Redbrick - 4th November 2011 by Redbrick

EST. 1936

Redbrick Friday 4th November 2011 | Volume 76 | Issue 1398 | redbrickpaper.co.uk

What constitutes art? The relentless Turner prize debate See Arts, p14

Tuition fee protest ends in Staff House occupation

Millie Guy

Some of the protesters at the initial demonstration at University Square Ryan Jones Reporter

Students gathered to protest about the changes to higher education on Wednesday, specifically the changes to tuition fees and what they argue is the continuing privatisation of universities. The group behind the demonstration, Defend Education, stated that their actions were not aimed at 'disrupting education or learning but rather those working to destroy public education in the interests of private profit'. Initially the protest began outside the clock tower, where numerous speakers addressed the crowd. One of the speakers was Edd Bauer, recently suspended Guild Sabbatical Officer, who discussed the need for action against changes within higher education and what is seen as the increasingly corporate nature of the

University. Soon after, the protesters marched around the campus where further addresses were heard, before proceeding towards Staff House, where upon approaching the entrance they managed to surpass security and establish an area where speakers could air their views. The crowd attempted to gain entry to the upper-tier of Staff House but were held back by security. Although a few did initially manage to proceed, in the ensuing moments there were several scuffles between the protesters and security. Order was soon restored and the main purpose of the action within the University corporate conference centre could begin. The Defend Education group released a preliminary statement at the time, in which they said that, 'Our aim was and still is to

advance a set of demands centred on justice in education and educational institutions. We want people to be treated as human beings and the University to be run for public good and not as a business'. One of the students present at the demonstration, Kelly Rogers, a second year International Relations and Politics student,

said that she thought it was 'everyone's right to have a good high quality education and we shouldn't just let these changes happen'. Another student present, second year Anthropology student M a t t h e w Stevens, said that the purpose of the action was

'The #brumoccupation is over, ended with a march about campus, full report will be out tonight. Successful first action of the year.' (quote from Twitter account @EddBauer)

Suspended Vice President of Education Edd Bauer (pictured) who spoke at the protest on Thursday

to 'have a general assembly with lots of people where we can discuss ideas and how we can move forward. Ultimately, it's not just about tuition fees but also the increasing privatisation and we certainly have no desire to cause disruption to students'. Tony Foley, Birmingham NUT member, said that 'it's important to protest against the government cuts given that it affects ordinary working people, and universities themselves are becoming elitist places'. Dill Shema, who is studying a Masters in Computer Science, said, 'the ultimate issue here is ÂŁ9,000 tuition fees, but the occupation itself is perhaps a good way to raise awareness, given that it makes people talk about the issues at hand'.

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick Editorial Editor Glen Moutrie Deputy Editors Victoria Bull James Phillips Online Editor Chris Hutchinson Art Director Beth Richardson Photography Editors Freddie Herzog Millie Guy chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Directors Jeremy Levett Dan Lesser News Editors Anna Hughes James Brilliant Kerrina Gray news@redbrickonline.co.uk Online News Editor Freddie Herzog Features Editors Ali Hendy Amanda Callaghan features@redbrickonline.co.uk Online Features Editor Owen Earwicker

Life&Style Editors Sophie Cowling Lara Edwards lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk Online Food and Life&Style Editor Rosie Sharratt Travel Editors Emily Booth Louise Spratt travel@redbrickonline.co.uk Technology Editors Joshua Lindsey Ruth Bradley technology@redbrickonline.co.uk

Online TV and Film Editor Matthew Clemens

TRIAL

RELIGION

Assange extradition appeal fails

Greek referendum on EU debt plan

Dr. Conrad Murray declines to testify

Archbishop backs 'Robin Hood' tax

Lawyers for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have said they will take his case to the Supreme Court. The High Court in London upheld a ruling calling for his extradition to Sweden over rape and sexual assault allegations.

The Prime Minister of Greece has received the full support of his cabinet after announcing a referendum on the EU's Eurozone debt plan, saying that the referendum will provide 'a clear mandate' for the EU's measures.

Dr. Conrad Murray, on trial for the involuntary manslaughter of singer Michael Jackson, has said that he will not give evidence to the court. The prosecution argues that Murray was negligent in his treatment of Jackson.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, announced his support of a new tax on financial trading. He said that a proposed tax on global financial transactions would help reduce grievances of anti-capitalist protesters.

CELEBRITY

HIGHER EDUCATION

Johansson hacker pleads 'not guilty'

Students take tuition fees to court

Christopher Chaney from Jacksonville, Florida denies 26 charges including unathorised access to a computer. It is claimed he hacked into the email accounts of celebrities including Johansson, whose nude photos ended up online.

Callum Hurley and Katy Moore are set to challenge the government's ÂŁ9,000 tuition fee policy in the High Court in London, arguing that the increase in university fees is a breach of human rights. The case is expected to last two days.

BUSINESS

HEALTH

Crossword Editor John Rizkallah Senior Editorial Assistant Kate Selvaratnam

Online Editorial Assistants Rosie Pearce Josh Taylor Eimear Luddy

Film Editors Genevieve Taylor Isidore Sanders film@redbrickonline.co.uk

GREECE

Online Sport Editor Joel Lamy

Music Editors Will Franklin Tamara Roper music@redbrickonline.co.uk

Television Editors Charlotte Lytton James Moore tv@redbrickonline.co.uk

WIKILEAKS

Sport Editors Sam Price Joseph Audley sport@redbrickonline.co.uk

Editorial Assistants Oscar French Ellie Jarvis Isabel Mason Sarah Musgrove Elisha Owen

Online Arts and Music Editor Mel Hunt

News feed

Online Travel and Tech Editor Frank Mugomba

Arts Editors Lexie Wilson Alexander Blanchard arts@redbrickonline.co.uk

Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Sophie Rogers Kimberley Faria Online Junior Art Director Akhil Kothari Proofreaders Anna Lumsden Jenna Kirby Community Manager Sophie MurrayMorris

Food Editors James Morrison Jordan Warner food@redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

4th November 2011

EDUCATION

College overseas licences stripped

Sony warns of losses GP swap system piloted after difficult year

The Home Office has revealed that over 470 UK colleges have been stopped from admitting foreign non-EU students in the last six months. This is due to a bid by the government to stop abuse of the immigration system.

Electronics conglomerate Sony has said that it expects to make its fourth annual loss in a row, blaming low demand in the US and Europe. The company has also cited floods in Thailand and the strength of the yen as further difficulties.

Sabbs on the week

Compiled by Patrick McGhee

Some patients in England will be able to switch GPs so that they can remain closer to work, while those moving only a short distance away will be able to remain at the same practice, in trials of a new registration system by the government.

ISRAEL

Israeli army tests ballistic rocket It has been reported that the Israeli army has fired a ballistic missile in order to test its new rocket propulsion system. The test comes after concerns that there could be a potential attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Top Ten: Best Birmingham clubs Victoria Graney asked students about their favourite clubs in Birmingham

Designed and typeset by Redbrick. Copyright (C) Redbrick 2011 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.redbrickpaper.co.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint. com: 08451 300667. Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524

Gatecrasher 21%

Snobs 8%

Fab 'n' Fresh 19%

Oceana 6%

8 9

Jam House 5%

Bliss 15%

4 HMV 11% 5

Propaganda 9%

Urban Village 4% Bambu 2%

Redbrick

redbrickpaper.co.uk

4th November 2011

News shorts compiled by Patrick McGhee

CELEBRITY

HEALTH

Lancashire earth tremors

Kim Kardashian has announced divorce

Hand search for first UK transplant

A report has concluded that shale gas test drilling was the likely cause of small quakes on the Fylde earlier this year. The report also said, however, that an 'unusual combination of geology at the well site' could be to blame.

After just 72 days of marriage Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are to divorce. The pair wed in a lavish ceremony in California in August. The couple have been criticised for the amount of money made from the wedding.

Surgeons at Leeds have sent out a request for potential patients for the UK's first hand transplant. The operation is being led by Professor Simon Kay. Doctors believe that the operation could be done within the year.

BIRMINGHAM

Work begins on New Street Station Work has begun at Birmingham New Street Station. The first stage of the £598 million redevelopment, which will see a new concourse open to passengers, is due to open in December 2012. See online for more on this story. TECHNOLOGY

Groupon falls out of favour Discount voucher site Groupon has fallen from being Forbes magazine's Fastest Growing Company Ever to what company analysts are calling a 'busted flush'. The company is expected to be valued at half what it was when it was previously valued earlier in the year.

Overheard on campus 'But I don't understand why it's called a SAND-wich anyway, because it doesn't have sand in it..'

'Why are they trying to catch Pikachu, completely ignoring the fact they have the only speaking Pokémon known to mankind!'

'I've overheard something in my peripheral ear vision'

'I'm up for anything when it comes to him'

'I need a double vodka and a restraining order'

'How many centimetres are in a metre?'

'How do you work milk?'

'Mate, I only discovered last night that Frosty Jacks isn't a breakfast cereal'

'You know in butchers they have all that Oriental grass? What is it for?' 'Er, you mean artificial?'

'Footlong Italian BMT... smashed it' Overheard anything funny on campus? Email us at news@ redbrickonline.co.uk

Thanks to all email contributions and the Overheard in Bham Twitter and Facebook sites.

Is the world overcrowded? Ashley Kirk asked 100 people 'Do you think the world is over crowded?'

The United Nations estimated that Monday saw the population reach seven billion. It has taken only thirteen years, since 1998, for the population to grow by another billion and UN demographists predict the population will soar over 10 billion in 2083.

Spotlight on Societies

Wing Chun Kung Fu Society

Practical and Effective Fighting System President? Martin (Yew Wing) Wan, 2nd Year in BSc Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science How long have you been running for? Over ten years What is the society all about? Practical Self Defence and Fitness Your societies highlights? Our charity event involved throwing over 10,000 punches (per person!) Your society in 5 words?

Three facts about your society? 1. We don't just practice Wing Chun, we do Groundwork and Knife Defence. 2. Our instructor Sifu Abid is a veteran with over 28 years experience. 3. Wing Chun Kung Fu was developed by a woman, meaning we specifically focus on self defence for women. Why should we get involved? Because although we don't encourage violence, it's sensible to be prepared to defend yourself if you are placed in a dangerous situation.

Upcoming events?

How can we get involved?

We have an active social calendar, with Laser Quest, rock climbing and more socials planned throughout the year.

Come to the Dojo (Old Gym – Y1) and try three sessions for free! We train Fridays 5pm-6.30pm, Saturday 5-7pm and Sunday 5-7pm, or email us at birmingham-wingchun@hotmail.co.uk

Never Miss a Tweet James Phillips Deputy Editor

Throughout the years there have been certain inventions which, once established amongst society, become indispensable. It has become unthinkable to live without a television, the internet or a mobile phone. If you go back through the ages I expect there would have been a time when beds, toilets and showers established themselves in similar fashion. Now, in the 21st century, Facebook is viewed as absolutely essential by the vast majority of our generation. Yet it is Twitter which is becoming more and more influential on the world. To the uninitiated, Twitter can be viewed as a 'poor man's Facebook'. But this perspective completely misses the point. The San Francisco-based social network, created by Jack Dorsey five years ago, is revolutionising communi-

'Never before have public figures been able to communicate so easily and without external interference.' cation. Never before have public figures been able to communicate so easily and without external interference. The point of Twitter is not to communicate with your friends in the way you do on Facebook, but to access and interact with a personal news feed of your interests. By following celebrities, politicians and journalists you can find out about everything going on in the world. And you can interact with them as well. Remarkably, as I write this piece, a fantastic example of the power of Twitter has occurred to me. I am currently working on a task relating to football managers who have suffered from heart problems. A simple tweet asking if anyone knows of examples has led to a response within minutes from Aidan Radnedge, the chief reporter for the UK Metro and the 1996/7 Redbrick Sport editor . This week I visited City University in London and was handed a prospectus for Journalism courses. Incredibly, the Course Director for Newspaper Journalism and the Head of Journalism, amongst others, have their Twitter handles included on their academic profiles. This truly shows the importance that the social networking site is taking. The new levels of social interactivity are so high that Jaguares, a football club in Mexico, have replaced their players' names on the back of shirts with the players' twitter handles. Twitter really is taking over the world.

CORRECTION In Issue 1396, we incorrectly attributed a quote about rowing club initiations on page 5 to Birmingham student Rhian Lubin. This quote should have been from Laura Broadfoot from Leeds University.

4 News

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Anna Hughes, James Brilliant & Kerrina Gray

Rhiannon Doyle-Maw asked students: What makes a good student city? A mass student area like Selly Oak means everyone is together, with loads of food shops nearby and a main town not too far.

I think the city itself should have a good night life and cheap housing for students. Locals and students should be able to get along.

Ayo Bakare, International Studies with Economics

Alex Fahmy, Medicine

Basically everything Birmingham has: shops, clubs, nightlife and lots of part time work opportunities, good public transport systems and not being too expensive.

Mike Price, Chemistry with Pharmacology

David Miliband launches Living Wage campaign and talks to students on campus Edward Gilbert Reporter

Last Friday David Miliband addressed students in the Aston Webb Great Hall in an event chaired by the University's Vice Chancellor, David Eastwood. The first part of the event took place with Milliband discussing deep and pressing global matters with Stefan Wolff, a professor of International Security at the University. After discussing matters such as climate change and how Palestine and Israel should coexist in future years, David Miliband opened up the floor to questions from the audience. One of the many questions that he faced tackled his support for the Iraq War. When asked whether he could justify his position in regard to the war, he replied: 'I voted for it, and I won't run away from it. However, I was minister for schools in 2003 when the vote happened; I don't want my responsibility for the war to be exaggerated'. When asked whether he supported lowering the voting age to 16, he said: 'I've always supported lowering the voting age to 16: not because I believe there is voter

apathy, but because there is voter scepticism.' However, the questions did stray from foreign policy issues, and he was asked: 'What would you say to David Eastwood about the Browne review,' to which the whole audience enthusiastically applauded. Miliband answered diplomatically, saying that it wasn't 'all Professor Eastwood's fault'. After addressing students in the Great Hall, David Miliband talked to Birmingham University Labour Students about the Living Wage and his nation-wide campaign, Movement4Change. Miliband highlighted that 259 students employed by the University and a further 44 members of staff were being paid on or just above the minimum wage, and that to live a better-style life they should be paid the current Birmingham Living Wage, which lies at about £7.15 per hour. Milliband encouraged students to join his campaign, which he started during his run to be Labour leader. The campaign offers training to individuals who want to work on community campaigns and aims to develop a culture of stronger communities throughout Britain.

Sabbatical officer Edd Bauer hearing Rhiannon Doyle-Maw Reporter

On the 31st of October Edd Bauer stood in Birmingham Magistrates' Court to hear the date of his referral to Crown Court and receive unconditional bail. Edd Bauer, along with the two other men charged, were told that they would appear in the Crown Court on the 19th of December at 9.30am for a trial before judge and jury. The three students in question stood before the magistrate due to allegedly intentionally causing danger to the public and conspiring with each other to do so. Their lawyers called for more relaxed conditions of bail; Bauer had had to register with police each day between 7am-11am. Bauer's lawyers stated that due to his work within the Guild he had needed flexible hours in order to fulfil his role effectively. He also argued that the hour and a half travel to Bournville Lane police station was excessive and that the bail restrictions were relative to the Liberal Democrat Conference, and as this was no longer relevant, that they should be lifted. Edd Bauer, currently suspend-

ed from his role within the Guild of Students' sabbatical officers as Vice President for Education, has already had one previous conviction of aggravated trespass from February 2009, although this was resolved with an £85 fine. Bauer, 22, was arrested with two other students on the 16th of September after scaling a bridge that linked the International Convention Centre and the Hyatt Hotel on Broad Street before unfurling a banner that read, 'Traitors Not Welcome – Hate Clegg Love NCAFC' (National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts) in protest to the Liberal Democrat Party conference taking place. Reportedly debris fell into the road causing a danger to road users and pedestrians. At the Magistrates' Court, three members of the police stood in front of the court room as a precaution due to the protests that took place on Bauer's previous bail plea. Reportedly six police men and women were stationed around the Magistrates' Court, one enquiring after Bauer's trial how it had gone. All three were granted bail without conditions.

Guild Council Dominic Jackson Reporter

Miliband and Labour Society Chair Daniel Harrison Labour Society

EDL rally in city is relatively peaceful Emily Brickell Reporter

Police were drafted into Birmingham from as far away as Wales last Saturday due to the fear of violence at the English Defence League demonstration. This rally in Birmingham was the latest in a series of demonstrations carried out by the EDL, an organisation, which opposes Islamic extremism in the United Kingdom and conducts street protests nationally to raise awareness of their cause. EDL organisers were expecting, from online statistics, over 1000 supporters to turn up to the gathering last weekend, yet they were disappointed when no more than an estimated 500 appeared. Members of the EDL gathered in Broad Street, eventually making their way to Centenary Square, which was the only space that Birmingham City Council had allowed for the event. There was also a three-hour time limit imposed to avoid unruliness, with police fearing difficulty from both the EDL and organisations of members of opposition who met in protest of their beliefs. Members of the organisation

'United Against Fascism' were amongst those who took part in the counter-demonstration, a multi-faith community event which took place in nearby Chamberlain Square. This event aimed to protest against the values of the EDL and celebrate Birmingham's diversity. When the two organisations crossed paths, police armed with riot shields formed three lines inbetween the EDL and the UAF to avoid any violence, a technique which was very successful in this situation, preventing any physical contact between opposition groups. Four people were arrested and there were no serious injuries. Even though the event ran fairly smoothly, those who were in Birmingham centre noticed a definite difference in the atmosphere. As expected, there were some difficulties with keeping order. University of Birmingham Economics student Simeon Simov observed: 'There were people running round in groups of like 30, 40, and the police would get two or three and the others would run away. It felt pretty intimidating – people on the street were cautious of where they were going.'

Guild Council elections, which took place between the 24th and 28th of October, saw a total of 2822 students participating– a dramatic increase on last year, when only 1042 students voted via my.bham.ac.uk for the cross campus elections, with a further 304 voting for their School Guild Councillors via paper ballot. This turnout makes these elections the largest non-Guild Officer Elections vote in the Guild of Students' history, surpassing the previous record set by the RA Elections in 2009 by almost 800 votes. An exceptional level of participation was recorded across the School of Law, English Drama American and Canadian Studies, Physics and Astronomy, Chemical Engineering, Government and Society, and Business. Over a hundred students voted from each of these schools to decide upon their representative to Guild Council. Johnny Dolan was elected as the new Chair of Guild Council, beating the incumbent Rob Sassoon by 680 votes to 617 after candidates Alim Islam and R.O.N (re-open nominations) were eliminated by the voting system and students' second preferences taken into account. Rob Sassoon will now take the post of Deputy Chair. 99 candidates fought to be the next Chair of Guild Council, a School or Cross-Campus Guild Councillor, or to fill one of the vacant Guild Officer Positions.

In brief... 2822

People voted for in year's Guild Council elections – a record amount voted last 1042 People year in voter 270% Increase turnout

Johnny Dolan

This year's Guild Council Chair

Rob Sassoon This year's Deputy Council Chair, and previous year's Guild Council Chair For an interview with Johnny Dolan see the full story at redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

Universities in the city rely on the city for clubs and big name events. More focus needs to be put upon promoting university events to create more of a student atmosphere.

Easy connections to and from the university residence into the city, as well as shops that offer student discounts and varied shops, pubs and clubs!

Maisie O'Malley, Sport and Exercise Science

Police to pay out up to £5.4m after riots Victoria Graney Reporter

After receiving over 340 insurance claims, the West Midlands Police Authority are liable to pay for the damage and devastation caused to buildings and their contents under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886. The claims total £5.4 million. The Home Office has only agreed to meet the costs of uninsured businesses, estimated to total £253,861, leaving the rest of the payment on the Authority's doorstep. The Home Office have stated that people affected by the riots could claim from their insurance company, who in turn could obtain reimbursement from the Police Authority. Claims for losses incurred during the riots had to be made within 42 days of the time they occurred. The report also states that claims totalling £2.5 million for the cost of 'interruption to business' will not be paid. At a cost of £50,000, the Police Authority has employed external loss adjusters to 'advise on certain higher value and/or complex claims'. The authority has also set up a special committee to help settle payments 'as quickly as possible'.

The pay-out comes at a time when the West Midlands Police have had to implement high saving policies. As part of the Government budget cuts, the Authority has to save £126 million over the next 4 years. It has been said that this will see the loss of approximately 2,200 members of staff. The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Chris Sims estimated that the total cost of the riots could be over £12 million. This includes the money incurred in policing and identifying those involved in the riots, to catching those responsible for the deaths of Haroon Jaham and brothers Shahzad Ali and Abdul Musavir who were run down in Winson Green.

