Redbrick
21st March - 8th May 2014
Est. 1936
Vol. 78. Issue 1448. www.redbrick.me
Spate of Armed Robberies Hits Selly Oak Pages 6 - 7
Five males aged 15-17 arrested over robberies Attackers threaten students with machetes Police insist 'normality will return'
Charlie Moloney on Crohn's & Colitis UK
Vafa Motamedi explores the genious of Terry Gilliam
Amar Desai reviews Metronomy's Love Letters
Beth Carney on the goodness of Candy Crush addiction
Comment / Page 10
Film / Page 18
Music / Page 24
Sci&Tech / Page 23
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21st March- 8th May 2014
News Tweet of the Week
Sons of Pitches @thebhamsons
'9 days until we fly to Hong Kong and 2 days until our debut album is finally available in hardcopy. Put in your walkman and get groovy'
Society Spotlight
UoB TeaSoc Tea Society is a way for people who enjoy drinking tea to meet up at 1-3 in the Amos room, Guild of Students every Friday. Six teapots will be provided at every meeting (including Earl Grey and English Breakfast). The society focuses on the culture and social benefits of drinking tea. Contact details: Email- tea@guild.bham.ac.uk Facebook- Tea Society, University of Birmingham Twitter- @Tea_Society
Online in Redbrick News
The Guild Awards...
This week online, Redbrick reviews what happened at this year's vintage-inspired Guild awards and which societies took home awards.
The Trojan Horse Document
Yes 70%
Redbrick reveals the controversy surronding an alleged plot to take over Birmingham schools.
Photo of the Week: 'Deadline's looming' Charlotte Wilson & Anna Kirk
Redbrick Editorial Team Editor Josh Holder editor@redbrick.me Deputy Editors Charley Ross James Phillips deputy@redbrick.me
News Editors Tara Dein Adam Rowe Sabrina Dougall Vanessa Browne Vedika Bahl news@redbrick.me
Digital Editor Ashley Kirk digital@redbrick.me
Comment Editors Julia Bayer Charlie Moloney Jonathan Simpson
Editor-Elect James Phillips
comment@redbrick.me
Deputy-Elects Adam Rowe George Bearman Digital-Elect Julia Yan Senior Editorial Assistant Isabel Mason
Life&Style Editors Marianne Lampon Victoria Haworth Alexandra Landes lifestyle@redbrick.me Travel Editors Hannah Stevens Elizabeth Waind Tamara Silver Jessica Flanagan travel@redbrick.me
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Sci&Tech Editors Soumya Perinparajah Claire Harris George Bearman technology@redbrick.me
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21st March - 8th May 2014
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Construction of new library and sports centre begins Lucy Moseley News Reporter
@L_Moseley
The University of Birmingham has commenced a project to build a new library and sports centre. The £175m transformation aims to bring the current facilities up to date, by ‘embracing new and emerging technologies for an enhanced user experience’. These amenities will include the only 50m swimming pool in Birmingham and ‘outstanding facilities’ in the library to meet staff and students’ 21st century needs. The 5-year investment is aiming to ‘focus on facilities that will benefit the community as well as staff and students’, according to the University’s Director of Estates Ian Barker. He added ‘our plans also envisage a reduction in the university’s environmental impact and carbon footprint’. Work has now commenced on the new sports centre at the site where South Car
Park and the old Gun Barrels building is. It is anticipated that it will cater for around 3,000 community and alumni members, as well as community clubs and groups, and is predicted to be finished by September 2015. As well as the swimming pool, the sports centre will feature an arena sports hall with seating for up to 900 spectators, 6 squash courts, 6 activity rooms for the 200 fitness classes that will be on offer, and a 225 station gym. Zena Wooldridge, Director of Sport, described the new facility as a ‘gamechanger’. She also indicated its potential for the Olympics, describing the future centre as ‘a perfect base to train and develop future Olympians’. According to the University, ‘the existing library is no longer suitable in terms of its function and condition’. This
"The existing library is no longer suitable in terms of its function and condition"
UOB researches pioneer neo-natal disability treatment Ella Cohen News Reporter
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have carried out pioneering treatment to reduce the number of babies born with disabilities as a result of twinto-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The syndrome, which currently affects around 10% of pregnancies of identical twins, is a disease of the placenta, resulting in uneven distribution of nutrients provided by the placental blood vessels. This results in uneven growth of the foetuses, potential premature delivery and in the most extreme cases, the death of one or both of the twins. The new treatment has been developed in collaboration with teams across Europe and uses a new laser technique called the ‘Solomon method’, which has been shown to reduce both the reoccur-
rence of TTTS in future pregnancies and the disabilities that often result from the condition. Indeed, only 1% of the 137 women who were treated with the new technique suffered a recurrence of the TTTS, compared to 7% of the 135 women who were treated with the more conventional laser treatment. Although, the number of babies who died from the condition was similar in the use of the Solomon method and more conventional laser treatments. The Solomon technique will now become standard clinical practice. Prof Mark Kilby, Professor of Fetal Medicine in the University’s College of Medical and Dental Science and Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health and director of the Fetal Medicine Centre at Birmingham Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, called the development of the Solomon method a ‘major step forward in the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome’.
relates to issues, such as the lack of plug sockets and their distance from workspaces, which obviously was not taken into account when the library was first built. Many students would agree that the library is in need of a revamp, but work is not due to start until 2016. Plans include a ‘Cultural Gateway’; an exhibition space and café featuring a programme of exhibitions and displays. Forming the site of the new library requires the demolition of the existing athletics track, an electricity substation and a small store. The existing library will then be demolished, with the area covered by grass, creating a major new open space. When the plans to knock down the library and replace it with a modern building were announced, over 400 students joined a petition to save the university’s redbrick image. However, these plans are said to be a return to founder Joseph Chamberlain’s original vision for the estate. Demolishing the library is part of ‘The
Green Heart Landscape Project’, which aims to ‘respond to the heritage of the
"Facilities that will benefit the community as well as staff and students" campus’ and ‘create an impressive and delightful landscaped space as a focus for the whole campus’. This project will also allow the improvement of pedestrian routes through the centre of campus. In the pictures below you can see the current vision of campus from Pritchatts Road, and the futuristic image once the library has been demolished, to provide ‘a varied and beautiful landscaped space.’ This plan follows from the original Aston Webb plan of the 1900s, but the current library ‘has blocked this axis and decimated the avenue of trees that lined the approach, leaving the listed gates and lodges without a purpose, and the new master plan seeks to address this issue’.
Birmingham doctor charged with multiple sex assaults Tara Dein News Editor
The case of a doctor, who practiced at the priory hospital in Edgbaston and was accused of 11 charges of sexual assault in November last year, has been adjourned. The crimes against Nafees Hamid span across two years, allegedly taking place between January 2011 and June 2013.
"Nafees Hamid remains suspended from the hospital" The doctor was arrested by West Midland Police Public Protection Unit, following an allegation by a patient of inappropriate behavior during an examination. There were a further 11 charges subsequent to this. The 50 year old neuro and spinal surgeon was employed by the University
Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, who conducted an internal investigation following allegations. The outcome of these findings will remain unseen until the result of the criminal proceedings. In November BMI healthcare stated that they could not comment any further and urged any other patients who have been assaulted to come forward. Until the outcome of the trial, Nafees Hamid remains suspended from the hospital and on conditional bail. In the initial court proceedings, it was anticipated that the doctor would plead guilty to all charges. However, prosecutors said more time was needed to prepare, and a three week adjournment period was granted. He will appear back in court for a plea and case management hearing. Last year, Nafees Hamid became the first surgeon in the UK to carry out minimally invasive lumbar spine fusion surgery, allowing doctors to insert screws and rods to stabilize the spine.
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21st March - 8th May 2014
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News
Five arrests made as spate of armed robberies hits Selly Oak Sabrina Dougall News Editor
Josh Holder Editor
@Sabrina_Dougall
@Josh_H
Police have urged the community to stay calm after Selly Oak sees spike in armed attacks. The statement comes after seven students were attacked in their home on Tiverton Road by armed robbers on 26th Feb. A further eight students were threatened by armed robbers on Bournbrook Road as they walked home on the evening of 14th March. Police believe these attacks are connected. Police have announced that five men were arrested last weekend on suspicion of robbery. Four have been bailed, and one has been charged, awaiting trial in July. Police would not confirm if these arrests were con-
"People are going to feel they can't live their lives normally" nected to the armed robbery on Bournbrook or Tiverton. They did, however, confirm that the men were all between the ages of 15 and 17, and that one witness described being threatened by ‘a knife contained in a sock.’ At this month’s Police Tasking Meeting, open to all members of the local community, Sergeant Simon Williams was quick to give assurance that students need not feel unsafe, but should be aware of their potential vulnerability if walking home at night. A third year Geology student suffered an attempted mugging last Sunday night on Bournbrook road by four men who rushed at him from a car. The student told Redbrick, ‘I knew I was about to get battered’ and described feeling ‘terror’ as the attack took place without warning. He has urged stu-
dents to try and avoid taking a laptop out when walking late at night, and instead back up work onto a USB. Sgt Williams said that the recent spike in robberies and burglaries is a ‘blip’, and police are working hard to ensure the attacks do not continue. Williams is confident they have arrested some of the main offenders, but went on to say that not all the attackers
"Total recorded crime is down by 11% in Selly Oak" have been caught. It is believed that due to the library opening 24 hours, students are more likely to put themselves at risk by walking home alone late at night. Redbrick spoke to one of the victims of a mugging which took place last Friday 14th March. She told Redbrick ‘I still feel insecure living in Selly Oak. I basically just hate living here now and feel really paranoid’. Another member of the group told us that they ‘wouldn’t ever leave the house in the evening on [his] own now’. A second year law student who lives on Croydon Road, just off Bournbrook Road, said, 'We're always warned about being safe on campus, but after these attacks, it's all become a lot more real.' Despite assurances, many in the area do not feel safe walking through the neighbourhood. One student commented that there is ‘a real sense of fear’ in Selly Oak neighbourhood. He added, ‘If I didn’t have a car at uni, I wouldn’t be able to go to the library at night.’ Local councillor for Selly Oak, Karen McCarthy, said, ‘It’s quite natural that people are going to feel they can’t live their lives normally. We need to know this is sorted.’ Police are keen to stress that total recorded crime is down by 11% this February. They add that there were just 8 burglaries in February, which is a reduction of 65% compared with the same month in 2013. There
Millie Guy have been 4 burglaries in March so far, which is a 53% decrease since this time last year. A proportion of students believe that their personal safety has not been significantly compromised despite the recent crimes. A first year Economics & International Relations student commented, 'I don't feel any less safe walking through Selly Oak than I did before. It is what's worrying, but I still wouldn't have second thoughts about walking home alone.' Recently, burglaries have been taking place most often between the hours of 1-5am
on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights in the Selly Oak area. In response to this, police presence has been increased during these peak times. In addition to this, Community Wardens from the University of Birmingham continue to jointly patrol the Selly Oak area twice a month in order to help reduce crime. A third year Business student, who is also a Community Warden, told Redbrick, ‘It’s concerning, but it’s just about keeping people aware. Students should be careful to walk in groups, not have their headphones in, and report anything to 101 or 999’.
