Impact Magazine Issue 231

WWW.IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM | ISSUE 231 | MAY 2014 STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR

the price of theatre: the future of the nottingham arts

FROM SEMINARS TO The TRENCHES: THE UNTOLD STORY OF Uon during the first world war

“THEY PUNCHED THE CRAP OUT OF ME” STOP AND SEARCH IN NOTTINGHAM

Editorial We are indebted to our team for all of their hard work this year. Unfortunately there isn’t space here to mention all of you by name, but we wish we could. Working for Impact isn’t always easy; long hours in the office often coincide with essay deadlines, and putting Impact first can sometimes be a difficult decision.

But we hope that the readers can see that this hard work has paid off. The website has been the best it has ever been, with a 345% increase in web traffic since last year, and our magazine has gone from strength to strength. In the Student Publication Association conference in May we were awarded five awards, including Best Publication of 2014 and also highly commended in the Best Website category.

On this note, as Editors in Chief we would like to personally thank our Design team for everything they’ve done this year.

Grace, Harry, Leah and Charlotte have been more creative and adventurous with their design, and the magazine has never looked more professional. We cannot imagine a better team to have brought our editors’ and contributors’ work to life this year.

For her unwavering commitment, positivity and resolve, we would like to give a special mention to Frankie, our Managing Editor. She has been the backbone of Impact this year working behind the scenes to bring Impact out of the office, and to you. Everything from Freshers’ fayre to the Media Conference would not have been possible without her, and she has gone above and beyond her role in absolutely everything she has done.

It has been a wonderful year working with Impact. We hope our readers have enjoyed reading our publication, and can also see how much fun we have had in the process - not least through our questionable editorials.

Hopefully see you in 10 years. You’ll find Emily in the Arab war zone of the moment, and Antonia probably following her wherever she goes to avoid the eventual separation after a year of the Editors in Chieftians being joined at the hip.

We would also like to introduce the newly elected team, and wish them the best Antonia Paget and Emily Tripp of luck for next year. Your new Editor in Editors-in-Chief Chief, Sarah Dear, has already shown herself to be extremely diligent in her work at Impact so far, and we have every faith that she will be more than capable at the helm next year.

Sam Todd and Belinda Toor will also be taking the reins as Online Editor and Print Editor in September, after their outstanding jobs as section editors this year. Sam has ensured that more targeted and wide ranging content than ever has been published in the Film & TV section, and Belinda has proven that she is a forward thinking member of the team in her position as News Editor.

We wrote, you responded ‘Darren’ on ‘‘Immigrants have changed British society forever’: Impact speaks to UKIP Deputy Leader Paul Nuttall’ As an immigrant with British ancestry from a commonwealth country, I would love for more UK born citizens to take the ‘life in the UK’ test. It’s not hard, if you know a few things about UK history. They might learn a few points about how immigration built Great Britain.

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‘Anon’ on ‘University Assistant Director ‘Paula’ on ‘Why the no make-up selfie of Sport in Sex Scandal’ campaign is a sham’ Most paedophiles are not dirty old men in dirty raincoats and this proves the point.

I too am an “Old Carmeli” who at the time thought the world of this man. Of course he appeared very nice with a veneer of respectability etc. But he did some hideous things.

Of course, with every trend, there will people who partake for the likes and the ‘look what a selfless person I am’ value but there are also those who have friends and family suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses who are overjoyed that the power of social media is finally being harnessed for good.

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Contents IN THIS ISSUE

Regulars Impact speaks to Ms University

15

10 “You wouldn’t think they’d done

16

“They punched the crap out of me” 4 Impact investigates police tactics in Nottingham

From seminars to the trenches:

The cost of the First World War at UoN

Meet the first student bodybuilding champion

terrible things”

Student volunteers in Nottingham prisons

Would you sleep with your lecturer? 14 Students reveal all

The Beginning of the End

What kind of graduate are you?

18

Comment Travel Science

8 20 22

Food

26

Style

28

Exposure

32

What’s On

34

Gaming

36

Film & TV

40

Music

44

Arts

50

Sport

54 3

NEWS

“They absolutely punched the crap out of me” IMPACT investigates stop and search tactics in Nottingham

Impact spoke to local community groups, academics and Nottingham authorities to investigate the use of stop and search in Nottingham, and the effect it has on the relationship between the public and the police.

N

ottinghamshire Police came under fire last year after a report into Black, Minority and Ethnic (BME) Policing experiences found the force was perceived to be ‘institutionally racist’.

The report, ‘Exploring and Improving BME Policing Experiences’, commissioned by Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping, found that there was differential policing treatment given to BME individuals.

UoN academic and co-author of the report, Professor Cecile Wright, told Impact: “The study identified that members of the BME community regardless of gender, age and social class were disproportionately subjected to [stop and search].

“What is quite concerning is that the stop and search of young people, male and female, did not translate into them being prosecuted or charged. Young people were being stopped and searched for no justifiable reason.”

One year on, Tipping told race equality think

tank, Runnymede, that the police force are “already making good progress in [the] pursuit of equality and fairness,” but added that “more needs to be done to fully reverse the injustices that many people within the BME community feel towards policing in the county and beyond”.

Nottingham community organiser and youth worker Janet* told Impact: ‘‘I am truly sad that I have been in this field of work for about twenty three years and I have seen things get worse rather than better in terms of young people and relationships with the police.

“We are in hard times right now,” she warned.

“Whenever that happens you have a risk of insurrection’’.

Professor Wright believes that this negative relationship between the police and young people has already resulted in incidents such as the riots of August 2011.

“In other parts of the country they attacked retail and commerce. The exception was

4 | Ella Funge | Research BY Yasemin Craggs Mersinoglu

Nottingham, where the attacks were on the neighbourhood police stations like Canning Circus. This was indicative of the relationship with the police. Part of that negative relationship is because of disaffection, injustice, and unfair racial profiling”.

“Powers of arrest”: The Rules According to Nottinghamshire Police’s Corporate Communication department, current stop and search policies ‘mean that a member of the public may be stopped and searched to allow officers to allay or confirm suspicion about someone without the officer exercising their powers of arrest’.

If you are stopped and searched, the officer should explain the grounds for the search, tell you who they are and where they are based, and also provide you with a receipt which allows you to get hold of the police’s complete record of the incident for up to three months after you have been stopped.

NEWS

“A young guy was made to stand in the street in his boxer shorts”.

Despite the Communication department’s statement that ‘all stops must be carried out with courtesy, consideration and respect for the person concerned’, some lawyers argue that the practice of stop and search violates Human Rights Law. Rachel Taylor, a human rights lawyer from stop and search watchdog, Stopwatch, has stated that: ‘A stop and search will often be distressing and humiliating for the individual concerned…. Individuals often feel criminalised and tainted by the experience’.

She has also commented that an unlawful stop and search procedure will breach an individual’s human rights, given that it both undermines a person’s liberty, is a result of racial profiling and records personal information without justification.

The PCC report commissioned by Paddy Tipping attempted to address these concerns, but Dr Mohammed Aslam, Senior Partner at Vivitas Resourcing Limited, a consultancy organisation who worked with Nottinghamshire

Police and Nottinghamshire Race Equality Council, told Impact that the report’s findings were “academically incomprehensible” and that it was in general a “lazy piece of research”.

He said that the focus on the number of black people who are stopped and searched ignores the resulting actions by the police, particularly regarding conviction rates.

According to Dr. Aslam, the report only confirmed pre-existing findings, and accused the Police and Crime Commissioner of “incompetence”, stating that the PCC has “serious problems understanding race relations in the city”.

Janet also told Impact that there was significant discrepancy between the published report and the original version, which she has had access to. She accused the published report of ignoring the severity of BME experiences.

“Disrespected and violated”: BME targeting Impact spoke to young Nottingham residents who are members of a focus group created in conjunction with the PCC report. They have continued to work together following the report, in order to support other young people facing similar instances of discrimination.

One 17 year old member of the group told Impact: ‘‘[stop and search] is not done properly. People are stopped and searched but it’s not properly documented… they are not given proper reasons. The way in which they are searched is aggressive and it’s not nice”.

Police data reveals that on average, approximately 8.6 stop and searches occur per day across Nottinghamshire.

59.9% of respondents in the PCC report who stated they had been stopped and searched said that this had happened more than once.

Almost a quarter of the respondents stated

stock images by JDEVAUN, CHRIS WHITE AND PAUL TOWNSEND VIA FLICKR

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NEWS they had been stopped and searched “more than five times”.

40.6% of mixed ethnicity respondents stated they had been stopped and searched by the police. The corresponding figure for black respondents was 32% and for other ethnic groups and Asian respondents the corresponding figures were 31.2% and 21.9% respectively.

The report also found that 40.7% of respondents were not given reasons for being stopped and searched, despite this being a legal prerequisite. The report found that 91.4% of those stopped and searched were male, regardless of occupation or education level.

Members of the focus group felt that the disproportionate statistics reflect a “targeting” of members of BME groups by police. In addition, young BME Nottingham residents told Impact that the police do not always treat them with courtesy and respect, or follow the correct stop and search procedures, such as providing receipts: “[The way the police would stop us] was casual,” said James*, an Afro-Caribbean trainee youth worker in Nottingham. “They hardly ever gave us receipts.They would say what are you up to, lads, empty your pockets, alright on your way”.

James told Impact about the stop and searches that he and his friends have experienced: ‘‘About five or six years ago I used to get stopped and searched all the time.

I can’t count how many times. That was when Nottingham was at its highest with gang crime and drugs’’.

James’ experience is one shared by many others in Nottingham. The PCC report revealed that respondents who had experienced stop and search policing felt “disrespected” and “violated”. ‘‘(The police) have their own perception of stopping you because of the way you dress and the way you walk… if you speak in a certain manner and you haven’t done anything wrong they will probably arrest you,” explained one British Asian-Pakistani male in the report.

James also emphasised that fear of the police is now at an all-time high because of an increase in man-power. ‘‘Nowadays we are very scared of the police and of them bringing 20 or 30 guys to come down to an incident. If they do that you know you’ve messed up, because if they bring all those guys down, you know they are going to deal with you really badly’’.

Dr. Aslam, who has published a report about racial abuse towards international students in the East Midlands, told Impact that Muslims are also disproportionately targeted by the police.

“With regards to the general pattern of stop and search we have, in my view, moved on leaps since we discussed stop and searches

6 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALLUM MCLARTY

which affected African and Caribbean young people,” he told Impact. “[But] since 9/11 we have seen a sea change in open hostility from the police and other authorities aimed primarily at Muslims across Britain. Muslim communities are subject to increased scrutiny from the police, and stop and search is very often under reported, so such matters remain unchallenged,” he continued.

“Come on you little black shit”: The Nature of Harassment Testimonials in the focus groups and interviews that contributed to the report highlighted instances of members of the police force breaching their code of conduct. These included aggressive and sexual stop and searches.

Describing one stop and search incident around the time of the Nottingham riots in 2011, James told Impact that he was “pinned down on the floor” by four police officers.

“They absolutely punched the crap out of me to get to my arms. Then they chucked me in the back of the car. I didn’t know where I was going, my eyes were watering, I couldn’t even talk.

James added: “It was a really frightening situation.

“The guys were saying to me, ‘come on you little black shit, you black bastard’, when they were trying to get my arms. They never used the ‘N’ word, but they always called me a ‘black shit’, and ‘black bastard’”.

NEWS

Almost a quarter of respondents stated they had been stopped and searched “more than five times”.

Both Janet and James also referred to instances they were aware of where boys as young as fifteen had been stripped of their clothes and searched in the street. The police code of practice prohibits the removal of clothes in public places.

“We had one instance where a young guy was made to stand in the street in his boxer shorts”, Janet told Impact. James confirmed this kind of incident happens often in Nottingham.

James believes that stereotyping plays a crucial part in the police’s stop and search profiling. He told Impact that the reason he no longer gets stopped and searched is because he has actively tried to escape these stereotypes in the way that he dresses and behaves. “[I have changed] my whole demeanour, my whole attitude. The way I dress and present myself is different: I don’t go out in tracksuits and trainers or I don’t go out in all black.

Instead I go out in nice colours and make myself look a bit presentable. That’s because I want to be perceived differently”.

“It’s generational”: Inherent Mistrust One girl from the focus group told Impact about the “fear, suspicion and anger” that young people from BME communities have towards the police.

‘‘I’m aware that injustices are carried out because young people don’t know how to conduct themselves,” she admitted, “but also the police take advantage’’.

A government-commissioned report from 2013 warned that the misuse of stop and search can be “a serious challenge to police authority and legitimacy”.

The PCC report states: ‘When policing by consent breaks down, especially because of perceived police injustices or discrimination towards BME groups, there are dangers for all of us. For policing to be at its most effective, co-operation and trust are needed between all parties – BME communities, the police, and wider publics’.

Another member of the focus group confirmed that otherwise ‘‘it becomes an abuse of authority, belittling someone”. She told Impact that the consequences of just one bad experience with stop and search can continue to have effects for years.

“The individual is going to hold that resentment for a very, very long time. Their opinion of the police is also going to rub off on everyone that they’re around, so it becomes a continuous thing”.

older guys and that’s just going to be all that they know. That’s going to be the only way they know how to react with the police, that’s the only relationship they are going to understand”.

Respondents in the report, and those speaking to Impact mentioned disputes between their fathers or grandfathers and the police.

The intergenerational nature of these hostilities have contributed to what one member of the focus group said was “a lack of respect, anger and fear” towards the police force in Nottingham.

He continued: ‘‘It’s always felt like that, it’s generational… These are the stories that we grow up hearing. Your dad and your grandfather will tell you about when it happened to them. So, why should you expect anything less?”

One year on from the publication of the PCC report, it is clear that tense relations between the police and the public in Nottingham have still not been overcome. The problems raised with the report, as well as an increasing concern with the treament of Muslim minorities in the East Midlands, would suggest that the issue is still as prevalent as in previous generations.

This problem appears to be a product of hostility dating back several generations. As one member of the focus group told Impact: “Younger guys have seen this happen to Stock Images BY STUART CRAWFORD VIA FLICKR | 7

COMMENT | DEBATE

Should the NUS officially oppose UKIP?

YES

“I’m not overly convinced that man is to blame for the change in climate”, Paul Nuttall, the deputy leader of UKIP, proclaimed during his talk at UoN last month.

This is just one of his party’s absurd beliefs which could potentially harm the future of our generation should they ever be elected.

Nuttall’s patronising speech left few questions

NO

The NUS should not be in the business of opposing any political party, let alone one as popular as UKIP. Polls regularly rank it the third biggest party in the country, and there is a good chance it could win the European Parliament elections next month. Not only does the NUS’ latest act offend all students who may sympathise with UKIP, it is counterproductive and will do nothing to halt the rise of Farage & co.

as to why the NUS has voted to officially oppose the party.

The NUS is a democratic body which consists of 600 member unions. It represents over seven million students and acts to ‘promote, defend and extend’ their rights. When a motion is proposed, it is voted upon. This amendment was proposed by Royal Holloway SU, and the NUS voted in favour of it. Are we to argue against basic democracy?