Riots

sweenpole2001 on flickr

Largest education cuts since 1950s Patrick McGhee Reporter

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has published a report stating that public spending on education in the UK will fall by 3.5 per cent per year in real terms between 2010– 11 and 2014–15. According to the IFS, this will be 'the largest cut in education spending over any four year period since at least the 1950s', and comes after a decade of growth between 1999-2000 and 2009-10. Higher education will see the largest reduction in spending, at 40 per cent, but Luke Sibieta, an IFS Senior Research Economist and one of the report's authors, said that 'cuts to public spending on higher education will be more than offset by higher tuition fees', adding that 'the biggest challenges lie ahead for the early years, youth services and 16–19 education, where spending is set to fall by around 20 per cent in real terms'. The report stated that 'only the most deprived schools will see real-terms increases in funding per pupil', despite the government's Pupil Premium policy, funding for which is set to increase from £625 million in 2011-12 to £2.5 billion a

News 5

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Anna Hughes, James Brilliant & Kerrina Gray

year by 2014-15, according to the Department for Education. The report also said that while public spending on higher education under the previous Labour government was the slowest to grow, 'spending on schools, early years spending and further education spending' had grown the fastest. Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, responded: 'Education cuts don't heal – they cause massive social and economic costs.' Ms. Blower also called on the government to 'reverse its cuts programme and to invest in education'. The organisation Save The Children also released a statement in response to the report, saying: 'The government must match its promises with the necessary investment, or else the poorest children will only fall further behind their better off peers.' Taking questions in the House of Commons, Prime Minister David Cameron called the government's Pupil Premium policy 'a major step forward' and said the IFS report showed that the government has 'made spending on education much more progressive by the action that we've taken.'

Heather Ford, Theology

Good nightlife, good public transport, buses and trains, good shopping, entertainment like cinemas and theatres, houses and nice places to eat.'

Hafsa Kaz, Dental Hygiene and Therapy

Plans to change university application procedure Callum Hodge Reporter

A plan to change the application procedure for the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) from being based on predicted grades to post-qualification applications, or PQA, will be proposed to the academic community for discussion. According to UCAS, the current system is too complex and that changing the procedure will reduce the number of students 'working the system'. Chief Executive of UCAS, Mary Curnock Cook, started the debate by proposing the idea at a private meeting with Vice-Chancellors. This change would see A-level exams move a four to six weeks earlier, with results coming in July rather than August, giving universities a chance to interview and select students. David Willetts, the universities and science minister, has already stated his support for the proposals, calling them 'good news for students'. However, some of the larger, more selective universities are worried that there will not be time to carry out a full selection procedure. Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, believes that

fears based on predicted grades disadvantaging those from lower income families were unfounded. She said: 'PQA would do nothing to address the fundamental issue of inequality of attainment at school, which largely determines access to highly selective universities'. Dr. Piatt pointed to the fact that 90 per cent of predictions were accurate to within one grade, with 53 per cent being correct. Nevertheless, 40 per cent of predictions were over-predicted and 7 per cent of applicants achieved a grade higher than expected. Terry Hoad, president of the University and College Union (UCU), argued that although PQA was 'fairer' than the current system, the shorter time period for exam preparation and university selection might put undue pres-

sure on teachers and academics. 'We cannot expect our colleagues in schools to curtail the time they have with their students to bring them up to a high level. Equally, we do not want our academic members tied up during the summer with admissions – not because they need long holidays – but because it's the main period they have to do research,' said Mr Hoad, who is also a lecturer at the University of Oxford. Kate Whitehall, 2nd year Philosophy student, told Redbrick 'I didn't get into my first choice university because my predicted grades were too high. If I had applied after my results had come out I would have had a more realistic view of which universities were for me.'

David Willetts and Wendy Piatt

Oxfam recreate a 'land grab' on campus to raise awareness

'Land grab' event

Becky Shewell

Becky Shewell Reporter

Last week a mock 'land grab' was staged on campus by the Oxfam Outreach Society, aiming to highlight the now notorious national phenomenon. Last Wednesday 'farmers' were kicked off their 'land', a patch of ground in front of the Main Library on campus, in order to make

room for a multi-million pound company to take it on for its own purposes. This campus event represented the phenomenon of 'land grabbing', something which is happening all over the globe, primarily in Africa and Asia, and destroying the communities and lives of the people affected. During the event, a poll revealed that 90 per cent of those

present didn't have any knowledge of what 'land grabs' are. It was hoped that the event highlighted to students how much needs to be done to stop 'land grabbing'. During these 'land grabs', farmers are often approached by large wealthy companies and persuaded to sign contracts without really understanding the full terms and conditions. Only when they are forced to give up their land, which 'no longer belongs to them', do they begin to understand what they really signed up for. These 'land grabs' are arising as a result of climate change and rising food prices, as companies see it as a cheaper alternative to producing food. This injustice is just starting to be publicised nationally by Oxfam, who are particularly targeting the UK-based New Forest Company which has allegedly grabbed land in Uganda. During this eviction, it is estimated that 22,500 people lost their homes in order to make way for the NFC's timber plantation. The University's Oxfam Outreach Society aims to continue this campaign on campus. To get involved, their next meeting is on Tuesday 8th November at 6pm in the Green Room of the Guild.

6 redbrickpaper.co.uk

4th November 2011

Comment & Features

Redbrick

Spotlight on: A tentative future for Libya A possible Mobocracy? Owen Earwicker Online Editor

This may be the tip of the iceberg Giles Longley-Cook Commentator

The birth of a nation, like any birth, is rarely a pretty site, and that of Libyan democracy was no exception, culminating in the savage demise of Gaddafi last month. Part of me felt that, while rather overzealous, this was a natural action considering the extremity of the revolutionary struggle and cruelty of the dictatorship. The other, more reserved side of me couldn't help being unnerved by the rituality of the killing, which had a terrifying 'Lord of the Flies' quality. However, there is reason to believe that this most extreme moment of the struggle is simply the tip of the iceberg of potential chaos that Libya now faces. Soon after the event, the rebels were claiming that Gaddafi died in crossfire, a far-fetched statement whose possible motivations must surely make those who praised the lynching pause for thought. Our first mistake was to assume that all the rebels were united behind the common goal of democracy, naively disregarding historical precedent that a massive power change will involve various groups and motivations. And these factions are now heavily armed and showing little desire to give up their weapons. First of all, with cries of 'God is great!' at Gaddafi's execution, an alarmingly theocratic trait can be seen emerging from some of the revolutionaries. Popular revolution inadvertently replacing a corrupt pseudo-monarchy with

intolerant theocracy was realised by Iran in 1979 under similar circumstances to the ones that Libya now faces. Reporter Asne Seirerstad described a re-education centre for Gaddafi loyalists where inmates undergo all-day Quran readings to cleanse them of their former beliefs. Such religiosity would not necessarily be a worrying sign if the leader of the centre had not stated that his ideal future for Libya would be as an Islamist state styled on Saudi Arabia, one of the few countries on Earth that doesn't even claim to be a democracy. No lesser man than the acting prime minister himself has stated that the new legislation for Libya will be drawn from Sharia law, despite lack of popular demand. He has already declared that laws contradicting Sharia, such as Gaddafi's law allowing divorce and restricting polygamy, should be removed. Such aims fly in the face of millions of Libyans who struggled to free themselves from oppression. With such attitudes brewing, we could end up witnessing the hijacking of a popular movement by small radical factions, particularly as they are the ones who carry most of the guns as well as the rhetoric. If the government chooses to exert theocratic power they will have plenty of support from Islamist militias, and it seems unlikely that the Western powers will protest as their goal of restoring order has been more or less accomplished. If trade starts flowing again it doesn't matter who's in

charge. In fact, a passively repressive regime like Saudi Arabia's would be far more convenient for oil corporations than a democracy. They happily worked with Gaddafi before he lost control. Another disturbing aspect of the revolutionary backlash is that of racism. Gaddafi had championed African unity, partially due to multicultural vision, but with a heavy dose of mafia divide-andrule politics thrown in. In the inevitable reprisals following his fall a pattern of ethnic cleansing appears to be emerging. While high-ranking Arab ministers remain unpunished, Black loyalist soldiers are being detained as mercenaries based on questionable evidence. Hardly any of the county's large black population has representation in the new government and reports of black citizens and communities being forcibly removed, tortured and illegally detained are on the rise. In a worst case scenario both of these elements could combine, resulting in a similar situation to that of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, a strong dictatorship giving way to fractious in-fighting in which racist and religious reactionaries thrive. Such a disaster can be avoided by continued support for the democratic majority all over Libya. To desert them now would be signing their death warrant. As Bertholt Brecht warned in 1945, 'Do not rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the bastard is dead, the bitch that bore him is again in heat.'

From a protest on living conditions last December, to the death of a dictator who ruled tyrannically for 42 years, Libya's transformation has been avidly followed and has become a focal point of the Arab Spring. The government that exists now, while in no doubt better than its predecessor, is young, and after the circumstances of Gaddafi's death, it is a government built on uncertain foundations. Democracy in Libya will not exist until free elections are held. Until then, what happens in Libya will define it. Unfortunately, the greatest chance to give legitimacy to the new administration has been lost. Gaddafi should have stood trial. His crimes, although undeniable, should have been heard in a Libyan court, by Libyans, for a Libyan future. It would not have been the right of an international court to judge. The Libyans really needed the opportunity, even if it had still resulted in Gaddafi's death, to pass an official verdict upon the man that had brutally ruled their country. Redbrick editor, Glen Moutrie, said in his editorial column last week, 'although it may be convenient to avoid a long, drawn-out trial, it cannot be beneficial to the nascent Libyan democracy that its first significant event is so inherently undemocratic.' That is the crucial point. The rule of law is one of the cornerstones of democracy, not the rule of the mob. Perhaps however, there are some benefits in what happened. Ultimately Gaddafi would never have had a fair trial because of media coverage and Libyan public opinion. The results would most likely have been the same and ultimately, it would have been more convenient to simply not hear his

case. But the present situation is thoroughly inconvenient for the new Libya and its first steps into democracy, perhaps not now, but in the long-term through understanding the issues at hand, and supporting the nation's new identity. These things can be handled badly. Saddam Hussein stood a trial which many accused of being unfair. It served no purpose in legitimising the Iraqi government, rather it appeared to undermine it with criticisms of ignoring the rule of law. However Iraq was different. We were directly engaged in the conflict; democracy was forced upon Iraqis, whereas Libyans fought for theirs without direct foreign intervention. Iraqi democracy was, and still is, a mess. It was made top-down by foreign powers, not ground-up by the people themselves. But Libyans made their own choice to fight for freedom, and therefore their democracy has to be built from the ground if it is to survive. What happens now acts as the foundation for Libya's future. There is a significant risk that what happened with Hussein would have happened in a Gaddafi case; it could have become a show trial. But that is a risk ought to be taken if justice is properly pursued for the Libyan people. His quick death may seem satisfying for the many Libyans who suffered directly or indirectly under Gaddafi's rule. But his death won't satisfy the nation's history or comprehension. While images of free people celebrating in the streets of Libya may seem welcome, a time may come when some of those firing their guns in the air will regret what happened. Denied the right to pass verdict on the man that terrorised their country, Libyans now enter a future ever less certain.

Redbrick

Comment & Features

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy

It is time for the West to leave Libya alone Assma Youssef Commentator

'Allah Akbar' chant the Libyan Owen Earwicker people as they take to the street's to Online Features Editor celebrate the death of Colonel Gaddafi. He is finally dead! But, what does Gaddafi's death really mean for the future of Libya? The way the Libyan rebels killed Gaddafi reminded me of the humiliating killing of the Italian dictator Mussolini. Clearly, the death of both these men lives up to the saying 'he, who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.' So, fair enough, we may understand that the temptation to kill Gadhafi was too strong for the Libyan rebels to resist. However, the reaction of the Western media who think it acceptable to print ghastly and sinister images of Colonel Gaddafi all over the front page posed a number of questions in my head, such as: Is the way the media covered his killing a reflection of their own immorality? Was Gaddafi overthrown by the Libyan people or by foreign intervention? The sheerknown brutality of body GaddGrace Jones: for her afi's killing should mean that these images should not be posted all over newspapers, yet those images will remain forever ingrained in our minds. Likewise, through their coverage of the killing, Western media succeeded to a certain extent in creating sympathy for him, and a negative view of the Libyan rebel's being threatening and far too violent, particularly amongst western readers. This view resonates amongst many Libyan people who also have reservations with the Libyan rebels deciding on Gaddafi's punishment, immediately killing him, instead of listening to

the punishments proposed by the Libyan's over Gaddafi's. Secondly, in regards to media's reaction, surely it is socially unacceptable to print images of this nature all over the front page. I understand an editor's job is to sell as many newspapers as possible, but there needs to be some laws and regulations preventing videos of this nature from being published. We should be protecting our citizens from these violent images. Editors could have approached this incident in a far more sensitive manner. Of course, we are constantly reminded by the media that the success of the NTC (National Transitional Council) in overthrowing Gaddafi would have never been achieved without the intervention of America, Britain and France. Indeed, most Libyan's are grateful for this intervention. For example, this sense of gratitude was shown when the French president Nicholas Sarkozy and the British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Benghazi in late August. The Libyan people turned out in their thousands to hear them speak, as well as chanting specifically to the French president Nicholas Sarkozy 'one, two, three, merci Sarkozy'. It seems that their intervention in Libya was necessary to its eventual success. However, in Libya the weakening of Gaddafi's stronghold 'Bab Al Aziza', Tripoli was achieved principally thanks to strikes carried out by NATO. Therefore, it may seem to some that the role played by Western democracies may have been more significant that the role played by the Libyan people. However, now we shall never

know whether the Libyan people were truly capable of overthrowing Gaddafi on their own, in a similar way to the Tunisians, Egyptians and the way the Syrians and Yemenis are in the process of doing at the moment. Therefore, it appears that through their intervention, the West will always be linked to Libya, which could be positive or negative depending on how Libya will develop in the future. However, not all the successes in the Libyan revolution came from Western influence. This is illustrated in the establishing of the democratic party NTC (National Transitional Council) which was founded by the Libyan people alone. The founder Mahmoud Jibril emphasises the strong desire of Libyans to gain their freedom of expression, right to vote and to live in an equal society. In a television interview, Mahmoud Jibril underlined these values to a crowd of Libyans. This caused a woman in the audience to argue 'well, then I support Gaddafi, I want him back. Is that a political view that I can openly declare in a Libya which is now without Gaddafi', to which Mahmood Gibril replied 'Of cource, that's a political view that you have every right to confidently declare within this new democratic Libya.' Therefore, it seem's that although the image of the Libyan rebels may be seen as untrustworthy, the political figures leading the NTC may be far more representative of a democratic Libyan state. However, the first steps taken by the NTC in the re-building of Libya are crucial to the way Libyan-Western relations could develop in the future. I feel that it is

essential for Libya to pay back the debt it owes the West for its Nato strikes, its implementation of a No-Fly zone over Libya and the distribution of weapons to AntiGaddafi forces on the front-line. This should occur before the signing of any oil deal between the two in order to avoid sentiments of hierarchy over the lingering debt that Libya owes the West for their help in overthrowing Gaddafi. As well as this, disarmament in Libya is vital in order to prevent crime and revenge attacks on former Gaddafi loyalists, as well as establishing a safe and secure society. This then leads us to discuss what the future of Libya could be: Is the NTC capable of disarming the Libyan rebels, of preventing revenge attacks on former Gaddafi loyalists and setting up a functioning democratic state? There are no answers to these questions, only time will tell whether these objectives will be achieved. However, after the death of Gaddafi, a sense of optimism is shown amongst Libyans all across the world. In a radio interview with BBC Radio Stoke last Friday, Mrs Karema Abduelhamed expressed her view that 'Libya has so much potential, especially economically, it can be like Dubai and Qatar; We just need to work together', she conveyed the need for unity in Libya during this fragile stage. For now, I feel the Libyan people do have the right to rejoice over the death of a man who condemned them to a life of fear, persecution and violence for over 40 years. Yes, finally Gaddafi's regime is over, however the re-building of Libya will certainly be a long and lengthy process.

Referenda are inane and undemocratic Luke Jones Commentator

Last week, the good people of Britain were spared a referendum on whether or not the UK should renegotiate its terms of membership of the European Union. Thank goodness for that. The term 'renegotiate' should in itself answer the question whether or not referenda are a good thing – how are millions of people (or thousands, as turnout would almost certainly be low) supposed to express their opinion on the nuances and complex terms of membership of the EU with simply a 'Yes' or 'No' answer? Referenda, referendums, plebiscites: whatever we call them, they are a waste of time, money and energy in a representative democracy with many different demographics. One need only look at the AV referendum earlier this year as an example of why we shouldn't have them, unless there is a clear two-way choice on a major constitutional reform. How was I meant to vote in a referendum where that option was not even on the table, and the question was set only so the Liberal Democrats could get into bed with the Tories without making their members feel cheated? Instead, I found myself debating with another PR supporter about whether we should vote 'Yes' to show the government we weren't happy with the status quo, or 'No' because we believed the Alternative Vote was just a more complicated form of the system we

How do you solve a problem like...

immigrants coming over here and stealing our jobs!

Oscar French Editorial Assistant

Upon reading the woefully ignorant title above, you probably spat your coffee or alternative beverage all over the place, convinced that somehow you'd picked up an altogether different kind of newspaper nestled in and amongst copies of Redbrick. Have no fear, faithful reader; we have not succumbed to hysteria in a bid to increase circulation, and are just as incensed by such a damaging claim as you are. Hopefully, your attention has been drawn to the week's actual problem, of which the titular phrase is a prime example. Certain sections of the UK's print media industry perpetuate extremism and prejudice of this type to an alarming intensity. I need not mention names, but I will say that to this sort of publication, everything gives you cancer and everything cures it, feasibly including this column, so don't read it more than once a day if you want to live! Pure evil probably seems faintly exaggerated as descriptions go, so let's settle for racist, homophobic and reactionary. It would seem their mission is to further alienate those in our society who already feel the sting of vilification most keenly. Perhaps more disconcerting, is that these are no red topped tabloids, open and honest in their idiocy, but instead disguise themselves as quality press. Millions, thus, drink up alarmism, bigotry and Diana worship on a daily basis, most of them in the belief that comes from an intelligent source.

'Unfortunately, that pesky freedom of the press thing means we just can't abolish national newspapers because I disagree with them until I become an autocratic dictator'

Charlie Dart already have. In the polling booth, I voted one way and my PR pal the voted the other. How absurd. Then we had the referenda in the Irish Republic on the Lisbon Treaty, where it seems the government intended to keep asking the same question of the public – most of whom had never read the document – over and over again until

they got the desired result. Referenda are not democratic. Referenda can also, believe it or not, be incredibly tedious and technocratic. As a Welshman, I had the 'privilege' of being able to vote in two referenda in 2011: the one on AV and one on further legislative powers for the Welsh assembly. I consider myself a polit-

ical anorak, yet even I fell asleep during debates on the issue, which largely centred on 'Legislative Competence Orders'. Finally, last week we had the prospect of a debate over a debate about the UK's relationship with Europe. We elect our MPs to represent. As such there is no place for Referenda in UK Politics.

Unfortunately, that pesky 'freedom of the press' thing means we just can't abolish national newspapers because I disagree with them, so until I become an autocratic dictator everybody should read Redbrick instead. Yes, it has more grammatical errors and Castle Car advertisements, but it also treats the concepts of equality, journalism and information with more respect than some on the national platform. If you think this column constitutes political correctness gone mad, then you understand neither concept and I have some shocking news, immigrants really aren't stealing all our jobs.

8 Comment & Features

Redbrick

4th November 2011

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy

A population of seven billion, and rapidly expanding Beth Dawson Commentator

At the risk of sounding like another writer with population hysteria: 31st of October 2011 could be seen as a very disturbing landmark in the history of our specie's expansion. According to the World Resources Institute, on the 31st of October the world's population is set to reach seven billion. This figure is particularly unnerving when considering the sustainability of our ever more energy-dependent societies and the quality of life for future generations. Although the media coverage surrounding our ever expanding population portrays the concepts of 'Green Living' and the 'Carbon Footprint' to be very firmly rooted within the 21st century, the idea of the relationship between human progress and resources has been evolving since the late 18th century. In 1798, Thomas Malthus published 'An Essay on The Principle of Population', which was ground breaking in its skeptical approach to the expansion of society. Malthus's writings were based on the principles that populations of people will increase until either a 'positive' or 'preventative' check occurs. Positive checks refer to an event that will cause death rates to increase, such as a plague or famine, whilst preventative checks refer to a decline in birth rate, through such means as birth control or postponement of parenthood becoming the norm.

