Issue 1388 by Redbrick

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Redbrick

The University of Birmingham's Student Newspaper since 1936

Friday 11th March 2011 Volume 75 | Issue 1388 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Election hopeful pulls out after online hate mail Anna Hughes News Editor

Last week's hustings was one of the events that drew the biggest crowds.

Glen Moutrie

An officer team candidate has pulled out of the race after receiving an abusive online message, Redbrick has learned. The candidate, who does not wish to be named, was contacted through their blog in the early stages of the election process last week. The post has now been removed. Although the person in question was unable to officially remove themselves from the competition at this stage, they have decided not to continue campaigning, effectively forfeiting their chances of claiming the position. Of the message, the candidate said: 'This is student politics; nothing I do is going to have that much of an enormous impact on the world, these sorts of responses are completely ridiculous.' The matter has been handed over the police, and the Guild is also looking into what happened. Guild President Dora Meredith said: 'Abusive language is unacceptable at any time and elections especially can be an extremely stressful period for candidates. We will looking into this matter fully. The elections have been a great success and I would like to thank candidates, campaign teams, other officers and staff for all their hard work.' With polling closing at 4pm today, this election campaign has been one of firsts. The sabbatical positions have seen the most candidates in history, with a total of thirty applicants, along with thirteen candidates for non-sabbatical

positions. The campaign has received increased online coverage. Many candidates opted to post election videos, which ranged from raps, stunts and simple manifesto pledges. The twittersphere has been crowded with messages with the hashtag #guildelections11, publicising events, circulating photos and reiterating election promises. However, Facebook spamming has caused complaints this year, with many people being put off by the number of groups or events they have been added to. Victoria Jane, third year English and Drama student said: 'Constant spamming on Facebook has been really annoying and has put me off voting for certain candidates.' For many of the positions the results are likely to be very close. The most contested position has been Vice President Activities and Development with eight candidates. Vice President for Sport has seven candidates. The results will be announced at a ceremony on Saturday evening, where Redbrick will be covering the event live at www. redbrickpaper.co.uk from 7.30pm onwards.

Redbrick Editorial Editor Samuel Lear Deputy Editors Victoria Shires Sam Langtree Online Editor Micaela Winter Treasurer Jonathan Craven Art Director Thomas Walters Photography Editors Freddie Herzog Millie Guy chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Director Jeremy Levett News Editors Helen Crane Glen Moutrie Anna Hughes James Brilliant news@redbrickonline.co.uk

Travel Editors Ed Gordon James Cull travel@redbrickonline.co.uk

In 1791 rent-a-mob rioters, hired by reactionary forces, burnt down the New Meeting House in Birmingham in response to the Lunar Society celebrating the anniversary of storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the beginning of the French Revolution. Theologian, scientist and philosopher Joseph Priestley’s Bible was saved by being thrown from a window. Seen above, the book was kept by a local family then donated to the Mason Science College, the predecessor to the University of Birmingham

Online Sport Editor Joseph Audley Technology Editors Stuart Gittings Manpreet Pangli technology@redbrickonline.co.uk Crossword Editor John Rizkallah

Film Editors Elmley de la Cour Matt Davis film@redbrickonline.co.uk

News Editorial Assistant Kerrina Gray

Television Editors Charlotte Lytton Amber Alexander tv@redbrickonline.co.uk

Revolutionary Times

Sport Editors James Phillips Simon Hall Sam Price sport@redbrickonline.co.uk

Editorial Assistants Victoria Bull Rochelle Balach Laura Hewitt Vikki Jeff Will Hunter Kate Selvaratnam

Music Editors Will Franklin Charlie Bailey music@redbrickonline.co.uk

University Highlight of the week

Food Editors Harriet Constable Dami Olugbode food@redbrickonline.co.uk

Features Editors Rosa McMahon Seb Mann Ali Hendy Amanda Callaghan features@redbrickonline.co.uk

Arts & Culture Editors Lexie Wilson James Reevell Alexander Blanchard arts@redbrickonline.co.uk

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11th March 2011

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Online Editorial Assistants Charmaine Katz Becky Sibson Danielle Fox Sophie MurrayMorris Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Jazzarie Lee Bethany Richardson Copy Editors Anna Lumsden Charlotte Goodwin Elsa Heath Sian Stanfield Zara Sekhavati

Lifestyle Editors Briony Singh Rob Lewis lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk

Any student may visit the library with a valid student ID card Courtesy of the The Cadbury Research Library

News feed EDUCATION

WORLD

Offa confirm tuition fee levy for students

Conflict in Libya escalates

Offa (Office for Fair Access) has stated that universities which charge fees of above £9,000 need to allocate a certain amount of the tuition fee on 'fairer access' for poorer students.

Fighting between pro-Gaddafi forces and rebels has worsened. At the time of going to print more than 1,000 people are believed to have been killed in the clashes. There has been threats of forming a nofly zone over Libya.

Prince Andrew's Phil Collins confirms retirement role in jeopardy

63 universities, including the University of Birmingham, will take strike action later this month due to disputes over staff pensions. Strikes in England are due to take place on the 22nd of March.

Phil Collins has confirmed that he is to retire from music to spend more time with his two young sons. Collins said that there had been 'distorted' articles in the press recently, making him out to be a 'tormented weirdo.'

Prince Andrew fears that his role as British trade envoy is in jeopardy because of his controversial links to convicted paedophile and US businessman, Jeffrey Epstein.

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

BUSINESS

Enda Kenny has been sworn in as the new taoiseach (prime minister) after the new coalition government was formed between Fine gael and the Labour party. Just over three months ago the EU and IMF sent a 85 billion euro bail-out.

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. To contact us:

Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 or

UCU strike action confirmed

New PM of the Rep. of Ireland sworn in

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

ROYAL FAMILY

EDUCATION

Designed and typeset by Redbrick.

0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

MUSIC

POLITICS

For meeting times find us on facebook or email section editors.

Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU

by Tom Byrne

Facebook users will be able to rent films

Charlie Sheen breaks record

Facebook has teamed up with Warner Bros. to make feature films available to rent via the social networking site. Viewers will be charged three credits to download a film and will have 48 hours in which to view it.

Last week, Charlie Sheen received the world record for amassing one million followers on Twitter in the fastest time, after his recent media exposure. He managed to achieve the feat within 25 hours and 17 minutes.

RBS Chief Exec to be paid £7.7 million Stephen Hester, chief executive for the Royal Bank of Scotland, is to receive a £7.7 million pay package for this year, which includes a bonus of £4.5 million. This announcement comes despite RBS losses of £1 billion.

HEALTH

CRIME

Recycled cereal boxes dangerous

HEALTH

Yorkshire Ripper denied appeal

Ban on cigarette displays planned

New scientific research has indicated that toxic chemicals could contaminate food inside cereal boxes when the cardboard is made from recycled paper.

Peter Sutcliffe, known as the Yorkshire Ripper, has lost a bid to challenge the Supreme Court order stating that he can never be released. He has been serving his sentence since 1984 at a psychiatric hospital.

The Government have released plans to cut the number of people smoking cigarettes by taking measures such as banning the display of cigarettes in shops. Official figures show 21% of adults smoke

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11th March 2011

The week in quotes Karren Brady on why she An RBS Spokeswoman on why doesn't consider herself to be a the RBS CEO gets a celebrity: £7.7million pay packet: 'I don't dance, I don't skate, and I don't eat Kangaroo testicles.'

'These awards appropriately balance demonstrating restraint while remaining fully supportive of our leadership through the RBS turnaround plan.'

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles in the House of Commons: 'I have not the remotest idea where I am.'

The King's Speech co-producer Simon Egan, after his daughter dropped his Oscar: 'We travelled to the Oscar A&E to get it fixed.'

Freddie Herzog

The Top Ten

Spotlight on Societies

Charlie Sheen Quotes

Law for Non-Law

10. I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen, but if you try it you will die. 9. My lawyer wants to come over and take the bullets from my gun.

President: Megan Radcliffe

8. Dying's for fools, dying's for amateurs.

What exactly is the Law for Non Law society?

Established: January 2011

The society aids students who don't study Law but are interested in pursuing a legal career. The society is here to help any student, 6. Chaim Levine is a stupid, from any year and any departstupid little man. ment. We provide all the information, networking and support stu5. I was bangin' seven gram dents may need in a fun, friendly rocks and finishing them! atmosphere. The society provides a monthly newsletter to its mem4. I have a different heart, I bers keeping them updated with got tiger blood. law deadlines and events in Birmingham. We also host events 3. I'm tired of pretending I'm with big law firms, socials and not a total bitchin' rockstar. alumni mixers. Furthermore, the society intends to host a number 2. I made Mick of interview and training contract Jagger and workshops as well as CV clinics so members can improve their emSinatra look like droopy-eyed arm- ployability skills.

7. I have one speed, one gear – Go!

less children.

Three interesting facts:

1. I'm not bi-polar, • We have been recognised as the I'm bi-winning.

only law society in the country for non-law students. • Despite only being set up at the start of the year, we have a growing membership and lots of interest on the Facebook page and have been featured on lawcareers.net. • Our committee has a range of

years involved from English and Politics to Biomedical Science. When do they meet? We don't have weekly meetings. However, we try and have some form of event/social every few weeks. Why should we get involved? The process of becoming a lawyer is often daunting but by joining our society we aim to make the procedure a lot more easier and even fun. How to get involved: If a student would like to join the society, they can email us at law4nonlaw@guild.bham.ac.uk and request membership for £5. Students on Facebook can keep

up-to-date with the society by joining the 'University of Birmingham Law for Non-Law Society' group. Upcoming Events On Thursday 17th March we have a session of Commercial Awareness given by Bond Pearce, a leading UK law firm. The event will be in the Learning Centre (UG05) from 6.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. This session is open to all students and will provide a good basis for networking and discovering more about the legal profession. It costs £2 for nonmembers and refreshments will be provided! E-mail law4nonlaw@guild.bham.ac.uk to book a place.

Stats of the week REDBRICK AGM Wednesday 29th March, 1pm, Guild Council Chambers. Elections will be held for the positions of Editor, two Deputy Editors, Online Editor and Treasurer. Attendance compulsory for all members. Interested in running? Email: agm@redbrickonline. co.uk

72% The percentage decrease in profits Bupa have experienced in the last year, down to £118 million

The number of months designer John Galliano could face in prison if convicted of making anti-Semitic comments in Paris last week

1 million

The amount of paying users Spotify now has, representing 15% of its users

4 in 10 The amount of police officers who should take a pay cut of up to £4,000, according to a Police Pay Review

By Tom Byrne

Letter from the editor Samuel Lear In spite of the frenetic Guild Elections that have pretty much swamped us all, we managed to sneak in two former Redbrick editors, who provided an intriguing insight into the world of professional journalism and what it entails. Aside from the necessity of possessing a Twitter account (and if you wish to pursue a career in journalism, you probably should - see why on Page 9), the role of 'communities' online is starting to become a vital focus for major publications. Why? Social media is starting to dominate the way that we think, the way that we act, and the way that we take our news. It has become a powerful tool that can hire or fire people and make or break relationships, meaning that if not used sensibly it can make a situation as fragile as the Guild entrance door (which shattered again on Wednesday... just sayin'). So what of communities? Twitter is now becoming the source of news, and it is making the news – making the BBC seem miles behind! Traditional news sources like this are now becoming heavily reliant on social media, not only to bring the news, but also as a means of interacting with its readership. Redbrick are not far behind – tomorrow we shall be using Storify for the first time (a powerful online communities tool), as we bring the results of the Guild Elections to you live. Visit our website, tomorrow evening, and be part of the excitement. This is an open invitation for you to be part of our community – we hope to welcome you to the discussion tomorrow!

Top tweets TheDailyShow: Lady Gaga is suing over the phrase 'Baby Gaga.' Quick babies, copyright 'googoo' before it's too late! charliesheen: hey Guinness, might wanna start writing them in pencil. #checkit ; you've been warned. HarrietHarman: Can't beleive that Stephen Obrien MP will lead Thursday Commons debate on int. women's day. Absurd! Tory women 'seen and not heard' ! NASA: At 11:57 a.m. EST, Space shuttle Discovery landed at KSC for the final time after 202 orbits around Earth and a journey of 5,304,140 miles. justinbieber: im not shaving for a month so you all can see my mustache.. im pumped

4 News

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11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie, Anna Hughes & James Brilliant

We asked 100 students: 'If you had to make efficiency savings in the University, what would you cut first?'

'The Guild and the societies they fund is important'

'I think it's unfair that some halls receive a greater funding than others'

'I don't make that much use of them'

'There definitely aren't enough computer clusters'

The Guild

Contact hours

Accommodation

Campus facilities

Lacklustre comedy event costs ComSoc dearly Charlotte Lytton Reporter

The University of Birmingham's Comedy Society has been forced to pay around three hundred pounds to the Guild of Students after an external competition failed to attract a large enough audience. Chortle, a widely respected comedy organisation, contacted the society in the hope they would

help to publicise the event, which took place on 21st February. Their student stand-up competition has now been running for eight years, with heats arranged in various cities before the final at the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival. However, although a number of applicants from the University were offered heats, only one of them was given a place in the Birmingham competition, with

University of Birmingham Comedy Society

ComSoc on Facebook

Paul Mason gives 'power' to students Ed Robinson Reporter

Paul Mason, BBC Newsnight Economics Editor and renowned historical author, visited the University of Birmingham last Thursday to deliver a guest lecture in the Aston Webb building. Entitled 'Power to the People', Mason's lecture was the inaugural event in this year's Undergraduate POLSIS Lecture Series, a new series of political lectures delivered by external speakers specifically organised by students for students. Delivering to a well-attended lecture theatre of students and faculty staff, Mason focused on the history of labour and used his historical perspectives to relate this topic to the current economic climate. Beginning with the reference that 2011 is the 100th anniversary of the 'Great Unrest', a series of global labour uprisings at the beginning of the 20th century, Mason opined that the world is currently experiencing a fundamental shift in attitudes. He said he believed that people's perceptions of politics and their political activism is drastically changing, a shift timely demonstrated by the current unrest in North Africa and the Middle

East. Focusing on what he called the 'graduate with no future' (someone who recently graduated with high debt and poor job prospects) Mason described three key factors behind both the upheaval seen in Arab nations and the ongoing student demonstrations against the increase in tuition fees. He listed these as the 'social', focusing on students and the urban poor, 'technology' and the impact social networking has had on citizen's ability to politically participate and, thirdly, 'behaviour'. Mason said when these three factors converge with enough momentum they can be a powerful force for change on behalf of ordinary people. However, Mason was keen to highlight what he sees as the dwindling power of traditional trade unions. He finished his lecture, before taking questions, by encouraging his audience to think about 'where does it go from here?' The questions put to the author focused mainly on the student movement in the UK and that his thoughts and advice were on increasing student participation in current protests.

others being told to travel to London, Leicester and Glasgow if they wanted to participate. An agreement was reached between Chortle and Comedy Society that in return for their help publicising the event, the society would receive a third of all ticket sales. However, this backfired when committee members were unable to attract interest for the competition because they had just one student from the University participating. Michael Brownlee, co-head writer for Comedy Society, said: 'There is no sense in putting students from this University in heats dotted all over the UK. 'If they had been put in the Birmingham competition, we would have easily gathered interest across campus, but Chortle failed to do this.' There were further issues when Chortle staff were rude to the Guild's technical services team. The society have since contacted the organisation who have refused to apologise for their behaviour, instead claiming that the technical team were 'rude and surly' and stating that they will be

putting a complaint in writing. The miscommunication over this alleged rudeness saw the Comedy Society's president, Katie Davison, called into the Guild for a meeting this week in order to discuss last month's events. It was believed that it was a committee member who had offended the technical team when it was actually the organisers from Chortle.

When the [Underground] is rented out, a minimum of £300 must be spent on drinks, but as only a handful of people turned up to the event, this target was not reached The evening's MC, Ray Peacock, was also allegedly rude to the few audience members in attendance, swearing at them and acting in an insulting manner. Three spectators left during the interval, leaving only two people

in the audience who were not performing. Chortle have voiced their dissatisfaction with the entire event, stating that the society did not publicise the competition adequately and that they were forced to set out chairs in the Underground themselves after the Circus Society's practice overran. Yet it is the Comedy Society who is losing out most significantly as a result of the debacle, as they have to pay several hundred pounds to the Guild of Students to cover the loss made by the bar in the Underground. When the space is rented out, a minimum of £300 must be spent on drinks, but as only a handful of people turned up to the event, this target was not reached. The society stress that relations between themselves and the Guild staff have been, and remain, good, and that this event was externally organised and beyond their control. Stand-up nights officially organised by the Comedy Society have increased in popularity over the past year, with several selling out.

LSE Director resigns amid fresh Gaddafi and funding revelations Owen Earwicker Reporter

The London School of Economics and Political Science has come under strong criticism following revelations over its close ties with Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Three controversial incidents have come to light resulting in the resignation of the university's Director, Sir Howard Davis. Last week it was revelaed that Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif Gaddafi, gave the LSE the Ralph Miliband Memorial Lecture in May of last year. David Miliband, former Foreign Secretary and eldest son of Ralph Miliband, said that 'the idea of Saif Gaddafi giving a lecture under his name is just horrific.' Speaking on BBC 1's The Andrew Marr Show, Miliband questioned whether the LSE compromised its academic independence. An enquiry by the University has subsequently been launched. It then emerged that the LSE has accepted financial donations from an organisation linked to the Gaddafi family. The Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation promised £1.5 million for research purposes, of which £300,000 has been received. Other links include a £2.2

million contract for training Libyan civil servants, of which £1.5 million has been received by

Ipezone on Blogspot LSE Enterprise, a company connected to the university. The LSE will now give the £300,000 away through a scholarship to aid North African students; however, there are no plans to return the money received through the civil service contract, which has been defended rigorously by Sir Howard. The Director of LSE has decided to resign from his post

once a suitable replacement has been found. In a statement he said, 'I have concluded that it would be right for me to step down even though I know that this will cause difficulty for the institution I have come to love.' When the scandal was first publicised, students of the LSE Union occupied Sir Howard's office in protest, stating that the university should not be accepting donations from regimes that breach human rights laws. The students' union education officer, Ashtok Kumar, called for the money taken from the civil service contract to be returned to the Libyan people through scholarship schemes. The university is now also investigating claims that Saif Gaddafi committed plagiarism while studying for his doctorate as a LSE postgraduate. The governing council will examine whether his thesis, on the role of civil society in the democratisation of global governance institutions, was copied or even ghost-written. Saif Gaddafi obtained both a master of science and a doctorate from the London School of Economics in 2008. The donations made to the establishment followed the year after.

Redbrick

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie, Anna Hughes & James Brilliant

43%

14%

Sports facilities

Communication 'Web Strategy needs to be better, and more unified'

'I think other things are more important'

Assistant News Editor

Universities Minister David Willetts has announced to academics at the British Academy that universities should be able to charge less for humanities subjects because they are cheaper to run than subjects like medicine and science. In the same speech, Willetts also denied that the Coalition's education reforms would spell the death for arts and humanities subjects, despite claims from academics that they would increasingly become the preserve of the rich. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union said: 'Put simply his sums don't add up and his working out is flawed. Our own research shows to replace the money he has cut, the average fee needs to be almost £7,000.' Rob Elliot, the head of the Economics Department at the University of Birmingham said: 'I would prefer not to comment at this stage given we are still waiting for an announcement to be made regarding tuition fees at Birmingham.' Despite financial modelling carried out by the Treasury suggest-

ing that universities would need to charge average fees of £7,500 next year, Mr Willetts said: 'Most institutions should only need to charge £6,000 – or perhaps a bit more once inflation has been added.' He went on to say that, 'Quite plainly, our higher education reforms have no bias. Your disciplines are cornerstones of aca-

16% Staff pay

The library 'I'm doing science and there isn't much in the library for us'

Willets: 'Humanities students should be allowed to pay less' Freddie Herzog

News 5

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

demia.' However, the government's new history tsar, Simon Schama, said he was uneasy that 'sciences and subjects which seem to be on a utilitarian measure useful, have retained their state funding, while the arts and humanities are being stripped of theirs.'

'The ViceChancellor should be paid less'

Academics will become 'intellectual lap dancers' Janine Rasiah Reporter

A professor of imperial history at King's College London has stated that humanities academics are at risk of becoming 'intellectual lap dancers' as a result of changes that have been made to higher education in England. Professor Richard Drayton suggested that the cuts that have been made in grant funding for most arts and humanities courses will result in academics having to 'become a kind of intellectual lap dancer, gyrating to excite the attention of the rich and to pro-

voke small tips.' Professor Drayton was speaking at a conference in Cambridge titled 'The Arts and Humanities: Endangered Species?' in which ten scholars met 'to articulate why and how the arts and humanities have been historically understood to matter' and to discuss how to combat both current and looming threats. Raymond Geuss, professor of philosophy at Cambridge, emphasised that the humanities have 'instrumental value for society' as they allow for much-needed 'humanistic' discussion which prevents further skewing of public discourse.

Edgbaston man jailed for trying to blow his flat up Owen Earwicker Reporter

The Arts building on campus

Freddie Herzog

A man from Edgbaston has been jailed for attempting to blow up his flat following an argument with an employee at a Comet store. Khalid Fadil faces two years in prison before he will be considered for release. Fadil had two bottles of gas by the front door of his home, and called 999 to say so. Ten officers then arrived to deal with the situation.

