1. Add the dry ingredients to your mug and mix well. 2. Add the egg yolk and mix well. 3. Pour in melted butter and milk; mix again. 4. Add chocolate chips and vanilla. Mix well to achieve a smooth consistency. 5. Microwave for 60 seconds! 6. Scoop ice cream (if using) on top of mug cake and devour! Susan Akyeampong
LAUREN WILSON
CHEESE SOUFFLÉ
QUICK, CHEAP AND EASY, THIS IS SERIOUSLY IMPRESSIVE COMFORT FOOD! BEST SERVED WITH WARM GARLIC BREAD. 10g butter 1 heaped tsp flour 40ml milk 1 egg separated
40g cheese of your choice Pinch of nutmeg Pinch salt
1. Place the butter in your mug and cover with kitchen towel. Heat in the microwave for 20 seconds until melted. Warm the milk for 30 seconds in microwave afterwards. 2. Add the flour to the butter and mix until a soft ball of dough is formed. Add a little bit of the milk and keep whisking until a soft paste is formed, then keep adding milk until a thick white sauce is formed. 3. Whisk the egg yolks for 5 minutes, whilst leaving the white sauce to cool, and then slowly whisk into the mixture with the cheese, salt and pepper. 4. In a mixing bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form; using a spatula, gently fold in the cheese mixture one quarter at a time until just blended. 5. Return all the mixture to the mug and cook in the microwave on medium-low for 6 minutes. 6. Then, without opening the door, increase the power level to medium and cook for another 7 minutes until the top is dry but the soufflé still moves when the mug is shaken gently. The soufflé will rise and fall several times in the cooking process – don’t fret! 7. Sit back and admire your handiwork… then eat it! Remi Gianquitto
MUSHROOM RISOTTO
DINNER PARTY DISH FOR ONE....YES PLEASE! THANKS TO YOUR MICROWAVE ¼ mug risotto rice 1 mug vegetable stock 1 tbsp onion, finely chopped 1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed 2 medium mushrooms, finely chopped parmesan cheese to serve
1. Pour enough stock over the rice to cover it well; microwave for 1½ minutes. 2. Stir and microwave again for 30 seconds; repeat this process 8 times ensuring that the liquid does not boil over. 3. Add the onion, garlic and olive oil to a different mug and microwave for 1 minute; stir and heat for a further minute. 4. Add the mushrooms to this mixture and microwave for 1½ minutes. 5. Combine the mushroom mixture with the rice in the original mug and microwave for a further 3 minutes, stopping and stirring every minute. 6. Top with parmesan, fresh herbs (if its a special occasion) and enjoy! Lauren Wilson
MARY DALLOWAY / FLICKR
DELUXE HOT CHOCOLATES
TAKE YOUR PICK: TRADITIONAL OR INCREDIBLE PEANUT BUTTER HOT CHOC
CREAMY COCOA
1 mug whole milk
3/4 mug of milk
3 heaped tsps instant hot chocolate (any preferred brand)
1/4 mug of double cream
2 tsp smooth peanut butter Mix the hot chocolate and peanut butter into the mug of milk
25g chopped chocolate Pour the milk, double cream and chopped chocolate into a microwavable mug
Put on high heat in the microwave Cook in the microwave on high heat for 2-4 minutes, stirring for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 every 30 seconds seconds Heather Corser 35
FOOD
SQUEEZE YOUR SPENDS
EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR WEEKLY FOOD SHOP BY FOLLOWING IMPACT READERS’ FRUGAL TIPS. WE’VE EVEN SUGGESTED A FEW RECIPES, THERE REALLY IS NO EXCUSE!
ONE ROAST CHICKEN, A WEEK OF MEALS
BUY A CHICKEN FOR UNDER A FIVER, ROAST IT AND THEN GET CREATIVE! CURRIES, PIES, SANDWICH FILLERS… THE LIST GOES ON!
ROAST CHICKEN CURRY (SERVES 4) 400g leftover cooked chicken, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 300ml chicken stock 2 tsp plain yoghurt spices to taste 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the chopped onion on a low heat with a pinch of salt until softened. Add the garlic and ginger, continue to fry for 2-3 minutes. 2. Add spices and fry gently for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally; Impact Food recommends 2 tsp of garam masala, 2 tsp ground coriander and 2 tsp ground cumin and chilli powder to taste. 3. Stir in chopped tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 4. Add chicken, warm through until piping hot and dollop in the plain yoghurt, warm gently to prevent curdling. 5. Serve with steamed rice and decorate with fresh coriander. WORDS BY HEATHER CORSER IMAGE BY NATASHA PADGITT VIA FLICKR 36
LEFTOVER MAKEOVER
DON’T THROW ANYTHING AWAY! USE LEFTOVER VEG, CHEESE AND COOKED MEAT TO ADD TEXTURE AND FLAVOUR TO BASIC MEALS
FRITTATA (4 MEALS) 4 eggs 2 tspn olive oil 400g baby potatoes, sliced (leftover cooked or parboiled for 10 mins) 1 onion, chopped Leftovers e.g. sliced peppers, courgettes, frozen peas, sweetcorn, ham, cooked chicken Cheese to top e.g. cheddar, feta, parmesan 1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion (and pepper, courgette if using) for 3-4 minutes. 2. Add the sliced potatoes to the pan and continue to fry until they begin to brown. 3. Add your additional fillings of choice - ham, pre-cooked meat, peas. 4. Whisk together the eggs with salt and pepper; pour over the potato mixture. 5. Heat the grill. 6. Keep the pan on a medium heat for 8 minutes until the frittata begins to set. 7. Sprinkle with cheese and pop under the grill for 2-3 mins until golden. 8. Serve in slices alongside a fresh salad, or pack-up for a lunch to look forward to! WORDS BY LAUREN WILSON IMAGE BY MEHAN JAYASURIYA VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
TONS OF TINS
BUDGET FRIENDLY STORE-CUPBOARD STAPLES SUCH AS CHICKPEAS, CHOPPED TOMATOES, LENTILS AND CANNED FISH ARE THE BASES FOR COUNTLESS RECIPES, MAKING THEM EASY AND CHEAP TO PRODUCE IN BULK
CHORIZO, LENTIL AND GOATS CHEESE CASSEROLE (6 MEALS) 2 packs of chorizo sausage sliced 1 can lentils 1 can chopped tomatoes Goats cheese (to taste) 2 garlic cloves 1 red onion 5-6 handfuls of spinach 1 handful of walnuts (optional) 1 carrot 2 cups of vegetable stock 1. Finely slice the garlic, onions, spinach and chorizo. Put the stock in a pot and add these ingredients. Bring to the boil and then simmer.
FREEZE BATCHES, AND YOUR SPENDING!
COOKING FOR ONE CAN SEEM POINTLESS, AND EXPENSIVE! SO MANY RECIPES ARE FREEZABLE, WHY NOT SAVE TIME AND MONEY BY MAKING A BATCH OF BOLOGNESE, CHILLI OR CURRY AND STORING LEFTOVER PORTIONS IN THE FREEZER? SIMPLY DEFROST AND REHEAT FOR DINNER IN A FLASH!
CHILLI CON CARNE (4 MEALS) 1 red onion 2 garlic cloves 1lb of minced beef/ quorn mince 1 tbsp of chili powder 1 tsp of cumin pinch of salt 1 red pepper 1 can chopped tomatoes (undrained) 1 can of red kidney beans (undrained)
2. Rinse and drain your lentils thoroughly, now add these and the tinned tomatoes to the pot. Grate a carrot over the pot.
1. Chop up the onion, garlic and pepper.
3. Add as much goats cheese as you desire, this will melt into the casserole and thicken it. If you like, add some crumbled walnuts to the pot to bulk it up.
3. Add the chilli powder, cumin and salt.
4. After roughly thirty minutes cooking, the casserole should be ready to eat! Serve with a side salad and crusty bread to make it last longer.
WORDS BY LAUREN WILSON IMAGE BY ISABEL JURY
2. In a pot, add the veggies to cook with the ground beef. 4. Now add the tomatoes and the kidney beans along with the water in the can, heat to boiling then reduce to a simmering temperature for 20 minutes. Then it’s ready to enjoy.
WORDS BY ISABEL JURY IMAGE BY ‘LEOSLO’ VIA FLICKR 37
STYLE
IMPACT STYLE CHALLENGED TWO OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS, CHANEL AND VERITY, TO REVAMP THE OTHER’S STYLE FOR THE NEW YEAR USING THEIR OWN PRE-LOVED ITEMS
verity CHANEL, WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND VERITY’S NEW LOOK? To use what you already have in your wardrobe but in a fresh way! Layering a shirt underneath a blazer is the perfect way to revamp an outfit without spending any money. Crop tops don’t need to be retired for the winter, you can easily style them up under other pieces. The camel coloured blazer complements the Timberlands really well. The boots also add a cool casual feel, which would be perfect for lectures.
VERITY, WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEW LOOK? I never normally layer pieces, so I’m loving this new found inspiration. I’ll be able to give so many of my outfits a new lease of life! In the winter season, most people stray away from colour, but the blues and beiges in the shirt still give it a subtle pop. I also hadn’t thought about matching the blazer with the Timberlands, but it works so well. 38
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
chanel CHANEL, WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEW LOOK? I absolutely love the scarf, even though it’s monochrome it still adds another element to the outfit. I love the tartan print as well. The gold rings are gorgeous; they have such a subtle effect, especially as I don’t usually wear rings. So sassy! The hat adds like a cute finishing touch, and brings the whole outfit together nicely.
VERITY, WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION BEHIND CHANEL’S NEW LOOK? I loved the all black, so wanted to stick with the monochrome theme, hence the black and white scarf. It’s also fabulous for keeping warm, as it’s freezing! Black and gold work really well together - I saw her nail polish and decided to play up this accent with the necklace and midi rings. Hats always finish off an outfit, so the felt hat was a perfect addition to make the outfit chic, but warm at the same time.
STYLED BY CHANEL JONSSON AND VERITY SULWAY DIRECTED BY SHOPE DELANO AND TARA BELL PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHOPE DELANO 39
STYLE
DOES FEMINISM HAVE A PLACE IN FASHION? YES
In the immortal words of Vogue, “Who didn’t get bitten by the Seventies bug this season?” From Pucci prints to flower power, it’s all hot for S/S 2015 - but this blast from the past isn’t stopping at folk stylings and flares. A new revival in feminism is on the agenda too. We heard Emma Watson speak out for the sisterhood in her incredible #HeForShe speech; we saw Beyoncé strutting her stuff in front of that supersized ‘FEMINIST’ sign; and now the fash-pack have got with the programme. Chanel’s S/S 2015 show closed with a mock feminist demonstration complete with slogans ranging from the superficial, (‘Tweed is better than tweet’) to the serious (‘Women’s Rights are More than Alright!’). Perhaps unsurprisingly, swathes of seasoned feminists were outraged. Fashion, after all, is fickle by nature - and feminism is far too critical a cause to forsake like last year’s ombré and peplum tops. Nevertheless, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say: What’s all the fuss about?
“FASHION DOESN’T JUST BENEFIT SOCIETY’S MOST FORTUNATE FEMALES” There’s barely a more desirable name than Chanel. With presence comes power; love him or loathe him, who’s better placed to flog feminism to today’s increasingly image-conscious girls than the undeniably influential Lagerfeld? Yes, it’s a tragedy of our time that Chanel’s implicit equation of feminism with beauty and flair is the best way to push its prospects. But in a sexualised society where even what’s intended as empowering frequently distorts into the degrading (think ‘All About That Bass’ and “boys like a little more booty to hold at night”), it’s no wonder appearance is paramount. It’s no good thinking what should be convincing young girls that feminism has a place in their lives. The sisterhood must remain realistic to survive; especially given how desperately we now need it. 37% of female students have experienced ‘inappropriate touching and groping’ - defined as sexual assault under UK law. Oxbridge drinking societies reportedly run ‘whaling’ competitions to ‘harpoon’, or rather sleep with, the ugliest girl in a club. Closer to home, Impact has uncovered footage of Cavendish freshers singing sexist chants, with lyrics such as: ‘Now she’s dead but not forgotten, dig her up and fuck her rotten’. Now, consider that a 2013 Economist poll revealed 62% of women still don’t think of themselves as feminists. In light of all this, surely it’s foolish to pick holes in our fellow feminists. Guardian columnist Roxane Gay has bemoaned the fact that feminism finds new followings once pushed by a “pretty young thing” such as Beyoncé. Chanel’s show has been deemed anti-feminist on the grounds that models were young, tall, thin, beautiful and predominantly white. Maybe we can begrudge them their fortune in winning the genetic lottery - but never their right to fight for female equality. Dismissing them because of their youth, attractiveness or race simply constitutes yet another facet of discrimination against women, and, worse, sets us against each other; surely a fast-track to undermining feminism for good. Above all, however, the debate seems particularly irrational since fashion has unrivalled form for furthering feminism, offering extensive 40
career opportunities to women. Just think of brilliant entrepreneurs Natalie Massenet and Sophia Amoruso, top designers Vivienne Westwood and Phoebe Philo, uber-influential Anna Wintour - I could go on. Fashion doesn’t just benefit society’s most fortunate females. Ethical initiatives frequently provide poverty-stricken women with jobs where virtually all other employment favours men. ASOS Africa, for one, provides female employees with invaluable free lunches and child care services; on top of good pay and fair working conditions. Feminism is all about women doing what makes them happy, free of petty prejudices - whether that’s wearing dresses or dungarees, working with lipsticks or laser-pointers. Fashion, like any major industry, might have its flaws. For lots of us, though, it’s just fun, and we shouldn’t be judged for that - especially not by women who should be supporting, not slating, their sisters.
WORDS BY JENNY SKIPPER
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
NO
Feminism and the place of women in the world has been an important debate in the past century, but the last two years have seen the involvement of the fashion giants in the debate. However, in an industry dominated by impossible beauty standards, objectification and over-sexualisation of women, true feminism is impossible. The global injustices of the fashion industry towards women make any efforts to frame feminism within fashion hypocritical. I wonder, where are all the fashion feminists when women in Cambodia have to choose whether to sell their bodies or work for a dollar a day in a sweatshop? Or where are the ethics of fashion when an underweight model is told to lose weight or lose her job? Fashion is an industry where women are treated as expendable and replaceable and are viewed primarily as a sexual object.