Should students feel vulnerable in Selly Oak? Spate of armed muggings in Selly Oak Seven students attacked in their home on Tiverton Road 20 robberies in two weeks in Bournbrook area Attempted mugging of students on campus
21st March - 8th May 2014
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Freddie Herzog
Editor Josh Holder and News Editor Sabrina Dougall speak with four victims of the Tiverton Road robbery How were you feeling when the attack took place?
How do you feel now about walking home at night?
We were hysterical and in tears for ages. Everyone was in shock. We can’t even believe it happened.
We don’t feel safe, even when walking with people. It's horrible. We haven’t walked home on our own since.
What else do you think could be done to increase student safety? It’s quite dark by the crossing near Victoria Halls, so more lighting could be put there. The University could provide more information for student safety. We’ve also learned to lock our bedroom door whilst sleeping.
What support have you received from the University? We were visited by Jethro Lee, Vice President of Welfare. The Guild offered to change our locks for us. The police were also great, and helped to calm us down.
What are the police doing? The University itself falls under the patrol of Edgbaston police. However, Selly Oak police continue to work with the Bournbrook Community Safety Project and Birmingham City Safety Partnership to help crack down on crime in the area. Selly Oak police are intending to collaborate with the University of Cambridge to develop the use of body-worn cameras in the force. The technology, which is popular amongst US police teams, involves attaching a discreet video and sound recording device to the uniform of an officer to better monitor
What are the Guild doing? Community Wardens from the Guild of Students continue to regularly patrol the streets of Selly Oak alongside members of the police force. Community Wardens have also been offering self-defence classes for £3 at the Guild of Students on campus. Jethro Lee, Vice President of Welfare, is working closely with Selly Oak Police, as well as meeting with affected students to provide support.
police encounters with the public. Research from California found a 50% reduction in the use of force by officers and a 90% decrease in complaints when police were equipped with body-worn cameras. The police also told Redbrick that in the late 90s, Bournbrook Road was known as one of the most burgled in the West Midlands. At that time, secure gating was purchased to better protect the area from burglaries. Selly Oak police have now raised £8000 to replace this worn gating. They are looking to raise a further £1000 to invest in this area.
Who should you contact? •
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In an emergency always call 999 If you are on campus, you can also call Campus Security on 0121 414 4444 If you have any information about the recent attacks or notice anything suspicious call 101 You can talk to the Campus Liaison Officer of West Midlands Police in their office in University Centre every Wednesday between 12pm and 3pm You can visit the university's 3 Elms Road or the Guild of Students' ARC for support if affected
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21st March - 8th May 2014
News
Selly Oak regeneration plan could provide more student housing 43 acres in Selly Oak is on the market, providing the opportunity for investors to build 650 houses. Lucy Moseley
News Reporter @L_Moseley The area where the former Selly Oak Hospital was situated is now up for sale. The 43-acre site was decommissioned following the opening of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2010. The demolition of nonheritage buildings is already underway and planning consent has already been granted to build 650 houses, as well as retail and employment purposes. Following the student housing crisis at the beginning of the year, when the university was unable to provide enough halls of residence to first years, it seems that new housing in Selly Oak could be a solution to this problem. As a consequence of the fact that many first years had to find private accommodation along with the widespread increase in popularity of Selly Oak houses, there was scope for landlords to take advantage by increasing house prices. The construction of more housing would mean more power and greater choice for students with a focus on ensuring higher quality housing. Waheed Nazir, Director of Planning & Regeneration at Birmingham City Council, said, 'there is excitement that this opportu-
nity is going to deliver all that is best in quality house building, design and sustainability, reaffirming Birmingham as being at the forefront of housing choice.' The director of Projects at UHB NHS Foundation Trust, Morag Jackson, affirmed, with regard to the hospital site, 'the hospital is very much part of the local community and we are confident that the appropriate disposal of the retained estate will bring
"the university was unable to provide enough halls of residence to first years" great benefits to the immediate and wider economy. Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested into patient care to ensure everyone – now and in the future – benefits from this historic site.' The renovation of Selly Oak has been announced shortly after development intentions for Curzon Street Station were revealed, which also includes plans to build 2,000 new homes and transform the areas of Digbeth and Eastside.
Sam Tunnicliffe
Student Safety website launched by West Midlands Police New website created to help 200,000 West Midlands students with all aspects of student safety Lucy Moseley News Reporter
@L_Moseley
A new website, known as ‘Safer Students’ has been launched by the West Midlands Police providing safety information and points of contact for local police officers. The site reaches out to university students who are living in both halls of residence and private accommodation, offering everything from travel advice to guidance on hate crime and sexual assaults. With over 200,000 students in the West Midlands, the aim of the website is to offer advice on personal safety through short videos, useful information, blogs, and tweets. It introduces students to their local officers, providing a photo, contact details and a brief personal bio.
Helen Thompson, Territorial Communications Manager for West Midlands Police, stated, ‘we are also keen to get the message across that we want students to get involved with the content of the site, creating their own content using whatever
"to offer advice on personal safety through short videos, useful information, blogs, and tweets" formats they choose i.e. blogs, video, audio, social media etc.’ Sergeant Andy Gregory, force lead for crime prevention, said, ‘I cannot emphasise enough how important it is for us to get our
messages out to them in order to help them stay safe. Students are often quite vulnerable, living away from home for the first time, often in unfamiliar surroundings. ‘We are committed to doing all we can to keep them safe and this website is at the heart of that. We have kept the information short and direct, so it’s easy to digest and we are also looking at getting as much studentgenerated content as possible on to the new site. ‘We want this site to be the first place students go to if they need advice. The contact details for all the university officers are on there, so students can contact their local officer directly if they have a specific question or something which is worrying them.’ The Safer Students Twitter page currently updates their 2,000 followers daily, in an attempt to promote events and drop-in
sessions with the officers, as well as to offer advice. One student commented that, ‘using social media is the best way for the police to communicate with students. Seeing their profiles and pictures online makes police officers seem much more approachable. They [police officers] are more often seen as people you want to avoid contact with rather than people who are there to help you, but these drop-in sessions and the new website seem to be changing that perception.’ Andrew Smith is the assigned officer for the University of Birmingham and holds a weekly drop-in session for students every Wednesday in the Police Room at the University Centre from 12pm till 3pm. For more information visit the website: http://saferstudents.west-midlands.police. uk/
'Way Out and Exit? Britain and the EU' talk at UoB Education Correspondent Duncan Kenyon attends a deabte by the politics department on Britain and the EU Duncan Kenyon News Reporter
@DuncanKenyon1
Last Wednesday, the University of Birmingham’s Politics department held a roundtable, entitled ‘Way Out and Exit? Britain and the EU’, which focused on Britain’s membership of the European Union. Guests and home lecturers were invited to talk to talk at the event. The discussion focused on Britain’s membership in the EU, which has become a very controversial political topic in the last several years. The topics discussed were largely to do with the Conservative Party and their relationship with the EU, the Labour Party’s position on the EU and current EU issues in general.
Following this, there was an hour long Q&A session where students and guests could ask the panel questions. Professor Tim Bale, guest lecturer from Queen Mary, University of London, spoke about the Conservatives. Professor Bale is most famous for his work ‘The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron’. He began with an outline of the European project and Conservative reaction to it, and ended by talking about David Cameron and the Conservative outlook toward the EU now. University of Birmingham lecturer Dr. Isabelle Hertner then spoke about the Labour Party and the EU. She focused on Ed Miliband’s position toward Europe, and his
recent speech regarding the matter. This moved swiftly on to University of Birmingham Professor Tim Haughton and University of Aston, Dr. Nathanial Copsey discussing the controversies surrounding the EU. Issues spoken about included the ‘Clegg vs. Farage’ TV debate in April 2014, the rise of UKIP and the Conservative’s 2017 ‘in/ out’ referendum pledge. Questions were asked five at a time, with each panellist answering each question in turn, largely about the Conservative position on the European Union past, present and future. Overall, the discussion lasted an hour and a half and feedback from students deemed that it was ‘extremely informative’.
Charlotte Wilson
21st March - 8th May 2014
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Lamenting the Loss of a Left Wing Legend George Reeves Commentator
I was saddened to hear of the death of the former cabinet minister and Labour MP Tony Benn last week. Although Benn had been very ill for a long time and was 88 years old, his death was still a shock, and leaves British politics without one of its greatest and most dignified figures. For that is what Tony Benn was; a man of great intellect and principle who stood up for what he believed in, and put those causes ahead of his own ambition and desire for power. He would never have been caught out fiddling his expenses or lobbying for big business, but instead embodied integrity and honesty. I am saying these things, not as an ardent Bennite, but in fact as someone who opposed almost everything that Tony Benn stood for. But that is what made him so special and so unique in British politics, for you didn’t have to subscribe to his hard-left political philosophy in order to respect him and appreciate his presence in the world of politics. In an age of superficiality where politicians increasingly have little substance or principle, Benn was unashamed of his beliefs. They weren’t always popular, and indeed he was vilified by the mainstream press during the 1980s as a communist sympathiser who sought to hijack the
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Labour Party and implement a hardline form of socialism. But however misguided I and many others may believe his principles to have been, I would defy anyone to not hold at least a degree of grudging respect for the man who gave up his title and prestige in order to serve the people. Throughout his life, Benn was devoted to political activism; indeed, he famously stated that his resignation as an MP in 2001 was so that he could spend more time on politics. He served as President of the Stop the War Coalition from its creation in 2001 until his death, spoke at rallies and marches, and published his hugely popular diaries. He never rested from campaigning for the causes he believed in, and provided the world of British politics with an honourable and impressive statesman. He never compromised his positions or made any apologies for the way he was perceived, and that may indeed be the reason why he never led either his party or his country. He was indeed too left wing to ever be Labour leader, reaching the peak of his prominence whilst the party was starting its long journey towards the political centre, but that didn’t stop him from being a household name, arguably more so than James Callaghan, Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock, the men who did lead Labour through the Thatcher years. Tony Benn may have now gone, but he will be long remembered as one of Britain’s greatest politicians.
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We cordially invite you to celebrate the end of year in style at the Guild’s Grad Ball 2014. sold online. Tickets for VIP (dinner) go on sale from 12pm on 2pm at guildofstudents.com.
Saturday 3rd May
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email at
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Select ‘Check Out’ and pay (Please note tickets will be held in your cart for a maximum of 5 minutes before being released).
guildofstudents.com/gradballtickets and click ‘Book Now’
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Select the quantity of tickets you wish to purchase.
Print your e-ticket and exchange at the Guild for a Grad Ball entry ticket – dates/times for ticket exchange to be announced soon. Please bring your student ID. Only purchasers can exchange tickets.