It has been argued by Jack Duffin, the chairman of UKIP’s youth-wing, that this amendment will ‘alienate’ students. But the amendment has no real effect other than formally declaring that the NUS does not support UKIP. UKIP also opposes the legalisation of samesex marriage, wants to withdraw from the EU

Parties like UKIP gain popularity by presenting themselves as outsiders to the political establishment. To them, the NUS is another bloated union out of touch with its membership. So the Union is only playing into UKIP’s hands. The best way to handle the sudden rise of a reactionist party is not to ban them, but to let them compete in the political arena as any other group can. Their shortcomings will then quickly become apparent.

If you are confident in your beliefs, open debate is the best weapon against your opponents. We should allow the political spotlight to be shined on the likes of UKIP, for that is when we catch them letting their true bigotry slip.

The councillor who blamed flooding on gay marriage and the “slutgate” affair are just two examples, and probably won’t be the last.

8 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY EUROPEAN PARLIMENT VIA FLICKR

and would increase defence spending. The Party also believe too many people are at university. Daniel Cooper, the vice president of the University of London Union, also identified racism and xenophobia as key features of UKIP that the NUS wishes to make clear it does not associate itself with. I fail to see any UKIP policies which will benefit students, and the NUS amendment is a clear reflection of this.

Michael Farage’s recent TV debate against Nick Clegg won him publicity, but the UKIP leader has much to change if he wants to appeal to students. His policies are even more out of touch than the current establishment.

The NUS’ official opposition is wholly justifiable.

Fraser Collingham

Nigel Farage may be a smooth talker, but nobody predicted his archaic followers would ever come under such tough scrutiny. We don’t need to expose and humiliate the likes of UKIP; they will do it for us if they are given the platform.

Although the student vote is hardly UKIP’s base, it is reasonable to presume that some students think Britain may be better off out of the EU. The least effective way to counter such attitudes amongst students is for the NUS to pass yet another sanctimonious motion.

A union for students shouldn’t be wading into such sensitive political territory. The NUS should quit its posturing and focus on what students care about most: education.

Sam Griffiths

COMMENT | COLUMNISTS

Could university teaching benefit from Gove traditionalism? system has been overtaken by a left-wing establishment, which, run by ‘learning facilitators’ of a postmodernist ilk, prioritises ‘problem solving, creativity and critical thinking at the expense of basic knowledge’ and has an inherent dislike for ‘direct instruction’ and ‘rote-learning’.

The best teacher I had during sixth form operated like clockwork. Topics would be covered through a regular timetable of notetaking, dictation, textbook questions, and a fortnightly essay: as ordered and regimented as the impeccably labelled VHS tapes on his office shelves. But never a bad word would be said against it. You would turn up knowing what would be covered, and leave with pages of notes.

Such is a rare thing today, however, according to Toby Young, a journalist and advocate of Michael Gove’s traditional outlook. In his pamphlet for think-tank Civitas, Prisoners of the Blob, he argues that the British education

The criticism is aimed at schools, but I wonder if it is applicable to universities too? There certainly seems an inverted snobbery towards knowledge that is simply taught, as opposed to individually discovered. For equivalent degrees, more prestigious universities tend to provide less contact hours, and seeing lecturers can prove rarer an occasion as one moves into second and third-year.

Young writes that the central pillar of the ‘the Blob’ philosophy is that pupils are ‘essentially good, naturally curious and creative’. But with pick-choose-and-limit type modules, the rational actor will stick inside the comfort zone and attend only the sessions which are ultimately of value. If ‘student choice’ means students learning the bare minimum to get by, is it better than being dictated to?

A report from the School of Humanities at UoN suggested that student-led seminars, in contrast to tutor-led lectures, were more beneficial to ‘transferable as opposed to intellectual skills’. But surely intellectual development is the primary motivation of a university education: the fulfilment in understanding the details of a subject will engage far beyond any kind of ‘trendy’ technique trying to teach it.

ROB SMITH

Campuses set for Labour’s red coup in 2015 Campuses are an important battleground at general elections. But who will we vote for come May 7th next year?

It would seem that the Liberal Democrats are destined for failure. YouthSight’s 2014 poll found a mere 6% of students intend to vote for Nick Clegg’s party in 2015. Remarkably, the Greens, a party with just one MP, outstrip the Lib Dems’ share of student vote intentions with a share of 14%. The tuition fee catastrophe aside, students are still wary after Clegg’s complicity with the Conservatives.

Which leads to David Cameron et al. Negative Tory connotations have only been reinforced by the harsh effects of economic downturn.

YouthSight’s poll shows that 24% of students intend to the vote for the Conservatives, a figure reflected in an Impact survey of UoN students, 22% of whom intend to vote Tory.

What about Labour? Trashed for ruining the economy and led by a man who many

consider lacking in Prime Ministerial leadership qualities, it could be argued that things are not looking good for Labour. Whilst Cameron wrestles with Thatcherism’s lingering legacy, Ed Miliband faces perhaps an even greater struggle against the raw failures of Gordon Brown.

Nevertheless, polls show that Labour are the clear frontrunners in the battle for student votes. Impact found that 42% of Nottingham students intend to vote for Labour, reflecting the YouthSight poll where the national student share stood at 43%.

A Labour victory therefore looks likely amongst the student population. If so, Miliband must be wary of hubris. The uncertain economic climate and tsunami of debt will present a considerable challenge which could make or break the future of the party.

ROB MOHER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYN JONES AND POLICY EXCHANGE VIA FLICKR | ILLUSTRATIONS BY EBONY INYANGETE | 9

FEATURES

The University of Nottingham

in World War One Few events have shaped the history of this country as much as the First World War. In the run up to 100th anniversary, there has been a heightened focus on the re-telling of the war. But the historical facts only offer part of the story; the individual stories of the people involved are what bring the war to life.

By delving into the University’s archives Impact has discovered the wartime issues of The Gong, the University of Nottingham’s first student magazine, which give a unique insight into life at UoN during the war.

“He was the finest type of fighting officer I have ever seen”.

“Could it be supposed that there was any young man in this university who had not considered his duty in this time of national crisis? Nay” 10 | Credit for all images of THE GONG goes to the Manuscripts and Special Collections department.

FEATURES

From 1881 to 1948 UoN was known as University College Nottingham, a constituent college of the University of London. The student magazine The Gong was a literary publication, focusing on students’ poems and creative writing, but during the war it also focused on the exploits of the students who had signed up to fight. Of the hundreds who fought in the war, 58 were killed, and 35 badly wounded.

“We are a very cheery lot, even in the trenches you can hear men making jokes.”

Two Nottingham students who fought in the war were twin brothers Frank and George Reynolds. They joined Nottingham University together in 1912. When the First World War broke out, they both joined up, becoming second-lieutenants in the 9th South Lancashire and the 11th Sherwood Foresters Regiments respectively.

He was soon killed in France, aged 24. In his obituary The Gong described him as “a man who commanded the love and respect of all who knew him. His quiet and unassuming manner covered great strength of character and a cheerful and friendly disposition”.

John Mead wasn’t the only student to be decorated for his actions in the war. Captain Jacob Smith, another Chemistry student, earned a Military Cross and a Distinguished Service Order. The latter he earned leading an attack at the Battle of the Somme, where he fought and killed two enemy officers. After he died from the wounds sustained in the fight, his Colonel wrote: “He was absolutely fearless on all occasions. He was the finest type of fighting officer I have ever seen”.

The effect the amount of casualties had on the University is clear in the pages of The Gong.

In the first few months of the war, before the casualty notices arrived in large numbers, the tone of the magazine was relatively optimistic.

A poem was printed in the first issue of the war named ‘To the Shirker: A Last Appeal’ which called for students to join up to defend “the honour of our island shores”.

In the next issue a student wrote a complaint, arguing that there was no need to implore Nottingham’s students to join up, because it was obvious they would do so anyway. “Could it be supposed by any rational being that there was any young man in this University who had not clearly considered his position and his duty in this time of national crisis? Nay, there is no such student in college, so this poem does not serve its object”.

This attitude soon shifted. In 1915, as many of the new recruits began landing in France, the Editor-in-Chief Nina Brameld warned that “a time of great affliction is ahead, of sorrow to be borne, not with grief unworthy of the dead, with the calm resignation that is born of pride and unselfishness”.

George fought at and survived the Battle of Gallipoli, from which he wrote a letter to one of his maths professors describing how much “he was enjoying studying mathematical problems on projectiles and probabilities, and also on hydrostatics when the trenches were flooded”. He was killed in April 1916 fighting the Turkish in Iraq. His brother Frank was killed three months later in France at the Battle of the Somme.

Due to the socially elite nature of universities at the time, nearly all the students fought as officers, rather than in the ranks. The Officer Training Corp (O.T.C) had a large presence at universities before the war, and provided a training ground for students wishing to join the military. During the war it took on the additional role of training the new recruits for service, and a majority of students who fought were trained by the O.T.C.

tion is ahead”.

“A time of great afflic

Some students rose high in the military hierarchy. John Meads, a Nottingham local and a Chemistry student at the University joined up as a second-lieutenant to the Sherwood Foresters, and managed to rise to the position of Major.

His war service was an exceptional one; The Gong recorded that he earned a Military Cross “for gallantry in leading a bombing attack” against enemy trenches in 1915. In doing so he was badly wounded, so he was allowed to leave the army and return home. When he was back in Britain he married a fellow Nottingham student, but in the summer of 1917 he joined up once again.

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FEATURES

It wasn’t just students from the University who were involved, lecturers were as well. Five were killed in total. The lecturer that draws the most attention is Lieutenant William Inchley, an Engineering lecturer; an influential academic, who’s textbooks you can still buy today. He fought at the Second Battle of Ypres with the Duke of Wellington regiment, and whilst he was there he wrote several letters to The Gong describing his experiences.

“Confused embracing, dancing and mad merriment had their place in the uncontrolled actions of many a one that day”.

He didn’t avoid the less pleasant aspects of trench life: “The weather has been putrid here: rain, rain and still more rain. The trenches are knee deep in mud and in places waist deep.

The physical discomfort is far worse than the fear of anything else”.

He remained cheerful though: “What struck me the most was the nonchalant way in which we all went about. The Germans might have been hundreds of miles away for all anyone seemed to care. We are a very cheery lot, even in the trenches you can hear men making jokes. It must surely be British characteristics to do this under the circumstances. We are all pals out here!”

Unfortunately, mud wasn’t the only adversary he had to face. In 1915 he was killed by one of the first usages of poison gas in warfare. The friend who wrote his obituary concluded: “His death is not only a severe loss to his widow and three young children, but also to his college and country”.

“The responsibilities of the women at the college are indeed great. They must show themselves worthy of the men, for in their hands lies much of the happiness of the nation”.

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Despite the constant stories of misery and bloodshed, the war had some major, positive impacts on both the country and the University.

The most obvious of these is the role of women.

As the war progressed they began to find a more prominent place in the public sphere – The Gong itself was edited almost completely by female students by the end of the war.

There was only one female speaker, Nottingham’s Mary Clegg, who was also an editor for The Gong. She concluded her speech by suggesting that women should take over command of the Army Service Corps: “Woman’s thrifty soul would rebel at the waste going on there now!” She won the debate 160 votes to 80.

There is further evidence of this cultural shift in a written account of an inter-varsity debate hosted Birmingham University, where women’s position after the war was debated. The motion was: ‘The war will strengthen the political position of women’, and was contested by four speakers from Liverpool, Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds.

The editorial of the June 1915 issue also called Nottingham’s women to step up to the challenge of the new world: “The responsibilities of the women at the college are indeed great. They must show themselves worthy of the men, for in their hands lies much of the happiness of the nation. May they prove fit guardians of that for which their brothers are sacrificing so much”.

FEATURES

In November 1918, a notice announcing that the war was over was chalked onto a blackboard in the main hall. The Gong records the reaction in detail: “Peace at first overturned and bewildered us. One lecturer wandered around as if in the maze of some delightful dream from which he desired no hasty awakening. Confused rushing, embracing, dancing and mad merriment had their place in the uncontrolled actions of many a one that day”.

The students of the University were already looking to the future. In early 1918 a League of Nations society was set up at the University, calling for the creation of an international organisation devoted to upholding world peace. In the final issue of 1918 there was a lengthy discussion of the future and the student’s role within it.

ildered us”.

“Peace

ew turned and b r e v o t s ir f t a

The Gong’s Editor-in-Chief Mary Gregory called for “a vision of a world at peace, a peace based on equality and love, the peace of universal progress. This vision, though overwhelming, is needed to give us motive and perspective. In this spring of the new age, let new life thrill our being, and blossom in so many expressions so long checked and choked by the deadly grim terror and shadow of war”.

There are still elements of university life which resemble University College Nottingham back in 1914. The Officer Training Corp, which was so central in training the new recruits, still exists today as the U.O.T.C. It is now based in Beeston, but involves students from all over the East Midlands, focusing on adventurous training exercises and preparing students for future careers in the military.

Edmund Tully*, a third year Sociology student at Nottingham, is a current member of the U.O.T.C. He feels that he has a definite connection with the students of the Great War. “Their actions, achievements and sacrifices are more intelligible to us because they were at the same stage in their lives, and we can better appreciate the challenges they faced and the magnitude of their actions”.

Credit for all images of The Gong goes to the Manuscripts and Special Collections department. *Names have been changed.

Will Hazell | Additional Reporting: Emily Shackleton | 13

FEATURES

Would you sleep with

your lecturer?

Did you know that you can legally have sex with your lecturer or seminar tutor? Last year, Impact busted the common myth that having a relationship with a tutor was against University rules. But would you really consider it?

Impact asked you.

ESSAY

pr of

Only 2% of you say that lecture-based romantic fantasies have negatively affected their studies.

53%

53% of students surveyed have fancied a lecturer.

A third would sleep with a lecturer or seminar tutor to get higher marks.

55% have stalked a lecturer or tutor’s social media profiles.

37% would pursue a relationship with a lecturer or tutor.

14% of you would pursue a lecturer already in a relationship.

30% have a crush on a lecturer or tutor much older than them.

14 | infographic by harry dinsdale

FEATURES

Do you even lift?

Impact speaks to the strongest female student in Britain, Ms University.

The 2014 Mr and Ms University competition saw 40 finalists from over 20 UK universities battle for the title of best student bodybuilders.

Impact spoke to this year’s winner, Holly Welch, a 3rd year Physical Education student at Sheffield Hallam University, to find out more about her experience of winning the title and how she juggles her university work with her training.

Tell us about the recent Mr and Ms University competition. You’d only been training for a year before entering and then came first place, were you surprised?

I was absolutely over the moon! I wasn’t expecting it at all as I was a late entry to the competition, so I was amazed when I won.

I’ve done other competitions before but these have been ‘Tonefigure’ ones. These are a completely different class to ‘Bikini’, which is what Ms University was.

