The rapper and actor on music, comic books and his new show at the REP
Redbrick
The University of Birmingham's Student Newspaper since 1936
Friday 17th June 2011 Volume 75 | Issue 1392 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Students rack up almost £1.5 million in fines
The University Main Library Freddie Herzog Reporter
In the past two academic years (2008/9 and 2009/10) absent minded students failing to return library books on time at the University of Birmingham have faced charges totalling £468,000. The figures are part of a wider picture of substantial fines for students across the Midlands, who in total have had fines levied over the two academic years of £1,562,673. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Birmingham Mail show that Birmingham University was owed
£71,000 in unpaid fines over the two years, despite waiving £151,000 for reasons including illness, bereavement or error. Other universities with heavy fines over the two year period included Birmingham City University (approximately £350,000, £73,282 of which remains outstanding) and the University of Wolverhampton (£448,335, £67,140 of which remains outstanding). A spokesman from Birmingham University said: 'To encourage borrowers to return books before or on the 'due date', for the benefit of other members of the university, there is a fines
system in place.' The spokesman also said that funds raised by fines went into the university's central budget to 'improve facilities and services'. Currently students who are overdue returning a 'long loan' book face a charge of 30 pence a day, with those who have failed to return a 'week loan' or recalled item facing a fine of 50 pence a day. Those who have failed to return a 'short loan' item on time face the most substantial charge of 50 pence per hour the book is late. The President of the Guild of Students, Dora Meredith, said: 'At a time when students are facing
Why does a can of Coke in the Guild cost 53 per cent more than a can of Coke in Waitrose? Redbrick investigates how expensive life on campus can be for a student. More on p.3
Freddie Herzog
increasing levels of debt, it would be worrying to see more costs falling to students. While we appreciate why fines are necessary, they must be proportionate.' Vice President for Education and Access, Rob Hunter, said: 'I feel that 50p an hour for short loan is quite steep at a time when student finances are getting tighter.' It is important to recognise, however, that many books at the Library are in high demand and are difficult for students to get hold of and it is necessary to have penalties in place to stop students hogging books to the disadvantage of other students.'
Birmingham University Library Fines System Long Loan (28 days) – 30p/ day Week Loan (7 days) – 50p/ day Recalled Items – 50p/day Short Loan (by 11am the next day) – 50p/hour or part hour
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redbrickonline.co.uk
Redbrick Editorial Editor Samuel Lear Glen Moutrie Deputy Editors Victoria Shires Sam Langtree Victoria Bull James Phillips Online Editor Micaela Winter Chris Hutchinson Treasurer Jonathan Craven Ollie MacArthur Art Director Thomas Walters Beth Richardson Photography Editors Freddie Herzog Millie Guy chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Director Jeremy Levett News Editors Anna Hughes James Brilliant Kerrina Gray news@redbrickonline.co.uk Online News Editor Freddie Herzog Features Editors Rosa McMahon Seb Mann Ali Hendy Amanda Callaghan features@redbrickonline.co.uk Film Editors Elmley de la Cour Matt Davis Genevieve Taylor Izzy Sanders film@redbrickonline.co.uk Arts & Culture Editors Lexie Wilson Alexander Blanchard arts@redbrickonline.co.uk Music Editors Will Franklin Tamara Roper music@redbrickonline.co.uk
University Highlight of the Week Cadbury Research Library Special Collections Online Archive Catalogue
Television Editors Charlotte Lytton Amber Alexander tv@redbrickonline.co.uk
The Special Collections at the Cadbury Research Library of the University of Birmingham has catalogued its entire archive, which is now available online.
Lifestyle Editors Briony Singh Sophie Cowling Lara Edwards lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk
The collection includes images of many of the pieces in the collection fom the illustrated notebooks of William Ernest Taylor to pages of Neville Chamberlain's private diary.
Food Editors Harriet Constable Dami Olugbode James Morrison Jordan Warner food@redbrickonline.co.uk Travel Editors Ed Gordon James Cull Emily Booth travel@redbrickonline.co.uk Sport Editors James Phillips Sam Price Joseph Audley sport@redbrickonline.co.uk Technology Editors Joshua Lindsey technology@redbrickonline.co.uk Crossword Editor John Rizkallah Editorial Assistant Kate Selvaratnam Online Editorial Assistants Charmaine Katz Becky Sibson Danielle Fox Sophie MurrayMorris
The full catalog can be found at http://calmview.bham.ac.uk An image of the Illustrated notebooks of William Ernest Taylor from the online collection
News feed GUILD
VPDR to review Legal Education Vice President of Democracy and Resources Ash Chambers has been selected to represent the NUS on an upcoming review of legal education and training in the UK. The committee is chaired by Dame Janet Gaymer.
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: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickonline.co.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint.com: 08451 300667.
'Cursed' musical finally opens
The bank has been sold to a single buyer, which has raised £1billion for the Government. Some parts of the bank with toxic assets, will be retained by the Government. Alistair Darling noted that Nationalisation was always temporary.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has opened on Broadway after being delayed six times. The musical had suffered from various technical problems and cast injuries. However, the musical opened to negative reviews. ENGLAND
HEALTH
Plot to kill Joss Stone discovered
American Ivy League universities have announced more UK students are applying than ever before. 500 students have applied to Harvard, up one third from last year. Fees for UK students at US universities are up to £37,000.
Two men are being held on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and rob in Devon. The men were discovered with swords, a body bag and a plan of the singer's home. Stone has stated she is 'absolutely fine'.
There has been a drop in the level of sexually-transmitted diseases for the first time in ten years. The Health Protection Agency says that increased awareness of STD screenings has helped to improve rates.
ENGLAND
GREECE
HEALTH
FILM
Unemployment rate decreases
Greek Prime Minister steps aside
Cameron defends NHS reforms
Most complaints for 'The Lovely Bones'
The UK unemployment rate for the quarter has decreased by 0.2%, according to Office of National Statistics. The current unemployment rate is 7.7%. However, the amount of people on Job Seekers allowance has risen.
George Papandreou has recently admitted to Antonis Samaras, leader of the opposition, that he would stand aside if the party joined them in a national unity government. It is hoped this could help Greece's economic problems.
Prime Minister David Cameron has described recent changes to the Government's NHS reforms as 'a sign of strength'. The coalition government have been criticised over a number of U-turns made over the NHS.
'The Lovely Bones' received the most complaints over any other film in 2010, the British Board of Film Classification has announced. The film had a 12A rating despite featuring the murder of a child by her neighbour.
YORKSHIRE
CHARITY
STRIKE ACTION
£20,000 hospital sculpture criticised
Marathon snail crawler sacked
750,000 plan to strike this month
The New Selby War Memorial Hospital in North Yorkshire has come under fire for spending £20,000 on a sculpture. Councillors have argued that the sculpture is a 'complete waste of money'.
Charity worker Lloyd Scott has been sacked from charity Action for Kids when he failed to raise enough money for crawling the London marathon dressed as Brian the Snail from the Magic Roundabout.
Three quarters of a million public sector workers have announced strike action on 30 June. Workers including lecturers, civil servants and teachers will walk out due to arguments over pension schemes.
Copy Editors Anna Lumsden Charlotte Goodwin
Copyright (C) Redbrick 2011
Government sells Northern Rock
More UK applicants to US universities
Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Jazzarie Lee
Designed and typeset by Redbrick.
THEATRE
POLITICS
USA
For meeting times find us on Facebook or email section editors.
Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 or a.fitzpatrick@guild. bham.ac.uk
Redbrick
17th June 2011
STD levels drop in England
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redbrickpaper.co.uk
17th June 2011
RustyRockets: Thank you all for nominating me as sexiest vegetarian. I am going to celebrate by being sexy with a parsnip.
Top tweets
Queen_UK: No, Mr Cameron, sadly one will not be able to see you this afternoon due to watching other losers at Royal Ascot.
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MarkIanHarrop: Havin 2 make point in #guildcouncil to stop members getting hung up over definition of 'black' -black history month is a gr8 thing. end of.
Student commodity prices higher than national chains A year in
Redbrick news
Freddie Herzog Reporter
Food and drink establishments in the Guild are often more expensive than retailers elsewhere around University and Selly Oak. In an investigation into the prices of several frequently bought products it has been found that the Spar shop in the Guild charges the most for almost every product. Spar charge 99 pence for a regular bar of Dairy Milk, whereas all other investigated retailers sold the chocolate for less than 70 pence. A can of Coca Cola at the Spar costs 89 pence, with the cheapest place to buy Coke elsewhere being Waitrose in Harborne, where it is available at 58 pence. Tesco was found to be the cheapest place to buy these items overall, with Waitrose in Harborne making a surprising second. Overall, Spar in the Guild was found to be most expensive. When comparing bars and pubs, Joes in the Guild was most expensive overall. Pints of Calsberg and vodka and Cokes cost ÂŁ2.35 each, costing at least 18 pence more than the second most expensive establishment. The Goose came out as the cheapest pub, with a small glass of wine costing 99 pence, almost one pound less than the Soak pub. With the prices of food and drink differing considerably throughout the various retailers, prices of alcohol in pubs and bars remained relatively similar. This could be due to there being a similar amount of demand at each establishment. Michael Dunsford, 1st year Psychology student said: 'I don't really consider prices when I go to pubs because the price of a pint is always pretty much the same.' Anna Price, 2nd year English student said: 'Joes and Spar are quite expensive but I guess you pay for the convenience of them being on campus'.
October The Browne Review was announced, outlining changes in university tuition fees and introducing for the first time the possibility of 'lifting the cap'.
Omco
Coke
November Students from Birmingham attended protests on campus against cuts and the rise in tuition fees, attracting the attention of national media. Forty student occupied the balcony of the Aston Webb Building. Hundreds of students also attended national protests in London.
Tom Byrne
Spotlight on Societies Friends of Palestine
President: Carmen Castrillon When was the society established? 2008 What are the aims of your society? We campaign for an end to the Israeli 'occupation' of Palestinian land. We aim to raise awareness about human rights abuse of the Palestinian people, and to educate students on the origins of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Why do you think it is important to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the Israel-Palestine Conflict? The Israel-Palestine conflict is one of the greatest causes of destabilisation in the Middle East. Currently 4 million Palestinian refugees are denied access to their own land, and a further 2 million Palestinians are living un-
der occupation. The Israeli government is building new homes on occupied Palestinian land and maintaining hundreds of checkpoints that restrict freedom of movement. International grassroots campaigning has played and continues to play a key role in the struggle for Palestinian rights by raising awareness of what is a largely underplayed issue. How can students get involved? We have a very active facebook group (link can be found on Guild website) which anyone can join and find out what we're up to. Feel free to ask us questions, make suggestions, or learn more about our upcoming campaigns. You can also contact us on: palestine@guild.bham.ac.uk Can you give me three interesting facts about your society?
In January 2009, hundreds of students came together on campus and joined us in protest against Israel's bombing of Gaza (which had led to a significant civilian death toll). Last year, our ex-MP George Galloway event attracted crowd of 400 students, one of our biggest events we have ever hosted. In March 2010 we co-hosted a debate with the Debating Society, on whether people should boycott
Israel as a means of forcing it to abide by international law and establishing peace with its neighbors. The pro-boycott side was led by former cabinet minister Clare Short, opposing an Israeli ambassador. Do you have any upcoming events? We have various exciting events planned for the future, details of which can be found on our Facebook group.
January It was announced that 950 staff at various universities are paid more than the Prime Minister. One of the highest earners was the University of Birmingham's Vice Chancellor (VC) David Eastwood, who earned amongst the highest for a VC in the country. February Redbrick investigated letting agency Rooms4Every1 after students had experienced problems with the company. The Midland Landlord Association Scheme has suspended accreditation with Rooms4Every1. Complaints included students being withheld deposits and them being charged excessively for rubbish removal and maintenance.
The Main Library also announced longer opening hours exclusively in Redbrick, meaning students would be able to work until midnight during the week. Changes came after months of campaigning by Guild Officers. March A 70 per cent drop in crime was reported in Selly Oak when compared with the previous four years. Jonny Kirby, Vice President for Housing and Community said that a collaboration between the Guild, Police, the Council and the Safer Birmingham Partnership contributed to the achievement.
4 News
Redbrick
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Anna Hughes, James Brilliant & Kerrina Gray
Redbrick's most read online articles since Feb 2011 Creative Coiffures
Hummingbird Bakery Carrot Cake
Library Etiquette
Sarah Musgrove
Vicky Hodgkinson
Harriet Constable
Which? criticises QEH car park James Brilliant News Editor
Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been named by consumer watchdog Which? as having one of the worst hospital car parks in the country. Statistics obtained by Which? under a Freedom of Information request, show that the NHS trust hospital issued 18,651 parking fines in a year, the highest of any hospital in England, and nearly 10,000 more fines than any other hospital that also responded to the Which? Freedom of Information request. The hospital was named among the worst hospital car parks by the independent consumer publication along with St George's Hospital London, which was singled out as the biggest car clamper, and the Royal Free Hospital, London, which charges the most expensive two-hour stay of any hospital at ÂŁ6. The statistics are further negative publicity for the hospital following news in January that QEH was the only hospital in Birmingham and surrounding towns to raise parking fees by up to four per cent. Hospital bosses attributed the rise in parking fees to the VAT increase, although this
was only a two and a half per cent rise. Figures released by the Health Protection Agency have also identified infection rates at both Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Selly Oak Hospital as among the highest in Britain between January 2004 to July 2008, with the infection rate of superbug Clostridium Difficile at the hospitals nearly twice the national average. Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said 'The last thing you should worry about when visiting a hospital is coming out to find you have been given a parking
ticket. If UHB is handing out this many tickets, something is clearly going wrong. Our research shows if hospitals are going to develop patient-focused policies for the future, car parking needs to be on the agenda'. A spokesman from the University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust (UHB), the trust in charge of QEH, declined to comment. The iconic hospital was opened in June 2010 at a cost of ÂŁ545m and is located adjacent to the old QEH just a few minutes from the University.
Reporters
Over the past month, researchers and senior academics from the University of Birmingham have been touring the world's fastest growing economies in order to establish links with various academic institutions. Representatives from the Colleges of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Arts and Law, Social Sciences, and Life and Environmental Sciences engaged in the university's 3rd annual fortnightly 'road show' of five cities in India, as well as collaborating with
Freddie Herzog Online News Editor
Dundee University has launched a masters degree in Comic Book Studies, to be run by the English department, starting in September 2011. The university said the degree focuses on 'strong local traditions' in the comic book industry, as Dennis the Menace, Desperate Dan and the Broons were all born in the city. Graduates on the course will study the impact of comics on the worlds of art, literature and popular culture with the possibility of
doing a PhD in Comic Studies for those who have completed the MLit course. The course will be run by Dr Chris Murray, one of the UK's leading authorities on comics, and editor of the Studies in Comics journal. Dr Murray said: 'This is a unique opportunity to give this important medium the attention it deserves, and to allow those with an interest in comics to study it in detail. Employability is an important consideration for any postgraduate programme and it lies at the heart of what we aim to do with this course.'
University minister David Willets faces vote of no confidence Kerrina Gray News Editor
The new QEH, Selly Oak
Tony Hisgett
University forges new links with universities in India and Brazil Tom Byrne & Caroline Mortimer
Dundee University launches comic book degree
the University of Nottingham on a week-long research mission to establish links with Brazilian colleges, universities and research institutions. The trip to Brazil follows an announcement early in the year that the universities of Birmingham and Nottingham were to collaborate on several domestic and international projects focused on research initiatives, student experience and business engagement. Professor Malcolm Press, ProVice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, who was joint mission leader for the trip, said, 'This is an exciting opportunity to look at
The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Suneel Madhekar
ways in which two of the UK's leading research-led universities can work in partnership with organisations of equivalent standing, reputation and global ambition in Brazil.' Professor Peter Byers, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching, Learning and Quality and Deputy Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences said on the university's trip to India: 'The University of Birmingham's association with India spans over 100 years and we are seeking to further our ties. During this visit we are sharing our insight on the research that we have done in various areas'. The Road Show of Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai and New Delhi was designed to share Birmingham's research with Indian intuitions on a variety of topics. In Bangalore, The University of Birmingham and the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve interaction between the institutions and strengthen their academic relationship. The IISc was established in Bangalore in 1909 and is regarded as the premier institute of scientific research in India. It is also ranked as the top Indian university in the world university rankings.
Cambridge academics have voted to join their Oxford counterparts in seeking a vote of no confidence against the government and their recent changes to higher education. The two universities hope that by joining forces they will convince the government to rethink their controversial plans, as they have done with proposed NHS reforms. Almost 150 Cambridge academics signed the bill, which specifically seeks a vote of no confidence in David Willets, the Universities Minister. If it is passed, this will be the first time a vote of no confidence has been called against a minister by a university. The two universities will vote later this month for the bill and will then debate the most effective way to fight the government's poli-
cies. Dr Jason Scott-Warren, senior lecturer in the faculty of English at Cambridge University, said 'If Oxford and Cambridge and other academics across the country speak out against the changes, it's possible that will force the government to re-think. The policies seem to have been badly thoughtthrough and are unravelling as they proceed.' The University and College Union, which represents lecturers, is asking other English universities to follow suit and hold their own votes. Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: 'The Government has lost the plot when it comes to higher education and unless they pause, like they did with the NHS, they will do lasting damage to the sector. It is clear they have got their sums completely wrong and that their entire funding model is in disarray.'
UoB launches search for 'next generation of research leaders' Kerrina Gray News Editor
The University of Birmingham is launching a scheme to recruit 50 Birmingham fellows from across the world to specialise in research and teaching. These five year contracts will allow the successful applicants to develop their academic careers at the University and become outstanding post-doctoral researchers. The fellows will then be guaranteed a permanent post at the University if they meet expectations during their fellowship term. Although anyone can apply for a position, there are twenty priority areas of recruitment from cognitive psychology to the global economy. Along with engaging in world
leading research, the fellows will be encouraged to establish themselves within the academic community at Birmingham. They will take part in PhD supervision and develop their own teaching portfolio. Furthermore, the fellows will be offered mentoring and development support in the hope that these leading academics of the future will stay loyal to Birmingham. Professor Adam Tickell, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer, commented: 'This is a great opportunity: partly because the University is an outstanding environment to come to, partly because we offer a different form of support and mentoring, and partly because we are recruiting the future leaders of the University'.
Redbrick
Editors – Anna Hughes, James Brilliant & Kerrina Gray
News 5
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Album Reviews Maverick Sabre, The Lost Words EP
Ten contenders, one prize – who deserves it most? Sports Writers
Tamara Roper
Simple Malteser Fridge Cake Vicky Hodgkinson
Birmingham has highest number of black professors Owen Earwicker Reporter
Of the 14,000 professors in the country, it emerges that only 50 are black. A recent article in the Guardian revealed this from figures obtained from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Academics are demanding action to change these numbers, which have not significantly altered in the last eight years. A study to be published in October will highlight how black academics feel they have to work harder than white colleagues in order to gain recognition for a permanent chair in university faculties. It emerged from the statistics that the University of Birmingham is the only institution in the country with more than two black-British professors. In total, the University draws 16.5 per cent of its staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, comparing to the 10.5 per cent national average, and 12.5 per cent Russell Group average. In a statement, the Press Office said that 'the university continues to be committed to promoting equality and is immensely proud of the diversity of its staff popula-
tion'. The Office added 'clearly this is an issue on which we cannot be complacent, and the University will continue to consider actions to promote greater representation through its Equality Executive Group, of which the Guild is a member'. Ed Bergen, the Guild of Students' Ethnic Minority Officer, said of the numbers that 'this is
a terrible figure and the system must change. Increasing pressure on universities and ensuring that there are equal opportunities would hopefully turn this figure around'. There are concerns that low representation in the British professoriate might deter ethnic minority students from entering academia as a profession. Therefore, calls for government
UoB has more black professors than any other
Freddie Herzog
action have been made by leading academics. Heidi Mirza, Professor Emerita of Equalities Studies in Education, at the Institute of Education University of London, was reported in the Guardian as calling for changes in discrimination laws to curb the low figures. She exclusively revealed to Redbrick that 'we need to move toward the American system of affirmative action where equality policies has led (albeit controversially) to the real recruitment of black staff'. The American modal for recruitment is much fairer, leading to suggestions that black students seeking permanent chairs are looking to universities across the Atlantic. Fears have thus emerged that Britain is losing out on academic potential. Professor Mirza argued that in this country 40 years of equality laws have led to 'positive discrimination and legislation that requires action plans [which] has resulted in 'soft' institutionally set targets with no real legal penalties', leading to the appearance of action which in reality has no real substance. She added 'it is a travesty that there is so much waste of black and minority ethnic talent in a higher
education system that says it values meritocracy – but then the rules of the game are set by the white elite in our universities and it is a space jealously guarded by them for them'. The higher education representative group Universities UK has recognised that there is a problem, stating that there is 'a serious issue about lack of black representation among senior staff in universities. Equalities committees often raise the issue to the university management. However Professor Mirza, who has chaired equalities committees, has said that such groups are on the margins of decision-making processes. In the United Kingdom, 2.8 per cent of the population consider themselves black according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. It is hoped that tougher anti-discrimination laws will bring the level of representation in the academic world to a proportionate level. The University of Birmingham stated that 'as a global University we draw staff and students from 150 countries worldwide, making the University one of the most culturally diverse institutions'.
