Redbrick - 24th February 2012

EST. 1936

Redbrick Friday 24th February 2012 | Volume 76 | Issue 1408 | redbrickpaper.co.uk

Follow Redbrick's in-depth online coverage of the 2012 Guild Elections

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Sabbs split over protest Student protester arrested – no charge given President critical of route deviation Vice Chancellor debate postponed

dents were intimidated and assaulted by security staff and the police during the march.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police later confirmed, however, that 'a 20-year-old man from Edgbaston was arrested on 15th February on suspicion of assault after a security guard at the University sustained a broken foot.' The spokesperson added: 'The man, who is a student at the University, was subsequently bailed pending further enquiries.

An investigation is ongoing into allegations of assault and public order offences committed on 15 February.'

Bauer told Redbrick: 'The entire march went off route showing clear collective will to not be tied down an ineffective A-B march between the Guild and the clock tower. I don't think we should see this deviation from the route as damaging to an effective protest but rather essential to it.

'Regarding the arrest of a student and the charge of assault against them, the police regularly make very stupid arrests for the purposes of intimidating protesters.'

On the Better Guild Forum on Sunday 19th February, Bauer commented: 'I accept the responsibility for going 'off route' along with everyone else who did. I accept that as an individual a sabbatical and a participant. I believe it was the right thing to do.'

Bauer was recently found not guilty of intentionally causing danger to the public and conspiring with others to do so after a banner drop last year.

Patrick McGhee News Editor

The Guild's Vice President for Education (VPE) Edd Bauer, has responded to criticism after deviating from the planned route of a march demonstrating against the University of Birmingham's injunction banning 'occupational' protests.

The Guild of Students originally planned the march, which took place on Wednesday 15th February. A statement on the Guild website announced that, due to the breakdown of the march, it was postponing the Question Time debate with Guild President Mark Harrop and the University's Vice Chancellor David Eastwood until 19th March.

The statement also said, 'The lack of communication between those students who decided to leave the agreed route and the Guild is disappointing', adding: 'Whilst it is still unclear what actually took place at the time, what we can be clear about is that the Officer Team and University are very unhappy with the way the event unfolded. As it was a Guildrun event, we are being held responsible for the actions that took place.' The Officer Team, with the exception of Bauer, signed the statement.

Sandhya Trott, the head steward at the march, spoke to Redbrick, suggesting that Bauer's deviation from the planned route had put stewards in danger.

'Regardless of the politics, student volunteers were put in a position where they didn't know what they were supposed to do,' she said.

'Their safety was compromised and they couldn't do their job properly.' Originally, a march

Last week's protest from Mermaid Square at the Guild to the clock tower on campus was agreed upon. Laughter could be heard as Bauer read out a health and safety notice to the crowd of demonstrators specifically warning them not to break away from the agreed route. Soon after the march began, Bauer led protesters on a different route, eventually staging an occupation of Staff House. Sandhya commented that the deviation forced stewards to hold up traffic in order to allow

the march to proceed.

On his blog, Mark Harrop said: 'Not sticking to the route endangers those taking part, and also the stewards that do not know about what is up ahead.'

Commenting on health and safety issues at the event, Harrop added: 'If you want to take an alternate route then that is fine by me, but do not then try and blame the Guild of pandering to the University when we were simply fulfilling our legal obligations.'

Zoe Posnette

In a statement on the Better Guild Forum Facebook page on Thursday 16th February, the day after the event, the VPE maintained that the protest was 'highly successful'. Responding to claims of violence during the protest, Bauer said that he 'witnessed no disproportionate or criminal use of force by students against other students or staff', adding that 'no one has been charged with assault or any other violent crime.' The VPE did claim, however, that stu-

Comment

Page 9

A Fresher's View on the Protest

2

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AFGHANISTAN

Fresh protests in Afghanistan Fresh protests have been sparked in Afghanistan after local labourers found charred volumes of the Koran after they had been burned at US airbase Bagram. It is believed that at least four people have been killed and 20 injured.

HEALTH

Nurses should sign Dignity Code In a letter to the Daily Telegraph 21 public figures have signed to call for nurses and care workers to sign a Dignity Code guaranteeing that elderly patients are treated with respect. Care Minister Paul Burstow is among the signatures.

CRIME

Second body discovered in Southport

Proofreaders Faye Simpson Elizabeth Waind

A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murdering the women found dead in a house Lonsdale Road on Tuesday. Police have said that as a result of further inquires a second woman has been found at a home in Birch Street.

Community Manager Sophie MurrayMorris

GREECE

Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Sophie Rogers Akhil Kothari

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24th February 2012

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Carl Whant jailed for 'The Horse of Tamar' 35 years has been vandalised

The court of appeal has refused protesters situated outside St Paul's Cathedral permission to challenge orders evicting them.

Due to the impact on St Paul's Churchyard the City claimed there was an 'overwhelming' case for court intervention.

Carl Whant, 27, has been jailed for a minimum of 35 years for murdering pregnant teenager Nikitta Grender two weeks before she was due to give birth.

Whant has been convicted of murder, rape, child destruction and arson.

Marie Colvin, the Sunday Times journalist, and Remi Ochlik, a French photographer, have been killed in the Syrian city of Homs when shells hit the makeshift media centre they were staying in, in the Baba Amr district.

One of Solihull's 'most treasured statues', The Horse of Tamar was vandalised last Thursday night. The statue, which has been in Malvern Park since 1953, was discovered the next morning to be without a tail or its right hoof.

A beginner's guide to the Falkland Islands Dominic Jackson Senior Reporter

The Falkland Islands were discovered by a Portuguese expedition in 1520. The first known landing on the islands was made by British naval Captain John Strong in 1690, who named the Islands after Viscount Falkland, his patron and later First Lord of the Admiralty.

Both Britain and Spain established settlements on the islands in the 1760s. Argentina says that it inherited the islands from Spain, which had declined as a colonial power.

Britain rebukes that the Spanish abandoned the islands, leaving behind no inhabitants or any form of government.

While the UK has administered the Falklands Islands continuously since 1833, Argentina has never relinquished its claim to sovereignty. In 1982, in the midst of a devastating economic crisis and large-scale civil unrest, Leopoldo Galtieri, the leader of Argentina's military junta, ordered an invasion of the Falkland Islands. Hoping to

rouse long-standing patriotic sentiment amongst the Argentine population, Galtieri believed that annexing the Falklands would be the perfect means to divert attention away from the country's chronic economic problems and ongoing human rights violations.

Argentina's military leadership calculated that, following the withdrawal of the only British naval presence in the South Atlantic at the time, HMS Endurance, the UK was no longer willing or possibly unable to defend its territories in the Falklands.

After quickly defeating the small garrison stationed on the islands, Argentina began its occupation. Prime Minister Margret Thatcher's government responded by deploying a naval task force to retake the captured territories by amphibious landing. The resulting conflict lasted for 74 days and saw the deaths of 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel and three Falkland islanders. Argentina surrendered on the 14th June.

The after-

Greece has been given a â‚Ź130 billion financial package by Eurozone financial ministers in a bid to help the country's debt crisis. In a press conference on the 21st February, it was announced that a 'nightmare scenario' was avoided.

Journalist Marie Colvin killed

BIRMINGHAM

Occupy protesters denied appeal

Eurozone to help Greece debt crisis

SYRIA

08451

CRIME

PROTEST

math of the war boosted Thatcher's popularity at home, whilst defeat for Argentina hastened the downfall of the ruling military dictatorship; the first democratic elections in ten years took place in 1983.

Formal diplomatic relations were restored between the UK and Argentina in 1989 after it was agreed that issues regarding the Falkland Islands would be put to one side in favour of cooperation.

Argentina reasserted its claim over the islands in 2007 when it asked the UK to resume talks over sovereignty. In March 2009, Gordon Brown stated that there would be no talks over the future sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. As far as the governments of the UK and of the Falkland Islands are concerned, there is no issue to resolve. The islanders consider themselves British and maintain their allegiance to the United Kingdom.

In recent months Britain has antagonised politicians at Buenos Aires by deploying HMS Dauntless, one of the most advanced destroyers in the world, to the south Atlantic and by Prince William's posting to the islands on a six-week tour of duty as a search and rescue pilot. Argentina also claims that the UK has dispatched a nucleararmed submarine to the region and has made an official complaint to the UN. Britain has rejected suggestions that these recent moves are designed to escalate tensions in the region, but with the 30th anniversary of the conflict drawing ever closer all eyes remain trained on the south Atlantic as each side waits for the other's next move.

MANCHESTER

PHONE HACKING

Vulnerable girls assaulted

Cherie Blair starts legal case

Liverpool crown court heard how eleven men used alcohol and drugs to have sex with five vulnerable girls in Greater Manchester, who were only aged 13-15 when the incident took place in 2008. The girls were assaulted and raped.

Cherie Blair, wife of ex Prime Minister Tony Blair has started legal proceedings against News Group Newspapers over phone hacking. Her solicitor confirmed that she is suing 'in relation to the unlawful interception of her voicemails'.

News 3

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

News Shorts compiled by Rhian Lubin

MUSIC

Adele receives two Brit Awards Adele won two awards at this year's Brits in London; the Brit Award for 'Best British Female' and 'Best British Album'. However, she was beaten by One Direction for 'Best British Single'.

The awards enjoyed their highest ratings since 2005.

A week in the life....

Mark Harrop, Guild President Monday I usually start the day spending a few hours to organise myself for the week ahead, making sure my timetable or to-do lists are in order and that I've read through and annotated all the documents I'll need for any meetings taking place later in the week. At 12 I have the Sabbatical Officer Group meeting where I meet up with my team of sabbatical officers and the Guild CEO to go through some admin work, but also to touch base with everyone else and compare diaries.

Later is another meeting called Team 10 where I catch up with senior managers to discuss events that will be happening at the Guild during the week.

want to hear the Guild's opinion on a variety of topics.

Wednesday Wednesday is normally the quieter day of the week, not to say that there is nothing going on. As teaching staff have the afternoon off it's a good time to meet up with people who are otherwise unavailable. I find that it's the perfect day for me to put some office time in and go through my emails or any other paperwork I need to finish.

At some point I will also catch up with other members of the sabbatical team and hear how their week is going and see what I can do to help.

Dominic Jackson

Friday My Friday normally looks like it will be fairly uneventful until around Thursday, at which point everyone decides that they need a meeting with me before the weekend. I like to stay in the office late on a Friday evening to take stock of what's happened during the week and ensure that I've made note of any follow up work I've got to do after the weekend. Then check my diary for the next week and begin to mentally prepare myself. Finally, I get to go home, relax and recharge my batteries for the week ahead.

Tuesday One meeting which always seems to fall on a Tuesday is the Strategic Planning and Resources Committee. I sit on this committee, organised by the University, to give oversight to things like hall development, any building projects on campus, levels of staffing etc. Although some of what is discussed isn't relevant for me, they often

Thursday This week I've got a whole host of meetings to attend. The centrepiece being the University's I.T. Strategic Planning Meeting. This is another oversight meeting where I'll provide some student input to I.T. provision on campus. This is where topics like access to computers, mobile apps, and of course the provision of plug sockets, will be discussed.

MIDDLE EAST

TELEVISION

30 people killed in Syrian attack

NEW ZEALAND

LATIN AMERICA

Simpsons reaches 500th episode

Earthquake victims remembered

Inmates killed in prison riot

At least 30 people were killed in Syria after Syrian forces upped their attack on rebel-held areas in the third largest city of Homs. Over a two hour period, the city was blasted with shells which led to much destruction and injury.

The Simpsons' 500th episode was aired last Sunday in the US. The show is in its 23rd series and is the longest-running prime-time scripted television show. In the episode, the Simpsons meet Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Memorial services took place across New Zealand on Wednesday the 22nd February to mark the first anniversary of the Christchurch Earthquake that killed 185 citizens. The quake measured in at 6.3 on the Richter scale.

44 inmates died in a prison riot in Mexico. The prison's Director has been sacked, along with several other staff members thought to have been involved. Reports suggest most victims were strangled, beaten or stamped to death.

Overheard on campus 'Someone just roared at me down the corridor' 'Would you rather Niall from One Direction or Harry if he was bald?'

'I'm giving up carbs for lent...can I have pizza?'

'Does everyone go to primary school?'

'How big is lifesize?'

'All I could think was thank God STD's aren't airbourne' 'Do you get cashback if you pay with cash?'

HEALTH

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Doctors warn of alcohol abuse

'Water-world' planet confirmed

Doctors warn that 210,000 people are at risk of death from alcohol abuse in the next 20 years. It has been suggested that 70,000 of these deaths will result from liver disease, and the rest will result from violence and abusive behaviour.

A new 'water-world' planet has been confirmed by astronomers. The planet, discovered in 2009, reportedly has a thick, steamy atmosphere. The Hubble telescope has picked up signs that the planet may be largely made up of water.

EDUCATION

'John Lewis model for state schools' A report released by the Policy Exchange has proposed that companies should run state schools in a similar way to how retailer John Lewis runs its businesses. The proposals have been rejected by the Department for Education.

Front page article poll

'Should the protest route have been changed?'

A Facebook poll asked 'Do you think the protest on Wednesday 15th February against the injunction should have deviated from the official route?'

Accelerated Change Chris Hutchinson Online Editor

The past five years have s e e n rapid shifts in the way journalists curate sources and stories. Governments, businesses, and individuals are opening up their activities, providing more information about their operations and actions, and journalists are taking advantage of this new source of data. Data is a tool - the ever-increasing availability of data, and the new methods of data manipulation, are highly exciting prospects, but have their own drawbacks; there is still a lot to learn about best practices.

During this year’s Guild Elections, Redbrick will be trialling its own data experiment, tracking candidate trends though online and social media; we call this Edge. From this, we intend to see who is performing best over this relatively new campaigning medium. While I entirely encourage experimentation, and as students, this is one of our best opportunities to trial new ideas, it is critical to consider the importance of the data this experiment provides. We must ask ourselves if we could do better, or if we are using these tools in the wrong way and are drawing the wrong conclusions.

Care and attention must be paid to their effectiveness, and it is only through experience that our understanding of them grows.

Modern developments in technology have allowed for advances in new tools providing platforms for engaging and open debate. The openness of these platforms is an attractive phenomenon, but cannot be taken lightly. Examples of this are the Guild Better Forums, open discussion groups allowing students to participate in active debate. This year, the Guild of Students has been using Facebook as a platform to create forums to openly discuss Guild issues, and as a way of holding Guild officers to account. These are intended to augment the physical discussion forums held throughout the year in the Guild, and are an example of an organisation embracing new technologies and tools to provide a more open and accessible platform for debate. Over recent weeks, due to the negative content of these forums, people have become disengaged with them, and they have become counterproductive.

It is important to consider that it may not be the tool which is to blame, but the implementation. Within Redbrick we openly try new ideas and technologies, but will always review their successes and failures in real time, and are willing to admit if we were wrong. In practice, this has meant we have been able to successfully bring new features to our coverage, and make a decision on the effectiveness of the tool. Our ability to do this rapidly is key.

Conversely, within the Guild, it is often the case that new tools won’t go through a review process for weeks or longer. In the case of the open forums, flaws in the system and its structures have fundamentally led to a closed and restricted system. The Guild’s inability to work on short time scales, to adapt to the sudden shifts in operations, and apparent fear to admit when something is wrong, have been detrimental to the long term success of these forums. The ongoing development of these forums will be interesting, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them debated at the next Guild Council.

4 News

Redbrick

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

We asked students: Would you pay £150 for a booth at Fab? 'No! Fab is one of the most social nights so I wouldn't pay money to stay in one place for the whole night.'

Kellie Coyle, 2nd year English and American Lit

'It sounds like it's very overpriced but Fab is so popular that some people would probably pay for it. I personally wouldn't buy one though' Tom Botham, 2nd year Maths

'I go to Fab for a cheap night and I catch up with friends I don't see on a day to day basis.

I can't do either of those things if I spend all night sitting in a £150 booth' Alex Fahmy, 2nd year Medicine

'No I wouldn't, it's a ridiculous amount of money that I don't have! Who has £150 to spend on Fab?' Daniel Chambers, 1st year Physics

VPDR Hugo Sumner sets the record straight about Fab Anna Hughes News Editor

Redbrick spoke this week to Hugo Sumner, Vice President (Democracy and Resources), about ticket touting, new VIP booths and ticket pricing discrepancies during Fab 'n' Fresh at the Guild.

Questions were raised during last term's Guild Council regarding people bulk-buying Fab tickets before the event, with Sumner suggesting that there would be a cap on the number of tickets available per person.

Sumner revealed that for this term's Fab 'n' Friday there will be a limit, after describing the event as 'Fab on a massive scale' in terms of ticket sales. The limit is provisionally expected to be four tickets per person, however this is unconfirmed. Sumner also said that if the cap works successfully it could be extended throughout the year, but students need to raise their opinions during Guild Council.

When questioned about people buying tickets and then sell-

ing them on for a profit, Sumner replied that it was 'despicable that people rip off other students'. It is hoped that limiting bulk-buying will reduce the number of people touting tickets, but Redbrick learnt that the Guild is not able to control people selling tickets on after they have been bought as they are then no longer property of the Guild.

Therefore the Guild cannot provide any ramifications for those people selling tickets on Facebook or outside the entrance on the night.

Fab has become increasingly popular this year, meaning it has sold out almost every week. Sumner put this down to students wanting to stay local, and said nightlife in town is 'suffering'. However, there are no plans to expand the capacity of Fab to allow more students to attend. Sumner told Redbrick that he has considered opening the Debating Hall to allow for more students but again, students need to raise the issue in Guild Council before any more can be done. He said that he 'will go as far as students want me to go' in terms of

improving the Fab experience.

Fab is currently providing exclusive VIP booths for groups of eight people as part of a trial period. Sumner told Redbrick that he and Mark Harrop, Guild President, were approached about the idea and it was decided that a two week trial period would gauge student interest. Last weekend two out of the three booths were booked out for the price of £150, to include

The queue at Fab

waitress service and free drinks.

When asked about price discrepancies between different vendors of Fab tickets, Sumner said that an extra 50 pence is charged at Omco and Drinks2Go as a 'convenience cost' and that without it these suppliers would not make any profit from selling the tickets.

With every ticket sold, £4 goes directly to the Guild.

Three weeks ago complaints

were made to the Guild after problems with the cloakroom, meaning that belongings were lost. Sumner said that there was double the demand for the cloakroom that night and that it was unprecedented, meaning it was impossible to acquire more hangers and rails at short notice. However, the Guild has now purchased updated cloakroom facilities and will now be able to cope with such demand again.

Glen Moutrie

VPE Edd Bauer found not guilty VC debate postponed Kerrina Gray News Editor

Vice President (Education) Edd Bauer has been found not guilty of intentionally causing danger to the public and conspiring with others to do so. Bauer stood in Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday 21st February alongside Simon Furse and Daniel Lindley.

All three students were found not guilty under section 17 due to the prosecution offering no evidence. The verdict was made by the judge as there was not enough prosecuting evidence for the case to go to a jury, as was originally planned.

The Court Clerk provided notes saying that the photos the prosecution provided did not offer enough evidence for the case to continue. Bauer later tweeted 'Most amusing quote from the prosecution today 'can we have a half a hour recess so we can try and find some evidence.'

The three men were arrested on 16th of September during the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham. They scaled a bridge that linked the Convention Centre and Hyatt Hotel on Broad Street and unfurled a banner that read 'Traitors Not Welcome – Hate Clegg Love NCAFC' (National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts).

They faced charges of causing danger to the public after debris from the banner allegedly fell onto the road below.

Bauer was held without bail for 10 days before he was released on bail on 26th September by Birmingham Magistrates Court.

Upon returning to work the next day, he was presented a letter from Guild President Mark Harrop

informing him of his immediate suspension from work pending investigation, however this was due to five other allegations.

A decision regarding Bauer's disciplinary was made on the 14th December and a week later on 20th December he was informed that he would be issued with a final written warning and reinstated. The final written warning will remain on his record until the 13th of June 2012.

Bauer further tweeted yesterday '@Guild_President I have just been found NOT GUILTY – due to there being 'no evidence' against me. thanks for the punishment before trial x' West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said 'The three men were arrested

Edd Bauer before Court

and they were later charged with causing danger to road users by an object place on or above a road.

This charge referred to four metal objects that fell onto the road from the banner, not for the placing the banner itself.

On the day of the trial, officers from West Midlands Police informed us that the key evidence, which were the four metal objects, had been misplaced and they were unable to locate them.

As part of our continuing duty to keep cases under review, a Crown Advocate carried out a further review in light of this and a decision was made to discontinue the prosecution.'

Bauer told Redbrick 'The Guild, University, Press and Police have put me and my co-defendants through hell. We have been wrongly put in prison, our names and home addresses have been publicised along with false smears, I was suspended from my work and I was banned from campus. Sadly this is not an isolated incident.

What has happened to me is the story of thousands of other protesters, who are the victims of political policing.'

He continued 'Institutions like the University, Guild and police are making increasingly more desperate and outrageous moves which it is often very hard for campaigners to communicate the full implications of, as many people instinctively trust the police, Guild and University. The important lesson to draw from this story is to keep on campaigning against regressive cuts and privatisation despite the poorly contrived political attacks. We can win and we can get our point across, something will give eventually.'

Zak Bentley Reporter

The Question Time debate between the University's Vice Chancellor David Eastwood and Guild President Mark Harrop has been moved back from the 27th February to the 19th March.

In an open letter from the Officer Team to the students, the Guild immediately asserted that this decision has been made by the Guild Sabbatical Officer Team and not by the Vice Chancellor. The letter continued to state that this was a result of last Wednesday's 'Protest the Protest ban', a Guild sanctioned demonstration which went off its designated course and ended in occupation of the Staff House, the type of demonstration which had been banned by the University and was being protested about then.

