EST. 1936
Redbrick Friday 17th February 2012 | Volume 76 | Issue 1407 | redbrickpaper.co.uk
Library to trial 24 hour opening times
Guild Protest
Page 5
Castle Cars taxi
Page 4
Victoria Bull
Guild-accredited taxi company Castle Cars rip off students Rhiannon Doyle-Maw News Editor
A poll on the Redbrick website was initiated on January 20th 2012, which asked ‘Do you think Castle Cars taxis overcharge compared to their advertised rates?’ The results showed that 89% of those involved felt that they do overcharge. Castle Cars are the accredited taxi company with the Guild of Students and are advertised on the front page of Redbrick each week. The accreditation is designed to ensure that University of Birmingham students can trust the taxi company to provide a safe and a fairly priced journey around the city. There is a list of agreed stu-
dent prices on the Guild website which demonstrates the price per journey, dependent on the amount of people travelling to and from different destinations around the city. In light of this, Redbrick conducted an investigation into the overcharging of students and have gained receipts from three separate occasions when we were overcharged in the last two weeks. On one of the above occasions, on the 31st January 2012, a journey from the Guild of Students to New Street Station at 5pm was priced over the phone at six pounds. Within the taxi, the driver informed the passenger that it would cost seven pounds. Even
when suggested that this was not the price for students the driver remained adamant that it would cost seven pounds; a pound over the Guild of Students’ agreed student price list. The student-pricing guide indicates that people travelling from Selly Oak to the Digbeth area in a 1-4 person vehicle the price should be £7. However, two receipts from journeys made on 25/11/2012 show that the passengers were charged £8 for both journeys. Hideo Nishimatsu, 3rd year Economics student, who was a passenger on one of the journeys said: ‘I told them I was a Birmingham University student
and showed my ID but they didn’t seem interested and still charged me eight pounds. Since the Guild endorses Castle Cars they should really keep to the agreed price or there’s no point in the agreement’. Redbrick was first alerted to the issue of Castle Cars overcharging after a Facebook post on the Official Tennis Court Fresher’s Group 2011-2012 (Guild of Students) by Phillip Coombes, a member of the Tennis Court’s Resident’s Association at the time. On November 3rd last year Coombes posted: ‘I have received a few complaints that Castle Cars is overcharging people. I have put a few posters around the blocks about how much the agreed pric-
ing structure is. If you have not received one please take a photo on your phones of the attachment below to ensure you don't get ripped off when getting a taxi!!’ Castle Cars also states on their website the Guild of Students agreed Student Pricing Guide. Vice President (Welfare) Luke Reynolds told Redbrick: 'Since I have taken up the position we have only received one official complaint about a journey. This was passed on to Castle Cars which led to a short term suspension of the driver and reimbursement of the overcharged fare to the student. If anyone is overcharged please follow the complaints process on the Guild of Students webpage.'
2
redbrickpaper.co.uk
News feed
Redbrick Editorial Editor Glen Moutrie Deputy Editors Victoria Bull James Phillips Online Editor Chris Hutchinson Art Director Beth Richardson Multimedia Editors Rian Lennon Owen Earwicker multimedia@redbrickonline.co.uk Photography Editors Freddie Herzog Millie Guy chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Director Jeremy Levett News Editors Anna Hughes Kerrina Gray Rhiannon DoyleMaw Patrick McGhee Freddie Herzog (Online) news@ redbrickonline. co.uk
Food Editors James Morrison Izzy Gibbin Josh Oxley (Online) food@redbrickonline.co.uk Life&Style Editors Sophie Cowling Lara Edwards Lucy Whife Megan Jones (Online) lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk Travel Editors Emily Booth Louise Spratt Will Spence (Online) travel@redbrickonline.co.uk Technology Editors Ruth Bradley Sam Atkins Dan Lesser (Online) technology@redbrickonline.co.uk Sport Editors Sam Price Raphael Sheridan Joel Lamy (Online) sport@redbrickonline.co.uk
C&F Editors Oscar French Elisha Owen Owen Earwicker (Online) features@redbrickonline.co.uk
Crossword Editor John Rizkallah
Arts Editors Lexie Wilson Alexander Blanchard Anna Lumsden (Online) arts@redbrickonline.co.uk
Editorial Assistants Ellie Jarvis Isabel Mason Sarah Musgrove Ravina Khela Ellie Smallwood
Music Editors Will Franklin Tamara Roper Josh Holder (Online) music@redbrickonline.co.uk Television Editors Charlotte Lytton James Moore Abigail Salter (Online) tv@redbrickonline.co.uk
Senior Editorial Assistant Kate Selvaratnam
TECHNOLOGY
Police chief found guilty of corruption
Apple allow human rights inspection
Whitney Houston dies aged 48
Police chief Ali Dizaei has been found guilty of corruption for the second time. He is to face three years in jail for misconduct in public office and using his position to pervert the cause of justice. Dizaei's previous conviction was in 2010.
Apple have admitted they have issues with human rights after years of complaints and workers’ suicides in China. The company will now allow independent inspections of its supply chain, which produces iPads and iPhones.
Whitney Houston, one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, died aged 48 in Los Angeles this week. She died in the Beverly Hilton Hotel and had been due to attend a preGrammy Awards party in the Hotel that evening.
CRIME
IRAQ
A deaf girl told court this week that she had been held as a slave after being trafficked from the UK to Pakistan in 2000. The couple, Ilyas Ashar, 83, and Tallat Ashar, 66, face charges of false imprisonment and human trafficking.
To contact us: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk redbrickpaper.co.uk 08451
Advertising: Contact Lakhvinder Sira in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524
Cannabis factory found in luxury flat
Thieves break into Mason Hall Two males broke into a Mason flat last Sunday. An email has been sent to Vale residents saying they have detected the thieves on CCTV but are allowing them time to come forward. The email states 'Food was used and a lot of damage made.'
Overheard on campus 'Don't you think that's double standards?' 'What does double standards mean? You just made that phrase up.'
'Demi Lovato...Selena Gomez...are they not the same person? I always thought they were the same person!'
'I don't get the fashion for wearing hats that look like pandas, I mean, who wants to have sex with a panda?'
'Who do you think is better, Italy or France?' 'France is better at sex' 'Italy is better at pizza and pasta' 'I'd rather have sex'
'Why's the clock tower green?' 'It's 'Go Green Week' 'Well, she has been on the throne for 60 years...'
'It wasn't the first time my bedroom was a film set...'
'I can't wait to finish uni so I can afford cheese again'
'Why does the spider in my shower make shower time so tense and impossible to enjoy?' 'I can't cope with any more vomit' Overheard anything funny on campus? Email us at news@ redbrickonline.co.uk
Police have discovered a cannabis factory in a luxury Birmingham city appartment. The appartment, in Ladywood, contained more than 200 plants growing in a large room and ensuite bathroom. The raid followed a tip off from locals. US
Texas runs low on death penalty drug
Peter Moore, one of five men kidnapped in Iraq, has stated that he feels guilty he is the only one alive. He has stated to The Independent that despite his assurance that the Foreign Office and military did their best, 'something went very wrong'. BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY
Proofreaders Rachel Ashe Elizabeth Waind
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.
BIRMINGHAM
Girl held as slave in Peter Moore feels Manchester guilty to be alive
Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Sophie Rogers Akhil Kothari
Community Film Editors Manager Genevieve Taylor Sophie MurrayIsidore Sanders Morris Matthew Clemens (Online) film@ redbrickonline. co.uk Designed and typeset by Redbrick. Copyright (C) Redbrick 2012
MUSIC
POLICE
Online Editorial Assistants Rosie Pearce Josh Taylor Eimear Luddy
Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint.com: 300667.
Redbrick
17th February 2012
The state of Texas may be incapable of carrying out death sentences beyond June this year. Executing more than twice the number of prisoners than any other state last year, Texas has only enough sedative for six more executions. HOUSING
Unemployment to 2.67 million
POLITICS
up PM to help Britain sober up
Official figures have shown that UK unemployment rose by 48,000 to 2.67 million in the three months to December, the highest in sixteen years. The unemployment rate for 16–24 year olds rose to 22.2% rising from 22,000 to 1.04 million.
In attempt to make Britain sober up, Prime Minister David Cameron has given his support to the use of 'drunk tanks': mobile police cells used to hold drunken revellers until they sober up. Cameron also favours a minimum price for alcohol.
US
ROYAL
Fire kills hundreds of prisoners
Kate pays royal visit to Liverpool
A fire has swept through a Honduras prison killing at least three hundred prisoners. Relatives of the prisoners tried to rush into the prison to find out more information but police fired shots into the air and used tear gas.
The Duchess of Cambridge had her second public engagement without husband Prince William in her first royal visit to Liverpool. She met children at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and saw a charity providing free accommodation.
EU POLITICS
Some Euro members want Greece out Evangelos Venizelos, Greece's Finance Minister, has said that some Eurozone members no longer want Greece in the block. He later accused the states of 'playing with fire' whilst Greece tried to finalise an austerity plan.
News 3
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
News shorts compiled by Kellie Coyle
EDUCATION
MUSIC
London is second best city to study
Adele plays down rumours of break
London has come second to Paris in a ranking of the 50 best cities for students. Researchers took into consideration cities with a population of more than 250,000 and with at least two universities. Birmingham came in at 47th.
In her blog, Adele has played down rumours that she may be taking a five year break from the music industry. The rumour was started by a comment in a Vogue magazine profile, but her spokesman said it was 'just an off-hand comment.'
Would you ever run for a sabbatical position? 100 students were asked 'Would you ever run for a sabbatical or non-sabbatical position?' Check out who's running this year on page 6.
FILM
Jolie receives threats over film Angelina Jolie and other Serb members of the cast of In the Land of Blood and Honey have received online threats after the film's premiere. The film, which is Jolie's directorial debut, exposes rifts in Bosnia following the Bosnia war.
MEDIA
Sun staff consider human rights Journalists at The Sun are considering launching a human rights legal challenge to the News Coroporation unit that leaked confidential sources to the police leading to the arrest of nine of the paper's staff.
BIRMINGHAM UNI
Teenagers eating less fatty foods Research has shown that teenagers in England are eating less fatty foods and more vegetables compared to previous generations. However some are skipping meals in order to lose weight. In particular, less crisps and sweets are eaten.
This week online...
Spotlight on Societies: Selly Oak Play Scheme Who is your president? Jordanna Jayne
How long have you been running for? 8 years
term and it is all completely free.
at the Guild of Students.
Your societies highlights? So far we've done a Sea Life Sanctuary trip, face painting, parachute games, a Cadbury world trip, card making and cake decorating
Why should we get involved? Fun and games for your child in a safe environment, so you can have a little time to catch up on your work or just to yourself. Plus it is all completely free!
What is the society all about? We offer a free childcare service! We meet every Sunday morning in the Underground at the Guild, and offer arts & crafts, games and activities to children that might need a bit of entertainment so parents can catch a couple of hours to themselves. We run a trip every
Your society in five words? Fun, safe, energetic, creative and friendly
BIRMINGHAM
FOOD
FASHION
Paedophile's sentence reduced
Kellogg's buys Pringles for $2.7bn
Marc Jacobs hires underage models
Paul Wilson, the paedophile who worked at Little Stars Nursery in Birmingham, has reportedly had his prison sentence cut. He filmed himself raping a young girl in his care and groomed 22 young girls online.
Kellogg's is buying Pringles from Proctor and Gamble for $2.7 billion (£1.7 billion) in order to build up as strong a position in the snacks market as it already has in the cereal market. The deal is set to be completed by the summer.
Marc Jacobs is in trouble after hiring two 14-year-old models for the catwalk launch of his autumn/winter 2012 collection. This is against industry guidelines which were presented by Diane Von Furstenberg, chairman of the CFDA.
Three facts about your society? It is completely volunteer run, it takes place on Sundays 11-1 and we are located in the Underground
How can we get involved? Bring your children along to the underground at the Guild, between 11 and 1, any Sunday of the term Email sops@guild.bham.ac.uk with any queries
The Sunday Edition: with VPDR Hugo Sumner and Redbrick Comment and Features Editor Elisha Owen. Redbrick on the week: Patrick McGhee examines the stories of the week, affecting the world, the UK and the Guild. News video podcast: Anna, Freddie and Rhiannon discuss this week's investigative stories, including Castle Cars and the trial 24 hour library opening hours. Online exclusive articles: Olympics on campus, the national security debate on campus and Facebook memes.
Directing the crowd Glen Moutrie Editor
Getting a group of people to act in unison can be an impossible challenge, both theoretically and practically. The diversity, complexity and quantity of people who interact in the crowds can turn the most simple question into a statistical problem that could never be definitively answered. In many cases there is no way that you can create an effective incentive that will have the same impact upon all of the participants' actions. You do not need to look far for an example of this issue. Wednesday’s Guild-sponsored protest on campus did not go to plan. The route was not adhered to and as a result events took place that the Guild will need to review. Irrelevant of the repercussions, if there are any, re-assessing the incident will be a difficult task. Understanding why a crowd of people acted as they did (and then placing responsibility) can at times become a guessing game based on witnesses simply because of the nature of a protest. This is a problem that can effect people at almost every level of society, from the incumbents of Number 10 to a simple group decision such as choosing a restaurant. One problem that can frequently arise for a policy decision is conflicting incentives, leading to completely different outcomes. For instance, a lower rate of interest is often used to try and impact the way people spend. In the majority of the Western world a rise in interest usually means that people spend more instead of saving more as it becomes cheaper to take out loans and the benefit of investing decreases. Yet in Asia the reverse can often be true. Many in the continent place so much importance on saving that they decide to save more to make up for the loss of interest made on their investments as opposed to taking out more loans while money is cheaper. Accounting for these preferences in aggregate when making policy decisions can be close to impossible. Going to show that getting groups of people to work together to complete a task, even in the age of the internet, is a difficult thing to do. The task is even harder when the policy is more abstract, such as the Conservatives ‘Big Society’, or even more recently their attempt to curb Britain's consumption of alcohol. Within Redbrick there are similar problems. For example, approaching the changes that the world of journalism is experiencing as the internet becomes more omnipotent. We need to shift the way people work to encompass the needs of all of the mediums we now use in the context of our readership. How do you create an incentive for every member, from writers to section editors, to make that shift? When you start adding concepts like ‘digital first’ to this problem, the title’s ambiguity means that the message will likely become convoluted. In spite of the difficulties, it is always important to at least try to understand the aggregated beliefs of groups of people. Yet a decision will have to be made given an uncertain outlook, in which case you could but only hope that the final result is one that people understand.
4 News
Redbrick
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Top Ten: Universities experiencing the largest drop in applications this year University for Creative Arts 29.7%
Roehampton University 27.3%
Newman University Goldsmiths College Birmingham University London 23.4% 23%
University of Derby 24.4%
Alice Roberts appointed at University of Birmingham James Brilliant Reporter
Last Friday Redbrick sat down with renowned anatomist, anthropologist, television presenter and author Dr Alice Roberts, following her recent appointment as the University of Birmingham's first Professor of Public Engagement in Science. Dr Roberts, who is also an expert in paleopathology (the study of ancient diseases) and osteoarchaeology (the study of animal bones from archaeological sites) will be most familiar to readers for her appearances on BBC's Coast and Channel 4's Time Team. Dr Roberts laid out her new role for Redbrick: 'Part of my role is going to be promoting public engagement in science in and around the university, but I'm also going to be doing some more traditional academic things, and I expect to be teaching some medical and biosciences students. Not all my time will necessarily be in Birmingham as this is a job that has a much wider remit, and it's an appointment that doesn't actually sit in any one of the schools; I didn't want it to look like Birmingham was favouring one aspect of science over another.' So what exactly was it that attracted Dr Roberts to this new position? 'The creation of a brand new role like this sends out a very strong signal that the University of Birmingham is really committed to public engagement in science...
universities are the best institutions to encourage a much more inclusive view of science and put it back into our culture; science is incredibly important to our economy, and there is a strange situation in the 20th century where science got excluded from our culture. I
'I think our education system encourages us to think about being scientists or nonscientists, and I think that's really unhelpful' think public engagement is absolutely crucial. It should be a two way process, it's not about educating people, it's about setting up a dialogue.' Dr Roberts, who jovially admitted she 'dreaded to think' of what she ate at university, expressed concern at how both government budget cuts and increased tuition fees will affect scientific participation: 'Science is at risk over the next few years, definitely. Even if there aren't cuts in science funding, freezing funding is effectively a cut. I find the idea of having to
pay £9,000 a year for university education quite shocking, and I hope it doesn't deter people from doing something they really love, because the idea of getting yourself into debt is a real concern.' Having undertaken an eclectic blend of both academic and media work throughout her career, which side of her profession does Dr Roberts prefer? 'I've always liked doing jobs that involve a spread of different things. I fell into media but I found it very useful to have done university teaching before then; equally I think I have got better at teaching through gaining skills in presenting, so the two things actually feed off each other. If you're going to be a high-flying researcher you have to really dedicate all your time and energy to that, and that's the thing I've found difficult, but one of the really lovely things about this job is coming back into academia.' The former University of Bristol Senior Teaching Fellow, who lists Charles Darwin and Stephen Jay Gould as her greatest inspirations, was also keen to talk to Redbrick about her two upcoming television projects: firstly Mammoth, a prequel to a series on the ice age with filming having recently taken place in Romania. After Mammoth hits our screens this spring, Dr Roberts will be back with another series that seeks to reconstruct ancient human ancestors. Finally, considering only a certain proportion of University
of Birmingham students are scientists, Redbrick asked Dr Roberts how best to connect and engage non-science students with the sciences. 'I think that our education system encourages us to think about being scientists or non- scientists, and I think that's really unhelpful. We can all be much more renaissance individuals. 'It's very easy to identify yourself with a particular subject, but part of the joy of university is that you come to a place that has so many different facets of life – that's w h y i t ' s called a university.'
Alice Roberts
Protest against the protest ban ends in occupation Caroline Mortimer Reporter
The Protest the Protest ban turned into an occupation this Wednesday as the original route designed for the march veered off route and ended in an occupation of Staff House. The march around campus from Mermaid Square to the Clock tower was in protest against the University’s injunction banning occupation style protests which
came in force for one year at the end of 2011. It turned into a demonstration in support of a second year student facing disciplinary action for his role in the student occupation that took place in November. The ban on protesting has been condemned by various human rights and civil liberties groups such as Liberty and Amnesty International. Greta Morris, second year International Relations student
and President of the University of Birmingham Amnesty Group said: '[Amnesty] are here today to remind the university they can't just use injunctions to get rid of protesters when it suits them. We're defending the right to protest on campus and giving students their free speech. We think the university shouldn't use disproportionate force to stop any protest.' The protest had been officially sanctioned by the Guild of Students
Wednesday's protest below the Guild
Zoe Posnette
with other members of the sabbatical team and Guild stewards present for health and safety reasons. However, a number of protesters began to break away from the group and hammer on the windows of several buildings including security services where chants of ‘you say cut back we say fight back’ could be heard. They then moved to Staff House which was occupied by several protesters forcing the Guild to end its endorsement of the protest immediately and absolve responsibility for the people inside. One of the Guild stewards, Tom DeFraine said that although he supported the protest itself he thought the occupation would simply make the University even more determined to keep the ban. However Claire Lister, third year Chemistry student and one of the organisers of the rally said: 'It shows the anger of the people, we shouldn't be having to do this, students want to be able to spend their right to protest, they want to be able to do that and without any way to do that we are angry.' Edd Bauer, Vice President of Education at the Guild of Students and another organiser said in a statement to Redbrick beforehand: ‘The point of the protest is
Kev64 on listal
threefold. One, to stand up for the restoration of free speech to our campus, two to offer solidarity to [the student] being disciplined today. Thirdly to show any other Vice Chancellor across the country who might be delusionally thinking that taking out injunctions like ours is a good idea of the ferocity with which the student body will respond. If they don’t rescind the ban the pressure will only grow and we are also following this up in the high court.’ The Guild of Students released a statement following the protest: 'Today, Wednesday 15th February, students took part in a protest on the University of Birmingham campus. The demonstration was organised by the Guild of Students following a mandate from the student body, Guild Council, to defend the right to protest. As the protest left the Guild of Students, it immediately deviated from the planned route. Events which followed were therefore unplanned, and not organised by the Guild of Students. In an effort to maintain the health and safety of those Birmingham students taking part, the Guild endeavoured to oversee the demonstration to ensure student safety.'