Professors honoured with OBEs Private uni launched James Brilliant News Editor
In the Queen's recent birthday honours, three University of Birmingham Professors received OBEs for work in various fields, much of which was undertaken at the University. Professor Jon Ayres, Professor Philip Hanson and Professor John Hunter have excelled in their fields of Health and Environment, Ancient History and Archaeology, and Soviet and Russian studies. 965 people received honours in this year's birthday honours list, ranging from MBEs to Knight or Dame Grand Cross. Redbrick spoke to two of these University of Birmingham Professors about their work in Birmingham and this honour.
Professor Jon Ayres
To Professor Jon Ayres: 1) How do you feel at being recognised with an OBE? I am delighted and honoured on having being recognised in this way. It is a reflection that others appreciate one's work over the years. 2) How do you feel the University of Birmingham has contributed towards your success? The University has supported me considerably particularly in permitting me to take time out to undertake advisory work for Government. The University has also strongly supported our research in the effects of environmental influences on health (notably air pollution) and their overall understanding and enthusiasm for this up-coming area of research activity has been a huge help to me. 3) Why do you feel you have been awarded this honour and how have you contributed towards the field of health and the environment? In the 1990s the Department of Health set up a committee to look at the effects of air pollution on health (COMEAP) and I have been a member and subsequently Chairman. I have also been Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP) for the last 6 years. My research, which has been largely based on environmental factors and health, has contributed not only directly in terms of knowledge but also has fed into the development of policy.
To Professor Philip Hanson: 1) How do you feel having been recognized with an OBE? Naturally, I'm very pleased. 2) How do you feel the University of Birmingham has contributed towards your success? Most of my work has been done while I was based at the University. I spent quite a lot of time as a visiting scholar at Michigan, Harvard and Kyoto, and also worked, on leave of absence from Birmingham, at the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Radio Liberty and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but Birmingham's Centre for Russian and East European Studies has been my main workplace. CREES is not just one of the best Russian and East European Studies centres in Britain, it has been a world leader. 3) Why do you feel you have been awarded this honour, and how have you contributed towards the field of Soviet and Russian studies? My teaching, research, consultancy and advisory work has been, in the early days, on the ways in which communist economies operated, and later on post-communist economic change. I'm no theorist. My work has been in applied economics and political economy – in recent times mainly to do with Russia. I've always tried to tackle questions that are of interest to business and to policy-makers, and tried not to be talking just to fellow-specialists.
Owen Earwicker Reporter
Noted philosopher Professor AC Grayling has set up a private college in the heart of London. The New College of the Humanities, located in Bloomsbury, will be open exclusively to students with the most impressive academic records, offering eight humanities courses taken from five subject areas: Law, Economics, History, English Literature and Philosophy. In addition to the degree, students will have to take a special New College diploma covering logic and critical thinking, science literacy, applied ethics and professional skills. Teaching will be provided by celebrated academics such as evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, historian Niall Ferguson, constitutional expert Ronald Dworkin and experimental psychologist Steven Pinker. One-to-one tutorials will also be offered, in addition to standard seminars, lectures and group work. However education at the New College will come at a significant price; tuition fees are to be set at £18,000, double the maximum rate which publicly funded universities can set following the recent increase of the tuition fee cap. The vast amount charged for tuition fees has raised concerns that the opportunity to attend the New College will realistically only be available to students from wealthier backgrounds, although
scholarships will be offered to one fifth of the intake. General Secretary of the University and College Union Sally Hunt voiced these concerns, stating that: 'while many would love the opportunity to be taught by the likes of AC Grayling and Richard Dawkins, at £18,000 a go it seems it won't be the very brightest but those with the deepest pockets who are afforded the chance'. While at a discussion on arts funding cuts in London on the 7th June, AC Grayling was heckled by protesters, one of whom lit a flare outside the building. Further controversy has arisen over the College's status. While students will receive University of London degrees with its vice-chancellor's signature upon the parchment, the college itself will not be able to call itself a university. Other colleges of UofL do have this right, having been granted university status by the government. Furthermore, the University of London itself has stated that the College will not be a part of its institution, and that there is no agreement to share facilities in any way dissimilar to the way it shares them with external students. Birkbeck College, a member of UofL, has also issued clarification stating that, 'Birkbeck has no links with New College and no agreement to provide New College with access to any of its facilities'. The New College of the Humanities hopes to take its first allocation of students in next academic year.
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17th June 2011
redbrickpaper.co.uk
Comment & Features
Editorial Rosa McMahon
Comment and Features Editor
So long, farewell...
Writing my final editorial induces pressure to conclude and reminisce in quite a special way. Three years at the University, beginning as a student hibernating on the Vale, only coming up for fresher air and dinner at other people’s flats, and ending as a Redbrick editor writing these words feeling a little pretentious as a tortured writer, sipping a gin and tonic a few hours before the deadline. Struggling with this column has always been my forte. The boundary between self-indulgence and general interest has proved difficult to distinguish. However in my final week as editor, and my penultimate week as a student, if I cannot express and reflect upon my time at the University on these pages which made my university experience the substantial one that it is today, then there is no reflection worthy at all. My role at Redbrick came about following my attendance of the Freshers Fair in second year. I left with little or no direction as to what I wanted to do with my time, and specifically with which group I would invest. It was, of course, after several cups of tea at a friends house that I was persuaded to join, what was then, the ‘Features’ section of the University newspaper. As the section is now ‘Comment and Features’ it is a perfect reflection of the change which the section, but also that I, have undergone. Within Redbrick, and indeed any society which has a strong and committed membership, you learn great breadths about yourself which previously may have been undiscovered. My great epiphany is an obvious, and certainly necessary, skill to discover you have: the ability to write. Once I gained my confidence here, as a newly joined writer, Redbrick became a joy and a steep learning curve. Negotiating friendships, and fostering writers becomes imperative. Comment and Features writers have shown total dedication and unfaltering skill to produce fascinating and unique pieces of prose week upon week. Their dedication to the section has fed into my and Seb’s passion and enthusiasm to maintain a dynamic and strong part if the student newspaper. Friends joked that my role as editor would mean a futon would be erected in the office in my honour, and that my ‘work/life balance’ would no longer be outweighed by ‘life’, but become unbalanced. Indeed time spent within a society is trickery, and suddenly six hours feels like two. Yet within this great time warp, locked away in the basement of the Guild, a skill is developed quite acutely within all it’s members: determination. Perhaps this is where and why great friendships have been fostered, and why, if a society has such a strong common value, then it will succeed. I have great hopes for the next generation of Redbrickers. Despite my envy at your continuation, Redbrick will benefit yet again from a fresh set of minds working to inform and entertain the student body. The friends I have made, and the experiences gained are invaluable. So as one chapter closes, a new one opens. Love and luck to all, and my most gracious thanks.
Redbrick
Bauer bites back
In the aftermath of his Guild election win, Edd Bauer lamented a certain Redbrick article for making him look like a 'cult nutter'. Now, the VPEA-elect speaks exclusively to the writer of that original piece, Joe Jervis
'I wish I could say I've made a lot of friends, like, but I haven't' – Edd Bauer
E
dd Bauer's election as Vice President for Education at the Guild of Students crowned an eventful year for the seasoned activist from Farnborough. His outspoken manner, his dedication to the Guild of Students and his involvement in numerous political demonstrations has gained the Geography student a reputation as one of the most influential, colourful and controversial characters on campus. Not that he likes to admit it, of course, as shown by his reaction to a recent Redbrick article which alluded to his 'dedicated socialist following.' 'It made me look like a cult nutter,' he complained. With an election win under his belt, Bauer appears relaxed, yet at the same time enthusiastic at the thought of another year of student activism and the chance to shape new policies within the Guild. Bauer is at his most passionate when discussing the mechanics of the Guild. The 22 year old is critical of the 'paradigm shift in the way the student union thinks' over the past few years. He claims that 'the Guild has increasingly be-
come a consumer pressure group for students… a thinktank, which is wrong.' The Guild is becoming 'increasingly polite to gain seats around the table and it needs to be less inward looking and instead look to empower more students to defend their education,' says the incoming VPE. I asked Bauer how he would overcome the difficulties of involving more of the student body in the seemingly inclusive Guild process as others have had limited success. He envisages more 'lecture shouts' and blogging to make the guild a 'campaigning, democratic organisation.' The activist also emphasised the need to unite students from all the city's universities through a Birmingham Student Assembly at a time when Birmingham 'has the youngest population in Europe which is being hit by the largest council cuts in Britain and has the highest youth unemployment.' Bauer has recently criticised the handling of the recent referendum on whether the Guild should support UCU action. The wording heavily favoured a 'no' vote, he
Sven Richardson
claimed. Furthermore, Bauer stated that he had contacted the local UCU branch and believes there were no plans to put into practice the plans which were suggested on the ballot paper. Bauer suggested that the Guild were most inclined to 'appease the University' with which 'relations were of greater importance.' At the time, Bauer blogged about the 'poorly conducted' referendum, attacking certain individuals on the Board of Trustees for failing to remain neutral. I questioned whether he felt it may be better not to alienate individuals with whom he would have to work. Whilst admitting that he does often 'take a hard line', Bauer assured that he would be doing all he could to make friends with the current sabbatical team. However, he also emphasised that it was more important to say what you believe in order to gain support rather than to make friends in order for them to back your policies regardless. Bauer deems this an important aspect of his previous nonSabb role as Environmental and
Ethical Officer. During this role, the physical geography student organised the 'largest climate change week in the country' and formed a food committee. In his new role he looks forward to carrying on similar work by bringing in 'food coops' as seen at the Universities of Warwick and St. Andrews in which the Guild would purchase communal, fair trade or organic foods at minimal costs per week for students. Bauer's political activism moves far beyond the realms of the University. As an active member of National Campaign against Fees and Cuts he has played a role in ensuring unity between local branches. He is now looking forward to 'the most defining moment of the year' on June 30th when over 600,000 public sector workers are expected to march against cuts. This follows the March for the Alternative demonstration organised by the TUC on March 26th, one of many days of occupationbased drama for Bauer who was one of the 145 Uncut members arrested whilst protesting against tax avoidance at Fortnum and Mason. Bauer is highly critical of the authorities for the way they handled the situation. 'The videos show us all just sitting around. "Aggravated trespass" is always the charge as there is an assumption that you have gone in there to cause damage. It's a case of, "we've got them there, we've got the data to stand up in front of Parliament the next day"'. I questioned whether certain activism as seen on March 26th and more potently on November 10th last year was damaging the image of the campaign and of young people. Bauer appeared unperturbed arguing that 'a few broken windows' was nothing compared to the effects the EMA and higher education cuts were making on the life of a 16 year old whose parents were at the same time losing their benefits. The notoriety of Bauer's political activities was evident on the day of the Royal Wedding. Bauer was awoken at 8am by a police officer who warned him to stay clear of London. I asked him if he felt he had gained a significant reputation in certain circles. 'Not really,' he replied unconvincingly, 'I think the counter-terrorism unit have got a massive budget but not much to do with it.' His tales of arrests, political activism and guild lobbying left me to ponder one final question, 'how on earth does this guy manage a degree?!'
President of the Guild of Students, Dora Meredith, commented: 'With regards to the views expressed in this piece, I would like to make several clarifications and observations. The Referendum results were approved by Guild Council, the democratic voice of students at Birmingham, on 14th June. Prior to this legal advice was obtained, and the NUS deemed the process
to be fair. The Guild is here to represent the student body at Birmingham. It is vital that in doing this we listen to the views of the majority of students, and not just a vocal minority. Whilst we appreciate that for some, the Guild is not radical enough, for others the Guild’s actions can sometimes ap-
pear representative of a few. I would also like to speak openly and acknowledge, that the Guild does value its relationship as a critical friend of the university, and that a seat on the table is vital if we are to able to represent student views effectively and exert our influence on those policies which directly affect Birmingham
students. Some approaches will no doubt isolate the Guild and impede our ability to drive change, and I urge next year’s team to consider this. And, finally, there are seven Sabbatical Officers. Next year’s team should and will be viewed and judged as the sum of its parts, rather than on the views and actions of individuals.'
Redbrick
Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann, Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy
17th June 2011
www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Comment & Features 7
Grade based admissions shut out potential high achievers Data obtained from the University shows that some high achievers weren't always that way, and stiffening entry requirements are about to cut them out Seb Mann
Comment and Features Editor
When they were introduced in 1951 to feed a demand for increased subject specialism, there were only two grades achievable at A-level: pass or fail. Today, close to 100 per cent of A-levels sat are passed, with 35 per cent of those graded at A or above. On top of this, the demand for university places in 2011 outstrips supply by thousands. The task faced by university admissions tutors is unenviable. But as entry requirements for popular courses are stiffened to cope with excessive demand and make the jobs of admissions tutors more surmountable, students capable of high achievement at degree level are likely being shut out before they even get a chance. Data from individuals who graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2009 in a variety of courses suggests that poorer academic performance at A-level isn't always an indicator of sub-standard undergraduate potential. In 2009, for example, 82 per cent of BSc Economics students who had come to Birmingham with AAB, ABB or AAC at A-level went on to achieve 2.1s or above. Perhaps surprisingly, this was only 7 per cent less than the 89 per cent of BSc Economics students with three As who achieved 2.1s or above.
It's a similar story with BSc Psychology. Two years ago, 78 per cent of the students with BBB, BBC or equivalent at A-level graduated with 2.1s or firsts, whereas only 9 per cent more (87 per cent) of the students who achieved AAB, ABB or equivalent managed 2.1s or firsts. There's nothing too striking about the fact that a marginally greater amount of those who were higher achievers at A-level graduated with 2.1s or above in these subjects. What is surprising, though, is that less A-level success, for these subjects at least, doesn't mean a student is significantly less able to succeed at undergraduate level – and there could be any number of reasons for this. (It is well publicised, for example, that the achievement gap between girls and boys closes drastically from GCSE to A-level. Individuals, it seems, develop academically according to no general rule.) Despite all this, the University of Birmingham asks for three As or AAB for both their Economics and Psychology courses, and with a 10 to 1 and 8 to 1 applicant to place ratio you can bet your student loan those without the grades aren't getting a look in. As well as confirming that it was 'unlikely' a student with Bs would now be offered a place on a popular course like Psychology
'The harsher entry requirements become, the fewer students who are capable and likely from less privileged backgrounds stand a chance in the world of elite higher education'
(despite the fact they're probably capable), Deputy Director of Admissions at the University of Birmingham, Helen Johnson, stressed that high entry requirements were necessary because courses here are 'demanding and competitive'. Alevel grades are 'the starting point' and most important factor for undergraduate applications. Universities are, of course, sensible to use A-level achievement as the strongest determinant of academic aptitude; it points to trends and ensures that universities select mostly capable students. But this does not mean that it is fair or exhaustive. Only in a world characterised by strict equality of opportunity would it be so. And although it may make broad economic sense, a tiered education system where parents can pay for their children's academic success is a demonstrative example of society's failure to embody this. At present, 40 per cent of Oxford University students come from the independent school sector (that is, private schools) even though this sector accounts for only 18 per cent of 16 to 19 year olds – if you wanted more than prima facie proof that society doesn't exhibit equality of opportunity that scary statistic should do it. Thus, the harsher entry requirements become, the fewer students who are capable (i.e. the 78 per cent of Psychology
students who got Bs and Cs instead of As and Bs yet still managed 2.1s or firsts) and likely from less privileged backgrounds stand a chance in the world of elite higher education. This data is not conclusive. BA English students at the University of Birmingham, for example, obtained degree classifications which could have been roughly predicted by their A-level achievement. But what it does indicate is that a predominant focus on A-level success is not always enough. An interview process may be costly and timeconsuming but it would allow admissions tutors more of a chance to pick up on raw talent unexamined by A-levels (which, it seems, can come to fruition at undergraduate level). Similarly, a system which took into account more thoroughly the background of each applicant would stand more chance of eking out potential which has been left untapped because of adverse circumstances. A few years ago, students who under-achieved (by today's standards) in their A-levels were awarded places at the University of Birmingham and went on to become high achievers; today these 'under-achievers' wouldn't even get a look in, despite their unexamined potential. Now is not the time to decry positive discrimination; something must be done.
The New College of Gimmicks and the Humanities fails to provide higher education with the change it dearly needs
Owen Earwicker
Comment and Features Online Editor
The nineteenth century historian Jacob Burkhardt said that the Renaissance of the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries comprised a 'discovery of the world and of man'. This discovery of 'man' primarily meant investigating the 'cult of the individual', in which the human condition was academically explored through what was described as the 'studia humanitatis': in modern diction, the humanities. Previously, the faculties of the European universities had studied the law, medicine and, thought of as the height of intellectual study, theology. But the Renaissance revived the arts of philosophy, literature, history, rhetoric and logic, to their academic status as vital fields of study for human self-awareness. Now, the humanities are lessfavoured. The recent reforms to higher-education funding has high-
A message from A. C. Grayling: 'The humanities provide personal enrichment, intellectual training, breadth of vision, and the well-informed, sharply questioning cast of mind needed for success in this complex and competitive world.' lighted how the arts will be worst affected as the cuts and fee-rises kick in. Science is still the driving force of our economy and industry; the government has made this quite plain. But a glimmer of hope has recently twinkled for the future of humanities. AC Grayling, a man who like Karl Marx understands the need for a philosopher
to have ridiculous hair, has sprung to the rescue. With secured funding from investors and a certified academic A-list of professors, Grayling is setting up the New College of the Humanities in fashionable Bloomsbury, London. Though not a university, the private college will offer degrees in law, history, English literature, philosophy and economics. Surely this is the answer to those worried Guardian readers up and down the country concerned with the future of the arts? Not only will there be one-to-one tutorials in the New College, students will have to take a compulsory diploma with modules in science for non-scientists, logic, critical thinking and professional skills. It's a two-pronged attack on ignorance, educating students in a holistic approach to reason and rationality. Before you know it, this institution will be churning out a new generation of Renaissance men and women. The worries about the future of the arts under Mr Osborne's onesize-fits-all approach to cuts are going to be eased by Grayling and his hair. Someone with this level of concern is surely equally worried about social mobility and the potential market of arts courses which will be inevitably created. Or not. One-to-one tutorials, location in Bloomsbury and Richard Dawkins cost money, not to mention hair products. Fees at the New College will be £18,000 per year. The glimmer of hope has been shown to be merely the reflection of money in Grayling's eyes. But is this an obvious conclusion to jump to for the stereotypical leftist student?
The Renaissance, like many events of historical significance in the early modern era, was carried by the printing press. This in turn filtered literacy across society, away from the educated elite in the Church and royal courts. While all levels of society may not have been able to study the humanities academically at that time, we now live in an age where it is possible for anyone, providing they have the drive and work ethic, to go to university. Even with the fee rises, loans will still be offered and will not have to be paid back until you are earning over £21,000. Granted the students starting in 2012 will be in debt for longer, but when weighed up with the value of a university education, this should not be viewed as a barrier to it. £18,000, however, is a barrier. But fundamentally this is not about the future of arts, although it ought to be. Grayling is experimenting with an American-style modal to find a solution to the higher education debate. The high fees could enable the College to provide significant bursaries, and as a private institution, it will set a precedent which Oxford and Cambridge may need to follow in order to survive government intervention. The step towards private universities provides a mixed bag; it could easily create real barricades to social mobility, but simultaneously it could bring value back to the degree which has been so heavily undermined in recent years by the sheer volume of people taking them. The problem is Grayling has gone the wrong way about it. It's hard to see how getting big names to teach at a small college in a fash-
ionable part of London, is not all an act play down the fees. The fact is the type of people on the professoriate of the College hold prestigious chairs all over the world; how will they find time to properly teach at the New College of the Humanities? A higher education institution has to spend years developing a reputation of quality and excellence; A-list academics are not a substitute for this. No doubt a new model for higher education is needed, but it should be experimented within the existing system, not with gimmicks.
