issue 1353

Sport scholarship special Ben Whitelaw takes an in depth look at what's available to the University of Birmingham's most talented athletes P26

REDBRICK

9th OCT 2009 ISSUE 1353 VOL 73

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1936

www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Sociology Department under critical review Helen Clough and Becky Shewell OVER the past few weeks, rumours have been circulating campus that the Sociology Department at the University of Birmingham is due to close, causing widespread confusion for both students and staff. The reality of the situation has not been officially addressed, as staff failed to successfully inform students of a review of the Department that began at the end of last term.

Confusion was created when many students came across an article on the 'Times Higher' website which claimed that the University's Sociology Department was to close. The article recognized that a review of the Department was underway after it was revealed that it was under-performing in the national R.A.E assessments.

Alongside this, the article addressed the fact that ‘the Government's cap on undergraduate numbers, combined with over-recruitment by other Birmingham departments, saw Sociology's first-year student intake fall from 100 to 50 this year.'

For many students, this was the first they had heard about the situation. Although the review began at the end of last term, it seems that students were not informed about it by the Department. Bridget Jones, Vice President for Education and Access explains: 'Students received a letter about the review from the Review Group Chair, Stephen Shute, in their pigeon holes at the end of last

term, but none of the students actually picked up the letter.

This means that many students only heard about the review for the first time during its final stages, when they received an email about two weeks ago or from what they had seen on The Times website.'

On receiving this email, many confused students did reply with questions about the situation, but to no avail. A Sociology student, who wishes to remain anonymous, replied saying, 'This all seems quite out of the blue - I have also not received any notifications about this review' and the student claims to have had no response even after being in direct contact with the department about the matter.

The student in question also commented, 'A lot of disruption has been created during the past few weeks and organisation in the Department has been poor.' There is also speculation that the review is to blame for the cancellation of one of the second year core modules, Global Societies.

Another Sociology student, who also wishes to remain anonymous, has commented, 'I am just about to apply for a Masters Course at the Sociology Department in Birmingham.

With all these problems going on, where does this leave me for my future career prospects?'

Despite concerns among students that the department will close, Professor John Holmwood of the Department, urges that the Department is only being reviewed and though this process does include con-

Music

18

Sam Langtree, up close and personal with the Maccabees

Film

13

Still suffering a hangover from Welcome week?

Film has the answer

Features 9 The student loan fiasco is examined

by Jen Waghorn

Photo: Pete Blakemore Former Sociology house sidering the possibility of closure, this 'does not mean that it is either a preferred or likely outcome.'

The Department also wanted to make clear that the review and potential closure of the Department will not affect students already on the course.

These are very standard procedures and there is no evidence that the Department is likely to face the same fate as its predecessor, the Centre for Contemporary Social Studies, which was closed seven years ago, seemingly without warning. This left 11 of its 14 staff

members facing redundancy and 210 students unsure of their academic future over the summer.

The review is currently still underway, with its report due in late October. In the meantime students can voice their opinions to the Sociology Review group by emailing the secretary Charlotte Wellington on c.a.wellington@bham.ac.uk.

If you have any thoughts or opinions on the issues raised in this article please feel free to comment on www.redbrickonline.co.uk and let us know what you think.

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2 News

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

On Campus News

Calendar

Contributors: Becky Shewell, Natalie Vincent.

Lucy Hawking visits the University ON Wednesday 7th October Lucy Hawking, author and daughter of Stephen Hawking visited the University for a one-off lecture talk entitled 'Travel Through Space with Lucy Hawking – George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt'.

The talk, which happened in the Poynting Building's Large Lecture Theatre at 6.30pm and was completely free, was a big success.

During the presentation, Lucy discussed the mysteries of physics, science and the universe through the eyes of the characters of her children's novel George's Secret Key to the Universe, which exposes the concept of science and space to younger readers.

Lucy, who is an acclaimed author, wrote the book, which was published in 2007, with her father, Stephen Hawking; Lucasian Professor of

Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University.

George and the Cosmic Treasure Hunt, another of Lucy Hawking's books was also published earlier this year.

University of Birmingham voted one of the top 20 Universities in the Country THE University of Birmingham has moved up four places from last year's ranking on the Sunday Times University list and is now sitting in joint 20th position with the University of Leicester.

Birmingham was recognised and shortlisted for the University of the Year Award due to its teaching and research excellence. The University was also noted for its commitment to Cancer Research and for it being environmentally friendly with its five hydrogen cars.

The University has

also broken into the top 75 Universities in the world this year, demonstrating its national and international strength.

New Concert Hall to come to the Univeristy of Birmingham.

A NEW 450 seat concert hall is coming to the University of Birmingham and is set for completion in 2012.

It is set to fill a vacant space in the centre of campus near the clock tower; the way it was originally designed in the early 1900's.

The new area will also house the Music Department, which was recently ranked as second amongst all music Departments with 85 per cent of the work streaming from it classed as 'world leading'.

Although it will cost around £5 million to complete, the University has already managed to raise £3 million through its Alumni and friends.

Birmingham Half Marathon Sunday 11th October THIS Sunday, runners from around the country will be lining up in their running shoes, for the first ever Birmingham Half Marathon organised

by Birmingham City Council.

Participators are set to run an exhausting thirteen mile loop around Birmingham, starting from Paradise Circus and ending at Centenary Square, in Birmingham city centre.

The race covers most of the major roads across Birmingham including Broad Street, Pershore Road, Edgbaston Park Road and roads throughout Bournville and Digbeth. The run is set to cause closure of all these roads and many others connecting them.

Most of the major bus services in Birmingham will also be cancelled on

the day. This will affect students, as buses from Selly Oak into the city will not be running.

The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships are also set to take place ealier on Sunday. This means that runners in the EDF Half Marathon will be literally running in the footsteps of around 200 of the world's best runners, who are representing over 50 countries in the Championships.

The run has been organised by the energy suppliers EDF Energy, in conjuncton with Birmingham City Council. The main message for the day is to raise awareness for climate change by adding the slogan; 'The Race Against Climate Change' to the half marathon.

However, there are evidently many different messages which will be sent out for the day as many runners are being sponsored to raise money for a charity of their choice.

String Quartet visits the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham Friday 16th October NEXT Friday at 1:10pm an outstanding young people's string quartet will be visiting the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at the University of Birmingham for an outstanding oneoff performance.

The quartet are among the most reputable in the country and will be conducting the performance for free.

The group have won numerous awards across the country and worldwide for their fantastic performances.

Among the awards they have received include: 'Outstanding Young Artist Award' at the MIDEM Classique Awards in Cannes.

During their performance, they will be including several works by Schumann and Beethoven.

Picture of the week William Demaine

Picture of the week is taken from the photo essay 'Indonesia bound' by William Demaine and is available in full at www.redbrickonline.co.uk

4 News

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Campus News

Controversial coffee chain divides student opinion across campus

AS many of you are aware the start of the new academic year has seen the opening of a new branch of Starbucks on campus at the University of Birmingham.

The issues surrounding the new Starbucks have divided student opinion across campus.

For some students the presence of the coffee chain has brought a quality product and an attractive meeting place. Many are happy with Starbucks, commenting on the quality of the products.

However, for other students it represents University support for a big corporate company, with a contraversial history.

Allegations against Starbucks include accusations of union-busting and unethical business techniques. In the United States its high prices has led to people dubbing it 'fourbucks'.

Helen Clough

Furthermore, there is controversy surrounding Starbucks domination of Britain's high streets and the market for cafe shops and businesses, already struggling in the recession.

Many are concerned that the Starbucks Corporation are eliminating smaller local businesses by removing competition and raising prices.

The new cafe is also attracting attention with its futuristic lift and mixed sex toilets.

Considering this, many students are shocked by the arrival of yet another Starbucks in Birmingham.

The new Starbucks can be found on the ground floor of the Muirhead Tower building, which definitely merits a visit. The building is also a famous example of postmodernism, and has recently re-opened after a 2 year, £45 million refurbishment.

This week, Redbrick has asked students for their opinion

about the newest addition to the campus... Starbucks

Rachel Rees

Ellie Sayers

Pippa Calver

Eleanor Tompkins

Geography 2nd Year

Lacrosse Club Captain

Environmental Management, 3rd Year

Business, 2nd Year

'After lectures it's hard to resist the temptation to nip in for a coffee, if only it was cheaper!'

'I love the design, the comfortable chairs and the friendly staff'.

'It's sad that the university were unable to find a company who would support the West Midlands economy and local producers'.

'The lifts are really weird and I dislike the fact that the toilets are mixed gender'.

Society puts student morality to the test

Soldier abused

NEW University Society 'Agape Student Life' has held a raffle during fresher' week in which the prize placed one studentwith a difficult moral dilemma.

The winner of the raffle had a choice of prize, between either two goats for the developing world or a brand new Ipod.

Over 13,000 students entered the raffle throughout the week and it was drawn in Mermaid Square

by VPSAD Emma Packham .

The result revealed that the anonymous winner chose to keep the Ipod rather than send goats to feed a family in Africa.

The raffle was used not only to promote the society but also to raise awareness of the plights of developing nations and the simple measures that can be taken to aid them.

The group 'Agape Student Life' who staged

A SEVERELY disabled soldier received a barrage of abuse from local youths in what a Bournville councillor has described as a 'despicable inccident'.

Sapper Matthew Weston, 20, who lost both his legs, an arm and most of his hearing in Afghanistan, was subjected to verbal jaunts whilst waiting for fish and chips in Selly Oak.

The youths in question allegedly shouted taunts at Weston, which has been reported by the Birmingham Mail. Among these included; 'Haven’t you forgotten something?

Oh yeah, your legs', and ' If you didn't want to be blown up, don’t go to war?'

At the time of the inccident, his girlfriend and mother were with him and reported feeling 'mortified' about the situation. Mrs. Weston, 40, commented: 'I didn't

Natalie Vincent

the event, are a Christian Society, although they aim to target people of secular belief that wish to discuss spiritual issues.

Another main focus

of the student society is to create a safe environment for moral discussions to take place. They also aim to help students with issues that affect

The grand draw taking place in the Mermaid Square

any part of their lives.

For more information about the society, you can email them at agape@ guild.bham.ac.uk

Ned Murray

know what to do when they shouted the legs insult. I choked back the tears before pushing Matthew away and could hear them laughing.'

Weston required lifesaving surgery after he was injured while on patrol with the 33 Royal Engineers in Hellmand Province during June of this year.

Nigel Dawkins, councillor for Bournville, told the Birmingham Mail: 'I know I speak on behalf of everyone in Birmingham in offering our sincere apologies to Matthew Weston for this despicable inccident. I am ashamed to be a Brummie, to know that there are people out there who are so mindless and stupid.'

The soldier had spent 11 weeks at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak Hospital. He had only been omitted for two weeks when this awful inccident occured.

For more information see the Birmingham

News

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Local News

Students losing pounds at no extra cost with new scheme Alan Pooley THE generation of the lazy Student is no more this semester, as Tiverton Gym opens its doors to all residents within the Selly Oak and Birmingham areas by offering free gym membership.

Even more students are now putting down that greasy portion of chips from Adam's Place and replacing it with a supersized portion of running, weight-training and an overall healthier lifestyle.

This gut-busting new proposal is all thanks to Birmingham City Council's new PCT scheme, which offers to promote a more universal attitude to general fitness by trying to encourage everyone and anyone to get involved.

Rob Arthur, a longtime resident of Selly Oak, has recently taken to the complimentary rowing machines and thinks that the new PCT Scheme is a great move from the local council. 'The fact that it's free is awesome, it's made

me more active and has motivated me to keep going. It's a great idea for the more casual trainer too; you can come and go as you please.'

Induction to the gym itself comes with a oneoff fee of £10, although

PCT-member admission times are limited from the early morning until 4pm every day. Expect the gym to be exceptionally busy at peak times and be prepared for a long wait before you can start pumping iron as the queue

for induction dates is ever-growing.

The new scheme supports the Government's attempts to encourage a healthy lifestyle to fight the growing obesity epidemic in the UK.

The Tiverton Pool with New Student Scheme in place Photo: Jonny Price

5

Brawl on Bournbrook Sian Beck A TEENAGE girl was rescued from a stream in the early hours of the morning on the 28th September after a brawl erupted in the centre of Selly Oak. Emergency services were called to the scene of the incident after receiving reports of about thirty people fighting in the middle of Bournbrook Road. By the time the police had arrived many of those involved in the accident had disappeared, supposedly in the direction of Luton road.

The victim told members of the ambulance staff who rescued her from the stream that her boyfriend and herself had become involved in the fight. She then went on to explain that during the scuffle she had been thrown from the bridge down into Bournbrook from a drop of about 9 feet.

Fire crews had to use ladders to reach down to

the girl who was then rushed away to Selly Oak Hospital for treatment of a broken arm and a minor head injury sustained during the fight.

One witness described the scene as 'really frightening. Me and my housemates heard loud shouting outside our house and when we looked we realised there were loads of people fighting in the street.'

Another witness said 'I've seen a couple of fights in Selly Oak before but none quite as dramatic as this one.'

Out of thirty people reportedly involved in the epic fight, only one woman was taken away in police custody.

The majority of the rest fled the scene before they could be rounded up and escorted away by those who responded to the emergency calls.

Fortunately no one else was reported to be hurt during the incident.

University News

Department is Number 1 Laura Hewitt THE University's Department of American and Canadian Studies has been ranked first in the country after the National Research Assessment Exercise 2008.

For research excellence it finished in equal second place overall, but it is the only department in the top three in the country to offer Canadian Studies as part of its degree program, making the University unique in its brilliance.

Furthermore the University of Sussex, which finished in first place, is apparently set to close its American Studies department next year, meaning that the University of Birmingham will be in first place for American Studies also.

Professor Dick Ellis, Head of Department, said he was 'very pleased' by the findings and pointed

to the experience, innovation and hard work of staff in explaining the department's success in the national arena.

Last year the department received worldwide attention when the typescript scroll of Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road went on display at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts for the first time outside of North America.

This momentous occasion demonstrates the University's status on a global scale when it comes to American related symbols of culture and history.

Professor Ellis, who curated the exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the novel's publication, said that this was one example of the department’s success and that many projects had contributed to its high national ranking for research and departmental admiration across the country.

University Archaeologists find Anglo-Saxon gold Caroline Mortimer A HOARD of mainly gold and garnet pieces of ceremonial weaponry and armour has recently been excavated with the help of the University of Birmingham.

The hoard is of unprecedented size, with approximately 1500 gold and silver pieces, and the most exciting Anglo-Saxon discovery since the excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1939. Popular consensus at the moment is that the gold dates back to the 7th century when the West Midlands were part of the kingdom of Mercia and were buried in the ground for safe keeping as England was in a state of almost constant tribal warfare.

The significance of this find is enormous. It confirms many existing theories about the time period and how the system of power worked. It

further washes away the old stereotype of this period being a 'Dark Age' because it shows that this was a time of enormous political and cultural upheaval as the rival kingdoms vied for power. This is the first major hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure as previously all findings have been centred on burial sites. It is also unique in terms of the quality of the artefacts found, as gold is an unreactive metal so it does not erode or tarnish.

The vast majority of these were battle-related and the hoard is unusual in that there were few typically feminine pieces such as jewellery or coins.

Pieces of helmets, swords and ceremonial crests were found, all too ornately decorated to be used in battle. This showed the existence of a war-like society where military might was very important.

The gold was discov-

ered back in July by a metal-detector enthusiast who took it to a finds liaison officer in Staffordshire.

Alex Jones, the director of the Birmingham Archaeology Department, was invited to help excavate the site. It will be officially valued in London next month; the gold is

Gold on display at BMAG

currently said to be worth over £1 million. The display is attracting interest in the Midlands and the rest of the country at the minute and the discovery is expected to significantly increase our understanding of the AngloSaxon world and those who lived in it.

6News

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

National News

Media-multitasking causes 'brain overload' for students James Williams SAT in front of Hollyoaks with a laptop on your knees, looking through the photos from last night

already up on Facebook is a typical student scenario, frequenting most Selly Oak living rooms in 2009.

However this seemingly harmless and relaxed attempt at 'media multi-

tasking' has been identified as being extremely harmful to the brain, according to new research commissioned by Stanford University, California.

The study found that

by combining several activities such as instant messaging whilst watching 'YouTube' videos and listening to the radio can actually result in a 'brain overload' and inhibits cognitive function.

