Issue 1373

Gisela Stuart MP for Birmingham Edgbaston talks to Seb Mann and Helen Crane Read the full interview, p4

Redbrick

The University of Birmingham's Student Newspaper since 1936

Most Outstanding Society 2010 AU Outstanding Contribution to Sport Friday October 15th 2010 Volume 73 | Issue 1373 redbrickonline.co.uk

Browne Review Just twelve years ago, university education in England was free at the point of use, now the Browne Report proposes to lift the cap on fees entirely. What does this mean for us?

A Redbrick special report News p3, Comment p6

Vice-Chancellor David Eastwood sat on the panel of the Browne Review

INSIDE Interview with MyStudentBills >> 8 | Puzzles >> 10 | Film Reviews >> 12 | NEW Food section >> 23 | Rugby team aim high >> 27

2

News Redbrick Editorial

Editor Samuel Lear Deputy Editors Victoria Shires Sam Langtree Online Editor Micaela Winter Treasurer Jonathan Craven Art Director Thomas Walters Chief Photographer Mike Roberts chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Director Jeremy Levett News Editors Helen Crane Glen Moutrie Anna Hughes news@redbrickonline.co.uk Features Editors Rosa McMahon Seb Mann features@redbrickonline.co.uk Film Editors Elmley de la Cour Matt Davis film@redbrickonline.co.uk Arts & Culture Editors Sian Gray James Reevell arts@redbrickonline.co.uk Music Editors Will Franklin Charlie Bailey music@redbrickonline.co.uk Television Editors Natalie Timmins Joe McGrath tv@redbrickonline. co.uk

VP for Education and Access, Rob Hunter, on the Browne Review Rob Hunter, page 6

Picture of the Week

Mike Roberts

Lifestyle Editors Briony Singh Rob Lewis lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk Food Editors Harriet Constable Dami Olugbode food@redbrickonline.co.uk Travel Editors Ed Gordon James Cull travel@redbrickonline.co.uk Sport Editors James Phillips Simon Hall sport@redbrickonline.co.uk Crossword Editor John Rizkallah Editorial Assistants Victoria Bull Rochelle Balach Laura Hewitt Vikki Jeff Will Hunter Kate Selvaratnam Copy Editors Fina Charleson Amber Alexander Louise Dugan Jennifer Anderson Sian Evans Laura Frost Emily Haseldine Olivia Wilson Sunil Grewal Rosie Pearce Zara Sekhavati Lauren Wheatley Amy Davidson Charlotte Goodwin Jess Scarborough Bex Hawkes Caroline Mortimor Alex Jackson Lucy Haffenden Amy Saul Becca Evans Liz Murray Emma Redfern Francis Shaw Sarah Halls Lydia Smith Laura Dean

Meeting Times News - Thurs 5pm Features - Tues 5pm Film - Fri 2pm Arts - Wed 3pm Music - Wed 4pm TV - Wed 3pm Lifestyle - Wed 12pm Food - Wed 2pm Travel - Weds 1.30pm Sports - Fri 2pm Photography - Fri 11.15am Designed and typeset by Thomas Walters.

Copyright (C) Redbrick 2010 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.

T

he final preparations are made for a performance at the Theatre of Epidaurus. Built 2500 years ago, the theatre can seat 15,000 spectators.

Send your pictures of the week to pow@redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick Calendar Theatre Blood Brothers HIPPODROME, 11th - 21st OCTOBER 7.30PM Written by Willy Russell, the legendary BLOOD BROTHERS tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the track, only to meet again with tragic consequences. The superb score includes 'Bright New Day', 'Marilyn Monroe' and the emotionally charged hit 'Tell Me It's

Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint.com: 08451 300667.

Music & Nightlife

Arts

SYMPHONY HALL, 16th OCTOBER, 7PM Singing a variety of well-known choral pieces in a relaxing evening concert, the Chamber Choir will be the first Summer Festival ensemble to perform in the Barber this year.

WEDNESDAY 20th OCTOBER 6PM8PM

Join us for a free glass of wine, live music and a quiz competition. Plus, your chance to have a say about upcoming events at the Barber; and vote for your favourite work of art in our choice poll.

Macbeth Critically acclaimed company, Song of the Goat's, reinterpret the Shakespearean classic.

Tickets £9-£12.

HMV INSTITUTE, 16th OCTOBER Check out High Contrast, Roni Size & MC Dynamite, and much more.

21st

The Debating Society has planned a public debate, questioning the authority and usefulness of the British monarchy. The motion is 'This house would abolish the British Monarch as Head of State.'

LIVERPOOL MUSEUM, 20th OCTOBER, 12PM-12AM

'A Journey Thru' Dance & Music' THE UNDERGROUND, 19th OCTOBER, 6pm, KRISHNA SOC

Hospitality

OCTOBER, 6:30PM - 8PM

Black History Month Event

Guns N' Roses The famed rock band are back. After the release of the long awaited Chinese Democracy, Axel Rose is the only band member that remains since their previous release.

(Tickets from £20)

THE MAC, FRIDAY, 15th OCTOBER, 8PM

Talks & Workshops

Vassily Sinaisky Student Sessions Public Debate Symphony No.3 BARBER INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS, GUILD COUNCIL CHAMBER,

LG ARENA, 17th OCTOBER

Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Full events listings available online redbrickonline.co.uk/events

To contact us:

Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 or a.fitzpatrick@guild. bham.ac.uk

Redbrick

October 15th 2010

redbrickonline.co.uk

An evening of spiritual music, dance, drum and guitar performances. Free food and drink available.

For more arts events check out the Arts section 'Previews' on page 15

The Afro-Caribbean Society is organizing a coach trip next Wednesday to Liverpool Museum. The group will be taking a tour of the Slavery Section, and attend the MOBO awards the same day. Tickets are £40 for members, £55 for non members. If interested call 07591118418 or 07800550851

Redbrick

News 3

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie, Anna Hughes

Browne review: Is lifting the cap the answer?

Owen Earnicker Reporter

O

n Tuesday, Lord Browne's released his long-awaited report containing recommendations on the future of university funding.

Lord Browne's investigation was based on the fundamental idea that participation, quality and sustainability could be increased through his proposals, the most controversial of which includes an end to the cap on tuition fees. This would mean that the rate at which universities charge students for their education would be limitless.

The almost doubling of student debt is potentially catastrophic.

Dora Meredith, Guild President To many, this is the biggest shake up of the system since the Labour government introduced variable tuition fees in 2006.

Opponents claim this will deny choice of higher education for those from lower-income backgrounds and inevitably saddle students with twice the amount of

debt, if not more.

If the cap is lifted, courses over £7,000 will have to provide financial assistance to students from poorer families. However, this would lead to a squeeze on the budgets of middle-income families who would be expected to contribute more.

Browne and his panelists also believe that different courses should charge different amounts, leading to there being 'no fixed price on education.' Sceptics say that this will become a factor against applicants considering a certain degree; people may be put off a particular course because of a higher level of debt.

Other proposals include the rate at which students repay their loans being based on earnings.

This was suggested because according to the report, 'there has been no increase in the private contribution made by students and graduates.' The proposal, if implemented, would mean that graduates would only start to pay back their loans once they are earning £21,000 annually. Broken down in real terms, a graduate earning £25,000 would pay £30 monthly, whereas a graduate earning £40,000 would make a monthly payment of £143, until the debt is repaid.

All the more pertinent to University of Birmingham students, the Vice-Chancellor Professor David Eastwood sat on the report panel.

In an interview for the BBC News website, he stated that 'the new approach is progressive and

offers a very good deal for students.'

Professor Michael Whitby, Pro-Vice Chancellor, said that the plans were 'absolutely essential' to the University of Birmingham. He went on to add that 'we invest £1million a week into the university, and we want to maintain that.'

The money is used on the Guild, sport and other important aspects of university life. As things are there is a definite hole to be plugged, with the university only just making the five percent surplus expected to be returned to the government.

But many feel this bill should not be picked up by the students.

Dora Meredith, President of the Guild of Students, said that: 'the almost doubling of student debt is potentially catastrophic.'

She went on to add that there are 'some promising things in the review, however this doesn't

detract from the fact that the increase in funding is likely to fill the hole caused by government cuts and therefore students will be paying more for less.' Hundreds of students demonstrated outside the library on Tuesday against the 'Browne Barrier to Education'.

Business Secretary Vince Cable endorsed the report in parliament. In a U-turn on his own party's election promises, he stated that scrapping tuition fees was 'simply no longer feasible.'

The political fallout from this will be the coalition's first major hurdle, with majority of Liberal Democrat MPs having pledged not to raise tuition fees. The aim of the government is to implement changes to fees by 2012. There is no doubt that the debate until then will be fierce.

Comment: Rob Hunter, p.6 >

Student protest on campus

Protest over Browne's proposals.

Thomas Byrne Reporter

U

Nancy Grey

History and Politics 2nd year

Political Science 2nd year

'Probably. If I did come here it would be very expensive, I might have gone elsewhere.'

'One hundred percent no. I don't think I would have been able afford it in the slightest.'

Rachel Salter

Michael Minay

Social Policy 3rd year

History 1st year

'Yes, I would. Other countries are doing the same thing. In the USA it doesn't stop people going to college and their fees are uncapped.'

'No. £3000 is bad enough. I have 2 siblings and at the end of the year, it's twice the debt for my parents and twice the debt for me whenever I graduate.'

What does it mean?

Q: What exactly is the Browne review?

A: The Browne review is officially known as the Independent Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance. Led by former BP chief executive Lord Browne, its aim is to identify ways of meeting the rising demand for university places despite cuts to higher education funding.

Q: What changes to student fees has the Browne review recommended?

A: As expected, the review called for the limit on tuition fees to be removed so that universities can decide how much they charge for courses. Some universities could potentially charge up to £12,000 per year. Although graduates will now not have to start repaying their loans until they earn at least £21,000, the interest rate will rise from 0 to 2.2%.

Q: What involvement has the University of Birmingham had in the review?

A: Birmingham is part of the Russell Group of universities, which made submissions to the Browne review calling for the international reputation of UK universities not to be put at risk from underfunding. Birmingham's Vice-Chancellor Professor David Eastwood was also a member of the review panel.

Would you still be at university if fees were raised over £6,000?

Luke Jones

Review Q&A

niversity of Birmingham students have taken part in a demonstration against Lord Browne's review on tuition fees.

Students gathered to protest against plans to introduce a 5% interest rate on student loans and no caps on tuition fees, meaning that University courses could at least double in price.

The demonstration took on the form of a barrier made from cardboard boxes in front of the steps leading up to the main library; a physical representation to Lord Browne's review that has been termed 'The Barrier To Education.'

The whole atmosphere of the demonstration was against the review with almost all present joining in with chants and several students carrying signs that read 'Would you be here? I wouldn't!'

The feeling amongst protesters at the rally was that the proposals will mean that potential students from working-class households will be deterred from coming to University, as the sharp rise in tuition fees would become unaffordable for them in both the short and long term.

Rebecca, a psychology student in her first year stated, 'How are people supposed to consider coming to University as an investment

Mike Roberts towards their future if they can't afford it?' Katie, a first year African Studies and History student accuses the review of 'making University into a business and shutting off access to those who are from lowincome households.'

The committee responsible for the review has been accused of masking their proposals under the promise of being progressive.

Cory Hazlehurst, M.A. Medieval History stated, 'There are some good aspects such as free teacher training for new academic graduates and part time students only paying for their fees once they have graduated.

'However, the bad points outweigh these as students would be paying more back due to the interest rates of loans rising. The review seems to be hiding under a blanket of progressive policies. Universities should be making cuts elsewhere before making unnecessary cuts aimed at students.'

The organiser of yesterday's demonstration Guild officer, Rob Hunter, who is the Vice President for Educational Access, believes that the proposals are 'quite sneaky by trying to place emphasis upon the progressive edge with variable rates of interest and higher repayment thresholds.

'However, this will mean that students will be more likely to choose their course based on the price tag rather than their own aspirations and potential.'

Q: What is the coalition government's stance on student fees?

A: The Liberal Democrats planned to get rid of tuition fees until this was considered unaffordable in the current economic climate. At their first conference since the formation of the coalition, Vince Cable backed a graduate tax system where the amount paid back is related to their income, but the review described such a system as, 'unworkable.'

Q: What is the Labour opposition's stance on student fees?

A: The policy of students contributing to their tuition fees came into force under the previous Labour government, Ed Miliband has announced that he instead wants to scrap tuition fees in favour of a graduate tax.

Q: Will the coalition government automatically put the review's recommendations in place?

A: This is not guaranteed. 56 out of 58 Liberal Democrat MPs, including Nick Clegg and Vince Cable, have signed an NUS pledge that they would oppose a rise in student fees. Liberal Democrat MPs can abstain from voting on this issue, although this could just lead to the Conservatives making the decision on whether to raise student fees or not themselves.

By Judith Hawkins

4 News

UK Uni Watch

Southampton It has been announced that next year the University of Southampton will host an exhibition of almost 200 pieces by the acclaimed artist Andy Warhol. The exhibition will feature a variety of media and according to the university will 'focus on Warhol's hugely influential film and photography, showcasing rarely-seen stitched photographs, self-portraits and celebrity portraits.'

Leicester Technicians at the University of Leicester have played a key role in developing the knowledge behind one of the instruments that will be placed on the James Webb Space Telescope. This will be launched in 2014 to succeed the Hubble Telescope. The University of Leicester claims that the new telescope is 'designed to examine the first light in the Universe and the formation of planets around other stars.'

Loughborough Students at Loughborough University have clinched a total of 28 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, including 20 in swimming. This includes sports sciences graduate Liam Tancock, who won 2 gold medals and one each of silver and bronze in 50m and 100m backstroke.

Oxford Police are investigating the death of Oxford University lecturer Gudrun Loftus, who was found unconscious at the bottom of a spiral staircase within St. John's College in the city. 52 year old Loftus, a German tutor and author, was found to have multiple injuries consistent with a fall after post mortem. Police are treating the death as 'unexplained' and that the investigation into the death is 'ongoing.'

Poll

We asked 50 Birmingham students: Is fresher's week overrated?

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie, Anna Hughes

Redbrick interview: Gisela Stuart MP

London The new spray-on haute couture collection of Dr. Manel Torres was showcased at the Science in Style Fashion Show at Imperial College London at the end of September and was the result of 10 years work in partnership with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology.

Redbrick

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Helen Crane News Editor

C

onsidering her constituency of Birmingham Edgbaston harbours relatively conservative values, backbench Labour MP Gisela Stuart has had a somewhat colourful history.

We met with her to ask her opinion on issues ranging from education to expenses.

With a ward which ecompasses not only the main university campus but also the Vale Village, Stuart has a lot to answer for when it comes to higher education funding.

She has voted in favour of lifting the cap on tuition fees in the past, her view being that the 'golden age of grants' is over and that in the current climate of increasing participation 'the money has got to come from somewhere.'

However, Stuart expressed concerns over the idea that institutions should have complete freedom over what they charge.

'I would argue that in some institutions you get more for your £3,290 than others. Any university which raises its fees above the current level has to show me what the students are getting for that.'

When asked about the graduate tax proposed by the Liberal Democrats, Stuart's stance was steadfastly negative.

'A hypothecated tax for the rest of your life because of events in your earlier life – and one which is applicable only to UK taxpayers, not the ones the government cannot find – I just think the idea is a complete non-runner,' she explained.

Stuart herself is German-born, moving to Britain in 1974 before earning an LLB from the London School of Economics in 1993. She has undertaken research into Pension Law here at Birmingham.

When informed of the latest Labour target of 75% of people entering higher education, Stuart was somewhat surprised. 'I thought 50 was pretty ambitious,' she said. 'It's not so much a percentage point. What the continental experience teaches you is that what matters is continuing education throughout your life.'

Stuart spoke of the potential of external validating bodies such as the University of London to create a recognisable standard of degree which could reduce the stigma surrounding lower-ranking institutions.

On the wider issue of public spending, Stuart agreed that cuts were necessary but called the Conservative management of these this 'non-strategic and too harsh.'

'What the Tories are doing is by far more damaging than the cuts are.'

'In the name of the big society they are essentially putting a whole lot of responsibility back on the individual without the financial

means. It's the lack of a philosophy behind this which I find so scary.'

Stuart was elected in 1997, taking the seat in what had been a Tory stronghold for over 70 years. As well as being historically Conservative, the ward of Edgbaston also has a more unique tradition: it has been governed by a female MP since 1953.

She had been nominated as part of the all-women shortlist; an initiative launched to encourage less of a gender bias in UK politics. .

'They used to say that the women who came in through the all-women shortlist would be treated as second-rate. Bollocks. You either cut it or you don't. When there's as many useless women in the place as useless men, then you've reached equality.'

'It is to my deep regret that 15 years later we are still discussing whether the shadow cabi-

They used to say that the women who came in through the shortlist would be treated as secondrate. Bollocks. You either cut it or you don't. When there are as many useless women in the place as useless men, then you've reached equality. net election should have women quotas. We're not there yet.'

When asked about the idea of an Ethnic Minorities shortlist she said 'I've seen that breakthrough happening. You can go into the House of Commons now and it just looks different.'

Although Stuart was not blameless in the expenses scandal, a minor issue of contention coming in the form of a pair of bathroom taps, she was by no means amongst the worst offenders.

She admits that the system was flawed, and that this led to a lack of public trust in the people who are effectively telling them how to live their lives.

Stuart seemed to think that the wrongs committed by some were being put right by more rigorous policy.

'We have set up an independent standards policy, which

I would argue that most British people, and also most British politicians, have no true sense of how much of our legislation comes from Europe. is unbelievably bureaucratic – MP's are up in arms about it. But now we know how it feels to deal with the child support agency!'

Whether or not they are supporters, few can deny that Stuart is popular. She was praised in Tony Blair's memoirs for her skill as an MP, and she puts this down to a down-to-earth approach.

'A friend of mine used to have bags of money and held a big public office, which he then lost,' she told us. 'I asked him what he missed, and he said, “I miss being somebody.” I think if you are an MP, you are somebody within your constituency.

But what MP's have forgotten is that you are no better than a n y b o d y else.'

Stua r t ' s c a m p a i g n slogan in the last election was 'I'm Labour, my values are Labour, but I think for myself,' a n d it is this in-

This week in statistics 113m 30 80 The percentage of staff the Department of Education hopes to shed as part of the government's austerity plans.

record-breaking Jackpot.

The prize money in pounds of the UK ticket holder's Euro Millions

The percentage Mulberry bags sales rose in 10 weeks to the beginning of October, proving the luxury goods market is defying the economic crisis.

dependent approach which led her to rebel against the party on issues such as the EU referendum. She puts her objections down to an inherent lack of consensus between politicians and the public in the EU system.

'I would argue that most British people, and also most British politicians, have no true sense of how much of our legislation comes from Europe, and how much our hands are tied' she explained. 'I am very critical of the accountability of European decisions.'

A final issue on which Stuart has been reported to hold charicteristically strong opinions on is her support for George Bush in the 2004 US Presidential election.

This was widely covered in the press at the time, and is something which she is often asked about to this day. However, Stuart's version of events is somewhat less controversial. As Editor of the House of Parliament magazine, she discussed coverage of the election with colleagues who commented on the fact that Conservative MPs often publicly lent support to Democratic candidates, whilst their Labour counterparts did not do the same.

'We thought, wouldn't it be great to find a labour MP to write a piece in support of George W?' Stuart explained. 'Unfortunately, this was much harder than finding a Conservative one.'

'So I decided myself to do a pastiche, making comments like 'With George you know where you stand.'

It went into Wikipedia, and at that point you just realise there is no point in you saying any more – it's now the gospel truth and you have to live with it.'

For comment see page 8.

13bn

The amount spent in pounds on research and development by charities and the private sector last year.

Redbrick

News 5

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie and Anna Hughes

Nightbus leaves Pritchatts West Midlands have cheapest beer freshers stranded at club C

Edwina Moorhouse Reporter

onfirming what Birmingham university students are already aware of, the Good Pub Guide 2011 has declared the West Midlands to be the home of the cheapest beer in England.

However, this achievement comes somewhat tarnished by there being a noticeable lack of pubs from Birmingham itself published in the prestigious main listings. This suggests that although easy on the wallet, West Midlands pubs might be lacking in quality.

The Birmingham Post reports that only one pub – The Old Joint Stock, near Birmingham Town Hall – made the prestigious main listings. The Barton Arms and The Wellington in the city centre made the 'almost' listings, according to the book's editor Fiona Stapley.

It is not just pubs in Birmingham who have been left red faced by not making the listings, but many others across the UK. In the 2011 guide over 381 pubs have been blacklisted for various reasons including a poor choice of beer and overpowering televisions, but mainly as a result of bad service.

Stapley believes that the economic downturn is to blame, explaining that 'over-economising on staff has led to service delays and other related problems. The genuinely warm and personal welcome found in so many of the Guide's pubs has become something of a rarity.'