However, Fadil was not forthcoming. Denying the officers entry to his first floor flat, he threatened to 'cut them up' through his door. He then displayed his knife to the officers from a window. After an hour-long stand-off, the police forced entry smelling gas in Fadil's residence. He was subsequently arrested. Khalid Fadil pleaded guilty to the offences of attempted criminal damage with recklessness as to whether life was endangered and affray.

O2 CEO Matthew Key on how he turned around his company Visa limits will cause Glen Moutrie News Editor

Matthew Key, Birmingham graduate and CEO of O2, returned to the University after 24 years to speak on his time at the mobile provider. Key, who studied BSocSc Economics, gave a talk about O2's development after breaking away from BT. By that point the company was a market 'laggard' ranking last in every market indicator. Key's tenure as CEO saw O2 become the UK's most successful operator which provides mobile coverage for a third of the population. After leaving Vodafone to take up his role at O2, Matthew was con-

fronted by the headline 'New MMO2 'worthless'. It was to mark the beginning of a tough process that would involve a series of what Key labeled as 'swallow moments' from which there would be no turning back. Such moments included their £300 million plan to change the model of their Business to their 'customer plan' and the decision to be a part of the Millennium Dome's reformation. Yet these gambles more than paid off, perhaps best shown by their 12 day deal with Apple. In Key's first meeting with Steve Jobs the only thing that Jobs did to sell the iPhone was to hand him a prototype and ask him 'What do you think?' He was sold, and from that point O2 went all out to show that they cared as much about their brand as Apple cared about their own. T h e d e a l ' s success brought 3 million new customers to O2, of which Freddie Herzog 50 per cent stayed; an

indicator not just of the iPhone's own success as a product, but that O2 was the provider of choice. O2 had effectively shifted the way the entire market treated their customers. By taking on their 'customer plan', the focus was no longer on getting users to switch from network to network but receiving rewards for staying longer term. The company prioritised their employees to ensure that they were aligned with the message of putting the customers first. This was done by offering a bonus to all employees in the firm should they increase their subscribers by a million in a year, and inviting all of their employees to events at the O2. In his leaving message Key listed what he felt was essential in the process of building up the firm: be bold, think the unthinkable, be open, be the brand, be trusted and be consistent. In the Q&A session that followed, one student asked about applying for an internship at O2, leading to laughter and the attending Pro-Vice-Chancellor jesting, 'Who said that students don't have front?' Yet it is a sign that the overriding message from the lecture was not just how to turn around a company, but that O2 is a desirable company to work for.

problems for economy Judith Hawkins Reporter

Sixteen university vice-chancellors, including Birmingham's Professor David Eastwood, have called for the Home Secretary Theresa May to rethink plans which will limit visas for foreign students. In a joint letter to The Observer, they expressed their, 'profound concern at the damage that would be caused to the UK economy and to our universities', if the number of applicants from non-EU countries is restricted, as proposed by the government

Poll

Freddie Herzog asked 100 students: Do you know who Professor David Eastwood is? Professor David Eastwood is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Birmingham. Eastwood was also a panel member of the Browne Review, when he highlighted the need for higher tuition fees.

through the use of a points-based system. In 2009, two-thirds of the 273,000 visas issued to students were for non-EU applicants, but the vice-chancellors argue that through tuition fees and spending outside campus international students bring an estimated £5bn each year to the UK economy, and that without them, 'many university courses, particularly science and engineering courses, may no longer be viable.' A Home Office spokeswoman said no final decisions on changes to the student visa system had yet been made.

11th March 2011

redbrickonline.co.uk

Comment & Features Editorial

International Women's Day Ali Hendy Comment and Features Editor

You may remember this Tuesday for the glorious stream of pancakes, or as an evening spent watching the Arsenal vs. Barcelona game. Perhaps you even joined in online celebrations of Kim Kardashian's posterior for 'Booty Appreciation Day.' But as most people filled themselves with unleavened, sugary rounds, International Women's Day passed by. In fact, this week marked its centenary, causing myriad women with a mouthpiece to ponder upon the differences between the life opportunities of the modern woman, and her early twentieth century counterpart. The statistics were rather disheartening. One study suggests that many women will remember Shrove Tuesday for the experience of a different type of batter altogether. Replace the delicious verb requiring sweet condimental accompaniment with the slang verb and you arrive at the horrifying statistic that one in four women are victims of sexual assault. Worse still, two women in the UK are killed every week by a current or former partner. Indeed, the day prompted many more numbers and percentages to be thrown around, and not the 'Well done team! The blue line goes up-and-up' type. As the gravelly tones of 'M', played by Judi Dench, inform Bond in a video directed by Sam Taylor-Wood to mark IWD, 'Women are responsible for two thirds of the work done worldwide, yet earn only 10% of the total income and own 1% of the property.' Later in the clip, as Daniel Craig re-enters the frame in drag, M drily comments 'As a man you are less likely to be judged for promiscuous behaviour. Which is just as well, frankly.' Booty Appreciation Day haters listen up. Of course, the very humour extracted from Craig wearing lipstick also comes from a darker source. As the famous Cement Garden monologue goes, 'But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading / 'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading.' The main irony created in Tuesday's overlapping of gastronomic and ideological events, is that it is highly probable that more women set aside an hour or so to prepare pancakes, the evening segment of their daily triple-shift, than to consider the inequalities outlined above. International Women's Day may promote a widely publicised re-assessment of gender inequality, but if we could set more than one day out of the 365 aside to encourage worldwide participation in feminist comment then that would be truly sweet.

Redbrick

Product placement: in defence of the BBC

As American-style product placement creeps onto our screens and public funding freezes, Oscar French stands up for the embattled stalwart of British broadcasting

t around midday on the 28th February 2011, product placement crept nonchalantly onto our TV screens in the shape of a Dolce Gusto espresso maker, protruding slightly from behind Phil Vickery's head on This Morning. Nescafé reportedly paid £100,000 to have their device obscured by a moussaka recipe on national television after media watchdog Ofcom permitted commercial broadcasters in the UK to feature certain products during programming for the first time. Soon, we may all be treated to Simon Cowell munching a McDonalds or sipping a Starbucks on the X Factor. No doubt this will delight the anti-BBC lobby, who have been hammering nails into the corporation's coffin with gusto for the past year. Along with the rest of the media sector, it had to make severe cuts in the wake of the recession. Yet the BBC's public service broadcaster model continues to be vehemently attacked by the right wing press, who rush to aid the plight of its rivals, suffering in a shrinking

We cannot allow the corporation to be crushed into insignificance or shunted into privatisation. This would be a national tragedy advertising market. Those baying for the organisation's blood should be satisfied with Tory legislation such as the six year freeze on the licence fee. This will force it to slash budgets even further and inevitably lead to a decrease in market share. Add to this the frankly terrifying decision to permit News Corp's takeover of BSkyB and the image of a gargantuan Rupert Murdoch, suffocating BBC television centre with a (no doubt branded) paper bag is hard to shake from the psyche. We cannot allow the corporation to be crushed into insignificance or shunted into privatisation however. Not only would this be a national tragedy, but would have detrimental ramifications for all who victimised it to begin with. What its attackers consistently forget to envisage is that the quality of the commercial broadcasting would fall overnight in the absence of the BBC. It must retain a level of excellence to compete with a public service broadcaster answerable to the public's wallet. What's more, the majority of broadcast journalists, media professionals and creative talents are trained at the BBC before spreading out to a multitude of commercial companies. Unlike its rivals,

Beth Richardson it is an institution which does not exist for its own financial benefit, making it both unique and irreplaceable. Perversely, this also seems to be at the root of the malcontent directed towards the organisation. Our Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, vilifies the BBC's 'special tax' as disproportionate for the new age of austerity in Britain, claiming that it 'needs to live in the real world.' An irrefutably moronic standpoint when you consider that at £145 per annum it costs each taxpayer less to fund the entire corporation than it does for them to purchase a newspaper daily. What is the return on this meagre sum? Eight television channels, fifty nine national and local radio stations, a comprehensive online news website, daily local news broadcasts

and several renowned orchestras. Free from the grip of advertisers, it is afforded greater diversity in its output and the highest proportion of home-grown programming in the UK industry. So if in future, the BBC becomes infected with Dyson, Tropicana and Nike products, or simply disappears altogether, take a moment to mourn the loss of a worthy emblem of British culture. While undeniably flawed, the manner in which its every move is scrutinised is shameful; negligible mistakes become national headlines, forcing periodical resignations and humbled apologies. If the public does not speak out against its mistreatment forthwith, then I fear it will be too late to save the only broadcaster safeguarding their interests.

£7.85 Average monthly cost per household of BBC television services

£0.67 Average monthly cost per household of BBC online services like iPlayer

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Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann, Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy

Comment & Features 7

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

THE DEBATE

Are A-Levels the best choice for post-16 education? Two writers discuss whether the International Baccalaureate is a better alternative to the growing competition and 'narrow' subject choice faced by A-Levels students

The IB is a fair academic indicator

Free choice at A-level is too important Olivia Thompson Commentator

The International Baccalaureate programme has many admirable qualities; as it states on its own website, it is a challenging educational programme with an explicit focus on giving a 'sense of international-mindedness' to students who follow it. It is a clear competitor to the more traditional structure of A-Levels, and its Diploma programme (for 16-19 year olds) aims to better prepare students for university by demanding the completion of a 4,000 word extended essay using independently conducted research. As an internationally-used and internationallyrecognised qualification, the IB has obvious potential for multinational businesses and other transnational careers such as interpreting, international law and politics. However, this programme is by no means suitable for all students, and whilst some believe the IB would be an acceptable replacement for A-Levels, I disagree. The structure of the Diploma course is clearly beneficial for some students, some university courses, some career paths but, ironically for a course structured to keep a student informed in all academic areas, it cannot work for all students. Consider the content, demands and structure of the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme. Students must take one subject from each of five subject areas, and a sixth

gramme to every student is in forcing one to give up subjects they may be extremely good at, in favour of subjects that they may not. The IB is also explicitly internationally focused and academically oriented. Whilst these are, of course, widely useful qualities, they may be less relevant to a student's particular career choice. Take, for example, medicine: an extremely competitive university course and a tough career. The IB demands that a student picks one of Biology or Chemistry from a subject group, and again a second can only be taken at the expense of an arts subject. Why must a student pursuing medicine as a career be forced to give up their arts subject? This contradicts the initial principle of the IB Diploma of giving a wide and varied educational programme. The sixth category of Film, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts is explicitly labelled as expendable and less important than the other subject categories. With A-levels, a competent student could easily take Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Art, and be a strong competitor for a place at university medical schools. Furthermore, such a challenging academic programme cannot fit students who are less academically oriented. The possibility of studying between one and five (or more) A-levels provides an accessible level of studying that students can set for themselves, perhaps combining with more vocational qualifications such as BTECs, and students who support

Joe Jervis Commentator

IB FACTS:

Subjects taken, which include Maths, English and Science

3159

Number of schools offering the IB

'The free choice in A-levels is too precious a choice to give up. Abandoning them may actively discourage students from post-16 education, and forcing such a variety of subjects may not reflect a potential flair for a speciality subject.' from either an 'arts' subject or one of the first five categories. Whilst some students may welcome the chance to study such a variety, for others it demands the continuation of studies that may be longhated or found difficult. The third subject group, for example, is termed rather blandly 'Individuals and Societies', and contains eight subjects including History, Geography, Psychology, Archaeology and Philosophy. In such a broad group, asking a student to pick one, or possibly two, at the expense of an arts subject, could be retrograde. One could, in theory, be eligible for several courses at Oxford or Cambridge with an A-level combination of three of these subjects. However, with the IB you would be forced to take at least two heavily mathematical subjects which may not reflect a student's true potential. The major downfall in attempting to apply the IB pro-

BTECs with even one A-level are more likely to be considered for university entry. The IB programme cannot replace these potential combinations, and offers nothing similar. The free choice in A-levels is too precious a choice to give up. Abandoning them may actively discourage students from post-16 education, and forcing such a variety of subjects may not reflect a potential flair for a speciality subject or area, which is exactly what most university courses offer. The ability to specialise with specific A-Level combinations is too valuable to many students, university courses and careers. The International Baccalaureate is an interesting and challenging alternative to A-levels and is recognised by universities as such, but it should never replace such a broad qualification with so many course choices.

A LEVEL FACTS:

Introduced for pupils who gain over 90%

45%

Of predicted grades are accurate

Much has been made recently of the intense competition for graduate jobs. The Guardian reported in summer 2010 that there is now an average of 70 applications per position. Employers are faced with an impossible task of distinguishing between the 58% of students who now achieve a 2:1 or higher, up 10% since 1995. Meanwhile, the number of jobs available is decreasing and thus for many the value of university education. One thing is clear: students need more strings to their bow. A big problem is the ill-advice from careers consultants whom – with a predisposition for ticking boxes – are encouraging as many people to go to university as possible. There is often considerable pressure upon those who achieve 'average' A-level grades (perhaps BBC) when financial factors – and sometimes other reasons – mean that they are more suited to moving straight into the workplace. Of course the choice should be indi-

stood alone. In this case a 'poor' score of 25 would appear much more respectable and could still represent a chance to attend university. For those who work hard the qualification would give a better indicator of their academic levels. For those who are dissuaded by the challenges of the IB then perhaps it is desirable for both the individual and the economy that the student should enter a vocational course or start an apprenticeship of which the government have promised to increase. The most valid question may be to ask why it is desirable that students study a wider range of subjects until age 18. The answer is that the A-Level education structure appears to streamline youngsters into a sphere of study which is all too narrow. The common consequence is a lack of wellrounded knowledge within each individual. Typically a scientist may follow an institutionalised style of learning; a strong ability to inhale facts and formulae but ultimately a lack of desire to question current

'The baccalaureate promotes more tolerance and understanding through encouraging students to understand different disciplines.' vidual – education is about more than just financial opportunity – but currently there are few valuable indicators to assist students with their decisions. The raise in tuition fees will discourage some university applicants but there is a worry that this method will cut numbers along economic grounds rather than on academic ability. The best way to ensure this is not the case is by allowing for more differentiation between student ability in further education by introducing courses which require intense dedication to learning and allow for more variance in grades. The introduction of the International Baccalaureate, or a similar 'British Baccalaureate', on a national scale in place of A-levels is the most adequate way of doing so. I suggest a possible 'BB' because we may wish to alter certain aspects. For instance, the 'individual and societies' category appears too broad and illogical; it may be beneficial to group History with English and separate Business and Economics from Geography and Psychology. The benefits of such a system are multiple. Firstly, the difficult baccalaureate entails six subjects. One complaint from a fellow student was that the IB was 'too hard' compared to A-levels. However, a heavier workload and more selfstudy requires a higher level of self-motivation. This experience prepares students better for the university environment. It is also said that the value of an IB score is not understood by universities. Such an argument would be futile if the baccalaureate

concepts. This may serve someone well in the job market but help little in Britain's long term development. The opposite can be said of those following entirely arts-based directives. Yet each IB student will enter degree level with an impressive array of knowledge. The baccalaureate promotes more tolerance and understanding through encouraging students to understand different disciplines whilst also allowing more time for teenagers to decide on their career. A more informed decision made at aged 18 or 21, rather than at 16, would also assist economic efficiency as more people would involve themselves in a job most suited to them. In regards to social mobility, those students from less wealthy backgrounds have the opportunity to stand out and allow elite universities less chance of overlooking them. The 'Creativity, Action, Service' aspect of the course involves students in volunteering projects which helps to install within them a sense of community. This multifaceted approach links in with David Cameron's rhetoric on the 'Big Society' and his welcome plans for a National Citizenship Service for 16 year olds. Needless to say that that such a change to the education system would cost money; increasing contact hours increases the demand for staff. Maybe in the current climate such change would be difficult but, as stated previously, the increased spending can be seen as socially and economically productive. If the rest of Europe embraces the IB then why doesn't Britain?

8 Comment & Features

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

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Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann, Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy

Forget idealism, pragmatic international diplomacy is needed Sarah Pullen Commentator

Among other things, the current revolutionary unrest in the Middle East has brought to the fore the debate about whether or not Britain, along with many other democratic nations, should pursue diplomatic relations with autocratic leaders abroad. Western leaders have had to face a great deal of criticism for condemning undemocratic governments in the Middle East only as they begin to crumble, having previously developed trade and diplomatic links with those same regimes. I am sure that the overwhelming majority would agree that the idea of leaders oppressing their own people is wrong and would not support the condoning of such regimes. And certainly in an ideal world undemocratic leaders could be diplomatically isolated, but in this era of globalisation that simply isn't practical. The UN makes intervention in other nations' internal affairs very difficult unless they pose an external threat. As a consequence Western leaders have had little

choice but to wait for significant dissent to arise within these countries before denouncing the old autocratic leaders, in favour of reform. To support small pockets of rebels would have been to attract the disapproval of the international community. To simply ignore dictatorships would be of little use and, in reality, simply wouldn't be feasible. Refusing to develop relationships – both in terms of diplomacy and trade – with individual autocratic governments would have forced such regimes to co-operate with each other. This would have been likely to create one antiWestern front and a bipolar global system somewhat reminiscent of the Cold War world. And that has to pose a greater threat to international security than a situation in which autocratic nations have strong diplomatic and economic ties with the West. When a close relationship is formed with an undemocratic regime there is also an opportunity to influence that regime. And Tony Blair's relationship with Colonel Gaddafi is a prime example of this. Blair's influence helped to turn the regime from one which supported

terrorism to one that stood fast against it and persuaded a country which was aiming to develop nuclear weapons to abandon those plans. A lot of people might criticise Blair for bringing Libya into the fold but I, for one, would be sleeping rather less soundly had a leader like Gaddafi, hemmed in on all sides and suffering from increasing internal and international pressure, the capacity to launch nuclear missiles. So, Blair might not have been able to convince Gaddafi that democracy and liberalism are the way forward, but he helped to ensure that Gaddafi is less of a threat than he would, otherwise, have been. On the whole, Western Governments have been right to pursue amicable relations with the leaders of autocratic nations – despite differences in their ideological approach and their very different stances on human rights. It is a question of which is the lesser evil, to condone dictatorships which oppress their people – something we can do very little about, or to lose out on the chance to help preserve the safety of the international community.

Republican popularity will not last

Can we have a Bill of Rights? Thomas Horton Commentator

Even in heavily Republican state legislatures such as Wyoming where 3 of the 40 seats are Democrat, nothing is getting passed Andy Peck Commentator

It has been a hard eighteen months for the Left in America. From the huge defeat the Democrats suffered in the mid-term elections, to the humiliation of watching John Boehner take the Speaker's Gavel. As disillusion turned President Obama's 'Yes we can!' to 'Maybe we shouldn't...', the Republicans and the Tea Party seized the House of Representatives. However, if ever the maxim 'The darkest hour is just before the dawn' should apply, this may be it. Though the Left was sidelined in 2010, it has found its voice and spirit in 2011. In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker is intending to privatise everything, seemingly under the guise of cutting the state's deficit. In a pilot scheme for Republicans nationwide, this includes law enforcement to foreign corporate interests, whilst also sacking public sector workers and denying unions the ability to collectively bargain. Effectively denying unions the ability to act as unions. The decision, of course, has nothing to do with economics; Governor Walker tried a similar scheme at Milwaukee before becoming governor and the city is now lumbered with a wage bill that has almost doubled. This is about

undermining the power of unions, the primary source of campaign donations to the Democratic Party. The result of this attempt is to stir Union and Democratic passions more than any election in the last 60 years. Unions reacted immediately with protests of 30,000 people on 16th February, increasing to 70,000 on 23rd February and 100,000 on 2nd March. The number of union households that directly associate with the Democratic Party has increased by 17 per cent, almost doubling to an overall 31 percent. Were there to be an election now, Walker would lose by a six point margin. The Democrats in the State Legislature fled to neighbouring Illinois to prevent the Republican majority from passing the legislation. In retaliation, Walker cracked down on the remaining Democrats, kicking them out of the Capitol Building and seemingly contemplated bringing the absent Democrats back by force. Spurred on by this surge in support, President Obama felt able to announce to an audience of governors at the White House that if in their respective states they were able to implement a healthcare system differing to the federal one but still supplying the same level of care as the public option, the Federal government will let them implement it. No alternatives have

so far been suggested. All this is possible, strangely, because the Republicans have been given power. For the past two years they have been able to promise, criticise and campaign without the burden of fulfilling pledges. The Republicans campaigned on a policy of fiscal conservatism and nothing else, yet within two months of taking office they have let the federal government almost run out of money through failing to pass the annual federal budget. What little legislation Boehner has been able to bring to the House has been primarily anti-abortion, upsetting not only liberals, but also moderate conservatives who voted Republican for the fiscal, not social conservatism. Because of this divide, even in heavily Republican state legislatures such as Wyoming where 3 of the 40 seats are Democrat, nothing is getting passed. All this serves to illustrate how the campaigning successes of the current Republican Party are accompanied by an incompetent and harsh governing reality. The party is confused in its aims, and with its bluff called, is unable to offer the alternative they were promising. With this, and a resurgent, reinvigorated left just four months after the midterms, there is hope yet for Progressive America.

Banning prisoners from having the vote and expressing disgust at a ruling that allows Sex Offenders to appeal their registration on the Sex Offender's list. These are the two most recent outcries that have stemmed from the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the UK Supreme Court. The Human Rights Act 1998 has been something on the agenda of 'change' for the Conservative party, under David Cameron, with it being replaced with a suggested UK Bill of Rights.