The New College of the Humanities offers: 8 degree options which are taken from 5 topic areas: law, economics, history, literature and philosophy A professoriate including Simon Blackburn, A C Grayling and Niall Ferguson £18,000 a year fees with some means tested scholarships being offered, reducing fees by up to two-thirds
8 Comment & Features
17th June 2011
www.redbrickonline.co.uk
Redbrick
Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann, Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy
Spotlight on campus tribes
An irreverent look at university clans
The Rahs You know this tribe very well indeed, and although Birmingham is less divisive than Exeter or Bristol, one of the first distinctions made upon arriving at university is the unconscious labelling of oneself as 'Rah' or perhaps more vehemently, 'AntiRah'. The sartorial signals emitted by the Rah tribe are a highly developed example of class consciousness, otherwise known as stick-to-yourown-kind-or-yourBlackberry-mightget-nicked. The Rah may be found in any number of spots, having the greatest mobility of all four tribes (a Mini Cooper), however, enter the dark enclaves of the Cannon Street
The Lefties This rather elusive section of politically astute students are a rare breed, often to be found loitering in quiet sections of the library, heads bowed together in deep discussion. More likely art students, in particular Political Science – their interjections in lectures and seminars are vocal and vehemently left wing to the extent that they are often heard addressing one another as 'comrade.' It is a given that this tribe are particularly dismissive of those with sympathies toward market led economies, capitalism or any notion of entrepreneurship. Voldemort Thatcher and all policy decisions made during her tenure provide a basis for much anger and frustration and are regularly cited to be the epitome of all evil in the world. Peers tend to avoid sug-
Illustrations by Elin Stone Written by Ali Hendy & Amanda Callaghan branch of Jack Wills and be sure to see groups of males in expensive polo shirts lettered with sports teams (who knew Lacrosse was so widely played or supported?) and females in padded gilets, with hair that redefines the meaning of 'sideparting' and 'ozone depletion.' Both sexes are most likely to be discussing an impending yacht holiday (seminar attendance is non-compulsory when nepotism and inheritance are freely available) and engaging in a post-game-analysis of the previous night out, 'Yah, it was so sick! Tobes strawpedoed a bottle of wine and we were skanking all night in this totally sick club.' See the
'Rah' on a night out and you will hear the clink of heavily charmed Pandora bracelets-'standard'-and the sound of Frosty Jacks being chinned-'good shout!' The drink of the poor people they seek to avoid (see also: joggers as day wear) The 'Anti-Rah' is also easily identifiable in their favourite pursuit of glaring at rich kids, spitting on the pavement outside Hollister and jumping on any opportunity to grunt that the private education system is 'crap' and that their local comprehensive gave them so many 'life skills.'
gestion of any political affiliation that could be construed as 'right of centre' for fear of being reprimanded or, worse still, given a sneer or a look that implies 'bourgeois scum'.Lefties galvanised into action during the furore surrounding tuition fees earlier this year and many headed to London to protest on the front lines against the agreed rises. Fellow politically active students joining in with the
the antithesis of the plight of the Lefties so dress sense tends to be casual and effortless; Che Geveura T-shirts and charity shop jumpers forming the basic uniform. Roll up ciga-rettes , though often smoked, are not a requirement of the 'look.' More essential to a convincing Leftie is a facial expression inferring a well-read intellectual awareness that intimidates the more mediocre student. Regardless of political stance many of us looked on in awe and excitement as a select few hardcore Lefties boldly managed to occupy the Aston Webb building in November to protest against tuition fee rises. Such an audacious feat arguably makes this tribe of students a favourite amongst campus clans.
The Lads
The 'Lad' is the most inclusive tribe of all. Anyone is able to identify as a Lad, as long as they fit the specification of a) being male (because of course 'girls have no chat') and b) being able to remember a few key phrases to shout at other members of the tribe ('TELL HER') whilst downing a pint of something (literally, anything). The 'Lad' often arrives at university as a kind and caring, shy and unsure ladling, before being inducted into a coven of older, fully-formed lads: the sports team. After one night of being strongly cajouled and essentially
The Coolkids
demonstrations either in the city or on campus often felt a nagging sense that they weren't doing quite enough for the cause in comparison. As fashion and consumerism are
forced to drink fish eyeballs and menstrual blood (the worst thing that can happen to the 'Lad' is to fail to meet the expectations of his mates – 'don't hit your vagina on the way out'), the 'Lad', much like the cycle of abuse, is ready to be unleashed on the next generation of ladlings. Thus, the 'Lad' can often be identified as that douchebag that shouted 'neck it freshpants' to you all freshers' week. There are two subdivisions of the 'Lad', the first type spends all day in the gym and all night puking up someone else's piss (more sports initiation banter) and engaging in a number of 'nail and bails'. The second type is identified by his presence in packs of other lads, and a lifelong pursuit to say things which will make the other members shout 'Yes Wheelsy/Kenno/ Pervy Will! Good lad.' This 'Lad' is often keen to 'destroy' people ('I'd smash her back doors in') but, when alone, likes to engage in stories of childhood holidays to Center Parcs and sit down quietly to watch Freaky Friday with his mother – whom incidentally he sensitively dotes upon. Just got published in Redbrick. LAD.
It goes without saying these members of the university campus are the trendiest of all clans looked at. Their fashion sense (arguably) rivals all other university students. Donned in the latest expensive and oh so original Urban Outfitters-come-American Apparel attire they are to be found en-masse looking incredibly, how else could we describe it, 'cool?' Facebook profile pictures change on a weekly basis coinciding with the latest delivery to the I-phone photography app stores – new age fun with a vintage feel! Jewellery taste is second to none with an appreciation for all things 'retro' and gaudy. Gameboys on necklaces are a must, as are spectacles without the lenses. The Coolkids do not enjoy the average Gatecrasher or Fab 'n' Fresh night out. In fact, if they are discovered in the Guild of Students they tend to shy away from any form of eye
contact for fear of being associated with such a non-exclusive venue. Coolkids can be discovered on nights out seperate from the rest of the student population to reinstate their individuality and dignified sense of self worth – possibly narcissistic art galleries or edgy gigs. Ironically for them, Coolkids tend to dress remarkably similarly to one another so when found in pairs or as part as a group it can be hard to distinguish exactly who is
coolest of the Coolkids. In general though, the individual wearing the most distinctive or ludicrous attire, holding the chunkiest vintage camera or listening to the least mainstream music can be identified as the most individual Coolkid. Androgynous haircuts including quiffs with shaved sides are commonplace. Invariably, Coolkids were the children at school that sat in class without any friends – wishing for popularity so we can only suggest with happy relief that these hipsters have finally found their niche at university.
Redbrick
Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann, Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy
Comment & Features 9
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Doctor who? The dangers of alternative medicine Caroline Mortimer reflects upon the lucrative, unrestricted and potentially harmful alternative medicine industry rife in the United Kingdom – proposing its removal in favour of a more regulated system. Britain is regarded as having one of the most sophisticated healthcare systems in the world. Every single person is entitled to comprehensive healthcare from the cradle to the grave and although it has its share of problems it can promise to provide safe and effective treatment. It may therefore come as a surprise to most people that the unproven and unregulated private alternative medicines market is worth £210m, and one in five British adults are said to be consumers. Despite the actual proven medicinal merits of most alternative treatments remaining elusive, a powerful industry has grown around it. The only scrutiny this industry has undergone has been through the work of Dr Edzard Ernst, the only Professor of Complementary Medicine in the world, at the University of Exeter. Dr Ernst has spent the past 18 years relentlessly studying all forms of alternative medicines, publishing his results in over 700 papers and found 95% have no effect other than as a mild placebo and some even do more harm than good. However, his retirement on 29th May sees the closure of his small department and little hope of his studies being continued by another university. Funding has always been tight as traditional medical research organisations saw little benefit to the research, and the private companies producing the medicines were increasingly unwilling to participate as the negative results mounted. However his research is as vital as a proven scientific bulwark against the scurrilous claims of this private and unregulated industry. There have been repeated calls from Dr Ernst and publications like The Economist calling for scientific and advertising watchdogs to monitor the industry and the
claims it makes to cure its patients. The power of alternative medicine as a complement and even a replacement for conventional medicine lies in its clever marketing as 'wholesome', 'natural' and being derived from 'ancient wisdom'. Clever marking of herbal remedies and pointless supplement with earthy packaging and homespun advertising campaigns has constructed an image of alternative medicines as superior to anything that can be mechanically produced using nasty chemicals in a lab. The link between 'organic' and 'good' has been assumed for years but there is absolutely no clinical proof to suggest that this is the case. Why would you choose to take something that is natural but unknown over something that has gone through countless rigorous tests to prove that its safe and
The private health market cannot be allowed to exploit poor health based on speculation and a clever marketing campaign. effective for public use? Apricot seeds (widely touted as the ultimate 'natural' cure for cancer) are 'natural' but contain low levels of arsenic and if eaten in enough
quantities can actually kill or at least severely harm a person. As Dara O'Briain said of the claim that herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years 'yes, it has been around for thousands of years and what worked became medicine'. Dr Ernst's work cannot be discontinued. The private health market cannot be allowed to exploit poor health based on speculation and a clever marketing campaign. True, some remedies have been proved to hold some merit, like St John's Wort for depression and Acupuncture for nerve problems but they were tested by Dr Ernst. If we regulate what we know works, it should become part of conventional medicine; what doesn't should not be regarded as 'alternative', instead it should be consigned to the rubbish bin in which it belongs.
Coping with grief: a personal reflection Laura Megatli Commentator
Many things can be achieved in five hours. You could paint a wall and watch it dry. You could watch half of The Lord of the Rings trilogy or ten episodes of Friends. If you are anything like my friend Rosie, you can be halfway through getting ready for a night out. You could even fly to Finland or Cyprus in that amount of time. And yet in this fast paced society the fact that an Islamic funeral could be planned and carried out in five hours still managed to surprise me. A few weeks ago when I found myself faced with this shotgunfuneral my initial reaction was that it was happening too fast and it wouldn't give me time to say goodbye to my Grandad. In hindsight, the timing of the funeral meant that there was no time to sit around and wait. In England the funeral is often a week or two after the death which leaves the family sitting round a lot of the time twiddling their thumbs and wishing they had a wall of paint to watch dry. You may assume that due to the restricted time frame, details can get rushed or over
looked but that's not the case. In Algeria, there was a great sense of community as everyone pulled together to make it work. Cousins were ringing friends and family, while an uncle dealt with paperwork, another cousin went to the cemetery where a group of perfect strangers helped to dig the grave. And when my Grandad's body was transported from the house to the cemetery members of the village joined in the funeral procession and took turns to carry the body as they walked the two kilometres. For me, the hardest part of my Grandad's funeral was that fact that being a woman meant I couldn't go. For most readers this may seem weird. To be perfectly honest I was not initially happy that neither me, my Grandmother nor my Aunties could go to the burial and yet members of the village that didn't really know him could go. But when the time came for the men to leave for the burial I was more at peace with the tradition. I had seen my Grandad and kissed him one last time. I felt as though I didn't need to attend the burial to say my goodbyes to him. As Mary Elizabeth Frye says 'Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.' Even mourning itself is an odd idea. While the funeral is the deceased's last goodbye it can also be quite therapeutic to the mourners as a means of getting closure. If anything, at funerals, we should be celebrating the individual's life and what they achieved. Instead, we are overcome with this somewhat selfish emotion by which we want them to stay. We seem to no longer care about the individual, we merely want them back for our own selfish means. We cry because we are never going to see them again not because they are gone. We cry because we miss them. As my uncle once remarked 'Death is a part of life.' However morbid this statement may seem there is no denying its truth. In a way our funeral is our parting stamp on the world, our 'famous' last words if you will. Recently my Granny was discussing her song choices for her own 'farewell'. 'Anything by Cliff Richard to lead everyone in, Somewhere Over the Rainbow in the middle and to lead everyone out I'd like Tina Turner's Simply the Best.' Her reasoning behind the song choice: 'everyone will be feeling
quite down so I just want them to leave with a smile on their faces.' The words of a truly selfless woman.
How do you solve a problem like... Forgiveness? Anonymous
This column is often quite funny, tongue-in-cheek, and has the opportunity for its weekly writer to be sarcastic and satirical. This week, however, I'm writing from a rather more serious standpoint. The position of a... I don't want to say victim, but I suppose that's sort of what I am. Not so long ago a very close friend of mine came up with the perverted, deceptive and utterly humiliating idea of secretly filming me whilst I was showering. The overwhelming range of emotions I experienced upon happening to discover the seedily-positioned videophone – confusion, shock, betrayal, physical sickness, fear and, most ridiculously of all, embarrassment – was simply my natural reaction to what was such a degrading and insulting act by my so-called 'friend'. Despite the very real fact that this 'voyeurism' is a crime under the Sexual Offences Act, it goes without saying that any respectful person would automatically, and without deliberating, deem this as wrong. But what do you do when the 'criminal' in question is someone you would any other day have described as one of your best friends? In no way was this undertaken as a joke – I was never meant to find out, and the perpetrator was never going to tell me he owned an extremely personal and incredibly private piece of footage of me, filmed entirely without my consent. For this reason alone, the ability to move on – delete all evidence and recollection of the incident as though it were just your run-of-the-mill 'frape' – is much harder than you, or even I, may have thought. What complicates the notion of forgiveness is the very subjectivity of the word itself, and of the most important word it's usually coupled with – sorry. Can you ever really know if someone's sorry? Flowers don't make up for anything, an awkward conversation and a few ignored texts are not enough to make water come gushing under the proverbial bridge. And if you can't truly believe that someone is sorry, or even more pedantically, that they aren't sorry enough, then you can never really forgive them. Do I remain firm in my anger and frustration, even when others have dealt with it and moved on with him? Or pretend to have forgotten and forgiven him? On top of this, I'm also forced to deal with a slight, incongruous feeling of guilt. Can I be assured this was simply a failing of judgment as opposed to a deep-rooted and worrying problem? Forgiveness is not a problem that's easy to solve and the sick video itself will not be removed from my memory as quickly as it was from his phone's. To the anonymous addressee of this article, the only fitting expression is that concerning time – in our case it is probably the only healer.
10 Editorial
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick Editorials Samuel Lear Editor
An editor has the right to fear a lot of things: printing libel, pages going missing, mutiny from colleagues, and irreparable disputes with the Guild hierachy – yet I can honestly say, that writing an editorial trumps all of the above. Reflecting on a year that has only just come to an end is almost ineffectual, as time is the only true test and measure of the long-term success of any particular team. Like me, my successor and friend, Glen Moutrie, might find challenges that he never thought he would have to face, but should find that despite adversity – insofar as one is surrounded with creative people, progressive change is always obtainable. Over the eighteen months that I have been a part of Redbrick, there have been seismic events that have shaped both the grander context of University life, as well as the newspaper internally. These include the rise in student activism, the expositions of Britannia, Falcon, and Rooms4Every1, and the Prime Ministerial Debate, which has probably been one of the most invigorating days of my life. My decision, as a nervous fresher, to throw myself wholeheartedly into the society was largely down to my inspirational predecessor, Nick Petrie, who can take full credit in instilling the 'Redbrick bug' in me. He led a series of radical changes that included establishing an email system, a website, smart-
phone apps, and the re-emergence of hard-hitting investigative journalism – a programme that is admirable for a year's work, and was a crucial initiation of dragging the paper into the 21st century. In his final editorial of last year, he said, quite accurately, that 'Redbrick… has been an adventure in the truest sense of the word; there have been risks, uncertain outcomes and failures, yet these have only served to enhance our successes.' Taking up the mantle left by him has been daunting, but together, my team of Victoria Shires, Sam Langtree, Micaela Winter, and Tom Walters, to whom I shall be eternally grateful, have sought to consolidate last year's successes, amend failures, as well as push through our own long-term objectives. I could not have wished for a better team, and they are friends for life. The redesign of the print edition and the new website are two of the most obvious changes, which in my view, went a long way to completing Redbrick's transitional phase. It has been the task of this year, and will be of the next, to innovate and explore the endless possibilities that have been offered by these two platforms. Another crucial objective was to make Redbrick a friendlier face – seeking to be more open, and inclusive. We have much further to go, but the willingness to collaborate with our fellow societies has led to more enriching, and fulfill-
The Redbrick Crossword
ing projects together. Internally, we have opened up more editorial positions – almost doubling the team, and have looked to utilise all online tools such as the website, twitter, and facebook, in attempt to engage with as many of you as possible. There have also been more socials, workshops, and presentations which have gone some way to achieve our objective of widening participation. My wonderful team of section editors, EAs (both in print and online), proofreaders, writers, and photographers - sadly, too many to list here, have shattered the proverbial glass roof with their efforts, and professionalism. Whether it is live-blogging, storify-blogging, podcasting, video content, online maps, stats, polls, and bitesized articles... interviews, special features - the list is endless. It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with them. Thanks must also be extended to the helpful Guild staff, who I am not permitted to name - but they know who they are. The Sabbatical team have also been a pleasure, (and a challenge) to work with, particularly Matt Lamb, who has always made time for Redbrick, and has represented us when we have needed it the most. With that, I shall leave you with a parting quote a previous Prime Minister: 'I wish everyone, friend or foe, well and that is that, the end.' It has been a pleasure, and an honour.
Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor
The prize for this final issue is a £15 Waterstones Gift Card! Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office by 21/06/11. (Redbrick Office located in the basement of the Guild)
=1_2_3_=4_5_6 =_=_=_==_=_=_ 7_____=8_____ =_=_=_==_=_=_ 9___=0_a_____ =_=_=_=_==_=_ =bc______d_e= f=_==_=_=_=_= g___h___=i___ _=_=_==_=_=_= j_____=k_____ _=_=_==_=_=_= l____=m_____= Across
1. Allow; receive (6) 4/15. Christian prayer, whose title means "Lord have mercy" (5, 7) 7. German prisoner-of-war camp (6) 8. "I've a feeling we're not in ______ any more" – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz 9. Retain; strong tower (4) 10. Near, next (8) 12. Pastry dessert filled with whipped cream (11) 17. Aural waterway? (3, 5)
19. Clairvoyant, oracle (4) 20. Suave, debonair (6) 21. Lubricant; 1971 musical (6) 22. Doorway (5) 23. Behind (nautical) (6)
Down
1. Belgian city (7) 2. Mythological nymph; style of music (7) 3. Play by George Bernard Shaw which was the basis for My Fair Lady (9) 4. Eucalyptus eater (5)
5. Bertrand _______, mathematician and philosopher (7) 6. Artificial, substitute (6) 11. The average British man (3, 6) 13. Welsh _______, cheese on toast (7) 14. Lewd, filthy (7) 15. See 4 across 16. Waste; decline (6) 18. Irritate (5)
Last issue's solution: bellow=rhesus u=a=t=r=a=i=u sumatra=inlet t=p=o=b=k=i=u epsom=bouncer r===a=i===o=e =gwenstefani= p=a===s=i===w earmuff=sushi g=r=l=o=h=e=l least=overall e=n=r=t=y=r=i gotham=census Keep up to date with the University Waterstones branch via social media! Twitter: @waterstonesUoB Facebook: WaterstonesUoB
Apologies: The Guild would like to apologise to Sophie Bryant, whose article in last issue's 'diversity supplement', was incorrectly accredited to Nina Paul
Redbrick Victoria Shires Deputy Editor
There are lots of things to consider when writing one's final editorial so when finally confronted with this inevitability, I looked back to Steve Jobs' 2005 Commencement speech at Stanford University; the co-founder and CEO of Apple manages to perfect emotion and inspiration and led me to consider how with hindsight, we can connect the dots of our lives to see how the things we originally thought of as setbacks have propelled us to where we are meant to be today. In first year, my father presented me with an unmissable opportunity. He had fixed a Guardian reporter's car and as a result, was able to offer me an indispensable email address. I was immediately unsure what to do with it but after days of questioning myself – and severely undermining my confidence – I emailed that reporter and as a result, landed myself a week's work experience. If I hadn't conjured up the guts to email the reporter that day, I would not be writing this now and my adoration for journalism would not have been confirmed. Another setback in confidence in second year saw me cross my name off of the Editorial Assistant interview list for Redbrick, before re-writing, re-crossing and eventually re-writing it again. This hindrance could have led to me not even interviewing for that position, let alone interviewing successfully. My lack of involvement would have disallowed me to progress onto the Deputy Editor role and as a result, it is deniable that I would be so certain of what I want to do with my life after graduation. Redbrick is a magnificent soSam Langtree Deputy Editor
I started Redbrick two years ago as Arts editor. Last year I became Deputy Editor. Through these roles I have characterised my time at Birmingham with some amazing memories, but I remain incredibly grateful and slightly surprised that I have been fortunate enough to progress this far in the realm of student journalism. This paper is charmingly small in its operation, earnestly efficient and remarkably professional. I still find myself amazed at how a small team of individuals manage to, on a weekly basis, produce a 28 page newspaper full of creative and intuitive journalism which at times appears indistinguishable from broadsheet heavy weights. That these Redbrick editors and contributors are willing to put so much effort and energy into the paper, finding time between their degrees, jobs and active student social lives has allowed for the continued growth and maturation of this society. I would like to think I have a been a part of this growth, but my biggest aim within Redbrick has been to provide support and assistance to the editors and writers of all sections. I would like to think I have been able to achieve this, helping to create a comfortable yet focused work environment. Although my passion has always been within writing, the editorial experience I have gained from Redbrick is something I will use for the rest of my life. There are of course further places that Redbrick can be taken to; this year we have seen it begin to spread out from Redbrick: the student paper (or rag), into Redbrick: a news, information and media outlet. The new team are
ciety and most importantly, student publication. Determined to continually improve and innovate, all of those involved with the paper work daily to provide a platform and opportunity for student voices. I would like to say thank you to all of those who have made my time at Redbrick an incredible and inspiring experience. Exceptional thanks go to the Proof-Readers whose final editorials I have every faith in reading in a few years' time... But doing something you love has to be done with people you love and it is now that I should like to especially thank some of the great friends who Redbrick has allowed me to make. Micaela Winter, my co-female ally in the committee, your outstanding generosity has saved my sanity on many a Thursday morning. Likewise, Rosa McMahon, thank you for sharing this experience with me. We were in it together from the start and I'm proud to see how far both of us have come from that first Features meeting back in 2009. And finally, to my Editor Sam, to whom I should thank for tolerating my mood swings, encouraging my creativity and remedying my passion (also known as stress...). You have been so hard working and enlivening this past year, and your enthusiasm and ambition for the paper is true sentiment to its visible excellence. Never afraid to push the boundaries, you have propelled Redbrick to be more professional and sophisticated than it has been before and your abilities in inspiring those around you will allow for the paper to flourish in all of our absences next year. In the words of the Matilda Soundtrack (eh Sam!) I shall say 'send me on my way...'. more than fully capable of doing this job with the same passion and enthusiasm that Samuel Lear, Victoria Shires, myself and the rest of the editorial posse have attempted to implement. I wish the best of the luck to mine and Vicky’s successors, James Phillips and Victoria Bull, who aside from both being charming individuals, both possess the dexterity and brilliance to take Redbrick to a new level of awesome next year. Personal thanks this year goes to those who worked hard to support and back me up, giving me the confidence to perform my duties: James Phillips, Alex Blanchard, Helen Crane, Edwina Moorhouse, Tom Walters, Seb Mann, Rosa McMahon, Victoria Bull, Matt Lamb and Beth Richardson. On top of these individuals I would like to thank the proofreaders and editorial assistants who all have worked tirelessly with the daunting task of keeping the paper as grammatically correct as possible. Finally I would like to say thank you to Samuel Lear who has been a charismatic and passionate editor and has put in more blood and sweat into Redbrick than anyone else I've come across. I now, like many other Redbrick alumni, have the confidence, (maybe it’s just narcissism) to think that I can try my hand at journalism on a professional level. To actually earn money from what has, for two years, been simply a joyful pastime is maybe further proof of egomania, but it is through my experiences with Redbrick which have given me the ambition and grit to try and actually path out a career in this ever-shrinking, overly competitive field of work. For that, I can give Redbrick no higher praise.