Look out for further information at guildofstudents.com/gradball2014
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21st March - 8th May 2014
Comment
Popularising the Protest Movement Peter Haggett Commentator
In a 24th February article, Alexander Blanchard raised a variety of interesting points about the recent student protests on campus. Most of all for me, his argument that the 'on-looking student majority is in fact already the latent ally of the minority' was well presented and, arguably, entirely correct. That the majority of commenters seem to hold no issue with Defend Education’s demands, but instead take varying levels of umbrage with the methods that they deploy in seeking to affect them is testament to this. Of course, a reasonable number (I lament that I can’t be more specific with an estimate) disagree entirely, but I can’t imagine that this group are going to be enthusiastic about wildly changing their stance and joining protests on campus. But then again, the challenge is out there for them to offer a counterdemonstration. This refreshing addition to current discourse is something that I hope will prove to be useful for all concerned, but it does begin to pose an interesting question – perhaps one that should have ended the original article. If this mass silence can indeed be characterised as latent support, then how might the student protest movement begin to capitalise on this and bring people on side? Or indeed, is the student movement willing to do such a thing in pursuit of actually attaining measurable results to its demands? It would seem that their current efforts, while certainly gaining widespread attention, have only resulted in
many of their number being placed on the path to expulsion from the university. As a result, it’s not too much of a stretch to argue that other methods should be welcomed. Currently, those who form the ranks of the ‘200’ (or thereabouts) are most certainly a fringe element of the student body in every sense, not just numerically. To have seen their presence on campus was to see the very image of rebellion, anger and contempt for the powers that be - after all, they are a counter movement. One must assume that this image is deliberate; a Guy Fawkes mask is not common apparel and is now intrinsically associated with the ‘Anonymous’ movement. So too was the decision by many to cover their faces with other pieces of apparel while waving placards with Frantz Fanon references on them (the best I could figure out was that this served as reference to violent struggle and engaging the lumpenproletariat). While of course this brought attention to the various issues at hand, it has proven to be more of a hindrance to things than anything else in many ways, not least in engaging with the more moderate majority of the student body. These elements notwithstanding, the legitimacy of the cause is something that has the potential to bring a far higher proportion of the student body into the group – and how can that be a bad thing when only 5,357 people voted in Guild elections out of a possible 27,604 (2011/12 data). Blanchard is right in his assertion that political movements don’t tend to start out with a majority following, and it’s among small groups of people that some of the best political ideas find their
incubation and where big leaps forward in social equality can find a footing. But, the October Revolution aside, these groups need to gain a critical mass to bring a sheer weight of numbers behind their campaign to get out of the periphery. Previously, I reflected that that virulent anti-movements are unlikely to abandon their views to ‘join the cause’, I suppose a pertinent consideration at this point is whether Defend Education are similarly unlikely to abandon their current guise. My postulations
"Hattie Craig debating David Eastwood... that's something I would pay to see" are all well and good, but I am not a player in this organisation, and nor do I know the current state of their internal dialogues. So ultimately, only time will tell if the Birmingham protest movement wants to popularise itself of not - or for that matter, whether popularising itself will be a good thing for the cause. What I do know is that after the short bursts of excitement and debate that followed the campus protest things have largely gone dark from both sides. As Hattie Craig becomes largely unbound from her Guild duties in September she can become the leader that drives this growth of the Birmingham 200, hopefully even affecting some real change. I’ll leave you with a final thought: Hattie Craig debating David Eastwood in the Great Hall – that’s something I would pay to see.
Sustainability Issues Require Local Level Solutions Max Lempriere Commentator
Sustainable construction is a hot-topic in environmental circles. Last week the government announced the outcome of its Housing Standards Review, a radical rethink of the regulation of housing development that has serious implications for the future provision of sustainable buildings. It is a serious blow to the future likelihood that houses will be built sustainably. When it comes to the provision of sustainable, energy efficient housing there are currently two sets of requirements that developers must adhere to. On the one hand national building regulations outline standards that apply across the board. These are generally seen as being weak from a sustainability perspective and focus heavily on the carbon emissions of a building, at the expense of other sustainability principles such as renewable energy generation, thermal efficiency and water use.
"The 2006 target that all new homes in 2016 must be 'zero carbon' was meant to be enforced through a series of reforms" The 2006 target that all new homes in
2016 must be ‘zero-carbon’ was meant to be enforced through a series of reforms to these regulations to require higher and higher carbon emissions reductions. However this progression has been beset by delays and by quarrels over precisely what zero-carbon means and to what types of development it should apply. If one was to evaluate the commitment of government to achieving sustainability in construction then, on the basis of what we have seen, we would be forced to conclude that a lot is left to be desired. On the other hand though there are provisions for local authorities to adopt their own local standards that require sustainability levels in excess of those in building regulations. Although this power has been embraced only by a few local authorities this is significant from a sustainability perspective. These higher standards require a far broader set of criteria to be met and look beyond just carbon emissions. This legislative autonomy, where it has been embraced, has allowed for the construction of highly sustainable buildings. However, the most important outcome of the Housing Standards Review is that this autonomy to set local standards is to be revoked in favour of a progressive reform of the national building regulations. No longer will pioneering green local authorities be able to demand more of developers. What should we make of this decision? Well, it may seem like good news. After all only a handful of local authorities actually embraced the autonomy provided to them and imposed higher standards. And, what’s more, existing central regulations are weak and poorly defined. Any attempt to
increase the stringency of central regulations and require more widespread compliance should surely therefore be welcome from a sustainability perspective? Alas no. We have already seen that central government has a poor record of following through on its promises in this issue area, and has a track record of pandering to the demands of housing developers who,
"Local, bottom-up solutions provide meaningful change that strike a far better balence between business interests, civic need and environmental protection" unsurprisingly, resent all forms of regulation. Developers are aware of the political sensitivity of housing, and have long pushed the argument that green regulations decrease viability and thus affect output. The argument goes that we can have either a sufficient number of new houses to meet demand or increasingly sustainable housing. We can’t have both. So far this logic has won. But, the experience of a number of local authorities shows that this is an unrealistic assumption. In these cases not only are record numbers of houses being built, but those houses are being built according to some of the highest sustainability standards available in the industry.
However, the political clout and resourcefulness of national developers means that they have the ear of central decision makers. Given this clout, we can be sure, even though we don’t know the precise details of the type of requirements that are going to be incorporated into national building regulations, that any future sustainable regulations are not going to be as stringent as those currently available to local authorities. If our history of sustainable development has shown us anything it is that top-down command and control, for whatever reason, produces sub-optimal, unsustainable outcomes and that local, bottom-up solutions provide meaningful change that strike a far
"A true path to sustainability then lies in keeping the existing local autonomy that we currently have" better balance between business interests, civic need and environmental protection. A true path to sustainability then lies in keeping the existing local autonomy that we currently have, accepting that it needs to be embraced by more local authorities if sustainability is to more widely be achieved and conducting more research on what can be done to encourage more local authorities to impose higher standards. Instead central government has thrown the towel in, declared it a failed experiment and pandered to the demands of big business.
R, CLEANER FOR A SAFE ELLY OAK , S GREENER
WE WANT LAST Y WE R EAR YOUR AISED £37,9 80! UNWANTED ITEMS TO DONATE TO THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION (BHF).
FRIDAY 28 MARCH TH
WE WANT:
AWARD WINNING SCHEME 2013
CLOTHES; SHOES; CDS & DVDS; KITCHEN BEST WASTE REDUCTION SCHEME EDUCATION CATEGORY ACCESSORIES & CROCKERY; BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL BRIC-A-BRAC; STATIONERY; BOOKS; RECYCLING AWARDS 2013 SMALL ELECTRICAL ITEMS IN FULL WORKING CONDITION ETG.KETTLES, LAMPS, HAIRDRYERS, AUDIO EQUIPMENT, TOASTERS ETC. (NOT RICE COOKERS) HIGHLY COMMENDED FOR THE BEST COMMUNITY OR NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECT
and leave it on your doorstep from midday on: Friday 28th March. Riding on ECO1, our
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21st March - 8th May 2014
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Comment
What is IBD? It is estimated that every year around 10,000 young people are diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in the UK. A recent study suggests that up to 620,000 people in the UK could be affected with the disease. That’s one in every 102 people. Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a chronic, or life long, condition. It usually takes on one of two forms: Crohn’s disease (Crohn’s) or Ulcerative Colitis (UC). In both cases different parts of the digestive system (the gut) become sore and inflamed, and sometimes
small ulcers appear which can produce pus. This affects the body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrients and eliminate waste in a healthy way. Crohn’s disease can occur in any part of the gut, but it is most commonly found in the Ileum or the Colon. Ulcerative Colitis usually occurs in the rectum and the lower colon, but it can affect the entire colon. Symptoms of IBD include: - abdominal pain - diarrhoea (sometimes mixed with blood, especially in Ulcerative Colitis)
- tiredness and fatigue - loss of appetite - weight loss - abscesses and fistulas (in Crohn's) - swollen joints, mouth ulcers and eye problems There will be times where symptoms can be particularly bad, known as flare ups. There will also be periods where a person with the disease may be in relatively good health; this is known as being in remission. Most patients describe being in some kind of pain or discomfort all of the time.
Living With IBD Emma Griffiths is 25 and has IBD. She now has a nine month old baby. She was diagnosed at 18, when she was starting a Psychology course at the University of Wolverhampton. She has also studied at the University of Birmingham. She explains that when telling people about her disease 'they understand that you’re tired and that you need to use the bathroom regularly, but they don’t understand the effect that all has on you psychologically. You’ve got anxiety around needing to get to the bathroom on time, which can be difficult when you’re out in public. Because you feel tired, you can’t always get up and do the things you need to do. That can make you feel down because you have to rely on other people. People don’t understand the level of pain we’re in as well. If people haven’t experienced pain on a regular basis then it’s difficult for them to understand how that feels'. The Psycho-Social Impact of IBD on Young Lives is a recent study conducted by Crohn’s & Colitis UK. They surveyed 1,081 young people between the ages of 16-29. 532 of the respondents in the survey were 19-25 years old. The survey found that young people living with IBD face major difficulties because of their condition: The first was that people with IBD struggle to gain employment. 56% of the respondents said that having IBD had impacted
negatively on their education, and 57% said that it had seriously affected their career choice. One young person informed the charity 'I have lost a lot of my belief that I can do a lot of things in life, including having a successful career'. Jessica Cartwright is 21 and was diagnosed in 2007. Her Crohn’s is particularly severe, and it led to her being unable to complete her education or even leave her own home. She related her experience of trying to find work: 'I thought people might be prejudiced against me. I might have to keep going to the bathroom a lot, which would look bad on me. It wasn’t until last year that I got a part time job over Christmas. I had to self-medicate my way through it and push myself to the limits. It wasn’t easy. I would take Imodium tablets; far too many for my own good. I used to take them throughout the day to stop me going to the bathroom. Also I was careful with what I ate. My food intake dropped considerably because I just didn’t want to be ill.' Another issue which IBD sufferers face is constant fluctuation of weight due to irregular eating habits and the use of medication, like steroids. The report found that 224 young people had experienced steroidrelated weight gain and they stated that they had lost their confidence or suffered with low esteem due to their serious weight loss / gain and the resulting stretch marks. Natalia Hurst, 26, did a BA hons in Archeology at
UOB. She was diagnosed with IBD in her second year of University. She said that 'I’m a dancer, so my friends saw me go from being all fit and healthy to being like four stone and looking like a really scary skeleton. Then I suddenly came back and I was about 8 stone, but many didn’t want to ask me about it'. Perhaps most challenging of all for many students with IBD is the difficulties of socialising, and the consequent feelings of isolation. Just under 25% of sufferers surveyed had become reclusive, and did not go out at all for fear of needing to use the bathroom. Natalia said 'I get anxiety just leaving the house because I’m nervous that I’m going to have a flare up and get stuck somewhere. That’s happened before. All I can think of to compare it to: imagine the biggest hangover you’ve had, plus food poisoning, but then intensify that'. Emma said 'I wasn’t aware of actually anyone else really in the Uni with the same condition as myself. Sometimes it can feel quite isolating, in that there’s nobody else out there with the condition'. Jessica said 'people at universities and colleges don’t understand how much of a negative impact it has on people who have IBD. It’s something that’s not talked about, so you keep quiet because you feel embarrassed. You think that nobody’s going to understand, nobody’s going to accept it'.
