Redbrick - 15th November 2013 by Redbrick

Redbrick

15th - 21st November 2013

Est. 1937

Vol. 78. Issue 1437. www.redbrick.me

'Sombrerogate' Redbrick interviews the Sabbatical Officers about why they feel the Zero Tolerance Policy is the right decision for students

Ben Musgrove gives a track-by-track review of The Marshall Mathers LP 2

Jessica Green reviews science fiction thriller Gravity

Jessica Flanagan asks whether Brits lack cultural awareness

Music / p23

Film / p27

Travel / p12

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15th - 21st November 2013

News Tweet of the Week

Steven Vaughan @lawvaughan

Society Spotlight

Birmingham Marrow Birmingham Marrow, in association with the Anthony Nolan charity, helps find people who are willing to donate their bone marrow in order to save the lives of those suffering from blood cancers such as leukaemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Birmingham Marrow help the charity by holding lots of fundraising events, both on campus and in the city centre, as adding each new potential donor to the register costs the charity £100. They also organise their own donor recruitment events. To contact Birmingham Marrow, email birminghammarrow@gmail.com, or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/BirminghamMarrow.

Important Careers advice: just emailed student about relative importance of biscuit quality at large law firms

Adam Rowe

Online in Redbrick News

Annual Vale fireworks show attracted thousands of spectators The Vale Fireworks that usually take place a few days before or after Bonfire Night attracted a crowd of thousands of people. Despite overlapping with the reading week for some students, the Guild had advertised the event as ‘bigger than ever before’.

Yes 70% Photo of the Week: 'Winter's beach' George Killick

Redbrick Editorial Team Editor Josh Holder editor@redbrick.me Deputy Editors Charley Ross James Kinsey deputy@redbrick.me Digital Editor Ashley Kirk digital@redbrick.me News Editors Zahra Damji Izi Hicks Beth Clarke Adam Rowe news@redbrick.me Comment Editors James Phillips Julia Bayer Sophie Tollet comment@redbrick.me

Arts Editors Katherine Keegan Stuart Found Benjamin Carver arts@redbrick.me

Life&Style Editors Marianne Lampon Victoria Haworth Alexandra Landes lifestyle@redbrick.me

Film Editors Becky McCarthy Tom Lofkin Ben Jackson film@redbrick.me

Music Editors Lily Blacksell Susie Dickey Sam Dix music@redbrick.me

Travel Editors Hannah Stevens Elizabeth Waind Tamara Silver travel@redbrick.me

Sci&Tech Editors Soumya Perinparajah Claire Harris George Bearman

Television Editors Hannah Mason Daisy Follett Jo Kendall tv@redbrick.me

Food Editors Gemma Bridge Lynette Dakin Millie Walker food@redbrick.me

Multimedia Editors Molly Garfoot Julia Yan Max Powley

Sport Editors Felix Keith Tom Kelly David Morris

multimedia@redbrick.me

sports@redbrick.me

Editorial Assistants Molly Garfoot Bethany Tilston Ellie Jarvis Ella Parsons Sabrina Dougall Toria Brook-Hill Michael Smith Lucy Moseley Emily Trivette

Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TT 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrick.me Redbrick is printed through www.mortonsprint.com 01507 523 456

technology@redbrick.me

Screenshotter Calum Bradbury Photography Editors Crossword Editors Charlotte Wilson Matthew Robinson Emily Hickey-Mason Thomas Hutchinson photography @redbrick.me Senior Editorial Assistant Isabel Mason

Advertising Contact Linda Langley in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 Designed and typeset by Redbrick Copyright (C) Redbrick 2013 The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

15th - 21st November 2013

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#Sombrerogate Students have complained after not being allowed into Fab and other Guild events over Halloween because of their fancy dress costumes being deemed offensive and in breach of the Guild's Zero-Tolerance policy. In a statement by the Guild, they maintained that 'It is believed that some fancy dress can be deemed offensive when considering the zero tolerance policy.' However, the biggest criticism that the Guild has faced was over images circulated on facebook showing VPHC Dave Charles wearing a sombrero for a promotional video for the Joes+ Card . This decision was made in light of Guild Council's decision to extend the existing NUS Zero Tolerance Policy from zero tolerance on sexual harassment to imposing zero tolerance on ‘all harassment whether based on gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, medical condition, ethnicity, age, or any other characteristic’. It was also under this policy that Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ was banned by the Guild earlier this term.

Guild releases new guidance on fancy dress The Guild has since released further guidance on the policy banning negative racial stereotypes, saying, 'This is defined as any costume which gives a simplified and often misleading representation of an ethnic group, composed of what are thought to be typical characteristics of members of a given ethnic group.' This will include: 'Any deliberate colouring of the face with the intention of stereotyping a black/ethnic minority including but not limited to blackface.' •

'Any fancy dress theme which has the deliberate intention of profiling a race or religion other than your own.' •

'A deliberate combination of clothing and props with the suggestion of a particular black/ethnic minority group in the UK (other than your own).' •

'Using gestures or actions that negatively depict a specific or particular race/culture.' •

Edinburgh Student Union releases statement in support of Guild The Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) has released a statement to express ‘solidarity with University of Birmingham Guild of Students for banning racist Halloween costumes’ over criticism the Guild has received over banning fancy dress costumes that are considered ‘racist’. The statement explains how ‘People’s cultures are not costumes’ and requests readers and students ‘to have the basic decency to not misrepresent and, perhaps unknowingly, mock a culture which is not yours.’ It is then signed by several of the EUSA’s officers. It defends the Guild against criticism of ‘over-sensitivity’, saying that ‘we hope that in future students everywhere will take these issues into more consideration’

Redbrick spoke to the Sabbatical Team about the row on the banning of 'racist' fancy dress costumes What other behaviour (besides fancy dress costumes) do you expect might be caught under the policy?

As it stands, the zero-tolerance policy (ZTP) is very broad - how are students expected to know what is expected of them under the policy?

There is no exhaustive list of what can be considered harassment, as it can be actual or perceived, but there is a list that can be found on the Guild’s website and we do advise students have a read.

The Guild believes that every student should see the Guild as a safe space. We are aware that it is often the case that students involved may not be aware that their conduct can be perceived as harassment. This is why the zero tolerance policy describes three steps for dealing with harassment. If someone identifies behaviour they find harassing then they, or a member of staff (ie Security) should ask the person to stop. If the behaviour is persistent then the person should be asked to leave by security and the incident will be documented and reported.

Fab has historically had a very relaxed dress code. Do you have any plans to engage with the student body to explain these new restrictions?

A lot of students have complained that the policy is being enforced too strictly how would you respond to that?

In what situations/events does the policy apply?

Fab is a highly popular Guild event and will, in most senses, remain the night we know and love. The ZTP will hopefully make it a safer space for all attendees and support them if they do face any harassment. The Guild is currently creating a campaign around Zero Tolerance and its meanings that has been scheduled for the beginning of term two. The ZTP and a guidance document on fancy dress are available to all students on the Guild's website.

The Zero Tolerance Policy was created to try and provide a safe and secure environment for all members of the Guild of Students, without fear of harassment. Creating and passing a policy without actually enacting it is easy. As with many schemes, introducing a new policy is often a difficult transition. With the introduction of guidelines and advice, we hope that the policy will be more easily interpreted and supported.

The policy originated from the NUS and focused on sexual harassment but the Guild extended it to all forms of discrimination. What was the motivation behind extending the policy beyond the NUS one? Following Guild Council approving the motion for the Guild to become a Zero Tolerance Union to sexual harassment the Guild took the decision, with Guild Councils oversight, to became a Zero Tolerance Union to all forms of harassment.

The policy applies to all Guild venues and at all Guild events. For example as well as the Guild during the day it would include the sports ball which takes place at an external location.

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15th-21st November 2013

News Historic transport plans announced for Birmingham Izi Hicks

News Editor @izihicks The outlook for Birmingham’s public transport is set to change over the next 25 years with the introduction of electric buses and oyster cards in an integrated system with an aim to encourage more people to use public transport around the city. The plan consists of a network of busses running in and around the city, which will hopefully prevent the city coming to a gridlock due to the expected growth in population and car ownership. The current road layouts and transport systems will not be able to hold the estimated capacity as planners estimate that there will be an increase of 80,000 cars on Birmingham’s roads by 2031. Sir Albert Bore, Birmingham City Council Leader, has outlined the 25-year plan which is set to include a 200 mile network of 11 Sprint-rapid transit lines and a hybrid bus and tram service. The new Mobility Action Plan will help make the city easier to navigate through the introduction of a tube-style map giving Birmingham a user friendly, integrated transport system - similar to that of London’s tube map system. Planners are conscious that extending the tram lines will be too costly as there is already a £125 million plan in place to extend the Midland Metro. However, the

Sprint-rapid bus system will be a more affordable alternative as new technology is being developed for busses to run at a fraction of the cost on electricity rather than diesel. Systems are already in place in Genoa and Turin, cutting fuel costs by 80 per cent. There is also the ability to extend these routes when more money becomes available. The plans extend to encourage more walking and cycling around the city by making it easier and safer for people not to use their cars. Development will also include extending bus lanes, interchanges on the outskirts of the city and improving public transport waiting areas. An oyster card type charging system will be brought in, charging people to get from one place to another, rather than charging per bus or train in an attempt to make using public transport easier and more affordable. Despite the plans being more affordable however, the 11 sprint lines will cost between £1 and £3 billion to build. Sir Albert states that the city needs these plans to move forward as ‘we are lagging behind many UK and European cities in its thinking’. The consultation document is currently being put together and will need to be approved by businesses and residents of Birmingham. Funding programmes will then need to be put in place to make the scheme affordable over the coming years.

£15m gift for Forestry Institute

lem of deforestation, climate change and imported tree diseases in the UK, Professor News Reporter @soﬁakattunen Jo Bradwell stated that the new forestry institute has the capacity to provide more A former Medicine student and lecturer at information about different threats to the the University of Birmingham, Jo Bradwell forests. ‘[It] will increase our understanding and his wife, have given £15 million to the of these challenges in order to help planners, University of Birmingham to establish a new owners and foresters maintain and improve Institute for Forest Research. the health of our woods’, he said. The donation will enable research to be Vice-Chancellor David Eastwood conducted into the impact of climate and thanked Professor Jo Bradwell and his wife, environmental change on woodlands and the Barbara for their ‘inspirational donation’ that resilience of trees to pests and diseases. The enables the University of Birmingham to money will be spent on building new on- tackle global challenges. In his statement, campus laboratories and technology to col- the Vice-Chancellor said that the ‘donation lect samples and take measurements from will enable us to fulfill our desire to be an deep within the soil to above the tree cano- international force in this emerging yet critipy. cal area of research and to create an Institute Drawing attention to the continuing prob- that will be unique in Europe’.

Soﬁa Kattunen

Sam Tunnicliﬀe

VC donates to Carival RAG Charity

Vice-Chancellor announces he will be donating £1000 to The Children's Trust

Frankie Greenwell Sam Dix

Music Editor

@what_sam_said

The Vice Chancellor, Professor David Eastwood, has announced that he will be making a donation of £1000 of his own money to one of the charities being supported by Carnival RAG this year, ultimately choosing The Children’s Trust. He was in attendance at Carnival RAG’s allocations evening on Tuesday night. Held in the Guild Council Chambers, the event saw the society choose six charities which they will be supporting with fundraising this year. The six charities that were chosen were: React, Meningitis Research, Dementia UK, Prostate Cancer, Children’s Society and Nightline. Carnival RAG host a range of events over the duration of this year, including the ever popular ENIGMA and Escape & Evade. They are also launching a campus

wide appeal in aid of the sufferers of the Philippines disaster. Over 35 charities applied to work with Carnival RAG, which was shortlisted down to 12 by the Carnival committee and members of the Sabbatical officer team. After each of the 12 charities pre-

"Over 35 charities applied to work with Carnival RAG" sented and took questions, Carnival RAG's members voted for where their fundraising totals, gained from a range of student events over the year, would be donated to. Chairing the event, Carnival RAG Treasurer Frankie Greenwell spoke about the importance of the event, ‘Carnival RAGs allocations evening is one of the most important events in the year for us. It provides all those involved in carnival,

be that committee members or ex-members the opportunity to decide where the funds raised throughout the year will go. It's all too easy to forget why we do the events that we do and to forget about the causes we donate towards. The allocations evening provides us with a humbling reminder of why we put on the events we do and spurs us on to do even more and better things. ‘We were lucky enough to have the Vice Chancellor Professor David Eastwood and his wife in attendance, as well as the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education Professor Jeff Bale. The Vice Chancellor and his wife decided to donate £1000 of their own money to one of the charities who were in attendance of the evening, regardless of whether or not that charity was to be one of our allocated charities for the year.’ University fundraiser and ex-President of Carnival RAG, Tom DeFraine returned to Birmingham to present for Meningitis Research and spoke to Redbrick,

‘Presenting at the Carnival RAG allocations evening was a particularly surreal and proud moment for me; as a former

"They are also launching a campus wide appeal in aid of the sufferers of the Phillipines disaster"

President and University of Birmingham alumni it was very different being on the other side of the room pitching for funds from such a fantastic bunch of people. RAG has given me such fantastic opportunities and it was a great honour to be in the room; especially with the Vice Chancellor making a guest appearance. A humbling evening, as it always is, allocations is such an important part of what Carnival RAG does. I am looking forward to a fantastic year ahead working with Joe [President of Carnival Rag] and the entire committee going forward.’

15th-21st November 2013

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University Politics

3.2% of Students vote in Guild Council elections

One of the lowest ever election turnouts with 886 student votes Sabrina Dougall News Reporter

@sabrina_dougall

Turnout to this year’s Guild Councillor Elections on October 25th is thought to be one of the lowest ever with a total of 886 votes cast. This equates to 3.2% of the 28,000 students currently studying at the University of Birmingham. This compares to 1,247 votes cast in the same elections last year (although there was a slight difference to the positions open for election compared to this round last year). The breakdown of results, which were published online as of November 11th, shows that the position with the highest votes (Open Place Guild Councillor) received only 439 votes, which equates to about 1.6%. Other categories up for election in this ballot included the Women’s, First Year, Postgraduate and International Guild Councillor (all of which received between

200 and 305 votes), as well as 22 Guild Councillor positions representing individual academic schools. For elections to individual School Guild Councillor positions, successful candidates generally failed to achieve more than a few dozen votes in their favour. The total number of valid ballots registered for positions in this category ranged from 84 to just 5 votes. Some of the low turnout may be attributable to technical difficulties that students encountered with the new NUS Digital system that is being used for Guild elections, which resulted in the Guild extending the voting period to allow more students the chance to vote. However, it has also been suggested that the low turnout was due to poor publicity of the Elections themselves, as well as a general lack of awareness of the nature of the roles up for re-election. A Redbrick survey carried out on the day before the elections closed showed that half of the students asked were una-

ware that any elections were taking place. All of the students asked said that the elections had not been not been publicised well.

"65% of students interviewed could ot name a single position on the Guild council that was up for election" 65% of students interviewed also could not name a single position on the Guild Council which was up for election this term. Many respondents to the survey had only heard about the elections because they knew someone who was running for a position who had asked them to vote. According to the Guild website, ‘Guild Councillors sit on Guild Council as representatives of their fellow students, hold officers to account and vote on policy’, fulfilling a different role than that of the Guild Officer Team which consists of

Sabbatical and Non-Sabbatical representatives. A Third Year Archaeology student commented that Guild Council Elections ‘only attract a small crowd [of voters]’ because the candidates are drawn from a ‘sheltered community’ of applicants who fail to represent the wider student body. She added that the failure to engage student interest in the elections stems from a deficiency in information as to the relevance of Guild activities to most students. Speaking to Redbrick, Vice President (Democracy & Resources) Tom Wragg said that ‘The difference in voter turnout could be attributed to many factors but, we feel, a main contributor was the difficulties experienced with the brand new e-voting system. The publicity was comparable to last year and there were a number of new initiatives to encourage nominations from postgraduate and mature students.’

Comment. 3.2% turnout: How can Guild Council vote for policies like Zero Tolerance? Ashley Kirk

Digital Editor @AshleyKirk92 The Guild’s been under the spotlight recently after what has been affectionately dubbed ‘Sombrerogate’. Banning 'racist' fancy dress has caused a stir on campus and nationally, with blog posts, statements and open letters arguing passionately on both sides. With the news that turnout was 3.2%

for the recent Guild Councillor elections, the question has to be asked: by what mandate can Guild Council vote to implement such measures as the Zero Tolerance Policy? 97% of Guild Council voted in favour for the Zero Tolerance Policy last year. With the amount of controversy it has sparked, it's quite clear that less than 97% of the student body as a whole support how the policy is being interpreted.

The Zero Tolerance Policy has the potential to do wonders for equality and minority rights, but it is something that's a matter of interpretation. This interpretation should be based on common sense, but it has been interpreted extremely – with people who clearly aren’t racist being prevented from going into an event they’ve paid for because of their ‘racist’ attire. Students do only have themselves to

blame. The Guild Council is elected by the entire student body; we can vote for who we want. We can’t really complain if we don’t bother to use this right. But we cannot ignore the fact that the Guild Council – the very body that puts these policies in place – is elected by a minority itself. A turnout of a mere 886 voters hardly provides councillors with a mandate to vote on such important matters that affect a lot of students.

UoB drops 3 places in political university rankings University drops three places in the Which? top political universities guide

2012

top political unis

1. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 2. London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 3. University of Oxford 4. Goldsmiths, University of

London

5. University of Cambridge 6. University of Sussex 7. University of Birmingham 8. University of Glasgow 9. University College London, University of London 10. Queen's University

Duncan Kenyon

News Reporter @DuncanKenyon1 The University of Birmingham has been placed 10th on the Which? university guide for most political university, beating both the University of Sheffield and Queen’s University Belfast to tenth spot. Rankings for this site are voted for by students. 68% of students believe that the university has a strong political life, ranking it as ‘high’ in its comparison with all other universities. Questions asked to students in order to ascertain the university’s political ranking, according to Which?, included ‘if there are lots of different political groups and activities, such

as meetings and demonstrations at [the] university, and whether politics is a visible part of the university experience’. Which? accredits the university’s high political success to the Guild of Students, where each student automatically becomes a member when they join the university. Birmingham did however achieve higher in the 2012 – 2013 academic year, reaching 7th place. The drop is largely due to an influx of Scottish universities contending for ‘top 10’ places this year. This could be in connection with the growing political excitement of possible Scottish independence, with universities being used as forums of discussion and debate.