I was a bit worried going in as I don’t really have a bikini physique, but I had a little bit of body fat at the time so I could get away with it. A lot of it was posing, which is completely different to ‘Tonefigure’, so I only had a week to learn all the poses and get everything right! It was such an amazing experience.

How would you describe the competition itself? Was it scary or enjoyable?

I really enjoyed it. The thing with me is that if I get too stressed and do it just for the competition then I don’t get anywhere. So I just tell myself to go all in. If you’ve worked hard for something all year round then it’s best to just enjoy it. You’re not on stage for long – it’s only a couple of minutes – so I just like to enjoy it whilst I’m there.

What got you interested in bodybuilding?

What’s the toughest thing to deal with?

I started around a year ago. My brother went to the gym and one day he said I should join him.

I initially just wanted to tone up for a holiday!

After I started going to the gym I went on a low carb diet and I began to feel full up straight away.

It’s got to be sticking to the diet; you have to be so strict with yourself. Going to the gym isn’t a problem because I enjoy it, but I hate it when I’m in the library and everyone around me is eating nice snacks and I know I can’t have one too.

Preparing my meals is a key thing for keeping control – if I don’t prep my meals it tempts me to snack on things I shouldn’t.

Would you say a low carb diet is your secret to getting fit?

Definitely. Obviously you don’t want to go too extreme with low carbs though. Sometimes people cut them out completely and that has a detrimental effect.

How do you keep your energy levels up without carbs?

I split my meals up into six a day. Only three of them have carbs in, so I have a few carbs throughout the day rather than having a breakfast with lots of carbohydrates and having none for the rest of the day. I split my carbs up – it keeps my sugar and energy levels high throughout the day.

It’s your final year studying Physical Education. Is your course a physical one?

It used to be. First and second year used to be quite activity based but my third year has become quite academic.

What attracted you to study this course?

I wanted to become a PE teacher, but since doing my training I’ve had a different outlook on things. It’s made me realise I can do something different than just teaching.

Are you as disciplined with your university deadlines?

Yeah I am, it’s not difficult at all really. If I have an upcoming deadline I manage around it.

My training has helped me with focusing and getting stuff done; I wouldn’t call training a distraction. It helps me manage my time better as I know I have a lot of things to get through in a single day. Deadlines aren’t really a problem.

Where are you hoping to go now with bodybuilding?

In five weeks time I have more competitions lined up and once they all finish I’ll probably get a part time job for the summer alongside my competitions. In September I’ll decide fully what I want to do. I don’t know whether I still want to teach so I’m just going to use the summer to find the best path.

What’s your advice for students and keen bodybuilders?

Just enjoy it. Don’t be put off, if you want to take it seriously then do but mostly just enjoy it. If this is what you want to do then don’t let anything get in the way of your success, but that’s the same with anything I guess.

How many hours a week do you train?

I aim to train for at least two hours a day, so around 14 hours a week.

Radhika ChOnd | 15

FEATURES

LIFE BEHIND BARS Meet the students at UoN who volunteer to help prisoners to find new lives.

W

hen student volunteers enter the prisons, they are offered a glimpse into the reality of life behind bars. They are given no information about the inmates they will be helping, and are armed only with knowledge of the Prisoner’s Rehabilitation Act. “Every few paces there’d be another door they’d have to unlock for us. It was a weird feeling. It was so huge. The thought of being there for a really long time is horrible”, says student volunteer Alexandra Donaldson.

Each door is locked several times behind them, and while the students make their way through the prison they are exposed to the complex makeup of the prison population: “There were people who should have been in a psychiatric ward, but that hadn’t quite met the criteria and ended up in prison”, says Freya Claydon, another volunteer. “There was one guy who would throw his faeces at people and he just shouldn’t have been there, but he hadn’t quite ticked all the boxes”.

The students are all part of the project Bars In Their Eyes, which is run by UoN’s Pro-Bono society. Not all volunteers study law, but before entering the prison they are all briefed on the laws governing prisoner rehabilitation.

The inmates who greet the students are there voluntarily, and often are close to their release date. The students are told not to ask about inmates’ convictions, but it can be tempting: “It’s a good thing that you don’t know, but you are curious. When you’re speaking to someone who says they’ve been in there for 10-15 years, you desperately want to find out why!” says Alexandra.

But some inmates have opened up to the students. Alexandra adds: “One guy said he

was in for knife crime. He said to one of the other volunteers: ‘I wanted to be a chef, but they won’t let me in the kitchen now!’”

When the students arrive, they give a presentation to the prisoners about their rights and what they are obliged to disclose about their criminal convictions. They explain the Prisoner’s Rehabilitation Act of 1974 and what that would mean for future job applications after their release.

“Some of them didn’t know that they didn’t have to disclose their convictions – they thought it’d be on their CVs for life, which is not the case,” Freya explains. “For a lot of them, the scheme gives them more hope”.

Alexandra confirms that the prisoners seemed to find it beneficial: “It did seem to help in terms of writing a CV. We gave them a template for it, and a guide of how to write it. I think they’ll be more confident”.

Gary Higgins, a former prisoner who served eight years under an Indeterminate Prison Sentence (IPP), tells Impact of his struggles in finding employment after prison. “You’re given no information whatsoever. You are kept very much in the dark and you’re not prepared enough”.

“We could walk around and talk to them in their cells. You’d have to remind yourself that you’re in the rapist ward”.

Alexandra says that despite the fact they are serving time in prison, “They can actually help

16 | Emily Tripp | Additional reporting by Will Hazell, Emily Shackleton and Charlotte McIntyre

FEATURES

society. They’re intelligent and creative. There definitely needs to be some sort of system where when they come out people help them to get jobs, so they’re not wasted”.

room and he had this big presence and he shook our hands, he ended up being such a sweetheart.

Freya adds that there is a significant degree of confusion within the prison system, but that channelling resources to support services is difficult: “Whatever you do is going to demand a lot of state resources, and there aren’t that many volunteer groups that provide such services. And with the cuts at the moment, I don’t see the state or society being willing to cough up and say ‘let’s make it easy for murders or people who have been in prison for 15 years’”.

“They’re normal people and have families. People make mistakes”.

The students only spend a few hours with the prisoners, but in that time they say that their impression of convicts changed dramatically: “It’s completely changed my perspective,” says volunteer Samantha Morris, “Now I know they’re normal people and have families.

People make mistakes.

“‘You can’t tell the governors, but I make cake in my kettle!’”.

“It’s so easy to go in and just define a prisoner by the fact they’re a bad citizen, and put them in a different category to yourself. But then you have a normal conversation with them and realise they’re just people”.

Freya recalls one of the more memorable encounters with an inmate: “One guy told me, ‘you can’t tell the governors, but I make cake in my kettle!’

“When you think of prison, you think it’s all like Breaking Bad with people making meth, but there he is making cakes!”

Student volunteer Afzaal Abibi says that they developed a good relationship with most of the inmates over the course of the session: “One of the guys we presented to, he came in to the

There was a butterfly fluttering around the room and he said ‘oh the butterfly doesn’t want to be in here’ and he got it out of the window”.

Alexandra says that it was easy to forget where the presentation was taking place: “When you were talking to them you wouldn’t realise they’d done terrible things”.

Not all groups that run prison trips allow students to actively engage with inmates.

“Some trips can be slightly on the verge of being zoo-like,” Freya recalls. “With Bars in Their Eyes I didn’t realise we’d get so much free reign. We could walk around and talk to them in their cells. You’d have to remind yourself that you’re in the rapist ward”.

Freya in particular found that her perception of Law as a subject was altered after seeing the direct implications of its practice. “It does have a particularly striking effect as our career ultimately decides whether people go to these places… when you’re stuck in Hallward at 3am you forget the personal effect that your subject has on people”.

Although not all students who volunteer with the scheme will go into the legal profession, each have provided a vital service to the inmates and tell us that they have learnt a lot from their experience.

“At the end of the day you can’t tell prisoners apart from people on the street”, Freya says.

“For a lot of them, they just went too far one day and struck out, and just have to live with those consequences”.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN HORWITZ VIA FLICKR | 17

FEATURES

Graduate quiz.

What are you doing next year?

START

Trying to figure out what to do with your life can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re facing graduation.

Don’t worry though, there’s no need to go bothering the Careers and Employability Services or doing any actual research, just take Impact’s handy graduation quiz!

Is being rich important to you?

18

Would you be able to live without homecomforts?

Do you prefer wearing three piece suits to tracksuits?

Would you like to learn a new language?

Do you struggle to wake up before lunchtime?

Are you interested in other cultures?

Do you like having responsibility?

Do you like working in groups?

On a night out, are you always the one who looks after drunk housemates?

Do you like living in big cities?

FEATURES

You should…

Go Back home!

Who are you kidding? You’re not ready for the real world yet. You are part of 5% of students who will be spending some time at home to recuperate and come to terms with leaving university life forever before moving onto the next step.

You should…

Go Travelling!

Like 32% of UoN students surveyed, you’re a free spirit who can no longer be contained within these rainy isles. Not sure what you want to do with your life, but pretty sure you won’t find any clues moping around the UK, it seems like travelling is the one for you. Use this last opportunity to see the world before you’re tied down with a mortgage and three kids.

Are you a very creative person?

Do you often work late into the night?

You should…

Do a Masters!

Do you love university?

Leave university? Nah. The comforting allure of academia is far too tempting to leave behind. Make yourself feel better by telling yourself that it will make you more employable. You won’t be alone, as 25% of graduates are choosing to stay in education after the summer.

You should…

Set up a business!

Alright, you’re headed for the top but you might not want to be trapped working for Deloitte for 20 years. You’re an independent, enterprising grad who can’t wait to be your own boss. Don’t worry about competition, a measly 3% of students we asked are planning to set up their own businesses after graduating.

You should…

Do A Graduate Scheme!

You’re a driven individual who’s destined for a life in the upper echelons of whichever industry you’re venturing into. You’ll have to work pretty hard to get one of these coveted places, but you can rest easy in the knowledge that there’ll probably be a cushty job at the end of the tunnel.

19

travel

You may already know about the legendary grime encasing the Parisian metro, or worse, you may have already experienced its unpleasant smell when visiting the French capital.

to the suburb, making the metro one of the densest networks of the world. Over five million travellers each day take the metro, and it has a pollution rate up to four times higher than European safety limits recommend.

For sure, the metro is not the highlight of Paris. But you cannot really go to Paris without having a look at its restless underground life.

Taking the metro is like diving into the rich cultural history of Paris, experiencing the real hustle and bustle of local life and catching unexpected sights of the city.

But its not wholly unpleasant; some of the metro lines and stations can offer great views.

Line six, for example, will bring you out next to the Eiffel Tower and the Seine quays; as you pull into the station over a bridge, you can see the monument in its full glory a lot better than the traditional view from the ground below.

“TAKING THE METRO IS LIKE DIVING INTO THE RICH CULTURAL HISTORY OF PARIS”.

The metro is also a great place of Parisian expression. Gigs, artwork and cultural events can often be found in the metro. In fact, musicians are a fairly old tradition in the Parisian underground — many great artists have broken through by singing there.

Beginning with the building of Fulgence Bienvenüe in 1900, its 137 miles of rail lines and 302 stations span from the heart of Paris

TRAVEL AS THE EXPERIENCE OF

Why do we travel? It is not uncommon for travel agency adverts, volunteering or study abroad programmes to display their destinations as a means by which we are exposed to the world’s diversity.

“We do not need to leave our own country, to realise how much diversity there is already here”.

But this implies that diversity has to be found abroad. We do not need to leave the boundaries of our own country, to realise how much diversity there is already here. In the UK,

A great number of singers like Edith Piaf, and her song, Le Metro De Paris or Georges Brassens’ Les Passantes have also been inspired by the underground network. .

“THE PARISIAN METRO HAS BEEN SEEN AS A CULT PLACE FULL OF POETRY AND INSPIRATION FOR FRENCH ARTISTS”.

The Parisian metro has also often been seen as a cult place full of poetry and inspiration for French directors, photographers, writers and designers.

From the fast-paced white-collar worker, to the tipsy bunch of youngsters or the gaggle of lost tourists, the Paris metro is a melting-pot of the Parisian people. It is certainly a whole new aspect of the romantic capital worth exploring.

SAMENESS

our language, for example, is a mix and match of Germanic languages, Latin, and French.

We seem not to notice these everyday expressions of diversity. There is no such thing as cultural ‘purity’; we can always trace influences, exchanges, and reciprocities amongst human groups, no matter where and when.

That does not mean, however, that differences do not still exist. But why do we overemphasise our differences instead of focusing on what makes us alike? No matter how different we might be, we all share a single humanity by which we are able to identify ourselves with other people.

20 | Sophie douce and Gianlluca Simi | bottom photograph by joe thomissen via flickr

Let us therefore face travelling as the road onto the familiar. By inverting the notion of travelling as exploring difference, we will be able to explore the world centred on our shared humanity.

“We seem not to notice these everyday expressions of diversity”.

Travelling would therefore become the experience of sameness. This allows us to escape an incorrect notion of cultural purity, and lets us understand the complex diversities inherent to cultures all over the world.

travel

Spotlight on: Morocco

PHOToGRaphy by Charlotte Albert, Grace mcLaughlin and Leah bingham | 21

SCIENCE

Research Highlight:

Using Technology to Mend the Human Race The integration of technology and the human body is often confined to sci-fi, but are Cybermen really fiction? The human nervous system is essentially run on electricity caused by the movement of ions across our nervous cells, so it may not come as a surprise that scientists are using electricity to manipulate the human body.

Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is the implantation of electrodes deep into a patient’s brain, which electrically stimulate specific areas. A wire is then passed through their neck to a pacemaker located under their skin just underneath their collarbone. The targets of the electrodes depend on the specific disease being treated, which most commonly include Parkinson’s disease, depression, and chronic pain.

DBS is used as a last resort for patients who are resistant to the common drug treatments available for these conditions. Parkinson’s disease for example, is characterised by uncontrollable shaking and difficulties in speaking. Patients struggle to complete simple tasks, making them dependent on others to function in everyday life. The advanced stages of the disease leave patients stranded, frozen where they were stood and completely unable to move.

A remote control can be used to switch the electricity in the system on and off, allowing patients to have full control over their treatment.

The effects of DBS on the symptoms of this disease are staggering.

Within milliseconds of switching off a DBS system, a person with Parkinson’s would lose all control over their movement. When the system is switched back on it is instantaneously so effective that you would have never known that the person had any sort of illness at all.

Chronic suicidal thoughts are a symptom of depression, and one that can rule the lives of suffering patients. In recounts of patient

22 | Amika McCulloch

experiences it is often said that when their DBS system is initially switched on, there is a sense of these negative feelings being ‘lifted away.’

One 37-year-old female patient that underwent DBS treatment for depression, as part of research carried out by DBS pioneer Helen Mayberg, stated that she “then noticed how many people were in the operating room”, and felt she “could see clearly, where before everything had sort of been a fog all the time”, once the electricity was turned on.

Opiates such as morphine and codeine have often been considered the ‘gold standard’ of analgesics (painkillers), but they are associated with many problems if taken to treat chronic long term pain. Patients become tolerant to the drugs fairly quickly, and so require increased doses throughout their lives, often resulting in the drug having little or no effect.