The aim is to ensure that 'core values' and 'responsibilities' are enshrined into British law, whilst still respecting the European Convention of Human Rights. However, are the propositions for a Bill of Rights reconcilable with aforementioned rulings of the courts, let alone some opposition from the Liberal Democrats in the coalition government? Following the convention of Parliamentary Sovereignty, the suggestion of a UK Bill of Rights would clearly be implemented. However, if there is anything in the Bill that an individual felt was in contravention of their Human Rights, there is no obstacle preventing them going to the national

or supranational courts to contest such legislation, is there? If the Bill - which would be fundamentally based on the Human Rights Act of 1998 - includes the necessities of the human rights to life, to family, freedom from torture and the right to a fair trial; then clearly decisions that have been seen recently from the courts can still come of avail. The UK is a signatory to the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and it cannot be seen to simply pick and choose which sections it wishes to implement without facing opposition from Strasbourg. The only possible solution then, to implement the Bill of Rights the government wishes, is to come away from the ECHR, establish the Bill of Rights and somehow persuade the national courts to adopt the views of the legislature. Broken down it sounds simple enough of course, but this would not come about without great controversy, opposition and undoubtedly great cost. Former Law Lord, Lord Woolf has passed his views on the matter and has warned the government that they face a 'stark choice': they can either accept the rulings of the courts, or leave the convention altogether to avoid any further 'offensive' decisions as described by the PM David Cameron at his recent Prime Minister's Questions. This is going to be an ongoing issue that is showing signs of evolution already with Cameron announcing the proposition of establishing The Commission on a Bill of Rights. In my opinion, we should ignore the outcries that will come from Shami Chakrabarti and those of the same view. Implement the UK Bill of Rights to express the views of our government and those that we have put in that position. But, when has anything ever been so simply carried out in our political system? This is going to be a very interesting saga and something that would really send out a message of 'change' from the coalition government.

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Editors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann, Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy

Comment & Features 9

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Channel 4 controversy

Israel-Palestine debate spills onto screens TV drama The Promise is under fire for a purported bias, but are we losing sight of the character of fiction? Benjamin Curtis Commentator

Like many other of my contemporaries I was initially excited about the new Channel 4 drama The Promise which gave me something to look forward to on a Sunday night. However as the series progressed my feelings turned to anger as the show's premise and subtle propaganda began to unfold. Reflecting on the series as a whole, I would argue that there was a clear bias. Throughout the series the Jews are portrayed as the 'bad guys' where as the Arabs are made to look like the 'good guys'. This is shown by the extensive focus on the Irgun, a Jewish underground military group, during the depiction of British Mandate Palestine. The overemphasis on this group was surprising because their views were in no way representative of the Jewish population as a whole. It is only the Jewish acts of terror that are highlighted with no mention of the numerous Arab revolts that cost hundreds of British and Jewish lives. Additionally the Jewish lover of the main British soldier betrays him terribly helping to portray the Jews of Mandate Palestine as brutal and treacherous. This is a

great contrast to the depiction of the warm and kind Arab family befriended by the British solider. In the modern day element of the drama the main character Erin, like her grandfather, becomes increasingly more and more sensitive to the Palestinian cause and grows to resent Israel. As both sub plots ultimately draw similar conclusions of Israeli wrongdoing and Arab innocence it is not hard to decipher the message promoted through the drama. Some of the negative portrayals of contemporary Israeli society in The Promise are accurate where as others are completely unfounded. Having visited the West Bank to I can attest to the fact that the occupation is ugly and makes life hard for Palestinians. It is true that there are some areas like Hebron where extremist settlers taunt and intimidate their Palestinian neighbours and this is deplorable. The suffering caused by the continued occupation strengthens my conviction in the importance of reaching a peace deal between the two nations as soon as possible. The portrayal of the Israeli army using human shields however couldn't be further from the truth and is frankly insulting. Such actions are completely against the

moral standards of an army that is bound by a 'purity of arms' as well as international humanitarian norms. If such a crime was committed by a soldier he would be duly arrested and prosecuted by the Israeli justice system. The premise of the series is revealed in the last episode when the key British soldier questions the legitimacy of the new Jewish state due to the 'violence' and 'cruelty to its neighbours' that precedes its establishment. These closing remarks unjustly insinuate that perhaps the State of Israel shouldn't exist at all. It is implied that it was solely the Jews who were responsible for the violence before the British withdrawal from Palestine. This completely overlooks the fact that a civil war had in fact broken out between the Jewish and Arab populations in Palestine due to Arab anger at the announcement of the United Nations partition plan in November 1947. The plan proposed the creation of a Jewish and Arab state in Palestine with Jerusalem remaining under international sovereignty. Had the Arabs accepted the proposal, a conflict lasting over sixty years seeing thousands of lives lost on both sides, could have been avoided.

...and it continues to divide Seb Mann

Comment and Features Editor

I too was enraptured by the recent Channel 4 drama series The Promise. However, my views on it differ largely from above. The show oscillates across the Israel-Palestine narrative and its characters, just like in any well-written fiction, have views. The show, however, is not biased; it is not unfairly inaccurate, and it is certainly not the propagation of a Palestinian narrative. Peter Kosminsky's 4-part drama is exactly that: drama. It seeks not to document from a standpoint of objectivity the complex relationship between Israel and Palestine, but to depict the (largely fictional) experiences of two characters. Len, the main 1945-48 character, is in a position where an absence of 'focus on the Irgun' would have made no sense. How could you write a character who is a soldier in the British army but comes into no, or very little, contact with the Irgun? The

major Zionist organisation, who carried out the King David Hotel bombing, may have been fringe, but in terms of their relation to the British they were hugely significant. The focus on the organisation (which I would dispute is 'extensive') is what makes the drama interesting, informative and, most of all, watchable. If we want to consider potentially biased aspects of the plot which, after all, are fictional anyway, it should be noted that claims of 'Arab innocence' certainly don't abound. The series' first episode culminates with the Palestinian suicide bombing of an Israeli cafĂŠ and, central to the final episode, Erin (the present day protagonist) visits the house and family of a deceased Palestinian suicide bomber. Indeed, when she finds out where she is, Erin's response is hardly indicative of an anti-Israel subtext. What's more, I fail to see how the closing remarks of a disillusioned British soldier can be read as being a broad criticism of the

state of Israel. Even if his comments, which actually make reference to his uncertainty regarding whether Israel can 'thrive', are critical, the views he expresses cannot be drawn out to 'the premise' of the series and its writer-director Peter Kosminsky. I cannot comment on what it must be like to live in Hebron, nor on the accuracy of the Israeli military's use of human shield's (except to say that I expect it is not uncommon in high-pressure warzone environments). But the programme's portrayal of it seemed necessary to an acceleration of plot, affording the show its cathartic, if a little contrived, climax. The programme is not biased or one-sided â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it's historical fiction. It does not deliberately set out to misrepresent either side and it certainly doesn't tar all members of the Jewish faith with the same brush. Viewers can understand that the acts of a few, both postWWII and in the present day, do not define a whole people.

How do you solve a problem like... becoming 'Googleable' by Victoria Shires

Sub-plots ultimately draw similar conclusions of Israeli wrongdoing and Arab innocence

I would argue that The Promise is probably in some ways a reflection of the director Peter Kosminsky's own opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Whilst I appreciate that everyone is entitled to their own opinion; opinion must be distinguished from reality. The Promise, although very well acted, emotive and compelling, is a very one-sided perspective on the origins of this complex conflict. It is essentially a theatrical projection of the Palestinian narrative and must be recognised as such.

'I'm not attempting to be definitive. It's not a comment piece. It would short-change the viewer to tell them what to think in a simplistic way' Peter Kosminsky

As we have seen over the past two weeks of Guild Election campaigning, the amount of Facebook friends in a group and hits on a YouTube video could mean the difference between win or lose, pride or humility and hiring or firing. However this theme of internet popularity continues to be relevant beyond our two weeks of gimmicks and free sweets, especially to those of us graduating in a few months. A good CV and covering letter no longer suffice and employers and even Admissions Tutors are now Googling us to see our online visibility. So, how do we get Googleable? Tweet: I wasn't convinced at first either, but condensing your news into 140 characters and #hashtagging is a sure-fire way to getting yourself at least a toe into the online footprint. Personally, I use Twitter to follow Stephen Fry's words of wisdom and to get tips on what @CharlieSheen is looking for in his future intern. I also shamelessly plug Redbrick and any other articles that one may write and @ people in order to get attention.

Blog: Updating a blog creates something visible for an online audience and stamps your name all over a Google search. Although most blogs are personal thoughts and musings, they can potentially reach out to a vast audience and quickly gain followers if you update it regularly with interesting material. LinkedIn: Essentially, this website is a Facebook for employment (without the inappropriate tags). Your LinkedIn profile is an online CV where you can 'link' with employers and gain recommendations which could lead to some virtual introductions and networking opportunities. Me.co.uk: And if you want to hit the top of the Google search by the time you graduate, you can always buy your own dot-codot-uk which will see you hitting the highest and also indulging in slight egotism. If these sensible options fail you in becoming Googleable then there seem to be only a few last resorts: invent something or commit a crime.

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Arts

Win tickets to the sensational 'Trocks Ballet', in association with the Birmingham Hippodrome To enter, simply email arts@redbrickonline.co.uk

Stan's Cafe: Birmingham's favourite sons return

Stan's Cafe Lexie Wilson Arts Editor

Stan's Cafe is on its way to becoming an artistic institution in Birmingham. Formed back in 1991, it has grown into an apex of creativity within the city. Their impressive list of achievements spans almost two decades, and their collaborators have been perennially at the forefront of the unearthing and dusting off of boundary-pushing theatre and visual arts. And yet, they manage to evade the traps and pitfalls of being inaccessible or overly pretentious, perhaps best illustrated by the charmingly down to earth choice of name (made even more humble with the insistent pronunciation of 'Cafe' as 'Caff'). After being given the chance to speak to James Yarker, the Cafe's artistic director, it is clear that he emphatically believes that they are a company 'dedicated to originality, and pushing new ideas without being bothered if they're not seen as 'central,' or perhaps we're just less conventionally lat-

Birmingham has a very creative, vibrant energy eral.' And this is not just a snappy soundbite designed to whet the appetite of the lover of all things abstract. Stan's Cafe is returning to its hometown with a new show that is, quite frankly, nothing short of extraordinary: The Cleansing of Constance Brown. The show can be described as a meditation on the location of women in relation to power, it is a flirtation with the contrast and friction between what is private and what is public. But here's the intriguing twist the audience will have come to expect from Stan's

Cafe: it is a piece set entirely in a fourteen metre long corridor and, perhaps the crux of the play's distinctiveness, is performed almost entirely without words. The show's co-creator and performer, Bernadette Russell, is keen to silence those amongst us who are awkwardly dismissing the idea of a performance containing so few words they can be counted on one hand. She acknowledges, 'it's actually very intriguing and challenging to tell a story with so few words.' And it's not as hard work for the audience as you might imagine either, as Russell continues, 'audiences can appreciate it visually, without worrying about connecting the pieces until the end.' Yarker puts it more starkly, believing the show is 'very visual, very visceral.' Throughout the conversation, their enthusiasm for this upcoming project was nothing short of contagious, with both speaking animatedly about their excitement for a Birmingham audience to finally get a chance to see the production, as well as the creative process behind it.

The so often laborious process of nurturing an idea from the drawing board to the treading of the boards seems to have been a very natural and organic one, with Russell talking of the process being one of editing and experimenting, rather than an inflexible attempt to do something new. Originally conceived back in 2009, the company have since honed and showcased their latest piece whilst touring Europe to a seemingly hugely positive reaction. However, Yarker is gleeful about premiering it in the Cafe's adopted hometown of Birmingham. Yarker found that 'some countries can be quite self-conscious about ideas, we find Birmingham is a better measure for the true potential of a show.' But moreover, there might be something different about audiences here, as he adds, 'they are people with open minds, inquisitive and high energy,' while Russell concurs that the city itself 'has a very creative, vibrant energy. 'It's good to have a company of the standard of Stan's Cafe flourishing here. It makes the rest of the

country look at Birmingham.' When asked about the future direction he wants to see the company move in, Yarker immediately resounds that his ultimate goal is 'not to make the shows more mainstream, as such, but more to make the mainstream audiences more aware of us.' It is this mix of a dedication to 'following where ideas lead' coupled with a very real sense of always ensuring universal appeal that has made Stan's Cafe appear, in many ways, the future of theatre in Birmingham. Stan's Cafe's Production of The Cleansing Of Constance Brown runs until the 19th March at the AE Harris Building.

'If you had a red brick, what would you do with it?' I'd use it as the foundation stone of a socialist cafe.

The Cleansing of Constance Brown Reviewed James Reevell Arts Editor

Too often modern theatre innovates at the cost of emotion, hiding behind its technical brilliance as it fails to be profound. Thankfully, this was not the case with Stan's Cafe's superb The Cleansing Of Constance Brown, which whilst making sublime use of set still created a show that affects deeply. The set comprised of a black facade, with a movable wall that exposed a corridor of doors that changed positions recurrently. Within this corridor, characters continuously portrayed different scenarios, with the link between them seeming to be the common thread of humanity within social situations, work environments and across the ages. However, it would be wrong to describe the this production as a celebration of humanity, rather, it is an acknowledgment its flaws. The intensity of looking down a metre wide tunnel for two hours accentuates the potency of the scenes, giving things as simple as

an office party real poignancy. The decision to confine the production to such a claustrophobic and limited use of space was a bold decision, but the company deserve credit for it. It created inescapable tension between the cast and audience, never allowing one's attention to wander for even a second.

A supreme performance by all members gave life to the show, and more importantly allowed the audience to get lost in the unnatural setting of the play The use of space within the corridor is breathtaking, as actors parodying the financial crisis watch reams of shredded paper fill the area, or as the sudden appearance of a rain machine at the front of the corridor morphs the stage into a wet floor topped with a warning sign. The fluidity of this piece is crucial to its success, with the few props introduced throughout sim-

ply brought on by actors, in the previous scene. This lent an organic feel to the proceedings, and reinforced the notion that we were merely watching cycles of human existence. To pick out a single character would be wrong (particularly as no single character existed for longer than ten minutes), as this was a triumph of ensemble casting. Relying on a cast where each role is weighted evenly is something of a risk as it relies on the weakest member of the cast matching the strongest. Any weak link in the chain shatters the illusion. However, in this instance a supreme performance by all members gave life to the show, and more importantly allowed the audience to get lost in the unnatural setting of the play. A thought provoking piece that raises far more concerns than it answers, the overall experience of this show seems to be the key to it. It is a show that does not seek to define itself, but simply to pose a question to the audience. It is all the stronger for this.

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Editors – James Reevell, Alexander Blanchard & Lexie Wilson

Arts 11

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Previews

La Fille Mal Gardée at The Hippodrome

Birmingham Royal Ballet Sophie Rogers & Alice Young Critics

Delivered in three energy-fuelled acts, La Fille Mal Gardée presented the timeless tale of young love struggling to blossom under the watchful eye of disapproving parents. After all, what love story would be complete without the

world's fluffiest pony, a brood of dancing chickens and a man in drag performing a clog dance? Not to mention a dashing young suitor with a penchant for yellow tights? Originally devised in the eighteenth century, the ballet as it is currently recognised is Sir Frederick Ashton's 1960 chorographical adaptation along with John Lanch-

bury's scoring of the classic. Set in rural France, the story tracks Lise and her farmhand lover Colas as they endeavour to be together against the wishes of Lise's mother Simone. Simone would rather her daughter marry more appropriately to her situation, namely Alain, the bumbling but wealthy heir to his father's vineyard. Despite getting herself into a few sticky situations along the way, Lise finally convinces her mother to accept Colas, and true love reigns victorious. Clearly revelling in the enjoyably whimsical plot, the Birmingham Royal Ballet Company danced spectacularly. Gasps of wonder and delight filled the Hippodrome in response to the immense skill and physicality displayed by the dancers. As Lise, Nao Sakuma embodied the mischievous character

of a young girl, whilst maintaining the sophistication of a worldclass dancer. She was well complimented in the pas de deux by Iain Mackay as her lover Colas. Mackay performed lifts with an elegant strength, allowing his masculinity to be a direct contrast to Robert Gravenor's Alain. Gravenor deserves enormous credit for his ability to play an ungraceful buffoon with an impressive amount of technicality. Clinging to a red umbrella throughout, Gravenor was subtly charming whilst outwardly comical. The persistent applause throughout reflected the audience's appreciation of the dancers and enjoyment of the story. The Birmingham Royal Ballet Company presented the relatively simple tale of La Fille Mal Gardée with a stylish humility, erring always on the right side of farce.

Watch This Presents: You Couldn't Make It Up The Bristol Pear 11th-12th March £5

Theatre

Pirates of Penzance at Deb Hall Emily Priestnall Critic

So why, I hear you ask, are those good old pirates of Penzance so entertaining? Well, because they just arrr. Described as 'a comic opera', The Pirates of Penzance presented by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society was certainly an evening of fun and music. The beautifully orchestrated score almost stole the show, as the music framed tonight's atmosphere of jolly pirate shenanigans. The Pirates of Penzance tells the story of Frederic, a pirate faced with a moral dilemma, who is in love with a major general's daughter. Frederic was played by Tom Dalton who definitely fell into a more comfortable performance to-

wards the end of the first half and throughout the rest of the show. Dalton's comic characterisation undoubtedly could have been even more ridiculous as the character of Frederic leads the narrative and facilitates the comedy for other characters' performances. A sparkle of the awkward hilarity glistened in Frederic and Ruth's number 'Oh! False One, You Have Deceived Me!' whereby the entitled deceit is referring to Ruth's claim of being an attractive woman yet Frederic, after seeing other women, decides otherwise. The entire cast had moments when they were in their element, engulfed in a world of musical genius and slapstick comedy but it wasn't until the second half that they were all totally confident in

Hans Koller at CBSO Centre

Lexie Wilson Arts Editor

The soft lighting and the red, checkered tablecloths transformed the dubiously exposed brick walls of the CBSO Centre into a perfect venue for the evening's events to unfold so beautifully. Put on by the Birmingham Jazz Institute, the second night of Koller's fleeting tour of the UK could not have gone more smoothly. The performers all excelled in achieving that elusive mix of both flawless timing and skill as well as a tangible sense of genuine, unfaked emotion so crucial to any manifestation of jazz. With Koller working alongside other musicians to compose big band music for the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, and his most recent release, the excellent 'Cry', his work is starting to be

brought to a wider audience. The gentle melodies permeated every inch of the venue and somehow it made the concert both compelling to watch as well as listen to. The superb musical tenacity of each performer was juxtaposed with the typical insouciance expected from a jazz musician. Proudly introducing each accomplished member of his sextet to the cluster of tables and seats, the music performed by Koller and his distinguished accompanists was absolutely exquisite. Despite the potential for the stage to feel a little overcrowded at times, each member of the sextet subtly made their presence felt, with each being permitted opportunities to demonstrate their collaborative ability as well as their outstanding and undeniable skill as a musician. The extended solos were always reigned in by a pragmatic shrewdness where they could have deviated into the selfindulgent. Koller, all the while, stood watching on with his quietly impassioned precision. As both composer and a performer of the lilting, almost dream-like jazz performed so impeccably tonight, it became clear to the each member of the audience that despite his awkwardly affable demeanour and genuine modesty, Hans Koller is truly a talent who ought to be celebrated.

Krunch The Drum

11th – 12th March £5

Comedy

their singing. The excellent turnout in the Deb Hall perhaps unsurprisingly caught the nerves of some performers, which was such a shame as many clearly had great voices yet they were slightly wavering when singing. Overall, the evening was a light-hearted affair which the au-

dience were thoroughly enjoying. Gilbert and Sullivan's classic never fails to raise a smile and with famous tongue twisting songs, such as 'I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General', you couldn't help but find the whole thing a hugely endearing way to spend a Friday night.

Cracks In My Skin at Deb Hall

Anna Lumsden Critic

Infinity Stage Company's The Cracks in My Skin is a stunning portrayal of what happens when relationships are pushed to their limit. The opening was certainly the calm before the storm, as the actors launched into energised and emotive performances from the opening scene. A highlight was Lucy Hagan Walker's captivating performance as the intense, young character Janie. The first act focuses on four people: Janie, her school teacher Josefa, and Janie's friend Linden, who lives with his granddad, Roper. From obscure circumstances, these characters come together to create an unorthodox family unit which provides them all with the

comfort, security and love that they all crave so desperately. Gracefully played by Lucy Lee, the emotionally complex character Josefa provides Linden and Janie with a comforting presence after being abandoned by their own parents, and they in turn fulfill her desperate desire to be a mother. Roper is convincingly played to heartfelt and comic effect by Elliot Blagden. Often, it was the innovative details that made the play so engaging; many scenes were enhanced through creative use of lighting. This not only created a visual structure to the scene, but also a heightened sense of reality. In the poignant discussion about Linden's parents, the contrast of his fiercely troubled, yet subdued character was brought into focus through Tom Everatt's brilliant performance of this challenging role. The second act saw the introduction of Doctor Alun, and the manipulative Inger, creating new problems for the original group. The result is one of violence and distress. This was an incredibly captivating and moving performance and although, the play's final conclusion may not be an entirely happy one, it does provide hope, and certainly questions the true meaning of family and whether any relationship is ever perfect.

Ed Byrne Symphony Hall 16th March £20

Reviews

Poetry Slam

The Beorma Bar

'The Poetry Slam was a raving success and a credit to the multifaceted talents of those involved.'