The study discovered 'heavy media multi-taskers' took significantly longer to respond correctly to tests which assessed a person’s ability to switch from one task to another in the presence of background distractions, such as television or radio. 'Light media multi-taskers' in comparison found it significantly easier to switch between them as they did not suffer from this ‘brain overload’.

Stanford insisted that further research using a wider selection of media sources and participants is essential before anything conclusive can be derived from the information; yet this study is something students in particular should pay attention to.

Photo: Tom Flathers

New course excludes poor Jane Hickman THE University of Birmingham's American and Canadian Studies department is preparing to launch a new four-year Business and American Studies degree, which enables students to spend their third year working in the USA as part of a 'learning in the workplace' initiative.

This is a fantastic opportunity for students at the University and those taking part in trials of the programme have expressed great enthusiasm for the skills and experiences they have gained from it.

However, the government enforces strict guidelines which means that no grants for living costs are available for the year abroad (compared to the year spent studying in a US university where a full – albeit means-tested – grant would be provided).

Students coming from a disadvantaged background will there-

fore struggle to afford the year abroad.

Consequently most of the students who undertake the degree are likely to be relatively well-off. This discriminates against poorer students and Professor Richard Ellis, head of ACS (American and Canadian Studies), is currently hesitant about proceeding with the course on this basis.

David Lammy, Minister for Higher Education, told the recent Universities UK conference, 'Employers tell us that they value the kinds of skills and experience acquired through periods of study abroad, so I urge you to look at ways in which course curricular can be adapted and made more flexible to include short periods spent abroad'.

This statement is clearly at odds with the funding stance of the Department of which Lammy is part of.

Professor Ellis hopes UB and the NUS will take up this important matter.

International Charity Co-ordinator encourages students to become 'Global Citizens' Becky Shewell THIS week Redbrick had the chance to interview Pierre Mendy, Livelihoods Project Co-ordinator for Concern Universal (CU) a small international development charity.

The charity, based in the West Midlands, focus on long- term development projects in the poorest communities in the world, mainly across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Their projects aim to ensure that these communities are left with the vital skills needed to be sustainable in the future after the charity has left.

Pierre Mendy, who lives in Gambia, now works directly with his community to carry out CU's projects, the most recent of which is the 'Families Project'. Mendy explains: 'We create discussions between community leaders and market co-operatives in order to negotiate a fair price for the produce cultivated in

the villages. This prevents exploitation and encourages solidarity between the farming communities.'

The team have created over 42 marketing co-operatives; giving these communities a legal status to sell their produce at the market. Mendy comments: 'These methods give communities a tool to become responsible and have ownership of their own development.

This way, they can be sustainable in the future without needing to depend on charities.'

Another project which has had a drastic impact on life in his home land of Gambia is the 'Life Project'.

Mendy and CU's Gambia team have set up two farming colleges for children who have missed out on an education due to circumstances such as poverty, family bereavement or teenage pregnancy, which are rife in the area. 'The children learn skills at school in the morning and then practice these in the afternoon

by farming on community land. Not only are they contributing to the community, but they are learning vital skills which will sustain their future.'

Mendy has been travelling around Europe for the past six weeks, giving talks in schools and other institutions, in order to share his experiences and raise awareness of how lucky we are here. 'I want people in the UK to appreciate the resources they have here in comparison with life in countries like Gambia. I also want to raise awareness about the situation in Gambia and the excellent work CU has carried out.'

Although CU is a small charity, Mendy wanted to stress the impact and the success stories that CU has had. He said, 'The charity may be small but it has had big effects in terms of concrete action and creating results on the ground. CU's work has also created a positive attitude in Gambia, where people want to get involved with the projects

and change their future.

For this reason, the people of Gambia have voted Concern Universal as the best charity working amongst their communities.'

Mendy urges other people to get involved in the worthwhile cause in any way they can, to help eliviate suffering in the world and increase hope and education. He said, 'It is so important that you give back what you can to the world. We all must become global citizens and have an understanding of our world.'

If you would like to play your part in the fight against global poverty or investigate the issue further, visit the website www.concernuniversal. org CU are also looking for student groups to fundraise on their behalf in order to raise money to keep projects like these going. For more information, please contact us at Redbrick News: news@ redbrickonline.co.uk

Pierre Mandy, who works alongside 'Concern Universal' in Gambia

Features

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

The Survival Guide Jude Hill breaks down freshers' preconceptions of university life

Make a list of what to take This way you can look back at the list that you compiled before you came to uni and laugh at how much stuff you thought you would need.

Unfortunately the chocolate fountain didn’t get used, the game of twister accumulated dust and no spontaneous fun. The iron, despite being a good idea, became more of a paperweight than anything else.

Sort your room

Make the most of Freshers' Week It will be the only time that your body will be healthy enough to maintain a seven day drinking spree. It will also be the only time that your parents will be willing to bail you out before reading week of the first semester. It is all about making the most of the events and the fact that your parents are still missing you, rather than getting used to the quiet, mess-free, teenager-less house.

A freshers' bedroom: never tidy and seldom cleaned Photo: Tom Flathers

Make sure you work out a budget Then you have something to show to your parents when you claim that all the money was 'stolen from your bank account', and they need to inject some money into it. It doesn't always work, but with enough crying and tantrums you should have an extra couple of hundred to spend on booze and Tesco value food.

Eat healthily Only the most optimistic parents will believe that their children will wake up on their first morning of university, run into the kitchen and make a banana smoothie

to go with their muesli.

Meals will most likely be a) missed b) fried c) instant, all dependant on time.

Joining societies is a great way of making friends When joining a society, even with the best of intentions, the chances of you being involved with it three months later are slim. That £30 you spent at the societies fair will be looked back on like a broken promise to what you could have made of your extra curricular university life. Instead you decided to watch Jeremy Kyle whilst hung over.

Get good names

Clocking Off Laura Hewitt

EVERY single fresher will have undoubtedly heard thousands and thousands of tips about what university will be like, what they will experience and how they should deal with it.

There will be too much booze, too little sleep, expanding waists and decreasing health.

You will hear this from your parents, cousins, friends, neighbours and anybody that you talk to about the potential of university life.

We have decided that we will add one more voice to the mix: ours.

The following is all advice given by various official sources but we have decided what they equate to in the world of clock towers, lions and brummies.

Moving in day, flat inspections, parent visits. These will be the only times during your first year that the squat that you call a room will be tidy. You may attempt to clear it up, but you will get half way through and find something either more interesting or suitably offputting to stop. Make the most of sanitary conditions whilst you can.

7

with

You never know when you will need to know the name of a random person that you met in freshers' week. They could have a ticket you need, know somebody that is of interest to you, or could become the president of a society that you want to join.

Ultimately, despite what we say, despite what your parents say and despite what anybody else says, university is an independent experience.

You could end up with a First and a great job, or you could end up with hundreds of friends and an intimate knowledge of daytime television. Make your choice now.

SOMETHING fairly humiliating happened in the pub last night, which I feel is ample material with which to begin my first Features editorial.

A harmless-looking bloke approached our table as we sat down and addressed me with the following: 'This is a dare, and I'm sorry, but I have to tell you that you're fit but too skinny, and could do with a lard buttie down you.'

I could see his mates guffawing in the corner as I waved him away, sat down, and tried to work out whether or not I should be offended. Was that a compliment? Or an insult? A laddish catcall, or a pointless putdown?

I'm inclined to think it was the twenty-year old's equivalent to pinging bra straps in the playground. An immature chat-up line with the chance to show off in front of your mates.

Perfect.

Except it didn't feel like that. This guy had commented on something highly personal in front of my friends, and left me feeling pretty inadequate. Would it have been any different if he had said, 'You're fit but too fat and could do with going on a diet?'

What's strange is that I’m not skinny at all, or fat – I'm a very normal size 12. So long as I am happy and healthy, I don't particularly care what anybody else thinks of my appearance, least of all random blokes in the pub. But such public, group misogyny is a behaviour that should never be socially acceptable – and FYI, certainly won't get you a date.

There may be those who read this and understand perfectly the mindset of these lads, who cannot work out why I am worked up by what was clearly just a harmless joke. Please let me know if I am missing something here. Our new website will enable you to comment on this piece, and all the others in the section, with your views.

Let's start a debate.

Debate is key to Features. As a section it is difficult to define, but comment and controversy, based on wellresearched facts, is

what we are aiming for this year. Take the anecdote to which I have just related. I start with my well-researched facts i.e that boys are stupid. No, I joke; the facts are the incident and my comment is that boys are stupid. Some may disagree but I maintain my opinion.

Of course, we hope to base the section this year around more sophisticated and groundbreaking topics.

From next week, articles based largely on personal opinion will be classed under the 'Comment' area of the section. The central preoccupation of Features, however, will be detailed investigations into an important and interesting issue, topic, event or situation. Being grounded in plenty of fact will justify its position in the paper in coming after News. On the other hand, however, and most importantly, we will not apologise for such facts bearing the personal slant of their author. This is what makes these pieces Features.

We want to encourage as many people as possible to write for us.

The section is about your ideas and what's on your mind. We also want it to be the work of a team. If you want to join us (on an informal and friendly basis of course), come along to the meetings and pitch your ideas (Tuesdays at 5pm, in Student Development).

Alternatively, email them to features@redbrickonline.co.uk.

For me, teamwork was epitomised at the end of yesterday evening. As we were leaving, my co-editor Jude approached the offending lads and said something to the tune of, 'This is a dare and I'm sorry but I have to tell you that you're a…'(you can use your imagination to finish that off). It may have been a low blow but it was a moment of satisfying victory that will hopefully demonstrate a relationship of perfect teamwork over the coming year.

8 Features

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

All change on campus Our Features team investigates the new building work around the Edgbaston site Chancellor's Court Auditorium PLANS are in place for the completion of the semicircle of red brick designed by Sir Aston Webb and Ingress Bell, and constructed in the early 1900s. It will be the new home of the Department of Music (the University has a history of music dating back to the appointment of Edward Elgar as the first Professor of Music in 1905).

The building will include a 450-seat concert auditorium, practice

rooms, electroacoustic studios and teaching rooms. The Aston Webb buildings are Grade II listed, therefore the aim is for the design to be 'sensitive to the setting' and 'compliment and respect the original architecture', according to posters put up by Estates in University Square. The new section will mirror the existing buildings by using highquality materials such as red bricks, but will aim to incorporate contemporary elements of architecture too. The work will begin in spring 2010, last for 24

months and cost ÂŁ18 million.

Your Views: 'The plans look fantastic.

It'll sort out all the problems we have at the moment, such as the lack of rehearsal space. I'm just sad I won't be here to enjoy it.'

Katy Walker-Theuring, third-year Music student.

'It's a good thing they're sticking to the original design, it's how it should be.' Charlie Price, second year Ancient History Student.

The Aston Webb building Photo: Tom Flathers Muirhead Tower AFTER two years of renovation and ÂŁ42 million, the new Muirhead Tower is finally open. The new home for the College of Social Sciences, the tower incorporates new teaching rooms, social learning spaces and the new Cadbury Research Library, which will house the University's Special Collections in one place. The original design did have underlying architectural merit, so the plan has always been to maintain its original form, whilst meeting the needs of the

new generation. There have also been significant environmental benefits in repairing the old structure. In fact, energy conservation has been important throughout the design process; its heating systems are fed in cooler months by waste heat from the University's electricity generating plant, rather than using conventional boilers which burn gas and create carbon emissions.

One word reviews: 'Modern', 'impressive', 'steppy', 'overwhelming', 'comfy', 'special', 'a high-

light' and '1984-y.'

The lifts A friend and I experienced at first hand the absolute frustration of watching lifts open but not being able to get into them for fear of being transported to an entirely different floor. Combined with the incessant sound of four electronic voices in some sort of Orwellian like trance, what should have taken a few minutes lasted a quarter of an hour.

The Muirhead Tower Photo: Tom Flathers Guild Redevelopment

Tom Pratt

The Guild's new retail area Photo: Tom Flathers Subway refurbishment LESS visually appealing than the Muirhead Tower and Aston Webb projects, but, if anything, more important, is the refurbishment of the network of services tunnels underneath the campus. Unknown to the majority of members of the University, these tunnels carry steam, heating, hot and cold water, power, data and communications systems. 90 per cent were constructed in 1950s and 1960s, so they are now due for crucial work for things like asbestos removal, pipework renewals and waterproof-

THIS has been in the pipeline for several years, but its main introduction to students came during last term when then Sabbatical officers Hannah Lazell and Mark Smith presented plans to Guild Council for the imaginatively titled 'Guild Build', which highlighted the proposed revamping of the Guild's retail area, as well as the relocation of Joes and a sprucing up of the 'Underground' night-club.

Most of the job has been

ing. Most of the work can be done underground, although some needs to be done above ground, hence the building work in University Square. It will be done over this summer and next summer.

For the time being the green boards that we have all become fairly accustomed to, have created space for advertisements for the Barber Institute, have windows in (for all the nosy students or closet peeping toms) and more information on the building works for anyone interested.

The new subway development Photo: Tom Flathers

done over the summer, and the new retail area of the Guild was opened in September. It appears to have stepped well and truly into the twenty-first century, with a silver 'Star Trek like' entrance pillar and the introduction of the IT service Smartfixit has proved a lifeline to students suffering laptop problems.

However, some students have suggested that the money invested in the Guild re-vamp could have been spent better elsewhere, especially in the current economic climate.

Others have questioned whether the old saying 'if

it aint broke, don't fix it' applies.

However, it is important to realise the focus of the redevelopment, which is on membership services. Student Development will be moved from its current position in the basement of the Guild to where Joes bar is currently situated. The ARC and the Jobzone will be given new promenence and the fantastic work that students do on a daily basis will be put on centre stage for all visitors and students to see.

If you have any comments please log on to the website and let us know.

Features

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Medicine vs Media

9

Neil Chanchlani gives a medic's perspective on the controversy-hit HPV vaccine

The University Medical Practice Photo: Tom Flathers THEY say no press is bad press, but health experts had good reason to accuse the media of 'scaremongerin'’ last week. Salacious headlines such as 'Friends

pay tribute to schoolgirl cancer jab victim Natalie Morton' undoubtedly describe what was a tragedy, but were factually incorrect. The teenager died

soon after receiving the HPV vaccine, but a postmortem revealed that the cause of her death was in fact an undiscovered malignant tumour.

The repercussions?

Attacks on the NHS, playing the blame game with the Department of Health and a lot of stress for GlaxoSmithKline, the vaccine's manufacturer. Their Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for US licensing was put on hold; the batch of vaccine that was being used at Natalie's school was recalled; and although reports of halting the vaccination programme in the UK were false, parents across the country suddenly became reluctant to allow their daughters to finish the course of vaccination. And all this before the post-mortem had even been released.

It's easy to point fingers when a tragedy such as this occurs, especially when it may have a causal link to the medical profession. Writing in The Guardian, the spokesperson for the Science Media Centre, Tom Sheldon, admitted:

'It was natural to wonder whether the vaccine had anything to do with Natalie's death. She had had a jab that day and shortly afterwards she died. Who wouldn't ask questions?'

However it's important to bear in mind some facts. 1.8 million young women have been given the jab since the programme began in September 2008. Of these 1.8 million jabs, until now, there have been no deaths directly linked to the vaccine, which can be defined as a death within (roughly) seven days of being injected. Of course there have been adverse reactions, which can be separated into three types: local, including pain and redness at the site of injection; general, including fever and being sick; and thirdly, severe allergic reactions, as in the case of Natalie Morton.

To the credit of the worried public, even if Natalie’s death was attributed primarily to her tumour, receiving the jab clearly had a role in the rapid deterioration of her health. But has the inci-

dent scared the population away from a positive and important vaccine? 'I know many parents who wouldn't take a risk of 1 in 1.8 million and, most likely, would stop further vaccination on their daughter,' said Thomas Daniel, third year medical student. A thought that probably ran through many parents’ minds on hearing Natalie's case.

Although 12 to 18 year-olds can have the vaccine for free in a threeyear NHS catch-up campaign, older girls must pay an average of £400 to be vaccinated. It is not something that is targeted at universities because the proportion of students who are virgins is much lower than that of girls aged 12 to 13. The vaccine's effectiveness falls from 99% at this age, to 44% over the age of 18 because there is more chance of having already been exposed to the human papilloma virus that causes the cancer. If the virus is already present in the body (and there is currently no way of testing for it), then the vaccine is

rendered ineffective.