Opiates are also notoriously addictive, and taking this class of drugs long term can cause dependence and several adverse effects. DBS has been used to alleviate treatment-resistant pain, and has therefore been a source of hope to many with this incapacitating symptom that hugely influences their quality of life.

The future of DBS is a bright one, with innovative new research into the treatment of many disorders including Tourette’s syndrome and epilepsy. Future DBS treatments of epilepsy may include the development of systems that automatically switch on and off for the duration of an epileptic fit, which has the potential to revolutionise the lives of those suffering from severe cases of the condition.

There is potential for this groundbreaking system, and current research is opening new doors for the alleviation of the symptoms associated with treatment-resistant disease.

SCIENCE

Education, Education, Education From leading visionaries and weird experiments to answers to life’s greatest mysteries, IMPACT SCIENCE looks into YouTube’s best educational channels.

AsapScience AsapScience attempts to answer every science mystery that we face in our daily lives, from curing hangovers, to the science behind a Zombie Apocalypse, to whether we can genetically improve intelligence.

Most popular video: “What came first the chicken or the egg?”

Subscribers: 2.4 million.

Mental Floss A channel based on the American magazine dedicated to facts and trivia. Their videos aim to target the “left” brain with topics on science and logic and the “right” brain focusing on art and literature. Mental Floss manages to keep things humorous whilst also teaching you something new.

Most popular video: “50 common misconceptions”.

Subscribers: 881,000.

Sixty Symbols, Numberphile and Periodic Videos Video journalist Brady Haran has created a number of YouTube channels in partnership with The University of Nottingham which have amassed a huge following with videos on physics, maths, chemistry, computers and experiments.

Most popular video: “Putting your hand in a large Hadron Collider”.

Subscribers: 2.3 million collectively.

Periodic

Smarter Every Day Its tag line is to explore the world through science, from slow motion cat flipping to even weirder experiments, all in the name of teaching you something a bit different.

Most popular video: “How Houdini died in slow motion”.

Subscribers: 1.5 million.

Khan Academy Created by Salman Khan, this YouTube channel links to the Khan Academy educational resource website and contains over 5000 short lectures and video tutorials. These cover everything from maths, history, medicine, economics, science and art history. It is a definite must for revision resources.

Most popular video: “Salman Khan TED talk”.

Subscribers: 1.7 million.

CrashCourse A channel by John and Hank Green, the brothers behind the Vlogbrothers channel, CrashCourse teaches Chemistry, World History, Biology, Literature, and Ecology in easy to learn videos.

Most popular video: “The Agricultural Revolution: Crash course in World History”.

Subscribers: 1.6 million.

TED Talks TED Conferences are held all around the world and are given by leading researchers and icons such as Bill Gates, journalist Jon Ronson, Edward Snowdon, Presidents and Nobel Prize winners. Each talk covers various scientific, cultural and global issues. Learn about everything from foetal masturbation to suicidal crickets.

Most popular video: “Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do”.

Subscribers: 2.3 million.

Vsauce Big Think With videos by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins and Michio Kaku, this channel explores ways to make people think about issues affecting the world.

Most popular video: “Bill Nye: Creationism is not appropriate for children”.

Subscribers: 839,000.

Created by Michael Stevens, the main Vsauce channel answers philosophical and scientific questions about the universe, like “What if the moon was a disco ball?”, “What’s the most dangerous place on Earth?” and “What colour is a mirror?”.

Most popular video: “What if everyone jumped at once?”

Subscribers: 7 million.

23

SCIENCE

Mission to Mars Meet Ryan Macdonald, the student from Nottingham who might be going to Mars.

IMPACT SCIENCE ask him about the prospect of a one way journey, and highlight some of the challenges he might face in reaching Mars.

Ryan Macdonald, an Oxford University student from Nottingham, has been shortlisted for take-off to Mars in 2024. He is one of the 1058 volunteers who have been chosen out of the 200,000 applicants for the mission, conducted by the foundation ‘Mars One’.

The foundation, run by scientists from around the world, relies on sponsorship from private companies to get together the estimated six billion US dollars needed for the mission. Their aim is to create a human settlement on Mars in order to explore the potential for new technologies and, according to their mission statement, to ‘bring humanity closer together’.

The crew will be trained over the next ten years in order to prepare for the 2025 landing.

Ryan told Impact that he recognised the risks involved with the mission: “My main fear is the risk of take-off and landing, and also missing my family”.

“By staying on Mars, I can make new scientific discoveries and contribute to humanity’s future”.

The mission aims to create a permanent human community on Mars, meaning that if Ryan gets to Mars, he is unlikely to return.

“If I decided to come back, then there would be a significant chance of not surviving the journey. We have never launched anything from Mars before, so the chance of success would be low.

“Plus another seven month journey across space would push my radiation allowance much higher than if I stayed on Mars, significantly increasing my risk of cancer”.

But even if he could return to Earth without the risks, Ryan is not sure that he would want to: “Assuming I made it back in one piece, I would then have to spend the rest of my life avoiding the attention that would accompany being one of the first people on Mars- Neil Armstrong famously struggled to lead a normal life after coming back.

“If I decided to come back, then there would be a significant chance of not surviving the journey”.

“By staying on Mars, I can continue to lead life my own way, make new scientific discoveries and generally contribute to humanity’s future”.

The selection process for the final crew to get to Mars will involve the shortlisted candidates appearing together on a reality TV show, where the audience will select one crew member per region. The TV show is likely to follow the candidates through difficult living conditions, which forms a part of the crew’s training.

Ryan said he is already starting to train by himself: “At the moment I’m preparing for the taxing physical trials by going on frequent runs to increase my physical endurance. The real challenge though is mental endurance, which is extremely difficult to prepare for.

“I won’t know if I’ll be able to cope until I have spent prolonged periods of time in isolation chambers and simulated environments”.

Ryan’s journey to Mars would take around seven months in zero gravity and another seven travelling back, if the mission returns to Earth, along with any time spent on the planet.

24 | Joanne Blunt | Image By Banco de Imágenes Geológicas via Flickr

The longest anyone has spent in space is nine months.

The lack of gravity during the trip can be very harmful to the human body, and is only one of the many health risks facing astronauts travelling to Mars.

Away from the protection of the Earth’s magnetic field, travellers will be bombarded by cosmic rays from the sun which can cause blindness and cancer through prolonged exposure.

But Ryan says he is prepared for the journey and the medical risks, and has already planned what to take with him.

“I’d bring an e-reader and a few other electrical devices to pass the time on the long journey there, along with a few luxury foods - perhaps canned chocolate cake! - reserved for one-off special occasions”.

“The real challenge is mental endurance, which is extremely difficult to prepare for”.

But he says the most important things will be his ‘sentimental items’: “Things to remind me of my childhood, my family and the life I left behind - our experiences shape who we are.

These would help me cope through difficult times”.

Despite the risks, Ryan is looking forward to the chance to explore the planet: “I haven’t signed up to die on Mars, I’ve signed up to live on Mars”.

FOOD

FROM REVISION TO RAVING: Impact Food are here to help you get through exams and enjoy the sunshine. We’ve put together the best things to keep you going, from the tastiest revision snacks to how to survive festival cooking.

Revision Snacks:

Picnics:

The sun doesn’t shine in the silent section, but Impact Food will help brighten up your Hallward blues. From Haribo to Penguin jokes, we’re here for you every step of the way.

When the sun shines, nobody can resist a day in Wollaton Park with a picnic blanket and a glass of Pimms. We have put together some of the tastiest treats you can bring along with you to make your post-exam bliss even more enjoyable.

*Disclaimer* When times are really tough (aka deadlines tomorrow and you haven’t started) doubling quantities of snacks is recommended.

And it is okay to use Maoams as rewards for every page/paragraph/line/word you manage.

10am: Cookie plus a thermos of coffee.

11am: A banana. Because apparently its brain

“HAVE A BBQ ON THE FIRST NIGHT AS A REWARD FOR SUCCESSFULLY WRESTLING YOUR TENT INTO SOME KIND OF EXCUSE OF A STRUCTURE”.

food. Or something.

11.30am: The banana didn’t help. Time for Lunch Number One: you made a sandwich before heading to the library when you were feeling productive at the start of the day.

Unfortunately it is now looking up at you sadly from the inside lining of your bag.

2.30pm: Lunch Number Two: Scraping the cheese and pickle off your lecture notes has not sustained you. You go to Portland for an emergency Boots meal deal.

4pm: This is your last bid attempt at surviving

the whole day in Hallward. You get the biggest chocolate bar from a vending machine and down your thermos of coffee.

8pm: You return to Hallward post-dinner and ease yourself back into library life with some Haribo. You buy a sharing packet to pretend you have friends.

Bread and sandwiches Crucial to any picnic are wraps, baguettes and pitta bread.

Perfect fillings include cheese, ham and tomato.

You can also get fancy with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and throw in a bit of parma ham or salami if your student loan is still around at the end of term.

Dips

“MANY A MAN HAS THOUGHT THEMSELVES THE KING OF THE BARBECUE, BUT ANYONE CAN BURN A BURGER OR SIZZLE A SAUSAGE”.

10pm: You realise you’ve done nothing all

day. You whip out the pink bolt/blue bolt/ red bull-esque drink in tiredness prevention desperation.

10.30pm: It’s Maoam time. Chewing becomes your new procrastination.

11.30pm: Penguins. For the jokes.

2am: Pass out from a sugar coma until 10am when its time for your morning cookie.

26 | Sarah Louise Stewart, Emily Tripp AND Antonia Paget

Dips are also essential. Eat with tortilla chips or do a little pre-picnic preparation chopping up cucumber, carrots and celery to have with taramasalata, guacamole and hummus. If you want to ditch the chopping then you can buy cut veg and dips from the supermarket, but that isn’t half as fun.

Fresh snacks There is no picnic that will not be improved without a bowl of cocktail sausages. Slather them in honey and mustard before you go for a tastier touch, and invest in some cocktail sticks to avoid messy fingers. Other easy finger food snacks include scotch eggs, pork pies and mini quiches.

Drinks For the obvious picnic choices, fill a bucket with ice or invest in a cool box to keep your cider, beer and soft drinks cold. But no picnic is complete without Pimms. For those of you who are Pimms virgins, get out your chopping board and start slicing. Cucumber, strawberries, mint, oranges and apples all need to go in.

FOOD avoiding queues for a refill. Take supernoodles instead - they pack flat (and are so much cheaper).

Barbecue: Many a man has thought themselves the king of the barbecue, but anyone can burn a burger or sizzle a sausage.

Impact Food are here to save your cinders and add some spark to your BBQ. To avoid the obvious meat, fish and veg options: sausages, burgers, chicken wings, corn on the cob, ‘shrimps on the barbie’ (for all those who have been living under a proverbial barbecue rock) there are plenty of ways to get creative with your summer puddings.

“ENSURE YOU DON’T DROWN IN THE MUD AT GLASTONBURY WITHOUT HAVING A DECENT LAST SUPPER”.

Here are three of Impact Food’s favourites: Banana-cue: - Peel a banana - Cut some slits in it - Stuff it with chocolate - Wrap it in tinfoil and stick it on the grill

Festival Food:

Pasta and Noodles If you’re taking a stove, pasta and noodles are good options and easy to cook. But there are a few things to avoid: - Avoid pot noodles, as these require diminishing your precious water supply, and this is essential for fixing the hangovers and

A BBQ might seem like a great idea before you leave, but meat doesn’t last long in a tent. If you insist on sausages, buy a disposable BBQ and have it on the first night as a reward for successfully wrestling your tent into some kind of excuse of a structure.

Snacks

“THE SUPER HIGH SALT CONTENT CAN SQUEEZE EVERY DROP OF MOISTURE FROM YOUR BODY BEFORE YOU CAN SAY ‘EAT, SLEEP, RAVE, REPEAT’”.

Festival food quickies are not your average snacks, so DO NOT under any circumstances take inspiration from your extensive Hallward snacking experiences.

Chocolate is a big no, because it melts all over your sleeping bag and on the inside of your pockets, and then you look like you’ve shat yourself.

Cereal bars, bits of fruit, crisps, crackers and nuts all get a big thumbs up.

Summer is finally here and its time to partaaaay at one of the many festivals in the sun. Impact Food bring you our festival food suggestions to ensure you don’t drown in the mud at Glastonbury without having a decent last supper.

Priority number one: weight loss. We’re not talking about your waistline, we’re talking about your backpack. Make sure you take light, easy to carry foods, so you can make more room in your bag for wetwipes.

Because you sure as hell will be needing those.

Meat

Failing this, take the meat with you frozen and it might last a little longer (Disclaimer: Impact Food accepts no responsibility for death-byuncooked-sausage). Also be careful it doesn’t defrost in your bag over all your clothes. No one likes soggy underpants.

Grilled pineapples: - Cut some pineapple into long sections - Cover with honey, black pepper and lime juice and grill Mmmnnn peachy: - Pit the peaches - Cover in butter, cinammon and sugar - Brush with oil and ya what...? Grill

- If you want to take pasta sauces, make sure to take packets, rather than glass bottles.

Avoid glass at all costs. If you stumble back to your tent loudly at 6am and wake up the whole campsite, your neighbours in the tent next door can use these as effective weapons. They might cut you….

Drinks Squash is underrated for 90% of the year.

But summer time is when it comes into its own. Squash makes dirty festival water taste like rainbows, and when mixed with cider or vodka, is perfect for helping you forget that you missed the drop and peed on your own shoes last night.

“SQUASH MAKES DIRTY FESTIVAL WATER TASTE LIKE RAINBOWS, AND WHEN MIXED WITH CIDER OR VODKA, IS PERFECT FOR HELPING YOU FORGET THAT YOU MISSED THE DROP AND PEED ON YOUR OWN SHOES LAST NIGHT”.

Red bull and other energy drinks get another thumbs up, but beware of the post energy drink crash. You don’t want to burn out in the middle of your favourite act and have to crawl back into your tent of shame.

Or scratch the DIY. Instead spend all of your hard saved pennies on all the overpriced food stalls around the festival that tempt and tease you all day long. But be warned - these almost always look better than they taste, and the super high salt content can squeeze every drop of moisture from your body before you can say ‘Eat, sleep, rave, repeat!’.

27

STYLE

28 | Styled and directed by Harriet Brown and Jessica Roseblade

STYLE

Spring Forward There’s a spring in our step at the moment, as the uni year draws to a close we’re looking forward to the end of exams, graduation and a long anticipated freedom. Now, if ever, is the time to grasp life by the horns and make the most of it. This season is exciting, and it’s just around the corner.