Portrait of an Actress As...

The Old Joint Stock

'Shows just how too easily an attack on the clichéd and the self-pitying can, in itself, become both clichéd and selfpitying.'

Redbrick

11th March 2011

redbrickonline.co.uk

Film

Rango scores $38 million at the box office

The animation starring Johnny Depp beat the likes of The Adjustment Bureau and Unknown

A peak into Birmingham's cinematic treasure chest Gemma Fottles attends a screening of Civic Life at The Midlands Arts Centre

Civic Life is a series of short films made to accompany Joe Lawlor and Christine Malloy's first feature film Helen. The shorts, shown at MAC this week, were attended by Christine Malloy who proudly introduced and briefly outlined her work. Varying from just under a minute to 19 minutes long, they portray – as can probably be guessed by the title – ordinary lives of ordinary people. The films are extremely low budget and were widely funded by various sponsors

in the visual arts sector. Malloy displayed a real sense of pride in what she and fellow director Joe Lawler had put together. She talked of their decision to only show their films at independent cinemas, saying that they wanted to give something back to communities, back to the people who appreciate film and the work they had accomplished. Malloy also outlined that all the 'actors' in the films were in fact members of the local communities they were working with. Although

when watching the films this did kind of take away a sense of seriousness in terms of it was really obvious that these people were not actors, the whole concept is refreshing. This also worked to add a really genuine feel to each piece. Something about each film was made that little bit more effective, a little bit more real. Their signature style is the elaborate tracking shot – often extended into a single take lasting several minutes. Malloy highlight-

Top Ten – Animated Animals

ed this as a result of their extremely tight budget. This again, has not worked against them. It adds a dreamy and almost magical feel to some of the films. Collectively, I've never seen something like this before. I came away touched, without really knowing why. The poignant but simple messages about community and life were not thrown in my face and I liked that it made me think... but still not too hard. Independent cinema – especially alternative cinema such as this – is absolutely underrated. It'd be interesting know just how many University of Birmingham students even know about MAC – which, by the way, is a 25 minute walk down Bristol Road. Sitting in the intimate cinema room inside this almost unheard of arts centre just down the road from Uni, and listening to the director of what I'm about to watch display her passion and pride for what she has achieved makes an absolutely refreshing change to the loud, massive, pop-corn littered and soulless cinemas we all find ourselves in to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Although this series of short films is no longer playing at MAC, I would recommend getting the DVD and enjoying the work of something where passion, and not money, is at the heart of production.

7 Herman, Madagascar

3 Rocky, Chicken Run

Madagascar is such a great film that any of the characters could be on this list, but there's something about a hypochondriac giraffe in love with a ghetto-hippo that just takes the biscuit.

Chicken Run is full of fabulous feathered forms, but it is Rocky who narrowly steals the show for his all-American charm and moral transformation. He is the lovable rogue who saves the day, gaining love and a new perspective.

6 The Lady and the Tramp 2 Timon and Pumbaa, The A classic tale of a boy from the wrong side of the tracks meeting a rich girl and falling in love, a story that finds parallels in reality and fiction everywhere. But because they were dogs eating spaghetti there was something infinitely more romantic about these two.

Kayte Ferris Film Writer

With the release of Rango this week, we look back at some of our all time favourite animated animals.

10 Abu,

Aladdin

After watching Aladdin, everyone wants a monkey. Failing that, a best friend like Abu will suffice. Caring, always on your side and sussing evil sorcerers on your behalf, the little monkey with the sharp sense of style is one of the cutest companions around.

9 Donkey, Shrek

Donkey hasn't been around for long but has rightfully earned a place on this list. With a disabling amount of enthusiasm and optimism, Donkey is a terribly funny, cartoon hero.

8 Scar, The Lion King Probably one of the meanest villains to come out of the Disney machine. Evil 'as pure as the scar on his face', Scar was the ultimate baddie, complete with hyena henchman and blood on his hands.

5 Robin Hood

Everybody's dream man, a dashing and dangerous hopeless romantic. He's the quintessential hero who beats the bad guys and gets the girl. Girls want to be with him and guys want to be him, and don't deny it.

4 Baloo, The Jungle Book

A big bumbling bear who can't resist the rhythm, he taught us to look for the simple bare necessities and forget about our worry and our strife. A lovable companion who always tried to do right, even if he couldn't control his feet.

Film News

Blade Runner Nearly 30 years after Blade Runner was released, Alcon Entertainment are in the process of acquiring rights to the film. Rights on Ridley Scott's sci-fi classic, featuring Harrison Ford, prevent a remake of the film, but a prequel or sequel is on the cards. Christopher Nolan is reportedly being pursued by Alcon to direct the new film.

Harry Potter Tour Warner Bros. has announced the opening of the Harry Potter tour attraction in spring 2012. The Leavesden studios near Watford, will be open for muggles to tour the studio, which were host to the production of all 8 films. The 3 hour tour which includes original sets, will comprise of Dumbledore's office, the Great Hall, and a multitude of costumes, effects and props. The premier of part 2 is to be held in Trafalgar Square on July 7th 2011.

Lion King

Colin Firth

One of the most enduring double acts in Disney, Timon and Pumbaa launched the phrase 'Hakuna Matata' and their relentless optimism made Simba into the lion he is today. As you get older they do have a tendency to grate, but were so wonderful in childhood that the memory saves them.

Colin Firth is reported to have signed up to play a vampire in a horror film, Stoker, which is inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula. The script, written by Prison Break star Wentworth Miler, also features Alice in Wonderland actress, Mia Wasikowska. Nicole Kidman is rumoured to join the cast.

1 Scooby-Doo

Dark Knight Rises

A cowardly detective with a serious case of the munchies, Scooby may not be the best loved on this list but he is the most unusual. He's not brave and he can't even speak, but he is an enduring character.

Have a Top 10 idea? Come to the Guild's Student Development on Fridays, at 2pm. We always welcome new writers!

Despite Christopher Nolan's attempts to keep the final instalment of Batman secret, a potential plot outline of the Dark Knight Rises has been leaked online. Batman, with the aid of Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), fights against a vigilante organisation, which is believed to include Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. So far; Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman have been confirmed to star in the sequel, which is due to be released in July 2012. Sarah Coe

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Film 13

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Matt Davis, Elmley de la Cour

Chalet Girl – Skiing plus catering equals romance and fun Francis Shaw dons his skis and talks to director, Phil Trail and the cast of this new breezy British comedy by the end! Bill Bailey: Doing blacks! Is this some extended cut of the film I didn't get to see! (Laughter) Do you think the film's humour will translate to other countries, especially the US?

Did anyone have skiing or snowboarding experience prior to filming? Phil Trail: Experience was not essential. We had training prepared and a team of stunt doubles (the Roxy female snowboarding team). In fact, most of the cast had next to no experience of snowboarding at all. Felicity Jones: I used to ski when I was younger but I was

never really into it. Also I had never even been on a snowboard. I picked it up after 6 weeks of training on set. It was a very intense experience to be learning to snowboard all day every day. Tamsin Egerton: I had never skied prior to my role on his film. I never saw the appeal of going somewhere cold on holiday. I hated it at first, but after all the training I became good at it and by the end I loved it. I was doing blacks

Reviews

Ed Westwick: Great British comedies always do well in the states, Bridget Jones for example. The Americans jumped right onto this when they first saw it. PT: They don't have the concept of chalet girls in the US so I'm not sure what they are going to do to the title… maybe Crazy, Snowboarding Maid. BB: The sitcom I was in called Black Books was called Crazy Shop in Scandinavia. (Laughter) Were there any problems !

filming on snow and at a high altitude? PT: The camera men had a tough time in some spots but mostly it was fine. The weather was very changeable though. At one point we were forced off the mountain by security because a lightning storm was starting over where we were filming. Was insurance a big issue? PT: I wasn't allowed to snowboard except on research trips, so there were lots of those. The insurance guys asked if the actors could be doubled. But they hadn't come so far and trained to not snowboard at all so we paid up and insured them. What were the worst injuries? PT: I tried to show off for an inter-

UNMISSABLE

EXCELLENT

view by snowboarding a few inches and fell on my head. That was my worst injury. Brook Shields hit her knee with a bowling ball one evening when we were out and was so drunk she didn't notice till the next day and was swiftly flown back to New York and went to hospital. Are you now taken with snowboarding? EW: I didn't have any snowboarding experience prior to this, and didn't need to do much on film so I am still not very good at it, but I love skiing. FJ: I enjoyed the training and wanted to make sure I was capable of performing some tricks, by the end I could jump a few inches (laughter). When I go back I will be braver. Chalet Girl opens March 16

GOOD

POOR

TRAGIC

Rango

I Am Number Four Director: D.J. Caruso Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer Certificate: 12A Have you seen that film? You know, the one where the really goodlooking boy with a secret identity and mysterious powers enrols at an all-American high school only to fall in love with the really goodlooking supposed outsider girl? Yes? Well here's another one. I Am Number Four is undoubtedly is a cinema cliché. Our hero, Number Four (Alex Pettyfer) is a rather humanoid alien on the run from the evil beings that destroyed his race. Only he and eight others remain, hence his quite unfortunate name, and they are the only ones with the power to defeat the bad guys. In an effort to stay hidden, Four, going by the highly original John Smith, moves to a small town and starts school, where the aforementioned clichés run rampant. It's as though the writers have a Twilight checklist for their nu-

meric star, ticking off the musthaves like sexy, brooding, sensitive, stoic and even an English accent. Alex Pettyfer however contributes something that R-Pattz is lacking: fun. Happy, charming and sweet, John is a breath of fresh air when compared to Twilight's Count Sulky and this is sustained in the love interest, played endearingly by Glee's Dianna Agron. Timothy Olyphant (Die Hard 4.0) as John's protector, Henri, is a highlight. It's great to see him breaking free of his tendency to play the villain, and the mischie-

vousness he employs so well in those roles is very likeable, if more restrained, here. The film, refreshingly, doesn't take itself too seriously either. It balances some of the darker material with the extremely enjoyable action sequences synonymous with director DJ Caruso (Disturbia). I Am Number Four may be a familiar cliché but it's also both likeable and entertaining. Perhaps a sequel may be a little braver. Genevieve Taylor !

Day for Night Director: François Truffaut Cast: Jacqueline Bisset, JeanPierre Léaud Certificate: 12A François Truffaut's 1973 film about a film – currently re-showing at MAC – may be lacking in plot somewhat, but it is not devoid of drama. In it, Truffaut himself plays Ferrand, the director of the mediocre Meet Pamela. Although Night for Day captures a comedic and colourful tone, it is a serious commentary on the truths of filmmaking, international film politics and Truffaut's exploration of the abyss of his own identity, and how he has been consumed by the title Director. It is not only a patchwork of issue-rich characters, but also of vastly complex imagery. Truffaut has lifted the veil of the screen and has shown a raw side of film, one where actors flee and die midfilming, one the viewer normally never see because it is hap-hazard and conflicts with our notion of a

faultless end product. By making this 'ugly' side beautiful, he creates an avantgarde masterpiece. A high angle shot shows a scene from Meet Paula being captured, and it is hard to imagine that there is more to see 'behind-the-scenes'. Truffaut certainly has an ability to trick an audience. The title, Day for Night, itself, is a technique to make filming in daylight appear as nighttime by using a filter on the lens. The portrayal of these many façades to film make it seem as if he concen-

trates on a rather 'dark-side', but this is not the case, it is, above all, a nostalgic, entertaining and warm account of film-making. Though as an audience we are constantly made to question our gullibility thanks to the many tricks shown to create cinema, we are ultimately given a higher intelligence than that of any other film. The answer to the journalist at the end of filming; 'All went perfectly!' echoes brilliantly this ironic undertone. Alana Tomlin !

Director: Gore Verbinski Cast: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Timothy Olyphant Certificate: PG

Johnny Depp has often been called a chameleon for his ability to embody vastly different roles. Clearly, Paramount took this description literally, as Depp stars, here, as the Hawaiian-shirted reptilian, Rango. To say that animated anthropomorphic movies have been common in recent years would be something of an understatement: Alvin and the Chipmunks and the upcoming, Hop, to name but a few. As a result, new animated films have had to strive to stand out, or risk being forgotten. Rango certainly does the former. Rango's plot could have come from any other cutesy animal animation. Rango is a domesticated pet lizard who finds himself stranded in a desert town. He assumes a Clint Eastwood-esque persona, and tasks himself with solving the mystery of the water shortage plaguing the town. However, the artistry that has gone into making Rango renders the plot, simplistic or not, almost irrelevant. The Nickelodeon production tag will no doubt carry a stigma, but the film is unusual in that it makes little effort to balance the humour

between adult and juvenile; instead, it aims almost completely at an older audience, with plenty of black humour throughout – the tombstone of the previous sheriff reads 'Thursday to Saturday' – and numerous filmic references: at one point Rango is thrown onto the car of Depp's, Raoul Duke, from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Quite often, when a known live-action star voices an animated character, the result is less than fantastic, a recent example being

'Rango is a fantastic, whimsical trip into the Old West' Greg Mottola's, Paul. However, Depp is exceptional as Rango. He sounds unrecognisable, and captures the dual-aspects of the character perfectly. The eponymous character's descent into the 'guacamole of his own deception' is a near-whimsical trip into a fantastic, original world which fuses the Old West with Mexican owl mariachi bands. It's a smart, loving homage to Spaghetti Westerns, and one not to be missed. Matthew Clough !

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

ELECTION IN PICTURES Some of our favourite pictures from the last fortnight

Some of the highlights of campaigning

Glen Moutrie, Freddie Herzog

16 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Television TV Replay Take advantage of internet television and catch up on all the shows you missed the first time around..

New Series Monroe – ITV Player James Nesbitt plays a neurosurgeon who must deal with the constant disease and devastation that dominates his career.

OMG! – ITV Player Peaches Geldof and her 'expert' team dole out advice to people more misguided than she is. Apparently.

Working Girls – iPlayer BBC Three looks at young women struggling to find a job after a year out of work.

The Model Agency – 4OD Premier Model Management company opens its doors to the cameras in the search for the next Kate Moss.

Jamie's Dream School – 4OD A host of intellectuals attempt to inspire youths who have been let down by the education system.

11th March 2011

Top Ten TV Love Triangles

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Jamie's Dream turned nightmare Russell Webb Reporter

Jamie Oliver is back on Channel Four with a new series, which is once again centred around schools. However, this programme is not concerned with healthy eating or food; instead it is about the underachievers of the world. Jamie has rounded up twenty pupils who have just finished their GCSEs without attaining the five magic A* – C grades required for higher education. The students are put under the guidance of a group of experts turned teachers, in the hope that they can regain the hunger for education that will see them succeed in life. As a school drop-out himself, this is clearly a project which is close to Jamie's heart. He is the first person that the students meet and arguably the most important. For those that find it difficult to concentrate in a classroom situation, or are not academics, they can see that there are other avenues for success other than book smarts. As university students, this programme can make for frustrating viewing because the students show a complete lack of willingness to learn and absorb the wealth of knowledge that is being bestowed

upon them for free. They have the privilege of being guided by some of the most eminent UK professionals. They are taught science by Robert Winston, history by David Starkey and politics by Alistair Campbell; and these are just three of the eighteen experts and legends in the different fields. People would kill for this opportunity which these students are more than happy to jeopardise. Once again, television portrays a poor image of a generation which has supposedly lost respect and drive. The premise of the show is for the teachers to show the students that they have the intellect to make something of their lives by applying themselves positively and finding a field that interests them. In the first episode the students are given English, History, Art, Sailing and Science lessons. However, they all seem to be lost on the young group who have completely given up on their education. Each teacher is told that they are able to deliver their lessons in any way that they want to. Some go for a practical approach and others follow a more formal style. Both are an immense failure. Those who decided on a practical approach are overshadowed by constant talking and overexcitement, which only leads to their

OMG! Or WTF? Rebecca Wilson Reporter

Last week saw the start of a new series of chat shows presented by Peaches Geldof. Over the past few years Peaches has been in the press for all the wrong reasons: her short-lived marriage to Max Drummey, a naked photo scandal, and her 2008 drugs overdose. Sadly, OMG! may turn out to be just another item to add to her long list of mistakes. At first glance, a show to help young people with life problems sounds like quite a good watch. However, Peaches herself has admitted that she isn't particularly 'well-placed' to help other people sort out their lives, and the content of the programme hardly deals with hard-hitting issues. The topic of the first show is vampires. Admittedly, the spate of Twilight movies, as well as the popular Vampire Diaries and True Blood series, do seem to have gone down well with UK teenagers. However, I doubt most students could say that vampires feature heavily in their lives. The choice of topic means having to watch a host of creepy 'vampire wannabes' talk about their unusual lifestyles. Watching one vampire lady drink her own blood, claiming it 'relaxes, calms and is just something to enjoy', is frankly uncomfortable viewing. The look on the audience's faces, as well as the reactions of Peaches' co-hosts, Radio 1's Aled

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Jones and therapist Emma Kenny, sums up just how weird this is. Following this disturbing opening, the presenters decide to get in on the action and dress up as vampires for no discernible reason. The producers definitely need to think of some more creative features that bear some purpose other than to fill time. The second half of the show focuses on iPhone app 'Grindr' which is a way for gay men to meet one another, and then moves on to discuss attitudes towards relationship statuses on Facebook. This section is a lot more relevant, and is certainly what you would expect from a show targeted at teenagers, even if it isn't presented in a particularly creative way. Guest comedian Eric Lampart does nothing to lighten the mood with his poor jokes. Similarly, resident therapist Emma Kenny does not seem to offer any advice other than the blatantly obvious. Aled Jones is fairly bubbly compared to the other presenters, but is certainly better placed on the Chris Moyles Show, where he has other people to bounce off. The show's format does have a lot of potential, and it is the kind of programme students would normally find entertaining. However, the uncharismatic and rather dull

frustration. On the other hand, the lecture style of teaching was equally overshadowed by distracted students, who spent their time talking and texting. Although Jamie's Dream School is a brilliant idea to try and engage kids with education once again, it seems as though they are

not willing to grasp the enormous opportunity in front of them. It infuriates me personally because I would love the chance to learn from such esteemed people. If the students just learned to shut their mouths and listen, they would easily be able to progress in life, but unfortunately for them, they are their own worst enemies.

Will dejected Jamie give up on his dream school?

Dazed and Confused presenters are what let the show down. You have to question how a divorce and overdose have earnt Peaches the right to host her own programme. Overall, OMG! is as random as its title suggests, and is a disappointing watch. With a more popular presenter, and features that have some relevance for young people this could be a radically improved programme. Unless the series picks up, Masterchef or Jamie's Dream School may be a better choice of Wednesday night entertainment.

Sarah Murphy Reporter

What with the homemade sweaters, sci-fi bed sheets and Duran Duran on the go, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd gone back in time because these my friend, are the Glory Daze. Set in 1986, Glory Daze focuses upon the lives of four young freshmen, hoping to at least make it through their first year of college in Indiana. The pilot begins with the arrival of Joel (Kelly Blatz), a premed 'boy next door' type who really doesn't have a clue. After a brief car crash and a family encounter with a mannequin, Joel is greeted by his roommate who likes lasers and already wants to be his BFF for life. The next fresher to grace our screens is Jewish rebel Eli (Matt Bush), whose main goals in life are to be cool, maintain his faith and get laid. However, poor Eli is already having trouble with first impressions, after inadvertently getting caught parading in his pants by new roommate Chang and his entire family. Brian (Hartley Sawyer) is the all-star baseball player and token stud, need I say more? And finally there's Jason (Drew Seeley), a buttoned-up conservative with a thing for Ronald Reagan and an uptight girlfriend who gave up Yale to be with him in Indiana (because that would totally happen...).

Now, whilst the terminology may be lost on some of us UK students, these guys are in it for the rush, by which I mean the fight to get into the best fraternity possible. After becoming firm friends within a matter of hours, these four fresher's engage in rush week and are kicked out of almost every fraternity meet-and-greet possible. After successive failures the gang eventually sneak into a party at the Omega Sigma house and are immersed into the college experience faster than you can say Animal House. The game is on, to see whether or not these four newbies are truly college material. Upon first glance, the show looks like a cross between Van Wilder and Saved by the Bell. However after about ten minutes or so the cast become a little bit likeable and their quirks, somewhat funny. While the plot does not fill one with excitement, the cast is somewhat impressive, with Meet the Parents actress Teri Polo playing Professor Larsen and Everybody Loves Raymond's favourite brother, Brad Garrett as Joel's father. The acting is good and demonstrates a lot of potential and the soundtrack also isn't bad, if Frankie goes to Hollywood and Girls on Film are your thing. However, even these tracks are outdated having been released in 1981 which suggests a miscalculation on behalf of the show's research and production team. Sufficed to say for Glory Daze the jury is still out.