Yet many sexually active students still choose to have it, and not all have been affected by the Natalie Morton case. Kate Rosie, a 2009 University of Birmingham graduate, pointed out, 'The media did this exact same thing when the MMR vaccine was claimed to have a causal link to autism in the late 90s. When people looked into it more, they found the medical evidence suggesting nothing of the sort.'

However, when asked, eight out of ten students said that Natalie's story had made them hesitant, if not question the safety of the HPV vaccine. The public has been scared, but at what cost will this come? The vaccine could save up to 400 of the 1000 people who die from cervical cancer each year in the UK. Some think that's high, some think it's low, but what's important is how you reacted to the news yourself. Did you take a second to review the medical evidence or did you follow the hesitation herd?

year student told me that she sent a letter to Student Finance England a month ago and has still received no reply.

Even when applications are processed, the loans are taking too long to arrive. One first-year student I spoke to said that her application was actually cancelled by the loan company as it had been 'lost in the system'. When they finally found her details, she was told that she would have to wait eight weeks before she received her loan. Another student was told that they would be waiting even longer for the much-needed money to arrive: it would 'probably be sent to him by the spring term'.

For many students in need of immediate financial support, the situation is unacceptable, and yet there is no alternative but to wait until the chaos subsides.

Despite the widespread frustration, Lynne Condell (Chair of Association of Student Money Advisers) has advised students: 'don't panic, the crisis isn’t too bad',

pointing out that 830,000 applications have already been processed so far. The majority of banks offering student accounts provide an interest-free overdraft, meaning that students in urgent need of money won't have to repay quite so much when their loans do arrive.

Some students I talked to have found no problems with their applications: 'What’s all the fuss about?' asked Katherine Wallis, a second-year History student, explaining that she had received her loan at the start of term, and was unaware of the furore surrounding the late loans.

Clearly for some the system has worked smoothly. But it remains to be seen that the haphazard handling of the applications – added to the overloaded administration and the inability to make contact with the company – has left 17,000 students facing a serious cash crisis this term. Until Student Finance England gets itself organised, they can only watch and wait.

Moans about loans Jen Waghorn discusses the current student loans fiasco THE start of term has not been good for students, financially at least. A record 170,000 student loan applications have been unpaid, leaving thousands in severe financial difficulties.

But why have problems this year been on such a large scale? One of the reasons for the mayhem is the newly centralised student loan company, Student Finance England – which now processes every application in the country through a single body, instead of channeling them via the local authorities.

This new system, which should have been in place by last September, was in fact only ready by February this year, when applications had already started to flow in. Ralph Seymour-Jackson, Chief Executive of the Student Loan Company, recently apologised publicly for the problems, claiming that a 17 per cent increase in loan applications, 'triggered by the recession', had resulted in up to 5,000 applications a day leading up to the start of

term.

It is clear that the new system has been overloaded. But surely a rise in loan requests would have been foreseeable, given the rising number of students applying to universities? With the 'new improvements' shouldn't it

have been easier to deal with students' loan applications, not harder?

Talking to various students at the University of Birmingham reveals specific faults with the new system. The inability to contact the loans company has certainly caused

serious problems. Some have rung up to apply, only to be put on hold for over two hours. Others hoping to contact Student Finance England online have been exasperated by the removal of any contactable email address on the website. A second-

Up to 170,000 students will have to start looking after the pennys until their loans come in Photo: Tom Flathers

10

Features/Film

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Thinking outside the UK box

Martin Theaker discusses the ignorance increasingly faced by Europhiles 'ANGELA who?'

This wasn't a line in a joke, but a response to whether this person had heard of Angela Merkel. The answer was clearly 'no'.

This, in itself, is no joke. Merkel was elected Chancellor last week by the largest economic and political power in Europe.

Germany held a general election yet the event passed by largely unnoticed by the majority of British newspapers – and citizens.

Of course, the two are linked. Obama's successful election campaign last year received wall-to-wall coverage, and any student who now says 'Obama who?' probably shouldn't be at university. The argument behind this is that Britain and America enjoy a shared language (although trying to imitate the US has its obvious drawbacks – military commitments and endless reruns of Desperate Housewives among them). By comparison, any interaction with our closer neighbours usually involves losing a football quarterfinal, which can't be good

Angela Merkel, the newly re-elected German chancellor for diplomatic relations.

Many would argue that it is Britain's island status that keeps it so euro sceptic and aloof. Even so, it's the twenty-first century; it seems outdated to base an

Opening Credits

entire global outlook on a twenty-mile stretch of water today used more commonly for booze cruises than national defence. Yet they ignore that Paris is closer by rail to London

than Edinburgh. The apathy regarding events in the countries nearest to us is all the more surprising when you consider that the decisions currently being taken to resolve the

economic mess are going to directly determine how expensive life is for our generation in the future.

We are seeing falling numbers of GCSE and ALevel foreign language applications and little interest in the European election; Britain averages a thirty percent turnout compared with ninety percent in Belgium. But, European politics are very important to how this country is run. For example, the yes-vote in the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty will determine the future shape and strength of European organisations over our own national government. This could determine a wide variety of things, not least how our higher education is organised. Big decisions such as whether to join the Euro will also be very important in the long run.

However, it isn't all bad news for Europhiles, and cosmopolitan universities are leading the way.

The number of students taking advantage of opportunities for work and study in Europe has recently seen an upsurge,

with schemes such as Erasmus now assisting well over ten thousand people.

There are numerous societies in universities across the country dedicated to experiencing international cultures. For those who enjoy travel, inter-railing has traditionally provided a method for students to sample European architecture, food and breweries without breaking the bank. Taking all of this into account, the future for young people enjoying these experiences looks more promising than the papers admit.

Those studying European languages are clearly switched-on to their benefits. They increase your employability, broaden your horizons and enable you to finally understand what the baddies are saying in war movies.

Europe has as much to offer anyone, especially students, as America does.

By taking advantage of opportunities abroad we can broaden our knowledge and understanding of our neighbours. Maybe that way we'll finally be able to beat them on penalties.

Film of the Week Tom Walters takes a gander at Disney-Pixar's latest joyfest: Up

Alex Jacques & Rosie Wilmot Ok, so the new term brings a rather sexy filmnoir transformation to the newspaper, but hey, all the best films are in black and white. It's classy, dramatic and very cool, so we're happy. It's going to be an awesome year for film- I have yet to meet a person who isn't very excited about Up, out this week and reviewed by Tom Walters; the beautiful-looking Where the Wild Things Are, out in December; and of course, the next instalment in the Twilight series, gracing UK screens next month. In other news, Mike Brownlee brings us a scathing report on Ricky Gervais's new film The Invention of Lying, and Dan Richford and Genevieve Taylor review Joe Wright's The Soloist, and Pandorum, a

sinister sci-fi flick starring Dennis Quaid. We're also pleased to announce the maiden voyage of our new feature Justified Existence, in which Simon Fairbanks and Amber Alexander tell us just why Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney deserve to make the cinematic canon. Abi Mealey gives us a quick catch-up on what's been happening over the summer and what new projects we can expect from the wonderful world of film. However, if you've been burning the proverbial candle at both ends and just want to lie under a duvet, quietly moaning to yourself and sipping Lucozade, then we have the perfect solution for you in the form of Kim Loynes' Top Ten Hangover Films. Sit back, let the first few lectures go in one ear and out the other, and just enjoy a good movie. You deserve it.

The second Pixar outing for director Pete Doctor is the tenth film in the Pixar canon. Born out of Doctor's idea of escaping life when it becomes too irritating, the story revolves around 78-yearold widower, Carl Fredricksen, dragging his house around the South American jungle. The story begins as Carl views a news reel which introduces us to his idol, explorer Charles F. Muntz.

He soon meets Ellie, a scatty tom-boy who is also an avid fan of the intrepid explorer; they instantly become inseparable. Carl makes a promise to her that one day they will travel to South America and visit Paradise Falls together. There follows a hugely moving montage that shows us Carl and Ellie’s life together, its ups and downs from teenage hood, through marriage, a terrible discovery at the hospital, and their life as they grow old together. Carl sets up a fund in order to pay for the trip, but life gets in the way as a storm damages the house, doctors bills amount, and so on. Just as Carl scrapes together enough money, buys the tickets and pre-

pares to tell Ellie at a romantic picnic, she falls ill and soon passes away.

When developers force Carl via a court order to live in a nursing home he ties thousands of balloons to his roof and flies away to fulfill his promise, accompanied by an 8-year-old stowaway named Russell who has been attempting to earn his 'help the elderly' Wilderness Explorer badge.

Once they arrive in South America they meet plenty of characters, a rare chocolate-obsessed multi-coloured female bird that Russell names Kevin, a trio of often scene-stealing dogs much like The Lion King's hyenas, and an ominous

canine filled valley again hugely reminiscent of the disney classic. There's plenty of action with several chase sequences across ravines, airships, and even a fight sequence between geriatrics with stereotype induced humour.

It’s amongst Pixar's most ingenious, wellrounded and original efforts to date, a film that expertly seg-ways between comedy and tragedy; it's beautifully animated, touching and laugh-outloud adult funny too. It's given such emotional weight by the way the aftermath of Ellie's death is treated; Carl spends much of the film clinging onto those memories, quite literally as he is

tethered to the house they once shared. The story as is usually the case for a Pixar movie is as unconventional as can be, but it wouldn’t be a Pixar film if you didn’t leave the cinema feeling fulfilled, and Up has a suitably heartwarming end.

VERDICT Another Pixar classic, and a marked improvement on somewhat disappointing recent fare such as WALL-E and Cars, however Up doesn't reach the highs of both Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc., or their box office numbers. Lets hope the studios next film, the third installment of Toy Story, lives up to expectations.

Film

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Film News Abi Mealey So summer's coming to an end, but we can't help thinking fondly of the film releases that entertained us during the rainy days, whether it was big blockbusters like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, weepy chick flicks like The Time Traveller's Wife or comedic ventures like Bruno and The Hangover. It may have been cold and wet outside, but things just didn't seem so bad when we were snuggled up in the cinema watching Johnny Depp as the charismatic John Dillinger in Public Enemies. However, not even Depp's suave charm can heal the pain that the death of Patrick Swayze has inspired in fans worldwide. Best known for his roles in cult classics such as Dirty Dancing and Ghost, the 57-year-old lost the battle to pancreatic cancer on September 14th after a 20 month struggle with the disease.

Then, as if to add to

Invention of Lying

our grief, director Richard Linklater has quashed rumours of a School of Rock sequel, which was supposedly set for release in 2011, but hey!

If you're a fan of Barbie then your luck is in because the blonde icon has landed her own film.

Universal Pictures have recently acquired the rights for Barbie's first live action film. This week if you're looking for something with slightly more depth then new releases Ip Man, the semibiographical martial arts film, Sci-Fi Thriller Pandorum or Horror flick Vinyan may be more to your taste.

Also this week, fans petition for Rupert Grint's new movie to be shown in cinemas.

Despite good reviews, Cherrybomb, a coming of age drama, is struggling to get a distributor for cinema release.

Michael Brownlee Directors: Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson Starring: Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Louis CK, Jonah Hill, Rob Lowe Certificate: 12A Gervais co-writes and directs this comedy, which certainly has a few things to say about life, people and religion

Mark Bellison (Gervais) is an unsuccessful screen-writer, who

lives in an alternate reality in which no one is capable of lying. Just when Bellison is at his lowest point he discovers he 'can say things that aren't': he becomes the first human to lie. Bellison begins to wield this power to his advantage and unwillingly becomes a Messiah after he tells his dying mother a lie about where you go after you die.

Set in a world where no one can lie and people are brutally honest, this

film has a great premise for a comedy and all credit goes to Gervais for coming up with such an original idea for a film. It starts very well, with the compulsive truth-telling creating great joke after great joke.

Memorable scenes that spring to mind are when Jennifer Garner admits what she was doing alone before Gervais arrived for their date and how Coke is advertised as 'brown sugary water', which you should still buy anyway. In a scene where his mother is dying, Gervais shows that David Brent isn't the only role he can play and he emotionally tells her where she is going to go.

It is after this point that the film takes a bottle-nose dive into an unconvincing religious satire and a romantic comedy in which the love story gets boring very quickly. The film takes a very easy shot at religion and ideas about the afterlife, but this isn't what bothers me most. The main problem is the very predictable and tiresome love story.

11

Themes and jokes are repeated: for instance the joke about how Jennifer Garner doesn't want 'little fat kids with snub noses'

by Gervais and how Rob Lowe is her true 'genetic match' get old very quickly.

The classic awkward Gervais scenes just aren't as funny as usual and the ending is painfully predictable. However, there are enough laugh-outloud moments to warrant it being called a comedy, and Louis CK and Tina Fey particularly stand out from the many supporting characters. Gervais has again showed here that without Stephen Merchant he is about half as funny, and perhaps one of the best scenes in the film is one involving Merchant and good ol' Barry from Eastenders.

VERDICT It can only be good news that Gervais' next film will be British-based and co-written and directed

by Stephen Merchant.

Justified Existence Imagine if your favourite actor/writer/director were on Death Row- how would you justify keeping them alive? Two of our writers go head to head in the first installment of our brand-new feature Amber Alexander

Simon Fairbanks

WHEN I think about women in the film industry today, I immediately conjure up images of scantily-clad starlets swanning around in perfume adverts or Megan Fox...in denim hot-pants... anywhere. It seems that there are few great actresses left; you know, those exceptional women who outlive their Hollywood sell-by dates and continue to make fantabulous films, not because they ooze sex appeal but because they actually possess extraordinary talent.

Laura Linney is one of these remarkable few.

She's so convincing in every role she takes, that while watching her you forget that you are actually witnessing an artist at work. She is the perfect example of what an actress should be, and if she were to disappear tomorrow Hollywood would come one step closer to becoming a total cesspit of botox and bad acting.

A true chameleon, Linney has worked on a wide array of different films and always takes on complex, diverse roles. In The Truman Show, Linney plays an actress who must convince her unaware husband that the life

NOT gifted with the conventional Hollywood looks of a leading man, Phillip Seymour Hoffman went down the standard route of making an impact as a character actor.

With an unparalleled range, Hoffman has it all on his CV: sex pervert (Happiness), religious zealot (Cold Mountain), , sycophant (The Big Lebowski) and tortured artist (State and Main). His ability to become the characters is unnerving: watching him flare his nostrils whilst waiting on the telephone in Capote confirms this. How many actors would have thought to do that?

Two performances need to be singled out, both directed by longtime collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson. His role as a gay boom-operator in Boogie Nights is both sweet and endearing, and his nursing of a terminal patient in Magnolia is a master-class in acting. We see the character comfort the wife, find the lost son and become more emotionally-invested as death approaches. It is an emotional rollercoaster, and we are left with a feeling of complete catharsis.

Unfortunately, not enough people knew

around him is real and not in fact a television show created by an irritating producer with a 'God' complex. Linney's skill lies in her subtlety; in You Can Count on Me, for which she deservedly received her first Oscar nomination, she is able to express growing frustration for an impossible boss with just one simple look of incredulity. In The Savages, which earned her another Oscar nod, Linney portrays effortlessly the nuances of a slightly odd, confused woman who lies about things that don't even matter. Linney isn't scared of playing difficult roles and won't allow herself to be put into a box. Her wide filmography includes the chilling drama Mystic

River, the English romcom Love Actually and the quirky indie flick The Squid and The Whale.

Linney is able to bring depth and sincerity to any character she plays, and it seems that there is nothing this woman can't do.

Laura Linney certainly is a rare breed, elegant and intelligent- we need more women like her in the film industry. Let's face it, there's a much larger pool of renowned male actors than there are female ones, and if certain actors decided to hang up their boots tomorrow, they could easily be replaced. Laura Linney on the other hand is one of a kind and needs to stick around.

about Hoffman, despite this track record, except the critics and film fanatics.Three years later however, Hoffman finally did receive some Academy recognition when he bagged the Best Actor Oscar for Capote, and fortunately or unfortunately, it transformed his career.

Suddenly he was appearing in mainstream cinema: Oscar-baiting movies (Charlie Wilson's War), Richard Curtis comedies (The Boat That Rocked) and Tom Cruise's action film (Mission Impossible III).