Coat Primark £15.00 Dress Gilly Hicks £50.00 Shoes New Look £17.99 Jewellery Model’s Own

Photography by Ben Tynegate, assisted by Toby Chidavaenzi | Modelled by Paige Townsend | 29

STYLE Becky Byrne (Left) Denim shirt Topshop £32 Skirt Asos £30 Shoes Boohoo £25 Clara O’shea (Middle) Top Topshop £12 Jeans Monki £45 Shoes Office £55 Necklace Topshop £8 Sarah Lainchbury (Right) Jacket Topshop £40 Shirt Zara £25 Skort Missguided 17.99 Boots Aldo £70

30 | Styled and Directed by Shope Delano and Tara Bell, assisted by harriet brown, jessica roseblade and amrit santos

STYLE

Necklace New Look £3

Necklace Missguided £8

Photography by Andreas Billman, Assisted by Nico Enders, Callum McLarty and Ben Tynegate | Make-Up by Becky Fearn | 31

EXPOSURE

Impact’s Photo of the year COmpetition Yannis PHILIPPAKIS of Foals / Birmingham O2 Academy / February 2014

32

EXPOSURE

To see more Exposure photography visit: www.impactnottingham.com/exposure Interested in joining our photography team?

Get in touch: images@impactnottingham.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAUN GORDON | 33

WHAT’S ON

MAY 05

06

West Side Story Theatre Royal

12 Albert Hammond Jr. Bodega

19 Derren Brown Theatre Royal

13

07

With One Last Breath - Rock City Paul Hollywood Get Your Bake On Royal Concert Hall

14

Architects of Air Lakeside Arts Centre

02

03

04

Sons & Lovers Bodega

Comedy with Brendon Riley Jongleurs

Comedy with Bobby Mair Jongleurs Best Live Comedy Glee Club

Everywhere Festival Various Venues

08

09

10

11

Dog Is Dead Bodega

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees Rescue Rooms

The Swellers Rock City

Feed The Rhino Rock City

15

Barance Whitfield & The Savages Rescue Rooms

Tori Amos Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

I Am The Avalanche Rock City

20

21

22

McBusted Capital FM Arena

Frank Skinner Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Courtney Love Rock City

26

01

27 Chuck Regan Rock City

34 | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOLARIS VIA FLICKR

28 Little Mix Capital FM Arena Graham Parker & The Rumour Rock City

Craig Hill, Mike Ferry. Simon Clayton, Phil Ellis Glee Club

29 Craig Campbell Glee Club

16

The John Spencer Blues Explosion Rescue Rooms

23 Pentatonix Nottingham Contemporary

30

Geoff Boyz Jongleurs Comedy Club

Katy Perry Capital FM Arena Augustines Rescue Rooms

17

Idiom Rock City WWE Live Capital FM Arena Sarah Millican Royal Concert Hall

18 Fifty Shades of Beige Nottingham Playhouse

24

25

Guns 2 Roses Rock City

Dot to Dot Festival Various Venues

Nine Inch Nails, Cold Cave Capital FM Arena

31 Aegon Trophy & Tennis Festival Nottingham Tennis Centre

PAUSE

36 | GAMING

40 | FILM

Pirates, virtual reality and finding your perfect game

Matthew Mcconaughey, ‘most wanted’ and on holiday with film

44 | MUSIC

50 | ARTS

Meet Amber Run and April Towers, gig and album reviews

Playhouse cuts, and artistic achievements on campus

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW WHITToN | 35

PAUSE | GAMING

Video-game piracy Piracy in video-gaming is one of the biggest gripes that developers have, and for good reason too. Unluckily for those pesky pirates, since time immemorial, developers have been fighting back so legitimate players can laugh while the pirates are thrown in the virtual brig.

Impact Gaming brings you some of the best examples of developers’ ingenuity when it comes to fighting off the pirates.

“[The eye patch] is a visual reminder of your own shame”.

EARTHBOUND In the 1994 game Earthbound, which follows the adventures of a young boy destined to save the world from an alien, the anti-piracy measures are well disguised. If the game recognises that your copy is pirated, it’ll show up a screen warning that video game piracy is a serious crime. But there are no suggestions that the game knows anything at this point, leaving the player to believe that they’re getting away with it.

The developers then greatly increase the amount of enemies you have to fight, making the game more unenjoyable and difficult to

progress through. At the very climax of the game, right before the final boss, the game will ‘crash’ and delete all your saved data. Ouch.

of piracy? Because that’s exactly what the developers, Greenheart Games, implemented into their game.

MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE (DS Version) In 2010, the FIFA World Cup in South Africa introduced the vuvuzela to a Western audience. They’re like big plastic trumpets that you blow into and make everyone in a five-mile radius wish they had been born without ears.

If it became clear to the game that you had pirated your copy, it would leave you alone for an in-game year or two and then smack you in the face with a loss in profits and eventual ruination of your developers. You then get a notification telling you that people pirating your games are to blame and suggests that you think about your own attitude to piracy.

Now imagine that the developers working on a video game based around the music of a famous artist, replaced all of the in-game songs with gratingly loud and obnoxious vuvuzela remixes. Wouldn’t that be really frustrating?

That was the reality faced by anyone who pirated a copy of the Nintendo DS version of Michael Jackson: The Experience. Instead of The Man In The Mirror, they would get a lovely helping of severe ear haemorrhage. How nice.

GAME DEV TYCOON This game puts you in charge of your very own company producing games. Wouldn’t it be ironic if your company failed because

36 | Robert Priest | Photography by josu via flickr

“The developers replaced all of the in-game songs with gratingly loud and obnoxious vuvuzela remixes”.

ALAN WAKE The developers of Alan Wake took a more pacifist approach to piracy. They gave the main character an eyepatch if the system detected any piracy issues. This didn’t have any adverse effects on the game, but was a visual reminder of your own shame. Oh, and every so often in the loading screens, it would politely ask you to consider buying the game. You have to admire their belief in the inherent goodness of humans.

PAUSE | GAMING

Which

Pill

Will Take?

Virtual reality works by strapping a headset onto your face, which contains screens positioned in-front of each eye and motion trackers that follow the movement of your head.

This means you can ‘look around’ a virtual world presented to you in 3D. The whole point of virtual reality is to allow the user to achieve a sense of presence – the feeling that you are actually in the virtual world presented to you.

Over the past few decades there have been numerous attempts to make virtual reality a reality, all of which failed, primarily because the technology available at the time just wasn’t

up to the task. However one company is now attempting to break down these technological barriers. Enter Oculus VR, and their revolutionary headset, the Oculus Rift.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign less than two years ago (the company raised just under two and a half million dollars) Oculus began shipping development kits to backers across the globe. Although primarily designed as means to immerse oneself inside the virtual worlds of video games, the Rift is an open piece of hardware, meaning the possibilities of how it could be implemented are open to the imaginations of developers.

Dimitrios Darzentas, a PhD researcher working with the Rift at the Mixed Reality Lab on Jubilee campus, tells Impact Gaming: “As far as VR is concerned, the genie is out of the bottle. It’s back, and this time it works”.

Not only has technology advanced to allow virtual reality to develop, but Oculus VR have also made it accessible to a wide audience.

As Dimitrios tells Impact: “Oculus played the game well. They crowd sourced their funding fashionably. They got big players on their side quickly. And they managed to keep all the barriers to entry low, meaning low cost and easy development. The Rift works out of the box with Unity 3D which is one of the most popular game engines right now. For the consumer user it will be just a matter of plug and play!”

However Facebook recently purchased Oculus for the tidy sum of two billion dollars, angering many of the Rift’s early crowdfunding backers who had hoped the company would remain independent.

It’s unclear whether this acquisition threatens to turn the Rift into a device closed off from the kind of inventive tinkering Dimitrios and his team are engaged in, but what is clear is that Facebook sees the Rift as a device not just for gaming. In their eyes virtual reality could be the next biggest thing to affect how we interact with the world since smartphones.

Whether Joe Bloggs is willing to strap Facebook onto his face or not remains to be seen. Virtual reality’s place in the living rooms of gamers seems more secure however, with Sony recently having announced their own Project Morpheus, a competitor to the Rift with almost identical technical specifications that will be compatible with the PS4 and its motiontracking Move controllers.

Given the fact that every Xbox One is currently packaged with the full-body motion sensing Kinect device, an obvious fit for immersing oneself fully in virtual reality, it will be interesting to see if Microsoft have something similar up their sleeves to announce.

Philosophers have contemplated the possibility of living one’s life inside an artificial world for centuries, but only more recently did films like the Truman Show, The Matrix, and Inception make the concept mainstream.

As Oculus are keen to stress, their present focus is still firmly set on the gamer’s couch, and Sony’s Project Morpheus with its exclusive PS4 compatibility is unlikely to draw many non-gamers into cyberspace just yet. But if Facebook’s bold bet pays off, virtual reality will represent a change to more than just the future of gaming.

photography by Sergey Galyonkin via flickr | Tom Sheldon | 37

PAUSE | GAMING

. play o t one out. t h g g e ri e tryin h t b ick o p should t d ou har be mes y n a a , it c hat g d l r rw Yes wo the iscove n i d s me g you a g of lpin pes are he y t Are you good at managing any ming m a o your funds?

Yes re s pact G a e r m The e at I w Do you take So No charge in group Yes work?

No

ypes T 5 T R A T S

of

gamers

Are you at the cinema every Wednesday?

No

!

E R E H

Do you think exams are the most important thing at university?

Yes Are you an impulsive person?

No

No

No No

Do you think the world has too many rules?

Yes

Do you skip lectures?

Yes

38 | Richard Lakucs | Photography by ‘the world according to marty’ and jdevaun via flickr

PAUSE | GAMING

Yes

Yes

Do you start revising long before the exams?

No Do you get along with your housemates?

Yes No Yes Are you a foodie?

Are you an outdoor person?

No

Yes No No

Are you a clean freak?

No Are you stubborn and argumentative?

Yes No

No Are you a member of a martial arts society at Uni?

Yes Are you impatient?

Yes

Congratulations you are a Strategy gamer You know that success in life comes only to those who plan and prepare. You perfectly manage your resources and use your cunning tactics to have an advantage over everyone else. You always have an answer and plan 10 moves ahead. Money problems are for others, not you. People look up to you for guidance and see you as smart and reliable. You should play games like Civilisation V or Company Of Heroes.

Congratulations you are a Role Playing gamer You take pride in building things from the ground up. The goals and what needs to be done to achieve them is clear to you. People around you consider you imaginative and sociable. You can dive in fantasy worlds in a whim and become a magical wood elf or wizard. You try to find the silver lining in every situation. You strive for connections and possibly a quest, with rewards such as gold coins or pelts. The unknowns of the world await you. You should play games like Skyrim or The Final Fantasy series.

Congratulations you are a Puzzle Gamer The simple answer is never good enough for you. You want to find exactly what makes things tick. Friends turn to you for help when they get stuck in ancient temples, from which only you can get them out. Your motivation is admirable; just because something is hard and takes a long time to solve, it doesn’t not stop you from finding that hidden treasure. You value intelligence most of all. You should play games like Portal or Braid.

Congratulations you are a Shooter Gamer Nothing is too fast for you. You can spot an empty seat at the lecture theatre in moments and get to it even faster. You think on your feet because you realize that life won’t just sit there and wait for you to think it over before making a decision. Most likely you play a sport that requires fast reactions and superb hand-eye coordination. You should play games like Call Of Duty or Battlefield.

Congratulations you are a Fighting Gamer Patience is not your strong suit. You try to breeze through life and tasks in front of you.

You cram for your exams and just can’t spend weeks in advance preparing for them. You are impulsive and always on the move. Others consider you fiercely competitive – there is no second place for you. Games like Mortal Combat and Tekken would satisfy your neverending bloodlust.

39

PAUSE | FILM & TV “I don’t just want to revolve. I want to evolve.” This statement, made by Matthew McConaughey in March 2013, is remarkably enlightening. A cynic might argue that his shift towards darker, more dramatic movie roles in recent years was carefully calculated but it is far more likely to be the result of the 44-year-old actor’s simple desire to test his own limits.

As the decade came to a close this began to change. If there’s a film in the limbo which bridged together different stages of McConaughey’s career, it’s Tropic Thunder.

Whilst still planted in the comedy genre, he played Ben Stiller’s overly energetic agent with an unusual dash of sycophancy which hinted at future potential.

After a decade of light-hearted romantic comedies, McConaughey has returned to his enigmatic roots through roles which challenge, surprise and shock in equal measure. Having won the Academy Award for Best Actor this year for Dallas Buyers Club and created the most talked about show on television, True Detective, it’s one of the greatest Hollywood comebacks in recent years. So how did he do it?

But 2011’s The Lincoln Lawyer really got people talking. Interestingly, the actor had starred in legal dramas twice already before the rom-com period and the pedigree is visible; street-smart defence lawyer Micky Haller is charming, cheeky and highly entertaining to watch. McConaughey’s character was leaning towards the morally dubious; the metamorphosis had begun.

Throughout the 2000s McConaughey was known as a rom-com heartthrob who consistently turned in charismatic performances as an eligible bachelor, frat-house party boy or anything involving compulsory topless scenes. Whilst these were all harmless fun and earned the actor a steady living, he seemed trapped as the quintessential pinup hunk.

“McConaughey was known for starring in anything involving compulsory topless scenes”.

The following few years saw McConaughey star in several interestingly chosen roles which showcased the actor’s talent. 2011 alone saw the one-two combination of The Lincoln Lawyer and then Bernie. The latter project, reuniting McConaughey with director Richard Linklater, was a black comedy focusing on the true story of the 1996 murder of elderly millionaire, Marjorie Nugent, by her younger carer (played

by Jack Black). Yet again he embodied the prejudiced and strained elements of the legal profession as a Texas district attorney.

“In LINCOLN LAWYER McConaughey’s character leaned towards the morally dubious; the metamorphosis had begun”.

True Detective

The following year saw McConaughey star in a staggering four films and he knocked each one out of the park. Killer Joe kicked things off with a highly menacing performance as a police detective moonlighting as a contract killer, before switching things up with an intriguing, blindly idealistic reporter in The Paperboy. The oscillation continued as Mud presented a bit of both; giving audiences an intimidating yet admirably purposeful protagonist. Magic Mike then topped it all off in an explosion of glamour, greed and sexuality with McConaughey as the calculating boss at a male strip club.

McConaughey’s recent successes can be viewed as threefold; his Academy Award victory for Dallas Buyers Club, the unprecedented reception for his TV show True Detective and exciting future projects such as Interstellar. The first point may represent the ‘peak’ of the McConaissance and his performance as Ron Woodruff was rightly acclaimed. The actor is skinny, scheming and superbly entertaining while navigating the legal and ethical minefield of illegitimately obtaining AIDS medicine.

In True Detective, he and Woody Harrelson reminisce about a series of horrific murders they investigated in the mid-1990s as Louisiana detectives. Amongst the stunning visuals, affecting score and engaging story McConaughey stands tall. As the troubled, mysterious Rust he relates much of the detectives’ disturbing work to the apparent futility of life in general and is truly mesmerising.

All that’s left is to consider where he’s headed.

His involvement with Christopher Nolan’s science fiction project, Interstellar, appears to be shaping up very well indeed and seems to be another challenging role for arguably the most interesting man currently working in Hollywood.