News 5
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Rhian Lubin
University of Chichester 21.8%
City University London 21.6%
University of Surrey 21.5
Leeds College of Art 21%
Aston University 20.5%
University Main Library to trial 24 hour opening Anna Hughes News Editor
The Main Library on campus will be open for 24 hours in the first two weeks of term three to trial interest levels in the service. In response to feedback left on recent National Student Surveys completed by University of Birmingham students, the Main
Library will be extending its opening hours for two weeks. According to the library, the first two weeks of term three are the busiest of the year, with students struggling for computers, desk space and plug sockets. During this time the library sees a mass exodus of students heading for the 24 hour Learning Centre after Main Library doors close at midnight, meaning
there is demand for longer opening hours at the site. Mark Harrop, Guild President, promised longer library opening hours as part of his manifesto when campaigning for the position, and has been in talks with the University to discuss the issue. Harrop said: ‘I have been working on this with the library since term one and I am delighted
that we have reached an agreement to trial the 24hr provision. On top of already extended opening hours this is going to help students who need that little extra time to do their revision. What will be interesting is to see if students take this opportunity and use the provision because if they do it gives us a very strong case to make this annual, so any feedback is wel-
'The 24 hour opening hours will be available from the 23rd April until 6th May on a trial basis'
The Main Library computer room
Katrin Busch
come. This affirms my and the Guild’s commitment to enhancing the educational experience of students here at Birmingham’ The 24 hour opening hours will only be available from the 23rd of April until the 6th of May on a trial basis and will be the first time the library will have been open for 24 hours in the building’s history. According to Harrop, the change has come after ‘years of lobbying the University’ and the library hopes that if the trial is successful it will open for 24 hours at this time annually. A first year student, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I wouldn’t use the Library in the middle of the night if it became 24 hours to be honest, I
prefer just working at home’. However, 3rd year student Alex Edwards said ‘It will be really useful to have the Library open for longer next term, midnight isn’t late enough around exam period and loads of other universities have 24 hour libraries’. Harrop told Redbrick that after the 24 hour opening comes into effect the Guild will be working with Community Wardens in the local area to ensure students are safe whilst walking home late. The Guild also aims to raise awareness of other study areas around campus through a learning resources campaign, and hopes to ease pressure away from the Main Library and encourage students to use these other spaces during busy times. Diane Job, Director of Library Services said ‘We are pleased to be working with the Guild of Students to extend our services and we are aware that the Main Library is heavily used by students during the revision and examination period. This pilot scheme will enable us to analyse the usage made of the Main Library during this time and will form part of a subsequent evaluation of the impact of this year’s extended opening of the Main Library.’ After the two week trial period the Library will reduce its hours back down, meaning it will be open from 7am until midnight Monday to Friday and 8am until 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Investigation into Guild Council Train fatality at University Station abstention voting confusion Patrick McGhee News Editor
The results of the Student Trustee election which took place at Guild Council on Thursday 2nd February are being investigated after the implementation of abstention as a voting option created confusion over election rules. Guild Council Chair Johnny Dolan issued a statement on the Better Guild Forum Facebook page on Tuesday last week, indicating that the situation was being examined. He said that 'if the current result of the elections is correct then I will fight for a re-vote as councillors were misinformed of the rules and that is only fair for all parties involved.' Sean Farmelo, who called for abstention to be implemented later said on the Better Guild Forum page: 'There is obviously a big discrepancy between how people were told the elections would be conducted in GC [Guild Council] and how student voice have counted the votes. The way it was explained in GC is frankly the only way that makes sense, abstentions should mean abstention, not NO.'
Last week, Dolan issued a second statement suggesting that while abstention in council voting is permitted, the Guild's rules on the issue are 'cloudy'. 'There are many good arguments on either side of whether abstentions should count as part of the required percentage,' he said, adding that 'we still feel uneasy about making a ruling.' The statement said that the Vice President for Democracy and Resources (VPDR) Hugo Sumner and the Student Voice team would be investigating the situation further. Dolan made an addition to his statement on Facebook in which he said: 'As the issue is unclear, I feel uncomfortable on comment-
ing further. It would make it many times worse if I said something which turned out to be incorrect at this point.' Hugo Sumner was unavailable for comment on the issue. The Trustee Board has responsibility for overseeing the running of the Guild of Students. Three student members are elected by the Guild Council from a shortlist of applicants selected by an Appointments Panel. The Guild Council is an elected body of 80 student members. The meeting of the council earlier this month suffered difficulties when the electronic voting system failed and paper voting was used in its place. The session lasted for 7 hours and finished at 12:30am.
Jo Thomas
A man in his 70s was hit by a train at University Station, on the University of Birmingham campus, at 5:30pm last week. According to police, the incident is not being treated as suspicious but an inquest will be opened this week at Birmingham Coroner's Court, where the deceased will be formally identified. The fatality caused disruption to London Midland and Cross Country train services to Longbridge and Redditch, meaning replacement bus services were used. However, the lines were reopened at 7pm. London Midland trains used Twitter to inform customers and the public about the suspected suicide, leading to some flippant tweets. One tweet remarked: 'Go to the pub – things will be rubbish for at least the next hour' and 'Can’t stop someone jumping off a platform in front of a train I’m afraid.' These tweets have led the company to issue an apology, stating that the company hadn't received any complaints from those involved. Dave Whitely, who runs the London Midland Twitter feed,
Michael Drury
said, 'London Midland can receive over a thousand tweets a day, and we try very hard to provide tailored, individual responses to as many of them as possible within the 140 character limit. We are involved in ongoing work with Network Rail and the Samaritans to help reduce the frequency of these sad events.' This is the second fatality at the station in seven months. If you have been affected by the incident at University Station please visit www.as.bham.ac.uk/ studentlife/counselling/
6 News
Redbrick
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
A beginner's guide to... Guild Elections
The Guild Officer Elections are held annually to elect candidates for seven sabbatical and ten nonsabbatical positions. Once elected, sabbatical officers serve a oneyear term, receive a remuneration of £17,181.15 and work full-time in the Guild. Non-sabbatical officers are volunteers. To run for a position as either a sabbatical or non-sabbatical officer, students only need to nominate themselves. Each candidate must send a visual manifesto to the Guild’s Student Voice
department. This manifesto must include details of the candidate’s qualities, experience and election pledges. The official campaigning period opens on 27th February at 10am, during which time each candidate will be supported by Student Voice. During the campaigning period, students will have access to the candidates’ manifestos. The results of the elections will be announced on the night of 10th March.
Presidential candidates: Election
Timeline
27th February Campaigning opens at 10am
Alex Lane
Areeq Chowdhury
David Franklin
2nd March Voting opens at 10am 9th March Voting closes at 4pm
Meet the candidates Leander Jones
Vici Royle
Rob Sassoon
The VPDR (Vice President Democracy and Resources) is tasked with overseeing finances and democracy of the Guild of Students, ensuring that money spent benefits students. The VPDR is also responsible for communicating the Guild’s message to the wider student body and supporting student entertainment including Joe’s’ Bar and Fab & Fresh.
AnnaKaisa Polojärvi
Chris Bates
Ollie Consentino
The VPAD (Vice President Activities and Development) is responsible for supporting student groups, and is tasked with representing the interests of Student Committees and ensuring facilities are available for their activities. This role also includes liaising with groups such as the Careers and Employability Centre to enhance personal development.
Dave Glenwright
Sandhya Trott
Simon Furse
The VPE (Vice President Education) works to improve the quality of education at the University. This role includes representing the interests of students at important University meetings including the Senate, Education Committee and Graduate School Management Board. The VPE also communicates with Student Reps.
Guive Shafie
James Hughes
Tom Garry
The VPS (Vice President Sport) is responsible for representing student interests in sport and helping to lead University sport clubs and societies. The VPS is also tasked with widening participation, maintaining equal opportunity and improving the quality of University sports.
Usamah Khalid
James Robertson
John Hilliard
The VPHC (Vice President Housing and Community) is responsible for improving and supporting student accommodation, as well as liaising with the RA. They also work to encourage community volunteering and to support the Community Warden scheme to reduce crime.
Jess Bethom
Katherine East
Claire Lister Matthew Rolfe
The VPW (Vice President Welfare) works to support university students experiencing difficulties by making help available on campus. This role is also responsible for protecting and improving student rights, as well as supporting lifestyle changes that help to enhance student well-being.
28th February Candidate Question Time at Mermaid Square, 1pm
Tom Defraine
Jack Kearns
Gabriella Buxton
The Guild President is responsible for the overall leadership and governance of the Guild, organising and motivating the officer team and upholding the interests of students. The President is also the face of the Guild of Students, often representing the wider student body at national conferences and at meetings with public figures.
10th March Results Night 18th June Officer Training 18th June Beginning of Term of Office
Comment
Watch out! Policies can be just as silly as gimmicks Owen Earwicker
Online Comment and Features Editor
Quite often, gimmicks are the focus of attack from annoyed comment writers. So much complaint comes out at this time of year on the elections being fought on gimmicks and popularity, not policy. But policies should be the focus of debate for the election. A gimmick won’t change the Guild for the next year. It’s important to consider the vote-grabbing policies in the same light as gimmicks. These are the ones which sound good on paper, but realistically either can’t be done or have little substance behind them.
Firstly, one policy which might rear its head yet again is cheaper drinks in Joes. This idea would be fantastic – who wouldn’t want a cheaper pint? But it can’t be done; the fact that we now have loyalty cards to our own union bar, which only gets discounts on certain drinks and has to be paid for anyway, shows this. There is a legal minimum amount that anyone can charge for alcohol, and the Guild has to make extra money somewhere. Drinks can’t be much cheaper, and anyone running on trying to make them so probably won’t get my vote. Another annoying word is ‘transparency’. Yes, I want an open sabbatical team, who I felt I could
approach freely about any issue, but transparency is a cliché. If a candidate runs on transparency, all I’ll think is ‘yes, I can see right through you’. Just two policies I offer to you as my pet hates as the election looms - I’m sure they’ll be more. It is important this year to look at the policy, not just the gimmick. But be wary of the unsubstantial policy, the rhetoric of either unworkable or meaningless ideas. Apathy is an easy trap to fall into, but take the time to consider policies because it is your Guild that will be changed, which ultimately means how your money will be spent; just watch out for the vote grabbing policy.
Hopeful Sabbatical Officers should avoid generic promises Elisha Owen
Comment & Features Editor
In all elections, whether on a national level, or in our small microcosm of the world, attentiongrabbing taglines are key tools in securing the support of potential voters. It is my hope in the Guild elections that candidates will avoid the generic promises of their forefathers. While they do sound inspiring and exciting, more often than not they lack the depth and sincerity that can bring about a positive difference. The regurgigated promise to 'fix the Guild' is one example I find particularly interesting. To declare you want to 'fix the guild' is surely to infer that the Guild is a structure in need of transformation.
Therefore to suggest such a vague solution is to skirt around the important issues. It is the 'how' and 'why' we are, or should be, interested in. Holistic policies greatly undermine our intelligence as able and aware students. Furthermore, they neglect to focus on our specific needs and concerns. It is important that we defend our right to
knowledge, especially when it directly affects us in this manner . After all, the Guild is here to represent our student community. I am looking forward to all that the new candidates will bring to our University. At the same time, however, I feel it is crucial we vote for well-wrought policies rather than generic statements and flowery allusions to change.
Last year's candidates outside Main Library
Freddie Herzog
Follow the elections as they unfold online at www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/elections
Redbrick
17th February 2012
redbrickpaper.co.uk
Comment & Features Editorial Oscar French
Comment and Features Editor
British countryside raced past my window in a frenzied blizzard of green and grey. I was on the train, at a loss for how best to fill up this column. Often, this initial sense of helplessness is a thrilling and fruitful way to write, but as both a student, and Redbrick editor, ever enamoured with rationalisation, I've retreated to the sanctuary of the almighty plan. 18 months of appropriate academic practice has transformed me into a creature of head over heart. Silently, this outlook has seeped into other facets of my thinking. Pragmatism rules any political ponderings I may have; notions of fiscal responsibility and inflation rates trample the ideals and principals I'm sure would have once governed my response. The old adage, 'if you're a conservative when you're 20, you have no heart, if you're not a conservative when you're 30, you have no head,' serves to highlight the aged world-view I currently embrace.
18 months of university has transformed me into a creature of head over heart Despite these gloomy sentiments, it is not my intention to discredit a logical, reasoned approach to life. Indeed society itself has, of late, staggered blindly towards hysteria. Nevertheless, the rationalist in all of us would do well to remember that without the ideal, our capacity for change, innovation and improvement is severely hampered. As with university campuses the world over, one only has to take a stroll around the Guild to witness a plethora of worthy causes that students campaign for on a daily basis. Nobody would concede that a rigorous analysis of the facts ignited their zeal; blatantly, it is the consequence of an emotional response. The events of Wednesday's protest perhaps highlight the need for us to balance these two dichotomous styles of thinking. Many swing from one extreme to the other as they mature, but it is imperative to retain our principals as we procure a developed sense of logic. Comment & Features is a superlative example. Our content ranges from in depth political analysis to sensitive personal issues, with a healthy mix of satire thrown in. As often in life, the answer is equilibrium, something I intend to attain in both my writing and my politics from now on.
Comment & Features 7
The World of Tomorrow
The NIF/Z-Machine – a fusion experiment
Andrew Peck explores how the advancement of modern Science is transforming society as we know it The past is a different country, and so too is the future; a land shrouded in mystery, a terra incognita, unknown, but not incalculable. So, with the credentials of internet access, knowledge of some popular science books, a pub conversation I had with four first year Nuclear Engineers, a Physicist, and a Chemical Engineer friend from home, as well as my own degree in History and Political Science, I feel I'm more than qualified to look forward to the future and warn of things to come, both good and bad. The best good news I can give is that fusion power will be within our grasp in 20 to 30 years time. While this has been promised to humanity since the 1970s onwards, so you are right to be skeptical, this time they mean it. Fusion power is the harnessing of the tremendous burst of energy that is created when atoms are fused together, dwarfing the current fission power that results from the splitting of atoms apart. It's clean, it's safe and its potentially boundless. California has the world's largest laser fusion facility, while Britain has one of its own which, I am reliably informed, actually has an 'everything's okay alarm'. European research group CERN, who brought us the Supercollider, promise to have a working fusion reactor in France by 2019. Keeping the reaction contained, and finding a way of creating more power from the reaction than the power used to initiate the reaction remain a problem, however it's nothing a little ingenuity and continued funding can't solve. Thus it should be widespread by 2030/2040. Until then we can look forward to a renaissance in Solar Power, as the decreasing cost and increased efficiency will cause it to become more economical than increasingly rare fossil fuels. Power generation of the future will be increasingly cheap, clean, and without the messy political entanglements that today's fossil
fuels have. Combustion engines will be a thing of the past, as batteries evolve from the still primitive form they take today. Fossil fuels have an inherent utility, they pack a huge amount of energy into a comparatively tiny space. Highly polluting, but extremely efficient. The power of batteries on the other hand is determined by the number of capacitors that can be inserted into it. Current technology and materials mean batteries are cumbersome, have little charge and are extremely inefficient for their size compared to the chemical energy of petrol. Developments in nanotechnology and materials such as graphene, the strongest substance known to us, could create infinitesimally capacitors out of carbon nanofibres, molecules thick, to create batteries with sufficient charge, capacity and power to match a combustion engine, and out-compete it, environmentally, economically and longevity. Especially where the power is to be provided by nuclear fusion. This will transform the economy; travel, freight, industry and living will all become immensely cheaper, fuel costs being the principle source of costs we experience. Travel may be fast now but in the future it will be cheap too, making
our world smaller than it already is. All this cheap, abundant power has the potential to spark another industrial revolution. It was, after all, the discovery of methods of exploiting the energy of fossil fuels that began the first. But it is a race against time. Fossil fuels are running out, so too are many of the metals that make present society possible. Everything from laptops and iPods, to catalytic converters, life support machines, the galvanisation process and even pharmaceuticals are under threat from resource shortage. Indium, used to make LCD screens, has five to ten years left. Hafnium, used in computer chips, has about ten years, silver has at most 20, uranium has 40, and zinc 30. Recycling of these metals is expensive, inefficient and not always possible. Worse, these figures are estimates at best as many of these metals come from less than reliable sources, in places such as the Congo,
through means of extraction that would horrify the western consumer if only they knew. Already ethically dubious; funding civil wars, tribal rebels and out-and-out slavery, increasing demand pressures will make consumer and other goods more costly, ethically as well as fiscally. Furthermore, it will create conflict with rising powers such as India.
Nuclear Fusion: A beginner's guide 'Fusion power' is best described by what happens when two independent atoms are fused together in what is known as a 'fusion reaction'. The fusion of these two atoms results in a new larger atom but with the addition of a large amount of energy thus forming the basic premise upon which fusion power is built. Fusion is the process that powers active stars, the hydrogen bomb and some experimental devices examining fusion power for electrical generation. Creating the required conditions for fusion on Earth is very difficult, to the point that it has not been accomplished at any scale for protium, the common light isotope of hydrogen that undergoes natural fusion in stars.
8 Comment & Features
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Opinion Matrix The Measure of a Man Views on the News
GREECE Austerity deepens The time for Greece to admit defeat is nigh. At the moment, the Greek government is desperately scrabbling around to find €325m (about one per cent that the UK spends on the department of energy), in further cuts so that the IMF will bail it out to the tune of €130bn. The Greeks simply cannot afford to cut back any further as it is crippled to say the least. Lucas Papademos, the Greek Prime Minister, said the
HUMAN RIGHTS
The Release of Abu Qatada The decision to grant bail to Abu Qatada, arguably, Britain's most dangerous extremist preacher is highly controversial. Whilst reactions of unease are under-
measures would 'decide the country's future' and enable it to stay inside the Euro. No matter what measures are employed by Greece it will not remain in the Euro for the foreseeable future, so must eat a large slice of humble pie immediately. standable, the European Court of Human Rights ruling to block his deportation to Jordan upon release is, ethically speaking, the right one. It would be an act of supreme hypocrisy for the court to sanction his return to a country where he may face torture. Those who have objected on the grounds of the threat Qatada poses to national security may have honourable intentions, but would do well to study the strict bail conditions he will have to obey; from these it is evident the preacher is hardly a free man.