Redbrick

Editors – Amber Alexander, Charlotte Lytton

Slumming It

Girls Gone Wild Steffi Earle Reporter

This week, the BBC gave us an insight into what life is like for women in two very different circumstances with new programmes Working Girls and Girls Behind Bars. The first, which aired on Thursday, focusses on giving young women the chance of employment after a year out of work, whereas Tuesday night's show explores the daily lives of inmates at Scotland's sole female-only prison. Both programmes give an interesting and often shocking view of how the featured girls view the UK's systems of law and work. Girls Behind Bars is almost a darker version of hit former ITV show Bad Girls, with frequent drug references that show how substance abuse dictates their lives. The programme shows the ease with which these can be obtained: exemplified by felon Theresa, who organises a drug delivery over the phone without raising the suspicions of prison staff. Most surprisingly was the way in which the camera openly explores the lives of these women, and exposes their open and extremely blasé attitude. From watching prison documentaries before, I was aware that drugs were rife, yet the preoccupation these women have with securing their next fix is hugely concerning. With many failing to understand the importance of turning their lives around, we are thank-

fully introduced to Lisa, who is striving to make a change by moving onto methadone to relieve her drug habit. However, the most harrowing tale is that of 19 year-old Zoe, who frequently attempts to commit suicide, after years of sexual abuse. The staff are constantly fighting to save her life. Her story of vulnerability provides a stark contrast to that of Theresa, who seems to be a more

Sandy Verdon mentors the girls.

stereotypical inmate. In a completely different vein, Working Girls focuses on Kaycie Yates, an unemployed 24 year-old from Reading who described herself as 'a full-time carer to my two dogs' and only returns to work as a result of her mother's refusal to fund her extravagant lifestyle. The format of the programme is to introduce the girls back into working life by putting them into

jobs run by business women for a week. From the start, it is obvious that Kaycie has little respect, as she spend her time constantly swearing, complaining and refusing to put in any effort at all. After being sacked from her first job at a market and very nearly from her second after cutting corners and turning up late after a heavy night out, it is hard to believe how ungrateful she is: not only to her mother, who she is hugely reliant upon, but also her employers, who give her a huge opportunity. However, Kaycie's attitude gradually softens, and she ends up impressing with her tenacity and determination, which eventually land her a role at a major hotel event. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the experience does not affect her, and the end of the show divulges that Kacie has recently pleaded guilty to ABH. Despite claiming that she was now 'trying to turn her life around', it felt as though this opportunity was lost on her, and should have been given to someone who would genuinely appreciate it. However, the conflict and tension undoubtedly made for better viewing, and both programmes made for insightful watching. Exploring such different worlds was interesting, particularly as the two programmes showed such contrasting ends of the women-in-work spectrum. Both Working Girls and Girls Behind Bars are available on BBC iPlayer now.

Respec' da Mouse Rebecca Hardwick Reporter

Rastamouse is an animated children's programme about a Rastafarian reggae-singing, crime fighting mouse. Rastamouse and his crime fighting trio, 'Da easy crew', follow the mantra 'makin' a bad ting good' and aim to do this through spreading freedom and love. This unusual and original television programme has attracted a great deal of media attention: rare for a show aimed at children. Since this series was launched in late January, Rastamouse, voiced by Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates, has become somewhat of a cult television hero. The Cbeebies series has been a huge success amongst children and adults alike, becoming the channel's most-watched programme on BBC iPlayer. It has also garnered a host of celebrity fans such as Liam Gallagher, Lily Allen and Adrian Chiles, and students have also been vocal in their support of Rastamouse's adventures. However, despite the success of the show, it has also provoked a great deal of controversy both from parents and the Rastafarian community. Complaints by parents to the BBC about the show have included accusations of racial stereotyping, which the broadcasting corporation has fiercely denied. Parents have voiced concerns that children may refer to other children as 'Rastas' and some view-

ers have even gone as far to say that Rastamouse is a modern Golliwog. The majority of complaints about the show have been concerning the language used by the characters. In the programme, the use of numerous Jamaican phrases, such as 'irie' which means 'happy' and 'wagwan' meaning

Television 17

11th March 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Amber Alexander Television Editor

Famous, Rich and in the Slums follows four Comic Relief supporters, comedian Lenny Henry, actress Samantha Womack (Eastenders), DJ and presenter Reggie Yates and former newsreader Angela Rippon, as they leave their privileged lifestyles behind them and spend a week living in the slums of Kibera, Kenya. In this two-part documentary for Red Nose Day, the celebrities are stripped of their possessions, and given a one-off sum of less than two pounds each to buy basic essentials. In most programmes of this kind, the celebrities merely commentate on the lives of the impoverished instead of actually living amongst them. However, rather than staying in plush hotels, the celebrities are given dilapidated shacks to sleep in, where cockroaches run wild and a river of sewage lies at their doorsteps. The extreme state of abject poverty in Kibera, Africa's largest slum, is truly harrowing. With no toilet facilities – holes in the ground are shared by up to 1,000 people. Furthermore, the celebrities must face an alien world where infant mortality, disease and prostitution are commonplace. While Henry, Womach and Rippon find their first night disturbed by crying children and insect infestation, Yates is not allowed to sleep at all. As night ap-

proaches, he begins probably the worst, yet the highest paid job in the slums: emptying the public latrines into the sewage river. This job poses the double threat of proximity to disease and a wealth of late night crime. Womack is understandably shocked after seeing a woman lose her baby in the waiting room of the clinic she is working in, especially when none of the other patients bat an eyelid. Rippon, the most hard-faced of the participants, manages to find a teaching job after she is unable to wash clothes due to her 'cut fingers'. While she can choose not to perform such jobs, Kiberan women do not have this luxury. Perhaps the most poignant tale comes from Henry's experiences working as a samosa seller. He gives back his wage so that his boss can buy vital medicine for his sick child, and in a heart-breaking scene, the brave father explains that he continues to smiles to prevent his children from becoming as hopeless as he is. The documentary left me feeling angry at the rich neighbours of the slum-dwellers, the government's abandonment of the Kiberans, and the many fortunate people like ourselves who don't think twice about helping those in need. As the credits rolled, I wondered if the show was just another programme people would watch, feel sad about and then do nothing. You can see Part One on iPlayer. Part Two airs 9pm, 10th March, BBC ONE. Visit http:// www.rednoseday.com/ to donate.

Enthusiastic as ever 'what's going on?', have provoked fears amongst parents that this will encourage the use of slang. Meanwhile, the Rastafarian community has hit out at the show, insulted that their religion is being personified as a mouse. Traditionally, Rastafarianism is presented as a lion, as opposed to a rodent. Levi Roots, famous for his Reggae Reggae sauce brand, turned down voicing Rastamouse for this reason. Producers of the show have been astounded by the controversy caused, and have responded to complaints by saying that the intention was to reflect the diversity of multicultural Britain. Believing that it is important to represent different racial groups on television, they have also commented that the programme's main messages of friendship, love and community, are applicable to children of all backgrounds, and that these are the key themes it is trying to convey. Despite the controversy the show has caused, it won't be disappearing from our television screens any time soon, and is proving to be popular with people of all ages. Whilst the programme has faced some criticism, in general, it has been embraced for its originality and multicultural theme. It has proved so popular that there is a Rastamouse album in the pipeline, and the programme is to be shown worldwide. If you haven't already seen Rastamouse, it's well worth a watch so check it out on BBC iPlayer now.

Richard Higgs Reporter

Donald: You know what you are? You're a self-loathing Jew. Larry: Hey, I may loathe myself, but that's nothing to do with being Jewish. In 2000, critics and fans asked how Larry David (writer and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm) could possibly follow Seinfeld – never picking up in the UK but widely considered one of the best American sitcoms of all time. The answer was with a 'sim-com' – Curb. While that unwieldy tag might be used to describe anything in quality from The Office all the way down to Grandma's House, Curb must be differentiated from these efforts. Though shot on location, Curb often features mundane aspects of life and includes apparently 'nonactors'. It differs in terms of script – instead of giving the cast strict lines, David presents them with an outline of where a scene needs to begin, a gist, and where the scene needs to end. This allows absurd situations to be explored in an almost believable manner – actors react with shock, awe or laughter, almost as if they are 'real people'. The sheer vitriol of Susie Essman's 'swearing as Art' which rivals that of Malcolm Tucker, or inversely, David's corpsing throughout the show, becomes a joke in itself. Hence the difficulty in quoting the show: scenes can't be boiled down into one-liners as the humour derives from reactions – whether they comprise of bouts of obscene language, con-

torted faces or slapstick violence Curb follows a caricaturized version of David – or as he puts it 'You know that little voice in your head that tells you to be polite, let things go? I don't have that'. Indeed, Ricky Gervais celebrates his unabashed rudeness as 'Saintly' – Gervais himself preparing to guest star in the latest season of Curb. He joins a pantheon of guest stars that includes Mel Brooks, Martin Scorsese, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer. Seinfeld often discussed the etiquette of the social minutiae of life at length, and in that respect, David has added to a past theme. He and the cast are the ultimate in taboo-breakers – social conventions are thrown out of the window, and the fallout is here for our entertainment. David stealing a golf club from a friend's father's corpse (who had borrowed the club from Larry and never returned it), questioning the character of a surviving WWII kamikaze pilot ('He's not a kamikaze if he didn't die!' – before being run over by the octogenarian Japanese Veteran in a motorized wheelchair) or accidentally stumbling into an incest survivors group and being forced to 'play along', are all examples of Curb's routinely obscene, cringe-worthy, train-wreck comedy. Following sustained critical acclaim across seven series since the turn of the millennium, Curb is about to begin shooting it's eighth season – moving from LA to David's comedic roots as a stand-up in New York. Until then, you can catch the first season on Sky Atlantic.

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11th March 2011

Music Jukebox

Lily Allen revealed she suffered from bulimia during her announcement to move into fashion www.bbc.co.uk/music/news

Album Reviews Lykke Li

Wounded Rhymes

Charlie Bailey Music Editor

Charlie Sheen – Bi-winning Dubstep (Ephixia mix) So, a lot of people will have already seen this on Youtube, but for those that haven't… do it now! With Sheen having been fired from Two and a Half Men, who knows where the man with tiger blood will end up? For now though we have the ubiquitous remix and immortality through meme. Just remember, kids: Dying is for fools. Butthole Surfers – Pepper Back in the eighties, way back when, the Butthole Surfers carved a little niche in music from which to defecate on the rest of fashionable taste. Initially a hardcore punk band, by 1996 they had incorporated a distinct psychedelic flavour that pushed this particular song into the charts. So, with the sun breaking through on campus, who doesn't want some laid back, hazy fun? Scott Matthews – Eyes Wider Than Before Mr Matthews has been disappointingly absent from the music scene since the release of Passing Stranger and the radio play Elusive and Dream Song garnered. In the mean time it seems like everyone else has been jumping on the indie-folk bandwagon that artists like Matthews have been plugging for years. So, in honour of overlooked artists everywhere, crank the volume and take a listen to this beaut. A Tribe Called Quest – Jazz (We've got) Another chilled out track, must be all the good weather. This one's taken from the classic Low End Theory album. In keeping with the style that pervades the album, it uses Tribe's trademark minimal beats and jazz bass lines to complement MC's Q-Tip and Phife's equally lazy ruminations on the titular genre. If you've never given them a chance, then I implore you to check out this whole album, you won't regret it. The Mae Shi – Are You Professional? Another celebrity outburst turned into music, this time the nostalgic Christian Bale lighting incident. Contact us: music@rebrickonline.co.uk Twitter – @redbrickmusic Facebook – Redbrick Music

Redbrick

Eva Hibbs Critic

First listen – disappointed, fifth listen – elated. Lykke Li's debut Youth Novels was a testing record to follow with its melodic sanctimony and storming choruses. Wounded Rhymes is subtler in its construction, but no less brilliant. That conquering percussion that made a foot tap through her previous twelve tracks, now rolls through twenty-two. The confused desperation we heard in 'I think I'm a little bit in love with you' has not disappeared with age and experience but there is a developed level of maturity, often sad wisdom especially with lyrics such as 'Once again it's happening...' in Unrequited Love. Produced brilliantly by Bjorn Yttling, from Peter Bjorn and John, we are delivered a continuum of cascading beats in Youth Knows No Pain contrasted with a more delicate, Bat-For-Lashesreflective mood in I Know Places.

Banjo Or Freakout Banjo Or Freakout

Ian Johnson Critic

Banjo Or Freakout – not a comment on Sufjan Steven's 2010 electronic meltdown The Age of Adz, but rather the moniker of Londonbased musician Alessio Natalizia and the name of his debut album. The album itself contains disappointingly little in the way of either banjos or freakouts, but presumably it made a better title than 'Another Fuzzy Dream Pop Record'. That said, as far as fuzzy dream pop goes, this is a solid effort. Although this is Alessio's first offering, it is noticeably assured. With an emphasis on low-end swirls of noise and vocals awash with reverb, think something like M83's chilled-out younger brother. Consistently pleasant all the way through, Banjo or Freakout doesn't have any stand-out moments per se, although single and opening track 105 is quite lovely. Wistful and melodic, it makes for a

With Lykke Li, the usually forgettable tracks on an album are the ones which linger. The incongruously triumphant chord sequence in Sadness Is A Blessing really highlights the wounded aspect to these rhymes, even if it's hidden. Pithy central track, Get Some has impressive momentum and nods to a PJ Harvey/ Peaches feminist authority, 'Like a shotgun needs an outcome/I'm your prostitute/you gon get some.' Her eccentricity, comparable to these artists, really shines in Rich Kid Blues despite the (possibly intentional?) irritating refrain. If you haven't heard current single I Follow Rivers – synthing in spirit of fellow Swedes, The Knife – get excited. This fiery follow-up, however lacking the jovial pop which evoked more the image of singletons dancing in the street than a woman alone in a room taking us on journey through a dark channel of her heart, ends and crescendos with beautiful Silent My Song.

good taster of things to come. The slowly-building throb of Can't be Mad For Nothing is infectious and the scuttling percussion noises are a nice touch, although it ends far too abruptly which kind of flattens the calming atmosphere that the song carefully built up. Black Scratches is also worth a listen, with its fuzzy electronic squall contrasted against some calm guitar strumming and Alessio Natalizia's laid-back delivery. It's here that Banjo or Freakout could almost pass for a lo-fi 90s throwback band. However, this is as interesting as the record gets and if there is a problem with this album, it's that it can all too easily disappear into the background in an ambient haze. The music is good but there's nothing here that really grabs you and due to the relative simplicity of most tracks, it's debatable whether repeated listens will be rewarded. Still, a pleasant surprise and much better than a musical project going by the name Banjo or Freakout has any right to be.

Maverick Sabre

The Lost Words – EP

Tamara Roper Critic

It's said when listening to music that the first impression you get from a track will be the one you're left with every time you re-listen – no matter how much you try and 'understand' the artist, which is probably why people often look so confused when they're listening to dubstep. On this premise, me and Maverick Sabre were never going to be friends, as the first listen of these four tracks provoked feelings of intense amusement and mild displeasure, simultaneously. Maverick Sabre, AKA Michael Stafford, Irish via East London, is a mash up of Professor Green, Plan B (both the angry cockney and more recently, the all singing all dancing Strickland Banks) and Devlin. That sound like a killer combination? Because it's not. The four tracks on his E.P, are

possibly an attempt to showcase how diverse Maverick Sabre really can be. Instead of achieving this, I was left puzzled at exactly what music Michael Stafford is trying to make. At least Plan B had the decency to separate his back alley angst and jazzy musings into two separate albums, here we have Stafford's attempts to squeeze both and more onto one CD. With a sample that sounds like it's been stolen from The Flight of the Bumblebee on Run to the Roof to his troubled contemplations on Look What I've Done To You, this little sample from his upcoming album left me certain in the knowledge that my first impressions were going to stick. I shan't be going back for a re-listen and unless Maverick Sabre decides to change his name to sound less like a medieval weapon and subsequently decides to sort out who it is exactly he's trying to sound like, neither should you.

Single Reviews

Duffy

My Boy Ignore the irritatingly overzealous and unneeded applause and wooing that begins her newest single and you get a surprisingly inoffensive Duffy track. Admittedly the lyrics are predominantly useless. Duffy sings the role of a cougar whose nose has been put out of joint by the completely rude and judgemental comments made about her relationship with a significantly younger gentleman. Duffy, you're only twenty-six, exactly how much younger is this boy-toy to cause such overt controversy? Nevertheless, behind this single is Albert Hammond – a man of genius, and a man who reared genius in his son Albert Hammond Jr, lead guitarist of The Strokes.

As producer of this record he is responsible for the best finishes, for example the really cool keyboard bits that kind of sound like piano's laughing. Then there's the drums, subtly creating a preponderance of beats that dig themselves into your brain whether you like it or not. Basically, this isn't a bad effort from Duffy. It's a pretty catchy single to express it crudely. Fans won't be scandalised as this is no dramatic shift from earlier singles and hey, it will probably enjoy short-lived commercial success. However, as a record will it leave a lasting mark on British music? I think not. Amy Davidson

Redbrick

Editors – Charlie Bailey, William Franklin

Live Reviews

Senses Fail O2 Academy 3 24/02/2011

While the incredibly over rated Tinie Tempah was peddling the latest piece of dance floor blandness next door, Senses Fail delivered an energetic and emotional performance that was lapped up by their hardcore UK fans, as well as converting many others, me included. Why aren't more talented rock/ metal acts like this popular over here when they sell out countless shows in the States? Their blend of high octane pop-punk, soothing melodies and brutal guitar breakdowns was a breath of fresh air on an otherwise dreary cold day in Birmingham. The band ripped through gems from their back catalogue such as the powerful Wolves At The Door and crowd favourite Can't Be Saved, as well as show-

casing more recent tracks such as The Fire which incited the night's largest mosh pit by far. Even though the venue was only around two thirds full, front man Buddy Nielsen gave all he could to the predominantly teenage audience, screaming his lungs out on the aptly named Lungs Like Gallows as well as cracking the odd dark Princess Diana joke to the crowd. As superlative ridden as this review has been thus far, it pains me to say that Senses Fail's loud and aggressive style did not suit the dynamics of such a small venue. Too often the sound got lost in a sea of bass, especially in the first half of the set. Overall though, Buddy and the gang can return to the States safe in the knowledge that they not only sated the urge of their fans for some carefree aggressive pop-punk, but created quite a few as well. Harry Ormrod

Music 19

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

James Vincent McMorrow Glee Club 04/03/2011

After bartering with the doorman to get into a gig that had at the very last minute, sold out, we were ushered into the studio room of the Glee club for the Birmingham stop off of James Vincent McMorrow – a name that upon mention furrows brows – for now at least. Initial embarrassment at being the late comers to a seated audience quickly fell away as a set started, that for want of better phrasing, saw jaws drop. On paper, McMorrow does not stand out. Acoustic guitar and haunting melodies practically scream Bon Iver, king of the breakup soundtrack and musical sensation; the two could be related-in looks and musical style. Although by no means a negative connection to make, McMorrow is to the untrained eye just another man with a broken heart and a guitar. We've heard and tired of Damien Rice, so why indulge in more 'deeper than that' beard music. Thirty seconds into the set cast any indistinctive folk singer aspersions out of the water.

By the first song, me, the solo middle aged woman next to me, and 90 odd others were spell bound. A voice almost comparable in terms of clarity with an opera singer, it was with disbelief that the audience listened as McMorrow made singing like an Irish Pavarotti look easy. Performing tracks from his debut album, Early in the Morning, the one man wonder proved, once again, that hermit-ising yourself is the key to making beautiful and nigh on faultless music. The album features a full band, but it was armed solely with a guitar and a cup of tea that McMorrow took to the stage and it's rare that a live set is better in quality than a studio recorded album. Unblinkingly addressing his sold out audience with humour, charm, and a distinct trace of hangover, the set, even after a couple of days to reflect, was flawless. It is only a matter of time before McMorrow reaches the critical acclaim that has found those before him, and he can leave the awkwardness of having to deal with a standing ovation in a comedy club behind. Gushing does not even cover the tone of bar discussion afterwards, nor the initial reviews the singer has received thus far, and it is with anticipation we should await his success. Tamara Roper

Music Diary 11th – 17th Friday 11th Om Unit Hare & Hounds

Saturday 12th

Glamour Of The Kill The Temple @ HMV

Sunday 13th Caitlin Rose Glee Club

My Ruin Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

Monday 14th Cherry Ghost Glee Club

Woods/Spectrals/The Dozo Hare & Hounds

Tuesday 15th Bruno Mars HMV Insitute

Wednesday 16th

Does It Offend You Yeah? O2 Academy 2

Thursday 17th Matthew Deer Hare & Hounds Levellers O2 Academy

Our Favourite Rap/Hip-Hop Videos William Franklin considers his Top Five

5) The Lonely Island – I'm On A Boat It may barely register as rap in most people's eyes but I'm on a Boat is still one of the best works of satire on the genre in recent memory. Almost a direct parody of Notorious B.I.G's Hypnotize and anyone else who featured some nautical shenanigans in their videos (that's almost everyone by the way). Possibly the best thing about it (other than T-Pain looking like a butler moonlighting as a pimp) are the occasional shots of Jormo Taccone (the guy who gets the shunt to make room for T-Pain at the breakfast table) being stuck at work while his mates are living the dream. It's a surprisingly insightful comparison to equally talented rappers going overlooked while 5o Cent et al live their decadent life styles Scrooge McDuck style. 4) Dr Dre – I Need A Doctor It might not have the cultural stopping power of the Doc's seminal

videos but I Need A Doctor is a masterpiece of personal chronicling. It begins with wide camera pans over a crashing shoreline and Dre flying along country roads in a Ferrari. Spliced in are shots of N.W.A in their early years, Dre and his family and Eminem and Snoop Dogg's introduction to the team. It really highlights the strong fraternal bond these guys feel for each other, but it only spirals into melodrama from there. The Ferrari jackknifes off the road (with a couple of wicked barrel rolls for seemingly no reason) and Dre is admitted to a high-tech lab/hospital in some kind of coma. The song only actually starts here, and mostly revolves around Em pleading his mentor and friend to wake up while snappily dressed doctors rebuild him. It's almost laughably contrived, but it's so impeccably shot and Em's raps are so heartfelt that it totally works. As for the conclusion, how do you think that turned out? Dre awakens conveniently enough, just in time for his verse and spends the

Em has plenty of hilarious videos in his back catalogue but this was the first. It didn't rely on cheap gags, for example when he dressed up as Michael Jackson and lost his nose on the dancefloor for Just Lose It, but took something every American respected, the Television, and took a hammer to it. It was Em's first real, public attack on his audience, which he was perfectly happy to admit was mostly cognitiveimpaired trailer trash and it came with the delicious prospect, that there would be many, many more of these attacks to come.

series Afro Samurai. Raekwon's House of Flying Daggers, though based on Chinese Shaolin movies, particularly the 70s cult hit Five Deadly Venoms, still has the distinct, manga-brought-to-glorioustechnicolour-life visual flair that made Afro Samurai so painfully cool. The imagery is savage, twisted and awash in generous splashes of claret: kids play in blood-soaked basketball courts, the rappers (dresses as monks) burst brains from skulls and stop Cloud Strifesize sword swings with their barehands and Ninjas and hookers share street corners. It's a perfect amalgamation of Western rap culture and Eastern martial arts and anime hyperviolence.