Featur Crohn's
Charlie Moloney,
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10 said YES
41 said NO
Do you know what IBD is?
An Interview with Helen Terry, Director of information and support at Crohn’s & Colitis UK What is Crohn’s & Colitis UK? Our key strategic objectives are to provide information and support for people affected by Crohn’s or Colitis. When I say people affected I mean the people living with the condition, but also their family, friends and the professionals that have an impact on how people living with IBD experience their day to day lives. So for example, in terms of universities and colleges, we have an information sheet that’s directed at the professionals working within the colleges and universities, as well as the written guide for students themselves. These information sheets are downloadable from our website. What would you tell someone who is experiencing symptoms of IBD? I would say that they need to go and see their GP. I would also suggest that they look on our website at some of the information that we have about IBD so that when they do go to see their GP they’re going from an informed position and can think about some of the questions they want to ask. The sooner someone starts getting the right treatment the easier it is for them to live with the symptoms they’re experiencing. But there are also treatment options that work more effectively the sooner they’re
introduced. So it is important to get diagnosed very early. There are potentially complications, particularly with Crohn’s disease that can lead to narrowing or scarring of the small intestine which can cause blockages later on. That’s irreversible damage that you want to try and avoid by early intervention. How does your charity support young people? Over the last year to 18 months we’ve really been looking at how we can better support students. We now have what we call a youth panel. That’s a panel of young people, who act as our sounding board to look at everything we produce to see if they feel its relevant to people in this age group. Our youth panel has just written a feature for our newsletter on exam stress. The newsletter goes up in April on our website. We also provide a microsite: MeandIBD. org. It’s a space for young people, to provide them with information, but also for them to feel part of a supportive community. They can communicate with other young people and share ideas through that site. Something that’s been suggested to us by the youth panel is that we have a presence at Fresher’s Fair. Then we can make
sure that students are made aware that there is literature, that we’re here and, if they do have any concerns, they know that there’s an information line and we’ve got a number that they can call and talk confidentially. How can people get involved with Crohn’s & Colitis UK? I would always suggest that you look on the website because there are all sorts of different ways that people can become involved. We do offer membership to people, and we encourage membership for people who want that. But our services aren’t exclusive for members. All our helplines and publications are there for anybody affected by IBD, regardless of membership. They can use the discussion forums; again that’s not exclusive to members. If they want to get involved in events, there are a lot of fundraising events that we do. We raise funds for research, that’s one of the core activities of the organisation. Often, people come along to our fundraising events. If they raise a bit of money for us, that’s brilliant, but also they’re fun, social occasions. It’s an opportunity for them to come along and meet other people who, for whatever reason, support our organisation, often because they have Crohn’s or Colitis themselves.
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21st March - 8th May 2014
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Fact: People with IBD are entitled to a Disabled Students Allowance. Through the DSA you can get notetakers, library assistants, laptops with speech to text programmes in, printers and print credits
What Needs to Change?
re on: & Colitis
Comment Editor
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16 said YES
35 said NO
Have you ever had a health condition that made you feel like you couldn't cope with life at university?
In 2011, the United States Congress recognised the severe physical, emotional and financial turmoil which people who suffer from Crohn’s & Colitis endure, and declared the 1st-7th of December ‘Crohn’s & Colitis’ awareness week. Here in the UK far more needs to be done to make Inflammatory Bowel disease the hot topic of conversation. The hard work of Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer support means that a diagnosis of Cancer is not necessarily the end for a patient and their family. This is largely because of incredible advertising campaigns and huge amounts of awareness. If that can be achieved, then it must be possible to improve the lives of people who live every day with a debilitating illness like IBD. Natalia Hurst: 'It’s a taboo subject. Because it’s with bowels, people don’t talk about it. You have so much advancement in some things, like cancer research, but Crohn’s is so far behind. I mean the drug I’m on has only got a five year trial for managing Crohn’s. I’m past year three of it, but in two years I’m not even going to know what could happen to me or what the side effects might be.' Despite a sharp increase in diagnosis over the last few years IBD remains largely unheard of. Places of employment are not required to make allowances for sufferers of the disease, because they are not seen to be physically disabled, and schools and universities are generally not equipped to properly support them. Natalia pointed out that at UOB 'some of the buildings on campus, the toilets aren’t signed for. The university could maybe pro-
Natalia's Story There is a serious lack of awareness and sensitivity towards people with IBD. Many sufferers have described suffering bullying and ridicule for their condition. For such a serious disease, it can only be a stark ignorance amongst the general population that allows sufferers of this disease to be persecuted in a way that sufferers of widely known illnesses would never be. Natalia Hurst recalls a poignant and shocking event from her own time as a student at UOB where she felt brutally singled out because of her condition: 'I was trying to attend uni while being treated with infusions. I had to sit in hospital for eight hours every six or seven weeks. It was a lot to go through; it usually tired me out for the whole weekend. 'I was doing a module in Latin, and it was
vide a toilet map, for students who need to know. Even look at the guild – the toilets are downstairs, and on the third floor. There are none on the middle floor . So if you imagine you’ve got to quickly go - you’ve got to run upstairs, or downstairs, through loads of winding corridors. Its problems like that the university could be a bit more aware of'. IBD is a challenging disease to live with, and it is unsurprising that many people who suffer from it do not complete higher education. However, more could be done to identify IBD sufferers as a group who are at a high risk of dropping out of university. Emma Griffiths said 'at university a support group would be absolutely fantastic. I think it would help people with the condition to feel normal and show that it’s not only happening to them, it’s happening to other people as well. You could get tips being in a group on how other people manage their condition whilst at university, and you could use that to all work together to be able to continue studying, and not to drop out because of illness'. Currently at UOB there is Three Elms counselling and support. This is located off Prichatts road (G4 on the map). Natalia described her experience with Three Elms: 'If I had any problems with university staff, they would act as a go between. If I was missing a lot of lectures and didn’t want to tell my lecturer directly I could tell me disability advisor. She would drop a polite email to explain what was happening. They helped me get an extension on my dissertation and to get me a deferral until summer for all my work to be done. Without them I
probably would have just failed. It’s hard asking for help. If you come to university and you go from being healthy to suddenly not, it’s a bit tricky. But they’re really chilled out over there. They do a lot of workshops for managing stress and wellbeing, which are for all students.' However, Natalia admitted that: 'One of the only reasons that I went to Three Elms for the counselling was because I knew that if I did I would be able to get some formal paperwork from it to help me get more support. I mean it was good for me, it was, but it felt like it was something that I had to do to get support. I mean the university, you know, on the whole they’ve been great, the individuals have been great. But the system for people with long term disabilities, or hidden disabilities I should say, is not very considerate of real life problems'. She said that despite student support agreements, which provide lecturers with lists of disabled students who might have difficulties attending lectures and seminars, she had still been penalised due to her condition. 'Some lecturers, if you’re 5/10 minutes late, because you’re so tired from walking, won’t let you in to their lectures. You can’t stand there and argue, in front of the whole of your peers. 'You can’t say 'well, I’m sorry I was stuck in the loo'. It’s lost contact hours, when you only have 5 or 6 a week. There are a lot of lecturers that have been given the student support agreements. It’s laziness. They have a lot of work, but at the end of the day we’re paying for this.'
an external person drafted in. She gave a weekly homework task, due in on Mondays. I’d had my infusion that weekend, so I’d done half the homework; I was pretty chuffed that I did half. 'Her style was that she went round the table, asking for people to come to answers. I gave two or three rounds of answers and then I got to my third and I was like 'Oh I’m sorry I didn’t get that far'. She just stopped and said 'Well if you’re not dedicated to my class you can get out!' 'I asked to speak to her at the end, and I told her that I’ve got Crohn’s disease, and that I’d been in hospital all weekend. She turned round and said 'People like you shouldn’t be at university'. She went on to say that if I couldn’t hack the pace, why didn’t I go part time?
'I’m usually quite a strong, confident, bolshie, gobby person. But coming back to university was hard enough as it was. She made me feel so tiny, and kept going to the point where...I didn’t cry in front of her, but I basically told her that she was overstepping the line. I came out of her class and burst into tears. I went to my personal tutor, who was outraged, of course. My personal tutor, I should say, was absolutely amazing. He always had his door open to me. But I ended up dropping out of her course because I couldn’t bear to go back 'The university were good; they let me do an extra module in my third year, but other than that nothing was done about it. A part of me wonders if they should have pushed and fought for me, because they were aware of it.'
Exams and IBD We’ve all been there: you’re sitting in the exam hall. One of the lecturers comes to the front and informs you that by remaining seated you are declaring that you are fit to sit the exam, and there’s no negotiating your results if you don’t leave now. It’s hard not to do a bit of soul searching at that moment and question, 'am I really fit to sit?' But imagine if you had Inflammatory Bowel
"I came to an exam in my pyjamas. I was in my sixth year of trying to do my degree, and I just wanted them over and done with" Disease. Imagine if at any moment, without any warning, you could flare up and be in intense physical pain coupled by a frequent need to use the bathroom. Would you chance it? If you have a student support agreement due to your IBD, then you can defer your exams if you are concerned that you are going to have a flare up. But for sufferers of
IBD, a flare up is always a possibility. You can defer until the summer, and then you may be ill again and have to defer until the next year. Natalia Hurst was caught up in this perpetual postponement of exams. She said 'I came to an exam in my pyjamas. I was in my sixth year of trying to do my degree, and I just wanted them over and done with'. Natalia explained the difficulties of sitting an exam with IBD, 'they gave me a room to myself, where I could go to the loo if I wanted to. But the point was I was too tired to physically sit there and do a three hour exam, with the extra time, so it made it four and a half hours. I appealed and I begged the university to let me do some essays instead. They said that I couldn’t. They offered me to defer to the summer, but if I was still ill randomly it wouldn’t have helped. My degree was originally an expected first or a borderline 2:1, but my final grade fell short. It was a disappointing result after spending seven years working on it. In that respect I feel the system at this university really let me down.' Many schools at the university require
students to sit exams, and they won’t compromise on that. But is it really necessary to demand that a student is not allowed to fall ill whilst sitting an exam? Surely asking somebody with IBD or any other unpredictable disease to guarantee that they won’t be ill is absurd. It just adds even more psychological pressure to someone who is already mentally strained. Luckily it seems that things are going to change. Jethro Lee, Vice President of Welfare, stated 'Crohn’s disease is an example of a situation that’s arisen more than once where students have an exceptional illness that flares up during exams. This is why I have worked closely with the university and the ARC to improve extenuating circumstances and get rid of the term ‘fit to sit’'. Hopefully things will get better for sufferers of IBD and all debilitating diseases. However, the university will have to consider the possibility of allowing sufferers to do coursework instead of exams, or coming up with some alternative so that students like Natalia don’t have to waste their time and money only to achieve disappointing results.