TECHNOLOGY Apple's Sweatshop Labour Apple has always had an underlying issue with working conditions – you can't make that amount of iPods, iPads, iPhones and Macs without sweatshop labour. This week they've finally conceded to allowing independent investigators into their factories. Would we happily continue to swipe at our touch screens if we knew, as was revealed in the first round of inspections, that in 2010 there were 13 suicides
HEALTHCARE
Care Home Negligence Sources have revealed that care homes are spending as little as £2.27 a day on food for each of their residents. Shockingly, this price is comparable to what the average
Giles Longey-Cook asks if our fixation with scandal obscures deeper issues in the world of politics...
The ignoble state of John F Kennedy's private life has never been much of a secret. Whether jealously contemplating his affair with Marilyn Monroe, or questioning if his fling with a mafia bosses' girlfriend led to his assassination, the king of new Camelot's personal dalliances have certainly become a key part of his reputation. An area reopened recently by the publication of Once upon a secret: My affair with John F Kennedy and its aftermath by Mimi Alford, who served as an aide in the White House aged 19, a position she claims was given to her specifically by Kennedy in order for him to begin their 18 month affair. Her story involves many sordid details of the Presidents peculiar sex-life and the inner workings of the White House elite. There is a thin line between genuine public outrage at politician's corrupt and unethical personal acts, and simple rubbernecked voyeurism. It is true that private practises of leaders can often pass into truly reprehensible realms that affect their political decisions. Two prime examples today being Silvio Berlusconi and Newt Gingrich, both of whom are paying the price for having seedy leisure activities. But while prostitution or cheating on ones' dying wife
are signs of a really low moral character, it cannot be mixed up with their failings in the role that nations elect them to hold. Presidents are chosen to lead, not to be saints. Many of the greatest statesmen in history were appalling family men. The passion and determination that drove their politics made them near impossible to live with. One figure almost gone from the modern Western arena is the national leader who is, 'gasp', single! Rather than being preoccupied with running the nation in a way no one else could, politicians must appear to be equally human, but without any of the human weaknesses that we all share. The same goes for those who were heavy drinkers, including Winston Churchill and Robert E Lee. This invasive view of politics also has the paradoxical effect of leaving us totally blind to the real wrongdoings of these men. Everyone remembers Kennedy's flaw as being a weakness for women, something we may judge but view as fairly harmless and more impressive than immoral (not everyone gets to
sleep with Marilyn!). And thus the whole Bay of Pigs fiasco and his entry into the Vietnam War is forgotten. Let alone the fact that the same ego that probably made the man attractive to women also helped push the word to the brink of nuclear war in the Cuban missile crisis. Similar stories can be told of Bill Clinton. His impeachment over his affair with Monica Lewinsky overshadows the many political offences that he should rightly be remembered for. Indeed, the charges of philandering (on male leaders at least) is a double-edged sword, invoking an image of the virile kings of old, with their many mistresses. The public may express outrage at extramarital affairs, but one can't help but notice an undercurrent of admiration from many people. After all, what better expression of diplomatic skills is there than the ability of 50-something year old men to lure far younger women into bed with them? We can be pretty sure that while the general public may shake their heads disapprovingly at an over-sexed president, they would be horrified by one who was a virgin. Aside from open hypocrisy and sinister practises, delving into personal matters of statesmen is a purely empty distraction from their ability or inability to carry out the job they were elected to perform.
in one factory alone? In future, perhaps we ought to consider how these impressive products were made as we fight our way through the church-like Apple stores, being accosted by staff with sickly smiles and eyes desperate to sell.
consumer spends on a cup on of coffee in high street cafes. Figures have shown that more than 750 care home patients died through dehydration and malnutrition. As appalling as these figures sound, they're not altogether surprising to anyone who has worked in a care home. The figures are not only breaking the law but they are irrefutably immoral. The patients have no control over the food they eat, and as a result of this, are being penalised. It seems impossible that issue is not receiving a greater amount of attention.
MEDIA Further arrests at The Sun This week saw the arrest of five jourrnalists from The Sun after prolonged police raids. The reporters were arrested in connection with alleged corrupt payments to the police, among others. Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun's associate editor, declared that the paper's publisher – News International – was the subject of a 'witch-hunt'. He went on to describe the scale of the investigation into the company
as 'disproportionate' and 'over the top'. Whilst it cannot be denied that the situation is weighty with consequence, Kavanagh may have a point. The Police Force are heavily involved with the corrupt situation and it is time that the spotlight is also turned on them.
Written by Freddie Herzog, Oscar French, Owen Earwicker, Sarah Pullen & Elisha Owen
John F. Kennedy
Comment & Features 9
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
The Lost Art of Letter Writing Sarah Cozens Commentator
Post is something that is rarely heard of nowadays, and unfortunately, when we do have post it is usually something very unexciting like the next gas and electricity bill, or the latest Indian take away restaurant that is trying to find its market in a student area. However, when a letter is addressed to you with actual handwriting on the envelope, it is a very rare occasion, and one that is rather special and intriguing. Letters are something from
the past, it seems, but is this right, and is this a good thing? In the World Wars the only communication a soldier would have with his loved one from home, or family members, is a letter. This was their chance to tell them everything and update the heroic soldiers on everything that had been happening at home whilst they had been away. A letter would be the only source of information and the only piece of a loved one that they were able to possess throughout the war, and for this reason, they were so important. Nowadays, the romanticism behind a letter seems to have
been lost in the post. Even 20 years ago, the multiple methods of communication that we have available to us now had not even been invented. If you had a loved one or family in a different place to where you were, the only way of communicating with them was via a letter or a phone. You were lucky if you had one in your home, but more often than not, the local phone was a good walk away and in the middle of a pavement on a busy street. Whereas today there seems to be such a huge variety of ways to communicate, that it might almost
A Bygone era?
How do you solve a problem like...
be overwhelming. Do I text, do I call from the mobile I have on me all the time, do I send an email, a Facebook message, or Tweet them? The possibilities are endless, and although this could be considered advantageous, it has definitely taken a certain something away from the excitement of seeing a letter fall to the floor with your name on it. The overriding difference between the art of letter writing and the art of texting is founded in the length. A letter would take time to compose and much thought would go into what you want to say, what you want to ask. Whereas a text is often sent with the aim of an instant reply. This is made even easier with the new features in the smartphones, for example, BBM and WhatsApp, which are marketed at being even quicker responses than a text, because it's 'instant'. A letter would be the only source of communication available only a few decades ago, and because of this, it was something that you looked forward to and were excited to find out all of the news and hear from family and friends. Today, this is different. It is unusual not to hear from friends every day, even if you live with them! Is technology the reason we do not write or receive letters anymore? Is it to blame for the lost art of the letter? Although a letter is much appreciated, in this day and age, it is not possible to wait for the letter to be composed, sent and read simply to arrange meeting up for a quick sandwich on campus. A text is just so much easier and generates an instant response.
'Love' has become a viral institution Caroline Murphy Commentator
The whole world revolves around the internet and social networking nowadays. Politics, religion, music, everything. Most of all, relationships. If you want evidence for this, just type 'Why doesn't...' into Google, and the top suggestion is 'Why doesn't he like me?'. People are actually Googling for relationship advice. I was hoping for something with more depth, such as 'Why doesn't Evolution get taught in some American schools?'. But it's cool. Everyone has Facebook. You can't walk past a cluster of computer screens in the Library without catching a few glimpses of the unmistakable blue banner of Facebook. If Facebook has taught me one thing about modern day teenage relationships, it is this: publicity is everything. If I scroll through the updates on my news feed, there is guaranteed to be one or two publicised relationship developments. These are usually in the form of statuses along the lines of: 'I give up. I no longer care.' No names mentioned, but everyone knows what (or who) it's about. These constant updates about the state of people's relationships often bring me to wonder how Facebook affects how people see their own love lives. For me there's a line. I don't publicise my relationship through Facebook – it's my business. Others, however, do. The 'in a relationship with...'
option on the drop-down box is almost a goal for some, and it seems people will do anything to avoid the one that says 'single'. It's a shame, but it happens. The amount of times I've seen that someone has listed themselves in a 'complicated' relationship. This forces a face palm, and a thought that goes along the lines of, 'face it, you're single'. No modifier needed. What does an 'open' relationship constitute anyway? It seems there is an unknown, yet common desire among some Facebook users to be in a relationship that everyone should
know about. The kind of relationship that people can read about through wall posts and statuses, and observe through photos and videos. Do younger Facebook users see this and genuinely think it's what a normal relationship is like? Staying in a relationship, no matter how bad, in order to maintain a public image that all 400 of your Facebook friends are aware of will never be the basis of a decent relationship. It will be the basis of juicy gossip, though. As for indirect statuses, to cut curiosity people should just publicly post the very reason they're
giving up. Something like, 'First he got me pregnant, he then slept with my best friend and then stole my Pandora bracelet and pawned it for money to take her to Paris'. If anyone felt the need to comment to ask what happened, then they weren't worthy of being friends with anyway.
Did you know?
The five countries with the highest percentage of users reporting a relationship status are: the United States, South Africa, Iceland, the United Kingdom and Canada.
Modern Relationships
Socialites
James Dolton Commentator
Before I begin, it must be said that the title of this piece is misleading. I do not intend to 'solve' the concept of socialites. Sitting to ponder exactly what it is a socialite does, how they came to grasp this position and why we let them get away with it is the mental equivalent of the Gordian knot. I only wish it were possible to 'solve' the whole lot of them in the same fashion as that particular puzzle was. There are several paths to attaining the title of 'socialite', 'celebutante', 'It girl' or 'comely but utterly useless' (okay, I made that one up). A common one is having a relative who is much more talented, successful or (crucially) rich than you are, and frequenting the same high profile clubs and occasions as they would, though with utterly no reason to be there. Another regular approach is through cunning manipulation of the public's obsession with sex and scandal. Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian both 'suffered' the ignominy of seeing sex tapes released (the former's sickeningly titled Night In Paris) only for it to emerge that they were complicit not only in the recordings creation, but in the calculated release, designed to raise their profiles to the next level of celebrity (and into the next circle of hell). The money and status these utterly worthless entities can muster is staggering. Kim Kardashian was reportedly paid $800,000 just to turn up to the Grammys last year. What do these people offer that is worth such exorbitant fees? They bring no wit or charm, their chief output being asinine laughter and gawping fixed smiles forced across unnaturally pouting lips. I mean really, what do they do? What is the point? These may seem rhetorical questions, but the simple fact is that they have no satisfying answers. Paris Hilton's Wikipedia currently contains the hilarious allegation that she is chiefly a 'businesswoman'. This is a woman who held a televised and fiercely competitive competition to locate her that elusive quantity of a best friend (I'm not kidding, this happened) THREE TIMES (look it up). This is probably not someone with the capacity to be involved in any business of anything. Except maybe RBS. But I digress. They are clothes horses for fashion designers, canvases for make up artists and even sponges for perfume companies but nothing they independently do can be legitimately described as entrepreneurial or 'business'. Oscar Wilde's closing line in the preface of A Picture of Dorian Gray is 'All art is quite useless'. The only hope for these self-inflated, vacuous, devious fame-mongering harlots is that they must be bloody good art.
10 Comment & Features
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
under scrutiny
Alex Balcombe Commentator
UniLad magazine has become a symbol and doctrine of Lad culture, which in recent years has erupted on British campuses. Up until the comments about rape were made on their website, I knew nothing of this magazine. However, it wasn't any surprise that something like this existed, exemplifying university lifestyle in the way that it did. Although the magazine (if you want to call it that) apologised for its comments unfortunately this way of life for some men will continue, and the disgusting and inexcusable actions will still ingrain themselves into our lifestyles. 'Banter' seems to be something which flows through everyone's vocabulary. It means so much in our society to be able to take a joke. The phrase, 'sorry mate, it was only banter' has become a somewhat tireless clique, when someone has the awkward task of apologising for actions when a practical joke or comical insult turns sour. I suppose many would argue that the advocating of rape by UniLad, and likeable content on Facebook, for instance, 'You know she's playing hard to get when you're chasing her down an alleyway', was just banter or a joke. However, if we take this seriously and see it for what it is, it becomes somewhat shocking. We find ourselves, as academic and educated university students, laughing at the fact that women are forced against their will to have sex. In the UniLad example, some
Lad culture has a damaging effect on the aspirations of young men
Simply banter? people take even greater pleasure from the fact that 85 per cent of rape goes unreported. A common characteristic comment of the UniLad Facebook group is 'it's only a joke'. On the other hand, I really would like to see them tell that to a rape victim. The word 'banter' has become a fall-back option and a justification. Whenever we feel that we want to have a good laugh at someone's expense it becomes a
word in our arsenal that we simply cannot refuse to use. However, moving away from cases of rape, the lad culture has had damaging effects on the aspirations of young boys and men. From the age of 15, the pressure is on for a male to lose his virginity. Regardless of love or good relationships, a one night stand would suffice. The title of 'virgin' is unbearable for any-
one to live with and it often pushes people into situations which many regret. If that's not bad enough, it often becomes right for a 'lad' to attempt something which he has recalled from pornographic material. Many young men often jump at the chance at engaging into something more erotic than just plain sex. And, perhaps
the day afterwards, trade war stories' with their mates, 'walks of shames' and all. Other behaviour has also become deplorable. I remember one of my friends, reminiscing of playing the game of 'pull a pig'. Whilst I don't want to explain, people can gain a fair idea of what it's about. In today's age of poor self-esteem and increased concern about body image, any woman who was the object of such a contest would find their confidence knocked in one swoop. This 'lad' culture, is degrading individuality and also women, as young men feel they have to give in to peer pressure and conform to this way of life. However, though some want to break free, the thought of social isolation is too unbearable to even comprehend. I wonder how many rape jokes and backfiring infantile behaviour will it take to kick the 'lad' culture out of campus life?
Comment Cartoon
'Harrop' Potter and the Lucky Escape Illustrated by Elin Stone
17th February 2012
Redbrick
Arts
redbrickpaper.co.uk
11
'It is easier to live through someone else than to become complete yourself'
– Betty Friedan
Previews
Pugin, Dürer and the Gothic at The Barber Anna Fearon Critic
Pugin, Dürer and the Gothic is an exciting new exhibition at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts revolving around the works of Dürer that Pugin owned and took inspiration from for his architectural work. The exhibition also contains a Hans Holbein print entitled Design for a Glass Paintings, dated to about 1520. The pieces are largely secular prints, with a strong narrative in each. The prints each have their own emotive tale, most notably; Dürer’s The Death of the Virgin, 1510, which shows the Virgin Mary on her death bed surrounded by apostles. This is an evocative print, which was thought to be commissioned to appeal to the contemporary public due to the Virgin Mary’s lasting popularity as a religious figure. My favourite and the most miniature print in the exhibition is Dürer’s St Christopher, 1521. De-
spite its miniscule size, its intricate beauty shines out to the viewer. Full of detail, it shows St Ch1ristopher carrying Christ on his head, and demonstrates that Dürer was an artistic genius of exquisite detail. The print shows a variety of light and dark; a sophisticated technique for a German Renaissance artist. The light area around Christ’s head is particularly striking and helps to emphasise the contrasts. The Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin , 1570, is a positive religious subject, something which reaches out to the viewer through the Virgin’s radiating smile. Once again, Dürer proves himself to be the master of detail, with the intricate objects within the woodcut. The religious iconography in this woodcut acts as visual clues to the viewer, to indicate the subject matter. Hans Holbein’s Design for a Glass Painting is placed alongside Dürer’s The Assumption and Coronation of the Virgin, something
which can be interpreted as a deliberate visual arrangement. This is due to the sheer contrast between the two prints; as Holbein’s Design for a Glass Painting is quite simple compared to Dürer’s detailed print. Dürer’s The Vision of the Seven Candlesticks, 1511, is arguably the most intriguing print in the exhibition. It contains St. John the Apostle and is taken from a scene from Revelations, in the final book of the New Testament. This print is notable for its interesting detail, such as twisting candlesticks, curly hair and the wrinkled hands of St John the apostle. Equally, The Vision of the Seven Candlesticks is also relatable to St John Devouring the Book, 1498, another interesting print showing St John swallowing a book. This is arguably the most morbid print in the exhibition, which also contains much curious detail including swans, God’s hands and clouds; all of which combine together to create a mystical print.
However, the most historically interesting print is A Man with an Oar, 1520-21. Although a very simplistic drawing, its cultural context more than makes up for its lack of a detailed composition. This is due to it being taken from the Lubomirksi family when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1941 and it was recovered by the family who eventually went on to sell it. The collection is completed by Jacques Callot’s View of the Louvre, dated approximately at 1629, and Wenceslaus Hollar’s The Thames below Westminster Pier, 1638, two prints which are interesting in their own right. This exhibition collectively brings Dürer’s work together in unity to visually show the influences on Pugin’s architecture. No other prints have such an ability to capture the viewer’s imagination with their intricate detail and emotive subject matter. Thus, Dürer was arguably not just a master of the Gothic but also a master of detail.
Birmingham Royal Ballet presents: Hobsons Choice The Hippodrome 22nd - 25th February £11
Article 19 presents: Mojo Deb Hall 23rd-25th February £5
BSA Presents A Family Affair at The Crescent James Kinsey Critic
Alexander Ostrovsky’s satirical comedy A Family Affair illuminates the secret of comedy. With bawdy, fabliaux humour, the Birmingham School of Acting unashamedly revealed Ostrovsky’s dark examination of the nineteenth century Russian Mercantile class. A Family Affair is a farcical tale of a nineteenth-century Russian family whose debt leads them to resort to fraudulent bankruptcies to hide assets from creditors, leading to the family’s break up as avarice unravels weak blood ties. This play is not a light hearted dig at a particular social class, it is a full-on public humiliation, reflected
in the Russian government’s report: 'All the characters are first class villains, the dialogue is filthy, the entire play is an insult to the Russian Merchant Class'. Indeed, Tsar Nicholas I banned the performance of the play, due to the uproar it caused amongst the merchants who were deeply offended at the coarse and amoral depiction of their class. The Birmingham School of Acting are true to the play’s seamy reputation. Chaucer himself w o u l d have been pleased with the play’s alcohol fuelled
madness; there was sexual innuendo, incest, swearing and characters sitting on faeces. With such jollity the play struggled to contain itself in the small confinements of the Crescent. It was as if the volume and hue had been turned to max. The vivid bawdy colours of the costumes, makeup and setting went hand in hand with exaggerated vodka-charged acting as the characters lunged, gesticulated, squealed and screamed their way through the play. This reached a crescendo at the action's climax when the father , having returned from debt prison, downed a bottle of vodka, crashed to the floor and crawled across the stage reciting what sounded like Youtube’s Ahmed the Dead Terrorist’s high pitched rant 'I kill you'. Yet for all
the lewd hilarity, the play did not fail to unsettle the audience with its brooding negative undercurrents. For what was being so casually depicted was a sordid, amoral world of alcoholism, domestic violence and crude sex, where society’s social barriers subjugate the poor and where an affair ripped a family apart through greed and avarice. It is a truth not always acknowledged that comedy can be as poignant as tragedy, if not more so. Ostrovsky used comedy here to make us aware of a corrupt society. The closing scene, in which the actors stood in a line and repeatedly chanted a Russian line was a powerful signal of a broken pre-revolutionary society bursting at the seams on the verge of a fall.
For discounted two for the price of one tickets to see Theatre Unlimited's critically acclaimed shows Defying Hitler or Stalin's Favourite, simply quote 'Redbrick offer' at the box office.
REP presents: Gravity mac 23rd Feb - 3rd March £8
Defying Hitler The Old Rep Theatre 23rd February £9
12 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Television
17th February 2012
Redbrick
Read Hannah Lloyd-Davies' review of 10 o'clock Live at redbrickpaper.co.uk
20 million hits and counting: meet Juliet Charlotte Lytton talks to the eight year old Aussie YouTube star – and her mum. It's just so rock 'n' roll.