It goes without saying, Hoffman is the best thing about all three, but this newfound 'mainstream Hoffman' is certainly more vulnerable to cynicism.

Having said that, even

I, as a Hoffman-junkie, find myself groaning whenever I hear someone say: 'He should play the Penguin in the next Batman film.' Once you get that Oscar, you either become a joke (hello Halle Berry) or you spend a lifetime trying to return to the excitement of arthouse film-making.

Luckily, Hoffman just managed this with The Savages and Synecdoche, New York, but fame is hard to shake.

However, we need to remember there is a reason we fell in love with Hoffman originally: the performances have never wavered, the range is as broad as ever and he has finally reached his long overdue leading-man status. Here's to the Hoff.

Film

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Top Ten: Hangover Films 7) Finding Nemo

Kim Loynes WAKING up bleary eyed, with a head that could implode at any moment and a stomach begging to never be given alcohol ever again, my first thought comes to me: 'Where did I go last night? ...Oh yes, I remember, Calvin Harris, the Guild.'

And then my second thought: 'I NEED water' and then finally, 'I could really do with a shower but that's not a realistic goal right now'. So what can a hungover student do to pass the time until his or her ability to move in a safe manner returns?

To quote Alexander the Meerkat, 'Simples': watch a film! And to make it easier for your recovering brains, here's a list compiled especially for those worse for wear moments:

10) Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me Anything quotable by Mike Myers is OK by us, even if this was the beginning of his noughties career nosedive.

Pretty talking fish and lots of bright colours.

Perfect for your bleary, tired eyes to adjust and re-adjust, without worrying too much about what bits of the plot you're missing.

10 Will Smith in a suit. He does his own theme song and it's still as awesome as it was when you were nine, what's not to like?

8) Star Episode VI

Wars:

Excusing the Ewoks, this is by far the best Star Wars and you get to see Darth Vader's face, whilst murmuring 'Use the force Luke', every ten to fifteen minutes.

8

Director: Joe Wright Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downy Jr Cert: 12A Being held back from the last Oscar season and pushed into a mid-year release, I was expecting a somewhat tepid film and was ready to review it as such. I was wrong. Very wrong indeed. The film is in fact a great one, with some high-class performances and an extraordinary ability to stir one's emotions.

From Joe Wright (Atonement), comes another moving film, but one that takes him from

his period-drama comfort and into a current, much more gritty area: modern LA - the home of 90,000 homeless people and one fascinating, quietly powerful true story.

Robert Downey Jr. is Steve Lopez; a columnist for the LA Times who, in the need for a story, stumbles across a mentally ill, homeless Nathanial Ayers playing a two-string violin next to his shopping trolley of belongings.

Played superbly by Jamie Foxx, Nathanial begins to come out of his shell, revealing to Lopez how such a talented musician managed to fall on times so hard.

Despite some fairly clichĂŠd characters - the

3) Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy

6 5) Ghostbusters

7 6) The National L a m p o o n ' s C h r i s t m a s Vacation Obviously more popular at Christmas but an easy watch for anytime of the year, this film provides enough visual slapstick entertainment to give your thumping ears and head a breather with gags involving an oversized

The Soloist

Dan Richford

more sense when hungover.

Christmas tree, blinding fairy lights and an exploding sewage drain hurtling Santa into the sky.

9) Men in Black

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This film allows a short break from the reality of upcoming lectures and seminars and throws you into the world of four men fighting ghosts and paranormal activity in New York City. Perhaps not the best one if you've managed to bring up last night's take-away due to scenes containing Slimer, resembling the inside (or now possibly outside) of one's guts.

Johnny Depp undoubtedly makes this movie with his spot on performance of 'Captain' Jack Sparrow, a popular one with the girls and then there’s always Keira Knightley for the boys. This is also where the hangover becomes a bonus as you suddenly find yourself oblivious to Keira Knightley's 'acting skills'.

2) Grease This is a perfect hangover day film! Sit back with your duvet and paracetamol and enjoy John Travolta's amazingly high voice as he stares at Olivia Newton John's bum. Its

2 upbeat tone and fast pace will also hopefully inspire you to do something; namely getting up.

1)

The Hangover

Naturally this had to be in the list and, in my opinion, at number one. You can watch this safe in the knowledge that no matter what you did last night it will NEVER be as bad as what these men got up to.

4) Beetle Juice Probably less known than others in the list, but this weird and wacky film is definitely worth a watch and probably will make

1

Pandorum

story-hunting journalist and 'content-with-whathe-has' homeless man the film is intelligently written and thickly layered with sentiment, with some impeccable, and at times brave, directing from Wright, especially in his Fantasia-esque depiction of how Nathanial sees Beethoven as vibrant colours dancing and pulsing to the progressive classical symphony.

VERDICT A top film about LA's underworld, the power music has to inspire, and a loveable boy genius, losing his way along with his mind.

Genevieve Taylor Director: Christian Alvart.

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet Cert: 15 Trapped on a spaceship with few others, threatened by the onset of madness, stalked by a posse of rabid, unknown creatures and fighting for humanity. Sound familiar? It should. The plot foundations of Pandorum have been told and retold throughout the history of sci-fi cinema, but while it does have its inconsistencies (a spider apparently materialized from thin air, some confusing talk of wives, and

Dennis Quaid), writers Travis Milloy and Christian Alvart do bring some original and intriguing ideas to the plate.

Acting is the underrated Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand, Get Over It) who turns in an acceptable portrayal of a character full of paranoia and terror but sadly lacking any real emotional drive.

Quaid is gifted a smaller subplot but is easily overshadowed by the highlight of the picture, surprisingly in the form of ex-Twilighter Cam Gigandet who does the mystery fatalist a treat.

Supporting cast are obviously on the slim side but are led by world-champion martial arts man Cung

Le, giving the superspeedy fight scenes some pizzazz, and stunning German newcomer Antje Traue.

An atmospheric lack of lighting aids the film's horror sequences, often all we have is the light of one small blue torch. This is a brave move from director Alvart, and it pays off, fuelling a cold tension and essentially saving the movie from being a poor example of the 'paranoia on a spaceship' trend shown so well earlier this year in Moon.

VERDICT A perfectly decent and enjoyable example of scifi horror.

14 Arts & Culture

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Theatre

East is East @ The REP

The Proposal @ The Crescent

Jess Kim CULTURE clashes, family drama and circumcisions, its all happening in 1970s Salford. Ayub Khan-Din’s renowned play that was adapted into the BAFTA winning film of the same name in 1999, celebrates a home-coming of sorts with its return to its original home, The REP. George Khan and his wife Ella, bicker with each other and their brood of children, over how to raise them – whether to force them to conform to his patriarchal, traditionalist Muslim values or to

let them fit in with the Western cultural environment that they feel they are part of.

While the characters could be accused of being caricatures or over-blown, their larger-than-life personalities effectively help the cast of ten fill The REPs cavernous main stage and suits the bolshy humour of the script.

The Khan siblings manage to bring huge warmth to their incessant fighting and bullying, in particular the ever-mocked, Sajit, played

endearingly by James McGlynn and Belinda Lang's Ella Kahn is an ode to matriarchal control/despair at her family's antics and idiosyncrasies.

There is an amazingly well pitched constant swing between volatile family feuds and touchingly affectionate moments, balancing the drama and comedy of the play perfectly. A triumphant return for a modern classic.

East is East is on at The REP until 17th October.

A happy suburban family...Photo courtesy of The REP

A wee review for a wee production...

ONE of Chekhov's famous one-act farces, translated

by Michael Frayn, the production, while meagre in length (an anorexic half hour) is loaded with potential and energy. Simply the story of a misguided and fraught marriage proposal, the cast of three (the father, the daughter and the suitor) plunge themselves into their characters with great energy and vigour.

The stand-out performance was Andrew Cowie as the much-harassed father-of-the-bride to be.

His asides to the audience oozed exasperation and harassment that only the father of daughters can truly experience.

The audience responded warmly and enthusiastically to the slapstick antics of the trio and their bouts of irrational panic and hypochondria.

The stripped down set and intimate studio venue meant that the audience could concentrate fully on Chekhov's humorous, if uncharacteristically base, dialogue and fully enjoy the fleeting experience. An endearing performance of a marginalised genre.

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Ballet

Convention

The British International Comics Show @ The Think Tank Sam Langtree

ATTENDING a comic book convention can only be described as an act of social suicide. However, despite the notion of incredible geekiness these events are all about, I must admit there is something strangely compelling about them. This is a chance to dress up as your favourite superhero and along with fellow enthusiasts, get stuck into the buying of original artwork, attend a lecture on the best decade of Marvel's publications or meet an idolized artist/ writer.

As a relative novice in the world of comic books I was slightly overwhelmed by what was going on. Batmans, Bobba Fetts and Judge Dreads all rushed around the convention, which took up half the third floor of Birmingham's shiny science museum. Although featuring merchandise and artists of betterknown comics such as Marvel and DC, much of the focus was on British independent comic companies. While this was interesting and also more

fitting with a British convention, most of the comics I had never heard of, although this may just be my own ignorance in the world of graphic novels.

That said, there were obviously many gifted artists rooted at stalls doing doodles of fans.

Overall, it made for an interesting experience, but I felt that for anyone new to the world of comics to be able to fully

Arts & Culture

enjoy the event, a fair amount of research beforehand would need to be done. This along with the £12 day pass and the huge prices of everything inside, made it feel a slight rip-off. Despite this though, the BICS is the largest comic convention event in the UK and in its fourth year is still going strong. Hopefully it’ll get even larger and weirder next year.

Michiru Morikawa: rising star of the comic world

Previews

Cyrano @ The Hippodrome Alice Rogers IN line with the successes of his previous ballets, David Bintley’s Cyrano was another stellar production. The story follows a young man with a big nose and an even bigger heart as he tries to woo the Lady Roxanne.

Unfortunately, his hopes are dashed when Roxanne reveals her affections for the handsome Christian.

However, Christian’s inability to read or write places Cyrano in a tricky position when he has to compose Christian’s love letters for Roxanne.

Speaking from his heart, Cyrano aids Christian and the two marry.

What makes this production special is the amount of strong male leads, uncommon in a ballet in which the women are usually at the forefront. Robert Parker shone in his emotive portrayal of Cyrano, making the audience fall in love with him despite the prosthetic nose! The ensemble numbers, involving the cadets, were full of energy and power and were a delight to watch, and the choreography seamlessly blended sword fighting and ballet. The real strength of this performance, however, was the

flawless integration of the tragic love story and the hilarious comedic performances which had the audience laughing in their seats.

Like all Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) productions the scenery was faultless and really aided the story-telling. However, the complexity of the backdrops did result in fairly long change-overs

between acts, which perhaps ruined the pace of the story in some places.

Having been to many different ballet productions, BRB and otherwise, I believe that this is one of the most enjoyable to watch. It had everything; love, revenge, comedy and big noses. If you ever get the chance to see Cyrano I highly recommend it.

15

Upcoming events & shows that we think you'd like...

David O' Doherty @ The Glee Club, Friday, 9th October, 7.30 pm - The Edinburgh festival fringe award winning comedian returns for his second UK tour. Tickets £11.

Postcards On The Edge @ The Old Joint Stock, Friday, 9th October, 8.00 pm - A musical comedy that promises a mixture of stand-up, satire and monologue. Tickets £10.

Something About Nothing @ Stock, Saturday, 10th October, - Matt Pritchard's comedy show plain 'everything about nothing.'

The Old Joint 3.00 & 8.00pm attempts to exTickets £8-10.

Battle In The Box @ The Drum, Sunday, 11th October, 7.45pm - A night of lyrical kung-fu awaits as MCs battle each other for wordsmith supremacy. Tickets £5.

The Winter's Tale @ The Crescent, Wednesday,14th - Sunday 17th October, 7.30pm - Adaption of the Shakespearean classic, shown alongside a tale of 18th century grandeur-obsessed France . Tickets £7.

Ha Ha Hitler! @ The Old Joint Stock, Wednesday 14th October, 8.00pm. Pitched as 'The most hilarious war story, never told!' Tickets £12.

Gregiev, Mariinsky & CBSO @ The Symphony Hall, Wednesday 14th October, 6.15pm Two great orchestras meet for what no doubt will be a riveting performance. Tickets £5 - £48.

Return to the Caribbean @ The Drum, Thursday, 15th October, 7.30pm - An interesting examination of aging Caribbeans returning to their native roots. Tickets £8.

The Idiot Colony @ The REP, Friday, 16th October, 7.45pm - Three woman in a mental asylum recount their memories. Tickets £10.

Cyrano nose his prose...Photo courtesy of BRB

Comedy

Art

Musical

Music

Al Pitcher's Picture Show @ The Glee Club

The Staffordshire Hoard @ BMAG

We Will Rock You @ The Hippodrome

175th Birthday Organ Concert, Thomas Trotter @ Town Hall

Lexie Frost & Rachael Hogg INCONTINENCE is always a concern at comedy shows.

So the first positive report from The Al Pitcher Picture Show is that Al allows peeing. Indeed he is most anxious that the audience is not in for 'a long hour' of leg-crossing.

Handy this, as your reviewers had prepped their senses with a couple of Bellinis.

In and out the bladder-heavy mob trouped, yet this only added to the convivial atmosphere at The Glee Club on Friday.

Hecklers were encouraged, but not out in force... the only weak attack from a girl who 'couldn’t see'. She was swiftly silenced and then referred to throughout, much to the delight of the audience.

From the same school of surrealist musings as Ross Noble and Eddie Izzard, Kiwi Pitcher proceeded to give a lecture to Brum on er... Brum.

Using pictures he had taken that afternoon

whilst strolling the city if this format will work as centre, we toured an un- well in larger venues? explored Birmingham of But for this night the rubbish graffiti: publicity- boy done good, concludshy illegal immigrants, ing the evening by coaxmorose balloon sellers, ing Redbrick into a faux and the obligatory 'Mr lesbian display with sevEgg' shot. eral photos of the audiAl won over the crowd ence (see Facebook!). with more of a Brummie Come back and see us celebration than your sometime Al. You'll be standard ranting comedisure of a warm an. His good nature genwelcome and erated a decent rapport a kipper with the audience, tie. fortunately not gaining laughs through cruelty.

The concept fitted with the venue size as it depended on intimacy and audience participation.

As Al told Redbrick after the show: 'It's just an idea that w o r k s wherever you take it'.

If Mr Pitcher hits the big time as is widely predicted, one w o n d e r s Photo courtesy of The Glee Club

Sophie Rycroft KEY items from the most significant discovery of Anglo-Saxon treasures can now be seen at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG).

Thousands of people queued to get an eyeful of the gold artefacts so beautifully crafted that they are speculated to have been of Royal ownership.

Although the hoard was found in July it wasn't until the end of September that the pieces were unveiled to the public with great success. In fact, the exhibition has been so popular that the BMAG has decided to extend its opening hours for the duration of the exhibition. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to have helped reduce the extensive queues in which I was stood for two hours in the rain with Freshers' Flu. I must admit I was beginning to doubt if it would be worth it. When I finally got a glimpse of the discoveries it did clarify what all the fuss was about; they were certainly

an astonishing find.

However, it did make me realise the drawbacks of viewing something that had only just been discovered. Firstly, there was still mud on many of the pieces and secondly, there was very little information available about them, simply because no one knows yet. The pieces were labelled but most of these labels consisted of

trying to describe an 'uncertain item' of 'uncertain use'.

So were they worth seeing? Definitely, but were they worth queuing for? Debatable.

The Staffordshire Hoard is on display at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery until 13th October.

Photo courtesy of the Staffordshire hoard website

Jemma Saunders ON tour from the West End, We Will Rock You is a musical born from the songs of Queen and the imagination of Ben Elton.

The production features twenty-three of the band’s best-loved hits and follows the journey of young Galileo Figaro, the “Dreamer”, as he and his companion Scaramouche attempt to revive the long lost phenomenon of rock ‘n roll on the oppressive Planet Mall.

As storylines go, it’s clear that a plot has been created to try and fit the songs rather than vice versa, in a similar vein to the ABBA musical Mamma Mia! But if you approach the show with the outlook that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, this shouldn’t be an issue. In any case, Queen’s music truly lends itself to the theatre: while certain songs strike a poignant note, such as No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young), those more with a more upbeat tempo can hardly fail to animate the audience, clear examples

being Crazy Little Thing Called Love and, obviously, We Will Rock You itself.