“FOR FASHION DESIGNERS FEMINISM IS JUST THE LATEST TREND, THE LATEST BANDWAGON TO JUMP ON, WITHOUT ACTUALLY CHALLENGING THE INDUSTRY’S DEEPER ISSUES” For example, American Apparel is one of the most sexually explicit companies, with a rich history of objectifying women and causing outrage. Their semi-pornographic advertisements, which feature images of models with their legs spread open or up-skirt photos of young women in school uniforms, are a brilliant example of how the fashion industry views women as nothing more than sexual objects. Yet, their success is undeniable, and it took the company over 10 years to dismiss it’s founder, Dov Charney, after multiple accusations of sexual harassment - surely a move motivated purely by profit and not by the company’s moral standards. Especially considering that he is still a ‘consultant’ for the company. For fashion designers feminism is just the latest trend, the latest bandwagon to jump on, without actually challenging the industry’s deeper issues. The ideology of feminism is a tool used to sell fashion, a simple marketing ploy to get us to buy more things, but also feel good about it. Everyone seems to be capitalizing on the ‘feminist trend’, with ELLE trying to “rebrand” the word feminism, Whistles selling a ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ t-shirt, Miuccia Prada creating a multi-faced feminist collection, and of course, the event of Paris fashion week Chanel’s staged feminist protest. Overnight Karl Lagerfeld became the poster boy for feminism in the fashion industry and led his incredibly thin models in a staged protest with slogans poking fun at the feminist ideology, such as ‘Boys Should Get Pregnant Too’ and ‘Feminism not Masochism’. Lagerfeld is a man uncompromising in his views on the female body, a man who once said that "no one wants to see curvy women". A man who also famously stated that Coco Chanel wasn’t a feminist, because she wasn’t “ugly enough for that”. In this context it is obvious that Karl is
just trying to capitalize on feminist ideology, and the hypocrisy of his show is exposed. Unfortunately, this feminist trend will only last one season, while fashion continues to objectify women and and deprive them of their rights. Fashion is, and has always been, a very powerful force on the stage of social issues, and designers who use their creativity to make a political statement are admirable. However, there are deeper problems which run to the core of the fashion industry, and efforts to advertise a brand as feminist is just a hollow attempt to mask and ignore these issues.
WORDS BY ELI TODOROVA 41
STYLE
FROST
CHRISTINA
JUMPER PRIMARK, £10 SKIRT MISSGUIDED, £20 GILET PRETTY LITTLE THING, £40
AMY
TOP H&M, £8 SKIRT PRIMARK, £10 NECKLACE ASOS, £7 SHOES TOPSHOP, £32
STYLED AND DIRECTED BY SHOPE DELANO AND TARA BELL. ASSISTED BY ZOE WILLIAMSON, VERITY SULWAY AND KATHRYN OGLETHORPE. PHOTOGRAPHED BY BEKI HOOPER, ASSISTED BY ANDREAS BILLMAN AND TOM FERNANDES. MAKEUP BY EVIE SAMUELS. MODELLED BY AMY ELIZABETH AND CHRISTINA FUSCO-HOUSE. 42
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
43
CANDY
STYLE
Skin Prep
For both looks, make sure the skin is well moisturised and/or primed. Apply a foundation and concealer where needed. For these looks, it is essential to give the illusion of flawless skin.
Bold Eyes
Apply a primer to the eyelids to increase the longevity of the eye shadow. Begin with applying a bright pastel pink colour over the eyelids, extending out into to socket and towards the brow. Next, apply a lilac colour shadow to the eyelids and to the lower lash line, blending outwards for a soft look. To make the eyes really pop, apply a light blue to the inner corner of the eyes, blending it slightly out to meet the lower and upper lash line. Apply two or three coats of mascara to both the top and bottom lashes to further define the eyes. Keep the lips subtle and neutral by adding a sheer nude lip colour. Finally, to really complete this fun and fresh look, add a light wash of peach coloured blusher. PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS: Sleek i-Divine Del Mar Vol.1 Eyeshadow Palette, Sleek Blush by 3 palette in Pumpkin, MAC lipstick in Hue for lighter skin tones and Verve or Taupe for darker skin. 44
IMPACT
MAGAZINE STYLED AND DIRECTED BY SHOPE DELANO AND TARA BELL PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHOPE DELANO MAKEUP BY EVIE SAMUELS MODELLED BY OLLIE FORD AND MALENA WONG WORDS BY EVIE SAMUELS
Statement Lips
For this look, keep the eyes light with a golden bronze tint. Use a light shimmery gold colour over lids and on the inner corners of the eye. Blend outwards towards the brow. Apply a warm copper tone on the outer corners of the eye and through the socket. Apply a light coat of mascara to the top and bottom lashes for a subtle but defined look. Apply a bright candy pink colour to the lips, preferably with a glossy, but not shimmery, finish. To warm up the skin, add a light wash of bronze over cheekbones. PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS: Bobbi Brown Smokey-Eye Palette, Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Heartbreaker, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze for darker skin and Rose for lighter skin. 45
STYLE
IMPACT STYLE EDITORS
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? IMPACT CATCHES UP WITH STYLE EDITORS OF THE PAST
Emma-Jane Steele
WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? Emma-Jane Steele: I am currently working at Burberry, working at their HQ office in the digital media EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India Africa) team. Hannah Wilkinson: I fly the flag for vintage as a Press and Marketing Assistant at Beyond Retro. My role involves content managing our blog and communicating the brand's unique message through pitching press and pulling for editorials. You can usually find me in press appointments with editors, flexing my pen for our blog, or delving amongst rails of swoon-worthy 60s clobber. Jessica Roseblade: I've just finished my first term at City University doing an MA in Magazine Journalism, and it’s been the busiest time of my life! I’ve recently just been made fashion features writer for CANDID and have also been elected as Deputy Editor of XCity Life, which is a magazine produced by City that is sent to all of our potential employers. Harriet Brown: After I graduated I decided to take a year away from studying to get as much work experience as possible before starting training to be a journalist next year. At the moment I’m doing an internship in PR for an international fashion retail company, but in the new year I’m ditching the internships to go travelling for a bit.
WHAT HAS YOUR JOURNEY BEEN SINCE GRADUATING? EJS: I love fashion, but after an internship at Grazia I knew fashion journalism was not the route for me. However, I was keen to remain working with luxury and fashion brands, and wanted to be involved in the digital revolution. I joined a media agency where I worked in a team that planned digital advertising campaigns for global brands such as Chanel, Rolex and Diesel.
46
Hannah Wilkinson
HW: As an ex-history student, I've always been fascinated by the sartorial splendours of times gone by. That, combined with my love for journalism and sustainable fashion, soon led to an internship in Beyond Retro's press office. After a few placements I was lucky enough to land a job. JR: I actually went into banking before my graduation day! After that, I spent the majority of my summer working for Red magazine in their fashion department, assisting on photo shoots and general fashion cupboard things. Then City started and my social life was sapped up, but it's been an incredible experience there so far and it’s opened up so many opportunities for me. HB: The six months since I graduated have flown by. I’ve done about six different internships – everywhere from national magazines and local papers to luxury design fairs. I’ve also been involved with a few independent projects where I live and was executive editor for my city’s fashion week and magazine.
HAS YOUR EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE AT IMPACT HELPED OR INSPIRED YOU IN ANY WAY? EJS: Yes, 100%. I gained a huge amount of experience with managing deadlines and expectations. You have to think and work creatively, as well as managing a team of people and keeping everyone motivated and inspired with one common vision. It taught me how to juggle a lot of things at once! HW: I left with a profound respect for the collaborative process needed to piece together the final pages of a magazine. It also gave me a much-needed creative outlet. Suffice it to say, throwing Holi powder round the Engineering block for a shoot beats revising in Hallward.
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
Jessica Roseblade
JR: Absolutely. I owe an incredible amount to Impact and the teams I worked with there through the years. Everyone has been very impressed with the work I've done both online and for the Style section. Gaining experience in shoots, which require a lot of organization, is probably the most important thing, as when it comes down to doing your first editorial or assisting on something big, it really shows if you know the logistics of how to run things successfully. HB: Definitely. Editing at Impact can sometimes feel like having a full time job alongside your degree – and not only does that really push you, it allows you to prove yourself and do things you never thought you could. Impact gives you the kind of experience other people spend years building.
WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE? EJS: Happiness, love, success at work and being able to own the Jimmy Choo shoe collection! HW: I plan to delve into the world of freelance journalism. Oh and I'd also love to have my own vintage column... Here's to dreaming, right? JR: Oh, that’s a tough one. My ideal publications would be The Times or The Financial Times. Fashion news and features are probably my specialties so my ultimate dream job would be to edit the Fashion desks of big nationals. But in a couple of years? Working for a publication I love and living in my own flat. HB: Part of the reason I took a year out was to figure out what I want to do with my life. Honestly, I still don’t know. But walking past Vogue House every day you can’t help but feel a little twinge of hope. My current plan is take time this year to go travelling and then move on to an MA degree in magazine journalism.
Harriet Brown
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE TO STUDENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE STYLE SECTION AND EVENTUALLY ASPIRE TO WORK IN A FIELD SIMILAR TO YOURS? EJS: Get involved with everything, experience goes a long way. Be creative and challenge processes and conventions. Innovate, but do not innovate for innovation sake. HW: The media industry is an extremely competitive one. Get as much experience as possible, come up with new ideas and go above and beyond what is expected of you. Forget The Devil Wears Prada, the most surprising people are often the nicest. JR: Don't be flakey. If you're going to do a shoot, or you're going to model, then do it. You get absolutely nowhere in this industry if you're flakey and unreliable. Also, persistence is key! HB: There is nothing more important than experience. You could have the best degree in the world, but what people really care about is what you have done other than your degree. Doing something like Impact is an incredibly rare opportunity to work at a nationally renowned publication – not only that, but the people you meet and the work you produce at Impact might well be some of the most wonderful things you take from your time at Uni!
WORDS BY TARA BELL
47
IN MEDIO STAT VIRTUS
48
If you would like your images featured in Exposure, get involved with the Images Team! EMAIL: images@impactnottingham.com
Showcasing the work of University of Nottingham students, Impact Exposure bring you images from student photographers Fausto Gernone (International Economics) and Eleni Philippou (Spanish and International Media Communications.).
SHOWCASING UON PHOTOGRAPHERS
EXPOSURE
PAUPERTAS ARTIS OMNIS PERDOCET
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
A STREET VENDOR OUTSIDE FRIDA KHALO'S HOUSE MEXICO CITY
HOLDING ONTO THE BALCONY WINDOW DURING THE SUNSET LONDON
A STREET MARKET AT JEMAA EL-FNAA SQUARE IN MARRAKECH MOROCCO 49
GAMING
GAMING MYTHBUSTERS VIDEO GAMES AND REAL-WORLD PHYSICS SELDOM GO HAND IN HAND. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SEEM TOO LUDICROUS TO BE TRUE MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE SOME GROUNDING IN REALITY. LET’S TAKE THREE EXAMPLES AND SEE IF WE CAN BUST SOME GAMING MYTHS (EXTREMELY NON-SCIENTIFICALLY).
FALLOUT’S FAT MAN NUKE LAUNCHERS Theory: In the Fallout universe, Fat Man launchers are much like RPGs, only instead of firing grenades, they fire miniature nuclear bombs. Simple and harmless except to your enemies, right? Practice: You may think that there’s no way you could use a nuclear weapon in such close vicinity to yourself without melting into a green puddle of goo. But you’d be wrong. Although it may seem doubtful, there are examples of handheld nuclear weapons being deployed by the US army in real life. The Davy Crockett recoilless rifle actually fired nuclear rounds, albeit you couldn’t hold the rifle in your hands seeing as it was a pretty hefty piece of kit. However, the Davy Crockett wasn’t anything like the Fat Man in terms of ammunition; the Fat Man literally fires small nuclear warheads compared to the Crockett’s atomic rounds. If you tried to launch one of these nukes as short a distance as you do in the games, it’s very likely you’d be vapourised by the force of the explosion.
‘JUGGLING’ Theory: You’re in a possibly illegal street brawl. You connect an uppercut that sends your opponent hurtling into the air. You then release a flurry of punches and kicks so powerful, they ‘juggle’ your opponent, keeping them airborne for as long as possible. Practice: The amount of force it would take to knock the average human being up into the air to the heights seen in games such as Tekken and Street Fighter would be sizable enough already. But to do it to a bunch of muscle-bound men, heavily-sexualised women and 50
strange anthropomorphised animals, who are probably all built like concrete bunkers, would probably take more brute strength than your standard human has in reserve. However, after watching many Jackie Chan films and recalling wordof-mouth from kids in the playground, we still hope that this one is possible, just so our dreams remain intact.
SURVIVING MULTIPLE GUNSHOTS Theory: You’re playing a first-person shooter and you’ve just run into a member of the enemy team. You discharge 50 rounds into your opponent. He doesn’t die. Only in video games could someone survive something like that. Or could they? Practice: You may sit there with your Mountain Dew, spitting bits of pizza at the screen, wondering how in the world someone can survive being shot so many times, but in reality, it’s not unheard of. Angel Alvarez of New York City was shot 21 times during the course of a gunfight in 2010 and managed to survive. As did Kenny Vaughan, a man from North Carolina, who was shot 20 times with a rifle from 5 feet away and survived. So maybe in the future, before you throw the controller out of your window, you’ll have some new-found respect for how realistic modernday shooters are when it comes to getting shot.
WORDS BY ROBERT PRIEST IMAGES BY DAVE HUNT VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
SUPER MARIO 64 Following the launch of the Nintendo 64, the beloved plumber beautifully made the transition from 2D side-scroller into the third dimension. Not only did Super Mario 64 have the control finesse that you would expect from a pioneer of the genre, it dared to present a new challenge. With this radical upgrade the gameplay that its NES predecessor established was inverted. Suddenly players had to develop an entirely new skill set in order to navigate the sprawling, complex environments and master their new perspective. Its open level design offered a freedom that was leaps and bounds above any platformer that had come before. While it was not the first foray into 3D platforming (that honour goes to Jumping Flash), it was undeniably the most inspiring. It influenced blockbuster franchises like Banjo-Kazooie, Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot, and still having its mechanics echoed in games today. STEPHEN HILL
SLENDER Slender was originally a free-to-play indie title developed and published by Parsec Productions. A master class in minimalism, it gave the player a simple task: find eight pages scattered around a dark and foreboding forest at night-time. Sounds simple? It is, except for the fact that a supernatural being known as the ‘Slenderman’ is after you. That’s it. The drum beats get louder, the screen flickers more often and the audio occasionally spikes in a brief screech: things get obscenely tense by the fifth or sixth page and anyone who makes it all the way is to be commended. It’s one of the scariest games ever made and it cost next to nothing to make in the first place. It’s so pure, so raw. There’s nothing superfluous; it’s just utter terror.