The guide, which has been published annually since 1982, highlights the West Midlands excellent £2.45 average for a pint of lager compared to upmarket Surrey whose average is £3.07.

Nearby region of Staffordshire came in at second cheapest averaging £2.54 a pint, whilst Warwickshire stood firm in the middle ground of drinks price with £2.82.

Castle Cars Night Bus at the Guild

The atmosphere is good in Selly Oak because of the students, but to be honest, places like the Goose are a bit disgusting. I haven't seen many traditional pubs.

Deborah Bazeley, 3rd year Political Science states 'Students are always going to go for the cheap places, and not branch out of Selly Oak. Student pubs are quite good fun, especially on match days, and always good value.'

Sarah McCrae, 2nd year History students remarks 'The atmosphere is good in Selly Oak because of the students, but to be honest, places like The Goose are a bit disgusting. I haven't seen many traditional pubs.'

Owen Earnicker & Ben Rider Reporter

A

failure in the nightbus service meant many first year students were left in the cold in Welcome Week, contending with late buses and drivers being unaware of the correct routes.

The free bus service was provided as part of the Fresher's Fest event at the University, organised to pick up first year students from various clubs and return them to their halls. However, not only was the service exceptionally late, residents of Pritchatts Park also found that the drivers refused to stop off at their site on several of the club nights.

At Oceana, Gatecrasher and Risa, students were left waiting on the pavement, sometimes even

advised by Guild Representatives not to bother with the nightbus and seek alternative transportation.

When a bus finally did arrive, a lack of coordination led it to stop further down the road, away from where freshers were told to wait.

First year student William Hussey recalls, 'I was near the front of the queue until it drove past us, making us run.'

Tom Defraine, President of the Pritchatts Park Residents Association, stated 'my personal gripe with the Fresher's Fest nightbus scheme was the failure to take Pritchatts Park freshers home, putting a lot of residents in a very disadvantaged situation.'

Confusion arose from a lack of communication with the bus company itself, with drivers not being used to the route. University

endorsed taxi service Castle Cars were not used for the Fresher's Fest scheme due to them having limited capacity, with this being blamed for the confusion.

When asked to comment on the issue, Vice-President for Welfare Johnny Davis stated that '[the bus company used] didn't understand the route like Castle Cars.' He went on to add that for next year the Guild of Students will be 'making sure provision and communication is better.'

Many freshers believed that transportation from the club nights was part of the Fresher's Fest package. But when asked about the possibility of reimbursing those who had to pay extra for taxi fares, as Davis stated, the service was never a guarenteed service home for all students, only for those who needed it most.

B'ham hosts Tory conference end.

In the annual gathering Prime Minister David Cameron and his fellow party members covered issues ranging from matters of defence to spending cuts and the end of New Labour.

The conference also revealed what we can expect from the current government against the backdrop of an budget deficit and an ever-changing social climate.

It lasted four days between the 3rd and 6th of October, and saw numerous speeches from key figures within the Conservative party, culminating in the final address by the Prime Minister. Cameron spoke passionately about fairness, reducing the budget deficit and in his final words of the need to 'work together in the national interest.'

Not only did spending feature heavily in Cameron's speech, but emphasis was also placed on the 'big society,' which did not go down well with fellow Tories. Further Cameron's dedication to the principle of encouraging everyone to work for their country is unlikely to leave his rhetoric.

'When we say "We're all in this together," that is not a cry for help but a call to arms. Come on: let's pull together. Let's come together.

Let's work together in the national interest.'

This conference was significant in that it marked a return to power for the Conservatives, putting an end to the era of New Labour.

Whilst party members listened acutely inside there was a marked difference in the situation outside as protesters numbering approximately 6000 marched against the proposed Tory cuts and reduced government spending.

Although this was a peaceful protest, it gives a glimpse into the growing swell of public anxiety and

disillusionment over potential cuts in the pipeline.

Lastly, it is perhaps important to draw attention to matters regarding students. What the young Coalition government has made clear is that change is needed regarding higher education expenditure.

The Business Secretary Vince Cable has recently discounted the notion of a graduation tax; leaving the door open to a possibility of increased tuition fees.

This will be reinforced with the soon to be released Lord Browne report in which a recommendation of no upper-limit on tuition fees could be proposed, perhaps giving rise to the possibility of fees in England increasing to around the £7000 mark.

More information on spending cuts is expected on the 20th of October when the Chancellor George Osborne makes an important speech regarding the future of government expenditure in the coming years.

The Conservative Party conference at the ICC

80m

60bn

2m

700

Ryan Jones & Nadia Tavana Reporters

T

he Conservative Party conference held at the ICC in Birmingham has come to an

Manchester United footbal team's financial losses in pounds over the past twelve months.

The figure in dollars the Japanese government is to inject into their failing economy.

The price in pounds which a rare, fully intact Roman helmet was sold for at auction at Christie's.

The distance in metres rescuers had to drill to free the trapped Chilean miners this week.

30

The percentage of staff the Department of Education hopes to shed as part of the government's austerity plans.

Caroline Mortimer

Redbrick

Comment & Features Editorial Rosa McMahon Features Editor

Commentator

E s third year graciously welcomes me back in, with its 16 minute lectures replacing its two hour counter-part, and hangovers which last a lifetime, thoughts of 'the end' plague my mind. Yet the end is not nigh, and I won't cry over spilt milk, because it hasn't spilt yet.

The summer has sent us back bronzed, refreshed and eager to see even those who were grating on us in the Summer Term.

Yet, as I was reminded by a lecturer, by the time February comes most of us will look, feel, and probably smell like a gutter; pretty gross. However, if we live in the moment, and with tea in hand I'm quite happy so, then week 2 is a pretty great place to be.

This issue of the paper has of course been a slow one, as far as our section is concerned, to produce. Memory seems to melt when the sun comes out, so relearning all the old tricks takes time. However with an influx of new writers, fresh with keenness and wonderful ideas, everything seems to look brighter.

Highlights for me this week must be our piece on Ed Miliband, the Israeli peace talks, and consumerism versus the romantic student. So often, in other news outlets, we digest articles which are so highly predictable because of ritual political bias which the paper carries. Miliband's 'Red Ed' label name exemplifies this perfectly.

Why, if you are a right wing Sun reader, must you label those on the left as Communists, it is just simply a different view point, and an extreme ideology that has never really worked anywhere.

The joy, of course, in writing for a student newspaper is that there is no political backdrop, and carving a political stance comes from your own individualism, rather than the from those who own the paper. 2010-2011 will certainly be a year when politics is prominent in all our lives. With Governmental cuts taking full swing, the job market looking dark and, soon for third years, no longer being able to be immature with the back up of 'I'm a student,' because we probably won't be.

But with fur trims on coats, trousers, gloves and even rugs, being cold is not an option. So keep warm, drink tea, oh and come to Features and Comment's meeting at 5 on Tuesdays in Student Development, a guaranteed Autumn treat. features@redbrickonline. co.uk Twitter: @redbrickfeature Facebook: Redbrick Comment and Features

6

'Red Ed' and the task of the Left Joe Jervis

A

redbrickonline.co.uk

October 15th 2010

d Miliband's recent waferthin leadership victory over his brother David represents what is a defining landmark in the future of the Labour Party.

The triumph appears to signal a move away from the New Labour era into what Miliband has repeatedly described as 'a new generation' of the party.

This approach was most apparent when, in his conference speech, the new leader distanced himself from the previous Labour Government by condemning the Iraq war as 'wrong' while also acknowledging that his party 'should take responsibility for not building a resilient economy.'

These admissions – along with a pledge to tax the banks – are clearly an attempt to re-engage with the disillusioned public and stress that the party are on their side.

Yet despite these endeavours to build bridges, the fact remains that the election of Ed Miliband represents a huge gamble for Labour. The gamble lies in the fact that, despite Miliband's constant attempts to distance himself from a 'lurch to the left,' his leadership victory is in no small part due to mass trade union support.

This endorsement may prove to be as problematic as it has been beneficial, given the memory of widespread disarray caused by the strikes of the 1970s.

Right-wing newspapers have already seized the opportunity to nickname the new leader 'Red Ed' and, while he has responded by quashing any fears of support for 'irresponsible strikes,' Miliband will have a difficult task in balancing support for those Labour traditionalists who elected him and defending the interests of the socalled middle-classes.

Even the smallest move to the left of New Labour opens up the question of whether – after 31 years and counting of right-wing

Ed Miliband the new leader of the opposition and centralist political and sociological philosophy – the country is ready to embrace ideals which have not been successfully promoted for over three decades.

The moralistic outlook of the left-wing is in complete contrast with, and harder to promote than, the economic liberalism and 'indi-

Even the smallest move to the left of New Labour opens up the question of whether […] the country is ready to embrace ideals which have not been successfully promoted for over three decades. vidualism' endorsed by Margaret Thatcher which won over so many traditional Labour voters. And the subsequent creation of a more centralist New Labour was testament to the fact that Tony Blair deemed

it more realistic to win over middle-class voters than to win back the Thatcherites.

But a distinct lack of reform and a failure to promote the ideals of the party has led Miliband to acknowledge that Labour had become 'trapped in old certainties' and it now appears that the new leader has taken it upon himself to move away from 'Blair pragmatism' in order to win back traditional Labour voters.

The difficulty of this task cannot be underestimated. The arguments used by Thatcher in 1979 to win over many working class Labour voters still prove remarkably popular.

The individualistic message sent out to those earning honest but modest wages of 'it's there if you want it, don't let the scroungers hold you back,' – coupled with the exaggeration of social unrest in order to justify heightened police power – was far easier to sell than a more complex left-wing mantra which focused on the inequalities in primary education and early socialisation as the cause of society's ills.

While Blair went some way to reversing this trend with focus on 'education, education, education,' discontent emerged around a benefit system which in too many cases was deemed to favour those out of work over those with low-paid jobs. Labour's continued reluctance to reform the welfare state

simply disillusioned hard working members of the public.

Immigration policy falls into a similar mould. Labour's failure to develop decisive responses to those who have voiced concerns about adverse effects on job opportunities is another reason for loss of support. But pandering to demands for an anti-immigration policy in a multi-cultural society would not only be in complete contrast to the party's principles but also a pragmatic failure given the reliance of Labour on support from ethnic minorities. And at the same time, any vague hope of convincing those who have grown up in areas of racial tension that they are simply 'scape-goating' would be severely misplaced; re-educating an adult with a one-track mind is a near impossible task.

Therefore, Ed Miliband's efforts to win over those who have grown up under this centre-right philosophy may well fall on deaf ears.

It is fair to say that brother David would have been the safer bet; a man of the pragmatic Blairite mould, a man who could have made the gradual but significant changes in 2015 which many thought Blair would make in 1997, a man with arguably more charismatic appeal to the cynical but sometimes fickle non-politicised voter than a man who has been assigned the nicknames of 'Wallace' and 'Forest Gump.'

But Ed has his own charm, the grass-roots of the party, and the principles of left-of-centre Britain behind him at a time when the current government will struggle to maintain support amidst its heavy cuts to public spending.

If he does succeed with an election victory, under the true morals and values of Labour, it will be seen as the party's most successful and important election win in 60 years.

One thing is for sure; the 'Red Ed' gamble is destined to be either a fine masterstroke or a dreadful miscalculation.

The Browne Review: a Guild perspective Rob Hunter VPEA

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n Tuesday the long awaited Browne Review into higher education funding set up by the government in 2009 was published. This was received with both anger and disappointment by students at Birmingham University, many of whom are already graduating with debts totalling well over £20,000. Amongst the general public there is also resentment towards the suggestion that students should have to bear the burden of yet more debt. The Browne Review has recommended no overall limit to fees but suggests financial penalties for universities charging more than £7,000.

The consequences of the government heeding the advice of Lord Browne are potentially disastrous. The average debt of students

at the University of Birmingham is likely to more than double in the very near future, a situation that can neither be described as fair or progressive. Lord Browne himself has admitted that there was little recognisable improvement in the higher education sector after the cost of going to university tripled with the introduction of £3,000 fees in 2006. There is no reason to believe that this time will be any different, but there are many reasons to believe that the opposite is likely to be true. Hidden in the detail of Lord Browne's proposals is a plan to make eye watering public spending cuts of 80% to Higher Education; not a single other area of government spending is facing cuts of this magnitude. At a time when other developed countries are investing generously in higher education as means of rebuilding their economy, our government is attacking our graduates, the very

individuals who will secure the financial future of the country. This is an insult to all the hardworking students in Birmingham and across the country who deserve to be rewarded for their efforts and not saddled with an astronomical debt to soften the blow of devastating government spending cuts.

Students and graduates are not the sole beneficiaries of Higher Education. Society as a whole depends on and benefits greatly from universities producing highly educated people. It is not right that students should be expected to cough up almost the entire cost of Higher Education. Indeed, no other developed country in the world would be considering changes as radical as this at a time of such great economic uncertainty.

As a student representative, I was really proud to see so many students turn up to the 'Browne Barrier' demonstration on cam-

pus on the day the review was announced. Hundreds of students came out to show their opposition to the regressive measures outlined in the Browne Review. As a Guild, we were keen to stress that the Browne Review is merely a recommendation. These proposals can be challenged and a great number of MPs including most of the Labour party and many in the Lib Dem party are already set to vote against any proposals to raise fees.

Despite what is said by universities and government ministers, there is no consensus behind raising fees and it falls on us as students to lead the fight against the deeply regressive measures outlined in the Browne Review. Higher Education would be in a sorry state if students found themselves choosing courses according to price tags rather than ability and aspiration.

Browne's proposals truly represent a barrier to Higher Education.

Redbrick

Comment & Features 7

15th October 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

The quest for Peace in the Middle East continues

Alex Green & Ben Curtis Commentators

O

n the 2nd September, the latest round of US-sponsored peace talks commenced between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in a hope to put an end to perhaps the most complex conflict in the world today. Despite the early pessimism that surrounded the talks, the negotiations seemed to get off to a productive start, despite the leaders of both camps being in direct negotiations for the first time in over ten months.

However, the talks have recently stagnated over one of the most controversial issues engulfing the conflict: West Bank settlements.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's delay in extending the 10-month settlement freeze is already being sighted as the primary factor for the breakdown of the peace talks.

Whilst acknowledging that settlement construction is counterproductive to a final status peace agreement as it impedes on the creation of a viable Palestinian State, it is of course imperative to understand that settlements are just one out of the many important issues to be resolved in the final status negotiations.

Israel has repeatedly demonstrated to the world that it is both willing and capable to make the painful concession of uprooting its people from settlements [...]

We see that as is in the name of peace.

Victoria Bull Commentator

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Israeli, American and Palestinian representatives in talks During the 10 month settlement moratorium, which was an unprecedented decision taken by any Israeli Prime Minister, the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of Mahmood Abbas, continuously rejected Israeli calls for direct negotiations. Thus, negotiations were left until the last month of the freeze. Moreover, Israel has repeatedly demonstrated to the world that it is both willing and capable to make the painful concession of uprooting its people from settlements, whether in the Sinai in 1979 or in Gaza and the West Bank in 2005.

Nevertheless, we maintain a firm belief that the only real way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is through the creation of two states for two peoples based along the lines of, but not confined to, the pre-1967 borders – a safe secure state of Israel alongside a

Alternativenews.org

viable Palestinian state. A twostate solution is the only pragmatic solution because it reflects the will of the majority of both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the international community.

The idea of a bi-national solution to the conflict has been thrown around on our own university campus. Although idealist, it lacks any real credence, rationality and applicability. A binational state would destroy both Jewish and Palestinian dreams of, and rights to, national self-determination – a fundamental right of all nations that cannot be ignored.

Further, a one state solution can not ever be achieved simply for the fact that it is inconceivable to think of the co-existence of two people under one state that have been at war with each other for over 100 years, and with radical elements on both sides, violence

could occur at the first opportunity.

Over the past year we have witnessed the Birmingham Jewish society going to great efforts to advocate an end to the conflict, and appreciate that the suffering on both sides has to end.

It is time we look past the polarised student politics that we experience here in Birmingham, which, in a sense, can be viewed as a manifestation of the conflict itself. We must, instead of attacking each other's narratives, publicly put our support behind the current peace talks and hope and pray that they result in an end to this bloody conflict, ultimately creating stability and security in the Middle East. This will only happen if peace talks continue. The show must go on.

Investigative journalism still has a role to play Crystal Crawford Commentator

H

ow can we really trust anything we read? And how do we know what the motives are behind journalists' work? It is common knowledge that newspapers and the media are often required to censor what they write, but it is debatable as to how often this happens. Can journalism have a positive impact for individuals in society?

An example of negative media influence is the aftermath of September 11th. During the past 10 years the British media have arguably worsened the prejudices that stemmed from the 'war on terror.'

In attempting to inform the public of the threat of modern day terrorism, the media seem to have acted as a catalyst for Islamophobia in Britain.

In an Open Society Institute survey in 2005, 80% of Muslims in Britain claimed to have experienced Islamophobia. The controversial headlines which ruthlessly

How do you solve a problem like...

Social faux pas

seized the attention of the public may have helped sell copies, but have had noticeable negative influence over British society and faithbased discrimination.

However without investigative journalism, people would not have known about the two sides to the war on terror. Would we have known about the reality of Guantánamo Bay and the other secret prisons? Would any human rights organisations like Reprieve have stood up and represented the 'suspected terrorists?' Or would they all have been left unrepresented in the evidently unjust abyss of the American/Cuban vacuum of Bush's improvised 'legal system?' It seems that, regarding the 'war on terror,' journalistic influences seemed to be demonstrated both negatively and positively.

This leads us to ask the question: without such sensationalist journalism, would the other aspects of journalism exist? Do newspapers need to write in such a way to sell papers in order to fund the journalists who have the intention of

writing for social good? Perhaps exaggerated articles are actually unavoidable in our society because of the increasingly dispassionate audience they are written for.

Perhaps exaggerated articles are actually unavoidable in our society because of the increasingly dispassionate audience they are written for.

Despite this reality, in the field of international human rights, journalism is a vital tool for combatting violations throughout the world. Investigative writing is imperative when it comes to informing the world about the atrocities that occur everyday which need to be exposed in order to take action against them. While there will undoubtedly be varied influences behind journalistic work, there will always be scope for journalists to make significant positive impact through their work.

Overall the power of journalism to help individuals worldwide should not be forgotten. Without investigative journalism, many individuals whose rights have been compromised would be worse off.

Such work is commendable and should never be overlooked.

Next week, Wannabehacks What are your views? www.redbrickonline.co.uk

or the everyday person, social faux pas tend to be a rare occurrence, and are usually on a small, soon to be forgotten, scale.

But when they do happen, we all experience those awful, ground, please-swallow-me-up-now moments. A minor mishap along similar lines happened to me this very week when I had the pleasure of introducing two friends who, to each other, were utter strangers. It was, of course, my luck that the moment the social gap occurred for introductions, I couldn't remember one's name to allow me to introduce them to each other.

Cue a longer-than-socially-acceptable pause, some babbling on my part, and the inevitable red head, pale girl's curse: blushing. There is no need to assume that I recovered from this– my attempt at styling it out was pitiful and although I eventually remembered the name, shame was resonant for the rest of the evening.

I imagine that Suresh Kalmadi, the head of this year's Commonwealth Games, had a similar feeling when he thanked Princess Diana for attending the games' opening ceremony in Delhi.

Sadly it is 2010, and Diana has been in another place now for 13 years. It was poor Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, she he was meaning to thank.

Talk about a gaffe which reached international news whereas, thankfully, my temporary yet extremely inconvenient bout of memory loss remained in the realms of the semi-private, and not so news-worthy.

So, just how do you solve the problem of humiliating yourself in public? There are the obvious preventative methods. Avoid becoming friends with identical twins is one; a blatant nightmare to address or introduce to others. Or better, insist that your friends wear name tags or, failing that, introduce themselves to strangers. Really, why should you risk becoming the stammering, red-faced fool again?

In the case of Kalmadi, he really should make a note on his powerpoint of who's dead and who isn't, and more importantly who is attending any given social event, and who isn't.

However on a more serious note, if you do find yourself bumbling into another faux pas that will be socially irrecoverable, try to break the tension by making everyone laugh, or if that fails, you could just run away. Now, must find that Mr Kalmadi...

8 Comment & Features

Redbrick

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors - Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

'The idea was to make it simpler and to put students in a position where they could start saving money' Redbrick speaks to the entrepreneurs behind the new student resource and price comparison website MyStudentBills.com Seb Mann Features Editor

U

niversity of Birmingham students, Will Kier and Josh Walter, have spent the last year working tirelessly to get their new price comparison website, MyStudentBills.com, up and running. Now fully functioning MyStudentBills aims to provide help and advice for students new to the process of independent living at the same time as saving them money. Redbrick’s Seb Mann interviews them.

What inspired the idea for the website, MyStudentBills?

Josh: We were working with some commercial energy brokers, and came across some hurdles in the sense that businessman in their 40s, 50s, 60s didn’t want to give their time to two 20 year olds asking them about their energy spend and about ways to save money.