Any musical needs great characters as well as great songs, and noone is more memorable in this production than the villainous Killer Queen, who is determined to prevent the discovery of ‘the place of living rock’. Her opponents are the Bohemians, named after singers of the past and led by the attractive Brit (-ney Spears) and his feisty sidekick Meat (Loaf). It’s the usual matter of goodies versus baddies, with a bit of romance thrown in between Galileo and Scaramouche and the kind of comedic moments you’d expect from the cowriter of Blackadder. A tried and tested formula, yes; but one that works well, and with the majesty of Queen’s music as the backdrop, We Will Rock You is not to be missed.

If you missed it while it was in Birmingham, you can still catch it at the Dominion in London.

Rachael Hogg 'HELLO! Nice to see a couple of people bringing down the age considerably'. Although this may not be the best welcome to a concert and although I may have been around fifty years younger than the average ticket-holder, the 175th Birthday concert for the Town Hall organ was an amazingly enjoyable night. Thomas Trotter (Birmingham City’s Organist, a highly prestigious post held by a mere 7 men since 1834) entertained the audience with a diverse programme including Mendelssohn, Bach, Elgar and Weber. He eloquently and humorously talked the audience through the 175 years of the Organ which, when built, was the second largest organ in England (fact!). Trotter is regarded by some as one of the best organists in the world and this was highlighted through his amazing dexterity, range and the sheer speed of his footwork. Thalben-Balls 'Variations on a theme of Paganini for Pedals' was one of the most impres-

sive things I have ever seen. People should not be able to move their feet that quickly!

He also 'showed off' the true range, 'special effects', and colours of the organ in Lemmens 'Grand Fantasia, The Storm'. The sounds created actually realistically

emanated a storm, complete with raindrops, thunder and huge winds, culminating in a cheeky use of the concealed bells, hidden within the organ.

Completing the night, Trotter returned to the stage for an encore of his own transcription of Leroy Anderson's 'The

The roguishly handsome Thomas Trotter Photo courtesy of Town Hall

Typewriter' (you’ve probably heard it on a radio quiz show somewhere), which provided a witty and humorous end to an interesting and different night out.

Happy Birthday Town Hall organ...may you have many more happy years.

16 Editorial

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

REDBRICK EDITORIAL

Please send all letters to letters@redbrickonline.co.uk. Letters/emails for publication must be marked 'for publication' and include your name and course title. Letters without these details will not be published. We reserve the right to edit letters.

Nick Petrie GOOD morning and welcome to this years first edition of Redbrick, this is my first editorial so please bear with me.

It may not be a good idea to make promises that I am not sure we can keep, but I think it is important to make promises that we intend to. This year we have a chance to take significant steps forward in the way in which we engage the student body and the way that students engage with those responsible for representing them.

Right from the beginning it must be understood that this is a two way process and one that requires commitment from both sides; officers will learn about leadership, engagement and the challenges of representation and in turn students must learn to participate, feedback and to be active within debate, rather than passive.

It can't work unless students are willing to maintain their end of the bargain.

As some of you will be aware I have been blogging about my intentions for Redbrick over the summer and the potential I think we have to reengage you, the student, in campus debate, in the Guild democratic process and in grass roots student activism. So it is time for me to stop talking and start doing. Redbrick will lead by example, but we will be led by you. We challenge each and everyone of you to challenge us to be better, to criticise us and to debate with us. But when you come with criticism come with ideas as well. There are more ways than ever to contact us: email, letters, facebook, twitter, phone, by engaging in discussion on the brand new website (www. redbrickonline.co.uk) and you can drop into the office in the basement of the Guild, so no excuses.

There have been issues in the past where Redbrick may not have had the freedom people believe it should or the right to publish as we see fit. I know that people are sceptical that we shall have such freedom this year, however, I would argue that this is not something that we should be worried about until it becomes an issue. I expect that Redbrick will be given the freedom to be the source of news that students deserve to have on campus, unrestricted and trustworthy.

There is no agenda this year, no hidden aim; we simply wish to be what we are needed to be.

I strongly believe that the Guild can be more representative, less bloated and that we can have an effective Guild Council. I also believe I have seen the first steps of this process of change already. So my promises? Engagement and consultation with students, honesty and accuracy within our reporting.

As many of you are aware, we have Editor Nick Petrie Deputy Editors Jessica Tarrant Nadine Baldwick Online Editor Pete Blakemore Treasurer Rosie Aggett Pictures Editor Thomas Walters Chief Photographer Tom Flathers

t.flathers@redbrickonline.co.uk

launched a brand new website this year.

We hope that this is going to be a great new resource for all our readers and contributers, with all the news from the paper plus extra content that is exclusive to online. We will be live blogging events such as Guild Council meetings, sports fixtures and the Acorns fun run (#acornsfr) on the 18th of October. We really hope that you like the new site and welcome all feedback and criticism. We will be introducing new features as the term goes on and also have a couple of exciting projects that will be launching as the term continues. So log on, login and comment, debate, discuss, deliberate and contribute.

Finally, there are two very important thank you's I need to make: For his extensive and ongoing work on the new website, Dan Joplin our web designer deserves a large thank you, a thumbs up and several pints.

And for their immense amount of hard work my entire editorial team, especially Jess, Pete and Nadine for keeping me calm, putting in the hours and making sure you actually have a paper in your hand today.

Welcome and welcome back to Birmingham.

News - Thursday @ 5pm Features - Tuesday @ 5pm Arts and Culture - Wednesday @ 3pm Film Friday - @ 2pm Music - Wednesday @ 4pm TV - Wednesday @ 3pm Lifestyle - Wednesday @ 2pm Sport Friday - @ 1pm Travel - Thursday @ 3pm Technology - Wednesday @ 4pm Photos - Friday @ 12pm All meetings take place in student development in the basement of the Guild.

Most Read Online Societies stay quiet

1 Guild in t-shirt blunder annihilated by 2 Brum Loughborough

16.3%

www.redbrickonline.co.uk/news

T-shirt Blunder

25%

www.redbrickonline.co.uk/sport

3

Life continues

Blood drive back on after four year ban

16.4%

www.redbrickonline.co.uk/news

Life continues as normal 4 ...or not www.redbrickonline.co.uk/blogs

5

Brum annihilated Blood drive

22%

20.3%

Societies staying quiet on blood drive debate

www.redbrickonline.co.uk/news

Source: Redbrickonline Graphic: Thomas Walters. Illustrates most popular articles on Redbrick Online

News Editors Becky Shewell Ned Murray Natalie Vincent news@redbrickonline.co.uk Features Editors Laura Hewitt Jude Hill features@redbrickonline.co.uk Lifestyle Editors Jessica Geary Alex Beard

lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk

Film Editors Alex Jacques Rosie Willmot film@redbrickonline.co.uk Music Editors

Section Meeting Times

Erica Vernon Alex Spencer music@redbrickonline.co.uk Arts & Culture Editors Jess Kim Sam Langtree Robert Gardham

arts@redbrickonline.co.uk

Television Editors Natalie Timmins

tv@redbrickonline.co.uk

Sport Editors Tom Clarke Ben Whitelaw Simon Hall sport@redbrickonline.co.uk Crossword Editor Sephron Mansell

Editorial Assistants Natasha Williams Jonathon Gilbert Anna Reynolds Victoria Shires

Designed and typeset by Redbrick.

Copy Editors Thanks to everyone that came along on Wednesday - full name credits will appear on the website.

Redbrick strives to uphold the NUJ Code of Conduct. The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

n.baldwick@redbrickonline.co.uk

Copyright (C) Redbrick 2009

To contact us: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickonline.co.uk Advertising: Contact Emily Badger in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2525 or e.badger@guild.bham.ac.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint.com: 08451 300667.

18 Music

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Redbrick Meets....

The Maccabees After having to perform unmentionable acts, Sam Langtree shares with us the fruits of his labours...

HANGING in the green room, an area equipped with a Wii and Guitar Hero, we chatted to lead vocalist and guitarist Orlando Weeks, and bassist Rupert Jarvis.

What are your favourite songs from the new album?

After playing them so much, I really like them all.

It's hard to say, but Bag of Bones has really earnt its place on the album- it's a little clue for what's happening next. It ended up coming together right at the very end on three different computers.

Is the writing communal or done individually?

It's a group process, the proper mould takes ages.

That's why I think Bag of Bones is easy to listen to.

It was all brought together, not rushed, so it didn’t involve such frustration.

Aren't you guys from Brighton? I saw an early gig there that was rather riotous...

Yeah there was lots of

drama, the police got involved. It was such bullshit, being called some punk band. I think I could have chosen my words more carefully, but I stand by what I said.

I saw you a couple of months later, it was calmer. I was on my own. Ended up dancing with a woman in her later thirties...

(Laughing) Yeah you get people like that. I went to see Lauren Hill, it was my first gig and I was with these two really fat women with gin... it was weird.

We really love the album covers, do you guys get any artistic input?

The new album cover for Wall of Arms was done by the artist Boo Ritso. I saw some of her work in Artworld and begged her to do it, she liked the music and agreed. We're going to do an acoustic show at her first Saatchi show. It's in this beautiful church in London, in November.

That's really exciting; she's really up and coming.

What are some of your fa-

Orlando Weeks singing to the Birmingham crowd Photo: Erica Anne Vernon vourite recent albums; we heard you singing a bit of Vampire Weekend in your sound check?

Has that contributed to your new darker sound in this album?

Yeah that's a good album.

Fever Ray, their album too.

I got given these original recordings of Gospel music, so I've been listening to a lot of that, it's really spooky.

I'd be lying if I said that you just sing your raw emotions. When something affects you, you don't spontaneously burst into song...

If you had to do a collabo-

ration with anyone who would it be?

I don't know... I'd like to do a collaboration with Bananarama.

The gig: I need to start by saying that I drank a large quantity of liquids right before

arriving. This is relevant because halfway through the set I found myself yearning for the toilet.

However, being far too determined to risk losing my spot in the crowd, I stood there for a good hour and a half, with my thighs squeezed together. That was how fucking amazing this gig turned out to be. I would rather have destroyed my bladder than miss a single song from this brilliant performance.

Choosing to open with No Kind Words, a faster tempo song, really got the crowd going. The band then skipped comfortably through a few songs from the first album, Colour It In, before launching into the recent singles Can You Give It and Young Lions, both of which received a overwhelming reception by the audience (all of whom seemed to fall into the 15-23 age category).

Dropping into Latchmere and popular B-side, The Accordian Song, the band appeared to be in their element.

Despite warnings against crowd surfing, the room was full of teens bouncing in the air. After the encore, one of my personal favourites, Bag of Bones and Love You Better, the band earnestly thanked the crowd, seemingly gratified by the reception they received, before leaving the stage.

A performance every part of me loved‌ except perhaps my bladder.

What's On...

Music Diary Friday 9th

Monday 12th

Sonic Boom Six O2 Academy 2

Go: Audio with Steve Appleton O2 Academy 2

Killaflaw The Flapper NME Radar Tour (with Golden Silvers, Marina & The Diamonds, Local Natives, Yes Giantess) Warwick University

Saturday 10th

Live Reviews Calvin Harris 02/10 @ The Guild Erica Vernon IN truth, the crowd that Harris came out to greet (at two in the morning), were feeling worse for wear. But full credit to him for keeping us entertained for the whole set, even forcing me to stay dancing barefoot considerably longer than my expiry time.

He spent the set mixing his tracks using the usual deck and Apple laptop combo, leaving his singings parts to the studio recordings. One could

sense he had a talent for detecting the mood of his audience as he cleverly built the beats up and down at the right places.

His frantic movements (mainly upper limbs), signalling the climaxes of highly addictive tunes, displayed Harris has the true character of an entertainer within him. He has the power of mixing, and an intoxicating arrogance on stage, that made him a cut above the other DJs performing that night.

Bombay Bicycle Club 29/09 @ The O2 Academy 3 Jessica Schramm AFTER my last BBC experience in a packed tent at Reading it was nice to see them play (you know, actually SEE them) at the cosy 250-capacity Academy 3. Supporting act, Flashguns, weren't bad at all, but did seem to lack energy. The crowd didn't seem too upset that they had to leave early.

After setting up their own equipment, BBC took to the stage, playing the majority of this year's debut album I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose, which included their new single Magnet. As well as the old favourite Open House, from their EP The

Simian Mobile Disco Rainbow Warehouse Boy I Used To Be, and a new song which is about sleeping (according to the charmingly awkward lead singer).

Their performance was pretty much faultless, despite a brief bass malfunction. The singer's permanent smile, coupled with the bassist's rapt concentration proved that the band were having as good a time as the crowd. Even some fans' insistence on a Chelsea Dagger-style sing-along to the best riffs didn't spoil the show. The audience left after the encore with the lead singer's contagious smile on their faces.

Black Stone Cherry O2 Academy

Echo & The Bunnymen Wolverhampton Wulfrun

Tuesday 13th Nerina Pallot Glee Club Enter Shikari O2 Academy Zero 7 Birmingham Town Hall

Baddies O2 Academy 3

Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards O2 Academy 3

Sound of Guns The Flapper

Wednesday 14th

NME Radar Tour Wolverhampton Civic

The Slits Rainbow

Skindred Wolverhampton Wulfrun

Slaid Gleaves Kitchen Garden Cafe

Sunday 11th

Thursday 15th

The Big Pink Wolverhampton Civic

DIE! DIE! DIE! Hare & Hounds

Kill It Kid Hare & Hounds

Bloc Party O2 Academy

Music

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Albums: New Releases The XX xx

9 Tom Hewson 'QUALITY over quantity' speaks wonders for 'xx'; the debut LP from South London’s The xx. Although it is possible to scour your way through each track and find a bowl-full of eclectic influences, what you’ll be left with is a puzzled recipe of avant-garde hip-hop beats, euphoric chillout and a dark sultry vocal partnership.

On first hearing the mixture of sweetness and

bitterness to the music strikes you as a tad confusing, but you are left with an intense result full of beauty and depth. The aptly titled 'Intro' sets the scene for the listener: a compelling simplicity that sounds effortless in delivery but never lazy in originality.

The xx have found an astounding balance between the inclusion of their assorted inspirations and the deliverance of such material which never complicates at any point. In fact, the band's simplicity is a strong focal point of 'xx', never more apparent than on 'Fantasy'.

Let's just hope their simplicity doesn't 'do a Moby' and plummet the band into a realm of commercial pollution because that would be a real shame.

Noah & The Whale First Days of Summer

6 Will Hunter IF I'm perfectly honest, I've never seen a more pretentious concept for an album than that of 'Noah and the Whales' latest sampling 'The First Days of Spring', but really I can't help but love them because of it. The entirety of the album accompanies a short film and each track merges seamlessly with the next, to provide what has been described as the narrative for a break up. As if that wasn’t enough, the icing on this narcissistic cake is still to

come. Imagine my sheer delight when I opened the press release to read, 'The first days of spring is the most beautiful record you will hear this year'. Talk about thinking highly of yourself…

All snide remarks aside, this is actually a pretty good attempt at a second album. Granted, if you’re a fan of Noah and the Whale and expecting something not too dissimilar to this album’s predecessor, you’ll be slightly disappointed. It’s distinctly lacking in the fiddles and trumpets that resonated through their first album, with them showing a more somber approach to performing, but other than that it’s beautifully crafted.

Although all the tracks merge, they manage to diversify enough to keep you engaged. Favorite tracks include ‘Blue Skies’ and as much as I hate to admit it, 'The First Days of Spring'.

Muse The Resistance

5 Paul Vernon MUSE have always seemed to have their tongues firmly stitched into their cheeks, but with 'The Resistance' you really do get the feeling that Mr. Bellamy is taking the piss just a bit too much.

It's not a horrible album, but for a band capable of more than just genremashing self-parody, 'The Resistance' is essentially a summary of Muse's back catalogue, throwing all their various past styles together into an album.

There are some abso-

19

lutely glorious moments that remind you why they are so darn huge - the epic Arabian strings of United States of Eurasia, the New Born-esque riffage of Unnatural Selection and the truly grandiose 12 minute 'symphony' that is Exogenesis. The symphony is simply beautiful, spectacularly arranged and executed, but you wonder how much is just thieved from dead composers, with far too many completely underwhelming tracks that only seem to pay homage to other artists, or just plagiarising their own earlier work.