Community
Moving out of student housing? Dear Student Residents, It is coming to that time of year when you and your housemates will be thinking about moving out of your rented property, and there is an awful lot for you to be thinking about, such as managing the clean up and sorting out your bills. As your exams end, your housing contract may also be ending too, therefore you will want to make sure you can get your deposit back. You need to start preparing a few weeks before your tenancy ends. Don’t leave all the cleaning until the day before, as you won’t have time! The landlord can keep the deposit to cover the cost of: • • • •
Damage you have caused Cleaning Replacing keys or locks Outstanding rent/bills
If you have an Assured Shorthold Tenancy your landlord or agent must protect your deposit by paying it into a government authorised tenancy deposit scheme (TDS). This will ensure that you get your deposit back when you are entitled to and that any disputes which do arise about the deposit are easier to resolve. You should have received this information at the start of your tenancy (within 14 days of paying your deposit your landlord or agent should have provided you with details of how they will be protecting your deposit including: contact details of the TDS & the landlord or agent, information on how to apply for release of the deposit, the purpose of the deposit and what to do if there is a dispute). If this information is not provided you should ask your landlord or agent. The three tenancy deposit protection schemes are - Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). It is important that your deposit is protected in one of these schemes, if not your landlord is breaking the law. The deposit protection scheme is in place to allow you a fair and proper appeal if your landlord wants to charge you for deductions you feel are not your responsibility. This is how this happens…. 1. 2. 3.
Deposit Protection Service (DPS), MyDeposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) will write to you letting you know the deductions the landlord wishes to make to your deposit. This should happen before you move out of the property You then need to let the deposit protection scheme know if you disagree with the deductions (for example, if the landlord is charging for damage to the property created before you moved in) The scheme will then facilitate the next steps to make sure both you as tenants and the landlord are happy with the amount, if any, that is deducted from the deposit.
The point of the scheme is to make sure you receive the money you are entitled to. If your deposit is not returned by your landlord within 28 days or you are unsure of deadlines that may affect your claim please seek advice from the ARC for specific advice. thearc@guild.bham.ac.uk One last thing, of course it is the end of the academic year and naturally celebration is required! However, we have had a number of noise complaints in Selly Oak this year, and a number of alcohol related incidents. Please look after yourselves as the year draws to a close, and do remember that there are still a large number of permanent residents and families who are not celebrating the end of exams, have work and school in the morning, and do not need to know how good your kebab is! Thank you very much, if there is anything further I can help with please do not hesitate to get in touch on vphc@guild.bham.ac.uk. Have an amazing summer, and I wish graduates all the best for whatever lies ahead! Jonny Kirby Vice President (Housing & Community)
Top Tips on Moving Out… • • • • • • •
Check your contract & inventory for what you are responsible for. Clean the property to the state it was in when you moved in. Contact your service providers (gas, electricity, internet etc) to inform them you are moving out Pay all your rent; you can’t use your deposit to cover this. Arrange an end of tenancy inspection. Allocate responsibility for the above. Dispose of your waste – see the In Waste Deep advert in this newspaper to see when there will be extra collections in your road. Contact the Community Wardens for more information community@guild.bham.ac.uk
Protecting your deposit next year: If you are moving into a new house in September make sure that you complete an accurate inventory (including a record of pre-existing damage – signed & dated photos are great for this) the day you move in and get this signed by you and the landlord. Get a receipt for any deposit you put down.
12 redbrickpaper.co.uk
17th June 2011
Music Jukebox
Redbrick
Lil Wayne confesses to being a fan of Nirvana in his youth on MTV www.nme.com/news
Redbrick's best and worst festival moments
William Franklin Music Editor
Drake – Marvin's Room Whispering production comprised of limp-wristed thumps and little else provides the backing for this breathy R&B release from Drake. The lyrics take the form of a oneway drunk dial, with Drake's ex on the other line, who occasionally chips in with the accusatory, 'are you drunk right now?' as he clumsily tries to convince her otherwise. Friendly Fires – Helpless Friendly Fires' self-titled debut was one of those albums that came into my life precisely when I needed it. Consequently, any attempt at journalistic objectivity concerning their second album Pala is pretty much pointless. Nevertheless, album closer Helpless is worthy of anyone with an interest in undemanding electro's time. The whole album is more exotic, trading Paris for Pala, the fictional island in Aldous Huxley's novel, but that's not really evident here. All the track is actually concerned with is giving you the opportunity to repeatedly wail 'helpless' over a spine-tingling synth line. Cold USA
Cave
–
Underworld
The term 'epic' is overused in the less imaginative internet realms (well, all of them), but Cold Cave are truly deserving of the description. Every track from their sophomore record – Cherish the Light Years is a swift dose of towering theatrical pop. Underworld USA is a fine example, incorporating the evangelical zealotry of crusading to the band's repertoire of topics, which were otherwise mostly confined to 'not fitting in'. Active Child – Playing House (feat. How To Dress Well) It's been a year since Pat Grossi, aka Active Child released Curtis Lane, a radical-sounding amalgamation of electronica and hymnal harps bundled up in a six track EP. Returning with the same formula but considerably more polish, Playing House benefits from the guest vocals of Tom Krell of How To Dress Well, whose lusty, arrogant tones perfectly compliment Grossi's striking falsetto.
Contact us: music@rebrickonline.co.uk Twitter – @redbrickmusic Facebook – Redbrick Music
Super Furry Animals may be past their physical prime but they still rocked a medium-capacity stage at the relatively innocuous Wychwood Festival in the deep, dark depths of the West Country back in 2008. By this time, I was pretty familiar with the festival experience, though I started relatively late, but this was the first I'd attended alone. This was a lot less traumatic than it sounds, mostly because Wychwood was going on maybe a half hour bus ride from my house, but also because Super Furry Animals closed their set as they always do, with The Man Don't Give A F*ck. The crowning glory of Bestival 2010 for me would have been being pressed against the barrier for the entirety of Neon Indian's intimate set. I'd spent almost an entire year twitching at the slight-
est opportunity to see the master of synth live and he did not disappoint, so what could possibly have poisoned such a life-defining experience? How about catching the traditional drumstick as it was tossed into the crowd at the end of the set (it means I'm the next to get married or something) and having it unrighteously snatched from my hands by the girl next to me? As her twelve-foot, simian boyfriend looked on, daring me to say something? Maybe I'm exaggerating slightly, but still, none of the mud, the riots, criminally overpriced alcohol or any of the other typical tribulations of a festival-goer compared to the disappointment I felt that day. But I did see Jónsi a few hours later. William Franklin
Live reviews Noah and the Whale
Scroobius Pip and I have met twice. During Reading 2008, as an eager Year 11, I mistook him for Dan le Sac, before he walked on stage five minutes later and introduced himself. Embarrassed at mistaking the lyrical wizard, I vowed never to try and befriend musicians. In 2010, as (I hope) a more knowledgeable music fan, I was en route to Benicassim. This in itself was cause for jubilation. Our only mistake was entering through the performer's entrance, where we were glared at by stewards. Reaching the top of the hill we were approached by the bearded poet at whom I had shouted at two years previously. A (Pip instigated) hug later, I felt that all mistakes had been amended. Carried away with the exoticism of going abroad for a music
Album reviews 9 Frank Turner England Keep My Bones
HMV Institute 13/05/2011
Tamara Roper Music Editor
Jessica Holroyd Critic
To be honest, I bought two tickets to see Noah and the Whale on a whim. Having some familiarity with their songs I recognised them as a lightweight and fun ensemble; a perfect departure from the pressure of exams. Their hit song 5 Years Time holds a kind of nostalgia for me, reminiscent of those days in which we revelled in our youth, and all we cared about was kicking back in the sun with a can of cheap lager. However, I was deeply surprised by the poignancy of their songs and the complexity of their lyrics. It seems as a band they have well and truly grown in the short space of three years, in which their first album Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down was released. Gone is the innocence of the ukulele and simplicity of the acoustic guitar in
festival, I jumped headlong into buying the cheapest possible tent. Chances are you had it too – khaki green, ten quid, from Tesco. For all intents and purposes, it was fine, taking five seconds to construct, and holding all of our stuff perfectly. After the first, heavy going night at Benicassim, our tent was a perfect haven in the Spanish dusk. Three hours later, there is no exaggeration in saying I felt as if I'd woken up in the bowels of hell. My tent buddy could have been the devil as far as I was concerned, as I lay there, dazed and incapable of breathing. I'm returning to Beni this year, swayed only by the promise of The Strokes. I can also safely say I will be forking out an extra tenner for a tent that isn't made out of thinly disguised cling film. Tamara Roper
exchange for a more rough around the edges electric, and almost every song was finished with a defiant slam from Charlie Fink's guitar. Admittedly the audience was invigorated and energised by their more popular tunes (their recent hit Life Goes On, which was played as an encore), but there was also an appreciation and patience for the more slow and heart-rending songs, in particular First Days Of Spring, which was carried beautifully by the violinist. There is a distinctive richness to Charlie's voice that gives the band a wonderful timeless feeling. The humble and modest nature of the band really shone throughout the performance as it was announced that we 'knew how to have a good time', and it's fair to say we really did. I'm sure that in a further five years' time, this band will be bigger and better than ever.
Frank Turner has slowly been building a reputation as the new voice of English folk music. In light of this, there was a lot hanging in the balance in the wait for his fourth studio album England Keep My Bones. After a distinctly nondescript third album, there was certainly worry that the troubadour had become complacent and settled for writing songs that were at best worth a sing-a-long. It seems that the 'olde folke' style that Turner has adopted recently lingers still in album number four, as is apparent in English Curse and Wessex Boy. Although the least standout tracks on the album, respect remains for Turner's refusal to adhere to the expectations of producing an album anticipated to break the top ten. Complacency admittedly remains, with one of the most brazen attempts at atheism in Glory Hallelujah. Hymnal in its deliverance but sacrilegious in its meaning – 'there is no God' repeated several times in one song is certainly provocative, but even the most ardent of fans will admit it is Turner perhaps taking his soap box to an
almost unnecessary level. Despite his somewhat overzealous proclamations, the album contains gems that do well to explain why Turner has succeeded in breaking the top ten. I Am Disappeared is arguably the album's champion. Driven and anthemic in a way that lacks assumption, it is a sure sign of how far Turner has come without losing the spirit that orchestrated his first attempts as a solo artist. Peggy Sang The Blues is another track in a similar vein; an obvious crowd pleaser it is likely to be a regular on his festival slots. The album's most sincere moment comes in a self admitted 'song about being an arsehole', penultimate track Redemption is personal, wrenching and sincere in a way that Glory Hallelujah lacks. There is no question behind why it is this album, not his last, which has landed Frank Turner the public acclaim that has taken six years in the making. England Keep My Bones is truthful without losing spirit and in the most part, educative without being preachy. Already in the motions of producing album five, we can only hope it is the music, not the soap box, that goes from strength to strength.
Student Voice
MOTIONS SUMMARY: 14.06.11 GUILD COUNCIL IS THE DEMOCRATIC VOICE OF STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM. MADE UP OF ELECTED STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES, GUILD COUNCIL HAS THE POWER TO SET GUILD POLICY THROUGH VOTING ON MOTIONS WHICH CAN BE SUBMITTED BY ANY STUDENT.
THE FOLLOWING DECISIONS WERE MADE AS A RESULT OF JUNE’S GUILD COUNCIL: Keeping our FABulous Student Staff Safe! - The Guild is to set up a ‘Student Staff Safety Scheme’. This is to be made available for all student staff who work past 1am in the Guild, within this scheme the Guild will provide free or subsidised transport home (within a reasonable distance) to any student staff members who are working after 1am who wish to take advantage of it. Motion: Night bus for the future - The Guild will ensure that funding received from the Guild taxi accreditation will remain ring – fenced for the purpose of the Nightbus for at least the remainder of the current agreement (2 years). Compensation for Students in the event of a Staff Strike - The Guild of Students will campaign for the money saved from university staff wages that are out on strike action to be placed into a hardship fund by the University of Birmingham for any students to apply to because of disruption due to strike action. A Birmingham Student Assembly - The Guild will attend ‘Birmingham Student Assembly’, regular open monthly meetings with members of other students’ unions, to campaign on community and city related issues. Membership Disciplinary Policy - The Guild has updated its ‘Membership Discipline Policy’ to ensure that it is up to date and relevant to its members. Guild Officer Group Discipline and Appeals Policy - The Guild has introduced a new ‘Guild Officer Group Discipline and Appeals Policy’ to ensure that Guild Officers follow an expected ‘Code of Conduct’ and so that they can be held to account for their actions.
More Guild Councils - The Guild of Students has increased the number of Guild Councils from three to five per annum; this is to ensure that student issues are being effectively represented by the Guild and its representatives. Campaign for Fair PGT Funding - The Officer Team will continue lobbying the university to ensure that post-graduate study is accessible to students based on their ability, rather than cost, and that courses offer value. They will also ensure that the information available to undergraduates, such as course costs, is available to post-graduate students too. Black History Month - The Officer Team will ensure that at least one event per year is held to commemorate Black History Month and that training and events will be provided regarding black activism. Flexibility in Part Time work - The Guild of Students will lobby the university to change its policy on the amount of hours a student can work to up to 20 hours per week and also allow the Jobzone to advertise Jobs that are between 16 and 20 hours for those students who want them. The University of Birmingham, Guild of Students has NO confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science - The Guild along with students and academics across the country have joined the campaign of no confidence in the Minister for Universities and Science and the President will write to the Minister expressing this position and the concerns University of Birmingham Students have with his decisions. Student Safety - The Guild of Students will ensure that minimum stewarding numbers become official policy and are enforced for every department in the Guild of Students; therefore any event run by the Guild of Students that includes a bus and a pre bar must comply with the policy of having a minimum one steward per 30 participants.
All policy passed by Guild Council are subject to ratification by the Guild’s Trustee Board
ANYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND GUILD COUNCIL TO GIVE THEIR OPINION ON THE ISSUES RAISED
For more information and to access full motions,visit
www.guildofstudents.com
or email council@guild.bham.ac.uk
Redbrick
The University of Birmingham Student newspaper since 1936
The full collection of every Redbrick frontpage for the academic year 2010-2011 under Samuel Lear and his editorial team
Community
END OF YEAR EXTRA RUBBISH COLLECTION The end of June sees thousands of students moving out of their houses and consequently what can be large amounts of unwanted items left in Bournbrook. To support this extra rubbish collections have been planned which will remove all your rubbish including bulky items. To have your items collected, simply place them on the pavement outside your house after 6pm on the night before collection – items will not be collected from gardens. Recycling information can be found below.
R, CLEANER FOR A SAFE ELLY OAK , S R E N GREE
Dates for road collections: Friday 17th June & Thursday 30th June
Wednesday 22nd June & Tuesday 5th July
Tiverton Road School Terrace Totnes Grove Newton Grove Rose Gardens Dartmouth Road
Teignmouth Ewhurst Avenue Fairgreen Way Heeley Road Thursday 23rd June & Wednesday 6th July
Tuesday 21st June & Friday 1st July
Dale Road George Road Grange Road North Road
Hubert Road Hubert Croft Exeter Road Rookery Road Alton Road Coronation Road Harrow Road Selly Hill Road
Please place your rubbish on the streets after 6pm (on the day before collection) and before 6am (on the day of collection). Weekly collections will continue as normal.
RECYCLING INFORMATION • To give away and exchange unwanted items, please see www.uk.freecycle.org and www.ilovefreegle.org • For more information visit www.guildofstudents.com/ ExtraRubbishCollections or contact your Community Wardens on 0121 251 2502 or community@guild.bham.ac.uk • Please remember that everything you do not want to recycle leave out on the street for the Council to collect, and not in your front garden.
Location:
Electricals Glass Paper Cans Shoes Clothes Books
*Canvas House - off Teignmouth Road Outside Coronation Rd Play Scheme Aldi Car Park Sainsbury’s car park Raddlebarn Road (by St Mary’s Hospice) Tiverton Road/ Exeter Road Hubert/Dartmouth Junction Exeter/Hubert Junction Exeter/Dawlish Junction Outside 107 Tiverton Opposite 97/99 Tiverton Note – *Canvas House recycling point will only be available until the end of June.
R, CLEANER FOR A SAFE ELLY OAK , S GREENER
Your Community Wardens: Call: 0121 251 2502 Facebook: I Love Selly Oak Email: community@guild.bham.ac.uk Twitter: @WardensGuild Web: www.guildofstudents.com/ilovesellyoak
16 redbrickonline.co.uk
Redbrick
17th June 2011
Arts
The best cultural summer events
With that long summer break rapidly approaching, the Arts team decided to look further afield to decipher the very best cultural events happening around the country Liverpool Birmingham Edinburgh London
Previews
The Investigation 20th & 21st June The Amos Room
22nd April – 4th September The fantastic Southbank Centre is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain. Highlights will be from E4 Udderbelly, or the 'Great Thinkers' debates.
Bristol
4th – 29th August The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has to be the ultimate summer cultural event. If you're heading north of the border, make sure you don't miss 3BUGS's performance of The Investigation.
Newcastle
4th – 10th July The BE Festival is a celebration of European theatre, with talks from prominent performers, directors and visionaries. If you're sticking around over the summer, you're in for a treat.
24th June – 16th October Throughout the summer, Tate Liverpool are hosting an exhibiton of the work of the seminal Belgian Surrealist artist Rene Magritte. Fascinating and suitably quirky.
Belfast
Latitude Festival
3BUGs preview their latest production before taking it to Edinburgh. It promises to be fantastic.
Midsummer Mendelssohn 23rd June Symphony Hall
Breathtaking music inspired by Shakespeare from the CBSO and guest conductor Meister.
20th – 23rd July The Bristol Comedy Garden: three days where some of the brightest stars in British comedy take over the gorgeous Queen Square. It's also a chance to see some of the next big things.
11th June – 25th September Throughout the summer, the BALTIC centre for contemporary art displays the work of American artist Robert Breer. It will be a fascinating combination of painting, films and sculpture.
28th August Held outside in the Botanic Gardens, the Belfast Mela is an exciting fusion of cultures featuring dance, music, food and even circus acts from all over the world.
Article 19 presents: When the Rain Stops Falling at The Deb Hall
14th – 17th July The very best of the festivals for a little bit of culture. If you fancy a break from the excellent headliners, some of the most exciting names in poetry, literature, theatre and comedy are performing.
Tadasu Takamine 17th June – 17th July IKON Gallery
Exhibition of the work of one of Japan's most exciting and thought-provoking artists.
Court on Canvas at The Barber Institute
cents to come across as grating or infuriating never entered the collective mind of the audience. With Rosie Morris and Clarey Dodkins deserving outstanding mentions for their naturalistic, warm Aus-
Wonderfully and uniquely absorbing, Polly Scates' interpretation of Andrew Bovell's critically acclaimed drama was truly exceptional
Lexie Wilson Arts Editor
To be perfectly frank, the ugliest flaw evident in When The Rain Stops Falling is that I'd wager it's nigh impossible to review it without ending up sounding like an overly gushy, love struck teenager. Wonderfully and uniquely absorbing, Polly Scates interpretation of Andrew Bovell's critically acclaimed drama was truly exceptional. Never overwhelmed by a complex structure that spans 'four generations and two hemispheres', the cast and production team rose to the challenge, rendering it entirely
accessible and engaging. Whilst at times the action veered towards the dark and the deeply unnerving, by passing the futuristic and the whimsical, the cast retained a resounding sense of authenticity. Always maintaining a black and gritty humour, they allowed for a sense of true humility somehow humanising the most detached or disturbed of parts. There seemed a harmony between their portrayal of the characters, with none vying to out do each other and equally no one appearing the weak link, it was a match made in casting heaven. Even the tense potential for ac-
tralian drawl. The standard was unwaveringly high throughout the performance, if anyone made any mistakes, the traces slipped off like Teflon. The original score composed by Patrick Neil Doyle, whilst exquisite in its own right, never seemed distracting or detracted from the action, instead augmenting the emotional onslaught. When The Rain Stops Falling was nothing short of the very apex of student drama at this university, demonstrating the wonderful talent and potential of its student body. Never has a standing ovation been so wholeheartedly deserved.