Dallas Buyers Club

THE MCCONAISSANCE: HOW TO TRANSFORM A CAREER IN 10 YEARS 40 | Tom Welshman

PAUSE | FILM & TV

S U M M ER ’ S MOST WANTED

Impact Film & TV has managed to capture some of 2014’s most notorious movie characters before their summer surrender to cinematic exhibition.

Read over our exclusive firsthand reports on these protagonists, while the moviegoing population yearns for their release.

Name: Rocket Racoon

Name: Charles Xavier

Occupation: Marksman Crime: Homicide Released: 01/08/14

Occupation: Professor Crime: Evolution Released: 22/05/14

Described as a “mean-ass fighting machine”, Rocket Racoon is the most skilled member of the renegade group known as The Guardians Of The Galaxy. Racoon was caught travelling with a human who calls himself Star-Lord and a tree-like humanoid named Groot.

Don’t underestimate his gentle appearance, Racoon is usually armed and always extremely dangerous.

Captured in X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Professor Charles Xavier and countless other mutants are rumoured to have assisted an unidentified, clawed fugitive in travelling through time. The telepathist has refused to comply with the demands we have considered, despite the fact we are yet to verbally ask.

Name: Schmidt & Genko

Name: Caesar

Name: Godzilla

Occupation: Police Officers Crime: Ineptitude Released: 06/06/14

Occupation: Rebel leader Crime: Organising rebellion Released: 17/07/14

Through sheer dumb luck and a total disregard of proper police procedure, Officers Schmidt and Genko “successfully” busted the drug ring supplying the local high schools. Now in the aptly titled sequel 22 Jump Street, the pair are back on the streets, but this time... they’re going to college.

It has been a decade since the deadly virus ravaged the human race and little has been seen of the genetically evolved super ape Caesar... until now. The leader of the band of rebellious apes must be stopped or the human race may face extinction.

Occupation: Giant Lizard Crime: Destruction of property Being a giant lizard Released: 15/05/14

Name: Optimus Prime Occupation: Transformer, saviour of humanity Crime: Destruction of property Released: 10/07/14 Leader of the Autobot’s Optimus Prime, may have saved humanity from destruction at the hands of evil Decepticons on numerous occasions, but not without significant collateral damage. This year humanity meets an even greater foe in the Dinobots, will Prime be able to save the day again?

After terrorising Japan for over 50 years, Godzilla made his first appearance on US shores back in 1998 leaving a trail of devastation in his wake, namely Matthew Broderick’s career. In 2014 the monster returns to New York to wreak havoc once again.

Bharat Samra & Sam Todd | 41

PAUSE | FILM & TV

Hachijo Island, Japan Battle Royale This holiday package is one for the adventurer.

Test your survival skills in the unspoiled and treacherous terrain of the natural phenomenon that is Hachijo Island. If you are worried about getting to the sunbeds first, your competition is only around 30 other holiday makers… however, these ones are armed. You will find so much to explore, you may never want to leave, and you are in luck because chances are you never will.

Terms & Conditions: You may have to search out your own food… and shelter. Medical insurance does not cover Hachijo Island.

Unnamed beach, Thailand The Beach Private, exclusive and perfect for the adventurer who has been searching for paradise their whole life. When you get there, you may never want to leave. Just make sure that you don’t bring your mates, this location is protected. Travel warnings: DO NOT make it your prerogative to make a visit to the locals sharing the island, they are growers, but their goods are not for Island tourists. A large variety of fresh fish are caught daily from the unspoiled lagoon, sometimes bigger fish get in too. If you see a fin, it is time to get out of the water.

AUSTRALIA Mad Max If you’re a petrolhead with a penchant for assless chaps then the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Australian outback will make the ideal summer destination.

Enjoy the miles upon miles of open road and all expansive vistas along the way.

Though with the dwindling supplies of gasoline, local gangs have been known to rob tourists and leave them stranded.

Beware.

42

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The World’s Fastest Indian Anthony Hopkins stars as the charming speed bike racer Burt Munro, journeying from New Zealand to Utah in order to break the land speed record on his Indian Scout motorcycle. The World’s Fastest Indian is a road trip movie, underdog story and inspiring biopic, all in an effortlessly watchable 127 minutes.

This film should fuel your motivation into travelling wherever your dreams may take you this summer, but if not, it’s still a great ride.

A Summer Travel Guide

PAUSE | FILM & TV

VIENNA, AUSTRIA The Third Man It may have meant nothing to Ultravox, but you can enjoy a ride on the Wiener Riesenrad, one of the largest Ferris wheels ever built, engage in a discussion of pulp fiction at the local book club or stroll through one of the finest sewer systems in the world, all without leaving the marvellous city of Vienna. Provided you’re not in urgent need of penicillin you’ll adore your stay.

GREENLAND/ICELAND The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Chronic daydreamer Walter Mitty leaps far from the force of familiarity and ventures into a voyage far beyond his wildest fantasies.

Adapted for the modern fantasist who’s lost in the world, Walter travels from New York to Greenland, Iceland and The Himalayas, and other beautiful locations around the world. This comedy-adventure will surely stimulate your imagination and your thirst for travel.

BRAZIL City Of God A strikingly provocative representation of the social struggles of the Brazilian lower classes between the 1960s and 1980s. City Of God was instrumental in developing international awareness of the plight of Brazil’s impoverished favelas and highlights the progress that has since been made to curb their violent past.

A trip to Rio is never complete without an eye-opening visit to one of these vibrant communities that are so integral to Brazilian life.

Looking for inspiration for your summer travels? Look no further.

Impact Film & TV have completed all the scouting you’ll require, as we bring you the ultimate Summer Travel Guide with motivating travel tips from some of the best movies.

ANTARCTICA The Thing A favourite destination of American and Norwegian research teams. Life on the frozen tundra isn’t for the faint of heart, but for the adventurous (or perhaps foolhardy). Expect some beautiful, unique sights. Wildlife is sparse, but if an Alaskan malamute tries to take refuge in your camp, run for your life.

Lucy O’Boyle, Bharat Samra, Sam Todd, Alexandra Towers & Tom Watchorn | 43

PAUSE | MUSIC

In t r o du April towers Impact Music spoke to Alex from Nottingham’s newest stars, April Towers.

How did you guys meet?

Charlie and I met at school. Although we knew each other for a lot longer, we didn’t become friends until we were about 16 when Charlie started playing guitar like me. We used to passionately dislike each other and in many ways we still do, but we bonded over the love of bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Rakes, and The Young Knives. We formed a different band at that point and we’ve stayed making music together ever since.

What’s with the name?

A lot of people ask us this. When thinking of a name we wanted something that no one could ever have possibly thought up before. April Towers - which is a pun on April Showers - just came into my head one day. If we were going to be really deep and pretentious about it I’d say our music reflects the calm, atmospheric delights of a month like April with the dark, industrial connotations of a tower block, but that would be bullshit.

Had either of you made music before April Towers?

Charlie and I were involved with a guitar band before April Towers formed. It was the polar opposite musically of what we do now, but has taught us so much about the world of music and how to write songs, play live, etc. Charlie has also done some remixes under a solo name but thankfully we haven’t had any major fall outs to pursue the solo path (yet).

44 | Alex Neely and Ian Fillingham

Was it always going to be electronic music that you pursued?

I think in the summer of 2013 when this whole thing began, it was only going to be electronic music. Charlie was into the house and techno scene, and I was falling in love with bands like LCD Soundsystem and Chvrches. It took a lot of time to sway me from my roots in alternative guitar music - I had always resented the dance scene for no particular reason, so by the time Tel Aviv came out in August, I was fully converted. I’d like to think our music still has that element of indie in there though.

New Order seem an obvious starting point.

Who else do you look up to?

We’ve heard people compare us to New Order since we started this and that is flattering as they are big idols of ours. Their progression into electronic music from Joy Division is a similar path to what we have taken. A lot of our influences lay in contemporary music though acts like Moby, Chvrches, LCD Soundsystem,

White Lies, Todd Terje, and Nicolas Jaar have had a huge influence on our sound and the way we make music.

Any plans to expand the live show?

The live show took time to get together simply because we needed a new set up, as it was something totally different to what we had ever done before. Of course we would love to expand the live show in the future, not just with more musicians but also visually. Our current budget and the fact we are playing on small stages means for the foreseeable future that we will be playing as just a two piece, but hopefully as we progress, we can get more people on board to make the live show the best it can be.

Any news on new material?

You can expect some new material in the summer, as we look to release an EP at the beginning of the Autumn. Watch this space.

PAUSE | MUSIC

c i n g

AMBER RUN Impact Music catch up with Felix from Amber Run before their return show to Nottingham at The Contemporary.

THERE IS A STRONG NOTTINGHAM CONTINGENCY IN AMBER RUN. WHAT WERE YOU ALL UP TO PRE-AMBER RUN? Everyone did indeed go to Nottingham Uni, but to clarify they have all left, they are all drop outs. At least I never dropped out! I was meant to go to Sussex but it was the day we got offered our first record deal, so I just called them up and rejected.

YOU HAVE JUST FINISHED A TOUR WITH KODALINE. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT THAT? It was great, we are all label mates at RCA Records so we all knew each other previously which was cool. The are amazing guys

and great musicians, it was such a great opportunity. We played Brixton Academy which holds thousands of people. It was just a chance to go: ‘If you love Kodaline, why not listen to us as well?’. It went down really well.

with As Elephants Are, they are on the XFM playlists with us. I think if we toured together we would die though, because they know how to party! It would obviously be great fun though.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE NOTTINGHAM CONTEMPORARY TO PERFORM?

We would all love to tour with Bombay Bicycle Club as well because we all have similar music tastes, and we all love them.

Last time we came to Nottingham we had just signed, so we played the Bodega, completely sold out and it was wicked. We were just so pumped with adrenaline, because we had just signed. We had to step it up from then, but we just wanted to play a cool venue. I thought people would just look at paintings whilst watching us, but it’s actually a nice venue.

YOU HAVE JUST RELEASED YOUR NEW TRACK ‘SPARK’. CAN WE EXPECT A NEW ALBUM SOON? We have just recorded our new album, so it will be released this year. Spark has just been released and we got lots of Radio 1 play and XFM play so it’s gone really well actually. We’re really excited to tour with it.

IF YOU COULD PLAY WITH ANY BAND WHO WOULD IT BE? We all have varied music tastes that kind of meet in the middle. We would love to tour

what got you all through your tour?

People turning up + shower gel + a bed.

Shower gel was probably the priority... or just Lynx.

If you had to choose a new band or artist to promote who would it be?

Check out Elderbrick. He has a sound that is a lot like James Blake, just very clever, very talented. Or I will go to one of my answers before and go for As Elephants Are. They are great guys with great music, with some of the biggest riffs, so definitely have a listen to both.

Amber Run’s new single Spark is out now, and you can catch them all across the festival scene, including at Lendal Calling, and Leeds and Reading.

Daniel Jones | 45

PAUSE | MUSIC

Album Reviews The Amazing Snakeheads Amphetamine Ballads 8/10

A cymbal crashes, gong-like, and drums pound alongside discordant guitars. A deep throbbing bass is met with growling, spit-covered and deeply disturbing vocals. And so begins ‘I’m A Vampire’, the opening track on the Glasgow-based trio’s debut album.

The Snakeheads are not young pretenders by any stretch of the imagination, all in their late 20s or early 30s. Some bands would perhaps make the mistake of revealing their influences all too clearly. The Snakeheads, however, do not. They refuse to answer questions on the subject matter during interviews, and true to form, Amphetamine Ballads is a real cauldron of sounds. Flatlining would fit in perfectly on Iggy Pop’s The Idiot, while Where Is My Knife has all the hallmarks of The Cramps about it.

Throughout, lead singer Dale Barclay performs at his psychotic best, embracing with open arms the

SOHN Tremors 7/10

The debut album from London-based electronica junkie, Christopher Taylor (SOHN), certainly shows the starting tremors of a promising career.

Tremors is the kind of album you might show your mum if she asked what the hip and happening youth were listening to these days. It would give her a glimpse of the current British EDM scene, but not enough of one to frighten or shock. It is gentle, has a continuous undercurrent of lovingly crafted beats and has moments of lyrical beauty.

Who said singer-songwriters had to come with a ukulele and fedora? This is a comfortable first record with just enough pizazz to ensure a second one.

Liv Clark 46

stereotype of the raucous, unpredictable Scottish male. “I’m going to take you dancing all night-long,” he chants on the impressive Nighttime, as if you have no choice. You probably don’t. But as well as delivering his lyrics with unmatchable menace, Barclay’s guitar-playing is subtly brilliant. Only playing when necessary, he gives the album an often uncomfortably sparse atmosphere, especially when paired with the skin-crawling sax during the album’s quieter moments.

The album is nowhere near perfect, unsurprisingly.

Find yourself midway through the second side, and the opening aggression is replaced by an almost stale pastiche of themselves. But that’s to be expected as The Amazing Snakeheads simply boast that they are a rock ‘n’ roll band, and every rock ‘n’ roll band runs out of ideas. Amphetamine Ballads is a dream of a debut rock ‘n’ roll album: raw, rugged and full of passion.

Alex Neely

Mac DeMarco Salad Days

Pixies Indie Cindy

Mac DeMarco has always written songs for the slackers and Salad Days is no exception.

However, lazy music should not be confused with a lazy artist; this album’s got more going on than any of his previous work.

Reformed bands get a lot of stick. Pixies’ status as eternal, alternative legends has spared them the snide comments since last year’s reformation. Indie Cindy, a rare listenable reformation album, will only serve to feed the legend.

9/10

Increased production adds new levels of depth to his guitar playing. Tracks like Chamber Of Reflection also introduce slow beat synthesisers, adding an air of Dre’s The Chronic to the album.

If that was what DeMarco was going for, it was a joke, and humour seems to be what he likes best. His hick-like words bounce off the out of tune guitar in Goodbye Weekend and Macky’s Been A Bad Bad Boy. Ian Fillingham

6/10

A collection of their three recent EPs, Indie Cindy seems a natural successor to Trompe Le Monde, their previous album released twenty-five years ago. Switching between the sun-tinged pop of Greens And Blues and the fragmented, loud-quiet formula of Blue Eyes Hexe it’s no match to Doolittle. But that’s hardly a surprise.

Alex Neely

PAUSE | MUSIC

gig Reviews Kagoule @ Lock Tavern Festival 17 April 2014

“It’s just like being at home,” declares Kagoule bassist Lucy, as the sonic delights of Jake Bugg ring round the venue pre-gig.

Firmly tongue-in-cheek, yes, but a statement that underlines Nottingham’s increasing significance in the music world. There’s plenty more to come, and Kagoule are next.

Closing the set, their new song Glue is the song to propel them very firmly into the limelight. It very much fits into the loud-quiet formula, a path laid down and well-trodden by the likes of Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins and Pavement; all bands that Kagoule have been likened to. However, there’s a riff in there to end all riffs: both sickeningly sweet (think Yuck’s Get Away), and destructively Nirvana-esque brutal at the same time.