Live, however, Muse are true legends, Bellamy a master of guitar tone and crazy effects, with masterful stage presence and one of the grooviest light shows this side of a Nine Inch Nails show.

That, and not this album, is why they deserve to remain regarded as one of the true greats of this generation.

Albums: Summer Catch-Up The Rumble Strips Welcome To The Walk Alone

9 Jessica Blackburn THE Rumble Strips' sophomore attempt has a more sophisticated edge than their last and is bound to launch them further than before. Improvements are heralded by Mark Ronson's production (I guess their reinvention of Amy Winehouse's Back To Black impressed him) and the string arrangements of the Last Shadow Puppet's collaborator Owen Pallett.

A more confident and expressive vocal certainly carries the songs well

although I am slightly in love with the drumming parts after only a couple of listens. Think sixties boyish exuberance and a modern interpretation of Dexy's Midnight Runners and you might just pinpoint the sound.

Welcome To The Walk Alone is a brilliant awakening to a band I'd never heard of before. Not The Only Person is upbeat and strangely cheerful about a mugger failing to knife his wife. Daniel is unfathomable and Dem Girls is a cheeky triumph of whim and adolescence.

Sweet Heart Hooligan is short and sweet: 'I won’t start apologising for my tongue and keep my lies in'. Finally Happy Hell asks 'where do you go when you got no soul left to sell?' and is a slightly more melancholy but fitting end. NME might have blasted this album with their usual dose of scorn and self-congratulatory crap but you should buy this.

Black Poets Innocents And Thieves

3 Charlie Bailey I CAN'T say my hopes were high from a band subtly named Black Poets. My worst fears were confirmed by the suitably gloomy intro track, in which melancholic strings were abundant, probably trying to attain a sense of drama.

The opening track 'Proper' will probably appeal to fans of heavy indie being pedalled by White Lies and Joy Division junkies and this tone is continued throughout the

album: stark vocals about loves lost and alienation.

The whole thing reeks of pastiche but the band are probably being laughably earnest.

The album isn’t unlistenable; it will certainly find its target audience of misanthropic youths and trendy miserablists. The songs themselves, for the most part, are entirely listenable, if utterly forgettable. The problem is that this sort of thing has been done by too many bands in recent years: from the Editors’ more morbid singles to Interpol’s frantically hip take on Ian Curtis' work.

If we could just leave this whole field of music alone for five minutes we would be much better off and I wouldn't have to listen to this horribly average band whose idea of gripping and ‘interesting’ is to play a mock gothic piano interlude before the closing track.

Athlete Black Swan

4 Ross Fisher GUITAR pop is a sad creature. To all intents and purposes it seems to be fairly popular. Turn on any local radio station at 2 pm and you'll likely-asnot hear some middle-ofthe-road group.

For the listener they represent that tragic British ability to 'make do' rather than demand better, but for the artists themselves they are a truly sorry story. Sure, getting the kind of coverage that any local radio station of-

Competition: Giving away festival tickets!

HELLO Redbrick music readers! We have a fantastic competition giving away four tickets to the UK's biggest surf and music event: The BUCS Surf Championship 2009.

This year's event combines a surfing contest with an event wrist band, giving you access to exclusive club nights, bands and DJs. Accommodation is all housed in the snazzy surfer's festival style village which is a mile from the city centre and has music venues, bars and restaurants and surf

shops all on one site.

Surfing is the fastest growing sport in the UK, so there's no better time to get onboard. Learn to surf at one of the many learner's camps, try your hand at coasteering, rockclimbing, body boarding or kite surfing. Alternatively, grab a beer and relax by the state of the art sound systems whilst watching some of the UK's best student surfers.

This event is taking place at Fistral Beach, Newquay from the 16th to 18th October.

Here are some highlights of the festival: •

• • • • •

Radio 1's Mistajam at Pure (Newquay's newest and best nightclub) Rip Curl prize giveaways £2 drinks selection Indoor pool party Fancy dress closing party Photo exhibition and films

We have passes for two

lucky competition winners.

Email us (music@redbrickonline.co.uk) with the subject 'BUCS Competition'. All you have to include is any picture you have taken at a gig or a festival. The most beautiful, hilarious, or provocative will win, so remember to play to your strengths.

For more detailed information about BUCS. visit the music section of our brand new website: www.redbrickonline.co.uk

fers, means you can probably retire in comfort, but no-one picks up a guitar because they’re thinking about their retirement.

Athlete are a case in point. Their new album Black Swan is ok. There is nothing technically wrong with it. But emotionally; it reeks. 'Athlete' have been around for the better part of a decade. Founded by lads who were inspired by bands like Oasis and Blur, they have even come to occupy the same slots in the schedule. But over time the songs have shown no improvement and have lost whatever zest was there to begin with.

One song is even titled Don't Hold Your Breath, and I'm sad to say this sounds about right. If you honestly want to listen to something inoffensive and bland, this is for you. But if not, I'd choose something less agreeable, more heartfelt, and a bit louder.

20 Music

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

The king who had been dethroned: Michael Jackson Music editor Erica Vernon ponders what the superstar means to our generation.

MAYBE some of you are tired of reading and hearing about Michael Jackson.

Everyone wanted to voice their memories and opinions, after his untimely death on 25th June. But what does he mean to us?

Most students weren't alive to witness the golden years of his career. Unfortunately, the negative image of Michael created by the media overshadowed just how innovative and inspirational a musician and dancer he was - until we lost him.

The star was born, into a musical family, on 29th August 1958. Blessed with a natural talent for singing and dancing, he became the dominant voice of the famous Jackson 5. Teamed with his brothers, he scored big hits with songs such as ABC and I Want You Back.

Solo success was inevitable: in 1979 he released Off The Wall, his first studio album which was not

released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise. Over his life he released five more albums; the most commercially successful being Thriller, which according to the Guinness Book of World Records is the best-selling album of all time.

Aside from the music, Michael also dabbled in acting, worked for many charitable causes, and he experienced being a husband and a father. It's a shame that he became a target for scandal-making; he was criticised for his appearance, eccentric behaviour and the various trials he was entangled in. For most of our lives he was portrayed by the media as a freak, who dangled his baby over a balcony and possessed a strange fascination with children and childhood in general. Reflecting on his life, is it so strange that he wished to live a childhood he never had? Is it

so unimaginable that the odd behaviour stemmed from loneliness? Heartbreakingly, he once said 'I'm lonely... it's so hard to make friends... I sometimes walk around the neighborhood at night, just hoping to find someone to talk to.'

What can we learn from Michael as a performer? He had a unique voice, a unique style and is still heavily influencing many contemporary acts today. What can we learn from Michael as a human being? That even a star with the biggest worldwide fanbase can feel alone; the detrimental effects of not experiencing a proper childhood; how the modern media can be so harsh and flippant.

One hopes that the legacy of Michael Jackson will continue living on; that our minds always associate black shoes plus white socks, the moonwalk, and the single white sequined-glove, with him.

Spotlights On...

Introducing the brand new website

Festivals Intrepid Redbrick explorer James Philips had a summer to remember...

NOTORIOUS for heavy rain and savage mud, Glasto has remarkably managed two consecutive years with good weather. 2009's event even eclipsed 2008, with a line-up to please fans of all genres. Before the acts even started, hysteria swept the site on Thursday as rumours of Michael Jackson's death spread like wildfire. Almost every stall on site started to pump out Jacko tunes, resulting in a bizarre night of dancing and drunk conversations about the 'King of Pop'.

When the acts got going,

the whole site was in for a treat. The likes of Kasabian, Dizzee Rascal, The Specials and Blur delighted the Pyramid crowd.

Meanwhile, the massive dance village kept the ravers happy, with DJ Yoda, Skream and Benga and Deadmau5 blasting out great tunes. Elsewhere, the 'Other stage' proved popular among fans with acts such as Friendly Fires, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party receiving great reactions from the crowd.

With Glastonbury so early on in the festival sea-

WWW.REDBRICKONLINE.CO.UK

son, other festivals have lots to live up to, but Glade certainly came close, with a fantastic atmosphere at the new venue near Winchester. With huge soundsystems pumping out phat basslines from all different directions, Dub Pistols, Krafty Kuts and Squarepusher stood out with quality performances. Certainly not a festival for the light-hearted, but if you know how to party, it's the place to be.

Beautiful Days was completely different, but the Levellers-organised festival was again a great success, with diverse acts such as Dreadzone, Lamb and The Blockheads all pleasing a generation-

spanning crowd of people.

Reading festival certainly had the right lineup to round off the summer, despite being more commercial than other festivals. Whereas Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys left many punters disillusioned, highlights elsewhere included upand-coming Aussies The Temper Trap, the energetic Kaiser Chiefs, Radiohead's unique style, Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones' new super-group, Them Crooked Vultures. The festivals are going from strength to strength; I say bring on summer 2010!

CAN'T get enough of our festival Spotlight? Go to bit.ly/302dI4 for more articles on a wider range of festivals including Sonisphere, Leeds, and a more close-up look at Reading.

We're pleased to announce that, from now on, your Redbrick Music experience needn't stop here.

You can, in fact, extend your pleasure through the magic of the internet.

By browsing through to our beautiful new website at redbrickonline. co.uk and clicking on the blue 'Music' section, you can read not only longer, more in-depth versions of these articles, but bonus content too!

This week, we'll also be putting up exclusive reviews of more albums

by artists including Silversun Pickups, Discovery, and Depeche Mode, as well as the latest Fabric album featuring Claude Von Stroke.

To follow our activity more closely, you can click onto the 'Music Blog' link section on the right.

If you'd like to join us here at Redbrick Music Towers, you can find out more at bit.ly/9cIIa. We have meetings every Wednesday at 4pm, and we'd love to see you.

And remember, if there's anything you'd like to see more of online, let us know. If you sign up you can leave comments on any of these articles and tell us how great (or wrong) we are.

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Lifestyle

Jess and Alex Catwalk: welcome you Male fashion- The New Mood to Lifestyle the cash starved and style militaristic Congratulations You are reading the best section of Redbrick. Welcome to Lifestyle boys and girls!

We are the fabulous new Editors, and have loads of exciting stuff coming up this semester. You may notice over the coming weeks that we have a stronger male focus (Alex's idea...) because you boys were feeling a bit left out of our insightful and groundbreaking articles concerning such important topics as pubic hair and which Girl's Aloud falsies are the best (blatantly Nadine's).

So kicking off the first edition of the year we have the oh so wonderful Vanessa Say dishing out the advice on the sinister side of alcohol; our very own fashionista Rob Lewis keeps us up to date on the latest male trends; James Caroll and Jennifer Morris bash it out over whether men and women can really just be friends; Lexie Frost writes a thought-provoking autobiographical account of her forthcoming nuptials and finally the fabulous Ashley Edwards shares his insights, encounters and experiences of the Brum gay scene.

We hope you're as glad as us to be back in good old Birmingham, let's kick of the year in style! Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee (off to the pub).

Rob Lewis

It'S something of a fashion clichĂŠ - that tastes and trends are linked to the state of the economy and the political climate.

It is true though that hemlines rose dramatically at the end of the Second World War, and as far I can tell have continued to rise since, but who is complaining? At the end of the first decade of the 21st Century what exactly is the mood of the 'modern man', and how is it reflected by the way he chooses to dress? Moulded leather body armour and boiled wool jumpsuits do not really translate well to Saturday nights propping up the bar in Walkabout.

So, in keeping with the spirit of the times, the big names have produced collections that reflect more realistically, what men actually want to wear, at last.

This 'New Mood' heralds a move away from gimmickry; less of the smoke and mirrors approach we're used to seeing from the big brands during boom times, and instead the ushering in of a new era for men's style.

Think more function, less flounce, traditional style not avant-garde tranny knickers and bow ties.

The recession and its effects have forced the big boys to pull out the big guns, and luckily for

conscious student, when High Fashion says 'jump', the High Street', asks 'how high?' So from Lanvin to Littlewoods, Hermes to H&M, the atmosphere has changed: the gentleman is back.

As we move into Autumn/Winter expect to see plenty of 'classics reinterpreted' filling the rails, making it easier than ever to select covetable pieces from the best of a good crop. You will notice that there is very little in the way of new trends. Instead, expect to see a focus on the quality of cut, fabric and design.

Basically a shunning of the 'OMG this Tee has a different coloured neon trim on each arm aesthetic' that has ruled the High Street for some time, and a return to commonsense style. Expect a more definite move towards the

in terms of outerwear, with the army boot being a must have.

Wear them laced tightly for the most fashion forward effect. The Granny knit, everybody's favourite, looms large in muted hues, and will prove both chic and practical as winter sets in, think tortured Poet and you're halfway there!

As ever with fashion, the maverick creative talents are unconstrained by anything as dull as the economy, as was evident from enswear day at London Fashion Week, recently. So for those of us who are not averse to chain mail, tin foil and spikes, no need to worry, the new season is not that far away.

See, the New Mood is now, but who knows, things change fast in an uncertain world.

This is a difficult question. On one hand my best friend is female and I’ve known her for over 15 years. So part of me wants to strongly argue that of course men and women can be friends. I can talk to her about literally anything, and she has been there for me more times than I can recall, we have a very functional friendship that is not dictated by gender. However, I'm fully aware that when we met at primary school, girls had lice and kiss chase was the common way of meeting the opposite sex, rather than a drunken chat-up line at Gatecrasher.

So the other part of me is the student who regularly wakes up, grabs a bowl of cereal and discusses with his housemates how fit our socalled female friend was looking last night. Many friendships have been tested by the drunken

pull. I suppose once puberty kicks in and sex becomes an issue, it may be harder to form a intergender friendship.

It's 100% natural that any friendship should have an element of chemistry, and when you find someone of the opposite sex you have a lot of natural chemistry with, sometimes it's hard not to imagine your relationship evolving into something more. For me though I would like to think that men and women can just be friends. I've plenty of friends who are female, and I can say I've never thought about them as anything more.

Fierce Sequins and sparkle! It's all about the embellishments this season - the more the better!

Winter woolies - time to snuggle up once more with your gorgeous scarves and mittens.

X Factor- yes 2009 is set to be even better than last year; and we're loving Danni's do!

STARBUCKS! Yes it is finally here, and if you've not paid Muirhead Tower a visit yet then why the hell not?! Yes the queue is a drag but it's so worth it.

BurnFM - a bit of shameless plugging here for our good lifestyle friends, Rosie Aggett and Sarah King and their radio slot; 'Gossip Girls' - 10am every Thursday. And also James Caroll's Thursday 10pm slot- 'The Sound Avenue'.

Bambu- Monday night's new offering to us alcohol starved students. Nice decor and cheap drinks; our kind of night.

Bright lipsticks are still hanging on in there this season - brighten up yourself and miserable days with a bright red or pink shade.

Red hair - it's all the rage at the mo; Paloma Faith, Florence (and the machine) and Hayley (Paramore), everyone's jumping on that bandwagon!

Robert Pattinson - yes we know this a somewhat unorginal crush, but we don't care; already on a quest to find our own freakishly good-looking vampire.

Finished 9 am lectures - second to our actual degrees this is probably the hardest thing about uni life and a testament to both our will power and liver vitality.

Debate: Can men and women really be friends? James Caroll and Jennifer Morris investigate.

Guy's opinion:

23

Girl's opinion: WhilE sitting in Starbucks with a friend (for purely academic reasons), we were completely convinced that yes, a straight guy and a straight girl can totally be just friends. So we conducted a survey asking females what they thought about this ridiculous question... and that's when we stumbled.

Somewhere down the line it would appear that one party has had 'the hots' for the other. So is a guy/girl friendship impossible?

Whether or not a male and female can be friends without accidentally wanting to shag one another depends on: how the friendship started, the personalities of the individuals, and whether there is a physical attraction involved. Indeed, most 'yes' respondents mentioned that they view their boy mates more as brothers.

Surely, when one is

searching for a partner they are looking for a compatible personality, and likewise when making a friend you want to have corresponding characteristics, other wise why would you be friends at all? Does this mean we are all attracted to one another? Maybe. If you want to remain solely friends with a guy just be aware of certain rules; don't cross the line of friendship without realising it may be a point of no return, and if you know your friend has feelings for you, never take advantage of that.

Perhaps a truly platonic relationship can only exist between two exes; think about it, the strange realm of boy/girl attraction has already been entered and left, leaving a wonderful situation where you are free to enjoy each other purely for your personalities!