However, increasing life expectancies combined with rising birthrates in countries throughout the globe – such as India, where a baby is born approximately every two seconds – there seems to be a lack of both Malthus's positive and preventative checks. One concern is that with technology growth, every new person born will demand more energy. This especially applies in the most developed countries such as the U.K where one can be considered

to be in relative poverty if they cannot access a computer. Therefore, more resources from our planet will inevitably be needed, putting a greater strain on a planet already beginning to run out of fossil fuels. And even though there have been many developments in alternative energy sources, a majority of the population are still heavily reliant on traditional power supplies, especially the already depleted oil stores. An indicator that alternative energy

sources are not being adopted on a wide enough scale quickly enough is that in 2010, only 13.5 per cent of the world's energy was supplied by nuclear power – arguably the most widely used alternative energy source. A further worry found from the WRI's findings is that the areas of greatest population increase also tend to have the greatest levels of poverty. Zambia, India, Indonesia and Somalia are all areas where pollution growth from 1950-2010

Elin Stone

is over 300 per cent. Many developing countries do not have the resources to maintain high standards of living for their current population, and too frequently have many slum settlements where many of the impoverished live. Also, with particular focus on Somalia, which continues to struggle with food shortages, it is questionable whether these countries can produce the most basic resources to allow expansion at this rate and living conditions may continue to deteriorate for the poorer members of these societies. Closer to home, the figures are similarly concerning. In 2001, the U.K Census calculated population at just under 56 million and this figure has dramatically risen to around 63 million in just ten years. Birmingham's population alone is predicted to grow to 1.1 million by 2018. Although many in the Western world find it impossible to imagine over-population affecting their ability to survive or even maintain the most basic standards of life, the increase brings with it it's own unique set of problems, such as how benefits and tax will be divided throughout a larger and aging population. This increase in population should act as a warning sign for everyone: both population and consumption per person cannot continue to increase. At this rate even more growth could be detrimental to life within the global community.

Cameron calls for 'Three Line Whip' Facebook friend?

Shahin Ghezelayagh Commentator

Although the phrase 'Party Whip' might sound like an invitation to the exotic on a Saturday night, its true nature has terrifying implications to our democracy and the accountability of our Members of Parliament. Over the last few years our elected representatives have taken some bad press; most noticeably the Liberal Democrats over tuition fees and Labour over the Iraq War, however there are some huge flaws in the system of party politics that tend to put MPs between a rock and an angry electorate. As far as public awareness goes, we know very little about the role of the Chief Whip Patrick McLoughlin in comparison to characters such as Baroness Warsi, Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party, or even prominent MPs like Labour's Frank Field. On the surface the basic role of the Whip is to update Members of Parliament on their schedules in the Commons, with the underlined phrase 'Your attendance is absolutely essential' placed before every debate result-

ing in a vote. However the somewhat more shadowy task required of the Whip is to ensure that their party receives support, in the form of votes, from these backbenchers in key debates. Now this is where the difficulty lies; there are situations in most Parliaments where the governing party or coalition may not be certain of achieving their majority in the Commons needed to pass or reform legislation. These situations can include divisive, polarising or sensitive issues such as gay rights, Europe or abortion laws, reneging on Election Pacts such as tuition fees or fundamental oppositions to wars such as Iraq. In these times the Whips will either double or triple underline the phrase 'Your attendance…' and so vary the consequences suffered by MPs who do not turn up or rebel against the party. Therefore a 'Three Line Whip', as used by David Cameron last Thursday against his European rebels is the most severe, requiring any holding government positions to resign and a possible expulsion from the party. The fact that so many Tory MPs (81) defied his

orders last week is a testament to how divided the Conservative party is over membership of the European Union. The fact that 81 would rather resign government jobs or forgo career advancement to stick to their principles is incredible. This is where the threat to our democracy lies; we elect our Members of Parliament to speak for us in Westminster – we do not just vote Conservative or Labour, we vote for the individual belonging to these parties. This in part ensures that we have the strongest characters available on our political scene. It is rare, in fact it is downright odd for an individual party member, MP or not, to wholly agree with every aspect of party policy, especially with unpredictable issues such as new wars, a failing Eurozone or no confidence motions. Therefore it is unreasonable to say that the MP should agree with his leadership on every issue or response, but not unreasonable to say they should broadly agree with the official policies of the Party they represent. This means that quite often, the way an MP votes is a balancing act, between their principles and the Government and also between their principles and the opinions of their constituents. The Party leadership can effectively block any prospect of a career and the public can end their career altogether. Ask anyone whether they believe that their MPs should vote with principle and they would undoubtedly agree with conviction. However the truth is with today's political system it is not so simple, and with the Whips Office as the proverbial rock aforementioned, who can truly say that MPs are to blame?

Sarah Cozens Commentator

I open up my laptop and the first thing I think to do is check my Facebook, and see if I have anything of interest waiting for me. It feels automatic. We never seem to be away from social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, due to the relatively new concept of the smartphone. Whether we're at home or on a day out, there always seems to be access to it. But can we really accept that Facebook is something beneficial, or is it something more ominous? Some argue that it is the thing keeping them in touch with their friends, however, others may take the stance that it is the root of many problems. I began researching about some of the effects Facebook has had on some of its users and some of the results were not pleasant. There has been a lot of hype in the media about some of the consequences of such social networking sites. Just this May, there was an incident of a 15 year-old boy who felt that ending his life was his only option, after he was bullied via the site. It's not just 'cyber bullying' that causes problems. The social networking sites have a great impact on celebrities too. I was reading about X Factor and the traumas that occur for them as a result of Facebook and Twitter. Negative comments cause great distress. The X Factor is a show that will inevitably lead to a vast amount of media attention, and that is something that they are warned about and it is something that is evident to all, even if they

haven't experienced the show and its impact first hand. However, nothing can quite prepare them for the effect it will have on their lives. Twitter, which is currently very popular, is a way that many of the contestants can communicate with their fans. However, negative criticism is not something that is easy to take in a normal circumstance, let alone very publicly. Does it seem fair that they are subjected to this? Although there is evidently a great deal of negativity around such sites, there are also many reasons why they are still being used, the main one being that they are a great way of staying in touch with lots of people. I understand there are risks with the sites, and the accessibility of many photos is also something that I am wary of from possible future employers. However, for me, the positives of Facebook outweigh the negatives, and although there have been cases that are extreme and highly unpleasant, I have fortunately not experienced them, and continue to use Facebook.

Redbrick

4th November 2011

Editors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Amanda Callaghan & Ali Hendy

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Comment & Features 9

Reunion blues: back from the dead to make some cash Ali Gordon Commentator

'I have no desire whatsoever to desecrate the grave of seminal Manchester pop group The Stone Roses', said John Squire. A lot can change in two years, eh John? His reservations were understandable, though. Bands get back together all the time, but very few manage to recapture the kind energy and inspiration that seemed all too easy in their heyday. It's safe to say then, that for any self respecting group of musicians the idea of a reunion is a risky one. Is it not better to remain immortal in the eyes of your fans than risk the inevitable fall from grace that would follow a tired live performance, or a mediocre new album? Sadly it would seem that for many such artists, the answer is definitely no. Rumours over potential reunions surface all the time,

Bands get back together all the time, but very few manage to recapture the kind energy and inspiration that seemed all too easy in their heyday.

but they usually turn out to be just that, rumours. This year, however, we've been somewhat spoilt. So far we've seen the groups Pulp, The Darkness, DFA 1979, The Stone Roses and

of course Steps, all reuniting. But why, and why now? The first question is invariably answered with 'we just feel we have more to give as artists', or 'we just wanted to give something back to the fans' or

perhaps more honestly, 'because we miss it.' As for why now, well that's usually because it's the 20 year anniversary of something. Predictably the announcements of these reunions resulted in

fans of The Stone Roses, Pulp and (presumably) Steps taking part in the mad scramble for the pricey tickets to the comeback shows. It's easy to see why then that for some the motivation to reunite could be somewhat less than artistic. With today's cheaper travel and larger venues it is certainly possible to play more shows in front of more people than ever before. It could, and has been argued, therefore that a lot of these reunions transpire purely because there is money to be made now that there wasn't when the bands were in their prime. With that in mind, can we really blame them? Everyone's got to make a living, and with the steady decline in physical music sales touring is becoming a more and more important source of revenue. Further, should we really be complaining? Surely even the biggest music snob wouldn't deny that when it comes to live shows, the more the better, regardless of the incentive to perform. Ultimately, for those of us who were too young to see them the first time around, reunions are the only chance we'll ever have to see our idols on stage, and if they're not as good as they once were (and I'm assured that they aren't) then so be it. Personally, I won't be heading down to the LG Arena on the 12th of April to see a 36 year old Lisa Scott-Lee singing and dancing like it's 1998, but it won't be because of the pound signs in her eyes.

10 redbrickpaper.co.uk

4th November 2011

Music Jazz Jukebox

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Hysteria by Muse voted best bassline of all time www.nme.com/news

Album Reviews 8 Florence and the Machine Ceremonials

#18

Anna Lumsden Critic

Miles Davis – So What Probably one of the first names to come to mind when we think of the jazz genre, and with good reason. This tune epitomises Davis' move from hard-bop to modality in the late 1950s with his album Kind of Blue, capturing the essence of cool, smooth jazz that remains so popular today. Bill Evans – My Romance A really beautiful version of this famous jazz tune; Evans' piano harmonies are just stunning, resonant and clear yet full of intricacy. Stevie Wonder – I Wish The ultimate funky, feel-good jazz hit: lush vocals from the legend himself, an infectious rhythm section groove with a gorgeously glaring brass shout chorus. I challenge you not to boogie when you hear this. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – They Can't Take That Away From Me A wonderfully simple, cheekily romantic song from two of the greatest jazz musicians in history. Ella's gorgeously serene voice slides effortlessly over the notes, accompanied perfectly by Louis' gruffer tones and warbling trumpet lines. Count Basie & His Orchestra – The Kid From Red Bank This track is everything you want from a traditional big band chart: wicked whole-band rhythms, ferociously fast swing and screaming lead trumpet. Give it a listen.

Redbrick's Turkey of the Week

Metallica and Lou Reed – Pumping Blood Contact us: music@redbrickpaper.co.uk Twitter – @redbrickmusic Facebook – Redbrick Music

Andrew Pollard Critic

If you're anything like me then as we see the release of Florence and the Machine's second album you're feeling a whole spectrum of emotions: hope, excitement and that slight trepidation that goes with witnessing someone who has rapidly reached such great heights attempt to do it again. So I'm going to get straight to it. Ceremonials is epic: it's rich, surreal and beautiful. All the things we loved about Florence are back and bigger than ever. The first thing I can certainly say is that the Machine has not been idle. With 15 tracks, thirteen of which are over four minutes long (that's not even including the

5 bonus tracks), Ceremonials is a massive undertaking. However that is not to say it is all quantity and no quality.

This is Florence at her best – mesmerising and eccentrically uplifting. I think the greatest criticism you could make of this album is that it tends to maintain the same level and pace throughout. This can cause it to merge together in places and leave the listener waiting for

3 Metallica and Lou Reed

those standout tracks. However, to label Ceremonials as same-y or dull is to prove the listener inattentive and to do Florence a great disservice. The bottom line is that the album is so vast that it cannot all be taken in with one or two listens. It takes a while to truly hear the music with all its subtleties and various dynamics. While it was originally intended to have a more electro sound, for the most part the album sticks to its organic roots. Although traces of the synth echo throughout, the tinkling harp and tribal drums are still there, accompanied with some great bass and of course Florence's awesome vocals, which jump between whispers and screams in a heartbeat. The entire album has a sort of gospel choral theme, which

Single Reviews

Lulu

combined with slightly gothic and surreal lyrics give the listener a familiar feel of entering Florence's own personal wonderland. This, after all, is Florence's greatest strength. In a music scene stifled by trends and insincerity it is heartening to see an artist wearing her heart on her sleeve, welcoming us into her own strange and delightful world. She makes music that is as unique as it is accessible. Filled with imagination, love, joy and pain, this is Florence at her best – mesmerising and eccentrically uplifting. Sounds like: Adele, Kate Bush and a bit of Stevie Nicks

Professor Green Read All About It

Other Lives

Tamer Animals

Joseph Kerry Critic

When Kirk Hammett spoke in April of a 'secret recording project', speculation began. Would Metallica be bringing us a heavy version of Pink Floyd's The Wall? With hatchets buried and more festival dates booked, would the Big Four of Thrash Metal be making a collaborative recording? When it was eventually revealed to be a collaboration with aging artrocker Lou Reed, Metallica purists were unimpressed – however, their more open-minded fans and Reed aficionados saw the potential for Frank Wedekind's Lulu Plays to add some brain to Metallica's heavy-metal brawn. Then we press play. Opening tracks Brandenburg Gate and The View contain hardly any variation. Pumping Blood is a collection of half-baked sound-check riffs, with Lars Ulrich's messy percussion beneath Reed's faux-intellectual lyrics – surely these aren't the same musicians behind Master of Puppets and White Light/White Heat? Mistress Dread goes from breakneck to repetitive in thirty seconds, boasting Reed's worst vocal performance on the album – possibly

ever. Reed's reputation as one of rock's best lyricists is undermined by offerings like 'I'm your little girl/ I'm forever in your swirl'. But this is not a bona fide Metallica album, as Hammett told Rolling Stone, and it would be unfair to judge it completely from a Metallica-fan-boy perspective. Despite Greg Fidelman being on the production team once again, James Hetfield's vocals remain untreated with auto-tune, and the majority of guitar and drum tracks are cut rough-and-ready in the studio. Reed is at his best when he isn't tunelessly warbling – on Dragon, his free-verse chanting is menacing, and along with brooding mid-paced rocker Iced Honey, Metallica and Reed actually work together. The album is summed up by the ironically titled Frustration – it shows promise, and then falters. Lulu is a challenging listen, but unlike Dillinger Escape Plan's Ire Works or Tom Waits' Bone Machine, the only thing that Lulu challenges is the listener's patience. Sounds like: Metallica... and Lou Reed.

Josh Holder Critic

Jake Pembroke Critic

The title track from Oklahoma five-piece Other Lives' sophomore album, Tamer Animals, showcases a band capable of creating an atmospheric soundscape without overcomplicating the whole feel of the song. There is a refreshing simplicity and cleanliness to Tamer Animals that sounds something like stripped-down White Lies; soft vocals against a backdrop of percussion, piano and guitar. The percussion provides the heartbeat, interestingly focusing almost exclusively on the drums of the kit, so that when a cymbal crash is heard it really cuts through the richness of the song. The result is a hauntingly beautiful track that hints at an increasingly positive future for Other Lives.

Professor Green is often cited as the UK's answer to Eminem, and Read All About It sees Green staying firmly in Eminem's shadow. The track is equivalent to Eminem's Cleanin' Out My Closet. It's Green wearing his heart on his sleeve, explaining the tragic story of his turbulent relationship with his father, whilst attacking the music press for claiming he cashed in on his father's suicide by openly speaking about it to the media. It's a heartbreaking story, but Green's experience as a wordsmith shines bright with touching lyrics, 'I wasn't even five, life's a journey and mine wasn't an easy ride.' Musically, the track feels similar to Eminem and Rihanna's Love The Way You Lie, with Green rapping the verses and relying on Emeli Sandé to bellow the huge chorus that holds the track together. It's a great combination and marks a triumphant return for the Professor.

Redbrick

Editors – Tamara Roper & William Franklin

Live Reviews

Music 11

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Music Diary 4th – 10th

Laura Marling

Birmingham Cathedral 29/10/2011

Friday 4th

Arctic Monkeys LG Arena

Katy Perry NIA 26/10/2011

Anna Calvi HMV Institute

Jenna Kirby Critic

Welcome to the fascinating world of Candyfornia. And trust me, you will get lost in it. The show was kicked off by two support acts, in the shape of quirky Swedish electro-pop artist Oh Land, and LA-based DJ, Skeet Skeet, who got the crowd pumped with his chart remixes. Her reputation for putting on an unforgettable show may have preceded her, but when she finally arrived on stage, Katy did not disappoint. She performed all her catchy pop hits, such as the career-starting I Kissed a Girl and California Girls, which closed the show in a huge explosion of colour while Perry fired whipped cream out of a bazooka at the crowd. Just when you'd start to think that the show was all about the spectacle, Katy would remind us of her talent with beautiful stripped-back vocals on ballads such as the tearjerking Not Like the Movies and The One That Got Away (her latest single and the subject of her celebrated appearance on the X Factor). Katy was full of life, funny and undeniably entertaining, something quite considerable see-

ing as it was her 115th show of the world-wide tour. Highlights were her witty anecdotes and banter with the audience, including pulling one poor topless soul up on stage and rewarding him with a kiss. This naughty behaviour continued, especially with the suggestive hand gestures that accompanied her rendition of Peacock. The show itself boasted a huge array of theatrical features, with an intricate candy-themed set, loads of backing dancers (dressed as clowns, gingerbread men, mimes...the list goes on), fireworks, a trapeze, and a candyfloss cloud that Perry flew around the arena on while playing guitar and singing Thinking of You. Katy didn't disappoint on the fashion front either – in fact, during her performance of Hot 'N' Cold, she managed no less than seven candy-themed outfit changes. It goes without saying that she looked absolutely gorgeous in the flesh too, leading many to question just how she manages to have such a hectic tour schedule and pull off such amazing shows while still looking incredible. No wonder she is so many people's girl crush of choice.

Maria Lunn Critic

As Laura Marling took to the stage to offer a haunting rendition of I Was Just a Card, taken from her newest album, A Creature I Don't Know, the audience at Birmingham Cathedral fell to a serene hush. Indeed, Laura's entirely acoustic set had an enigmatic quality that is rarely found among many modern artists. While her chosen attire of a simple grey jumper and a full-length black skirt was as sparse as her set, Laura confidently proved, equipped with just a microphone and her trusty acoustic guitar, that she can truly command the stage. What she lacked in on-stage chatter, she certainly made up for in the sheer quality of her music, and it was exciting to hear a mixture of both old and new material. She performed a track, Night Terror, from her debut album, where her honeyed vocals blended with an impressive showcase of whistling skills making an atmospheric and somewhat hypnotic performance. I was obviously not the only one in the audience who sat entranced, as the song was met with a unanimous eruption of applause.

We were then treated to a rendition of a new, as of yet unreleased track, Pray For Me. As is typical of Laura's work, this song was loaded with searching and poetic lyrics, such as 'I cannot love, I want to be alone', conveying a depth of feeling that belies her 21 years. The performance had an organic quality, as the intimate surroundings of the Cathedral hall combined with Laura's ethereal vocals and lulling guitar. Unfortunately, Laura stuck to her trademark policy on encores. No matter how much the crowd cheered and called, Laura remained steadfast in the backroom. In fact, the only disappointing feature of the afternoon was that it didn't last longer. This was a performance given by an artist truly in her element. With her graceful poise and flawless vocals, Laura gave a precise and polished performance, that, at times, I felt even surpassed that of her already brilliant recorded material. Seeing Laura live proves why she remains a steady favourite among critics and I for one, await her new material with eager anticipation.

Saturday 5th Lacuna Coil HMV Institute

Sunday 6th Tinie Tempah LG Arena

Glen Campbell Symphony Hall

Monday 7th Ghostface Killah HMV Institute Stevie Jackson Glee Club The Rifles O2 Academy 3

Tuesday 8th

Within Temptation with Anneke Van Giersbergen O2 Academy

Wednesday 9th Bon Iver O2 Academy

Thursday 10th

The Damned 35th Anniversary Tour O2 Academy

12 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Technology

Follow @RedbrickTech on Twitter for the latest news

Nokia struggles to reinvent itself with Windows Phone Dan Lesser Reviewer

Nokia has announced the first of its new Windows Phone devices, following their decision at the start of the year to abandon their Symbian and MeeGo operating systems. They have shown off two phones: the Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710. The Lumia 800, a high-end handset which they hope will compete against the iPhone and the Galaxy Nexus. It is made from machined polycarbonate and features a 3.7 inch curved

touchscreen, a 1.4 GHz processor, and an 8 megapixel camera. It will be available in mid-November and should be free on a £30 a month contract on most networks, or £450 SIM free. The second handset, the Lumia 710, is intended to be a mid-range offering. In essence, it's a cut-price Lumia 800 with the same processor and the same sized screen (although it isn't curved). However, it only has a 5 megapixel camera, and it doesn't have the same polycarbonate body. It will be available in early 2012, and should cost around £250 SIM free. It's the software, however, that is really import a n t here. Nokia threw away

Redbrick

4th November 2011

years of development on MeeGo and Symbian in favour of using Windows Phone 7.5 on its smartphones, and it needs to prove that it was the right choice. There is already a large number of handsets on the market running Microsoft's mobile operating system, which, unlike Android, doesn't allow for much customisation by manufacturers. Every Windows phone is essentially the same in terms of software, so Nokia need some way of distinguishing their offerings from all the others. Nokia has tried to do this with three special apps exclusive to to their phones. The first is Nokia Music, which offers customised music streaming and a music store, without the need for a subscription. The second is Nokia Maps, which is similar to Google Maps. The most compelling, however, is Nokia Drive, which will offer free navigation, something no other Windows Phone offers (for free, at least). Has Nokia made the right choice in adopting Windows? The success of these two phones should act as a guide.