"I'd be really keen to see more awareness of Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis both on campus and in society at large. Any student who has Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis can help awareness of the condition by getting involved with DAMSA and attending one of our safespace socials that occur every week on a Monday 3-5. If anyone would like me to help them in any way, don't hesitate to email dso@guild. bham.ac.uk"
Ellis Palmer DSO
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21st March - 8th May 2014
Life & Style
Ban Bossy Campaign Have you heard of Sheryl Sandberg's new 'Ban Bossy' Campaign? Life&Style editor Lizzie Green tells us a few women to keep our eye on in 2014. Last week saw the introduction of the 'Ban Bossy' campaign, which is aimed at encouraging the expulsion of the term 'bossy' in order to revitalise self-esteem in young girls and women. However with the campaign quickly gathering an onslaught of criticism, at Life&Style we decided to investigate. Initially when questioning my peers I was glad to find that my immediate reactions to the campaign were not unusual, as people generally proclaimed - 'How ridiculous, what's the point in that?'. However with numerous A-list celebrities backing the campaign I was worried that I may have been missing the point.
"Between primary and secondary, girls' self-esteem drops 3.5 times more than boys, and by the age of 12, girls are less likely to take leadership roles." The campaign, which is backed by powerful female celebrities such as Jennifer Garner, Victoria Beckham and Beyonce, as well as successful designer Diane Von Furstenburg, aims to stop the use of the term 'bossy'. The campaign proclaims that the use of the word 'bossy' ultimately stunts female ambition and prevents the establishment of self-esteem and desire to take leadership roles. The campaign's video message states that between primary and secondary school, girls' self-esteem drops 3.5 times more than boys', and that by the age of 12, girls are less likely to take leadership roles - ultimately boiling down to the use of the term 'bossy'. So despite my dislike of the word 'bossy', which I consider to be a term spoken only when referring to women, I can't help but see the campaign as ultimately flawed. To ban any word is problematic, but to ban one that doesn't necessarily have discriminatory connotations would be troublesome. I can't help thinking that the organisers and supporters seem to have missed the point - that it's far more than a single word that is causing the decline of female empowerment, it's a plethora of words and attitudes that create this decline.
"I'm thankful that my mother was the type of role model that taught me that the calling of names such as bossy said more about the person saying them than the person they were abscribed to."
So is the 'Ban Bossy' campaign the answer to these issues? I would argue that, unfortunately, it's not. Beyonce ends the campaign video stating: 'I'm not bossy, I'm the boss', suggesting to me that the answer to these issues is to encourage leadership skills in young women rather than the banning of 'bossy'. I'm thankful that my mother was the type of role model that taught me that the calling of names such as 'bossy' said more about the person saying them than the person they were ascribed to. I therefore believe that rather than attempting to ban every word that is deemed offensive, we should raise women to feel that they can rise above the names they are called and become empowered through them.
Nicole for Missguided
Life&Style writer Emily Billington reviews Nicole Scherzinger's latest collection for online brand Missguided. Nicole Scherzinger’s first endeavour into the fashion industry was finally unveiled this week after months of anticipation. The X Factor judge has collaborated with online high street brand Missguided to create an affordable collection of statement pieces, with no item exceeding £50.00. ‘Nicole x Missguided’ is a simple black and white range with bursts of cobalt blue in what initially seems a decidedly ordinary selection of leggings and bodycons. At first glance the figure hugging designs, complete with the daring combination of faux leather, fishnet and mesh, scream 'stripper' rather than fashionista. However, considered individually the pieces are both sophisticated and sexy. The array of monochrome body-
"An affordable collection of statement pieces, with no item exceeding £50" cons, both midis and minis, are feminine and timelessly fashionable and the flatteringly positioned cut-outs make the designs more striking than your average bandage dress. In keeping with the recent return of 90s fashion is the appearance of the crop top that could be teamed with high waisted leggings or a skirt for a sexy alternative on a night out.
Sports inspired items are a fashion favourite on the high street at the moment and Nicole's fishnet jumpers and bodysuits are edgy and athletic and are the more casual pieces in the collection. Mesh panels also add a point of interest to many of the designs and have been a current favourite in
"At first glance the figure hugging designs, complete with the daring combination of faux leather, fishnet and mesh, scream 'stripper' rather than fashionista." high fashion this year with Gucci displaying mesh-inspired pieces at Milan Fashion Week in February. The faux leather tailored trousers could be mistaken for bin liners but with those being the only real disappointment it seems the collection is a fairly "scha-mazing" first effort from Nicole who has clearly done her research and been inspired by current fashion trends. There is just one problem. Are we going to look as incredible in those halter neck jumpsuits and skin tight biker leggings as the stunning Nicole Scherzinger does? Probably not.
21st March - 8th May 2014
redbrick.me/lifestyle
Birmingham's Hidden Gems Unique Date Locations Life&Style writer Daisy Holden shares with us her top three locations for unique dates in Birmingham city centre. At a first glance, Birmingham city centre does not seem to offer many exciting or unique ideas for dates. A meal in a shopping centre or a wander around Selfridges doesn't exactly get your heart racing. However, Birmingham does offer a few hidden gems to wow your date with and you only have to look a little bit further than New Street to find somewhere truly special to impress your other half...
The Electric Cinema Birmingham plays host to one of England’s oldest working cinemas, having opened in 1909. This Art Deco styled cinema is juxtaposed with its modern films, including 3-D screenings and Orange Wednesday. However, the unique twist is that this cinema allows you to cosy up on sofas with homemade snacks, and a special ‘text waiter service’ which brings the fully licensed bar to you, so you do not have to miss any of the film! Brindley Place For those who see a date as the perfect opportunity to be wined and dined, Brindley Place offers a variety of restaurants, cafes and bars alongside the canal. Away from the shopping centres, this quieter adult setting allows you to have a more intimate time. After relaxing over dinner, you can walk along the canal to a find a variety of pubs and bars, tucked away to continue your date. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery To escape from the busy city life, this museum and gallery offers a peaceful time. Holding a wide range of material ranging from fine art, jewellery or ethnography; the gallery shows a range of historic pieces right through to modern day-so there is something for everyone. It is free entry to the museum and gallery, although some exhibitions charge a small fee so it is perfect for that student budget!
What is Left for Old Fashioned Barber Shops in this Modern World? Jorge Rodriguez Life&Style Writer
A truth which is universally acknowledged, is that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must also be in need of some good male grooming tips. Even though the times when a man had to go to the barber shop every day in order to look respectable are long gone, we still are worried about our appearance in a world where first impressions are as important as ever and cannot be changed. A man can create his style through his choice of clothes, but grooming goes one step beyond that. It refines any look you can think of, making it truly impeccable – and as funny as it may sound, even if you are looking for rugged features, a quite broad spectrum of products are available to recreate this look. Girls are not the only
ones who take care of their skin, and as guys; we do have skin problems; we do suffer from acne; we do shave; and sometimes it is really hard to talk about these topics with other men. Youtube is broadly known for providing society with a large amount of videos of cats, but did you know that it also is a great source for (you’ll never guess) men’s grooming tips? Yes lads, we are not forgotten on the web! My personal favourite is vlogger Jim Chapman. In his YouTube channel you can find a variety of topics, from grooming tips to purely comical videos; and although his career has turned more to the popular humorous vlogs, a good amount of his videos rely on his own experiences trying hairstyles or skincare routines, which can be very helpful. Beauty is no longer an only-girls-allowed area and most definitely not a field that men should be afraid of.
What to wear: Propaganda Life&Style writer Ally Head finds the perfect outfit for a Friday night at the O2.
Best known as one of the biggest music venues in Birmingham, The O2 hosts “your very own rock ‘n’ roll party” in the form of one of its most popular nights, Propaganda, every Friday night. With cheap drinks and banging indie-alt chart tunes, it’s a hit with students from all around. But what to wear? You don’t want to turn up to Propaganda dressed to the nines as you would for Mechu, as it’s a night where you will be sure to dance your socks off till the early hours. A casual indie-grunge fits the dress code nicely.
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Fierce
I'm a Freaaaaak This new song by Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull has taken the country by storm this week. A massive tune to get you in the mood for summer!
The Great Outdoors We can finally make the most of our beautiful campus and sit and sunbathe in the sun with this stunning weather. Although it kind of makes you wish you didn’t pig out so much over winter. Summer bod here we come!
Cheryl Cole 4 X Factor Chezza, our favourite Geordie is finally back on the judging panel for the X Factor. Let’s hope Cowell doesn’t boot her off again this time!
Girl Power Following International Women’s Day, the girl power theme remains with Naomi Campbell using her catwalk skills to patrol the streets of New York campaigning against violence towards women.
Joey Essex's New Show Some people are just too fame hungry, and Joey Essex has brought out a new show called Educating Joey Essex, a fly on the wall series following the exTOWIE star that people will only watch it to laugh at how stupid he is.
Six Nations Disappointment The rugby Six Nations is over and England almost had it! But Ireland just secured the win in the last game as they took on France. At least it was an excuse to have a few beers!
Hangovers The term is slowly coming to a close and it feels like a semester of hangovers is merging into one as we become more and more drained, try and have an alcohol free week and give your body a detox over Easter.
Jumpers and Jeans Girls Bardot Crop Top; £10, Topshop Moto Mix Floral Mom Shorts; £32, Topshop Juju Jellies in Black; £20, Office Large Flat Edge Hoop Earrings; £5.50, Topshop
Boys White Stained Glass Roller T-Shirt; £16 Topman. Black Stretch Skinny Jeans; £30, Topman. Black Plain Converse, £40, Office Brown Suede Ring Necklace; £6, Topman.
Ditch this winter wonder and start to delve into your spring/summer wardrobe. Pastels look much better in the sun than last season’s classic blacks and greys.
By Sophie Cunningham
Life&Style Writer
Finished
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redbrick.me/travel
21st March - 8th May 2014
Travel
Dodging Scams in Bangkok Jessica Flanagan warns travellers to keep their wits about them whilst exploring Thailand's capital.... 'One night in Bangkok and the world's your Oyster' is not only the line in the famous musical 'Chess', but also the lyric Mike Tyson is featured singing in the penultimate scene of Hangover Part II. Sadly, however, my experience was one night in Bangkok and I wanted to be on the first bus out of there. Bangkok beckons its visitors from all over the world not for it's lavish fashion quarter or landmark skyscrapers, but for its hustle and bustle; it's admirable snippets of Asian heritage and culture, amongst the knock offs and harassing taxi drivers. The stunning palace sites, parks featuring elderly ladies doing yoga, and delicious cuisines were easy to find, but sadly as were the scams, the smog and the tourists. Sites that continually bring people into the city's grasp include the numerous temples (all different but all worth a viewing), the street food and unmissable Pad Thai, the vast canal and floating markets, and Bangkok’s fluorescent pink city taxis. Considering all of these I can comprehend the charm that the city can have on it's visitors. Despite these attempts at shedding light on this city, I'm afraid my first impression was tainted by what I can only label as the 'Backhanded Businessmen of Bangkok'. If you stay wary of the swindles and say no politely then you'll be fine. Make the error of trusting the wrong person and it's not money you'll necessarily waste, but what could be a precious day of your trip traipsing around what they will sell to you as must-see destinations. There seems no better way to describe
them than tag team con-artists. The extravagant story starts with a guy who stands on the side of the street (and who could pass for a professional you merely bumped into), and he will offer some advice on what to visit, seeing as the 'Royal Palace and National Musueum are closed today as its a Buddhist Holiday' (Lie No. 1). Continuing to take your map out of your hands, he will circle around 6 lesser known temples, tell you they are much more beautiful and must sees, and then suggest you can get a tuk tuk (costing 20p) to take you round all of these. Sounds like a half decent offer at that price!