Telly Talk Jenny Porter Critic
Kristina, what made you first decide to put videos of Juliet on YouTube? We live far away from all our family here in Australia so like to post videos to send home so we can all stay connected. What was the initial reaction to the video like? Honestly, my videos only had a few hundred views last week, they were not put up on YouTube to become 'sensations.' We just saw them as a neat way to share our life with our friends and family. What do you think makes Juliet different to other YouTube sensations? Perhaps because this whole thing came about so innocently, there was no other motive then to make a funny film clip to the song she recorded with our family friend Rob
Sharpe. I think people see it for what it is, a little girl singing about her pet dog Robert and her fish. Do you think she has staying power or is this just her fifteen minutes of fame? I hope it dies down. It has been a full time job lately! We're obviously thrilled so many people have enjoyed it, but it is definitely keeping me very busy at the moment. Whose idea was 'Juliet's first hardcore song'? Juliet was at our friend Rob Sharpe's house and for fun they recorded a song to show me for when I came to pick her up. When they played it to me I was in tears of laughter at how insanely cute the whole thing was, and I said to him that I would make a film clip for it for fun to show our friends and family. So on Thursday while
we were having a play date at New Farm Park I shot some footage of Juliet singing along to the song. When we came home, I edited the film clip quickly and posted it to YouTube after dinner. Within three hours I had already received well over a thousand emails and everything has spiralled from there.
Tube videos? It's very cool! What do your school friends think about your new found fame? They think it's awesome that I was on the front of the newspaper! It's really crazy. Do you have any ideas for new videos? Not really. Maybe I'll do one of my dog Robert singing a song!
This whole thing came about so innocently – KRISTINA, JULIET'S MUM
What's your favourite kind of music? I like Jessie J, Lady GaGa, Johnny Cash and Michael Jackson. I would have to say that Jessie J is my absolute favourite – she's great!
So, Juliet, what do you think of the reaction to your You-
What do you want to do when you grow up? Be a vet!
Alec Baldwin – a celebrity profile Hannah Lloyd-Davies details the highs and lows of a decade-spanning career Alec Baldwin is currently most famous for his appearance on the hit show 30 Rock, where he plays top executive Jack Donaghy, the platonic foil to Tina Fey's protagonist, Liz Lemon. Tina Fey herself credits much of the show's success to Baldwin, as he fantastically parodies capitalism, sexism, extreme American conservatism, and often himself to great amusement. 30 Rock has indeed completely rejuvenated his career, whilst his own star-power has contributed to the shows success. Baldwin was born in Long Island, New York and is the oldest of the Baldwin brothers who, despite not coming from Hollywood, are a family of actors (this applies somewhat loosely to Stephen Baldwin, known to British audiences as the crazy guy who tried to convert everybody on Celebrity Big Brother to Christianity last year...) He studied acting at the prestigious New York University. He first gained recognition for acting on various American soap operas, such as Doctors, and has had an impressive stage career, even portraying Macbeth. One of his most memorable TV appearances was guest-starring as Phoebe's over-enthusiastic suitor on Friends, show-casing his comedic talent for the first time
in a sitcom. He was catapulted into the realm of true celebrity by his role in Beetlejuice, Tim Burton's cult hit featuring Baldwin and Geena Davis as ghosts haunting their old h o m e . Later he starred in the Cold War thriller The Hunt For Red October which garnered him critical acclaim for his role alongside acting giants such as Sean Connery. He then
went on to star in The Marrying Man where ironically he met future wife Kim Basinger, a star in her own right. Their marriage did not last however, with their lengthy divorce after nine years becoming tabloid fodder as Baldwin fought for custody of their daughter Ireland. It was the seven years of stress, rage and over a million dollars spent trying to maintain a relationship with his daughter that eventually drove Baldwin to leave a now infamous answerphone message on her phone. The wince-inducing mes-
sage that shows Baldwin calling his daughter a 'rude, thoughtless little pig' was very quickly leaked to the press, (Baldwin suspects by Basinger herself) and led Baldwin to contemplate suicide in one of his darkest moments. After recovering from this experience, he published the book A Promise To Ourselves, lambasting the American divorce system and detailing his own battle with what he called Parental Alientation Syndrome, a side-effect of the US divorce 'industry'. After appearing in a series of lukewarm film releases, Baldwin made a botched directorial debut; his career seemed to stall and it was unclear if he'd ever appear on TV again. Thankfully, he was cast in 30 Rock in 2006 and has gone on to host Saturday Night Live sixteen times, as well as the 82nd Academy Awards. Last year he shockingly implied that he would be leaving 30 Rock, but has agreed to continue his role to the delight and relief of critics and fans worldwide. Baldwin is next starring on the big screen in this year's big release Rock of Ages which will hopefully be another well-deserved success.
In the most embarrassing moment in Take Me Out's history last Saturday, millions of viewers cringed behind their cushions as model Damion committed social suicide again, and again, and again. With an extreme case of foot in mouth, Damion gave a prime example of what not to do on a dating show by repeatedly insulting the girls. After the revelation that he used to 'date' Jodie Marsh, who unsurprisingly, hastened to deny such claims, cocky Damion looked on in disbelief as he lost the majority of his lights. Damion then made the ultimate schoolboy error and told glamour model Lucy, after she turned off her light, that he was going to pick her from the beginning. Amidst gasps of shock in the studio, Paddy pointed out that this meant the rest of the girls were technically second best. Awkward! Damion then continued to dig himself a deeper hole, telling the remaining girls, the majority of whom were blondes, that he normally attracts blondes and therefore wanted to take a brunette out. Nonetheless, he narrowed his final choice down to two blondes, Steph and Chelsea but, ever the charmer, he said he 'had no choice'. What lucky, lucky girls. It came down to Damion's question to the girls, and Steph voiced the opinions of many by saying that she would have a good answer for this, if she actually liked the lad. Even Paddy applauded this response, and his regular jokes made it clear that he was as shocked by Damion's cringe worthy responses as the rest of the audience and the girls on the show. As Paddy tried to salvage the show, he revealed that one of the girls was Miss Intercontinental England beauty queen. When asking whether it was Steph, to everyone's horror, Damion interjected 'no', to which she responded by wishing Chelsea good luck! Then, in a moment of TV brilliance and a Take Me Out first, the girls took the instruction 'no likey no lighty' quite literally, as Steph's light was turned off by her neighbour before Damion could! This left poor Chelsea to take one for the team, but Damion continued to add insult to injury, as he later described how Lucy seemed reserved, which was probably because it was Chelsea...
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Love is in the air – Top 5 dating shows Charlotte Goodwin sees who's got that loving feeling with a countdown of reality romance TV
Television 13
Top TV tweets Compiled by Eliott Rhodes
The Bachelor
5.
Channel 5's attempts at dating shows have not yet matched up to those on ITV or Channel 4. On this show 25 girls competed for the attention of so-called 'eligible bachelor' Gavin Henson, and inevitably, uber bitchiness dominated the show.
Streetmate
Celebrity Love Island
4.
Following 12 celebrities looking for love in Fiji, couples were pushed together by the British public choosing which contestants they would like to see spending more time together. But with a cash prize for the remaining couple love was not the priority!
3.
Blind Date
Take Me Out
In Streetmate Davina McCall took to the streets with the challenge of finding a singleton and then finding them a potential date. Davina's match-making skills were really put to the test when her chosen couple had to go out to see if there was any romance.
2.
Only in its third series, Take Me Out has become a phenomenon. Paddy McGuiness' comedy always makes the show more entertaining, especially with such phrases as 'no likey, no lighty!' And, of course, drama and embarrassing moments are always there.
1.
The ultimate dating show, hosted by Cilla Black, successfully ran for a whopping 18 years! The similar format saw the selected couple go on holiday to see if a chance for romance could emerge. Without Blind Date, Take Me Out might not exist.
Reviews: Last week's hottest shows Celebrity Juice Jenna Kirby Critic
Keith Lemon and co are back after beating the well-established likes of QI and Mock the Week to the Most Popular Comedy Panel Show at this year's National TV Awards. Series seven kicked off as captains Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby battled it out to see who has the best knowledge of the week's tabloid news, in a series of random and often explicit challenges. Last week's episode featured well-known TV personali-
Roger and Val Have Just Got In Russell Webb Critic
Dawn French and Alfred Molina return for a second series of their hit BBC2 sitcom. The pair take the roles of the title characters Roger and Val Stephenson in a half hour show that plays out in real time. The series begins after the couple get in from a wedding. Roger is preoccupied with his work tribunal despite cutting loose at the wedding as we are told through French's anecdotal telling of his
ties Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, comedian and regular panellist Rufus Hound and actor Chris Fountain, best known from Hollyoaks and Coronation Street. Keith Lemon continued in his carefree fashion, making endless breast jokes (mainly at Holly 'Willoughbooby'), turning everything into sexual innuendo and being mean to Fearne Cotton. Breaking his new year's resolution to be nice to Cotton seconds after the show kicks off, he continues to ruthlessly make fun of her large nostrils and small breasts. Lemon's humour can either be hilarious or deeply annoying, and unfortunately this is something on which the enjoyment of the show heavily depends. dancing. The crux of last week's episode, named 'Shock', is the two pieces of news that Roger and Val receive. Firstly Val opens a letter that has arrived revealing that she has an interview for the deputy headship at her school. Of course this provokes a sense of joy and excitement, especially because of the tribunal that has been hanging over their heads. However, there is a second piece of news that Roger finds. This piece of paper carries with it a decidedly different set of emotions that is conveyed effortlessly by Molina. The audience, like Val, is unaware of what the news is and are left waiting until the next episode to find out.
Family Fortunes Charlotte Goodwin Critic
The All-Star Family Fortunes game show, hosted by Vernon Kay, returned to our screens for its seventh series. This week's contestants are the families of 'loose woman' Carol Vorderman, and Strictly Come Dancing contestant and astrologer 'to the stars', Russell Grant. The format remains the same with the two families battling it out for a chance to win ÂŁ30,000 for charity by guessing the results from public surveys. It's always good fun to see
Kay's comic side come out on TV, and his humour is certainly needed to sustain viewers' interest throughout the show that, disappointingly, has slowly lost some of its old charm. Such trivial things as the viewers using clues from the celebrity's family to guess the identity of the celebrity make the show somewhat less entertaining. However, the video clips about Grant's and Vorderman's lives included a hilarious blast-from-the-past for Carol when footage was shown of her on Stars in Their Eyes! It's worth a watch if there's nothing better on or to get a look at the celeb families.
Dave Gorman @DaveGorman wonders if ITV is a self sufficient channel. 'I think Take Me Out is ITV's long term plan to breed new contributors for Jeremy Kyle.'
Chris Addison Also while watching Take Me Out, @MrChrisAddison tweeted 'Watching ITV1. Fifteen to One's really changed its format, hasn't it?'
Leigh Francis @LeighFrancis showed off his advertising skills "...Boobs, Nostrils, Lemon, Hound." for his new series of Celebrity Juice on ITV2.
Tony Hawks
@thefridgeman Tony Hawks tries to get on Dragon's Den with his inventive side, "Anyone want to start www.lostmyglove.com? Simply register online to acquire the missing right or left glove."
Danny Baker @Prodnose Danny Baker weighs in on the Suarez handshake debate, 'Hardly any fuss about Torres not shaking TWO Everton hands yesterday. The first he took too long about and the second he missed altogether.'
Seth MacFarlane Family Guy and American Dad creator @ SethMacFarlane gets philsophical and considers his parallel self, 'I bet parallel universe me looks ridiculous walking around with that beak.'
TUESDAY 20 MARCH TH
AT THE GREAT HALL,
2b
ASTON WEBB, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM Arrive at 6.45pm for 7.30pm start
An evening to celebrate and recognise the fantastic work of University of Birmingham students.
TICKETS £20STUDENT
AVAILABLE NOW FROM THE TS. EN D U * ST F O D IL U G E TH T A R DEVELOPMENT COUNTE ks, a two course meal & (includes two free drin uild) official after party in the G
am s 11am to 5:30pm and Fri 11 ur Th – on M en op is r te un co * The Student Development
For more information, please visit:
guildofstudents.com/guildawards
to 4pm
QUESTION TIME WITH THE VICE CHANCELLOR MONDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2012 TH
6.00 6.00 -- 7.30PM, 7.30PM, COMMON COMMON ROOM, ROOM, GUILD GUILD OF OF STUDENTS STUDENTS
ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND PERSONAL TUTORS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
ACCESSIBILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION
ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK
This is Mark H arr is President o op. He f th of Students. H e Guild is joTUITION b is to FEEDS represent the views of Birmingham students to the Univer sity
LEARNING RESOURCES
vid a D r o s s e f This is Pro is the e H . d o o Eastw f the o r o l l e c n Vice-Cha Birmingham. of University the e e s r e v o o His job is t rsity e v i n U r u o y running of
TUITION FEES HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING POSTGRADUATE ISSUES
NEW LIBRARY
EMPLOYABILITY
COME ALONG TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM ISSUES. Entrance is free but please reserve your seat by emailing studentvoice@guild.bham.ac.uk. Please note this event is for University of Birmingham students only. Attendees will be asked to present their student card for entrance to the event.
16 redbrickpaper.co.uk
17th February 2012
Music
Redbrick
Odd Future to record with Kanye West www.nme.com/news/music
Ska Jukebox
This Much I Know... This week in Redbrick Music's ongoing comment column, critic Laura Schofield begins her crusade against the Queen of Pop who seems to never give up...
William Franklin
So she's back! Once again, pouring herself into those lycra outfits, w i t h a face 40 years younger than her body, a i r brushed to within an inch of recognition. It has to be the one and only Madonna, and this much I know: it's time she was stopped! Never mind the fact that at one point she was the untouchable gay icon, she's dragged the whole thing out for much too long. Firstly, she hasn't made a good album since Music in 2000 (and even that is open to debate) and since then with each album her credibility has slidden further down the muddy hill, as she desperately tries to remain current, even though she's of the generation that would use
Music Editor
The Specials – 'A Message To You, Rudy' This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; The Specials utterly epitomise the whole 2 Tone ska revival movement in the Seventies. Their back catalogue is a rich vein of danceable tunes with political stances listeners could identify with. It's all so consistently entertaining that just picking one song does their career no justice. But, 'A Message To You, Rudy' is a timeless concept, everyone knows a Rudy, an incorrigible hedonist on the way to either prison or the grave. And if you don't, I've got bad news, because that means it's you. Madness – 'Baggy Trousers' Where The Specials were funloving liberals, Madness were just Camden prats who refused to take their sunglasses off. But maniacally poppy as they were, it didn't stop flocks of skinheads taking up 'Baggy Trousers' as some kind of overtly racist anthem and Nazi salute at their gigs. Which wasn't fair to Madness, who were just there to sing about the end of school and inconvenient clothing.
the term 'down with the kids'. This time 'Madge' has finally lost her grip on the slippery slope and has sunk into the swamp below, leaving her covered in a brown sticky substance, to which you could compare her music. But it's not only the art form of music that she is intent on offending these days, oh no! She's continued her attack on the film industry as well, releasing the sentimental drivel, W.E., which was panned by critics and audiences alike. In a desperate attempt to keep herself young (aside from nipping, tucking and exposing as much flesh as possible), she keeps teaming up with much younger, popular artists. In 2007 she made out with Britney and Christina at the VMA's, then in 2009 we saw her gyrating against Justin Timberlake; at half her age both encounters were highly disturbing. But now the whole sorry affair has moved from disturbing to just plain depressing, as, in her latest video for the ear of-
Single Review
Essential Albums
Deerhunter 'Curve'
Bad Manners – 'Skinhead Love Affair' Ok, I'm not doing much for ska's unfortunate skinhead connotations here. But all this really is is a touching tale of love in the face of adversity, even if that adversity is just shoplifting, broken noses and perms. And a brief stretch in the can. The Beat – 'Mirror In The Bathroom' I'm only sure of two things: that this song is great, and that if you stand in front of a mirror at home, and say 'The Beat' three times, Suggs leaps out and punches you in the mouth. *** To hear all these ska hits and more, tune in to Redbrick Music's radio show – Wednesdays at 6pm, on Burnfm.com For unique online content like reviews of the new singles from Andrew Bird and Here We Go Magic, an interview with Howler and an obituary for the late Whitney Houston, visit www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/music. You can also follow us on Twitter at @redbrickmusic
fensive song 'Give Me All Your Luvin'', Madonna has employed girls of the moment, MIA and Nicki Minaj. However, this little team hasn't worked quite as well as she'd hoped it would, with naughty MIA swearing at the Super Bowl. Well, you kids can be unruly sometimes, I can only imagine that must be how Madge is consoling herself. Finally, I know it's time Madonna was stopped because she's just too damn old! She's 53 now, and although there's nothing wrong with the process of ageing, it's a perfectly natural thing; what is not natural, however, is for her to still be writhing around, scantily clad. Nobody wants to see her chicken legs and veiny arms, giving her the overall look of too many chicken breasts inside a Tesco plastic bag. Therefore, just to reiterate, this much I know: that Madonna must be stopped from offending our ears and eyes, and scaring small children when it isn't even Halloween.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967) Josh Holder
Online Music Editor
1967 was surely one of the most momentous years in rock 'n' roll history; the music world was alight with a bold, riff-focused sound, catalysed by the release of The Beatles' masterpiece Revolver a year earlier. The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Kinks and The Rolling Stones all released stunning albums in '67, and The Beatles astoundingly released two – Magical Mystery Tour and their highly acclaimed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Astonishingly, a new artist managed to sweep all of these classics to one side by releasing one of the most original and inspiring debuts of all time. That artist was Jimi Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix teamed up with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell to become The Jimi Hendrix Experience, from which they developed into a tightly knit three-piece whose sound
integrated rock 'n' roll riffs with blues and jazz melodies. Their debut album Are You Experienced? remains the highlight of their career, with an overwhelmingly high concentration of incredible songs. 'Purple Haze' is the album's most famous track, and its acclaim is well deserved. Whilst featuring a superb riff and a spectacular chorus, the track ultimately secured its legendary status due to the addition of Hendrix's dazzling guitar solo, which remains unmatched to this day. 'The Wind Cries Mary' also manages to stand out, since it is the softest song on the album. Hendrix performs a beautiful vocal performance over the track's melodic backing, whilst taking breaks to deliver soothing guitar solos; proof that solos don't always have to be the aggressive, attention-seeking shredding that they are renowned for. Whilst Hendrix is the star here, Redding and Mitchell should not be overlooked, since their instruments en-
#23 ter the spotlight on several tracks. Redding provides an undeniably catchy bass hook for '51st Anniversary', an anti-marriage track that was inspired by the rocky relationship of Hendrix's parents. Although Mitchell's drumming is consistently brilliant throughout, it truly blossoms on 'Fire', where fast drum rolls and erratic fills compliment the unrelenting pace of the track. Hendrix's melodic riffs and hurtling solos are as timeless as the topics that his lyrics cover; from exploring the benefits of an adventurous lifestyle on title track 'Are You Experienced?' to frustrating relationships on 'Manic Depression'. 'Are You Experienced?' not only introduced the world to Jimi Hendrix's remarkable talent and imagination, but it turned the electric guitar into the lead instrument of rock music. It is an extraordinary accomplishment that will remain Hendrix's legacy for decades to come.