Apple Newsstand threatens print Sam Atkins Writer

Tablet and eReader markets are booming, which is great news for all but those in print-based media. The print industry has been struggling for years now, and the release of iOS5 Apple and its Newsstand feature may have put the final nail in print media's coffin. Newsstand may seem like the least important of the revisions included in the iOS5 operating system, but its potential to change the media industry is massive. The interface is minimal right now, with some glitches appearing from time to time, but the ease with which you can download a magazine or paper and interactively read it is a huge selling point. Just about every major publisher in the UK and the US is already on board: Future, Imagine and Hearst Publishing, to name but a few. The amount of titles to choose from is already impressive, and is increasing all the time. The service is already proving popular and the pillars of the publishing community are getting behind it with offers such as free back issues of magazines and major discounts on subscriptions, enticing in consumers. The most successful titles range from Cosmopolitan to Men's Health UK,

Newsstand may have just put the final nail in print media's coffin Procrastination Aid of the week Each week we provide you with the best ways to get your tech fix. This week Stuart Ritchie gives you Pac Xon Pac Xon is a beautifully simple and brilliantly addictive online game based on the original PacMan franchise. It differs from the original as the aim of the game is not to eat all the yellow dots, but to solidify at least 80% of the screen by moving Pac-Man from wall to wall. Once Pac-Man reaches another wall he is safe; in the middle of the screen he is not. As with the original there are a number of enemies attempting to stop him from doing this. The beauty and addictiveness of this game stems from its simplicity. By basing it on such a wellknown original it gives us the feeling of familiarity. However, there are enough differences to make it seem new and interesting. As with most online games, the satisfaction comes from beating your high score in as stylish a fashion as possible. What's more, the seemingly never-ending levels make the game difficult and highly addictive. If you fancy checking it out head to http://www.gamesolo.com or Google 'Pac Xon'

with just about every sub-genre covered by the App Store. At present there are over 130 magazines and newspapers available, with more to arrive in the near future. But eReaders have been popular for years, so why should Newsstand make such a big difference in the market? Newsstand is available on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, three devices that between them have a market share unmatched by other handheld devices. This fact alone means that the service should be the next step in the ongoing transition between print and digital media. The amount of people who have access to Newsstand is much larger than those that own the Kindle, for instance. There are high hopes for Newsstand in the future and, with some key updates to the interface and by fixing some of the stability issues, it could become one of the more essential features on Apple devices. Seeing some of the major publishers finding success on the App Store is promising, and hopefully it can help print media survive the switch to digital.

The revolution will be Tweeted

Tom DeFraine looks at Twitter's new Arabic platform and the role it plays in Egyptians' daily life Picture the scene – you're a stu- revolutionary cries. Unbelievable into the past, we can see that by dent but you are not in Mermaid as that is, it is an undeniable truth the end of 2010 (several months Square after a night out at Fab. that the social networking site has before the televised revolutions of You're in Tahrir Square, Egypt, become one of the most important the so-called Arab Spring), 23 high on the night of besieged former tools of revolt in human history. profile bloggers in Tunisia and President Hosni Mubarak's defiant Twitter has, somehow, 31 in Egypt had been arrested or speech of resistance against calls changed how we think about de- threatened by the authorities for for him to step down. All around mocracy indefinitely. Taking a step inciting revolutionary thoughts. you are fellow students, the youth, the unemployed, the Coptic minorities, the elderly, the unheard – many of them are wildly clapping, waving flags and shouting, but just as many are standing idly by. Their heads are bowed, not in prayer, but over their mobile phones. The revolution was being tweeted. By the end of this year, social networking juggernaut Twitter will be launching its Arabic platform, finally answering the cries of those in turbulent Arab states who are in dire need of tools of revolt. Twitter has played such an important role in the Arab Spring in the past few months that it's easy to forget that 140 characters were the longest

Tweets from people living under the new regime give an insight into daily life in Egypt's new democracy

On the revolution

@MinaNaguib90 it is not about protesting anymore, it is about taking the spirit of tahrir to every institution in #Egypt and it started already

On the new Government @Lara louder voices in #Egypt saying its military rulers are no better than Mubarak's regime

So, despite crackdowns on expressive freedom, it seems to be selfevident that no nation can disconnect from the world once the grid has been turned on. Mohamed Bouazizi became the catalyst for change in Tunisia when he set himself on fire in protest. His protest did not go unheard as thousands of tweets spread, telling the world of his actions making him a martyr for his cause around the globe. In Tunisia, people united under the banner of change – a banner that read simply 'the people want to bring down the regime'. Twitter has given thousands of people the opportunity to get their voice heard and with the new Arabic platform release this year it looks like it will be able to reach even more people. Far from being just a means for celebrities to tweet about what they had for breakfast, Twitter is revolutionising the world as a vital way for people to exert their right to free speech.

On Egypt's civil rights

@Sarahngb #FreeEgypt. Free every civilian who stood in front of a military court or a military prosecutor. Free all those in military imprisonment

G N I T T U P THE ’ W O ‘H INTO G N I S U HO

T U O B A K N I H T O T ? G R N A I E T Y R T A T X S E N Y D E A V I E L O T ALR T N A W ! ! U W O Y O E N T C A WHER T ’ N O D – Y L R A E ting, n u O h e O s u T o h out b a w o n ... k s IT’S WAY o in t p d o e r e d n g u in

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d u t s / m g o n i c t . k n u o h o e b s e u o h / m o ‘like’ fac c . s t n e d u t s f o d l i or visit: gu Student Lettings Agent

14 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

4th November 2011

Arts

_Art isn't something that should be conservatively prearranged The debate, dispute and differences surrounding the Turner prize

Damien Hirst beside his piece Mother and Child, Divided Ami Coxill-Moore Critic

Another year of the Turner Prize brings with it yet another 'but is it art?' debate. This has been the immortal response that the annual award has been deemed to create since it was established in 1984. It provokes differing opinions on both the importance and value of conceptual art – innovative and cutting-edge, or pretentious and talentless? The idea that one of the most viewed paintings, Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, is categorised in the same field of work as 1995's Turner Prize Winner, Damien Hirst's Mother and Child, Divided (an achingly controversial sculpture consisting of four tanks, each of which containing one half of the cow or calf featured), is one which sparks a lot of questions as to how

far the term 'art' really does and should extend. The dispute surrounding the inclusion of such sculptures, installations and video elements in exhibitions has resulted in countless demonstrations, one of the most prominent being that by a group called the Stuckists. Stuckists preach their distaste and lack of acceptance towards 'anything claiming to be art which incorporates dead animals and beds – mainly because they are unremarkable and boring' – a highly subjective statement in itself. They take a strong prescriptive approach in their 'Stuckist Manifesto', a document that ironically screams pretension from a source claiming to be 'anti the pretensions of conceptual art'. Such points include the importance placed on painting as essentially a way of enriching an artist with the unyield-

ing attitude that 'artists who don't paint aren't artists'. This is a contemporary idea in itself, conflicting with the Middle Aged classification of an artist being: 'to fill the role of a craftsman, with the inclusion of techniques, such as architecture and tapestry'. This Stuckist sentiment suggests the exclusion of a large proportion of past art work purely because it has been created without the use of a paintbrush. Previous Turner Prize uproar has largely come in the form of direct action. The attention surrounding 1999's award was diverted away from winner Steve McQueen, and placed on fellow nominee, Tracey Emin's My Bed. The exhibition featured, as the title suggests, Emin's bed, complete with stained bed sheets, plus scattered debris in the forms of empty bottles, cigarette butts and used condoms. It

attracted the unwanted attention of Yuan Chai and Jian Jun Xi, two performance artists who stripped themselves of clothing, revealing their bare bodies covered in slogans, only to then leap onto the bed and stage a pillow fight, later arguing that their action will 'make the public think about what is good art.' This operation has since been named Two naked men jump into Tracey's bed. Other high-profile approaches include Banksy's Mind the Crap slogan painted on the steps of the Tate in 2002 prior to the prize ceremony. This was perhaps a disputable step taken by the evidentally talented and notoriously mysterious street artist, whose own work and actions are often criticised as vandalism, including the defacing of other street artists work. Art is generally something that is enjoyed by those who ap-

preciate it. It remains current by pushing boundaries and thrives on initiating debate, leading to the subsequent portrayal of individual passion and judgment. Art isn't something that should be conservatively prearranged, but instead something that results in separable choices. Anything designed and created with thoughtful consideration should surely be viewed with the same open-mind, regardless of its permanence, technique, or materials used. This year's Turner Prize exhibits work by sculptors: Karla Black and Martin Boyce, Hilary Lloyd, a video artist, and paintings by George Shaw. All are on show at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead (21st October – 8th January). The winner will be announced on 5th December.

Arts Online The Turner Prize

With George Shaw as the sole painter on the Turner Prize shortlist and a controversial move to the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, we take a look at the work of the other artists and the controversies of this prestigious prize.

Shout Festival

Redbrick Arts continues its coverage of Birmingham's third annual Shout festival with film reviews, live-blogging and interviews. Go online to find out about free events near you.

Behing The Scenes

We go back stage with UoB's drama societies to discover the talent, work and creative energy that goes into producing a play and maintaining the burgoening theatre scene.

Redbrick

Editors – Alexander Blanchard & Lexie Wilson

Arts 15

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Don't be a Dickhead 2: Electric BOOgaloo at Bristol Pear

Danny Murphy Critic

Following the success of its first showcase at the beginning of term, the Birmingham Footnotes Comedy Society returned this week with a second instalment of comedy entertainment, Don't be a Dickhead 2: Electric BOOgaloo. Compered by the enthusiastic and engaging Matt Saull and Jack Toop, a vari-

ety of fresh, innovative and outrageous comedians were welcomed to the stage. As the name suggests this night had one rule only: don't be a dickhead! In short, this meant no intimidation or heckling from the audience, with the idea of creating a friendly, encouraging atmosphere for students to deliver their comedy. For many of the acts this was their first time performing, although you would not have thought

it. Jacob Lovick took to the stage for the first time and was an immediate success with the audience. A constant wave of laughter could be heard throughout the entirety of his performance, as Lovick delivered anecdote after anecdote with a seemingly effortless charisma. Chris Bates was another popular act, whose material on his 'middle class' upbringing, contrasted with his significantly downgraded student experiences,

held resonance with many in the audience and was met with fervent applause. In keeping with the Halloween theme of the season, the Bristol Pear was decorated in traditional spooky fashion. Carved pumpkins, dimmed lighting, creepy music and traditional black and orange decorations adorned the venue, which in itself was the perfect mix of comfortable, informal and relaxed. Some of the acts had even prepared themed stand-up material, and a clear favourite was comedy duo Chazz Redhead and Richard Higgs. Both their Frankenstein-esque routine in the first half, and their twisted take on Black Swan as the night's finale, left audience members giggling long after the act had finished. Judging from the raucous laughter and sell-out crowd, I am sure I am not the only one eagerly awaiting Don't be a Dickhead 3.

Previews

Lost in Lace Birmingham Museum 29th Oct – 19th Feb Free

Macbeth at The Crescent Hollie Jones Critic

As one of Shakespeare's bestknown plays, The Crescent's production of Macbeth had a lot to live up to. Performed in-the-round inside the black walls of the Ron Barber Studio, the set was stripped back to a mere triptych of stone arches suspended from the ceiling. On arrival the smoky room first appeared somewhat predictable but the full effect soon became clear as the dramatic lighting cast ominous shadows and stunning spaces amongst the smoke. The director, Matt Bartlett, claimed that his aim was to 'find real people' amongst the characters of Macbeth and his wife. This

was brilliantly achieved with a moment of particular excellence from Amy Harrison as Lady Macbeth in the sleep-walking scene from Act V, when a doctor and servant witness the queen's guilty conscience. This scene simultaneously displayed the character's madness and humanity, ensuring the audience's empathy with her. The haunting performance from the three witches added to the sympathy felt for Macbeth, whose first encounter with the evil sisters set a very sinister tone. Menacing humming floated through the room (a theme that was to continue throughout), as the witches circled the frightened Macbeth, reminding the audience of Macbeth's innocence and anxiety at the start of the tragedy.

Abraham Wilson Quartet Symphony Hall 5.30pm, 4th Nov Free For the most part the small stage was used brilliantly, with minimal props and fantastic, mood-setting lighting. Unfortunately we were left with a blank stage for too long during the battle scene in Act V. Naff flashing lights and looped battle sounds were all that filled the room for long periods, proving more successful in boring the audience than in evoking a vivid image of the bloody battle.

Overall Bartlett did the infamous play justice, staying true to Shakespeare's text whilst at the same time making the characters real. The production was simple, yet effective, giving centre stage to the mostly faultless acting and enabling the audience to both empathise with as well as despise the characters. All in all a very competent production brought to life with clarity in an understated and classy style.

David Hume: The First Postmodernist?

Alexander Blanchard Arts Editor

With reference to his perspectivism – that no way of seeing the world can be taken as definitively 'true', and that we must dissolve the idea of objective knowledge – it is often Nietzsche, the German philosopher, poet and composer, who is cited as anticipating the tenets of postmodernist thought. Yet, over a hundred years before the birth of Nietzsche, David Hume – known throughout the salons of Paris as le bon David, both for his good-will and his remarkable corpulence (whilst living in Edinburgh's New Town, towards

the end of his life, Hume once stumbled into a bog and, being so monstrously fat by this point, had to wait for a passer-by to help him out) – was demonstrating postmodernist 'tendencies'. For a movement that has sought to demonstrate the inherent power-play and problems of a sole, objective truth to govern our lives, it is suitably apt that postmodernism has a very elusive and tangled definition. Put crudely, postmodernism is largely a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. It stems from a recognition that reality is not simply mirrored in a human understanding of it, but rather, is constructed as the mind tries to understand its own particular and personal reality. Grounded in this basis, postmodernism rejects grand narratives that attempt to elucidate on a universal human behaviour (for example, psychoanalysis), it places a focus on how discourse generates our reality, and, ultimately – though rather paradoxically – it turns reason against reason. It is this last point, the 'reasons against reason', that would seem most fitting as an epitaph for Hume. Amongst the philosophes of the Enlightenment, Hume was not only a giant (as, amongst Western

philosophy, he has continued to remain), but showed that, in certain respects, he stood outside of the philosophy . Finding at the age of thirteen that he had, as he himself put it, an 'insurmountable aversion to everything but the pursuit of philosophy and general learning', he set about reading the entire history of Western philosophy as it was then known. However, finding all its talk of logic and reason passionless and torpid, and its treatment of everyday experience shallow and inadequate, Hume contrived, with his A Treatise of Human Nature and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, to place the human mind – the person, the conscious actor – at the centre of the study of knowledge (hence fomenting the postmodernist idea of the mind constructing knowledge). Of course, like the other philosophes, Hume avidly espoused the principles of enlightenment; reason over dogma; the rejection of tradition and religion as bases of authority; and, as Kant put it, 'man's emergence from his selfincurred immaturity.' But as the philosophes fought their crusade against bigotry and superstition, melding their polemics with the dignity of an age-old struggle between reason and unreason, Hume was watching from

aloft, perceiving inadequacies, weaknesses and limitations. 'Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions', Hume proclaimed. Through a methodological process of reasoning (and, therein seems to lie the paradox), Hume demonstrated that an appeal to reason is simply not enough. As humans we rely more on the conjunction of ideas and custom rather than reason. We cannot account for many of the things we do and believe other than by accepting that, for all our lofty pronouncements on the superiority of homo-sapiens, we act almost animalistically – through habit. Hume argued against the existence of innate ideas, concluding that humans have no actual conception of the self and, through his account of causation, offered an alternative perspective of morals and motivation. The time elapsed between the life of Hume and the development of postmodernism makes any supposed link tentative. Yet, turning reason in on itself in demonstrating its limitations against alternating accounts of the mind is a centrepoint of postmodernism and its critique of Enlightenment-grounded modernism. In his philosophy Hume side-stepped the modernist, intrepidly reached for the postmodernists, and transcended the Enlightenment.

Clubbing, Cruising, Fucking

mac 8pm, 5th Nov £7

Word Up! The Drum 7.30pm, 10th Nov £3

Daniel Sloss The Glee Club 8pm, 10th Nov £10

16 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Television

Redbrick

4th November 2011

Sara Hailan reviews Piers Morgan's Life Stories

Read more at www.redbrickpaper. co.uk/television

Meet the man behind the magic Eliott Rhodes delves deep into the mysterious mind of Derren Brown, Britain's most elusive illusionist On: MAGIC

On: MOB CULTURE

On: HYPNOTISM

'Magic, whether it's mind Derren's dependence on stage hypnotism has magic or conjuring, is about waned due to the troubles it was causing. 'If the cheapest and quickest you went to see a band and then you came way of impressing people, and home and crashed your car, you wouldn't I think if you don't grow out of think of blaming the band, but if you'd that as a magician then it shows, seen a hypnotist and you were lookand people get a bit sick of that ing for a scapegoat, that's an after a while, because it starts to easy thing to do.' feel like posturing.' Derren continues to redevelop S what we mean by magic and illusion DERREN: THE FACT by showing more impressive feats each time. His favourite endeavour, Hero at Mind Control, Derren's 30,000 Feet, was something he cherished, first show, hit our screens as he literally changed the life of a in 2000, making him one of person for the good of his whole televisions most enduring ilfamily and friends. Whether it's lusionist planning a heist, hosting a seance, predicting the lottery numDerren is a keen caricabers or risking his life in a game turist, and has had his work of Russian Roulette, he condisplayed in galleries around tinues to break boundaries the capital daily. There is certainly no He studied Law and Gershortage of new material man at the University of Briswhen it comes to Chantol. Sehr gut! nel 4's favourite magician for grown ups. Is Animal loving Dezza is a there anything this patron of the Parrot Zoo Trust illusionist exand owned two of his own traordinaire feathered friends, Mephisto can't do? and Figaro

On: THE EXPERIMENTS

'Clearly perfectly nice people can easily end up doing pretty nasty things – I think the riots showed that. It's not about blaming fathers of disenfranchised areas of society – it's clearly just something in our nature, being able to behave as part of a crowd and not having to take responsibility.' Derren says that the riots in August are a perfect example of why his game show panned out so well. He de-individualised members of the audiences by hiding them behind masks and allowing them no consequences to their actions. This way they were more confident to choose horrible options, because they had no fear, and everyone else would do it – a worrying insight into social morality.

Not simply a star of the stage and small screen, Derren has an impressive four books under his belt, too.

'The show is about whether or not it's possible to hypnotise somebody to kill, to carry out an assassination. This is based on the testimonies given by political assassins who say they were brainwashed by the CIA.' As seen in the first episode of The Experiments, Brown was able to get a member of the public to assassinate national treasure Stephen Fry live on stage. This dramatic twist forces the audience to question whether these prisoners – who have no recollection of their participation in an assassination – can really be culpable for their actions. True to form, Brown messes with both our minds and our morals with his daring experiments, and the rest of the series looks set to be a hit.

Catch Derren's latest TV phenomenon The Experiments on Friday at 9pm, Channel 4

TV voiceovers Ella Reynolds & Ness Tubb Critics

5. India Fisher (Masterchef): Fisher's sultry tones make you salivate over the creations of the latest culinary wannabes. In contrast to the show's jowly presenters, she adds a touch of class to proceedings. We're certainly amused by her bouche! 4. Marcus Bentley (Big Brother): Watching a bunch of mundane contestants confined to four walls may not be much fun, but Bentley's iconic Geordie commentary somehow spices things up. 3. Dave Lamb (Come Dine With Me): The unlikely star of CDWM boasts almost 100,000 Facebook fans and his sarcastic remarks season even the dullest of dinner parties. 2. Terry Wogan (Eurovision): Broadcasting legend Wogan set the bar for brutal banter throughout his 35 year reign. As the man himself says, 'there's not enough silliness in the world. Eurovision helps to keep it balanced.' We couldn't agree more! 1. Peter Dickson (The X Factor): This BAFTA-winning voice-over star has been entertaining the nation on Saturday nights since 2004. An integral part of the show, his distinctive intonation welcomes international superstars onto the stage like no other could.