2) Raekwon – House of Flying Daggers

1) N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton

Wu-Tang Clan – Gravel Pit (James Reevell, Arts Editor)

Most of the members of Wu-Tang Clan were known to indulge in their collective interest in martial arts films. The Rza particularly so, having provided the soundtrack for the Japanese animated

Nobody could deny that these guys had attitude, it's in their name and everything but the impact N.W.A had on the rap community was gigantic. It's odd then, that the video for the second song to give them

Nelly – 'That video where he swipes a credit card through a girl's ass' (Sam Langtree, Deputy Editor)

last 90 seconds working out. 3) Eminem – My Name Is

trouble with the Police (guess what the first was?) was almost a deathblow to West Coast hip-hop videos. Its beauty is in its simplicity: the gang wander the streets of Compton, gesticulating at anklehigh cameras and generally giving the finger to authority and loving it. But Straight Outta Compton was one of the last rap videos of this style, before the onset of the 'guns, bitches and bling' mentality, which translated visually as petty cash, pools and, well, boats.

Redbrick Office Choices Die Antwoord –Evil Boy (Charlie Bailey, Music Editor)

20 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Life&Style

11th March 2011

Fierce or Finished? Fierce

Tease if you please! Olivia Ovenden Writer

Hugh Hefner, devout bachelor and millionaire at 39, has spent his life indulging in and building upon the Playboy brand. At the core of the business are the infamous bunnies – girls hand selected to represent the brand. May 2011 see's the opening of the first Playboy club in London, asking the question of whether this niche in the market exists in a 21st Century city where sex is cheap. The first club in Chicago was a forum to live out the Playboy fantasy. A grainy 1966 black and white clip of Hefner on his revolving bed finds him promising that the club is an 'attempt to bring to life many of the notions popularized in the [Playboy] magazine.' The clubs operate on the element of tease, as Hef quotes: 'that far but no further.' The

'bunny' girls are expected to remain composed at all times, serving the customers in a polite and courteous manner, attending to their needs and building a personal relationship with the clientele (just not that personal). They are trained in how to speak, how to walk, and, very importantly, how to perform 'the bunny dip' which is the 'bunny way' of placing drinks on a table. But, the light hearted flirtatious ambience of the club only extends so far. In the same video interview, Hefner and other representatives of Playboy openly admit that the girls are constantly tracked and under surveillance from false prospective customers. Bunnies are also tested by these false propositions and are fired immediately if any are seen to have acted inappropriately. Aiming to preserve the ironic elegance and cheeky

Relationship 'status' Sarah Welsby Writer

Ever been in a relationship with someone and not known where you stood? I am sure the majority of girls are thinking yes (possibly a few guys as well?). Ever been dating someone for a while and thought to yourself: hmm, I wonder what we are now? I know I have. So, you have been out for a few drinks with a guy/girl. Nothing serious. You are free to date others if you wish right? It then starts to develop; moves on from drinks to a meal and he pays. Now you are regularly meeting up- basically you are seeing each other. The other day when I went home for reading week I told my Mum I wasn't going out with the guy she thought I was, I was just seeing him. She then went on to ask me the difference. Truth is, I am not so sure. It seems to me that the general rule is if your just dating, meeting up for the odd drink, then you are free to date whoever. You then progress to the 'seeing each other' stage. Are you allowed to see other guys/girls? I thought so, except things become complicated once sex is involved. Personally, I wouldn't be able to sleep with two guys at the same time if I was thinking about getting into a relationship with them. A kiss, maybe. But I think the majority of girls would agree that once sex is involved you start to become attached. So there I was seeing this guy, except we were exclusive. He didn't want me to call him my boyfriend, yet he was happy to meet my parents and wasn't happy when he found out I had drunkenly kissed someone else.

Now, someone tells you 'I don't want to be in a relationship.' Yet you are doing all the things that people do in a relationship. Well what the hell are we then?! Do you remove the 'single' from your Facey B relationship status? Confused.com. 30 years ago the rules were so different. Guys were gentlemen who opened your car door and pulled out your chair for you to sit on. If you had sex with someone, you were in a relationship. None of this 'friends-with-benefits' nonsense. Gone are the days where a guy romantically asked you out. In the here and now, you're lucky if he turns and asks for your number after sex.

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The club will ensure intimacy wrought with more forbidden temptation that the Garden of Eden. charm so associated with the Playboy brand, the club will be a fresh sexual perspective for the city. It remains to be seen, however, whether such a niche of sexual elegance can still opera t e and turn a profit whilst maintaining its vintage image, or if this is outdated in a world where we can walk

into a strip club, pay by card in a whore house or get a lap dance after Thursday's meeting. The girls are quoted as remaining 'ladies at all times', and I believe the look-but-can't-touch element that the club will manipulate is exactly what men are after in a generation of such easily accessible raw sex. The Playboy club will ensure intimacy with beauty but wrought with more forbidden temptation that the Garden of Eden. The tease is timeless and we can assure that the unattainable is bound to drive men mad and keep going back for years to come. As a man with a penchant for pretty girls and a magazine empire beginning at his feet once said: 'as much as things change, they stay the same.'

Writer

While Olivia Palermo is often quoted as being 'fashion's darling', in this instance, a more apt description of me would be 'fashion's tag-a-long'. Although painful for me to say (and I expect the apology letters to come pouring in when this is published), I wasn't – technically – invited to any particular show of this year's London Fashion Week. This was not enough to deter me and my fashion-loving, social-climbing friend. With a few contacts up our sleeves, we managed to stroll around the glorious Somerset House undetected and got a glimpse inside the magic that is Fashion Week. Between the eccentrically dressed bloggers, the customized LFW cars and the throngs of paparazzi awaiting the arrival of the all-important 'Front Row' guests, the atmosphere was buzzing, yet everyone remained cool and calm as if this was an everyday event in the life of a Fashionista. Not the case for us. Being asked for a 'light' by a Tom-Fordjacket, bowler-hat wearing photographer was one of our cooler moments, ruining it all in a split second with our lame 'No, sorry' response. Whilst schmoozing around the LFW venue, the Betty Jackson followed by Jaeger London shows were taking place to much critical acclaim. Betty Jackson presented her 'Scarlet Woman' collection with a section of her show dedicated to all things red and English Rose, while Jaeger presented rich colours and their new take on the winter coat staple.

St Patricks Day The one day in the year you can dress in hideous greens and oranges and no one judges you. V fest line-up announcement The 2011 V fest line-up is near unbeatable with the likes of Rihanna, Eminem, Arctic Monkeys and Jessie J making an appearance. Pattern tights- bows, hearts, stripes, stars, even Eiffel Towers Black House of Holland tights have most definitely got them. Innocent smoothies Not only do they taste amazing, but they count for 2 of your 5 a day! Goodbye vegetables. Forever. Cosy nights in Sometimes it feels like we've been waiting forever for those summer evenings but for now cosy nights in seem like a good alternative.

Fashion tag along Sophie Cowling

Easter The best excuse to eat as much chocolate as you like.

After our exciting day absorbing the general ambience of LFW, we were actually (thanks to our limited but effective few contacts) invited to a designer after party at an exclusive London club. This was a definite highlight, and if being surrounded by an array of fantastic (and not so fantastic) fashion and a table of free drink wasn't enough, the night resulted with a new addition to my phonebook under the allusive name of 'Mulberry Guy'. I am reminded in the morning that this, in actual fact, is one of the senior employees of Mulberry. With a new friend like Mulberry Guy, I am eagerly awaiting my invitation to the next Fashion Week.

Sophie Spirit

Finished Frankie Sandford – Messing with the heart of the best looking Mcfly male is not cool. Apparently she is now dating a footballer and poor old Dougie has ended up in the Priory to sort his head out! Relationship break ups Is it just me or is it really break-up season at the moment? I know at least 5 couples who have gone their separate ways! Saturday night Fab With looming deadlines you cannot afford to spend the whole of Sunday hungover. Saturday nights are for takeaway and Take Me Out! Skinny belts Get waisted instead with a sexy sash. The celebs are all doing it so ditch the boring belt and follow suit. Lucy from Take Me Out Literally her time on the show is now finished. She finally got a date after leaving her light on ALL the time! Socks and sandals We don't care if it was a trend on London Fashion Week catwalks. In the real world it just doesn't work and screams '50-something tourist'. Sarah Welsby

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Life&Style 21

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Briony Singh & Rob Lewis

Plastic surgery gone mad Vicky Hodgkinson Writer

As far back as 2000BC there are records detailing nose jobs, but the greatest innovation in plastic surgery took place following the First World War with battle injuries presenting new challenges for surgeons. The leading specialist in the field was Sir Harold Delf Gillies, a New Zealander famous for his work in the practice of skin grafting and facial reconstructions from gunshot, blast and burn wounds. Gillies' work was extended during World War II by his cousin and former student Archibald McIndoe, who pioneered treatments for RAF aircrew suffering from severe burns. In 1946, McIndoe's radical and experimental treatments even allowed him to carry out the first

female-to-male gender reassignment surgery. Aesthetics was an incidental part of reconstructive surgery. Yet today the visual side of cosmetic surgery seems to be the main focus and you can even get operations done during your lunch break. Procedures seem to get more and more absurd with the fascination of being 'perfect', such as having your toes shortened so they look nicer in open toed shoes. My advice? Wear closed toe shoes if you hate your feet that much, or embrace what you were born with and get over it. What about the risks involved? British Claudia Aderotimi, died aged just 20 years old after having illegal silicone injections in her buttocks in a hotel room in Philadelphia. She reportedly had it done to help

Turning to the dark side

Harriet Constable Writer

Blonde, brown, red, auburn, strawberry, high-lights, low-lights, peroxide, stripping, bleaching… The list goes on, but I won't. For women especially, the options we are presented with for our hair are mind-boggling. They are enough to make me consider on more than one occasion lopping it all off and wearing a hat. I then remembered that I'd tried this at the age of four, after giving my Barbie a 'makeover'. I didn't like the effect I must say, and neither did my mother by the look of horror on her face as I waltzed down the stairs, scissors and tuft of my own hair in hand. Ah the memories! Having said this, change is so irresistible. I have strawberryblonde hair, but have been having highlights for years for that sunkissed look. Lovely. This year before Christmas however, I decided enough was enough. In an attempt to rekindle my true redness and ditch the dirty blonde I asked my hairdresser to go crazy and die it auburn. The effect was really more of a chocolate brown I must say – and quite a shock to the system! But with a semi or two of a more reddy

shade, I'm now rather pleased. And I am not alone in this daring hair-related adventure. Oh no! In the last couple of years, even the biggest blondies – Cameron Diaz and Scarlett Johansson to name a few – have taken a turn to the dark side. But why is this? No doubt Diaz and Johansson had some fabulous part to play which required a brunette to snog Brad Pitt (why am I doing an English degree and not slogging it out at drama school?!), but for us mere mortals, why the change? In an interesting article published in The Telegraph in 2009, it emerged that '31 per cent of blonde women have gone brunette to appear more intelligent in the office.' That's right, the recession seems to have caused a brunette stormette, with women reaching for the chocolate brown and knocking aside the peroxide in order to be taken more seriously in the work place. Not only did the article drop this (brunette) bombshell, it also explored the effect a woman's hair colour can have on her sex life. For instance, red heads out there will be delighted to hear that they have more sex than all women with other hair colours. Their study found that red heads enjoy sex three times a week, with brunettes only experiencing it twice. Blondies were found to be the most adventurous in the bedroom, with a quarter being open to 'trying new things.' Women with fair hair were also found most likely to have engaged in a one-night-stand, as 65 per cent of blondes admitted to this. Brunettes were the least likely to have had a one-off fling (or perhaps just least likely to admit to it.) Do with these stats what you will, but it seems to me that red hair, with some blonde highlights and brown lowlights may just be the way to go.

her achieve stardom. If people are erations and only has local anaesshallow enough to buy into a big thetic so that she can remain awake butt over genuine talent, then I'd whilst her body is being cut up, rather leave fame to those with then she uses the videos as 'art'. naturally big booties. During one surgery, she dressThe most famous victim of es up as Madonna, holds up a large the quest for better buttocks black cross in one hand and a white was former Miss Argentina, cross in the other, whilst the docSolange Magnano. She died tors and nurses peel back layers in Buenos Aires after a leof bloody skin. Beauty documengal operation, believed tary or something out of a gory to have involved buthorror movie? Yuck. I'd rather tock implants and intake a good look at a Botticelli jections. or Picasso, cheers. The truth is, when To look at, Orlan has a things go wrong, peopair of bulging, saline imple can end up disfigplants embedded in her ured and even dead. To forehead. I imagine she think, the whole origin looked much better before, of plastic surgery was art or no art. to make horrific disfigCosmetic surgery is urements bearable to live expensive and dangerous with. Oh, the irony. and wasn't innovated for A French performance the purpose of messing artist known as Orlan has up or perfecting your undergone numerous plasbody. tic surgeries to transform I don't condemn her face and body, supposcosmetic surgery by any edly to challenge traditionmeans but it seems people al perceptions of beauty. are having it done with little She has had numerous thought of the consequencsurgeries to reshape her es. Embrace what you face to resemble Zimbahave, not what hours on bwe's Ndebele 'giraffe an operating table could women'. give you. She films her opSolange Magnano

Eurocentric beauty

Sarah Musgrove Writer

When it comes to beauty, it's easy to say there are imposed truths that are expected to be accepted universally. It's no secret that the people we see on magazine covers and in films do not offer a fair representation of the races in the world. Academically speaking, we would call these standards of beauty 'Eurocentric' (a point of view that suggests the superiority of European culture, says Wiki). It would seem that the media believe there are certain physical attributes that make a person more beautiful – and these are all characteristics of white people. Certain body proportions, particular hair types, tall frames, certain face shapes, lip shapes...the list is endless. Examples of these standards are stacking higher and higher. 'Good Hair' is a protest in documentary form, led by comedian Chris Rock. He, on behalf of his young daughters ('Why don't I have good hair, Daddy?', Lola Simone Rock, 7), investigates the lengths many black women go to in order to 'relax' their natural hair. 'It's not good hair!', one woman said of the afro-texture, and we can watch the

industrial sized tubs of chemical relaxer strip the hair of its natural protein in order to create straighter styles. More than once the idea of white (or Asian, as is used in most of the weaves) hair being more desirable is mentioned. 'Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth' is a much more explicit and invasive illustration that confronts the ideas of 'white beauty'. A young girl cries as she tries to explain why her Mother, of Indian heritage, does not need paler skin. Her Mother is currently on a mission to find the best (illegal) bleaching creams so that she does not get teased for her darker, 'less attractive' skin. Is it true that we are bombarded with images of idealistic 'white beauty'? There was a recent controversy concerning Elle US, who were accused of lightening Gabby Sidibe's skin on the cover of their 25th anniversary issue. They commented that she was touched up no more, no less than their other cover stars – but it's easy to see why questions of her complexion were raised when a regular image of Gabby is held up as comparison. If these staggering ideas are imposed on us, as suggested, how can we develop our own individual ideas of beauty, or use the cultural features we were born with as true yardsticks for physical appearance? Some corporations, such as Miss Ghana UK, should be highlighted as examples of recognizing and embracing beauty that is not often seen in the media. Their application form exclaims: 'Completing this application form will be the beginning of a life changing journey that will expose you to the riches of our culture. We hope this will be one of the most memorable experiences of your life!' It's about time people were allowed to feel comfortable in their own skin.

Lady X Columnist

Don't you just hate those cheery couples who walk around campus hand in hand, all doe-eyed and loved-up, in their own perfect little world of romance and sunshine and sex on tap? Don't you just hate the way they're always laughing at jokes they'll never explain? Don't you just hate the way they look at you and you can tell exactly what they're thinking – 'I'm so glad that I have someone, unlike her'? Don't you just want to brutally murder every single one of them? I used to be a member of this unnecessary species. I wasn't quite as bad as the insensitive creatures seen strolling, purposefully, around campus on Valentine's Day with obscene heart-shaped balloons trailing from their backs and bunches of roses nested in their arms (you know who you are, and yes, you should feel bad). However, a few weeks ago I was, admittedly, a fool in love, who naively thought life was bright and beautiful etc etc. Then suddenly, the honeymoon period ended and I found myself single, again. Having been in a fairly long term relationship, my sudden move to single life came as quite a shock to my system. I'd quite forgotten those (many) nights spent at home in my pyjamas, watching Bridget Jones and feeling sorry for myself whilst massacring the large box of Millie's Cookie's I'd told the boy behind the counter I was buying 'for my family.' I'd forgotten what it was like to agonise over whether to wear classy or skimpy clothing on a night out, just in case I bumped into any potential hotties. I'd even forgotten what it was like not to interrupt every discussion with the ultimate conversation-killer: 'Oh that reminds me of a time my boyfriend...' Life suddenly seemed hopeless. But after a week of bitching and binge-eating I suddenly came to the realisation that despite my complaining I actually had enjoyed my prior single life. I liked being able to eat whatever I wanted, I liked the excitement of meeting new people and I liked having something else to talk about other than my boyfriend. Running around FAB the other week, dressed as an animal, and behaving like one, I realised that actually I'm way too young to cry over a man. And when said person phoned me up, telling me how much he missed me, I had nothing to say back to him. Being single is far from the end of the world and one thing is for sure – you won't see me in any Daily Mail photographs plodding along with a desperate plea for love written on a sandwich board.

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Redbrick

11th March 2011

Travel

Travel fact of the week: The world's oldest operating roller coaster is 'Leap-the-Hills' in Pennsylvania, USA – built in 1902

Disney? You're taking the Mickey As the nation's theme parks get ready to reopen for the summer, Laura Cofield explores some of weirdest and most wondrous Europe has to offer

Dickens World

Kent – UK

King Arthur's Labyrinth

Corris – Wales

Siam Park

Tenerife – Spain

British edu-tainment at its best! Not only does Dickens World boast a Great Expectations Boat Ride, haunted house, and Victorian school- you also get to meet some of your favourite Dickens characters. In case you were wondering, toilet facilities do not resemble Victorian hygiene standards. Tickets cost £13.00 online

One for the adventurer – join the expedition into the underground caverns and back into the 12th century, whilst listening to Arthurian legends and traditional Welsh folklore, demonstrating how easy it is to learn and have fun in this all weather attraction. AND you get to wear a hard hat. Adult price £7.90

Why bother going all the way to Thailand when Siam Park: The Water Kingdom, is on your very doorstep? As well as flumes and rapid rides, there's also the relaxing Siam beach and lazy river to enjoy in this unusual Spanish/ Thai fusion of activity. At the moment tickets cost roughly £24 for an adult.

Bon Bon Land

Thomasland

Mini Europe

Denmark

Owned by the Bon Bon candy company, this theme park is not only home to the 'Dog Fart Coaster' and 'Seagull Droppings' ride but has enough bizarre and overly-explicit cartoon characters to give Sigmund Freud a field day. Dubbed the Eurotrash version Disneyland, Bonbon-land opens again in April, tickets from around £25

Tamworth – UK

Thomasland is nestled in the heart of Drayton Manor Park, as is Europe's only Thomasland attraction. As a past visitor myself I have to say it does predominantly cater for those of about 1 metre in height and ride speed isn't exactly what I'd call exhilarating. But... give it a go! It costs £32.00 to get into Drayton Manor, which opens 19th March.

Dinosaur Adventure

Brussels – Belgium

If you're thinking about interrailing around Europe but don't have the cash, just hop over to Brussels and visit Europe in a day at the Mini Europe Theme Park. In this model version of the EU you even get to have a go at moving some of the working models like the fall of the Berlin Wall. It costs approximately £11 per adult at the current exchange rate.

Norfolk – UK

'Dinosaur Adventure – its time you came-and-saurus' worthy of a visit for its catchphrase mastery alone. Dinosaur Adventure doesn't just cater for those budding paleontologists out there – it also has crazy golf and petting zoos full of less extinct creatures for you to manhandle. Entry is £6.95 for adults.

Soviet Bunker

Vilnius – Lithuania

You'll have to sport some Soviet fashion (including the essential gas mask), learn the national anthem, and be interrogated by the KGB in this real-life Soviet underground bunker. Not for the faint-hearted, it promises to be as close to what life was like in the USSR as possible, so they ask you to sign a consent form before you participate.