Kagoule are here as part of The Lock Tavern Festival, the first day of which has been curated by Beacons Festival. PINS, the night’s headliners, are on top form, oozing a sultry, punk energy as if they invented the damn thing. The night’s first band, Abjects, give off an effortlessly cool lo-fi garage feel, while an ignorant crowd spoil Francis Lung’s sundrenched, melodic display.

A free gig, many Londoners here had never heard of Kagoule. They have now. It’s earsplittingly loud from the off; set-opener Monarchy causes the floor to shake. Adjust

The Way makes no secret of their Black Francis admiration, while Empty Mug is a minute and a half of noisy, brutal and completely convincing punk. On Encave, they chant that “there’s no hope”. But on this performance, hope is one thing that we definitely do have.

Alex Neely

Temple Songs / Wanderlings @ Chameleon (Nottingham)

Kagoule

The Crookes @ Bodega 15 April 2014

Coming back to Nottingham again after recently supporting Little Comets, this gig follows the release of the Crookes’ new album Soap Box. The album is a triumph and the show didn’t disappoint. The Crookes have combined their old songs with the new effortlessly. The highlight song is the first single from Soap Box, Play Dumb.

Dan Jones

28 March 2014

A promising night of live music hosted at the ever-brilliant Chameleon, one of the best venues in Nottingham, doesn’t fail to deliver. Headliners Temple Songs bring out their wonderful lo-fi garage and fulfill the expectations of the entire crowd.

Nottingham locals Wanderlings are second on the bill. Ever-improving, Wanderlings are striving for that sound to which will make them stand out amongst the wave of averagesounding psychedelic bands around at the moment. There’s plenty of potential there and hopefully they continue to develop their sound.

Temple Songs arrive on the tiny Chameleon stage at least half an hour later than scheduled.

Although they’ve only had a few releases so far, first single Passed Caring stands out on the setlist with its incredibly simple, catchy pop chorus. To all bands trying to imitate the 60s pop sound, take note.

Tasmin Chowdhary

The Crookes top photograph by simon paterson via flickr | 47

PAUSE | MUSIC

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE INDIE ROCK BAND: From a Taunton garage to Glastonbury headliners Summer’s coming. That means it’s festival time. Follow the career of The Low Readership, Impact’s house band, to decide which festival is the one for you.

Impact Music have a chat with The Low Readership about their festival journey.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

DOT TO DOT

“With the West Country’s music scene in full flow, we were just the next on the conveyor belt. Fresh out of Taunton School, we picked up a guitar and wrote a rock ‘n’ roll song. It was that simple. Before long, we’d released our debut single, On The Guestlist, and the music press were swarming.”

(8-10 May 2014) Set over three days across a variety of Brighton indoor venues, The Great Escape showcases the best upcoming bands from around the world. It’s recently launched the careers of Palma Violets, Peace and Haim.

It’s a buzz-band’s dream festival.

(23-25 May 2014) Taking place across three UK cities - Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham – Dot To Dot attracts a high calibre of acts on the May Bank Holiday weekend. This year sees Peace headline, with high-class support from the likes of Real Estate, The Pizza Underground and Drenge.

THE LOW READERSHIP MOST EXCITING BAND EVER BETTER THAN THE BEATLES NOEL GALLAGHER: ‘THIS LOT ARE SPECIAL’ “Alistair’s (bassist) dad, who manages The Cure, was particularly pleased that we’d managed to make it all on our own. An exclusive interview with NME followed and we were added to The Great Escape bill, playing a total of three times, including special guests at an NME-curated aftershow.”

48 | Photography by ben tynegate

“By this point, we’d released singles two and three. We never really read reviews of ourselves, but one in particular did catch our attention, comparing us to both Joy Division and The Smiths; their ability to pin down our artistic inspirations was uncanny. A couple of small, one-off dates in Yeovil sold out within seconds, so it was time to reach some new people. A late evening slot at Dot To Dot Festival gave us this chance.”

“Following the overwhelming success of Dot To Dot, we took time out to record the debut album. Our label told us to release it as quickly as possible, so we included all three singles and their respective b-sides. Four more tracks were quickly written and The Hatchet Job was ready to face the world. First, though, we needed to conquer America. The label paid for us to head out to play SXSW.”

PAUSE | MUSIC SXSW

BESTIVAL

GLASTONBURY

(March 2015) Set over a week in the Texan city of Austin, SXSW is the American equivalent of The Great Escape. The bands of tomorrow come from far and wide to play a series of house parties and shows in sweaty clubs. A must for any band striving for success outside of the UK.

(4-7 September 2014) Held on The Isle of Wight, Bestival is the largest of the boutique festivals, offering an eclectic mix of music and pop-up food stalls. This year sees Outkast and Chic headline.

(27-29 June 2014) The most famous festival ever, a Glastonbury headline slot is the dream for any band. It is located on Worthy Farm in Somerset, attracts a global audience and is the standout festival of every British summer.

“After a truly stunning reception from Bestival’s gnarly festival-goers, we knuckled down to make that all important second album. It was make or break time. Talking To Thin Air, released just nine months after its predecessor, received rave reviews: 10s across the board.

“So three albums, a whole host of awards and Glastonbury headliners. And money. What more could we achieve? As we reached our peak, we called it a day and The Low Readership split.”

“On our return to the UK, we waved a tearful goodbye to the WestCo scene that had spawned us and relocated in Shoreditch, sharing an eight-bedroom, detached bedsit with Swim Deep. The Hatchet Job received warm reviews across the board, especially from NME and Louder Than War, who both labelled us as the decade’s best band. Our next festival slot was on the Main Stage at Reading and Leeds, festivals that we’d gone to as kids. Truly a dream come true.”

READING AND LEEDS (22-24 August 2014) The largest of the Summer’s closing festivals and a rite of passage for any British teenager. Its musical origins as a festival lie in heavier rock, however now its line-up spans much more widely. 2014’s acts range from big names such as Macklemore to buzz-bands such as Fat White Family.

“MIDDAY. MID-FUCKING-DAY. A total of six people, one of whom was deaf, watched our sets that weekend. This was the kick-up-thearse that we needed, so we took some more time out to write some edgier, more forwardthinking material. Bestival’s edgy crowd were the first to hear our Fall meets Black Sabbath hybrid of new material, playing late on The Big Top. We were, of course, dressed as giraffes to fully assimilate ourselves with that years ‘zoo’ theme.”

“On the back of such strong critical acclaim, Coachella invited us over to be their surprise British headliner. Blur, The Stone Roses...The Low Readership.”

“The end of an era… until the money started to run a little dry: drugs, booze and women. The four of us put our differences to one side and re-united for a one-off, special, never to be repeated headline slot at V Festival.”

COACHELLA

V FESTIVAL

(April 2015) ‘The American Glastonbury’. Easily the most prestigious and most hyped of the American festivals, Coachella always sees a huge headliner or two, Outkast in 2014, in addition to the genre-spanning line-up beneath.

(16-17 August 2014) Arguably the poppiest of the British festivals, V Festival is a sponsorcrazy weekend split between Chelmsford and Staffordshire. This year sees Justin Timberlake and The Killers headline a bill that is made up with the likes of Elbow, Ed Sheeran and Kaiser Chiefs.

“The Americans loved our quirky English nature. We had truly made it, and our creative juices were at full flow, allowing the more middle-of-the-road stadium-rock third album an easy release. Angular Reverb Drench received more conservative reviews, including a low 5/10 from NME, but we could really do no wrong by this point. A shit in a box would’ve made our fans smile. It was time for the biggest one of them all. The homecoming.

A Glastonbury headline slot.”

“Suddenly, a new-found enthusiasm led to the writing of a fourth album and a one-off, special, never to be repeated gig at Wembley Stadium. Now we’re stronger than ever.”

Alex Neely and Ian Fillingham | 49

PAUSE | ARTS

The Price of Theatre Last November, Nottinghamshire County Council announced plans to cut 100% of its funding (£94,500) for the Nottingham Playhouse. Despite the Playhouse’s protests, supported by the nationally run Theatre Matters Campaign, the cuts came into effect on the 1st April. Impact Arts speaks to those most affected by the cuts, to find out what this means for the future of subsidised theatre in Nottingham and other regional areas.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s cuts contribute to a progressive range of smaller cuts which have hit the Playhouse this year.

Nottingham City have cut 5% of their grant and British Arts Council has recently reduced their funding for regional theatres, due to their own budget cut of £11.6m. Overall, the Playhouse lost approximately £128 000 of its annual financial support from April 2014.

The demand for the theatre in Nottingham is evident from Playhouse ticket sales, which reveal an 8% increase in sales over the past two years.

Despite what appears to be a consistent audience for the Playhouse, Giles Croft, Artistic Director of the Playhouse, tells Impact Arts: “The Council didn’t want to fund us. They perceived

us to be an easy hit…. There has been a pattern of small cuts each year, and there’s every likelihood that this will continue”.

Council confirmed cuts to its arts budget, removing funding from more than ten arts organisations.

A number of celebrated names in theatre have spoken out in protest, including David Morrissey, William Ivory and Samuel West. Members of the public called, emailed and wrote to the Playhouse telling them how important the theatre was in their own and their children’s lives.

“It was extraordinary really”, says Croft, “and we wouldn’t have had that without that [the cuts] happening”.

Sutherland tells Impact: “It is not unheard of for local government to reduce funding to the arts when budget cuts are implemented, although rarely to such an extreme. It is frustrating, but I believe many regional institutions, particularly, are alert to such a risk, as sadly the arts are vulnerable as soon as cuts begin to be debated”.

This story is not uncommon across regional theatres. Lucie Sutherland, a theatre academic at the University of Nottingham, says: “Sadly the arts are vulnerable as soon as cuts begin to be debated”. In February of this year, Cardiff

50 | Photography by the Nottingham Playhouse

But no staff redundancies have yet been announced, and Croft admits to Impact Arts that “the immediate impact is not visible”.

Similarly, there is no evidence to suggest that the University’s relationship with the Playhouse will be affected. Sutherland admits that: “right

PAUSE | ARTS “IT’S ALMOST LIKE BEING PUNISHED FOR DECIDING TO HAVE A CAREER IN SOMETHING CREATIVE”.

“THEATRE ROYAL AND LAKESIDE ONLY PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE MIDDLE-CLASSES”.

now there is no sense that this change to one funding stream for that theatre will have a direct effect upon the kinds of activities our students currently undertake with the Playhouse”.

However, the effects of the cuts are likely to be felt in the long term. Croft confirms that the impact of the cuts “won’t really hit until 2015”.

Unlike the Theatre Royal and Lakeside, which Croft suggests merely provide “entertainment for the middle-classes”, the Playhouse is “a producing house.

Equally, the cuts reflect more broadly an increasingly negative attitude to creative enterprises. “The arts is constantly sidelined as not being as important as other services”, The Gramophones, an all-female, Nottingham theatre company, tells Impact. “But how can something that brings us joy, that makes us question ourselves, and enlightens and educates, not be important? As a small company trying to thrive in the arts, seeing these enormous cuts to a pinnacle of theatre in Nottingham is worrying”.

We make the work here”, said Croft, “whereas the Royal and the Lakeside only produced a couple of small projects a year [most of their work is from touring companies]. A lot of the work we make is in response to our location, but at the same time we have an international profile”.

Similarly, Nottingham students hoping to enter into the arts after university are concerned at what the cuts to the Playhouse, and other regional theatres, mean for their future career prospects. Becca Clee, a final year student currently applying for drama schools, described the cuts as “daunting”. She tells Impact: “It’s almost like being punished for deciding to have a career in something creative. The arts needs support, actors need support”.

“HOW CAN SOMETHING THAT BRINGS US JOY, THAT MAKES US QUESTION OURSELVES AND ENLIGHTENS AND EDUCATES NOT BE IMPORTANT?”.

In terms of the projects themselves, the impact of the cuts will affect the “scale of projects, the numbers of people employed and restrict the ambition”. Croft tells us that plans had to be dropped for “a programme of politically focused work in the run up to the elections” in Spring 2015, including Stephen Low’s version of Ragged Trousered Philanthropist and Laura Wade’s Posh The project is now “too big too expensive and too ambitious”.

Logan Wamsley, a final year and an aspiring playwright, is “saddened” by the prospect of cuts to theatre projects. He says: “Without a theatre willing to perform my work, there’s no audience to see it and that makes playwriting a lonely profession”.

It’s not only theatre professionals who will be affected, but the audiences as well. In the County Council’s statement they claimed: ‘Our priorities will be those in greatest need – the vulnerable young and older people’ and that the Playhouse was not delivering this kind of service.

On the contrary, Croft argues: “We support regionally based artists, we commission a lot of

new plays to tell regional stories”.

Sutherland also commented on the impact the cuts will have on community: “There is no doubt that the rich repertoire produced by Nottingham Playhouse, as well as their work on education and community projects, provides a number of valuable opportunities for students at Nottingham”.

Andrew Breakwell, former artistic director for Roundabout Theatre Company (the Playhouse’s in-residence company which produces theatre for children and young people), tells Impact: “Investment in the performing arts in the regions and nationally seems to me to be about both the quality of life and the development of a socially aware and compassionate society. We reflect, talk and change through participation in drama and theatre”.

“THE COUNCIL DIDN’T WANT TO FUND US. THEY PERCEIVED US TO BE AN EASY HIT”.

“To raise economic barriers to the access of the arts must inevitably lead to the fracture of our society”, he concludes.

The fact that arts are the first to be cut when times are bad seems unavoidable, but these discussions have illustrated that the cuts will affect the Playhouse’s creative freedom and thus the quality and quantity of work they can produce for the local community.

It is clear that theatre offers an emotional service for its local communities, and theatre practitioners. Without a well-supported theatre, these communities are put at risk.

Eve Wersocki Morris | 51

PAUSE | ARTS

IMPACT ARTS PICK OF NOTTINGHAM’S ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2013-2014 To celebrate the end of the year, Impact Arts have selected a few of Nottingham University students’ top artistic achievements of the last academic year.

LBSS (Latin, Ballroom and Salsa Society) have taken national dance competitions by a storm LBSS have had an exciting year – increased membership, fuller classes, and the competition team is the biggest it has ever been. This year LBSS took 62 members to the national competition IVDC in Blackpool, ranking fifth out of 33 universities. The team have also attended and won NUDC, the regional Northern Universities Dance Competition.

As well as placing 1st as a university, they were finalists in almost every category and the Nottingham couples won extra titles and trophies such as ‘Best Overall Beginners’, ‘Most Promising Beginner/Novice Couple’ and

‘Ballroom Five-Dance Champions’. With two more competitions to attend before the end of the academic year, the team anticipate winning a few more.

Miriam Barriga, a member of LBSS, says “‘I’ve never felt more immediately welcome by a society than LBSS. It’s challenged me in so many ways but equally I have completely loved being a part of the society”.

phenomenal. I will never forget it - it was truly amazing”.

Lauren McDowell said that she also found the experience rewarding: “I will never forget our performance. It was amazing to be able to have such a huge impact on such a large amount of people”.