Hopelessly in love, or just plain hopeless? With the return of Tool Academy earlier this week, Eleanor Pitt and Charlotte Lytton debate whether the real tools are actually the girls Eleanor Pitt says GIRLS ARE TO BLAME Tool Academy is a reality programme in which girls bring their misbehaving and unruly boyfriends to glorified couples' therapy. The first series in the UK featured, amongst others, Temper Tool, Jealous Tool and Lazy Tool. Bobby, or Stoner Tool as he was known at the Academy, was brought in by his girlfriend because his 'weed smoking habit was having an effect on her and the kids', Randy Tool's girlfriend felt that 'she couldn't trust him 100%' and believed he flirted with every girl in the local vicinity, and Poser Tool was accused of loving himself more than his girlfriend. Not exactly inspiring stuff. Learning about the lads, it forced me to ask myself, are they the real tools, or is it their girlfriends' fault for putting up with them? Why stay with someone whose obsession with gambling and drinking has a serious impact on your relationship? Pursuing these useless relationships

is a colossal waste of time. Surely enough is enough when you watch footage of your boyfriend cheat on you in a club toilet during a night out he believes is being filmed for 'Britain's Ultimate Lad'. Apparently not. After a turbulent week, all was forgiven and the couple got back together. If you're in a sinking relationship where you think your partner needs classroom lessons on 'commitment and fidelity', who is the real tool?

Charlotte Lytton says THERE'S NO SHAME

They need to do something drastic, and fast.

Picture this: your boyfriend's a serial cheat, he hangs out with his friends instead of you, and worst of all – you love him. A million other women would have kicked him to the kerb when he returned late from 'work' stinking of booze and another girl's perfume, but like a virulent sexually transmitted disease, you just cannot get rid. This is the predicament the long suffering girlfriends of Tool Academy's students face, and it is easy to sympathise with their plight. True, outing

their boyfriends' bad behaviour to the nation might not be the standard route for a wearisome woman, but having run out of ideas, they need to do something drastic – and fast. The humiliation the men are subjected to throughout the programme is nothing compared to what they have put their significant others through, and it's about time these cocky Casanovas had a taste of their own medicine. The more pain inflicted on these insignificant others, the better as far as the audience is concerned. No one's saying it's the most decorous way of dealing with things, but don't let the six inch heels/nails/hair extensions fool you – these ladies mean business. In a climate where divorce rates are at an all-time high, perhaps we should be admiring these girls for taking the situation into their own hands and fighting to save their relationships. Even if they are doing it on national telly.

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Editors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Charlotte Lytton and James Moore

Queen Latifah has been signed up to host a daytime talk show produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith

Television 17

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Jonathan Ross' ITV chat show has been given a second series after consistently scoring high ratings

Popular BBC sketch comedy The Fast Show is set to return ater 11 years in a series of special webisodes

Reviews: Our look at the week's hottest shows Louis Theroux America's Most Dangerous Pets Nadia Dillon Critic

After running out of neo-Nazis and paedophiles to interview, Louis Theroux has turned his attention to none other than the world of animals in captivity, exactly the kind of controversial topic he delights in exploring. The main focus of the show is on Joe 'Exotic' â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an animal keeper who owns over 1,400 animals and

Russell Howard's Good News Russell Webb Critic

Bristolian comedian Russell Howard is back for another series of his popular topical news show. As opposed to other current news shows such as Have I Got News For You, this one is just Russell Howard, an audience and some video clips. The set-up is almost like a

Frozen Planet Eleanor Pitt Critic

Sir David Attenborough's dulcet tones have lured us back into a love of nature and wildlife in his new series Frozen Planet. Followng in the footsteps of other shows such as The Blue Planet and Planet Earth, Frozen Planet has a similar structure showing amazing footage combined with insightful commentary by the world's most famous naturalist. An exploration of the world's

exhibits them in his own private menagerie. His somewhat ridiculous plans to recreate a sabretoothed tiger through selective breeding gives us a glimpse into Joe's slightly unstable psyche. His admission that he would euthanize every animal in his care rather than moving them to another facility is what's truly worrying. Theroux also details the breeding process that the caged animals are forced to undertake which is illustrated with the liger (a cross breed between a tiger and a lion) and tiliger (the cross between a tiger and a liger). Whilst raising suspicions

about people like Joe 'Exotic' , the show highlighted the true sadness of animals being held in captivitywhich we all need to be reminded of at times. The fact that these animals would no longer be able to survive in the wild reveals their dependence on man. Despite seeming somewhat out of his comfort zone when forced to hold the animals, Theroux still manages to call attention to the moral issues at the heart of the debate. Although Theroux delivers on audience expectations of his documentaries, this was too tame in comparison to his previous work.

small stand-up gig every week for the next two months. Despite this, the show continues to deliver on a weekly basis. The programme is simple and effective, taking the latest news stories and mixing it with Russell's unique brand of comedy which has made him an unlikely celebrity, especially amongst the teen and twenties audience. Some of the stories are mainstream, making the headlines for papers and news broadcasts alike, but he also searches for the more

unusual stories often revealing the bizarre side of the news from around the world that without this show would remain largely unknown. A stand-out feature of the show is the mystery guest section where the producers bring in someone that has been in the news and ask Russell to guess who they are simply using some visual clues. The section almost always results in an awkward exchange to the comedian's detriment, much to the delight of the studio audience.

most uninhabitable and hostile regions, the programme delves deep into the Arctic and Antarctic to bring us a glimpse of some of the unusual creatures and plants which manage to survive there. As with many series pioneered by Attenborough, this show explores places on the planet that have never before been filmed due to expense or danger. In seeing the cameramen diving under ice sheets or descending into the gas filled chambers below an active volcano the show gains a certain magic. It becomes clear just how special the things we are seeing truly are. From the journey of titanic

force glaciers charging their way to the ocean, to the evolutionary battle of wolves versus bison, penguin surfing and polar bear courtship, Attenborough invites us to witness events most of us will never see first hand. If the series continues in a similar way, it will be one bursting with beautiful footage and incredible images of wildlife. It is an outstanding documentary put together with visuals unlike any other, providing a captivating geography lesson we don't even realise we're having. This stunning show is definitely worth a watch and continues to break boundaries.

Bury or broadcast â&#x20AC;&#x201C; should the dead be shown on TV? Georgia House Critic

Last week saw documentary Mummifying Alan: Egypt's Last Secret air on Channel 4 to rave reviews, but questions have again been raised about the extent to which we should be seeing human remains on television. Alan Bills, previously a taxi driver from Torquay with terminal lung cancer, answered an advert in the paper to donate his body to science and in doing so become the first body to be mummified in Britain. Specialists such as pathologists and one enthusiastic chemical archaeologist set to work on trying to reproduce an 18th dynasty mummy from the Egyptian renaissance of mummification. Though fascinating and sur-

prisingly easy to watch, the short segments from Tennessee's infamous Body Farm, where scientists are investigating the various stages of decomposition, were bordering on the explicit. The exquisite preservation of Alan's body however made viewing easy compared to the death and decay of the Farm. In recent years, more and more forensic dramas have started appearing: from the high budget, high drama CSI, to the poorly written The Body Farm that recently appeared on BBC One. With this new wave comes certain guidelines as to the treatment of human remains. It is when reality is put back into the situation that the viewer suddenly becomes aware of what he or she is really seeing. A perfect touch to Mummifying Alan was the

eerie voice over from Alan himself, which was oddly reassuring, and made the entire programme more of a tribute to Alan's life and not just an experiment. Television should be about both education and entertainment and there are certainly not enough educational anatomy programmes out there, leaving us as an audience unfulfilled and unaware of the details. It may not be the most pleasant of viewing but it is important not to shy away from the subject. The more we know about the body, the less we will put up with awful shows like The Body Farm, that treat viewers like idiots and make a mockery of the work that scientists (like those at the actual Body Farm in Tennessee) do, and the success of their work. Alan's tribute thankfully changed this.

18 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

4th November 2011

Film

'All I have in this world is my balls and my word and I don't break them for no one. Do you understand?'

Scarface (1983)

Interview: Cast of A Dangerous Method

Film News

Charlotte Lytton got into the heads of the team behind this psychological smash hit sioned by 20th Century Fox for Julia Roberts. Of course Sabina is the most fascinating character and it seemed like a good idea to focus the story on her but with a couple of years distance it became clear that the real central character of the story is actually Jung because he is the pivot of him and his relationship with his wife Sabina, him and Freud, Sabina and Freud. But I wish films that have female central character were not still facing these absurd prescriptions.

Michael, how was it for you and Mr Jung? Michael Fassbender: There is that sort of fear element where you're dealing with a character who has a very passionate, focal following. The main thing for me was to tackle the very eloquent muscular dialogue. What's interesting when you're dealing with real heavyweight characters like this, revered characters, you find out they're human beings underneath there, that have egos and have very basic and obvious flaws and to play with those elements is fun.

For Mr Hampton, you have mentioned that initially you focused the screenplay on Sabina, but that it evolved to focus on Jung and Freud. I was wondering, if it were focused on Sabina would it be harder to get funding for a film with a female main character? Christopher Hampton (writer): I have written films with central characters for women before that have been very difficult to fund particularly for that reason. But that's not why I made the change, it was originally called Sabina because it was commis-

David Cronenberg (director): I have to say that the main problem with financing this movie was because there is a lot of talk, like intelligence, and I think that in itself is a problem more than the gender of the main characters. Just so we don't get into a stereotypical attitude here Chris and I were just talking about a Phillip Noyce movie called Salt with Angelina Jolie and in fact that lead character was supposed to be male but they couldn't finance it until they cast Angelina Jolie. Viggo and Michael, how much do you enjoy playing characters who are so revered in history as opposed to using more

artistic licence playing more original characters? Viggo Mortensen: You know in the end no matter how much research you do, how well-known the character is, you're going to be adding your body, your mind and your feelings to it. People asked me that while I was playing Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, do you feel a big responsibility? But no, I'm just playing this character, I'm trying to find out as much as I can about him so I don't make an ass of myself, basically. The same goes for Freud. And the challenge that I really enjoyed was something David and I found out that Freud had a wicked sense of humour, he had a lot of wit, and he appreciated it. You know the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century was very straightlaced, with censorship laws, and Freud appreciated wordplay, he appreciated wit, some of his favourite writers were humorous who got around censorship laws by being clever and making jokes. But no I don't really feel differently between playing a character who I imagine almost completely and someone who people have a very set idea about.

Sarah Coe Critic

New Movie Hunting Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have revealed in a recent interview that they are to collaborate on a Warner Bros. gangster film. Affleck is set to direct the film, whilst Damon will star as the notorious gangster Whitey Bulger. Damon will portray Bulger throughout his life, including the sixteen years on the run from the FBI, which only ceased last year. Casey Affleck is also involved in the film, playing a supporting role. If this movie comes through it will be the latest in a long line of projects; the most recent being the critically acclaimed The Departed (2006).

Five of the Best: Movie Animals

Natasha Lavender rounds up the top 5 fluffy and flippered stars of the screen

Two Much Tintin?

Homeward Bound

When Shadow, a golden retriever, Chance, a bulldog, and Sassy, some sort of very fluffy cat, are left with a friend while their owners go on vacation, they believe they have been abandoned and decide to make their own way home. Shadow leads them, and his loyalty and courage will have you howling when it seems that this role model for all dogs may not make it back.

Babe

This is a heart-warming story of animal triumph in the face of adversity. Babe is a tiny piglet whose big heart and terribly polite manner win over the other animals on his farm, including a herd of woollyheaded but well-meaning sheep. Entered into sheepdog trials, Babe's gentle character means the audience cannot help but root for him as he proves this clever sausage can beat any hot dog.

Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg have stated that plans to a sequel of Tintin are in progress, including the Tintin cast of Jamie Bell and Daniel Craig. Jackson is set to start work on the film as soon as The Hobbit is completed. However, it has been claimed that the script is already in the bag, therefore it looks like Tintin will be back on our screens shortly after it has left. Perhaps the producers would be wiser to wait to see how this latest mo-cap outing fairs?

Free Willy

A reworking of the classic boy-andhis-dog storyline, this family drama sees an unlikely friendship form between troubled foster child Jesse and Willy, an unfortunately-named whale who is captured and placed in a theme park. While Willy is hostile to others, refusing to perform and generally misbehaving, he and Jesse bond over their loneliness and love of harmonica music. Based on mutual understanding, Willy's friendship with Jesse is cleverly communicated and leads to an emotional and potentially crushing goodbye between the two outcasts.

Flipper

This film sees another friendship between a boy and a large, ocean-dwelling mammal. Mischievous teenager Sandy is bored of staying with his uncle in the Florida Keys, until he meets Flipper, a cheeky dolphin separated from his family. Flipper proves he is no wet blanket when he fights off a shark and a murderous fisherman in order to protect his new friend in this flipping fun tale.

Jaws

Not such a cuddly creature, Jaws deserves a mention for sheer grim determination. When a young Amity girl is killed during a moonlit swim, police chief Brody suspects something fishy is going on. Despite a frenzy of amateur shark hunting, it took bullet and a convenient oxygen tank to break this shark. Even after his demise, the spirit of the shark lives on: Jaws 4 anyone? Perhaps not.

The Inside Story Following last week's story of Carey Mulligan staring in the Coen Brother's film Inside Llewyn Davis, Justin Timberlake is also set to feature in the film. Timberlake has been offered the role of a struggling musician, Jim, who is married to Carey Mulligan's character Jean. The film will add serious prestige to Timberlake's growing acting career after hits like The Social Network (and misses like Bad Teacher).

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Film 19

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Genevieve Taylor & Isidore Sanders

Reviews

UNMISSABLE

A Dangerous Method

EXCELLENT

Critic

Director: Rod Lurie Cast: James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård Cert: 18

Television Editor

Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortenson, Keira Knightley Cert: 15 When thinking of Freud, one thing springs to mind – sex, and lots of it. But horror king David Cronenberg's biopic of the famed psychoanalyst and his work with Carl Jung is hardly the raunchy tale of lust one might have imagined. The film centres around Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), a patient at the mental hospital where Jung (Michael Fassbender) works. Far from the prim and pouty Knightley we are used to seeing, her Spielrein is haunted and disturbing, grappling with her

sadistic sexual desires and seeking solace in the words – and bed – of her doctor. Her affair with Jung quickly sours when his reputation gets tarnished by their dalliance, and she writes to his contemporary, Freud (Viggo Mortenson), asking if she may study alongside him. The simmering tensions between Jung and Freud reach boiling point when Spielrein comes between them, distancing herself from her past as an institutionalised schizophrenic and proving to be an astute psychoanalyst. But Jung, encouraged by patient and fellow doctor Otto Gross (the inimitable Vincent Cassel), cannot shake his longing for Spielrein, and further abandons his former strict monogamy after she leaves the clinic. Freud cannot forgive Jung's

lack of professionalism towards his female patient, and their subsequent encounters are fraught. Mortenson is superbly subtle as Freud, and Fassbender delivers an assured performance as the creator of 'the talking cure'. But whilst the performances are strong, especially the chemistry between Fassbender and Mortensern, the film as a whole is missing a certain spark. The stunning scenery does not compensate for the fact that the script simply does not translate well to the big screen, and would work far better in its original play format. There is much potential for greatness within its framework, but aside from Knightley's disturbing facial expressions, the vast majority of the film is forgettable.

The Beginner's Guide to...

With Ryan Gosling in almost every film, Kayte Ferris sums him up Big time

Origins

Breakthrough

Ryan Gosling was born on November 12th 1980. He was brought up in Ontario, Canada by his Mormon mother, and would sing at family events with his sister. At the age of 12 he attended an open audition and became a Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club alongside JT, Britney et al., and went on to star in a number of Canadian TV series. However, unlike his Mickey Mouse Club cohorts, Gosling went the way of art, rather than instant fame, and moved into independent film in the early 2000s. His first offering, 2001's The Believer, won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, following it up in 2002 with Cannes-premiered Murder By Numbers and The Slaughter Rule, and in 2003 with The United States of Leland. All of his performances were very highly praised by critics, opening the way for big things

Gosling's big break came with THAT kiss in the infamous The Notebook in 2004 (yes, 2004!!). Gosling and his co-star-come-girlfriend Rachel McAdams were propelled into the hearts and minds of popular culture across the world, and The Notebook continues to be a romantic rite of passage and a benchmark for teens (and grown ups) everywhere. After such success as a heart-throb the logical path would have been to pursue a career starring in a stream of heartfelt rom coms. Gosling instead chose to play a drug -addicted junior school teacher in the critically adored Half Nelson, earning himself an Oscar nomination and comparisons with Marlon Brando, and continued his run of unexpected roles (and his collection of awards nominations) with Lars And The Real Girl, an endear ing love story between an introvert and a blow up doll.

TRAGIC

Straw Dogs

David Gluckstein

Charlotte Lytton

POOR

GOOD

After a two year hiatus Gosling burst back into the public consciousness with 2010s emotionally explosive Blue Valentine, on which he was also executive producer. After his time away Gosling had rediscovered his excitement for acting, something which clearly comes across in his Golden Globe nominated performance, as he shows his versatility and intensity as an actor. However, 2011 has really been Gosling's big year. This autumn he has had the double barrelled impact of of Crazy, Stupid, Love and Drive. Crazy, Stupid, Love highlighted Gosling's versatility as he took on a role unlike anything he had played before, to the delighted surprise of critics and viewers alike. But it has been Drive that has really got people talking, as Gosling's presence and charisma carries the film to make it the great experience that it is.

What's next? If you're now craving your next Gosling fix then The Ides of March, a political thriller starring and directed by George Clooney is out now. We also have three more films to look forward to in 2012/13: The Gangster Squad set in 1940s LA, criminal drama Only God Forgives and The Place Beyond The Pines in which Gosling plays a stuntman and bank robber.

Straw Dogs at its basest level is an enjoyable thriller, the acting is good and the shots are impressive. The story focuses upon the conflict of husband and wife, David and Amy Sumner (James Marsden & Kate Bosworth) with her former boyfriend, Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård), and his friends. The former are progressively antagonised by the latter, culminating in a rape scene and an assault on the family home. Attempts are made to establish a number of issues in order to provide the story with a greater depth. These problems include the connection between violence and masculinity, questions regarding female sexuality (the notion of 'asking to be raped') and due to the relocation of the film from Cornwall to the Deep South of America; an acutely political decision. The emphasis on these ques-

tions and their importance to Rod Lurie (director and screenplay writer) takes centre stage. At times the insistence upon addressing these issues becomes a bit much, there are only so many times the audience needs to be reminded that going hunting makes you a man and writing does not. The situation of whether 'might is right' becomes somewhat blurred when David succumbs to the use of extreme violence in defence of the family home. Certain aspects of this remake of a Peckinpah classic are a little superfluous. It loses much of the original tensions, subtleties and meanings in favour of shock and forced new interpretations. Yet it retains a certain enjoyment, particularly around the 'relationship' between Skarsgård and Bosworth. Many have called this remake unnecessary; however, it gives new life to a classic and reminds us of a number of issues still relevant today. Furthermore, the climactic scene alone makes this a movie worth seeing and one that would be hard to forget (...at least not until they remake it again).

Silver Screen

Isidore Sanders recommends Carlito's Way

'What happened to the miniskirts? Where's all that marijuana? Now everything is platforms, cocaine, and dances I don't dance. What a man gotta come to when he loses five years'? Brian De Palma's tragic masterpiece is the perfect tale of loyalty, inevitability and the slow passing of time. After five years 'inside', Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) comes out to find a world changed. With the seventies long dead Carlito finds himself struggling to 'go straight' under the corrupting influence of New York's underworld. The source of the greatest poetic tragedy stems from the desperate unfairness of Carlito's position. He needs money to escape from New York with the woman he loves, yet he is constantly dragged back by his criminal family, former colleagues and supposed friends. The greatest pressure comes from Carlito's best friend and lawyer. David Kleinfeld, (an unrecog-

nisable Sean Penn), who has fallen deeper into the world of drugs and crime. It is deeply painful to watch Kleinfeld swing from loyal friend, to coked-up, crooked lawyer. There are further excellent performances from John Leguizamo and Viggo Mortensen. Representing respectively, the upand-coming, young gangster talent trying to replace Carlito, and the older generation who had all died, gone straight, or gone to jail. However, Pacino's subtle sorrow is easily one of the finest performances of his careers. Carlito is a truly dignified character, and his steely yet gentle delivery makes him impossible to empathise with. The film sports both a beautifully muted colour palette and pitch perfect disco scores. They bring a strange, yet attractively bleak backdrop to the city that corrupts Carlito's world so utterly. Almost a final character to watch over his downfall.

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Life&Style

4th November 2011

Redbrick

Time to hang up the heels? Green with shoe envy

Fierce & Finished Fierce Geraldine Tovey Writer

Kelly Rowland's sick voice – I will definitely be asking her to call in to work next time I want a day off. That festive feeling – It may be almost 2 months away but there is absolutely nothing wrong with cracking out the Christmas tunes and eating mince pies! Also, not taking our decorations down last year now seems rather sensible.