MOST INFLUENTIAL GAMES OF OUR GENERATION MOST VIDEO GAMES OUT THERE OWE A DEBT TO THE FOREFATHERS OF GAMING: THE PONGS AND PACMANS OF THE WORLD THAT YOUR PARENTS GREW UP WITH. HOWEVER, OUR GENERATION, THE GENERATION OF THE NINTENDO 64, PLAYSTATION AND THE PC, HAS SEEN MASSIVE TITLES THAT ALSO CHANGED THE FACE OF GAMING, ALONG WITH SOME MORE SUBTLE INNOVATORS. HERE ARE OUR FAVOURITES:
As for the reason why it is so influential, it taught us and other game developers that horror games don’t need massive budgets or top-ofthe-line graphics: they just need atmosphere. And Slender has plenty of that. TOM WELSHMAN
POKEMON RED/BLUE/YELLOW Who would have looked at the original Pokemon trio, the bug-filled and extremely rudimentary games that they were, and thought they would signal the beginning of one of the world’s biggest brands? As many kids of the Tamagotchi generation will know, capturing creatures and forcing them to battle until they ‘fainted’ is seriously addictive. The fact there were 150 (151 if you want to get technical) different creatures to catch was incentive enough, but the real trick was the social elements of the game. There were some Pokemon you couldn’t catch in Pokemon Red so you’d need to find someone with Blue to gain 100% completion and vice versa. This forced kids to actively seek out other people who played it, hence why Pokemon spread like wildfire as soon as people started pestering friends to get the game too. Either that or the insane amount of merchandise, propaganda and other superfluous junk (see the anime for details). And Pikachu was cute. No arguments. ROBERT PRIEST IMAGE BY BRYAN OCHALLA VIA FLICKR 51
FILM & TV
BEST FIGHT
NOMINEES: Captain America vs. The Winter Soldier, Godzilla vs. The MUTOs WINNER: Jordan Belfort vs. Donnie Azzof (The Wolf of Wall Street) The beautifully choreographed fight between Captain America and the Winter Soldier, nor the incredible scale of Godzilla and the MUTOs, can quite compare to the drug-induced, insult-slurring, slippery floor battle between Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street. Perhaps not the most epic of fights, this wins for sheer entertainment and cinematic energy and takes home the IMA.
ULTIMATE ONSCREEN CHEMISTRY
NOMINEES: Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum (22 Jump Street), Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars)
WINNER: Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) Marc Webb's proficiency in directing romantic relationships (as previously seen in 2009's 500 Days of Summer) is the only saving grace in an otherwise poor sequel. This is enhanced by the beautiful back and forth fondness between Garfield and Stone, in their respective roles as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy.
MOST PROFANE FILM WINNER: The Wolf of Wall Street
With 569 uses of "fuck" and its variations, 79 uses of "shit", 31 genital references and a whole fuck more, no other nominees are necessary against the quantifiable profanity present in The Wolf of Wall Street. Though 2014's Swearnet: The Movie, in fact holds the Guinness World Record for most expletives used in a feature film with 935 "fucks" given, the IMA must go to Martin Scorsese's controversial comedy for its creative vulgarity. "BENI-FUCKING-HANA?"
COOLEST ONE-LINER
NOMINEES: "I'm Batman" (Bad Neighbours), "You bitch!" (Gone Girl) WINNER: "Something cool" (22 Jump Street) 22 Jump Street’s self referential humour takes jabs at action movies, sequels, and even itself. It is never better encompassed than when Channing Tatum delivers the comedy's sharpest, most humorously literal line, "something cool", when asked to say something cool by Jonah Hill in the film's climax. 52
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
WHILE WE'RE WELCOMING IN THE NEW YEAR OF CINEMA, WE'RE NOT READY TO FORGET WHAT 2014 IN FILM OFFERED. SO, WITH AWARD SEASON IN FULL SWING, WE'RE HONOURING LAST YEAR'S MEMORABLE UK RELEASES ACCORDING TO OUR VERY OWN IMPACT MOVIE AWARDS (IMAS)
BADDEST BADASS
NOMINEES: Lucy (Lucy) Robert McCall (The Equalizer), Rocket Raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy) WINNER: Mystique (X-Men: Days of Future Past) In a more physically demanding role than in X-Men: First Class, Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique dominated each and every scene she was in, whether we knew she was there or not. For still managing to deceive us with her shapeshifting skills five films later, the blue badass is the easy choice recipient for this IMA.
BEST NON-LIVE ACTION PERFORMANCE
NOMINEES: Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies), Vin Diesel (Guardians of the Galaxy), Will Arnett (The LEGO Movie) WINNER: Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) Andy Serkis' Caesar in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a truly larger than life character. Only by combining flawless visual effects, a great performance and a fantastic script could audiences soon forget they’re not watching a real chimpanzee. For that reason, Serkis is more than deserving of this IMA.
BEST EXPLOSIONS
NOMINEES: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Edge of Tomorrow, Transformers: Age of Extinction WINNER: Godzilla Not your typical movie explosion, Godzilla's atomic breath brought both laughter and applause from cinemagoers surprised to see the blue fire burn through the male MUTO. Yet no one can deny the love Godzilla garnered as a result of the film's most winning moment: when Godzilla fired his atomic zephyr down the female MUTO's throat till its head was severed clean off.
MOST DISAPPOINTING FILM
NOMINEES: The Amazing Spider-Man 2, A Million Ways to Die In the West, Transcendence WINNER: American Hustle David O. Russell's American Hustle looked set to impress as its trailer rocked across our screens, exhibiting a stellar cast, interesting premise and with Led Zeppelin's "Good Times Bad Times" jamming us through a seemingly eccentric story. However, the film itself turned out about as exciting as a piece of cabbage.
BEST FILM
NOMINEES: Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fury WINNER: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes While Rise of the Planet of the Apes was an accomplished reboot, its sequel Dawn had it all: great performances, action, tension, effects and a phenomenal story, all held together by a strong emotional core - at the film's heart it concerned family, friendship and interspecies relations. Snatching the most prestigious IMA, this simian extravaganza had blockbuster appeal and brains that could attract any viewer regardless of taste. WORDS BY BHARAT SAMRA & GLENN TANNER IMAGES BY DARREN HARMON AND SALMANSKI BARTOSCH VIA FLICKR 53
FILM & TV
AN INTERVIEW WITH
CREATE ADVERTISING Create Advertising specialise in audio-visual promotion for the entertainment industry, working on trailers for major film projects such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Maleficent, The Interview and more. Impact spoke with Vijay Sodhi, Senior Producer at Create, who provided an in-depth insight into the demanding and exciting world of making trailers and TV spots for a variety of campaigns.
but call him in a couple of weeks. I took that as a brush off for not bothering him again, but then in a couple of weeks, he called back and said that they had a job opening, asking would I like to come in for a chat, which I did. I got the job, and just took it from there. The entrance into this business is usually through knowing somebody, putting yourself out there and persevering.
WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE AS A PRODUCER ENTAIL ON A DAYTO-DAY BASIS?
"EVERY PROJECT IS MEMORABLE"
We take on a project from the cradle to the grave. When a marketing team and film company/distributor know what they want to do with their movie, they’ll buy airtime or come up with a marketing strategy. That’s when they come to us. They’ll say that they need a trailer or a bunch of TV spots, radio or online stuff, and we have to begin assembling all the pieces to produce what they're looking for. We’ll commission copywriters, get music, start working up a graphics plan and brief the editors. Once we've received feedback and the creative asset is locked, we’ll make sure that it gets to wherever it needs to be played out - so if it’s a TV spot, to the TV stations; a trailer, to the BBFC and theatre companies who will screen the trailer in cinemas. We're involved from start to finish.
"WE TAKE ON A PROJECT FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE"
HOW DO YOU THINK AUDIO-VISUAL ADVERTISING HAS EVOLVED SINCE YOU STARTED WORKING AT CREATE?
I think it’s been a process of fine-tuning. For the last twenty years, the three-act structure has always been there: the set-up, the conflict and middle ground, and then the conclusion. The process by which we get there has become more brisk. We have more tools available, be it from motion graphics or increasingly superior sound design, in addition to the talent of the people that we work with. Due to easy internet access, more people are exposed to higher quality products and, because of that, everything is elevated. The new way of presenting a three-act structure or a standard trailer is now a finely crafted art form, whereas before it was a little bit slapdash. Now, every detail and every scene has to count for so much because the expectations and the demands from the public are so much greater.
WHAT ARE THE BEST AND WORST PARTS OF YOUR JOB?
I started out in a regular business running a café. I knew somebody who worked at Create through an intermediary and asked him for some advice.
Working with people, managing tight schedules, and having huge challenges are the best things. Figuring out how to effectively communicate the fantastic messages and tones that make up films whilst working to a deadline can be really thrilling. There are stories that deserve to be shared with others, and we get to put our best efforts into delivering them.
When I’d sent an email saying I’d be really interested in learning more about the business, and if he has any tips for me that’d be awesome, he sent back an email saying he's really rather busy at the moment,
You know a trailer or a TV spot is really special when you’re sitting there and can’t think of anything to say because you’re so blown away by it, and being behind that is even more special.
WHAT LED YOU TO A CAREER IN AUDIO-VISUAL ADVERTISING IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY?
54
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
The worst part of the job is that it’s a client service industry, so you’re often at the whims of the clients’ needs and demands. This means sometimes you get irregular working hours – you have to come in earlier and stay later, but it’s part of the industry and you just have to accept it.
"THERE ARE SOME STORIES THAT REALLY DESERVE TO BE SHARED WITH OTHERS"
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE LAST FILM YOU SAW AT THE CINEMA?
I saw Fury and it was without a doubt one of the heaviest films I’ve seen in the cinema in the longest time. You leave with a trickle of sweat from being so tense for two hours. Just a heavy, heavy film that definitely stays with you.
IF YOU COULD HAVE WORKED ON ANY FILM, PAST OR PRESENT, WHICH FILM WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHT WORKING AT CREATE?
If Create had worked on Indiana Jones, then I would definitely get involved. I really enjoy films that are about taking an adventure, introducing you to memorable characters and just having a good time at the cinema. Being involved in films of that ilk is something that I find quite cool and fascinating.
We did a high profile campaign for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, shown during the World Cup. A few of my friends had seen it, and it was great not to actually mention anything, just to appreciate the fact that they were talking about the work that we’d done.
"BEING AS PROACTIVE AS POSSIBLE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE"
Whenever a client tells us they’re truly happy with the work we’ve done, or it’s been well received, or when people talk about something you’ve worked on not knowing you’re behind it, that's pretty cool.
Recently, some of the team completed the trailer for the musical The Last 5 Years. We randomly came across a video reaction for it, and it was the most incredible video reaction you’ve ever seen; this guy is just watching the launch of the trailer and he’s going through this emotional rollercoaster. It’s just brilliant. Just having prompted that, it made me proud of Create.
ARE THERE ANY REALLY MEMORABLE PROJECTS YOU'VE WORKED ON?
Every project is memorable. Looking through my inbox now, I have maybe just over 200 projects that I’ve worked on in my time at Create. As I scroll through the film titles, I remember something about each one.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE ASPIRING FOR A CAREER IN THE ADVERTISING OR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY?
Be absolutely determined to pursue a career in the creative industries if that’s what you want. There are a lot of candidates out there who randomly get in through sheer fate, and others who actually pursue it and end up here, but once you've got your foot in the door, the most important thing is to have a really can-do attitude. Give your all to every project and team. Never wait around for others to tell you what to do. Being as proactive as possible is really important, because sometimes you only get one chance, so if you don’t make the most of it, then you’ll lose that opportunity.
In one recent example for Million Dollar Arm, we had to turn a film about baseball and re-angle it into a film about the journey of two kids’ as they leave India and come to the United States to become stars. We had to bring out the comedy and the heart for that film and did it rather subtly. Every project is sentimental in one way or another, which is such an asset of working in this job. It’s just fantastic that everything that you do will actually stay with you.
WORDS BY SABRINA BARR IMAGES BY ALEXEY NAUMOV VIA FLICKR 55
FILM & TV
TAKE ON OUR LATEST TRIVIA CHALLENGE, WHERE THIS TIME, WE’RE ASKING YOU TO GUESS WHICH TV SHOWS EACH OF THESE MINIMALIST POSTERS REPRESENT. HOW MANY CAN YOU GET?
ILLUSTRATIONS BY HARRY DINSDALE
HOUSE OF CARDS, COUNTDOWN, FUTURAMA, DR. WHO, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, 8 OUT OF 10 CATS, THE APPRENTICE
ANSWERS:
56
MUSIC FILM & TV
IMPACT
CROSSOVER
MAGAZINE
“YOU HAD TO BE THERE” OR HOW TO MAKE A DECENT CONCERT MOVIE
At the height of Rockism’s Golden Age, any band worth their salt needed to produce a concert film befitting their hedonistic lifestyles. From the death of the brave new future in Gimme Shelter (1970) to the fantastical mythologising of The Song Remains the Same (1976), the concert movie is that most persistently self-aggrandising of rock tropes: bloated, worthy and ultimately narcissistic.
“THE CONCERT MOVIE IS THAT MOST PERSISTENTLY SELF-AGGRANDISING OF ROCK TROPES” But they’re not all bad! Over the 50 years since the first concert movie (The T.A.M.I. Show, where James Brown upstaged the ’Stones), a solid few stand out as major achievements in addition to being mere curiosities. The way they’ve achieved longevity is by adhering to at least one of four categories:
ORIGINALITY
Anyone and everyone can film a bunch of people on a stage noodling a tune. It’s a stilted format, but that’s because it has inherent logistical limitations. However, there are ways to supersede the restrictions that come with the genre. Messing with its very construction, for instance. The Beastie Boys’ Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! from 2006 has the novel origins of the trio handing 50 cameras to audience members and letting them record everything from the front line. Tom Waits, meanwhile, subverted the tropes of the concert movie with 1988’s Big Time, taking between-song skits to new heights with his trademark beatnik shtick. This surrealistic noir originality borders on my next category…
ARTISTRY
Arguably the most engaging way to bring vitality to the arena is by taking it out of the arena, by incorporating all of nature, or simply by wearing a ruddy big suit. While art is often sniggered at in a rock context by certain quarters and dismissed as pretension run amok, with the appropriate act it is a perfect creative outlet. The prime example (and definitive concert film) is Jonathan Demme’s Stop
Making Sense, which intentionally went about breaking every rule – including avoiding shots of the audience and bringing out the 10-piece Talking Heads one member at a time. Björk’s Biophilia, like the album it supported, incorporated the natural world into her performances, inspiring her to employ unique instruments built specifically for the project. Similarly enchanted by their environment, Sigur Rós in Heima took their music on tour round their Icelandic homeland, playing by fields and glaciers to transcendent effect.