Anna Lumsden Critic
The Barber Institute's latest exhibition is the perfect cultural accompaniment to the busy tennis season, it provides a chance to literally brush up on the history of tennis. The exhibition traces the game's evolution from its lighthearted, socially orientated beginnings to today's intensely athletic and commercial sport through a variety of paintings, sketches and sculptures. The featured pieces range from the stunning, romantic landscapes and social scenes of art-
ist John Lavery to Tom Phillips' unusual yet highly original use of seven sequential tennis balls coated in his own greying hair, depicting the decline of youthful energy and athletic vigour. An impressive aspect of the collection is how vividly the movement of the game is captured in entirely static artwork; the energy and excitement is definitely 'caught' on canvas, whether or not that pun was intended. The exhibition runs until midSeptember, but why not enjoy it in the height of the season – it's a chance to enjoy tennis that you know won't be abandoned due to rain.
Redbrick
Arts 17
17th June 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk
Editors – Alexander Blanchard & Lexie Wilson
Arts in Conversation The Space Between Things
Local author Charlie Hill's stylistically innovative debut novel deals with ideas of love and coming of age set against the backdrop of a politically violent landscape both in Moseley and in Eastern Europe.
Lexie Wilson Arts Editor
Related Reading
The Space Between Things is the first novel by born and bred Brummie author, Charlie Hill. Vibrant, evocative and sitting on just the right side of radical, it relates the life of a young poet, Arch, and how he is shaped and changed by the woman he loves but never quite fully understands. Set in Moseley in the early nineties, it spans four years and charters the protests of the New Age travellers, juxtaposing it against the violence and desperation of the contemporary situation in the former Yugoslavia. Something that has gained a new level of relevance in the light of the arrest of Ratko Mladic. The novel is incredibly modern in its style, and yet Hill’s raw and unconventional reaction disregards the analysis put upon it by an English student in favour of the desire to make the novel ‘enjoyable,’ attempting to strike the ‘balance between making it fun to read, while making a serious point.’ Moreover, Hill’s approach to dealing with the literary world as a whole marks him out as an original, with him describing his over-saturation with contemporary fiction leading to an almost complete rejection of reading anything other than ‘non fiction’ or the ‘classics.’ This is not being different for the mere sake of it however, Hill says he has concerns about ‘the anxiety of influence,’ and finds that some aspects of life remain untouched by contemporary fiction. Upon being asked of the inspirations of the novel, Hill describes watching the protests against the Iraq War back in 2003, and remembers feeling that ‘something about it, on some level, needed to be looked at.’ That, for his generation, it had been almost a decade since the last time they had foudn themselves really engaged with politics. against what was regarded as a Draconian piece of legislation, and the consequent attraction for people who regard themselves as libertarians to such cases. Hill says he wanted to examine the ‘ease with which you can say no,’ and the complexities of the situation that get overlooked in favour of ‘knee jerk, emotional responses.’ The novel’s fiercest moments of intelligence lie in the way that the intimate and intensely personal voice of Arch guide us through it, especially in his love for the perceptive and enigmatic Vee. While simultaneously we, as readers, begin to understand his passions and motivations it allows us to feel for him, whilst gently realising the futility and, to some extent, juvenility of his actions. Throughout the course of the interview, it becomes abundantly clear that this delicate balance and his attempt to create a text ‘even-handed in its judgement,’ has a degree of autobiographical truth to it. Hill demonIn the Skin of a Lion
Michael Ondaatje (the author of the English Patient) depicts the realities of lives of the immigrant community in Toronto and boyhood memories in rural Canada. It contains elements of a thriller and features an offbeat romance.
strates he is consistently aware of the tensions of an almost naïve political awareness and the perhaps cynical reality. He tells of his own budding political activism, ‘perhaps I was about thirteen; I was involved in a lot of stuff like marching against apartheid’ and how, gradually, with age, he became acutely aware of the dangers and ‘shortcomings of filtering everything through your own experience.’ This extends to the novel‘s setting of Moseley. Hill firmly believes his city is entirely unique. He points to the distinctiveness of Birmingham’s industrial heritage, but ‘not just factories and the practical side of it,’ he draws attention to the historical contributions made here, and points out that the city is more a site of true ‘technological innovation.’ ‘It’s a creative, dynamic place.’ While it is evident he is passionate about the unfair misrepresentations of Birmingham, feeling it is underappreciated in terms of its worth, he takes on the somehow quintessential Brummie byline of ‘oh well. Sod ‘em.’ And yet, for all that, Moseley exists almost as another character in The Space Between Things – it is very much a part of Arch – Hill believes that the location is not integral to the plot. ‘I wrote about Moseley cause it’s what I knew.’ However, that is not something to be misunderstood, far from relegating the book to the ‘narrow perimeters’ of one city or autobiography, it in fact only contributes to the universal appeal of the novel. ‘I could have transposed it somewhere else, I guess every city has a Moseley, it would have worked wherever you can align the attitude with the suburb.’
The novel’s fiercest moments of intelligence lie in the way that the intimate and intensely personal voice of Arch guide us through it. This understanding of the clash between the parochial and the universal is implicit throughout The Space Between Things, ever present within Vee’s attitudes towards the ‘Free Party’ ideology and the notion of squatting within your own home. Hill himself believes that in the nineties, he was ‘a bit of Arch,’ whilst now finding himself closer to Vee, and in this journey the reader is encouraged to make alongside him, it is a true 'coming of age' novel. On September 17 Charlie will be co-hosting a day-long literature festival in Moseley. Human Punk
Raw and unapologetically gritty, Human Punk is the recollection of the life of Joe Martin and his friends as twenty years of their lives pass in and around Slough. This novel is made less run of the mill by Joe's dogged devotion to punk culture.
Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism
With a blog firing razor-sharp criticisms at social injustices, Penny was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2010 and has since gone on to write for a number of publications including the New Statesman and The Guardian. Redbrick Arts spoke to her about her latest book on feminism, patriarchy and capitalism.
Alexander Blanchard Arts Editor
Laurie Penny is highly amiable and in conversation she puts one instantly at ease. It is an amiability, though, that you could be forgiven for missing in the stark contrast of her writings on feminism and the subjugation, objectification, and commodification of women. Relentless and uncompromising, they are perhaps the best example of her intellectual vitality and perceptiveness regarding social and political phenomena. Brimming with the nomenclature of feminism, Penny’s newly released book, Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism, is a thoughtful tirade against the collusion of capitalism and the invisible patriarchy present in society. She depicts the ‘superstructure of oppression’ that commodifies women and reduces them to a selfobjectifying means of reproduction integral to the functioning of capitalism. Upon becoming accustomed with Penny’s writings, there is the sense that she is situating herself between socialist feminism and radical feminism – at once deriding the effects of capitalism whilst revelling in the facets and characteristics of womanhood. However, Penny doesn’t necessarily associate herself with a particular branch of feminism: ‘I wouldn’t say I was really either of those. I used to say I was a socialist feminist. Though now I would say I became a socialist because of feminism. As for radical feminism, it’s a shame that the term has been adopted to signify something angry and extreme. There isn’t a feminist in the world that isn’t angry about patriarchy and the degradation and oppression of women. But to put the source of patriarchy as pornography and violence is a categorical error.’ Her influences, though, manifest themselves quite clearly in her writings. The opening line of the preface to Meat Market poses the question ‘Why are we so afraid of women’s bodies?’, a question that is distinctly evocative of the words of Germaine Greer in The Female Eunuch (1970) on the revulsion that society induces women to feel towards their own bodies (‘If you think you are emancipated, you might consider the idea of tasting your own menstrual blood - if it makes you sick, you've got a long way to go, baby’). It is, then, unsurprising to learn that Penny found a great influence in Germaine Greer and an early reading of her work: ‘I think it was when I was about 9 or 10. I remember going into my mum’s room and she had a copy of Germaine Greer’s Whole Women. I read it and thought it was wonderful. I remember sending her a letter telling her that I was going to be a feminist. She has a very accessible method of writing; it’s
The Female Eunuch
Considering history and popular culture, Germaine Greer's account of women's oppression is seen as an important social commentary and a passionate polemic in which Greer argues that women do not realise how much men hate them and how they are taught to hate themselves.
something that I’ve tried to do myself.’ Whilst finding a deep influence in other feminist writers, Penny nevertheless approaches the subject with a spirit of ‘respectful enquiry’ and is particularly critical of the materialist view that equates femininity with the body. 'It’s a view that is ‘immoral and one that isn’t even intellectually rigorous’, she tells me. ‘Feminists, even prominent ones, do not get to be the gatekeepers of what is and is not female’. 'What of women who lack breasts; women who are born without vaginas; women who are androgynously skinny; or women who are infertile?’. This is why Penny feels that feminism needs an acute understanding of transsexualism – an ‘ism’ towards which Greer took a particularly unforgiving stance in Whole Women – and its implications: ‘Transsexualism is highly integral to feminism and its future progress. There are not that many transsexuals, and so it currently doesn’t seem so pressing, but with the rise of the internet people are in a position where they can seek out and discover their identities like they never could before.’ ‘Many people have bashed the idea of transsexuals. As I see it, it is a moral argument; after all, this is a case of human rights. It raises questions of what it means to be a woman, it certainly isn’t confined to the body. Modern technology changes all this.’ And just as modern technology has obliterated the predominance of locating femininity with the body, so modern technology has given women, in the form of contraception, the capacity to challenge their position within capitalist systems by divorcing the act of reproduction from sexual intercourse: ‘Contraception can be seen as a threat to capitalism. It gives a woman complete control over her body. There’s this argument that contraception encourages promiscuity, but this is complete rubbish. This fear about contraception is complete nonsense.’ In all, Meat Market provides a razorsharp account of consumerist society’s ‘alienation of marketable erotic signs from the sweaty reality of sex’. It asks us to examine what female identity actually is; to look at the way in which it has been stolen from women and young girls by capitalist systems and how it is being sold back to them in a perverse form. ‘Currently the debate is atomised into simple questions’, says Penny. This is why feminism needs to adapt itself from its currently outdated mode. ‘There needs to be a rigid, well thought-out critique of patriarchy’ and a transformation into something much more ‘revolutionary’. Ultimately, for Penny, feminism 'needs much more than just placard waving.’
The Beauty Myth
In The Beauty Myth, an international bestseller, American author and political consultant Naomi Wolf argues that 'beauty' is a socially consturcted normative value created by patriarchy with the goal of reproducing its own hegemony.
18 redbrickonline.co.uk
Redbrick
17th June 2011
Film
Tarantino and Di Caprio team up for Django Unchained Rumours are flying that Di Caprio is committed to Tarantino's Western/revenge villainy
Bridesmaids: A gut-buster from the director of Knocked Up Adam Bricknell sits down with Kristen Wiig, Chris O'Doud and director Paul Feig
How closely did you stick to the script and how much was improvisation used in the film? Paul Feig: Well, the thing is the script has to be a strong blueprint for an emotional story as well as for the comedy, then you know you can
go in and improvise but you never ever go into a scene like, 'Hey, let's see what happens.' You know like, here's what we need out of a scene, here's a scripted version that's great anyway, now you guys kind of play with that a bit and make it your own. What that does is it gets it away from what a lot of comedies have, especially
romantic comedies which are very scripted and very written so it doesn't feel in the moment. But even if they're just tweaking the wording a little bit on already written lines it just feels like people having a conversion and they can surprise each other and then you get that energy.
Chris, did you find that a familiar process having worked on comedy in this country?
What did you do to avoid the pitfalls of the many other wedding films?
Chris O'Dowd: No, not really, and it's because Americans have so much more money. I'm being flippant in a way but the amount of time a bigger budget gives you does mean that you can play an awful lot more. At IT Crowd we don't improvise at all, really, I mean we did very very rarely. To be fair, we do have a whole week's rehearsal and then shoot it all in one night so it's kind of like you've got every idea already out on the floor. But what was great in this is that we got all the script and then we would do loads of improv and Kristen's just the best improviser I've ever worked with, so it's kind of an amazing thing. And then we'd go back to the script and try and make it better using the bit of improv that you've got rather than it being an either/or, and also the kind of fluidity and naturalism that you got by doing it that way really gives a kind of reality to it.
Kristen Wiig: Well, you know what, when we were writing it we really didn't think about any of the other movies and I think that can put you in your head when you're writing something and you're trying to avoid this thing or is this kind of movie. We didn't really think of that, we didn't go out of our way to watch any movies we just wanted to keep it as we would want to write, and hopefully someone would tell us if we wrote something that was done before. PF: I think it works because most wedding movies are actually about the wedding and there's not a lot you can tell about a wedding, so they have to amp up all the emotions of everybody around it. This is very much a story about a woman going through a terrible time in her life and getting this duty of maid of honour. What the wedding does is it brings this bunch of characters together who wouldn't normally be together and drives them forward through the story.
Film Editor's Top 10 Pick
Matt Davis leaves Birmingham in a cloud of cinematic smoke
10 Swingers
9 True Romance
Swingers should be the archetypal comedy for all boys. Liman's production depicts a brokenhearted Mike (Favreau) running around the electric avenues of Los Angeles. Wise, male audiences will yelp with laughter and recognise the beauty of this film.
Quentin Tarantino's entertainingly violent script portrays Clarence (Slater) falling in love with a prostitute. This movie is not only remarkably romantic but its genius is highlighted in the Sicillian scene with Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken.
8 Easy Rider
5 Good Will Hunting
Two nonconformist bikers ride from Los Angeles to New Orleans in the most iconic road movie of all time. Featuring a selection of distinctive scenes that portray the highs and lows of life on the 1960s American road, this movie will engrave into cinematic history for its shocking and barbaric plot in the midst of psychological bliss.
Good Will Hunting bestowed Matt Damon and Ben Afleck with cinematic admiration. Troubled youngster Will Hunting (Damon) is the mathematical genius who battles his demons in the face of a custodial sentence. A captivating story of good will performed by a cast with an abundance of energy.
4 Amores Perros
4 Godfather
2 Raging Bull
This Mexican production poignantly begins with a serious car crash which binds three people together. A story of hope and love emerge from a script riddled with horrific misfortune, which is encapsulated using skilful cinematography and acting. Amores Perros is intwined with truthfulness and compassion.
Godfather casted some of Hollywood's most talented entertainers. The classic gangster movie is a realistic insight into the patriarchal structure of the Italian-American mafia crime scene. Coppola's attention to detail and Scorcese's artistic innovation shine through in a production that produced a blueprint for all future gangster films.
Raging Bull's brilliant black-andwhite cameography seduce the audience to complete enthrallment. Scorcese's masterpiece sketches a character viciously heart-rending, and De Niro lurches the film forward with his rendition of human realism in an explosive punch.
6 The Game
3 The Deer Hunter
David Fincher's follow-up to Seven is an outstanding thriller depicting an illustrious Michael Douglas receiving a dark, bizarre birthday present. This film is rivetingly characterised by cinematic twists that keep the audience and the protagonist consistently flabbergasted.
The Deer Hunter flaunts the capability of human acting in this psychological examination of the Vietnam war. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken's method acting attained a chilling insight into the American psyche suffering from the aftermath of participation in the war.
1 Schindler's List Spielberg's depiction of life in the notorious death camp Auschwitz is a movie haunted by the 6 million Jews who died during the holocaust. Originally a controversial move to pitch a blond Nazi (Fiennes) as the lead, but Speilberg produces a film that captures the true essence of human depravity in its most brutal form.
Redbrick
Redbrick
Reviews Editorial Matt Davis Film Editor
The elusive honchos behind this Film section have maintained throughout the year that editorials would be non-existent -mainly for our own laziness – unless there arose a burning cinematic issue that needed contemplation. This pivotal moment has arrived. Each cinema lover acknowledges the emotive tug on the heartstrings that is caused by an intricate film, and the arduous couple of minutes that is needed to drag your poignantly stunned skeleton off the couch. I can list a film that will surmise my every emotion and leave my endeavor for catharsis quintessentially satisfied. The raging, choleric emotion of frustration and anguish is portrayed in many a film. And movies that express these sentiments are popular because they reflect the emotions of every single one of us. As students, we recognise the indignation that is felt when we receive a bad mark. We can conjure up that obnoxious professor who has scribbled and puked redpen all over a hard-grafted essay. One could just work harder, however, I recommend watching, and perhaps acting out Taxi Driver. The Scorsese masterpiece, which epitomises an individual taking out his ferocious pain on society. Trust me, it will make you feel better. The consequences of a jail sentence may act as a deterrent, but it is guaranteed to make you feel better than a tedious session in the library. Yet, don't perceive Redbrick's Film Editor to be a gothic wristslitter. We all cherish the complete polar emotion of emotional ecstasy. The warmhearted, sensational feeling that simply obliterates any previous negative emotion. Be it a spontaneous night out with a group of old friends or that blossoming connection with someone new, every person in the whole world can put a film to describe the intuition of pure blissfulness. Dead Poets Society is the perfect exemplification of that bound which you often find in your step. This is a film that catapults energy, creativity and inspiration back into a life which was previously mundane and unadventurous. And this emotive ricochet from melancholy to feelings of exuberance is not just symbolic of cinema, it's symbolic of life. Choose action in 127 Hours. Choose intellectual stimulation in Beautiful Mind. Choose ultimate human wretchedness and its haunting connotations in Schindlers List. Choose gripping gangsterism in The Godfather. Continue to read this section. Heartless (2009) is loaded with thrilling twists and unsettling imagery, and serves to bolster feelings against uncertainty in the current British film climate.
Film 11
18th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk
Editors – Matt Davis, Elmley de la Cour
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Editorial
Director: Neil Burger Cast: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish Rating: 15
Japan Disaster
Amanda Callaghan Comment and Features Editor
'What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?' That's the tagline and premise for Limitless, a glossy action-thriller starring grin-of-theyear winner Bradley Cooper. In the film the question is aimed at down-on-his-luck, downon-his-hygiene writer, Eddie Morra, who accepts the offer and turns his life around in a matter of days. He gets the girl, the job and the cash, but none of this comes without a price as Morra is plagued with the warranted paranoia that violent killers are on his tail. While Morra's newfound skills could push the character into annoying territory, Cooper's charm and huge likeability encourage us to root for him. And, like a stock-broking, drug-addled Jason Bourne, he takes to the action sequences brilliantly. His per-
The world was once more reduced to reverential silence last Friday as images from Japan were streamed into our homes. We sat transfixed, consuming the horror, contemplating the unimaginable pain and suffering of so many thousands of individuals. As is typical of modern media culture, the emphasis was on lightening quick speed and the emotional impact of the coverformance here cer-age. Morra's new emtainly secures him In real time the extent of theployer, breezing as a talented andcatastrophe unfurled; 'breakingthrough lines with flexible fresh facenews' was barely digested as yeteasily believable in the movie indus-more 'breaking news' emerged.control and powtry; if you can suc-Home videos of the shatteringer. He's a brilliant, cessfully intimidatequake appeared within minutesif slightly underRobert De Niro,on YouTube and footage of theused, highlight to you know you'verelentless surge of water was re-a fantastic supmade it. leased, revealing the impact of theporting cast that De Niro istsunami to open mouthed viewers.includes a fraught on great form asSocial network sites sprung intoAnna Friel skilfulcompassionate frenzy as soon as the disaster began, reacting in a flash to what was happening and offering condolences to the victims. Effectively a virtual 'hand on the shoulder' was offered to a country so desperately vulnerable and at the mercy of the natural elements. More than this, governments and people across the globe began to pledge aid to the Japanese, evidence of the media's role in inspiring empathy to alleviate suffering where it is found. As the human cost of the disaster emerges and the people of Japan try to rebuild their shattered coastlines perhaps the media has a responsibility to reflect upon its reporting style of the catastrophe thus far. Alongside this, the radiation leaks in Fukushima and the risks posed to the surrounding area should be reported with proportionality – avoiding the easy pitfall of scare mongering and speculation as apocalyptic style rhetoric is bounded about. Reflection and silence is respectful. A time to pause and grieve for those who have been lost before the next inevitable disaster strikes is necessary. At what point is the line crossed whereby videos and traumatisedand photographs become nothing by the brutal mur-more than voyeuristic? Is accurate der of his motherand balanced coverage necessarily at the hands of thesynonymous with emotive broadcasting? These are questions that gangs; Jamie is leadneed to be asked as media grows across London toever more visual. Does bringing the grim flat ofmore acute and powerful images Papa B and hisof suffering encourage a higher daughter Belle.proportion of international aid? Or, does the Hollywood style They offer him the chance to changedestruction of homes and lives his life (in return,before our eyes whilst hearing the of course, for a lit-stomach churning wails of the tsunami warnings normalize the abtle favour). In horrify-normal? Can we only sympathise ing scenes of tor-with other individuals when we ment and rebirth,are able to witness first hand their Jamie's skin ishomes and lives being destroyed transformed andbeyond recognition? When disashe starts to see theter strikes areas where cameras world differently,and the internet are not as ubiquiuntil the Weap-tous does the media ignore those ons Man (Eddiein need of help? These questions have no single correct answer but this makes them no less pertinent Marsan) sweepsin the wake of such tragedy. The in to ensure Jamiemedia has a responsibility to remeets his end offlect upon its coverage of all events, particularly ones such as this.
Redbrick recommends...