2013

top political unis

1. SOAS, University of London 2. London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 3. University of Oxford 4. Goldsmiths, University of London

5. University of Sussex 6. University of Cambridge 7. University of Glasgow 8. University College London, University of London 9. University of Edinburgh 10. University of Jo Thomas Birmingham Victoria Kettlewell

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15th - 21st November 2013

Comment

'Work' Experience?

Comment Editor Julia Bayer asks why US internships thrive so much more than the UK's

While growing up, like many children, my career options were forever changing. First I wanted to be a lawyer, then a journalist and then, after spending a year in Israel studying my religion and the Middle-Eastern conflict, I decided that politics was where my true passion lay. Career plans had changed yet again and I began to examine the large arena of politics: looking at Think Tanks, the Foreign Ministry and so on. I was then lucky enough to secure a summer internship in Washington DC and worked in a lobbyist group for the month. Whilst there, I met 70 other interns from across the country and we were all helping to organise and plan the organisation’s summer three-day event. This was, in essence, 80 congressman and senators explaining to the public why they should support the organisation and what it was doing for the country, alongside a citizen breakfast and a large dinner for all the donors from around the country. I quickly found myself moving to the operations side of things, creating the menus for the days, writing and organising where the 100 member staff team would be over the time period and so on. Even though I had written up everyone’s schedules, I hadn’t really had a chance to look at my own. So when at 4AM I was handed a walkie talkie and told to get the interns ready and organised, surprise hit me like a strong wave and off I went into super drive. Summer sadly ended and even though I knew I wanted to work in Politics, I still strongly felt the connection between the journalist and political sectors, so I came back and managed to arrange some work experience at a high-end British newspaper and it was here that I really started to compare the work experience mentality (predominantly in the humanity areas) of the UK to that of the USA. What was obvious from the start is that

the UK has this fantastically strange culture where people avoid you. Why is it that, when you come into the office, no one actually speaks to you? You’re working alongside and next to all these great people, who have been exactly where you have in the past and yet they completely ignore you. It is almost as if you should be thankful for being there and so should keep your mouth firmly closed. I am indeed thankful for the opportunity, but why does that experience consist of ‘being seen and not heard?’

"Why is it that when you come into the office, no one actually speaks to you?" Furthermore, work experience in the UK ludicrously doesn’t really consist of much work. I thoroughly recognise that, when walking into a running business on the first day, I'm not going to be the CEO and I’m more than happy to do a coffee run but that’s not actually why I was asked for my CV before given the role. Surely one can see that I am a university student and, therefore, may have some credentials. So asking me to do something seems like the normal thing to do. Even if you don’t use it or rewrite it, publish it and use your own name, why can’t Brits at least pretend that you may have some use? But we all know that work experience in the UK is about securing something extra to put on your CV. It’s all about selling yourself for having worked somewhere, not necessarily for the work you did while there. This means when you go for prospective jobs and they ask you about these work experiences, you’re actually forced to conjure up whole stories of your time there,

News News

Views

in order to make it seem worthwhile. Would it not be easier and more constructive to make the work experience more worthwhile so students don’t have to lie?

"Work experience in the UK ludicrously doesn't really consist of much work" Now, I can assure you that most other professions offer a similar story. If you want a publishing internship, you’re not actually reading any books and likewise if you are thinking of being a politician, you are lucky if you get work experience at all. Politicians are renowned as impossible to secure placements with and when you actually

manage to, you do very little. This stands in contrast to the US where congressman and senators offer work experience all year round, with interns still doing the miniscule jobs but also often attending their congressman’s speeches and events. What the scheme seems to be lacking is an overall organiser to report to: the companies like to say that they offer work experience but when it comes to the logistics, there is no one actually running the interns and, therefore, those on work experience end up doing very little. More and more people are opting for Masters and PHDs with a fear of entering the workforce. With work experience being so off-putting, it’s clear why. If we want to encourage people to leave education, we have to make work seem more appealing. If we want to change this, the answers aren’t hard to find, but it’s time to look to our friends from over the pond and make some changes before it is too late.

Derek Campbell. The fact that substantial parts of the NHS are in crisis is hardly news; proposals to reorganise A&E departments into a two-tier structure appear pragmatic given the rise in demand for services. But NHS managers and politicians are still struggling to provide effective medical support in the community with the result that people call an ambulance or turn up at A&E seeking timely, reliable advice and treatment. This plan will reinforce the public perception that hospital is the best place to go to get medical attention leaving community medicine as the underfunded third tier of healthcare.

CHRISTMAS NHS

Jonathan Simpson. It’s the time of year to be merry, a joyful season of celebration- it must be, I’ve seen the Coca Cola advert on TV. Gone are the days when Christmas began on Advent Sunday, or indeed had any relevance to a Christian Festival at all. It disturbs me that we have mutilated Christmas beyond what it’s meant to be, not because I’m Christian, but because it represents our society’s ability to commercialise everything beyond recognition and forget what it’s actually about, to the point where I’ve heard a Primary School student telling her friend earnestly that Christmas is Santa’s birthday and he celebrates by bringing presents to all the children. What else have we so disfigured beyond all recognition? Stop celebrating “Christmas”, it’s November.

15th - 21st November 2013

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Obamacare: the wrong prescription George Reeves

disagree with almost all of his domestic policies and certainly wouldn’t have voted for him if I were a US citizen, but yet his

When announcing his plans for healthcare reform, Barack Obama promised the American people that ‘if you like your existing plan, you can keep it.’ It just turns out that he wasn’t being totally honest after all, and that everyone’s worst fears about Obamacare are coming true. Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, best known for his impressive 21-hour filibuster at the height of the recent government shutdown, has dubbed the President’s reforms ‘Obamascare.’ And Cruz appears to be right, as more and more Americans are beginning to realise the full horrors of the President’s badly thought-out political egotrip. I happen to like President Obama – I

"He needs to admit that he is wrong, and that he has inadvertently deceived the people of his nation"

Commentator

charisma, charm and likeability are undeniable. However, it seems like everyone’s suspicions that he may actually lack political substance beneath the inspiring rhetoric are being proven right. I am sure he believes Obamacare is the right plan for America, but unfortunately now is the time where he needs to admit that he is wrong,

James Phillips. Mothers are to be given £200 as a reward for six full months of breastfeeding their child in a new pilot scheme offered by the Government and the NHS. The project is an attempt to make mothers aware of the benefits of breastfeeding. This is a preposterous suggestion. The idea that mothers should need an incentive to do something incredibly beneficial for their child is appalling; money should not be a factor. Additionally, the scheme seems to ignore the many reasons that mothers don't breastfeed. Due to reasons ranging from the medical to the preferential, there are a vast number of women who legitimately choose not to. And yet, alongside this strange proposal, is some unreasonable disgust towards breastfeeding in public. It's the latter we should tackle.

HEALTH

and that he has inadvertently deceived the people of his nation. More and more stories are coming out every day about patients who will not be able to retain the healthcare plan they are happy with; California resident Edie Littlefield Sundby recently wrote an emotional piece in the Wall Street Journal which detailed her fears for survival now that her lifesaving medical insurance policy that has enabled her to overcome Stage-4 gallbladder cancer has been cancelled. In her case, she faces a choice between losing access to her cancer doctors through getting coverage under Obamacare, or paying up to 50% more for private insurance. And sadly, she is not alone. Over 3.5 million people have been informed that their existing healthcare plans have been cancelled, despite the President’s promise that they could keep the plan they like. This does not sound like

WOMEN Jackie Morgan. The Thomson Reuters Foundation recently carried out a highly flawed poll analysing the status of women rights' in Arab states. Egypt came out worst. The participants of this poll were not randomised and consisted purely of handpicked activists. It only consisted of "10 respondents from each state" (more for Egypt and Iraq) and the questions focused solely on their perceptions. It did not actually at any point ask the average Egyptian woman what she thought of her status. The survey was more of a metric of freedom of speech rather than a measure of actual women's rights. Saying that though, Egypt does have a long way to go for equality and improving women's rights. A poll that can be so easily disproved, however, does the cause a great disservice by making people think that the gender-issue is void.

a positive change in US healthcare to me, and it does not sound like the actions of a competent and honest President. Of course President Obama does not wish to kill off his own people, and indeed many of those who are losing access to their previous healthcare plans are working-class men and women who would have made up his electoral base in the last two presidential elections. These people cannot afford the rising costs of insurance premiums which are being pushed up by Obamacare. They do not want to be told by their government which plan is best for them; they want to make their own decisions. Obamacare goes against the fundamental principles of freedom and liberty which the USA was founded upon, and when senior Democrats including former President Bill Clinton are calling on Obama to honour his broken promise, surely he must start listening.

Sam Dix. David Dimbleby has got his first tattoo aged 75. The broadcaster was given the chance while filming a maritime series, Britain and the Sea, but initially declined and had one drawn on in pen instead. “I thought it was wimpish having it just drawn on and I needed to man up” he said as he eventually gave in and had a scorpion on his right shoulder. “It took about 30 minutes - an hour in all - and I thought of Winston Churchill having his done while mine was being done. It wasn’t painful at all, it just zings a bit”. The former Prime Minister Churchill had a tattoo of an anchor on his forearm. Let’s hope Dimbleby won’t regret it when he’s older.

DIMBLEBY

15th - 21st November 2013

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Comment

Sex, Porn and the 21st Century Jasmine Stewart unravels the Taboo on sex-ed and porn

By the end of 2014, David Cameron has pledged that every home in the country will have an automatic block on pornographic material in a bid to protect children. According to statistics a worrying one in three 10-year olds have seen porn online (Psychologies Magazine, 2010), but this measure seems something of a token gesture. Of course it is right to ban extreme, violent porn and children or animal porn, but why should adults who want to enjoy legal porn have to contact their service providers to have access to it? Surely it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that they have the appropriate filters in place. These types of filters often accidentally block innocent websites too, so it’s not just the porn reader who will be affected. It is an infringement on people’s freedom by policing the internet which is, by definition, fairly un-policeable. New porn sites crop up every day, is it not a fool’s errand to try and keep track of all of them in order to block them? If the government hasn’t even managed to shut down illegal sites, how can it hope to block all porn? Or will these filters end up just blocking legal sites whilst the illegal ones continue to put out vile material? Moreover, due to the fact that it will be done through internet providers instead of on individual machines there is the issue of adults wanting to access porn on their laptop but not wanting their children to access it on the family computer, which surely makes the whole scheme redundant. It seems a misguided and impossible policy. That is not to say, however, that I do not appreciate its sentiment. We are the first generation to grow up in

a world where hardcore porn is at our fingertips. Whilst in the past, kids would sneak a peak at the dirty magazines under dad’s mattress, things have taken a more sinister turn and it is something to be worried about. An adult mind can accept that porn is a fantasy, which bears little more than a passing resemblance to real-life sex. It becomes a problem when young boys in particular, view porn before they have had sex or a relationship with a real-life girl. It can give them a warped perspective of how women look and a selfish view of sex. Whilst the ‘completely bare’ look was once just one of many grooming options, now it is seemed as ‘strange’ if a girl is any other way. Acts once considered a big deal are now just ‘expected’ and the focus of mainstream porn on male pleasure can breed sexual selfishness.

"Whilst in the past, kids would sneak a peak at the dirty magazines under dad’s mattress, things have taken a more sinister turn" None of us, not even David Cameron, can force online porn back into Pandora’s box, and it is foolish to attempt to. What we can do is have an open dialogue about it. Whether it is on someone’s phone in the

playground or an accidental pop-up, the vast majority of kids will encounter porn in some way and these new measures aren’t going to stop that. Michael Gove blocking the Lib Dem plans to include discussion of porn in sex education really is counter-intuitive. Children need to have an open dialogue with their parents, as well as being taught about it

in school. Sex education has not been updated since 2000, when the world was a very different place. ‘Banning’ porn and not talking about it will just create more of a taboo and if children see something they don’t understand or that disturbs them they internalise it and that is when damage will be caused.

Politics and why we've stopped caring Tom Cooper Commentator

It is oft-repeated that today’s society have become politically disengaged. This cliché is not just a spurious or melodramatic theory however, it is a measurable fact. From party membership, to voter turnout and the rise of minor parties, Britain is becoming more and more cynical about its leaders. Recently the approval ratings of all three major party leaders became simultaneously negative for the first time in history. There are many theories to the cause of this remarkable pessimism and just as many of how we can stop it. One theory is that the move of the parties to the centre ground is the significant contributory factor. “They’re all the same” can be heard on many a doorstep while out canvassing. However I doubt that this is the crux of the issue. The 1950’s and 1960’s were known as the post war con-

sensus, a period where the main parties largely agreed with each other, yet the period was not marked by a similar voter apathy. The equally oft heard remark; “They’re all out of touch”, is another potential candidate for an explanation. The privileged origins of many modern politicians certainly doesn’t help their image, otherwise known as “Etonian”. Again however, if we are looking at a time when Eton educated toffs were running the country you cannot do much better that the 1950’s – when voter turnout topped 80%. But in my view, these are not the real reasons for the public’s disinterest in politics. The true cause is deeper and relates to the decline of political power. In the past, politicians promised us a better world. Their power and authority rested on the strength of the dreams they told us and of their ability to deliver them. Today something very strange has happened. Politicians have lost their power and now resemble managers who

simply oversee the counties immovable direction. The general public, and more significantly the politicians themselves have given up on the liberal dream of the potential power of politicians to change things for the better.

"Politicians have lost their power and now resemble managers who simply oversee the counties" Influence has gradually been transferred away from Westminster to the markets and the increasingly globalised world which

now dictates Britain’s economic future. The regulations of the EU constrain many of our domestic issues, from welfare, to immigration, green energy and even our agricultural policies. This has left politics in an odd place where politicians still attempt to retain an aura of authority and significance while the world simply happens around them, completely beyond their control. This was a world that was consistently sold to us, as this power transference occurred, as devolution of authority to a society of free individuals. Elections are fought on focus groups and opinion polls as gesture politics means leaders now fight for a transient and apathetic centre ground. Politicians move around us, obsequiously seeking permission to govern a country that appears to run itself. This is true democracy in action. Apparently we have been empowered and are the real rulers of modern society; somehow it just still doesn’t feel that way.

Already starting to think about where you want to live next year? Do you want to know house for you in the private sector?

a house which is right for you. We will provide you with the all-important information before you step into the world of private housing! please see our events timetable below… Event

Day & date

Time

Location

Housing Roadshow

Thursday 21st November 2013

6-8pm

Underground, Guild of Students

Mixing Event – ‘Finding Housemates’

Wednesday 27th November 2013

6-8pm

Housing Roadshow

Tuesday 3rd December 2013

6-8pm

Housing Roadshow

Monday 9th December 2013

6-8pm

Housing Fair

Wednesday 15th January 2014

10am-4pm

Thursday 30th January 2014

6-8pm

Tuesday 4th March 2014

6-8pm

Mixing Event – ‘Finding Housemates and a House! Mixing Event – ‘Finding Housemates and a House!’

The Upper Duck & Scholar, at the Hub (Vale Village) The Upper Duck & Scholar, at the Hub (Vale Village) Pritchatts Park, Social Centre The Deb Hall, Guild of Students (First Floor) The Amos Room, Guild of Students (First Floor) The Upper Duck & Scholar, at the Hub (Vale Village)

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15th - 21st November 2013

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Comment

Russians Don't Need 'Protecting' from Homosexuality Kristine Bagdassarian argues Russia's LGBT laws are nonsensical The recently enforced laws on LGBT rights in Russia are something I’ve been fuming about ever since they were officially introduced in the summer. Under the great noble claim of protecting the minors, we now have a total ban on gay pride parades, any kind of public demonstration in defense of gay rights and, oh, anything else that might say out loud that in Russia being gay is just as acceptable as being heterosexual. Call me naïve, if you wish, but I find it very hard to see how virtually ‘censoring’ and hiding the existence of a whole population could be regarded as beneficial for the society as a whole. Homosexuality might be difficult to understand for many straight people, but what happens to protecting the weak and giving everyone the equality that they deserve? Alright, so Russia is a bit more conservative in some sense and not as supple in accepting changes as other nations, but how can one battle conservatism and narrowmindedness if the government refuses to make a step towards tolerance, and instead indirectly says it’s ‘okay’ to discriminate

against someone based on who that someone might choose to date? Like a child that thinks they are safe as long as they keep their eyes closed, a whole country happily blindfolds itself to the existence of millions of people who would only like to peacefully live among the rest. You don’t fit in the mould? Well, kindly crawl back into your hole before the extremists sniff you out, because if they do, it’s your own fault for not keeping your head down. Fair and square.

"Like a child that thinks they are safe as long as they keep their eyes closed, a wole country happily blindfolds itself" I wonder, do the people who voted for this law believe that by concealing homosexuality from the world, they would reduce

the rate of hate-crimes or teach their children compassion, awareness and a sense of justice? Does the government imagine a country in which, in a couple of years, people will always be born with attraction towards the opposite sex? And what comes next? A flight back to the times before 1999 when, in Russia, being gay was classified as a mental illness? Maybe soon enough the pharmaceutical companies will boost their sales with the next anti-gay pill? Oh, wait. We need to protect the vulnerable minds of children. Okay. So we can expose minors to violent, gory horror movies, disturbing games and TV shows, and that’s fine. But the so-called ‘homosexual propaganda’ will damage them so badly that it could alter their perception for life? I’m not a doctor, and I’m sorry if this may come across the wrong way, but I don’t believe that someone would willingly ‘choose’ to be gay just because they saw it on the telly. This is like saying I would decide to be Chinese, because I caught a glimpse of a famous Chinese celebrity on a talk show or

in a magazine. Should we prohibit being Chinese then? Should we, I don’t know, prohibit studying Chinese history in schools as well? Just in case?