Eva Hibbs Critic
If anyone's going to rebuild Japan, it's probably not Deerhunter. From tsunami relief compilation We Are the Works in Progress comes their latest instrumental, 'Curve'. It seems that following the successful Halcyon Digest, the band have taken a step back so to recover from a two-year hangover. In an Explosions-In-TheSky-got-lazy fashion, this tepid track sounds like they've been left with half-full wine glasses to stroke the edges of. Or are the glasses half empty? Unlike Bono, Lennon and Floyd, this reach-out anthem is so self-effacing it's almost not there. There's ambient and then there's just asleep.
Music 17
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Kanye West: A Career in Tweets
Redbrick Meets... Matt Cardle Redbrick caught up with the winner of the seventh series of The X Factor, the man of many hats - Matt Cardle.
Laura Schofield Critic
Hello Matt, how are you today? Very well thanks. When are you next coming to Birmingham? On the 5th March at the Symphony Hall. You used to be in bands before the X Factor, did you make similar music when you were with the band? Yes it’s very similar, that’s why I feel very lucky to be writing what I am at the moment. So do you feel you had enough creative control over your album? Definitely, I was able to co-write nearly all of it, apart from the Biffy Clyro song, but apart from that I felt I had full control. Were you a fan of Biffy Clyro before you covered their song?
Yes I’m a huge Biffy fan, always have been, they offered me the song and I grabbed it with both hands! Are you sick of talking about the X Factor yet? No, it’s fine, it was my break, my chance to get into the industry so I’m happy to talk about it. If you could describe the experience in three words what would they be? Amazing, scary, incredible. What advice would you give to people interested in entering? Be yourself, be prepared and enjoy it. Have you given Little Mix any advice since they won the show and what would you say to them if you could? I’ve spoken to them a few times since they won, but I didn’t necessarily give them any advice. But if I was to, I’d say make sure you have as much creative control as pos-
You can learn a lot about a man from his incessant stream of digital consciousness. And Mr. West is famed for his impassioned outbursts. Here are some of his greatest.
sible and have fun with it. What did you think of Little Mix? I thought they were great, as they were constantly improving week on week. What do you think of the success of other contestants, such as One Direction, Rebecca Ferguson and Cher Lloyd? It was a tough competition and it could have been anyone of us that won so I’m not surprised; I'm happy for their success. What do you say to people that say X Factor is ruining the music industry? Well, a lot of people are buying the CDs made by me and other people who came out of the process, and they’re buying them because they like the music so I’d say it’s not ruining the music industry at all. What are you listening to at the moment? The new albums from Coldplay and Noel Gallagher as well as my
old favourites, like Pearl Jam and Rage Against The Machine. I’m actually liking a bit of Lana Del Ray as well. So Matt, what does the future hold? Well, there’s the new single 19th February, the tour starting in March and shortly after I’ll be starting my second album. With the day fast approaching, what have you got planned for Valentine's day? I’ve got a few treats up my sleeve, yeah, but I haven’t arranged anything yet. Have you got a girlfriend then? Yes. Finally, do you still have the hat? Yes, a few. There was more than one hat? Yes, there were always a couple of them.
Footnotes' Raw Animal Magnetism Live Review Jacob Lovick reviews the musical direction of the Comedy Society's latest show.
Jacob Lovick Critic
In his note in the play's programme, Director Richard Higgs mentions that a musical feature of the play will be ‘the most musical sound of all – people enjoying themselves’. Whilst this was certainly true, it fails to include the possibility that the acts themselves, musically, would clearly be enjoying themselves as well. Throughout this laugh-fest of bizarre, tragic comedy were occasions of musical relief, which, in keeping with the
play’s animalistic theme, were all performed by various ‘animals’. The first of the lot were the Country Badger and his sidekick David, performed 'Somersetically' and wonderfully by Tyler Harding and Jack Toop respectively, as a couple of country yokels-cum-badgers who were complaining acoustically about badger culling. Whilst a charming song musically, the lyrics, devised by the duo themselves, were also hilarious, and had us rolling in the aisles from the opening minute.
Second up, we saw the return of Mr Harding as the ‘strong silent’ blues guitar accompaniment to the soulful and John Lee Hooker-esque Chazz Redhead, with the two playing Steve’s Blues Alligator Band, discussing, through the medium of grunting vocals and whacking blues riffs, the varying differences between alligators and crocodiles, and educated us through our ‘crocodile tears’ of laughter. Wildly, the music took an abrupt turn with the third act, abrupt but certainly warranted, as Anais Seager reprised her role as operatic cameo from the term’s earlier sketch show, and dazzled us all with 'I Dreamed A Dream', popularised by the less-than-popular Susan Boyle. Her vocals were pitch perfect and enchanting, and were soon to be backed up comically, and yet still in tune, by Chazz Redhead’s Lorca the Whale. Last, but certainly not least, we saw the welcome return of Jack Toop as Martin the Frog, whose We’re Frogs anti-littering song won the audience’s hearts, and was both delightful and thigh-slappingly uproarious. His simple guitar riffs combined with amusing lyrics, such as 'Princesses kiss us/ The French eat us:/We’re frogs', made for my favourite act of the night, and one that deserved the standing ovation that it received. The night was riotous, entertaining and very odd, which, from what I understand, was pretty much the directors’ intention.
The Black Keys
Nottingham, Capital FM Arena 3/2/2012 Eva Hibbs Critic
I did something I always judge others for. I bought the t-shirt before watching the gig. With The Black Keys, however, I think it’s forgivable. Touring their storming seventh album, El Camino, these guys are getting bigger by the day. And despite forming over ten years ago, recently The Black Keys have received a lot attention. Cue Brits across the island madly hi-fiving: rock has returned. And it’s pure rock; rock hot enough to melt the ice of the rink next door. It’s rock to get you off, rock to stamp on other people’s feet to and make you holler like a kid on a rollercoaster. So with tight, over-priced t-shirt clamped under armpit, I stride in to Band of Skulls roaring out 'The Devil Takes Care of His Own'. Why does that always happen, arriving halfway through
a favourite? And then there’s that conflict of wanting to immediately sing/dance while finding your seats/not spilling your pint. Perhaps not quite matured enough for an arena gig, Band of Skulls was a baby-sized introduction to deceivingly dowdy duo Dan and Pat. Once The Black Keys came on stage, nothing else mattered. They filled the room to such an extent that the band, and staging too, could afford to be minimal - just a classic drum skin and Hollywood-esque header, sparkling up towards the end of the gig. Current single 'Gold on the Ceiling' got everyone riled up; retro 'I’ll Be Your Man' had all the middle-aged men pointing at their wives; but the most memorable has to be loud and assured 'Tighten Up' which made us boogie right from the back. The Black Keys cured my vertigo. Awesome.
18 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
17th February 2012
Film
'I never look back, darling, it distracts from the now.'
The Incredibles (2004)
Interview: Nicholas Cage from Ghost Rider
Film News
Matt McGrath digs deep to find the subtle hidden meanings behind Cage's latest movie flop
You seem drawn to playing these anti-hero characters. What is it that attracts you to these roles? In my filmography you’re right to point out that I’m attracted to characters that have some obstacle to overcome, whether it’s inside or outside of them, because to me that’s drama. But within that, I’m attracted to characters that allow me to realise my more surrealistic and abstract dreams for film acting.
Rider is a far better match for me. Towards the end of the film you mention the possibility of a bee stinging the child’s face which seemed like a reference to The Wicker Man, how did that come about? Oh. See I never thought about it
that way! But I do have fantasies of doing another Wicker Man, having another go at it, but this time I want to take it to Japan. Get your head around that one! You’ve worked with many great directors over the years such as Scorsese and Lynch,
Is there a particular real-life person you’d like to play? Generally my instinct is to not to do biographical movies. I want to build characters and not be locked into playing a part in history. For me, what’s interesting is creating somebody and introducing you to that person.
but which director would you say had the greatest influence on you as an actor? I think that they all had enormous effects on me. I started acting at such a young age; I began as a 15 year old, which makes me a child actor of sorts. I’ve been doing it for 33 years which is hard to believe at this point. But because I started so young I think some of the filmmakers I worked with at a young age had a bigger affect on me because my mind was still learning and I was impressionable, so it would be David Lynch and Martha Coolidge; they had enormous effects on me. It looked like you had a lot of fun making the film, is that element of fun important to you or do you prefer a more serious approach? I think you have to have fun and that’s going back to what David Lynch told me. It’s very important to have fun while making a movie because if you’re not then the audience won’t. And with something like Ghost Rider, which is in no way meant to be a sanctimonious thing that everyone is going to forget about, it’s got to be fun. It sounds trite, but it is essential.
Do you regret that you never got to be Superman as once suggested? No, the only regret I have is not having the chance to work with Tim Burton. I hope someday that we will work together, I know it will be special, but as far as that particular character goes I have no regrets. I think that the Ghost
Five of the Best: Kids' Films with Adult Appeal Lucius Palmer celebrates half-term with a junior popcorn as he judges this week's top 5
#2
1
Toy Story
#
Toy Story introduced a new medium; films entirely made with CGI. The first film was both saddening, with the toys lost by a seemingly uncaring child, and horrifying, when they find themselves in the lair of a child who likes to dissect his sister's dolls. The second film is fairly straightforward, with some nods to films familiar to parents (such as Star Wars). It is the third film which truly explores adult themes, sees the toys facing death and even alludes to a fiery afterlife...
Shrek
Minutes into the first of the Shrek films, we learn the name of the villain: Lord Farquaad, to which every adult watching raised an eyebrow. Since then, the franchise has treated us to gender-confused wolves, the use of date-rape as a political strategy, and of course the holocaust-reminiscent theme of the first film. There are also plenty of musical pieces which should cast all our minds back.
The Incredibles
should make any #4 which adult nod along as we
A Pixar superhero flic
join the adventures of a superhero family struggling with the banalities of everyday life. When their life once again takes a turn for the extraordinary, there are few punches pulled. Adultery, child-murder, the evils of archcapitalism and the ethical pitfalls of insurance brokerage are among the themes.
Matthew Clemens Critic
Beetle Juiced Michael Keaton has reportedly opened discussions with writer Seth Grahame-Smith about a possible Beetlejuice sequel. The Toy Story 3 star said he is ‘hugely’ enthused by the possibility of returning as the pyjama clad trickster, and judging by GrahameSmith’s comments that Beetlejuice 2 is a ‘high priority’ for both Tim Burton and Warner Bros studios, it looks like everyone’s favourite Batman will have his dreams come true.
Claws for Alarm If you just can’t get enough of those Marvel rehashes, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Wolverine sequel to 2009’s X-Men Origins movie has finally been given a legitimate release date of July next year. So far, all we know is that Hugh Jackman will definitely be reprising his role as the beast with the adamantium skeleton. As regards the story? – Rumours are afloat that it will be set in Japan. Silver Samurai anyone? That’d be cool, but let’s face it people, it’s either him or Omega Red. It’s just a matter of the filmmaker’s vision.
Bored Game A Christmas Carol
#3
Starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge (and featuring him in numerous other roles), this is a fairly faithful re-telling of Dickens' festive classic. One of few films to portray in vivid detail the chilling demise of the Ghost of Christmas Present, and a genuinely frightening Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, never has a Christmas film's festive conclusion been more welcome to adult hearts.
The Hunchback of...
to be based on a clas#5 films sic novel, The Hunchback One of the last Disney
of Notre Dame has a childlike message, delivered by a plethora of whacky characters (including a talking gargoyle with a goat fetish - seriously!) There is nothing childlike or simple about the motivations of the villain, Frollo, however, and one of the iconic musial pieces of the film, 'Hellfire', should make anyone shudder.
of
this
Thanks to figure designs included in a Marvel-produced ‘Avengers’ board game, we now know the identity of the film’s ‘secret’ villains. Or do we? Figurines that suspiciously resemble the Skrulls were included in the game, a ‘mistake’ that has resulted in recent spoiler uproar. The trailer shows strange objects falling from the sky and the plot alludes to some kind of Earth-ending invasion, and appears to show Loki commanding an entire army. So, does this newfound knowledge ruin the initial enthusiasm we had to watch this movie? Umm…not really.
Redbrick
Film 19
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Reviews Casablanca
UNMISSABLE
EXCELLENT
Critic
Director: Neveldine/Taylor Cast: Nicholas Cage, Fergus Riordan, Violante Placido Cert: 12A
Critic
Director: Michael Curtiz Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid Cert: U It is December 1941, and World War Two has made the French-Moroccan city of Casablanca a haven for refugees desperate to escape the Nazis. They gather in ‘Rick’s Café Américain’, a bar and casino also frequented by Vichy French and Nazi officials and run by Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American. Rick comes into possession of two letters of transit which allow passage to neutral
TRAGIC
Ghost Rider II
Matt McGrath
Natasha Lavender
POOR
GOOD
Portugal. However, when Rick’s ex-lover Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and her husband, the important Czech resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) unexpectedly arrive in Casablanca, egocentric Rick must decide if his loyalties lie with himself or the greater good. Full of instantly recognisable quotes (and misquotes), Casablanca has become a classic love story. Humphrey Bogart portrays both cool unconcern and hidden sensitivity as the sceptical Rick, while Ingrid Bergman charms the screen as the woman caught between the man she loves and the man who needs her. These lead performances, along with those of Henreid and Claude Rains (as Vichy Captain Louis Renault), com-
bine with a steady pace and underlying tension to provide an intense and engaging film. Particularly notable is the beautifully shot battle between the Germans’ ‘Die Wacht am Rhein’ and the Vichy French and refugees singing ‘La Marseillaise’ conducted by Laszlo. The combination of witty dialogue, intense wartime drama and heartfelt love story give Casablanca its wide appeal. Frequently featured on countdowns of the all-time greatest films, Casablanca was screened at Birmingham’s Electric Cinema over the week running up to Valentine’s Day. Rick may be looking at you, kid, but audiences seventy years later are watching and loving Casablanca. !
!
!
! !
! !
!
Despite the questionably varied quality of his films, Nicolas Cage is a reliable actor. His performances may be inconsistent, yet in every film Nicolas Cage can be guaranteed to deliver a highly entertaining performance. Unfortunately Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is a film in which the only striking positive is Cage's unhinged performance as both Johnny Blaze and the Ghost Rider. When Cage has to transform between the two characters he is reminiscent of his performance as Terrence McDonagh, the unstable Police Sergeant in The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. One of the nice surprises in the film was the inclusion of Idris Elba, known to most as The Wire's
Stringer Bell, as Moreau, a charismatic French monk, who when on screen with Cage displays a great amount of chemistry. However, even the enjoyable performances of these two stars cannot save what is a lacklustre script containing amateurish dialogue and many cringe-worthy one liners. It is near impossible to leave a Nicolas Cage film without having been entertained by his performance, and whilst Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance doesn't contain the unintentional hilarity of Knowing or The Wicker Man, there is still some element of enjoyment to be had. Thankfully the film embraces the over-the-top nature which directors Neveldine and Taylor (creators of Crank) injected into it, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. But despite this, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is an unnecessary and forgettable sequel which drags on for longer than the 95 minute run time would suggest. !
!
Beginners Guide To: Marvel Studios This week the super Luke Jones brings us a blow-by-blow account of our favourite screen heroes and villains Since 1939 Marvel Worldwide Inc. has produced some of the most iconic comic book characters in the world. But just how did they go from funny books to producing the biggest gamble in blockbuster history?
Early Films
It’s fair to say that Marvel’s earlier attempts to bring their characters to the screen varied between awful and mega-awful. Howard the Duck rates as one of the worst films committed to celluloid, while 1990’s Captain America movie is an unintentionally hilarious counterpoint to last year’s big-budget update. In 1996 Marvel Studios was formed, partly with the intention of sorting out Marvel’s poor comic-to-film record. The first film to emerge, 1998’s Blade, is rightly credited with starting the modern wave of comic book
movies. Made on a low budget, it was only moderately successful but it showed the mainstream one thing: comics could be cool.
such that it even inspired a new rating in the UK, 12A, to satisfy
Up and running
If Blade started the ball rolling, then X-Men took it and hit the metaphorical back of the net. Released in 2000 to mixed reviews, it nevertheless took in $54million on its opening weekend in the US, thanks to great casting, a young and offbeat director and a respect for the source material. Even then no-one could have predicted the success that awaited their next project. Attempts at getting a film based on Spider-Man had been stuck in development hell for years. When Spider-Man was released in 2002 it broke boxoffice records with the biggest single day opening on record with $39.4million. Its popularity was
children who were too young to see it. This is something that has been horribly abused by their DC competitors ever since (yes that means you, Dark Knight)! The X-Men franchise has had its ups and downs from the first two solid films, to weaker later efforts. However, it is the prequel X-Men: First Class that has been a return to form for this staple of Marvel films. With a second Wolverine spin-off in the pipes, the X-Men franchise may or may not prove a money spinner for the comic book giant. Perhaps the rugged charm of Hugh Jackman has finally run out.
The Avengers Initiative
Sequels to Blade, X-Men and Spider-Man followed to even greater successes, but there was one problem: they were all financed by other companies. If Marvel wanted greater control, and the financial rewards that would bring, they needed to start financing the movies themselves. In 2008, Iron Man emerged as the first film released under the Marvel banner to be completely self-financed. It was a gamble, but it paid off. A lesser known character, an ex drug-addict as a star a n d a director who played Monica’s boyfriend in Friends combined to make a smash hit, bringing in over $600mill i o n
worldwide.
The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America These films all followed, building up to arguably the most ambitious blockbuster ever. The Avengers will feature all of these superheroes in one almighty gamble that, if fails, will see at least four established franchises come tumbling down. And if it succeeds? Well, the results will be Marvel-lous.
20 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Life&Style
Redbrick
17th February 2012
Forget boring grad schemes, L&S interview the graduate who became a burlesque dancer. Read online at redbrickpaper.co.uk/lifestyle
NY Fashion Week in a Nutshell: Scandals and Stilettos
Amy Wakeham Writer
As glamorous as ever, New York Fashion Week kicked off in style with President Obama’s ‘Runway to Win’ a week before the real shows started. This facet of his 2012 reelection campaign unveiled clothes and accessories, designed by everyone from the ultra- hip Joseph Altuzarra to Marc Jacobs. Showcasing to the likes of Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenburg, the designers hardly had an easy audience. The same sartorial luminaries undoubtedly attended the opening night of the Council of Fashion
Designers of America’s 50th anniversary celebrations at the museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology. ‘Impact: Fifty Years of the CFDA’, which opened on the very first night of NYFW, displays around 100 garments and accessories designed by America’s biggest and most groundbreaking designers. A celebration of fashion simply for fashion’s sake, the exhibition is a must-see if you’re in New York (one can dream!) between now and April. But things haven’t all been champagne and stilettos at NYFW. A plentiful amount of model scandals have, as ever, rocked the perfectly blow- dried and manicured boat that is fashion week, and kept every blogger glued to their key-
board. From Gisele’s loud mouthed faux- pas after her husband’s defeat at the Superbowl to Karlie Kloss’ mysterious no- show at the shows (she inexplicably cancelled all of her modelling appointments in NYFW), the biggest talking point has been concerning the ethics of using underage models; they are now required by the CFDA to show their ID before walking, to prove that they are indeed over 16. Embarrassment ensued for the CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg last year, when it was discovered that a model in her show was underage. With our wardrobes for Winter 2012 emerging on the catwalks before our eyes, the street style photographers have been out in full force to document this season’s most stylish, chic and, quite frankly, strangest outfits, as seen on the industry’s writers, editors and bloggers. The top ways to remain stylish in a chilly New York? The mixing of prints and textures; paisley combined with leather and fur, for example. Layered monochrome and shades of marine and ochre were paired with statement earrings and patterned tights to finish the look. And, finally, to some of the actual fashion that has been on display this week in New York. According to fashion week newbies Costello Tagliapietra next winter we will come over all lady- like, in
demure hemlines, Lanvin- reminiscent draping and blurred florals very similar to those shown by London’s Erdem. In a departure from his usual First Lady- esque garments, New York darling Jason Wu came over all fierce and directional in a sombre coloured collection. However, with lashings of fur and a fetish for leather along with studded accessories, Wu showed us that Winter 2012 is going to be far from boring.