A statement after the protest from the Guild sought to distance themselves from the occupation actions of the protestors. Attitudes on the Better Guild Forum suggested that the postponement of the Question Time appeared to be further action from the Guild to quell anger from students directed at the Vice Chancellor.

The letter also described how the University a r e

David Eastwood

holding the Guild responsible for the results of the protest as it was a Guild-run event, 'considering the communication breakdown on Wednesday and the reaction of the University, we believe it is the right decision to postpone the debate due to be held on Monday.'

Additionally, it was written 'Something went wrong on Wednesday, regardless of whose fault you believe that to be. This needs sorting out and it needs sorting out before we attempt an event with our VC and Guild President.'

However, in a strong response to the Officer Team from the Defend Education campaign collective, they accused the Guild of acting 'within the dictates of the most repressive university in the country' and that 'the reason why this university behaves in such an extreme m a n n e r towards its students is that it knows the student union will not act to defend its members and will even take sides with the university.'

News 5

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

'No way would I ever pay that kind of money unless it's for a very special occasion and being split between other people. You can book a whole section at Urban Village for less than that' Clara Blagden, 3rd year Geography and Town Planning

'It defeats the point of Fab; a cheaper and better value alternative to the grossly overpriced clubs and pubs in town' Jacob Lovick, 1st year English and Drama

Women's Week Ella Parsons Reporter

Monday saw the start of the University of Birmingham's International Women's Week, with events including lectures, talent shows and workshops being held throughout the week, with the aim of raising awareness and money for women's causes.

On Tuesday afternoon lectures were held discussing feminism and the controversy it often causes. Dr Shelly Budgeon discussed 'The Perils of PostFeminism: What Does a Feminist Look Like?' followed by a talk by Dr Hera Cook on the question 'Were Women's Liberation Men Haters?' A handful of student attended these talks, which addressed and discussed the fact that Feminism and self-confessed feminists are often viewed negatively and with suspicion by the general public.

On Tuesday evening members of the University's Women's Association, along with students from Warwick and Coventry, staged a protest against the Miss Undergraduate beauty contest to coincide with the pagaent's final being held in the Chameleon Bar in Birmingham.

Kelly Rogers, the Guild of Student's Women's Officer, said that the aim of the protest was twofold. She said, 'We want to demonstrate that sexual objectification of women and feminism are

still relevant topics and that students and people in the community can get involved. Secondly, we want to discourage companies from taking part and to demonstrate that if they do, a fuss is going to be made.'

Among those protesting was Eliza, a second year sociology student from Warwick, and a member of the Warwick anti-sexism society. She gave her thoughts on the pageant: 'We think that this pageant is a regressive step which reinforces the objectification of women by suggesting that their value comes only from their looks.'

Estelle Hart, the NUS National Women's Officer, joined the protesters holding banners with slogans such as 'Riots not Diets' and 'Feminism: The Radical Notion that Women are People too'.

Along with Amy Bell, the UK Feminista Representative, Hart also gave a workshop yesterday covering 'Why Feminism is Relevant to students', and 'How to be a Feminist Campaigner'.

Also on Thursday, a Feminist Fair was held outside the library, with stalls from organisations including UK Feminista, Amnesty International and Oxfam. This gave students the opportunity to have any questions answered, and to learn more about the work these charities do.

Fab n' Bra will take place this Saturday to raise money and awareness of Breast Cancer.

Education Shorts Ella Parsons Reporter

Education Secretary in discrimination row Michael Gove has been criticised for his views on how faith schools discuss homosexuality in sex education classes. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has accused the Education Secretary of failing in his duties after he insisted that equality laws prohibiting discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation do not extend to the school curriculum.

Birmingham OCR

works

with

Academics from leading universities, including University of Birmingham, are working with the exam board OCR to design a new 'gold standard' of syllabuses and exams. This move comes in response to concerns about the content and standard of A levels.

Court case against fee rise rejected Two students challenging the increase in university tuition fees have lost much of their legal battle in court. Katy Moore and Callum Hurley claimed that the decision to allow fees to rise breached human rights and equality laws.

However, their calls for the coalition to reconsider the planned increase in fees were rejected by the High Court.

University fined for over-admitting students Leeds Metropolitan University is facing a fine of approximately £6 million as a result of accepting too many students in the last academic year. The University has admitted it over-recruited by 1500 students in the summer rush for places.

'I don't see the point in having booths in Fab, you would only use it for a short time as you'd be up and dancing for most of the night' Sarah Wright, 3rd year Medicine

'No, I definitely wouldn't, it doesn't seem like you get enough for the price' Emma Duggan, 2nd year Psychology

Trams announced for Bham James Brilliant Reporter

Birmingham is set for a £128m tram extension between New Street and Snow Hill stations, due to be completed by 2015.

Currently the Midland Metro tram line operates from Snow Hill station, serving St Paul's and the Jewellery Quarter before terminating in Wolverhampton. The extension, which was approved by Local Transport Minister Norman Baker, will extend the tram line into the city, calling at Bull Street, Corporation Street, and finally New Street.

The connection of the two stations will benefit University of

Birmingham students, many of whom take the train to New Street from Selly Oak or University stations, and will now have much better access to the Jewellery Quarter and beyond.

Plans to extend the system even further to Birmingham Airport are also currently in discussion.

Faye Griffiths, a third year Sociology student, said, 'I love trams! The extension will be really useful for students because currently you have to get a taxi to the Jewellery Quarter, which is a very popular area with students. But if you're travelling by yourself it can get quite expensive, so I'm sure the extension will be very beneficial.'

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said the extension would 'bring trams back to the heart' of the city and link the shopping and business districts, with the Department for Transport stating the scheme would create 1,300 jobs and generate £50m for the local economy.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group Chief Executive Jerry Blackett said, 'With the development of New Street and a new high speed rail station located next to Moor Street the next ten years are going to be transformational for the City which will cement its position as the beating heart of the UK's transport network.'

Uni lays new Olympic track Rhiannon Doyle-Maw News Editor

The University of Birmingham will be updating their running track for Jamaica's athletes ahead of the London Olympics.

Dr Warren Blake, president of the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA) who toured the facilities last month, has stated that University officials will be relaying a new track for the Jamaicans to train on prior to them moving inside the Olympic Village. Among the Jamaican team Usain Bolt is expected to train on the new track at the University.

Improvement work has also been carried out on the gym and the swimming pool.

Blake said, 'The track there is in fairly good condition, but when you have more money than we have, they can afford track and a brand new running surface will be laid down for our athletes,' 'In their view and in our view, for world-class athletes, they deserved no less than a world-class track to train on and to prepare

Running track on campus on.'

The JAAA president has stated that the new track will be relaid between the end of February and early March. 'They said if they are bringing the world's best athletes to their university then the world's best athletes must have the best track to train on, and the best track that they can provide is a new track'.

A number of events will be held in the build-up to and during

Freddie Herzog

the Games, which Zena Wooldridge, Director of Sports at the University of Birmingham, believes will reflect 'a real connection to the Olympics' at Birmingham.

One student who did not wish to be named said 'I think it is appalling that University money is spent on a new track for Jamaican athletes and not on things which will benefit students.'

See online for volunteering opportunities at the Olympics.

Foundation Academy launched James Brilliant Reporter

The University of Birmingham announced the launch of the Birmingham Foundation Academy last Wednesday.

Designed for 'high performing international students', the academy will teach students on campus for one academic year prior to the start of their chosen undergraduate degree programme. At a cost of £20,300 for the year, students will be taught by current University staff via lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory-based work and assessments, and will be considered fully integrated members of the University community.

For their year of study, students will have a choice of five college pathways linked to their future undergraduate degree: Arts and

Law; Engineering and Physical Sciences; Life and Environmental Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Social Sciences.

To apply, students must have 'achieved or be predicted high grades' in their A levels or International Baccalaureate; successful students will then be offered either a Bachelors degree with integrated foundation year, or the Birmingham Foundation Academy Programme, which if successfully completed, will guarantee a place on a future three or four year degree programme. Upon completing the academy year, students are not however tied to undertaking an undergraduate degree at the University should they not desire to do so.

Students who are chosen to study on the academy course can look forward to the Birmingham

Foundation Academy 'Package', which includes one year's tuition fees (£12,500), fully catered en suite single accommodation in Mason Hall (£7,000 – including a complimentary bedding pack, kitchenware, contents insurance and exclusive on-site Residents' Life Co-ordinator), text books and classroom equipment (£800) and full access to campus facilities.

Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, said that it would be 'a distinctive offer that will appeal to discerning international students who want a high-quality academic experience and to be at the centre of student life at a leading British university. It will act as a springboard for students to gain an internationally respected degree and develop a successful and rewarding career.'

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Redbrick

24th February 2012

Comment & Features Editor's Pick Meme Madness

Redbrick gets UoB Meme page creator Simon Langley's take on the social phenomenon

After venereal diseases themselves memes are possibly the most viral craze amongst the student demographic. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration but the UoB Meme Facebook page is currently the most popular of its kind in the country with over 5,600 'likes' coming within just days of the page's creation. These 'likes' account for over 20% of the University's student population. It bears explaining to the uninitiated that memes are analogously an inside joke shared by internet communities and, in their form on the Facebook page, are stock images with comic and relatable captions. Indeed, they are by no means a format particular to our university. Starting on an esoteric imageboard they've gradually seeped through to ever more mainstream sites before eventually being plastered over Facebook by people like me and applied to a variety of situations.

Therefore, in an age obsessed with originality they're possibly the least original brand of humour since Jeremy Clarkson learnt how to form a simile. In a way the life cycle of memes can be put side to side with that of music genres.

Take rap: the genre is wholly different to its advent and has split up into a variety of subgenres but each is indebted to what came before it. As a result, fans of Grand Master Flash will lament the supposed lack of substance in chart rap. Similarly members of the image boards that saw the inception of memes have taken time off from not going outside to bemoan the alteration of their treasured form. What these people fail to acknowledge is that a creative form be it musical, artistic, literary or memic is in a fluid definition open to interpretation and manipulation. Most importantly, the original form is not destroyed rather a new branch is formed and one through which people can discover previous iterations of the form.

In some strange way Grand Master Flash owes a debt to 50 Cent.

Conversely, there is also pressure coming from newcomers that also affects the state of memes. I have seen countless instances of people simply failing to understand the humour of certain memes. In terms of comedy they are just as bewildered as a BCU student on University challenge.

There is one particular meme where its satiric target is unequivocally the act of racism. Indeed, it starts off as what seems like a racist comment but then frustrates the reader's expectations by turning the statement on its head thus making the reader take a look at themselves. Some have mistaken the satiric target to be the race itself. This is the problem with a transition from a subculture to a wider audience as subtle elements, or in this case not so subtle elements, are misconstrued.

Whilst offence here would be misplaced there have been memes that have been so offensive that they were more out of place than

n pinio YourI'donever The page was funny at first, but heard of them before the UoB page; I found them so funny because they're so true! Now I'm seeing them everywhere!

Yasmine Hujair

it has become annoying.

Many are inside jokes that not everyone understands and this can be tedious and confusing.

Rebekah McDermott

an arts student on a grad scheme.

This is where the rap analogy breaks down as it appears that a foray into mainstream culture did little to temper Akon's ability to describe a girl disrespectfully.

To get to the crux of my argument: the introduction of memes to a more visible setting brings many positives.

Initially I was worried about the impact that the page would have on people's view of the University and of Guild politics. However, if anything it has brought the issues that the Guild as a political entity face to light, and it helps reach and engage people that otherwise would have little interest

in it.

This has all been achieved by the reapplication of one form to a different setting and in doing so breathes fresh life into something that is repetitive by its very nature.

As a result of its reliance on its setting, ultimately it is something owned by a community and that is why I, as a creator of the page, can take little credit in terms of the success of the phenomenon.

It is also why I won't get annoyed if someone changes a meme's convention and, frankly, you can pronounce it moob for all I care.

One last thing, can you spot all the memes in this article?

Memes are a fad that will I don't see the point in them, die out very although they quickly. While do make me some are chuckle. If vaguely amuspeople think ing, most are they clog up just time wasttheir news ers that clog feed, spend up people's less time on news feed on Facebook and Facebook. stop whining.

Freddie Herzog

William Hussey

Opinion Matrix

The Heart of a Nation

Views on the News HEALTHCARE Lansley's Detractors Concerned healthcare experts and pugnacious labour MPs have continued to pile pressure on Andrew Lansley to drop his much criticised healthcare reforms, resulting in the Tory's latest poll slump. This would be the worst possible outcome as we should not mistake the conservative cure, no matter how deficient, for being worse than the disease itself. More uniform than the condemnation of these

Alexander Ross explores the link between Scotland's bid for independence and the latest turmoil in the Falklands...

Britain's claims to sovereignty over the Falklands are being challenged

by Argentina, who believes that the islands they call Las Malvinas belong to them. The dispute can be juxtaposed against arguments closer to home that rage over independence for Scotland.

These two disputes highlight how complex and awkward issues relating to legitimacy

Comment & Features 7

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

and power can be. England has historic ties to both Scotland and the Falklands; the former has been united with England since 1707, whilst the latter had their 189 year relationship re-affirmed thirty years ago when Britain fought a war in order to defend the islands.

Yet both have other pasts, Argentina used to rule the islands for a period around 1822, whilst there is a long history of conflict between Scotland and England.

There aremany differences politically or culturally between England and Scotland, with their right to self-determination not as clearly stated. The arguments in favour have more to do with geography – that a united island pulls more weight than a divided one.

In a recent speech David Cameron said 'I am one hundred per cent clear that I will fight with everything I have to keep our United Kingdom together… to me, this is not some issue of policy or strategy or calculation — it matters head, heart and soul. Our shared home is under threat and everyone who cares about it needs to speak out.' The consequences of separation could have a significant impact upon the makeup of Great Britain, with potential for calls Wales and even separatists in Cornwall to grow louder.

In contrast, no one can claim that the UK has close geographical ties with the Falklands. Instead, leaders in Britain are insisting that the islanders have the right to self-determination. Sir Mark (husband to former PM Margaret Thatcher) stated 'the UK has no

MEDIA

Murdoch's Latest Title Rupert Murdoch's launch of The Sun on Sunday to boost morale following last week's arrests seems insensitive at a time when the Leveson inquiry into media ethics has not yet finished. It is clear

reforms is the belief that the NHS is in need of reorganisation. With this in mind, it is surely necessary for closer collaboration and greater patience before this essential policy is abounded entirely. Doctors of all people should know that even bitter medicine is often necessary. to many that The Sun on Sunday will simply be a relaunch of The News of the World (NOTW). A spokeswoman for News International stated that NOTW journalists would be 'invited to apply for other jobs in the company' when the NOTW closed, it is now more than likely that these journalists will be going straight into jobs in The Sun on Sunday. This proves as many already suspected that the closure of NOTW last year was simply a publicity stunt for Murdoch and News International rather than the clean up of News International as it was originally portrayed.

PARLIAMENT

How far should history Gay Marriage Rights play a role as a determiNumber 10s proposed changes to same sex marriage legislation will nant in ownership? intention in imposing any changes in the sovereign status against the wishes of the Falkland Islanders.'

This rhetoric is clever, it conveys a sense of democratic choice, whilst being safe in the knowledge that the Falkland islanders identify themselves more closely as British than Argentinian. Keeping the islands is of benefit for the British economy, with an estimated £115 billion worth of oil possibly in the surrounding sea.

Argentine documentary producer Tamara Florin who visited the islands has illustrated this, arguing that contrary to popular belief in her home country, 'there is nothing Argentinian about the islands. The people eat fish and chips, they have dinner at 6pm, they're British. The only thing that is remotely Argentinian is maybe the landscape that resembles barren Patagonia and the thousands of still active landmines that the Argentinian forces left behind.'

As a final thought, how far should history play a role as a determinant in ownership? Should legal treaties not be respected?

The alternative is endless contention and disputing of territory, whereby tenuous links are drawn upon in order to justify actions.

This seems particularly futile considering that many previous imperial nations can argue some kind of entitlement to many places. It is time that countries, such as Argentina stop making claims to pieces of land they no longer possess, particularly ones they have not had for nearly two hundred years and have developed cultures closer to their current rulers.

not compel religious groups to preside over gay marriages or alter the meaning of a 'religious marriage', but will allow gay couples the right to a full, civil marriage. All in all this seems like a good compromise. However, the newly formed 'Coalition for Marriage' pressure group plans to fight the proposed changes, and is supported by a

number of Tory right-wingers and a former Archbishop of Canterbury. Battle will now commence between the Left and the Right in the run-up to this spring's Queen's Speech, in which proposals could be announced, with the aim of the gay marriage being legalised by 2015.

POLITICS

ingly, Strauss-Khan does not deny that he had sex with these women: his defence is his repeated assertion that he was not aware that any of them were prostitutes but acting of free will. His lawyer has even laid down the bizarre gauntlet to French television that 'I challenge you to distinguish a naked prostitute from any other naked woman'. Quite why else he thinks scores of women were queuing up to have sexual intercourse with an overweight, decrepit and incredibly influential politician remains as yet unclear.

Sex Allegations Dominique Strauss-Khan, former head of the IMF, has been held by police for questioning in Lille over allegations he had sex with a number of prostitutes. Confus-

ENTERTAINMENT Brit Awards Controversy This week coverage of the Brits was dominated by Adele's acceptance speech being cut short as ITV ran out of time during a live broadcast Lily Allen proclaimed the abrupt finish was the 'music industry's attitude to women played out as a metaphor', while other celebrities jumped on the Twitter bandwagon, calling it 'disgusting' and 'bloody rude'. While it's a shame that Adele was cut off, linking it to

issues surrounding gender equality seems rather extreme. Adele's raised middle finger at 'the suits' was obnoxious and showed no consideration towards other artists present at the awards. It wasn't intentional, it wasn't calculated, it was simply live TV gone wrong.

Written by Tom Cooper, Kerrina Gray, Sarah Pullen, James Dolton & Anna Hughes

8 Comment & Features How do you solve a problem like...

'BNOCs'

A fresh take on feminism In the spirit of International Women's Week, Women's Officer Kelly Rogers talks to Redbrick's Caroline Mortimer about what it means to be a modern feminist.

Charlotte Lytton Television Editor

There are many problems with this University; the ridiculously small number of contact hours for Arts undergraduates, the fact a simple protest seems to turn the place upside down, but worst of all, worse than any of the numerous issues that affect students on a daily basis, has to be BNOCs. Oh, BNOCs. If you don't know what a BNOC is, then count yourself lucky: if you are aware of this phenomenon, it's either because you think you and/or your friends are one, or because you despise the very existence of the label.

What is a BNOC I hear (some of) you ask? The acronym stands for Big Name on Campus – a label which has somehow become a justification for strutting around like a complete and utter knob. Why self-important people feel the need to actually title their self-importance is something I find utterly bewildering. At this University in particular, and I suspect most others, self-proclaimed BNOCs are always those most closely affiliated with the student union. Yes, being a part of a society apparently entitles you to march around the Guild like a hotshot, wear some kind of garish, overpriced hoody telling everyone exactly who you are (in case your legions of fans aren't yet bowing down on bended knee at the sound of your footsteps) and generally spout puffed-up platitudes.

For the vast majority of the student body outside the Guild, this column probably makes no sense at all. In fact, I truly wish the people who consider themselves BNOCs would be forced to undergo an identity parade in front of the 28,000 strong student crowd here and see how many people actually know/care who they are. Many of these types regularly choose to sign Guild petitions (well, they have to do something in those hours of loitering around each day) and feel the need to note down their 'official committee position' after their names. Simply being a student with opinion is meaningless, apparently – if you don't have some totally extraneous role in some totally extraneous society, your views are worthless.

Of course, there are many people on campus who are well known for positive reasons, but these invariably tend to be the people who do not use the odious BNOC tag. Those who think they have some kind of elevated status for being communications coordinator of cake club or whatever stupid role they've made for themselves are deluded, and are in for a rude awakening when they enter the real world. It might be fun to feel like you're a big fish in the tiny Guild pond, but those hoodies really aren't fooling anyone.

Redbrick

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Kelly Rogers When people think of the 'average feminist' their minds usually go to a crude and misjudged stereotype of anger, lesbianism and leg hair.

However, under the surface the reality is a complex kaleidoscope of different women and men with different problems and different issues that they feel need to be addressed.

Speaking to Kelly Rogers, who was elected Women's Officer at the Guild Officer By-elections in November, about modern day feminism, the law and 'unexpected' sexism she says that too many girls on campus dismiss the gender equality battle as over.

Over the course of the week, the University of Birmingham campus has seen a variety of different events. From a talent show on Monday night, to more serious

talks on modern feminism, such as Gender Historian Hera Cook talking about the original women's liberation movement of the sixties and whether or not they were 'menhaters'. The week was also designed to get people involved with modern campaigns, including the protest against Miss Undergraduate Birmingham that went ahead this week. Another important priority is to raise money for women's rights groups, such as Rape Crisis, Oxfam, Breast Cancer Awareness and Million Women Rise.

Rogers says that she wants to raise awareness about the importance of the activist side of modern feminism and that this aspect is more than simply bra burning, highlighting the recent uproar over the pro-rape comments made on the Uniladsmag website, and

also the Miss Undergraduate Pageant. Hitting back at those who described this sort of thing as 'just a bit of fun', Rogers made the point that, 'sexism is usually disguised as banter'. Furthermore many sexist comments on the Miss Undergraduate Protest Facebook page have been 'liked' by girls.