Fresher's Flu - even if we aren't Freshers anymore the thought of feeling like you will never be healthy again is enough to make us reach for our antibacterial hand gel every 5 seconds.

Alesha Dixon on Strictly Come Dancing - give it up love, you're not a 'real' dancer are you? Just a pretty face to boost ratings - stick to rapping.

Broken things in new houses - whether it be a broken boiler, aerial, shower, cooker, bed, roof, ceiling... pretty much everything including the kitchen sink- arsey landlords are still yet to do anything about it!

Online purchases that don't fit/break/rip- it's always a risk but just once we wish that ASOS dress that looked so gorgeous on the pretty, stick-thin model didn't ACTUALLY make me look like a heffer. Great.

Gladiator sandals - so, we all love them but it really is time to put them to the back of your wardrobe and maybe invest in some sexy boots.

Late loans - the bottom line is: WE NEED MONEY and we need it quickly. That coat you've had your eye on in Topshop won't be there forever so frantically checking your bank balance is very necessary.

Lifts in the Muirhead Tower- a touch terrifiying and awkward to work/negotiate. plus, they could potentially lead to some very uncomfortable conversations with fellow lift lingerers.

Remember to comment on any of our articles that you have an opinion on. Visit us at www. redbrickonline.co.uk

24 Lifestyle

An apple a day: Alcohol

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Issue: The Reluctant Bride Lexie Frost

Vanessa Say HEAVILY incorporated into a standard student's lifestyle is alcohol; the gluggable guarantee of a good time (usually), but alcohol: friend or foe? Well it can certainly help you to make friends (or alienate the ones you already have) but the endless adverse effects of alcohol are well documented.

NHS advice on drinking recommends that men should not regularly drink more than 3–4 units of alcohol a day, and for women, this amount is just 2–3 units a day…chances are you're exceeding this.

But what risk are we actually putting ourselves in?

If you're anything like me, reading an article with all the frightening information about what alcohol can do to you unfortunately seems to have little or no effect on your actual behaviour, as worried as you might temporarily feel about it.

So perhaps the most useful advice might come in the form of how to keep healthy and combat some of the effects of alcohol, despite regular über-consumption.

Alcohol is known to suppress the breakdown of fat; this in combination with its huge calorie content can result in weight gain… and frantic detagging on Facebook.

To make matters worse, alcohol also affects our perception of hunger, and results in late night trips to the culinary delights of Rooster House, Adam's Place or even, on very special occasions, cheeky mid-morning trips to Chamon. Oh dear.

Not being a good representative or advocate of abstinence, as most students aren't, the best ways to avoid weight-gain being a regular part of socialising might include: choosing your drink wisely – some drinks contain more calories than others; vodka has relatively few calories so vodka and diet anything is a good bet.

Two litres of cider may be a friendly pre-drink on your budget, but its calo-

rie count can stretch into quadruple figures!

Dancing like a crazy person – not recommended to impress people but flailing limbs around wildly in a flashdanceesque (probably nowhere near) manner expends energy and this means burning calories.

The morning (afternoon) after... hydration is a well-known and important remedy for a hangover, as alcohol dehydrates the body and results in those morningafter-the-night-before headaches. Avoid sugary drinks as these cause further dehydration; this includes fruit juices. Instead, combine lots of water with a (little) salty snack e.g. a bacon sarnie, as this will help maximise the amount of water that is absorbed, subsequently making you not only feel better and look less flaky, but aiding your liver and kidneys in flushing out the alcohol. Note: thirst is not a sensitive indicator of hydration; you will have to drink past quenching thirst to fully hydrate.

Alcohol also depletes potassium, which is essential for nerve transmission: replacing potassium is most easily achieved by eating fruit, particularly bananas. The intake of vitamins, including vitamins A, B and C, and nutrients such as iron, is especially important after alcohol consumption. The best way to intake vitamins is through fruit and veg, although the easiest way (however less effectiv) is to take a multi-vitamin tablet with breakfast.

It is also recommended that we should take a break from boozing for 48 hours after a heavy session to allow the body to recover.

In conclusion: weekly interspersed alcohol consumption, low calorie alcoholic drinks, exercise, bacon sandwiches, side salads, bananas, multi vitamins and water. Done.

A FUNNY thing happened to me on the way to university: I got engaged.

I didn't mean to. In fact, I was looking forward to becoming an eccentric spinster, able to lavish time and money on my God children and grow old disgracefully. I'd even fantasize about it: 'There goes Mad Lexie' the local hoodies would cry as I walked along, muttering to myself, dressed in electric blue woolly stuff and swinging my handbag at smug married couples.

Then I'd return home to my thirty cats and wait for the Environmental Department to come and clean my house.

As a teenager, I worked as a wedding waitress. I saw the coordinating colour schemes, overbearing mothers and brides who'd had to go along with everyone else's wishes as everything I didn't want. Sometimes, the bride would retire to bed having failed to entice her new husband away from getting drunk with his mates. Her dad would loudly proclaim how much money he'd spent 'and it

still turned out ****!'

Growing up, I never put our net curtains on my head pretending to be a bride. I liked my surname. I didn't want to be caged. But one transatlantic love-affair later and I practically snatched at that ring! And by the start of next semester, I will be sporting two rings.

Students across campus are settling down to typical first semester activities such as drinking, flirting and using that nifty NUS discount. My pastimes include staying up the night before 9am lectures to juggle guest-lists.

And whilst next Friday most freshers are hitting Broad Street, I shall be on conference call, drafting my prenuptial agreement.

I try to use my discount to find 'invitations that rock'.

For the first (and hopefully only) time in my life I can sympathise with Bella, the child-bride protagonist in the Twilight novels. Starting university with a strangely grown-up domestic situation makes me feel even more fogeyish than being a 20-something amongst the young and gorgeous population of Birmingham Univer-

sity.

When people spy the admittedly conspicuous piece of bling on my left hand, I worry that they have already relegated me to the realms of Christian fundamentalist virgin, future Trisha guest or the ultimate crime; smugness.

Obviously my chronic clumsiness, laddered tights and sense of imminent failure soon alert folks that there is no danger this will ever happen. And it's ridiculous because I doubt they care at all. I am the one who seems to have a problem with marriage.

My parents were married until my mum's death. I consider myself a romantic and always thought

living with someone was enough. My fiancé kindly informs me that is marriage "and by the way honey - no one who tries to cage you will come out of this alive!"

What difference should a piece of paper make? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. My fiancé is American. He and I live 4000 miles apart. None of the co-habiting avenues are open to us without that dumb piece of paper.

I see him just three times a year. So when I see students walking around campus, holding hands, I am closer to knowing why I am doing all this. I just want to be able to reach for his hand.

Culture: Let's hear it for the gays Ashley Edwards AS a second year gay student, I have more than dabbled in the gay life of Birmingham. So what does it mean to be gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or other (please state)?

The University of Birmingham offers the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) society. This is a society where everyone can be themselves, laugh at their own stereotypes and make countless references to Dolly Parton. The upcoming year should

see a few changes but maintain the amazing atmosphere and care that these students provide for LGTB students. But you may still be wondering what the ‘Queer’ part of the name incorporates.

To the best of my knowledge I can safely assume that this is for gay-loving straight people i.e. fag hags and metro-sexuals.

So, if you’re thinking of joining the LGBTQ, you can bring your straight mates along where they will be completely welcomed.

As for the nightlife in the gay village, the most popular clubs have got to be DV8, which, let's face it, has become DV-Str8.

Now I am not being heterophobic, however the straights have taken over that club because of the good music, and wonderful ‘All you can drink’ offer. Another thing which has caused this cataclysmic conversion started with the girls who wanted to escape the Oceana-loving men and just have an honest night out, well the prowlers twigged on to their cunning plan and so chased the girls in the one place they thought they were safe!

The Nightingale is an amazing club with an exceptionally cheap night there on Thursdays. With an indoor café and occa-

sional 7ft drag queen and 18 year old boy with a 60 year old sugar daddy, its usually a wonderful night.

Megamixes are abundant, as are fringes, everyone seems to have them. It seems to be the only place where men where more make up than the women, and that is just the under dressed ones! There are always men walking around topless at some point of the night, and usually a stripper pops on stage to say hi, and have a cheeky boogie with his willy out, which I am not mad about. The music is mixed professionally and the tenant DJ always puts on an amazing set.

When I make references to the gay world, I am not lying, going into a gay club, or pub even, is like a different world. Anything goes. And if you knock a drink out of someone’s hand you won’t get abuse or anything, just a cheeky wink and hefty apologies on both sides, everyone loves everyone. The unisex toilets are also fun, women get free mammograms from amazed gays who think they are at a petting zoo, and the gays will get propositioned for intercourse as soon as they enter a cubicle, utterly charming.

Sport

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Lacrosse girls set to take top spot at last

25

David Wheaton ponders a team who are tired of being the bridesmaid and never the bride EXCELLENCY in sport is something for which the University of Birmingham is renowned. One of the competitive teams who embody this excellence is the University's lacrosse women’s squad who have been recognised as one of the nation’s best university teams for many years. Considering the current investment, and achievements made over the summer, it seems that this recognition is set to continue.

The women's team have reached the last three consecutive British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Lacrosse finals, only losing to Loughborough in last year's competition. In order to warm up for the coming season, several of the teams took part in a friendly 8-aside tournament, which the first team breezed through before lining up

in the final against arch enemy Loughborough.

And revenge was gained by claiming the tournament with a 7-2 victory.

The women's lacrosse team, and a couple of girls in particular, have been overwhelmingly active throughout the summer and could contribute to making the 2009/2010 season very successful indeed. Two of the group's players, Kirsten Lafferty and Catherine Gaunt, travelled to Prague to battle it out for the England National Team in the FIL Women's Lacrosse World Cup held between 17th and 27th June, with the former playing in midfield and the latter in goal.

‘I feel that the experience they gained from playing in the Senior Women's World Cup will really help the team’ declared enthusiastic club captain, Ellie Sayers.

England eventually finished fourth, and both Lafferty and Gaunt have now returned to Brum armed with new experience and will undoubtedly push the group forward this year.

Another player, Becca Roberts-Gawen, also participated in the competition, not as a player but rather as the senior Netherland’s lacrosse squad's coach. Although the team did not make it to the top four in the final standings, it is undeniable that an athlete with that level of experience will be of invaluable help when out on the pitch for the University.

She did not return empty handed though, and came back with the team’s new coach, Dave Abini, who worked alongside Roberts-Gawen during the World Cup. He will be a particularly strong

asset for this season, taking pressure off the midfielder's shoulders, who both played and coached last year. 'This season we have our own coach, which should help us in our training and with encouragement from the sidelines in matches,' said Sayers.

'I definitely feel that this will be our year,' the club captain added, and it is fairly easy to understand why. The squad has never possessed such a wide range of extraordinarily talented and experienced players, with three more additions from this year's freshers; Alice Bruynseels, Philippa May and Lexa Palfrey, who all played for England in the 2008 European Championships.

Add Jess Adams, who has had experience with the Welsh under 19 and under 21 squads, to this group of gifted lacrosse players

and you may get a gist of why there is so much excitement about the team ahead of the coming season.

These new additions will be particularly needed on Wednesday 14th October when the girls take on Edinburgh at 2pm for their first competitive fixture of the new season.

Edinburgh Women's lacrosse have also enjoyed a successful past, claiming gold in the British Universities Sport Association (BUSA) 2006/2007, and are 'a very strong team, very fast through midfield and [with] powerful shooters' according to Sayers. However after a busy and impressive summer it is possible to say with confidence that the Birmingham team will definitely give them a run for their money.

Photo courtesy of UB Sport

Birmingham all set for Big Event after promising pre-season Mesh Johal MORALE is high for the Men's Rugby 1st XV, as they aim for promotion back to the BUCS Premier A Division. After promising pre-season performances against Loughborough 1st XV and the Oxford under 21 team, captain Will Pickard believes the club have finally turned a corner after a difficult few seasons.

'We started last season without a coach and there was a lot of pressure on the senior players,' he said. 'Injuries did not help our cause, and the inability to name a consistent starting fifteen was a real setback. I think it's fair to say we were in a state of transition, especially just after being relegated.

However, the introduction of Mike Umaga as coach has really helped steady the ship.'

After fighting off a second relegation last season, with two fine performances against Sheffield and Newcastle Universities, Pickard feels that the hard work put in by the squad during the off sea-

son can see the club challenge with the top teams in the league.

Pickard added, 'We have worked very hard collectively as a club and a team to put things right.

There has been a definite culture shift within the club, and I feel that the commitment of the players has improved massively from years gone by.'

The club has gained sponsorship from BP and Isca Legal. The added income from these companies has been used to improve coaching, with both the 2nd and 3rd XV gaining dedicated coaches.

Whilst both of the tough pre-season games ended in defeat the team spirit and dedication was clear for all to see.

During periods of the Loughborough game, Brum's aggressive pack was able to match that of their Midland counterparts and against Oxford, an experimental squad outplayed their opponents for the majority of the game.

On the matter of the pre-season games, the captain added, 'Pre-season is about finding out the

right combinations and getting players match fit.

We've played well in parts against tough teams so I feel confident and excited to see the starting fifteen play in the league.'

With next Wednesdays 'Big Event' being the team’s first league game, Pickard feels that the new campaign can be the start of a new chapter for Birmingham Rugby Union.

He concluded, ‘The long term aim is to get promoted and be competitive in the Premier A Division.’

'We are in a league which is at our level at the moment. However I feel with our mobile pack and wingers, who are potential match winners, we can really be a force this season.'

The University of Birmingham Men's Rugby 1st XV play Nottingham next Wednesday (14-10) at Bournbrook. Kick off at 7pm. Head down and offer your support to the team, but if you you can't make sure you check out www.redbrickonline.co.uk for live blogging from the game courtesy of the Redbrick Sport's team.

Action from the recent Loughborough game Photo: Tom Flathers

Katie's Column The VP Sport gives us her thoughts on the coming year IT is that time of year again sports fans; BUCS Wednesdays are finally upon us! This year it's Birmingham's time to shine and I for one can't wait to shout about your successes. Recognition for all teams and clubs should be a priority and I can’t encourage you enough to work with Redbrick, Burn Fm, Guild TV & Photosoc to promote your sport.

UB Sport has realised that the previously given internal recognition needs to be revitalised, and over the last few months they have devised a new initiative to reward athletes, encouraging them to reach their potential. The 'bucks for BUCS' scheme financially rewards students who make a significant contribution to the overall BUCS points total, so any athlete is in with a shot of earning a sum of money for their success. Check out the UB Sport website; www.sport. bham.ac.uk for more information.

I'd like to think I'm an optimistic VP Sport and with regards to last year’s BUCS league table, I look back with hope rather than dismay. Yes we may have just missed our top three placing, but let's just look at what we have achieved: three team championship titles, four team silvers, one team bronze, seven individual medals and eighteen team/individual finalists. Anyone can see that's pretty impressive.

We also have numerous scholars who are exceptional. They are the ultimate role models for anyone with a passion for sport so stay tuned to find out a little more about these superstars throughout the year.

One plea from me is that I need your input to drive sport forward and I hope that you’ll check out my blog; http://www. katiefordvps.blogspot. com to find out a little more about the issues I feel need to be raised and addressed. If you agree or disagree with my views then let me know by emailing me at vps@ guild.bham.ac.uk.

All that's left to say is good luck to all clubs, societies and teams. No matter if you're in an intra-league team or a BUCS 1st team, your involvement matters. BUCS top three here we come.

26 Sport

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

Birmingham sports scholars set sights on glory

Sports Editor Ben Whitelaw focuses on the sports scholarships available through the University and takes a closer look at a couple of the most talented athletes to benefit UNIVERSITY is the perfect place for a promising athlete to mature, grow and learn. Time spent as a student, whether it be three or five years, represents a glorious chance for hard working and talented individuals to combine an academic programme with serious training.

Higher education can provide the opportunity for athletes to push on from being a junior or regional champion to winning national titles and becoming of world class standard.

However, the transition to university and to becoming a truly outstanding athlete is not always an easy one. Money worries, an absence of high level training facilities, a lack of time and course commitments can affect athletes and inhibit them from taking the next step in their sport.