Will: We realised that we may as well use what was holding us back to push us forward. We realised that, as students, we were probably best placed to contact other students, better placed than those 40, 50, 60 year old businessman anyway. So we just reversed the whole situation.

What is it about your price comparison website that makes it fundamentally more useful to students than other existing price comparison websites?

W: In the early stages we looked very carefully at our competitors, and one thing we realised was the more mainstream websites seemed to require a certain amount of assumed knowledge that most stu-

dents don’t have. When most students move into shared housing they have never been through the process of paying bills themselves and so, the idea of saving money is great, but most are just simply not in a position able to do that. The idea for us was to make it simpler and to put students in a position where they could start saving money.

What is the Guild’s opinion of this endeavour?

J: Well, all the feedback we’ve had has been positive and, while it’s been harder to get in contact with the business team, the sabbatical team are all on board with it and have been helpful in pushing us in the right direction.

W: We have a close relationship with Johnny Kirby the current Vice President for Housing and Community and, likewise, did with Ed Sparkes, who held that position last year. And one thing they’ve done is put us in contact with a Charity called Unipol who, essentially, run the student housing in Leeds, Nottingham and Bradford.

Their idea is to get away from dodgy landlords who rip students off and to get students a fair deal.

They’ve recently agreed to endorse us and we hope they’ll become very strong partners for us, but none of this would have happened had it not been for the help of Johnny and Ed. Do you think students are an easy target for those seeking to exploit them?

J: Yeah, I think a lot of the big players in some industries prey on the naivety of students and the fact that many haven’t ever been through the processes of reading gas and electricity meters and sort-

ing out suppliers. But that’s what our website aims to change: we can get students just as good a deal as anyone who has been through those processes before, even though they haven’t.

W: The other thing is it’s all about giving students a choice. I mean, you see anything enough times and you start to think it’s the only option, and while the website includes companies who have large marketing budgets, it includes them in the same way that it includes others. So you are genuinely comparing everything available to you – as opposed to just the one that pushes something through your door every day of the week.

On a more personal note, is it difficult running a successful business at the same time as trying to complete your degree?

W: Yeah, and I considered taking a year out to resolve it, but the greatest risk for me was that I’d enjoy running the business so much that I’d never go back and finish the degree. I didn’t want the fact that I enjoyed the business more to get in the way of the fact that I’ve started a degree with the goal of finishing it. I guess I’m stubborn about those things.

What would you say is the most useful aspect of your website?

W: Probably the Help and Advice section. It contains everything from area specific numbers which you can call to find who your current supplier of gas or electricity is, to advice on how to go about setting up a joint bank account. And, obviously it’s going to be much easier to know if you’d save money by switching when you know who

A screenshot of the website

£219.96 The average saving on gas and electricity in the last 60 days Source: mystudentbills.com

mystudentbills.com you’d be switching from. With your water bill, too, other price comparison websites don’t bother with it because the system’s nationalised and there’s no competition so there’s no money to be made. But we’ve taken the view that students need to know. So, on our website, we’ve got a water bills guide which has the numbers of all the UK’s water companies and a list of questions it’s useful to ask, which will help you find out roughly how much you’ll be paying, how regularly you’ll receive bills – things that can help students budget for the year.

Liam Fox: guarding the guards Comment - Gisela Stuart Jonathan Priestley Commentator

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lato saw guarding the guards as a necessity for the preservation of democracy. But today guarding the guards has never been more relevant, even if it wasn’t quite how he meant it.

And fortunately, somebody has realised.

The Armed Forces unfortunately seemed to have been viewed as an inconvenient necessity by governments all the way back as far as Lady Thatcher's ministry, suffering successive cut backs.

This is why I was pleased to see the leaked letter that Dr. Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, wrote to David Cameron.

It would be unreasonable to suggest the Armed Forces shouldn’t save some money, all over the country people are tightening their belts, but the fact that Liam Fox is prepared to fight quite so hard over 10 per cent shows that someone is finally seeing that the United Kingdom can’t continue being a ‘force for good’ in the world without an effective military

arm, something the six individuals Labour appointed in its tenure apparently failed to realise.

Cuts right now would be wholly irresponsible. We are at war in Afghanistan plain and simple, and giving troops the right tools for the job has been neglected long enough.

The UK’s commitments are substantial; the Royal Navy, for example, could be end up the size of Portugal’s if planned cuts go ahead. How could a Navy primarily composed of 20 metre patrol vessels ever meet the requirements of five different operations as well as train and refit. One answer: it couldn’t.

There are most certainly areas where concessions could be made, but Liam Fox’s fears that the Strategic Defence Review is rapidly becoming a ‘super Comprehensive Spending Review’ are certainly relevant and right.

So please HM Treasury, consider not only the impact on UK PLC when you make your decisions, but also the Armed Forces ability to do your bidding and the UK’s position in the wider world.

Seb Mann

Features Editor

D

10% The percentage of cuts to defence which 'Liam Fox is prepared to fight so hard over'

epressing it may be, but I have resigned myself to the fact that, in four years' time, I won't be living in Edgbaston. I will no longer be a student and too deep in debt will I be to even consider living in an affluent area like Edgbaston. What's more, we all know (or at least suspect) that the electorate are notoriously fickle and are unlikely to retain even the mildest hue of memory for a 2010 Redbrick interview when it comes to the 2015 general election.

I was thus justifiably surprised when I met the MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Gisela Stuart, the other week. Throwing to the wolves any vague understanding I thought I had of the way politicians work, she seemed genuinely pleasant. At no point did I feel as though she was condescending or pandering to me, even when I was faffing around trying to get the dictaphone to work and despite the fact we well out-stayed the 30 minutes we'd agreed to by email.

Perhaps, though, I was naïve.

Adding to my opinion of her as a sincerely good-natured person, she photocopied for us a piece from the progressive, left-leaning magazine, Progress. It spoke of the secret to her success (Gisela has been the MP for Birmingham Edgbaston since 1997), detailing how she has cultivated and continues to cultivate an amicable relationship with her constituents. So maybe she is deceptively good with people and I'm just another victim of the Gisela Stuart factor.

Aside from this, however, the content of the interview led me further to believe that my suspicions were correct. An individual who is non-reactionary; capable of compromise; and privy to a sense of humour, Gisela comes across as a politician who is on the money in her balance of personality and professionalism. Take a look at page 4 for the full interview if you haven't already and don't believe me.

But maybe the clue's in Gisela's generosity; in the photcopied magazine piece she gave us. Perhaps my youth has betrayed me and another idealist has been completely wrong footed by his conflation of personality with good PR.

Redbrick

Comment & Features 9

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

Where have all the students gone?

With the growing number of coffee shops on campus, has commercialism now replaced the true essence of student life?

Amanda Callaghan Commentator

W

alking through a busy university campus this week, I found myself pondering, ‘Where have all the students gone?’

It might appear an absurd question given the fact I was surrounded

by Birmingham’s eclectic student population, but pause before dismissing the notion and allow me to explain myself.

I was standing in the bustling main square, looking around at my peers; these stylish hip young things, clutching take out Starbucks cups and clad from head to toe in the latest autumnal offerings from

Zara and Topshop. Some were excitedly chatting with friends whilst others were intently focused upon their Blackberrys or iPhones – no doubt networking and organising their starry social calendars. Let’s be honest, their polished attitudes and ferocious spending do not exactly epitomise the traditional idea of a university student.

I found my gaze drawn to a young man sitting on the steps of the main library, he was quite handsome (arguably the reason for my initial interest in him) in a dishelveled sort of way, dressed in worn jeans and an old t–shirt. He wasn’t Blackberry messaging or animatedly discussing last night’s drunken antics in Oceana or

A romantic image of students from the past.

Modernity's essentials.

Rosa McMahon

Mechu. He was just sitting watching the world go by with a thoughtful, slightly amused expression on his face as he puffed on a roll up cigarette. His nonchalant appearance and laid back attitude was refreshing, conjuring images of a student from the 1980s. You could imagine his room being full of weathered Smiths and Joy Division vinyls. These are the students I am looking for.

Despite being poverty stricken and ostracised from the rest of society, they would embrace their isolation and shun the commercial and the mercantile. Stylish nightclubs and expensive coffee houses would be off the cards. On the contrary, said students would indulge

in illegal raves in warehouses or parties where they would sit on the floor, holes in their socks, passing round a spliff and a cheap bottle of cider. Discussion would be varied and debates fierce but it would all be without agenda or personal gain. Moreover, student life would be about growing as an individual, both academically and socially.

Granted, I am over romanticising the concept of such a lifestyle.

Likewise, the gentleman on the steps is starting to look uncomfortable in the face of my unrelenting stare. It is time we move on. In a meandering and roundabout way I have attempted to draw attention to what I see as the commercialisation of the student. Perhaps this

has come about as a result of tuition fees replacing grants or possibly due to the changes in our globalised, market led world. Whatever the reasons, it has definitely occurred and it appears society now views a university education as a commodity.

As yet another over-priced coffee shop opens on campus and we enter the new term as willing participants in the circus of spending and accumulating, we should maybe consider for a moment if we are actually vulnerable cash cows caught in the circular flow of income, rather than the autonomous individuals that our modern society so vehemently insists we are.

You should probably write for us... REDBRICK

The University of Birmingham's Student Newspaper since 1936

10 Editorial

Redbrick Editorial

E

Samuel Lear

ver since the Redbrick AGM, and my subsequent election as Editor, my poor, yet understanding friends have been bombarded with nothing but Redbrick-related reverberations.

As a result, I shall try to resist from boring you too much with the detail.

First of all, welcome to the University of Birmingham 2010/11 - like any academic year, it should provide new challenges and experiences that will be cherished for a lifetime. We wish you the best of luck with your studies and your life outside besides, make the most of it!

On a Redbrick footing, we have made radical changes over the last twelve months in order to provide you, the student, and the student body as a whole, with the most efficient and relevant service that we can with the resources available to us.

We have seen a new website that is improving continuously and looks to engage with everyone and encourages full interaction. This year, for the first time we have the ambition to upload content online on a daily basis. We strive to become a useful up-to-date resource for everyone.

Most importantly, we want to continue our development of becoming an effective service and voice for students. Last year, we successfully investigated Britannia

Editor letting agents and Falcon Cars and we strongly encourage absolutely everybody to talk to us if they feel that they are being exploited in any way, because the chances are that many other students will have had similar problems.

Whilst Redbrick does seek to represent the student and students as a whole through all of its content, do not expect this editorial page to do the same. My opinion is often misconstrued as veering towards the right and I have been accused of appearing somewhat perverse. Even now, you will find that I am doing myself few favours on the key issue of the week - the Browne Review.

As I left the office at ridiculous-o’clock on Tuesday evening, I got chatting to a student about the protest on campus (or ‘awareness campaign’ as it is being referred as officially by the Guild) and he gave me a rather curt response: ‘I don’t support lost causes’.

Whilst that view is somewhat facetious, I can understand his frustration with the system - it is inevitable that students of the next generation will be leaving university with larger debts than ever before. However, the right to protest is one of the greatest freedoms that we have and the recent protest (or ‘awareness campaign’ as the Guild will define it) was a great credit to our University.

In spite of this, although the

The Redbrick Crossword

proposals are of a regressive nature, whether or not this is the correct course of action is very much a matter for debate with strong and convincing arguments from both sides.

However, my concern lies within the rather one-sided viewpoint that students are exercising and I want to pose some questions that will seek to demonstrate the review panel’s way of thinking.

Firstly, is the panel of the supposedly independent Browne Report likely to be intentionally malicious in its findings? The panel is built of highly-experienced academics who have a direct involvement with Higher Education funding - they have all listened to the arguments posed by students and have sought to provide the best possible solution.

Secondly, will students be putoff with a rise in tuition fees? It was thought in the initial implementation of fees twelve years ago that students would be scared off much like what is being predicted now, yet we are continuing to see the number of students and graduates rise exponentially - perhaps beyond what this country can sustain.

Finally, is Higher Education able to continue on our current system? Some students I have spoken to have accepted that the current system is not capable of this, but even fewer have offered a viable alternative. The opinion is driven by what is fair, rather than what is right.

My solution would look towards Vincent Cable’s Graduate Tax proposal. There are numerous worthy yet low-paid professions, such as teaching and nursing where a degree could cripple their

John Rizkallah Puzzles Editor

This weeks prize is a £10 Waterstone's voucher

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5. Television addict? (5, 6) 7. Pollutive fumes common to cities (4) 8. Assert, uphold (8) 9. Produce as if from nowhere (7) 11. Currency used in India and Hyrule (5) 13. Baby deliverer?

14. _______ Delight, a soft and chewy sweet (7) 16. Eating like a king (8) 17. Baroque composer famous for the Well-Tempered Clavier (4)

Redbrick

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

18. Modern composer often classed as a minimalist (6, 5)

Down

1. Cork, stopper (4) 2. Mythological beast composed of a lion, a snake and a goat (7) 3. Type of knife; David _____, musician (5) 4. French dance/electronic music duo (4, 4) 5. Pile of decaying organic matter (7, 4)

6.

Neurologist whose book Awakenings was adapted into a film starring Robert de Niro (6, 5) 10. ________ Park, 1990 Michael Crichton novel (8) 12. Travellers' belongings (7) 15. Firm, hard to move (5) 17. Boast (4)

financial stability for decades to come. Moreover, a wealthy solicitor in the City of London has reaped the benefits of our education system and has a greater ability to give something back to society, so that others, quite possibly his/her children and grandchildren can benefit as he/she has done. If the coalition’s concept of a ‘Big Society’ is to work, it needs society to be morally-valued when it comes its responsibilities to ensure the stability and success in the long-term.

There is a clear differentiation in the proposals between what is right and what is fair. It is apparent that there are no convenient compromises either and it is up to the Government to now decide what is right for the country - I wish them the best of luck in doing so.

Have a great week.

Farewell We would like to say farewell to the Redbrick team of 2009/10.

Thank you, goodbye and good luck.

Most Outstanding Society 2010 Incase we hadn't mentioned it already, Redbrick were the winners of the 'Most Outstanding Society' at the Guild Awards 2010 and long may this reign continue...

Waterstones

Sudoku The objective of the game is to insert the numbers 1-9 into each row, column, and 3x3 box once

Situated in University Centre, the Waterstones bookstore covers three floors and is open six days a week, Monday to Saturday.

Until 30th October, claim ten per cent off textbooks with a valid student ID card.

Scribble box

!

Scribble box Last issues solution: letterbox=a=f =d=o=u=c=amir disguised=i=i =t=a=n=l=anna s=g=aesop=o=r poland=tyrant a=a=g===l=c=u redrum=zodiac t=s=seven=d=k alto=n=p=s=z= c=o=madhatter ulna=c=y=u=u= s=e=petridish This week, we have a Waterstone's voucher to the value of £10 to give away to one lucky winner.

Finished crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office.

Deadline 19/10/10.

Did you know?

Chewing gum whilst peeling onions will keep you from crying.

The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep a night.

When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red.

Last issues solution:

On this day 1793 – Queen Marie-Antoinette of France is tried and condemned in a swift, pre-determined trial in the Palais de Justice, Paris, and condemned to death the following day.

1990 – Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to lessen Cold War tensions and open up his nation.

12

redbrickonline.co.uk

Film

Rumour has it...

Rhys Ifans has been offered the main villain role in the new Spider-Man movie.

Opening Credits...

Elmley de la Cour and Matt Davis Film Editors

H

ello and welcome to Redbrick's exciting film section. We extend an especially warm welcome to those of you who are reading this legendary section for the first time.

This year, we hope to build on the fantastic platform that was left to us by our cinematic predecessors. We want this to be your first point of reference for all-thingsfilm while you're in Birmingham doing all-things-University. We will strive every week, to provide you, the reader, with reliable scrutinising reviews of the latest releases, entertaining and probing features and insightful interviews with the world's biggest stars.

Before term even began, we had conversed with the caffeine obsessed Edgar Wright, cornered nerdy Michael Cera and grilled jumpy Zac Efron, so imagine with wild enthusiasm what we can achieve this year.

We will also be offering you our astute tips on what to be looking out for in the coming months

and a round up of what's been tickling our filmic fancy on the internet, each week. And, as everyone likes juicy freebies, we will – literally – be giving things away.

See this week's Paranormal Activity competition on the next page and our A Town Called Panic merchandise giveaway at redbrickonline.

Old favourites such as Silverscreen, Bargain Bins, Top 10 and Justified Existence (see this week's ferocious debate on Keira Knightley) will be returning, whilst new additions, to help you set your cinematic compass, will be lavishly splashed upon these pages.

Unlike previous years, our editorial words may not appear in every issue, but if this first week is anything to go by, our comitted writers are more than bursting with glitzy ideas (see Greta Morris get to the heart of Hollywood's fetishistic obcession for a remake).

Instead, we will pop up from time to time and tackle those little itching niggles that just won't go away.

Until then, welcome once again.

Right, let's get to work...

The social network

Reviews

UNMISSABLE

EXCELLENT

GOOD

POOR

TRAGIC

back to the

future

Director: Robert Zemeckis Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd Certificate: PG

2

6th October 1985, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) is preparing to embark on a journey through time in his plutoniumpowered DeLorean when a group of Libyan terrorists find him. Not able to help Doc, and struggling to save his own life, 17-year-old Marty Mcfly (Michael J. Fox) accidentally sets off the time machine and is sent 30 years back in time.

In an easy-to-follow and hilarious plot, Marty strives to restore normality in the past and go Back to the Future.

Twenty-five years ago, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis wrote a fantastic story that made for a terrific film. A mix of science fiction and comedy zest this wonderfully

executed production which, in turn is performed by a cast of remarkable actors. Besides the sensational performance of Fox and Lloyd, my hat goes off to Crispin Glover, whose characterization of George McFly was brilliantly achieved.

Undoubtedly a good laugh, this picture has more to it than straightforward entertainment.

Full of references to experi-mental science, technological development, and the ever-problematic

conflict of generations, most of its themes are still up to date. In 1985, while targeting a young audience, the film allowed adults to reminisce about their own 50s youth. On its 25th birthday, our parents' muse their teen years, while the youth of today can still easily relate to both the plot and the characters. 'It's an oldie in [our] time,' I strongly recommend it!

Ana Martins

for the part of infamous Howard Marks, international drug-dealer and occasional-spy, since the actor met the real-life counterpart at a rock concert in Wales. And it isn't difficult to see why. Ifans, who first won the public's heart as the scene-stealing Spike in Notting Hill, captures the presence of the likable Oxford-educated Marks, honoring the popularity that the best-selling author has garnered.

His first leading role could lead to greater things and as for Marks: he is now an enthusiastic campaigner for the legalisation of

marijuana.

However, the film makes light of some of the more serious issues and Rose is evidently in awe of Marks, skimming over his IRA connections. The name Mr. Nice should be taken with a pinch of salt, yet it is the British answer for Ted Demme's Blow, but with a humour and tone that only a film from our side of the pond could hold.

Harriet Johnson

Mr Nice Director: Bernard Rose Cast: Rhys Ifans, Chloë Sevigny, David Thewlis Certificate: 18

Director: David Fincher Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield Certificate: 12-A

A

I

n a year of numerously un-celebrated releases, failures of returning franchises and botched last minute transformations to 3D, The Social Network appears to be one of 2010s few films to have summoned a sense of anticipation and laud praise from numerous critics.

The film chronicles the conception of Facebook: the social networking site that has become synonymous with modern day interaction, blossoming into a global phenomenon.

Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club), the film's characters are portrayed aptly by some of Hollywood's bright, young stars.

Andrew Garfield successfully plays Eduardo Saverin, lending an emotional intensity that truly portrays the despair of commercial betrayal.

Garfield also appears distinctly cautious against the recklessness of Jesse Eisenberg's Zuckerman, labelled: 'punk, genius, and billionaire'. Eisenberg depicts both the genius and social phenomena of the youngest billionaire that history has ever recorded.

Throughout the film there is a distinct sense of menace, highlighted by the sparse piano score.

In addition, the soundtrack carries elements of requiem music, using continuous yellow tinged lighting to illuminate scenes of melancholy that underpin the plot. This kindles a feeling that success on such a scale can only implode – or lead to numerous lawsuits.

Past and present permeate

Redbrick

October 15th 2010

into one another via the shifting time frame that cuts between the legal scenes, and Zuckerman's years at Harvard. This periodical time warp perhaps implies the distinction between the playful creation of Zuckerman's college years and the serious legal implications that await in the reality of business.

There are repeated references to Erica Albright, Zuckerman's former girlfriend, who, after a stormy breakup, becomes the driving force behind the site.

This relationship frames the film and acts as a link between the technologically forward thinking and the intangible emotional motivations behind the conception of Facebook.

The film definitely has substance: an emotional and moral core and is suitably stylistic, giving it a sense of personality and directorial identity.

In some moments, the film does seem to lack structure as it meanders from past to present, and, at times, borders on mild self-absorbtion. But overall, The Social Network has the feel of something far more than an ordinary release. This one may well be destined for the glittering halls of awards ceremonies.