Director: Philip Ridley Cast: Jim Sturgess, Noel Clarke Rating: 18
Living at the heart of a Faustian, nightmare London, Jamie (Jim Sturgess)'s life has been far from perfect. While raised by an affectionate Mum and supportive Dad, his face has been forever blighted by a semi-disfiguring, heart shaped birthmark. On top of this, gangs of vicious hooded monsters rove the streets, making the news with their homicidal muggings and terrifying "masks". Following the death of not only his friend A.J. (Noel Clarke) but his mother too, in equally horrifying gang incidents as well as the pressures of his infatuation with the beautiful model Tia (Clémence Poésy), Jamie feels trapped in his desperate little life. Disgusted with his appearance, knowing that a woman like Tia could never find him attractive,
ly portraying the bleak results of a very bad drug-withdrawal. Director Neil Burger has clearly had fun with this film, and it's definitely contagious. The effects of the drug are shared with the audience in playful and innovative ways including letters showering around Morra and a particularly effective sequence speeding through the streets of New York. And it's all topped off with an enjoyably unex-
Redbrick
Editors – Matt Davis, Elmley de la Cour
Editorial Life in film
Matt Davis Film Editor
The elusive honchos behind this Film section have maintained throughout the year that editorials would be non-existent - mainly for our own laziness – unless there arose a burning cinematic issue that needed contemplation. This pivotal moment has arrived. Each cinema lover acknowledges the emotive tug on the heartstrings that is caused by an intricate film, and the arduous couple of minutes that is needed to drag your poignantly stunned skeleton off the couch. I can name a film that will surmise every emotion and leave the endeavor for catharsis quintessentially satisfied. The raging, choleric emotion of frustration and anguish is portrayed in many a film. And movies that express these sentiments are popular because they reflect the emotions of every single one of us. As students, we recognise the indignation that is felt when we receive a bad mark. We can conjure up that obnoxious professor who has scribbled and puked
Don't perceive Redbrick's Film Editor to be a gothic wristslitter
red-pen all over a hard-grafted essay. One could just work harder, however, I recommend performing a genuine rendition of Taxi Driver – the Scorsese masterpiece which epitomises an individual unleashing his ferocious pain back onto society. Trust me, it will make you feel better. The consequences of a jail sentence may act as a deterrent, but it is guaranteed to make you feel better than a tedious session in the library. Yet, don't perceive Redbrick's Film Editor to be a gothic wristslitter. We all cherish the complete polar emotion of happiness and ecstasy. The warmhearted, sensational feeling that simply obliterates any previous negative emotion. Be it a spontaneous night out with a group of old friends or that blossoming connection with someone new, every person in the whole world can put a film to describe the intuition of pure blissfulness. Dead Poets Society is the perfect exemplification of that bound which you often find in your step. This is a film catapulting energy, creativity and inspiration back into a life which was previously mundane and unadventurous. And this emotive ricochet from melancholy to feelings of exuberance is not just symbolic of cinema, it's symbolic of life. Choose action in 127 Hours. Choose intellectual stimulation in Beautiful Mind. Choose the truly epic in Gladiator. Choose ultimate human wretchedness and its haunting connotations in Schindlers List. Choose gripping gangsterism in The Godfather. Choose the Film section.
Film 19
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
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X-Men: First Class Director: Matthew Vaughn Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon Rating: 12A Telepaths, human energy blasters, shape-shifters and metal benders, the X-Men are back in the latest Marvel film X-Men: First Class. X-Men: First Class is a reboot of the Xmen franchise directed by Matthew Vaughn. The movie puts a slight twist on the classic superhero origin story, rather than primarily being about their powers and learning how to use them, it's more about the relationship between Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Eric Lehnsherr (Magneto), As well as the story of how the X-Men and The Brotherhood of mutants came to be. Taking place mostly in the Sixties, the film sees an adult Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender, Inglorious Bastards) travelling around the world in order to locate Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), the Nazi scientist that experimented on him when he was a child. A chance meeting with Charles Xavi-
er (James McAvoy, Wanted), who had been recruited by the US government to find Saw, leads Charles and Eric to form a team of mutants in an attempt to stop Shaw. McAvoy and Fassbender have incredible on screen chemistry comparable to that of their older counterparts from the previous X-Men films, both actors giving intriguing youthful interpretations of their respective characters. With Kevin Bacon providing a credible villain in the form of Sebastian
Shaw. But the film's greatest strength is the story telling, the film is well balanced, unfolds well and is easy to follow. Showing a good mix of action, drama and comedy, including a brief cameo by Hugh Jackman (Wolverine). Vaghn also manages to succeed in bringing lesser known characters from the comic to the screen such as Havok and Banshee, a feat which Marvel have done unsuccessfully on various
occasion. Although it would have been nice if a bit more background was given to characters other than Xavier and Eric. All in all X-Men: First Class delivers and is possible the best of the franchise. But I would still like to see the whole 'mutant acceptance stories' dropped and more daring stories picked up from the comics. Mosopefoluwa Ogunanmi !
World's oldest director: Manoel de Oliveira
Redbrick's summer recommendations
At 102, Manoel de Oliveira is the oldest active filmmaker in the world. Last year he took his feature The Strange Case of Angelica to Cannes and promptly started working on his next project A Missa do Galo. Vitality in old age, however, isn't the most fascinating fact of De Oliveira's long, manifold career, and certainly shouldn't be promoted as such, like has been done by some since the director turned 100 in 11 December 2008. As Charlotte Higgins has mentioned in her article for The Guardian, 'It is in what for most people would be their autumn years (...) that De Oliveira has been most productive.' Indeed, having directed over 55 films (documentaries, shorts and features) in a 80 years career, the bulk of his work has been created over the last 20 years, with roughly one feature a year. More importantly, having filmed for most of the 20th century, and through the first years of the 21st, his oeuvre does not simply tell the stories of his country, Portugal, but it illustrates the Portuguese 'feeling' from the dictatorship years, to the 1974 revolution, to the present years of extreme social change, moral questioning and instability (economical, environmental, etc.).
So the exams are over (for some of us), the summer is here in earnest. Some of us have work, some have dissertation preparation, others will be venturing into the big wide world to make something of themselves, and once again the summer blockbuster chart looks to be dominated by the comic book nerds, movie geeks and Potterites. So if you've finished Portal 2 and find yourself at a loose end over the next few months, here are the most eagerly anticipated films of the long vacation. Having been totally hooked by the tacit Khal Drogo in HBO's amazing Game of Thrones, perhaps it is not an understatement to say that Jason Momoa seems the perfect choice to replace toughguy Arnie as Conan The Barbarian. Coming out in August with it's sweeping vistas, battle sequences and irrelevant females, this version seems leaner, fitter and far less silly than its original oily counterpart. Perhaps standing exactly opposite to Conan's semi-ethnic freedom fighter, here we have been brought Captain America (The First Avenger) what seems to be the classic 'super-secretgovernment-super-soldier' plot gone horrible right for a change. Chris Evans starts the film magically CG-ed into a pathetic little weakling desperate to fight for his country against the Nazis. Yes Nazis. It seems that putting Captain America into a modern American setting would be a little too sensitive for the cinema. Despite the silly premise, it looks like a decent enough action-adventure, that could perhaps stand to take itself less seriously. Finally coming to its glorious conclusion those of us from the Potter generation should begin camping now for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. Thankfully much of the angst was hashed out in part one, leaving us with the sort of action and drama that was sorely lacking from the first half of this finale double-bill. Many audience members should
When José Vasconcelos asked him, for Visão, 'Do you think that the fact that you are Portuguese has characterized your cinema, that it has something specifically national?' De Oliveira replied, 'I think that everything that is Portuguese has that characteristic. When you were born here, were educated and lived here, have done your soldier duty here, took your sons to war, that marks a certain shape of your personality.' In the same interview, the director has stated that 'I also loose my memory a little. (...) That's what I fear the most, if my life is still to last – I could die tomorrow...' and advised that we ought not to live life thinking of what could have been or will be, 'the only eternal moment is the present.' I have thought time and again about what I would ask De Oliveira if I ever had a chance to speak to, or interview him. I am particularly curious about one question, with which I will leave you (and which, who knows, he might have answered before): Do you agree with Eisenstein when he said that a filmmaker spends his whole career trying to make one film? If so, have you made 'your film'? Ana Martins
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already be up to date on this grand show down between plucky Potter and the Lord of darkness himself; but regardless this looks to be the big show stopper of the summer. I think it also prudent to remind any readers that Green Lantern is out today. What with Hal Jordan demoted to advertising milk this film had better wow as strongly as the trailers. To be honest it doesn't look bad; snappy dialogue, a sense of humour, stunning effects and Ryan Reynolds puppy dog eyes, ultimately a fine way to start this summer of heroes and villains. Izzy Sanders
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Television
Redbrick
17th June 2011
Rosie Widrington-May looks back at Gilmore Girls on www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Stewart Lees Comedy Vehicle
Richard Higgs Reporter
What is the best music gig you experienced this year? The chances are it was in a maximum capacity sweathouse or in a muddy middle-England field – jumping, drinking, screaming with your friends, maybe metres from the stage – unified with everyone around you through
a shared sense of the 'love of noise'. Have you ever had this kind of religious experience while watching Later with Jools Holland? You might bob your head, in the same way you might giggle at Michael McIntyre – but the full effect will be lost. The funniest things happen in real life – you just have to be there.
When you see live comedy performed (and performed well), the comedian creates a moment that will never occur again – a unique situation where people will enter a particular frame of mind – together – and laugh. Live comedy can be exciting and even feel dangerous, but that said, stand-up on TV doesn't have to be awful, though the standard tropes a 'TV comedian' employs
tend to be catering to the mass market. It's silly voices, pop culture references and stereotyping every time, and it's a tired formula. So instead, here are some recommendations for some more innovative formats: Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle – aired from May 2011 is perhaps the most divisive standup show on this list. Some view Lee as the messiah of comedy: his meta-ramblings offering a refreshing alternative to the unexciting electrical appliance obsessed Live at the Apollo crowd. Others, however, see him as a 'smug, self-righteous prick' (as quoted from a recent tour poster). Lee repeatedly breaks the fourth wall by addressing the live crowd and 'TV audience' separately, all the while combatting standard standup tropes and commenting on jokes as he tells them. It is worth checking out if only to either challenge or change the way you view the artform (yes, art) or simply make you appreciate vanilla stand-up even more… Louie – Louis CK's 2010 TV series features touching, emotional and often grim portraits of the comedian's life. Written, directed and edited largely by Louis himself, the show whilst produced on a modest budget has massive scope – the use of a military helicopter and over twenty limousines for just one punchline apiece enough to make Francis Ford Coppola proud.
We ask students: what's your favourite TV show? James Brilliant – 2nd year politics student As a politics student, The West Wing is informative and paints an interesting description of the inner workings of The White House. Dami Olugbode – 3rd year English student The Apprentice is hilarious! A bunch of so called business entrepreneurs making complete fools out of themselves. Need I say more?! James Phillips – 2nd year English Student A lot of the Match of the Day pundits don't have the kind of intelligent debates that the journalists on Sunday Supplement do– it's definitely my programme of choice.
The Wire versus The Sopranos: which has the edge? Thomas Farrar says The Wire... Welcome to the land of opportunity…for some maybe. For the average citizen of Baltimore it seems the only possible path to one's dreams are masked in a plethora of drugs, violence and corruption. The Wire depicts the polarised struggle for success between Baltimore City's police force and the city's most notorious drug barons, and to my knowledge, nothing previously has ever come close to this haunting social commentary of dystopian life. The Wire goes further than conventional dramas such as The Sopranos, whose narrative is rigid and locked to a linear track. Instead, it immerses you in an eclectic range of stories from junkies to journalists to politicians…the list could go on. This is reality, and unfortunately for residents of Baltimore, reality is a state of nature where only the strong survive. Contrastingly, when not immersed in one of Tony Sopranos' cryptic dreams, The Sopranos is fantastical and at best can inform us how to keep the wife and kids happy for when our time as a New Jersey mob boss comes. In this sense The Sopranos profligates all its time on a handful of characters and only ever significantly conquers two: Tony and Christopher. The Wire,
however, successfully manages to introduce the audience to many names and faces. Despite not explicitly enshrining anyone in particular, the amount of time spent with the audience and the insider fly-on-the –wall feeling that the filming conveys ensures that earnest relationships ensue. McNulty who for the most part is a homicide detective, is not exactly one of Raymond Chandler's trench-coat donning characters. Nonetheless when he's not drowning his sorrows about his ex-wife with Jamesons and waitresses, his intentions are sound, d in Baltimore that alone suffices to make a loveable hero. Ultimately The Wire expunges our naivety by showing us how a great deal of society and public policy falls short of our expectations and ideals, and that however much rhetoric politicians and public figures inject into their spiels, without fundamental change bureaucracy and corruption will continue to prevail. As far as entertainment goes, if you want to burn down the veil of ignorance and seek sociological enrichment then call in, McNulty will be glad to see you.
It's The Simpsons versus Family Guy debate, but with guns and violence
Michael Brownlee says The Sopranos... Don't get me wrong, I think The Wire is a great TV drama. In fact, I think it's the second best TV drama of the last 10 years. However, for me there is one show that trumps it. The Sopranos ran from 1999 to 2007 and in my opinion completely changed the path of television. Popular with both fans and critics, it is one of the most successful shows in history. The show centres around Tony Soprano: a middle aged Mafia don who struggles to balance the stresses from his home and work life. We follow the tumultuous lives of him and his family, his work colleagues and friends, his therapist and various law enforcement agencies. All make for interesting and brilliantly original viewing. I think one of the reasons why the show was so well-received is because it is so much more than a Mafia drama, which can often be predictable and tedious. Through its 86 episodes it focuses on elements of history, politics, philosophy, psychology and sociology. These all combine to add fascinating and very different elements to what is already a great
show. With the various dream sequences and scenes where he is in therapy, we really get an insight into Tony Soprano's character and more broadly, the mind of an American baby boomer at the start of the 21st century. After watching the entire series you feel altogether more connected to the characters than you do with The Wire; a show which keeps many of its characters shrouded in mystery. The Sopranos can also be very funny at times, due to the depth of its characters whom can be terrifying and ruthless one minute and then laughable and hapless the next. This can't really be said about the Barksdale crew from The Wire. The Wire is praised for being more realistic, but realism doesn't always mean great drama. Another key point is that The Sopranos came out first, and it's debatable whether The Wire would have even been put on television if The Sopranos had not paved the way. It's The Simpsons/Family Guy debate but with guns and violence. So by all means watch both of these great shows, but if you are looking to be compelled and entertained, then The Sopranos beats The Wire every time.
Redbrick
Editors – Amber Alexander & Charlotte Lytton
A fond farewell of not eating. When I finally coerce someone into taking me down the aisle, I'll learn from Kate Middleton's mistake and make sure to put my bridesmaids in something akin to potato sacks. 3 – Don't get too big for your Louboutins.
Amber Alexander
We were all champions of Newcastle's sweetheart Cheryl Cole when she rose to fame on the X Factor. Then she started to get ideas above her station and went to America. Supposedly the poor woman is in hiding, unsurprisingly nobody cares.
Television Editor
Alas, I have come to the end of my fantastic journey as Redbrick's Television editor and to say I am sad to leave the University of Birmingham and my fellow Redbrickers is an understatement. My time here has been short but very sweet. However, instead of boring you with my lamentations, I thought I'd leave you with five things I have learnt from television this year. Thank you writers and lovely Charlotte, it has been fantabulous.
Five TV-inspired life lessons
4 – Lowering your IQ, dying yourself orange and decorating your nether regions with gems stolen from a child's costume box will lead to stardom. The cast of The Only Way Is Essex are prospering. The show recently won a Bafta, Amy Childs is supposedly set to join Channel 5's cheap(er) version of Celebrity Big Brother and Lauren Goodger is now the face of Foxy Bingo's new perfume, Furever. 'Well jel' isn't quite the phrase I'm looking for...
1 – Alcoholism pays. I will no longer continue to contemplate suicide whilst looking at certain facebook pictures, which depict my mysterious twin, staggering out of Adam's Place at 3 in the morning, looking like something even the boys from Jersey Shore wouldn't touch. After all David Hasselhoff managed to lose his dignity in front of the nation, when a video of his drunken despair got leaked onto the internet, and what did he get? A job on prime time TV as the least annoying judge on Britain's Got Talent. 2 – Don't be a nice bride. Bridesmaid's dresses are hideous for a reson. No bride wants to be upstaged by the sort of derriere which can only be achieved by intense sessions of Pilates and a year
Television 21
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Panorama: Exposing the truth or playing up to stereotypes? Sarah Pullem Reporter
In A Job to Get Work the BBC's Panorama visits Rhyl, a town in North Wales where nearly half of the population are on benefits. The programme looks at individual stories of unemployed residents and endeavours to find out if the government's 'welfare revolution' is making a difference. The issue of unemployment in the UK is huge. It was always going to be a challenge to address the whole of this problem in as short a time as half an hour, but A Job to Get Work failed to present even the outlines of the whole picture. The programme focuses on the stories of only a few individuals: residents who have been on unemployment benefits for years, lack basic qualifications and have a history of crime and/or drugs. While such individuals certainly make up part of the unemployed in Britain, their stories fail to give a complete picture of the situation. Even worse, the programme suggests that it is only these kinds of people who are struggling to find work. It makes the assumption that qualifications make jobs easy to come by. There is no mention of the 20 per cent of graduates who face unemployment upon leaving university. Neither is there an ac-
knowledgement of the number of people made redundant after years of work who have subsequently struggled to find new employment. During an interview, the local MP, Chris Ruane, even mentioned the impact the government cuts to jobs in the public sector (between 10 and 20 per cent) would have on the state of unemployment. However, this was skimmed over in a matter of seconds. While the programme clearly aimed to be a micro-study of that particular area, it seemed ignorant to the broader context, failing to even fleetingly acknowledge other dimensions of the problem. A Job to Get Work also attempted to stir up sympathy for the unemployed. While there were one or two cases in which this was effectively done, on the whole, it left me cold. One unemployed resident, aged 21, had left school with no
qualifications, had never had a job and yet believed he had the right to be choosy about his employment. He expressed outrage at having his job seeker's allowance cut after flatly refusing to fill out applications for jobs he didn't want. His defence was that he didn't want 'any job. I'd have to like the job.' This kind of attitude hardly evoked empathy amongst viewers. Most people have a fair amount of sympathy for people struggling to find work in this tough economic climate but this programme seemed intent on destroying that. Their portrayal of the unemployed conformed to all the usual stereotypes and the programme chose to completely ignore the multiple angles of the problem of unemployment in Britain. To see Lola Lawal's review of Panorama's Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed, visit http://www.redbrickpaper.
The North/South divide
5-Budding wordsmiths should go on The Apprentice. Seven series on and it seems as if Britain has been wiped out of talent. None of the stars of this year's Apprentice seem to have any business acumen, common sense, humility or shred of intelligence. However, one thing the contestants can all put on their CV's is an 'exquisite way with words'. Some of my favourite quotes from this year's cohort of buffoons include: 'I've looked at all your abilities and skills, and the person I want to do the pitch is…myself' – Edna 'I am cold and hard…I am unstoppable' – Tom 'Imagine I am me, and you are you' – Susan 'The King of Tonga does not go looking for bargains' – Nick 'I don't know what rapport is, if I did, I'd bottle it' – Jim Clearly this is an avenue I need to explore.
Sarah Murphy Reporter
The 'Canary Wharf of the North', is the name being given to the city of Salford's brand new MediaCity. With its towering apartment blocks and pristine television sets, what was formerly the Salford docks has now been transformed into a hive of multimedia activity and broadcasting potential. On the doorstep of Manchester and with state of the art technology, it would seem a broadcaster's delight – yet for a number of BBC presenters and talented performers, the move up North has proved most unwelcome. So despite its potential for greatness, the Salford based hub has become a great source of con-
troversy both in and outside of the media circuit. After five years in the making, the day finally came this May, for over 2,300 staff – including major broadcasting areas such as BBC NEWS, BBC Children's Television and also Radio Five Live – to make their way northbound. However, this vast number sadly does not include some of the BBC's top players: such as news presenter Sian Williams who promptly resigned over the re-location as well as BBC sports editor, Mihir Bose, whose life in London took priority. Not to mention many of the staff who are threatening resignation, being of the middle to senior management bracket – the very people who produce our treasured
shows. Yet having been offered a sound £46,000 pay packet to sweeten the deal, I wonder how they can complain? However, the question remains, what impact will this move have on the quality of our programming, with some concerns having been raised already, particularly with regards to sport. Both politicians and media moguls alike have professed that the move will bring television media closer to the people. Exactly how moving to Salford can bring a rugby fan closer to Twickenham, remains to be seen. Yet is this negative portrayal of Salford even fair? And do they know what they may be missing out on in this smaller yet highly cultured city? It goes without saying that plenty of great things have come from the North, including: Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, which produced the acting talents of both Sarah Parish and Miranda to name but a few. Moreover, the 48,000 jobs the MediaCity will hopefully provide can hardly be a bad thing. Such a drastic move has big implications for both staff and viewers alike, but I for one won't mind if my CBeebies shows start slipping, so long as my drama's remain intact. This new venture could in fact do wonders for Salford's reputation and social scene and I'm excited to see what it's made of when a Northern bred show hits my screen!