There is a half-sense of equality now but simultaneously there is magnetism towards a norm of 'masculinity'. Rogers says that these sort of throwaway comments have become so normalised and accepted that people have started to think it's okay to say derogatory comments about women and demean them with things such as the pageant, despite it being done in good faith.

The modern backlash against feminism, from women in particular, is that it is outmoded and outdated. This centres on the fact that women now acknowledge themselves to be equal and strong.

Many believe that modern feminism is irrelevant and unnecessary for women in the UK. Cases like #Pandagate and the Steven Moffat/Sherlock sexism debate made some commentators feel that the modern feminist movement had loss its way and the important issues that need to be addressed are being ignored in favour of attacking every available target. However, Rogers thinks that, whether or not current feminist tactics are working, the article in the Guardian in January, accusing Steven Moffat's Sherlock of demeaning the main female character, by recasting her as a dominatrix, helped to expose what she termed 'unexpected feminism'.

She says, 'I think the benefit of articles like the one on Sherlock is that is surprises people, because everyone knows Nuts magazine is sexist and it sexually objectifies women: it's obvious. Whereas

with something like this, everyone watching it see the character as a strong character, an interesting character that was just using her sexuality as part of it and the journalist made quite a good argument to say that it was sexist and that surprises a lot of people.'

What she believed is key to the modern movement is to reject the notion that because women are 'strong' they don't need help.

Although it's great that so many women see themselves as empowered nowadays, Rogers says that sociologists have noted a trend in cases of sexual harassment, especially in the workplace, where women rationalise away the problem by saying that it is an isolated incident and they do not need to run to 'daddy employer' to rescue them.

Similarly there is a lack of focus on support for women when they encounter sexual violence. One of the charities being supported during the week is 'Rape Crisis' and Rogers points out that although Birmingham is the second largest city in the UK it only has one rape crisis centre.

Kelly Rogers concludes that the reason that the women's rights movement is not over is because people all over the world still have their lives defined by their gender.

There have been a great many advances in the last couple decades in the UK but there are still cultural norms that discriminate against women, and to a certain extent against men.

She says it is no longer a battle of the sexes, for anything tangible like suffrage or against violence, but there is an ongoing need to expose the hidden cultural boxes that women are stuffed into and expected to accept.

'It is kind of like picking up the chewing gum that's been trodden into the carpet and forgotten.'

The Dangers of Self-Defamation Owen Earwicker

Online Commet & Features Editor

I am a man. I am white. I am middle class. I am English, British, European. I am southern and, to a small extent, northern. All these things, I indisputably am. But they do not define me sufficiently.

Everyone, in an age dominated by appearance, by self-expression and by the inherent self-consciousness and awareness that comes hand in hand with modern culture, strives to define themselves.

Labels provide feelings of comfort and security.

But I wonder if labels themselves are self-defeating. It is difficult for me to discuss this subject because I do not belong to a minority group who might use self-definition for strength. I've no idea what is felt by a member of a minority group who feels discriminated against. But in comparison I do feel a fear that if I speak out on these kind of issues, I will be shouted down exactly because of

that.

It is undoubted that modern culture applies pressure for us to self-define and define others, but it is a practice which has happened throughout history, and though that makes it difficult to tear down, I think labelling ourselves needs to be rethought. Labels can encourage the promotion of negative otherness. In no way can this achieve progressive ends.

An argument for them is that they promote social understanding. It's an important point because people need to be aware of other lifestyles as a simple matter of education. But when taken to the extreme, labels invite discrimination and intolerance causing those who subscribe to them, to suffer.

Discrimination against those who self define is obviously unacceptable, but to a degree, so is 'positive discrimination' or 'affirmative action'. This is not only because it is against the notion of getting somewhere on your own merit, but because it seems quite patronising

– 'You're now Chair of the Board because you're a woman' is hardly the justification someone deserves who has spent years working up to that position.

Right now we do not live in a wholly tolerant society. In that sense labelling ourselves is important. But the militancy, for want of a better word, which some use their self-definitions create atmospheres of intimidation and fear to those who don't. It's time we addressed the labels we all subscribe to, or else risk intolerance rearing its ugly head in another form.

It doesn'tVPDR cross Hugo my mind that Sumner someone is a particular gender, or genderless, what race they are or religion, their sexuality, their nationality or whatever else they might define as. Only their attitude and behaviour concerns me.

One day people might not look at me and think, white middle class man. The only label I wish for is my name, and all other factors that make me who I am are part of that name.

Millie Guy

Comment & Features 9

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

The Common Cause: A Fresher's First Protest Alex Balcombe Commentator

I still to this day remember watching the vivid images on television, as a fire extinguisher was thrown and other disorder broke out.

Anger absolutely infused me, as I watched some members of the 'leaders of tomorrow' and other members of my own generation breaking out into collective anarchy. All recollection and meaning of what they were protesting for had been lost and war seemed to descend on London that day.

Though this negative feeling had swelled in me and had previously kept me back from past protests, I nevertheless felt it was necessary to protest. For me, it felt a rite of passage, as well as a democratic right. So through angry disagreement with the injunction on Occupation, I felt it was right that I should take part and express my own opinions.

Heading over to the Guild, I stood in Mermaid Square, I was initially shocked

to see no one there bar a couple of people sitting around. My legs were shaking and I was nervous.

It got even more nervous, when a group of people started to discussing which lawyers they use. My body trembled, and I could have sworn it didn't say on the event Facebook page to organise a lawyer. Immediately, images flashed in my mind of me getting arrested and my father turning up to find out what I had been doing. As the ranks of protesters swelled, banners were thrust into the air as Union representatives and Socialists turned up to support the Protest. The Socialist Worker was being sold. Strangely enough, I was never offered a copy. Didn't I look like a Socialist? I thought to myself.

I wonder what it would have taken to appear like a socialist and I wonder whether I had certain features which gave me away as another political disposition?

Soon enough, everybody was ready to begin and Speeches were said. Unsurprisingly Nick Clegg received more abuse, much to most people's amusement. However, it can be argued that within the speeches, emotive language erupted. Intellectual knowledge about democracy and our rights as citizens, and hope was put in everyone's hearts for a better society.

This struck a chord with me, and I was honoured to be in the company of these people. These weren't a group of mob like teenagers out on a rampage. These were groups of young people who had come together to fight for a common cause. Regardless of whether you agree with these people, the emo-

tional rhetoric echoed something of our classical past and showed a group of academic students coming together and attempting to put something right.

In recent days, much has floated to the surface about the planned route not being followed and others suggesting that the protest was violent. To be fair, I felt that the protest was organised extremely well with much emphasis on health and safety. It would have been unfair and unjust, if the protestors just embarked on a three minute walk to clock tower and probably a waste of time. Though, there was evidently tension with the security guards from own experience, this would have been expected due to the emotional hype from the protestors during the event.

However, I felt that the protestors on the whole, conducted themselves with good sense and responsibility. I will assert that there was banging on windows and an attempted occupy. However, when a group of people are protesting against something like the Occupy, it's kind of expected that they will attempt to carry out that banned action.

Those people who went out to protest lacked any moral ambiguity. They weren't the type of peoplewho volunteered their self for aid work for the sake of their CV. These people put themselves at risk of prosecution for a common cause and something they see as a moral right. Whilst people may not agree with what they protest for, people must respect the fact they do protest and its vital place within our society.

Our esteemed VPE

Zoe Posnette

Comment Cartoon

'UoB's (?) diplomats out in force'

Illustrated by Beth Richardson

10 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

24th February 2012

Arts

Matilda The Musical cleaned up at the whatsonstage.com Awards, taking home four prizes including Best Musical and Best Set Design for Rob Howell

Ikon

Annabelle Collins and Pieter Colpaert attend the launch of the Ikon gallery's new exhibitions, and speak to artists Sarah Browne and Hamish Fulton about their influences and inspirations and the relationship between art and society.

Sarah Browne, Second Burial at Le Blanc,

Yoshitomo Saito, Building up Hope, 2011

This month, three new exhibitions are opening at Birmingham's excellent Ikon Gallery. Redbrick Arts had the honour of being guided through two of them by the artists themselves. The works by Sarah Browne reflect on technology, community and economy in her first solo UK exhibition; while Hamish Fulton explores the links between walking and art in his impressive wall pieces. Finally, on Ikon's staircase, you can admire Postcards From Japan, a collection of powerful art pieces, marking the first anniversary of the tragic earthquake and tsunami.

Hamish Fulton is a British artist who produces art resulting from his own individual walking experiences – which is represented in awe-inspiring vinyl wall pieces, referencing the details of his walks all around the world and often enforced with political or ritualistic connotations.

Even though you might expect impressive nature imagery or photography in an exhibition about walking, there is none of this to be found: all the works are sober, graphic designs. Hamish explains that this is a conscious decision: 'I wanted to put the emphasis some-

Sarah Browne, A Model Society, 2005-7

where else – not on photography, but also not even necessarily on graphic lay-out. I was watching BBC's Frozen Planet, and thought to myself that this program actually might not be about our beautiful planet, but about making us impressed by human ability to make films and photographs. This is why I wanted to make works like these, which are decidedly not about this beautiful imagery. To me, it is important the art is here, but the walks are not.'

The dimensions of Fulton's work are quite remarkable: even though they take up almost the entire wall, they are literally paper-thin and meant to be thrown away by the end of the exhibition.

'To me, this enforces the idea of impermanence', Hamish explains, 'I could have made a monumental work from stone or steel – material that lasts longer than human life – but walking in itself is not an art object, and I wanted to draw that parallel between the impermanence of both walks and art.'

Although Sarah Browne's How to Use Fool's Gold is chiefly concerned with the development of international economies, Browne explains how there are other key

elements to her work: 'All of the works are connected to a place or a particular people and consider

Both exhibitions are concerned with unusual subject matter which lies outside artistic conventions how the economy can tap into emotional impulses.'

The different works which make up this exhibition all use existing techniques which emphasise the locality of the place Browne chose to focus on. However, How to Use Fool's Gold is also the name of an individual work. According to Browne: 'The piece of 'fool's gold',

used as a detector in the crystal radio explores the poetic idea of what you can do with a thing that is supposed to be useless'.

Browne further questions the attitude towards the art object in How to Make Muscha in Vaasa, which Browne describes as 'A hybrid of 1970s conceptual art and a recipe'. Here Browne has explored the social context of making Muscha, or moonshine, and how it can be viewed as part of Finland's heritage. In Carpet for the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Browne has looked to her Irish roots and the Donegal carpet industry; she commissioned a custom made carpet and filmed its creation.

The materials and techniques needed to make the carpet are resurrected, as this niche industry no longer exists. 'The carpet factory used to employ 900 women but now the factory is gone and Donegal is suffering from economic depression.'

Second Burial at Le Blanc is central to this exhibition. 'Le Blanc is a small village in France that still uses Francs as an effort to reboot its local economy. This work is concerned with the second burial of the Franc.' The displayed ticker-

tape machine, which Browne films paraded through the village, is certainly an image of the transition.

'I have tried to fabricate an object which dramatises the situation; the second burial of the Franc is a final closure.'

Both exhibitions are concerned with unusual subject matter which lies outside artistic conventions. Hamish Fulton's work is best summed up in his statement of intent 'If I do not walk, I cannot make a work of art.' His work has fused two separate disciplines together and encourages others to follow his example, thus the formulaic nature of the exhibition is lessened.

Equally, considering the current global climate, Sarah Browne's work could not be more poignant, although the originality and resourcefulness of this exhibition really ensure it stands out. Each work combines different technologies, with an emphasis on acquiring and transferring skills.

As a whole, this work emphasises the relationship between emotional investment and the local economy, which is documented in an inventive and thought-provoking way.

24th February 2012

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nd a x le A e h T t a ic if c a P South

Previews

Hollie Jones Critic

As the curtains open and the 25 piece orchestra begins to play the overture of South Pacific, the silence from every member of the audience speaks volumes for the emotive and engaging reinvention of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic 1949 musical.

Set during the Second World War, this is a story of a Nellie Forbush, a naval nurse from Little Rock, and her stormy romance with French plantation owner Emile De Becque.

Their story is told through witty and sensitive dialogue and, in true musical style, some showstopping numbers. 'Cockeyed

Optimist', 'I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair' and 'Wonderful Guy', to name a few, had audience members beaming back at the enthusiastic cast.

Such energy could best be seen from the inventive choreography, especially in large chorus numbers such as 'There’s Nothing Like A Dame'. Consisting of both whole chorus routines and pair work, the group vocals and selective duets complemented the scene perfectly. The heads of the audience turned from one side of the stage to the other, desperate not to miss a trick.

The scenery was simple yet effective and was greatly enhanced by the use of lighting and sound technology. The conductor, a key expo-

nent of any show, but one who is often overlooked, worked furiously throughout the three hour performance. The powerful instrumental elements consumed the whole theatre space, and added gravitas and energy to the most sombre or upbeat a scene. The roars of planes and squawks of seagulls blended into the soundscape for dramatic effect in key scenes.

Though Samantha Womack has received brilliant reviews for her performance as Nellie, here it is understudy Carly Anderson, who is under review. With an unfaltering voice, convincing accent and unwavering energy, no one could fail to be disappointed with the delivery of her role of Nellie.

Brazilian born Paul Szot, as

Emile De Becque, truly makes the show with his baritone voice, and together the pair make a brilliantly engaging leading couple.

Loretta Ables Sayre, as bawdy Bloody Mary, the Tonkinese wheeler-dealer, demonstrates perfect comedic timing in her delivery and portrayal of the character, to the extent that one could argue this supporting character in many instances steals the show!

In spite of the feel-good tunes and witty dialogue, it is easy to forget that at the foundations of this story are some serious and gritty issues. At its root, South Pacific examines the difficulty of the moral responsibilities of war, foreign occupation and mid-20th-century racism.

The Voice Festival UK The Underground 25th February £5

A Birmingham Jazz Duo Empirical at mac

Uprising The Drum 24th February £6

Greyish Quartet at The Drum

3BUGs presents: Bug Amos Room 26th-29th February £5 Anna Lumsden Online Arts Editor

Echoing not only their musical influences but also their life philosophies in their playing, Empirical’s sound is something quite different from what you might usually expect from a small jazz ensemble.

When Empirical took to the stage they produced an instantly captivating rush of sound. The first tune, 'Out But In', began with clear-cut, angular melodies from Nathaniel Facey on alto saxophone, reflective of the sounds of 1940s horn players Charlie Parker and perhaps Ornette Coleman, as well as more modern players such as Martin Speake.

What is most striking about these musicians is the way they play so tightly as a unit, underpinning each melody with stunning harmonic and rhythmic precision.

This was apparent on rhythmically demanding tunes such as bassist Tom Farmer’s composition 'Simple Things', in which the mo-

tives, notes and textures appear uncomplicated, but are distributed in such a way over the pulse of the tempo that unique and mesmerising rhythms are created.

With an emphasis on well known sayings and philosophies for their music’s foundations, Empirical presented pieces such as 'Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say', and the track the new album takes its title from.

'The Element of Truth' was composed by vibes player Lewis Wright. A stunning combination of ethereal, ringing chords with occasional striking dissonance, this thought provoking tune brought a wonderful clarity to the end of the set.

Empirical’s sound is both musically and intellectually experimental, pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz. With a group of musicians so advanced in their craft, the listener can entirely trust in them to deal with where the beat is (wherever it is) and just take pleasure in what is created.

James Grady Critic

What I know about jazz would fit on the back of a postage stamp. So it was with some trepidation that my ignorance and I arrived at the Drum Arts Centre in Aston, for the launch of Greyish Quartet's new album The Dark Red Room.

The Drum Arts Centre is a beautifully modern venue, with its bright lights and whitewashed angular walls, it was a fitting blank canvas for the contemporary jazz quartet to play over.

Jim Bashford's hypnotic, scattered drumming was something of a way in, along with Nick Jurd's beguiling double bass.

Before long the music seemed to work its way over me by accumulation. David Austin Grey's piano sounded deeply melancholic, beside Sam Wooster's bright clean trumpet.

Two of the standout moments of the evening had to be Sam Wooster's ridiculously fast trum-

pet solo in the first half, and the stunning guest spot from MOBO prize winning Alto saxophonist and MC Soweto Kinch.

The arrangements had a certain fluidity to them with gradual changes in mood. Some tunes started loose and abstract before coming back into tight focus.

The band's website says the album was inspired by film and photography, which makes sense due to the waxing and waning nature of their sound, along with occasionally vibrant bursts of energy and colour.

The audience remained reverently hushed throughout. Everyone sat still, drinking in the textured sounds of the virtuoso playing and it was consequently quite a solitary experience, though not in a negative sense.

The clean bright sounds and dynamic changes in direction of the music transcended the social setting, allowing the audience to be completely immersed in Greyish Quartet's sonic world.

If these have whet your appetite, see redbrickpaper.co.uk for Online Arts Editor Anna Lumsden's picks of where to see some live jazz for free around the city.

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12 redbrickpaper.co.uk

24th February 2012

Television

Redbrick

Check out Jenna Kirby's review of The Bank Job at redbrickpaper.co.uk

Top 5 cartoon bromances

Telly Talk

Eliott Rhodes has a gander at the animated world's take on male friendships

Charlotte Lytton Television Editor

Catdog Catdog

Ren & Stimpy Ren & Stimpy What if poor, defenceless animals could talk?

That's the basic premise of this Nickelodeon original. Again we have a fat stupid cat and a psychotic hairless dog who pull together against adversity to try and prolong their shameless and unenviable lives.

5.

4.

Cat's head one end, dog's head the other, making the world ask, 'Where does it poop?', but when you see a dog coughing up hairballs the question is horribly answered. They fall out, but ultimately when you have to live with each other you have to be very forgiving.

Bert & Ernie Sesame Street

3.

The Morecambe and Wise of Sesame Street, they shared a bed together and almost became a married couple. It's has been insinuated over the years that they have a hidden romance, but in truth it doesn't matter – we will always love the orange and yellow pair.

Stan & Kyle South Park

Tommy & Chuckie Rugrats

2.

A friendship lasting years, even when they were All Grown Up, Tommy and Chuckie were best friends from the word go. Chuckie was a coward, but Tommy gave him inspiration to be brave and bold, a friendship that many of us grew up truly enjoying.

1.

Stan and Kyle are true friends, excel at Guitar Hero together and looked after an egg as a 'gay couple' to determine whether South Park allowed same sex couples to adopt. They do everything together and just don't look the same when they are apart.

A welcome visit to the Homeland Television Editor James Moore reveals just what makes this new hit American drama a cut above the rest The 'War on Terror' is now more than a decade old and it is truly the war of our time.

Yet there has been a conspicuous lack of television related to the real issues of the new method of warfare. Though shows like 24 have dealt with terrorism in the very heart of America, there was always the feeling of Hollywood surrounding it, with big set pieces and gunfights acting as a barrier to prevent the audience facing up to the realities of the subject matter.

New series Homeland takes a completely different approach.

Taking the plunge into this gritty drama, which has already taken the USA by storm, the first thing that is apparent is that this show is pulling no punches when it comes to dealing with the frankly traumatic issues involved. The show focuses on the lives of two conflicting characters.

Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers) plays Sergeant Nicholas Brody, a marine who was missing and presumed dead early into the Iraq War. Brody is by far one of the saddest characters on TV in recent years – after almost 10 years in captivity the show does a magnificent job of portraying the difficulties of coming home. Whether it's Brody's nervous disposition or the heartbreaking moment at which his son announces he does not recognise his own father, Lewis plays the role excellently.

This week in TV News The Saturdays have met with TV producers in LA and pitched their own reality series following their attempts to take America by storm.

Hustle ended on a high with the final ever episode watched by 5.3 million people, not counting internet viewership.

Yet it is hard to feel completely at ease with the character – although every instinct is telling you to feel sympathy, the drama really begins as Claire Danes's CIA agent Carrie Mathison, recently disgraced and precariously close to a mental breakdown, begins to question whether or not the returned hero is in fact a double agent.

The morally-ambiguous characters keep you on the edge of your seat, making the show as tense as a small nun at a penguin shoot.

With both characters having more mental foibles than a Stephen King protagonist, the whole show forms an uncomfortably prominent metaphor for the paranoia still thick in American society.

This show represents a new darker movement in addressing the realworld issues that are as relevant to us as they are to anyone. Someone expecting another band aid to American pride will find Homeland a disappointment but if you watch this show with an open mind you can really see that it's taking a new direction to its predecessors.

The characters are real and well-developed, even if only supporting, and the drama is enticing.

Thankfully, the sometimes publicfearing American networks have already renewed the series.

Let's hope this is the start of a new era of groundbreaking television not scared to face the problems of the 21st century.

West Wing star Mary McCormack has been cast to star in a new American drama featuring a top executive becoming a stay-at-home mum.

If I've learnt anything from 21st century TV, it's that nothing's sacred anymore. And do you know who I blame?

Channel 4. In the space of six months, birth, death and other momentous life events have been displayed to millions in full technicolour, opening the door into people's personal lives far wider than could ever have been imagined. Don't get me wrong: I love the channel for its incredible mixture of intriguing documentaries, gritty dramas and sparking comedies, but its latest show has, for me at least, taken the biscuit.

The most recent private sphere the channel has intruded upon is that of the marriage proposal.

Now of course, everyone is different, but I maintain that getting engaged should be an act between the two people the marriage concerns – and not the entire nation. The Wedding Proposal followed four flashy fellas who weren't prepared to settle for the old down-on-oneknee malarkey: these men wanted to tell the whole world they were getting married in a variety of attention seeking ways.