Ken Li Kim Khiook, another member, says: “LBSS offered me the best experience I’ve had at University. I’ve shared moments of laughter, tears and stress with the LBSS members and I’ve enjoyed every single second practicing this art and sport”.

Nottingham University’s Revival Gospel Choir is the University Gospel Choir of the Year Nottingham University’s Revival Gospel Choir recently won the University Gospel Choir of the Year (UGCY), a competition that has been running for four years. There were eight choirs competing in total, with over 320 singers at the event.

Zoe Pendlebury, a member of UoN’s Revival Gospel Choir, told Impact: “It was

Musicality’s performance of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA was the first show to sell out Nottingham arts centre Musicality’s knock out run of Phantom Of The Opera was the first ever University Production of the show in the UK, and the first production of the show to come to Nottingham. It was also

52 | BACKGROUND IMAGE BY SETHOSCOPE VIA FLICKR

PAUSE | ARTS

“I’VE SHARED MOMENTS OF LAUGHTER, TEARS AND STRESS WITH OUR MEMBERS, AND I’VE ENJOYED EVERY SINGLE SECOND PRACTICING THIS ART AND SPORT ” “Becoming a record breaking show was amazing, I

am privileged to have met and worked with so many talented and wonderful people

the first show to sell out the Nottingham Arts Theatre, making it Musicality’s best-selling production. Their performance reached over 1500 people, and due to popular demand, it is reopening in July.

Elizabeth Jerjian, who played Christine, said that being in Phantom Of The Opera had been the best five months of her life: “Although there was hard training and long weekends, I made bonds with the most wonderful and kindest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet”.

Director Alex Mcintrye told Impact: “Becoming a record breaking show was amazing, I am privileged to have met and worked with so many talented and wonderful people. I am unbelievably proud of the cast – a standing ovation and a sell-out crowd was well and truly deserved”.

Breakdance society got through to the semi-finals of the UK Uni Boy breakdance Championships

One of the crew members, Anson Wong, puts it down to “the bond we shared and the continuous support from everyone”. He reckons “our friendship was reflected in our dancing, our attitude and the vibe we gave off”.

Improv put on their first ever improvised pantomime Their troupe, The Red Herrings, performed a run of five improvised pantomimes for their Nottingham New Theatre show, Bantermime, in February. The troupe trained for at least four hours every day, adding up to more than 100 hours, over the course of the month before the show.

Steven Hardy told Impact: “I had a fantastic time making it, the cast and crew were really talented and fun to work with. Improv is a great

Alex Southern, who is the director for Improv next year, has been inspired by this year’s experiences with Bantermime. He told Impact: “It was a really great experience, and it’s made me want to go on and achieve more as next year’s Troupe Director”.

URN created its first ever radio play This year URN aired its first ever sitcom, ‘Society Rules’. By the end of the academic year it will have hosted six episodes. With a main cast of six, and an ever growing number of supporting characters, this new show will run until the end of the year.

The UK Uni Boy Championships is an annual breakdancing competition which attracts every University breakdancing crew across Britain and Northern Ireland. The Portland Underground Pandas, the University of Nottingham’s breakdancing society, enters for the experience nearly every year, but usually get knocked out in the first round.

Nandita Suria, the General Secretary of the society, says: “We entered this year, expecting the same to happen. However, one half of our crew won two rounds and advanced all the way to the semi-finals, where they narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals. It was quite an experience, and we definitely established a name for ourselves”.

”

way of uniting people”.

Eve Wersocki-Morris, a main member of the cast told Impact: “‘Being in ‘Society Rules’ has given me an insight into how radio drama operates. Plus, reading [the writer] Ben Hollands’ fabulously bizarre and hilarious scripts has been a wonderful experience!”

Cast member Harry Turnbull added that he was proud of Improv’s achievement: “The troupe really performed well. I hope they manage to repeat the same success at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer”.

53

SPORT

From Sportsman

to Statesman: The Sticky Wicket of Populism

He strives to distance the ‘pure people’ from the ‘corrupt elite’ and defend the perceived birthright of popular sovereignty. He mobilises these ordinary citizens across cultural and economic seams of the social fabric. He is motivated by political dissatisfaction and anger. The famous figurehead of an athlete-turned-politician may give the public the mouthpiece they want within the system, but he is not qualified for the responsibility and misrepresents the very people he attracts.

Uprisings have fostered progress throughout history. Rebellious commoners, peacefully or otherwise, have empowered themselves against authoritarian regimes and improved living standards for generations to come. Though recently, people have been turning to the man from sports rather than the man from the courts in order to gain representation.

The current crisis in Ukraine, for example, has seen former World heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko hang up his gloves to lead the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform (UDAR - meaning ‘punch’ in Ukrainian) against Putin and then-President Viktor Yanukovych.

What a sportsman lacks in political experience, he makes up for in celebrity. And people like celebrities. Once a sportsman builds success, the unabating exposure surrounding his life cements him within the public eye. Media attention is vital to make a mark with the people and represent them with legitimacy. Steadfast supporters at live fixtures, Twitter followers, daily readers of the back pages and viewers

54 | JOHN MASTRINI

of Sky Sports News all come to recognise the sportsman’s face and personality, giving him an immediate advantage in politics.

At a time when public opinion of politicians has nose-dived, a former sportsman running for office gives voters the chance to elect what they want: a confident leader with whom ordinary people can connect. Much of the hitherto disengaged electorate is lured back into the political arena with a free ticket to support their sporting hero.

There are fitting links between sports and politics. A sportsman, like a politician, pulls in crowds with his familiarity in front of cameras and practice behind the microphones. He is used to performing under pressure in the public eye. Traits of leadership - public speaking, motivation, being a role model - come as second nature to the erstwhile team captain. He who succeeded individually in sports comes with a determination to be the best in a sea of talent.

Voters reward candidates who are strong, both mentally and physically. Mentally, a sportsman, like a politician, is able to cope with media criticism, heckling and controversy. Physically, his athletic appearance lends itself to a photogenic, charismatic personality that appeals especially to the younger portion of society which is usually the least likely to turn out on polling day. For a retiring sportsman, a foray into politics seems a braver career progression than the beaten path of coaching or punditry.

But, for everyone else, it is not necessarily the best one. How often does that regular down the

pub chide politicians for coming from the same privileged background and failing to represent normal people’s interests? Someone who has never been employed outside the entertainment industry hardly seems in touch with the average citizen. Someone who earns thousands a week for raising their heart rate above resting every now and then has not lived the same life.

Someone, it should be apparent by now, who is almost always male, only serves to reinforce the problem of gender inequality in politics. Sports fans re-entering the political sphere should be careful what they wish for.

Citizens of democracies around the world enjoy the right of universal suffrage to elect their representatives with a mandate to act in their interests. Yet the general population’s imperfect knowledge causes it often to misjudge what really is in its best interest. A power-hungry sportsman may proclaim to be a man of the people against the establishment, but with few formal qualifications and a weak grasp of the polity, he limits the scope of debate on issues of international importance.

That people need Klitschko and co. for the good of their respective countries comes with dangerous repercussions in modern democracy.

Some have punched above their weight, but very few have reached positions of high office.

The ‘tyranny of the majority’ is not immune from former sportsmen in politics. Perhaps he should throw in the towel and stick to what he knows.

SPORT

Meet some of the sportsman turning statesman Name: Sebastian Coe Nationality: British Sports career: Four-time Olympic medallist (1980, 1984) in middle-distance running Politics career: Elected as an MP (Conservative) in 1992, became Life Peer in 2000, and headed London’s bid for the 2012 Olympic Games and became chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

Name: Vitali Klitschko Nationality: Ukrainian Sports career: World heavyweight boxing champion (2002-2008) Politics career: Ran for President of Ukraine after the ousting of Yanukovych in 2014, before withdrawing and endorsing Petro Poroshenko.

Name: Imran Khan Nationality: Pakistani Sports career: National team captain (1982-1992), Cricket World Cup winner (1992) Politics career: Founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in 1996, elected as a member of the National Assembly (2002-2007).

Name: Manny Pacquiao Nationality: Filipino Sports career: World boxing champion in eight different weight classes Politics career: Elected to the Philippines Congress in 2010.

Name: George Weah Nationality: Liberian Sports career: Footballer for Monaco, PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Marseille (1992-2001), FIFA World Player of the Year (1995) Politics career: Ran for President of Liberia in 2005 but lost in the second round, and formed the Congress for Democratic Change party.

Name: Menzies Campbell Nationality: British Sports career: 4x100-metre finalist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, 100-metre British record holder (1967-1974) with a time of 10.2 seconds Politics career: Elected as a Liberal Democrat MP in 1987, and became Lib Dem leader in 2006.

Name: Bill Bradley Nationality: American Sports career: Two-time NBA basketball champion (1970, 1973) with the New York Knicks Politics career: Democrat senator for New Jersey (1979-1997). Lost out to Al Gore in the 2000 Democratic presidential primaries.

Image credits (clockwise from top): dan thomas, GovernmentZA, ming campbell, Jim Rettig, the daily sports herald, Henrich BĂ–ll stiftung, marco residori

55

SPORT

What’

s At Y

our Uni

UoN FEN CI

?

NG CLU

Impact S bladew port caught u p ork, Bo nd and with Matt Wil liams a buffets nd Jac …

queline

To an outsider, fencing seems intimidating.

How would you describe it to a novice? Is it quite an expensive hobby?

MW: Each year half of our club is made up of beginners looking to give fencing a go, so we get asked this question quite a lot. Fencing is a fast and athletic sport that is far from the slower choreographed bouts that you often see on television, like The Musketeers and James Bond. There are three weapons that you can use in fencing - Foil, Epee and Sabre - each with their own rules and targets.

In terms of cost, fencing unfortunately has a reputation for being an elitist and expensive sport. In reality fencing can be a very cheap sport, our club has all the kit required to fence to a national standard. All you have to do is turn up to our training sessions.

What skills are you looking for in a good fencer?

JC: Motivation, confidence, and a great attitude. Having participated in sport previously is helpful, but not necessary.

The initial sessions are filled with learning basic footwork and bladework, and after that the learning curve increases dramatically.

Success in fencing depends not on the skill set you bring to the weapon, but rather the determination to master the skills you acquire once you get here.

Cordell

from U N

B

FC to ta

lk

How would you describe the atmosphere of UNFC? What do you get up to in your socials?

JC: As an international student, I noticed right away how inclusive and welcoming the Nottingham Fencing Club was, and their genuine enjoyment of fencing lends itself to the laid-back nature of the club. Out of all the fencing teams I’ve been a part of, Nottingham creates the most welcoming environment for students of all ages and abilities.

MW: For socials we like to reward ourselves for the hours of training that we put in. Whether this is by going to Crisis on a Wednesday, attending our Christmas and Spring Formals or simply going out for dinner at Red Hot Buffet, we always invite the entire club to all of our events so that nobody feels unwelcome.

Does the club take part in local or national competitions?

MW: Competitively we hold a club competition in all three weapons and for beginners at the end of each term, with prizes for the winners.

We also attend the BUCS National Fencing Competition in February which is tough but rewarding, as well as a number of other large Fencing Opens. We also try to send as many beginners as we can to regional Beginners and Intermediate Competitions throughout the year.

56 | Jonnie Barnett | Photography by sylvain sechet via flickr

How would people interested get involved?

JC: Come talk to us. Whether it be at the Welcome Fair, at one of the taster sessions, or even just stopping someone wearing a Nottingham Fencing hoodie on campus, we’re all here to answer your questions.

MW: If you’re new to the sport then I would recommend attending one of our Beginners taster sessions at the start of each semester.

We then hold beginners courses at both Jubilee Sports Centre (Mondays 19:0021:00) and Sutton Bonington Sports Centre (20:00-22:00) throughout the academic year.

If you miss a taster session then please get in contact with a committee member and we can help you catch up. After a year you will then be promoted to intermediate level, where you will choose a blade to specialise in and after two years we look to promote you to advanced classes, where you will be given the opportunity to Fence for the University in one of our BUCS Teams.

Email UNFC at unufencing@hotmail.co.uk to find out how to get involved.

Join the UNFC beginners courses at Jubilee Sports Centre Mondays 7-9pm and Sutton Bonington Sports Centre 8-10pm.

SPORT

Where Should You Go For

Froch vs.

Groves -The Rematch?

George Groves will step into the ring with Nottingham’s own Carl Froch on May 31st, to try and take Froch’s super-middleweight titles, just months after the pair faced off in Manchester. Following their fight in November, there was an outcry from the boxing world after fans watched veteran referee Howard Foster step in to end the fight in the ninth round, awarding Froch the victory by TKO (Technical Knockout).

Make it happen

It’s not uncommon to hear a fighter protesting a TKO defeat: ‘I could carry on’ they tell the ringside cameras. But it’s less common to see the public rally behind the defeated fighter so unanimously, and then to have the boxing authorities agree and order a rematch.

No doubt the atmosphere on the night will be brilliant, and watching live is going to leave you with brilliant memories. Then again, a student budget doesn’t really stretch to floor tickets, so if you’re more interested in the fight than the night, you won’t be getting a good view cheap.

Which brings us to where we are now – a few weeks away from the hotly anticipated rematch at Wembley. Both fighters have promised to put on a show for the 80,000 ticket holders (60,000 of which sold out in under and hour), both are confident of leaving London with the belts secured, and both are happy to tell the media how on top of their training they are.

We’re talking about watching Carl Froch here, Nottingham’s boy. The opportunity to surround yourself with proud fans in the centre of town is incredibly tempting. Plenty of venues are planning big nights, and the tickets for the best are still cheaper than booking your Wembley seat. The Southbank will be its usual bouncing self and no doubt packed out for a loud night of home support, but there are quieter options if you’re just looking to take in the fight on the big screens.

Wherever you choose, the city centre atmosphere will be electric and united behind The Cobra.

It promises to be a great fight, but if your student budget can’t stretch to fight night tickets, what are your options?

Get up early and stalk the Ticketmaster website to bag yourself a ticket.

If you haven’t already managed to get yourself a ticket to watch live, it might not be too late. The event capacity has been upped to 80,000, meaning a new batch of tickets will hit the market any moment now. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll be in in for a great night of boxing, surrounded by thousands of people rocking Wembley who have shelled out somewhere between £30 and £500 for their tickets. Why? ‘Mainly for the atmosphere,’ says first year Economics student, Dave Thompson, who got his ticket in the first offering. ‘I’ve been to watch fights live before, but the hype after the first match and the buildup should make this one really special’.

Hit the town Grab your mates and head to one of Nottingham’s bars showing the fight live.

Stay in and save your cash Make an evening of the fight and celebrate it student style with your mates at home.

Why spend all your money on taxis, the bar or tickets when you can invite your mates round to your place and make your own party? Whether you’re opting for pay-per-view or huddling everyone round a laptop screen, a fight night party is guaranteed to be a winner. Obviously the atmosphere isn’t going to match the real deal, but that’s what friends are for, and for the student on a budget, heading to a mate’s house could be your best bet.

photography by press association | james hirst | 57

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