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redbrickpaper.co.uk
Travel Dear Redbrick Travel, Having an amazing time here in Granada; with its contrast of European and Arabian influences, in its spirit as much as the architecture, it really is a unique city. Student life is rather different here, university is much more laidback for a start—some may say it’s unorganised and too lax, but you get used to it! Made lots of friends at uni as the Spanish are very open-minded, keen to meet people from abroad and, of course, to improve their English. Despite the long, often tedious lectures, I will miss it - especially the sunny intervals between classes, chatting with friends over coffee and tostadas and three course traditional meals with wine for €3! I’ve certainly been making the most of the free tapas in Granada - that’s right, free, with every drink! From toasted
Redbrick
17th June 2011
Check online for Redbrick Travel safety tips, courtesy of Sam Boynton at the 'Foreign and Commenwealth Know Before You Go' project
sarnies to falafel kebabs or paella, I’m spoilt for choice of ‘fiesta fuel’. The nightlife is also more chilled here, but no less fun and longer-lasting! It’s all about taking your time. The Spanish take it easy, whiling away the time with friends, strumming classics and singing along before strolling indecisively in the general direction of clubs, eventually rocking up at 3-4am—home time for Brits! Of course I’ve managed to squeeze in some travelling too, Cádiz Carnival and Córdoba’s mosque being highlights. Closer to home, Granada’s historical region, Alpujarra, and ski pistes adorn the stunning Sierra Nevada. Shame that my return date is speedily approaching because - forgive the cliché - it really has been a life-changing year! Wish you were here!
Louise Spratt
Granada
o
ir e n a J e D o i R
Dear Redbrick Travel, Where to start! Well, it’s certainly true about Latin America - it's totally infectious in every way! The culture, the food and, as I am in Chile, I have to mention the Pisco Sour (brandy cocktail if you’re wondering!). Studying abroad instead of doing the backpacker circuit certainly puts a spin on the international way of life. After a year in Santiago de Chile I have entirely immersed myself into the latino way of life. In fact, I have no idea how life will be once I get back to the UK: Having spoken so much Spanish I am now beginning to struggle with my English. I forgot the word for cucumber the other day! The university here is definitely challenging, not so much because of the language, but adapting to a new system. Believe it or not Birmingham seems rather easy! I have met a whole array of people
from all over the world; everyone is so friendly and because we’re living here we can really get to know each other. However, it is true to say the icing on the cake this year has been all the travelling I’ve managed to squeeze in. I had the opportunity to travel for 3 months over the Christmas holidays... one of the perks of the Latin American education system, plus it’s far too hot to do anything else! My favourite location of all so far has to be Rio de Janeiro, a captivating - although extremely expensive - experience! I’ve decided to reap the benefits of being in the awe-inspiring and diverse continent of South America and instead of returning home for the summer, I simply cannot wait to go travelling to the all Andean countries. Latin America is just endless! Besos! Liz Crump
European festivals to look out for in the summer months So it's that time of year again - the festival season is already upon us and it's time to welly up! However, with the increasing popularity of festivals, especially UK based ones , the price of spending a weekend in a field can reach up to £300. But with a bit of looking around and by venturing into Europe you can find some amazing festivals for half this price, inculding travel there. We here at Redbrick Travel, we have found you ten...
Rock for People, Czech R.
2nd - 5th July
Tickets: €65 (4 days), €46 (1 day) Headlining: My Chemical Romance, Pendulum, Bullet for my Valentine In 3 words: Cheap beer + dreadZagreb, Croatia locks
B'estfest, Romania
1st-3rd June
Tickets: £57 (before 30th June) Group of 10 students = 50% ticket reduction Headlining: Flogging Molly, Mika, Hadouken! In 3 words: Cheap Romanian chills
Open'er, Poland
30th June- 3rd July
Tickets: £96 (camping and rail ticket), £37 (day) Headlining: Prince, Coldplay, Pulp, Paolo Nutini, The National, Foals In 3 words: Heineken fuelled crowd
INmusic, Croatia
21st-22nd June
Tickets:€105 (camping), €70 (no camping), €50 (day ticket). Headlining: Arcade Fire, Jamiroquai, Cyprus Hill, The Streets In 3 words: Bikinis, mozzies, Maryjane..
Green Man, UK
19th - 21st August
Tickets: £115 (student), £5 (car park ticket ticket) Headlining: Fleet Foxes, Explosions in the Sky, Iron and Wine, Laura Marling In 3 words: Folky festival fun
Pukkelpop, Belgium
18th - 20th August
Tickets: €155 (camping), £79 (day) Headlines: Foo Fighters, Eminem, Rise Against, The Offspring In 3 words - 'Pukkel' means 'Pimple'...
Benicassim, Spain
14th - 17rd July
Tickets: £165 (camping) + €75 for camping Headlines: The Streets, Artic Monkeys, The Strokes, Arcade Fire In 3 words: Sand, Sea, Sunshine
Roskilde, Denmark
30th June- 3rd July
Tickets: €231.40 (camping), €117.40 (day) Headlines: Iron Maiden, The Strokes, Bright Eyes In 3 words - Massive music institution
Oxegen, Ireland
7th - 10th July
Tickets: €244.50 (camping), €199.50 (non-camping), €99.50 (day) Headlines: Coldplay, Beyoncé, The Black Eyed Peas, Foo Fighters In 3 words: Mud, Guinness, Craic
Redbrick Editors – Ed Gordon, James Cull, Louise Spratt and Emily Booth
Travel 23
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Israel: The Forgotten Gem
Bonnie Roberts travels to Israel to see if the media's depiction of the country is accurate – and finds it has a lot to offer Tel Aviv, the city that never stops. It is easy when thinking of Israel to imagine a war-torn country or to think of the old and biblical, but Tel-Aviv – vibrant, modern and fast paced – is the polar opposite of this common misconception. An intense energy pulsates throughout the city and with its host of high street shops, mouth-watering cuisine, golden beaches and nonstop nightlife it is as good a place as any to get away and get messy with some friends. What holds Israel apart from everywhere else in the world is that, try as I might, there is no way to paint a clear image of all it has to offer, I can merely draw you a matchstick picture. So go see for yourself, there is much more to this country than the war-drama we see on the front page of the newspaper, and although there is danger engrossing the country you could just as easily be hit by a bus. Redbrick Travel's Fact File
Jerusalem, the capital of Israel Israel tends to have a stigma of fear surrounding it that will deter many people from choosing it as their next holiday destination. With the Arab-Israeli conflict never far from the media's attention you will be hard pressed to find this unique and beautiful country in a national newspaper's travel section. The unrest that plagues the middle-east is certainly nothing to be flippant about; Israel is a war zone and threats surround the country, yet when visiting it you will never feel so far away from danger. Israel is individual, somewhere that once you visit it you could never say 'well, it's a bit like...' and for that reason alone it's
a place that everyone should experience once in their lifetime. With four different climate zones in a country the size of Wales, Israel has a diverse and interesting range of activities all within a short distance. In a matter of hours you can go from skiing on the snowy heights of Mount Hermon to sizzling in the Judean Desert, where you can float on the Dead Sea – one of the Seven Wonders of the World. If you are one for adventure, rock climbing the desert cliffs surrounding Eilat will certainly push your body to its limits, then you can cool down by scuba diving in the tranquil waters of the Red Sea Riviera on the Gulf
acroll on Flickr of Eilat. When visiting Israel you can't ignore its history or religious significance; it is, after all, the holy land and this is encapsulated within the capital city of Jerusalem. A city of walls, it feels like the place that time forgot; every corner holds a time capsule, a moment in history that has significance for one or more religion. Weaving through the alleyways of market stalls selling individual trinkets, often carved by the very person flogging it, you feel as if you have taken a step back in time far removed from our modern western society. A quick forty minutes later and you arrive back to the future in
Return flights to Tel Aviv from London Heathrow with a stop in Riga cost from £395 per person including all taxes and fees. (with Air Baltic via STA Travel) No visa is required. Hostels in Tel Aviv can be had from around £30 per night. Egged runs a cheap bus network to all major destinations in Israel. Summers in Israel are usually hot (over 30˚C) and dry. All prices calculated as of 14 June 2011 based on a week's stay from 15 – 22 August 2011.
In The News... American Airlines hands out tablet computers instead of headsets Instead of being handed a headset for the on-flight movie, first-class passengers on American Airlines will, starting this autumn, be handed a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 for entertainment on the flight, allowing them to browse the internet and watch movies. American Airlines is planning to deploy 6,000 of these tablets on Boeing 767 aircraft crossing the United States. Royal wedding brought an increase of travellers to Britain It was supposedly watched by over 2 billion people, but the Royal Wedding back in May caused a rise in visitor numbers to the UK. London Heathrow and Edinburgh airports both reported record passenger numbers compared to this time last year, BAA reports. And finally... After stopping a white van from Kazakhstan in Bargteheide, Germany, police were surprised to see a car wedged in vertically into the back of the van, with only a mattress underneath it to protect it from scratches. The Mazda 626 was being transported back to Kazakstan - however, the drivers wanted to save on trailer costs, and instead propped it up on its side in the van. The police confiscated both the car and the van and ordered the pair to return with a 'proper transporter' for the car before they were allowed to continue their journey back home.
Prague: Boys vs Girls Picture of the Week Tereza Beckova looks at what to do in Prague for both genders.
1. Prague Pub Crawl (Dlouhá 26) – free drinks for an hour, 4 bars and the biggest club in central Europe. Oh, and a free T-shirt, so one less day of laundry whilst at Uni. What could be better? 2. Beer Garden, Letna (Letenské Sady) – if the sun is out then you want to get out of the center fast! A perfect view from the city is found up here as well as a perfect view of the sunbathing girls. They didn't acquire the title of most beautiful women of the world for nothing. And did I mention the beer? 3. Lokal (Dlouhá 33) – Cheap, traditional and delicious food. Go on: make mum proud and don't eat hamburgers for 4 days straight! 4. Darling Cabaret (Ve Smečkách 32) – you'll be bombarded with flyers for this place. It certainly looks appealing but beware of the prices. 5. British Embassy (Thunovská 14) – this will be key for when you get arrested whilst running around Old Town Square naked, or whatever it is you 'lads' do these days.
1. Silver Café (Jungmannovo náměstí) – a great place to transition from a girly coffee and catchup with the girls to classy drinks Sex And The City style. 2. M1 (Masná 1) – a hot RnB joint where the barmen are sexy and local elite even more so. 3. Egoist Fashion (Štupartská 9) – a classy boutique offering Italian fashion, and pieces that would be hard to find anywhere else. Think chunky bangles, cashmere sweaters and perfect fitting denim. 4. Parizska Street (opposite Old Town Square) – the most expensive street in town! Perfect for strolling down and pretending you could actually afford that Chanel bag without having to sell a kidney! 5. Bohemia Bagel (Masná 620/2) – hangover from hell but vowed you wouldn't step inside a Maccy D's whilst on holiday? This is the perfect place, all-day breakfasts including pancakes, goodness filled bagels and New York style cheesecake for all you sweettoothed ladies.
The Norfolk coastline at Sheringham
James Cull
24 redbrickonline.co.uk
Life&Style
Redbrick
17th June 2011
Brob's Fierce and Finished
New York, New York!
Vicky Hodgkinson Writer
Without boring you to tears with my experience of NYC I will try and cover a few things to do if you are lucky enough to go to the States and all on a budget, because believe me after the flights I did not have money to burn. Can you live your own Sex And The City or Hangover experience? Well you can sure try and being 'British' helps with getting you a few freebies…
NYC by night
Being 21 is essential for drinking in the US so if you want to hit the clubs you may have to wait for your birthday. My fellow housemates and I hit the Empire Hotel Rooftop Bar in the Upper West Side on a Saturday night – we signed ourselves up on the guest list to go straight to the front of the queue (where we were told we looked
beautiful – wish I heard that outside Gatecrasher). Entry was free and we were taken up to the roof in a lift (with a guy who was with the Irish band The Script – yes we partied with celebrities). We were expelled onto a spacious dance floor and made our way outside to take in the view of the sparkling skyline and parted with $16 for a quite frankly disgusting cocktail. The club wasn't crowded but had a great atmosphere. We plonked ourselves down on some seats and chatted to the people next to us who had paid $300 per bottle of drink – clearly they were working with a big budget! On the Monday of our stay we went to Greenhouse in SoHo, an eco-friendly club, which usually has an entry fee of $20-75. We, however, popped into The Winery across the road and started talking to the manager who gave us
Editor's Summer Guide Sophie Cowling and Lara Edwards' rules for summer... – however being run by Saved By The Bell cast wannabes from the 90s who constantly refer to you as 'gang' – your exercise outlook will be changed (in a positive way) forever. Beauty:
Fitness: The gym is usually the first thought that springs into peoples' minds when considering acquiring that perfect beach body and with select gyms offering discount memberships to students over the summer period it can be deemed a good choice in terms of offering all round fitness. However some people are just not 'gym-bunnies' – couldn't imagine anything worse than others seeing them sweaty and exercising; let alone actually exercising in the first place. Exercise DVDs can be subjective in what individuals find works for them and what they enjoy. The Tracey Anderson Method DVD is considered to be challenging but ultimately effective and at £4.99 on Amazon potentially a more preferable option to a gym membership. Something which has brightened my life considerably homefitness wise (and generally) was introduced to me by my course friend. The '8-minute' videos on YouTube covering areas such as abs, bums, legs and arms are timed to be able to slip into your daily schedule relatively unnoticed. Unnoticed time wise perhaps
Unless you have the flawless, glowing skin of Gwyneth Paltrow the likelihood is some make-up is still required during the summer months, tan or no tan. In many ways this is more challenging to get right as you want to appear fresh-faced and natural. The key is opting for lighter options of foundation and more subtle colours in terms of eye and lip products. Facial primers, such as those by MAC, are definitely worth investing in if you haven't before – providing the perfect base for a foundation meaning you use less as well as creating the 'glow' effect. Tinted moisturisers are a popular summer product when heavy foundation is a no-no. Affordable brands like Dove and Nivea have great ranges of tinted moisturizers which create a healthy complexion whilst maintaining an effective form of coverage. Dove's 'Summer Glow' moisturiser is SPF 15 so you can protect your skin as well as adding a healthy glow. YSL have also released new shades for their Touche Eclat illuminator pen, including their first ever shade for darker skin. With one illuminator sold every ten minutes in the UK, Touche Eclat is an essential item for the summer months.
Fierce two free bottles of champagne and got us into the club for free and bought us drinks in there. This is clearly a huge exception to the rule (flutter those eyelashes girls, and guys pump those guns?). The club seemed quite small inside but boasts numerous rooms which were clearly not open when we went. The minimum card transaction is $50 and drinks are pricey (glad someone else was buying them for us) – the DJ was good and the interior very cool. Kiss & Fly, in the stylish Meat Packing district, is the place for clubs and bars and was recommended to us by our Greenhouse companions. We didn't have time to go there but I've had it on good authority that the club had a fantastic atmosphere. I just had a look at drinks menu online and almost fell off the sofa as bottles of drink are up to $8000 – ouch. If you want to live the highlife then you're either going to do it sober, have a few drinks in your hotel before you go out to dance and meet some new people or find yourself some rich New Yorkers to cover the tab.
NYC by day
Alexander McQueen at the MET: 'Savage Beau-
ty' is an astonishing exhibition presenting McQueen's body of work which is beautiful, but at times disturbing. The late designer calls himself 'a romantic schizophrenic' and the exhibition highlights his obsession with death, sex, nature and interestingly his curiosity with history, love, religion and romance. For students it is only $10 to get into the exhibition which was well presented and surprisingly thought provoking. Shopping: You've got a few dollars to spare after hitting the clubs and sightseeing so where is good to shop? Century 21 is supposed to be a designer bargain basement but quite frankly it reminded me of a hellish TK Maxx and I didn't buy a thing – best to get there early in the morning to snatch a bargain, or so I've heard. SoHo is a great shopping centre and of course Fifth Avenue. Go into Tiffany's flagship store and try on a few diamond rings girls – you're allowed and it's actually encouraged – obviously your budget won't stretch (damn). Just for the sheer size get yourself down to Macy's, the biggest store in the world, to grab some presents for your family and go and feast on the designer dresses and suits in Bloomingdales.
Farewell to Lady X Lady X
Columnist
We've finally come to the end of what has been another depraved year at the University of Birmingham and for many of us it is time to hang up our student gloves and enter the real world of monotony and responsibility. No longer will we be able to justify spending days on end hung-over, festering in bed, stuffing ourselves with congealed pizza and watching re-runs of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. No longer can four hours spent in the library stalking strangers on Facebook be classified as a hard day's work. No longer will the morning walk of shame be as easy as a five-minute dash through Selly Oak. Rather it will now result in a near-impossible assault course, where one must avoid parents, siblings and barking dogs. One thing's for sure, nothing beats being a student and I will truly miss living a life where bad behaviour is expected. Naturally, end of year celebrations were a little more hardcore than usual, and led to a series of embarrassing and unfortunate events (on my part). Particularly cringe-worthy moments include: tarnishing my reputation as a 'good-girl' at the Redbrick Awards; drunkenly bear-hugging a boy on my course after my last exam, declaring my secret lust for him and
being told in return – 'aww, well I think you're really...sweet'; and having to be collected and subsequently carried home from FAB last week...at about 12:30. All in all, a shameful yet fitting end to my time at uni. So as I bid you farewell, it's time to divulge my top secrets, which I have saved especially for my final column: After getting into a heated debate with a cleaner in Snobs, a certain English student had a bucket of dirty water poured over his head. He later admitted that some of the water, which had been used to wash the toilet floors, had made its way into his mouth...and been swallowed. A very pretty, yet decidedly foul, biosciences student emerged from the FAB toilets with her shorts smeared in faeces. When questioned about the deplorable state of circumstances, she nonchalantly explained that she had 'used a toilet with poo in it'. She then proceeded to wash herself off with a pint of cider and continued to dance the night away. Finally, I am not the only person to be caught fraternising with a fellow Redbricker. Two very prominent figures in the Redbrick office have been having a secret affair. Both are leaving this year and both have made a big impact on the paper, and clearly on each other! Don't ever think I'm not watching. Enjoy your summer, it's been scintillating. Love, Lady X
Team Brob of course! – Your Life&Style Editors of 2010 – 2011 are leaving. Fledging the Redbrick nest for greener pastures (yes that means moving home and joining Monster.co.uk) King Lear – Our Editor-In-Chief, the man himself, the biggest fan of Life&Style and a wonderful friend. Thanks for everything Mr Lear. End of exams – Yeah yeah so this is a bit late, but we've finished! No more revision, all nighters, coffee/pro-plus overdoses and useless facts we won't ever need or remember. Slutwalks – The empowering march of women who say 'no means no', no matter what they are wearing. Check out if one's going on where you are. If not, why not start one? Ties in with Rihanna's music video for her new song Man Down. Check it out on YouTube. Gradball – So the rite of passage for all final year students took place last night, with music from Example, a fun fair to run riot in and a silent disco that was reminiscent of our Fresher's Ball finale. Simply fabulous. Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Tumbr, LinkedIn and countless more. We in the Redbrick office have realised if you want to get yourself out there in the world of employment, social media is a great place to start. And what else does a student spend their days doing anyway?
Finished Exams Stating the obvious, but damn aren't you glad? Cheryl Cole Oh how the mighty have fallen. Summer Rain Sounds like a new perfume, but causes serious outfit/ hair distress. Ollie's Heterosexuality The Made In Chelsea star admits he's bisexual. To think we were so convinced, I mean that hair, it's just so 'straight'. Flat feet and saggy bums Boys, we get it, it's the go-to silhouette of the season, but it's wrong on so many levels. Ditch the Vans and the drop crotches and do us all a favour. Insects God's creatures, but how about swarms of kittens instead of wasps?! Brob We didn't kill each other and looked pretty fabulous doing it.
Redbrick
17th June 2011
Sport
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Rowing Update Douglas Brown tells Redbrick how the rowing squad have been doing this year, p27
Chopra eyes County Championship Redbrick Sport's Joel Lamy catches up with Warwickshire batsman Varun Chopra who wants to get his hands on the County Championship more than anything...
Chopra hits a trademark cover drive (left), and celebrates his record-breaking double century (right) we’ve started this season a lot better as a batting side and hopefully we can continue and get big scores.’ Warwickshire won the Pro40 competition last season, but were knocked out of the T20 tournament at the quarter-final stage to eventual winners Hampshire, who triumphed at their home ground, the Rose Bowl. This season, T20 Finals Day is being hosted at Edgbaston and Chopra is hoping to take inspiration from Hampshire’s performance last year and push for success in what is seen as county cricket’s most exciting day of the season. ‘I think we’ve fallen at the quarter-finals in T20s for a while now so we definitely need to make Finals Day being at the home ground, Edgbaston, so that’s definitely a target. It would be nice to play in front of the home supporters and give them a good day hopefully.’ When asked which competition was more important to win: the County Championship or the
The Year In Numbers
352 169 766
a lot of work for him to do before that becomes a possibility. ‘It’s every young player’s ambition to represent your country so it’s still an ambition of mine, a dream kind of thing, but it’s a lot of hard work to be done before that happens.’ His team-mate at Warwickshire, Chris Woakes, experienced international cricket for the first time in the winter, as he took part in the T20 matches between England and Australia which followed the Ashes. Woakes caught the eye of many when he guided England to victory in the first match after a nerveless batting display, which included hitting one of the world’s fastest bowlers, Shaun Tait, for a huge six. The young fast-bowler had started this season in blistering fashion, averaging 52 with the bat and 18 with the ball, but a shin injury has sidelined him for a few weeks. Nevertheless, Chopra believes Woakes has a bright future ahead of him with England and will join Warwickshire team-mates
The Year In Quotes
Sebastian Vettel has spent an amazing 352 out of a possible 442 laps in first place so far this season.