The worst offender had to be baby-faced David, who decided that the West End stage would be the perfect place to share this moment with his wife to be. To my mind there are three people to blame for this catastrophe of ostentation: the potential groom, for feeling the need to ruin a play thousands of people had spent good money on when he scampered on mid-performance, the theatre itself for allowing this showy interruption, and the production company, who obviously pulled some strings to get him there in the first place. As a theatre-goer, the prospect of acts of this ilk becoming a regular occurrence is quite terrifying. I mean, I'm happy that they're happy and all that jazz, but I pay to see actors perform, not a lovesick twenty-something who's desperate for the spotlight.

I'm sure this seems terribly cynical and perhaps my view of romance is skewed, but I honestly cannot comprehend why anyone who loves their partner enough to marry them feels the need to turn that intimate moment of engagement into a public spectacle. And worse than this is the thought of what it might encourage in the future – where do people go from here? Interrupting the Pope's address at the Vatican to get down on bended knee? Wandering onto the pitch at Chelsea at half time to ask those four little words?

Future spouses of Britain, I urge you to be considerate in your betrothals – not just to yourself and your other half, but to the rest of the public as well. I'm glad you've found someone who'll put up with your attention grabbing, but the rest of us surely shouldn't have to.

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

Britain's Got Talent – The search begins Jenna Kirby gives us the inside scoop from the Birmingham stop on the show's audition tour Arriving at 12pm – an hour before the doors are scheduled to open – I am pleasantly surprised at the size of the queue, having expected to see millions of people thronging around the entrance to Birmingham's ICC. However, it soon becomes clear why many people have left it late to arrive to the venue, as we are waiting for three hours – yes, hours – for the judges to arrive (in separate cars obviously) and wave at the crowd for a bit before sauntering into the venue.

The queuing hordes were finally allowed to flood into the ICC and, thankfully, the show kicked off pretty much straight away. The new season's judges – Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams – take their seats and the acts begin.

The audience are told to be as lively as possible, after being informed by a producer that there are 'no rules'. However cynical you are watching the show at home, it is impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere within the arena, inevitably leading to mass

screaming at the acts doing well and rather inappropriate booing when someone messes up.

There is the usual combination of dance groups, singing children and gymnastic squads – all of which are undoubtedly talented,

but not 'out there' enough. The other acts we are treated to include a bizarre rock music/opera/ ballet combination and one poor boy who failed to impress by playing the Lone Ranger theme song on his teeth. The new line-up of

judges appears to work rather well as they all appear comfortable in their seats – even the new additions. Dixon's confidence comes from her previous judging panel experience from her role on Strictly Come Dancing, and Walliams is

Television 13

perfectly at ease entertaining the audience and taking the mickey out of Simon Cowell, which, let's face it, is sometimes desperately needed.

Holden looked impeccable considering her recent return following the difficult birth of her second child – she has managed to ping back into shape after a mere three weeks. As for Cowell, I certainly understand why he has earned himself the title 'Mr Mean' in the industry. It appears that BGT may have finally put together a line-up of judges that will last for a while.

However, as they enter the sixth series, it is clear that the judges and the producers are beginning to feel the strain of trying to find and promote acts that would be able to make an impact in the already saturated market – breakdance acts were discouraged for being too similar to Diversity, and a girl group was treated with caution for fear that they would be too similar to Little Mix. The show seems to be getting more ruthless in its never-ending search for fresh British talent.

Reviews: This week's hottest shows Let's Dance for Sport Relief Jenny Porter Critic

Back for its fourth series, BBC One has called in yet another array of familiar, and not so familiar, famous faces to don their dancing shoes, all in the name of charity.

Accompanied by presenters Alex Jones and Steve Jones, a celebrity panel comprising of Graham Norton, Greg Davies and Keith Lemon, plus musical performances, the show promises to

Geordie Shore Sara Hailan Critic

The gang may be back in Newcastle, but it doesn't seem to be smiles all round. The show promises to dish out stiff competition to its rival American version, and with their 'absolutely mortal' shenanigans, they're definitely a strong contenders.

The new series of Geordie Shore looks set to be more explosive than ever, and sees quite a few unexpected changes. Sweet boy

Daddy Daycare Charlotte Goodwin Critic

Channel 4's newest documentary is a three part series exploring what happens when dads learn how to do daycare. Apparently, British women do twice the amount of daycare as men, and this programme follows 'lazy, disinterested and absent' fathers who undertake a crash course to make themselves better parents.

The first episode follows Gary,

provide brilliant light-hearted entertainment. If the rest of the series continues in the same style as the premiere then audiences are in for a treat.

The brave stars have to reenact their own unique version of iconic dance routines for the public's entertainment. In the first week the contestants dance in the first of four heats, Eastenders duo Tameka and Laurie, aka Kim and Jane, were up first with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's famous Telephone routine. Next, where would the show be without a man in drag?

Reminiscent of previous winner Rufus Hound, aka Cheryl Cole, as well as Noel Fielding and Russell

Kane, comedian Terry Alderton appeared as a scarily accurate Tina Turner dancing to Proud Mary.

Other performances included cricketer Darren Gough, Shooting Stars pair Angelo and Ulrika, and for comedic value, DJs Tony Blackburn and David Hamilton, with a somewhat 'dangerous' version of Salt-n-Pepa's Push It. The Eastenders girls won the majority of the public votes, whilst the panel chose Terry, ensuring them both a place in the final in the coming weeks.

It might not be intellectually stimulating, but it's all for a good cause and ideal for a Saturday night in.

Greg swiftly packed his bags after just one series claiming it 'wasn't for him', Vicky and Sophie are now devoted girlfriends, beefcake James is sporting a God-awful comb-over and electrifying red head Holly is bouncing those double FFs around like it's going out of fashion – so some things clearly never change.

The recruitment of two brand new housemates has caused a massive stir, with vile-tongued Vicky pouncing on new girl Rebecca five minutes into the first episode. With profanities being thrown about left, right and centre, it's hard to know where to look. Tears, tantrums and

tashin' on galore; finally, some truly amazing trashy TV to distract from dissertations.

With Gary and Charlotte on and off more than a light switch and Vicky recruiting newbie Ricci as her latest squeeze, audiences can only sit and wait for the drama to unfold. Will her boyfriend ever find out about her bed-hopping?

Will James finally pull a 'worldie'?

And more importantly, will it be love-strung eager beaver Holly?

In a world filled with reality TV Geordie Shore stands apart from the rest of its small screen contemporaries, and is proving to be as wild as the American version.

a workaholic father of three, whose main problem is his self-imposed lack of time due to work; Jay, an accidental dad who feels his child has ruined his life; and Stefan, an ex-military man who lacks confidence about being a parent.

The eclectic group of men have just five days to transform their opinions of fatherhood through an intensive course in childcare at a nursery in South London run entirely by single mothers. After a short time you find yourself hoping desperately that these men can indeed change their opinions and become the parent their children deserve.

There are three age groups of children for the men to organise.

Each activity they are given, including story-telling, urban dancing, and changing nappies, does not go well, with chaos overtaking the men's efforts of control.

The show had a mixed impact upon the three men as Gary only coped with his own children for a day on his own, and Jay had a vasectomy shortly after the show, a rather sad end to a show intending to make them rethink child rearing. However a success came in the form of Stefan: he and his wife have recently married and children are now his main priority.

14 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Life&Style

Redbrick

24th February 2012

Sophie Hay discusses woman of the moment Victoria Beckham as ambassador of the 'GREAT' Britain campaign online at redbrickpaper.co.uk

FUZE Bristol: The UK's Biggest Student Fashion & Dance Event Sophie Cowling Life&Style Editor

This weekend saw the return of FUZE, the UK’s largest student run fashion, music and dance show in Bristol. The show’s popularity has snowballed since its 2003 debut, resulting in last Saturday’s professional and thoroughly entertaining event.

Attracting 1800 students over two nights, Redbrick Life&Style decided it was well worth the trip down from Birmingham. The location, Brunel’s Old Station, was vastly atmospheric and a first year medical student tells me on the way in that it has been the location of several of her exams - which seemed fitting yet also a relief when the free popcorn and complimentary champagne came into view.

Our instruction to arrive an hour before the show started, although originally perplexing, was explained by the various fashion and charity stalls, the large bar and the dress-up photo booth, all creating a fun, party ambiance.

It was clear this was a party with a purpose, however; with 100% of all proceeds going to charity, resulting in the show having raised over £50,000 since its launch. It is not surprising therefore that it was awarded “Best University Fundraising Event 2011” at the University of Bristol Student Union Awards.

As for the show itself, it re-

ally was the best ‘fuze’-ion of student fashion and dance talent. The performers carefully hand picked from a competitive audition process oozed professionalism and a passion for the show you can only have from being the driving and creative force behind the studentrun event. It turned out there happened to be an actual professional in the show’s midst, with model Nici Harrison being recently signed to Storm Modeling Agency’s ‘New

Faces’ – who reportedly turned down a London Fashion Week job to take part in FUZE. The fashion segments of the show were vibrant and light hearted, with clothes being provided by brands such as Serge DeNimes (Proudlock from Made in Chelsea’s T-Shirt range), Motel, C by Clarissa, Forget-Me-Not, Pirates & Roses England, Beautiful Bottoms London, Lazy Oaf, RePsycho, Clifton Vintage Boutique and the

Fashion Students at UWE. The clothing was a mixture of lingerie, vintage and modern styles and each varied from brand to brand, encapsulating the edginess and individuality of contemporary student fashion.

The dance numbers showcased a variety of different dance styles from lyrical ballet and contemporary to street, all of which had a striking visual impact on the stage, emphasized by the lighting, sound and make-up.

The choreography is to be particularly praised, especially in the ‘ELLEs’ number by Natalie Parsons and Nikita Sellers and, perhaps most popularly, the ‘Geeks in the Ghetto’ routine by Kelvin Chiu.

Although the show was incredibly professional it was brought back to its student roots aptly in the second half, by the growing rowdiness of the student audience members who had taken full advantage of the bar during the interval.

Organizer Chris Jackson ended the show with a speech about how the show has taken over the lives of those producing and performing in it, which was evident from its high calibre product. Being featured in Tatler magazine last year, the show continues to go from strength to strength, showcasing the best of student talent.

When Jackson said 'See you at FUZE 2013!' there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the show would be back and bigger than ever next year.

Writer

Being northern, just walking down Pall Mall, a street that is actually on the Monopoly board, caused intense excitement for me. My enthusiasm only rose as I waited in the lobby of the Institute of Directors on the 13th February and saw members of the More!

Team walking in looking every bit as glamorous as you imagine a magazine journalist to be.

I was attending the first ever Media Network Event hosted

by Bauer Media.

We were greeted into the Brasserie by deputy editor Louise Burke and invited to go to the bar and collect a glass of wine. The guests then took their seats and in speed dating style the More! team moved around the room spending two minutes with each person where we could ask them any questions we had about working in the media. There was a range of More! employees including editor in chief Chantelle Horton, features editors, news writers, fashion coordinators, art directors, research and marketing executives. Anything you wanted to know about working in magazines these ladies could tell you.

It was a great opportunity to ask editorial assistant Samantha Webster what she looks for when she is reading through work experience applications, and across the board it was agreed that a jour-

nalism degree is not preferred, extensive work experience and a passion for what you want to do is more important. A key piece of advice came from editor in chief, Chantelle Horton, which was to not waste the opportunity of work

experience: make yourself stand out, go to the editor personally and give ideas for the magazine - make them remember you!

Other valuable pieces of information I got from talking to the various writers was that in a weekly magazine such as More!, the fashion department do very little writing; it is more visual, fashion-shoot based work. I also got some great tips on how to find

good features by looking at news and noting social trends: for example, a lot of celebrities break up before Valentine’s Day, and trying to turn that into an interesting feature which connects with the magazine’s readers. Georgina Childs, the junior features writer who is in charge of all things men and sex, said she often looks at recent surveys to find her features, for example match.com surveys to investigate relationship and sex trends which she can evolve into a feature.

After the speed-questioning was finished we had half an hour to mingle with the other guests and chat to the More! team. Whilst we were doing this, the editorial assistant handed out Krispy Kreme doughnuts and the marketing team gave us a lovely goodie bag to take home, which of course included a pink notebook (every journalist’s essential item).

It was interesting to talk to the other guests about why they were here. It ranged from students such as myself wanting to know more about working in the industry and the specific roles, to visual merchandisers wanting to redirect their fashion career into styling, to an advertising representative from Motel Rocks there to network.

The consensus from all the guests was that More! magazine seems an incredibly fun magazine to work for if you’re into all things men, sex, fashion and beauty.

Fierce Simran Bhogal Writer

London and New York Fashion Week: It’s the time of year we have all been anticipating. Who would pass at the chance to revel in the amazing and bizarre creations that grace the catwalks, spy on the celebs and snag free goody bags… need I say more?

Nicki Minaj for MAC: Our very own Barbie has collaborated with MAC to create a delicious new range of make up: Viva Glam. All the profits from the products sold will go to AIDS/HIV charities, so you can do your bit to help others whilst looking fab-u-lous.

Flatforms: They’re not quite wedges, nor are they platforms.

Flatforms are a comfortable compromise, combining the best of both to create a new and edgy type of shoe, making its debut this spring/summer. ASOS here we come!

Candy colours for Spring/ Summer: Had enough of the winter blues? I think we all have, so start showing some love for the fresh pastels forecast for 2012.

Sherbet shades of denim, candyfloss knitwear and bubble-gum coloured bags; it’s like being a kid in a candy store…

Tousled tresses: The windswept look is in. Give your hair a break from the intense wear and tear of daily styling. It will save you extra time in the morning, meaning we may need to come up with a new excuse for being late to lectures.

An Evening With More! Magazine April Shacklock

Fierce & Finished

Sophie Powers Writer

Coco’s Tea Party is the fashion blog of twenty-one year old Ella Gregory, a former Fashion Journalism student who turned her keen interest in fashion into a fulltime career. Launched in 2006, the blog has gone from strength to strength, providing a fresh and often witty look at the world of fashion.

Indeed, with her quirky writing style and palpable love of fashion, London-based Ella is wonderfully reminiscent of a young Carrie Bradshaw. With posts featuring a mixture of fashion news, catwalk trends, celebrity style and shopping features, Coco’s Tea Party delivers all your fashion needs in one neat little package.

Finished Ankle breaking heels: Don’t get me wrong, I love my heels, but the higher they get, the more intense the pain. Platforms are a godsend, until a certain point where you feel like you are walking on stilts. Not cool.

TOWIE’s Mario and Lucy: The new Ross and Rachel. Are they?

Aren’t they? I can’t keep guessing.

Every episode brings a new drama, which always provides good entertainment, but this scenario has been played out too many times before.

Oversized hair accessories: Ditch the overstated embellishments and opt for something simpler, like plaits, feathers or beads.

Leave the overgrown flowers to your garden and florist.

February: Snow, ice, frost, hail?!

This weather belongs in the dark winter months along with our thermals. Hopefully they are only making a temporary come-back and nothing more permanent.

Bring on March and spring!

Madonna’s return: She is the original material girl, but Madge’s return to music doesn’t generate the same buzz that it used to. Let’s hope she won’t be using another wardrobe of leotards this time…

Life&Style 15

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

Spring Beauty is Looking Just Peachy Rebecca Atherton Writer

We've reached that time of year when it's really not too early to start getting excited about the joy of spring: budding flowers, touches of green on once seemingly dead trees, fresh mornings and the promise of summer in the not-todistant future.

Ok it may be a little too early to start thinking about summer, but it's definitely time to leave the dreariness of winter behind us, and what better way to do so than with an injection of peach colours into your make-up bag.

Even Vogue is endorsing the colour as the new shade to wear. It

falls somewhere between coral and pink; it warms the skin like coral shades do whilst retaining the femininity that pink shades bring to a face, and it's a colour that suits every skin tone.

Here are some tips and products to give your face a natural looking peachy glow.

Glowing, dewy skin compliments peachy make-up colours perfectly, so try using NARS Orgasm Illuminator (£22) alongside your foundation. Not only does it provide a glow, but it also gives a subtle warm colour.

E i ther apply it to the face before your foundation or just apply it after foundation to

London Fashion Week:

Megan Jones Online Life&Style Editor

It's that time of year again: London Fashion Week. February 17th to the 22nd saw fashion magazines, blogs and mere mortals like ourselves dedicated to our laptops, relishing over and reviewing the Autumn/Winter 2012-13 shows (that's right, the looks we'll be wearing next winter – it's good to be prepared). Here's a compilation of the week's best bits: Topshop NEWGEN Tees Topshop's most recent designer collaboration features designs from previous NEWGEN winners

the highest points of your face (cheekbones, nose, chin and the forehead just below the hairline).

For a blusher to give a sheer, warm and rosy glow to the cheeks instead of giving you the clown look, try Topshop Blush in Head Over Heels (£6) or Benefit Blush in Coralista (£23.50). Peach tones are natural, glowing and fresh, and suit a face that isn't heavily made up, so avoid heavy eye make-up.

Instead, draw attention to your lips.

Both Revlon Lipstick in Smoked Peach (£7.49) and Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Orange (£18) will finish off the look perfectly.

Highlights

including Erdem, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Saunders.

Priced at £30, grab yourself one of these individual designs from Topshop stores and online.

Stella McCartney Though she's still showing her main collection in Paris, we were thrilled to see that this year's Olympic kit designer showed a special presentation at her LFW roots.

McQ – Another addition to the schedule this year was the debut catwalk collection of Alexander McQueen's diffusion line.

International Fashion Showcase – LFW is known for being a launching pad for aspiring designers, with Christopher Kane and Erdem already becoming household names. This year, the British Fashion Council and the British Council have launched a new showcase where emerging designers around the world had their work explored by industry experts. Who will London's next prodigy be?

Jonathan Saunders – All eyes were on the recent winner of

the BFC/Vogue designer fashion fund as he showed his latest collection.

Moschino Cheap and Chic Italian fashion brand, Moschino, presented its sister line in London for the first time, instead of its usual home of Milan. The brand's creative director Rosella Jardini believes that the city's “contemporary style and famous sense of humour” will be the perfect place for the energetic brand.

Desert Island Beauty Product Laura Rudolph Writer

This powerful oil-absorbing, regenerating facial mask contains antiseptic Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender essential oils which rebalance and purify the skin making it the ideal pick-me-up for sallow, youthful skin types.

Unlike other facial masks, this one purifies without tightening and drying out the skin. Instead you are left feeling rejuvenated, softened and deeply cleansed. The herbal, Lavender smell can at first take some getting used to but well worth it as your skin will never feel better.

Whether you have dry, oily or combination skin this face mask will leave you with refreshed, youthful skin without the congested blemishes the stress of Uni can leave you with. I will never use another mask again!

Fairtrade Fashion Show Sadie Palmer Writer

This year's Fairtrade Fashion Show promises to be a night to remember, with four runway shows showcasing the best in Fairtrade and Ethical fashion, live bands, stalls, DIY workshops, a bar, a chocolate fountain, as well as guest speakers from Oxfam Fashion and local Fairtrade businesses.

Tickets are £5 advance purchase (see Guild Tickets or Farm Shop), with a limited number on the door at £6. With all profits going to Oxfam, People & Planet and Fairtrade Foundation, this event will leave you with a clean conscience and plenty of fashion inspiration.

Thursday 1st March, Deb Hall (in The Guild), 6-10pm

Save, Spend, Splurge Megan Jones Online Life&Style Editor

With Award Season about to hit its peak with the Oscars this Sunday, it's time to channel your inner red carpet goddess.

If you're not quite ready to blow your student loan on this exquisite Alexander McQueen silk chiffon gown (who needs accommodation and food?), we have offered you a few cheaper alternatives so you can still look gorgeous whatever your price range.

SAVE: This Topshop steal proves you don't have to be a highlypaid actress to work a red carpet look. For only £38, you can get your hands on this high neck wrap maxi dress. The best bit?

You'll have enough cash for some accessories.

SPEND: Coast “Symphony blush” £170.

Look McQueen-worthy for a fraction of the price whilst working Spring's blush shades in this beautifully draped silk floor length gown.

The asymm e t r i c draping and ruched bodice adds an individual touch t o an instantly elegant choice.

SPLURGE: Ted Baker “Nour” £229 Make a true investment with this Ted Baker full length dress.

Though its pale orange colour is bang on trend at the moment, its simple silhouette will transcend seasonal trends meaning you can pull out this easyto-wear silk maxi each summer. Dress it up with gold accessories for the evening or wear it to a Spring garden party with embellished flats.

16 redbrickpaper.co.uk

24th February 2012

Music Grammys Roundup

Redbrick

Rihanna and Chris Brown return to domestic bliss in new collaboration Birthday Cake www.mtv.co.uk/news

5 minutes with... MRTN Sthlm

Photo of The Week

Press try and get a glimpse of Whitney's funeral

MRTN Sthlm Beat is a well known name in Swedish house music and is founder of blog Stockholm Beat Connection

Jonathon Milnes Critic

Adele From a modest London beginning, her powerful voice has wowed the world and earned her six Grammy awards at this years event to add to her other two from 2009 . To put that in perspective, she has equaled Beyoncé's tally that has built up over the past decade in merely three years. To add to this, Adele returned to the stage for the first time after her operation with a flawless rendition of 'Rolling In The Deep'.

Foo Fighters Not to be overshadowed, the Foo Fighters were also big winners at this year's ceremony, walking away with five awards. The rock veterans who are now in their third decade of making music showed that they still have what it takes to remain fresh and current.

Bon Iver The indie/folk band sparked controversy for winning the 'Best New Artist' award, despite having an album released as far back as 2008.

In a strongly contested category which included Nicki Minaj and Skrillex, the critically acclaimed American four-piece managed to impress the voters and walked home with the prestigious award.