"If those people can look past the rules set in ancient times, why can't Russia?" I’ve met a lot of religious people over the past year, and although not all are overly keen on homosexuality, a number of them are very accepting and understanding of it. If those people can look past the rules set in ancient times, why can’t Russia? We can dress the new laws up in pretty words and babble pompous promises of protection and care, but we all know what it all boils down to at the end – breaching simple human rights. And do I dare think what might befall next?

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WE KNOW IT’S GOOD TO TALK.

STUDENT LIFE SURVEY 2013 Last month, we invited you to join our Big Conversation and discuss the issues that matter to you most. Now we want to hear your views on your student life at Birmingham - your experience, values, interests and motivations, and on your Guild of Students. Your input will help us to shape our next strategic plan.

You will have received an email from the Guild telling you about the survey. You can tell us what you think by clicking on the link or visiting guildofstudents.com/studentlifesurvey2013 and answering a few questions. To thank you for your valued input, three completed surveys will be picked at random to win a top prize of £500, or one of two runners up prizes of £100.

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redbrick.me/travel

15th - 21st November 2013

Travel

Do Brits have a lack of cultural awareness? Travel writer Jessica Flanagan explores the reputation of Brits when travelling abroad and assesses how valid it is... Living in a country with such a vast history and a culturally diverse society, my immediate assumption would be that us Brits epitomise ideal and respectful travellers, bringing with us the manners and queuing etiquette that we are so often known (or taken the mick) for. However, after having to introduce ourselves as English numerous time while travelling, I can’t say myself or friends have been met with the same elation or interest as other travellers who are, for example, Irish or Dutch. The most response we got from this declaration was “wow, there really are a lot of you.” But I’m not going to take the realisation of a nation’s enthusiasm for travel as an insult. Although a little more excitement or curiosity for our nationality wouldn’t go amiss. As I delved a little deeper, it certainly wasn't just us Brits with a reputation for being unapproachable, or not always warmly welcomed into a foreign culture. It appeared the case that Americans, other European cultures, and sometimes Australians, were somewhat brandished with this same brush. But why is this? Coming from a diverse society like that of Britain, I firmly contest the notion that we could be wholeheartedly and intentionally intolerant or disrespectful of other cultures. Therefore I can only conclude, it is one of two things; our reliance on the English language and perhaps a slight cultural unawareness or complacency while visiting countries that have much more stringent and conservative traditions than our own.

"Is it beginning to grate on the rest of the world that we simply expect everyone to understand us?" Is it beginning to grate on the rest of the world, that we simply expect everyone to understand us when we try to converse in our mother tongue? Sadly it is true that a

large proportion of British tourists find it too hard a concept to grasp that not every

"Lack of interest in exploring our own home is not an excuse for failing to adhere to expected customs elsewhere." country in the world speaks English as a first language. Us Brits have gained a terrible reputation for not even attempting the language of a country we’re visiting, but instead rely on the idea that the locals will surely know what we’re talking about when we patronisingly shout to them in broken English. It may be rude and a bit abrasive, but even the odd “ U N A - C E RV E S A POR-FAVOR” is an attempt at localising oneself. I’m not saying that anyone needs to be bilingual or trilingual to even think about leaving the glorious soil that is Britain, but it constantly amazes me how far a few short phrases will get you when abroad. The classic please, thank you and good morning will get you a smile at the very least. Of course, they shall reply to your attempt in their fluent English, but will appreciate your efforts. The second line of argument is an inability to comply with all local tradition and

religious expectations. Not many want to jet to foreign land without truly exploring the culture or history of their chosen destination. To think, the majority of us live in the fantastically diverse city of Birmingham, but only a small proportion of us will visit or explore it outside of Selly Oak or the city centre. However, this lack of interest in exploring our own home is not an excuse for failing to adhere to the expected customs when experiencing another culture. Astonishingly there are still some people in the Western world who will go abroad and fail to remain respectful to the religious standards or rules which a foreign culture may stringently adhere to. Perhaps it is a nation’s complacency or ignorance, but I feel confident that it is only a tiny minority of Westerners that are giving the rest of us this unfortunate label. It is not catastrophic to our fashion decisions if we must cover up our heads, shoulders or legs, and at the most, it is a small price to pay for the respect and gratitude of this host culture. I have witnessed it first hand when a group of British girls visited a Buddhist temple in Thailand, arriving in their cropped tops and denim shorts (covering little more than most underwear would), and fully expecting for this to be acceptable attire in a place of worship. Broad Street on a Thursday night perhaps, but sadly it didn't

sit well with the Monks outside. Having had scarves and sarongs thrust upon them in order to modestly enter the temple, they had then proceeded to take these off inside, for shame of looking not quite as ‘hot’ as when enterring. Before I continue on this rant, and it becomes a fashion piece for Life & Style, I urge anyone thinking that because these are not our religious beliefs, we don't have to conform to them, to think again. You may not adhere to the same principles at home, or align yourself to this particular faith, but you have chosen to visit a country that does, so once there, I beg you be respectful and conformist to their expectations. Only a narrow-minded person would be discriminatory of religious belief in our own coun-

"It should be a universal expectation of travellers to be clued up on how to act and what to wear." try, so please do not make the mistake on foreign soil. It is understandable that, since the majority of us Brits are no longer affiliated to a conservative or stringent belief system, it is hard for us to remember to be respectful when abroad. Living in a democratic culture where expression and attire are crucial freedoms, perhaps these slack conforms to societal expectations abroad are not demonstrations of disrespect, but instead a lack of cultural awareness. It seems unfair to put this down to ignorance or discrimination when we all reside sufficiently in a diverse and all-round-respected society. Whether it be Brits jetting abroad, or others coming to visit our fine nation, it should be a universal expectation of travellers to be clued up on how to act, what to wear and how to remain culturally aware and respectful at all times.

British hotspots: Bristol Laurence Picton lets us in on some travel secrets close to home, and why we don't have to spend a fortune to travel... Ever dreamt of wandering the streets of Saint-Tropez, relaxing on the Copacabana beach or exploring the cobbled streets of Amsterdam, but then glanced at your bank balance and realised that you can barely afford the train back from New Street, let alone to New Zealand? Well, you’re not alone, and there is a solution. Britain! There’s much more to see here than you might realise, and a heartwarming story from Bristol might inspire you to explore those places a little closer to home. Last summer, a ‘grand trail’ of Gromit (aka Wallace and Gromit) statues decorated the city of Bristol between July 1st and September 8th. This ‘Gromit Unleashed’ art exhibition placed 81 individual 5ft Gromit statues around various parts of the city, each one specially designed by a national or

international artist. Unfortunately, Gromit’s adventure has come to an end, as all of the statues have now been auctioned off, with the wonderful sculptures having raised over £2.3 million for the Bristol Children’s Hospital. In addition, Gromit has given the city’s economy a boost of approximately £123 million, and 91% of those tourists said that these installations meant that they visited parts of the city that they had never seen before.

"A heartwarming story might inspire you to explore those places closer to home."

These art installations are one of several reasons to visit this beautiful city, as the 1.18 million people who visited Bristol found out last summer. Nightlife in Bristol is some of the best in Britain, as a visit to one of my all time favourite clubs “Thekla”, a converted cargo ship, will reveal. This club has topped the NME’s South West category for best small venue for two years running, and is a unique night out. As well as this, there are all of the typical venues found elsewhere in the UK, such as Oceana, Reflex, Walkabout or the O2 academy. If you‘re looking for something a bit different, then Bristol will serve your needs amply. The world famous Clifton suspension bridge for example, attracts millions of visitors every year, and is a major feat of engineering. As well as this, having just

hosted the 2013 Rugby League World Cup, there is no end to this city’s attractions. However, Bristol is only one example of the many spots there are to explore here at home. So before you think about exploring exotic, faraway lands for adventure, have a look at some of the wonderful places available in Britain.

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/travel

A year abroad from a different perspective Travel correspondent Matthew Greenhill talks to Chilean economics student Sebastian Salas about his year in Birmingham... Every year, many British students pack up their bags and set out halfway across the world as part of their degree’s study abroad programme. They study in exotic locations, some beyond the scope of Europe, and often return with happy memories and a life-changing experience to boot. But what is it like for an international student to come to Britain? Sebastian Salas was such; an economics student from Chile, who decided to swap the sunny beaches, snow-peaked mountains and urban metropolis that is Santiago for the cold, wet streets of Birmingham. Sebastian, or Seb, is now in his final year of higher education, and flew over to the UK as part of the 2012/13 Erasmus scheme. He says he never looked back. ‘It was a great experience, a really fun year,’ he tells me over a timelagged Skype call, seven thousand miles across the globe. He goes on to explain that the start of his journey abroad did not go as well as the rest of the year, somewhat like being thrown into a baptism of fire on his very first day. ‘When I arrived, I had no cell phone, and my house number was the only point of reference that I knew.’ Like many others in his situation, he had found housemates to live with online, and was meant to meet one of them on the day. ‘I wasn’t too sure if anyone was going to be there,’ he continues, ‘and when no-one answered the door, I didn’t know what to do.’ With two huge bags, one in either hand, he crossed the street to a very unwelcoming ex-servicemans club. ‘The situation couldn’t have been more embarrassing,’ Seb recalls, ‘when I asked for help – a phone to call for a Bed and Breakfast for the night – they just laughed at me.’ I guess the sight of a South American at ten o’clock on a rainy Monday evening wasn’t the first thing these old time war-heroes had thought would be on the weekly agenda. After what he said was some ‘flirty talk’ with the barwoman, he managed to arrange a taxi over the phone, which took him to the nearest hostel, and got the keys to his house the following day. But it was onwards and upwards from there. ‘Living with strangers is very different from back home. In Chile, nobody lives alone - most live with parents - so moving in was daunting at first,’ he says, ‘but, I guess I was lucky with my house selection.’ Seb had chosen to live with a group British students for the ‘full experience,’ some of whom had previously been on a year abroad, and knew what it was like to settle into unfamiliar surroundings. ‘My housemates couldn’t have been more welcoming, and I ended up feeling very comfortable about it all.’ When asked about what student life, and the ‘party culture’ were like here in comparison, he admits that his first reaction was one of shock. ‘Here, it is far more liberal – you can go out whenever you want – it is normal to go out five times a week! Unfortunately, in Chile you have responsibilities, and are more controlled

by others. You can’t just sleep all day – you have to wake earlier!’ Seb was also shocked by the dress code for nights out, and couldn’t believe that in Birmingham’s semi-Arctic conditions, a ‘shirt or skirt’ makes do. He goes on reluctantly to tell me of the time he was asked by his course mate to ‘bring the Frosties’ to pre-drinks down his road. He describes look on his friend’s face as one of a mixture between sheer bemusement and drunken hilarity, when he opened the door to find the un-cultured Chilean dressed in a cardigan-overcoat combo, gripping a box of nutritious Kellogg’s breakfast cereal tightly to his chest. ‘That’s not a moment I’ll forget in a hurry!’ he laughs. As for the part where you ‘actually have to work’, Seb says he enjoyed his modules, and put the effort into lectures and coursework, but wasn’t too concerned with the grades he ended up with. ‘On a year abroad, there is very little pressure on academic work, so you should just have fun.’

enjoyed looking around, with the old, touristic, medieval village houses and British countryside. ‘Learning about Shakespeare, British history and heritage was very interesting,’ he explains. ‘A year abroad is definitely an opportunity to explore somewhere new.’ But more than this, Sebastian says a year abroad is something you should throw yourself into, and have fun. ‘At first it can be difficult to adapt to a new culture, and managing your time can be difficult.’ But, on the whole, he says although a year abroad may not be for everyone, ‘it is an opportunity worth looking into, and might be the best decision you’ll ever make.’

"There is a need to lose embarassment so completely that you become less afraid and more confident around people you've never met before." But, he stresses the importance of embracing the whole experience, as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity – ‘you don’t want to miss out on anything.’ He also says that living so close to campus was one of the better aspects of university life. ‘In Chile, students have to travel longer distances – by car or bus – which can take more than an hour’. Living close-by, he was able to get involved with the university’s societies, and meet new people. Apart from the benefit of extending his English language skills, improving his social skills was one of the many advantages Seb says he got from his time here. ‘There is a need to lose embarrassment so completely that you become less afraid, and more confident around people you've never met before.’ He continues, ‘Just be outgoing. That’s the only way to approach the year abroad.’ It isn’t just England’s ‘second city’ that Seb explored during his time abroad. He racked up visits to the capital, Bristol, Liverpool and Scotland to name a few places, for a combination of sight-seeing and even more partying. ‘That’s the good thing about England – everywhere is so close, and the transport is good, so I really felt like I made the most of my time in and around the country!’ he exclaims, identifying the Cotswolds as the place he most

The 5...

Must-see sights in China Beth Coveney Travel Writer

Beijing

Great Wall of China

Xi'an

Shanghai

Li River

With all the temples, palaces, museums and the Olympic site, you won’t be stuck for sightseeing spots in the capital city.

Trekking this world-famous landmark is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and could be the best thing you do in China.

In one of the oldest cities in the country, be sure to visit the Terracotta Warriors and cycle round the city walls.

This cosmopolitan city is the largest in China and a favourite shopping stop for many travellers.

A river boat cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo promises breathtaking views of stunning landscapes and scenes of traditional cormorant fishing in the evening.

redbrick.me/lifestyle

15th - 21st November 2013

Life & Style

Children in Need 2013 VIPudsey

Bearfaced Tamir Davies

Bethany Barley

Life&Style Writer

Friday the 8th of November saw hundreds of women across the UK ditch the morning make-up routines and go ‘BearFaced’ for a day, all in support of Children in Need. Last year’s campaign was supported by a host of celebrities including Heidi Klum, Sian Williams and Caroline Flack, as they discarded their mascaras and posed for make-up free photos in aid of the charity. World renowned photographer Rankin was back this year, but this time with an even bigger celebrity backing and equally stunning natural photos. Celebrities from the likes of Michelle Dockery to Rachel Stevens abandoned their make-up in order to raise money for the thousands of children across the country who suffer from varying forms of disability, abuse, and poverty. Other women involved in BearFaced 2013 included singer Kimberley Walsh, Laura Whitmore, Alex Jones, Suki Waterhouse, Jo Wood, Olympian Denise Lewis and many more – all of whom swapped their normal cosmetics for a small Pudsey Pawprint on their cheek to mark the charity’s

"Swapped their normal cosmetics for a small Pudsey Pawprint"

mascot, and to encourage other women across the country to do the same. The campaign began last year as a way of improving both the female body image and as a simple but effective way of raising money for such an important cause. Although some might see going ‘au natural’ as easy or insignificant, studies have revealed that 70 per cent of women in the UK never leave the house without wearing some form of make-up, and that a fifth of the nation’s boyfriends have never seen their partners without it – even in bed! Considering how many times a day women are presented with seemingly unattainable beauty in the varying media forms, it is unsurprising that so many lack the self-confidence needed to scrap the make-up bag. This year’s campaign has been fantastic for female empowerment, and is certain to be back in 2014, bigger and better than ever.

Imagine the latest catwalk bursting with all colours of the rainbow, an elegant and glamorous reflection of dazzling sparkles. Well look no further as our well-loved Pudsey Bear is the newest trend du jour for this year's Children in Need. The official mascot for Children In Need, so often thought of as that big, battered yellow bear with an eye patch, has been yet again transformed. Eight celebrities have brought Pudsey to life, making him wholly unrecognisable in his new stylish guise. The ever important 'VIP' guests, which are currently being exhibited at St Pancras International, have been designed by iconic British stars such as Coldplay, Dame Helen Mirren, Joanna Lumley and Sir Terry Wogan to name a few. The Very Important Pudsey collection is the perfect recipe for charity success, mixing five music stars, two knights, three dames and an actress, to create a collection of bears who may appear to

"The Independent newspaper has cited the new collection as the 'top 15 fashion moments of the year" battle against those all important well dressed polls. These unique bears are being auctioned to raise money for Children in Need after an extremely successful 2011/2012 campaign which saw designer Pudseys, from the likes of Mulberry, Prada and Louis Vuitton host a new identity for the yellow bear, raising over £150,000 for charity. The Independent newspaper has cited the new collection as the 'top 15 fashion moments of the year’; marking Britain's continuous success in helping young, deprived and disabled children reach their dreams of having a normal life. The collection features an exotic array of colours, materials and outfits, which reflect career points in the chosen designers' lives. Who do you think will be crowned designer bear of the year? Only we can make the difference. Joanna Lumley's bear (pictured left) is based on her Ab Fab character, Patsy!

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/lifestyle

Fierce

Miley Madness

Ron Burgundy tandem biking around Amsterdam:

Life&Style writer Rosie Arnold discusses the other side to Miley's madness.

Accompanied by the fabulous duo Daft Punk as part of footage for the MTV EMAs, Will Ferrell took to the streets of Amsterdam in true Dutch style. Such a cool guy.

From grinding on married Robin Thicke in PVC pants, to posing in a racy one piece for famous photographer Terry Richardson, it’s safe to say the ‘sweet teen icon Miley’ has seemed a little absent lately. There are many mixed emotions; some feel sorry for the pressure that she is under and others condemn Miley’s behaviour as nothing short of obscene. Sinead O’Connor is clearly someone who falls in the first category sending an open letter to Miley. In her lengthy letter, Sinead sympathised with the pressures on female musicians in a sex-centred industry. She told Miley “you have enough talent that you don’t need to let the music business make a prostitute of you.” Whether it was the word “prostitute”, the perhaps patronising tone of her letter or the fact it was an open message, meaning that millions of people could read it, or all of the above that prompted Miley’s response who knows. It was, however, quite brutal, posting pictures of tweets from when Sinead had a mental breakdown last year.