Rebecca Atherton Writer
Winter is wonderful, isn’t it? Thick scarves and warm coats, Starbucks winter specials, cosy nights in, cracked lips, dry skin…those last two don’t sound too appealing do they? Winter plays havoc with our faces, and can have some serious implications on how fabulous we end up looking in the upcoming spring and summer months. With the recent outburst of freezing cold weather we’ve experienced, it’s vital that we start giving our faces some serious TLC. Here are some handy tips and products to keep you looking your very best in this weather. Chapped lips are never a good look, so if yours are suffering use Blistex Relief Cream (£2.85). Apply
Fierce Awards season: Any excuse to see Brad Pitt in a suit, Meryl Streep winning all the awards and Tilda Swinton looking more ghost/Vampire-like by the day is good enough for us. Stephen Fry: The BAFTA without doubt goes to Stephen for the most innovative, imaginative and downright made-up use of adjectives when introducing the acts at this years awards ceremony. helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com: you can’t fight the ‘n’awwww’ when scrolling through these gorgeous BeyonjayZ baby snaps. Victoria Beckham’s NYFW show: VB is going from strength to strength in the fashion pack proven with the responses to her latest A/W12 collection. Taking her inspiration from ‘David’s beanie hats’ and ‘Romeo’s baseball kit’ we’re just thankful she hasn’t incorporated Cruz’s baseball caps or Harper’s babygrows into the collection… Planning summer holidays: Yes, it’s only Feb and yes what’s left of the student loan (if any) is dwindling nervously in our accounts but planning a ridonculous trip to Marbs is what will get us through exam season. Whitney Houston: A musical legend, an incredible voice and an excuse to get up and dance unashamedly at any occasion. RIP.
Winter Skin Saviours it in the privacy of your bedroom or ideally before you go to bed as the thick white cream isn’t attractive but will help heal cracks and prevent them from returning. To buff up your lips and remove flaky skin try Lush’s range of lip scrubs (£4.95) that will moisturise and keep your lips deliciously smooth all day (Sweet Lips is a particular favourite). In the meantime, try your hardest not to lick your lips - saliva contains enzymes that dry out the thin skin on your lips to the extreme, hence the more you lick the drier they become, so keep a hydrating lip balm on you at all times to apply during the day, such as Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 (£9.50). Keeping your face well moisturised in any extreme weather condition is a necessity. Keep using your daily moisturiser every morning and night on top of clean skin, and your face should cope with the cold and wind; Clinique Moisture Surge (£30) is a skin saver if your face is feeling tight. If you feel like pampering yourself, Sanctuary’s Moisture Boosting Mask (£2.03) is a winner. Used once or twice a week it will revive your skin and provide it with
Fierce & Finished
an intensive burst of extra moisture, and is a great way to let off some steam after a hard day’s procrastination in the library! For daily coverage, try swapping from a foundation to a tinted moisturiser like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser (£33). It will give you a warm colour, glowing complexion and unlike foundation, it won’t start flaking off if your skin is feeling particularly dry that day. It also protects against UVA and UVB rays, because even in this weather your skin is still susceptible to sun damage. Incorporate these simple suggestions into your beauty regime and banish your winter beauty blues forever!
Finished Amy Wakeham Writer
The epitome of Californian laidback edginess, Julie Sarinana of Sincerely, Jules is one cool fashionista. Never one to follow the crowd, Julie puts her own twist on the most stylish clothes of the moment; think Equipment shirts and Alexander Wang bags paired with DIY studded Converse and flowing, dip- dyed hair. One of the reasons I enjoy SincerelyJules.com so much is Julie’s innate and individual sense of style. Although she may follow the trends, the blogger wears them in a way that is so resolutely her own; she has a true personal sense of style.
Post-Valentine Blues: Whilst 14th February for many of us was filled with chocolates, flowers, and romantic dinners for two, it has unfortunately once again passed by and boys are returning to their usual selves. Oh well, only 364 days to wait for its return.. MUGGs: We know it’s cold outside, boys, but no it's not okay to wear your Uggs around campus, or anywhere else for that matter. Joey Essex can barely pull it off so you definitely can’t. Mary Katrantzou for Topshop: The British Fashion Award winner has released a collection in collaboration with Topshop. The designs are perfect for summer; bold, paisley prints in an array of colours. But £180 for a blouse in Topshop?! Even student discount won’t help us out on this one. Radio One at the Baftas: With a surge of award ceremonies these last few weeks, the Fashion Police are doing their usual patrol for the worst dressed celebrity. Edith Bowman and Fearne Cotton shocked fans with their choice of outfits for the Baftas. Normally a stylish duo, the Radio One DJ’s both chose dated, unflattering styles. They were unexpectedly on the Worst Dressed list – we look to you two for fashion guidance!
Life&Style 21
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Condé Nast College
Sophie Powers Writer
The new Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design has announced that it is now accepting applications for its first term of teaching. The college will be part of an exciting brand expansion for the international magazine publisher, Condé Nast, home to some of the world’s most successful magazines, including Vogue, GQ and Vanity Fair. Originally scheduled to open in Autumn 2012, the college will now be opening its doors in January 2013, and is set to offer two courses: the ten-week Vogue Fashion Certificate and the one-year
Vogue Fashion Foundation Diploma. Principal Susie Forbes, former Editor of British Vogue, says: ‘We believe that we have created a unique educational offering that, with its strong vocational bias, will arm a whole new generation of students with the skill and capability to pursue a successful career in the fashion industry.’ The Central London-based college will offer ‘outstanding resources, cutting-edge facilities and access to experts from the worlds of fashion, style and luxury’. Indeed, Condé Nast’s unrivalled industry links will allow the college access to fashion insiders that is unlikely to be found elsewhere in
Talent Spotlight: Felicity Jones
Tiffany Bowers Writer
From the moment I saw the trailer for ‘Like Crazy’, the improvised romantic film of two students who fall in love, I was instantly in awe of Felicity Jones’ impeccable acting talent. Considering this film didn’t exceed a $250,000 budget, and the predominately improvised dialogue was captured on an inexpensive Canon camera, the skills of Felicity’s acting must have been of the utmost. Felicity is a Birmingham girl, born and bred, having grown up in Bournville, she then attended Wadham College, Oxford, during which she participated in plays and became increasingly involved in theatre. However, Felicity had already tried her hand at acting, gracing the small screen in late 90s hit The Worst Witch, in which she played Ethel Hallow. For all
those who did not experience the magic of The Worst Witch as I did, Ethel Hallow was to Mildred Hubble, what Draco Malfoy is to Harry Potter, and Felicity Jones did a very good job at it! She then moved into the world of radio and played the part of Emma Carter in BBC radio4 soap opera The Archers. After perfecting her craft and gaining confidence with The Archers and guest roles in TV shows such as Doctor Who, she slowly began to make a name for herself as a respected actress, yet still staying relatively below the radar. As well as starring in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s Cemetery Junction, Felicity also showed her comedic abilities in romcom Chalet Girl, along side the gorgeous Ed Westwick. This showed that Felicity could be versatile, undergoing two months of intense snowboard training for the role, and although many of us may have loved a season in the Alps, it certainly does show her determination and dedication to her job, constantly pushing her boundaries and exploring new acting spheres. At 28, Felicity is now taking the big screen by storm, and her red carpet attendances have shown that she is not only beautiful and composed, but also has a unique style. She wears simple, classy pieces that compliment her English Rose looks, and this, along with her acting abilities and intelligence, makes me think that Felicity Jones is here to stay.
Desert Island education: visiting lecturers are set to include designers, journalists, stylists and entrepreneurs. An emphasis is also placed on the college’s unique networking opportunities and career prospects: not only will students be introduced to key figures in the industry, but Condé Nast itself is also expected to offer work experience and internships to the most gifted students. So, at what cost does this unique educational experience come? In typical Vogue style, the price tag is rather sizeable: undertaking the ten-week Vogue Fashion Certificate will cost you £6,600, whilst the full one-year Foundation Diploma will set you back almost £20,000. The costs may be staggering, but will students reap what they sow? In an industry that is notoriously difficult to enter, the Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design may provide an unbeatable stepping stone to those who wish to pursue a career in fashion. Only time will tell if the college will be successful in launching students into some of the most covetable roles in fashion but, if we are to trust the objectives put forth by its founders, it may become one of the surest places to commence an accomplished career in fashion. As Susie Forbes declares, ‘My ambition for the college is to make it the absolute gold standard in fashion education in London; in fact, in the world.’ This may be so, but the industry still remains exclusive to the privileged alone.
Beauty Product Sarah Musgrove
Writer
The term ‘Metrosexual’ was first coined by Mark Simpson in 1994 in an article for The Independent. Defined as ‘an urban man who enjoys shopping, fashion and similar interests traditionally associated with women or homosexual men’, the metrosexual man has become increasingly dominant in recent years. Once consisting of merely deodorants and aftershaves, the male grooming industry now rivals the female cosmetic industry with products ranging from exfoliators to makeup. Reports suggest that men are spending more and more time and money on their appearance.
Simran Bhogal
Editorial Assistant
We all know that Aloe Vera is Mother Nature’s miracle product, but only recently was it discovered in the form of this lightweight moisturiser. Unlike other ‘luxury’ moisturisers, it’s a very lightweight gel – it absorbs quickly, doesn’t leave a heavy residue, and has a fresh, natural smell rather than a heavy dose of perfume. The healing properties of aloe vera mean it's often recommended for intense sun burn (it’s that good), so used as a normal moisturiser this will leave your skin smooth and blemish free. This miracle lotion will not only heal ingrown-hair-damaged pins (amongst other grievances), but will leave your skin as soft and supple as if you’ve had a week of exfoliating. Kind on your purse strings, and kind to your bod’ – the ultimate student staple. £7.99, available from www. boots.com
Metro-sexy: The Rise of the Metrosexual
Sophie Hay
Save, Spend, Splurge
In 2008, Superdrug launched TaxiMan, a brand of makeup specifically designed for the every day man and although the range proved a flop, Boots and other stores still stock makeup for men from guyliner to manscara (which was actually out of stock when I looked on the Boots website…) proving the success of male-targeted cosmetics. Although I find no issue in boys dabbling in the odd bit of concealer to cover up spots, I can’t help feeling that the latest product – ‘Guylashes’ which hit the stores in November - are going a bit too far. Manufactured by our fave false-lashes company Eyelure, men can now choose between thick or fine options for their adhesive lashes. What’s more, on a recent episode of TOWIE, viewers saw Joey Essex sporting his Ugg boots and watched (admittedly with keen interest) as Chloe gave Diags a tutorial in skin care products to improve his complexion. Further still, Grazia magazine last week urged men to join in the ‘male-varnish crew’ with Johnny Depp and Seal. It seems that the metrosexual man, from Essex to Hollywood, is inescapable. So should we be worried that men are becoming ever-increasingly obsessed with their appearance? After all, let’s not forget Narcissus, a man so consumed with his appearance that he drowned in it. On the other hand, if it means more men looking like ‘metrosexual poster-boy’ David Beckham, who are we to complain? – Ladies
Writer
Whether your budget is limited or unlimited (for the lucky girls!), there is an outfit or accessory to suit your price range whilst keeping you looking as stylish as ever. After some intense researching, (and cups of tea), I’ve located three irresistible handbags, all of which are similar in style and stick to particular spending limits:
Save: If you are strapped for cash this bag from Republic is an absolute steal, offering impeccable quality and style for under £30. It is the perfect size for the essentials, as well as any extra additions, meaning you can get real value for your money. Miso Roll Lock Bag, £28, Republic
Spend: The designers at Aldo have been taking notes from Michael K o r s , producing an ostrich effect handbag that rivals those seen in high fashion glossy magazines. This particular piece comes in a variety of earthy shades, so you aren’t limited to one option. Versatility is a great selling point for the bag, as the neutral and black tones allow you to match it with practically any outfit. TEEM handbag, £45, Aldo
Splurge: Craving a piece of designer luxury that will never go out of fashion? If so, then this is the perfect bag to invest in. Tan is a timeless shade, it goes with almost any colour combination, which makes this an expensive but savvy purchase. With the price, comes great quality, so you definitely won’t need to worry about replacing it in the near future. The padlock detail adds a touch of playfulness to a classic tote bag. Michael Kors, Hamilton Medium ostrich-effect leather tote, £285, net-a-porter.com
22 redbrickpaper.co.uk
17th February 2012
Food
Redbrick
Food Fact
In the last year, 1.69 billion pre-packaged sandwiches were sold on the go.
The alternative student shopper Hannah Rowe Writer
I don't know about you, but sometimes I really can't face going to the supermarket, not just because it requires you to trek there and back with what feels like twice your own weight of 'essentials' but because each visit is generally not a nice shopping experience. You arrive with the intention of being in and out within 15 minutes. This never happens. You first of all realise that you have every other possible coin apart from a pound and therefore end up lugging around a basket which would weigh less if it was loaded with bricks. You then negotiate a scrum of people as you contemplate which shaped pasta is the cheapest and search desperately for the tomato ketchup which was definitely in the 'tinned goods' aisle before. Special offers lead you to stockpile cans/squash/something else regretfully heavy and when you've finally reached the last aisle you realise that you have forgotten that vital vegetable and have to claw your way back to the very beginning. And then when you finally come to pay you face a massive queue and then have a race against the cashier to scurry your items away (I'm talking to you Aldi) in your inevitably insufficient amount of reusable bags. Supermarkets can be overwhelming, frustrating, impersonal and really quite boring. So, is there an alternative? They are easy to miss but campus actually has several different options for doing your weekly shop. The Fruit and Veg stall by University Centre has an excellent
variety of produce and is so easy to visit after lectures. It is also great value for money as supermarkets generally have a massive markup on fruit and vegetables; even though Aldi is cheap, it is usually because you bulk buy and end up having to eat twenty carrots in a week. So that's the fruit and vegetables sorted but unless you're planning on living off ratatouille
for a week you might want something to supplement that. The '19 Gales Farm Shop' is great for reasonably priced freerange eggs, milk, cheese, pies, chutneys and jams. It also usually has a small selection of meat which may not be quite as cheap as supermarket offers but is treated with a lot more respect. Meat has become a commodity nowadays; we expect
What's in your box? Josh Oxley Online Food Editor In student 'lad' culture, commanding somebody to make you a sandwich conjures visions of white tank-tops, Stella Artois and misogynistic abuse, so it's easy to forget that this age old tradition is the ultimate lunch to help fuel you through the week. Making your own sandwiches provides economical, tasty and potentially healthy food. One of the perhaps less obvious benefits of making your own sandwiches is the extraordinary amount of money you can save. Candid market research reveals that the Tesco chicken triple sandwich, which most would consider an adequate quantity for lunch, costs £2.30. This wasn't included in their infamous meal deal. Considering this sandwich's humble ingredients (bread, mayonnaise and chicken) this seems extortionate. Adding a bag of crisps or other such supplements pushes the cost of lunch up to £3.50 a day – almost £20 a week, not including weekends – and the expense doesn't
stop there. Other campus food outlets such as Subway or Café Go sell sandwiches that could set you back a whopping £4 a go. Whichever way you look at it, making your own sandwich is unquestionably cheaper. But what about the taste? No point in saving money if you're munching through a sarnie that tastes like sawdust every day. Well, making your own sandwich allows you to include everything you desire and omit the things you detest. Whatever the ingredients of your sandwich fantasies; from a packet of ham, to egg, to cheese, to peanut butter, to any type of sauce, they can be included at will. To me it seems obvious that this sandwich will be far more to your taste than anything the overworked Tesco employees can make for you. Plus, devouring your own creation always adds that extra satisfaction. So, if you don't like your chicken swimming in mayonnaise, or your ham dry, make it taste better by making it yourself. Wrap it in foil and you can eat it whenever and wherever you want avoiding the painstaking queues. Harping on about eating healthily can be incredibly irk-
some, especially when most of us live in the inescapable shadow of Selly Sausage and Roosters. But in the good name of my home-made sandwich crusade, I believe chopping up cucumber, tomato and throwing salad into your fillingpacked sandwich is really the right way to go. Canned tuna, quality ham or freshly made scrambled egg are far healthier, not to mention tastier, filling choices than any fast food alternative. So if constructing fancy salads is too time consuming, or boring, just tick off the healthy food option in a sandwich. With all these fantastic benefits, you can smugly devour your sandwich creation knowing that your wallet, your figure and your taste buds will thank you for it. Three sandwich ideas to tickle your taste buds: 1. Leftover sausage and ketchup in white bread 2. Peanut butter and sliced banana, fried in butter on white or brown bread 3. Hummus, grated carrot and cumin in pitta bread
to be able to buy chicken for a couple of pounds and have it almost every day. Somewhere amongst the piles of plastic packaged mince and our greed we've lost the respect for animals and we've undercut British farmers who struggle to produce cheap enough produce. The Farmer's Market on the centre of campus every month is another great opportunity to sup-
port local businesses and pick up some really tasty food. It's not crazy over-priced like some farmer's markets are and they often have bargains available. Let's also not forget that you can even try before you buy with the copious amounts of free tasters they lay out. If you're looking to cook something a little more exotic then you may also need to pay a visit to 'Fresh Asia' located in the Guild. Due to my appalling sense of direction and the strong resemblance the Guild has to a maze it took me a good while to find this but it was worth it. If you need noodles or curry paste then this is the place to go. The food all looks so exciting and colourful in here; I was sorely tempted to buy a box of cook-yourown prawn crackers just because they had the cutest picture of a prawn on the box. Again the stuff in this shop is all reasonably priced and although small it is wellstocked. There you have it: our guide to avoiding the supermarket in a way that doesn't swallow your time or money. Shopping on campus is convenient, avoids the impulse buys supermarkets propagate with their special offers and, let's face it, it's just a nicer shopping experience. Sometimes a trip to the supermarket is necessary and it can be fun if it's quiet and you find a free aisle in which to trolley skid (we've all done it) but let's support these little businesses as much as we can. As the old phrase goes 'use them or lose them', because we'll all be moaning when all that's left are overwhelmingly massive supermarkets and self-service machines telling you that there is an 'unexpected item in the bagging area' and making you look a fool when you shout a reply.