Eleanor Dodson

fter his first toke at university, our amoral hero morphs from intelligent Welshman into the drug smuggling legend who at his peak was said to control 10% of the worldwide hashish trade. Mr. Nice is the adaptation of Howard Mark's autobiography, written in 1996, after his release from prison.

The film begins in the 60s and follows Marks (Ifans) as he discovers the world's drug-trade. After setting himself on the straight and narrow, he drops out of teacher training to drive a carload of hash back from Germany. And after the “asexual orgasms” he experiences at theborder-crossings, Marks changes his career path for good.

Rhys Ifans has been signed on

a town called panic Directors: Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar Cast (voices): Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar

D

id you ever pretend that your childhood toys had a life of their own? If so, then this film is for you. Based on a cult Belgian TV series, A Town Called Panic stars Horse, Cowboy and Indian.

It is Horse's birthday, and in an internet purchase gone wrong, his friends order 50 million bricks to build him a barbeque. Disaster strikes when the birthday bricks squash Horse's house, and he then uses the blocks to build himself a new one. Misfortune occurs again, however, when a group of sea

monsters steal the house's walls.

Thus follows an hour of near insanity; with rock-climbing horses, a giant mechanical snowballthrowing penguin, a woollymammoth being tossed like a ball by three mad scientists, and sea monsters with a waffle obsession. And in a display of magical electronics, the film is continually interrupted

by Horse's piano teacher asking why he is missing his piano lesson.

The film is not perfect, with the quality of animations coming nowhere near the level of Pixar.

No effort was put into the way that hairs moved in the breeze, or the delicacies of facial features. Faces are simply painted on, and look slightly like dog-eaten toys. The scenery is simplistic and functionary, with cardboard cut-out trees and painted skylines.

While there is nothing unsuit-

able, it feels more like it is made for adults than children. And as it is a Belgian film, then either French fluency or the willingness to read subtitles is a necessity.

And yet these 'flaws' manage to add to the film's endearing quality. It certainly had our grown up audience constantly laughing.

Panic is charming, quirky and hilariously funny.

And as advertised, it is shown in breathtaking 2D! Katherine Chandler

Redbrick

Film 13

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Elmley de la Cour and Matt Davis

Justified Existence: Keira Knightley

Film News

Did she deserve to grace the opening night of the London Film Festival? for young females. The media have tried to accuse her of being anorexic, but she has publicly spoken out against this. Whilst admitting there have been cases of eating disorders in her family, she has insisted she is naturally thin, and promotes healthy eating.

Love or hate her, you can't deny Knightley's talent and success. She is at the pinnacle of her career but shows no signs of slowing down yet.

Absolutely Not! Oh Gosh Yes! Imogen Dalziel

K

Critic

eira Knightley is only 25 years old, but she has already appeared in over 20 films, and has many more in the pipeline. It seems the young actress has no intention of disappearing off the radar any time soon – and who are we to complain? She's young, talented, beautiful, and has acquired a legion of fans worldwide.

Some take Knightley's wellspoken accent at face value and assume she's been raised as nothing more than a spoilt brat. Yes, it is true that, aged six, she demanded an agent, but the star has undoubtedly proved her worth since then.

Battling dyslexia from an early age, she persevered in her studies to ensure she could read and learn her scripts with minimal help. Her acting career has gone from strength to strength, having been nominated for an

Oscar (Pride and Prejudice), and winning numerous other prestigious awards. Knightley's is not exactly the rags-to-riches story the tabloids love, but that simply shows she hasn't relied on media hype to boost her success as an actress, like so many others.

What also marks Knightley out from other actors are the roles she picks. As a young female British actress, it would be easy enough to be typecast into a certain character or genre, but Knightley is not afraid of a challenge.

We've seen her playing football in Bend It Like Beckham, swashbuckling in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and giving an outstanding performance as Cecila in Atonement. When compared to some of her peers, it is clear that Keira Knightley picks interesting, challenging roles without being swayed by public opinion or what critics may find appealing.

Knightley also presents herself as a fantastic role model, particularly

Susannah Maze

I

Critic

look quite pretty, don't I?' – it was the supposedly humble utterance of these very words that instigated my deep standing hatred of one of Britain's favourite leading ladies – Keira Knightly. When she first acclaimed mass attention, way back when in 2002's Bend it Like Beckham, I must admit, I was rather ambivalent towards her.

Who knows, perhaps it was the wit of Gurinder Chadha or the marvellous distraction of football coach Jonathon Rhys Myers?

Either way, Bend it Like Beckham left me with little reason to take any strong opinion toward Miss Knightly.

However, two years on waves of detestation surged when pictures of Keira were released at the Pirates of the Caribbean premiere. There she stood, wearing a silly crop top showing off a frankly unachievable flat-as-a-pancake stomach leaving women nationwide brewing with jealousy. But it

was Keira's Love Actually appearance, though, which provided bucket loads of ammunition for a long-term loathing. Her unassuming character, ignorant to Andrew Lincoln's infatuation was just one unconvincing portrayal too far.

So it continued, with Dominic Cooper, James Mcavoy and Cillian Murphy– an array of gorgeous men all besotted with the toffee mouthed actress, and one cannot help but wonder…why?!

Typecast relentlessly as a posh yet intrepid girl whose beauty is enough to seduce any man who crosses her path, over and over we must watch as Keira wins over pirates, royalty and soldiers, all with an astonishing pout.

As if that weren't enough torture to bear; there is the Chanel campaign. To be perfectly honest, to this day I still don't understand the advert.

The massive question is still begged, though: why do I torture myself by going to the cinema to see every film Knightly features in? The answer is that my loathing is irrational, and that in reality there are plenty of gorgeous, affluent and talentless actresses that possess just as many maddening qualities as Knightly. But as a nation, we love to hate, and I – like so many others – have chosen her to be the victim of my abhorrence.

Next month, Keira will grace our screens in London Boulevard where, this time, Keira is the object of affection to the chiselled Colin Farrell. And I will be there, front row, friends in tow, to hate every minute of it.

Sucker Punch

This week our film radars have caught sight of some hot new trailers online. Zack Snyder's (director of Watchmen and 300) upcoming Sucker Punch is sure to make your heart race. Set in the imagination of 'Babydoll' – a character forced into a mental institution and planning her escape – you can expect a scantily-clad girl-band, fighting samurais, dragons and gangsters, all in the usual Snyder style of direction.

Black Swan

Meanwhile, Natalie Portman stars in Darren Aronofsky's (director of Requiem for a Dream) Black Swan as a ballerina with a darkside. The trailer is evocative, involving black magic, ballet choreography and lesbian kissing as Nina (Portman) is haunted by her double, Lily (the upcoming Mila Kunis). The pair portray contrasting characters as they fight for the limelight of the prima-Dona.

Lost in Mistranslation

Greta Morris dissects Hollywood's insatiable appetite for remakes

I

clearly remember letting out a small whimper when I heard the news that Hollywood was remaking the critically acclaimed Swedish film Let the Right One In. All kitted out with the new simple title for 'simple people' of Let Me In and a famous star in the form of Chloe Moretz (also know as 'that kid from Kick-Ass'), this strange film is now deemed right for a mainstream, global audience.

Why?

The problem lies in the simple question, what can an English language version add to an already winning formula? If the trailer of this particular film is anything to go by, not very much.

It seems they've just copied the original, shot-for-shot. But maybe that's all it is. The film has already proven in its national arena that a market exists. All Hollywood has to do is get rid of those pesky subtitles which put off such a high number of the mass market.

When it comes to fans of the

Competition

T

o celebrate the release of Paranormal Activity 2 on October 22nd, Redbrick has teamed up with Paramount Pictures, and has several copies of the original title to give away on DVD.

original, however, Hollywood is in a lose-lose situation. If they try to make it their own, they usually end up losing all the elements that made it so popular in the first place. On the other hand, if they keep it close to the original, it is even more frustrating that the original creators don't receive the recognition they deserve.

But maybe we should look at this in a more positive light. A remake takes the original to a whole new audience and film purists can only hope that these new fans will be tempted to go back and discover the original. Pure curiosity will drive me to seek out the Japanese Ringu (The Ring), Infernal Affairs (The Departed) from Hong Kong, Brødre (Brothers) from Denmark and the Spanish film [REC] (Quarantine).

But we must always remember that there are exceptions to the rule that the original is better than the remake. After all, you don't

To enter, simply answer the following question: How long did the original Paranormal Activity take to film?

A) 10 Days

B) 10 Weeks

C) 10 Months

Tron:Legacy

Tron:Legacy has also released more shots and trailers (frankly, I'll migrate into their magical glass city if possible). At risk of sounding like a geek, the concept art is totally cool, displaying vehicle and costume designs that rival Star Trek and the like. The film's effects are equally astounding and bring new style to skin-tight body suits and high-speed bike races.

Rise of the Apes hear many people standing up for The Trapp Family, of which the Sound of Music is a remake.

So maybe we shouldn't be too harsh on the Americans, especially as it works both ways too. A little research led me to the discovery that there are three different intriguing-sounding Hindi remakes of Scarface and there are already Argentinean and Brazilian versions of High School Musical, with

Send your answers to: film@ redbrickonline.co.uk In anticipation of the release, Redbrick will also be attending a chilling evening of paranormal investigation in the bowels of London Bridge, deep inside the London Tombs, which will be reported in a future issue.

a Chinese version in the making – though could that really get any worse?

Despite my horror at the remaking of Let the Right One In, the reviews have been surprisingly positive. Nevertheless my curiosity about whether I was mistaken will not be satisfied. My inner snob will inevitably prevail and stop me from parting with my hard-earned student cash.

Another exciting movie in production is Rise of the Apes, where James Franco (Spiderman) plays a scientist who accidentally increases the intelligence of an ape called Caesar. Caesar then leads the simian revolt, and a war of the spices breaks out. This prequel of the award-winning Planet of the Apes employs both technologies developed for Avatar, and a star-studded cast to heighten our anticipation.

Harry Potter

More news on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: it will be released this November but without the 3D effects. Warner Bros. have decided to select quality over the third dimension due to a tightschedule and whiplash from pitiable effects in Clash of the Titans.

Sandra Heng

Redbrick

Arts 15

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Sian Gray, James Reevell

Isy Suttie and Dan Antopolski From Peep Show to a sandwich (w)rap*

Sian Gray & James Reevell Arts Editors

W

e're speaking on the telephone and the line is far from clear, but even through the wind that blows down the phone at her end, and the background noise of the Student Development office at mine, the Northern accent and the ever familiar voice of Dobby from Peep Show, is heard impeccably. For a second, I do forget that I'm talking to the comedian and actress Isy Suttie and not the loveable geek we all know and love from Peep Show. I want to ask her about Mark and their funny, rather odd, relationship, about naughty escapades in stationary cupboards and finally enquire: how does Jeremy get away with it all?

Luckily, however, I remember that Dobby is fictional and that the Isy I'm talking to is very much real.

There are similarities though. Like

Dobby, Isy comes across as daring and unafraid. She's approachable and opens up freely about her time at Guildford School of Acting where she trained initially to be a singer-songwriter, as well as an actress. She is keen to inform me that she plays piano, guitar and even, 'a bit of the drums.'

As the conversation continues ,she talks fondly about her childhood in Derbyshire, something that is clearly important to her as she claims that, 'the environment you grow up in has a much stronger impact on us than we may realize at the time'. We talk about her jobs in well known supermarkets and her passion for music.

Indeed, I can't help but feel that the questions that I had prepared were somewhat too in-depth and even political than they needed to be. I try being lighthearted. 'Do you notice a difference between your Northern and Southern audience?' 'Nahhhh,' she responds

cheerfully, 'I never notice the difference'. She describes her tour in Sydney as 'an adventure' , eliminating any thoughts that the Australian humour would impact her show negatively. Unlike some of her contemporaries, she's far from concerned about her position as a female comic. In fact, she claims, 'I don't even think about it.'

This is perhaps what is so delightful about talking to Isy Suttie.

She's cool and witty and strangely causes no offence; there really is nothing to dislike about her. There is no deep story to probe into, just a love for what she does best. Finally, I try for one last time to get something a little controversial out of her; 'Go on', I ask, 'who is your favourite, Mitchell or Webb?'

There's a pause and I can sense a grin down the phone, she laughs and says fondly, 'Oooh, I don't know. I like them both equally.' *We apologise for our awful attempt at making a joke.

F

ollowing Isy is her bill sharer Dan Antopolski, famed for winning the 2009 Dave Best Joke Award and for being one of the few rapping comedians on the circuit. I came prepared with a host of rap – related questions, but after about a minute on the phone, Dan has a potentially interview derailing revelation: 'I dont actually like rap that much'.

Fortunately, it quickly becomes clear that if he is not a rap connosieur, he certainly knows a lot about the working life of a comedian.

So, he's in his twelfth year in the business and his thriving career revolves around the comedy Mecca that is the Edinburgh Fringe. This is his tenth year at the festival, and as he rightly says, 'it is quite a big deal'. Now an established act at the festival, he has just finished 27 straight nights of comedy. Although Dan has the rep-

utation of a rap comedian, mostly due to his sandwich – themed rap video, (which is now a Youtube classic) he asserts throughout the interview that he is much more than that. Instead, Dan views rap as merely being part of an act that incoorporates projections and more traditional comedy.

Having been a performer for such a long time, Dan is perfectly placed to offer young comedians advice. 'It's very simple', he says, 'get as much stage time as you can.

Agents tend to be pretty conservative, sticking with what they know, so getting known is vital.'

However, as every comedian knows, increased stage time means increased chances of dying on stage; something that Dan is no stranger to. 'Oh, I've had some terrible ones, but as you get older its something you learn ploys to deal with. But sometimes you just don't connect with an audience. Maybe it's you, maybe it's them, maybe it's both of you.'

In the voice of a seasoned performer, he then explains that every night of the week brings a different environment and atmosphere; matching your tone to the audiences is crucial. Experience seems a common theme in this comedian's life, with his likening comedy to, 'playing an instrument, and to play an instrument you have to practice'.

So, rather than labelling Dan as a rapper, using the title 'showman' is perhaps more appropriate.

Whether it be his 'flitting around' from one project to another or his use of rap, 'not as a pastiche, but as a way of adding to the show,' Dan Antopolski is always searching for new and improved ways to entertain an audience for an hour or two.

Previews

Upcoming events to tickle your fancy

Macbeth

The Cherry Orchard

Untitled

Friday, 15th October, 8pm.

Critically acclaimed company, Song of the Goat's, reinterpret Shakespeare.

Tickets £9 – £12.

Tuesday, 19th October, 7pm.

Chekhov's masterpiece, translated by the legendary Tom Stoppard. Not to be missed.

Tickets £10 – £32.

Wednesday, 20th October 7.45pm. A play examining family and national boundaries.

Passion and drama guaranteed.

Tickets £10.

The King and I

Big Love

Tuesday, 19th October, 7pm.

The well-known classic comes to The Crescent and is sure to bring with it all the classics.

Tickets £13.

Wednesday, 20th October, 7:45pm. An odd but compelling play about 50 wives on the run from their 50 husbands-to-be.

Tickets £2.50.

The Idiot Colony

The Student Session

The Decypher Collective

Friday, 16th October, 7.45pm.

Three women in a mental asylum recount their memories in a bizarre and twisted tale.

Tickets £10.

Wednesday, 20th October, 6pm.

The Barber finally opens its doors to all students, with a night of food, wine and art.

FREE

Thursday, 21st October, 7pm.

A fantastic mix of hip-hop and physical theatre. 8sixteen32 are the grime theatre pioneers.

Tickets £7.

The Mac

Stewart Lee The Town Hall

Friday, 16th October, 7pm.

Massively critically acclaimed, sees Lee touring in preparation for his new BBC show.

Tickets £17.50.

The Rep

The Rep

The Crescent Theatre

The Barber Institute

The Door, The Rep

The Crescent Theatre

The Drum

16

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Arts

Redbrick

Editors – Sian Gray, James Reevell

Birmingham Comedy Festival The Victoria

The Alexandra

Popcorn Comedy Presents: Tim Key Matt Saull and Alex Blanchard Critics

W

ith present day comedy seemingly stale in its reliance upon catchphrase and innuendo, for the hundred or so punters packed into The Victoria for the Popcorn Comedy evening on Thursday, Tim Key's wonderfully deadpan headline set was unlike any other stand-up routine around.

Key should be the darling of British comedy. The 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Comedian of the Year has won just plaudits from

critics and fellow comedians alike, but has only his slot on Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe to broadcast his beautifully offbeat comic poems on TV. For any newcomers to Key's absurd world, his comic style must seem like that of a poor English teacher.

His comedy centres on his pocket book of poetry, although these provide only a small portion of the entertainment, with his tan gential ramblings and a selection of surreal video clips filling up the rest of his hour set.

His poems set the mundane against the absurd in a beautfullyoriginal sense, while his dry deliv Louis Hudson

ery almost makes you feel guilty for laughing. 'My Wikipedia page lists me as delivering deliberately bad poetry… It's not deliberate'.

Even his choice of incidental music added to the surreal mood, with the Lloyds advert music and Russian pop setting the scene for poems ranging from Hitler's aversion of Wrangler jeans to Rick's porking of a swan.

He had the receptive crowd hanging on his every stanza for the whole of the evening, while his frequent banter with technician Ian provided a quirky diversion from the poetry. 'Can I take you home, Ian? Like they do in the movies..?' 'No.' For anyone concerned that comedy is slowly falling into an abyss of cheap jokes and offensive one-liners, Tim Key is quite simply reigniting the spark that some fear is a fading light in the comedy world. With Popcorn Comedy garnering a burgeoning reputation as the only true underground comedy and with comics as talented as Key propelling the genre forward, it is only a matter of time before it explodes into the mainstream. Make sure you catch him at the Glee Club in February as he is selling out stadiums. Take our word for it, you won't be disappointed.

The Alexandra Critic

T

he guy to my left is shaking uncontrollably. He is obviously in pain. Between shakes he claims that if he were to laugh any harder, his lungs would actually explode out of his body. All caused by the comedian we're watching: Ross Noble.

It is always refreshing to see a comedian, like Noble, disregard the stereotypical, pre-conceived feedline-punchline-feedlinepunchline template. However, when the resulting show is a wildly freeform affair, when a throwaway comment by a heckler can be turned into a surreal meandering (for want of better word) 'joke' which sustains itself past the fifteen minute mark, when during its telling, such a 'joke' can spawn three or four equally bizarre digressions, all of which are somehow maintained at once, elaborate links which were certainly not there before holding the whole show together; This is when comedy, for me, becomes something really special, and is the sign that you are watching a comedian who is a master of his art.

Watching a fragment of Noble's comedy on YouTube is comparable to fast forwarding Stairway to

Heaven for that solo, or skim reading Hamlet to get to that soliloquy.

It is almost a treason.

The pain the guy to my left is feeling, I suspect, cannot be ignored. 'Why do you so digress!?'

I can imagine the exasperated voice in his head screaming. But this is where Noble's considerable comedic prowess lies; in the ability to make of crazy digressions the show itself, to make the stream of consciousness common to us all, to deliver in a single tour of thirty plus shows, all of which are as unique as the last.

Tonight, Noble was as eclectic as he was sharp, as difficult to summarise as he was hilarious.

With his unconventional style and appearance, Noble is one of a kind and is rapidly establishing himself as not only a comedy legend but also a national treasure. He has created a show so rammed with 'Had to be there moments' (as the program so succinctly states) revisiting them here would be contrived.

Suffice to say if you have not witnessed Noble and his mental gymnastics on stage then you should; it would certainly be a life enriching experience.

Ross Noble is touring until February. Catch him in Coventry on Friday 19th November.

Dead Hub

Robbie Curran Critic

M

any of us have our assumptions about the theatrical, hedonistic and hysterical comedian come Hollywood success that is Russell Brand: former host of Big Brother's Big Mouth, now front-man of numerous Judd Apatow movies and to top that, Katy Perry's fiancée. However, even after five years in the spotlight, the guy still churns out surprise after surprise, as he magnificently proved during last Saturday's performance.

This was not so much a 'gig' as 'a rejuvenation' as he dubbed it, of his eventually controversial (but hilarious) Radio 2 show, now moving to Talk-Sport, with co-hosts Matt Morgan, and the undeniably talented poet, Mr. G. The lights dimmed to the sound of 'This Charming Man' – an evident choice of Russell's – then like a rock-star, he hit the stage and brought the house down with

his trademark swagger, playful smile and uber – exuberance.

This routine was stocked with local crowd-pleasers; how Cadbury's mini eggs should not be used in sex and an extract from 'Booky Wook 2' about his observation that breast milk is wasted on babies and is better in adulthood. Other parts of the show built upon his new superstar status with anecdotes of fame: Robert Pattinson, introduced by Brand at last years' VMAs, was unknown to him and might as well have been a Bulgarian popstar called 'Schizme'.