A (FAREWELL) PURPOSE
Though arguably as arrogant as the weaker entries in the genre, some concert films serve to ennoble their subjects by giving them a grandiose send-off. The most significant recent example is the threehour party for LCD Soundsystem as documented in the monolithic Shut Up and Play the Hits. However, the most renowned is The Last Waltz, the testament to The Band by none other than Scorsese, and a guest list of virtually everyone who’s anyone in 70s rock. Generally reserved for the more established and legendary, the danger here is giving the artists a disproportionate presentation.
CHARISMA
If nothing else, the sheer hypnotic magnetism of the performer(s) should be sufficient to carry a concert movie through its rougher patches. David Byrne, Tom Waits and Alice Cooper all have the necessary charisma and stagemanship to draw the audience in long before lamps are danced with or Nixon puppets eviscerated, and that makes all the difference. Ultimately, due to its stripped back nature, the concert movie is more often than not ‘something for the fans’, a vainglorious and foolhardy move. However, by following at least one of these four approaches it is very possible to produce a landmark artistic work that transcends ‘concert movie’ and moves towards ‘film’ in its own right.
WORDS BY TOM WATCHORN IMAGE BY SAMUEL CHIOVITTI VIA FLICKR 57
MUSIC FILM & TV
CROSSOVER
SCRAPBOOK
THE SOUNDS OF CINEMA If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a film is worth a billion. Add an effective score to the latter, and the range of what can be said is limitless. Since 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the soundtrack has become an increasingly important element in our appreciation of motion pictures, and Impact Film & TV and Music’s crossover brings you some of our personal highlights.
TRAINSPOTTING (1996)
It is nearly impossible to imagine Danny Boyle’s cult classic Trainspotting without the music that accompanies Mark Renton’s heroin-fuelled escapades. In an age where soundtracks are increasingly influenced by commercial motivations, Trainspotting can remind audiences of the unique power that the synergy between audio and visual holds. From the hypodermic first hit of Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’ to its potent final monologue, Trainspotting is scored perfectly. An eclectic collection of artists including Pulp, Leftfield and Georges Bizet contribute to a soundtrack that immerses viewers in a cinematic journey, encapsulating the vertiginous highs and harrowing lows of heroin use. In particular, the inspired combination of the thumping bass of Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy .NUXX’ and Renton’s “choose life” speech creates an intoxicatingly euphoric final scene, which sits among the most iconic moments in the history of British cinema.
PULP FICTION (1994)
Overkill’s deeply evocative rendition of Neil Diamond’s ‘Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon’, a mix of Soul, Rock, Surf and Pop might look messy on paper but Tarantino manages to seamlessly hybridise each genre to produce a masterpiece that will echo through cinematic history.
THE WACKNESS (2008)
Hip hop plays a far greater role than just ‘soundtrack’ in Jonathan Levine’s coming-of-age drama The Wackness; it’s the soul of earlynineties NYC. When Shapiro (Josh Peck) takes Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby) on a first date selling ‘ice-cream’ in the park, could there possibly be a theme more appropriate than the chill beats and lyrics of Will Smith’s ‘Summertime’? Or take the darker emotional beats, like when Squires (Sir Ben Kingsley) escapes to the beach to drown his sorrows in prescription medicine. Here the Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Tearz’ (sampling Wendy Rene’s ‘After Laughter (Comes Tears)’) works as a perfect metaphor for Squires’ drug-addled, distressed state of mind. The Wackness is a film about friendship, love and loss, and grounding this all is a killer compilation of hip hop tunes. It goes far beyond simple scene-setting, enhancing and enriching the characters and scenarios of the film.
MELANCHOLIA (2011)
Tarantino is quite possibly the greatest auteur of his generation, and this is owed, in no small part, to the masterful way he weaves an eclectic mix of musical genres into his postmodern classics. Alongside his ear for turns of phrase (note the incessant sampling of Samuel L Jackson's Ezekiel 25:17 monologue in popular culture), his iconic soundtracks perfectly supplement the powerful visuals of his movies, and Pulp Fiction is arguably his greatest effort...
Melancholia, by infamous Danish director Lars Von Trier, ingeniously merged the apocalyptic with the personal as the mental deterioration of Kirsten Dunst’s character Justine is backed by the relentless approach towards the Earth of rogue planet Melancholia. However, the most inspired merger was that of the score, as it consists entirely of Wagner’s prelude to his 1858 opera Tristan und Isolde. The strings of Wagner’s composition dance fitfully behind the woes of a deluded woman, whose mind’s erraticism’s are equally frantic.
From Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) twisting their way through Chuck Berry's 'You Never Can Tell' to Urge
In one scene, evocative of Eve in the garden of Eden, the strings swell magnificently just as Dunst is revealed, bathing in the light of the
58
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
oncoming world. Von Trier was greatly influenced by Wagner, even using his techniques to structure the film. Just as the prologue to the opera features leitmotifs which introduce musical phrases to be heard through the work, Melancholia also begins with a five minute sequence of dreamlike images, such as Justine dressed in her wedding dress trying to escape the pull of a tree’s roots gripping at her leg, the likes of which cannot be fully appreciated until the film unravels. An enchanting selection.
DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012)
Nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA, and a Grammy, Django Unchained brought more than gunshots and whip lashes to the spaghetti-Western. The opening track, ‘Django’, involves the legendary Italian composer Luis Bacalov and vocals from the most famous black singer in Italy during the 1960s, Rocky Roberts. The song immediately establishes Django Unchained as a reinvention of the traditional eurocentric Spaghetti Westerns. The film is one of the first Westerns in more than thirty years to cast a black lead and the soundtrack undoubtedly reiterates this. Along with the prerequisite badass guitar compositions, Tarantino was sure to also include blues, R&B and rap – all of which have continued to have a prominent presence in African-Caribbean music. As a nod to the traditional and the modern, the soundtrack involves both Italian and African-American artists from over the last 80 years including Rick Ross, Ennio Morricone, 2Pac, James Brown, Edda Dell’Orso and John Legend.
pennywhistle, to create an ardent sound that enhances the magic of the animation. Powell’s orchestral score for Dragon plays as pivotal a role in the narrative of Hiccup’s story as the animation itself. Every track matches beautifully with its accompanying scene, most notably ‘Forbidden Friendship’ and ‘Test Drive’. Although arguably robbed of a muchdeserved Oscar, the Dragon score has received universal acclaim from professional music critics and fans of the film. Hopefully the 2014 sequel, which Powell rightfully returned to score, will obtain the accolades that it deserves.
LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-2003)
The Lord of the Rings is a vast work in all respects, and the music is definitely not the least of these. Howard Shore’s scoring of the three films is a highly emotive orchestral work which is second to none. The use of motifs is brilliant, particularly the variations in colour, for example ‘The Breaking of the Fellowship’ adopts a much sadder tone than ‘Concerning Hobbits’ although both are based around the same motif. On top of this, the use of a philharmonic choir is genius; they intwine the various languages of Middle Earth and focus the music on the specific events. A beautiful and timeless masterpiece of film scoring that brings the films to life. With such guests as Annie Lennox and Enya, the brilliance of the soundtrack is only increased. Perfection.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010)
The critically acclaimed score for How to Train Your Dragon, nominated for a BAFTA and an Academy Award, owes its mastery to esteemed composer John Powell. Often described by Hans Zimmer as a superior composer, Powell drew influences from Celtic, Scottish and Irish music, employing instruments such as the fiddle, the bagpipes and the
WORDS BY MADZ ABBASI, JACOB BANKS, SABRINA BARR, LIAM INSCOE-JONES, JOSEPH IZZARD, JOSEPH KULMAN, ALEXANDRA TOWERS IMAGE BY ‘DANBRUELL’ VIA FLICKR 59
MUSIC FILM & TV
CROSSOVER
MUSIC ON FILM NOT CONTENT WITH SIMPLY EMBEDDING ITSELF IN OUR LUGHOLES, MUSIC HAS FOR AS LONG AS WE’VE KNOWN ATTEMPTED TO EMBED ITSELF IN THE WORLD OF CINEMA. IMPACT HAS A LOOK AT THREE TYPES OF MUSICAL CINEMA AND THE CHARACTERISTICS BEHIND THEM… DOCUMENTARY
The genre that features real bands doing real things. From The Beatles’ coverage of their ‘Let It Be’ sessions to Nick Cave’s bizarre 20,000 Days on Earth, artists have always used the documentary as another way of reaching their fans – or cynically exploiting them if you’re Justin Bieber. It can work both ways, however. Take LCD Soundsystem’s Shut Up and Play The Hits, which documented the band’s final gig. It’s pretty chronological, bereft of feeling and largely uninteresting. The music’s great, without any doubt, but the film does little to convey the emotion behind an emotionally and physically-draining four-hour set. On the other hand, The National’s Mistaken For Strangers not only gives a unique insight into embarking on a European tour with a huge band but also explores the intricacies of human nature through the turbulent sibling relationship of lead singer Matt Berninger and his brother, and supposed director, Tom. Matt’s troubles and anxieties with performing live give an edge to the film that many music documentaries all too sadly lack.
BIOPIC
Actors pretending to be musicians. The most popular way of conveying a band’s story is by getting other people to do it for them, usually through necessity rather than choice. Of recent times, the stand-out music biopic is undoubtedly Control, the haunting journey through Joy Division’s brief career and, more specifically, Ian Curtis’ tragically short life. Not only do Sam Riley, who plays Ian Curtis, and his fellow actors portray the band’s career poignantly and emotionally-flawlessly, but they also learned to play the band’s songs for the film’s live scenes. This adds a realism seldom seen in films of this type. 60
Similarly, Telstar: The Joe Meek Story tells the story of pioneering, yet troubled, 60s producer Joe Meek. It’s captivating and despairing in equal measure, largely due to the film’s uncanny knack of leaving the obvious unsaid. It is for films like this, thankfully, that otherwise essential musicians of ages gone by might just be forgotten.
“OF RECENT TIMES, THE STAND-OUT MUSIC BIOPIC IS UNDOUBTEDLY CONTROL, THE HAUNTING JOURNEY THROUGH JOY DIVISION’S BRIEF CAREER” FICTION
Finally, the partially, or completely, made-up aspect of music films. Be it for cynical Hollywood profit-making or tidy storytelling, these are always a good laugh. Take, for instance, The Boat That Rocked: a tongue-in-cheek depiction of the 60s pirate radio scene. Based on real events it may be, but the film largely flings historical events out of the starboard window. Its real beauty lies in the coming-of-age story of a teenage boy and an unquestionably superb soundtrack. A slightly more serious take on this genre is Almost Famous, which tells the story of a teenage boy wanting to break into the adult world of music journalism. Sound familiar? The film encounters fictional people, bands and venues but they all neatly fit into the overwhelming world of excess and cynicism that is portrayed as the world of music. Oh, and check out the scene with Elton John’s ‘Tiny Dancer’ – it’s moving.
WORDS BY ALEX NEELY IMAGE BY ‘MUSEUMPHOTOGRAPHER’ VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MUSIC
MAGAZINE
TOO MUCH SOUND AROUND? IN AN AGE WHERE MUSIC IS MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN EVER BEFORE, IMPACT TAKES A MOMENT TO CONSIDER WHETHER IT’S A BLESSING OR A BURDEN.
YES NO
Music is too readily available, to the extent where it is starting to lose its meaning. In an age of instant access to millions of songs online through websites such as YouTube, Grooveshark and streaming apps such as Spotify, the atomisation of albums into individual songs has eroded our ability to see an album’s true value.
“THE ATOMISATION OF ALBUMS INTO INDIVIDUAL SONGS HAS ERODED OUR ABILITY TO SEE AN ALBUM’S TRUE VALUE” When older generations went out and bought CDs and vinyl, these were played in isolation, meaning the album was experienced as one flowing collection. These days, if you like a single then you can buy it for 99p on iTunes - with no need to buy the entire album. It’s just not the same experience as buying a disc larger than a dinner plate, complete with a sleeve filled with lyrics and images. Not that the accessibility of music is all that bad, but one could say it puts the focus on individual tracks and has created a culture of instant gratification. This culture of immediate gratification has caused chart topping music to undermine the concept of creating quality music laced with depth and thought, which so often takes time and repeated listening to fully enjoy.
MIKE BURMAN IMAGE BY KRYSTIAN OLSZANSKI VIA FLICKR
Isn’t the idea of there being more music than we could ever hope to hear exciting? Naturally, the vinyl-generation consumed with more purpose; they spent their money on albums they thought they may like. But this is the very reason that today’s music fans are luckier. With the help of Youtube, Spotify, Soundcloud and so on, they can dip their feet in all different musical waters, trying some jazz here and some metal there without having to commit their spare change to an album they may or may not like. Overall, ‘the music fan’ today has the privilege of expanding their musical horizon at either a low cost or no cost at all.
“DID THE VINYL-GENERATION BUY 200 SINGLES IN AN AFTERNOON TRYING TO FIND THEIR NEXT FAVOURITE ARTIST?” Of course, it can’t be denied that it is easier to skip a song - or even an entire album - given the huge selection at one’s fingertips and the lure of a left-click. However, all this really means is that you can skip to the stuff you really like, rather than putting up with a band just because you laid down a hefty sum of £5.99. Naturally, you may miss out on some great bands in the process, but no more so than before. Did the vinyl-generation buy 200 singles in an afternoon trying to find their next favourite artist? Of course not (well, perhaps some did). Still, everyone should give any given artist a good listen before moving on to the next related track. Please click responsibly. DAVID ROWLANDS 61
MUSIC
RUY SÁNCHEZ VIA FLICKR
BLUES
Blues is often pigeonholed as sad, old, slow music created primarily as the soundtrack to bible-belt American racism. Whilst this is true to an extent, blues also offers fast paced, fun and sometimes even humorous songs. Take Howlin’ Wolf for instance. Not only did he have what is quite possibly the coolest stage name of all time, he also created a plethora of great songs – many of which have stood the test of time becoming blues standards. ‘Spoonful’ is haunting and forces you to walk with a swagger, ‘You Can’t Be Beat’ makes you want to tap your feet and go to an American diner, and ‘Smokestack Lightnin’’ is just plain cool. Of course, these songs are just the tip of the gigantic musical iceberg that is Howlin’ Wolf’s music, but all three provide a great insight into what to expect from blues music in general – grizzly vocals, explosive instrumental solos and indisputable groove.