Skrillex Despite losing out on 'Best New Artist', Skrillex had a far from disappointing evening, winning two Grammys. The producer has stormed to chart success over the past year and this was rewarded with winning both 'Best Dance Record' and 'Best Dance Album'. Despite this, Skrillex refused to take part in the glam of the red carpet, turning up with his typically greasy hair, black skinny jeans and a pair of trainers!

Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse remains unforgotten as her duet with legendary crooner Tony Bennett, Body and Soul, won 'Best Pop Duo'. It was her mother and father who collected the award, remembering not only their own daughter but also music legends Whitney Houston and Etta James claiming 'there's a beautiful girl band up there'. *** To hear all these and more, tune in to Redbrick Music's radio show – Wednesdays at 6pm, on Burnfm.com For unique online content visit www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/music.

You can also follow us on Twitter at @redbrickmusic

Fina Charleson Critic

What type of music do you DJ/ produce?

Dance music. Not so much into dividing genres. But it's a blend of house, electro and techno.

Which artists have influenced you the most?

Probably Daft Punk, everyone says it, but they really changed my opinion regarding dance music.

When did you first get into DJing and why?

I actually started as a hiphop DJ, with vinyls. But got more and more into the dance scene. I love the feeling of a jam packed dancefloor all going nuts to my selection and of course my own tracks!

Many people who aren't familiar with House music don't fully understand it.

How would you define it?

For me personally it's about a feeling. House music makes me

feel good. It makes me happy.

And I think that is also why it has become so big, it makes people feel good.

What are you currently working on?

Just finished a new mixtape. Waiting for a MRTN remix of 'The Concept' to drop. We also got a remix EP to release and a new single that will be out in April/May. Which five places in the world would you most like to DJ ?

Creamfields, Global Gathering, Space @ Ibiza, Coachella, you can dream can't ya? Also at my favorite football team's homeground: Malmö Stadion. That would be ace!

What do you hope to achieve by the end of this year in terms of your music?

I want more people to hear it, more people to dance to it. And to go visit/play in new cities/countries around the world. That would make me happy!

Who Are You?: Indie Soc

Do you ever feel that you're the only one of your friends who likes music that isn't played in Gatecrasher? More of a Radio 6 than a Radio 1 type of gal (or guy)? Indie Soc will be your new best friends.

Boasting 100 to 150 of the universities most eclectic music fans, Indie Soc is, according to Samina Rangwala, Vice President 'a society for people with any kind of interest in indie music, and/or the numerous genres that branch off from it'.

Promising eh.

Indie Soc aren't just pretty faces either – they're a practical bunch, putting on gigs and socials all over town.

This year has seen a new committee try and 're-vamp' the society that was re started in 2010. Society highlights have included a trip to Manchester and a living room gig in Selly Oak from music's cutest couple, Summer Camp. 'Not only was their set was breath-taking, but they were exceptionally humble guests too. It was definitely the per-

New Releases Eva Hibbs looks at recent singles

fect way for the society to get in a Christmassy mood.' Right on your doorstep then, musos.

The future looks bright for Indie Soc. With their very first gig at the Bristol Pear on Monday (sorry if you missed it chaps, there'll be another one soon), the gang are branching out. 'We're hoping to build a stronger rapport in the Birmingham music scene. By collaborating with venue owners, music promoters and up-and-coming bands, we'll be able to organise more gigs and ensure that our members get the best experiences that Birmingham has to offer'. Indie Soc are on Facebook, and host regular events.

Eyeoneeye Andrew Bird

Make Up Your Mind Here We Go Magic

If Eyeoneye was a sugar-coated treat, however, it would be a sherbet spaceship – at first colourful but then bizarrely tangy in the centre (Bird's whistle, however nostalgic, seems misplaced) and then quick to dissolve and be forgotten about. He harks back to an earlier affair of simple versechorus framework whereby reading between the lines only brings you right back where you started.

A nice shot at triumphalism, but when 'No one can break your heart so you break it yourself', the violin should definitely be reclaimed.

Here We Go Magic are back with a track that will grow on you until your whole body's covered in sparkly moss. Like Jitterburg on steroids, this psychedelic indie rock is addictive. The playful riff twists your tongue around your mouth like jelly fish fighting for survival, and dreamy-synthed vocals scream for an eighties revival. Let's go ahead and call them the Talking Heads of our time.

Redbrick's Turkey of the Week

Summer Camp in Selly Oak

September The Shins Deep-thinkers The Shins are as self-deprecating and melodic as ever. Lamenting through Greek mythology, this B-side to 'Simple Song' released earlier this year, follows Death Cab into the dark and tries to snog them under a tree. 'September' – a subtle song where love has become 'the ink in the well where her body writes' -gets sweeter with every listen.

Oh, and the video is a must-watch if you want to see letters coming out of strange places.

Cher Lloyd – Want U Back

Live Reviews

Pieter Colpaert Critic

The Twilight Sad Hare & Hounds 12/02/12

From the first strobe light flashes and noisey tones of opener 'Kill It In The Morning', we know that we are set for a hypnotizing trip into the Twilight's Sad universe. This Scottish band completely blew us away with their 2007 debut Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, with its beautiful, gloomy melodies covered in layers of shoegazey post-rock and holds on to this sound for three albums now.

We imagined that translating the intensity of their music to the stage would not be an easy task, but Twi -light Sad manages to achieve this Jenna Kirby Critic

Brand New O2 Academy 15/02/12

The last time Brand New came to the UK, they played to over 12,000 people. While this performance at Birmingham's significantly smaller 02 Academy was never set to be such a landmark, I'm sure it was just as remarkable – this American alternative rock band put 100% into every show they do.

The first support act, Scottish trio the Xcerts, opened the show with a dose of their 'distorted pop', followed by I Am The Avalanche, from Brooklyn, who delivered feisty pop punk. While they may not be a chart-topping band, it's clear that over the years Brand New have cultivated a dedicated and adoring fan base; once they had taken to the stage, the crowd knew all the words to every single song.

The show opened with the Matt Saull Critic

Cloud Control HMV Institute 12/02/12

I get frustrated by the Birmingham gig-going public. Too often have I been to half empty venues or disappointed by a touring band bypassing the second city (both Efterklang and Field Music have cited a lack of demand for a Brum noshow). Indeed, even when a show is well attended, it is often ruined by 14-year old scene-kids talking loudly about whatever nonsense young people talk about these days. No, I'm not old or grumpy.

Well, yes I do like folk music – No. F*** off.

On Sunday week, an HMV Ones to Watch… evening showcased Cloud Control and War on Drugs in a co-headline set that sold out London XOYO in December. In Birmingham, it barely half filled the HMV Temple.

The evening was opened by Josh Holder Critic

Michael Kiwanuka The Glee Club 14/02/12

Music 17

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

It's Valentines Day and the Glee Club is romantic: soft red lighting, and littered with gooeyeyed couples. It would have been the perfect scene for a date, but instead I attend with my housemate.

Regardless, by the end of the night I had fallen in love with two amazingly talented artists.

The Staves, a beautiful trio of sisters from Watford, opened the show. Beginning with their song 'The Motherlode', the crowd were silenced by their picked melodies and beautiful harmonies. Between songs, the girls are quiet, only offering their sincere thanks and making timid small talk about Valentines Day, They complete a heartfelt performance of the title track from their latest EP Mexico, a sincere account of the hurt arising from a troubled relationship.

brilliantly. Frontman James Graham manages to put a lot of conviction into his singing, arching his back, eyes to the sky, manicly swirling around on stage. The other band members accounted for a more static performance – taking the word shoegazing quite literally.

Nevertheless, these gentlemen were building up a massive, tinnitus-inducing wall of sound which almost melted away our faces.

Even though they played a balanced set with material from all three albums, the focus was mainly on the new songs of the recently released No One Can Ever Know.

No harm there: the new material

sounded just as intricate and powerful as the old one.

Highlight of the set, nevertheless, was the mesmerizing 'I Became A Prostitute' – where the band managed to strike a delicate balance between pure noise and emotion.

An unfortunate break from the intense set came when Graham had to awkwardly pause thrice throughout their final song, because he had forgotten the lyrics.

Apart from this small feat, and the sound which wasn't always up to par, the Twilight Sad brought us all we could hope for in an overwhelmingly loud, and impassioned gig.

chilling introduction to 'Welcome to Bangkok' which blended flawlessly into their first song, 'Millstone'. A mixture of tracks from all four albums pleased the audience and also demonstrated just how far the band have come. Their sound has developed and matured in the production of each album over the last decade.

Definite highlights were frontman Jesse Lacey passing the microphone for the crowd to sing the whole first verse of 'Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't', and older classics such as 'Jude Law and a Semester Abroad' and 'Seventy Times Seven'. The lighting and smoke machines helped to create an atmosphere that veered between eerie (during songs off the latest album such as Sink) and energetic, during the self-proclaimed 'best song ever written', 'Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades'. An encore, unfortunately, was impossible as

mic stands and drum kits were destroyed and guitars were thrown off stage as they played their final song, 'You Won't Know'.

Each member of the live band are impeccable musicians and delivered song after song faultlessly, innovatively and completely in sync with each other. It's clear a lot of effort had been put into creating such a tight live performance.

Lacey mostly let the music speak for itself – while he couldn't help gushing thanks to the audience in a typically American manner towards the end, the songs remained the focus of the show.

After creating music for over ten years, Brand New have remained relatively under the radar in terms of commercial success, but they have worked hard to maintain a reputation for being a flawless live band, and after tonight, I can definitely confirm that they deserve it.

affable indie-popsters We Were Evergreen. Their brand of Parisian chanson featured some glorious electro-crescendos, evident in the particularly wonderful 'Baby-Blue'.

As ever with the French, this is beautiful music made by beautiful people, but there is a twist of humour laden into their music that is a joy to watch. With their folksy intricacies and gorgeous harmonies, We Were Evergreen are a band worth keeping an eye on.

There was a palpable sense of expectation for Australian Music Prize winners Cloud Control, currently touring their debut Bliss Release. The four-piece are garnering a burgeoning reputation for their live sets which seemed unfounded on this showing. Somewhat akin to Eels, their live show was a lot heavier than their on record cutesy folk, though their characteristic interweaving harmonies were as tight as ever. 'There's Nothing in

the Water' was a crowd favourite, with driving guitar melodies underpinning the dovetailing vocals of Alister Wright and Heidi Lenffer.

However, the brevity of their set (the band only played for half an hour) and the obvious effects of jet-lag meant that the crowd were left visibly disappointed.

The same can't be said about final act, War on Drugs, whose absorbing set seemed far more complete than Cloud Control's. The four-piece are currently touring their critically acclaimed sophomore record Slave Ambient. Opening with the hypnotic 'Best Night', there are elements of Arcade Fire in their Americana-tinged indie rock, not least in vocalist Adam Granduciel's characteristic drawl.

Incomprehnsible at the best of times, Granduciel spent the set with his face down and covered by his luscious locks, preferring to let their music shine through.

One of the highlights of their set is the performance of an acapella song 'Wisely and Slow', which caused the audience to hush in silence at their harmonious talent. They end with another stunning performance of fan favourite 'Winter Trees', before leaving the stage accompanied by a roaring approval from the audience. After an interval, the stage was graced with the arrival of Michael Kiwanuka and his 5-piece band. His set begins with 'I'll Get Along' and it's apparent that the band's addition brings a much richer sound to Kiwanuka's songs.

During the 12-song set, Kiwanuka performed a handful of songs from his 3 EPs. Before bursting into 'I'm Getting Ready', Kiwanuka joked that the worry of releasing and performing it live had taken 2 months off his life expectancy. The song's beautiful melody sounded as stunning as ever and mesmerised

the audience from start to finish.

The small nature of the Glee Club is what made the show so memorable. It was heartening to be able to see Kiwanuka personally react to each whoop, chuckle and 'I love you Michael', of which there were many.

Closing his set with a stunning cover of Bill Wither's 'I Don't Know', who he claims to be one of his greatest musical influences.

The cover served as a reminder of how timeless Kiwanuka's music is, with his style fitting into any decade back to the 60s. He returned to the stage for an encore, performing his original song 'Lasan' – named after a Birmingham restaurant that is his 'favourite Indian in the country'.

He left the stage once more accompanied by a flurry of applause and cheers proving that this year, Michael Kiwanuka is destined for success.

This Week...

Jason Derulo LG Arena 24/02/12

Little Dragon O2 Academy 25/02/12

The Whip Rainbow 26/02/12

Eyes Set to Kill HMV Institute 27/02/12

Ben Howard HMV Institute 28/02/12

Beth Jeans Houghton Hare & Hounds 29/2/12

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds NIA 29/2/12

18 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

24th February 2012

Film

'You should ask someone else. There's no happy ending with me.'

The Fall (2006)

Interview: Denzel Washington

Film News

Beth Ditzel sits down with the star of thriller Safe House to uncover his darkest secrets

Will the rogue agents, torture and villains within the government make this a controversial film within the US? Well, yeah. Who knows? We don't know what (the government) do; we know that we want to be protected. We claim that we want them to be fair and not to torture people, but I think that on 9/11 and 9/12, in New York everybody was for torture. They wanted to get to the bottom of it. You want your country to play fair, but I don't think it would make sense for President Obama to come on the air and say 'Oh by the way, next Tuesday we're going to shoot Osama Bin Laden'. They're going to do it the way they're going to do it.

Although this is an action movie, there are also a lot of quieter scenes. Which scenes were the most challenging to shoot, the action scenes or the more emotional scenes?

I didn't think this was an action movie. It didn't read like one. I don't even know what an action movie is, I don't know what that means. I think it's a testament to Daniel's vision that it's an intense

movie, and it plays more intense than it reads. It's piece by piece, and as I look back on it, it's the way Daniel's put it together. One thing he talked about right from the start is how dirty and raw he wanted it to be. So when I saw him shooting the fight scene with Ryan (Reynolds), I was like 'Damn! Them people going at it!' They were really cutting each other up! I don't know whether it's an action movie because it's a little uncomfortable to understand how real it was.

You chose to do your own stunts in this movie and as a result you got yourself a black eye. Why did you choose to do your own stunts?

Well it has to be that way. The camera has to be so far back to hide us.

[In the scene in which he injured himself] Ryan was meant to be driving the car, but we weren't in control of where the car was moving.

And in this scene I'm handcuffed and I'm supposed to jump up and put the handcuffs over Ryan's neck, choking him. So the car is swerving around, and it just so happens that I got whipped forward, and he got whipped back, and our heads collided. And the back of his head is

harder than the front of my head.

You produced as well as acted in this movie – what was it that made you become so involved in this project?

maybe a couple of extra dollars, but I enjoyed helping developing the material, it's a way for me to get into the part and I have to make sense out of everything.

Sarah Coe Critic

I can't do it any other way. When I saw Snabba Cash (Director Daniel Espinoza's previous film) I was fascinated by it. I met Daniel, we talked about his life and how he grew up with his father and how he lived, I was in as far as Daniel was concerned, but wasn't in as far as the script was concerned, I didn't think it was good enough so I put in to help with developing. My agent suggested I get a producer credit. I don't think I got any money for it‌

Five of the Best: James Bonds

I Am Still Legend Arash Amel has been hired by Warner Bros. to produce the sequel to the zombie apocalypse film. It's been rumoured that Will Smith may star, although (spoiler alert) his character's death in I Am Legend poses a potential problem.

One solution could be a prequel; the other solution follows the alternative endings released on DVD that would provide the possibility of a sequel. Sadly, it's probably unlikely that his zombified canine counterpart will be making a reappearance.

Share your favourite in our online poll at www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/category/film

The name's Sanders... Isidore Sanders, and she shares her five favourite 007s here

Pierce Brosnan

#2

1

Ideally, my Bond would be Pierce Brosnan doing a Sean Connery impression. He's 2nd rather than 1st largely due to the films Brosnan starred in rather than his performance in them. A revival of the tongue-in-cheek humour after Dalton's relatively sobre performance, Brosnan felt more like my Bond than Dalton or Lazenby.

However, some flimsy premises and soggy co-stars let him down.

Timothy Dalton

Roger Moore's suc#4 for cessor; Pierce Brosnan Dalton was third choice

had accepted the role but due to a contract conflict was forced to bow out. Despite this, Dalton was a fairly competent 007. He was a little lacking in the characteristic humour of the role, and although somewhat closer to the significantly more sober Bond of the novels, did not raise as much of a smile as other incarnations.

Stage Bodyguard The 1992 film starring the late Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner is to be turned into a musical. Although the recent death of Houston appears to have spurred production, the play has been on the cards for some time.

David Ian, the producer of Grease and The Sound of Music is to produce the show and while The X Factor's Alexandra Burke was formerly lined up to play Houston's character, Heather Headley will now play the role. The musical is set to show in November at the Adelphi Theatre, London.

Sean Connery

#

Sean Connery's Bond was a misogynistic, violent man, who once forced himself upon a woman and hit her when she refused his advances. Not a man to be admired. But look at the filmography: From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and You Only Live Twice are such iconic Bond films that many of the tropes within them define the genre. Even Connery himself is iconic; most people, asked to do an impression of 007, will put on their best Sean Connery voice. True, he's a shorter, hairier, more Scottish Bond than any of the others, but somehow his cheeky grin wins through.

Kick-Ass 2 Roger Moore

George Lazenby

Bond films, Moore Majesty's Secret #5 Her #3 seven was Connery's successor, Service, Lazenby's Bond Impressively starring in

A one-hit wonder in On

and had big shoes to fill.

Slightly older than Connery, his performance did not lack the humour of his predecessor's, though Moore brought a greater gravity to the role with his poise and deep voice. Some of the films were, like Moonraker, a little too experimental. Nonetheless, he also stars in some of the most iconic films.

tried to settle down for a while by taking a wife. His marriage is short-lived though as the omnipresent villains SPECTRE see to the assassination of Mrs Bond before the end credits roll. Lazenby seems a little lacklustre and probably wouldn't have lasted the test of another film, so it's a good thing that he decided not to continue.

Following the cliffhanger of the first film, Kick-Ass 2 has been under discussion, and it has now been confirmed by Mark Millar, the creator of the comic, that filming will begin this summer. It has not yet been confirmed who will direct, as original helmer Matthew Vaughn has stated it's unlikely he'll return. Millar has also stated that he will start shooting another comic-based film this summer called American Jesus. The remaining cast and crew for KickAss 2 are yet to be confirmed.

Redbrick

Film 19

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Reviews The Woman in Black

UNMISSABLE

EXCELLENT

Critic

Director: James Bobin Cast: Jason Segel. Amy Adams, Frank Oz, Chris Cooper Cert: U

Critic

Director: James Watkins Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer Cert: 12A Don't be fooled by its reassuring 12A rating – The Woman in Black will have you sleeping with the light on for a week. Alternating between spine-tingling suspense sequences and jump-out-of-your-seat scares, James Watkins has recreated all of the terror of Susan Hill's novel, while screenwriter Jane Goldman has made a few bold plot changes that will keep fans of the book on their toes.

A young solicitor, Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), is sent to a remote village where his mundane task of sorting an empty house's possessions quickly takes a sinister turn. He discovers that the house where he is working is haunted by a vengeful ghost – the eponymous 'woman in black' – who brings about the death of local children whenever she is seen.

Radcliffe surpasses his performances in the Harry Potter films, adopting a believably paternal demeanour in the scenes with Kipps' young son (played by Radcliffe's real godson), but Janet McTeer steals the show for her touching and unsettling portrayal of Elizabeth Daily, a woman whose son was taken by the ghost, and who is

TRAGIC

The Muppets

Matthew McGrath

Ellie Dobson

POOR

GOOD

possessed by the spirits of children on a number of occasions.

The best thing to come out of the Hammer Horror revival, The Woman in Black is one and a half hours of good old-fashioned thrills with a modern polish. It is visually stunning, with a striking Victorian Gothic style that varies from delicate, wispy and ethereal to gritty and dark – think smashed china teacups, antique dolls, steam trains and swamp-land.

The accompanying soundtrack is the perfect complement, with its eerie musical-box chimes and screeching violins that will have you worrying about the things that go bump in the night long after you've left the cinema. !

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It has been 15 years since the Muppets last appeared on the big screen, and in their return they deliver a film which is both very funny and heartwarming. While The Muppet Show was a children's programme, the target audience of this film is aimed at those who grew up watching the Muppets.

Jason Segel stars as Gary, a man who inexplicably has a Muppet named Walter as his brother. The two of them, along with Gary's girlfriend Mary, join forces with Kermit the Frog and the rest of the Muppets gang in order to help raise ten million dollars to save the original Muppet Theatre.

The casting for the film is near perfect as Segel has the wide-eyed innocence to play along with the

story. Chris Cooper plays the antagonist, a comically evil oil baron by the name of Tex Richman, whose goal is to sabotage any attempt at restoring the theatre, as it is conveniently located on top of on oil well.

The film features hilarious musical numbers, written by Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchords, and the Oscar nominated 'Man or Muppet' is definitely the highlight of the film.

The Muppets is laden with celebrity cameos, as seemingly any relevant comic from this generation seemed to make an appearance, including Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis and Neil Patrick Harris.

Occasionally the amount of self-referential jokes wear a little thin, and the side-plot of Gary and Mary's declining relationship is often neglected in favour of the main story arc, but these flaws can easily be overlooked if you allow yourself to be swept away into the fun-filled story which revels in nostalgia. !

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Justified Existence: The Oscars Natasha Lavender tells us why the Academy Awards are still golden even if they do have a few flaws Despite their status as the oldest and most prestigious awards in film-making, The Academy Awards have seemingly fallen out of favour.