‘The game is wrong. The people in charge of the game are wrong, and I’m not calling them names I’m just telling them that they’re wrong!’
Birmingham City's Ben Foster made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the 2010/2011 Premier League, stopping 169 shots, but couldn't prevent relegation.
'The new Old Trafford stand is quite frankly worse than eating sprouts dipped in marmite. Washed down with turps.'
Alistair Cook scored 766 in the most recent Ashes Series in Australia. England were the far better team over the series and embarrassed the Aussies in their own back yard.
77.33
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T20, his immediate response was, ‘The County Championship, definitely.’ I reminded him that the two teams who get to the final of the T20 get to play in the Champions League in September, but Chopra was still adamant that he would prefer to win the Championship instead. ‘I think there’s just a little bit more recognition and it’s a bit more deserving. It’s a hard season so if you win the Championship you are the best team and I think it would be a good feeling if we get to that stage.’ Part of the reason for singling out the Championship is because of the current strength in the county circuit with most sides containing current, former or future England players in their line-ups, as well as oversees and Kolpak players. It is why Chopra admits he was ‘over the moon’ with his runs at the start of the season which has put him back in contention for international recognition, although he acknowledged that there was still
Ian Holloway vents his fury over the Bosman Ruling at a press conference, claiming that everything about the game is wrong.
Graeme Swann explains that he found Old Trafford's new Point building a tad unpalatable.
'I’m a gypsy and I’ve been a gypsy for many years.'
Sven -Goran Eriksson on life after leaving Notts County before taking charge of Ivory Coast and then Leicester. He always was a hard cat to keep on the porch.
In the whole of his career, Jonathan 'He’s certainly a very silly young man. OK, I’ll say it, he’s a Trott has clocked 77.33 runs per hundred dickhead.' balls. Australia's transport minister, Tim Pallas, takes exception to Lewis
Blackpool scored 55 goals in the 2010/2011 season, the most goals ever scored by a relegated team.
Hamilton's 'hooning' in Melbourne by saying what most of us were thinking.
Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott in the national side sooner rather than later. ‘I think [Woakes] is banging at the door quite loudly; I don’t think it will be too long before he is a bit more of a regular in the England set-up. Unfortunately we won’t see that much of him.’
Cricket at Edgbaston Chopra and co start their eight match home T20 campaign against Northamptonshire on June 5. With exams out of the way, why not go to Edgbaston and watch some of the world’s most explosive players, such as David Hussey, Irfan Pathan and Martin Guptill in the shortened form of the game. Tickets are only £5 for students! Finals Day this year is at Edgbaston on August 27 and will see both semi-finals, the final and other entertainment including the mascot derby!
The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Who did Andy Murray defeat in the Aegon Championships final in London to take the Queens title? 2) Which goalkeeper kept the most clean sheets in the 2010/2011 Premier League season? 3) Who did the Dallas Mavericks defeat to win their first ever NBA title? 4) Which English football team recorded the worst goal difference in a Premier League season? 5) In cricket, who holds the record for the most test wickets and One Day International wickets? 1, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2, Joe Hart (18) 3, Miami Heat 4,Derby County (-69) 5, Muttiah Muralitharan
‘I’m not really sure it’s completely sunk in', is the verdict of Varun Chopra, Warwickshire’s 23-yearold opening batsman, when asked what it felt like to be the first player in the club’s history to score back-to-back double centuries. It was an understandable reaction from someone who has not always found it easy to deliver on his early promise as an England Under-19 captain after scoring two centuries in the same match against India in 2006. That Chopra is in the headlines for his prolific run scoring is down to a lot of hard graft in the nets over the winter, working on technical issues and moving from Essex to the Midlands. As the player himself said, ‘I enjoyed my time at Essex, but felt that I just needed to get out of my comfort zone a little bit and push myself. That’s why I made the move up to Warwickshire and this year things have gone well.’ The Bears had struggled to stay in Division One last season due mostly to their poor batting form which saw no player average 40 or above. But Chopra was confident that they could challenge for the title this season after four wins from their opening seven matches and he hoped that his side’s batting performances would improve from last season, something he attributes to a number of players struggling for form at the same time. ‘I do believe [we can win]', he said. ‘We set our targets at the beginning of the year to be top four in all forms of the game and we know we finish seasons strongly so if we’re there or there about come August we know we might have a chance, but we will take it one game at a time. ‘I’m not exactly sure how good the wickets actually were for batting last year, but I think it was just one of those years where there weren’t really any form batters in the side, everyone collectively was out of a bit of nick. It was a tough season for the lads, but I think
26 Sport
Redbrick
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley
Umaga oversees development
Former Redbrick Sport Editor Simon Hall talks to former Samoan rugby union international and University of Birmingham coach Mike Umaga Profile
Redbrick Sport writer and Nottingham Forest fanatic Joel Lamy reveals how the summer break is just as hectic and over-hyped as the football season itself... You may think after that painful defeat to Swansea (where we would have needed £40,000 and Mohamed Bin Hammam as the referee to actually get a penalty for a change), that I would be having nightmares all summer. Instead, despite contemplating putting in a mitigation request citing play-off hangover as the reason for my poor exam results, I have been trawling the internet looking for any rumour I can get on potential signings and to find out whether our manager is actually staying or not (after three weeks of hearing nothing it turns out he isn't).
Name: Mike Umaga Positions when player: Fullback, Wing, Centre Country represented: Samoa Number of caps: 13 Number of international points: 13 There are many people at the University of Birmingham who may consider themselves something of a ‘presence’. However, there are few who could come close to the men’s rugby union first XV coach Mike Umaga in this respect. The giant former Samoan international is simply impressive, both in his physical attributes and in the way in which he talks about rugby as a former playing professional and now as coach of the University and Nuneaton R.F.C. Umaga has offered the first XV some much-needed consolidation since his arrival three years ago. The team had a strong campaign this year, finishing fourth in the Premier North B Division and reaching the quarter-finals of the BUCS trophy. Of the overall season performance the coach said: ‘It’s very much in line with what the University has to work with. The expectations have always been pretty high but I think we have started to realise some of those now. It’s also good knowing that there is a lot more to come from the team in future.’ The expectation that Umaga referred to has only become more intense in the last year. The club was awarded UBSport’s team scholarship, giving players better access to some of the more advanced facilities on offer at the University, something Umaga pinpointed as a key reason for the team’s improvement this year: ‘I think it’s what’s needed to be a modern day rugby player. There’s strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports psycholo-
Sport Thoughts
Umaga has had a distinguished career and brings valuable experience to the University rugby union set up gy; all those facilities were available to us. Those are the basics that are required for success nowadays.’ Nobody could accuse the Samoan coach of a lack of ambition, something that was clearly apparent when the conversation moved towards the topic of the rugby club’s future and long-term objectives: ‘In three years time, I would like to see the club in the Prem A division and I certainly feel like that’s something we could achieve. We came fourth this year even though we lost a number of games we know we should have won.’ Umaga’s credentials and track record as a coach should not be underestimated either. He has helped to strengthen the stature of Nuneaton R.F.C. in National League 2 North, English rugby’s fourth tier. In addition to this, the Samoan has also received individual acclaim, picking up ‘Midlands Coach of the Year 2009’ for his sterling efforts. Although Umaga played down this award, it clearly demonstrates the calibre of the coach the University of Birmingham are fortunate
enough to have at their disposal. While the trainer displayed great passion for his coaching role throughout the interview, it was when discussing his playing days that Umaga’s eyes truly lit up. Many people may be aware that Mike is the elder brother of former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga. The former recounted the endearing story of when the two brothers met on the field for the only time in their respective careers. ‘It was pretty frightening! You always say that there’s no friends for those 80 minutes but when you come up against blood it’s pretty tricky. There was always going to be something in that first contact and he’s told a lot of people about that first collision. I kicked the ball to him and I just knew he was going to make a beeline for me, which is fine. He says that he was expecting more from me. But I was going into the tackle thinking ‘Would my Mum ever forgive me if I took him out?’ so I just gave him the standard tackle. I didn’t want to end his career right there and then!’
Umaga clearly has a thousand similar battle stories which he could tell, such is the nature of playing a combative sport like rugby union to the very highest level. His love and passion for the game are palpable and, even after the many years in which he has been involved in the sport, he still retains a burning desire to remain involved through his coaching efforts. ‘I think at this moment in time this is a very good fit for me and my family but I don’t mind saying that my ultimate goal, a few years down the line, is to coach Western Samoa. I’d like to be involved in a World Cup campaign again.’ With some useful experience behind Umaga, both at the University of Birmingham and in the lower leagues of English rugby, this goal certainly seems like it should be achievable. It also appears that the immediate future of the University’s rugby team is in safe hands as they look to build a strong platform for an assault on the Premier A division in the coming years.
Football is without doubt a never-ending relationship, with its ups and downs from August until May, followed by a twomonth holiday, which for the average supporter is just as intense. Still, it is difficult to get enthused by the raft of meaningless friendlies, more so as some are played abroad. Pre-season must be like being engaged, as you prepare for the big day in August and the rest of the year with a mixture of uncertainty and excitement. Inevitably, most fans will have Liverpool syndrome, that 'this is the year', but more often than not, the season ends up like a Katie Price marriage - big hype, lots of drama, all over the media, but finished by May, only for a new one to start a few months later.
'Rugby and basketball in boats' Joseph Audley Sport Editor
‘A mixture of rugby and basketball in boats’ is the best description of kayak polo, explains Bridie Martin-West, who has been a part of the University team for three years. Martin-West and two of her teammates Elinor MacCormac and Minie Clapham agree that ‘it’s an extremely fun contact sport which really gets the adrenaline pumping. Imagine regular polo but instead of horses we use kayaks and we’re in water!’ There are two suspended goals and the players must use their paddles to grab the ball and get past the opposition’s defence. Co-ordination is the key in kayak polo, as the players must avoid getting pushed in when in possession of the ball whilst trying to build an attack. Although it is aggressive, MacCormack reveals that the game is thoroughly enjoy-
able, ‘boats often collide and people always end up underwater but that’s the fun of it, except for when it’s cold. We were competing in the Liverpool docks in February which was far from warm!’ Clapham has played kayak polo since she was 11 and competed for the GB team as a junior. She came 22nd in the European competitions and ranked an impressive 17th at international level. After deciding to move away from her family in order to continue competing for the GB team, Clapham joined the University of Birmingham’s kayak polo team and is pleased with her decision. ‘We came third for the second time in three years in the BUCS tournament in Doncaster which is a great achievement.’ Martin-West and MacCormack only started playing when they joined the University and emphasise that the social aspects of the sport are just as important
The girls celebrate their BUCS bronze medal as the game itself. ‘The team is a group of best friends,’ they explain. ‘We’re also part of the kayak club and everyone there is very friendly. The club contains other teams from river sports and every year we go to the French Alps to compete in the slalom. It’s a huge adrenaline rush as it is very dangerous manoeuvring in white water. Our team has never argued and we have great chemistry, which is rare because we regularly see other teams argu-
ing and yelling at each other.’ All three of the girls are leaving university this year and take with them fond memories of the sport, including a collective favourite of when Martin-West scored a golden goal in an exhausting game against Warwick to take bronze. They are keen to join local clubs and hope that the University team finds new recruits for an enjoyable sport that has enhanced their own university experiences.
With ambitious chairmen, who are not used to losing, more determined than ever to see their clubs rise to the top, the normally calm summer months are becoming even more exciting than the actual season as the thought of seeing your club's new signings in action gets ever closer. But if you don't fancy waiting until August for competitive football, then the Under-21 European Championships has already begun in Denmark. I suppose a two-week break without live football was too long after all. Let's just hope England don't win the thing, otherwise the hype before Euro 2012 will be as unbearable as, well, a Katie Price wedding.
Redbrick
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley
Rowers continue on road to Royal Regatta
Sport 27
The men's firsts lead the Reading Regatta final (left), and James Manfield heads the field on the way to victory in the men's Scull Singles in the BUCS Regatta (right) Douglas Brown Rowing Correspondent
Birmingham’s rowing squad have had a successful time of late with wins at Reading and the BUCS tournament in the build up to the historic Henley Royal Regatta at the end of this month. James Manfield, the incoming club president, stormed the field at the BUCS Regatta, coming home with a gold in the men’s intermediate single sculls in difficult conditions by fighting off competition from over 60 other British universities. The men’s novice second four boat also caused an upset, beating the first four into the final round to come home a well placed fifth.
This week in... 2010 English football fans do not look back fondly upon the World Cup last summer, and this time last year was the week we kicked off with so much optimism against USA. Robert Green's howler is the moment that haunts England when he fumbled Clint Dempsey's tame shot. The New York Post's headline? 'USA wins 1-1'. 2009 At Royal Ascot, Irish superhorse Yeats won the Ascot Gold Cup a record fourth time in succession.
Couldn't make it up At the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend one steward had a very near miss. On running onto the track to clear up crash debris, he took an untimely tumble and was inches away from being run over by Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi. Ahead of the women's Under-20 World Cup this summer, some players from the German squad, eager to shatter any stereotypes people may have about women's football, posed for Playboy magazine.
After a short break for exams the club continued its summer campaign to the Metropolitan Regatta, held at Eton Dorney rowing lake, which is also home to the London 2012 Olympic regatta. Tough draws saw the men and women’s second eights knocked out in the first round to strong competition, while the men’s first eight won their heat and eventually placed a solid fifth in the intermediate final. Meanwhile, the men’s senior coxless four placed an overall fourth whilst scholar Sarah Lonergan narrowly missed out on reaching the single sculls final. Another week’s solid training (sometimes averaging over 100km in a single week), both at
the rowing gym on the Selly Oak campus as well as the University of Birmingham boathouse on the River Severn, and the entire squad travelled to the two day Reading Regatta on the River Thames. The men’s first eight easily cruised through their heats into the final to win the intermediate regatta, beating crews from Bristol and both boats from the historic Vesta club. A gruelling last minute push to the line against Exeter University saw them onto the top of the podium. Lonergan continued her good form, tasting success by winning gold in the women's single sculls. University of Birmingham boat club’s successful start to the summer regatta season follows a
number of investments and improvements over the past academic year. The arrival of a new full time head coach, Rich Poole, has allowed a more intense training program for the senior squad, whilst the men’s coxless four have shown continuous improvement in their new boat which arrived at the beginning of the summer. In particular the club’s development squad, made up entirely of athletes who began rowing at the beginning of this academic year, has shown much promise and is currently the most successful DS squad in terms of results since 2006. This has not gone unnoticed, with four members travelling to ‘GB Start’ trials to beat many more established crews
Top three... summer sporting events to look forward to Copa America
Wimbledon
Court on Canvas
All over the summer the illustrious Barber Institute on our very own campus is offering an exhibition on art in tennis. The sport was first played in Edgbaston in the 1850's, and the exhibition traces its development from its inception into the 21st century through the medium of art.
in almost every trial race and a further member continuing to the next stage of trialing at GB rowing headquarters in Caversham. This weekend brings the final regatta before Henley at Marlow, again on the River Thames, with all crews hoping for further success against the many international crews to boost them into the Henley qualifiers on June 24th. Coach Rich Poole commented that 'it is great to see the top men's and women's boats winning national medals in preparation for racing at Henley over the next few weeks - especially considering the men's crew contains three athletes who were complete beginners in September'.
Heroes... Jenson Button
Formula One has been dominated by Sebastian Vettel of late, but McLaren man Jenson Button produced a fantastic drive in torrential rain in the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, coming fron seventh on the grid to snatch victory on the final lap.
The South American stars clash once again in Argentina from July 1st until July 24th. A tournament of dazzling skills and exciting attacking football looks in store, with the usual suspects such as Messi, Neymar, Sanchez and Forlan all likely to play a big part.
Mickael Barzalona
The prestigious Championships from the 20th June until the 3rd July always generates a tremendous atmosphere and is well worth a meander round the courts on the first few days. We are currently in the best ever era of men's tennis, with Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray doing battle again.
Redbrick Sport Recommends...
Alex Darby
India Test Series The four test series between England and India promises to be a cracker, with the second test staged at Edgbaston on August 10th to 14th, with a student offer of £30 for day one or day two.
Downgrading At the time of press, Kevin Nolan was on course to complete a surprise move to leave Newcastle United and join recently relegated West Ham United, reuniting with his former manager at Bolton Sam Allardyce. Nolan had a great season in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals from midfield and excelling as the Toon's club captain, which makes the move all the more difficult to explain.
Classic Goal...
The 19-year-old jockey became the youngest ever to win the Derby with a late burst aboard Pour Moi. It was the Frenchman who stole the headlines however with an over-exuberant celebration before even passing the winning post.
and Villains... Alex McLeish
The Scotsman resigned as Birmingham City manager this week - by email! He has even been in talks with bitter local rivals Aston Villa over their vacant managerial post. Youtube search: Gascoigne free-kick 1991 A superb 30 yard free-kick from Paul Gascoigne in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final for Tottenham against their local rivals Arsenal. Gazza knew exactly what he was doing, taking a short run-up before letting fly into the top corner, the ball touching the underside of the crossbar on its way in.
Sepp Blatter
The long-standing FIFA President has presided over a disastrous period for the image of world football and avoided every question possible in his post-re-election press conference. Despite increasing evidence of corruption within his regime, the Swiss 75-year-old is set for another four years in his position overseeing the sport.
28 Sport
Sport
Redbrick
17th June 2011 www.redbrickpaper.co.uk
Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley
Chopra Interview Turn to p25 for Redbrick Sport's exclusive interview with Warwickshire's Varun Chopra
You know when you've been tangoed James Phillips Deputy Editor
Newly elected Vice President for Sport Tim Smith spoke to Redbrick Sport last week for the first time in his new role. His successful campaign as 'Timmy Tango' landed him with the important role and he explains that his experience in establishing the University's Aussie Rules team has left him in a comfortable position to take on the job. What are you expecting to be your biggest challenges in the role of VP Sport? I think it will essentially be juggling four roles. There’s the guild side, the sport side, making sure the teams are represented and the wider student body. I need to make sure I get the correct balance and am able to make differences in the places where people will see the most benefit. A big challenge will be to try and implement a second sports fair. It has been attempted before and I will work on it over the summer as a second sports fair would be such a good thing. Why did you decide to run for the position of VP Sport in the first place? When I first created the Aussie Rules club at the beginning of my second year I became involved in the administration side of sport. Being involved I saw things that I thought I could improve, contribute to and make better. I saw things that I thought I could do and would make a difference to everyone.
The new vice-president for sport Tim Smith
Millie Guy
Tell us about your role within the Aussie Rules club, which you mentioned that you set up? At the beginning of my second year (09-10), I single-handedly set up the club, it was literally just me and a ball at the sports fair. I got the ball rolling and succeeded in making it a guild-recognised society. I created the team from scratch, being the only person with any Aussie Rules experience and I coached the team myself. By January (2010), we were ready to play our first matches, and were pretty successful, winning 80% of our games in that first year. With help from my subsequently elected committee, I also had to raise funds for the club, and managed to get over £1000 in sponsorship, and a highlight was winning the ‘Guild Sport of the year’. I organised all the fixtures myself and continued it into our second year where we recruited more freshers, all without any Australian influence. We did, how-
ever, get into the Australian media, tipped on a couple of websites as a good example of how to start a new club. Five of our current players/ alumni have represented either England or Great Britain and our greatest achievement this year was beating Cambridge who have been playing a lot longer than us- it was a real giant-killing! What is your favourite thing about university sport? It’s all about making new friendships and increasing both your sporting and social skills. As a collection of clubs it feels like you’re a part of something wider. Clubs support each other and will cheer each other on. There was fantastic support for Aussie Rules in our first year and we have tried to reciprocate that for others. That’s something I want to encourage. What would you most like to see happen during your tenure as VP Sport? Wider participation in non-elite level sport throughout the University. I want to make it easier for people to get involved and make sure everyone knows the opportunities are available for them. What do you think you can learn from your predecessor Julz Adeniran’s experience as VP Sport? Have you spoken with him much about it? We’ve been talking a lot and I’ve done a bit of shadowing. The development of the
Sport RA scheme, which was an idea from (09-10 VPS) Katie Ford and carried out by Julz was one big thing and I can learn from the way he managed to implement this idea and got results. What is your understanding of the day-to-day duties you’ll have to carry out as VP Sport? I will be the representative for the students at meetings throughout the guild, on the sport side and throughout UBSport. I’ll be making sure everything is done for the benefit of students and student interests are looked after. Finally, sport aside, how have you found your three years as a student at the University of Birmingham? Life changing. You grow up and learn so many skills, not just in your degree but outside of it. It’s a life changing experience, socially and in terms of living, I’ve found it fantastic! I’m happy to be staying in Birmingham and remaining involved with the university and the sport. I’ll still play Aussie Rules next year, even if I can’t train all the time! Tim Smith is keen to get on with the job in hand and get people involved in university sport. By setting up the University's Aussie Rules team himself, Smith is setting a good example for anyone who is thinking about joining a team. Participation is his top priority and he encourages everyone to check out the sports fair next term!
TIM SMITH FACTFILE Date of birth: 14/1/1990 Hometown: Cambridge Degree: Geography BSC Favourite Sports: Aussie Rules, Tennis, Rugby, Football. Sporting Idols: Nick Riewoldt (Aussie Rules player), Roger Federer. Life ambition: To make a difference.
INSIDE An exclusive interview with Birmingham Firsts rugby coach and ex-Samoan international Mike Umaga, p25