MUSIC NEW YEAR’S
RESOLUTIONS NEW YEAR MEANS A FRESH START. WHILST YOU MAY FEEL SLIGHTLY PROTECTIVE OVER YOUR PREFERRED MUSIC GENRES, IT COULD BE TIME TO WIPE CLEAN YOUR 2014 PLAYLISTS. IMPACT HAVE HELPED COMPILE A NEW PLAYLIST WITH GENRES YOU MAY HAVE NEVER GIVEN A SECOND THOUGHT TO. BLAST OUT THESE SUGGESTIONS WHILE RUNNING, OR REVISING, OR WHATEVER YOU PROMISED YOUR 2015 SELF YOU WOULD DO.
62
David Rowlands
“BLUES IS OFTEN PIGEONHOLED AS SAD, OLD, SLOW MUSIC CREATED PRIMARILY AS THE SOUNDTRACK TO BIBLE-BELT AMERICAN RACISM” JAZZ
You may think that you don’t like Jazz, it’s slow and boring, isn’t it? Well you can’t have heard of Snarky Puppy. Perhaps one of the finest of the new wave of Jazz artists, they hail from New York and have a brilliantly energetic nature; their tagline is ‘music for the brain and booty’. Forget everything you think you know about Jazz, as Snarky Puppy are the most infectious band around, and live are nothing short of phenomenal. A unique ensemble of modern synth sounds, some fantastically funky fingerwork on the bass and guitars, a brass section that is tighter than a pair of jeggings, and of course a driving percussion section which pounds out rhythms that are impossible not to get down to. Give them a chance, you’ll be surprised. Whether you like jazz or not, Snarky Puppy are worth at the very least a quick YouTube… you’ll need a little space to dance too. Jacob Banks
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
MATHCORE
The term ‘Math’ has come to describe the fruits of a wide variety of musical labours – from Biffy Clyro to Arcane Roots, This Town Needs Guns to Foals; its influence is pervasive. Why ‘Math’? Because mathematics is hard. Scratch beneath the surface of basic addition and there’s a whole world of mind-bending nonsense like irrational numbers and imaginary numbers and other such white noise. Math Rock is the stuff beneath the surface. Sounds pretentious? Well, it can be. But not in the case of Blakfish. Bringing a measure of hardcore to Math which led to the imaginatively named sub-genre ‘Mathcore’ – their Facebook page calls it ‘Death Pop’. As well as the Math elements of their work, lyrically, too, Blakfish are as entertaining as they are observant and cutting: “Who the fuck is Simon Cowell to tell people that they can’t sing? I’ve never heard him sing a note in my life”, is a fair point. James Noble
“THE TERM ‘MATH’ HAS COME TO DESCRIBE THE FRUITS OF A WIDE VARIETY OF MUSICAL LABOURS”
JØRGEN SCHYBERG VIA FLICKR
COUNTRY
Country music has not got the best reputation. The sound is considered twangy with slow guitar picks and the irritating sound of fiddles. The images that country music conjures up are even worse: cowboy hats, gun holsters and moustaches that look like caretaker’s brooms. However, Johnny Cash destroys these stereotypes. Known as ‘The Man in Black’, he is the ultimate cool godfather of country music. He had the iconic ‘rockstar’ lifestyle, portrayed in the biopic Walk The Line. He had the woman, June Carter, who was considered America’s sweetheart before she was tainted by Cash. He most certainly had the music, his endless discography list could make a library of stories. His songs are known for storytelling. Some songs have beautiful universal messages, such as ‘I Still Miss Someone’, whilst others are written as funny anecdotes, like ‘A Boy Named Sue’. He also had the voice - Cash’s cover of ‘Hurt’ is a phenomenal example of this. Johnny Cash had the full package and should make anyone think twice before grouping all country music as background noise inside a trailer in Texas somewhere. Daisy Foster
‘FUZZZ’ VIA FLICKR
EXPERIMENTAL POP
PUNK
Punk. The word makes you think of spiky hair, snotty-nosed teenagers and not doing what your parents tell you to do. Yet before the years had commercialised and packaged punk into numbingly familiar corners, the genre was a force to be reckoned with, one that represented a liberal attitude to let oneself be oneself. Back in the mid-1970s, the hippie movement had run dry far too quickly, and music was dominated by strange ‘progressive’ experiments that left many feeling as if true rock’n’roll was lost. Cue the birth of punk. Like a breath of fresh air, bands like The Ramones and The Stooges stripped the sound down to its bare basics of three chords and a chorus, allowing the primal wildness of reckless rock’n’roll to become the focus. Making punk your new years resolution might just be the best thing you ever do, and if you’re looking for a starting point, you can’t go wrong with The Sex Pistols. Their first and last album, Never Mind The Bollocks, is a rollercoaster ride through riffing simplicity that’s as raw as it ever got in the world of the record. Mike Burman
Although they can be said to encompass many genres, Twenty One Pilots are an American duo (Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn) that can certainly be described as experimental. The pair incorporate quirky music - which ranges from the ukulele to rapping - with some serious issues which are obviously very personal to the lead singer. Whether listening to the lyrics or getting lost in the music, Twenty One Pilots’ style manages to provoke a sense of connection with the listeners. In the seemingly infinite ocean of new music, Twenty One Pilots manage to stand out with a sound that seems impossible to categorise. With their breakthrough performance at the MTV Movie Awards having recently pushed them into public attention, give the guys a listen before they get any bigger. Abigail Houseman
BACKGROUND IMAGE BY ‘PHILLIZ88’ VIA FLICKR 63
MUSIC
NOTTINGHAM GUIDE TO
MUSIC SHOPS IF YOU’RE NEW TO NOTTINGHAM TOWN CENTRE AND NEED AN EXCUSE TO BLOW YOUR STUDENT LOAN ON A 3,000 POUND GUITAR OR MAYBE SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE AFFORDABLE IF YOU WANT TO BE ‘SENSIBLE’... YOU’RE IN LUCK. NOTTINGHAM BOASTS THREE MUSIC SHOPS IN AND AROUND THE CITY CENTRE, EACH OFFERING AN ARRAY OF DRUMS, KEYBOARDS, GUITARS, SHEET MUSIC AND MORE. Music Room will probably be your first port of call as it is handily located on the top floor of the Victoria Centre. While you would be forgiven for underestimating it given its relatively small size, don’t be fooled. The shop hosts an impressive range of equipment, especially their selection of acoustic guitars. In fact, an entire wall is plastered with affordable Martins, Fenders, Epiphones and the other household names. To the gear snobs among you, don’t be scared off by the affordable prices or the dreaded ‘Made in Korea’ stickers. With modern manufacturing techniques, these guitars are better than ever (certainly better than their 20th century equivalents) and can truly attest great intonation, playability, tuning stability and sound. Still, the store also offers a good range of high end guitars, particularly American-made Stratocasters, as well as a good amplifier and keyboard selection.
“TO THE GEAR SNOBS AMONG YOU, DON’T BE SCARED OFF BY THE AFFORDABLE PRICES OR THE DREADED ‘MADE IN KOREA’ STICKERS” The same can be said of Nottingham Drum and Guitar Centre near the Capital FM Arena. The quick-witted amongst you will have already guessed that this shop has a large assortment of cymbals, snares, tomtoms and anything else you care to shake a stick at it (baddum tss). It also boasts a large range of amplifiers, especially in the form of VOX and Laney, as well as electrics and a whole room dedicated to quality acoustic instruments. As with the selection in Music Room, it would be false to assume that the majority of these are especially high-end or expensive instruments, but all are well set up, well-made, and would certainly appeal to any tone-freak. 64
This brings us to the final shop that should be on any Nottinghambased musician’s list – The Music Inn. Whilst it is outside of the city centre, don’t be put off. In actual fact, it is very easy to reach, it’s just at the end of Alfreton road making it closer to Lenton than the town centre. As well as having all the usual stock of good, affordable instruments, amplifiers, pedals and the like, The Music Inn also offers a brilliantly varied range of second hand instruments including various Gibsons and Epiphones to name but some. Of course, all of these stores have their own specific merits and personal charm which can only be truly appreciated by visiting them; so that is exactly what you should do. Don’t fall into the oh-sotempting trap of buying your gear online, especially when there is a wealth of hidden gems right on your doorstep. Specifically, don’t be fooled by the idea that instruments of the same model are identical. After all, they’re usually made of wood and no two pieces of wood are the same. Visit these shops and don’t be afraid to sit and play a handful of instruments for a couple of hours. That is the only real way to know what instrument is right for you. So, take an afternoon away from your textbooks (or The Jeremy Kyle Show if we’re all being honest) and delve into the various inns, shops and centres catering to your musical needs in Nottingham.
WORDS BY DAVID ROWLANDS IMAGE BY TONY FISCHER VIA FLICKR
DON’T BE A STRANGER AD
/IMPACTNOTTINGHAM
@IMPACTMAGAZINE
@IMPACTSTAGRAM
/IMPACTNOTTINGHAM01
ARTS
AROUND THE WORLD IN SIX BOOKS HA JIN CHINA, ASIA
IMPACT ARTS GOES AROUND THE GLOBE IN SEARCH OF THE BEST SIX NOVELS AND THEIR AUTHORS ASSIA DJEBAR ALGERIA, AFRICA Internationally renowned as one of the most talented and influential female writers of Maghribi literature, Assia Djebar (originally FatimaZohra Imalayan) is a feminist, contemporary Algerian writer. She has devised numerous works, formerly in French, the majority of which focus upon the struggle of women in a patriarchal society and carry an anti-colonial tone. The fictional novel Les Alouettes Naïves (‘The Naïve Larks’) was written in 1967 as the sequel to Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde (‘The Children of the New World’, 1962). It documents the active involvement of women in the Algerian war for independence from France, alongside the augmentation of Algerian feminism. Les Alouettes Naïves gives a detailed insight into the politically-orientated difficulties following the success of freeing Algeria from French colonisation. Djebar herself, came from a humble background and so creates a moving, realistic portrayal of national society that captivates readers of any background. Her commentary on a society of Algerian women fighting for liberty will stir sentiments of national pride within every reader. Victoria Lorriman 66
Ha Jin is a Chinese-American writer who immigrated to the United States after obtaining his PhD in English in 1993. He believed it was impossible to write honestly in China, especially after the Tiananmen Square Massacre and that only by writing in English would he be able to “preserve the integrity of his work”. His first book, Waiting, awarded the National Book Award in 1999, is a candid account of private lives in the convulsions of the Cultural Revolution in Communist China. In his collection of short stories named Under The Red Flag, he brushes realism on the daily lives of people whilst also drawing readers’ attention to the morality of certain preserved values in China, such as gender preferences; a wife is forced to drown herself and her daughter because she is unable to bear the family a boy. Though at first glance his works may seem to focus on the personal lives of people, the precision of his work never fails to deliver a bigger spectrum of political and social problems in the country. Malena Wong
KHALED HOSSEINI AFGHANISTAN, ASIA Hosseini was born in Afghanistan in 1965, but moved to Paris in 1976 as his father worked for the Foreign Ministry. By 1980, when his family wanted to return, the Soviet Army had invaded Afghanistan. Granted political asylum, they moved to the United States, where Hosseini eventually became a doctor. His first and most popular novel, The Kite Runner, published in 2003, tells the story of childhood friends Amir and Hassan. The book explores guilt and redemption and from the first page makes you feel like you've been dropped in the centre of Kabul. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini's second novel, explores the lives of two women, Laila and Mariam, over a span of 50 years. Their lives intersect with their joint marriage to husband Rasheed. The severe betrayal and mistreatment of these characters makes for a hard-hitting read. He is a talented author who wonderfully interweaves stories to create beautiful, thought provoking books. Kathryn Bancroft
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
LEO TOLSTOY RUSSIA, EUROPE Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is most famous for his novels Anna Karenina and War and Peace. His literary works contain dissections of society and the restrictions it imposes on love and happiness. As a result, he is often described as a "social-reformer", promoting morality and characters' well-being, even if this means defying conventions. In Anna Karenina, Anna is married to a well-respected politician, whom she holds in high esteem but does not love. When Count Vronsky appears, Anna tries to resist his charms, but realises that she has found true love in him, and embarks on a passionate affair. She ultimately chooses to abandon her child to her husband, leaving her home to live with her lover, despite the fact that Alexei (her husband) refuses to give her a divorce. Unwilling to venture outside of the house in which she and Vronsky come to reside, Anna descends into paranoia and madness, and the novel concludes with her suicide at a railway station. Ironically, Tolstoy himself died at a railway station, but as a result of pneumonia rather than a tragic inability to cope as a result of a love affair. Isla McLachlan
MARGARET ATWOOD CANADA, NORTH AMERICA Novelist, poet, and literary critic, Margaret Atwood is regarded as one of Canada’s most successful and prolific writers. Winning awards such as the Booker Prize, and seeing her works translated into thirty different languages, Atwood’s influence upon Canadian writing is undeniable. Her deeply feminist, dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale explores a society in distress, crippled by worryingly low reproduction rates. With a highly political sentiment running throughout the novel, the totalitarian state created by Atwood poses a concerning question
about society’s treatment of women as subordinate to men, necessary only for the purpose of procreation. The only chance of escape for those opposed to the system is by taking a passage to Canada, depicted as the novel’s Promised Land. With these political and social references to parts of America’s fractured history, it is clear that The Handmaid’s Tale is a warning to its readers about repeating the mistakes of the past. Olivia Rook
LAURA ESQUIVELL MEXICO, SOUTH AMERICA
Laura Esquivel is a Mexican novelist and screenwriter most well known for her magical realist novel Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like water for chocolate) published in 1989. Como Agua Para Chocolate follows the story of a young girl, Tita, who longs to marry her lover Pedro but is thwarted from doing so because of her mother’s traditional views; the youngest daughter should not marry because there should always be someone to look after the mother until she dies. Esquivel uses magical realism to combine ordinary everyday goings on in society with the supernatural. Tita is only truly able to express herself when she cooks, and her cooking produces spectacular supernatural phenomena as the book progresses. Esquivel has said that the kitchen is the most important part of the house and characterises the kitchen as a source of knowledge and understanding. Her emphasis on the kitchen and cooking as being fundamental to society is seen no more clearly than by her placing a recipe at the beginning of each chapter which corresponds to Tita’s journey throughout the novel. Emma Lawton IMAGES BY KENNETH LU AND KAMIL POREMBIŃSKI VIA FLICKR
67
ARTS
FORGERY, IS IT ART? CAN FORGERY BE ART IN ITS OWN RIGHT, OR DOES THE INTENT TO DECEIVE FOR MONETARY GAIN OUT-WEIGH THE TALENT? IMPACT ARTS EXPLORES THIS HIGHLY CONTENTIOUS DEBATE. What distinguishes forgery from duplication is intent. Forgery is duplication with the intent to deceive. Yet these uncomfortable connotations should not be taken at face value, within the realm of art at least, as it is inextricably linked to its products. Furthermore, deceptive intent is not necessarily malicious. The overwhelming majority of art forgery cases link to the forger's desire to make money and/or stretch their artistic skills. More often than not, malice lies within the art market: between the art dealers and bidders. Regardless of the intent, when focusing on the products it has become apparent that successful forgeries are, undisputedly, art. Successful forgeries not only consist of brilliance of technique, but appreciation of the original artist's vision. The merging of these two notions elevates an artistic product from mere duplication to an almost genuine authenticity. This replication of authenticity is a skill that only forgers can cultivate, and is one so subtle and intuitive that it demands admiration in its own right.