Stephen Jones turns Barbie fashion designer:

This deflection may have been a defensive mechanism to the humiliation of such a public acknowledgment of her "problems". Miley might have reacted this way because a) it is no one’s business and b) she is a young woman enjoying her success. There is huge freedom in being able to express yourself in this sexual way. Nevertheless, the barely there outfits and the desire for media attention may be related to a confidence hit from her broken engagement with hunk Liam Hemsworth. Unlike normal 20 year olds getting drunk and, yes, behaving a bit slutty as a consequence of their breakups, Miley has had to deal with her failed relationship entirely under public scrutiny. Miley looks to be having a great time regardless of people’s judgements. Her last two singles following both the VMAs and the Wrecking Ball fiasco have secured number 1 spots in both America and the UK. Clearly something is working. I say we shouldn’t be so quick to judge, if this is how Miley needs to behave then good on her.

Top 3 Winter Handcreams Jaﬀrina Jahan Life&Style Writer

As the days get colder we make it a rule to opt for a heavy moisturiser, however, we sometimes neglect our hands. Dry, cold air can make them appear dull and much older than we really are. Fortunately, it is a dilemma that can be easily solved with the right product. I find the best ones are those that look and make your hands feel good as well as not having a greasy, sticky feel. Here are my top three hand creams that do all that:

Liz Earle Superskin £17.50: If your hands are extremely dry then this could be your Holy Grail. You only require a small amount that is quickly absorbed and leaves your hands feeling super soft.

L’Occitane Shea Butter £8: This is a very rich cream that really nourishes your hands yet it doesn't leave them greasy. Apply a generous amount before bed so it can work its magic overnight.

Johnson’s 24 Hour Moisture £2.09: This is one of my favourite creams for people on a budget. It prevents your hands from looking prematurely aged and smells absolutely lovely.

Hat-maker Jones has created five Christmas-inspired outfits, including Snow-Globe Barbie and Christmas Tree Barbie. Want!

New Hobbit trailers We’ve waited almost a year, and in just under a month we can continue the quest to Mount Doom with our favourite mystical friends.

MIA for Versace The singer has used fake Versace knock-offs as her key inspiration for her new collaboration with Versace, with it resulting in crazy creative looks and prices.

Christmas adverts

BFA Nominees Lizzie Green

Marks the beginning of the festive season, the sharp increase in John Lewis sales and the return of Helena Bonham Carter’s wondrous eccentricities to our screens.

Life&Style Writer

The British Fashion Awards will soon be upon us (yay!) and with the recent announcement of this year’s nominees, we’ve decided to give you a whistle-stop-tour of our favourites! One of the most prestigious awards of the ceremony is the ‘Womenswear Designer of the year’ category which is heralded as the ultimate accolade for any designer. Previous winners have included amazing designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney and John Galliano amongst others, and this year’s nominees are equally outstanding. Amongst the nominees; Sarah Burton (for Alexander McQueen) the designer of the most famous wedding dress of recent years, whose work for Kate Middleton amongst others has left many of us with serious clothes-envy. She goes up against the fabulous Christopher Kane and Phoebe Philo (Céline), making for a tough category. Who will win, nobody knows (until the 2nd of December of course!) Interestingly, last year's model of the year category winner, the unstoppable Cara Delevingne, is once again nominated for this award alongside both Sam Rollinson and Edie Campbell. With the obvious infiltration of the Cara-mega-machine com-

"The ultimate accolade for any designer." manding both the inside of our wardrobes and the size of our eyebrows, it’s safe to say who the obvious choice would be. However, might it also be time to let someone else take the centre stage - or should we say catwalk? Has Cara had her time? A tough call. Other awards include Brand of the Year awards, Outstanding Achievement awards and British Style awards, as well as various Emerging talent Award categories, and we can’t wait to find out the winners! So in its 14th year and with the competition tougher than ever, the awards are a key event of the British fashion calendar. Promising one of the most glamorous awards ceremonies of the year and the best dressed guests you can imagine, the awards are eagerly awaited here at Life&Style! So it’s time to take our corners and fight for our personal winners until the actual results are revealed on the 2nd of December. Who do you think will win? Let us know on our online poll at redbrick.me/ lifestyle!

Reading Week: Yes Arts students, the treks to (almost) daily lectures commence once more. Brollies and ear muffs at the ready.

Fireworks Over a week after Bonfire Night, random explosive sounds late at night are just damn startling and irritating.

LSU Executive Video Exec exec exec exec at LSU! WHY DID THEY TAKE IT OFFLINE? A brilliant, comedic distraction for deadlinestricken students.

X-Factor NOBODY CARES!

Lady Gaga She may have unveiled a high-tech vehicle dubbed ‘the world’s first flying dress’, but we’re all hoping she’ll just fly away.

By Charley Ross

Finished

redbrick.me/food

15th - 21st November 2013

Food

The Cranks Challenge Follow your Food Writers as they undertake the Cranks Sandwich Challenge... Millie Walker Food Editor

@millicent_x

As avid readers of Redbrick Food, you have followed us dutifully as we’ve tried and tested restaurants, supermarkets, kiosks and recipes to excite and advise you on culinary delights. Now the time has come to follow us as we compete against ten other Universities to create the next big thing in the sandwich world. Sandwiches are ingrained into our lives; we eat around 11 billion a year in the UK with Yorkshire men and women topping the fan list with a spend of over £114 a year on sandwiches.

the air space. Crank’s, therefore, are giving us what ought to be a very easy task: invent a sandwich. 'It’s not rocket science!', you may cry. Well, that’s what we thought. And then we started trying to agree on flavours!! Cranks were the first people to ever open a vegetarian restaurant in the UK, starting life in Carnaby Street, London in the 60s. The philosophy is very simple, Fresh, Wholesome, Tasty Food = Proper Food, and it’s certainly been well received.

help us plan our Sensational Taste Bud Tingler (not a sensible suggestion for a name.) All of the details can be found on line, or here: facebook.com/cranksfood, and I have all of the specific details when it comes to word length, entry processes and the small print.

Your Food writers will keep you updated every step of the way as we go for gold with our sandwich and we would love for you to follow us, get involved and be there for us when it comes to voting. The sooner we get our idea in, the sooner we can have people vote for us so we’ll be getting in touch shortly!

Fresh, Wholesome, Tasty Food = Proper Food

Crusts on/Crusts Off White/Brown/Whole Grain Wrap/Baguette/Cob/Roll/Bun/Bap Cheese/Ham/Jam/Chicken/Prawn/Egg Fish Fingers/Chips. It seems there is an indefinite number of ways to make a sandwich and absolutely no end to the list of ingredients we’ll use to fill

Email the entry to Cranks and wait for the voting to begin!

All food produced by Crank’s is vegetarian and can be found in supermarkets, universities, canteens and cookbooks across the country, fuelling the masses on a daily basis. Their competition is an inspired project aiming to get students across the country interested in Proper Food. The Brief: Design a vegetarian sandwich with a great name, filling and profit potential. Run taste tests and collect feedback on your creation. The Prize: The opportunity to have a sandwich of your invention on the shelves by March 2014 and a cash prize of £50 Who can get involved?: Anyone can have a go, so long as the entries are in by the 22nd of November. So if you fancy it, why not come up with your own ideas or join our team and

Crazy About Cake The Musings of an Addict Millie Walker Food Editor

@millicent_x

The day this paper is published, November the 15th, the first Friday of winter and my favourite day in the whole calendar, is my birthday. It’s a big deal. Always has been and always will be. I count down for months. On my 18th, the entire sixth form was prepped weeks in advance and one of my teachers actually sent an email to a group of students to remind them the night before the big occasion. They treated me like a six year old, giddy with excitement, who needed nothing more than balloons and cake and someone singing Happy Birthday every five mins in the corridor. With a smile from ear to ear, I walked through the buildings with my badge on, trying to guess what the theme was for my surprise party, gleefully thanking people who wished me a nice day and politely ignoring those who liked to remind me I was getting old. Then they brought alcohol and the day got more interesting!

It would have been cheaper to use champagne! My 21st started around three months ago when I received a birthday card containing tickets to see a musical in London on the day in question, and the fun hasn’t stopped since. Ninja Housemate turns 21 on the 18th so it only makes sense for us to have a joint birthday party and we’re having a whale of a time in the process. I must just add, that while I’m having fun with these pseudo-

nyms, and Ninja Housemate has appeared several times now, I may have to change her name. She’s just been accepted onto her perfect Masters course which requires a great deal of celebration, champagne and the potential alteration of her pseudonym to Kingston Housemate but we’ll see how I fare. Two of our housemates and my best friend are already 21, so we have lots of ideas for a party. There is only element over which we have no control over. Yep, you guessed it - the cake. Nothing, nil. Zero. Zilch. We’ve been banned from baking. Which rather ruins my article. And my relaxation time between shifts and study. However, I will not be thwarted! Gym Monkey Friend is baking, The Biscuit Monster and the Little One will be baking AND Director and Desert Housemate will be baking, but that will not stop me baking myself. As luck would have it, a very beautiful friend of mine, a colleague at work, will have turned 18 by the time you read this, and what better way to celebrate finally being able to drink legally, than alcoholic cake! Now, I know it’s depressing to read about an 18th birthday party, as for most of us it’s been too long since we turned 18 and it's upsetting to realise that we’re no longer sneaking into clubs, or trying buying cider in supermarkets with fake I.D or sipping Fosters in the local bus stop (I don’t speak from experience on the last one). However, the truth of the matter is that there are many

people turning 18 all over the place and it’s only fair that we welcome them to adult life - not that all of us have found it yet. I narrowed my choices down to Champagne Cake or a cocktail-based cupcake. It would have been cheaper to use champagne with hindsight, as I could have bought a glass from work rather than a bottle from Tesco, but on asking the birthday girl, Mojito’s were the favourite cocktail and therefore the basis for my recipe. As per normal, I looked at several different recipes and then made my own based on my patience, personal preference and the ingredients I could access easily. The recipe makes twelve cupcakes, an abundance of icing and some rather lovely decorations. All of which, I’m pleased to say, were a hit.

Cake Ingredients -125g Butter - 125g Sugar - 125g Self Raising Flour - A slug of Rum - tbsp. Mint – finely chopped - 1 Lime, zest and juice 2 eggs- Vanilla Essence Method - Whisk the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. If your arm doesn’t hurt, you’ve not been doing it for long enough. Add the eggs little by little. Add the finely chopped mint, zest, juice, rum vanilla essence and finally the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Be sure to save a little mint and lime zest back from your icing.- Spoon the mixture into twelve cupcake cases and bake at Fan 160C/Gas Mark 4, for twenty minutes. Frosting Ingredients - 20ml of Rum - 125g Cream Cheese 250g Icing Sugar - Finely chopped Mint and Lime Zest Method - Mix the ingredients together until you have a stiff frosting that can be piped onto your cupcakes. Do this using a piping set or a sandwich bag with a hole in the corner. Add a little green food colouring to heighten the Mojito experience.

Discover how to make the crystallised lime slices and chocolate decoration at: milliejessica.wordpress.com

redbrick.me/food

15th - 21st November 2013

Restaurant Reviews Gemma Bridge and Thomas Hopkins review: Le Truc

Georgina Thomas reviews:The Digbeth Dining Club

Gemma Bridge reviews: Tiger Bills

Thomas Hopkins

Georgina Thomas

Gemma Bridge

Le Truc is an eclectic French restaurant offering French food- unsurprisingly! Once inside Le Truc, you can't help but be amazed by the decor, which is as quirky as the food; lip mirrors, photographs and cassettes cover the walls! We loved the vintage French style posters.

Georgina Thomas went to The Digbeth Dining Club to see what all the fuss is about. Don't be put off by the secluded and graffitied back streets of Digbeth; granted, it is not the most welcoming of places but as soon as you arrive at Spotlight, you are welcomed with open arms to the home of The Digbeth Dining Club. On arrival I was welcomed to a large screen created with A3 sheets of paper stuck to the wall, creating the true ambiance of shabby chic. The location makes you feel like you’ve been invited to a secret party but the success of the Dining Club has proved it to be no secret. Jack Brabant, the master behind this club, carefully selects the different food sellers for each week to offer customers a wide choice from a delicious range of dishes. This week I was torn between Low and Slow, Canoodle and The Meat Shack- which all looked and smelt amazing!

Food Writer

@Tom_Hopkins1990

The menu at Le Truc is clear and simple and the food uncomplicated, with dishes such as Galloway beef burger with frites and Le Truc club sauce, and fillet of lemon sole with sauce veronique, new season potatoes and samphire. There is a very affordable two course menu served between 12-3pm (priced at £10.95) and between 5-7.30pm (priced at £13.50). We went to Le Truc on a Tuesday evening and had an amazing time, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere, great bistro style food and the French wine. Despite the tempting evening menu on offer, we decided, being slight Francophiles, to take advantage of the 'Nosh en France' menu which offered 3 courses and a bottle of wine for two people for £40! To kick things off, we started with the snails and garlic toast, and the wild boar terrine with chutney and toast. As for our main courses, we certainly couldn't turn down the steak. Accompanied by french fries, garlic butter and salad, it was the highlight of our evening. A slight disclaimer here: owing to the French 'caractère', the steaks are always cooked 'on the pink side', so to reduce horror, if you enjoy medium/rare, definitely ask for medium. However, the helpful waitresses will point you in the right direction. To finish, we ordered the cheese plate (on the small side, but nevertheless quality), and the chocolate hazelnut mousse, which was délicieux- rich and chocolatey.

Food Writer

@gamt1

Feast your eyes on the slow-cooked brisket with spicy barbecue sauce and a blue cheese topping from Low and Slow and the lined-up hamburgers at The Meat Shack. The Dining Club aim to give as much variety as possible, and they definitely did this when I visited, as the hardest part was deciding which dish to try. A hearty portion of street food will set you back about £5, depending on the sellerthis is worth every penny, as the food is incredible! I thought that the bar was a little less appealing, as a pint was priced at £3.50 and a standard mixer £4, but they have a happy hour that runs from 5-7pm (with a range of cocktails to tickle your fancy too!), and so there is no reason as to why students can't enjoy The Digbeth Dining club!

Great place to spend a Friday night! The service was fast and the staff attentive, making for a relaxing evening. In addition, the cocktails looked amazing with drinks such as the 'Absinthe minded martini', a crisp cocktail that is marketed to have the ability to wash the day's troubles away. Le Truc offers a great Friday deal which is worth a try if you like cocktails! For all offers and menus take a look at the Le Truc website. Le Truc is located at 21 Ladywell Way, opposite Legs 11, and near to Reflex in the Chinese quarter of Birmingham's city centre. It is easy to get to Le Truc from Selly Oak, University campus or from any University accommodation, as it is within walking distance of New Street station, the Bullring and bus stops.

You couldn't feel further away from Broad Street with the atmosphere at the Digbeth Dining Club, with a live DJ set, plush leather sofas contrasting against the corrugated metal walls, and taste-bud-tingling food. This is also the perfect watering hole for those who aspire to a something a bit different to do on a Friday night rather than clubbing. The Dining Club opens its doors for food at 5.30pm and you had better get down early if you want to get the good stuff - the food usually sells out before 8pm. This is not surprising since The Digbeth Dining Club was: WINNER OF BEST STREET FOOD EVENT IN THE UK 2013BRITISH STREET FOOD AWARDS!! When my lectures finish on a Friday afternoon, you'll know where to find me.

Food Editor

To suggest ingredient issues that you want solved, email: food@redbrick.me

Ingredient Ideas

When you just don't know what to do with your last... @glbridge1

Egg

Tiger Bills offers an interesting mix of two cuisines, with a menu offering dishes from the East and from the West - it serves freshly made authentic Thai street food in addition to a full Western Grill menu. The Birmingham branch opened in May and is located on Bishopsgate Street, just off Broad Street. It can be found next to the cinema and, as it is right in the heart of Birmingham night life, it is a great place to go on any occasion.

01. Poached For your perfect poached egg, crack your egg into simmering water (don't worry about appearance) and leave for 6 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and serve on warm toast or with salad! I recently went to Tiger Bills with a friend and, when we arrived, we were instantly made to feel welcome by the friendly staff who showed us to our table and explained the menu. We were slightly overwhelmed by the range of dishes on offer, and decided to order two meals and share them. We went for the steak fajitas from the American side of the menu and the chicken stir fry from the Thai side. The dishes that we ordered were amazing! The steak, onion and pepper combo for the fajitas came on a steaming hot skillet and was accompanied by 4 warm tortilla wraps, guacamole, sour cream and freshly made salsa. It looked, smelled and tasted delicious. The steak was tender and juicy and the wraps stayed warm throughout the meal. The Pad Ma-Muang Himpapan, which was a vegetable stir fry that we ordered to come with noodles and chicken, was awesome. The vegetable and chicken mix were well spiced and moreish, while the noodles were perfectly cooked and retained a slight bite. The waiters were attentive and really friendly, offering advice about food choices and helping with any questions we had about ingredients used or cooking methods. The food is very affordable with dishes not exceeding £15. This is especially reasonable considering the size of the portions, which although large, are manageable and my friend and I happily managed to finish every last tasty morsel! Tiger Bills has a fantastic take away menu too! If I haven't been able to tempt you yetthis offer might: Tiger Bills has a great 20% off offer for students running Sunday to Thursday and so surely you have no reason not to go!

Take this page with you to redeem a free dessert!

02. Fried For a simple, feel-good winter meal, fry your egg in a hot pan, until the white becomes opaque, but the yolk is still runny. Serve with chips and beans! 03. Boiled For a quick and easy breakfast, lower egg gently into boiling water and leave for 4 minutes (for a runny yolk) 6 minutes (for a hard yolk.) Lift out your egg with a slotted spoon and serve with buttered soldiers. 04. Cake in a mug The perfect answer to all your cake cravings!! You also will need: 2tbsp of flour and sugar, 1tbsp of chocolate powder, milk and sunflower oil. Grab a mug, mix your dry indregients together. Add the egg and whisk well. Add the oil and milk and stir thoroughly. Microwave for two and a half minutes and leave to stand for one minute. Enjoy straight from the mug! Add chocolate buttons or a teaspoon of peanut butter for added flavour.