Christian Louboutin live.drjays.com and red-carpet where women are Lucy Whife struggling in their heels. While Writer the reality shows like TOWIE Over recent weeks the high heel and Made in Chelsea endorse the has been publicised and criticised 5” heel, the market continues to extensively in fashion magazines. boom. It's been splashed across the glossy Harvey Nichols announced pages, in articles varying from that their average heel height sold celebrity-tot Suri Cruise tottering is 12cm, fuelling the question: why in heeled sandals on the beach at are they so popular? Is it for the only five years old, to the gay male longer, slimmer legs? The visually market adoring Christian Loubou- smaller bum? Or let's not forget tin's A/W Fashion Week shoe col- the old-wives tale - high heels are lection. However, nothing stirred calorie-burning. Now proven and up opinion from Jimmy Choo lov- a huge incentive to never again reers more than the revelation of the sort to the dreaded 'kitten heel'. possible health risks of the towerChristian Louboutin controing footwear. versially stated last month that Scientists have confirmed that his shoe collection was so popular whilst one in four adults currently because 'wearing high heels is like suffer from arthritis related condi- having an orgasm'. Many, unfortutions, the statistic is expected to nately, would argue he is wrong; rise in women due to the increase alongside the pain and in height and wear of the high discomfort, we heel. have all suffered Researchers predict a sub- the embarrassstantial growth in knee replace- ing stumble, ments as more women suffer ankle the harrowand knee-ache, as well as blaming ingly painthe high heel for many ailments in- ful bliscluding bunions, shin splints, con- ters, or tracted toes and back-ache. The list cringed is endless. The risks are supposed on reto be so serious that certain doc- a l i s i n g tors are campaigning to ensure t h a t high-heeled shoes are sold with a w e ' v e government health warning. A bit taken the extreme perhaps, but if high heels k i l l e r are as dangerous as smoking, we heel too are in trouble. far and Over the decades, the height are subseof the heel has steadily increased q u e n t l y in size; in 2009 the late Alexan- t w o der McQueen notoriously placed i n c h e s his models in 10” stilettos, which taller than were, of course, further endorsed the maby celebrity wearers such as Victo- jority of ria Beckham and Lady Gaga. people In May this year, the up-and- on the coming model, Lindsey Wixson, dancefloor. feel over three times at Naomi MariCampbell's fund-raising fashion lyn Monroe show whilst wearing a floor length is quoted to have Vivienne Westwood gown. Need- said 'I don't know who invented less to say, the YouTube video has high heels, but all women owe him over 19,000 hits. a lot.' I'm starting to think that perBut it's not just on the catwalk haps we don't...

Shoe Facts 101: 88% of women wear shoes that are too small for their feet. The majority of women haven't been measured for the correct shoe size in the past five years, and since shoe size often increases with weight gain and age, many women stick with a size they've outgrown.

The contemporary stiletto was invented in the 1950s by Italian shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo, who made his first pair for Marilyn Monroe in alligator skin. Models back then wore heels no higher than about 3 inches. The 48 ballerinas of Britain's Royal Ballet wear out 3,500 pairs of ballet slippers a year. A dancer gets through three or four pairs a week.

Chloe Green with Kate Moss The Metro since those first awkward scenes, I Tiffany Bowers feel Chloe has been a valuable adWriter dition. When it was revealed that Chloe The show is certainly providing Green, the only daughter of retail a good platform for Chloe to pubbillionaire Sir Philip Green, was licise and showcase her designs. designing and fronting her own This, coupled with her increasing shoe collection for Topshop, I was appearances on the London party intrigued. Chloe then sparked a scene, is securing her celebrity stafashion media frenzy by announc- tus, and inevitably paving way for ing that the shoes would each a successful shoe collection. be customised with a green sole, Although this might seem like mirroring Christian Louboutin's a good idea now, Chloe may reiconic blood-red soled shoes that gret this arguably C-list approach have become a firm favourite with to advertising through reality TV, celebrities and socialites, heiress when she wants to be appreciated Tamara Ecclestone claiming to as a “serious designer”. Victoria own as many as 100 pairs. Beckham finally gained the holy Chloe has expressed her interest in grail of fashion approval from Ediher father's bourgeoning business tor in Chief of Vogue, Anna Winand feels designing her own range tour, at New York Fashion Week, of shoes would be the next logical who had previously refused to acstep. With the celebrity cul- knowledge Victoria's undoubtedly ture and constant media beautiful and unique range, purely attention that the fash- based on her cheesy pop career in ion industry is gaining, the nineties. there is no doubt that Chloe's range would have the range will be been successful enough by merely stylish and glamor- placing it in a Topshop store - did ous while still in- she really need the intrusive backkeeping with the drop of reality TV? Some have also quirky cool sta- questioned Chloe's academic catus that Top- pabilities, since she dropped out shop firmly of school without achieving any owns. A-Levels. When quizzed about this C h l o e she simply replied with something has most along the lines of, “well Daddy recently doesn't have any A-Levels and he g r a c e d did okay didn't he?” our Chloe, although seemingly a nice girl, perhaps doesn't provide a realistic role model for young adults wanting to pursue a career in the incredibly competitive fashion industry. She has simply followed the path laid out for her by her business-mogul father. Despite this, there is a certain hype and excitement surrounding the launch and Louboutins reaction to the green soles. With the backing of stars such as Kate Moss screens with and Miley Cyrus, the shoes will Made In Chelsea, allowing us an undoubtedly be successful, and insight into her life and her end- I will certainly be splurging on a less Topshop wardrobe. Having pair when they are released in the been an avid watcher of the show Spring. 43% of women confessed they have been at least moderately injured by shoes and 8% reported serious injuries like sprains or breaks. Venetian prostitutes often wore chopines. The platform shoes elevated the prostitutes, who lingered in dark doorways waiting for potential customers, to a height which would make them noticeable.

Birmingham German Market – the biggest German market outside of Germany. You must sample the food, hop on the rides and bask in the merry atmosphere. Mid-Season Sales – I know that the student loan splurge is over, but you just cannot resist the bargains… Strictly Come Dancing – Far more entertaining than The X Factor this year, and a Saturday appointment to see Harry Judd smouldering in spandex? Yes Please! Chunky Knitted Jumpers – On trend and the perfect garment to wear for the frosty walk to early morning lectures. The Ides of March – this film is highly anticipated and garnering great reviews. Not to mention it is starring Ryan Gosling and George Clooney – YUM.

Finished Sophie Cowling Life&Style Editor

The 'pyjama' trend – Despite designers JW Anderson and Tommy Hilfiger promoting PJs as day wear this season, it is frankly lazy fashion... Heidi Klum's Halloween outift – Absolutely terrifying. Please, never again. Taylor Lautner dating Dianna Agron – It's just rumours at the moment, but can some of the Twilight guys please remain single? Thanks. The student loan – It's only reading week and the money has gone. This is awkward. Adele's throat – The singer has had to cancel all her remaining shows for the year due to her ongoing throat issues. Get well soon!

The Canon of St. Paul's – 'fires' 55% of women have had to be himself. carried at some point due to sore feet. Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger break up – She 82% of men consider stilettos the spent her Halloween with Lousexiest footwear. is Walsh. Priorities need to be amended. Smelly shoes? Air them outside overnight with a fresh orange peel Katie Price releasing her inside them and in the morning FIFTH autobiography – Enough they will smell wonderful. is enough. Any remaining facts we don't know about your life, please keep to yourself.

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Editors – Sophie Cowling & Lara Edwards

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Remember, remember the month of... Movember?

Katie Cattell Writer

Movember: 'tis the season to grow man fuzz, all in the name of charity. Scout around campus most months and it's pretty unlikely that you'll be able to spot a 'tache on anyone except for lecturers or hipsters (totally ironically worn though). Then Movember hits, razors are abandoned and donning a moustache shifts from being socially awkward to socially acceptable. On the sliding scale of the sexiness to potential sexual predator spectrum, cultivating a rugged moustache could end up channelling more of the males' inner Keith Lemon than Colin Farrell. It's a Russian roulette of risk. Done

right, the moustache symbolizes masculinity, maturity, intelligence and integrity, perfectly epitomised by the suave facial fur of Robert Downey Jr., Tom Selleck (Richard from Friends) and Johnny Depp. Done wrong, the moustache is reminsicent of Hitler, the 118 men and pre-pubescent nerdiness. Fortunately this minimal risk of personal, temporary ridicule isn't without reward. The charitable concept at the heart of this global campaign is to raise both awareness and funds for men's health charities, specifically prostate cancer. During 2008, 37,501 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in the UK alone. That's around 101 men every day, a harrowing statistic. Striving gallantly to combat these figures the Movember Foundation succeeded in raising an astounding £11.7 million back in 2010, obviously intending to improve upon these funds this year. So being sponsored to sport a 'tache, no matter how stupidly straggly or wispily wanton it inevitably emerges to be, highlights not only a heart-felt care and consideration for others worldwide but also enables the wearer to entitle himself proudly as a moustachioed man. Crucially, neither blood (maybe the minor scratch), sweat nor tears need to be shed in this endurance test. Plus as a further in-

centive, via registering online at Movember.com the user can enter a variety of enticing competitions. Yet the social stigma cruelly latched to the moustache, like crumbs of soggy mis-placed food, still remains. The moustache can make or, in fact, break the man; it can be reminiscent of Chaplin or the Chuckle Brothers, Einstein or Stalin, David Seaman or Hulk Hogan. There are only two plausible outcomes of growing a moustache this month. Movember either: a) callously robs you of any sense of dignity or b) crafts you into a warm upper-lipped Adonis. Whether disgusting or beautiful, we're bound to see plenty of moustaches this month.

Top 5 Celebrity moustaches 1) Johnny Depp 2) Borat 3) Jude Law 4) Tom Selleck 5) Freddie Mercury

Topshop's Christmas Party Collection

Sadie Palmer Writer

Following our disappointment from the previews of the Versace for H&M range, we were in need of retail therapy and some reassurance that the High Street can still offer us fabulous clothes at affordable prices. So leave the garishly coloured Versace on its hanger in H&M, and head up to the top floor of the Bullring as Topshop has a range of perfect party pieces this season, and they're coming into store this week! We can always rely on Topshop for fashion forward, beautiful pieces, and this season's party collection is no exception. Although some of the prices are a little high, you will probably still be wearing the item with love when you have

your graduate job and are paying the loan back which paid for it, as all the pieces are classics. However, it will take a lot of restraint to only walk out with one item as there is something for every occasion. For those end of term nights out which will be here before we know it, hopefully, the Topshop party collection has a plethora of options. The most affordable being the star print leggings at £25: team with sequins for Mechu or lace for Oceana. Another irresistible piece are the striped sequin hotpants, £60: keep the top simple and add braces for a quirky look. The collection also includes a timeless LBD with a cage strap neck detail for just £40. Perfect for Christmas is the green silk pussy bow blouse, but at a relatively affordable £45, you may need to buy in advance to guarantee your cute Christmas day outfit. For Boxing Day you will need some t hing a little more forgiving after the over indulging of chocolate and turkey, so I suggest the pricey but snuggly, black stardust faux fur jacket. This jacket is a chic mix

of fur and the loopy knit effect we have seen all over the High Street this season. The textures of the collection are luxurious: leather, feathers, silk and fur. Purchases to be made just for the sake of looking beautiful in your wardrobe and appreciating fashion include; the angelic dusky pink faux fur jacket and the sequin beaded dress, which has a hint of 1920s flapper girl style. It can't be denied that the collection has an overwhelming allusion to Kate Moss. Despite her design contract with Topshop ending at the end of 2010, Kate clearly still has a great influence, which is no surprise as this is a party collection. Kate has been sporting faux fur cover ups on a night out since the early 2000s, and that LBD I mentioned earlier, an updated version of the dress Kate wore on the April 2007 cover of Vogue. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she heads into Topshop this weekend to snap up a pair of the statement silver jeans for a nifty £50. But as always, things will sell out quickly, so if you haven't already frittered away your student loan, get yourself down to Topshop, and remember, you get another instalment in January!

Blog of the week

Life&Style 21

The Date Doctor

Sadie Palmer Writer

Georgina's blog first came to my attention earlier this week when the Cosmo Blog Awards winners were announced. 'Cupcake's Clothes' won 'Best Established Fashion Blog', and it's easy to see why. Showing us that you don't have to be skinny to be fashionable, Georgina's outfits are a confident display of colour and expertly clashed prints. With a shock of hair and an attitude to match, she is an unmissable member of the blogosphere. Visit Georgina's blog at www.cupcakesclothes.com

Campus Street Style Sadie Palmer and Esther Newman Writers

Amy, an English Literature and French, first year student looks oh so chic. Her colour palette is simple black white and red, allowing the textures and print stand out. The outfit looks chic as a whole, but the individual items are right on trend too. Leather is everywhere now, and the high waisted fit allow them to be a key feature of her outfit and they make a real statement. Amy's fur stole can be worn at night, but looks equally at home as part of a daytime campus outfit. It adds glamour and when combined with a bold lip colour, Amy looks as if she'd be at home in any Parisian bistro. Her brogues give a final 'classic' touch, and her matching red lips, red ribbon and red nails, show it really is the small touches that make the fashionista difference.

Anonymous Columnist

If you have managed to make it to the second date, then a congratulations are in order, both for you and the lucky lady. If however your luck was out, or simply they have less chat than a sleeping monk, then fear not, it's all good experience and you might even have got an anecdote or two out of it, every cloud and all that. For those who enjoyed their first rendez-vous then it's time to celebrate by arranging and planning a second date. While the long winter nights are drawing in, it's time to make the most of the autumnal season by heading towards one of Birmingham's little pockets of greenery known as the Lickey Hills. Just down the end of Bristol road, this small country park is easily accessible by both road and train, with the far end of the park being located by the oddly pleasant station that is Barnt Green. Once within the expansive park you can wander aimlessly about, appreciating the golden crisp leaves and beguiling your date with wistful words of poetry, or just share your feelings on the increased price of snakebite and how frustrated you became when your Joe's card was rejected at FAB. As ever, a picnic is a nice idea, but with the temperature creeping down and November just around the corner, taking a thermos of hot chocolate should not be underestimated. Towards the Northern end of the park there are a couple of stunning views across Birmingham, where you can easily sit and admire either the view of your lovely lady or the interesting skyline. If you find the latter more interesting, you are either a budding geographer or perhaps she isn't 'the one,' for you. Once you have finished admiring the scenery there are a couple of nice little pubs by the station, however don't expect them to change your life. If again this all seems a bit much, a smaller and closer nice walk can be experienced in the Winterbourne gardens, just off Edgbaston Park road. It won't keep you occupied for hours but there is free entry with your student card and you get a nice view of rather mystical Edgbaston pool. Both of these venues provide ample opportunity to stare lovingly into each other's eyes, gently hold hands and discuss how much your looking forward to a third date. If this isn't the case, no worries, you can't win them all. Next week we will either head into town, or head towards Lapworth. And before any geologist start getting excited, it is nothing to do with the museum.

4th November 2011

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Food

Redbrick

Did you know?

Although you may loathe them, pound for pound, brussels sprouts have two times as much Vitamin C as oranges.

Meet the chefs: No. 3, Glynn Purnell

Food writer Nicola Barton meets celebrity chef and Birmingham local in his Michelin-star restaraunt, Purnell's

Glynn Purnell is, quite literally, a culinary star. During his stint as Head Chef at Jessica's in Edgbaston, the restaurant won Birmingham's first Michelin star. Then, in 2007, he opened his own eatery, Purnell's, which was also awarded the accolade in January 2009. Glynn also won the Central England heat in Great British Menu. His unpretentious, passionate and affable manner meant that it was truly a pleasure to pop into Purnell's to talk to the man himself… What is your first memory of food? Cheese and potato pie, probably. My mum used to crush crisps over the top of it. It was pretty cool, actually, and it cost nothing to make. That was one of my first memories, definitely. Did you always want to be a

chef? Always. I always wanted to be a chef from a very early age because food was very important in our house, which was very unusual compared to a lot of people. It was like, pigs trotters, cod roe, always a few weird and wonderful things that we used to have which we thought was normal until we went to school and everyone thought, 'Ooo! You're eating pig's feet?!' But, I wanted to be a footballer, which most young lads want to be, and I got to play for the county and the district, played in a few professional grounds and stuff, had a few trials, but just wasn't quite good enough. So, I got to the stage where I was 14 or 15, it was go and work in a kitchen after school every night or try and pursue the football thing and cooking just sort of took over, really. Cooking and girls.

How often do you get a day off? I have Sunday off and we have a little routine. I always cook chicken on a Sunday for the kids. They love roast chicken, it has a certain ceremony about it: we'll put it in the oven, then we'll have another bash at the carrots and stuff, and when the chicken comes out the oven, then I'll carve it and I'll stand next to it and the kids are like sparrows. So, Sunday's the day off. And if I do any filming or any TV work, which I do a bit, I tend to try and do that on a Sunday or a Monday so I doesn't affect the restaurant. How would you describe your restaurant in three words? Unique, cool and edgy; it's different. What do you think is most different about it?

We were one of the first people, for instance, of a restaurant of this type, to have no tablecloths. It's very New York loft. It's not typically tablecloth, chintzy, doilies, chandeliers, because it's about the gastronomic experience. Although the service is paramount, the experience is about the food. And the restaurant manager looks like Ricky Martin.

Great British Menu. It was a pike noodle. I made a mousse out of pike and then I put it into a piping bag and it came out like a noodle. It looked good at the time, but halfway through eating it it looks like a dog turd, but it tasted nice! But it's not on the menu. It's never been on the menu, it was just an idea that I thought would work on television, but it didn't.

Who does the cooking at home, and what sort of things do you eat? My partner, Kerry, she cooks for the children. Put it this way, we've both done spaghetti bolognaise for the kids and they prefer her's! They'll have spaghetti bolognaise, meatballs, grilled chicken, roast chicken, pork, vegetables – it's very normal. And, every now and again, if we want a takeaway, we'll have a takeaway! There's nothing wrong with having a Chinese.

How would you sum up Birmingham's food and restaurant scene? We've now got four Michelinstarred restaurants, but it used to be the culinary desert. People would only ever drive through Birmingham, but, I think now, it's become a destination place. Birmingham's always been known as an industrial city, but a lot of the factories are closing down, and Birmingham's becoming more of a cool leisure place. The food scene has obviously been paramount to that. People now come to Purnell's and they'll stay the weekend. There's hotels popping up everywhere now. It's one of the best cities, I'd definitely say. It used to be the worst, but the turnaround within the last ten years has been phenomenal. It's turned round from a s**thole to s**t hot. It's great!

What's your favourite takeaway? I love Indian food, but the problem is you normally smell for about two days, so the customers can tell that you've just had a curry! It kind of comes out of your pores. I'm a typical Brummy – I quite like spicy food. What is your favourite sandwich filling? My favourite sandwich is three pieces of bread. One of them is made into toast. Butter, ham… meat, basically, cheese, chilli sauce. Then you put the toast bit in the middle, and then you rebuild it again. And then you've got hot, cold, two different textures, and it's just got loads of spice in. What's the worst thing you've ever cooked? I actually did it on telly! It was on

And finally, what would you cook to cure a hangover? Normally a takeaway; reheating it from the night before, just like all the students do! The other one is re-grilled pizza. Wake up in the morning, whack the grill on, put the pizza from the night before back under the grill, and that, with a big steaming cup of tea, will just cure anything. Or leave the pizza in the box and just get back on it. So if you've had 15 pints the night before, then have another pint in the morning. It normally cures it.

Is it a bird, is it a plane? Nope, just some Superfoods... Lucy Niblock Writer It's that time of year again. Just when you've got over Freshers' Flu, the wind and rain of winter begin knocking down each of your housemates one by one. Feeling poorly can affect your mood, energy levels and ultimately your studies and social life. So how can you protect yourself from catching one of those pesky winter bugs? Here's my guide to some of the best and most accessible superfoods and how you can incorporate them, easily, into your diet. 10. SALMON - All fish is good for you, but salmon also contains omega 3 fats which help reduce blood clots and inflammation. There is also evidence that salmon helps fend off depression, and dementia in later life. My friend Hannah regularly enjoys Sainsbury's Basics Smoked Salmon Trimmings which only cost 98p and liven up any sandwich or salad. 9. BAKED BEANS - Baked beans,

a superfood? I kid you not. Baked beans are full of protein, fibre and iron which are essential for protecting against heart disease and particular types of cancer. One of the easiest ways of incorporating pulses into your diet, baked beans are available at most supermarkets. Grab half a can of baked beans at lunch time and enjoy them with a slice of toast or jacket potato. 8. BROWN RICE - Similar to the argument for brown bread over white bread, in recent years more and more people have been rejecting white rice in favour of its wholegrain cousin. A good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium, it has also been linked to weight-loss and protection against heart disease. You can substitute it in any meals where you would previously have used white rice. You never know, that small swap could

make all the difference! 7

GREEN TEA - Not only is green tea good for warming you up on a cold day, it also has brilliant health benefits. The Chinese have believed in its medicinal benefits for hundreds of years, but only more recently has it been popping up in Western cultures, and supermarkets! Studies have shown that it helps to promote the immune system, as well as fighting against cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and encouraging weight loss. Enjoy as a really good start to the day. 6. APPLES - An apple a day really can keep the doctor away! High in antioxidants and providing a quarter of your daily vitamin C requirements, being healthy really doesn't

get much easier than this. Readily available from the fruit and veg market or Spar, grab an apple on campus as a mid-morning or afternoon snack. 5. PUMPKIN SEEDS - Halloween is over and I bet you're wondering what to do with those pumpkin seeds from your masterpiece of a pumpkin. If not, here's an excuse to go and get another – so that you can enjoy the sweet and nutty treasures which it harbours. Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc as well as magnesium, and are good for teeth, nerves, hair and nails. Coat them with vegetable oil and a sprinkle of salt and bake them in the oven for 12-15 mins at 180C. Alternatively, snack-size bags are available in most supermarkets, and easy for an on-the-go superfood. 4. EGGS - Eggs are great for your eyes, and are one of the only foods which contain naturally occurring vitamin D. Check out Victoria's Freshers Guide for what to do with them! Some easy ones include ham and cheese omelette, boiled

egg and soldiers or baked egg with cheese. 3. BROCCOLI - It's most significant nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A, fibre, folic acid, and it is an important source of calcium for those who do not consume dairy products. Steam it, fry it or liquidise it. One of the easiest ways to incorporate broccoli into your diet is to boil a couple of florets and add them to your meal (whether that be pasta, stir fry, jacket potato). 2. PORRIDGE OATS - A fantastic way to start the day. They contain soluble fibre which naturally lowers cholesterol, as well as some studies showing they help to prevent against heart disease. Heat 40g in the microwave with a mug's worth of water for 2.5 mins, then add milk and honey for one of the healthiest breakfasts ever! 1. BLUEBERRIES - High in potassium and vitamin C. Very nutritious and great with all kinds of snacks. For a special treat, why not have them on pancakes or cupcakes?