Brand's delivery impacts on the audience like an AK-47 loaded with howling laughter bullets. All of this, along with an onstage chat with Matt Morgan, a local Brummie taken from the audience to churn out a sport fact every five minutes and an unexpected appearance from Jamie and Oliver Phelps a.k.a. The Weasley Twins, were all thrown into the mix to make a highly entertaining show, proving that Brand is still an unstoppable force.

Witty and well informed

Ross Noble

Tom White

Russell Brand

Mark Watson at The Alexandra Emma Jones

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Lauren Yeates

Critic

rying to adjust to the incongruous mix of ersatz Georgian decor and a painfully loud indie playlist, it seemed as though the chances for this alternative comedian being able to pull off a successful show in this traditional venue were not looking good.

Even towards the curtain call the audience was looking pretty sparse. Which was a shame really, as Watson, the Fringe regular known for his marathon gigs, showed he wasn't shy of putting in a little overtime. Those prescient (or polite) enough to turn up in a timely manner were treated to a novel impromptu session of audience banter, mediated through Watson's fast-fingered responses on his projected laptop screen.

When he began the show proper, however, the verbal repartee fell a bit flat. Those that did respond were either dismissed as speaking in some unintelligible Brummie twang, or appeared to be excessively obsessed with Watson's choice of Microsoft Word. While the former was probably not a wise strategy for winning over his audience, it is a tribute to Watson's inventiveness that he could pick up a debate about the respective

merits of various pieces of software and run with it.

And this surreal and extemporary monologue typified the rest of his material. Witty, well-informed and delivered at a frenetic pace, Watson's stream of consciousness type monologue engulfed such disparate topics as suicidal strangers on trains and Obama's manhood.

The second half also showed a candid approach to comedy, focusing on Watson's self-confidence issues and the profound effect that fatherhood has had on him. This, together with his awkward posture, a glass of red and his garrulous manner made him something

of an endearing comedian. It is just a pity that sympathy never turned to outright support from the audience.

What was a brilliant script, in its conception, that skillfully showcased Watson's style, was marred by a noncommittal attitude from those who watched. For talent, Watson was formidable; for generating a rapport with his audience, perhaps this awkward character was just trying a little too hard.

The tough crowd were hesistant to appreciate his indivdual, at times unusual approach. A rewarding experience nonentheless, with hope of more to come.

Redbrick

October 15th 2010

Music

Editors – Will Franklin, Charlie Bailey

redbrickonline.co.uk

George Michael goes into hiding following prison release www.nme.com

Editorial

Jukebox

As the new term kicks off, Redbrick Music returns to laugh in the face of moderation, and spit in the eye of good taste. Also we write about music occasionally.

Hello and welcome to the first issue of Redbrick Music for the academic year. Another year of the best reviews, previews and features brought to you by your sexy new editors and their horde of loyal minions. Or Writers.

Whatever. We see in the new year with a review of everyone's favourite gender-inspecific pop purists Vengaboys. Mark Ronson's

William Franklin Music Editor

Magnetic Man – I Need Air (feat. Angela Hunter) The arrival of dubstep's first Supergroup, (comprising of industry titans Skream, Benga and Artwork) was met with universal excitement and a loud chorus of, 'Who was the third guy again?' Nevertheless, their first official single (after the quiet and tepid release of Mad) is an all-singing, all-skankin' romp: permanent dancefloor status guaranteed.

Album Reviews Kiria 2 Radio

The Chemical Brothers – Swoon After a few (blissful?) years of relative innocuity, the British pioneers of popular electronica are back. And their first official single isn't so much listened to, as ridden. Ridden like a wave. A wave of sound.

Hurts – Sunday This Mancunian pair came out of nowhere with a charming electro angle on otherwise soporific 80s ballads. Sunday, on the other hand, is a rousing Power Rock anthem, bursting with tender heartbreak and bewitching choruses.

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17

Maisie Meredith Critic

elf-proclaimed pop-punk princess Kiria describes herself as 'the love child of Marilyn Monroe and Ziggy Stardust'. This sums up exactly what Kiria is: an amalgamation of a few bizarre personalities and sounds that result in nothing original. Her debut album Radio, wrapped in a bubblegum pink sleeve and fronted

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

with an equally sickly picture of the artist wearing very little besides a guitar, is a far cry from Bowie's Stardust years. Ironically, in the track Live Sex On Stage the lyrics state plainly, 'it's not about the music', which is another accurate self-criticism by the leggy pin-up.

The album jumps awkwardly from Blondie style riffs to bland ballads, via an unexpected reggae beat in Another Thing. Though she might have the look, vocally Kiria lacks talent, and would probably be more suited as a Debbie Harry tribute than a budding new solo artist; indeed, it's unfortunate for Kiria that she is 30 years too late for hopping on the pop-punk band-wagon.

As I reach the final guitar screech that signals the end of the record I cant help but think that Kiria is trying to be too many things at once: 1950s sex-symbol, 70s punk and pop princess. She'll have to give at least one thing up, and I hope it's the singing.

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9

Daniela Ferdenzi Critic

onson has changed, and I'm not just referring to his new peroxide 'do. His third and most focused release yet, Record Collection, proves to us he has finally landed his feet comfortably on the grounds of retro pop.

Gone are the days of horns and swing, only to be replaced by synthesisers, electronic drums and keyboards. Now more than a DJslash-producer, Ronson himself

new album is covered below and apparently this time he realised you can't solve any problem with trumpets. Regular features return such as the Jukebox; bringing to your attention to all the best new music; and Essential Albums is back with Portishead's mighty Dummy. Peace Out. Charlie and William.

has become an artist in his own right, having established the band, The Business International (featuring Andrew Wyatt and Alison Warner as the key members appearing throughout the album), providing us with the perfect blend of coherent electro pop.

Starting off with the hit Bang Bang Bang, a rendition of the French children's song Alouette, we are taken immediately into Ronson's new world of influence.

The momentum of the opening is maintained throughout the album, and even features periodical electro interludes The Colour of Cumar and Circuit Breaker. It also boasts the newest and catchiest of his tunes so far: The Bicycle Song featuring Kyle Falconer (that one from The View) which is the perfect indie-pop anthem.

By far the best of Ronson's work to date, this album is sleek, exciting, and diverse. The final track and a personal favourite, The Night Last Night, brings the album to an overwhelming close of pure pop brilliance that will not leave you disappointed.

Essential Albums

Bonobo – Kiara Black Sands, released earlier this summer, was a love-letter to late 90s trip-hop. One of the more sombre tracks, Kiara, seems to be constructed entirely from soft wails and weeping strings.

There's some nice thumping bass tucked away in there as well.

Ratatat – Wildcat Granted, Ratatat aren't known for their diversity, but there's no denying they're good at what they do. Bestial roars and grinding guitars drive this number from their second album, Classics accompanied, as ever, by their particular brand of perculiar percussison.

Active Child – I'm In Your Church At Night Hymntronica is probably not a term you're familiar with. Neither was I until I heard this, but I'm forced to admit, it pretty comprehensively sums up this song's delicate choral verses, sparkling harps and pulsing electronic backing.

Portishead Dummy (1994)

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Charlie Bailey Music Editor

etter than Definitely, Maybe? The 1995 Mercury judges thought so, and so should you. Beating stiff competition from Oasis and fellow Bristolian, Tricky, the judgement was a vindication of how special this record was, and still is.

Released in the same year that the Brit-pop phenomenon was breaking, Portishead's Dummy was definitive of Bristol's trip-hop sound. This was a record that utilised the lazy beats and jazz samples of that scene, but layered on the atmosphere and emotional clout with Beth Gibbons' ethereal vocals floating and menacing above the instrumentation.

#3

Production-wise, the album is sparse, with scratchy vinyl sounds and vintage jazz beats making up the majority of tracks, along with minimalist guitar licks and a warm bass sound. All of which would sound lovely, I'm sure, if it wasn't for the creeping feeling that something's wrong. From the opening Mysterons with its theremin bending and chiming guitars to Glory Box, the pervading tone is melancholy and all the better for it.

Whilst their recent work has been cruelly overlooked for being inaccessible and awkward, this is precisely the kind of album that everyone should own; an album you put on after a night out or when being a little bit depressed is exactly what you want.

The Correspondents

Rightful Kings of Electro Swing

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William Franklin Music Editor

nown to their friends as Mr Bruce & Mr Chuckles, this terrible twosome has been roaring across the country, delivering their very special brand of mischievous music to anyone who will listen: patrons of Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, The Big Chill and Selfridges to name but a few.

Not bad for a group that's still not been signed.

I was lucky enough to see them for the first time at Bestival in 2009 and again in early September. Much had changed in one year, most notably, their budget.

Mr Bruce had cannibalised a running machine on which he obligingly moon-walked for the cameras. He's a born showman and

his partner Mr Chuckles is more than capable of providing some exceptional beats to soundtrack his showboating.

You may remember Washington Square which I wrote about briefly last year. A rollicking swing masterpiece with staccato vocals that border on rap, it incited critical controversy but not much public noise. Their latest offerings – including a filthy electro breakdown of Disney's I Wanna Be Like You – are equally rambunctious affairs, and are mostly backed up with vigorous vocals about swing.

All told, it definitely feels like they've developed a formula and are sticking to it. What this means for their upcoming album is anyone's guess, but chances are they'll continue to surprise and delight at whatever venue they're not expected at.

18 Music

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Charlie Bailey and William Franklin

Music Diary 15th-21st

Friday 15th

Bryan Adams Alexandra Theatre

Spotlight On... LUMSoc

Saturday 16th The Cat Empire O2 Academy

Rachel Hogg wants YOU for the University of Birmingham's exciting new society

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UMSoc (Live and Unsigned Music Society) launched this year, filling the void of showcasing unsigned acts to the student population of the University of Birmingham. As well as LUMSoc's main intention of putting on a gig on the first Sunday of every month, the society intends to help budding bands of virtually any genre, and singer-songwriters to perform their music to new audiences.

Similarly, if people have always dreamed of starting a band, LUMSoc provides the ideal platform for this, and intends to create a network of people, who can interact and start some new, great acts, which can again be showcased at their gigs.

Students interested in music photography or music journalism can also pursue their talents and interests in the society. For photographers, either experienced or

simply willing to have a go, LUMSoc would love one or two people to be at every event to capture the action. For journalists, the society are publishing a newsletter every month, dealing principally with the unsigned music scene in Birmingham and including news, reviews, and opinion pieces.

'Well over a hundred people turned up, which as anyone interested in the unsigned scene will know, is nothing short of astonishing.'

LUMSoc had their first event on Sunday 10th October at Urban Village. Well over a hundred people turned up which, as anyone interested in the unsigned scene will know, is nothing short of an astonishing turnout, especially for a new promoter and a new event.

Tim Gilvin, Fred Claridge and Josh Hawthorn got the evening off to a great start with a great mix of original tracks and interesting and thoughtful covers. Vocals and Cajon (box drum) were shared between Tim and Fred, and Josh played some great trumpet solos that the audience loved. Covers ranged from Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, through to the Bee Gee's How Deep Is Your Love? and finishing with a great version of Lady Gaga's Just Dance.

Wolverhampton's Joe Karchud then took to the stage alone for a set of lyrically interesting and powerful songs. He's got a really great voice that sounded surprisingly good in the surroundings of Urban Village. The crowd hung off every word of his songs of a misspent youth.

Headlining the night were Northampton four-piece, An

Army Of Lights. Gaining the title of NME's breakthrough act of the week last week, they've already seen a significant rise in interest and gig offers throughout the country. Skinny jeans and geek glasses a plenty, An Army of Lights flew through their set with a series of driven and Indie-tastic songs that filled the floor. A lot of people were talking about these guys long after they'd disappeared back to Northampton in their 'tour van'.

LUMSoc have even bigger and better things planned for the rest of the year. They have already had contact with a lot of interested bands and artists for future gigs and look forward to hearing from many more. If you would like to contact LUMSoc for any reason, please send an email to livemusic@guild.bham.ac.uk.

Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip HMV Institute

Sunday 17th Guns N' Roses LG Arena

Jeff Beck Symphony Hall

Monday 18th

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool The Rainbow Brandon Flowers O2 Academy

Tuesday 19th

Tinie Tempah with Chiddy Bang HMV Institute We Are The Ocean O2 Academy 2

Wednesday 20th Jim Jones Revue O2 Academy 3

Single Review

Live Reviews

Cee Lo Green

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Libertines 28/08 @ Reading Festival Amy Davidson Critic

hen notoriously volatile band The Libertines announced their intention to re-form for Reading and Leeds Festival people knew to expect one of two things. Either the disappointment of a no-show fuelled by the reopening of past Doherty/Barat feuds, or an amazing show brimming with the intimacy and passion that made them so famous.

On Saturday Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again begins to play as a slideshow covering both main screens reveals iconic Libertines images to an increasingly excited crowd. When The Libertines assert themselves on stage the sound from the crowd reveals a combination of relief and ecstasy – Stage One is complete: the band is all together on stage, but would their performance live up to their legacy?

Quite simply – yes. The obscure choice of opener Horror

Show cemented the fact that The Libertines were playing for keeps, for fans, for everything – not just a well-paid reunion slot. Barat, Doherty, Hassall and Powell stormed through classic Libertines songs such as Time for Heroes and Can’t Stand Me Now, with sentimental riotousness.

Sentimental because there was a real sense of sincerity in every note played and every word sung that night, making Barat and Doherty embrace between songs, and fans experience something amazing. Riotous because the energy and tongue - in - cheek lyrics of the band demands nothing less – plugs were pulled (and replaced) halfway through the set, due to concerns for the crowds safety – rock and roll. Despite initial doubts about the motivations and materialisation of a Libertines reunion, Reading Festival undoubtedly hosted an extremely rare event: an exciting reunion that not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them and left fans anticipating the future of the band.

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Vengaboys 09/10 @ Nightingale Emma Jones Critic

s an unabashed Vengaboys fan, Redbrick Music was pretty damn excited about the 90s Dutch pop group’s return to the live scene. To witness said comeback in one of the most vibrant gay venues in Birmingham took the occasion to an even higher level than anticipated.

With support from the ceaselessly entertaining and glamorous resident cabaret hostess Miss Marty, the atmosphere was tuned to raucous audience-participation mode by the time the headliners made their (fashionably late) entrance. Despite some unsavoury sticking to strangers in a sweltering, densely-packed room, all was forgiven by the dedicated audience that had turned out en masse when the opening bars of Boom Boom Boom Boom blared out. Part of both the attraction and reluctance to see childhood idols in later years

is the inevitable difference that age brings with it. Aside from a suspiciously taller sailor, the group have blissfully seemed to bypass any cosmetic changes from the vagaries of time and performed with the vigour of their younger selves. The song changes were slick and any miming indiscernible; the dancing was choreographed to perfection and the costumes as outré as ever.

While the formulaic nature of the two and a half-minute song and the heavy use of nonsense syllables (‘shalalalala’ and ‘ooh way oh’) could begin to grate on the nerves of a less committed cheesy pop fan, the short set (a mere forty-five minutes) left an audience eagerly awaiting more.

With promotion of their new single, Rocket To Uranus (with pun FULLY intended) about to commence, the Venga Bus will, with any luck, be coming to Birmingham again in the near future.

F*ck You

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Laura Harris Critic

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ou’ll know Cee Lo Green's voice like an old friend, being the man behind Gnarls Barkley. His current single F*ck You is the sound of 2006 in 2010 and has already seen the #1 spot.

Danger Mouse-less, this track is more upbeat; is he destined for the same success as Crazy, which charted on downloads alone, spending 9 weeks there? On hearing the keyboard intro, don’t be fooled; no one would expect his jolly voice to start singing, 'I see you driving 'round town / With the girl I love and I'm like, / F*ck you!'

There’s no denying that this is a pop song; that it is already a chart hit shows as much. But the man, aka the “Lady Killer”, had such style in his pink suit on Later that I challenge anyone to not appreciate his brilliance, even a little bit. His version of Soko’s I’ll Kill Her is the icing on his baby pink, lady-killing cake.

Redbrick

Television The Top Ten: Returning Shows

1

Gossip Girl Welcome back Upper-East siders, to what looks like a very interesting new season. The addition of a new character, Juliet Sharp (Katie Cassidy), is surrounded in suspicion: a secret meeting with a prisoner, a notice board full of Gossip Girl blasts, and just the sense that she is somehow connected to the title character.

2

Glee

Glee has managed to integrate modern and current music as well as older classics such as Journey's Don't Stop Believin' into the show, whilst special guests such as Neil Patrick Harris give the show an extra buzz. Special guest appearances this series include Britney Spears and our very own Susan Boyle.

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6

The Apprentice

7

The Vampire Diaries

Finally, after what seems like an age, Lord Sugar (no more 'sir', thank you) is back on our screens, and I, for one, couldn't be happier. Over the next 3 months, Lord Sugar will be putting the contestants through their paces on some very difficult challenges and watching as they squirm to avoid hearing the infamous words, 'You're fired!'

The Vampire Diaries is a creation from the book of the same name, which looks at how the central vampires live and how they protect themselves. There is a love triangle between the three central characters: Elena, Stefan and Damon. But with the boys' former love, Catherine, back on the scene, how will this develop?

8

The Inbetweeners

A show about four social outcasts trying to navigate the world of Sixth Form college by doing just about anything to fit in, with hilarious consequences. It's always a mystery what will happen each week, except that you can count on everything coming out of Jay's mouth being an epic moment of comedic genius.

A brother, a husband, a father and a serial killer. Our favourite mass murderer is back. For years Dexter Morgan has managed to live a double life under the 'code' taught to him by his nowdeceased adoptive father, Harry.

But how will the murder of his wife Rita, in last year's series finale, affect the supposedly emotionless Dexter?

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4

What more can happen to the cast of 90210? We've already had pregnancy, drug abuse, rape, divorce, a gambling addiction and a hit and run. But we love all this drama for its bitchy, blatantly unrealistic sense of drama. Welcome back to Beverley Hills.

5

Dexter

House M.D.

How important is a doctor's bedside manner? To Gregory House, it's clearly his last priority. This show is about a team of diagnosticians headed by a grumpy and idiosyncratic medical genius, the titular character House. With series seven beginning with the night before for House and Cuddy, where will this newfound love take us?

Chuck

A geeky underachiever downloads government secrets into his brain and is suddenly thrust into the spy world.

Beginning at series four, Chuck is now a super spy and after the death of his father is on the search for the mother that supposedly abandoned him and his family. After promising his sister Ellie to quit the spy life, can Chuck keep his promise?

30 Rock

10

Liz Lemon and the gang return to NBC this autumn with the hilarious 30 Rock. With Lemon having to keep her 'drama queen' actors happy, whilst working under an overbearing boss, and everything in between lends this to show being comedy genius.

HUGH JAMESON

redbrickonline.co.uk

October 15th 2010

19

'Everything I touch turns to sold.'

The Apprentice – Redbrick Online.

Best of Autumn/Winter 2010 Sarah Pullen

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Reporter

ell, this summer has been an eventful one. Amongst other things, Channel 4 waved goodbye to Big Brother, ten years after the social experiment first graced our screens; the BBC entered a legal tussle with Top Gear's the Stig, aka Ben Collins; and the X Factor faced allegations of 'auto-tuning' the contestants.

But with the summer over, autumn brings a new selection of highly-anticipated shows.

BBC One welcomed back Strictly Come Dancing for its eighth series with the line-up this year including Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams and rugby player Gavin Henson.

Much to everyone's anticipation, our favourite plasticine pair will also be making a welcome return in Wallace And Gromit: World Of Invention, the premise of which involves Wallace and his cameraman, Gromit, touring the British Isles searching for the nation's wackiest inventions.

Another dynamic duo which will be hitting our screens once more are Little Britain stars, Matt Lucas and David Walliams, as the pair are set to team up for the new six-part comedy, Come Fly With Me. Based in a busy airport with plenty of special guests, it is sure to be a big hit.

Over on ITV the focus is very much on drama and entertainment. The X Factor will once more dominate a large portion of Saturday night pro-

Caption gramming. And it doesn't look to be for the last time either, with the opening show having attracted 11.1 million viewers (a considerable increase on last year's 9.9 million).

I'm a Celebrity… will also be returning to our screens this November, accompanied by 71 Degrees North which seems to have the same, if colder, premise, as it's set in the icy tundra of Norway.

The 50th anniversary of Coronation Street is edging nearer, with the show being a permanent feature of the channel since the show was broadcast for the first time back in 1960, earning its spot in the Guinness World Records book as the longest ever running soap opera.

Once again Channel 4 and E4 are set to provide us with great comic entertainment. The BAFTA award winning The Inbetweeners is back for its third series after winning over teenagers throughout the nation with its lewd and quirky style.

New comedies PhoneShop and The Morgana Show indicate that Channel 4 is still determined to be at the forefront of home-grown comedy.

Despite worries that, thanks to the rising popularity of the internet, live TV audiences would decrease, the number of us tuning in to watch our favourite shows has actually increased. And when presented with a schedule which seems to cater for all, it's not a struggle to see why.