"I have to bow my head in shame and say I utterly fell for this scam on my first day." These temples all have their own beauty and charm about them, but we started to understand why the ones we were going to weren't crawling with people. Happy Buddha, Lucky Buddha, Black Buddha, the list goes on. With all due respect, it was starting to sound like you could put an adjective in front of the word Buddha, and there would be a tuk tuk driver there to take you to it. These temples turned out to be harmless; free to enter and peaceful in their ambiance. It is when the original map man and tuk tuk driver insist to take you to two
places; firstly a Tailor's followed by a tourist agency. In the former, the offer and incentive is that they will custom make you a suit (hand-picked material and with your measurements), and send it all the way home for no extra charge. If a suit is what you need then great! But for two backpackers, a suit wasn't exactly on the shopping list for myself and my friend during our first week of a two month trip. The tourist agency, and the final destination on this full day tour, will offer to plan and book every detail of your adventure ahead. Now, if spontaneity and last-minute plans are not your thing, then I could understand why this may seem appealing. However, for double the price on absolutely everything (hotels, coaches and transfers), I would urge anyone to avoid these businesses like the plague. Their ‘license numbers’ will draw you into the deceit further, as will the American man sat on the desk to legitimise the arrangement, but my advice is to not step inside. If you feel safer travelling with an itinerary and plan ahead, then I suggest you do this back home before you leave, or in the comfort of a reputable agency such as STA. I have to bow my head in shame and say I utterly and catastrophically fell for this scam on my first day in Bangkok, but here I will claw back any pride by putting it down to my trust in people rather than my naïve approach to travelling. Luckily I didn't shell out anything more than 20p to the tuk tuk driver and wasted no more time than about 3 hours. Hats off to them; it is
one elaborate and convincing scheme. The money from the travel agency and suit making shop trickles back down to the tuk tuk driver and the original map scrawler, so that is some admirable team work going on there! Having said this, Bangkok certainly is (and should be) a city to enjoy. As a backpacker, make your way to Khao San Road (as everyone else will tell you); lines of fresh fruit shake stalls, tattoo places, hostels, restaurants, clothes stalls and of course massage parlours. Visit the stunning Royal Palace, Wat Pho Temple and Wat Arun. Test
"Admire the snippets of Asain heritage and culture. " out your downward facing dog with the older ladies in Lumphini Park as they relax into their afternoons with yoga. Visit the Pat Pong Market, and take all the knock-off bags you can, back for those birthdays coming up. And on your last night in the city before you fly home or onwards, put on your nicest shirt or dress that is now at the bottom of the backpack, and go to The Sky Bar in the Lebua Hotel. Famous for its appearance in the Hangover II, this rooftop bar and restaurant is not only the world’s highest open air bar, but will give you an unbeatable view of the whole city. It is here that you will realise; Bangkok may not be a city like any other, but it is a city of charm and beauty.
Brum students abroad This week Hope Brotherton interviews Norwegian student Julie Winther about her time studying in the UK... The 'year abroad' culture in the UK is seen as exotic and adventurous, but for foreign learners, coming to the UK is seen as one of the best possible options. This week, I spoke to Julie Winther, a Native Norwegian student, who has chosen to come and study in the UK for the next three years. I'm
"Kent is a very homely place, not too big or too small." interested to know what spurred her to make the big move, in addition to finding out how she is feeling about the experience so far. When I asked Julie what made her come
to study in the UK, Julie responded, "part of me has always known I wanted to study abroad, and, England seemed like the place to go". Further to this, "it's not too far away form Norway and I speak English fluently, so it seemed like the right decision at the right time". In answer to my question as to why she chose Kent in particular, Julie commented, "mostly because of the degree programme and what I want to achieve and learn from it. I study English and American Literature with Creative writing and it's a very good course, so this was a big factor in my decision. I was really excited to find that particular combination in a degree programme. It's also a very homely place, not too big or too small, which I liked.”
Last, but not least, I wanted to know whether Julie was struggling to adjust to different cultural norms in comparison to Norway. "The cultural differences are very
"Everyone finds it weird that I had to ski to school in winter." small, and I notice it most with very insignificant things. Despite the fact that you guys drive on the wrong side of the road, people here seem to find my everyday life, back home, a bit strange. My new friends think it's weird that I had to ski to school in winter or that I literally eat boiled potatoes with every meal!”
redbrick.me/travel
21st March - 8th May 2014
Brief Encounters: Ireland Hannah Stevens explores Northern Ireland's expansive countryside and vibrant cities and weighs up the benefits of both... Ireland, the land of the leprechauns, is a beautiful place. With scenery that is almost too beautiful for words and accents to die for, you won't be disappointed. I only got to spend a few days there, but if you decide to make the journey I suggest you set aside more time to enjoy the peace. In terms of transport, do not make the same mistake I did and drive. You will regret it. Nine hours in a car and then a two-hour ferry ride is not the best way to go. Fork out for the extra cost of car hire when you get there; it’s definitely the better option. Plus, flying only takes about an hour, leaving you much more time to enjoy yourself and negating the need for a recovery day in order to recuperate from spending way too much time cooped up in a tiny little car. Don’t visit Ireland if you’re expecting it to be like a holiday in Magaluf; away from the big cities you won’t find huge nightclubs and your familiar uni-drinking culture. If you're going to do Ireland, visiting the bigger cities is
"With its rolling green hills and endless landscapes with nothing but the wind to greet you, the Irish countryside is an endless plethora of beauty." always a plus, but save it for a day trip. I recommend doing Ireland in the countryside. With its rolling green hills and endless landscapes with nothing but the wind to greet you,
the Irish countryside is an endless plethora of beauty. But fear not; the absence of a vibrant city will not provide for a dull visit. If you're one for a more relaxing holiday, then Northern Ireland, with her quaint little pubs down long and twisty country roads, and adorable little towns to
"For those connoisseurs of the lovely Guinness, you will find no better pint than in Ireland; the home of this meal in a glass." get lost in, should be the next destination on your list. It will give you the chance to take time away from the busy city and enjoy the peace that the countryside offers. You can spend hours getting lost with no real destination, eating endless amounts of ice cream in the villages that welcome you with open arms. However, for those of you who aren’t drawn to the peace of the countryside and who rather relish the city life, a trip to Belfast may be more up your ally. Instead of getting lost in the country you can get lost in its endless shops, enjoying a little bit more of a lively nightlife. And if you need a break from the city buzz, explore the side-streets and you'll find the best little corner pubs with some of the best homemade pub food you could possibly imagine. Finally, for those connoisseurs of the lovely Guinness, you will find no better pint than in Ireland; the home of this meal in a glass.
THURSDAY 27TH MARCH
Guild Council Chamber, Guild Building, 6pm With over 90 elected student representatives meeting seven times this year, Guild Council is the democratic voice of students at the Universityof Birmingham. Through Guild Council, students at the University of Birmingham decide the policy of the Guild, hold their
Guild members have submitted a number of motions on a range of topics, if you would like to know what is being discussed, email council@guild.bham.ac.uk.
All students can come to Guild Council and speak on any of the agenda items. All you need to do is turn up to the Guild Council Chamber on the night of the meeting.
And, as always, a chance for you to about the work they have been doing for you!
For further information please email: council@guild.bham.ac.uk
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redbrick.me/arts
21st March - 8th May 2014
Arts
'Fly on the Wall' the latest What's On: from Fourth Wall Penny for your thoughts: free The second installment in our mini series, Tim Roberts talks to Redbrick Arts about a whole new enterprise launched by students in Longbridge Tim Roberts
Love&Sex AKA Per-Mission' Dance @ The Drum Friday 28th March 7:30pm 2 Free Tickets (or £8.50)
Communication Intern
We’re very excited to tell you about the launch of another new company supported by Fourth Wall and run by two students from Birmingham City University (awks). This new company is based in Longbridge, Birmingham for 5-11 year olds. We launched last weekend and have had a great response with 13 people in the very first week. For those interested in the marketing side, our promotion mainly consisted of working with local media outlets such as the award winning hyperlocal blog B31 Voices, and e-leafleting through social media (we’re now on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram – details below). As it was their very first week, the company focused on ice-breakers and drama games to help the children make friends and get comfortable with the company quickly. The company managers stated that their main challenge was having the parents there watching, adding a lot of unexpected pressure as they were the ones paying for the service. For the older companies this does not happen, so it was something different that the company managers had to deal with. They stated, however, that after a while it felt like they weren’t there. We also have another company running in Longbridge for 11-18 year olds. Due to an issue with venue their session unfortunately had to be cancelled. The venue which we work from couldn’t accommodate our new company, so the older 11-18 company is currently looking for a new space which is more affordable (though less aesthetically pleasing) as they enter their rehearsal stage. The venue no longer needs to attract new members, as they now have a consistent and committed core group so the emphasis has to be on practicality first. These things may sound like small considerations – but trust us, the venue is key. It can be the difference between 3 and 30 members, and thus making a loss or a profit. Our CEO Dan Bridgewater has been in India the past
couple of weeks, working in Mumbai with social enterprises to help improve Fourth Wall and social enterprise in the UK. Dan was part of a group working with the Birmingham Leadership Foundation and funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland. Dan talks about Mumbai with some excitement. “It’s a crazy city with opportunities at every turn. The city and country is at a moment of high growth, so there is a lot of potential money, contacts, clients and people looking to try new things out there. It is a city of extremities – one day I was working in schools with deprived young people, the next we were bartering in the markets, the next we were on skyscrapers, surrounded by slums, networking with millionaires! The city can only be described as crazy.” We’ll be back in a couple of weeks to give you more of a Fly on The Wall of what we’re doing. In the meantime please do keep up to date with what we’re doing by following us on Facebook (facebook.com/fourthwalltheatrenetwork), on Twitter (@FourthWall_TN), on Instagram (instagram.com/fourthwall_tn) and on Pinterest (pinterest.com/ fourthwallpin/). Fourth Wall is a social enterprise based in Birmingham that provides the opportunity for aspiring artistic practitioners to set up their own theatre company, and connects budding actors and actresses to the company right for them.
Mozart's Gran Partita @ Symphony Hall Stuart Found Arts Editor
On a night that saw solo violinist Renaud Capucon taken ill, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra teamed up with stand-in Guy Braunstein to deliver an exceptional night of thrilling classics from three very different composers. Opening with the entire Gran Partita, conductor KarlHeinz Steffens led the thirteen-strong wind section with incredible energy that managed to sustain the light tone of the music throughout. A serenade in seven movements, the piece is widely performed even though the exact reason for its composition still remains a mystery. The Gran Partita’s third movement, an Adagio and undoubtedly the most emotive movement of this work, features in the film Amadeus and is described by rival composer Salieri as being like ‘the voice of God’. After a brief interval, the rest of the orchestra took their places, rapidly filling up the extended stage before performing Alexander Glazunov’s very rare Violin Concerto. An inspiring and formidable twenty minutes followed, in which the woodwind took a slight backseat and the timpani drove the music on as the violins soared in perfect unison. Braunstein’s total commitment to the bewilderingly fast solos completely masked the fact that he was a last minute stand-in. But the piece’s most defining feature was the constant inversion of the exciting main theme, as this changed and altered subtly enough to be both consistently surprising and entirely recognisable. At the dramatic end of this the
tickets for reviews Join us Wednesday at 2pm in Student Development
crowd erupted into rapturous applause, but there was still more to come in the form of Stravinsky’s WWII themed Symphony in Three Movements. At this point the mood of the whole concert shifted to fit the darker, more melancholy tone we have come to expect of classical music from the twentieth century. The haunting experience of the war permeates through small sections of
discordant music, but the piece seemed to lack a similar sense of drama that could have provided a better musical link between these three very different pieces. In some of its smaller moments too Stravinsky’s Symphony failed to draw us in with the same euphoric intensity displayed in the other composers’ works. But these are minor criticisms of a concert that managed to reaffirm the reputation of one great composer at the same time as perhaps better establishing another, even if the third and final instillation did not quite match the expectations as set by its predecessors.