Diggerland

Kent – UK

Ever wondered what it would be like to combine diggers and roller coasters? Welcome to the phenomenon which is Diggerland. There are four dotted throughout the UK, offering similar attractions – digger digging, bucketriding et al. No driving licence necessary but a fluorescent jacket definitely is. £17.00 for entry.

Harry Potter World

London – UK According to The Mirror, the wonderful Harry Potter World will be coming soon to Leavesden Studios near London. Although unconfirmed, Warner Brothers have hired the same firm that worked on the park in Florida. Brace yourselves and get ready for some stupefying rides on the hippogriff coaster!

Debate Britain's Best Theme Park

Alton Towers Edward Gordon Travel Editor

Alton Towers is the most visited theme park in England. It's also the 9th most visited in Europe – not bad for an attraction hidden in the rural valleys of one of the most poverty stricken areas of the country. Like Thorpe Park, Alton Towers charges the earth (though the same earth – £39.60), but for this you are given the promise of many 'magic moments' throughout the day.

Alton Towers is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible What Alton Towers can offer more than any other attraction in England, maybe even the world, is its sense of history – the estate dates back to 1000BC in its earliest form, when a small fort was built, Zagreb, and fromCroatia there it developed into a castle belonging to the Earl of

Shrewsbury by the 15th century. The castle is still there, and visitors are welcome to walk around the ruins as well as spend time in the award-winning gardens. But you don't pay £40 to look at flowers. Alton Towers is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible with roller coasters; Oblivion was the worlds first vertical drop coaster; Air, the first 'flying' roller coaster; Nemesis was Europe's first inverted roller coaster; and 13 is the world's first 'free-fall' drop roller coaster, with many more to come in the next few years. There are rides of all grades, from white-knuckle thrills to more gentle ones for children or the easily chunderable; the rapids are pretty steady, and the Squirrel Nutty is always a laugh. Alton Towers is also the only theme park in the world that has successfully managed to subsume a piece of classical music; 'In The Hall of the Mountain King' will be forever 'the Alton Towers Song'. A cheap day out, it is not. Though it is one that you will never forget.

Thorpe Park Sian Stanfield Writer

'Oblivion' at Alton Towers

Whilst Thorpe Park is pricey at £39.60 per adult (with no student discount to benefit from), this theme park is definitely worth the money. To make the most of this thrill-seekers theme park, I suggest getting there early and riding on through until it closes. If money is a worry then bring your own lunch and snacks to eat whilst in the enormous queues, which can be up to a two-hour wait but is well worth it. For those who enjoy a rush of adrenalin, the roller coasters at Thorpe Park are the perfect choice. The–not-so-new SAW ride with its spinning blades and equally daunting Stealth, which can travel up to 130km/h, certainly get the heart pumping. Old classics Nemesis Inferno and Colossus are also not to be missed. If getting soaked sounds like your idea of fun then take a ride on Tidal Wave, especially on a (rare) hot summer's day. However, if

roller coasters are not your thing then there is always Rush, Slammer or, my personal favourite, Vortex, which gives you an excellent view of the whole park whilst being flung from side to side. For those who want to enjoy themselves without prompting a heart attack, there is Logger's Leap, Quantum or even the deathdefying Tea Cups. This year Thorpe Park is introducing a new ride called Storm Surge, sporting a 64ft spiraling decent down a water-slide; definitely one for the water enthusiasts.

If getting soaked sounds like your idea of fun then take a ride on Tidal Wave For cheap entry, go to their website, which currently has 1000 online tickets selling at half price, as well as all other information such as directions etc. This theme park is definitely worth the visit.

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Comment Beatrica Ferri Reporter

Can an inability to speak a language be a barrier that limits us when travelling? I really don't think so. We live in the 21st century, where someone who has never taken an aeroplane is looked at as an odd, weird, mythological figure. Today it is possible to go to Paris just to have a nice croissant, gaze at the Tour Eiffel and be back home in time for dinner. One day history books might refer to us as the 'traveller generation'. So why should we waste the exciting opportunity of discovering the most beautiful corners of the world? As we travel more, we become more open-minded; however, some of

Is Dublin really worth it?

St Patrick's Day is fast approaching and everyone seems to have Dublin in their sights. Claire Chinn sees what all the fuss is about...

With flights as little as £5 each way, a weekend trip to Dublin quite took my fancy. I've never been, I like Irish people, and drinking Guinness in its birthplace is on my to-do list. However, on my overcrowded flight home I pondered. Was it really worth it? On a student budget of practically nothing (or, however far into my overdraft I allow myself before the guilt stops me), I was hoping I might be able to get by on the cheaper options. I discovered in Dublin, cheap options are a quite a novelty. If you're smart and figure out your bus route it's quite cheap to get to and from the airport. I couldn't quibble with a €2.20 bus ride taking you through the most uninteresting parts of Dublin that were about as exciting as the sights of Coventry. Once in the city, if you're staying fairly central (which is pretty much everywhere) you're in walking distance of everything. Brilliant! Our hostel, the Camden Hall,

4.5m Time to brush up? us are still a bit dubious about visiting a non-English country because of the linguistic barrier. My advice is: be brave, instinctive and maybe also a little bit imprudent! The experience will surely pay you back. If you feel a bit anxious because you are afraid you'll look out of place, it would be fun to learn just a couple of basic phrases. The locals will appreciate the effort, no matter if your accent is the worst ever heard. When visiting a new place I always feel very curious about the language: the sound, the translation of a common way of speaking, and sometimes I'm stunned by the similarities of certain words in different languages. However, if this really doesn't work almost everyone is able to understand English and don't forget that people in big cities are more than used to helping tourists. I am Italian and the first thing I appreciated when I arrived in England to attend university was that everyone was really understanding and indulgent when listening to my poor English. Their attitudes made me feel comfortable and inspired in me the desire to become more confident in speaking and enlarging my vocabulary. Due to my personal experience, I am strongly convinced that learning a new language whilst in a new place has innumerable advantages. It's a thrilling experience that everyone should try once in their life. For free language learning resources go to: www.bbc.co.uk/languages

Travel 23

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Ed Gordon & James Cull

was only €7.50 a night, bargain. It wasn't amazing. It was, however, clean(ish) and set within an old church, which made for some interesting corridors and its underground 'disco' was a favourite of Spanish school groups. There were quite a few deals for food advertised outside the incredible, chic, and, as far as I could see, independently run restaurants and bars. Not a chain in sight. Lovely! Dinner was approximately €15.00, for one course and obviously a Guinness. I ate at City Bar, on the outskirts of Temple Bar, the main entertainment area, giving an idea of central prices. This was the cheapest option on the menu. Cheap food is very hard to come by in Dublin. Of course, I went to the Guinness museum. It's €11.00 for students and €15.00 for adults and those who've forgotten their student cards. Expensive. You get to find out how Guinness is made and learn all about your favourite Irish tipple. It's topped off with a trip to the 360-degree viewing

The number of visitors to Dublin in 2007

Popular, yes, but potentially overrated? tower and a free pint, poured by an appropriately named Irish native Seamus or Borick, obviously a condition of employment. It was a bit like standing on top of Selfridges car park drinking a €15.00 pint. Worth it? Not really. The majority of Museums and Art galleries are free to the public in Dublin, worth taking advantage of. Time and exhaustion, however, did not permit for a visit to pass any judgement. You will not get a drink for under €5.00 in a Dublin bar and finding anywhere mildly cheaper was near impossible, even in the grottiest Irish-looking pub near

Vietnam: The New Orient

Cam_Va on Flickr

the outskirts. Another criticism I might add is the lack of Dubliners. The only authentic accents we heard were in the Guinness factory. A city so proud of its people-friendly Irish reputation makes you wonder why it's harder to find than you'd imagine. Despite my expenditure grumbles, Dublin does exude an unmistakable buzz of excitement throughout. There's no doubt, that Dublin is a vibrant city and worth a visit. However, without a hefty wad of spending money or a guilt-free overdraft, the city can quite quickly lose its sparkle.

Vietnam has long been overlooked as one of the South East Asian tourist destinations. Emily Booth visits and finds out why

With an uncompromising and complicated wealth of history, culture, politics and religion, it would be impossible to place a finger on what it is that makes Asia tick. It is a continent woven with places of similarity and yet there are also great differences between the countries that come under its umbrella. Wars have savaged many parts, but the scars are slowly beginning to heal. Tourism in general has enhanced the economy across Asia, but especially in areas such as South East Asia, where over the past 20 years or so they have become heavily dependent on the trade that tourists bring to the country. When people think of Asia they often forget that it includes countries as opposite as Russia to Turkey, and mainly think of places such as South East Asia. It is there after all that fits the most common stereotype: paddy fields, immense heat, and mopeds. Within South East Asia itself, perhaps the most obvious four countries that people can name are Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, and a few might be able to name Burma (no doubt thanks to a certain YouTube clip...) It seems to be that to the outside world these countries merge into one exotic mass of chaos and street food, and yet they ignore the different languages, cultures, and even currency that divides them. In fact, each of these countries has taken on their own identity. Cambodia is living under the shadow of the Pol Pot years and evidence of this country's torn past is everywhere. On visiting The Killing Fields in Phnon Phen, Cambodia's history

Bikes in Central Hanoi is very much a part of people's present. Although there is so much more to it, Thailand has become well established as one of the top holiday destinations with miles of undisturbed white sands that are teeming with holiday goers come the summer months. Vietnam, however, feels very different from its neighbours. Recently dubbed 'The New Orient', it is easy to see people's fascination with such a diverse country. There are obvious differences between the north and south, with the south generally being considered friendlier and where the upbeat city of Ho Chi Min City lies next to the beautiful, quiet beaches that dominate Vietnam's most southern tip. The north, however, also has much natural beauty where places such as Sapa are havens for walkers and sport lovers due to its rugged and mountainous terrain.

flydime on Flickr The general tourist route tends to go south from Sapa, down along the coast through Hoi An in the middle, and then on to Ho Chi Min City. Although many want to leave this well-trodden route, there are dangers such as undiffused bombs littering the mainland. The war, like in Cambodia, has a lingering presence in Vietnam. The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Min has devastating displays and images of the war, and yet it is not only in museums where the horrors of the war are apparent. Many people still live with the effects today as the toxic chemical used by the Americans, Agent Orange, has left a deadly legacy of contamination that has penetrated into the food chain in certain areas. As a result, adults are living with deformities and children are still being born with them.

Although Vietnam keeps the memory of the war alive, and ensures that it will never be forgotten, they understand how important it is for them not just to be remembered for those years. Over the past 20 years Vietnam has, like its neighbouring countries, been embraced as a popular tourist destination and it is becoming known for its new history as well as its past. Perhaps being branded 'The New Orient' shall represent the new era that Vietnam is moving in to. Its cuisine is celebrated by chefs all around the world, most recently by Rick Stein; its beaches are the new Thailand; and its inexpensive hotels and hostels make it desirable for student travellers too. The range of things to do there are vast, from wind surfing in Mui Ne and sailing in Halong Bay to taking cooking courses in Hanoi and Ho Chi Min. The sheer beauty of the country is also staggering and the kindness and hospitality of the people is quite astounding. Of course, like anywhere there are always going to be greedy shop owners flogging their wares at inflated prices for the tourists, but you would be hard pushed to go anywhere where this is not the case. Merely hone your haggling skills and learn to embrace the vibrant bustling and the honking traffic for Vietnam really deserves its place as a stand out country in Asia. It is one of the only countries in South East Asia where you can still feel the Vietnamese people and culture in spite of its many visitors, and something tells me that they are never going to give that up.

Redbrick

11th March 2011

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Sport

Rugby league boys storm into BUCS final

A full account as the second team beat Bristol to progress, p25

Julz prepares to hand over baton With the Birmingham Guild Officer Team elections this weekend, sport editor Sam Price talks to VicePresident for Sport (VPS) Julian Adeniran to get to the bottom of what the role really entails... Follow the elections online Be among the first to know who has been elected Julz' successor as VPS on Friday with Redbrick's live online coverage. We will be covering all of the election results and providing you with all the breaking news from the evening. To follow the action go to www.redbrickpaper.co.uk from 7.30pm VPS blog via wordpress allowing students to keep tabs on what I'm doing, and am on Twitter, which has provided much more relevant communication. Feedback is the key. I've emphasised removing bureaucracy and therefore the barriers to feedback on sports, creating open forums on which any student can say what they want about sport without any obstacles in their way. I've complemented this by restructuring sports assemblies, which is an opportunity for contact time with club committee members; in the first term, before they were placed on review, we had record attendances from sports clubs and societies.' Julz' work has been acrossthe-board; another of his achievements has been working closely with the LTT Vending Group to stock products promoting healthier living, which is an idea that is now stretching across the country and could be applied to national policy. Then there is Julz' Wednesday afternoons campaign; working to restructure timetables to allow

The Week In Numbers

100 1

Birmingham City midfielder Lee Bowyer picked up his 100th ever Premier League yellow card against West Brom on Saturday, the first player to reach this inglorious milestone.

Yuvraj Singh became the first player to score a half century and take a five wicket haul in World Cup history against Ireland.

156 626

Millie Guy

Julz has pioneered much change but students must now elect a new VPS

The world record for fastest ever serve in tennis was broken in the Davis Cup as 6 ft. 10 Croation Ivo Karlovic served 156 mph. Unbeaten Mexican hotshot Saul Alvarez threw 626 punches in his points victory over Matthew Hatton, brother of Ricky, last weekend.

Arsenal are the only team in this year's Champions League to record no shots on or off target, after their defeat to Barcelona, their goal coming courtesy of Barca's Sergio Busquets.

students of any level to participate in sport. 'It's all about reaching out and getting on everyone's radar, that's how I've gained support for these ideas', he said. I asked the 110m hurdler and recent BUCS champion whether

'I can't stress how rewarding it is. You do little things that matter to lots of people and big things that matter to one person.'

he has enjoyed working as VPS. He summed it up as 'enjoyable in part, frustrating at times, challenging always.' Not everything has flowed smoothly during his time in office. 'Candidates must re-

member that there are perimeters to the Guild and UBSport, which the VPS straddles. I had to shelve my idea of accessing team rosters online; the perimeters of the organisations are the limiting factors for your dreams. You are also time barred; you could fill your weekly calendar with things you want to do three times over but there aren't the hours in the day to make this a reality.' It is clear that the post is not a straightforward one, but when Julz reflects, he looks back on a unique experience. 'I can't stress how rewarding it is. You do little things that matter to lots of people and big things that matter to one person. No day, week or month is the same.' This is evidently a life-changing role which offers the chance of enhancing a number of skills and the VPS has even recently been headhunted by a top London headhunting firm. I asked Julz what his successor should bring to the position. 'I would say: bags of enthusiasm, discipline and determination.

The Week In Quotes 'This is an inevitable fight with an inevitable conclusion. Wladimir Klitschko is getting violently knocked out. I eat tall, chinny Eastern European heavyweights for breakfast.' David Haye in a typically confident mood after agreeing to fight IBF and WBO ChampionWladimir Klitschko

'We've been involved in tight games – we've won two, tied one, lost one. In that way, it's encouraging. We certainly don't want to put ourselves in that position every time.'

on Friday. They will need to be extremely organised and focused, taking an open-minded viewpoint into the role. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and in my opinion working as a sabbatical officer is the best graduate job out there.' So, we await the results of the much-anticipated elections to see who will succeed Julz as the new Vice-President for Sport. There is more to the role than meets the eye, and the winner of the election has big shoes to fill in representing all Birmingham students involved with sport. Gimmicks and pseudonyms aside, the role of addressing the needs of these students and promoting sport at the University of Birmingham is a vital one if Birmingham is to maintain its status as a university of the highest sporting pedigree. For Julz, with a law degree and a wealth of transferable skills under his belt, it is onto the pursuit of a professional career in athletics, with the aim of hurdling success at London 2012 and perhaps beyond that.

The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Dirk Kuyt became only the third ever player to score a Premier League hat-trick against Man Utd last Sunday. Who are the other two? 2) Who is the only player to have hit 100 sixes in test match cricket?

Andrew Strauss is philosophical after a superb fightback to beat South Africa in the cricket World Cup

3) Which nation tops the all-time Winter Olympics medal table?

'I can't believe it – it's what I've been dreaming of but never quite daring to say out loud. Even when they said it was me I thought 'wait wait wait, it can't be me.'

4) Which stadium holds the record for the highest ever attendance at a football match, of 199,854 people?

'When it was 1-1, it was all to play for, and in my opinion the ref killed the game.'

5) 2001 was the only year in recent times when there was not a staging of the Cheltenham Festival. Why?

Helen Clitheroe expresses her delight at winning, taking the World Indoor Championships gold medal in the 3,000m

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie was keen to vent his fury after his controversial sending off against Barcelona on Tuesday

1, Egil Ostenstad and David Bentley 2, Adam Gilchrist 3,Norway 4, The Maracana in Brazil 5, 5, Outbreak of foot and mouth disease

With a record seven candidates this year for the VPS position, the campaigns have been impossible to ignore, and the one who is elected will have the opportunity to build on Julz' significant achievements during his tenure as VPS. 'The work goes beyond the job description', Julz comments. 'It's a steep learning curve – going from seminars and lectures to now sitting on Olympic summits with the Vice-Chancellor. I'm still learning every day, gaining transferable skills from working under pressure situations.' The post brings with it many responsibilities: around 6,000 students participate in sport at the University of Birmingham, and it is the job of the VPS to maximise the opportunities for and benefits of participation. Each campaign has been making its way through to sports teams, to the front of lectures, to houses and halls of residence and can be seen throughout campus – but what will separate the outstanding candidate? 'The campaign is a fantastic test of character,' shares Julz, as he reflects back on his own campaign under the pseudonym of 'Crown Julz VPS'. 'It's a gruelling process – assembling a twenty or thirty-strong campaign team, getting yourself around to as many students as possible, market research, the door-knocking, the testing scrutiny. But it's also incredibly rewarding. I strongly believe that the most capable candidates run the best campaigns.' I asked Julz what he thought he had achieved during his time as VPS. He related back to the three mantras of his manifesto: awareness, accessibility and appreciation. 'I think over the year I've really progressed these themes as wheels of positive change,' he said, first addressing awareness, although all three link heavily into Julz' work. 'The key to awareness has been increasing communication channels; I've advanced the

Redbrick

Sport Thoughts

Sport 25

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall & Sam Price

League boys beat Bristol as final beckons

Redbrick Sport online editor Joseph Audley discusses the implications of punishment in sport... Over the last century many sports have cracked down on the usage of performance-enhancing drugs within the game by putting firm regulations in place. Some argue that the punishments have become too harsh, as shown by the recent drugs scandal in the Premier League involving Kolo Toure and his wife's diet pills.

It was a high impact game at Bournbrook but Birmingham showed the character to emerge victorious Rugby League

Toure, a devout Muslim who doesn't drink alcohol, was suspended immediately and faces a two-year ban. It is fair to believe that the 29-year-old was not taking the pills for recreational use, or that he knew they contained a banned substance for that matter, yet the career of the Ivory Coast defender lies in ruins. The punishments surrounding drugs in sport range from completely justified to practically farcical. Adrian Mutu tested positive for cocaine in 2004 forcing Chelsea to sack him, along with a £20,000 fine and a seven month ban from the FA. Mutu also had to pay compensation which covered the transfer fee that Chelsea paid for him, a figure over 17 million euros. In this case most agreed that the player was disciplined correctly, but on the other end of the scale is the Rio Ferdinand drugs scandal in 2003. The England defender claimed that he forgot to take a drugs test and after testing negative 36 hours later, Ferdinand was still fined £50,000 and banned for 8 months, consequently missing Euro 2004. It seems that being 'innocent until proven guilty' does not always matter in the sporting world when it comes to punishment.

Ferdinand bounced back and continues to play top flight football after his ban, so it's not the end of the world for Toure. Even Paul Merson, who admitted to alcoholism, gambling addiction and a cocaine habit in 1995, is now a top football pundit for Sky Sports. It's not just football that enforces these tight rules; the athletics world was shocked by Dwain Chambers receiving a 2-year ban in 2003 for testing positive for a banned substance. The athlete has since returned to the game and been reasonably successful in various competitions, most recently winning a silver medal last week in the European Indoor Championships. Punishment in sport is harsh but often justified – something that Toure will soon find out.