Overrated: the 3D Revolution Kelly Shrimpton

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Reporter

D technology is quickly becoming a worldwide phenomenon, with the number of 3D films released in cinemas increasing dramatically.

This promises the ultimate immersive entertainment experience, and as such it was only a matter of time before TV broadcasters jumped on this latest commercial bandwagon.

On 1st October, Sky began broadcasting its first 3D channel, the imaginatively named Sky 3D, allowing viewers to watch immersive 3D entertainment shows, sporting events and films in the comfort of their own homes. Exciting, right? So why is it that I'm starting to feel like 3D is fast becoming the proverbial fly in the ointment of the entertainment world?

Initially enthusiastic about 3D, my experiences of the technology have not impressed, and it seems that with the revelation of one problem, others inevitably follow. From the minute I put on those slick glasses I have a problem. I already wear

glasses, and I can't see two feet in front of my face, much less the TV, without wearing them. Trying to layer one pair of glasses over another is irritating and uncomfortable.

Then I actually look at the screen. At best the 3D effect is diluted, at worst I'm rewarded with eye strain and headaches.

Why would I want to suffer this on a regular basis? Of course, this is not a problem for everyone, and the need for glasses may, eventually, be removed.

The price of 3D TVs is a pitfall everyone will experience.

At present, the convenience of having 3D available at home will cost from approximately £1000, with the very necessary glasses often costing extra. And what do you get for your money?

Sky 3D is broadcasting a range of shows and films over the coming month, including the entertainment show Dance, Dance, Dance and films such as Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

While the promise of all this 3D goodness sounds alluring, the actual number of listings scheduled is disappointing, barely reaching double figures.

There is the option of upgrading standard TV programmes however, which some 3D TVs will give you the option of doing. Yet doing so raises the question of quality. Programmes not filmed with 3D cameras are not likely to achieve the same quality of James Cameron's Avatar, and do we really want Jeremy Kyle jumping out at us through our TV screens?

So is 3D TV necessary? Yes it's fun, when done well. But it already seems that the technology will become an excuse to make 3D films and shows for their own sake. Is 3D going to replace 2D? Somehow I don't think so. 3D is no substitute for the combination of good writing, acting and other special effects. 3D TV is, and always will be, a gimmick.

20 Television

Lost Touch?

Genevieve Taylor Reporter

Redbrick

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors - Natalie Timminss, Joe McGrath

The X Factor: update

As the live shows commence, Cheyenne Bunsie reports on the TV phenomenon that is The X Factor

Where you can find the Lost actors now...

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his summer, one of TV’ greatest ever series came to an end. Many of us lost some beloved characters, but the actors have moved on and so can you. Here are a few ways to fill that empty hour a week while keeping up with your favourite Losties: Daniel Dae Kim Lost character: Jin-Soo Kwon Found in: Hawaii Five-O – The brand new American reboot of the original 60s show. Kim plays Chin Ho Kelly, a disgraced ex-policeman, who joins the eponymous detective team. Fellow Hawaiians are Scott Caan of Ocean’s 11 and Grace Park of Battlestar Galactica.

Like Lost character? Kelly, like Jin, has a mysterious past but is similarly loveable.

Ian Somerhalder Lost character: Boone Carlyle Found in: The Vampire Diaries – Two vampire brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Somerhalder) fall for the same girl – twice. Said love interests, Elena and Katharine, look exactly the same but one’s a 19th century vamp dominatrix and the other’s a modern-day teen.

Like Lost character? To an extent. Damon’s sarcastic humour is much like Boone’s, and both share a complicated love life.

Elizabeth Mitchell Lost character: Juliet Burke Found in: V – Remake of the 80s series about an alien invasion. Mitchell plays Erica Evans, a concerned mother and counter-terrorism FBI agent investigating the supposedly peaceful and seemingly humanoid aliens as well as trying to discover those that have been living on earth for decades.

Like Lost character? Erica, just like Juliet, is sympathetic but tough. Like our Lostie, she’s heroic and can hold her own in a fight.

Michael Emerson & Terry O’Quinn Lost characters: Ben Linus & John Locke Found in: Untitled JJ Abrams project – The actors are rumoured to be working with Lost creator Abrams on a comedy/ drama TV series about two retired secret agents.

Like Lost character? The two will build on the close, jokey relationship they developed in Lost.

Hopefully it’ll be a little less fatal this time!

Josh Holloway Lost character: James ‘Sawyer’ Ford Found in: TV’s favourite nicknamer is set to star as part of Tom Cruise’s spy team in the next Mission Impossible blockbuster. He’s also been rumoured to be part of the main cast in a reimaging of classic TV series Dallas.

Like Lost character? Conman Sawyer could fool almost anyone and Holloway’s going to need those skills as a Mission Impossible spy.

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ver since the final 12 were revealed at the judge’s houses last week, ‘Gamugate’ has dominated the media with Cheryl Cole receiving death threats and two of her acts (Cher Lloyd and Katie Waissel) being branded as undeserving. There has even been talk of tactical voting to get them eliminated.

X-Factor weekend began with many wondering what would be said about the furore and could we all just forget about Gamu? After a brief clip of Cheryl stating the acts had been her choice alone, host Dermot O’Leary referred to a ‘liiiiiittle controversy’ and off we went.

Our favourite booming voice announced ‘a big twist’!

Oh, that big twist that every-

one has been going on about with wildcard acts re-entering the competition and being photographed with silly cloths over their heads? Yes that big twist.

Paije Richardson, Diva Fever, Wagner Fuiza-Carrilho and Treyc Cohen were all ‘revealed’ and made up the final 16.

To the first order of business: Style Wars week one; Danni edged ahead with a classy white dress and bold red lipstick to Cheryl’s dark mini dress complete with oversized quiff and far too much fake tan.

The theme this week was 'Number Ones', with standout performances from Tesco’s checkout worker Mary Byrne, who was well styled and with an attitude to match. She belted out a fantastic rendition of This

TV Gold: Extras

Is A Man’s World to a standing ovation.

Aiden Grimshaw was the night's other success story with his haunting, angst-ridden performance of Mad World.

Wildcard entry, Treyc Cohen, also helped put the Gamu fury to bed with an unmatchable vocal to U2’s One. The rest of the night saw drama productions aplenty; Storm Lee fell (deliberately) from a 15ft stage during his song and Katie Waissel’s Gagaesque headgear was the loudest part of her performance, as she sang a slightly muted version of We Are The Champions.

Meanwhile, Cher Lloyd took to the stage to prove herself well enough to compete with an enormously confident performance of Just be good

to me with trademark rap section. Cheryl Cole did nothing to dispel rumours of favouritism towards Cher by jumping out of her seat like a cheerleader.

The following night’s results show saw guest performances from Usher and last year’s winner Joe McElderry, who seemed determined to prove he was no Leon Jackson with his brand new song Ambitions. However, I am not sure it was quite the departure from the sweet but rather drippy ballad boy but chart positioning will tell all.

A welcome change to format came with the double elimination to whittle down the 16. Italian, Nicolo Festa, was quickly extracted from the bunch, having received the fewest number of votes. Looking rather bruised, he bluntly commented ‘I feel like cr*p’.

Katie Waissel went up against F.Y.D, in a fight to avoid the other elimination spot,and came out on top. As a result, we are now forced to live in perpetual mystery without ever knowing what F.Y.D actually meant. Fellow alphabet boyband JLS will breathe a sigh of relief.

Overall, it was a shaky start for many of the acts. However, plenty of drama and media hype managed to compensate for some of the disappointment.

Charlotte Lytton marvels at Ricky Gervais' powers of persuasion with celebrities

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all me controversial, but I have never been a fan of The Office. Sure, I may have chuckled when Gareth’s stapler got stuck in jelly for the umpteenth time, but something about Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s alleged masterpiece never quite did it for me.

However, their next big TV project, Extras, was a different story altogether. This laugh out loud tragicomedy had all the elements of a winning formula: big name stars, touching relationships and puerile humour to boot.

Hitting our screens for the first time in 2005, the show lasted two series with a feature length Christmas special.

After receiving an Emmy, a Golden Globe and numerous British comedy awards, Extras was one of the few shows brave enough to call it quits at the peak of its popularity, rather than forcing viewers to endure a painful third series.

Andy Millman (Gervais) is a forty-something extra, endlessly hassling the actors on set to get him a line in the film they are working on. He has no qualms when it comes to badgering the likes of Robert De Niro, Sir Ian

McKellen and David Bowie (to name but a few).

Meanwhile, hapless agent and ex-Carphone Warehouse salesman Darren (Merchant) is unable to land him a real acting job.

Accompanied by best friend Maggie (Ashley Jensen), each episode boasted a new location and a new guest star, putting an original spin on the traditional sitcom format. With Shaun Williamson, a.k.a Barry from Eastenders completing the cast as Darren’s sidekick, Extras unabashedly mixed Hollywood glamour with the rough and ready exports from Albert Square (Ross Kemp included). This witty parody highlighted the desperation of grafting actors and the endless ego tussle that inevitably followed.

Gervais and Merchant must be one hell of a persuasive double act. How they managed to convince Kate Winslet to talk dirty (whilst dressed as a nun) or Les Dennis to sit wallowing in self pity – entirely naked – on screen is still a mystery to me. The shameless self mockery of the entire programme makes for hilarious viewing, but it isn’t without its sentimental moments.

Years of hard graft finally pay off for Millman after the BBC commission his sitcom – ‘When the Whistle Blows’ – in which he stars.

Extras star Ricky Gervais However, years of matted wigs and comedy specs take their toll, and, during the Christmas

special, he decides to chuck it all in with the hopes of becoming a ‘credible actor’. Sadly, this doesn’t go to plan: off the small screen, he can no longer wander into The Ivy without a reservation, and is dismayed when his new, flashier agent won’t return his calls. He takes his frustrations out on Maggie and refuses to acknowledge those he knew before his sudden rise to fame.

At his wit’s end and desperate to stay in the public eye, Andy resorts to something no one should ever have to even contemplate. Celebrity Big Brother, resulting in both comedy and heart break in equal measure.

Extras certainly didn't hold back when it came to the subject of their humour: religion, disability and every other taboo social issue known to man were poked fun at. But somehow, Gervais always managed to get away with it. He was always fully aware of the fact that his own characters were more tragic than anything they could ever offend.

Andy’s protagonist in his own sitcom endlessly screeched, ‘Are you ‘avin a laff?’ To which we would have to respond yes, we most definitely were.

Redbrick

Lifestyle Well hello there, Lifestyle lovers!

W

elcome back to Brum sweet things, and welcome to the first issue of your marvellous student paper Redbrick! It's been a hard, yet fun, week for us as we got to grips with the mind blowing technology that makes Redbrick happen, and we're guessing your heads are spinning just as much as ours, what with lectures and all that jazz, so we've got a few treats for y'all in this week's issue.

Lexie Frost examines the High Street's love for everything retro this season as she takes apart the rebirth of 60s favourite Biba, exclusively at House of Fraser.

That perennial student blight Freshers' flu is back and our very own Rosie Hatch dishes out some loco-parentis advice for all you poor loves. Fierce and Finished is of course back and Grace Owen tells it like it is when it comes to getting over a cheating boyfriend.

Finally, Geraldine Tovey casts a critical eye upon the way each of us are judged through the clothes we wear (particularly after a heavy night out).

We'd like to take this opportunity to invite anyone who is interested in writing anything sex, love or lifestyle-related to get involved. Come along to Student Development on Wednesdays at 12pm. Look out for the pink chair!

Get ready people, this year is going to be out of this world! Ciao for now.

Briony and Rob. Lifestyle Editors

October 15th 2010

redbrickonline.co.uk

Fierce or Finished

Catwalk Biba: The iconic brand reborn Lexie Frost Reporter

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omething exciting sits by the escalators on the third floor of House of Fraser on Corporation Street. Something haunting.

Something that will make your bank card yearn for action. It's called Biba and, as your Granny will tell you, it rocks.

Barbara Hulanicki's iconic 1960s clothes label has been revived again (don't ask what happened last time) so a whole new generation can experience the clothes that captured the decadence and bohemian energy of Swinging London.

Mick Jagger, Jean Shrimpton and Marianne Faithful hung out in the store. Anna Wintour was a Saturday girl there aged just 15.

There is no doubt that Biba's combination of Art Deco, flower power and Rock 'n' Roll created an instant feeling of cool. Unfortunately though, what this revival gains in having Daisy Lowe as its face, it lacks in the absence of Hulanicki who is not attached to the project.

Biba will always have a magical essence for me. I remember photos of my mum twirling around in flowing paisley maxis, floppy velvet hats and plum coloured miniskirts that she bought at the Kensington boutique with her first pay cheques. How I wish she'd kept them.

Looking at the new collection, I am drawn to a full length pony skin coat in leopard print. The quality is great, but the price tags are less so.

Though the big-eyed, long limbed Daisy Lowe may be the ideal

Dress £125 Biba girl, little old me could never carry off some of the looks. There is some promise in the draped velvet jacket and the flapper dresses in a myriad of colours that are £75, but the extortionate jewellery sours my delight. While vintage Biba may sell for a bomb now, it's a little disconcerting for what is essentially a new company to sell its clothes at heirloom prices.

The beauty of Biba in the 1960s was its dressing-up box quality.

The outfits were displayed on coat stands, the make-up was set out to try on. The style was eclectic, the quality good and the prices cheap.

The Biba shopping experience essentially paved the way for Topshop and New Look today.

The problems with reviving Biba involve a conflict of brand image. The new collection echoes Biba's signature look, designed with post-war, food-deprived, long-legged dolly birds in mind.

But today's beautiful teenage bean-

poles will seldom have the £150 to spend on one single Biba item. In turn, those women old enough to remember the brand and wealthy enough to afford it, can hardly be expected to squeeze into hotpants anymore (and hotpants there certainly are). The question must be asked: who is the brand actually aimed at?

Ms Hulanicki herself is said to think the current revival 'too expensive' and questions its success at capturing the original Biba style.

An endorsement from Biba's creator would definitely lend kudos to the brand. Instead, it speaks volumes that she has collaborated on collections for both Topshop and Asda in recent years.

Love Lifestyle? Want to be a regular contributor to what is by far the best section in the paper? Are you opinionated, fierce and have a flair for the dramatic? If so, Lifestyle wants you! We are currently looking for a new columnist to grace the pages of Lifestyle every other week. Whether it's scandalous activities of your daily (and nightly) University life or a commentary on anything from sex tips to what's on the catwalk this season, we want to see what you've got. We've already had a great deal of interest in this, so pitch your potential columns to us fast!

Tell us the direction of the column and how it will go the distance throughout the year. Then have a go at writing the very first article and send it in to us at lifestyle@ redbrickonline.co.uk and become part of the Lifestyle writing team!

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irtually inescapable, even for re-freshers, Freshers' flu makes dragging yourself to lectures that little bit harder and has the ability to ruin the most exciting of partying plans. Without your mother here to administer the appropriate remedies we've come up with some ways to nurse yourself back to full health as soon as possible.

Drink lots of water. You know this one already, but hey. Not only will staying hydrated help you beat

Dip Dying hair – takes courage and a very good hair colourist but channels our inner Rachel Bilson and is perfect for Autumn.

The return of The Apprentice – the cotntestants are a bunch of money hungry, bitchy egotists, but we love it!

Men we really should not fancy – power is a definite aphrodisiac; hello Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay & Alan Sugar...?

Aiden 'angel face' Grimshaw & Tesco Mary – absolutely killed it on Saturday's X Factor.

The Inbetweeners – getting better and better every week even with Simon's punishment of his miniature for not working.

The new collection of Jessica Nail Varnishes – with a percentage of the price going towards Breast Cancer Research.

The prettiest of pinks, all for a very worthy cause!

Twiggy for Biba Anyone who is a fan of vintage, quirky fashion design should make a pilgrimage to the third floor of House of Fraser. If nothing else, the clothes are seriously inspirational. But don't count on owning some unless your sugar daddy is either Austin Powers or a Rolling Stone.

Rosie Hatch gives us some top tips on how to combat the dreaded Freshers' flu off your hangover, but nothing in your body works as well when you're not getting enough H20.

Make sure you always have a bottle in your bag and try drinking a glass first thing in the morning and one before each meal.

Berocca; Hailed as a miracle hangover cure, these effervescent vitamin C tablets will also help boost your vitality generally. Try one-a-day to give you the strength to make it through the rest of the term.

Nap time. If you've been out until 3am for the past five nights and up at 7am the past five mornings, but still can't bring yourself to stay in, it's time to take a disco nap. Sleep deprivation is bad news for anyone suffering Freshers' flu as your body needs the downtime to repair itself. The perfect time to squeeze in an hour (or two) is after lectures, but before dinner, giving you plenty of time to line your stomach and make yourself look fabulous before pre-drinks!

Avoid dairy. Cheesy chips might seem like a good idea after Vodbull, but your throat will not be thanking you in the morning.

Dairy products exacerbate a sore throat, so forget the cheese and switch morning cereal for toast and your throat will be soothed in no time.

Stock up on frozen vegetables.

Fierce

Forever 21 – we absolutely devour this store when we're across the Atlantic so cannot wait for the opening of the flagship in our very own Bullring.

Health Fighting Freshers' flu

WE NEED YOU!

21

You may turn your nose up, but we all know that in a week's time there's going to be a browning broccoli sitting at the back of your fridge. Frozen veg is already cut to size and is good to go in less than ten minutes. The vitamin content in any kind of vegetables will help in your recovery from Freshers'

Jil Sander for Uniqlo – dropped yesterday. One word: Amazing.

The Soak – The renovation of the sexiest bar in Selly has two big thumbs up from Lifestyle.

Now gen there and enjoy a well deserved beverage!

Finished

Overt public displays of affection – we're not 15 anymore, so don't be dry humping in my kitchen please!

Cher Lloyd's eyebrows – beautiful voice but scary brows, please put down the tweezers!

Britain's Next Top Model – they really dragged the results show out and we definitely wanted dodgy-toothed, Northern lass Joy to win!

Annoyingly keen Christmas statuses – we do not care if you've bought your extended family, other half and pets their presents. It is only October.

Katie Waissel's Helmet – stupid Lady GaGa outfit and dodgy feather eyelashes. She definitely should have gone home over FYD! Student Loan – realising we've spent a quarter of it already on Frosty Jack's and the ASOS midseason sales.

flu and keep your immune system strong so you can fight it off next time around.

Freshers' flu is almost inevitable so get yourself armed and ready with any or all of our tips and most importantly – have fun!

British summer – It's official – summer (and probably Autumn) is over. Make the most of those last fierce rays of sun. Soon will be the long, cold and possibly snowy trudges into Uni. Bambu – One of the sexiest nightclubs in Brum has lost a lot of Lifestyle respect of late; flooding toilets and people throwing up on the dancefloor (yes this happened) makes us very reluctant to return.

Issue Girl, kick him to the to curb

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Grace Owen Reporter

ith the recent revelations of Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch and Tiger Woods, to name but a few, it's easy to wonder whether anyone can keep it in their pants anymore. Relationships can be tricky, break-ups can be messy, but finding out your boyfriend has been cheating on you for months can be totally heartbreaking. But fear not, while the most desirable option appears to be staying in bed, eating Ben & Jerry's and listening to Toni Braxton, there is a better route that doesn't involve putting on half a stone. This method involves stepping back, assessing the situation and following Lifestyle's tried-and-tested Dos and Don'ts...

DON'T take him back unless he's sincerely sorry, is Johnny Depp?! And he didn't actually cheat! As clichéd as it sounds, generally the rule 'once a cheater, always a cheater' applies.

DO realise that he's just made the break-up a whole lot easier, especially if you heard the news from someone else. A real man would have broken it off before he cheated. This way, you've had a lucky escape from an emotionally stunted man-child.

DON'T blame yourself. A person's poor behaviour is definitely not a reflection on you, if it can happen to Cheryl Cole, it can hap-

Lifestyle 22

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Briony Singh and Rob Lewis

pen to any of us.

DO rely on your support network. Choose people you trust unconditionally and let it all out. It's particularly amusing to hear your normally very diplomatic father speak less than highly of the exboyfriend in question, or witness your best friend admitting that she couldn't even remember his name.

DON'T get with the younger brother. Yes, he's better looking and probably a better kisser, but the aim is to walk away with a clear conscience, not to look like the immature, promiscuous one. For that matter, don't sleep around either.

Not only is it expected, the sex will

Culture: Clothes Conscious?

be sub-standard, you'll probably catch something and the whole experience will fool you into thinking your ex was better than he actually was.

DO take it all with a pinch of salt. You may not be able to instantly turn off all your feelings for him, but put it down to experience and realise that there are a billion people out there better than he could ever be.

DON'T spread rumours on how bad he was in bed. Even if they're true. Bitterness is not attractive. And don't get involved with the inevitable gossip that will be spread by his guy friends who have nothing better to talk about.