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/arts

Arts

GMTG Ella Derbyshire 'GMTG' Secretary

GMTG is excited to announce that this winter term we have an abundance of opportunities for performers and spectators alike, including valuable workshops, large-scale productions and spectacular showcases. Our ‘Improve Your Audition Technique Workshop’ is a unique opportunity for performers to improve their chances at auditions with feedback from a mock panel. Bring two songs of any genre: one of which you are confident with, and one you feel could use some advice. Our experienced mock panel will then give a really detailed bit of feedback with hints and tips on how to improve for all of those nasty auditions. It's totally free for members, so what have you got to lose? (Monday 18th November, 5pm8pm, Pankhurst Room) ‘The Sh!tface Showcase’ is a unique evening of talent and debauchery, in which all are welcome to come and witness the cast and crew of ‘Spring Awakening’ perform some incredible numbers, but not always in the clearest mind. A great chance to see some guaranteed entertainment as well as catch up with GMTG enthusiasts. (Monday 18th November, 7:30pm, Beorma Bar) Coming next, GMTG will be running a ‘Spring Showcase Production Team Forum’. In our upcoming Spring Showcase, multiple production teams will each be responsible for a small number of songs rather than one big team in charge of everything. This means you get your chance as a budding young production enthusiast to become that director, MD or choreographer that you’ve always wanted to be! This will be an informal drop in session for anyone to come along, ask questions about what it takes to make a show happen and find out what it is you need to do to be on a successful production team. Whether you already have your team assembled or are looking to meet the right people to make one of your own, everyone is welcome! (Thursday 21st November, 4-9pm, McKellen Room). Our winter musical ‘Spring Awakening’ is due for performance at the Guild’s very own Deb Hall from 26th-30th November. The winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical and based on the highly controversial 19th Century play by Frank Wedekind, ‘Spring Awakening’ explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood, exposing the challenges of puberty and sexuality with a poignancy that you will never forget. Staged as never before using expressionistic physical theatre, surrealist costume, live-art and video projection, ‘Spring Awakening’ will take you into the multidimensional perspective of the mind of a child. (Ticket prices £4 members, £5 students/concessions, £8 adults. Available online, cast and crew, on-the-door) Finally come along to what is sure to be a night to remember at the fantastic Custard Factory Theatre in Digbeth. GMTG’s Winter Showcase focuses on the work of five major musical theatre composers. Expect some classics of musical theatre, alongside lesser-known tunes that are sure to become new favourites. This performance showcases our talented members at their finest so is definitely not an event to miss! (Tickets available online)

Guild Drama

It's that time of year again: Guild Drama season is upon us! From now until Christmas, the various drama societies at UoB will be performing the plays they’ve been working on since the start of term. With at least one new play every week and with huge variety in subject, style and content, there truly is something for everyone!

Infinity

Ben Cufﬁn-Munday

Jacob Lovick 'Inﬁnity' President

Infinity Stage Company is the Guild’s only charity theatre society and is proud to be sponsoring the Teenage Cancer Ward at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital this year. We have several thrilling events coming up over the next few weeks. The first of these is ‘Blue/Orange’ by Joe Penhall. Running from the 14-16th November at 7.30pm in the Deb Hall, this darkly comic, Olivier Award-winning play is set in a psychiatric ward. After 28 days in the care of young registrar Dr. Bruce Flaherty, Christopher is due to be released, but Bruce fears that his patient's belief that oranges are blue are the warning signs of schizophrenia. A power struggle between two doctors and a patient leads us to ask ‘what does it really mean to be mad?’ Featuring original live music from composer Josh Sood, ‘Blue/ Orange’ promises to be an event not to be missed. (Ticket prices £4 members, £5 nonmembers, available on-the-door). We are also proud to welcome Marilyn Le Conte, lecturer at the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama, who will be running a monologue workshop and showcase with

third-years hoping to audition for various drama schools on 22nd November. The resulting monologue showcase will be performed at 6pm on the 23rd November in the Rosa Parks room (£2 members, £3 nonmembers). Last but certainly not least, our final production of the term is Philip Ridley’s controversial masterpiece ‘Mercury Fur’. Being performed 30th November – 2nd December at 7.30pm in the Basement Rehearsal Room, this 2005 play caused huge disputation at the time of its initial staging. Esteemed publishing company Faber & Faber refused to publish it due to its extreme and graphic content. A horror play in the most original sense, ‘Mercury Fur’ is set in a dystopian, alternative present-day East London. Two brothers, Elliot and Darren, are forced to put on horrific and gruesome parties for wealthy clients in order to put food on their table and stay alive. The play pushes the limits of love and explores the way in which humans can behave to protect the people that they care for. (Tickets £4 members, £5 non-members, available on-the-door.)

Watch This

The Gilbert and Sullivan Society specialises in the work of famous operetta composers W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, whose regularly performed 14 works have kept audiences entertained since the Victorian era! Next term we’re bringing you one of the duo’s most popular comic-musical works: The Pirates of Penzance! Be prepared to face the most terrifying band of pirates that ever faired the seas (just off the coast of Cornwall) and witness one man’s insurmountably strong sense of duty subject him to all manner of hilarities. This vibrant show is being given a new twist, with the traditional story being set in the style of the original gritty, dark fairytales of Hans Christian Anderson. Think Captain Pugwash meets Brothers Grimm! Running from 30th January to the 1st of February in the Deb Hall, chase away those second term blues by seeing this fun-filled show brought to life by a fresh, talented cast. Enjoy some operetta classics such as ‘I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General, ‘A Policeman’s Lot’ and ‘Poor Wand’ring One’. Tickets go on sale in January so look out for details over Christmas and next term. Improve Your Audition Technique Workshop Monday 18th November, 5-8pm, Pankhurst room, Guild of Students. Spring Showcase Production Team Forum Thursday 21st November, 4-9pm, McKellan Room, Guild of Students.

Jake Williams

'Watch This' President

Watch This is the Guild of Students’ original writing and improvisation society. Currently in its 11th year, Watch This has several upcoming shows which include ‘Method: An Original Play by Ben Norris’, their second 48 Hour Production: ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and the return of their Edinburgh-proof Improv Troupe in ‘Fourplay’. In ‘Method’ two brothers must iron out the creases in their suffocatingly shared past, and help each other to see again. By combining live theatre and digital film projections, ‘Method’ immerses the audience in the characters' situations with a poignant immediacy, exploring what it might be like truly to see nothing. Performances will take place in the Amos Room on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of December. (Ticket £4 members, £5 nonmembers). Building on the success of their latest Edinburgh run of their new show ‘Improvabunga’, the Watch This Improv Troupe are back once again with 'Fourplay', coming to the the Bristol Pear on Wednesday 20th October. ‘Prepare for genius, drama

Gilbert & Sullivan

Sh!tface Showcase – Spring Awakening Fundraiser and deranged hilarity as Watch This invite you down the improvised rabbit hole’ (ThreeWeeks). Comic classic 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' is the basis for the society’s fresh 48 Hour Production, a series of light-hearted theatrical adaptations that are rehearsed entirely within the 48 hours prior to performance. 0-hour for performance is in week 8 on Sunday 24th in the Underground (Tickets £3 members, £4 non-members). Finally the bi-termly Writers Forum has its second installment this term in the Harvey Milk Room on 27th November (6-8pm). These open forums are ideal for upcoming playwrights, as scenes from their play can be performed aloud for the first time by actors who provide direct feedback. You can either submit a few scenes from a long play or an entire short play. Just don’t miss out! If you want to propose an original play or your idea for a 48 Hour, feel free to attend the company’s Proposal’s Meeting, taking place Wednesday 4th December (3-4pm).

Monday 18th November, 7:30-10pm, Beorma Bar, Guild of Students. GMTG presents Spring Awakening 26th-30th November, 7:30pm, Deb Hall, Guild of Students. GMTG is extremely excited about our winter musical, Twitter: @GMTGspring GMTG presents The Winter Showcase Friday 6th December, 8pm, The Custard Factory Theatre. For more details on the show and updates on ticket sales find us on, Facebook: www.facebook.com/UBGnS Twitter: twitter.com/ubgns E-mail: GnS@guild.bham.ac.uk

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/arts

What's on in Brum... 'Tartuffe' @ The REP

Jarred Christmas @ Glee Club

Georgia Tindale and Diana Murgulet Critics

‘Tartuffe’ is a light-hearted comedy that focuses on hypocrisy and the contrast between appearance and reality. The story centres around a hypocritical religious zealot - Tartuffe - who ingratiates his way into the house of the wealthy Orgon and causes havoc by using his false zeal to try and seduce Orgon’s wife. He turns the family against each other, culminating in the threat of eviction and imprisonment for Orgon. Only the ultimate plot twist can get the family out of this scrape! Directed by Roxana Silbert, the bawdy and slapstick comedy of the play was sustained throughout, with notable performances from Harry Potter’s Mark Williams as Tartuffe and Holby City’s Ayesha Antoine as Dorine - the housemaid who knows everything and has a great influence on the rest of the family. Her exaggerated gestures and witty lines were crucial to the comic effect of the play. The play’s satire on religious

hypocrisy – a feature which led to it being banned for several years by King Louis XIV when it was first performed – was definitely the most effective form of comedy: lines such as “Silent sin is not a sin” were delivered with perfect comic timing.

"In essence this is an accessible, funny play that will definitely bring laughs and smiles to a dull November day." The grandiose setting with classical paintings on the walls and lashings of red velvet served to add to the humour, espe-

cially with characters sliding down the banisters and self-flagellating. The structure of the house also referenced the biblical story of the Tower of Babel and stressed the communication problems in the family which gave birth to the central conflict of the play. There was also a healthy dosage of metadrama, with the characters referencing their status as caricatures and saying “it’s almost like we’re in a play”, to surprisingly comic effect. The ending of the play, with its satirising of politics, justice and the press, brought the play closer to the audience’s reality and acted as a reminder that the faults Moliere mocked and criticised are still very present today. In essence this is an accessible, funny play that will definitely bring laughs and smiles to a dull November day. If you fancy a bit of rollicking French comedy, ‘Tartuffe’ is on at The Rep until Saturday. Go to The Rep website for ticket information.

'Hold Everything Dear' - DanceXchange Alice Matthews Critic

As part of the DanceXchange Autumn 2013 Season, ‘Hold Everything Dear’ is a contemporary dance piece expressing themes such as solitude, transience and control through a number of stories. The show itself is based on an extract from a book, which in turn takes its title from the poem ‘Hold Everything Dear’ by Gareth Evans. Despite being so many parts removed from the original, Diallo manages to bring the essential tone of the poem into the dance. As the audience files in, the messy stage is fully lit, dancers are demonstrating stillness through various positions: standing, sitting, isolated. The first five minutes are silent as the dancers are tidying the stage, sweeping up, tuning instruments, but even these simple actions are engaging for the audience. The destruction and chaos that they’re organising is recreated throughout the piece. It is an indication of things to come: the cyclical nature of the work underscores the recurrence of the

themes in all walks of life. Diallo uses a returning motif in which dancers move like marionette dolls, manipulated by something external, which is illustrative of the loss of control many feel when forced or forbidden to travel. The actions sometimes become so violent that they are quite distressing, and a sense of fearful confusion pervades the work. The dancers are also musicians and singers, and they create a variety of music live on stage to establish a shift in mood. This is one of the only signposts the audience is given, as very little is fully explained. Characters across the piece do not seem to have any clear relationship but they are not truly isolated; the chronology is distorted, we are unable to get a sense of the beginning or end of any individual story. Instead the audience is left to fill in the blanks, but a residual feeling guides us. In this sense, ‘Hold Everything Dear’ is poetic. It would be as much a mistake to search this

piece for plot as it would be to search for the same in a poem. It is so vague and nonspecific because it applies to all those in the process of transience. Laïla Diallo’s ‘Hold Everything Dear’ continues touring: 20 November The Michaelis, Roehampton 26 November Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Arts 28 November Roland Levinsky, Plymouth University Next in the DanceXchange series at Birmingham Hippodrome: ‘Running on Empty’ by Probe 14th & 15th November dancexchange.org.uk – 0844 338 5000

Ciaran A-Campbell Critic

Jarred Christmas, the self-branded “Funniest Kiwi in the World” has an impressive set of credits, including Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats and Dave's One Night Stand, and it's with a certain level of anticipation that we enter the Glee Club. It's a shame, therefore, that overall his act is quite lacklustre. Christmas gets off to a memorable start, storming in energetically to Daft Punk's “One More Time” and, ahem, familiarising himself with the audience, high-fiving us all and dancing on the laps of complete strangers. His show, SNAFU (Situation Normal: All Fucked Up), is a strange affair really, with no warm-up acts, and it's built on a ‘Question and Answer’ premise, with Jarred inviting us, the audience, to ask him questions. It's a risk, of course, bursting in with no warm-up and no way to prepare properly for the shows content, and sadly it's not one that really pays off.

"Though the jokes run out of steam, Christmas himself doesn't, and it's this energy...that stops the act sliding completely downhill." To his credit, Christmas is excellent at crowd interaction, immediately familiarising us with the front few rows, leaving long-standing jokes such as trying to guess the name of the man sat to his left (he never guesses it), and making jokes about people's careers and pastimes without being too obnoxious. There is also a point in the evening when he manages to convince the audience to pull a prank on one member of the audience who leaves for the toilet, by getting us all to pretend we had a weird and disgusting habit as children. These points aside, however, the act seems to flag. Though there are some outrageously funny moments in the evening, such as a joke about a perverted housemate Christmas once had, these are connected by long, plodding sections, in which jokes about sex, phalluses and drinking are recycled endlessly. It's not necessarily Christmas's fault, with the content matter being decided by whatever questions the audience asks, but it's somewhat disappointing nonetheless. Though his jokes run out of steam, Christmas himself doesn't, and it's this energy, continued on from his loud entrance, that stops the act sliding completely downhill. He's able to leave the stage with as much enthusiasm as he enters, with a story about an All-DayNightclub. He brings the evening to a close quite neatly, leaving the audience with a feeling of at least some satisfaction.

redbrick.me/tech

15th - 21st November 2013

Science & Technology

Metallic make-up Beth Carney writes about an exciting way to use your make-up A new beauty technology came to light at the Interactive Tabletops and Surface Conference held at St Andrews University earlier in October. Computer scientist Katia Vega modelled her very own range of incredible cosmetics that allow her quickly to make micro-interactions that are similar to Google Glass. Vega demonstrated three conducting cosmetics to an intrigued audience; iShadow, the Blinkifier and Twinkle nails. It may sound extremely futuristic, but as makeup is already a common worldwide staple, this new technology is long overdue. A blinking new technology Vega describes Beauty Technology as devices that are “designed to allow wearers to interact with the digital world without interfering in everyday activities”. This technology can open doors, create music or take a photo quicker than anyone fiddling around with their smart phone! The Blinkifier eyelashes allow the natural contraction of eye muscles to be conducted through strips of eyeliner, made from conductive ink or stickers, and conductive iShadow. Thus, it is extended into an electrical circuit found inside a headband. As she demonstrated at St Andrews, the pattern of blinking can be transferred into a visible

light array, or to you and me: a Trekky looking LED headdress!

"designed to allow wearers to interact with the digital world without interfering in everyday activities" Magic at your fingertips Collaborative work with Professor Hugo Fuks has led to the development of conductive false fingernails. Within these fingernails are rice grain sized tags called RFID, radio-frequency identification. They allow wireless non-contact transfer of data and are already used in pet tags. Vega and Fuks have also used small magnets or conductive nail polish to create beauty technology fingernails. This has the possibility of replacing items like the London Underground Oyster card as a simple swipe of your latest set of acrylics could let you through the gates on your daily commute. So it

eliminates that frantic search to find your Oyster card at the bottom of your handbag! A second design of conducting fingernails can be seen on various video clips posted on Vega’s Facebook page, Beauty Technology. Twinkle Nails are an incredible new musical instrument that can be played without touching a single object. The hidden RFID reader in each nail acts as a different note and these electronic notes are transferred into music. Classical singers to DJs have used this incredible technology. Will we one day be seeing it at the top of the charts or perhaps as a quirky Christmas present in our stockings? These innovative beauty products were carefully designed by the Brazilian scientist so that they are easy to wear, chemically safe and simple to remove from skin. Vega’s next conference demonstrating her cutting edge technology is on 14-15th November 2013 for the Women 2.0 Conference in Las Vegas. This is an incredible way of using our bodies as a fascinating new input device and Vega is in negotiations with cosmetic companies to bring this technology to the public. So would you wear this beauty technology and what would you use it for? The possibilities are endless!

VIP treatment for jet lag sufferers Rachel Taylor talks about the hormone controlling our body clock Jet lag is the modern-day nuisance. We have managed to compile pieces of perfectly fitting metal together to form a sleek machine that can carry us through the sky, across oceans and to the other side of the world, but we haven’t managed to get our bodies to keep up with our inventions. The change in environmental light/dark cycles when travelling has an adverse effect on our body rhythms and behaviour that we can take days to recover from. The region in our brain responsible for keeping time is called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) and is synchronised with the rest of our body by sending and receiving the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) hormone to regulate a standard time. However, a recent 2013 Washington University study led by Erik

Herzog found that excessive supplies of the VIP hormone to the brain results in neurones losing the ability to synchronise with each other. During the study they experimented on mice by injecting VIP hormone into their brains before changing their light-dark cycles by 8 hours. Despite only having a different exposure for 8 hours, it was determined that the recovery time of the mice with the injected hormone was 4 ½ days, whereas it was around 8 days without. So the desynchronisation of the body clock meant that injected mice were able to restart their clock from scratch and regulate it faster. They also hypothesised that for the mice without the VIP hormone, exposure to bright light beforehand may boost the release of VIP into the bloodstream

towards the SCN. This is backed up by the results of previous studies using mice, where sun-

"Travelling has an adverse effect on our body rhythms and behaviour" light helps them to deal with the change of environmental cycles better. For now, there is hope that a drug could be developed using VIP, to help the thousands of people travelling across the world each year. So who knows, jet lag could soon be a thing of the past!