Redbrick

Editors – James Morrison & Jordan Warner

Food 23

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Foraging: A Walk on the Wild Side...

Food writer Sophie Pryn offers us an alternative guide to fresh food on campus!

you go, from car parks and road sides to gardens and playgrounds. A quick stroll through the campus reveals that for over two years I have been walking past rosehips, trees heavy with crab apples, tangled brambles which, only a few weeks ago would have been brimming over with blackberries, and sprawling rosemary bushes outside of the gym without so much as a second thought. Who knows what else is lurking there outside of our lecture theatres, labs and seminar rooms? For more information on foraging, buy Richard Mabey's pocket size guide, Food For Free, sold in Waterstones on campus. Rosemary Potato Recipe A perfect accompaniment to lamb and other hearty meat dishes – bypass the shop and pick up the rosemary after your session at the gym for free!

Perhaps it is those long lost days spent making mud pies as children, looking longingly at them, hoping that they would transform in to something edible, or maybe it is the surfacing of a more ancient, primal instinct that we've suppressed for tens of thousands of years. After joining the tail end of a queue that snaked its way around the whole of Tesco Express, only to be served by a tired old woman who stared blankly at me when I tried to made friendly conversation, I wouldn't be surprised if our

complete and utter despair with bland supermarket shopping had something to do with the increasing popularity of foraging. A far cry from many foodie trends, foraging is remarkably accessible and, most importantly, remarkably cheap. Many wild ingredients, like wild garlic or dandelion leaves, need little work doing to them and can simply be added to meals to introduce an unusual taste. For those who think that gathering wild food is synonymous

Food on Campus

with the heavy duty anorak or socks-and-sandal wearers of this world, be confidently assured, it is possible to look completely socially acceptable whilst foraging. I might also add that it also does not involve eating road-kill. You may want to exhale another relieved breath when I tell you that, even if you're not a country bumpkin, finding food for free is still a viable option for you. Indeed, once you know what to look out for you will notice an abundance of edible plants and fruit almost everywhere

Method (Serves 4-6) 1. Parboil 1kg of new potatoes until almost tender 2. When they're done drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary that have been picked from the stalk and bashed with a rolling pin or the back of a spoon. 3. Preheat the oven to 200c/425F/ gas 7. Then put the potatoes in a roasting tray for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe: Simple and Delicious Bread

Our weekly interview with an international student: Romanian Society

Traditional, filling, tasty. How does food fit into Romanian culture?

Izzy Gibbin Writer

Hi there, who are you, where are you from, and how long have you been living in the UK? My name's Andreea, I'm from Romania, and I've been living in the UK for a year and a month now. What is your favourite dish from home? My favourite dish is polenta with milk. Polenta is made of cornmeal and it was used a lot traditionally when people couldn't afford to make bread. Combined with milk it's substantial enough to make a main dish. You soak it in milk then cut it into pieces, or you can roll the polenta into a ball with a chunk of cheese in the middle, and then fry it. It's really tasty!

What are your impressions of English food? Soup is the main difference. English soups are very creamy and rich but in Romania the soups are very thin and flavourful, more like a broth. We flavour them with tomato and yoghurt. The portions in Romania are much bigger too, so when I came to England I was surprised by how little food was on my plate! English food has a lot more combination, for example a piece of fried meat and a side dish such as potatoes. In Romania we tend to cook things all together in a stew or soup.

Victoria Anderton Writer

5 things to do with eggs: Students are constantly on the lookout for quick, cheap, easy meals, but too often we end up opting for bog-standard pasta dishes, overlooking foods, such as eggs, either because you don't consider them a meal in their own right, or simply because you have no idea how to cook them. Eggs are simple to make, filling and nutritious, and it's about time we started cooking with them more often. 1) Boiled eggs – the most basic member of the egg family – simply place the egg into a pan of boiling water for 3-4 minutes, depending on whether you want a runny or hard yolk. To make this into a yummy breakfast, just serve with a generous helping of buttered toast, lop the top off the egg and enjoy! 2) A fried egg – the perfect addition to any bacon sandwich (and without doubt a must have item in a Full English). Heat some vegetable oil in a frying pan on a mid to high heat. When the oil is hot, crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the egg white is opaque and the yolks are as soft or hard as you like them. 3) A poached egg – a more sophisticated egg that is still easy to do. Firstly, add a splash of vinegar to a shallow pan of water and bring this to a gentle simmer. Then, crack the eggs into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, again depending on how runny you like the yolk.

If you had to describe Romanian cuisine in 3 words, how would you?

Food is a big part of traditional celebrations, particularly at Easter and Christmas. At Easter we have lots of lamb dishes. We also have a special way of cooking eggs for Easter; they're basically boiled in water with some red onion skin, which eventually turns the eggs red. It's supposed to make them last longer. For Christmas we have a lot of pork, like sausages and bacon.

Egg-citing Ideas...

Izzy Gibbin Writer

Ingredients (To make 2 small-medium loaves) 500g white bread flour 1 x 7g sachet fast-action yeast 300 ml lukewarm water 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil Method: 1. Put the yeast, salt and flour in a large bowl, and make a small well in the middle of the mixture. 2. Pour the oil and water into this well, and mix everything together into a dough. Tip the ball of dough onto a clean, floured surface and knead, stretching it out then pulling it back in. Do this for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth

and stretchy. 3. Put the dough into a bowl and leave to rise in a warm room for an hour. This is called 'proving' and will give the yeast a chance to work and make the bread rise. 4. When the dough has doubled in size, knead again for a further 5-10 minutes until all the air has been squeezed from the dough. This is called 'knocking back'. 5. Gently mold the dough into a ball and place on a baking tray. Leave to rise again for another hour. Whilst it's rising, preheat the oven to 220C/ Gas 7 for the last 15 mins. 6. When the hour is up, dust the loaf with flour and bake for about 25-30 mins, until the loaf is golden brown.

4) Scrambled eggs – something a little bit different to put on your toast in the morning that will keep you going until lunchtime. Crack 2 eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk, some salt and pepper and mix with a fork. Then, heat a knob of butter in a frying pan, being careful not to leave it too long as butter burns quickly. Pour the eggs into the pan and stir with a fork so they don't stick to the bottom. Continue just until the eggs harden. 5) Omelette – for those of you who have mastered the above and would like more of a meal. Crack 2 or 3 eggs into a bowl and add salt and pepper. Heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan, until it begins to bubble and then pour the eggs into the pan, gently stirring the mixture with a fork, allowing it to harden and cover the base of the pan. At this point you can add your favourite fillings. My personal favourites are bacon and cheese – but you can pretty much add whatever you like. Once it's completely cooked through, fold it in half and turn it out onto a plate.

4th November 2011

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Sport The Captaincy Contingent

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Women's Football Find out how Birmingham were able to overcome Northumbria, p26

Redbrick Sport writer Raphael Sheridan talked to first team captains of leading University of Birmingham sport clubs, to find out how the teams are getting on and what the role of captain entails...

As captain, what does your role involve? It involves being a leader both in training and on the court mainly because I'm the one with the most experience. What are your aims for the

Sarah Haycroft and Emily Atkinson Sport: Hockey Degrees: SH: History EA: Economics and Geography Positions: SH: Midfield EA: Defence As co-captains, what do your roles involve? EA: It has admin sides where you

season ahead? In terms of the team, the aim is to finish top as that's where we finished last season. But we also just want to grow in numbers because we've lost a few players. The majority of those in the first team last year were in their final year. Do you have any notable highlights as captain? Not much yet. I've only been captain since I was elected at the start of season. We had a very big first game against Warwick where we won by just one point (69-68).

but he's such a good person off the pitch. He's got that indescribable athletic quality that only the top players have, but you don't quite know exactly what it is.

What are your aims for the season ahead? SH: Hopefully this will be a hattrick of BUCS Gold wins for us. We hadn't won it for 32 years before mine and Emily's first year, and we want to maintain the streak. The aim is to make it through our entire university careers as champions and undefeated.

How has pre-season gone? SH: We had England stuff which didn't finish until August, but it was a good, intense way to start the season.

What is the one attribute you need as captain of your sport? SH: You have to be a good motivator both on the pitch and off it. I always find the best captains can change a game when things aren't going well, and alter the outcome either through their words or through their play.

As captain, what does your role involve? I get quite heavily involved, and did so especially last year. I liaise with Matt Bridge, the director of golf; I have team meetings where we discuss who's playing for the team and any other issues that we

What are your aims for the season ahead? As a captain, I want to try and win as many matches as possible, but I also want to make sure that we try and give a game to those who deserve it and they can enjoy it as well. There's a degree of flexibility with the team now, which wasn't

The Week In Numbers In-form Arsenal captain Robin Van Persie has scored 28 goals in 27 Premier League games in 2011, an enviable record from the talismanic Dutch forward.

Ranking of British tennis player Elena Baltacha after reaching the final of the French ITF event in Poitiers.

What is the one attribute you need as captain of your sport? You definitely need to lead by example and from defence, because that's where the motivation in the team comes from. In order to get your team fired up in a game, it usually starts in defence and not offence.

Do you have any notable highlights as captains? EA: Beating Loughborough 2-0 last week in front of 500 people on their pitch.

might have. I also have to coordinate six players every week and contact them through phone and email, letting them know the logistics of the match. I also organise transport for the group.

Who is your favourite sportsperson and why? I'd probably say Kobe Bryant because he's the only one who you

can compare to Michael Jordan. He's not been the most popular person off the court, but he's a bit more composed now.

have to organise teams and coordinate with other teams. However, our role is more on the pitch providing team unity, and leading the team.

Daniel Beattie Sport: Golf Degree: Golf Management Handicap: +2

28 50 1.25

How has pre-season gone? Pre-season wasn't that good because we didn't get much court time, mainly because of budgeting issues. So the beginning of this season is effectively our pre-season period. It's affected us because the players in the first team this season didn't play much last year, but I think by Christmas we will be a lot stronger.

million. The amount Rory McIlroy took home after winning the Shanghai Masters â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the largest winning fee in golf.

Sebastian Vettel recorded his 11th win of the season in India last weekend. The German needs just two more wins to equal Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in a single season. Liverpool have hit the woodwork 10 times this season, four more times than any other Premier League team.

Who is your favourite sportsperson and why? EA: Roger Federer. He is an unbelievable talent on the tennis field

always the case. Do you have any notable highlights as captain? I've had quite a few, both individually and in the team. In first year, I won a qualifying stroke play event for the BUCS final. In the final, I came twelfth and last year I came sixth. We've also had quite a few winners, especially with the girls. They've won some of the qualifying events under my watch and we've had a couple of runners up individually in the BUCS.

Ulett-Waul on court

Co-captains

Tom Flathers

Who is your favourite sportsperson and why? Probably George Best â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he came from nothing and took the footballing world by storm. Football's a lot bigger globally than golf and he won loads with Manchester United. What is the one attribute you need as captain of your sport? Probably being a good decision maker, being good at making decisions when it comes to a crucial moment.

The Week In Quotes 'It's one of the circuits which definitely gets a big tick. I'm looking forward to coming back. The Indian people have welcomed us. I've never seen so many people smiling before.'

Jenson Button, who continued his impressive form with a second place in the inaugral Indian Grand Prix, enjoyed the experience of the new track.

'He was lost, I will not miss him. After the defeat against Tonga I did not attach too much importance to what Marc said.'

Beattie on the green

The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Which male and female athletes were last week named the two British athletes of the year for the second successive time? 2) Who are currently the highest ranked cricket team for One Day Internationals (ODI's)?

France number eight and Rugby World Cup star Imanol Harinordoquy plays down the influence of unpopular coach Marc Lieveremont in France's unexpected run to the Final.

3) Who was the last footballer to score at the Liberty Stadium?

'I wasn't enjoying my training, so it was like a vicious circle. I just found it so boring. It's so laborious, just running, running, running, running.'

4) When was the last time that London hosted the Summer Olympics?

British athlete Kelly Sotherton had no complaints after having her funding cut for 400m, and will return to Heptathlon ahead of 2012.

'I don't know why I stayed on the pitch but WHAT A GAME!! Great spirit, great atmosphere and a great win!'

Profilic on Twitter, Arsenal 'keeper Wojciech Szczesny celebrates an unlikely 5-3 victory for his improving team at Stamford Bridge.

5) Who holds the world record for Athletics discipline the Triple Jump? 1, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis 2, Australia 3, Robert Earnshaw (in the 2011 playoff semi-final) 4, 1948 5, Jonathan Edwards

Kaphel Ulett-Waul Sport: Basketball Degree: Dentistry Position: Point-guard

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Sport Thoughts Redbrick Sport writer Frankie Conway takes a look at the intruiging balance of power dynamic at the top of men's tennis...

Sport 25

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley

Birmingham boys saved by the Bell Men's Football

Birmingham 1sts

Manchester 1sts

Reece Lawrence Sport Reporter

Despite the apparent omnipotence Roger Federer possessed over his tennis rivals during his years as number one, between February 2004 and August 2008, this perception omits a crucial part of the story. I’m talking of course about a certain Rafael Nadal. Indeed the Spanish warrior has been the long time nemesis of Federer, and even in the Swiss’s best years, Nadal consistently got the better of him. What started as merely a clay problem for Federer, in that Nadal consistently beat Federer over the red dirt, particularly at the French Open, gradually became a more dramatic and wholesale shift in the balance of power. Two events highlight this shift. Firstly, the legendary 2008 Wimbledon final, where Nadal broke Federer’s record of five consecutive Wimbledon titles by beating the Swiss maestro in five captivating sets; then Nadal’s subsequent victory over Federer in the Australian Open final of 2009, which brought Federer to tears. Both wins came on surfaces that supposedly suited Federer better, the grass of the all-England club and the hard courts of Melbourne. Speaking in his recently published autobiography, Nadal acknowledges playing tennis comes easier to Federer than it does to him, but the tactic of scrambling back every seemingly lost cause and making Federer play brilliant tennis point in and point out, has the effect of breaking down Federer’s will and his game. Added to Nadal’s relentless pummelling of the Federer backhand with viscously spun forehands, Nadal has succeeded in finding a blueprint that frequently trumps Federer’s game. The duopoly that existed in men’s tennis has been torn to pieces by the emergence of Novak Djokovic in 2011. The newly crowned world number one has recorded 6 victories over Nadal this year, each time in a final. Djokovic’s scalps included back to back grand slam wins at Wimbledon and the US Open. Much like how Nadal broke Federer’s supremacy on his beloved grass, two of Djokovic’s wins, at Madrid and Rome, succeeded in denting Nadal’s title as the undisputed ‘king of clay’. Djokovic appears to have all bases covered when he plays Nadal. The Spaniard’s top spin feeds his fierce two handed backhand which he steps in and pummels back to Nadal twice as hard as it came to him. His greater athleticism has also allowed him to topple the current world number two. If you add to the equation, Djokovic’s comparative struggles against Federer, who beat him at the French Open and had match point against him at the US Open, you have a fascinating power relationship between the truimverate of players ruling the tennis game. One where Nadal edges Federer, Djokovic trumps Nadal, and Federer troubles Djokovic. Amid all this, Andy Murray must find a way to break through...

Birmingham kick-started their season with a convincing and assured 2-0 victory over Manchester on a windy Wednesday afternoon at the Munrow Track pitch. After a poor run of recent results, including a 4-0 thrashing at Northumbria last week, the hosts turned in a solid defensive and a superb attacking performance, to deny newly-promoted Manchester and give Birmingham their first points of the campaign. Substitute Sam Bell broke the deadlock just past the hour mark, while striker Scott Treleaven made the scoreline comfortable with a well taken goal with fifteen minutes to play. Coach Paul Lewin was upbeat ahead of kick-off. ‘Hopefully we’ll show them that this is a step up by performing well today’. His team were excellent, holding off a stern challenge faced by the northerners to grab all the points.

Magic Number Birmingham had eight shots on target

Before the game, racism in football was highlighted with the presence of the Kick it Out antiracism campaign, which was presented on the pitch, though apparently unrelated to the recent high-profile issues in the Barclays Premier League involving John

Heads in hands for Manchester after another miss Terry. The match itself was played to a mature standard and in good spirits, allowing for an entertaining encounter between two wellmatched sides. Manchester coach Stuart Leicester said beforehand: ‘It’s a tough league. No game is easy, but we’re here to play.’ However, it was Birmingham who started the brighter, winning a corner in the first minute which earned a decent shot on target that was well held by opposition goalkeeper Will Jones. Manchester soon began to respond, and caused the home team some shaky moments at the back, notably when midfielder Josh Rogers played in winger Julian Hornby, whose shot was saved by Stuart Mackenzie. Birmingham’s final ball in the first half was often absent, though returning frontman Tom Siddons, playing just behind Treleaven, provided intelligent hold-up play to bring his teammates into several attacking moves. With 20 minutes gone, Man-

Mathis Baumert

chester were enjoying their best spell of the match, with Steve Hall looking lively. A long ball over the top was left to bounce and was seized upon by the visitors, but the chance that came to them was skewed wide. Conversely, Birmingham were getting plenty of space on their right that was often exploited by tricky winger Ashley Phillips in his personal battle with left-back Matt Wardlaw, and the excellent Charlie Conner caused problems for Manchester throughout the game. Chances were flowing for both sides, with Manchester’s Callum Botham sending an impressive effort wide for Manchester, while at the other end, Birmingham’s best chance of the half had captain Mike Wardle rounding keeper Jones but hitting the side netting from a difficult angle. Hearts were momentarily in mouths as home stopper Mackenzie dropped the ball on the line from a corner, but Manchester failed to capitalise. He was injured

soon after in a collision with a Manchester player, and was taken off at half time, but not before saving well from Hall’s rasping drive. If the first half was even, the second was no doubt Birmingham’s, who appeared with renewed vigour, and should have scored when defender Boto rose unchallenged from a corner but headed wide from four yards. A well-deserved goal eventually came after a corner was somehow bundled in at the back post by replacement Bell. A second was secured when Treleaven, in space, turned expertly inside the box and found the bottom corner from eight yards. The scoreline could have increased for both sides, especially when a Manchester corner was blocked on the line amid shouts for handball. Treleaven then found Phillips with a brilliant pass in stoppage time, but the winger couldn’t finish with only the keeper in his way. After full time, Lewin was delighted. ‘This is where our season starts. The boys showed a lot of character and fully deserved their victory.’ Scorer Bell echoed his manager, ‘It was unbelievable to come on and score, we were the stronger team in the second half.’ After this performance, Birmingham will be extremely confident for the future.