“SUCCESSFUL FORGERIES NOT ONLY CONSIST OF BRILLIANCE OF TECHNIQUE, BUT APPRECIATION OF THE ORIGINAL ARTIST'S VISION” Eric Hebborn, was one such master of deception. A 20th century artist, he replicated hundreds of drawings and paintings of the old masters; Van Dyck, Tiepolo and Rubens to name but a few. His pieces fooled art historian specialists for over a decade, including Sir John Pope Hennessy, who encouraged various works to be sold at one of the most prominent art auction houses in the world: Christie's. Eventually Hebborn was exposed, though not due to faults in his artistic work, but as a result of two different drawings where Hebborn had used very similar paper. Just prior to this, one of the drawings had successfully passed through the hands of three experts. Hebborn confessed in 1984 and ever since then the art world has remained near silent about him. 68
The flawlessness of his work serves as a humbling reminder to the art world that greatly talented artists, and even more importantly, fakers are what reveal its very weakness: human error.
“THE INCREASING STATUS OF FORGERIES BEING SEEN AS ART HAS MEANT THAT WITHOUT THEM, IN THE 21ST CENTURY ESPECIALLY, THE ART MARKET WOULD RECEIVE A DAMAGING BLOW” Ironically, the secrecy shrouding the identity of the forger illuminates a modesty existent within itself. The forger, as opposed to plagiarising (in which an idea or body of work is tried to be passed off as another's own) attempts to force the original artist's identity onto the fake work of art produced, thereby annihilating any tangible trace of the forger. This intensifies the mystery surrounding the forger, like that surrounding street artist Banksy, which keeps this form fresh and inexhaustible. The increasing status of forgeries being seen as art has meant that without them, in the 21st century especially, the art market would receive a damaging blow. For all the art establishment's perpetuation of authenticity, what it has always failed to acknowledge is the overriding extent to which the uncovering of a great forgery causes provocation, when compared with genuine artworks. The consequent appreciation of skill and of the replication of artistic integrity becomes all the more poignant due to utter lack of knowledge about identity. This would catalyse a surge in interest in not only the notion of forgery in art, but in the art world itself. This has got to the point where the art world needs forgeries in order to help stimulate and maintain interest. What propels mass response more than shock?
IMPACT
MAGAZINE However, authentic art and forgeries do coexist. They cannot truly be separated from one another. This is due to the fact that they both, in part, reflect contemporary societal interests. Artists are often thought of as the conscience of their time. Whilst a genuine piece of art may embody an aspect of society, the response to a forgery is just as significant an indication of societal attitudes. Self-named art buster Guy Isnard, who pioneered a police investigation into art forgery in France, stated in the 1950s that we must “fight the parasites who disfigure and misappropriate the contributions of authentic artists to beauty”. Such a statement does not hold water, because if a faked work of art is believed by experts to be genuine, it must have evoked a beauty of remarkable similarity to its original.
“EVEN A FORGED WORK OF ART ADOPTS THIS 'NEW' QUALITY, THAT OF WHICH LIES IN THAT THE WORK IS NOT AN EXACT REPLICA BECAUSE THE ARTIST HAS UNCONSCIOUSLY IMBUED IT WITH THEIR OWN ARTISTIC PERCEPTION” Copying a painting is forgery in its most overt sense. Forgery is just as prevalent in other artistic mediums. In the Romantic era, emphasis was not on pure originality, but drawing from previous sources to aid the execution of an idea. For instance, the similarities between various poetic works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and John Milton's Paradise Lost, or between William Blake and the philosopher Emanuel
Swedenborg. Such a notion has also been hugely prevalent in film. Take Martin Scorsese's Wolf of Wall Street (2013), of which the narrative structure is heavily indebted to Citizen Kane (1941). This form of borrowing arguably now constitutes the core of the music industry, for example, the shoes Lady Gaga wears in her ‘Bad Romance’ video are directly influenced by fashionista Isabella Blow. All these existing ideas have been used in the same way: they have been forged into other ideas to create something seemingly new. Even a forged work of art adopts this 'new' quality, that of which lies in that the work is not an exact replica because the artist has unconsciously imbued it with their own artistic perception. Thus forgery is cyclical and continual. It is only when forgery becomes explicit that it causes an uproar but the lasting impact of this - when it happens - is that it reminds us that nothing is wholly unique. The focus becomes less on the product and more on the appreciation of the way in which sources have been used. Artistic forgery is itself a product of all this. But does it ultimately matter? If a faked work of art successfully communicates the truth of experience, the depth of the human condition and the intensity of emotion, then surely this qualifies it to carve its own form into the woodwork of the world.
WORDS BY TESSA GLINOER IMAGES BY DAY DONALDSON AND IAN SANE VIA FLICKR
69
ARTS
BAD EXPERIENCES IN THE ARTS INDUSTRY
TEACHING
THE ARTS IS OFTEN SEEN AS THE PEAK OF CREATIVE JOBS, AND STUDENTS WILL OFTEN SEND OFF HUNDREDS OF CVS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET A SHRED OF WORK EXPERIENCE WHEN THAT FATAL FUTURE REARS ITS HEAD. HOWEVER NOT EVERYONE WHO GETS THESE POSITIONS WILL TELL YOU STORIES OF JOY, AS IMPACT ARTS HEARS.
70
It is extremely easy for certain people to assume that a degree in English will progress into teaching or journalism, but regardless of these stereotypes, I made a judgement to go into teaching based on qualities I had developed since A-level. However, one of the key requirements for PGCE application is observation within a state school. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to land a place with a school for a weekly placement observing a class. This provided a chance for me to understand teaching practices without merely being an invisible note taker at the back. Unfortunately, after my first week I realised this idyllic view was naïve. The main issue was that the school had descended into localised chaos, highlighted by an OFSTED report which had stated that every single aspect of the school had fallen into special measures. This included teaching, behavior, structure and so on. This was recognisable when, over the period of my placement, for a single class I observed four different teachers. This was a bizarre rotation created through pregnancy, cover and general lack of communication. This meant I had little to no feedback on my approach to working with students and that the students took it upon themselves to destroy the working environment in all manners possible.
“THE MAIN ISSUE WAS THAT THE SCHOOL HAD DESCENDED INTO LOCALISED CHAOS, HIGHLIGHTED BY AN RELEASED OFSTED REPORT WHICH HAD STATED THAT EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE SCHOOL HAD FALLEN INTO SPECIAL MEASURES” It is understandable that behaviour is an issue, and not one specifically focused on this one school, but without a structured method of approach, students ran riot. I was forced to take control on numerous occasions when the whole class descended into racist chants, sexist slurs and violence (both verbal and physical). By the eighth week, when a student told the teacher to “go fuck yourself”, threw a chair at the whiteboard and then ran out the school grounds, I was physically and mentally exhausted with the impossibility of the English Department. Ultimately, the experience was definitely good to talk about in interviews, but for an experience which marketed itself as a chance to get constant feedback and a chance to even teach, all appeared nonexistent. My knowledge of the extremes of behaviour were well honed however, and all placements since then seem like a pleasant dream. WORDS BY FRED BLACKMORE* IMAGE BY ‘CPINOB’ VIA PIXABAY
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
PUBLISHING
Second year can be a scary time for a three year BA English student. It gets harder to skip past those Careers Fair emails and the more distant family relations asking if you’re going to become a teacher. I decided that if I was going to have to enter the world of work someday then I would do it with my eyes wide open, so last Easter I organised a three week work placement at a small publishing company in London. Securing the placement was easy, I just sent off a cover letter and my CV, but unfortunately so was the work itself, befitting the clichéd ‘dead-end job’ that I hoped to avoid. My time at the company became bookmarked by hot drinks. At 9:30am, 11am and 3pm every day, I would blithely ask if anyone fancied a drink, as if I hadn’t been specifically told when and what they wanted in the work experience booklet handed to me on my first day. In between these landmark events, my day consisted of filing, collecting the post, and chasing invoices - I felt like a character from a Dilbert comic strip as each day passed with very little mental demand.
“I FELT LIKE A CHARACTER FROM A DILBERT COMIC STRIP AS EACH DAY PASSED WITH VERY LITTLE MENTAL DEMAND” Although Sarah*, the publishing assistant I worked under, was lovely and I did get £3 paid towards my lunches, opening up a plethora of Sainsbury’s finest, I nonetheless felt that I didn’t really experience much work in my work experience. I learned very little about the company’s ethos or aims whilst most of the publishing agents worked over the phone or through private meetings in Costa, so shadowing them wasn’t an option. I didn’t feel that I contributed much to the company, even if my filing helped make Sarah’s work process easier. At the end of my work placement, as I made my final trip to the tube, Sarah told me that I was actually one of the best interns that they’d had. The last one must have accidentally put two sugars in the tea instead of one.
WORDS BY LEXI BOWMAN* IMAGE BY ‘CPINOB’ VIA PIXABAY
THEATRE
After applying for a work experience placement, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work at one of the largest theatrical costume suppliers in the East Midlands. Foolishly, I expected a week of trying on huge dresses and showing off my non-existent seamstress skills. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“I HAD WORN COSTUMES FROM THIS SUPPLIER BEFORE BUT, AFTER THIS VIOLATION OF OUR HUMAN RIGHTS, I NEVER DID AGAIN!” After turning up late because of traffic, our first ‘experience’ was to check through the returned costumes that had been hired out for a production of Guys and Dolls. Instead of simply checking for repairs and then putting these clothes in the washing machine, our job was much more disgusting. We were told we had to “sniff test” the armpits and crotches of these costumes, which had been worn for the entire run of production, to see whether they definitely needed washing or could be put right back on the rails. There were also interesting stains we had to contend with! Unluckily, I was nominated to be the “sniff-tester”, whilst my co-worker smugly categorised costumes into ‘definitely-needs-washing-before-my-nose-explodes’, ‘slightly-pongy’ and ‘you-can’t-really-tell-it’s-a-bit-whiffy’. I had worn costumes from this supplier before but, after this violation of our human rights, I never did again! The rest of the work experience consisted of sorting through a wall of drawers containing small props and costume items – our least favourite was possibly the drawer containing naughty nurse outfits complete with matching thongs. Or, alternatively, transporting costumes to and from the basement - a task akin to climbing Kilimanjaro carrying 12 tons of material. The traumatising experience has stayed with me ever since and I shall probably need counselling in later life, thanks to this wonderful ‘experience’ in the Arts Industry. It was also pretty useless when my current employer asked of any previous experience and has put me off having a job in the theatre industry!
WORDS BY JULIA ROYCE* IMAGE BY ‘CPINOB’ VIA PIXABAY *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED
71
ARTS
GENDER BENDING IN THE THEATRE “GENDER BENDING”, WHERE A PART IS PLAYED BY SOMEONE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX TO THE SEX THE CHARACTER WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE, HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR IN PLAYS OVER RECENT YEARS. IS THIS TREND ONE WHICH WILL COMBAT SEXISM IN THE THEATRE OR SIMPLY A FAD WHICH TAKES AWAY FROM THE PLAY ITSELF? IMAGE BY JOE HART VIA FLICKR
FOR AGAINST
It is a well-known historical fact that, in the day of Shakespeare’s Globe, young boys performed the female roles in the theatre. It was not until the 1660s that the ban on female performers was lifted, and since then women have proven themselves in all areas of the theatre – you name it, the girls have conquered it. However, to this day, many great plays are dominated by male roles. In a society of equal opportunities for all, I see no reason why talented female actors cannot also take on these roles. If gender bending can work one way, why not the other?