It is for this reason that the University of Birmingham provides a comprehensive range of sports scholarships which have the aim of assisting talented athletes in reaching their sporting potential whilst at university. The University sport scholarship scheme provides expertise, support and practical solutions that allows athletes to achieve goals that may otherwise be out of reach.

The two main types of scholarship at the University are Talented Athlete Sport Scholarship Scheme (TASS) and the University of Birmingham Sport Scholarship Scheme. TASS is a government funded programme in place within all universities. It is designed to cater for the needs of athletes within the higher and further education sector and aims to reduce the drop-out rate of talented athletes from sport due to academic and financial pressures.

To be eligible for TASS, scholars must have

UBS sport scholar Lucy Williams lining up a putt

achieved national recognition in a sport at a minimum of U18 level.

Full scholars are offered £3,500.

At present, the University of Birmingham supports over 60 TASS athletes across the West Midlands from a range of sports including hockey, squash and a range of disability and winter Olympic sports. The athletes have access to elite coaching, medical support, mentoring and a series of Talented Athlete Life Skills (TALS) workshops on drug prevention, media training and time management.

The UBS Sport Scholarship Scheme is the University's own support system that ensures promising athletes are equipped to tackle both training and textbooks. UBS scholars are required to be students at the University, have competed at national/international level and to have competed for the University in BUCS events.

Selected athletes are provided with up to £1,000 for competition costs and travel expenses, relieving the athletes of the need to find part-time work.

In addition to this, the scholars are provided with sport science aid, free gym membership and conditioning assessments throughout the year.

There are currently 30 UBS scholars at the University, many of whom have had international success in their time at Birmingham.

The University prides itself in having one of the most varied scholarship schemes in the UK with the program now incorporating five different scholarship strands.

Other scholarships include the R&A, a golf scholarship of up to £10,000 provided by golf's governing body; the Paul Weston Scholarship, for triathletes in honour of the former Sport and Exercise Science student who died in 2002; and the Physics scholarship, an £800 bursary within the school of Physics and Astonomy.

Since its conception in 1994, the University's scholarship programme has supported over 300 individual athletes from over 25 different sports, including the likes of 1500m Hannah England and Hockey Olympian, Simon Mantell.

The scheme is a vital part of the University sport landscape and will yield many future professional athletes.

Two scholars with realistic Olympic aspirations WHEN the summer of 2016 comes around we will all be watching British athletes at the Olympics in

Rio De Janeiro. Someone who hopes to be competing at the games in Brazil is Non Stanford.

Non Stanford

Photos courtesy of the Sport Scholarship Office JAMES Wilkinson has been a busy boy over the summer. Whilst the rest of us were moping around or struggling to get a job, the Birmingham sport scholar was earning a silver medal in the European Junior track championships for 3000m Steeplechase.

Wilkinson is quick to credit the support he receives through his scholarship for his recent success. 'The greatest benefit of the sports scholarship is the access to sport science support, such as physiological testing and physiotherapy. Receiving these services for free are a massive help to my athletics. If I didn't receive this support, it would certainly be a lot harder to compete at the level that I am currently doing.'

As well as the topclass facilities scholars receive through the scheme, the athletes have the support of each other and therefore are not hampered by pressure to perform. 'I feel that performing as a sport scholar has little pressure and, although it can be tough at times, the recognition for performances make it all the more worthwhile' Wilkinson claimed.

Wilkinson has declared that his goals for this season are to make the GB and NI team for the European cross country championships in December and to match his achievement of medalling in a European Junior

The Birmingham triathlete feels the support she receives from staff is crucial in order for her to compete at such a high level; 'It [the staff support] allows me to successfully combine my training, competition and academic demands. The team in the performance office are always on hand to offer advice and support and to help with any issues that may arise. And there's always a friendly face to see after a hard training session.'

Stanford also recognises the importance of the funding she receives as part of the scholarship scheme; 'Triathlon is a very time consuming and expensive sport to commit to. Training up to 3 times a day and studying for a degree doesn't allow much time for a part-time job so the financial support provided by the scholarship allows me to travel domestically and internationally for training and competition. Without this support I'd be unable to compete in the necessary competitions that provide me with international race experience essential for my development into a world class triathlete.'

Despite all the support she receives, Stanford does not feel any added pressure to perform; 'The only source of pressure is from myself. Every time I compete I want to perform well but that would be true even if I wasn't a scholar. I enjoy representing the University and I am always proud to wear the University colours.'

Stanford feels good organisation is key to being a successful university athlete; 'I try to balance the time I commit to my sport and to my study as I want to do well at both'.

Whilst also enjoying herself at university, 'it's important to give yourself time away from the books and the training venue; it helps to keep things in perspective.'

Although she aims to be an Olympian, Stanford is realistic enough to have made other plans; 'It [competing at the Olympics] would be amazing.

But if triathlon doesn't work out for me I want to pursue a career in Sport Science where I can hopefully work alongside elite athletes, helping them in their endeavours to become world class sport people.'

Championship.

Now in his second year studying Sport and Exercise Science, the 2009 BUCS 3000m Steeplechase champion has already insisted that running professionally is his eventual goal. 'If all goes well with

my running I would love to continue with this and train as a full time athlete.

I have just returned from an altitude training trip and I could definitely see myself training full time in those types0 of surroundings all the time!'

James Wilkinson

For interviews with more scholars including Alyssa Lim and Sian James go to www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Sport

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

27

Cadbury leave bitter taste in Birmingham's mouth

Dan Henton sends over a corner but the home side fail to convert any of the golden opportunities they had Photo: Tom Flathers

Men's Football 1st XI: Birmingham v Cadbury Athletic 0-1

Oli Sly THE Men’s football first team manager Chris Wright threw down the gauntlet to his side on Wednesday night by stating that a top 3 finish is the minimum expectation for the up and coming season. The comments followed the 1-0 friendly defeat on Wednesday

W

night at home to a well drilled Cadburys Athletic side, who arrived at the mid-week contest with 12 league games already under their belt. Birmingham’s season doesn’t start until next week but the coaching staff will be left with much to ponder after many spectators left the ground scratching their heads as to why quite a dominant performance became a narrow defeat to a side which ended the game with 10 men.

Birmingham struggled to find their feet in the opening exchanges, further hindered by the early injury to key front man Rich Powell. Whilst the number 11 was receiving treatment Cadbury were allowed to make their first significant attack on goal, Cordell Jones split-

ting defenders Cassidy and Andrew Carr only to drag the shot wide with six minutes on the clock.

It wasn’t long before Birmingham were defending again, Craig Spink skipping past the challenge of Dan Henton only to put the ball over the crossbar.

The hosts looked nervous on the ball and only really settled after a succession of half chances fell their way.

Birmingham did have the ball in the back of the net in the 15th minute only for it to be ruled out for offside. Cadbury hit straight back and continued to look dangerous, Cordell Jones once again racing through on goal, this time only to scratch the paint of the right hand post.

From this point onwards though the Uni-

versity outfit were in the ascendancy hitting the woodwork through Henton as the home side piled on the pressure, leading to further chances, none of which could be converted.

At half-time, Birmingham were looking comfortable, so much so that it led the opposition manager to rage at his players, ‘If I had 11 subs, I would make 11 changes!’

Alas, this was not necessary. After a quiet opening to the second half the hosts were stunned by a Cadbury goal 20 minutes after the restart. A deep, long ball forward, something which had been causing the Birmingham defence problems all evening, resulted in a missed interception by a Birmingham centre back allowing for the substitute Ken

Howell to slot the ball past the excellent Simon Lynn. Birmingham looked stunned and within 60 seconds of the restart Cadbury’s found themselves through on goal again, Aaron Highes rounding Lynn before rolling the ball towards an empty net only to see it cleared off the line by the backtracking Carr.

However, this was the last the Birmingham defence saw of the opposition front line as the last twenty minutes of the match was to be characterised by awful Birmingham finishing that could have seen them win the match.

Cadbury wheezed over the finishing line with ten men due to a straight red for verbal abuse.

Birmingham will have left the athletics track on

=the===redbrick==crossword= Sephron Mansell

Redbrick 1353

1_2_3_4_5=6__ _=_=_=_=7__== _=_=_=_=_=8_9 0__a____=b==_ _==_==_=c____ _==_=d=e=_==_ _=f________=_ _==_=_=_=_==_ g____=h==_==_ _==_=i__j_k__ l_m=n=_=_=_=_ ==o__=_=_=_=_ p__=q________

Sponsored by Waterstone's at the University of Birmingham The prize this week is a £10 gift voucher from Waterstones

Across

Down

1. Athletic competition consisting of ten events (9) 6. A long-haired bovine (3) 7. Poem, ballad (3) 8. Charlotte's ___, Award-winning children's novel by E.B White (3) 10. Inclination, angle (8) 13. Bird from the pheasant family (5) 16. William _________, Author of Vanity Fair (9) 17. Mill on the _____, George Eliot novel (5) 19. A Week in ________, Sebastian Faulks' latest novel (8) 22. ___ Tolstoy, author of War and Peace (3) 25. Doctor ___, Science Fiction programme starring David Tennant (3) 26. ___Smith, writer of comedy, Not the Nine O'Clock News (3) 27. Sketicism, doubt (9)

1. Abominable, scandalous (11) 2. Prolonged unconsciousnes (4) 3. The ____Driver's Daughter, Julia Darling novel (4) 4. _____Doone, novel set in Devon and Somerset (5) 5. Head gesture (3) 6. Evergreen tree (3) 9. No.1 single by La Roux (11) 11. Film starring Keira Knightley (7) 12. Beliefs based on the Hebrew Bible (7) 14. Sister ___, Musical currently at the London Palladium (3) 15. ___Watts, former Eastenders character (3) 18. Clive Staples _____, author of The Chronicles of Narnia (5) 20. The ____ of Reason, sequel to Bridget Jones' Diary (4) 21. God in Egytian Mythology (4) 23. Nocturnal bird (3) 24. ___Stewart, British singer (3)

Wednesday night satisfied with the performance but not the result, as manager Chris Wright was keen to point out, ‘Compared to the performance at Cardiff [in pre-season], we were a million times better tonight with our desire and commitment. We’ve been riddled with injuries, but there are no excuses, we had loads of chances tonight but our finishing in and around the box wasn’t good enough.’

Asked if he felt the Premiership champions of 2007 could reproduce that level of success in the coming season, he commented ‘We want to be in and around the top 3 [but]…we aim to be the best, or there is no point in being here’ On that note, let the title race begin.

Waterstones would like to provide a named book each week instead of of gift voucher.

We would like your suggestions for the book list to give to Waterstones. So please send in the names of your favourite books or authors so that we can pass them onto Waterstones.

All suggestions should be sent to n.baldwick@redbrickonline.co.uk.

We are also looking at making the crossword available online and would like your thoughts on this.

Please send along any opinions to online@redbrickonline.co.uk and we will take them on board whilst we develop the brand new website.

It can be found at: www.redbrickonline.co.uk

28 Sport

REDBRICK 1353 / 9th OCTOBER 2009

SPORT

25 Lacrosse The girls on the verge of a season of success

26 Scholarships A guide to TASS, UBS and Brum's promising athletes

Merry's marauding men win at Metchley Men's Football 2nd XI: Birmingham v Aston 6-1

James Phillips THE University of Birmingham's mens football 2nd XI cruised to a 6-1 home victory in a friendly versus Aston University on Wednesday afternoon.

Goals from Tom Siddons (2), Nick Edge, Sam Youngs (2) and Scott Huxtable sealed a comfortable win for the home team on the Metchley pitches. Aston, who controversially pipped Birmingham to the league title on head-to-head last season despite an inferior goal difference, will be disappointed at this heavy defeat so close to the start of this season but did not deserve anything out of a game that Birmingham dominated from start to finish.

Alex Merry, Birmingham's coach, told his players ahead of the game to play attractive football, and was rewarded when Siddons opened the scoring within ten seconds of kick-off after being set up by strike partner Edge, making his first appearance for the team. The hosts, playing a 4-4-2 formation with a midfield diamond not dissimilar to that currently being employed by Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, were impressive, with

Matt Spooner excelling in the holding midfielder role. They piled pressure on Aston from the start: a free-kick from wide-man Joe Fraine gave another chance to Siddons before left-back Rob Godfrey played in Edge only for attacking midfielder Youngs to blaze his shot over.

Before ten minutes had passed, it was 2-0 with Edge scoring from the rebound after good linkup play by Siddons and right-winger Huxtable.

Birmingham were passing the ball with confidence at this point and went close when Siddons shot over the bar when put through

by Huxtable. Captain for the day Ed Shurville was commanding throughout and along with defensive partner Tom Halliday barked out orders to the team to ‘play like it's still nil-nil’.

Birmingham did as their captain suggested and at no point became complacent. The Aston keeper was called into action on numerous occasions, blocking from both Siddons and Youngs whilst Huxtable saw a header go just wide. Birmingham stopper Eric Hathaway was less busy and only had a shot from Aston's left winger tested for the first time.

Shortly after, Youngs scored his first on 30 minutes with a great finish.

Some great attacking play from Shurville almost saw the centre-back get on the scoresheet only for him to hit the bar and, although the rebound was swept in, it was disallowed for offside.

The only blemish on the team's performance came when Aston mid-

Birmingham players celebrate another goal on the way to a comfortable victory Photo: Tom Flathers fielder Jerome Steva lobbed a disappointed Hathway on 42 minutes after a good cross from the visitors right-back, ensuring the teams went in 3-1 at half-time.

Despite a commanding lead, Merry wouldn’t let the players rest on their laurels and demanded more possession, an improved first touch and greater involvement of full-backs Godfrey and Dave Bellis in the second half, although he did take time to praise the team for maintaining a good

intensity.

After the restart, the referee was amusingly clattered by an Aston shot before Youngs completed his brace with a great goal on 50 minutes. The animate Shurville still demanded the team to 'keep the intensity, keep passing' and Halliday tackled brilliantly when the away team’s number 10 was through on goal.

On 65 minutes, Aston's number three came off injured and one of the strikers had to drop back into defence, leaving

them disadvantaged until the defender returned to the field of play 10 minutes later. Birmingham failed to capitalise in the time Aston had ten men on the pitch but did not take long increasing their lead; first Godfrey cut inside and shot wide shortly before Siddons made it 5-1 with his second of the game on 74 minutes.

The home team cruised through the remaining minutes with Huxtable adding a sixth by shooting across the keeper smartly with six

minutes remaining.

Merry was pleased with the team's performance saying 'It was a good performance from a team who haven't all played together before.

There's a lot more to come from this promising group, but this is a good foundation against a team who looked good on paper.'

The team can now start looking forward to next week's first competitive match of the season against Worcester.

Club Development increases sports science support for members Georgina Killick NEW books, new furniture, new sports kit, gym membership; coming back to university is an expensive time of year without having to pay Club Development (formerly the Athletics' Union) fees. Given this added expense, it will be a reassurance to find that the facilities available to Club Development members this year have been extended, giving all clubs access to sports science expertise.

For a number of

years, specially-trained sports scientists have worked with the University's focus sports with the aim of providing better support for athletes in training, competition and when dealing with injury. In the past, sports such as hockey, athletics, squash and rowing have benefited from nutrition advice, phsyiotherapy, pre-season camps and psychological seminars.

The hope is that opening up these facilities to more students will help boost performances across the board and will give Birmingham the

greatest chance of reclaiming their position in the top three of the BUCS standings.

For the first time this year, there will be free strength and conditioning classes available to all Club Development members on Monday and Thursday afternoons.

The focus of these sessions will be to increase strength, power and speed through interdisciplinary exercises.

The triage clinic also makes a welcome return on the same days between 11am and 1pm, providing students with

a free fifteen minute slot with a physiotherapist to assess injury and get advice on the best forms of treatment. In addition to this, there will be sports scientists on hand to discuss any issues ranging from diet to psychology.

Appointments are necessary.

A further advantage is the provision of workshops previously only available to sports scholars. These will cover a range of topics beginning with Recovery from Training on the 19th October and Handling Pressure (Individual Sports)

on 2nd November.

With increasing support from the Sports Science department, it is hoped that Birmingham will have fitter athletes on the field and fewer sidelined through injury. All Club Development members, whatever their level, will have more support to call on if they wish.

To sign up for strength and conditioning sessions, or workshops or for more information on the services provided

by Sports Science, please contact Alex McGregor at a.r.mcgregor@bham.

Courtesy of UBS ac.uk