Tim Shaw Art Exhibition @ mac Thursday 10th April 6:00pm Free Event A Passion for Birmingham Promenade Play @ Old Joint Stock Monday 14th April 6:30pm 2 Free Tickets (or £12.50)
Closer look at:
Town Hall (below left) & Symphony Hall (below right) are two seperate buildings in the centre of Birmingham run in conjunction with one another. Their ethos is based on the premise that music has the power to transform and change lives, to entertain and uplift, to create shared experiences, and to educate. They seek to connect people to music through a dynamic and varied concert and education programme at our two world-renowned concert halls, managed jointly by the registered charity Performances Birmingham Limited and the wider community. Every year they host 500,000 people at around 800 concerts and events, with a further 18,000 people of all ages enjoying, participating in and learning more about music through their Education & Community programme.
redbrick.me/arts
21st March - 8th May 2014
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'School of Rock' Rocks Infinity's 'Orphans' Ciaran A. Campbell Critic
Watch This Theatre Company return with their second 48 hour this semester, following close behind a busy Guild programme. To those who haven't seen the film, School of Rock follows Dewey Finn (Vita Fox), a wannabe rock star who is kicked out of his band only to land a job at a local private school, posing as his flatmate Ned Schneebly (Jacob Lovick). On discovering his class have some musical talent (or at least, in this case, can mime it on cardboard instruments), Dewey decides to secretly enter the class into a
"Although nothing goes catastrophically wrong, it's the least slick 48 Hour so far this year" ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition for the cash prize in order to upstage his previous bandmates. This plot, of course, makes utterly no sense but writer Alice Weleminsky-Smith appreciates this, making for a very tongue-in-cheek adaptation of the film. As narrator Sharon Osborne (Hannah Fretwell) puts it, ‘Apparently they don't have child safety laws in this film.’ As is to be expected from a play rehearsed and produced in 48 Hours it’s a chaotic affair, with the occasional line missed, prop lost and at one point a missed cue. Although nothing goes catastrophically wrong, it's the least slick 48 Hour so far this year. In a way though this works in its
favour, as we get to see the cast having to cope with the imperfection of the production which proves to be an absolute treat. The narrating duo of Sharon and Ozzy Osborne (Jake Williams) help in this respect too, as the dynamic between the snide but sharp Sharon and the somewhat dim Ozzy smooths out some more awkward parts of the show. Even though the miming of musical numbers works well, when the sound equipment doesn't bring the music in on time, Williams decides to perform it A Capella. It's not just about the narrators and producers though, as the cast put on a consistent performance. For the most part they consist of relative newcomers to 48 Hours, and though there's nothing wrong with the Watch This regulars it's actually very nice to see some new faces. In particular Vita Fox, Jacob Standbridge (Zak) and Hannah Sharp (Lawrence. Yes, I know she was in The Grinch) stand out here, and though the attention is centred around Fox, it's really the actors playing the schoolchildren that steal the show. There are numerous jokes around Sharp being the wrong gender, race and height for the part of Lawrence (some of which I'm not entirely sure are still allowed in the Guild), though it is the delivery of Jacob Standbridge's line ‘I can't play rock music, my Dad says it will give me cancer’ that makes it the funniest thing that gets said in the entire show. Even though some of the 48 Hour veterans appear, in the form of Jacob Lovick and Jake Williams, they seem to be there in the form of guest roles rather than dominating the show. Though Lovick's awkward, boob-obssesed Ned Schneebly is absolutely hilarious, it doesn't detract from the rest of the humour. Though perhaps not as smooth as previous 48 Hours, School of Rock is a lovingly written satirical adaptation, keeping all that's great about this unique genre of Guild performance tradition. With the main body of the cast and production team new to 48 Hours as well, we can be confident that Watch This is in safe hands for the future.
Russel Kane @ New Alexandra Matt Bullin Critic
To think his job security is under scrutiny due to the axing of BBC3, Russell Kane certainly showed no signs of concern as he burst onto the New Alexandra stage, prancing like a ballerina in skinny jeans, shooting off quick fire anecdotes and observations, entertaining the audience with a steady flow of laughs throughout the night. Omar Hamdi supported Kane and was surprisingly good, with a short set based around multiculturalism using the audience members as prompts for jokes. Seeing as Hamdi is Welsh-Egyptian, he gave quite a fresh viewpoint rather than the usual types of ethnic/black comedy most modern
"The main premise of the show was ‘smallness’ and the British obsession with all things small" audiences are familiar with. He had one particularly good story about a confrontation with a member of the EDL after a gig; he used his Welsh heritage to turn the heckler’s ‘go home, immigrant’ back on him by reminding him of his Anglo-Saxon roots. Kane started with some audience interaction based on
nationality, showing his intelligence with fast, clever comments which matched his exuberant movements. His talent of mimicking accents was also on show, as he spent a lot of time in his ‘brummie’ accent enabling him to play up to the stereotypes of the West Midlands in a non-discriminatory way, as well as poking fun at his own Southern roots. The main premise of the show though was ‘smallness’ and the British obsession with all things small. He linked this to all famous English customs: of being awkward in public, being generally socially inept and even using a
"An all-round top performance from Kane..." physical demonstration to show how we are downtrodden into proper-ness by our society all week only to violently explode on the weekends, with the help of binge drinking. Some of his best anecdotes involved an episode where he and his then-wife shared a hot tub with Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger, being mistaken for Nick Grimshaw and almost getting his head kicked in and he finished with a classically British, awkward proposal story involving his current fiancé, Lindsey (who, of course, he mercilessly mocked throughout for her Mancunian background). It was an all-round top performance from Kane, who despite being incredibly crude at times (masturbation and sex gags galore), gave a thoroughly enjoyable performance matching his unique style, with true wit and superb delivery, appealing to his vast audience.
The latest play from Infinity Theatre Company Jess Syposz Critic
A blood-soaked young man turns up at his sisters house. Questions are asked, suspicions aroused. An apparent random attack on a stranger. Is he more involved than first thought? Liam and Helen were orphaned at a young age. But while Helen has grown up and made a life for herself with husband Danny, Liam still clings to his sister and to a dangerously child-like mentality. Claiming to have found a young lad injured on the street, Liam's recollection of events keeps changing and things take a nasty turn. Praised at the Edinburgh fringe festival in 2009, Dennis Kelly's psychological drama deals with issues of violence, racism and family in Britain today. It's bleak, but darkly comic too. On the surface things can seem more absurd than truly chilling, a haphazard story about a knife attack that may or may not have happened, told by a man who may or may not have committed it. The plottwists sometimes stretch plausibility, a pitfall that could have floored a lesser production. Thankfully, Infintiy Stage company pull it off with aplomb. Its a testament to the cast's brilliant acting that the more sensational moments never seem forced.
Photography by Bruce Lancaster-Rous and Linnea Kalderen-Anderson Orphans explores very real 21st century fears. Fear of random violence, fear of family falling apart, fear of what humanity is really capable of. Underpinning it all is the character of Liam, played to jittery brilliance by James Dolton. Full of nervous tics and restlessness, he's a fascinating mix of sweetness and violence. You can't help but feel sympathy for him despite the acts of cruelty he commits. He is joined by Danny Hetherington as the hapless and horrified Danny, and Lorna Newman brings nuance to the role of Helen, whose desperate attempts to protect her family even stretch to manipulation. The staging works well also - children's toys litter the floor, reminding us of Helen and Liam's childhood and reinforcing the theme of family. Morals get ever murkier and loyalties are tested in the second-half, which lacks intensity towards the end but still packs a punch. Complex characters, complicated relationships and ramped-up tension make this a thrilling watch. The excellent Orphans proves that once again, student theatre is able to tackle even the darkest subject matter with success.
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redbrick.me/film
21st March - 8th May 2014
Film
Focus on: Terry Gilliam Critic Vafa Motamedi explores the work of acclaimed director Terry Gilliam...
Review: Under the Skin
Details Release date: 14th March 2014 Director: Jonathan Glazer Cast: Scarlett Johansson Running time: 108 minutes IMDB rating: 7.2
A broken man sits humming an old tune in a prison chair; a giant with a ship on his head rises from the ocean; a drug addict sinks into his seat as he suddenly realizes he is surrounded by lizard people. It is through the creation of images like these that Terry Gilliam has defined himself as one of the greatest directors in film history. Watching a Gilliam film is a journey into the surreal, the fantastical; into worlds that are both hilarious and haunting in equal measure. Worlds where conformity is analogous to oppression and where individuality is a sin. Gilliam’s world is not our world. It is a world more outlandish but just as terrifying
"Watching a Gilliam film is a journey into the surreal, the fantastical; into worlds that are both hilarious and haunting in equal measure" and wondrous. If there is something that Hollywood often lacks it is singularity of vision and a visionary to make it happen. Gilliam is one such visionary. And, perhaps to his chagrin, he has become a sort of elder statesman for all filmmakers with passion and a vision. His films, even the lesser ones, are always a breath of fresh air amongst all the processed dross that the industry heaves out weekly. Watch a Gilliam film and you may not always get perfection but you are always guaranteed something different and wholly unique. Most filmmakers learn to work with or for the Hollywood system but Gilliam stands alone in his outspoken anger and bewilderment at their micro-managing and interfering self-centred ways. His feuds against
studios and executives are the stuff of filmmaking legend. He famously took out a whole page advert in Variety demanding that the Universal executive who was recutting his film Brazil should release the film as Gilliam wanted it and as soon as possible. There are unspoken rules in Hollywood; things you just don’t do. Gilliam not only flouts these rules, their very existence confuses him. It is this confusion that fuels the contempt for institutions and their bureaucracy which seeps through every frame of his work. There is, perhaps, something naive in his opposition to the Hollywood machine but there is also something refreshingly pure and honest - qualities rare in a business where playing lip service is as integral an art as the actual filmmaking itself. Beginning his career with Monty Python, his bizarre and often terrifying cartoons are often overlooked by casual fans, but their sheer inventiveness and oddness are still as effective today as they were then. After working as a co-director on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Gilliam was bitten by the filmmaking bug and embarked on a career as a director. His first notable solo film, Time Bandits, is a fun but subversive time travel comedy which serves as a sly critique of authority for all ages whether that authority is seemingly benign or malignant. Ostensibly a family film, it has an unbelievably dark ending that belies Gilliam’s storytelling method. Less a refusal and more of a total inability to pull punches and his work is all the stronger for it. Gilliam’s films are passionate in their defence of the strange; those who look or act differently to what society deems acceptable. Twelve Monkeys is less about time travel and more about our society’s callous treatment of the seemingly mad. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of the most balanced views of drug addiction ever made revelling in the freedom it brings as the protagonists burst from society’s frigid shackles but is still always mindful of the destruction that drugs
inevitably reap. His masterpiece is still undoubtedly Brazil, an Orwellian nightmare by the way of Kafka, where bureaucrats rule and dreams are discouraged. A brutal and darkly comic take on the dehumanizing effect of the modern world, Brazil, like all Gilliam’s films, is a celebration of imagination and a condemnation of all those who wish to stifle it.