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/tech

Mountaintop Mirrors: Bringing the winter sun to Norway Hannah Findley looks at an ingenious new method to catch those rays! Rjukan, in Southern Norway, lies sandwiched between steep mountains. For six months of the year the sun is too low to reach over them, and the town lies in total darkness. Last month, however, the main square of the town was bathed in sunshine and the inhabitants of the town were seen socialising, playing volleyball, and even sipping cocktails on sun loungers. For the first time, three mirrors mounted on the hillside 450m above the town were reflecting sunlight down onto the inhabitants. Each mirror is 17 square metres and is controlled by computers so that it follows the path of the sun. They cost about £500,000 to install and were funded by a mixture of private sponsorship and public investment. It is hoped that the mirrors will extend the tourist season in Rjukan, which is famous for the bravery of a few inhabitants who sabotaged Hitler’s attempt to develop the atomic bomb at a hydroelectric plant near the town.

Struggles to stop smoking Amelia Perry explores just why smoking is so hard to quit... As a sibling of a long-term smoking addict, I know first-hand the frustration when my beloved big sister says she will quit; dramatically throwing her lighter over the garden fence and donating her tobacco supplies to her willing friends, for only a few days later to cave to the cravings. Despite patches and e-cigarettes, it appears to be a habit she is finding hard to kick. Nicotine, one of the main components of tobacco, is the addictive chemical that binds to acetylcholine receptors in the brain. This over-stimulation of the bodies’ cholinergic neurones promotes the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, leading to feelings of well-being, happiness and satisfaction (dopamine is also associated with having sex and eating chocolate). In response to nicotine, the brain synthesises more endorphins which act as natural pain killers, which may explain the relaxed sensation many smokers claim a cigarette causes. Although I can sympathise with my sister in her plight to kick this seemingly pleasurable pastime, by now we should all know the dangers associated with smoking; lectures from our parents, educa-

tional classes in school and from the SMOKING KILLS signs emblazoned in massive letters across most cigarette packages. Cash isn’t the only cost; not only is it a financially expensive habit, it can also knock a significant number of years off your life. Over 70 cancer-causing chemicals are found within cigarettes. These include formaldehyde, a chemical used to preserve dead bodies and kill bacteria, and nitrosamines, a group of aromatic hydrocarbons that can directly damage our DNA leading to harmful mutations and consequently cancer. Lastly, there is hydrogen cyanide, a poisonous gas that destroys the delicate hairlike cilia linings of our airways, making us more susceptible to other toxins and diseases. Going ‘cold-turkey’ as a method of quitting smoking can be very difficult, with unwanted side effects such as headaches, restlessness, fatigue and irritability. It is no surprise that many smokers look to alternatives such as nicotine patches, e-cigarettes and even hypnotherapy and acupuncture treatments. Whilst e-cigarettes are a better option than smoking, it certainly

does not make them healthy. Essentially an electronic inhal-

"Over 70 cancer causing chemicals are found within cigarettes." ing device, they simulate tobacco smoking and release a flavoured vapour, containing much less nicotine than found in conventional cigarettes. They are a relatively new technology and few studies have looked into the long-term effects of this alternative, so little is known as yet to their impact on human health. Nicotine patches work by slowly releasing nicotine into the body’s bloodstream through the skin, as a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NPT). Gum works in a similar way, being absorbed through the soft tissue linings in the mouth. A trial earlier this year was the first to investigate the comparable success rates of e-cigarettes and patches to aid quitting smoking, and the results indicated a high success rate compared to

simply abstaining from tobacco altogether. Now a new, perhaps more extreme, treatment to help smokers quit has arrived on the market – Champix (called Chantix in the USA). These tablets, prescribed only by your doctor, contain the active ingredient varenicline, which acts as a competitor for nicotine within the brain. They bind and partially block acetylcholine receptors, preventing the act of smoking from having any desirable, rewarding or enjoyable effects. Sounds great, but what is the catch? Champix has been reported to cause many negative psychological side-effects, from radical suicidal thoughts and behaviours to violent nightmares, from anxiety to paranoia. By blocking the nicotine receptors in the brain, the medicated individual may find it far easier to resist the temptations of smoking. But is it worth suffering the strange and potentially dangerous sideeffects? So when my sister phoned me up the other day and told me she is about to start a course of Champix, I was initially thrilled, but after doing some research I am now not so sure...

redbrick.me/music

15th - 21st November 2013

Music

Album Review: Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Live Review Savages @ The Ritz Matt Bullin Music Critic

Matt Moody Music Critic

Even before the internet changed the way we listen to music, there were two words that straight away conjured a feeling of trepidation among music fans: the 'double album' is historically regarded as self indulgent, heavy on filler and just generally outstaying its welcome. Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, weighing in at just over 75 minutes and produced by indie royalty James Murphy (whose longest track with LCD Soundsystem ran to almost 46 minutes), couldn’t quite avoid these anxieties despite the massive hype that preceded its release,

"Driving dance rhythms greet fans of 'old' Arcade Fire like a well timed slap in the face" but there was a sense of quiet optimism too; Arcade Fire have always been unapologetically grandiose, and they’ve made it work before, with life affirming results. If anyone can pull off the infamous double album, why not them? Reflektor is an intimidating record, and not just because of its length. It’s straight in at the deep end on the epic Bowie-featuring opener, where Murphy’s influence as producer is evident; driving dance rhythms greet fans of 'old' Arcade Fire like a well timed slap in the face as the rhythm section

takes centre stage for the first time on an Arcade Fire record. Side A builds a paranoid atmosphere with rolling, dub inflected basslines and taut guitar stabs borrowed from the Clash on 'We Exist', and the frenetic, Pulp-indebted self-interrogation of 'Normal People'. Sonically, too, the first of the two albums is not at all an easy listen: bumping the bass levels into the red and giving the instruments a reverb acid bath as on Flashbulb Eyes might make the record more dancefloor friendly, but it’s overwhelming at times. The inclusion of random snatches of chatter and backstage noise – the baffling Jonathon Ross sample in particular – along with the chaotic musical red herrings that open 'Here Comes the Night Time' and 'Joan of Arc' might add to the party concept of the record, but at times they can be disorientating. While Side A is claustrophobic and physical, it can also be a lot of fun: blending Haitian carnival sounds with Murphy’s brand of self-aware dance music creates a jubilant party atmosphere, even with discontent bubbling beneath the surface. This is in jarring contrast with the second half of the record, which maintains the urgency of its counterpart, while managing a grander, airier feel. Following the orchestral introduction to Side 2 of 'Here Comes the Night Time II' are ancient Greek inspired album standouts 'Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)' and 'It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus)'. The former is a wistful journey through The Beatles’ back catalogue, complete with orchestral crescendo borrowed from 'A Day in the Life', while the latter is a two part centrepiece which begins with a fuzzy, driving groove and

ends with a breathtaking call and response outro between the newly married couple that have led the band since its inception. On the second side’s second half, 'Afterlife’s' earnest musings on married life through the prism of life after death are

"On first listen, Reflektor is a sprawling overlong mess, but having the patience to explore it is more rewarding each time" delivered over a solemnly upbeat rhythm section, and on album closer 'Supersymmetry', the rousing duet between Butler and Chassagne over a swirling synth is so uplifting that even the gimmicky rewind-effect outro, bringing the track to over 11 minutes, is just about forgivable. Both tracks outshine B-side contender 'Porno' which, at six minutes, somewhat outstays its welcome with a damp synth line and sub-par lyrics. On first listen, Reflektor is a sprawling, overlong mess, but having the patience to explore it is more rewarding each time. Not only have Arcade Fire created a record unmatched in scope and ambition, they’ve achieved the impossible: a double album worth your time.

@MattBullin23

Ever heard of an all-female quartet that plays hardcore post-punk rock with such intensity and venom that it draws comparison with Siouxsie Sioux and Ian Curtis? Let me introduce you to Savages: a post-punk band from London, who released their first album Silence Yourself in May 2013. During their short tour of the UK, I was lucky enough to catch their gig in Manchester at The Ritz. In stark contrast to a thoroughly underwhelming set from support act A Dead Forest Index, Savages had an air of authority before they even graced the stage. From the shadows and dry ice, they ripped into their set with ‘I am Here’. Printed sheets on the walls gave the message: ‘Savages have requested that all mobile phones be switched off throughout the performance’. This was obviously not because of interruptions, because anyone on the other end of a phone call would be deafened by the industrial strength bass straight from 1979 and a drumbeat to match. No, these messages were to implore the audience not to take pictures or videos of the band; to just enjoy the show and lose themselves in the music. Lead vocalist Jehnny Beth epitomised everything good about the band with her delivery and presence. She dominated the stage, with her piercing stares and vicious jabbing at the crowd. Beth seemed in constant motion throughout the gig. She wandered around the stage with moody intent, as if in a trance with the music, adding to the gloomy atmosphere already created by the band’s dark demeanour. Her delivery was particularly special in ‘She Will’, which really got the gig going. Beth continued with a few more almost sing-along verses, before going back to her preferred post-punk character with some loud shrieks in between the squally riffs and crunching bass of Gemma Thompson and Ayse Hassan respectively. Savages finished with their self-proclaimed ‘best song’: ‘Fuckers’. I expected more of the same high octane punk-rock that had preceded it, but what we were treated to was slightly disappointing. Beth proclaimed to the crowd before she began the final song: ‘This

all

the

fuckers

out

there

Including

Don’t

let

the

fuckers

get

you down’. The age old idea of ‘stick it to the man’ is very clichéd, and Savages didn’t need to bring it into their gig: it’s already pretty obvious they don’t care what anyone thinks. Savages are one of the most intense bands I’ve ever witnessed live, with their dark and sombre clothing and their even darker expressions. In this age of mainstream indie rock and monotonous dubstep, Savages are different. They are a breath of fresh air into the music industry.

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/music

Tweet of the Week: @JamesArthur23: And fuck boybands! Bring on the hate I don't wanna be popular.

Redbrick Meets: The Young Knives Fred Windsor Music Critic

@FreddieWinds0r

The most recent contribution from Young Knives was delivered in the form of their fan-funded and independently produced studio album Sick Octave. Having been invited to the O2 Academy prior to a performance, I found out what the band had to say about sex, drugs and independent music production. FW: So, new album, out two days ago! HENRY: Yeah, number eight in the charts - oh wait no, 88, sorry. FW: It’s quite different to what you have done previously... well, not different, but it’s a real progression. HENRY: No, you're right, it is different, and we’re fine with that. FW: What’s the reaction been like? THOMAS: Mixed, isn’t it. I think some people think it’s too different HENRY: Yes, radio doesn’t like it too much! FW: Yeah, I’ve seen a few reviews saying that you might have ‘overegged the pudding’. HENRY: I don’t see anything wrong with going for it; someone said they wished there was a dutiful suit there reining it in. Who wants their music like that!? I’m sure there are bits of it that we could have done better, but really!?

THOMAS: I got the impression from some reviews that they felt like we ought not to be allowed to produce this. HENRY: It seemed that the fact that they didn’t know what it is made it a bad thing. Genre-defying is exactly what we wanted to be. FW: So what’s your favourite song from the new album? I’ve heard you enjoy 'Maureen'? HENRY: That’s a really old song now; we tried to put it on the previous album but noone we worked with liked it. It’s more poppy than the others, but that’s fine. THOMAS: When we were in L.A the producer was just like, 'I think it’s too silly.' HENRY: But, I mean, we’ve made it less silly. At the moment I really like playing ‘All Tied Up’. OLI: 'Something Awful', too. FW: The making of the album wasn’t what you’d call conventional! How do you feel about the Kickstarter and album production? HENRY: It was good. It was like hyping up a record that didn’t exist. But we only really asked people by the time we’d actually recorded most of it, otherwise it would have been too scary. Real superfans provided the foundation. We tried to make it kind of exciting, but most of it was just about people buying the album a few months early. We didn’t want to go too far sapping money out of people.

worse as the albums went on. The first record we wrote was recorded in a village hall and we weren’t writing it for anybody, and in the second album we’d been nominated for a Mercury prize and, although we’d just messed about, we felt fairly invincible. We didn’t want to put some of the singles on, because we were like, 'this is too cheesy.' OLI: Yeah. HENRY: Sick Octave was almost to prove that we could do it, make a record on our own. We also recorded it in our garage, which was really quite good fun! FW: Is going independent something that you’d encourage other ‘oppressed’ bands to do? HENRY: I would suggest definitely thinking about it even if you're really successful. Who needs a record label? If you’ve got some money coming in, you can employ someone to market your record and you could get someone to distribute it. No-one really cares what labels people are on anymore. FW: Well put! So looking to the future, you've created the label ‘Gadzook’, do you see yourselves going into production? HENRY: We haven’t really got time to put anyone else’s music out! THOMAS: Have we got the money either!? FW: I know earlier you hinted at the new album becoming a dominant focus, is this going to be reflected in the set list tonight? HENRY: We’re playing through the whole album, then we do a handful of other older stuff at the end. Just for this tour we thought it’d be fun - plus, it makes the gig flow and gives an experience rather than just a collection of songs.

FW: Do you feel you’ve been set free now you’ve become independent? HENRY: Well, I think the restrictions got

Album Review: Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP 2 Ben Musgrove Music Critic

Whenever rap monolith Eminem releases an album, it contends for awards beyond count and will be pushed by some as the biggest rap release of that year purely on the basis of his reputation. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is an indirect sequel to the Detroit rapper’s record The Marshall Mathers LP, his most acclaimed album released in 2000. It would be difficult and dismissive to produce a review that does adequate justice to all the microcosms of this album; Eminem’s success is derived in part from a depth to his work, and the intelligence of his delivery. Opener ‘Bad Guy’ brings an oddly nostalgic start to the album. It’s undoubtedly catchy, but hard to define why, as there’s not a lot going on in the track. Simulated, tinny melodies bounce on top of a bass track that’s so low in the mix it’s difficult to focus on. The track is a slow start, and a long one at 7:14, but by the climax of the song the whole track intensifies into the sort of melody you could put on a flag and march behind. It is a statement of intent. Tongue-in-cheek misogyny has been a controversial tool of Eminem’s throughout his entire career and, judging by lines like ‘I hate all bitches the same’ in ‘So Much Better’, it hasn’t got old yet. Dark humour is not for everyone, and neither are sexist jokes but, if you have any appreciation of either, this track is a fine example of both. For all the hard-ass posturing that we associate with the Slim Shady persona, Marshall Mathers can’t half put out a ballad. ‘Legacy’ provides a slick verse sounding

like it’s rapped through a blown-out speaker with only piano and a drum-beat backing, and is emotionally engaging. This album seems to have a seemingly infinite number of women I’ve never heard of before providing superb hip-hop hooks. The first single released for this album, ‘Berzerk’ is another rap-rock track that demonstrates with conviction that Limp Bizkit has been doing it wrong all these years. The unrefined guitar sounds backing up Em, as opposed to the bass-heavy rap beats we’re used to with the genre he’s representing, are a revelation. There’re also samples from old-school hip-hop: the Beastie Boys and Billy Squier’s ‘The Stroke’ both make an appearance, and the result is a real throwback. It sounds like it should be played through a boom-box, carried by someone on a skateboard. The track 'Rap God' has an apt title, speaking as someone familiar with all of the Eminem discography, this is the most technically impressive rap I have ever heard him produce. Word-play is the order of the day from the get-go, as you’d expect, but metaphors ranging from the harsh to the hilarious are expected by Eminem fans. This track is the example of how Em’s rap style has changed since his saga with rehab in the second half of the noughties: just like him, his delivery has cleaned up. At 4:25, he proceeds to rap 107 words in 17 seconds, which works out at about 6 words a second without a break to breathe. It’s stunning. With ‘The Monster’, ft. Rihanna, we have about 75% of Eminem’s radio-play. This is for two reasons: 1) Rihanna is singing the hook and, every time these two get together on a track, fans froth at the mouth;

and 2) Marshall doesn’t drop a single swearword. The short verses and (slightly disappointing) electronic beat further indicate that this song is one we’ll be hearing a lot. Unfortunately, for me, it’s the weakest track so far, by quite a margin. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is lyrically powerful, musically aware, thematically intricate and emotionally intense. It has some of the best technical rapping I’ve ever heard, and plenty of scathing jokes, wittily delivered. It is, in short, bloody excellent.

Album Review: The Fratellis We Need Medicine Rosie Goldsmith Music Critic

Ah, The Fratellis. Fond memories of endof-the-night classic ‘Chelsea Dagger’ and the more subdued, but equally as unique, ‘Whistle for the Choir’ come flooding back. So, as you can imagine, I was intrigued to find out whether the result of the band’s five year hiatus since second album Here We Stand would see The Fratellis reignite their old spark. But sadly, this album is just the sleepy embers of a once-roaring campfire. First track ‘Halloween Blues’ very much sets the tone of the album, with its twangy vibe reminiscent of ‘50s rock’n’roll. The opening line of the song, 'Well I’m gonna make you love me', seems to be the album speaking to me in a way that doesn’t fill me with confidence. It’s not a bad start, but the novelty soon wears off after hearing second on the list, ‘This Old Ghost Town’.

"The opening line of 'well I'm gonna make you love me', seems to be the album speaking to me in a way that doesn't fill me with confindence." Fortunately I was a bit more excited by ‘She’s Not Gone Yet But She’s Leaving’, if only because it sounds a little different to all the other tracks. Ironically, I did find the lyrics 'she’s not gone yet, but she’s leaving' repeating themselves over and over in my head for the rest of the day, so perhaps The Fratellis’ saving grace would be repetition. Indeed, this is the case for the only other songs truly worth a listen, ‘This Is Not The End Of The World’ and title track 'We Need Medicine'. At times the band seemed to be reaching towards the punchy and recognisable sound of the Arctic Monkeys, but We Need Medicine will have to make do as a bland alternative (somewhat disenchanted with its bright, Litchenstein-inspired album artwork). This album makes for perfect background noise- something to have playing that won’t distract you from the essay at hand. ‘Easy-listening’ has emerged as the final verdict of We Need Medicine; it’s not a bad effort by The Fratellis but I can say with uncharacteristic confidence that it won’t be topping the charts anytime soon.

redbrick.me/television

15th - 21st November 2013

Television

Don't Miss... Fresherzzz As the first series ends, Shannon Carey reviews the latest in a string of programmes which seem obsessed with "Our Generation" When I first saw Freshers advertised on ITV2, I was intrigued. Having just begun the university experience myself, I thought it would be great to see people my age going through the madness of Freshers’ week. Moreover, the show was filmed at University of Bedfordshire, somewhere no more than an hour from my town and somewhere some of my friends even attend – so the show would be a great way to catch a glimpse of their university lives too. This is what I thought. Now, I know in past articles I have defended shows such as Made In Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex, suggesting that people who dislike them shouldn’t take it too seriously. But something about Freshers completely crossed the line from entertaining to unrealistic and mildly offensive. In fact, Freshers seems be another show in ITV2’s current pattern of making teenagers look completely awful. This follows on from shows like The Magaluf Weekender and Crazy Beaches, both of which followed teens on holiday during the summer months and showed them in the least complimentary manner possible. Freshers seemed determined to give undergraduates a bad reputation – glimpses of the show that I caught (I couldn’t bring myself to watch the whole thing) portrayed a group of students who missed almost every introductory lecture they were required to attend, got insanely drunk every night, used the Freshers’ dressup events as an excuse to dress as skimpily as possible, and had zero idea how to budget/ cook/clean/do anything needed to survive away from the eyes mummy and daddy.