Film fans were outraged when hot contenders Ryan Gosling, Tilda Swinton and Michael Fassbender were snubbed by the Academy, as were some of the year's most critically acclaimed releases, including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Drive and We Need to Talk About Kevin. Instead, the Best Picture

category is saturated with sentimental 'Oscar-bait', such as patronising civil-rights drama The Help and critical flop Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

Furthermore, unless the Hollywood buzz proves completely wrong, the Best Actor award might as well be given to George Clooney right now for his performance in The Descendants. Even the closest competition, for Best Actress, has only two likely contenders in Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and Viola Davis (whose performance was the only enjoyable aspect of The Help).

With nominations going to sentimental sap instead of critical favourites, and the three most sought-after awards not expected to be more than a two-horse race, is it any wonder that the Oscars have lost their sparkle?

In spite of all this, it is perhaps rather hasty to entirely condemn the Academy Awards.

While this year's Best Picture nominees are leaving fans cold, the 2010-11 line up was much better, with films including Inception, The Social Network, Black Swan and winner of Best Picture, The King's Speech. And if you are not reassured by past successes, it's not all bad news this year; surprise hit The Artist has ten well-deserved nominations, fan-favourite Gary Oldman has received his first Best Actor nomination, and despite other snubs, critics' favourite

The Tree of Life is nominated for Best Picture.

For all of the ceremony's pomp and predictability, the Oscars do reward the unspoken heroes of film. With awards for work behind the scenes, including Best Original Screenplay, Sound Editing, Costume Design and Visual Affects, the Oscars are not merely intended to inflate the egos of celebrated actors and directors, but to acknowledge the less-widely recognised achievements of the people who work behind the camera.

Similarly, in a dinner separate from the ceremony, the Academy also bestows two honorary awards on individ-

uals who have produced technical advancements in film production, thus encouraging developments which benefit film-makers and lovers alike.

Finally, while there are some who would rather eat one of the famous statuettes than watch them being handed out, many people who complain about the egotistic and predictable nature of the awards take a guilty pleasure from the proceedings. From the weird outfits to the surprise winners (yes, they can happen – who saw Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan in 1998?), to the weepy and controversial acceptance speeches, there is something about a good old-fashioned awards ceremony that we all enjoy. So grumble all you want about Oscar-bait; you know you'll be hooked on Sunday night.

20 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Technology

Redbrick

24th February 2012

Think you could do it better? We are looking for a new editor! Email technology@redbrickonline.co.uk if you are interested.

How Double Fine changed the games industry Sam Atkins takes a look at how fans have pledged $2 million in just over a week

The idea is simple: post an idea for a project on pledge website Kickstarter, ask for donations from the public with special bonuses for larger amounts, and hope that a few people take notice and help you achieve your goal. It's not as simple though, when you have industry veteren Tim Schafer and his critically acclaimed game studio Double Fine setting a goal for 400,000 dollars to make an all new point and click adventure akin to classics like Super Monkey Island.

Eight hours later, this total is passed, but the count is still increasing due to promotion in the gaming press. As we write this it's been a week since the initial announcement and the two million mark has just been crossed with 22 days left on the month-long

donation window. This makes Double Fine Adventure the biggest Kickstarter project since the site's launch in 2008 and one of the biggest gaming news stories of 2012 so far.

Following the success of downloadable PSN/XBLA title Stacking, and forgotten PS2 classic Psychonauts, it's no surprise that there are plenty of Tim Schafer fans out there. But there's a difference between buying a game on release, and investing in one at the start of development. It shows great courage in the developers and their vision that 600,000 people have already pitched in to help. The unknown aspect is part of the deal though as, unlike any game in recent memory, the development of Double Fine Adventure will be shown in the form of a full

documentary and regular updates on every aspect of the title. Those who have pledged will further contribute through ideas and suggestions on the direction of the game – as interactive as the practice of games development has ever been.

It's an intriguing concept and obviously has a fair number of people excited.

Of course, some are more excited than others and for those people who have donated a little bit extra, Double Fine have a host of bonuses: $15 bags you a copy of the game on one of the multiple platforms intended for release, at this point PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices. Splash a bit more cash and you'll be thanked in the game's credits, with exclusive artwork sent to those who go upwards of $100. Everything becomes personalised once you hit the thousand mark, with portraits from the art team and signed merchandise.

Give 50,000 dollars to the project and become a character in the game It doesn't end there though, as two people out of a possible four have donated over 10,000 to get

the chance to have lunch with the developers, the highest donation possible on Kickstarter. With such high interest in the project though, Double Fine have had to extend the possible donation rewards, giving the richest amongst us the chance to give $50,000 to the project and become a character in the game.

One wealthy gamer will also be able to receive one of Tim Schafer's personal stash of limited edition Day of The Tentacle in original shrink wrap, of which he owns just four. How much for this near one of a kind piece of games memorabilia? Just $150 thousand.

Whether or not you can see the value in these rewards, it's hard to deny how impressive the accomplishment is. Double Fine have raised $2 million in just over a week, with 60,000 backers and counting. While it's obvious why an industry legend like Tim Schafer has fans on his side, could this be a turning point for the indie games industry? With the App Store and download services hosting, and having success with games from two man teams, could small companies start using Kickstarter to raise much needed funds?

Tim Schafer seems to believe so, saying that both big name publishers and smaller development teams can learn from the experience he's gained over the past few days. Could we see more adventurous downloadable titles coming thanks to donations from fans?

The story isn't over just yet, and with a projected release date of October of this year, seeing Double Fine Adventure develop from idea to final product along with the developers is sure to be one of the gaming highlights of 2012.

Adam Adamowicz 1968-2012

Adam Adamowicz died on 9th February, at the age of 43, in a Washington hospital of complications that arose from lung cancer.

He is best remembered for his work as a concept artist on the infamous Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Adamowicz was born and raised on Long Island, New York before going to the University of Colarado to study Psychology.

After his degree he studied at the Boulder Academy of Fine Arts and worked a variety of jobs before joining Bethesda in 2005.

It was with Bethesda that he created two of the most wellknown gaming worlds ever; the post-apocalyptic Washington that forms the backdrop for Fallout 3 and the massive wilderness of Skyrim. Not only did Adamowicz create the physical landscapes of two of the best-selling games of the century, he also populated them with a range of interesting and often deadly characters. He was responsible for the mutant mole-rats, the terrifying deathclaws and the mighty dragons that haunt Skyrim. He also designed the now infamous Pip-Boy 3000.

It is undeniable that Adamowicz was a huge influence on game concept art and he will be sorely missed.

App solves fashion dilemma 3D contact lens technology unveiled Charlotte Lytton Television Editor

'Getting caught is the mother of invention,' wrote Robert Byrne, and he was right – getting caught in the zips and buttons of incorrectly sized high-street clothes has been a problem in need of solving since, well, forever. Perhaps overly tight blouses weren't quite what Byrne had in mind, but fed up of incongruous sizing in chain fashion stores, web developer Anna Powell-Smith has designed a 21st century solution to this irritating issue.

Writing on The Guardian's datablog last week, Powell-Smith reveals that from shop to shop, measurements can vary as much as 11 inches for individual garments – and yet are still marked as the same size. After compiling the various size guides available on websites for most fashion stores, she was inspired to create an app that allows you to enter your measurements to find out what size will actually fit you in each store. Thanks to this inspired invention, the days of misguided self-loathing after having 'gone up a size' is no longer and, for most women, this is a welcome development.

While Powell-Smith's app 'What Size Am I?' offers a solution to the problem, it remains to be seen why the problem still exists at all. As the developer mentions, the fact that something as elementary as this has never been created is astounding and perhaps it is its simplicity that has made it go unnoticed. In times of voice activated toilets and other high-tech, low necessity inventions, it is easy to neglect what is in front of our noses. But this app demonstrates that if stores won't make their sizing clear, sisters are doing it for themselves, and making women's passion for fashion that little bit simpler.

To check out the app, and see exactly what size you are in high street stores, head over to: sizes.darkgreener.com

Andrew Spencer Writer

Innovega, a company specialising in wearable display technologies, has recently teamed up with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) to develop enhanced contact lenses. The iOptik will enable the wearer to view 2D and 3D images a few centimetres away from their eyes with perfect focus. To the viewer, the contact lenses will adjust the focus of images or videos so that it will seem as though they are watching a 240inch screen from the average TV viewing distance (about ten feet).

However, in reality, the viewer will be wearing a thin, light pair of glasses with each of the glass lenses acting as the screen. It is possible, therefore, for two separate 2D images to be shown on each of the lenses and the user will consequently see it in 3D. The role of the contact lenses is to ensure that the user's eyes will not be strained or hurt in any way. This is more important when considering one of Innovega's key uses; Augmented Reality. The wearer will be able to look around their everyday environment and gain digital feedback shown on the glasses' screen, such as arrows and words to describe nearby places.

The contact lenses must ensure that the images are presented in such a way that the mind is not confused

by the still visible surroundings.

Without the contact lenses, the viewer will naturally only be able to focus on either the glasses or distant items; objects out of focus will become blurred. This is easy to see by holding a finger up in front of the eyes and trying to focus on both the background and the finger at the same time; impossible without the right technology. So the contact lenses in iOptik correct this problem adjusting the digital image appropriately.

DARPA have invested in this development because it would be incredibly useful in the army. The ability for soldiers to view the battlefield from a constantly updating digital perspective while still being aware of their surroundings would bring a major advantage over enemies. Furthermore, medics and mechanics will be able to complete their jobs much faster and to a greater efficiency.

An interesting application of iOptik system is for gaming. To be able to look around a digital game environment by turning the head is a fascinating and exciting prospect that can definitely revolutionise the way we play games. Furthermore, Innovega have promised that the system will provide HD graphics. Importantly, according

to the company, in order to benefit most of their users, normal contact-lens prescriptions must be considered when developing these lenses. They envision that they will develop the technology fully and then licence it to contact lens companies who can add the technology to their prescription contact lenses they already make. So there would be a number of companies manufacturing both the contacts and the glasses.

Innovega want their iOptik system to work as a stylish and compact system. An image on their website shows the sort of glasses they hope they can create. Hopefully, when this system is finished, the result will be something smart and fashionable while maintaining the promise of a clear wearable display system.

Technology 21

24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

Predictions of the future, from the past!

Tom Armstrong Writer

We're now well into 2012, a year which both sounds and feels futuristic in a way that the previous few hadn't quite managed. If you'd have talked to any nine-year-old back at the turn of the millennium, they'd likely have predicted that the human race would have landed on Mars by now and flying cars would be a reality. While we're still a fair distance from both of those eventualities, there's no denying that the technology we use every day has come an awful long way during the past decade.

Wireless internet, smartphones, current video games and the fact that we can carry a lifetime's worth of music around in our pockets are all things that we take for granted today but would have astounded our younger selves.

The new year brought the usual bout of tech predictions for 2012 and beyond, including the imminent tablet explosion and the continuing rise of e-commerce.

But the march of progress, no matter how relentless, is often difficult to second guess.

With that in mind and judgemental hindsight clearly on our side, we decided to look back at where people in the y e a r 2000 thought

we'd be by now and see who was right, who was wrong, and who was apparently frothing-at-themouth insane.

Bob Ingle, a significant figure in what was formerly one of America's largest newspaper companies, predicted that by 2010 we'd all be reading from 'a small, lightweight computer the size of a cigar that scrolls out the news you choose [on] flexible, high-resolution color screens'. This is one of many predictions that are right in spirit but completely miss the mark in terms of actual application. With hindsight it's easy to see that scrolling on a touch screen is more convenient than Mr Ingle's alternative, but in fact many of us today do read much of our news from small,

lightweight smartphones or on a tablet.

Similarly, P.J Wade predicted 'wearable computers' by 2010 and while the snazziest computer-trousers of my dreams are still nothing more than fantasy, the iPhone, Android or Blackberry in your pocket is, essentially, a wearable computer. The web-suit, 'a radionetworked collection of wearable computers and web browsers' allowing 'web-surfers‌ to roam far from their desks', is again essentially just a hugely overcomplicated smartphone, but in the context

of the time it was predicted it does make a strange sort of sense.

There are a lot of these overly complex predictions from around the turn of the millennium, which can perhaps be explained by attitudes towards technology such as mobile phones and computers at the time. Back in 2000, your computer was large, heavy and did computery things, your mobile phone was for phoning (texting was yet to fully take off in the US), and you read paper newspapers, books and magazines. Most predictions, like those above, focus primarily on futuristic yet entirely separated versions of those things.

The idea that one device could do all of those things and more, while glaringly obvious in hindsight, didn't really seem to factor into many future tech predictions from the period.

A possible exception to this is Microsoft's forecasts regarding e-readers. Despite Bill Gates' flamboyantly incorrect assertion that 640kb of RAM would be all anyone ever needed, Microsoft predicted that, by 2010, e-readers would weigh eight ounces, have a battery life greater than 24 hours and cost less than $100. As of 2010, Amazon's Kindle weighed 8.5 ounces and the cheapest model cost $139, cut to just $79 the following year.

Microsoft did also state that popular e-readers would hold more books than the average university library but hey, you can't win 'em all.

The meteoric rise of the Internet is one area in which many predictions are a bit more accurate.

The Future Society foresaw a rise in Internet fraud and the ability

of the web to change the face of business itself. They also predicted the decline in the use of landline phones due to increase of people using email and mobile phones.

'Trend Forecaster' Faith Popcorn predicted that by 2010, 90 per cent of home goods would be home delivered and while we aren't quite

A skycar which would take off and land like a helicopter at that point yet, online shopping is still huge with companies like Amazon and Play thriving.

Interestingly, The Future Society also predicted a 'backlash against global institutions' as ordinary people grow increasingly frustrated at the elite. In the wake of the Occupy movement, an international movement campaigning against economic and social inequality, this prediction seems pretty accurate. However, the recession that influenced the Occupy movement may also have played a part in delaying some of the more ambitious or frivolous predicted technologies such as a skycar which would take off and land like a helicopter, smart mobile robots in our homes, cars connected to the

Internet and smello-vision, which someone apparently thought was a good idea at one point.

Medical technology predictions include routine animal to human organ transplants, wristwatch type devices that continually update with information on your blood chemistry and implanted microchips that would interact with the heating and lighting as you entered a building. With new innovations such as the smart-pills, tablets that contain microchips to monitor your health, hitting pharmacies later this year some of these predictions don't seem too farfetched.

Finally, our personal favourite of all the predictions was made by American newspaper The Daily Herald.

They stated that by 2010, 'Americans will be fed up with substituting virtual life for real life. A backlash against facelessness will prompt a resurgence of personal interactions'.

While I can't speak for said Americans, the huge popularity of Twitter and Facebook, online multiplayer gaming and Internet use in general might suggest otherwise.

Breaking news: Science section starts with a big bang The first instalment of Science in Redbrick brings you a double feature from Ellie Fewings on the University of Birmingham's involvement at CERN and how stem cells could mend a broken heart...

The closest some of us have got to Large Hadron Colliders and subatomic particles is from reading Angels and Demons. However, by being on campus, you may be closer to the cutting edge of science than you think. Walking past the Poynting Building you are walking past the office of the UK lead on the ALICE project at CERN, Dr David Evans.

Also known as the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN is the largest particle physics laboratory in the world and the home of the famous Large Hadron Collider. This 27km tube is responsible for scaring civilians worldwide who believed its work may cause the end of the world when it was turned on in 2010.

This was of course only speculation as the LHC is actually used to collide sub-atomic particles into each other. These collisions are

measured by 6 detectors, one of which is ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment). ALICE's goal is to recreate an atomic scenario similar to that which occurred a millionth of a second after the big bang, but of course on a much smaller scale.

To do this, the nuclei of two lead atoms are smashed together at the speed of light creating a fireball that is 50 times denser than a neutron star and a million times hotter than the sun.

This unimaginable temperature and pressure forces the fireball to expand, scattering the

subatomic guts of the nuclei in all different directions.

In more technical terms these 'guts' are known as protons and neutrons, which can be further broken down into quarks. Apologies if this contradicts all that you have learnt in school, but it is time to accept that teachers lied to protect our brains from an information overload. Each atom has a nuclei, each nuclei is composed of protons and neutrons, within these protons and neutrons are quarks.

These quarks are not easy to get hold of, they are soldered together by the strongest known force in the universe, not so ironically named the Strong Force! And as you may have guessed, this force is pretty strong. So strong in fact that they have imprisoned quarks inside protons and neutrons for 13.7 billion years. The collisions created by the Large Hadron Collider are the only opportunity to free the quarks from their strong force prison, allowing us a split second to understand how they work.

This is where the University of Birmingham comes in. Dr David Evans leads the team who designed and created the electronic brain of this detector. This allows the machine to make a decision of which precise nanosecond of data to record, picking through the interesting and the normal to give a team the best data possible. Unless you are a particle physicist, you

probably struggle to contemplate just how fast this computer has to act. It records five GB of data, the equivalent of 1,747,627 emails, or 2,560 songs in one second! The data is then sent to the physicists at Birmingham who are attempting to find out more about the collisions taking place.

So what's next for Birmingham's input in ALICE? Well, while the detector is closed over the winter for maintenance, the data collected over the past year is being analysed to try and find out more about the free movement of quarks.

As well as this, the scientists at ALICE are planning to collide protons with lead nuclei. Previously proton-proton collisions have been used to compare to the lead nuclei collisions, however protons and lead nuclei have never been aimed against each other. These new collisions are hoping to reveal more about the conditions of the early universe and about the strong force responsible for holding the nuclei of every atom together.

The work being done by the ALICE project examines particles so small that, within the grand scheme of things, they may seem insignificant. However if you care about what we are made of, and where we came from and where we are going, then keep your ears open. We are in an age where all questions are being asked, by CERN, by the ALICE project and by the University of Birmingham.

Good news for those left broken hearted after Valentine's Day, as new safety trials have shown the positive effects of injecting stem cells into damaged heart muscle.

The human trials took place to test the safety of the method but they showed an unexpected amount of repair as the damaged tissue was replaced by new cells. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that carry the ability to divide and change into any type of cell. The procedure uses stem cells from the heart attack patient's own heart to prevent rejection by the immune system.

After a heart attack, a patient's damaged tissue is replaced with scar tissue. The scar tissue which before treatment accounted for around 24 per cent of the left ventricle and didn't contribute to heart function was reduced to only 12 per cent after a year.

Further research continues to develop ideas of how this increase in new tissue will increase the strength of the damaged heart.

22 redbrickpaper.co.uk

24th February 2012

Food

Redbrick

Food Fact

40 per cent of UK fruit and vegetables are rejected by supermarkets before they hit the shop floor.

Sustainable eating: a far off dream for students?

Izzy Gibbin Food Editor For any supermarket, takeaway or fast food chain, students are easy pickings. As consumers who are newly in control of their own finances and lifestyles, the student market can prove highly lucrative and is therefore the target of myriad promotions, so-called student 'deals' and marketing campaigns in an attempt to implement brand loyalty early. Freshers, being inundated with such advertising from the day they arrive, are easily led into consumerist habits without being given much information on what the alternatives may be. Even in a utopian world where advertising companies were all mysteriously rendered bankrupt, the fact would still remain that the student lifestyle is largely inconducive to an ethical diet. I find myself increasingly lacking in time, energy or money to cook, and consequently more and more tempted to reach for convenience food with no consideration for either its origin or its impact.

Much of the problem, I suspect, stems from the ambiguity of words like 'sustainability', which are tossed liberally through the long-winded speeches of politicians and ageing hippies alike.

The concept of sustainable eating encompasses many things: con-

suming less resource-intensive foods, buying free-range or MSC certified meat and fish, buying local ingredients, or simply reducing the amount of food waste we produce. Achieving a more sustainable diet does not mean a radical lifestyle change for which you must don a fair-trade jumper and adopt 'if it's yellow, let it mellow' as your personal mantra (though both are admirable choices); small changes to our daily eating habits are what counts.

Eating ethically It would be both unrealistic and distasteful, given my audience, to launch into a lecture on the importance of buying organic. Frequently the 'organic' products we see stacked up in the supermarkets are labelled as such purely because they are free from pesticides; it is not an automatic guarantee of sustainability. These products are often hugely marked up and the price difference just isn't proportional to the environmental benefit they lay claim to. In the case of meat, eggs and fish, however, the difference between economy and free range/ sustainably caught is more significant. Thanks to Jamie Oliver the living conditions of battery hens are well-documented, but for me a trip to Iceland provides a far more depressing depiction of the realities of battery-farmed meat. The huge sacks of 'economy chicken

pieces', costing barely more than a pint, make me wonder how these animals can be reduced to so little worth. And dedicated carnivore though I am, I could never bring myself to eat their deep-fried chicken strips, which look less like meat than lumps of play dough rolled in cat litter. With so many delicious vegetables, fruits, lentils or even cheeses, meat doesn't need to form the center of a meal; it is far better (and cheaper) to buy a smaller amount of good quality meat and cook it well than devour several of McDonald's finest patties of death.

Fish is another food which is sadly misrepresented by supermarkets. My local Sainsbury's stocks salmon, cod and trout, all of which are rapidly dwindling in supply due to over-farming. Fish such as dab or gurnard, however, are in high supply and are every bit as delicious. A whole dab costs around 60p and makes a great meal when grilled with lemon slices.

Eating locally It's bizarre to consider, when tucking into a ready meal, the sheer amount of miles behind what you're eating. Every ingredient is likely to be sourced from a different location, often shipped from overseas, which is strange given the huge amount of fantastic food we have right here in the UK – or even, dare I say it, in Birmingham.

My relationship with Brum is on a

par with most people's relationship with, say, Prince Harry– it's generally agreed that it's got potential, but its looks just hold it back. Nevertheless the city is home to some fantastic markets that sell cheaper and nicer food than your average high street grocery store. They are also more obliging when it comes to bartering, whereas Tesco never respond well to attempts at pleading student poverty.