Birmingham 2nds

Bristol 1sts

Phil Shepka Sport Reporter

Birmingham men's rugby league second team booked their place in the final for the chance to win the BUCS Plate after a 20-10 victory over Bristol firsts at the Bournbrook pitch. This result has given the side the opportunity to make amends for last year, where they stumbled at the last hurdle, finishing runners-up overall. The game opened in a frantic fashion with both teams showing their nerves by making unforced errors. Birmingham looked the more threatening, however, and a great break through the defence from Josh Reid led to an offload to Greg Stewart to score his first of the afternoon for the hosts. Unfor-

tunately, Dan Macleod missed the chance to score the extras by hitting the post from his conversion. The home side appeared to have more attacking ideas than Bristol and extended their lead after 20 minutes when Jonny Vroobel won a penalty about 10 yards out. He then ran towards the defence and despite being tackled, was able to stretch and get the ball over the line. Macleod was again unable to take his conversion so the score remained 8-0. Shortly after this, Brum showed their clinical side by scoring again when Adam Cusack made a lovely break to eventually offload to Steff Tutino, who was able to bundle the ball over the line. Again the opportunity to add two more points to the scorecard was missed by Macleod. Bristol knew they had to come back into the game and began to pile the pressure on the hosts. This finally paid off when Harry George took advantage of a quick play of

the ball and dived over the line to score. The visitors were spurred on by this and had it not been for some strong defensive play they would have scored more before the half time whistle blew. Early in the second half, several Brum mistakes led to the visitors increasing their score through Tom Williams before Chris Mason scored the conversion. The hosts were under the cosh and unable to show their attacking attributes but this changed when Cusack ran through from his own half, only to be tackled five yards from the opposition line. A few plays later, the hosts had the ball over the line when Stewart distributed brilliantly to Matt Bligh to score. Conversion success rate

Birmingham

0/5

Bristol

1/2

Price's men cash in at nationals Jonny Price

The ball then spent most of its time in the middle of the pitch. This was until late on, when Andy Stimson kicked forward for the home side and a defensive mixup allowed Stewart to run onto the ball and take advantage to put the result beyond any doubt. Before the final whistle, Birmingham could have scored again when Jag Bhabra, offloaded to a teammate but they were unable to score before the ref blew his whistle to signal the end of the game. Team captain Alex McDermott stated after the final whistle that apart from the opening 20 minutes of the second period, his team 'stuck to our game plan'. He declared himself 'buzzing' at the thought of playing in the final which will be his last game for the team. He and the rest of the team will now look forward to the opportunity to make it a memorable season. They will be praying that they can go one better this time round.

Golf success Thomas Devine

Taekwondo Correspondent

Last Sunday, the University of Birmingham's taekwondo club travelled down to Aylesbury to compete in the British Student Taekwondo National Championships. Competing against universities from all around the country, it was a tough day and Birmingham managed an impressive final medal haul of two golds, eight silvers and eight bronzes, from 26 of the club's competitors. The University of Southampton took the title with a strong team of 42 students. After an early start, the competition kicked off at 9am and second year Bilal Tabani earned himself a silver medal, which was to be the club's first and only medal in the patterns. Although this was not the ideal start to the day, the sparring got underway shortly after and the focus for victory was firmly set in all the Birmingham players' minds. Following a mixed bag of first round results, the day produced some real highlights. Birmingham's Simon Taylor and Ibrahim Sobhy met in the semi-final of the -74kg Dan grade category and put on a fantastic display for the crowd, which ended with Sobhy edging out his teammate 4-3. A few of the club's fighters also fought down to

Tom Flathers

Golf Correspondent

Brum taekwondo club landed 18 medals in Aylesbury the wire in sudden death rounds but none were closer than Miguel Angel's semi-final that saw him win but unfortunately also injured and unable to compete in the final. Vice captain Kiran Basra was also narrowly denied a gold in a tense fight that ended against her 11-12. The two gold medals came from Sohail Iqbal, who adds another gold to his collection, and also new member to the club this year Orie Lawrence who won five fights, including two by forcing his opponents to throw in the towel,

Jonny Price

to secure his well-deserved gold in the novice -74kg category. The captain partnership of final years Jonny Price and Kiran Basra were extremely proud of their team and the former said 'although we are disappointed not to win the championship this year, there is some fantastic talent in the club and great promise for future competitions. The club will not stop striving to be the best and we're sure it won't be long until we are crowned champions once more'.

The Birmingham golf second and third teams continued their good form and progressed into the quarter-finals of the BUCS Trophy knockout. On a tricky day at Edgbaston, the seconds smashed Aberystywth 5.5-0.5. Tom Devine led the team out and fought back with a birdie on the last to save the half. Andy Griffiths finished his match off in style, eagling the 16th to win 4 and 2, whilst George Hannah birdied the 17th to win 2 and 1. Sam Green, Charlotte Hope and Lauren Spray collected the rest of the points, winning 6 and 5, 5 and 4 and 3 and 2 respectively. Meanwhile, the third team beat local rivals Loughborough firsts 4-2 in an enthralling tie. Tim Roberts and Rob Menzies both came back from two down to save a half, Menzies finishing eagle, birdie. Oli Hart (3 and 1) and Tom Owen (3 and 2) gave Birmingham three points, meaning only half a point was needed from Rob Harmsworth and Tom Huttunen in the last group. Harmsworth lost narrowly on the last hole, however Huttunen held his nerve to bring home the 4-2 victory. Both teams now look forward to quarter final ties on March 23rd.

26 Sport

Redbrick

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall & Sam Price

Not a good day for Nottingham

B.R.U.M. Cup

Netball

Birmingham 3rds

Nottingham 2nds

The B.R.U.M. Cup final will take place this Saturday (12th March) on the Bournbrook rugby pitch. The event is a charity rugby tournament (raising money for ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity) played between various departments within the university. This year matches have been played since October between Engineers, UBRFC XV, Tri-Services, Alistair's Darlings, Law and Medics 2s. This year's finale promises to be an intriguing contest with Law taking on Medics 2s. It will be fascinating to see who will be crowned. Last year was the first year the tournament had been run and it was won by The Engineers. Who will be the team to wrench the trophy from them? If you want to find out, head down to Bournbrook for the 5pm kick-off on Saturday.

Jay Rowe

Sport Reporter

At the Munrow sports hall, Birmingham's netball third team blew away their Nottingham opponents in a fantastic match. The game started at a frenetic pace; with Birmingham's Rachael Clarke scoring first. Impressive inside work from Ellie Williams afforded the home team an early 8 – 6 advantage after the first five minutes of play. Williams' height advantage over the Nottingham goalkeeper was the significant factor in the opening period of the game; as her rebounding and positioning under the net saw the home team open up a lead as big as five points over their East Midlands rivals, with the score reading 14 – 9 at the first time out. The away team struggled to regain their rhythm after the time out. A slurry of missed shots and turnovers prevented their attempts to make any significant dent in Brum's lead mid-way through the first half. Impressive defensive intensity and multiple interceptions by goalkeeper Emma Thomas and goal defence Harriet Cheeseman provided the platform for Brum to take control. The score at 22 – 15: the story of the first half had been the extra hustle, defensive pressure and efficient possession shown by the home team. At points in the half, Nottingham were on the ropes and had to work extremely hard to control the inside lay of the dominant Williams.

Sports Ball

Birmingham's netball third team proved themselves to be too good for Nottingham There was better ebb and flow to the start of the second half, with both teams trading early scores, before the full-court pressure defence of the home team, led by Cheeseman, once again stifled the creativity of their rivals. With the score stretching to 30 – 19, any signs of a Nottingham fight back were beginning to fade. At this point, only an ankle in-

jury suffered by Clarke threatened to put a down note on the teams display. As Clarke rested, Birmingham went back to the dominant inside game of Williams to produce a couple of quick, easy points as full time approached. The second half ended in much the same fashion as the first: imposing inside play and brilliant defensive play from standouts

Freddie Herzog

Cheeseman and Thomas, as Birmingham romped home to a 39 – 24 victory. Birmingham coach Joan Hunter, was jubilant at the final result and the performance of her team. Hunter declared the result a 'spanking' and opined 'if we had played that way last week, we would be going to the final'. The performance bodes well for the future though.

Tennis girls Cover themselves in glory Women's Tennis

Birmingham 2nds

UEA 1sts

Matthew Sharpe Sport Reporter

UEA were swept aside by Birmingham's women's second team to progress to the final of the Midlands Conference Cup, where they will face Nottingham Trent in two weeks time. The match was Birmingham's first in the competition, following on from a bye and a walkover in the previous two rounds. A 12-0 score-line was perhaps a little harsh on the visitors but overall Brum proved far too strong for their East Anglian counterparts. Nikki Fowler and Katherine Cover were paired together initially for the home side and found themselves up against Kelsey Essex and Emily Ward. Fowler began proceedings with some excellent serving, soon closing out the first game. Her partner Cover began to produce some fine shots, regularly forcing Essex and Ward back on to the baseline and subsequently inducing errors from the visitors. They continued to pile on the pressure, and managed to break their opponents twice in order to open up a 5-2 lead. Fowler closed out the set, again with some good serv-

Sport Shorts

Birmingham were far superior to UEA ing, to ensure they won the first set 6-2. Birmingham's other pairing Katy Piller and Poppy O'Shea meanwhile, were up against Olive Merrill and Suzanne Rowley. Brum again managed to overpower their opponents in this set, Piller conjuring up several powerful forehands to put their opponents on the back foot. Some accurate serving between the pair, coupled with a number of aces, helped to secure

Freddie Herzog

the set by six games to two. The weather was now beginning to make playing conditions difficult, as the wind significantly increased meaning that more errors were occurring from both sides. Nevertheless, Brum continued where they had left off in the first set, Fowler and Cover again showing their class by racing into an early need. With the score at 4-2, however, Cover was broken, offering a possible route back into the

set for the visitors. The pair soon redeemed themselves, though, and wrapped up the set 6-3 to complete a 2-0 victory in sets. O'Shea and Piller had a more closely fought second set in which there were numerous long rallies. They eventually came out on top 6-4 meaning that the home side were now 4-0 up heading into the singles. The singles pairings saw Piller up against Ward, Fowler facing Essex, Cover versus Merrill and O'Shea taking on Rowley. Piller despatched of her opponent with consummate ease 6-0, 6-1. O'Shea, despite missing one or two simple volleys at the net, followed in similar suit, dropping just two games on her way to a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Cover was also mightily impressive in her rubber, barely giving her opponent a chance as she wrapped up a 6-0, 6-2 triumph in no time. Fowler was having a little more difficulty in her game, particularly in the second set where Essex briefly gave her a scare, only for the Birmingham player to hit back and win it by 6 games to 4 and consequently confirm a whitewash 12-0 result. The result will surely only put Birmingham in a confident mood ahead of the final against Trent, Fowler commenting after the game; 'I thought we coped well in difficult conditions and I'm pleased to see the girls put in a performance like that'.

Tickets will soon be available for the University of Birmingham's 2011 Sports Ball. This will be the second annual event of its kind and will take place on Monday 13th June at the ICC in Birmingham city centre. It will be a black tie event and tickets will be available for £37. They come out on general sale next Thursday (3rd March) from Joes Bar in the Guild of Students. The Sports Ball represents an opportunity for members of all sports clubs to come together and celebrate another fantastic year for the University of Birmingham's teams.

BUCS Hockey Final

As Redbrick reported exclusively last week, the women's hockey team have made it to their second successive BUCS Championships final in Sheffield. If they are going to repeat last year's monumental success then they will need all the support they can get from their fellow University of Birmingham students. The University will be sending coaches up with the team so if you are interested in heading to Sheffield to support them get in touch with VPS Julz as soon as possible. The match will take place next Thursday (17th March).

Top Results The pick of this week's other results for the University's teams... Men's football won 4-0 away to Loughborough

Unfortunately, this was not enough to secure the league title as Stirling won 2-1 in their game to claim the trophy.

Men's lacrosse lost 7-5 away to Leeds Met in the semifinal of the BUCS Trophy Women's rugby union beat Leeds 37-5 to cruise into the final of the BUCS trophy Men's rugby thirds lost 2710 away at Harper Adams

Redbrick

This week in...

On the Redbrick website this week...www.redbrickpaper.co.uk Who cares about the Carling Cup?

2001 Danny Murphy, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler were all on the scoresheet as Liverpool knocked out Tranmere Rovers to qualify for the FA Cup semi-finals. They went on to win the trophy along with the League Cup and UEFA Cup that year. 1994 In tennis, Essex-born Mark Petchey, world no.119, t o o k a set off Andre Agassi at the Lipton Championships. He has since gone on to coach Andy Murray.

Couldn't make it up A basketball player for Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah was suspended after it was discovered he had pre-marital sex with his girlfriend. The college is run by Mormons and all students are obliged to live a 'chaste and virtuous' life. Tea and coffee are also banned. In the fifth tier of Argentine football, referee Damian Rubino broke a world record. In a derby match between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas a brawl erupted and the ref issued an incredible 36 red cards to all players and substitutes, sparking farcical scenes.

The Irish can play cricket too!

Cheltenham Festival preview

After last week's incredible Irish victory over England at the cricket World Cup, Rory Millar, cousin of Ireland international Andrew White, shares his opinion.

Sam Price gives us the lowdown on the horses tipped to light up the most anticipated event in the horse racing calendar, going on from Tuesday 15th to Friday 18th.

Redbrick Sport Recommends...

Fashion statement... Classic Goal... FIFA have laid down the law on that most crucial of footballing matters. As of July 1st wearing snoods will no longer be allowed; the world football governing body citing the possibility of players being throttled by the neck-warming garment as their reason. Samir Nasri and co will not be happy.

The Tomkins Times This blog started by avid Liverpool fan Paul Tomkins has been earning rave reviews for a while. Top tactical analysis and shrewd commentary make it a great read, even for Manchester United and Everton fans!

Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor

This week's prize is a £5 Waterstones Gift Voucher Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office by 15/03/11. (Redbrick Office located in the basement of the Guild)

1_2_3_4_5_6== _=_=_=_=_=_=7 8____=9______ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ 0_______=a___ _===_=_=b=_=_ c_d___=e_____ _=_=_=f=_===_ g___=h____i__ _=_=j=_=_=_=_ k______=l____ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ ==m__________ 1. Peace offering (5, 6) 8. Period of English history during which Henry VIII reigned (5) 9. _______'s Castle, Japanese game show (7) 10. Struggling, fatigued (8) 11. Conceal; animal skin (4) 13. Hurry, accelerate (6) 15. Swap, flip (6) 17. Crater creator? (4) 18. Central piece of an arch (8) 21. Tiny gun (anag.) (7)

22. Maxim, doctrine (5) 23. Ship; computer game included with Windows (11)

Down

1. Appear suddenly (from the sea?) (3, 2, 3, 4) 2. Country with second largest population (5) 3. Brand of tea named after a British PM (4, 4) 4. Light sensitive part of the eye (6) 5. Type of 17 across (4)

6. Aggressive, antagonistic (7) 7. Muted character (6, 6) 12. Licorice flavour liqueur (8) 14. Indicator of illness (7) 16. Singer (anag.) (6) 19. Confess, admit (3, 2) 20. Oven used in ceramics (4)

Helen Clitheroe The middle-distance runner claimed the first gold medal of her lengthy career at the age of 37 in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships.

and Villains... Fans

Back in 1996/97, Newcastle United's adventurous centre-back scored an audacious goal making Peter Schmeichel look the fool as the Toon Army recorded a 5-0 win over Manchester United. The Belgian can now be found working 9-5 at a friend's fruit and veg firm.

A great website for ordering custom football and cricket t-shirts. Any player's face with the words of your choice in a wide range of colours. Great for birthday presents or just to treat yourself.

Became only the third player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick against Manchester United and the first to do so for Liverpool. The Dutchman was handed his goals on a plate by Luis Suarez, Nani and Edwin Van Der Sar respectively, but no one could begrudge him his moment of glory.

Bangladeshi Cricket

Youtube search: Philippe Albert

www.cultzeros.co.uk

Heroes... Dirk Kuyt

Joshua Reynolds argues a case for scrapping the Carling Cup while Matthew Sharpe defends the tournament which Birmingham City claimed at Wembley last month.

The Redbrick Crossword

Across

Sport 27

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall & Sam Price

Sudoku

Threw stones at the West Indies team bus after their country was defeated in the cricket World Cup. Two windows smashed but nobody was hurt.

Mystery stabber at Spanish airport

While Jose Mourinho was signing autographs, his bodyguard was allegedly stabbed by a 'tall man' and the Real Madrid coach is believed to have been the intended target. Worrying times for the special one.

Video of the Week

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

This campaign video for the SU Elections in Nottingham is impressive and has been admired by many a campaign team here in Birmingham. Check it out on YouTube: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=u6KtGkQzE80

Did you know? Hard

The true formal name of the famous statue standing in New York harbour is not 'The Statue of Liberty'. It was named 'Liberty Enlightening the World' by its sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, who fashioned the statue's likeness after his mother. When cranberries are ripe, they bounce like a rubber ball.

On this day Scribble box

1302 – According to Shakespeare's play, the characters Romeo and Juliet were married. 1888 – The Great Blizzard of 1888 begins along the eastern seaboard of the United States, shutting down commerce and killing more than 400. 2006 – Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as first female president of Chile.

28 Sport

Sport

Redbrick

11th March 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall & Sam Price

So what exactly is a VP Sport? For all of you who are confused as to what the Vice Presidents actually do, then find out with our in-depth chat with Julz, p24

Vickers' victors crowned champions Women's Football

Birmingham 1sts

Leicester 1sts

Joshua Reynolds Sport Reporter

Despite having already ensured that the Midlands 1A League title would be coming home, the University of Birmingham women’s football firsts were in no mood to rest on their laurels when they faced the University of Leicester on Wednesday. The girls produced a performance that served to encapsulate their undeniable quality and work ethic which resulted in a resounding 7-0 victory on the last day of the season. Captain Lucie Vickers, who has unfortunately experienced a lengthy absence from the side due to injury, stated from the outset that the team was keen to ‘put the finishing touches on what has been a great season’, and similarly coach Mark Smith claimed that ‘it would be nice to go out on a high’. It seems everyone in the Birmingham camp got what they had hoped for from the game. For Leicester, the match was of far greater importance, as they needed a result here to help their cause in staving off relegation. Alas, from early on reasons be-

Magic Number Leicester only managed one shot on target all game.

came apparent as to why the away side were in such a predicament, as a goalkeeping howler a quarter of an hour into the game allowed lone Brum striker Rosey Shafier to slide the ball into an open net. Up until this point, the hosts had had the better of the possession but were lacking the cutting edge in the final third, despite darting runs from winger Fran Boggi and intelligent play from Nicole Nymoen. However the result looked a foregone conclusion when Birmingham received another gift from the visitors, as the ball took an unfortunate deflection off Abbie Clarke from a corner kick, resulting in an own goal and a two goal advantage for the home side. From then on, Smith’s girls exerted almost complete control of proceedings and added a further two goals before halftime. Boggi capitalised on a fantastic cross field ball from Shafier to finish from a tight angle, before Nikki Brazil headed home from a Kelly-Anne Willis corner a few minutes before the interval; a thoroughly deserved goal for the left back who was a strong contender for player of the match. The only low point in the first period for Birmingham was when one player was nutmegged to the great amusement of her teammates on the bench. The second half display from Brum was nothing short of impeccable: the hosts were in cruise control, adding a further three goals to their tally. Shafier got her second after Leicester once again failed to adequately defend against a Willis corner. Meanwhile, Jazz Elder was the standout performer after the break, getting forward well from

The girls showed their class to end a great season in style the right back position, whilst Willis’ skill on the ball exuded composure throughout the match. Elder got her reward ten minutes from time, firing high into the top corner from inside the box. The half saw a barrage of attempts from Birmingham, who carved up

Joshua Reynolds (top) Sophie Bryant (bottom)

their opposition with incisive passing, and yet more icing was added to the cake as a second goalkeeping mishap allowed Kirsty Parfett to score on 88 minutes. Upon the final whistle, the champagne quite rightly came out. Birmingham were runaway win-

ners on the day and are without a shadow of a doubt worthy champions. ‘Outstanding’ was the most fitting description of the season according to Vickers, who said that she ‘couldn’t be prouder’ to have ended what will be her last season at Birmingham in such style.

Badminton boys close in on Midlands Cup Men's Badminton

Birmingham 3rds

Nottingham 2nds

Joel Lamy Sport Reporter

It was a top display from the Brum boys on Wednesday

Millie Guy

Birmingham’s badminton third team moved to within one game of retaining the Midlands Cup after a 5-3 victory over Nottingham Trent seconds. The hosts went into the semi-final as the champions of the Midlands second division and with promotion guaranteed, their attention was fixed on completing the double. Their opponents, on the other hand, had been Birmingham’s closest rivals in the league and were determined to secure silverware themselves. With both sides being evenly matched, the first group of four matches all went the full three games, with both sides winning two each. First to finish was Bir-

mingham’s first seed, Chong JJ, who came from a game down to defeat Ant Evans 19-21, 21-13, 2110. The home side’s lead was then doubled by doubles pairing Will Simpson and Steve Irvine who triumphed 21-19, 15-21, 21-12 against Nottingham’s Narin Vongpattaranon and Alex Dakin. However, the joy was short-lived as in the doubles match, Scott Williams and Matt Pocock, after a dominant first game, were outplayed by the opposition’s Ben Gardner and a fired up Gideon Chang, who proved very vocal with his celebrations. Second seed Sean Corden was the last player to finish, as his match against the visitors’ best player, Ross Parsons, went right down to the wire. Having lost the opening game 21-17, Corden responded to take the next by the same score-line. Both players were being cheered on by the rest of their team, but in the end it was Parsons who came out triumphant,

winning the final, marathon game 25-23. When it came to the reverse fixtures, the hosts showed why they were the favourites for the cup with a dominant display. The two doubles teams racked up quick wins, with Simpson and Irvine winning 21-17, 21-13 and Williams and Pocock defeating their opponents 21-7, 21-9. The final victory was soon delivered by Chong who cruised past his opposite number 21-12, 21-11. Corden, though, despite his epic first match, was not about to throw in the towel and he again battled hard, but after levelling his match at one game all, he eventually succumbed 23-21 in the decider. Coach Lorraine Cole was pleased with her side’s performance and, like her team, is confident of retaining the trophy they won twelve months ago. Birmingham will go into the match as strong favourites and will again enjoy home advantage.

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