Cookbook: River Cottage Everyday Izzy Gibbin Food Editor So embarrassingly huge is my obsession with Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall that I now consider him something of a culinary father and, perhaps more disturbingly, boyfriend in one. I ask his advice on my every cooking conundrum and Hugh always delivers the answer, normally with some sort of lovable anecdote or cheeky pun. River Cottage Every Day is the pinnacle of what makes Hugh great: the recipes are inventive, it covers the basics well, and puts emphasis on how to cook cheaply and ethically. It makes perfect reading for students who are tired of spooning a dollop of pesto onto a bowl of spaghetti every evening, or sobbing into their morning Pot Noodle. But enough shameless Hughpromotion. What I'd really like to talk about, in the context of this issue, is Hugh's attitude to the humble lunchbox. In Every Day he claims 'If you want to improve the quality of your working day, then improve the quality of your daily lunch…the best way to do that is to pack a lunchbox.' Hugh gives great
ideas for easy, cost effective and delicious lunches, such as leftover stew pasties, chicken couscous with cinnamon and honey, and various different soups (the butternut squash and peanut butter one is particularly satisfying). So, with all the money you can save by packing your own lunch, why not give Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's River Cottage Every Day a try? River Cottage Every Day is available from around £12. Hugh's Chorizo and Tomato Instant Noodles Recipe: 1 nest of standard, thin, quick-cook egg noodles About 30g chorizo, chopped 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced ½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed 100ml tomato passata 3-4 shredded basil leaves Put the chorizo, onions and fennel in the pot with the noodles. Season the passata well, add the basil, and put in a small jar separately. When ready to eat, pour boiling water over the noodles to just cover, add the passata and leave for 5-6 minutes. Stir and eat.
Redbrick
Travel Reporter
This is the time of year when many students have to start thinking about popping the student bubble and entering the ‘real’ world. As a result, impending graduation inevitably results in some level of stress for the majority of finalists; whether it's trying to find a job, assessing whether the financially viable option of moving back in with parents is really something that has to be done, or simply attempting to establish just what the hell you’re going to do with your life. Yet embracing the life of a non-student doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. As the current economic climate means that finding work is arguably harder than ever, the prospect of a post-university gap year is becoming more and more attractive for many graduates across the country. Some of the most popular gap year experiences include Camp America and road trips across the USA; backpacking in South East Asia and working your way down the sunny east coast of Australia, or iconic treks such as the Great Wall of China and the Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu. Regardless of the obvious tempting aspects of a year of ditching all serious responsibilities,
there are also many more practical benefits. Many employers encourage a period of travelling following graduation in order to gain skills that are greatly valued in the workplace. For instance, developing social skills, time and money management and generally gaining more confidence as a person.
"Employers encourage travelling following graduation in order to gain skills that are greatly valued in the workplace" Certain sectors of work are very competitive and so partaking in projects, volunteer work or internships as part of a gap year can give you that edge; making you all the more employable. For many careers involving working with animals, for example, experience is required to even be considered for a position. This requirement does not have to result in a summer spent working in your local cat rescue for nothing. Some of the most popular voluntary projects include looking after pandas in Beijing, living on a beach in Costa Rica helping to
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.” Martin Buber
conserve the natural environments of endangered turtles or caring for elephants in Thailand; all of which seem just a little bit more exciting than the British alternative. The abundance of companies now specialising in volunteer projects and gap year tours all across the globe makes finding something tailored to your interests even easier. The only stumbling block when it comes to post-study travel is money. There’s no way around it; travelling or voluntary work abroad is expensive. However, if you’re determined enough and put your mind to it, it’s not impossible. Even if this means working, scrimping and saving for some months before you go, the rewards dramatically outweigh the sacrifices. Although university is a fantastic opportunity to grow as a person and try new experiences, the experiences you gain from travelling, meeting different people and being immersed in sometimes vastly different cultures will speak volumes when you finally come to entering the big, scary, ‘real’ world. Travelling will leave you with some amazing memories that will last a lifetime and should help make the leap between university and the workplace that little bit easier.
Travel's top post-university gap year options
Photo of the Week
Buenos Aires
Camp America: Spend the summer living and working with children as an activity leader, counsellor or as support staff, then travel around the USA. Website:www.campamerica. co.uk
Leonardo da Vinci Scholarship: Internship placements in various sectors including journalism, tourism, and business. Accommodation, flights and insurance covered for successful applicants. Website:www.workandvolunteer.com/Programme/?pgid=432 WWOOFing: Work for your bed and board on organic farmsteads in over 30 countries. Website: www.wwoof.org
New York
Projects Abroad: Offers projects across the globe; including care work, medicine, sports, community conservation and animal care. Website: www.projects-abroad. co.uk British Council: Teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) on placements in Europe, Asia and South America. Immerse yourself in the culture of the country. Website: www.tefl.com
photo by Sophie Cowling
photo by Louise Spratt
24 hours in the Big Apple Charlotte Lytton
Fruit Picking: Australia and New Zealand pay good money for students to pick fruits, vegetables, sugar and even cotton! A great way to fund your travels around Oz. Website: www.fruitpicking.org
23
Travel Quote:
Beat the post-university blues with a year out Gemma Fottles
redbrickpaper.co.uk
17th Februrary 2012
Television Editor
The Big Apple regularly tops lists of cities to visit before you die, and with good reason. Having been recently infected with the travel bug, I decided that America’s cultural capital had to be my next destination. Of course, 24 hours isn’t enough to see everything the city has to offer, but you can make a pretty good stab at it – and on a student budget. Taking a trip at this time of year might not mean blue skies, but cheaper flights and deals around the city could make up for the lack of a tropical climate. If you only have 24 hours, time is of the essence, so get up early to get the best of your trip. The Empire State Building is a great starting point and the perfect place to view NYC in all its glory. For $22, you can head to the Observatory on floor 86 of this landmark building and view the city from every angle, and while it may not be the most picturesque of places due to the high rise buildings, it really is a breath-taking experience. After that, why not try heading down to Chelsea, one of the lesser visited areas of the Big Apple. The Chelsea High Line is a public park built on an historic freight railway bridge; another great way to see the city. Chelsea Market is the next stop on the list where a little slice of culinary heaven awaits. From a lunchtime lobster joint to quaint bakeries, this is the perfect place for hunger to strike. If you don’t fancy shelling out for your grub, simply stroll up and down the walkway and help yourself to the free samples at every corner. There are always fantastic exhibitions dotted around the city,
and certain museums offer special rates in the early evening. The Guggenheim has a say-what-youpay rate several nights of the week, so if you’re not in the giving mood, throw a dollar in the jar and enjoy the gallery for a much reduced price. The Pop Objects and Icons exhibition is especially fun, but there’s enough variety inside for all art lovers to have a bit of what they fancy. After all of that sight-seeing a break is in order, and The Shop at Andaz, Fifth Avenue is just the place to take the weight off your feet and have a tasty bite. The menu can get pretty pricey but there are a number of quality dishes available for a reasonable sum. The atmosphere is the perfect mix of relaxation and sophistication, and the lovely décor and charming staff add to the ambience of the place. They even give you a free cookie to take home when they deliver your bill – and that’s a kind of service you just don’t get at Pizza Express. If you’re not shattered from the day’s activities, Broadway certainly beckons before bedtime. Full price tickets can hit $100, but some theatres offer cut price seats if you pick them up at lunchtime. Don’t miss out on seeing a fabulous show for a fraction of the cost – and if you’re heading across the pond soon, I’d recommend Look Back in Anger, a British play that’s hitting the States with a vengeance. And when the cultural activities have finished for the night, Soho is the perfect place to unwind with a cocktail – you’ve earnt it! London Heathrow-New York, 23rd-27th March, return flights from £365 on Skyscanner. (Prices accurate 13/2/12). For budget accommodation, search www.hostelbookers.com.
24
Redbrick
17th February 2012
redbrickpaper.co.uk
Sport
Women's Badminton Turn to page 26 to find out how the firsts got on in a crucial cup game against Durham
Olympic trainer Fitz the bill for Brum Redbrick Sport Editor Raphael Sheridan takes an in-depth look at the Judo club at the University, catching up with their Olympic coach Fitzroy Davies to find out more about the unique set-up... columns, ‘Go! Go! Go! Come on! Waaa! Backwards! Go!’ he shouts with fervent animation; a wide grin emerging as one is slammed down on the matted floor to a huge thwack! Five minutes later, Davies marches over to tell one of his students, ‘you fight like a dancer’ before grabbing the other to start an impromptu and highly amusing waltz to the delight of everyone there. The class – a small one tonight owing to a Sheffield competition
The judo team expect to do well in this year's BUCS
Charlotte Wilson
The Week In Numbers
450 10
Italy's rugby union XV had 450 more combined caps than England in the game on Saturday. Experience counted for little however, as England won having trailed 15-6 early on.
- is hard work, make no mistake about it, but it looks brilliant fun. And, crucially, everyone respects the instructor. When the laughter’s over it’s down to the physical business of sparring: two students face each other in the middle of the dojo having been given specific instructions over what they can and can’t do. Cue a relentless, physical and ragged exchange invariably ending in a tangle of limbs on the floor and Davies strolling over, ‘what’s that! You had it all there then fell over like Bambi! All you had to do was go ‘thank you very much’ but no!’ When the class isn’t sparring he’ll patiently correct techniques while others stand around him, watching intently. They’re right to listen to him, for he also happens to be a fifth Dan and an Olympian coach, having trained the Great British squad for the 2008 Beijing games. The University has capitalised on his skills too, as he tells me after the class, ‘we’ve had a couple of champions and hopefully this year we’ll get a few more. The attitude here is now the right one, but it took me about eight years to gear them up for competition.’ There are now seven black belts training with Davies, which underlines the quality that pervades throughout the club. They are keen fighters too, as he is keen to point out, ‘Lucas Rowe is our most experienced, but both Diego Scardone and Andrew Foster should do well in BUCS.’ This year, there are a lot of first-timers from the club. A good performance from them all would satisfy Davies, medal or not. The level of fitness required here is deceptive, and even the black belts were panting heavily after the sparring. ‘You have to be really fit’, Davies tells me, ‘especially when you’ve got so much coming at you; a contest can last up to ten minutes sometimes.’ De-
spite this, any prospective judoka (practitioners of judo) need not worry. The mark of a good instructor is empathy: the first few sessions are bound to be nervy, and techniques can often feel alien for several weeks. Davies recognises this completely. ‘We have a special beginners’ group, and I’ll teach them breakfalls and other movements. If you can’t breakfall then you’re going to injure yourself but, touch wood, we’ve never had any serious injuries because we’re very safety-conscious. For first timers I’d only focus on groundwork; I wouldn’t have them standing. You’d lose people if they were thrown in their first few sessions.’ Sat next to him, I notice the difference between us in size: I’m a paltry ten stone; Davies is built like an ox. With the greatest will in the world I wouldn’t stand a chance, and I tell him so. He laughs, ‘ah, size is a myth. You have different weight categories and I wouldn’t put someone who was 15 stone against someone 10 stone.’ Both of us are traditionalists, and we chat for several minutes about the direction martial arts is heading in. Outside his classes, Davies has a quieter demeanor; the dojo is the arena where he comes to life, and he speaks reverently about it. In an era where Mixed Martial Arts is taking over the TV screens, he offers a strong defence of why the ‘traditional’ arts ought never to be forgotten. ‘MMA is coming in now, but for them to learn any groundwork, they need to have someone teach them judo’. One thing is on his mind, ‘we do need a new dojo’ he says, ‘it’s too small. There’s talk that they’re going to have a different dojo on campus, and hopefully they’ll give that a go.’ With that, we leave, and the Olympic trainer drives off having imparted his knowledge on a few, lucky students.
The Week In Quotes 'I told them if we got to the final we would play in Gabon where the plane crashed. There was a special significance in that. They found the strength. I don't know where.'
Zambia coach Herve Renard stifled tears as he celebrated his team's unlikely victory over Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup final.
Both Rangers and Portsmouth FC, two recent trophy winners, will be given 10-point deductions in their respective leagues having entered administration.
'It's been a hard tour, it's been frustrating. We haven't played to our potential but today showed what good players we have.'
Golfer Phil Mickleson shot an eight-under par 64 in the final round as he overturned a sixshot deficit to take the Pebble Beach Pro-AM.
'Leon has to take quite a bit of credit, he kept me calm in the chair. I didn't really snap once throughout the whole weekend, which probably would have been odds-on to happen.'
64 156 0
In the crucial Davis Cup fifth rubber, Dan Evans beat Martin Kilzan in five sets, a player ranked 156 places higher than him.
Ivory Coast didn't concede a single goal in the African Nations Cup, but were still losing finalists after Zambia beat them on penalties.
England ODI skipper Alastair Cook was delighted after playing a captain's knock of 137 to inspire England to a surprisingly convincing victory in the first match of the one-day series against Pakistan.
Dan Evans kept a cool head in fending off a comeback from Martin Kilzan to give Britain a Davis Cup win against Slovakia.
'Suarez is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club. He should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again. He could have caused a riot.'
Sir Alex Ferguson didn't hide his feelings in the wake of Luis Suarez's refusal to shake Patrice Evra's hand before the highly charged match at Old Trafford.
JUDO Judo originated in 19th century Japan and was founded by Jigoro Kano who adapted it from Jujutsu. 'Maximum efficiency, minimum effort' is central to judo's philosophy. Unlike some martial arts, there are no strikes; in sparring, the focus is on throwing and grappling. It became an Olympic sport in the 1964 Tokyo games and is fought in seven different weight divisions. It took until the 1988 Seoul games before women were able to compete. In a contest, breakfalling stops serious injuries from occuring: an arm is slammed down just before impact and takes the brunt of the force.
The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Who is the most capped Wales football player of all time? 2) Which 31-year-old Englishman is the number one ranked squash player in the world? 3) Who was the only representative of the United Kingdom to win a gold medal in athletics in the 2008 Beijing Games? 4) Martin Kaymer won the PGA Championship in 2010, but who is the only other German to have won a major golf tournament? 5) Who is the most followed sportsperson on Twitter? 1, Neville Southall 2, Nick Matthew 3, Christina Ohuruogu 4, Bernhard Langer 5, Kaka (Real Madrid footballer)
There aren’t many coaches around like Fitzroy Davies. ‘Larger than life’ is an overused and dull cliché that doesn’t begin to describe his idiosyncratic and inimitable nature. The stereotypical conception of martial arts instructors is of sadistic, sergeant major type brutes who willingly put their students through pain at the drop of a hat. Davies breaks this mould. As two black belts start tearing at each other, locked in a sweaty embrace, he leans against one of the dojo’s
Redbrick
Sport Thoughts Redbrick Sport stalwart Joshua Reynolds argues that the departure of Fabio Capello as England manager need not confirm a trend towards disaster, but can usher in a new, brighter era for the national football team...
A cursory glance at the current state of affairs as regards the England football team would lead many to believe that there is little reason for supporters of the three lions to be upbeat: with just four months to go until the start of a major tournament, England find themselves without a manager, without a captain, and, let’s be honest, without a hope of ending a forty-six year wait for a trophy. It would be wholly in keeping with English custom to adopt a defeatist outlook for the future of the national team: the sentiments of England fans have long since oscillated between extreme despondency and blind optimism. Perhaps though it is now high time that some middle ground was found and despite the fact that the present setup looks, on the face of it, to be in disarray, a more reasoned and sensible view would look upon the recent upheaval in the England camp as marking the beginning of a new chapter for both the team itself and the way in which it is perceived by supporters. While it may be the case that any remaining aspirations of winning the European Championships are incredibly misplaced, that needn’t bring about disillusionment. Rather, it is better to look upon the Euros as providing a platform for a new look England team to be developed, with the tournament presenting an opportunity for a new manager to lay the foundations for a side capable of competing respectably in major tournaments. The time has come for the Three Lions to turn over a new leaf, and disassociate itself from past failures. That means showing the door to the likes of Frank Lampard, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand who are all past their best. Instead, the limelight ought to be given to the new generation, who may not yet be ready to compete with the best in the world, but who would benefit immensely from the experience of wearing the England shirt on the biggest stages. Additionally, it seems that the country is finally coming to terms with the fact that the English are not world-beaters. This injection of realism will most likely render disappointment easier to stomach for fans, and will also have the corollary of actually giving players the chance to enjoy playing for their country again without being permanently burdened by over inflated expectations. In turn, it is entirely plausible that players will, as a result be able to rediscover their impressive club form when performing at international level, which the outgoing cohort never managed to do. The better assessment of how things stand would suggest, therefore, that England are on the cusp of a new dawn, which ought to provoke excitement rather than cynicism.
Sport 25
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Medals galore for superb gymnasts Joe West
Gymnastics Correspondent
After a bright and early start the Birmingham gymnastics squad arrived at Rushmoor Gymnastics Academy knowing there would be stiff competition for the coveted BUCS medals that lay enticingly on the entrance table. A staggeringly competitive field of 108 meant the women’s event was split into three rounds with the Birmingham B team first up and setting the standard high. The bar for a clean and error free performance was set in their first rotation on floor where clinical routines from Helen Moss and Leah Breckman scored well. The teams’ vaults were just as flawless with Beckie Berwick’s well-executed handspring capping off a solid all round performance. Having waited nervously all afternoon the Birmingham A's were looking to improve upon last years successful fifth place finish and it was clear from the warm up that they stood every chance of doing so. Competing alongside some of the top gymnasts from Loughborough and Leeds Met the girls did not look out of place, Tsukahara vaults from both Kaisey Griffiths and Alice Copley ensuring that Birmingham posted some of the highest difficulty scores. This trend continued on floor with Rebecca Blacklock’s fine front walkout, straight full twist combination, Rebecca Gelson’s arabian attempt and Hannah Phipson’s straight half all finding favour with the judges. As news of their scores came
The women's and men's gymnast teams both took bronze medals in the BUCS Championships in via the electronic scoring system it could have been expected that the girls would begin to show signs of nerves. However solid beam routines from Steph Holden and Rebecca Grenfell steadied the ship and set the team on course for a well deserved bronze medal, narrowly behind a formidable Leeds Met team and well ahead of UWIC in fourth. After the presentation ceremony head coach YunJia Lau spoke of her pride in a group of girls whose hard work and commitment in training saw them realise their medal hopes amongst one of the toughest BUCS fields to date. Hoping to match the earlier successes of the women’s team, the Birmingham men’s squad had their work cut out on a second day of competition which boasted some of the best gymnastics talent in the country amidst the Loughborough and Leeds Met squads. The boys started their rotation on vault and,
seemingly oblivious to the pressure, captain Sean Eyles posting 13.900 from an almost flawless straight Tsukahara to ensure the team started on the front foot. Scrappy parallel bar work would follow but the strength in depth of the team meant decent scores still counted towards the overall result. On high bar Joe West’s successful healy catch resulted in a clean routine that was only deducted a total of 0.900 and it seemed the team were really gaining some momentum. This was extended on floor where Nathan Comber exhibited dynamic and highly skilled tumbling work in a routine that included a one and a half twisting straight front somersault as well as a double twisting straight back. This gave Comber the highest difficulty score of the day at 4.500 and saw an overall score of 13.150 go his way. Eyles was set to post an equally impressive score before
Niall Joyce
an awkward landing on his final tumble diverted the entire competition’s interest to the medical attention he received. Thus it was a heavily strapped captain who led the team to their final rotation on rings. Nevertheless strong routines from Ed Sampson and Eshan Zare meant the team finished well. Having given their all the boys were anxious spectators in the second round but the presentation ceremony proved they had little to worry about. Comber received bronze for his floor, Eyles was 0.100 away from defending his vault title but happily settled for a tied silver with Newman’s Niall Joyce, and West narrowly secured gold for his high bar routine ahead of Nottingham’s all round champion in second. These results translated into another team bronze for Birmingham and marked the end of a highly successful weekend for a club that has not failed to score BUCS points in two years.