DON'T destroy his car. It's probably embarrassingly old anyway, and no man is worth a criminal record. Listen to Carrie Underwood's 'Before He Cheats' to get out any rage.

DO reinvent yourself. Get a new hair colour, join a new society, ace that essay and spend time with people who love you for you.

DON'T lose faith in humanity. Sometimes you really do need to kiss a whole lot of frogs before you find your prince.

And finally girls, remember there are always plenty more bubbles in an aero!

Health Fight the Freshers' Flab Lindsay Brown finds out what the skinny is on fighting undergraduate spread

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wo weeks into term and that summer diet we all swore we would keep has probably flown right out of the window. Not really surprising when faced with the temptation of ready meals and the alluring lights of Kebab Land calling your name after a night out.

So if you're starting to feel less than lithe, here are a few ideas for fighting the dreaded freshers' flab.

The first stop is the University's Munrow Sports Centre, offering termly or annual membership for the gym and swimming pool, but if you're not sure you could make it that often between lectures, essays, and your social life, the Munrow also runs various Active Lifestyle classes.

There are a vast array of different classes offered, ranging from typical sessions like spinning and aerobics to the more unusual hula dancing and 'yogalates'. You will need to book online at least an hour before the class starts, so the sooner the better.

Photos courtesy of Google

Paying for classes has been made easier this year with the introduction of a voucher system, where you purchase credits and use them as and when you like. For just £50 you get 20 credits, equal to 20 hours or you can purchase credits for use across the whole year.

For people who want a fun and social way to exercise, these classes are great and there is definitely something for everyone. Students are also able to book tennis courts through the 'JustPlay' scheme; for a full list of timetables, prices and more information visit www.sport. bham.ac.uk/healthandfitness.

For all those Selly Oakers who would rather not walk through campus sweaty or with pool hair Tiverton Pool And Fitness Centre also offers excellent exercise facilities, right in the centre of Selly Oak. It's free for students during off-peak hours (you have to love that). The gym can get very busy so be prepared to queue or maybe consider going for a run around

Selly Park! Check out www.birmingham.gov.uk for full details.

There are also local professional gyms, convenient for people living away from campus. The Virgin Active Club at Five Ways and Fitness First on Pershore Road both constantly offer student deals such as an introductory 'three days free' pass for you and a friend. www.virginactive.co.uk or www.fitnessfirst. co.uk.

However, if you don't feel like spending your year working up a sweat indoors there a multitude of ways to work off those takeaways.

The University has hundreds of sports teams, you don't have to be a pro-athlete, but check out halls or course leagues for a bit of fun and healthy competition. There are also simple and free ways to keep fit like cycling around campus or taking to the canal path for a bit of jogging.

As for me, I think I'll just follow those signs I keep noticing and take the stairs instead of the lift!

Geraldine Tovey asks, 'Are we what we wear?'

I

know that when I walk through campus on a brisk October morning, I really should be admiring our university.

University Square looks its best in the autumn, with the golden leaves offsetting the redbrick buildings.

However, I am far too shallow for that. I find admiring other girl's clothes far more interesting than the architecture. For me, the beginning of term is the advent of autumn fashions. I get a thrill out of wearing a coat and scarf after a summer of tank tops and summer dresses.

I do possibly take it too far though; sometimes I develop a serious case of outfit envy if I feel another girl has a better ensemble than me. Maybe I care too much about appearances and don't know what it is like to judge a person on substance alone. Then again, is it possible to meet someone and not have an impression based on appearance?

Sometimes I think that it would be easier to revert back to the days of Adam and Eve when everyone was naked and nobody cared what others look like. Everyone has had those hungover mornings when they don't want to be seen by anyone. On the other hand, clothes and make up are a form of expression, and they help to project an image of yourself to others. And let's not forget that shopping is fun!

To see whether I really was too concerned with appearances I decided to undertake an experiment.

I went through an entire day at uni in trackies, an old jumper and not a scrap of make-up to see if I felt differently about myself and whether I focus too much on appearances.

At first, I genuinely didn't have a problem with it. I felt extremely comfortable, especially after a heavy night at Mechu the previous evening. The thought of getting dressed up again was not an attractive one. But the moment that I stepped into the classroom for an introductory lecture, I did feel intimidated. I didn't want people

Blog of the Week wakeupandgetreal. tumblr.com The fabulous Kelly Cutrone, of 'The City' fame, vents bile on life, love and anyone or anything that f**ks her off. A series of hilarious video blogs are sure to keep you entertained between essays.

who hadn't met me before to think that I was a slob, or worse, ugly.

This insecurity started to fade when I recognised some familiar faces; but not completely, I felt very insecure sat near pristine girls. One of my best friends said that he didn't recognise me until he heard me speak, which didn't inspire much confidence.

The day got better as I slowly forgot what I looked like and started to feel truly relaxed and got to

grips with being back in a routine, and before I knew it the day had passed. I felt uncomfortable meeting people for the first time looking like a mess, but I have faith that others can see past that, and I'd like to think I would too.

My dressed down Friday made me appreciate the thrill of dressing up and feeling good about myself, as well as putting my obsession with shopping and clothes into perspective. What you wear doesn't define you; it just helps you to express yourself.

Hopefully I will now spend more time admiring Aston Webb, rather than lusting after things that I don't need. Except when the Topshop sale is on...

Redbrick Editors - Dami Olugbode, Harriet Constable

redbrickonline.co.uk

October 15th 2010

Food

23

Want student offers on restaurants? Check out: www.redbrickonline.co.uk/food

Ditch those breasts

Five Freshers' Flu Fighters

Writer Jordan Warner offers us scrounging students alternatives to expensive meat that cuts on cost but not taste

Vicky Hodgkinson Food Writer

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elcome freshers! Suffering at all? Never fear, Redbrick Food is here to share some tasty tips on building up that immune system up and beating the flu. Here are our top five...

everyday, as it is water-soluble, so cannot be stored in the body.

If you feel a sore throat coming on squeeze a lemon, add hot water and a teaspoon full of honey.

Hello health!

1.Zinc Zinc boosts your immune system.

It is found in meat, shellfish, milk, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and that classic student favourite, oysters.

2.Water

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astronauts of Birmingham arise! Enjoying this year's weekly menu can be achieved for a fraction of the price if we simply lose our culinary inhibitions and think enthusiastically outside the food-box.

Why follow the convention of purchasing expensive chicken breasts (£7.69 per kilo) and minced beef (£4.40 per kilo) when there are equally delicious and more cost-effective substitutes on the shelves of our local supermarkets? This autumn offers us the chance to sample some of Britain's finest livestock without any extra squeeze on your already tight budget. As the clouds turn grey after a fruitful summer, and the wind turns chill on a cold October's night, there's no need to turn glum as I have some fantastic advice to give you on some inexpensive cuts

of meats that reduce costs, but certainly not flavour!

The next few months gives us the best quality of British turkey, pork, mutton and beef. But hold on! Before you reach for your beef mince, pork chops and turkey leg, why not sample some of the delicacies that have been eaten by our continental brothers and sisters for decades? In France, pork trotters and cheek meat is eaten as a delicacy, yet is often discarded as mere dog food in our isles. If you'd rather take a less extravagant approach why not substitute beef mince in your Bolognese with cheaper pork mince ranking in at a £1.00 cheaper option per kilo.

When sautéing your onions, garlic and ginger for a sexy stir fry, why not add a turkey breast, £2 cheaper per unit than its orthodox cousin, the chicken breast? Roast-

Recipe of the Week: James Morrison Food Writer

A

slice of home in halls.There is nothing quite like a homecooked meal to lift the spirits, bring back fond memories of home or even just to use as a ploy to make new friends. So if you have had enough of those homesick freshers' blues and too many nights on the dance floor, or you simply want a great way of getting to know your new neighbours: look no further. Here is a recipe that shows you how to serve up a slice of home, right here in your halls.

On the menu this week is one of those family staples: apple crumble. This is a recipe by Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall, but adapted for students on a budget. Using tinned fruits, makes a quicker and cheaper – but no less tasty – version of that British classic.

ing expensive beef joints or whole chickens can be a drain on funds; why not try cheaper lamb shoulder (£4.00 per kilo) with mint sauce, or slow cooked brisket (£5.99 per kilo) with gravy and roast spuds to charge up your culinary steam train?

Alas, if your starved taste buds have been molly-coddled for too long, one food to excite and warm you while saving the pennies is a beautiful piece of lamb, chicken or even pork's liver tallying up at £1.99 per kilo. Served simply grilled with some fried onions, gravy and creamy mash, perfect on a chilly autumnal night.

This is no longer Jamie Oliver's time in the spotlight; we at UoB are ready for our own 'Food Revolution'. Ditch your breasts and pick up those thighs, its time to get cooking!

Apple Crumble

Water keeps you hydrated and alert. Aim to drink 1.2 litres a day (just over 2 pints worth) especially if you have been drinking alcohol, or doing lots of exercise. H2O prevents the symptoms of dehydration: we're talking weakness, dizziness and confusion. So next time you feel like you can't get out of bed for that 9am lecture, reach for the bottle - of water that is...

3.Vitamin C Vitamin C boosts the production of white blood cells that help to fight infection. It is abundant in peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes, oranges and kiwi fruit. You need vitamin C

Ingredients

For the crumble . . .

Serves: 6 (or yourself for 6 days)

1. Set the oven to 180°C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

occasionally, to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.

2. Put all the flour, butter and 150g of sugar into a bowl. Using your hands, break the butter into the other ingredients. Keep going, rubbing the ingredients between your fingers, until the mixture has the consistency of breadcrumbs.

2. Add the remaining sugar to the apples. Taste with a teaspoon for sweetness and add more sugar if needed.

Time: 30 – 40 mins What it will cost you in Tesco this week: 250g plain flour

33p

200g caster sugar

72p

150g butter (chopped) 90p 4 cooking apples (peeled) 80p 1 tin of pears

50p

Price total: £3.25

3. Pour the crumble mixture on to two large baking trays, spreading thinly. Then place both trays into the oven, and bake until golden and crumbly (about 15 mins).

3. Once the apples are nearly stewed, open and drain the pears, and add to the filling.

For the filling . . .

4. Finally, pour the apple filling into a large dish, and sprinkle the crumble mixture on top, breaking up any large bits, before placing the dish into the oven for a further 10-15 mins.

1. Put a saucepan onto a medium heat and add two tablespoons of water. Chop the apples into rough pieces, and add to the saucepan, stirring and adding more water

Like what you see here? Check out our website, www.redbrickonline.co.uk, for more tasty, student-proof recipes you can make at home!

4.Garlic Garlic stimulates the production of white blood cells and some say it helps with acne. Not only does it make a meal tastier, it is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.

Just make sure you brush your teeth before you go on the pull.

5.Green Tea Green tea is full of anti-oxidants that reduce the damage of free radicals on the body. This brew is also rumoured to reduce the risk of cancer and prevent high cholesterol. Miso soup (a soup made up of seaweed, vegetables and bean curd) has similar properties and can be found at your local supermarket, in instant sachets.

So bin that packet of nutritionless instant noodles! These foods can prevent you from becoming a snotty mess. A healthy fresher can both work and play hard.

24

Travel redbrickonline.co.uk

Debate

Tour Guides For

Against

Lucy Rowland

Maddy Barr-Hamilton

Reporter

Reporter

C

oming from Cornwall, I do understand how it feels to be inundated with tourists every summer season – complete with wailing children, dropped ice creams and sunburnt hairy backs lounging on the beach.

However, when I travel abroad, I have to acknowledge the fact that I too am a tourist, and give in to the inevitability of waiting in endless queues and spending a lot of money on tacky souvenirs… but I believe it is all part of the experience!

In February a few years ago, I went to New York with a group from my college. We were booked in with a tour guide company, and spent our days roaming the streets following our tour guide – a small but boisterous New Yorker called Bob, who carried an enormous British flag and sang 'God Save the Queen' to get our attention. Humiliating as this may seem (and it was), I maintain that tour guides are one of the best ways to see well-known tourist destinations.

Bob taught us how to barter in Chinatown, how to use the subway without too many mishaps, how to tactfully avoid people selling dodgy goods and he took us to some fantastic local restaurants.

So, for a holiday without anxiously asking strangers for directions, holding up a queue whilst trying to work various ticket machines and falling into overpriced tourist trap restaurants, a guided tour may well be your best bet.

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our guides are my worst nightmare when I have visited new places or new cities.

Delhi was the only exception; met by noisy crowds, endless, nameless streets and stifling heat, I knew that this was one city that would not be able to navigate alone.

I think my dislike of tourguides stems from childhood memories of being dragged around boring museums and 'fabulously interesting' foreign monuments with my parents, listening to an old balding man with droning voice or a crazy woman with an undistinguishable accent. When I go somewhere new, I love to explore it and to feel like I have discovered it myself.

Having said that, it is always a good idea to have a quick flick through a Lonely Planet before you go, so you know what to look out for and to make sure you don't miss the best bits. It's also great if you want to know prices of things before you go. Making friends is never a problem – stay in a local hostel for the night and you will find that everyone is looking to explore the town or city, just the same as you.

Tour guides slow you down, they talk for too long, don't let you sit down so your feet really hurt and they never give you enough time for shopping. Man up! Leave tour guides for the sixty plusses and explore the city your own way.

Travel News Bites Going Places dies of irony The travel agent, Going Places, is likely to go no further due to the merger between Thomas Cook and Co-op Travel. The two will create the UK's largest chain of travel agents, though it is expected this will lead to the closure of around 70 branches nationwide. This will lead to hundreds of job losses and comes on the back of Thomas Cook cutting 300 to 400 jobs in a separate restructuring exercise.

The new company will be based at Thomas Cook's headquarters in Peterborough, potentially affecting 200 jobs in Co-Op Travel's HQ near Stoke-on-Trent, leading to yet more unemployment in my fair home town.

Legally Blonde In an attempt to shake the longheld belief of the 'dumb blonde', a Lithuanian company is to open a resort in the Maldives staffed entirely by the platinum haired fairer sex. Female guests will be able to make use of 'the education centre' and while this may sound like

Redbrick Editors – Ed Gordon, James Cull

October 15th 2010

it's been lifted straight from 1984, it will actually teach the women, 'how to always be perfect and look great'. The Maldives' tourist board are behind the scheme, though there are worries that it may increase tensions between moderates and conservatives in the Islamic country.

The French strike... again Travellers to France faced severe disruption again this week after hundreds of thousands of workers took up their union granted right to strike. Air France held a 24 hour strike, meaning a third of flights into and out of Charles de Gaulle and Beauvais airports had been cancelled, and delayed to and from Orly; though long haul flights were kindly maintained. A third of the national rail service had also been affected, with the Parisian metro and buses bearing the greatest load. Thankfully, the Eurostar remained calm throughout the troubles, meaning you could still arrive on time to witness France in their time of crisis.

Ed Gordon

Picture of the Week

Sunrise on Fraser Island, Australia

Photo: Lucy Rowland

The Student's Guide to Munich

Redbrick Travel feasts on German 'Wurst' and swills the pale ale to bring you the Bavarian capital David Franklin

W

Reporter

hilst München (let's be authentic about this) and indeed most of Bavaria has a fine reputation for its beer-swigging, sausage-munching traditions, there is far more to this corner of the world than Oktoberfest. Our task, therefore, was to avoid endless days of inebriating ourselves by organising a whistle-stop tour with only the use of the Internet as a guide; moving beyond the border guards, whose steely attitudes are rather reminiscent of a certain moustachioed Austrian painter.

A bespoke itinerary provides the perfect partner to the quest for the most Germanic experience of your life.

If the daily sight of 'Tracht' – Lederhosen to you and I – wasn't enough to awaken a somewhat ironic admiration for the Hun, then the local traditions of maypole dancing or brass band playing most certainly will.

Within München itself, the weird and the wonderful awaits the discerning tourist. Exhibitions range from the excellent potato museum to the rather disappointing and out-of-tune Town Hall Glockenspiel. The BMW World Visitor's Centre is certainly worth a visit and includes the option of a factory tour. Beware though; a place on the full factory tour is for the lucky few and must be booked around six months in advance.

There are many attractions outside of the city. Notably, the unfinished Neuschwanstein Castle. Also worth a visit is the Alpine lakeside resort of Tegernsee, where a rowing boat can be hired for a small fee. For those daring to swim in the icy waters, a bout of

Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau hypothermia is guaranteed. The highly efficient public transport system provides a speedy and cost effective method of travel; though the friendly locals are sometimes prone to discuss the finer points of 1980s European economic policy with any foreign looking type.

Hostels can provide a cheap alternative to hotels, and Wombat's Hostel is a perfect example of this. Rooms are sizeable and features include free Wi-Fi and an air-conditioned 'relaxation room'.

Breakfast is in the form of a buffet for a very reasonable €3.70, but provides a poor substitute for the array of sandwiches and pastries available at the nearby train station.

In München, food is generally reasonably priced and of a high quality. However, expect to be offered animal parts that you've nev-

xbirgbird on Flickr

er heard of. Soft drinks and bottled water tend to be more expensive than beer, but can be bought for a fraction of the price in a supermarket. Best of all, the 'Pfandsystem' ensures that you can see a €0.25 for the return of a plastic bottle – a top tip for travellers on a budget!

Overall, München provides enough entertainment for at least five days; a culturally enriching part of Germany, it conforms to all of the good stereotypes. Most of all, you will find a warm welcome in an incomprehensible dialect everywhere you go. A very memorable travel experience.

Munich: around £300+ for 5 days, including flights (Lufthansa), transport (Deutsche Bahn), accommodation (Wombats Hostel), entry to attractions (largely free for students) and consumables.

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October 15th 2010

Sport

25

Mesh Johal previews the upcoming Rugby season Page 27

Birmingham's own British Bulldogs

This summer, three University of Birmingham students represented the Great Britain national team for Aussie Rules football. Yet as recently as 2008 there wasn't even an Aussie Rules football club in existence here...

Aussie what?

(From L-R) Tim Smith, Joe Watkins and Dan Di-Lieto in their GB Bulldogs kits this summer James Phillips Sport Editor

J

ust over a year ago, Geography student Tim Smith set up the University of Birmingham's first Aussie Rules football team, the UoB Sharks. This summer, along with Geography and Planning student Dan Di-Lieto and Chemistry graduate Joe Watkins, he represented the Great Britain national team at the inaugural Australian Rules football European Championships in Denmark and Sweden.

On arrival at the University of Birmingham, having followed the sport on television for a while, Smith was disappointed to find that there was no team. Undeterred, he joined the local senior team, the 'Birmingham Bears', one of many amateur teams across the country, before pushing for a University team at the start of his second year. After a month of 'bureaucratic nonsense', Smith was given the go ahead by the Guild and Di-Lieto recalls how he saw his future teammate manning the first Sports Fair stand of its kind alone. Interest quickly mounted though, and the UoB sharks were in business in time for the winter.

Despite having no coaching staff, the Sharks work on fitness every Monday, train on Wednesdays and play matches on weekends. The team started playing matches in January, with home games at the Metchley pitches,

but with no university governing body (such as BUCS for most sports) the respective teams have to organise all fixtures themselves.

The Sharks currently compete in a three way league with Oxford and Cambridge, as well as organising friendlies with other clubs.

Di-Lieto, from St Albans, was last year's leading goalscorer and got into the Great Britain team after going to the open trials, which were held in Chippenham back in spring. Club president Smith, originally from Cambridge, was discovered through a different route after being spotted playing for a Central England League representative team. Before taking part in the European Championships, Di-Lieto's biggest match had been a derby for the UoB Sharks against the Birmingham Bears, which the Sharks won 144-101. This was all the more impressive, as the Bears had a few intimidating Australian players who were much more experienced than the university players. Smith's biggest match was the year before, when he was playing for the Bears in the Central League Grand final, which they lost to Huddersfield.

However, these games were dwarfed on the 1st of August as the two Birmingham students, along with Watkins, joined up with their new Great Britain team-mates for the first time in Scandinavia.

The tournament itself consisted of two groups of four, with Great Britain pitted against Finland, Iceland and Denmark. The group

Dan Di-Lieto

winners would face the winners of the other group, which turned out to be the Republic of Ireland. The two second placed teams would then compete for third place. Unlike at university, where the Sharks usually play 9-aside, the European Championships involved 16-aside teams, allowing for much more action.

On the first day of action, in a suburb of Copenhagen, the trio were thrown straight into the thick of things. At 1pm they kicked

Australian Rules Football has been played in Australia since it emerged in the 19th century in Melbourne but over the last twenty years or so it has increasingly spread across Europe. Combining elements of football, rugby and basketball, Aussie Rules has a unique appeal. It is even played on an elliptical pitch . Still only played at amateur level in the UK, the sport is nevertheless on the up and has an ever-growing fan base on these shores. off against Finland after only one warm-up session with the whole squad. But the class of the Great Britain Bulldogs was clear as they ran out 86-8 winners with Tim Smith scoring from long range on his debut.