For those reluctant to leave campus of course we have our own fruit and vegetable stall, something I thank God, or something similar, for every time I see the price of an orange in Spar. Shopping locally reduces the need for fuel-consuming HGVs transporting food from place to place, and supports the apple-cheeked British farmers that Morrison are so very fond of featuring in their adverts.

Wasting less It is estimated that a third of the food we buy ends up in the bin.

This statistic is particularly damning considering the millions that face starvation on a daily basis.

Learning how to make every last scrap of food stretch is the most important step towards a more sustainable diet; it also saves a lot of money in the long run. For this there is nothing more useful than your freezer. Making up a batch of stew or curry with leftover meat or vegetables, then freezing in-

dividual portions for later use, is just one of the ways you can use the freezer to limit waste. Leftover herbs can also be frozen in ice cube trays filled with water, then added to meals at your leisure.

Perhaps no other food group is more subject to needless waste than meat. Every day, huge quantities of lesser-used cuts of meat such as beef skirt, lamb shoulder or pig cheeks are left to spoil.

Each one of these cuts are delicious when cooked in the right way, and cost far less than their prime counterparts. Granted, not many of these cuts will be found in high-street supermarkets, much to their detriment. Any good butchers, however, will stock them and, more importantly, will tell you how to get the best out of them.

This approach to meat, which uses the whole animal instead of just a fraction, is beneficial not only to the environment, but also to your weekly food budget.

Without wanting to regurgitate clichés that have been overused for decades, the preservation of the environment is an issue that applies to everybody, not just the people who are 'old enough' or have money to spare. With just these few small changes there is a huge amount of satisfaction to be gained in rejecting the habits of companies that hold the student market by its testicles. See you in hell, Sainsbury's.

What happened to Pancake Day? Josh Oxley Online Food Editor

This year it is interesting to note that Pancake Day, or to the more formal, Shrove Tuesday, has fallen on the 21st February, conveniently, exactly a week after the frivolities of Valentine's Day. This came at a detrimental cost to Pancake Day, as with only a few days to come to terms with the guilt, shame, and cost of the fateful week before, it was wrongly swept under the carpet. This was compounded by the fact that Pancake Day had not been subject to the vehement and aggressive advertising campaign Valentine's Day enjoys.

Now, some may argue this was because Shrove Tuesday is not as

important in modern society. But, call me cynical, if an excuse to veil fornication under an umbrella of supposed love, or even use a festival as an excuse to let all notions of dignity out the window during some drunken escapade, is more important than recognising the day before the most famous form of catharsis in society – Lent – then perhaps society has really become 'broken.'

Plus, Pancake Day incorporates all manners of people, regardless of their relationship status, (except if you are a celiac – sorry, Gran). So if you have not already made the most of this op-

portunity to gorge on delicious food, because of the distractions of cleaning petals from around your bed, or contraceptive paraphernalia, depending upon your current life situation, here is my recipe to make amends.

Ingredients: -110g/4oz plain flour, sifted -pinch of salt -2 eggs -200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with -75ml/3fl oz water -50g/2oz butter 1. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into

it, then whisk together.

2. Gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking, until all the liquid has been added. Whisk into a batter.

3. Melt the butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.

4. Put the pan over a medium heat. Spoon a ladleful of batter into the pan and make sure it spreads to the edges. Cook for a minute and a half then flip. Cook for another minute on the reverse side. Serve.

Redbrick

redbrickpaper.co.uk

24th February 2012

Travel

23

Random Travel Fact: Coconuts kill more people in the world than sharks do, approximately 150 people each year!

Join Global Brigades: Do your bit for global health and development Rose Tiller Reporter

Global Brigades is the largest student-led global health and sustainable development organisation in the world. It began as a collaboration between an American medical student and one Honduran man, but the charity spread rapidly throughout America and Canada.

In 2009, 1,819 volunteers travelled with Global Brigades, serving 124 communities in Central America and helping over 50,000 people in these rural communities.

The charity runs nine different brigade programs: architecture, business, dental, environment, law, medical, microfinance, public health and water. Global Brigades has a vision to improve equality of life, by empowering student volunteers to address key components of good health and work within local communities to achieve sustainable improvements across the world.

The sheer size of the charity means that the communities it reaches can receive continual support all year round. Similarly, the work of Global Brigades targets a wide range of social aspects and ultimately helps to improve the health and well-being of the communities they work in, placing a strong emphasis on a holistic impact.

The last couple of years have been an exciting time for Global Brigades. The success of the charity has led to an expansion; both in terms of the countries in which they work, with brigades now travelling to Ghana, but also in terms of the countries the brigades come from. Worldwide, there are currently 480 universities involved, including eleven of which are from from the UK, including Birmingham University, now organizing brigades.

Last summer, Global Brigades

All photographs by Global Brigades Birmingham sent out a team of medical students to both Ghana and Honduras to provide access to health care for people living in rural communities. We set up and ran mobile clinics and pharmacies, saw and cared for over 1000 patients, and contributed to health promotion work in the communities we visited. Many of us took the opportunity to travel after our brigades.

This summer we will be running medical brigades to Ghana and Honduras again, and are now

in the process of recruiting volunteers. Currently our medical brigade is the most established program in Birmingham. Although we started out in the medical school, our next aim is to involve students from other departments in the projects we are running. Global Brigades Birmingham is a charity giving all Birmingham students the opportunity to travel to some amazing countries, volunteer within local communities, and make a real impact on the lives of the people living in those communities.

24 hours in Valencia: culture, shopping, fiesta!

Sophie Spirit

Reporter

Cultural break in London...

Theatre tickets for Mamma Mia!, Ghost and Wicked ranging from £20-30, youth hostels from £12, return train ticket £24 (with railcard) and a £10 dinner using studentbeans.com restaurant vouchers. There are also many free attractions in London such as the museums, art galleries and parks. glimpse of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias at sunset if you can; the complex made up of several futuristic-looking buildings including an Imax cinema, the Hemisferic in the shape of an eye and the Oceanográfico are even more impressive when lit up. The complex also boasts the largest aquarium in Europe.

If you plan on heading out in the evening, hit the supermarket for the cheapest alcohol around.

The 2 euro wine and 5 euro vodka on offer is of a decent quality.

However, make a note to yourself not to turn up to any club before 3:00am as it is only around this time that clubs start getting busy.

Expect the clubs to still be packed

at 7am, especially on a Saturday night. The perfect hangover cure is a breakfast of tostada topped with either jam or tomato and olive oil and a walk along the beach, a stone’s throw away from the city centre. Breathe in the fresh sea air and take in the beautiful palm tree scenery.

Valencia is still yet to be fully exploited by the tourism industry. At the right time of the year, you can stroll around the city and along the beach without having to worry about being caught in camera shots and having to stand in hour-long museum queues.

So pack your bags for the jampacked 24 hour getaway that the happening Valencia has to offer.

Email the charity organisation at: globalbrigadesbirmingham@ gmail.com Visit the web site for more information on how to get involved: www.globalbrigades.org

Student Weekend Getaways Verity Barber

Reporter

With flights starting from only £60 return with EasyJet from London, why not head to Valencia, even if it’s only for 24 hours? Being relatively cheap, you won't have to worry about breaking the bank balance.

Catch the metro into the city centre from the airport for 3 euros and use hotel comparison site, Trivago.co.uk, to find the cheapest hotel prices from as little as £34 per night.

For the most authentic Spanish experience, tapas are a musthave for lunch; the all-time favourite dishes being patatas bravas, crispy potatoes with a spicy and garlic sauce, tortilla and a mixed cheese and meat platter.

While in Spain, why not head to Zara, the Spanish clothes store, and make the most of the bargains?

Staying in shopping mode, don't miss out on Fnac, a chain of stores equivalent to HMV, which are selling London Olympic tickets for 2012. Spain is the only country not to be distributing Olympic tickets through a lottery, but rather over the counter.

You should try and catch a

Our water brigade is new to Birmingham this summer. On our water brigade we will travel to Ghana and help provide communities with clean water in four main ways: water treatment facilities, community leader training, education, and infrastructural development. Water brigades volunteers will help to design and construct water systems to prevent water related illnesses occurring in areas with limited access to clean water.

This summer we will be running a water brigade to Ghana and we

are looking for volunteers from all departments in the University to travel with us on this project.

In addition, our microfinance brigade is also a new brigade set to run this summer. Microfinance brigades are involved in setting up community banking systems in communities and providing access to loans, financial literacy programs, and education in order to improve community production and develop a culture promoting financial sustainability.

We are looking for people interested in taking part in this brigade and assisting the current committee in the organisation of this project. This program will take place in Ghana this summer.

Each of these brigade programs, medical, water and microfinance, will run 23rd June – 2nd July 2012. They all offer you an amazing international volunteering experience and after the brigade there is the opportunity to travel. Any student from any discipline is welcome to take part in any of the brigades.

If you are interested in coming on one of our three brigades, or if you would be interested in helping set up another Global Brigades program, then we would love to hear from you. If you have any questions or would like any more information then please do not hesitate to contact the Global Brigades Birmingham Committee.

We will be running information sessions for our brigades soon so if you are interested make sure you get in touch or join the Facebook group so we can give you the details.

For a more active holiday...

Walking in the Yorkshire Dales, with accommodation and travel from only £45 (PPPN). With lots of little villages to explore as well as being close to York, Leeds and Bradford, there won’t be a shortage of things to do! You can even try out some extreme sports, catch the rugby league, and relax in the tranquil countryside.

Explore Dublin...

With flights at £57 from Birmingham airport and dorms in centrally located youth hostels available from £8, Dublin is the perfect excuse for a break. The Temple Bar area of the city hosts the Irish Film Institute and other galleries, along

with the many pubs and live performers which Dublin is famous for. The Porter House offers traditional beer and food along with many other restaurants.

Jet off to Paris, the city of love For only £90 return. Stay in the Hotel Hipotel Paris youth hostel for £18 and be less than 10 minutes from the city centre. For £51 you could treat yourself to a day pass! Many of the tourist attractions for Paris are free – the Louvre is free to those under 26 who hold an EU passport, and there are many parks, cafes and monuments to visit.

For those who want to destress...

Enjoy a relaxing one night stay at a Hallmark hotel and spa from £150 (Gloucester, Manchester or Bournemouth). Includes a threecourse dinner, breakfast, a 30 minute treatment for one guest and full use of gym and spa facilities (deal on lastminute.com) Prices accurate 15/02/12.

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24th February 2012

redbrickpaper.co.uk

Sport

Women's Lacrosse

Turn to page 26 and see whether Brum made the BUCS Championship Final

Birmingham hosts Aviva Grand Prix Redbrick Sport Editor Sam Price reports back from the Aviva Grand Prix at the NIA, where British athletes acquitted themselves well, and Jamaican and American athletes got a taste of Birmingham...

Hannah England welcomes American and Jamaican athletes to Birmingham, the city which will accommodate them during the Olympics. Left to right: Bianca Knight, Danielle Carruthers, England and Michael Frater won by fellow Brit Shara Proctor, who broke the national record twice and looks an Olympic medal prospect. Ennis has demonstrated she’s a world class hurdler in her own right, so the focus up until the Games perhaps needs to be on the field events such as the long jump and javelin as she looks to turn the tables on World Champion heptathlete Tatyana Chernova.

After a confidence boosting win in Sheffield over 3000m the previous weekend, Birmingham alumnus Hannah England took on her favoured 1500m distance, finishing a creditable second behind Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba, who was imperious in setting a stadium record. England said: ‘I felt good. I

The Week In Numbers

28 40 11

Kevin Pietersen hit his 28th century for England on Tuesday, the joint most of any England batsman alongside Graham Gooch.

Bill Haas sunk a 40 foot putt to win the Northern Trust Open at Riviera after a three-way play-off against Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson.

The total number of televised nine darters that Phil Taylor has hit in his career, including one against Kevin Painter last week.

6.80 111

British long jumper Shara Proctor broke the national record at Birmingham on Saturday, jumping 6.80m to propel herself into consideration as a medal prospect for London 2012.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 111 goals in 109 games in La Liga and the Champions League since joining Read Madrid.

was hoping to go a bit faster than that, but I’m happy with the second place; I was going to be disappointed with anything less than that. I was trying to feel like I was just about in contact (with Dibaba), but the last few laps I was just trying to concentrate on running well and just worrying about the girls behind and I’m chuffed that I managed to hold them off the whole way.’ Last year’s VP sport Adeniran continued his progression by setting a new personal best of 7.71s in the first heat of the 60m hurdles; an event which lived up to its billing. The focus was on the rivalry between the two greatest hurdlers of all time, Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles, and it was the

former who prevailed, putting in a serenely confident display to set a national record of 7.41s in the final.

Mo Farah was one of the star attractions and received the biggest cheer of the day when the twomile competitors were announced for the concluding race, but despite breaking the British record for the distance things didn’t go quite to plan for Farah as he was beaten

by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge. Nonetheless, this is just part of Farah’s preparation for the Olympics and the defeat could even serve as extra motivation for the tournament which could define his career, as he remains the major British hope for an Olympic track gold. He said

The Week In Quotes 'Either we do it in the ring or outside of the ring. Because I want him. If David don't fight me, Adam, I am telling you the God's honest truth, I am going to physically burn him.'

Dereck Chisora made some violent threats to David Haye in the aftermath of their shameful press-conference brawl.

'I felt it in my legs this morning. I'm really pleased - more than the actual result is the way I rode. I've been making mistakes in the sprint recently but I only made one today. I see this as an important step for the Olympics.'

after the race, ‘I felt a bit flat on the last kilometre because I’d been up with the pace early on, but it’s coming together. It’s tough out there you know; you can’t always win, and races like that really keep you on your toes.’

There was a surprise in the men’s 60m when Asafa Powell could only take third place as fellow countryman Lerone Clarke stormed to victory, illustrating Jamaica’s sprinting strength in depth. Meanwhile, the most dramatic moment of the day came in the men’s 400m when Costa Rican Nery Brenes inexplicably fell over 30 metres from the finish line when leading comfortably, gifting victory to Britain’s Nigel Levine, who was one of many Brits on the day to set a personal best. Other standout British performances came from JJ Jegede in the long jump, Robbie Grabarz in the high jump, Holly Bleasdale in the pole vault and Shana Cox in the women’s 400m, all of them recording important wins that will raise hopes of competing at the Olympics.

The NIA played host to some terrific action on the day and the crowd got value for money with the two added bonuses of exciting finishes and British success. The event encapsulated the importance of the city of Birmingham to the London 2012 games and the performances of some of the Jamaicans and Americans have whetted the appetite of many for the arrival of these tremendous athletes in the summer, in addition to superstars who didn’t compete such as Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Kirani James. The University and its excellent sporting structure is a crucial part of Birmingham’s Olympic effort and the use of our facilities by some of the world’s best athletes during a once-in-a-lifetime event will leave a significant legacy to University sport.

The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Which three English football clubs won the European Cup in the 1980's?

2) Who is England's record try scorer in Rugby World Cup history?

Sir Chris Hoy was the star at the Olympic Velodrome last weekend as he took an individual sprint gold for Great Britain.

3) Which tarnished former Olympian has been married to athletes CJ Hunter, Tim Montgomery and Obadele Thompson?

'The speculation is normal given the cultural past of this football club, but you have to understand that there's a different perspective now. We had a three-year project to change not only the team, but the culture and structure of the club.’

4) When was the last time England had no clubs in the quarter final stage of the Champions League?

Andre Villas-Boas responded to speculation about his tenure at Chelsea following the recent run of poor results.

'I've always said that, when I'm not playing well, I'll get criticised but that's the nature of the beast. I'll never stop working hard. I'll never stop trying. I just want to enjoy my cricket.'

Kevin Pietersen silenced his doubters with two centuries in the last two ODIs.

5) Who, at 60th in the world, is the highest ranked female British tennis player?

1, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Aston Villa 2, Rory Underwood 3, Marion Jones 4, 1996 5, Elena Baltacha

A star-studded line-up descended upon the NIA in Birmingham on Saturday for the world’s biggest indoor athletics meeting, the Aviva Grand Prix, which is the third and final leg of the 2012 Indoor Aviva Series. The event would not only be used as preparation and qualification for athletes competing in the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul next month, but would also provide clues as to who can make their mark in the London 2012 Olympics.

Big names such as Asafa Powell, Mo Farah, Dayron Robles and Jessica Ennis took to the track, as well as University of Birmingham alumni Hannah England and Julian Adeniran, and all of them would be keen to impress a capacity crowd. The Jamaican and American squads were particularly well represented, as athletes came to get a feel of the city of Birmingham which will accommodate them during the Olympics in July and August, and of course as part of their crucial preparation leading up to that pinnacle. However, it would not go to plan for all of them, and there were some upsets on the cards in an exhilarating day of track and field athletics.

London 2012 torchbearer Ennis put in a wonderful performance in the 60m hurdles, beating 2011 World Championship silver medallist Danielle Carruthers and setting the fastest time in the world this year of 7.87 seconds, which was also her personal best. She was delighted saying, ‘I didn’t expect to run that quickly at all. I feel in really good shape and the hurdles have been going really well.

To run 7.94 or something like that I would have been really happy with, but to run that much under my PB is just brilliant.’ Ennis was able to compose herself in time for the long jump, where she recorded another personal best of 6.47 metres to come third in a competition

Redbrick

Sport Thoughts Redbrick Sport Editor Raphael Sheridan discusses homophobia in football, and the efforts that the FA must go to if gay players are to feel comfortable in being open about their sexuality.

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Mudge improved Brum secure clean sweep Women's Squash

Championship L16

Birmingham 1sts

4

Newcastle 1sts

0

Tom Cooper Sport Reporter

Twenty years ago, it would have been a bold individual to predict that the Conservatives would be the party that legalises gay marriage. It would also have been bold to predict that, since Justin Fashanu’s public acknowledgment of his homosexuality, no other Premier League footballer will have followed suit.

It is a sign of how far the sport lags behind society that countless gay footballers have played week in week out for the very fans, team-mates and managers that keeps them in the closet. Even two years ago, PR publicist Max Clifford advised against two ‘high profile’ Premier League players publicly disclosing their sexuality, ‘it’s a sad state of affairs’, he said.

‘If you'd asked me in 2000 whether I thought we'd have a famous, openly gay footballer by 2010 I would have said yes.’

The causes of homophobia in football are too varied for discussion in this column, but the sport has prided itself on how it has tackled the complex issue of racism; indeed, the recent furore from all levels of football surrounding the isolated John Terry and Luis Suarez incidents is testament to the hard work and success that the FA has achieved. Despite this, they have yet to tackle homophobia, and it remains the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’. Time is running out for the FA, who are now under increasing scrutiny to publicly discuss the issue without the perception that they have been dragged along by the changing political climate, constrained by their own institutional homophobia.

Consequently,they have just launched a new campaign based on a ‘so what’ mentality. After quietly dismissing their last efforts to tackle the issue, a relatively token piece which flopped after the FA failed to find a single player or club to back it, they must employ the same boldness that they confronted the problem of racism. That will be as beneficial for the FA as it will be for the footballers they are aiming to help.

Only then can the right climate be created for a footballer to openly acknowledge his sexuality.

If it works, there will almost certainly be an openly gay footballer within five years who can play with a clear mind and with the backing of a supportive club. If not, players will continue to live in fear, and the sport will, to quote Clifford, ‘remain in the dark ages.’

‘We have to win this match, otherwise we drop down to the second division and that would be a disaster!’ The pressure was on as Birmingham women’s squash team, led by their injured captain Katie Quarterman, as they embarked on their latest encounter with Newcastle. ‘We haven’t played them in ages so this one could really go either way, but we’re confident’ remarked the anxious Quarterman as the first game begun.

Birmingham’s Nicki Wright secured the perfect start, cruising to her first game with an 11-3 victory over Juliet Facey. ‘I didn’t play my best today’ admitted Facey, the Newcastle captain ‘but Birmingham are a division above us and we’re not used to opposition of that quality, so it was always going to be tough.’ Wright confidently took a tighter second game 11-7, and by the third Wright’s dominance was clear as she impressively wrapped a comprehensive victory with an 11-3 win to secure a 3-0 triumph overall. ‘I felt the pressure because it affects next year’s team but I kept things simple and it paid off’ beamed Wright.

As this happened there was more good news for the hosts as Charlotte Iosson emphatically

Birmingham saw off the Newcastle threat with each player recording victories defeated Temmeque Davids by three games to love. Iosson dominated her opponent with a series of vicious shots that left the beleaguered Davids with little chance to reply.

On the other court the main drama was taking place as the two number ones, Jess Mudge and Helen Dowson enthralled the crowd with a fascinating encounter. Mudge shot into an early lead with a dominant 11-1 victory in the opening game and then extended her advantage with an 11-7 victory in the second match. ‘We had discussed before and had a game plan, which really worked well to

begin with’ said Mudge. However, frustrations began to show in the third game as the resilient Dowson recovered to take the third and fourth games and send the match to a decider. ‘I am pleased with the way I recovered’ claimed Dowson, ‘we often play and it’s always a really tight game’ while an apparently agitated Mudge admitted, having thrown away her lead, that she had lost concentration. A captivating final game eventually reached 11 all and went into a tie break situation. This was squash at its finest as the points seemed to last for minutes, neither willing to give in as shots were returned from seem-

Michael Drury

ingly impossible positions. The courageous Mudge finally secured a tense 13-11 triumph to take the win by three games to two. ‘I always wear my heart on my sleeve, it definitely helps!’ grinned the victorious Mudge.

With a 3-0 overall lead the final game between Hannah Vaughan and Hannah Thompson proved a formality. Despite this an impressive Vaughan took all three sets to complete a comfortable win for Birmingham secure a place in the quarter-final. ‘I am proud of the girls’, said the delighted Quarterman. ‘We played to our potential and deserved our win’.