It is almost pointless speculating – it’s already been proven countless times that gender bending does work. Far from being a recent innovation, the part of Hamlet was first performed by an actress way back in the 18th century and only this year, Silk star Maxine Peake took to the stage as the infamous Prince of Denmark. It doesn’t end there. Dame Helen Mirren herself performed in the role of Prospero in the 2010 film adaptation of The Tempest, further proving that it is talent, not gender, that should determine who plays a role. Maxine Peake said in an interview: "Sometimes, as an actress, there have been male roles where I've thought, I could do that, I could get my head into that. Just because I haven't got the appropriate genitalia doesn't mean that I can't understand that”. Although it is true that some roles are gender dependant, there are also many, especially Shakespearian ones, that aren’t. If you strip back gender it is clear that any talented actor, male or female, can engage with the emotions that come with a role, and directors should certainly keep this in mind when it comes to the casting of leads. Scarlett White
72
When a playwright creates a play they do so with specific intentions; all attributes noted about the characters add something to their characterisation, gender being included in this. When we take into account that men and women are fundamentally different – emotionally as well as physically – is it really fair to undermine a playwright’s intentions when we switch the gender of a character? It seems in theatre that so often people are trying to look for a new or edgy spin to put on a play, and gender bending roles appears to be the easy way out. Bit of a cop out with the direction, if you ask me. Often roles are gender swapped for what appears to be little point. If it adds no new perspective on the piece of theatre then why make a statement with swapping the gender of iconic roles? My fellow Shakespeare fans I’m sure will share my frustration in the casting of Helen Mirren as Prospero, a male lead. Was this done to prove a point? Or just political correctness gone mad? It is not an issue of equality in the theatre, but rather acknowledging that there are clear differences between men and women. The issue of equality between the sexes in theatre has been scrutinised many a time, but switching male roles into female ones is not going to solve any of these sexism issues. I’d argue that frequently this is done in theatre more to please a specific party rather than to actually improve what the audience gets out of it. Yes, theatre is largely male dominated, but many of the plays which we still watch today were written as a product of the patriarchal society of years ago. Lucy Castle
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
ARTS NEWS
FUNDING IN THE ARTS RECENT REPORTS SHOW THAT GOVERNMENT ARTS FUNDING IS SIGNIFICANTLY BIASED TOWARDS LONDON ARTS ORGANISATIONS AS OPPOSED TO REGIONAL AREAS - ARE WE MISSING OUT? London is our cultural capital, containing 241 theatres, attracting 22 million audience members in 2013 alone, and taking upwards of £600 million a year in ticket sales. In the rest of England there are between 150-200 professional working theatre spaces, admittedly less than in London. As our capital city and a tourist destination for many travellers, West End theatres are considered one of the finest cultural locations in the world. It is therefore understandable that the revenue produced by these theatres warrants greater funding. However, is it right that the majority of government expenditure for culture goes to London-based venues? Shouldn’t it expand into wider, regional areas outside of the ‘West End’? Whatever your opinion, this gap is certainly about to get worse. GPS Culture’s report, Hard Facts to Swallow, is a response to Arts Council England’s investment plans for 2015-2018. The report addresses the balance of arts funding between London and the other four ‘regions’ of England; the North, Midlands, South East and South West. The discoveries show that in the next three years this imbalance will indeed worsen, as £689 million is set to be spent on the arts in London alone (which is 43.4% of the overall amount), whilst only £900 million will be invested in the arts in the rest of the country. This equates to £81.87 per head in London compared to only £19.80 per head everywhere else – a huge 4:1 ratio biased towards London. In 1982, a study found that Arts Council expenditure was similarly biased, and in response the Arts Council ‘aimed’ to equal this contrast in funding. In light of these recent figures, it is remarkable that in 2014 this imbalance still exists, after supposedly being addressed thirty-two years ago. The report goes on to state that ‘necessary change will now require government intervention’. However, in light of Culture Minister Ed Vaizey’s comments that describe regional arts organisations that cannot raise funds as ‘pathetic’, this seems impossible, as ministers
in June called for private fundraising to replace government cuts. Arts Council England itself is government-funded, and over the past four years its grant from Parliament has been cut by 36%, requiring the number of arts companies it supports to also be reduced, adding to the gross imbalance of funding across England. Sir Peter Bazalgette, head of the Arts Council, proposed the idea in The Observer that the actual worry for many arts institutions is loss of income due to repeated cuts made by and to local authorities. This is another factor set to increase the funding imbalance, and has already been implemented locally in the recent 100% cuts (worth £94,500) made by Nottinghamshire County Council to Nottingham Playhouse.
“IT IS REMARKABLE THAT IN 2014 THIS IMBALANCE STILL EXISTS, AFTER SUPPOSEDLY BEING ADDRESSED THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO” Figures from the Playhouse show that the venue generates £13 million per year for the region, indicating that the arts are hugely important to our local economy. Similarly, it has produced world and European premieres, including the recent collaboration with Headlong of George Orwell’s 1984, which received several five star reviews, and actually transferred to the Almeida Theatre in London – demonstrating that regional theatre can out-do some of the shows based in London. Therefore, with a regional theatre bringing in so much revenue and having so much success, is it right that it’s funding should be cut while London theatres receive more? Arts funding cuts will be a key factor in the upcoming May 2015 election, as the Hard Facts to Swallow report recommends any incoming administration to review the Arts Council’s policies and repair the damage already done to theatre in the regions outside London, before it is too late. WORDS BY AMY WILCOCKSON IMAGE BY H MATTHEW HOWARTH VIA FLICKR 73
AD
IMPACT
SPORTS
MAGAZINE
SPORTS EDITORIAL
Since our last issue in November, the Premier League title race has developed into a tighter contest than it looked like being. Chelsea’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end against their bogey team Newcastle United, and Manchester City have moved to within three points of the bookmakers’ favourites. One bookie even paid out in November on Chelsea winning the title; that now looks premature. West Ham and Southampton have performed above all expectations, while established top clubs Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have been patchy. Such is the nature of the table this year though, that none of those clubs find themselves out of touch of a Champions League place despite their poor form. Elsewhere, the QBE Autumn Internationals proved a difficult campaign for England. Victories over Samoa and Australia added some gloss to the series, but defeats to southern-hemisphere giants South Africa and New Zealand raised further doubts over England’s ability to claim the William Webb Ellis trophy on home soil next year.
“UON SIT 3RD IN THE BUCS OVERALL STANDINGS” The Rugby and Cricket World Cups are two of the major sport events to look forward to in 2015, though similar doubts remain over the England cricket team as they toil through an ODI series in Sri Lanka. The Cricket World Cup, and all imminent series, will be especially poignant following the death of Australian batsman Phil Hughes. Lewis Hamilton’s second world drivers’ championship has put him in the frame for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year. However, he will surely face stiff competition from Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, who won back-to-back major championships over the summer.
On the university side of sports news, UoN has impressed across the board in the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) leagues and cups, with the green and gold sitting 3rd behind Loughborough and Durham in the overall standings at the time of writing.
“THE RUGBY AND CRICKET WORLD CUPS ARE TWO OF THE MAJOR SPORT EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2015” Recent scores to note include the Ladies’ Badminton 1st team defeating Loughborough 5-3 and snapping their unbeaten streak, while the Men’s Hockey firsts came from behind to defeat Loughborough 3-2 at home in November. Men’s Futsal 1st team also demolished Warwick 21-2 and a special mention goes to UoN American Football, who thrashed Northampton 58-0 on University Park campus. Furthermore, the University’s Intramural Sport (IMS) fixtures at Grove Farm have fallen victim to an unusually wet autumn season with several postponements. Nevertheless, LawSoc lead the way in Sunday Division 1 Football unbeaten after seven games with goal differentials of over 40. The 7-a-side Halls Super League is tight at the top between Nightingale, Broadgate Park, Karni, Florence Boot and Lincoln. In basketball’s first division, the Postgrads have made it four wins from four, while Bizsoc are challenging the UoN 7s at the top of Wednesday Division 1 Netball. WORDS BY JOHN MASTRINI & DAN ZEQIRI IMAGE BY SOFIA PAZ VIVO 75
SPORT
‘THE TOUGHEST FOOTRACE ON EARTH’
UON ALUMNI TO RUN MARATHON DES SABLES Karl and Sarah may seem like your average Nottingham alumni. They are anything but. This couple plans on taking on the Marathon des Sables in April 2015. Described on the official site as ‘the toughest footrace on Earth’, the Marathon is 156 miles long, spanning six days through the dust storms and extreme climate of the Sahara Desert. (Did we mention that there is also a limit on how much water you are allowed to drink throughout the challenge?)
“THE 156-MILE LONG MARATHON SPANS SIX DAYS IN THE SAHARA DESERT WITH LIMITED WATER” This is no normal marathon where you can put your feet up and reward yourself with a pint at the end of the race. It is a six-day challenger testing your endurance in the most severe conditions in the world. Runners on average can raise around £10,000, which is four times the average raised per person in the London Marathon. Karl and Sarah are running for HOPE – a non-profit organisation that raises funds for the education of street children – with a dozen other people. Sarah likes the fact that HOPE is a small charity, because she feels that she could see where the money was going. The pair are fundraising £14,000 between now and the beginning of April. The trip itself costs £3,000, but they have decided to pay that out of their own pockets. You would expect that anyone wild enough to be running this marathon must have a few under their belts. However, Karl and Sarah say that before they met one another neither had a particular inclination for running. Karl ran the London Marathon a couple of years ago, but for Sarah this will be her first marathon. Both began running more frequently when they met and became a couple. When asked how they would train for such an intensive run, they answered that the ideal situation is to go to a hot country and train for a couple of weeks there beforehand in order to acclimatise. Though, with jobs back at home, that is not too ideal. They have spoken to
76
people who have trained for the same or similar events and suggested that sitting in a sauna before and after running long distances can help with heat training. They have also been advised by previous runners to be religious in taking their salt tablets, as these are crucial in running in hot climates. They are also given a basic medical kit to carry with them at all times. Unsurprisingly, the most common health issues out there are blisters and dehydration. The organisation of the challenge is highly impressive. There are medical tents at the end of each day and runners are given flares to set off if they are in need of serious help. Helicopters are also on-call and fly the length of the race to attend to emergencies. Karl pointed out to us that if you become so dehydrated to the point of needing an IV drip, there is a penalty. Exceeding the 10-12 litre daily water limit also incurs a fault per extra litre consumed.
“SITTING IN A SAUNA BEFORE AND AFTER RUNNING LONG DISTANCES CAN HELP WITH HEAT TRAINING” James Cracknell is currently the fastest European man to run the Marathon des Sables. Incidentally, he desperately needed an IV drip after forcing himself to run as fast as possible. Yet he refused because it would knock hours off his time. Karl and Sarah have planned to stay together throughout the entire race, despite being told otherwise by a friend who has completed the marathon with his wife for nine consecutive years. The couple plan to get married a short time after the race, which perhaps accounts for their motivation to cross the finish line together.
WORDS BY LUCY O’BOYLE & HANNAH NEWBY IMAGE BY ‘TENT86’ VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
LECTURE OR LEISURE?
UON’S STUDENT ATHLETE DILEMMA As Wednesday rolls around, there is the familiar predicament of all sports students as they contemplate missing that all-important lecture for a game away at Durham. They’ve already missed the lecture three times this year because of away matches, but they rationalise that they really need to be at this match. They will catch up on work later. And so another lecture is missed, and only when the crunch time of exams is upon this poor student do they curse their decision to go play sports, rather than attend classes. Or perhaps they don’t. Maybe they think that it was worth every missed second because of the promotion or cup win their team secured that year. Looking at the current top 10 in BUCS, UoN (who currently sit in 3rd overall) is the only university failing to offer Sports Science as a degree. This means that the lure of Nottingham to budding athletes, who wish to study within their passion of sport while continuing to compete, is much diminished. Nonetheless, the University’s sporting success is testament to the talent that comes here driven by degree and not the bait of a sports degree scholarship. Students’ Union Sports Officer Kiri Madhani said that the University’s lack of sports degrees is what makes us “unique”. She explained that UoN is proud of the students they attract who are able to perform both on and off the pitch. She believes that it is “our academic reputation that attracts athletes who care about their education and sport”, which brings in students who have an “amazing ability to balance their time between studies and training”.
“UON IS THE ONLY UNIVERSITY IN THE BUCS TOP 10 THAT DOES NOT OFFER SPORTS SCIENCE AS A DEGREE” When talking about her own experiences in choosing universities, Kiri spoke of a story familiar to the ears of many students who came to Nottingham and found themselves playing sports. Being offered a place at both Nottingham and Loughborough, Kiri ultimately felt her decision to come to Nottingham was rooted in the ease of access to sports the University offered. She did not feel there was a stigma of elitism attached to playing sports for Nottingham, something that is felt when applying to Loughborough.
Despite not offering sports degrees, UoN is certainly looking to the future. The University has recognised how investment in sport is investment in their students, from the grassroots up to the elite who represent their country. This investment has come in the form of £40 million being put into the development of a sports village on University Park campus.
“THE UNIVERSITY’S SPORTING SUCCESS IS TESTAMENT TO THE TALENT THAT COMES HERE DRIVEN BY DEGREE AND NOT THE BAIT OF A SPORTS DEGREE SCHOLARSHIP” This new development will enable sports at Nottingham to grow even further, and enable the University to reach its goal of becoming a regular top-five BUCS team by 2020. New features such as an indoor sprint facility, hydrotherapy pool and a climbing wall offer increasing opportunities for Nottingham students of all abilities. These plans are fully in line with the University’s sporting ethos: Engage, Inspire, Excel. It should be noted that while Nottingham is holding its own against the top sporting universities, there is hope from the students that the University will work to increase the academic support given to student athletes in future. Neglecting Wednesday lectures to ensure continued UoN sporting success does not come without sacrifice, and current provisions to students are not quite enough. Yet, despite the odds being stacked against Nottingham, we continue to rise and achieve in the sporting arena. Boasting the highest number of teams entered into BUCS and more than a handful of Olympians, UoN’s sporting achievements are certainly something to be proud of.
WORDS BY LUCY RYALL IMAGE BY FAUSTO GERNONE 77
SPORT
IS SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR STILL RELEVANT? BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS ARTICLE IN JANUARY 2015, YOU WILL ALREADY KNOW THE RECIPIENT OF THE BBC’S 2014 SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (SPOTY). BUT, CHANCES ARE, YOU HAVE ALREADY FORGOTTEN. THAT IS BECAUSE THE BEEB’S CONTEST OF SPORTING PERSONALITY HAS SUFFERED A CRISIS OF IDENTITY IN RECENT YEARS. PRESS A GOLF FAN TO NAME THE LAST FIVE MASTERS WINNERS, OR A FOOTBALL FAN TO NAME THE LAST FIVE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNERS, AND THEY’LL REEL OFF NAMES WITH EASE. TASK THEM WITH NAMING THE LAST FIVE WINNERS OF SPOTY AND THEY’LL PROBABLY FLOUNDER. HOW DID A ONCE PRESTIGIOUS AWARD COME TO REPRESENT JUST ANOTHER FEW HOURS OF AIRTIME ON THE CHRISTMAS TV SCHEDULE?
78
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
The BBC’s SPOTY was an award devised in 1954 and originally consisted of only the main prize, with Overseas SPOTY and Team of the Year being added in 1960. The list of previous winners is an impressive roll call of the very best sportspeople these shores have produced: Bobby Moore, Henry Cooper, Sebastian Coe, Ian Botham, Nick Faldo and David Beckham. It’s an exclusive club that any sportsperson should be proud of joining.