After a day seeing the sights of Copenhagen, the Bulldogs played their second group game against the Iceland Ravens who put on a much better show than Finland had. The Bulldogs still edged the game and Di-Lieto registered his

GB Bulldogs in action during the European Championships

first goal for Great Britain after finishing a long, well developed move with a running kick in from 30 metres. The third group game came was held just two days later and it was a showdown with the Danish hosts to take on the Irish in the Championship Final. Broadcast live on Danish television, the home side got off to a flying start and despite a third quarter rally, the Brits succumbed to the Danes' pace and lost out 71-35. Smith, Di-Lieto and their teammates were distraught but had to regroup quickly as the third place play off against the other host, Sweden, was to take place two days later in Malmo.

In 30 degree Swedish summer heat, a Great Britain team already suffering several injuries couldn't quite defeat the hosts and finished the tournament in a respectable fourth place. Di-Lieto was happy that the 'tournament proved to be a huge learning curve' and it 'taught the players a lot about how the game is played at the highest level'.

Meanwhile, the Irish took the title.

Unfortunately, the AFL Britain, which runs the Great Britain team, is still struggling for money and it is yet to receive Sport England status. But with interest ever increasing, it may not be too long before Aussie Rules football really takes off in Europe. The Birmingham duo of Smith and Di-Lieto are hoping another good season for the Sharks will put them in contention to represent their country at next year's International Cup in Australia. Watch this space for upcoming Aussie Rules football fixtures in future issues of Redbrick.

Dan Di-Lieto

Photography Competition: Capture UBSport A

re you into sports? Are you a budding photographer?

University of Birmingham Sport is holding a Sports Photography competition this year, so you could land yourself a fantastic prize. The competition is in association with Photosoc and proudly sponsored by Olympus.

We're looking for the best sport, movement or exercise photograph that encapsulates the very essence of UBSport.

Whether you're a regular photographer, sports enthusiast or just someone who likes taking action snap shots, you will certainly want to get your hands on one of

these prizes. First prize is a E-450 DSLR Camera worth ÂŁ409.99 and runner up gets a DM-550 Voice recorder worth ÂŁ199.99, kindly donated by Olympus. The winner, runner up and short listed entries will be displayed at the annual Sports Awards Evening in June.

From close-ups of beads of

sweat to sweeping panoramic match views, from athletics action to windsurfing at the Raymond Priestley Centre, UBSport want to celebrate the diversity of sport through photography.

The competition is open to all and there is plenty of time. Deadline for entries is 1 April 2011.

To enter, simply send all photographs to sportscomps@contacts. bham.ac.uk entitled 'Sports Competition' in either .jpg, .bmp, .png, .gif or .tiff. Maximum of 5 entries per person.

Terms & conditions can be found on the website www.sport.bham. ac.uk

26 Sport

Redbrick

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Brutal Brum Farr too strong for Warwick Rory Millar Sport Reporter

Rugby Union

Birmingham 3rds

18

Warwick 3rds

3

I

n the first game of the new BUCS season, Birmingham's rugby union 3rd team entertained and defeated local rivals Warwick's 3rd XV 18-3 on Wednesday afternoon at Metchley Park.

The victory was well deserved, as the hosts dominated the game throughout. Both Birmingham tries were scored by full-back Ben Farr, one either side of half time, in what proved to be a very impressive debut.

Birmingham led 5-0 at the break, thanks to the first of Farr's two tries that was not converted by fly half Peter Gizauskas. Two Gizauskas penalties either side of Sam Griffiths' penalty for Warwick made the score 11-3 before Farr

scored his second of the afternoon, this time successfully converted by Gizauskas, with 10 minutes to go to seal the contest.

The dry and sunny conditions made it conducive for a good game of running rugby, but the first half was a scrappy affair with a lot of turnovers and handling errors.

Both sides lacked discipline early on, as Birmingham and Warwick both gave away countless unnecessary penalties.

In the 10th minute, Gizauskas had a perfect opportunity to open the scoring with a penalty in front of the posts after a Warwick forward was caught in an offside position but the chance was wasted.

Only three minutes later, the visitors had an opportunity in a similar position but fly-half Dominic Wray also failed to make use of the chance, dragging well wide.

Both sides had further opportunities to go for the posts during the first half, but poor decision making saw the teams opting to keep kicking for the corner search-

The forceful Brum attack was simply too much for Warwick on the day

ing for the first try of the afternoon.

In the 22nd minute, Ollie Haddock crossed the line after good play in the forwards by second-row Will Symons but the miss pass by Bruce Storey was judged to have gone forward so was disallowed.

Ollie Haddock then had another chance to score following an interception in his own half but he couldn't quite reach the line with Sam Sudoku making a good trysaving tackle just five yards from the visitors line.

The first score did eventually come after relentless Birmingham pressure just after the half hour mark, with debutant Farr finishing well in the left corner after a good pass from Bruce Storey. The conversion was missed so the score remained 5-0 at half time, despite Warwick number 8 Ian Rodger almost hitting straight back in a rare break from the away side.

Birmingham extended their lead early in the second half thanks to a Gizauskas penalty, who was successful in 3 of his 5 kicks dur-

Photo: Tom Flathers

ing the game, after Warwick were penalised following a scrum. Five minutes later, Warwick got back to within one try of the hosts with substitute fly-half Sam Griffiths kicking a penalty awarded after a good run by Martin Davey.

At 8-3, the game could have gone either way with both sides continuing to be wasteful but just after the hour, Gizauskas struck his second penalty of the afternoon through the posts to make it 11-3.

Then on 72 minutes, Birmingham finally made sure of the points when Farr scored his second try of the afternoon. The try was set up after an excellent run from deep by substitute full back Tom Metcalfe, beating two or three Warwick defenders before offloading to Farr on the left wing who completed the job by skipping past Shamus Delaney and touching down right under the posts to give Gizauskas the simplest of kicks.

Warwick had a rally late-on, but more great defending by the Birmingham forwards and poor passing and handling by the visitors' backs meant that the score remained 18-3 and gave Birmingham a thoroughly deserved win in their first game of the new BUCS Midlands 2A season.

After the game, the Warwick captain said: 'Birmingham were, in fairness, a much better side on the day. It will take us a while for the side to gel together.' Ed Binham, the Birmingham coach, also said that the scrappy nature of the first half could be put down to the lack of time the team have been playing with each other for.

However, he added that 'today's effort from the boys was incredible. There were so many good performances out there, Will Symons and Tom Kenison playing particularly well in the forwards and of course Ben Farr for his two tries that ultimately won us the game.'

With the rugby club's first team narrowly beaten away at Nottingham Trent on Wednesday, the squad will be comforted that the club has so much strength in depth on the basis of this result.

Athletes canter to easy victory Joe Townsend

F

Athletics Correspondent

ollowing a relatively quiet close season of recruitment for the University Cross Country Team one would not have blamed the side for exhibiting an element of complacency via the notable absence of the first years that traditionally make the Manchester University Relays what they are: the opportunity to inject new blood with future events in mind.

That aside, there certainly was no lack of enthusiasm as yet again the seemingly endless wave of red & blue departed a team coach that dwarfed every other vehicle in the Wythenshawe Sports Ground car park. It would have been intimidating for rivals to not only see a 1st VI spearheaded by European medallists Nick Goolab and James Wilkinson, but to also notice a strength in depth that forces Home International 2nd placer Alex Tovey into the second of 9 complete teams. Hamstrung by the unavailability of the three high-

profile new arrivals in Sam Petty, Alex Cornwell and Niall Fleming; all of whom medalled at the English Schools in July (the former winning gold); combined with the initial withdrawal of European U20 1500m 4th placer Dan Clorley due to illness, an emphatic victory was all the more impressive.

The Manchester University Relays title remains in Birmingham for another year and, realistically, the trophy could have been sent back down the M6 as soon as BUAC (University of Birmingham Athletics Club) arrived at the University of Manchester's playing fields.

Devoid of transport problems which had tarnished the 2009 event, the first leg runners were on the start line as Tovey upset the applecart to bring Birmingham's 2nd team in 12 seconds ahead of its 'A' team runner Matt Jackson who performed solidly. Equilibrium was ensured 10 minutes 36 seconds later as, having declared himself fit despite his earlier withdrawal, Clorley stormed into the lead. From

then on, neither Birmingham team was made to worry as captain Joe Townsend, Andy Ridley and GBR senior international (and vice-captain) Wilkinson consolidated the lead. It was left to BUCS 5000m champion & UoB Sportsman of the year Goolab to lead home the procession; few could have argued if

Sport Shorts This week, Louise Hazel well and truly put UoB Sport on the world's sporting map, claiming an astounding gold medal in the women's Heptathlon at the commonwealth games in Delhi. The University of Birmingham French graduate achieved five personal bests in the seven events to confirm the brilliance of Birmingham's athletics setup.

The fruits of UoB Sport's hard work could also be seen elsewhere in Delhi with multiple alumni lighting up the games.

Recent graduate Naomi Folkard was part of a England's silver medal winning archery team while third-year Geography student Susie Gilbert was part of the gutsy England hockey team who picked up a well-deserved bronze medal following a heartbreaking defeat to a strong Australia squad in the semi-finals.

The final Birmingham news from Delhi comes from UoB Sport's current scholarship manager Luke Gunn, who narrowly missed out on a medal in the men's 3,000m steeplechase emerging in a very impressive seventh place in the final up against tough Kenyan opposition.

In other sporting news, those Birmingham students lucky enough to be working out at the Munrow Gym may not be aware that they are using one of the best training facilities in the country. The Gym has just been shortlisted for the prestigious 'Gym of the Year' award at the Natinal Fitness Awards 2010, further emphasising the excellent sporting facilities that are on offer at the university.

First team fixtures Game of the week: Men's Rugby Union vs Warwick 1sts Wed 20th 7pm Bournbrook pitch Men's Basketball vs Nottingham 1sts Wed 20th 8.30pm Munrow Sports Hall

he'd decided to cruise in but he ran the fastest leg of the day to boot.

This bodes well for the coming season which will culminate in February's BUCS Championship which is to be held in Birmingham at Senneleys Park, just a stone's throw from campus.

Women's Football vs Loughborugh 2nds Wed 20th 2pm Metchley Netball vs Nottingham 1sts Wed 20th 4.30pm Munrow Sports Hall Rugby League vs Exeter 1sts Wed 20th 2pm Bournbrook pitch Women's Rugby Union vs Warwick 1sts Wed 20th 2.30pm Metchley Women's Tennis vs Edinburgh 1sts Wed 20th 2pm Priory Men's Volleyball vs Loughborough 1sts Wed 20th 7.15pm Munrow New Gym Women's Volleyball vs Oxford 1sts Wed 20th 5.15pm Munrow New Gym

Matt Jackson leads the Brum assault

Photo: Chris Smith

Redbrick

Sport 27

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Hockey hotshots unfazed by Nottingham first team Joseph Audley Sport Reporter Women's Hockey

Birmingham 2nds

5

Nottingham 1sts

3

B

irmingham women's second Hockey XI earned a hard fought friendly victory against the Nottingham first team in a friendly game on a sunny Wednsday afternoon at Bournbrook. Faced with a challenging tie, the squad remained positive going into the game as coach Matt Cox explained: 'Although we have eleven new players this year, we are reasonably confident. We beat them twice last year even though they are in the league above us.'

Nottingham captain Celia Butler was left to rally her side with the absence of their coach but they did not hold back and came flying at Birmingham from the start. An early burst into the D opened up the home side's defence but the visitors failed to connect with a driven cross. Although Birmingham retained much possession in the first half, it was Nottingham who looked more threatening early

A strong defence from Birmingham

on. Within the first five minutes the visitors had driven the ball across the face of the goal twice in dangerous attacks and much of the game was being played in one half.

The home side found it tough to get into the game but after ten minutes the passes began to flow and the midfield began to push up, seeking to exploit weaknesses in the Nottingham defence. Both teams found it hard to break through and the game became very open ended, but the home team looked more promising. Sammy Tilley increased the pressure and closed down well eventually setting up Emily Novakovic with a drilled ball in from the right to score for Birmingham after 19 minutes.

This, however, fired Nottingham up and they pressed forward continually seeking an equaliser.

In doing so the visitors left themselves vulnerable to a counter attack in which Birmingham displayed quick passing and fantastic skill to force a short corner on 25 minutes. When played in with pace the ball bounced around in the D and then fell to Amy O'Connor who scored from 2 yards out to make it 2-0.

The visitors continued to press forward regardless of their previ-

Photo: Tom Flathers

Birmingham didn't give Notts much room to manoeuvre ous error and in doing so created half-chances and a few shots were hit wide. Again, Birmingham burst out of defence and on 32 minutes a third was added when O'Connor set up Claire O'Gallagher who slotted home. It appeared that Birmingham were cruising into half time with a comfortable lead but Nottingham continued to press and this time were rewarded with a goal by Emily Smith on 34 minutes.

This gave hope to the trailing side but it was Birmingham who continued to attack as the second half began and a well worked short corner led to Hannah Goss smashing the backboard of the goal. Nottingham did not let their heads go down and continued to push forward, but the organised Birming-

ham defence were working well.

The visitors constantly threatened and on 41 minutes captain Celia Butler scored a great solo goal after a mazy run and well placed finish. With plenty of time left to get back into it the visitors fought hard to build more chances and retain possession. The home side were quick to close down though and after a period of good defending O'Connor scored her second of the game after 48 minutes to increase Birmingham's lead to 5-2.

With 20 minutes left to play Nottingham had nothing to lose and relentlessly pressurised the home side's defence creating chance after chance. Butler managed to score again with 15 minutes left to play but three fantastic saves from Birmingham goalkeep-

Photo: Tom Flathers er Helen Marsden denied the visitors and helped the home squad to a deserved win. Both teams had 8 shots each proving that Birmingham were more composed in front of goal.

With the start of the season just around the corner the Birmingham second XI proved that they will take some beating this year. The captain, Rachel Orrett, was delighted with the team's performance: 'They played amazing.

We weren't really expecting to win but all the freshers played well and gave 100% effort. The goalie had an excellent game and we are very pleased.' Birmingham are currently third in the weekend Midlands Premier League and hope to take their good form when the Wednesday league kicks off.

Captain Dyke raring to go as rugby men target promotion Mesh Johal Sport Reporter

P

romotion is at the top of the agenda this season for the Men's Rugby Union 1st XV, as they look for a return to the BUCS Premier A Division. After a promising third place finish last year, club captain Tom Dyke believes that his side is in firm position to mount a serious promotion push.

With increased support from UBSport and the added experience of Coach Mike Umaga, Dyke feels as if the squad's four week preseason programme stands them in good stead for next week's season opener. HeManager said: 'The Marketing Glenpre season schedule was tough but I feel that O'Donovan the squad got a lot out of it. Mike brings in a wealth of experience and knowledge and he has helped the club become a more professional outfit both on and off the field. Added to this the support from UBSport, I feel as if we are one of the favourites to go up.'

Dyke has reason for optimism after encouraging displays in preseason matches against Mosley Development XV and Nottingham University 1st XV. Against Mosley, Brum convincingly beat

a physically bigger side. Although defeated against Nottingham, Birmingham competed against their Premiership A opposition for large periods of the game. On the matter of the pre season results Dyke said: 'The games were a good eye opener for the team. Against Mosley our defensive organisation and line

speed was great. We worked on the defensive aspect of our game during camp and I think it really shone through. Also our counter attacking was a positive aspect of the performance. Whilst we were beaten by Nottingham, we did play well. It was a learning curve and it highlighted aspects of our game

which we need to work on. In the end, we want to be playing the likes of Nottingham every week and the game pointed out what we needed to do to get to that level.'

Brum were severely tested in the first game of the season against Nottingham Trent on Wednesday which finished in a narrow 25-23

Brum defeated Paris back in May and will want to take that form into this season

Photo: Tom Flathers

defeat. Relegated last season from 'Prem A', Trent were a true marker to show where the team are at present. Ahead of the game, Dyke said: 'Like against Nottingham University, the Trent match will be an eye opener to where we are right now.

The game is an opportunity to prove that we are good enough at playing at the higher level. A victory away in Nottingham would send a huge message out to the rest of the league and it would be a massive confidence boost for the club.'

Unfortunately they couldn't pull off a victory but the narrow defeat will leave them confident ahead of next week's home game with Warwick.

Elsewhere in the club, an internal restructuring has seen the introduction of a 'Development Squad'. On the matter Dyke said: 'The Development squad has a great mix of seniors and freshers. It is an opportunity for us to nurture and prepare them for BUCS rugby.'

With high competition for starting positions in all three squads, this season could prove to be asuccessful one for everyone connected to the rugby club. See our fixtures list for details of the Rugby team's next home game, and get down to the game to show your support.

28 Sport

Sport

Redbrick

October 15th 2010 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Can you tell what is yet?

Australian Rules football is having an impact in Birmingham

Favourites edge out hosts at Bournbrook Rugby League

Birmingham 1sts

14

Loughborough 2nds 20 David Wheaton Sport Reporter

A

surprisingly peaceful atmosphere surrounded the main Bournbrook pitch minutes before Birmingham Rugby League first team's official championship debut , characterised by a pleasant sunset over Old Joe. Undeniably the game could well have been the squad's biggest challenge as this first fixture aligned them against the favourites – Loughborough's second team. There was extra spice added to the fixture as the team's friend and old coach had recently swapped sides and lead the night's opposition. Put in context, it was soon clear that Birmingham's quiet, almost relaxed state during the warm up drills was in fact masking their intense concentration.

It was apparent straight from Loughborough's kick-off that this game was to be taken seriously and was certainly not going to be a walk in the park for either team. The away side applied instant pressure on Brum's back line, keeping them within yards of their try line for the first two minutes. Perhaps due to the intensity of the fixture, the pressure was over-zealous and unorganised, offering Birmingham winger Matt Sharpe an unforeseen break all the way down the touchline before easily handing the ball off to centre James Johnston for the home team's first try of the match after only 3 three minutes.

Unsurprisingly, Loughborough players were left reeling by this immediate unexpected blow, and the first ten minutes were all Brum. Several runs by both second row Nelson Jordan and Dave Norris slowly pushed the Loughborough defensive line back, forcing the centres to commit several fouls.

Without a doubt, Loughborough's state of mind was not helped by the vocal crowd of Birmingham fans which had turned up in great numbers for this first clash. Ignoring shouts by players

Despite some brave Birmingham defence, Loughborough stayed just out of reach turned supporters from the rugby league seconds, hockey and women's rugby union teams the away team's second row set in motion what turned out to be ten minutes of solid pressure by Loughborough.

The tide had turned after Birmingham's initial charge and it became apparent that Loughborough's team consisted of tougher, bigger players which contrasted with Birmingham's apparent technical edge. Accordingly, their domination was rather sterile, with many inspired breaks from both wingers but poor accuracy in the final pass, leaving the try line unattainable.

Loughborough's hooker getting injured gave the home side time to regroup and dampened the away side's growing initiative.

Although the break did interrupt their flow, with Brum kicking the ball intelligently closer and closer to Loughborough's posts, they were soon back within inches of

Birmingham's try line and logically forced their way past the try line, making the score 4-4. Although the heroic Matt Jagger and Chris Bolton blocked numerous attempts by the opposing side, the strain eventually forced Birmingham's line too far back, culminating in a player getting tackled in goal, offering Loughborough the new set they needed to score the try.

Again, the immediate effect was low morale and less solid defending on Birmingham's part, resulting in calls to 'wrap the players up' faster. Surprisingly, Birmingham's second try, on the 35th minute, came from similar pressure by Loughborough and a similar break by Johnston, giving himself space to run from the half-way line all the way to score his second try of the match, placing Brum in front once more. It seemed that despite building play as a team, Birmingham could also count on its individuals to shine.

This time however, Loughborough's response was instant. From receiving the ball back all the way to the try line, they finally showed signs of inspired team play, ending in an enlightened long pass towards the right touch line, enabling the opponent's winger to squeeze through and put the ball down in goal.

The general opinion at half time was that the crowd found Birmingham's performance 'very impressive' against such a strong team.

Fatigue had caught up with both teams and accordingly, the second half lost its intensity. Birmingham seemed the most affected by this, building up very long sets in the middle of the pitch but getting caught out on two occasions, letting Loughborough past their try line twice in the first 20 minutes of the second half. This does not take away any merit from Birmingham's defensive line, which remained solid and valiant

Rita Toth

throughout.

Characteristically, it took another poor pass by the away team and another spark of genius and tremendously fast run by Johnston to bring about another home try, closing up the gap between both teams, making the score 1416 with six minutes to go.

Disappointingly though, despite strong pressure on all of Loughborough's attempted kicks out of their half, Brum could not keep their cool, making too many mistakes on the fifth tackle in the final minutes. Ultimately, these errors led to a break by the opponent's winger, surprising Birmingham's defence with great footwork, flying past the try line on the 40th minute for the final try, making the score 14-20.

The result left the crowd and players understandably bitter but nevertheless in awe and impressed with an exciting performance by the team. Their next opponents shouldn't be quite as fearsome.

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