Polo club impress in nationals Kian Gheissari Polo Correspondent
Birmingham’s polo club headed off to the Schools and Universities Polo Association (SUPA) Arena National Championships in high spirits after a strong performance in their last tournament. Birmingham fielded six teams in total, with two featuring in the beginner divisions and four playing in the novice sections. The accolade of highest achievers fell to Birmingham’s novice 2 team, who finished second in their division after four days of compelling polo. They kicked off their campaign with a 3-2 win over Exeter B in a very tight game. Exeter had the ball in the goal with the final play but fortunately the bell drawing the game to a close sounded just before, and the goal was not awarded. Brum upped their performance in the next two games as they recorded comfortable 4-2 and 4-0 wins over UWE and St Andrews to put them in the final against Regents, where Charles Broadbent’s team were set for another strong showing. The game got off to a scrappy start as nerves from both teams began to set in. Regents took the lead with a well worked goal but Birmingham were given a chance to draw level just a minute later as Regents conceded a 15 yard penalty. Ahmed was unlucky with his effort as it fell just
Imogen Norton fighting hard against Cambridge wide and their fate worsened as Regents quickly scored from the resultant hit out. At 2-0 up Regents had to defend well to stave off several waves of valiant Birmingham attacks, but they added another goal at
Chris Milton
the death to secure the 3-0 win and the championship. However, the result didn’t detract from Birmingham’s overall tournament performance, as they fought hard and played some fantastic polo at times to thoroughly deserve their
second place finish. Each Birmingham team played admirably throughout and the performance of the beginner B team was of particular note. The team comprising of Jessica Briggs, Tom Spinks, and captain Max Shapiro finished fourth out of 16 teams in their division. After two strong victories in their opening matches, 3-1 against Loughborough B and 3-0 against Warwick B, they came unstuck against a very strong UWE team and failed to reach the final after a resounding 4-1 loss. The team was unfortunate to lose a close encounter in the third place playoff against Royal Veterinary College, but nevertheless can take pride from their fourth place finish. Birmingham’s first team were unfortunate not to make the final of their division too. Despite winning three of their matches, including a 7-2 thrashing of Royal Veterinary College A, they were restricted to a mid table finish after being drawn against eventual champions Cambridge in their first match, where they came out second best in a bitterly close contest. The club’s performance as a whole was very pleasing and Birmingham are fast getting a reputation as one of the top teams on the university circuit. They will be looking for another strong showing come the summer national championships in June, and will hopefully head home with a trophy on that occasion.
26 Sport
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Dhesi dunks battling Brum Men's Football
Championhip Cup R1
Birmingham 1sts
0
Manchester 1sts
1
Reece Lawrence Sport Reporter
Amar Dhesi’s second half goal was enough to knock Birmingham firsts out of the BUCS Championship Trophy at the first hurdle and send Manchester through to face Bath in the second round. The hosts faced their BUCS Premier North relegation rivals without a manager after the departure of Paul Lewin at the end of last year, so the injured Mike Wardle took up makeshift coaching duties for Wednesday’s game at the Munrow pitch. The lack of a full time coach did not deter Birmingham from putting in a superb performance, especially in the second half, and they were rightly aggrieved to have not taken the tie to at least the extra time period. The visitors began brightly in a first half of few chances, not allowing Birmingham’s front three of Scott Treleaven, Sam Youngs and Tom Siddons much possession in Manchester’s half. Manchester striker Steve Hall attempted an ambitious scissor kick from a corner that whistled over the bar, while scorer Dhesi played in a range of difficult crosses from the right that Birmingham’s Cristian Burgess and Tony Boto dealt well with. When they did venture forward into the Manchester ranks they met with a handball claim inside the box that was swiftly waved away. Soon after, Birmingham’s best chance of the half saw a throw in lead to a low shot by Youngs that was well saved by Will Jones.
By now the men in gold had a foothold in the contest. Home goalkeeper James Sherry had been plucked from the seconds before the match and staked a claim for a step up to the top team with a magnificent performance between the posts, dealing well with successive high free kicks into the box as Manchester threatened to regain control of the match. Hall was again off target with a header, while at the other end Andy Cooper’s effort was caught comfortably by Jones. Dhesi was wonderfully played through oneon-one after the half-hour mark but contrived to drag his shot across goal from the right channel. He threatened again after 37 minutes with a memorable solo run, beating four opposition players on the right before being thwarted by Sherry at his near post. While Dhesi showed quality on several occasions, Birmingham displayed infrequent spells of good football in an otherwise scrappy half. If the first half was edged by Manchester, there was no doubt who claimed the second. Birmingham came out with a fabulous attitude and kept the ball moving well by stringing together good passages of play. Set pieces continued to form a basis for home chances, Treleaven coming close arriving at the far post from Youngs’s excellent whipped in free kick. Manchester countered sporadically, but Dhesi was again a constant threat, being denied from close range after excellent work by Hall. Despite their troubled league position the clash was a welcome distraction and a chance to put together a solid cup run. Unfortunately, they came up short as Dhesi latched on to a misheaded pass back towards the Birmingham penalty area and calmly
Premier North
Birmingham 1sts
7
Durham 1sts
1
Felix Keith Sport Reporter
Birmingham women’s badminton first team beat Durham firsts 7-1 to complete three wins in a row. The hosts were confident coming into the fixture on the back of two away victories and it showed as they outclassed their opponents. In the first round of matches the duos of Lucy Hunter with Sam Alexander, and Alyssa Lim with Lauren Bromley won their respective matches fairly comfortably. In both cases the teamwork, familiarity of partner, and tactics were simply too good and they ran out clear winners. The singles games were more closely contested with both Anna Showan and Claire Mort eventually coming out on top. Showan exploited Jenny Salibury’s weaknesses magnificently, manoeuvring her around the court and finishing points off with relentlessly clinical winners. She came out with a scoreline of 21-18, 21-16. Mort came up against Lisa Turner in the other singles match and
needed a third game to overcome her. Her initial frustration reflected the evenly matched nature of this encounter. Mort fought hard and deservedly won the final game leaving a close contest at 21-18, 1921, 21-17. The doubles pairings continued their dominance in the reverse matches. Lim and Bromley punished every mistake and finished their match quickly with a score line of 21-5, 21-11. Similarly, Hunter and Alexander continued in the same vain as the first match with powerful smashes and delicate drop shots in attack coupled with an outstanding agility and determination in defence. They earned themselves a win by the margin of 21-15, 21-13. The second round of singles wasn’t as one sided as the doubles, although Showan effortlessly beat Turner, who had been worn out by her first game against Mort. She varied her shot selection to move her opponent all over the court, often finishing with subtle touches rather than powerful smashes. Turner’s tiredness could be seen from her serve, which several times failed to cross the net. This one-sided encounter finished 21-12, 21-9. The only defeat of the day came in the last match between Mort and Salisbury. Once again Mort was forced into a third
Indoor Athletics
Several Birmingham alumni were in action last weekend on the track, at the UK Indoor Trials and Championships in Sheffield. Hannah England continued her preparations for London 2012 with a victory in the 3000m, while Julian Adeniran and Ed Aston took bronze medals in the 60m Hurdles and 800m respectively. Go to our website to read Sam Price's full report of the action. England will be running again on Saturday 18th February at the NIA Birmingham in the Aviva Grand Prix, where she will take on her favoured distance of 1500m. The likes of Mo Farah, Asafa Powell and Dayron Robles will also be in action in what promises to be a day of five star athletics entertainment. The action can be caught on BBC One from 1pm to 4.30pm. Brum couldn't take their second half chances dinked the ball over the onrushing Sherry into the far corner. It was a goal completely against the run of play, but only left Birmingham more determined to make their chances count. The kitchen sink was well and truly out in the final ten minutes; substitute Adam Farnworth almost made an immediate impact when his cross found its way out to the left where a second delivery allowed Youngs in, who should have equalised but could only find the keeper’s gloves. Two late penalty shouts followed, the second of which may have been awarded on another day as two Birmingham players went down inside the box, while a final effort from Youngs was blazed over. Wardle was disconsolate at
Hannah Macdowell
full time, ‘absolutely gutted, I think we had two stonewall penalties, and they somehow managed to scrounge a lucky goal on the break.’ He added, ‘we should have thrashed them here today, but it just wasn’t to be.’ Manchester coach Stuart Leicester acknowledged Birmingham’s dominance, ‘if they’d have equalised at the end it wouldn’t have been wrong. Extra time would have been fair.’ He was predictably unmoved by Birmingham’s penalty claims, ‘I think if they’d have been blatant penalties the referee would have given them.’ The result now leaves Birmingham solely with the task of staying in the Premier North division but perhaps with renewed confidence after their performance.
Double trouble for Durham Women's Badminton
Sport Shorts
Watershed Results
There was a good result in the Lifesaving last weekend, as Birmingham hosted a competition which saw 96 competitors take part. Brum's teams performed excellently, returning to the top of the A league and retaining their place at the top of the B league. Elsewhere, Birmingham's swimmers took part in the BUCS Long Course Championships in Sheffield. The team came seventh overall with a respectable 103 points, which included a bronze medal in the men's 50m fly.
Other Results Men's Hockey 1sts beat Nottingham 1sts 6-1 Women's Hockey 1sts beat Leeds Met 1sts 2-1 Women's Lacrosse 1sts beat Loughborough 1sts 13-5 Men's Rugby Union 1sts beat Nottingham 2nds 22-5 Men's Rugby League 1sts beat Exeter 2nds 10-0 Men's Tennis 1sts beat Leicester 1sts 10-2 Women's Tennis 1sts drew 6-6 against Oxford 1sts Women's Football 1sts lost 2-0 against Northumbria 1sts Men's Badminton 1sts lost 8-0 against Leeds Met 1sts Men's Fencing 1sts beat Nottingham 1sts 109-91
The doubles pairings ruthlessly punished mistakes game to settle it, but this time succumbed to her opponent 18-21, 21-19, 17-21. By this point she was clearly tired, but put a valiant attempt and narrowly fell short. This close match echoed coach Lorraine Cole’s post match thoughts, ‘I didn’t feel that the score reflected the match. There were some close matches, especially in the singles.’ Overall she
Michael Drury
was very pleased with the performance of her team and it showed the strength and depth of her squad that all her players had the edge over the away team. This result continues a fine run of form for the team but unfortunately doesn’t see them move from third position in the league table - Leeds Met and Loughborough remain a long way ahead.
Women's Fencing lost 135-71 against Durham 1sts Golf 1sts beat Loughborough 1sts 3.5-2.5 Men's Squash 1sts beat Reading 1sts 5-0 Men's Table Tennis 1sts lost 10-7 against Nottingham Trent 1sts
This week in... 1963 Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time was born. He played an instrumental role in popularising the NBA in the 1980s and early 90s. He spent his entire career with the Chicago Bulls.
Sport 27
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
This week on the Redbrick website... Wednesday Debate
Heroes... Zambia
With Harry Redknapp increasingly touted as Capello's replacement, this week's Wednesday debate asks whether the next manager should be English. Tom Garry believes he should; Ross Highfield thinks otherwise.
1994 It was announced that Monica Seles, who had been stabbed whilst playing tennis in April 1993 had not entered any competitions for the upcoming year. 'There are still emotional issues resulting from the stabbing attack' said her spokesman.
Champions League
Golden Oldies
Ross Highfield previews the upcoming Champions League fixtures. 'It is too early to speak of the end of England’s golden period in the competition', he notes, but this year gives English viewers a rare chance to focus on other teams.
This Thursday's 'My Top 5' sees Redbrick Sport's James Newbon choose sportspeople who have defied their years and continued to perform at an elite sporting level. Will it be the likes of Giggs and Scholes, or Watson and Nicklaus?
Couldn't make it up
Where are they now? Weekend Wager
Classic Goal...
Aston Villa have splashed out on a key new addition to their setup. Gee, the hawk (a winger of sorts), has been specially drafted in to ward off increasing numbers of magpies after they were seen digging up the Villa Park turf. He's performed miracles on the pitch, and now the mercurial Italian is performing miracles off it. Juventus striker Alessando Del Piero has allegedly woken a 12year-old girl from a two week coma just by speaking to her. He sent through personalised audio messages after her family contacted the club as a last resort.
Olympic Countdown
161
days to go
Medal hopeful and British gymnast Beth Tweddle stands at 1.61m. She is the only gymnast ever to make the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist (coming third) and finished in 4th place in the uneven bars in the 2008 Beijing games.
David Ginola has used his good looks to full advantage. Aside from appearances for L'Oreal, he has also appeared in several movies (including the war film 'The Last Drop'). When not in front of the cameras, he's producing awardwinning wine: a Rosé made on his vineyard won a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge.
The Redbrick Crossword
Kauto Stone 9-4 Ascot, Saturday 3pm
Phil Mickelson
Name look familiar? Kauto Stone is half-brother to the legendary Kauto Star: some pedigree. Kauto Stone hasn't been seen since running a creditable second in the Tingle Creek in December, and Paul Nicholls will have him in great shape to win the Ascot Chase.
Club Captain: Steve Carter sxc971@bham.ac.uk Contact: Search: 'University of Birmingham Korfball Club' on Facebook email: birminghamunikorfball@ gmail.com Training: King Edward School for Boys Friday – 6:45pm until 8pm Sunday – 10.00am until 12pm
Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor
Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office. (Redbrick Office located in the basement of the Guild)
Name: Email Address: Phone Number:
Scribble box
Across
1. Italian politician said to have made the trains run on time (9) 6. Elongated fish (3) 8. Charlie _______, silent film comic actor (7) 9. Religious (5) 10. Healthy; water source (4) 11. Common bird which form huge flocks before roosting (8) 13. Unit of force named after English scientist (6) 14. Unable (anag.) (6) 17. Fighters (8) 19. Highly admired person (4) 22. Snare (anag.) (5) 23. Small garden bird (7) 24. Name shared by actor Pearce and director Ritchie (3) 25. Danish physicist and 1922 Nobel laureate (5, 4)
YouTube search: Fashanu Goal of the Season February is LGBT history month and Justin Fashanu, the first and only openly gay English professional footballer, scored a screamer against Liverpool in 1980 whilst playing for Norwich. The goal would eventually earn him the 'BBC Goal of the Season' award.
This week's prize is a £5 Waterstones Gift Voucher
Please complete this form before you hand in your completed crossword into the Redbrick office.
Dan Evans
There was a rare moment of non-Murray tennis jubilation for Britain, in the form of Dan Evans. The 21 year old Brummie won a five set thriller against Martin Klizan, ranked 156 places above him. Evans himself was astonished, giving a garbled post-match interview.
Club in Focus... Korfball Korfball is a mixture between basketball and netball. It's a mixed sport, and each team consists of four girls and four boys. The object is to get a korfball (a football sized ball) through a basket that is 11.ft high. It's a highly strategic game, and the male-female roles are important. The University team has done exceptionally well, finishing third in BUCS last year. The team has also played in eight different countries. Most have no experience of korfball before coming to Birmingham, but are coached to success by Welsh International Nick Wilkins.
'Written in the sky' was how coach Herve Renard described Zambia's African Cup of Nations triumph on Sunday. The final was played close to the scene of a devastating 1993 plane crash which killed 18 of the Zambian football squad.
Down
1. Brightly coloured rainforest parrot (5) 2. Small, swift bird; gulp (7) 3. Leer (4) 4. Set fire to (6) 5. Brought in from overseas (8) 6. Bacteria found in the gut of many mammals (1, 4) 7. Flat, layered pasta dish (7) 12/16. Adventure novel by Daniel Defoe (8, 6) 13. Money saved for the future (4, 3) 15. Urged on (anag.) (7) 16. See 12 18. Truck (5) 20. Less high (5) 21. Fish; low frequency sound (4)
'Lefty' produced a stunning final round of 64 to win the AT&T Peb- ble Beach Pro-am on Sunday. In doing so, the popular Californian became only the 9th professional to win 40 tournaments.
and Villains... Luis Suarez
A simple handshake would have helped settle the ongoing racism scandal that had enveloped both the player and his club. Instead, he chose to bypass Patrice Evra and infuriate Manchester United and Liverpool. Both Suarez and Dalglish would later apologise.
French Rugby Fed
Cold weather (yes, in winter!) threw the Six Nations into chaos as the scheduled France vs Ireland game was abandoned a full ten minutes before kickoff, pleasing the attendant fans no end. The match has been rescheduled for 4 March.
1_2_3_4_5=6_7 _=_=_=_=_=_=_ 8______=9____ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ 0___=a_______ ==_=b=_=_===_ c_____=d__e__ _===_=f=_=_== g_h_____=i__j _=_=_=_=k=_=_ l____=m______ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ n__=o________
28 Sport
Sport
17th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk
Redbrick
Getting to Grips Great British Olympic coach Fitzroy Davies gives Redbrick an insight into Birmingham's Judo set-up, p24
Durham downed by Mac attack Women's Rugby Union
Premier North
Birmingham 1sts
14
Durham 1sts
11
James Newbon Sport Reporter
Two converted Garnet Mackinder tries were enough to give Birmingham’s women victory over Durham at the Bournbrook pitch on Wednesday. The 14-11 win saw Brum go level in the league with their northern visitors, with the away side clinging on to second place by points difference only. Durham started the better, pinning the hosts into their own half for the first 15 minutes. Despite this, all they had to show for their early pressure was three points; a penalty from just outside the Brum twenty-two scored by Beth Turner. The home side appeared galvanised by this Durham score and straight from the re-start put pressure on the visitors’ defence. Despite spreading the ball from side to side and tormenting a ragged Durham defensive line they could not find a way through until a powerful intervention from Mackinder. Picking the ball up on the half way line, a powerful run from the number 13 saw her drive
The win saw Brum draw level with their northern rivals
15 yards into the away team’s half. And after a ruck and a couple of quick passes, Mackinder was there again to pick up the ball and power over the try-line to score under the posts. Following her conversion the score was 7-3 to Brum. But just as Birmingham had stepped up their game after conceding, so did their opponents. Five minutes after Mackinder’s try, Turner was given a chance to bring the scores to within a point, which she duly did with a penalty from the roughly the same place as her previous effort. And Durham weren’t finished there. With the clock ticking past forty minutes and the ball still in play, Caroline Wilson pushed over the try-line to put her side ahead. With Turner failing to make the conversion, Birmingham trailed 7-11 at half time. Neither side were able to lay claim to the possession at the start of the second half as play ebbed and flowed, and it took another intervention from Mackinder to provide the spark with 12 minutes of the half played. With the ball bobbling along the ground following a misplaced pass, Mackinder picked up possession just inside the Durham half and, with just one player to beat, raced away to score under the posts. Once again she converted her own try to put Birmingham
14-11 ahead. From that point on it was all about the Brum defence as Durham dominated possession but were rarely given a chance to score. Getting held up within inches of the try line with ten minutes left in the half was the closest the away side came, but Birmingham held out for victory. After the game coach Jon Critchlow was full of praise for Mackinder’s performance, ‘as a leader and a captain you can ask for nothing more. The girls respect her and she leads from the front.’ But he also highlighted the role played by Mel McKirdle, playing her first game at number eight, and was keen to hail his side’s ‘outstanding team performance’ commenting that the ‘whole pack fought hard and put their bodies on the line. Defensively we were brilliant. We probably had less possession and less territory but we tackled hard and stuck to our guns and to the game plan.’ Having always stated his aim as second place this season Critchlow was delighted with victory over the current second place incumbents and suggested that wins in the final two games of the season against Sheffield and Loughborough would see them reach that goal. With similar gritty defensive performances, that is certainly a realistic.
George Read
Mackinder and her victorious cohorts are clapped off (left), while Durham struggled to prevent Brum from penetrating their forward line
INSIDE Turn to page 25 to find out about the success of the gymnastics club in the BUCS Championships
George Killick