I’m not so naïve as to suggest students aren’t at all like this – I know there are some with relatively few practical skills, who enjoy a drink (or three) and don’t go to all the lectures they necessarily should. In fact, I can safely say that I myself have been guilty of some of the above during my own freshers’ experience. What is particularly annoying about Freshers, however, is the fact that they show no alternative – every single student on the show seemed to look at university as one massive party, and has no desire to better themselves or to focus on the degree they actually came to study. There’s no doubt they purposely put the focus here, and probably exaggerated the experience of these students for the name of ‘entertainment’. And that’s where the problem truly lies – it seems there is still a press vendetta to portray young people in the worst light humanly possible, and ITV exploit this for their show. It’s meant to be funny, reinforcing the stereotype that we young adults do nothing but drink ourselves silly and continuously make awful decisions – but isn’t it a pity that Freshers overlooks the achievement of getting into university, after two years of A-Level exams, revision and pressure? We shouldn’t forget that whatever you do, wherever you go and whoever you are, getting into university is something to be proud of – not something to be used to portray young adults as mindless idiots interested in little more than alcohol and sex. If Freshers taught me one thing, it’s not what the university experience is genuinely like – it’s that young adults, at university or not, are overlooked.

The Blacklist Jessica Gorvin Tv Critic

Working on the same premise as Channel 4’s Homeland, Sky Living’s latest drama The Blacklist takes all the elements of the popular show, the female agent with a secret and the good cop bad cop figure that we just can’t work out, and makes it better. Raymond "Red" Reddington a notorious criminal and one of the FBI’s most wanted has evaded capture for 20 years only to hand himself in to the FBI with the promise that he will help them catch a highprofile terrorist, and after him, everyone else on his ‘Blacklist’ of America’s most wanted. But what’s the catch? He will speak only to Elizabeth “Liz” Keen a newbie FBI profiler who hasn’t even started her first day yet. She is met by a helicopter and an over the top barrage of FBI cars as she rushes out of the door, late, completely unaware of what she is about to let herself in for. Episode one poses many questions and answers few, Why has Red handed himself in? Why Liz? And can he be trusted? James Spader who plays Red, is a Hannibal Lectoresque character who is always one step ahead of the game. He has a drawling answer for everything and a devious charm that gives The Blacklist the comic element that Homeland lacks. He is sure to solidify a place as one of the characters we all know we should hate, but secretly love.

Each episode presents a new criminal for our unlikely duo to capture, becoming increasingly more gruesome and imaginative as the series progresses, with episode four ‘The Stewmaker’ having you squirming in your seat and wondering how on earth the show’s creators came up with such a thing. As events unfold, sidelined characters come into question and new dimensions are also added to the character of Red as we realize he may just have a different agenda altogether. There are plot twists in abundance, bloody encounters and numerous moments that leave us questioning our TV screens... How did he know? Which, once again, leaves us wondering on which side of the law out anti-hero is really working. After all Red puts the paradox perfectly stating, “I’m a criminal. Criminals are notorious liars”. The action is immediate, fast paced and instantly gripping, and shows no sign of answering our questions any time soon. This new drama is receiving rave reviews and if you like action and spending an hour of your time on the edge of your seat then this is the show for you. Being only six episodes into the first series, it is the perfect opportunity to jump on the bandwagon before it’s too late! Catch The Blacklist on Sky Living, Fridays at 9:00pm

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/television

Into the Chatosphere Daisy Follett Tv Editor

To the uninitiated The Graham Norton Show and Chatty Man with Alan Carr must sound pretty similar, both having that magical combination of Celebrity, Sofa and Camp Presenter. However, the BBC and Channel 4 have both put their own little spin on the format and arrived at shows which look and feel very different. This week Graham sat down to chew the fat with Lady Gaga, Jude Law, Greg Davies and June Brown. Lady Gaga's been getting all artistic recently; The Guardian published an interview with her last weekend in which meeting her was described as “an encounter, not an interview. She controlled it all, and her mood – tired, overly intellectual was what dominated”. Not an appealing prospect for a chat show host, but if Graham was fazed he didn't show it. He has an uncanny ability to bring haughty guests down a peg or two without ever appearing confrontational, by simply letting them make fools of themselves. When he questioned Gaga about her plethora of zany outfits she replied “It’s how I deal with my insanity I’m just a very creative person”. Which probably sounded profound in her head, but it came out more like the girl at the party who’s desperate to be taken seriously. She seemed happy to talk about anything that would keep the focus on her; her ass, her waxed pubes, cumshots. Everything seemed painfully affected. It reminded me of Jonathan Ross’s interview with her in 2008, on the back of releasing Just Dance, when she brought her little tea

cup and saucer out to the interview and gave him coy one-word answers between sips. Guests like her give Graham an opportunity to showcase why he’s so good at his job. Jude Law is articulate and understated, and he wouldn’t have had a prayer against Gaga without Graham. What’s more, he treats his guests equally; there’s something slightly lunatic about having Greg Davies off the Inbetweeners sharing a sofa with Lady Gaga (who’s sold 64m singles and grossed $382.3m in a single tour). Yet Graham had no reverence for her, starting the show dressed as a joint of ham, in a reference to her fashion choices that was characteristically subtle. And so to the Chatty Man. I was all set to

Up All Night Hannah Mason Tv Editor

Channel 4 have run a series of documentaries that give us an embarrassing insight into what Britain really gets up to after dark. Strange things it seems. The series really doesn’t show Britain in a particularly great light, with a 24 hour society demanding services immediately and most being ungrateful for the help they receive. The programme describes the night workers as the ‘unsung heroes of the night’, who really deserve respect for the jobs they’re doing, but in all three programmes this seems to be lacking. The first programme, entitled 'The Nightclub Toilet', takes a look at what really happens when people go to the toilet on a night out. I know it doesn’t sound like an appealing programme, but I found myself watching it and I was completely drawn in. It’s not raunchy, or particularly disgusting like I expected, but you find that you can’t pull yourself away from watching out of sheer nosiness. The programme is from the perspective of two toilet attendants of the male and female bathrooms of a popular nightclub and by the end of the programme you know a lot about their life and definitely feel sorry for what they have to put up with on a daily basis. Women of course rarely use the bathroom for its intended purpose and instead go there for a good old natter. I enjoyed watching the programme, but at times I found it too uncomfortable to watch, particularly when

one woman was asking the female attendant to be her best friend and was helping her to style her hair – it was patronising and awkward. It makes you question – do I really do this on a night out?! The second episode, The Minicab Office, invites us into Norwich on a night out and to the not-so-quaint minicab office of Courtesy Taxis, situated on what is described as Norwich’s most dangerous road – the Prince of Wales Road. What is different about this taxi firm is that they have a large waiting area where partygoers meet at the end of their night to eat a kebab and get home. This sounds like a simple process, but a lot more than this happens. This isn’t TV for the fainthearted with scenes of girls throwing up out of windows and people eating other people’s left-over food. This is based in Manchester, and looks at a tower block’s first response unit, a night mechanic from the RAC, and an out of hours GP and RSPCA night worker. The Salix homes first response unit’s job is to look after residents at all hours. In this episode, the team deal with issues ranging from noise complaints to someone throwing a television out the window. This job seems the worst out of the four, with tenants expecting services at the touch of a button and with most of their issues arising out of their own doing. The out of hours GP and RSPCA however, are more uplifting as they show the rewarding side of their job and their passion for treating anyone expecting urgent care in the middle of the night. Catch up on 4od for your perfect dose of hangover TV!

hate Robin Thicke, but he actually wasn’t so bad. His voice is oddly seductive, although I think hearing it juxtaposed with Alan Carrs probably helped, and he didn’t sit down and immediately start talking about how much he loves objectifying women, another bonus. I actually found his fringe more annoying than his personality, which was unexpected. Carr isn’t as cheeky as Graham towards his guests, but he’s certainly not shy, pulling up a picture of a young Robin Thicke before describing it as “like Alanis Morisette doing Movember”. That said, one-liners like those do come across as staged, and there’s a sense that he’d be happier if he was just continuing the stand-up he uses to open the show. At one

point Alan actually turned to the audience and shouted the classic stand-up catchphrase, “AM-AH-RIGHT?!?”. He also had Jack Whitehall with his Dad, Michael, publicising a book they’ve written together. Jack has always milked his posh-o background for comic effect, and he’s been very successful at it; his role as JP in Fresh Meat seems to have been written purely as a vehicle for Jack Whitehall to walk around being Jack Whitehall. Michael had clearly been groomed to fit that image, with his navy suit and his pocket square, and it was funny for a while to watch him and Jack banter in their posh little way. Unfortunately, they’re not as gifted as Alan when it comes to making their scripted lines sound spontaneous, so it all got pretty tiresome. That’s the problem with interviewing comedians; we expect them to be funny all the time. So, instead of genuine answers, we get humorous lies and, in this case, particularly implausible ones. You see a lot more of the guests on Graham's show; everyone stays on the sofa pretty much for the duration of the programme, rather than just a ten-minute individual slot as with Alan. Jumbling everyone together on Graham’s sofa also creates a dimension that’s missed out on Chatty Man. Sometimes guests know each other and share stories, other times they mess around or, even better, argue. Chat shows by their nature vary, but I'd always choose Graham over Alan. I don't know, maybe its just that everyones a lot drunker on Graham Norton.

Dracula Rochelle Stanley Tv Critic

Not a sparkling teenager in sight, vampires are back in the form of NBC’s BritishAmerican drama Dracula which hit UK screens this Halloween on Sky Living. If you honestly miss the times where vampires were actually scary and didn’t attend an American high school, this show may be ideal. Under the guise of Alexander Grayson, an American inventor, Dracula (Johnathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors), has flown over to late nineteenth century England, spreading the word of science. In this take on the story, the number one vampire is more interested in business transactions and throwing parties rather than sitting in his dark castle dodging the superstitious townsfolk armed with crucifixes. Dracula incorporates the dichotomy of the ancient versus the modern as the epistolary Victorian novel suggests, but reaches towards being smart, sexy and more suited for a twenty-first century audience. The luxury and extravagance of both place and people support this dramatic adaptation, so much so that Dracula’s attraction to Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouw, Arrow) could be justified on some level. Reminiscent of Dorian Gray and even The Great Gatsby, this eponymous drama series focuses on the human condition, wealth and experimentation with some resurrection and gore thrown in. If you can watch for long enough to realise that Henry VIII wasn’t a vampire, you will witness that the pilot episode of Dracula

screams lust – for blood and for power. It is set nowhere near Transylvania or the Carpathian Mountains. Historical accuracy may be low. It does not claim to be exactly as Stoker made it, nevertheless, there’s a slow motion fight scene and Van Helsing isn’t Hugh Jackman. The cast also includes Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong, The Pianist), Katie McGrath (Merlin), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (Lark Rise to Candleford) and Nonso Anozie (Game of Thrones). If breaking into funeral homes and decapitating vampire victims seems slightly interesting to you, Dracula could be your cup of tea. Although this series may not add anything new to the classic gothic genre, it certainly has a go at bringing it back.

redbrick.me/film

15th - 21st November 2013

Film

What FrightFest Taught Me: The State of Modern Horror Jay Crosbie shares his thoughts on the films screened at this year's FrightFest, and tells Redbrick what he learnt from the experience

Review: Thor: The Dark World

Details Release date: 30th October 2013 Director: Alan Taylor Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston Running time: 112 minutes

´´´´´ Mike Hall Critic

When you tell people that your plan for a Saturday evening is to stay up all night and watch horror films, there's a high probability of the response falling into two camps: An excitable genre interrogation or, the most feasible response: why? The latter question is exactly the question I began posing myself. 12 hours. Really? All your mates are in Camden at the pub and you're stood here rationing out Jaffa Cakes and Pro Plus for the evening.

"I was a part of something...we were about to become pioneers." But, before hesitation could leave marks in my brain I was cattled into Screen 7, my screen for the evening, and assigned my seat: Row J, Seat 8. There was a palpable sense of anticipation in the theatre and that's when my agnosticism dissolved. I was a part of something, the horror community had turned out and we were about to become pioneers, viewing the terrain that the genre plans to cover, and Christ it was an eccentric ride. The films at FrightFest all slotted nicely into typical horror categories:

Hell' than 'The Descent'; goo and gore sprays with an almost child-like glee. Scream Queen Sharni Vinsion (You're Next) continues to shine and Charles Dance bites a frog in half. What more do you want? The Dud: Nothing Left To Fear An almost impressive misfire. Operating as part cult thriller and part Dawson's Creek, the film follows an unremarkable religious family as they settle into a new town, before, for some plot catalysing reason, the town conspires to sacrifice them. Besides having no plot nor motive, it could have just been a bad film but instead, the film descends by forcing you to watch a young child get maimed, emotionally tortured and killed all for the sake of final act entertainment. Distressing and cheap. The Thinker: Soulmate Directed by Axelle Carolyn, 'Soulmate' is a handsomely shot Ghost story. What it lacks in scares it makes up for in emotional intelligence, meticulously filmed and commands the audience through silence. Honestly, it may not be what audiences at the time may have wanted but it's arguably what horror needs more of. A mighty impressive debut feature with a distinctive voice.

The Remake: Patrick

The Controversy Bait: Mark Of The Devil

Ignoring the trend of remaking horror films with a SERIOUS BUSINESS tone, 'Patrick' (1979 Austrilian film) subverts. It's loud & it's proud, filmed with intentionally tacky CGI and scored with the world's most ostentatious score, it's more 'Drag Me To

One of the most controversial films of all time, torture porn pioneer and sick bag providing 'Mark Of The Devil' has been remastered. Excitingly, FrightFest was the first time the uncensored version had been shown to the public. It's a hugely satirical, violent

affair and still as grizzly as they come. My friend called it 'Carry On Witch Hunting', I think he nailed it. The Rip Off: The Station Essentially the Austrian version of 'The Thing', it suffers from trying to being taut when it needed to be loose. It's relatively scary, but has zilch subtly and is hindered by the fact that the protagonist strives to be the most unlikeable figure on Earth. Its fate is sealed by its 'What The Hell Was That' ending that had half the audience laughing, the other half speechless. The Joker: Discopath An exploitation film about a man who murders people every time he hears disco music. No joke. Besides its arrogantly misogynistic undercurrent, 'Discopath' is hilarious. I'm not sure if that was its intent, but it is. It's intense, hugely violent and utterly nuts. At first I hated it, but now, I love it. In whatever niche way you can love this film. So, What did FilmFest teach me about horror? That the genre is armed to the teeth with talent, we've got more distinctive voices than we know what to do with. Horror doesn't need to be defined by the duds, as it has been. It seems horror has its roots firmly, (more so than ever) in the iconic era, whilst simultaneously covering new territory. Above anything, FilmFest taught me that horror needs to spend more time being camp and less time being sombre, it needs to strike that balance, between the ludicrous and the solemn.

After the success of his debut movie and last summer’s blockbuster Avengers Assemble, Thor returns to the big screen in The Dark World, a worthy addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the events of Avengers Assemble, an ancient power known as the Aether threatens to plunge the cosmos into chaos. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has to reluctantly team up with scheming halfbrother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to stop the evil Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) from destroying the universe, and in the process save scientist/girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). Subtle.Thought-provoking. Sophisticated. These are not words you would use to describe Thor: The Dark World. It is, however, shamelessly exciting. As with the previous film, the action set pieces are hugely entertaining, building to an epic finale in London, seemingly inspired by the Portal video games. The returning cast generally turn in fine performances, but it is Tom Hiddleston who again steals the show as the deliciously Machiavellian Loki. Unfortunately, though, the film just doesn’t feel as accomplished as its predecessor. Malekith is a pretty forgettable villain, with Christopher Eccleston wasted under layers of prosthetics. The dialogue is often clumsy, and sci-fi babble is thrown at the audience to mask attempts at driving the plot forward. The sheer convenience of the Convergence and the Aether’s power in particular push the limits of credibility, even for a film containing a hammer-wielding Norse demigod. Thor: The Dark World appeals to your inner seven-year-old, and if you can forgive its flaws, it offers an entertaining if mindless adventure. Verdict: Not the finest Marvel has produced, but fun nonetheless. (Comic book fans should stay in their seats for a post-credit scene).

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/film

Film News Mark Reeves Critic

Big news from a galaxy far, far away, as open auditions are to be held for Star Wars: Episode VII across the UK. Looking for new talent, Disney will be touring Bristol, London, Dublin and Glasgow in hope of finding someone with the right force, ready for a release date of December 2015.

The Amazing Spider-man 2 soundtrack is already shaping up to be something special with Hans Zimmer recruiting his own supergroup to help compose spideys next outing. None other than Johnny Marr, Pharell Williams, Dave Stewart and Michael Einzinger are set to help Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker swing into action.