Movember

The football team are this month raising money for The Prostate Cancer Charity by going without shaving. You can sponsor them on http://www.justgiving.com/ birmingham-mensfootball

Netball girls keep up winning streak

Women's Netball

Birmingham 1sts

Loughborough 3rds 35 Tom Williamson Sport Reporter

The Birmingham netball first team beat the Loughborough thirds 4135 at the Munrow. The Birmingham team were keen to build on their opening season success in the Midlands division 1A having won their first two games, including a thrashing of Oxford. Loughborough would also want to push on from their start of a win and a loss. The two teams warmed up by practising their passing and scoring, with Birmingham noticeably slightly better at this. The game got under way, with Birmingham dominating the early proceedings and soon taking the lead, pegging Loughborough back. Throughout the first quarter, a pattern emerged with Birmingham and Loughborough both pushing forward. This continued until it reached 5-5 at which point Birmingham put their foot on the gas and increased their advantage. This gave them a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The first half also saw Birmingham have five attempts on goal, to Loughborough's three. This shows the domination that Birmingham enjoyed in the

Loughborough attempted in vain to deny the prolific Hannah Kennedy first quarter. The second quarter saw Loughborough attempt to fight back, getting to 16-8, before Birmingham got back on top. The hosts were helped by better interceptions and extended their lead to 20-13. However Loughborough then enjoyed a sustained period of dominance, getting the score to a much closer 21-19. Birmingham then upped the pressure and added three more goals, leaving the score 24-19 at half-time. The third quarter saw Bir-

mingham steadily retain the lead, pushing the scoreline to 30-25 midway through the quarter. Loughborough improved in this half, getting within three goals of Birmingham at 31-28, before the home team added three more to leave the score at 34-28. In the fourth quarter, Birmingham cemented their advantage built up over the last three periods, extending their lead to 39-30 before finally winning 41-35. Post-match, Birmingham were delighted to continue their

Michael Drury

100% start. Coach Joan Hunter said 'Loughborough have been our nemesis in recent years, so we did a great job to win. We started well and steady and pressured them well. We then really pushed on to win in the third quarter.' Loughborough captain Jennifer Young said 'it was an evenly contested match and the home crowd came off best. Our mistakes gave them an advantage, but we were also impressed by their shooting.' She also added that 'we will beat them next time we play.'

26 Sport

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4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sam Price & Joseph Audley

Women maintain unbeaten start Women's Football

Birmingham 1sts

Northumbria 1sts

Joshua Reynolds Sport Reporter

A chorus of 'we are top of the league' followed the final whistle of the Birmingham women's football firsts match against the Northumbria University on Wednesday after Jenny Sugarman's girls extended their winning run to three wins in as many games this season. Having just been promoted to the Northern Premier League, the home side fully expected this fixture to represent a very tough test, especially given that their match day opposition finished runners up in the league last year. Alas, Birmingham had the upper hand for the vast majority of the encounter and, truth be told, a 2-0 scoreline flattered the visitors. Favouring a 4-5-1 formation, Brum certainly settled into the game quicker than their opponents, with Emma Follis and Hannah Parham seeing a lot of the ball on the right flank in the opening minutes. From the outset it was apparent that there was a clear contrast in the two teams' playing styles: for the home side the emphasis was on passing the ball fluidly and making use of the full width of the pitch, whereas their north-western counterparts relied to a large extent on their physical presence.

Shot Count Birmingham

Northumbria

Follis in particular, who currently plays her football for the Aston Villa ladies, oozed class and confidence throughout the match. She was at the heart of most of her team's attacking play in the first half, leaving Northumbria left back Kirsty Lincoln in her wake following several scintillating runs down the right wing. Nevertheless, it was evident that Birmingham were by no means a one player team and on 14 minutes a wonderful spell of intricate passing in the midfield saw a shooting opportunity open

up for lone striker Caroline Putt, who put her attempt just over the crossbar. On one of few occasions that Northumbria managed to gain control of the ball in the first half, they very nearly snatched a goal against the run of play, with Sarah McFadden dispossessing Birmingham centre back Nicole Nymoen before firing the ball low across the six yard box. Lindsey Whitton was on hand to take the ball away from the path of Jan Wills, despite nearly conceding an own goal in the process, with the ball ricocheting off the cross bar. Birmingham continued to dominate for the remainder of the first half, with captain Charley Clarke along with fellow central midfielders Rachel Charles and Callan Barber moving the ball well in the middle of the park. Ironically, it was probably Brum's least well-worked move that produced the best chance of the half just before the break. A long ball forward from Nicole Nymoen was latched onto by Putt, whose finesse shot was tipped agonisingly wide of the post by Joyce. 'We've got to take our chances' was the call from Follis after the first period was brought to a close. Fears that Brum would be left lamenting missed opportunities were nearly realised after the break, with McFadden breaking through to finish calmly into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. However, the linesman on the far side had been holding her flag up since well before the ball that had put McFadden through was played. After deliberating with the linesman, the referee correctly disallowed the goal to the immense frustration of the Northumbria team. The visitors' anger was compounded shortly after as Birmingham finally made the breakthrough when Charles headed a Clarke gave Brum the lead (top) who celebrate (bottom) Meurig Gallagher Follis free kick towards goal, which could only be parried by Joyce; the ment of drama saw Follis blatantly team, they needn't be afraid of ball dropping to Clarke to provide pulled to the ground after she had anyone in this league. No doubt the finish. skinned opposing captain Becky the Brum girls will now be on evFor the remaining half an Salicki. To the bewilderment of eryone's radars. hour, Brum showed their profes- the Birmingham bench, no penalty sionalism and did what they had to was awarded. The women's second do to ensure the win. On 68 minAfter another win and a clean utes player of the match Fran Bog- sheet, Clarke praised the quality team also recorded a gi deservedly netted the winner of the performance of the team as great result, winning 1-0 after a darting run into the edge a whole and the feeling amongst of the box ended with a perfectly everyone in the Birmingham away to Loughborough placed shot into the bottom corner camp was that if they are capable beyond Joyce's reach. One last mo- of humbling a good Northumbria

Lifesavers strike gold in Southampton Rebecca Sindall

Lifesaving Correspondent

The weekend of the 29th October proved to be a hugely successful start to the lifesaving season for the University of Birmingham Lifesaving Club, both in and out of the pool. Four teams of lifesavers, many with no prior competitive lifesaving experience, as well as four bodies and judges travelled down to Southampton on Saturday for the first competition of the British Universities Lifesaving Clubs Association (BULSCA) league season, the Southampton Freshers' Competition. Before the competition got underway, Rebecca Sindall (second year, PhD Civil Engineering) was given the opportunity to talk to members of the 39 assembled

teams from 11 universities about international lifesaving and the benefits of getting involved in lifesaving youth leadership. Rebecca was one of six delegates selected to go to an International Lifesaving Youth Leaders Seminar in Iceland in July to represent BULSCA and the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS). With the lifesaving competition underway, it was soon clear that it was going to be an exciting day. Despite having limited experience of competitive lifesaving, the three Birmingham Freshers' teams, which had to consist of three new lifesavers and one experienced member fared well in the dry Simulated Emergency Response Competition (SERC) and a very challenging wet SERC. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury to one of the C team members meant

that they were unable to compete in the speed events that followed the SERC but as testament to their performance in these two events, they still managed to beat four teams overall on their SERC scores alone. The speed events involved in the competition were the rope throw relay, which the A team won comfortably, the obstacle relay and the swim and tow relay, which was new to all competitors due to a significant change in the rules since last season. Throughout the day, all of the club members put in a fantastic performance, really showing that Birmingham lifesavers, whether new or old, are a group to keep an eye on this season. The results for the day proved this point, with the A team (Rebecca Sindall, Mark Baslington, James Newbon and Luke Peel) taking

gold by a clear 16 points over some strong competition from other clubs, including last year's BULSCA A league winner, Warwick. Birmingham Freshers' teams took bronze and gold in the Freshers' Competition, laying the groundwork for what the club hopes will be a very successful season. In all, 12 of the 16 competitors came home with medals, a fact that training officer Mark Baslington (4th year, Mechanical Engineering) could not be more pleased about. He said, 'These are really great results for all of the teams so congratulations to all of the competitors. They have been brilliant this weekend. I think it's going to be an exciting year for the club.' The teams will be at Warwick competition next weekend, hoping to defend their early lead in both the BULSCA A and B leagues.

Sport Shorts Xplosion The University of Birmingham's biggest sporting event of the year is upon us tomorrow, when Xplosion hits campus. The Birmingham Lions face the Nottingham Trent Renegades, in what should be a great spectacle. Aside from the American Football, there is a half-time firework display and a performance from the Pussycats, Birmingham's cheerleading squad. The event kicks off at 5.30pm at Bournbrook, with refreshments available throughout.

Night Golf

On Thursday 10th November, UB Golf has organised a charity event called 'Night Golf', the first of its kind. It will take place at the Wast Hills Golf centre, where competitors will play the 9-hole course of par 3 holes. You can enter the event in teams of four; tickets are ÂŁ10 per person, including a flashing golf ball, tea/ coffee and a bacon roll. Visit their Facebook page to find out how to buy tickets.

Other Results and Next Week's Fixtures This week's results:

Women's Hockey 1sts won 3-2 against Leeds Met 1sts Women's Rugby 1sts won 20-7 against Edinburgh 1sts Men's Lacrosse 1sts won 8-4 against Northampton 1sts Men's Hockey 1sts lost 2-6 against Nottingham 1sts Men's Tennis 1sts won 12-0 against Leicester 1sts Women's Tennis 1sts won 8-4 against Oxford 1sts Men's Fencing 1sts won 135-75 against Nottingham 1sts

Next week's fixtures: Game of the week: Golf 1sts vs Loughborough 1sts Edgbaston Golf Club 10am Women's Netball 1sts vs Newcastle 1sts Munrow Sports Hall 4.30pm Women's Rugby 1sts vs Manchester 1sts Bournbrook 2.30pm Men's Badminton 2nds vs Brunel 1sts Munrow Sports Hall 2pm Women's Squash 2nds vs Nottingham seconds Munrow 2pm Men's Hockey 3rds vs Leeds 1sts Bournbrook P2 4.30pm

Redbrick

This week in... 2004 Multiple Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps was arrested and charged with driving under the influence. The American was also charged with violation of a license restriction and failure to obey a traffic control device. 2008 Diego Maradona was named as Argentina's international coach. He managed Ar- gentina during the 2010 World Cup Finals, where his team crashed out 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals. His departure from the role was full of drama after claiming he had been lied to and betrayed.

Couldn't make it up

Heroes...

This week on the Redbrick website... Ranking System

Racism in Football

Kevin Pietersen

Ross Highfield and Josh Hunt debate whether players should be allowed to become world number one in their sport without winning a major title. Remember to get on to the website and vote which argument you agree with the most in our online poll.

The issue of racism in football is prominent at the moment, with John Terry and Luis Suarez recently being accused of using abusive racial language on the pitch. James Newbon looks into whether this is still a recurring problem in the sport.

Midnight Chase In a fascinatingly competitive Grade 1 chasing renewal involving Cheltenham Festival winners Bostons Angel and Sizing Europe, Midnight Chase has the quality to surprise a few at 11-2. Neville Southall has done very little since resigning as Margate manager in 2009, but two years earlier the 53-year-old sued his own daughter to regain possesssion of his trophies. His daughter, who was a student at the time, was apparently loaned the medals when she was ten and had to pay £6,000 to him in costs.

Club in Focus... Gaelic Football Gaelic Football was set up at Birmingham just three years ago. In that time the club has gone from strength to strength. It is the second fastest field sport in the world, and blends skills from football, basketball, handball and rugby. The club now has a men's team that are on course to finish second in the Midlands and Wales League and a ladies team which put in a very strong performance in their first outing at the weekend. Training times Mens: Friday 8-10pm Bournbrook 3G pitch, Sunday at Selly Park Ladies: Wednesday 3-4pm Bournbrook 3G Fitness: Tuesday 7-8pm Old Gym Contact: Facebook 'University of Birmingham GAC' Email: jxo939@bham.ac.uk

The Redbrick Crossword

Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor

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

Course:

Year: Email Address:

Phone Number:

Across

1. Canine with a good nose (for drugs?) (7, 3) 7. South American river (7) 8/11. St. _____'s ________, domed church in the Vatican City (5, 8) 10. Phileas ____, protagonist of Around the World in Eighty Days (4) 11. See 8 13. Alfred Hitchcock film with famous shower scene (6) 15. Son of a sibling (6) 17. Percussive rhythm (8) 18. Weakest chess piece (4) 21. First name shared by English musicians Daltrey and Waters (5) 22. Dizziness; Alfred Hitchcock film (7) 23. Prairies (10)

Down

1. Singapore _____, gin cocktail (5) 2. Coin (anag.) (4) 3. Relating to flowers (6) 4. Drier pea (anag.) (8) 5. Largest species of bird (7) 6. Arachnid named after a wild mammal (4, 6) 9. Alfred Hitchcock film starring James Stewart & Grace Kelly (4, 6) 12. Alfred Hitchcock film based on a story by Daphne du Maurier (3, 5) 14. Less aged (7) 16. Wonder; comic book publisher (6) 19. Zodiac sign known as The Ram (5) 20. Large smile (4)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Norweigan team Molde won the first title in their 100-year history last week under the guidance of former Man Utd striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Since the Norweigan has managed Molde, the team has won 60% of games played.

Sergio Garcia

Saturday 2.20 Down Royal

Billy Sharp showed incredible bravery by playing for Doncaster Rovers just days after the death of his two-day-old son Luey. The striker scored a volley from the edge of the area and revealed a message under his jersey which read, 'That's for you son.'

Name:

Gaelic Football

Classic Goal...

Emotional Farewell

Please complete this form before you hand in your completed crossword into the Redbrick office.

England's losing run against India came to end in their last match of the Twenty20 tour, with Pietersen returning from injury to guide his team to a six-wicket victory. The 31-year-old contributed with 53 runs off 39 balls.

Read about how the men's University Gaelic football team performed in their first away trip of the season. The lads travelled down to Cardiff for games against UWIC and Aston and look to build on mixed results for the next round of fixtures next weekend.

Where are they now? Weekend Wager

Steaua Bucharest player George Galamaz was punched in the head by a pitch invader whilst his team were 2-0 up against Petrolul Ploiesti. The fan was floored by Galamaz's team-mates and the match was later called off when a flare was thrown on the pitch. Just when everyone thought Mario Balotelli couldn't get any crazier when he put on a fireworks display in his bathroom, the Italian has now turned his back garden into a race track. This makes it a consecutive hat-trick of 'Couldn't make it up' for Balotelli, congratulations sir.

Sport 27

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley

Youtube search: Jimmy Flloyd Hasselbaink Free Kick Middlesborough bagged a place in the Uefa Cup with a draw against Manchester City on the last day of the season in 2005 thanks to a 230km/h free kick stuck from 30 yards which cannoned in off the underside of the bar. In the same game Robbie Fowler missed an injury time penalty and David James was sent out-field as a striker.

A win in the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama was enough f o r the Spaniard to climb back into world's top 20, just a week after he secured his first victory in three years at the Castello Masters.

and Villains... Salman Butt

Former Pakistan cricket captain Butt, along with Pakistan teammate Mohammad Asif, have both been found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and accept corrupt payments. The pair will be sentenced to prison later this week.

Felipe Massa

The Brazilian has hit 0ut at Lewis Hamilton after a seemingly endless feud. The most recent clash occurred in the Indian Grand Prix, when Massa received a drive-through penalty for turning in on Hamilton, crashing into his car with full force. He has since thrown his toys out of the pram, explaining that there is no plan to call a truce.

==1_2_3_4_5_= 6=_=_=_=_=_== 7______=8___9 _=_=_=_=_=_=_ 0___=a_______ _===b=_=_=_=_ c_d___=e_____ _=_=_=f=_===_ g_______=hi__ _=_=_=_=j=_=_ k____=l______ ==_=_=_=_=_=_ =m_________==

28 Sport

Sport

Redbrick

4th November 2011 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Editors – Sam Price & Joseph Audley

Three Captains Turn to p24 to read three exclusive interviews with first team captains from basketball, golf and hockey

Pike potency ensures sweet revenge Women's Lacrosse

Birmingham 1sts

Loughborough 1sts

Raphael Sheridan Sport Reporter

Birmingham vs Loughborough; two bitter rivals that contest their games to the very end. Every match is hard-fought and wrapped in the history of their previous encounters. ‘Games between Loughborough and Birmingham aren’t normal league games. There’s always something different about them,’ said coach David Albini. ‘In the last four games, the result has been decided in the last minute.’ The home team needed no reminding of this. Last season, they led 6-2 at half-time only to lose 10-9 in the last minute of the game. That painful defeat was not to be forgotten. And it wasn’t. Birmingham atoned for last season by comprehensively beating Loughborough 14-8 on a cold, wet evening. The visitors, having lost their last two fixtures, were charged for the game. Their American coach, Travis Taylor, warned what was ahead, ‘it will be a free-flowing, attacking encounter and I expect a close game.’ Albini shared the sentiment, ‘They’re going to come out and attack. There’ll be a lot of goals scored.’

The game started, as two roars went up from the teams on the pitch. Three minutes in and the hosts went 0-1 down after Kirsty Tyrrell whipped a shot into the bottom of Birmingham’s net. Immediately, the home team responded and began to apply pressure against Loughborough. Ten minutes later, they were 5-1 up, with goals from Fizzy Keeble, Holly Harrington, Emily Hughes and Jess Adams. Loughborough, dizzied by continuous waves of Birmingham attacks, immediately called for a time-out. As the rain continued to fall, the away team grouped together and sought to wrestle back the momentum of the tie. It didn’t work and 15 minutes later, the whistle went for half time. The play had been exceptionally fast paced, and Birmingham stood 8-4 up, courtesy of two goals from Molly Pike, and one from captain Kirsten Lafferty. Words of caution were sounded, for Birmingham now found themselves in the same position as last year, in a fixture where they lost at the death. Further cries sounded from the two teams and battle recommenced. The home team reached double figures two minutes later in ruthless fashion, thanks again to Harrington and Pike. Loughborough, however, with steely determination wrestled control of the match and camped themselves in the home side’s half. Ten long, hard-fought minutes ensued with Birmingham defending

for all their worth. With 15 minutes remaining the scoreline stood at 10-6. The comeback, some sensed, was on. Pike and Harrington made sure that didn’t happen, repeatedly weaving, ducking and diving through the away side before wheeling away in celebration. The supreme defensive discipline from Birmingham allowed the midfielders to counter-attack and the result was never in doubt. Two goals in the final two minutes from Harrington left Loughborough defeated; their third this season. Albini’s cheery demeanor after the final whistle said just as much as his words, ‘our attackers and our midfielders are really good at scoring when the rest of the team give them the opportunity.’ Molly Pike was in jovial spirits too, ‘we managed to pull it back together and hold on for the win. They’ve got a record of coming back against us.’ Yet thanks to the efforts of the team in this gritty, wet encounter, history never came close to repeating itself.

Magic Number

It took 58 minutes for Loughborough to score twice without a Brum reply

A strong defence prevented a late onslaught

Emphatic season opener for Aussie Rules Aussie Rules

Birmingham Chichester

124 50

Ian McNicholas

Aussie Rules Correspondent

Matt Godfrey helps Birmingham earn victory

Hannah Macdowell

The University of Birmingham Aussie Rules team started their season with a solid 124-50 victory last Saturday against the University of Chichester. The club is now in its third year, having been founded in 2009 by current Vice President of Sport, Tim Smith. The team has since gone from strength to strength, with previous members going on to represent Great Britain at this year’s International Cup in Australia. With many of the team making their debut to the sport at Metchley last weekend, this match was to be an early indicator of the future prospects for the side. The match was against a relatively unknown opposition, with only two members of the home team having played in the previ-

ous fixture against Chichester two seasons ago. Birmingham immediately took control of the match, with half-forward Anish Patel scoring the first goal within a minute. This set the tone for the rest of the first quarter, with the home team dominating the pitch. A combination of fast handballs through midfield, along with Birmingham’s steadfast fullback Ollie Di-Lieto denying any forward advances, led to the visitors being denied a single chance to kick for goal. Points started to rack up quickly for Birmingham, with goals coming from a clever lead and mark from freshman Will Slatter, along with an impressive halfvolley conversion from the Sharks’ assertive ruck-man Matthew Godfrey. The quarter ended Birmingham 58, Chichester 0. After a short rest, the Chichester team began their fight back in the second quarter. Encouraged by the strong start, the Birmingham team began pushing forward, exposing themselves to the opposition who were able to send the ball over the defensive line and

grab some much needed points. Birmingham however were kept out in front thanks to some fierce contests at the ball-ups by ruckman Ed Clampitt, followed up by debutant George Dibble picking up the pieces and sending the ball into the attacking line. The halftime score was Birmingham 74, Chichester 26. A slightly shaky end to the first half meant Birmingham had to regroup, taking control of the remaining two quarters. The team’s resident Australian Steve Ingham took command of the back line, intercepting several of Chichester’s advancing kicks. As fatigue started setting in for both teams, Birmingham kept their composure and pulled away again thanks to their quick disposals of the ball and continuous pressure on the opposition’s goalposts. At full time the score was Birmingham 124, Chichester 50. With several games against some tough opposition scheduled, the final score here is a clear benchmark of the Aussie Rules team’s hard work and determination for the year ahead.

INSIDE Turn to page 25 to read about how the men's football firsts got on against Manchester firsts at the Munrow Track on Wednesday