Sharks attack in Aussie Rules rivalry Aussie Rules Football

Oxford ARFC

45

Birmingham Sharks

56

Ian McNicholas

Aussie Rules Correspondent

It came down to the last minute for Birmingham’s Aussie Rules team to clinch a win against one of their biggest rivals, Oxford, last weekend. Having continuously lost out in their past meetings, Birmingham travelled away with a strong squad in the hope of overcoming their opponents.

The Oxford team is predominantly of Australian, many of whom coming from football backgrounds. Their captain Sam Stranks, comes from Adelaide and has been playing the sport his whole life with appearances in the South Australia National League being a particular personal highlight.

Wet and gusty conditions on the day looked as though they would favour the visiting side, with Birmingham’s midfielders outpacing the home side throughout the first quarter. However, Oxford’s experience showed immediately, with their players being able to convert many of their few chances, whereas the Birmingham front line struggled to get a grip of the slippery ball, sending every shot wide. The quarter ended 15-7 in Oxford’s favour.

As the weather worsened into

the second quarter, Oxford’s familiarity of the game continued to show with many of their team taking strong marks above the heads of the visitors. The wet leather ball evaded the hands of the visitors, and Birmingham’s kicks frequently went to ground. Even with intense running from midfielder George Dibble, and clever movement in the front line from half-forward Anish Patel, Birmingham finished the half trailing by five points, still struggling to convert their numerous chances.

The game changed at the

break, after a brief talk at halftime from the Birmingham captain sent the Sharks into a frenzy. Intensity and physicality ensued in the second half, with Brum’s Ed Clampitt tirelessly retaking possession and sending the ball to the front-line.

The wet ground finally started favouring the Sharks, and they were able to stumble the ball towards goal enough times to take the lead by the third break in the game.

The last quarter saw Stranks take charge, but he was no match for Ben Massey, who was able to shut down nearly every movement

of Oxford’s talented captain.The host’s final chance for victory was denied in the last few seconds of the match by a determined defensive clearance from Birmingham’s resident Aussie Steve Ingham.

Immediately taking the ball, Dibble thumped it forwards to Patel, who converted from a tight angle as the final whistle blew.

The final score not only shows the progress the Sharks have made, but also their character and resolve for their biggest match of the season next week at Cambridge.

The Sharks had to show character and fight back in the latter half of a wet encounter

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Redbrick

Brum smash Exeter to reach final Women's Lacrosse

Pussycat Glory

Championhip SF

Birmingham 1sts

17

The Birmingham Pussycats cheerleading squad had an extremely successful weekend over the 17-18th February. On the Saturday, the squad helped cheer the Birmingham Lions to a 21-13 victory over American Football rivals Loughborough Aces. On the Sunday, the Pussycats took back a first place trophy from the Future Cheer competition in Loughborough, as well as fourth place in their first ever attempt at a hiphop routine. You can see the video of their winning routine on the Pussycats' Youtube channel, 'Birmingham Pussycats'.

1

Exeter 1sts Joel Lamy

Online Sport Editor

The women’s lacrosse 1sts demolished Exeter 17-1 in a one-sided encounter at Cryfield Pavilion in Warwick to once again make their way to the BUCS Championships final where they will take on Cambridge. Brum showed their ruthless side to kill off an Exeter team who sit fourth in the Southern Premier division, with Hollie Harrington scoring four goals and Alice Bruynseels bagging a hattrick in what was a complete performance from the team.

Exeter were made to look distinctly average by a Birmingham outfit who dominated from start to finish as they fired in shot after shot on Addy Lawson’s goal. By contrast, her opposite number Rachael Foster had a more comfortable afternoon and even claimed an assist when her clearance found Bruynseels who ran unchecked and scored to give her side a 2-1 lead, one which they would not relinquish.

At that stage it looked like it was to be a close match with the blue and reds dominating proceedings but finding it hard to beat Lawson in the Exeter goal. However, once they found their scoring touch the goals began to rain in and Exeter soon found themselves on the end of a thumping scoreline.

Birmingham came into this match looking to make up for last year’s disappointment where they were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage by Oxford; the first time in five seasons they hadn’t made the final. Coach David Abini was eager for his side to make up for the anomaly last season, acknowledging that it gave his players extra motivation.

The Midlanders began the match camped in the Exeter half

Chrissie Wellington

Brum created far more than their southern rivals, who struggled to contain the wave of attacks George Killick but despite hitting the post and testing Lawson, they found themselves behind when Emily Zaborski went down the left and teed up Charlotte Ashton to squeeze home from a tight angle. Zaborski is a former Scotland under-19 captain and team-mate Amelia Pemberton has played for the England under21s; proof, if it was needed, that the opposition had to be taken seriously.

However, that goal was the last they had to celebrate. Harrington equalised following a strong run and after Bruynseels had bagged the second, Molly Pike found Emily Hughes on the right to make the score 3-1 before Sophie Ellse set up Jessica Adams to add another strike. The sin-binning of Fizzy Keeble failed to holt Birmingham’s momentum with Harrington making it 5-1 at half-time.

Abini told his team at the break that he ‘just wanted more goals’, but even he admitted to not expecting what happened

next. Harrington scored soon after the re-start and from then on it was carnage in the Exeter defence as Keeble then found the back of the net. Harrington was forming a deadly partnership with Bruynseels up-front and the two combined for the latter to make it 8-1.

Further strikes came from Pike, Harrington, Nicole Paterson and co-captain Kirsten Lafferty from a free position (penalty) with Foster having just one save to make, a catch from Emerald Willett’s tame shot. Exeter showed some resistance but it was to no avail - Harrington, Bruynseels and Adams made it 15-1 before opposition player Elly Mills was sinbinned for fouling Pike, who soon scored again. The scoring was completed by Verity Harrington Green and by then the words of encouragement coming from the opposition bench had quietened down.

Birmingham can now look

forward to playing Cambridge in Sheffield on March 15. The BUCS holders played earlier in the day, beating Bristol 10-9 after extratime, and will provide formidable opposition having not lost all season. Abini is confident of defeating them, though, having ran them close in pre-season with a team mainly of freshers, but before then he is looking forward to next week’s crunch match against another unbeaten side in Durham, which could go a long way to deciding the destination of the Northern Premier division title.

‘We’re on a high after that win,’ he said. ‘Our next match is against Durham under the lights and we will hopefully have a big crowd coming to watch. They’re going to come out tough and we’re going to need to beat them by two goals (to equal their head-to-head record).’ It should be one of many exciting, and memorable matches in the next few weeks for the victorious girls.

Golfers maintain winning streak Men's Golf

Championship L16

Birmingham 1sts

5.5

Aberdeen 1sts

0.5

Daniel Beattie Golf Correspondent

The men’s golf firsts began their BUCS Championship campaign on a gloomy morning at Edgbaston, where their Scottish opponents Aberdeen probably had the advantage of being more accustomed to the wet and windy conditions.

Despite this the University of Birmingham first team remained positive and Gareth Jenkins led the team off with a solid 2&1 victory over his +3 handicap opponent.

Dan Beattie followed up closely behind and managed a half after a scrappy front nine, the match ending all square on 18, with five birdies in the last six holes. Tom Jessamine put another solid performance on the board with a two up victory; the highlight of his

Sport Shorts

round came at the 15th where he drove the par four green and holed from 10 feet for eagle.

Sam Botham who is now showing promising signs with his game also won 2&1 with Matt Jones thumping his opponent 8&6. Left-hander Owen Edwards also managed a resounding 7&6, playing anchorman for the team.

This 5.5-0.5 result, comes off the back of last week’s 3.5-2.5 away win to Loughborough and a 5-1 home win against Northumbria on Sunday in the league. The firsts are now through to the quarter finals of the knockouts and have all but mathematically won the BUCS premier north league with two games to spare.

Today’s other results saw the seconds win away to UCLAN in their knockouts and the thirds beat Nottingham in the league to leave the league title begging to be won by the second team. The fourth team completed their victory at Edgbaston to see all four golf teams win and improve in leagues and knockouts respectively.

University of Birmingham alumnus and multiple Ironman Triathlon World Champion Chrissie Wellington is holding a book signing this Saturday (25th) from 2pm to 3pm at Bridgtown Cycles, Cannock. The book is called 'A life without limits - A World Champion's Journey' and with everything the inspirational Wellington has put herself through, is sure to be a stunning read.

Dance Success

Birmingham's Ballroom and Latin Dancing on the 11th February hosted the Northern University Dancesport Competition in the Great Hall, which attracted over 330 competitors. Birmingham were very successful themselves, coming fourth overall, and taking first, second and third place in the acrobatic rock and roll category. The success of the event has raised the profile of Dancesport at the Unviersity, and the results were a massive achievement for a club only in their third year of competing.

Other Results and Next Week's Fixtures Netball 1sts lost 44-33 to Liverpool John Moores in the BUCS Trophy semi-final Men's Badminton 1sts beat Southampton 1sts 8-0 in the BUCS Championship quarterfinal Women's Badminton 1sts beat Cardiff 1sts 8-0 in the BUCS Championship quarter-final Next week's first team fixtures on campus: Game of the week: Women's Lacrosse vs Durham 1sts Munrow Track 5.30pm Mens Squash vs Sheffield 1sts Munrow Squash Courts 2pm Women's Hockey vs Durham 1sts Bournbrook 3.45pm Men's Hockey vs Durham 1sts Bournbrook 5.15pm Women's Football vs Leeds Met 1sts Metchley 2pm

Owen Edwards was impressive on the fairway

Hannah Macdowell

This week in...

1977 American boxer Floyd Mayweather was born. Considered one of the best pound for pound fighters ever, he has remained undefeated throughout his career with 42 fights won. A potential thriller with Manny Pacquiao remains on the cards.

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24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

This week on the Redbrick website...

Wednesday Debate

Heroes...

Kevin Pietersen

This week's debate focuses on the involvement of the Manchester clubs in the Europa League. Luke Strauss argues it's an unneccesary distraction, but Ross Highfield believes it's a tournament well worth winning.

Sport Podcast

ODI Series Review

2010 Welsh Rugby player Andy Powell was dropped from the Six Nations squad after he was caught drunkenly driving a golf buggy down the M4 motorway. He was later given a 15 month driving ban.

This week your host Joshua Reynolds (above) will be joined by representatives of the hockey teams following their BUCS Championship semi-finals, and will be discussing both the Carling Cup final and the Haye/Chisora brawl.

Redbrick Sport's cricket specialist Felix Keith reviews England's 4-0 whitewash of Pakistan in the recent One Day International series, assessing the encouraging form of players such as Steven Finn and Kevin Pietersen.

Couldn't make it up

Where are they now? Weekend Wager

Classic Goal...

The men's 400m looked a foregone conclusion at the Aviva Grand Prix on Saturday when Costa Rican Nery Brenes bounded clear of the field. Alas, 30 metres from the finish line his foot caught an advertising hoarding, sending him tumbling to the ground and gifting victory to Britain's Nigel Levine.

Valencia midfielder and Argentine international Ever Banega was ruled out for six months after surgery to repair a broken ankle, caused when he left the hand brake on and his own car ran over it when at a petrol station.

Olympic Countdown

154

days to go

American hurdler Alvin Kraenzlein was the first athlete to win four golds at a single games. In 1900 he became the Olympic Champion in the 110m hurdles with a world record time of 15.4 seconds.

Newcastle Saturday 3.25pm

Manchester United and Premier League legend Eric Cantona has maintained a swish lifestyle off the pitch. He has made numerous TV and movie appearances, including the 2009 film 'Looking for Eric' about a fan suffering hallucinations of Cantona. And, in suave style, he was the French Beach Football Captain until 2008.

'Skiing', 'snowboarding' and 'Birmingham' might not easily fit into the same semantic field, but Brumski ensure that it's possible to replicate the slopes every week. They have weekly lessons, freestyling training and races. On top of that, they organise regular socials and holidays to the Alps. It is a well known and well liked club with 650 paying members and a thousand likes on its Facebook page. It excels in competitions too, with winners and runners up in the men's and women's Giant Slalom. It aims to do well in competitions this year.

The Redbrick Crossword

Club Captain: Adan Newcombe Contact: www.brumski.co.uk 'Brumski and Board Club' adan@thenewcombes.com Training: Pick-ups outside the Guild and Vale. Beginners train every other Monday, with more advanced sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.

Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor

This week's prize is a ÂŁ5 Waterstones Gift Voucher Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office.

(Redbrick Office located in the basement of the Guild)

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

Name: Email Address: Phone Number:

Scribble box

YouTube search: Benito Carbone vs Leeds Aston Villa forward Benito Carbone scored an FA Cup screamer in 2000 against Leeds. Receiving the ball 35 yards out on the near side, he belted the ball into the top corner after noticing the goalkeeper was out of position cueing wild celebrations at the Holte end.

Club in Focus... Brumski

Across

Down

1. Tabletop game with many small pieces (6, 6) 9. Inappropriate; in bad physical form (5) 10. Engage (7) 11. Certain (4) 12. Treachery (8) 14. Collection of stories by Isaac Asimov that was adapted into a film starring Will Smith (1, 5) 15. ______ the People, indie band from California (6) 18. Dukes, earls, etc. (8) 20. Leave out (4) 22. Main ingredient in guacamole (7) 23. Stir vigorously (5) 24. Compulsive thief (12)

2. Fire; part of Dante's Divine Comedy (7) 3. Location (4) 4. Andrew Lloyd ______, composer of musicals (6) 5. Hidden (like a motive?) (8) 6. Polish currency (5) 7. A relaxing hit (anag.) (12) 8. Quake in storm (anag.) (8, 4) 13. Prediction (8) 16. Japanese dish of deep-fried vegetables (7) 17. Disfigure (6) 19. Out of money (5) 21. Glance over (4)

Sir Chris Hoy

On the same track he'll be making his bid for Olympic glory, Sir Chris Hoy won the sprint gold medal a t the 2012 Track W o r l d Cup. It was his second gold of the weekend.

Jessica Ennis

Eyre Square 8-1

Consistent and a stout stayer, Eyre Square looks a good bet for this weekend's marathon Eider Chase at Newcastle. Despite finishing fourth last time out, Eyre Square has won over four miles before, likes the course and should relish the ground.

After three and a half years without one, Kevin Pietersen silenced his doubters with consecutive centuries in the victorious O D I series against Pakistan.

'KP' hit 111 followed by a match-winning 130, where he was back to his destructive best.

Olympic torchbearer Ennis produced a superb performance at the Aviva Grand Prix last week. She beat 2011 World Championship silver medalist Danielle Carruthers in the 60m, setting this year's fastest time of 7.87 seconds.

and Villains...

Dereck Chisora

Chisora slapped Vitali Klitschko during their title fight's weigh in, spat at his brother Wladimir the next day, then had an impromtu brawl with British boxer David Haye after the fight. Both Haye and Chisora are facing possible fines and custodial sentences.

Danish Kaneria The

bowler has been summoned to the Pakistani Cricket Board's integrity committee after being named in Mervyn Westfield's trial as the person who had come up with the idea of spot-fixing. Kaneria, it should be noted, strongly denies the allegations.

=12_3_4_5_6_7 8=_=_=_=_=_=_ 9____=0______ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ a___=b_______ _=_=c=_=_===_ d_____=e__f__ _===_=g=_=_=_ h_i_____=j___ _=_=_=_=k=_=_ l______=m____ _=_=_=_=_=_=_ n___________=

28 Sport

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24th February 2012 redbrickpaper.co.uk

Redbrick

Aviva Grand Prix The NIA Birmingham played host to some of the world's best athletes last Saturday, Redbrick report back on the action, p24

Title hat-trick beckons for Brum Women's Hockey

Championship SF

Birmingham 1sts

4

Bath 1sts

1

Rory Millar Sport Reporter

Birmingham women’s hockey firsts have kept their dream of a third consecutive BUCS knockout cup trophy alive after convincingly defeating Bath firsts 4-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final at Beeston Hockey Club in Nottingham.

Birmingham took the lead in the twelfth minute through Sarah Haycroft, while goals from Rosie Bailey, Sarah Page and Jenna Woolven early in the second half put Brum 4-0 up inside 52 minutes. Bath did salvage a consolation goal late on through Josie Rixon, but it was too little too late for the side from Somerset who were undisputedly outclassed throughout.

The first half was a scrappy affair, although Birmingham were the first to create any real openings with Anna Griffiths missing a golden opportunity to open the scoring inside two minutes and Woolven having an effort minutes later well saved by Bath keeper Monika Jurric.

The deadlock was finally broken twelve minutes in with joint team captain Haycroft finishing well from close range after being played in by a fine through ball by Woolven, and was the least Bir-

Sarah Haycroft gives Birmingham a lead they would not surrender during the semi-final mingham deserved for their early possession and territorial dominance.

Bath almost hit back shortly after through a short corner, but Zoe Shipperley’s powerful effort was saved well by Amy Jones in the Brum goal. Bath struggled to create chances in open play, with their only other chance of the half coming through another short corner where Shipperley was denied by yet another fine save from Jones.

Late on in the first period, Kirsty Dawson had an effort from a short corner well saved by Jurric while Bailey failed to make the most of a one-on-one after being put through by Page who had shared a classy interchanges on the left wing with Woolven.

Emily Atkinson almost doubled her side's lead inside the first minute of the second half, though her effort following a weaving run into the Bath D was saved well by Jurric. It was not long before Bir-

Tom Flathers

mingham did make it two however, with Bailey deflecting in Page’s effort at the back post following a well-worked short corner.

Birmingham were now coming forward with real purpose and made it 3-0 shortly afterwards through the influential Page, who was making her comeback from an injury that had kept her sidelined for three months. It put the game beyond Bath, who struggled to get any foothold into the game at the start of the second half.

A fourth goal was added by Woolven in the 52nd minute, who thoroughly deserved a goal after a fine performance and being a constant thorn in the Bath defence.

She started the move herself, easily dispossessing an opponent in the middle of the park, before a fine bit of skill gave her the space to play a perfectly weighted through ball to Anna Griffiths who laid it back to Woolven, whose effort crept over the line.

Bath did give the travelling fans something to cheer about with 10 minutes left on the clock with Rixon finishing well with a reverse stick shot after being played through by McNaught, who had made a strong run from the right.Birmingham had a couple of opportunities late on to add further gloss to the scoreline, though Woolven was denied by Jurric and Dawson’s effort from a short corner was blocked on the line by Lucinda Dawson, keeping the score at 4-1.

Birmingham will meet Durham in next month’s Championship final in Sheffield, after they comfortably defeated Exeter earlier in the day. After the game, co-captain Emily Atkinson said, ‘I think we did well today; a win is what we came out here to do and although we did not have a great first half, a stern team talk from Phil (the coach) meant that we came out hard in the second half and really played well. We all worked hard and created the chances we needed.’

Durham block passage to final again Men's Hockey

Championhip SF

Birmingham 1sts

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Durham 1sts

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Joshua Reynolds Sport Reporter

It was a case of déjà vu for the University of Birmingham men’s hockey firsts on Wednesday, as for the second year running they were knocked out of the BUCS Championships in the semi-finals by their adversaries from the University of Durham. Nonetheless, the team can hold their heads high, for it was, quite simply, not their day.

Prior to kick-off, Birmingham coach Steve Floyd said that his side had ‘no reason not to be confident’, having been undefeated in their five previous fixtures since losing to their match day opponents in November. Indeed, he was vindicated as early as three minutes into the match, when Jack Cousins latched onto a reverse stick cross from Harry Loxton, before rounding the keeper and finishing coolly

to give Brum an early advantage.

Just two minutes later, the Birmingham camp were in dreamland as Nick Bandurak tucked his shot into the bottom right-hand corner, having dispossessed one defender and subsequently dashing past two more. By contrast, Durham had not yet woken up and found themselves shell-shocked a mere five minutes in.

At this point the tide began to turn, as Durham dusted themselves off and quickly settled into a rhythm. An unmarked Sam Driver picked up the ball just inside the D and made no mistake with his reverse stick shot. The sudden growth in confidence in the Durham team was palpable, and an extended period of possession culminated in Daniel Coultas levelling the score with a vicious strike into the roof of the net, following a short corner.

It was Coultas’ prowess from set pieces that proved decisive on the day, and he soon completed a hat trick, netting a further two goals from short corners. The tables had been turned on Brum,

who had seen a two goal cushion turn into a deficit of the same size.

However, Birmingham were not about to give up and three minutes before the break, they converted from a short corner of their own; Tristan Wild providing the finish. At half time Brum needed to regroup, as the concession of three goals from short corners could only be put down to sub-standard defending.

After the break, the tempo of the game mellowed, Birmingham having shored up their defence.

Alas, they were unable to find the killer pass to open up their rivals.

Credit must be given to Patrick Smith in the Brum net, who pulled off a terrific double save fifteen minutes from time and performed admirably throughout the contest.

The final nail in the coffin for Birmingham came in the 63rd minute, with Matt Hodgson finding room to fire past Smith despite being surrounded by opposing defenders to make it 5-3. The only real highlight for Brum in an otherwise frustrating second half was seeing Durham’s Tom Batchelor

round Smith shortly before the final whistle, only to shoot embarrassingly wide of an open goal.

There was despondency all round for Floyd’s team at the end of proceedings; little had gone their way on the day and the absence of captain and talisman Pete Jackson from the squad left a sig-

nificant void in the side. Durham on the other hand, despite not having set the world on fire with their performance, had taken their chances when they had arrived and had exploited their weapon that was Coultas from the short corner – his goals were all that there was to separate the teams.

Durham celebrate a place in the final at Brum's expense

Tom Flathers

INSIDE Turn to page 25 to find out how the women's squash firsts fared against Newcastle in the first round of the BUCS Championships