Review: Gravity

Alfonso Cauron brings the Sci-Fi genre back to the forefront with one of the best space films since Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey

Details Release date: 8th November 2013 Director: Alfonso Cuarón Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney Running time: 90 minutes Certificate: 12A IMDB rating: 8.5 Rotten tomatoes rating: 97%

´´´´´ Jessica Green Critic

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock side by side in an over-budgeted sci-fi movie could be seen as a perfect recipe for another Hollywood disaster, and many people may chuff at the sound of it. However, if you’re one of these people; you couldn’t be more wrong. Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity has the audience on the edge of their seat from start to finish. The beginning credits set this tension up by highlighting the barren and isolated nature of space, whilst a silence hangs eerily over the room, a perfect technique for achieving that ‘shiver down your spine’ effect. The audience will find themsleves

totally absorbed from that point until the end credits. Even audiences who aren't the greatest admirers of contemporary sci-fi will consider this a contender for the movie of the year (so far). The cleverly simplistic story follows Astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Bio-Medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) on a mission just above Earth. The film opens with the pair spacewalking on the shuttle 'Explorer', and everything pretty much goes downhill for them from there onwards. The shuttle is destroyed by space debris and the duo find themselves catapulted into space, trying desperately to get back to one another and to seek refuge in a space station close by. They are tethered together, but due to the uncontrollable nature of space, it soon becomes a one woman show as we follow Bullock’s desperate and nail-biting attempts to get back to Earth.

"Instead, we are opened up to a visually realistic portrayal of space" This space drama is unlike the norm; there are no over-dramatized heart wrenching monologues or ridiculous CGI attempts. In fact, it could be deemed revolutionary in how realistic it is visually. The film flits beautifully between intimate moments focusing on Bullock’s personal journey whilst being continuously thrown into moments of sheer terror and danger. We witness through Bullock’s character the chaotic nature of space, and it almost seems so real that some audience member may feel inclined to remove their 3D glasses. This for the most part, is why the bold statement of Gravity being ‘best film of the year’ is justified. When walking into this

movie, you expect to see another one of those Sci-Fi’s with creative but far-fetched CGI, a cast who could never ever pass for astronauts and a tonne of plot holes.

"This space drama is unlike the norm; there are no over-dramatised heart renching monologues or ridiculous CGI" Instead, we are opened up to a visually realistic portrayal of space. We are given two charismatic characters to root for, and a plot that keeps you hooked for the entirety. 'Will she make it?' 'Oh my god she’s going to die”, 'Wait watch out for the debris! Wow I’m dizzy' 'come on Ryan you can do this' are some of the thoughts you may find rushing through your head. Cuaron is a genius in the way he creates a situation within the film that the audience will strangely feel both physically and mentally connected to (even though you’ve never been involved in a space station disaster in your life). It’s an extremely frightening and raw experience that has your eyebrows sweating and your eyes rolling back and forth and up and down in your skull. Even if you’re not into sci-fi, you should still see this film (especially in 3D). It is a cinematic experience that is not to be missed, and you’ll be talking about it for weeks no doubt. It keeps you hooked, is original in its plot and once again Sandra Bullock proves herself as a wonderfully diverse actor. This, alongside the work of director Alfonso Cuaron, raises the standards of this genre and sets a trailblazing new wave of space thriller.

Stephen King’s apocalyptic novel Cell is to be adapted for the big screen. The film will star John Cusack as a father searching for his son after the ‘pulse’ turns anyone using a mobile into bloodthirsty ‘crazies’. The film also reunites Cusack with fellow actor Samuel L. Jackson following their work in the supernatural 1408.

Halloween may have been and gone but this has not stopped Lionsgate announcing that they are keen to make an eighth film in the horror franchise Saw. With the latest outing Saw 3D believed to be the final part of Jigsaws gory puzzle, will this be a trick or a treat?

redbrick.me/sport

15th - 21st November 2013

Sport

Brum edge out leaders in top of the table clash

George Evans

Birmingham 2nds

Derby 1sts

Constantinos Akrivos Sports reporter

The University of Birmingham men’s football 2nds secured a win against Derby 1sts at Munrow Track Pitch, after a thrilling game ended 3-2. Derby came close to starting the game in the worst possible fashion after nearly scoring an own goal. An opposition defender under pressure from the hosts, returned the ball to his keeper, who nearly let the ball passed him in a moment of confusion, but was able to clear. The visitors then had a chance to open the scoring from a corner, but Birmingham’s defence were able to clear at the last minute, preventing a certain goal.

"During these moments the hosts certainly showed their true class" There was a quick tempo to the match with frequent chances for both teams, and the hosts came close again just after ten minutes. After a lovely cross from the left Brum were denied by a fantastic save from the Derby ‘keeper. The hosts were made to pay for this missed chance as the visitors took the lead on 17 minutes. The goal came from a freekick which was headed home by Chris Lovett. The goal came against the run of play with Birmingham by this point seemingly in control of proceedings. Straight from the restart the home side could have scored with a header from the penalty spot, but Derby’s defence were able to produce a clearance when it seemed the ball was destined for the net. Keeping their lines high, the hosts con-

tinued to pressurise the visitors and from a corner they were able to equalise, with Adam heading home. One minute later, Derby’s Lovett missed a penalty, something which sparked the visitors back into life, and moments before half time they retook the lead. Lovett atoned for his failure from the spot, scoring with a volley from distance. The hosts started the second half lively, looking for their second equaliser of the game, and it duly arrived after 53 minutes, with Jack Davis finishing from close range. Birmingham didn’t stop there and took the lead two minutes later, with Izek heading the home side in front. A beautiful cross from the left found the centre forward, who headed it in. During these moments the hosts certainly showed their true class. The rhythm of the game continued to excite, with both sides playing good football. Despite conceding two consecutive goals, Derby didn’t lose their confidence and went all out in search of an eqauliser. In the remaining minutes Birmingham pressed strongly for another goal that would have settled the tie once and for all, but

could not find it. Derby’s goalkeeper was able to keep his side within touching distance with a smart save, after a Brum effort from outside the box. He repeated this in stoppage time, denying the Birmingham attack from close range.

"The boys can be pleased with their efforts, playing some good football and scoring three times" Speaking after the game, Birmingham coach Matthew Rodney, praised his team’s performance, stating ‘The boys can be pleased with their efforts, playing some good football and scoring three times.’ The win is a fantastic result for the hosts against the leaders of the Midlands 2A group. The team now turn their attention to a home match against Loughborough men’s 3rds next week.

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/sport

Lacrosse girls win despite sendings off Birmingham 2nds

Oxford Brookes 1sts

Aoife O'Connor Sports reporter

Birmingham women's lacrosse 2nds took on Oxford Brookes 1sts at Metchley on Wednesday. After a record of one win against Nottingham 2nds and three tough losses to Cambridge 2nds, Warwick 1sts and Oxford 2nds, Birmingham were keen to lift their position in the league table this week. Birmingham, who currently stand at 4th in the league, went into the game with a confident mindset against Oxford Brookes, who were bottom of their league with no

Matthew Williamson

previous wins under their belt. As the game commenced Oxford Brookes were quick on the ball scoring two goals within the first five minutes, however, after Birmingham had sussed out their opposition the hustle got underway. With several fantastic draws from Birmingham centre, Rachel Smart, and strong defense Oxford Brookes only managed to score one more goal in the first half. Birmingham upped their attacking game and scored consecutive goals to win the first half 7-3, with spectacular goals from attackers Charlotte Baker,

"After Birmingham had sussed out their opposition the hustle got underway." Rachel Smart, Holly Phelps, Elsa Walsh and Helen Bithrey. The second half began in a similar style

to the first, with Birmingham buoyed by their first half display. However they faltered slightly as their opposition came out strongly, again adding three quick goals within the first five minutes of the half. After a swift re-evaluation from the home side’s defense the game became incredibly intense. Birmingham were still leading, but Oxford Brookes constantly fought back. A set back arose for Brum in the second half when two of their players were sent off for dangerous head tackles. Now two men down the away team really had the upper hand and began to exert serious pressure on Birmingham’s defense. With great teamwork and communication from Birmingham they managed to stand their ground at and eventually triumphed with a 14-10 win. Oxford Brookes fought well against their opponents, but faded in the latter part of both halves. It was at these points where Birmingham showed their true colours,

"It was such a good game and hopefully we will be able to continue this form with another win next week" working calmly as a team, scoring the goals which ultimately decided the game. Five goals were scored by captain Helen Bithrey which also included a spectacular mud slide. After the game she commented on the success of the team: ‘Everyone played really well together as a team. It was such a good game and hopefully we will be able to continue this form with another win next week!’ Birmingham 2nds are at home to Cambridge 2nds next week who they will be looking to beat after they narrowly lost to them in the first game of the season.

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/sport

Sport

Sport View BT Challenge Sky Monopoly After BT Sport won exclusive rights to the Champions League from 2015, Felix Keith argues that this is just another step towards financial disparity and the alienation of football fans. Felix Keith Sport Editor

@felixkeith

There is far too much money in football. This has been apparent for a long time now, but BT Sport’s recent announcement of a £897m three-year deal to broadcast live Champions League and Europa League football matches is simply ludicrous. The broadcaster has won the rights to show all 350 fixtures each season from 2015 after offering Uefa a ridiculous amount of money in the first round of bidding. Sky were priced out of the market, and claimed that ‘BT chose to pay far in excess of our evaluation’. A BT spokesman said it had ‘shaken up the UK TV market’, but in reality all it has done is moved an already financially burgeoning sport another step away from fans. The deal shows just how valuable the top echelons of football are. The big wigs at Uefa, the participating clubs, players and agents are set to see even greater profits in the coming years, which will make Champions League qualification even more sought after.

"All it has done is moved an already financially burgeoning sport another step away from fans" BT will be paying £299m a season, more than double the current arrangement with Sky and ITV. This will no doubt mean even more outrageous sums of money for the clubs competing in the two European competitions. At the moment each of the 32 teams in the group phase of the Champions League receives £7m just for qualifying and nearly £400,000 for every match played in the group stages. This landmark deal looks certain to widen the gap between the top Premier League clubs and the rest. Whereas the income from the Premier League is shared out among all 20 teams, money earned from the Champions League goes directly to the competing clubs. For example Champions League holders Bayern Munich collected a whopping £47.3m in prize money and TV income last season. The wealth gap will only solidify the positions of the big clubs and cut adrift the challengers. Even more than is the current case, clubs in the Champions League will be able to pay bigger transfer fees, attract better players and pay bigger wages. This BT Sport deal makes the incoming financial fair play rules look even more unattainable. There have also been concerns that the increasing pressure to reach the top four will push managers to look at ready-made foreign imports, rather than giving English talent a chance. Already the number of home grown under-21 players in the Premier League has reached an alltime low. In light of these problems and the upcoming changes to European football caused in part by the BT deal, the Professional Footballers Association has voiced the idea of making it compulsory to field three home grown players in every game. At the beginning of the year many welcomed the challenge to Sky’s dominance of

the UK sport market, but it seems all the increased competition is doing is driving financial disparity, inflating prices and alienating fans. Earlier this year BT spent £738m to show a meagre 38 live Premier League matches a season over the next three years. Since then it has struggled to attract decent viewing figures. This move has hardly challenged Sky’s hegemony of the market and is likely only to drive the prices up further when the bidding war for the next set of rights begins. What about the paying customers? Well, if you already have BT broadband there is a

"The wealth gap will only solidify the positions of the big clubs and cut adrift the challengers"

minor crumb of comfort as they will have to show at least one match involving an English team for free every season. Similarly the contract stipulates that the finals of each competition will be free to air. However if you wanted to follow both the Premier League and the top European football competitions, from 2015 you will have to buy both Sky Sports and BT Sport. This is simply not viable for most everyday football fans. Since the launch of the Champions League in 1992 ITV has been the free to air broadcaster on UK TV screens. While there are many bugbears about its output, (Adrian Chiles, Roy Keane, corporate nonsense and badly-timed adverts to name but a few), it has been a stalwart of terrestrial TV, watched by millions. They have brought us amazing games, drama and all the rest of it for free. From 2015 live streaming of the Champions League, perhaps even on a BT internet connection, is likely to become the answer for

many football fans. I will certainly miss the

"Everyone inside the football bubble stands to gain from the out of control nature of the finances in football except the fans" mild irritations of Chiles and co. Of course, BT Sport is not solely to blame – this is just the most recent manifestation of a wider problem in football. Everyone inside the football bubble stands to gain from the out of control nature of the finances in football except the fans. Football is becoming even more profitable and the problems are only likely to increase as time goes on and more money is pumped in.

15th - 21st November 2013

redbrick.me/sport

Things to look out for this weekend

2. England will look to continue their winning ways in the autumn internationals as they take on New Zealand this weekend. Can they follow up wins against Australia and Argentina with victory against the number one side in the world? 3. The rugby league World Cup reaches crunch time this weekend. England take on France and will be going all out for a win to secure a semi final berth.

Performance of the week

Tweet of the week

1. England step up their preparations for the 2014 World Cup this week, as they take on Chile and Germany in friendlies. Will new boys Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez force their way into Roy Hodgson's selection plans?

@jonathanliew 'A gulf is developing in the Premier League, between the haves and the 'have-not-played-Fulham-yets.'

Photo of the week

The lighter side of sport

Southampton continued their excellent form in the Premier League securing another three points with a 4-1 win over Hull. The win saw Saints climb to third in the table, with manager Mauricio Pochettino claiming "nothing" could stop their rise to the top. The south coast side's continued success has seen key players Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez rewarded with their first England call ups.

Weekend wager

1. Three Chile youngsters were subjected to a hair-raising initiation this week ahead of their friendly with England at Wembley. Team mate Gary Medel tweeted a picture of the players after their hair had been attacked by team mates with clippers.

10/3 Portugal host Sweden on Friday night in a World Cup qualifier play-off. Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are both in amazing form and look odds on to find the net for their respective countries.

2. Harlem Globetrotter star Bull Bullard paid the penalty for show boating this week as he took part in an exhibition match in Honduras. Finishing off a fancy move, Bullard pulled down the basket and backboard, shattering the glass. Fortunately the basketballer escaped any serious injury.

Sport quiz Matthew Jenkins

Online this week

1. How many times was Matt Le Tissier capped by England? 2. How many races has Sebastian Vettel won this season in formula one? 3. Who has won the ATP tour finals the most times? 4. Who has more test runs for England Alastair Cook or Kevin Pietersen?

ATP finals review: Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in the men's final this week. Tom Dodd reviews the competition.

Sebastian Vettel Nicola Kenton: history is Seb Vettel's only obstacle in reaching Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in a season.

5. Who is the British and Irish Lions top points scorer in test matches? 1.Eight 2.Eleven 3. Roger Federer 4.Kevin Pietersen 5.Jonny Wilkinson

Top 5: After Phil Jones' comment on Manchester United being a 'hated' team, we look at the top 5 most hated sporting teams of all time.

The Redbrick Crossword

This week's prize is a rare copy of the illustrious and currently undistributed Selly Oak Society magazine signed by the Editor Ashley Kirk.

Crossword by Matt Robinson

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redbrick.me/sport

15th - 21st November 2013

Sport

P30 - Felix Keith looks at problems caused by BT Sport's winning of the Champions League rights from 2015.

Fantastic forwards set platform for ruthless Brum Birmingham 1sts York 1sts

49 5

Felix Keith & David Morris Sports Editors

The University of Birmingham men’s 1sts rugby team continued their perfect start to the season with a 49-5 win over York 1sts. In a game dominated by set pieces, the home side’s pack set the platform for a comfortable home win. They led 20-0 at half time before a late flurry of tries gave the scoreline the gloss it deserved. The team kicked off and immediately put pressure on the opposition's defence. After only two minutes they won a penalty in front of the posts that was dispatched by Dan Wood. Soon after it became apparent that the away side’s scrum could not stand up to the power of Brum’s front eight. The first fifteen minutes were one-way traffic with York unable to get out of their own half, due in part to poor kicking from their fly-half. Another penalty conceded in the twenty-two was kicked by Wood to give Birmingham a six-point lead. Birmingham’s dominance of the set piece led to another chance soon after as

"After only two minutes they won a penalty in front of the posts" they turned the screw in the scrum. Tom Vooght came out with the ball and set up winger Andy Matthews down the blindside, but he fell just short of the line. The relentless pressure was rewarded with points 25 minutes in. The front row of Ben Brandfield, Lewis Bevan-Hook and Sam Dowell-Bennett forced a penalty try when York continually failed in the scrum. A few minutes before half time and with York still not having left their own half, another try came for the hosts. A huge push

"In a game dominated by set pieces, the home side's pack set the platform for a comfortable home win." caused a turnover in the scrum and the ball was shipped out wide for Osian Davies to finish. Again the points were added by Wood to leave Birmingham 20-0 up at half time.

Meurig Gallagher

York tried to get on the scoreboard in the first minute of the second period, but again a poor kick from the fly-half meant they could not break their duck. Forward Vooght was fantastic in the loose, breaking the line every time he was given the ball and setting up a chance with a rip from the hapless York winger. Another Wood penalty kept the scoreboard ticking. Soon after Matthews broke the line again, the ball was picked up quickly by Alastair Trace, who finished under the posts. Play became more fragmented, with line outs particularly prevalent, with both teams preferring to kick for touch rather than go through the phases. However Birmingham did not ease off the throttle. Matthews came in off his wing

to power through the York defence again before Wood picked up the pieces to score, making the score 37-0, after he had converted. Matthews was unlucky not to score himself, something which would have capped a fine performance. The home side’s

"Matthews came in off his wing to power through the York defence again" backs were getting more and more room to maneuver and a lovely step from centre Robbie Keith allowed him to slide under the posts for another try. Again, Wood’s kicking was faultless, leaving the score 44-0.

York did not leave empty-handed though. With five minutes to go, a break down the left wing was just finished in the corner by their winger to provide a consolation. Brum were not finished yet though; in the last minute powerful running from the backs set up Keith to score his second and his team’s sixth try. Wood missed out on his 100% record with the last kick off the game, just missing the conversion to leave the final score at 49-5. This win leaves Birmingham top of the table with five wins out of five and a huge goal difference, just ahead of rivals Nottingham Trent and Durham. Birmingham will travel to bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Hallam next week looking to continue their great form.