‘imagination captured’ by Lewis Hamilton’s second F1 title. How do you compare the two? Phil Taylor is a classic example of this problem. He was once a runner-up but has never won the award over his long career. The man is sixteen-time world champion, a remarkable model of consistency and delivers under pressure regularly. But he’s a darts player, and people are reluctant to vote for a darts player over, say, a cyclist or a long distance runner.
“SPOTY IS AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB THAT ANY SPORTSPERSON SHOULD BE PROUD OF JOINING”
That’s the critical thing to remember about SPOTY: it’s a public vote. Once upon a time that was something of a novelty, and the notion that you had been chosen by the public added to the honour of receiving the award. However, given the way in which the principle of public voting has been sullied over the past 15 years due to reality television, it could be argued that this method discredits rather than enhances the award. It is just another example among a plethora of TV programmes based upon a public vote.
However, many things have changed since the award’s inception. The transformation of the broadcasting industry in Britain over the last 20 or so years has meant that the sporting public at large are far harder to impress than they used to be. There was a time when the BBC and, to an extent, ITV, had a proprietorial position over the nation’s consumption of sport. One relied on these broadcasters for live sport throughout the year, and by today’s standards, that wasn’t very much. The spectacle of a few hours of airtime during the Christmas period devoted solely to sport was something to cherish. The hours of coverage dedicated to the FA Cup Final in May was a similar treat. Since the advent of Rupert Murdoch’s Sky, the sporting public is no longer so receptive. They can consume sport 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year. Another problem with the award is its archaic name. ‘Sports Personality’ is a very slippery term that conceals more than it reveals. It was a name created in 1954 when the BBC burdened itself with the responsibility of being the nation’s custodian of morals and good taste, and it shows. It sounds like the type of award that would be handed to a child at a school sports day to compensate for the fact that he or she didn’t win anything.
“ARE WE VOTING FOR AN ENGAGING CHARACTER OR A SERIAL WINNER?” It also confuses the public about what it is they are actually voting for. Officially the award is to be given to the sportsperson ‘whose actions most captured the public’s imagination’. This is a slightly different criterion from stating that the award should be handed to the sportsperson who has achieved the most in that particular year. Such tension between achievement and ‘personality’ is a real cause of confusion for voters. Are we voting for an engaging character or a serial winner? Sometimes a figure fits both camps and wins the award comfortably, such as Ian Botham or Paul Gascoigne. However, the presence of Nigel Mansell, Steve Davis and Andy Murray on the roll of honour is testament to the fact that the voting process can produce winners with very little charisma. Judging sportspeople from different fields against one and other is a further difficulty. Again the original claim that the award goes to the person ‘whose actions most captured the public’s imagination’ needs examining. The sporting public are not a monolithic body. Rory McIlroy’s back-to-back major wins last year captured my imagination because I’m a golf fan, but a racing fan would have had their
“THE BBC DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN ITS PRESENTATION AND PRODUCTION OF THE CEREMONY” This may all sound a rather gloomy depiction of one of this country’s sporting traditions. In truth, the contest does have some features that makes it stand out from other sporting awards ceremonies. In an era when the agenda of professional sport is driven by money, there is a sense of honour in the award that almost harks back to sport’s amateur roots. The award prioritises fair play and good sportsmanship. While other awards ceremonies, such as the Ballon d’Or, are tarnished by the organisations that run them (FIFA in that case), the BBC does an excellent job in its presentation and production of the SPOTY ceremony (with the possible exception of the dodgy Coldplay or Elbow strings arrangements that accompany nominees onto the stage). It also provides an opportunity to reflect upon the sporting year, and one is often struck by just how much has occurred. 2012 was a particularly hectic year. One of the more poignant moments of the evening is when a few moments are taken to remember those the sporting world has lost over the previous 12 months. I remember vividly some moving presentations and montages being shown in memory of George Best and Sir Bobby Robson. There will surely be a similar reflection on the death of Phil Hughes in the upcoming ceremony. In other words, BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year is still a worthwhile fixture on the sporting calendar. The purpose of this article is not to suggest that it should be scrapped altogether. Rather, it is to note SPOTY’s journey from a sought-after confirmation of sporting excellence to merely a few good hours of television in the run up to Christmas.
WORDS BY DAN ZEQIRI IMAGE BY ‘PARROT OF DOOM’ VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
79
SPORT
WHAT’S AT YOUR UNI?
ICE HOCKEY
John Mastrini spoke to UoN Ice Hockey media manager James Guest about how students can get involved with the Nottingham Mavericks, the joint UoN and Trent team that competes on the ice.
WHAT SKILLS ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPORT?
Ideally, to play ice hockey, you need to be able to skate. However, as long as you are hard-working, willing to learn and happy to play as part of a team, the skating and stick skills can be learned as you go along.
DO YOU NEED TO HAVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE TO JOIN THE CLUB? WHAT KINDS OF PROVISIONS ARE THERE FOR BEGINNERS?
The Mavericks welcome students of all abilities. We currently have players ranging from total beginners to semi-pros who play in the English National League (ENL) and have represented Great Britain. There is a huge mix. We run taster sessions at the beginning of the year and then set up a development team designed for beginners and rookies to play other universities who have teams of similar standards.
HOW EXPENSIVE IS IT TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE CLUB REGULARLY? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED TO BUY A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
We would be lying if we said ice hockey was cheap. The biggest costs are buying kit and registering with the league. However, a second-hand kit can be picked up online for around £75-£100. Training is £10 a week and games cost between £15-20 each. Ice time is expensive!
IS ICE HOCKEY AS VIOLENT AS IT LOOKS? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE INTIMIDATED BY CONTACT OR INJURY?
It can be, however university ice hockey is not really violent. There can be high-impact hits, sometimes some pushing and shoving or the rare fight, but it is nothing compared to what is seen in the NHL. People should not feel intimidated by the chance of injury or contact, as there are leagues available for players who want to play non-checking. With all the kit on, injuries are rare. 80
WITH THE SPORT BEING RELATIVELY PERIPHERAL IN THE UK COMPARED TO NORTH AMERICA AND CONTINENTAL EUROPE, DO YOU ENVISAGE ICE HOCKEY REACHING A SIMILAR LEVEL OF POPULARITY IN FUTURE? Ice hockey in the UK is gaining popularity and everyone involved in British ice hockey would love for it to be as popular here. More and more teams are being created at recreational level so the demand is there. The Mavericks have 50+ players registered this year; some teams in the area have 70+. Popularity is definitely on the increase.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO PLAY IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AT THE CAPITAL FM ARENA IN NOTTINGHAM’S VARSITY SERIES?
Varsity Ice Hockey gives players the opportunity to play in front of a sold-out 7,000 capacity arena - even some professional teams don't get to play in front of crowds that large. It is always thrilling, exciting and good fun. All Mavericks players dream of playing the Varsity game. It gives players something to target.
WHAT’S THE SOCIAL SIDE OF THE CLUB LIKE?
It’s a busy one, there are regular full-team socials such as nights out, parties, team bonding activities and watching the local professional team, Nottingham Panthers. There really is something for everyone.
HOW CAN UON STUDENTS GET INVOLVED?
Like our page on Facebook (Nottingham Universities Mavericks Ice Hockey Club) and follow us on Twitter (@ice_mavericksuk). Here, you can contact our club president Katy Jones if you’re interested in joining.
WORDS BY JOHN MASTRINI IMAGE BY BEN TYNEGATE
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
WHAT’S ON YOUR DOORSTEP?
NATIONAL BADMINTON LEAGUE UoN Badminton head coach Martyn Lewis tells Impact Sport about the fastest racquet sport in the world that’s hitting Nottingham…
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE NATIONAL BADMINTON LEAGUE?
The NBL is a brand new, game-changing and exciting opportunity for badminton. It’s the first ever national badminton league which has been created by Badminton England that will see six franchise teams competing for the title. We are very pleased and excited to be hosting University of Nottingham Badminton alongside Surrey Smashers, Team Derby, Loughborough Sport, Milton Keynes (MK) Badminton and Birmingham Lions who, apart from MK Badminton, are hosted by their respective universities. The teams will compete against each other once in the league with home and away fixtures. At the end of the year, the league’s top four will then compete in a Finals Day to see who will be crowned the first ever NBL Champion.
WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR UON STUDENTS TO WATCH MATCHES LIVE AND POTENTIALLY PLAY AT UNI?
We have players signed up to represent UoN Badminton from each of the four home countries as well as strong players from Europe (some of whom are ranked very high on the sport’s world stage), giving the University a great deal of exposure. Local boy Chris Adcock (current world number 5 and recent Commonwealth gold medalist) is among the names UoN Badminton has on show, alongside current world number 13 Robert Blair from Scotland. In terms of watching the matches, UoN will have their home fixtures held at the Albert Hall Conference Centre on North Circus Street near Lenton. They will also be shown live on Sky Sports 3 and many online channels on Monday evenings. Fixtures are scheduled for January 26th at home to Loughborough Sport, March 23rd at home to Surrey Smashers and April 27th away at Team Derby. We do have one UoN student, Ellen Mahenthiralingam, in the squad and if we are able to recruit players of a level high enough to compete in the NBL - they will be picked!
WHAT ARE THE COSTS INVOLVED IN GOING TO WATCH THE PROFESSIONALS IN NOTTINGHAM?
There is an exclusive ticket deal for students, who can buy two tickets for just £10 from the Students’ Union Box Office or the University Park Sports Centre Reception. Otherwise, tickets are sold online at £10 for students, £12 for adults, £6 for children and £30 for a family package (2 adults, 2 children). Discount codes are also available for badminton clubs in Nottingham. The venue has a bar and a refreshment station at good value for money, and it is very close to the city centre and student area so travel costs are minimal.
WHO WOULD YOU PICK AS THE ONES TO WATCH ON THE UON TEAM? Chris Adcock, Robert Blair, Chloe Magee and Olga Konon. Chloe is Ireland’s number 1 and top 30 in the world in mixed doubles and singles, Olga is a former world top 40 player from Germany. Robert is also a Commonwealth bronze medalist from Glasgow 2014.
WHY DO YOU THINK STUDENTS SHOULD PLAY OR WATCH BADMINTON?
It is the fastest racquet sport and watching it played by the best in the world is a sight to behold. It is a sport which you can get a lot of success with very quickly and, when playing those of a similar level to yours, it can be one of the best workouts you do. It is accessible all year round and is one of the highest participated sports in the country. There must be a reason for that - so why not give it a try? For further information email IMS Badminton Officer Pascal Wye at imsbadminton@nottingham.ac.uk WORDS BY JOHN MASTRINI IMAGE BY CALVIN COULL PHOTOGRAPHY 81
SPORT
2014
A YEAR IN SPORT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Who finished 2014 as the top Premier League goalscorer for the calendar year? The 2014 Formula One season was dominated by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Who was the only driver outside of the Mercedes garage to record a race victory? Which NFL Hall-of-Famer had his career passing touchdown record broken this season? Which British sprinter was interviewed by Impact in 2014? Rory McIlroy became the first golfer in six years to win back-to-back Major championships. Who was the last to achieve that feat before him? In August, Red Bull feeder team Toro Rosso announced they would be adding the youngest ever F1 driver to their 2015 season roster, aged just 17 years and 166 days. Name the driver, and for a bonus point give his famous racing father’s nickname. Who was the author of the FIFA report into alleged corruption during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes? Which rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants made the catch immediately dubbed ‘one of the greatest ever’ versus the Dallas Cowboys? Which Rugby League player switched codes to Rugby Union, signing for Bath in February? There are five managers currently in the Premier League who have also played in the Premier League. Can you name them?
WORDS BY JAMES HIRST & DAN ZEQIRI IMAGE BY NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY VIA FLICKR 1) WILFRIED BONY 2) DANIEL RICCIARDO 3) BRETT FAVRE 4) ADAM GEMILI 5) PADRAIG HARRINGTON 6) MAX VERSTAPPEN & ‘JOSS THE BOSS’ 7) MICHAEL GARCIA 8) ODELL BECKHAM JR. 9) SAM BURGESS 10) STEVE BRUCE, MARK HUGHES, GARRY MONK, NIGEL PEARSON, GUS POYET
ANSWERS:
82
IMPACT
EDITORIAL TEAM EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Print Editor
MANAGEMENT
Managing Editor Publicity Manager Logistics Manager Events Manager Advertising Manager Social Media Manager
DESIGN
Design Editor
IMAGES
Images Editors
WEBSITE
Online Editor Associate Online Editors Web Developer
MAGAZINE
Sarah Dear Belinda Toor
Lily Glasson Charlotte van Rhee Daniel Lever Jacob Strauss Angharad Smith Pollyanna Ward
Harry Dinsdale
Andreas Billman, Beki Hooper
Sam Todd Joanne Blunt, Radhika Chand, Jack Hart, Lucy O'Boyle Ryan Shaw
SECTIONS
News Editors Beth Rowland, Caroline Chan, Jacob Bentley News Investigations Editor Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu Comment Editors Louisa Chenciner, Priya Thethi Features Editors Abby Ross, Charlotte McIntyre, Natasha Gregson Travel Editors Caitlin Kelly, Joanna Hill Science Editors Jessica Hewitt-Dean, Paula Clerkin Food Editors Heather-Leigh Corser, Lauren Wilson Style Editors Shope Delano, Tara Bell Gaming Editors Lewis Brown, Robert Priest Film Editors Bharat Samra, Thomas Watchorn Music Editors Daisy Foster, Ian Fillingham Arts Editors Emma Lawton, James Hamilton Sports Editors Dan Zeqiri, John Mastrini Cover Image: Harry Dinsdale Apologies to Daniel Lever for misspelling his name and George Maier for the misprint in his article. Thank you to Sam Todd for his editorial assistance with this issue.
GET IN TOUCH editorinchief@impactnottingham.com sarah.dear@impactnottingham.com belinda.toor@impactnottingham.com sam.todd@impactnottingham.com managing@impactnottingham.com prdistribution@impactnottingham.com events@impactnottingham.com design@impactnottingham.com images@impactnottingham.com news@impactnottingham.com comment@impactnottingham.com features@impactnottingham.com travel@impactnottingham.com science@impactnottingham.com food@impactnottingham.com style@impactnottingham.com gaming@impactnottingham.com film@impactnottingham.com music@impactnottingham.com arts@impactnottingham.com sports@impactnottingham.com
/IMPACTNOTTINGHAM @IMPACTMAGAZINE @IMPACTSTAGRAM /IMPACTNOTTINGHAM01 83