"Gilliam is a visual stylist and it is his ability to create such strange yet beautiful images with apparent ease that will be his legacy" Despite Gilliam’s past successes it is undeniable that his 21st century work has been less than stellar. Perhaps this slow rot is symptomatic of the cinematic phenomenon where directors seem to lose their mojo after passing middle age. Brothers Grimm and Tideland were both failures, though as always with Gilliam inherently interesting ones. Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus was enjoyable enough but the director of Twelve Monkeys is capable of so much more than ‘enjoyable enough’. Yet the strength of Gilliam’s visual style still endures so perhaps all he needs to do is to find another great script that can match his considerable talents. Above all, Gilliam is a visual stylist and it is his ability to create such strange yet beautiful images with apparent ease that will be his legacy. Who knows where his next film, Zero Theorem, will sit in his canon. Wherever it falls, the singular creative vision of Terry Gilliam lives on and in today’s cinematic climate we need it more than ever.
´´´´´ Becky McCarthy Film Editor
Under the Skin is perhaps the most interesting piece of cinema to come out of 2014 so far- but that is not to say it is the most enjoyable or satisfying. This latest addition to Jonathan Glazer’s repoirtoire, which has been ten years in the planning, depicts an alien life-form (Scarlett Johansson) driving around Glasgow in a white van, preying on unsuspecting men. Exploring issues of personal alienation and sexuality, the film captures effectively how life on Earth would be experienced by extra-terrestrial life. Using hidden cameras in order to provide a true to life representation of Johansson’s perspective, Glazer creates scenes which force the viewer to leave the cinema considering the nature of society and reality itself. What proves to be the most impressive element is the film's use of CGI, particularly when depicting the ill-fate of Johansson’s victims. Coupled with a shiver-inducing soundtrack, these scenes are immersing, forcing the audience to feel as if they too are being manipulated by the protagonist. Whether or not the depiction of Glaswegian life coupled with images of what we can assume is the formation of a human eye interweave seamlessly can be questioned. It almost feels as if Glazer is presenting two different films that do not extensively correlate.Yet, what a viewer can expect to observe from Under the Skin, is an exceptional attempt to experiment with cinema and a stand-out performance from Johansson, two elements which should be applauded. This film is to be appreciated, rather than enjoyed.
redbrick.me/film
21st March - 8th May 2014
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Film News Hannah Stevens Critic
Despite hinting that he may take a break from acting soon, Chris Evans has confirmed he still has two more films on his Marvel contract to fulfil after Avengers: Age of Ultron. So expect to see much more of Captain America in the future.
With the Fantastic Four reboot heating up, the casting rumours for Doctor Doom are following suit. Apparently up and coming actors Eddie Redmayne, Sam Riley, Toby Kebbell and Domnhall Gleeson are all in the running to grab the role.
Review:
The Zero Theorem
Critic Matt Robinson reviews the latest addition to Terry Gilliam's repertoire...
Details Release date: 14th March 2014 Director: Terry Gilliam Cast: Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Thierry, David Thewlis Running time: 107 minutes IMDB rating: 6.8
´´´´´ Matt Robinson Critic
Qohen Leth has been tasked with solving the Zero Theorem, a theorem that appears to show that life has no purpose, but he is also awaiting a phone call, one he hopes will explain to him the meaning of life. He is a nobody, stuck between loneliness and bureaucracy. Qohen is played by a curiously hairless Christoph Waltz. He wanders around looking confused and worried, a state Waltz pulls off well, though whether this is acting or he is just wondering what on earth he is doing I wouldn’t like to comment. It is quite understandable why he is confused. If I had been tasked with balancing an equation which will prove my worthlessness I might question why too, and Qohen grows more and more lost as he begins to discover there is an agenda behind his task. With his new film The Zero Theorem Terry Gilliam has obviously settled down, he has found his directing comfort zone. He has finally understood what makes a film a Gilliam film and has taken that knowledge
to create a treasure trove of creative wonder from not only his early films, such as Brazil and Twelve Monkeys, but from his time with Monty Python too. The world Gilliam has created is certainly entrancing. The film is set in a future London; it is all neon signs, PVC dresses and peculiar wigs. It is a future invented by the eighties. This doesn’t necessarily detract from the fun, in some ways it adds to it, but it does mean it is a lot more difficult to take anything said seriously. Most of the film is played out in the abandoned church Qohen has chosen as a home. It is a home populated by rats (a comment on how we are all ignorant members of the rat race or simply a set designer’s whim?), decorated by a collection of phials filled with unexplained red and green liquid. It is pure Gilliam.
"There are some splendid performances; casting Waltz in a main role is a marvellous idea and probably something that should have happened a long time ago" There are some splendid performances; casting Waltz in a main role is a marvellous idea and probably something that should have happened a long time ago. The supporting cast do a sterling job. David Thewlis, as the supervisor who suggests Qohen move to solving the Zero Theorem at home, is perhaps best known for more serious roles (and Lupin from Harry Potter) but here he embraces his silly side and camps it up, a welcome relief from all the confusion. The female support comes in the form of Bainsley (played by Mélanie Thierry clad in various spray on costumes), an online prostitute who whisks Qohen away to a virtual beach for some technical hanky lanky and Tilda
Swinton in another surreal role, this time a rapping therapist spiralling further and further into the insane herself. There is even a brief, but welcome, appearance from Matt Damon as the mysterious management.
"Much of the film is reminiscent of the far superior Brazil in both content and look, indeed most of the main themes appear to be mined from it" Much of the film is reminiscent of the far superior Brazil in both content and look, indeed most of the main themes appear to be mined from it. They are both films about a time controlled by faceless bureaucracy and of men coping with a world they simply do not understand. Both are unfocused satire but whereas Brazil manages to remain timeless, The Zero Theorem already seems cheesy and dated even though it was only released a few days ago. The Zero Theorem simply fails to develop any of the ideas it throws out. It has suggestions of deep thought but proves shallow when questioned. There is no doubting Gilliam’s never failing imagination, his is a highly realised world, bursting with ideas. Each shot is packed with colour, brimming with detail. But in the end you feel if he had concentrated more on the content maybe it would be a more entertaining film. The film is about a man waiting for someone to explain the world to him and you cannot help but feel that maybe the film would have been better if Gilliam knew some of the answers. The line that struck me most came towards the finale, a teenage hacker squarks at Christoph Waltz ‘Do you have any idea what the Zero Theorem’s actually about?’. Sadly the answer is no.
Although Patrick Wilson has confirmed that he will be appearing in Edgar Wright’s AntMan, his character is yet to be specified. But he will be starring alongside Paul Rudd as Scott Lang for an anticipated release date of 17 July 2015.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo star Rooney Mara is apparently in negotiations for the role of Tiger Lily in Joe Wright's original tale Pan. Depicting the tale of how Peter Pan found himself in Neverland, the role of Peter has yet to be confirmed.
20
redbrick.me/food
21st March - 8th May 2014
Food
World Water Day Safiyyah Gareeboo Food Writer
slowly and there is less of a need for it to be topped up later during cooking.
SafiGareeboo
Wash all fruits and vegetables together Something which many of us do is wash fruit and vegetables as we need each one. A great way of saving water (and time!) is to wash everything you need together. This reduces the amount of water needed, and is often much quicker overall if you put them all in a large colander. For extra time saving, a great tip is to wash all your fruit and veg after shopping, so that when you store them they are all washed and ready to eat! The same can even be done with pre-packed salad; by washing the entire contents when the packet is opened then storing in an airtight container, you can save loads of time whenever you go to use it, as well as reducing the water which would have been used each time. For extra freshness, pop a kitchen towel at the bottom of the container to absorb any excess moisture and keep your salad fresher for longer.
This year World Water Day falls on Saturday 22nd March. There has never been any denying the vital role water plays in our day to day lives. However, today more than ever before, there is a crucial need to save water for the sake of our environment and the people in it. The planet is 70% water, a fact we have all known since primary school, leaving many questioning why we need to save when there is so much. World Water Day raises awareness of the broad utilisation of water, its pollution and the inadequate supplies of fresh drinking water to the 'bottom billion' who live in slums and impoverished rural areas. The homepage of the official website states the objectives of World Water Day 2014 as: 1. Raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy 2. Contribute to a policy dialogue that focuses on the broad range of issues related to the nexus of water and energy 3. Demonstrate, through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain that integrated approaches and solutions to water-energy issues can achieve greater economic and social impacts 4. Identify policy formulation and capacity development issues in which the UN system, in particular UN-Water and UN-Energy, can offer significant contributions 5. Identify key stakeholders in the waterenergy nexus and actively engaging them in further developing the water-energy linkages 6. Contribute as relevant to the post-2015 discussions in relation to the water-energy nexus. Each one of these objectives is full of political jargon, suited to a member of the public trying to conserve water. Thankfully, there are easy ways to help the planet, and the best place to start? The kitchen. Water is one of the most basic ingredi-
Keep a bottle of water in the fridge to save running the tap for up to a minute for fresh water. ents in everyday cooking, so much so that we use it almost without thinking, and hardly ever stop to think about whether or not it's being wasted. Cutting down on tap water in your cooking is unlikely to have a huge effect on your bills, but can make a difference in terms of the environment and in some ways can even reduce cooking times (and therefore gas and electricity bills!) Here are just a few ways you can save water in the kitchen. Only just cover the food that you are boiling This is an important one, as many of us are used to filling the pan with water, even when it is only half full of pasta, vegetables etc.
Really, all you need to do is just cover whatever is in the pan, as this will provide just enough water to boil the ingredients effectively. This will save on heating the water initially, and can reduce cooking time overall.
Raising awareness of the 'bottom billion' Put a lid on it! Putting a lid on the pan is a well-known tip for saving energy, as less heat is used to warm up the boiling water. However, it is also really effective in saving water, as the boiling water condenses on the lid and falls back into the pan instead of evaporating, meaning that the water levels reduce more
Review: The Jekyll and Hyde Rosie Twells Food Writer
Atmospheric, stylish and bohemian are three ways of describing The Jekyll and Hyde Bar and Gin Parlour. This is the place to be on a Saturday evening for those who want a unique dining experience in Birmingham. Mr Edward Hyde’s Main Bar has a wide variety of drinks on offer, with many cask ales and cocktails to choose from, whilst Mr Henry Jekyll’s Gin Parlour boasts the largest collection in the Midlands of over fifty gins to try. Jekyll and Hyde is a just a short five minute walk from New Street station. The brightly coloured purple paint means that you cannot miss it! 28 Steelhouse Lane, City Centre, Birmingham B4 6BJ and 0121 236 0345 are the contact details. All day and night on a Saturday there are selected cocktails for £4 and this offer also takes place Monday to Friday, 4pm – 7pm. The Jekyll and Hyde has style and sophistication all for a reasonable price! Reservations can be made and this is
highly recommended as the bar was very busy. Upstairs in Mr Jekyll’s Gin Parlour was the sit-down area for food. Although we did not have anything to eat, it certainly looked delicious. The pub prides itself on preparing homemade food, with the burgers and pies proving to be their most popular dishes. In keeping with the Victorian theme, the cocktails were served in traditional sweet jar glasses that added an extra special touch. It was evident that a lot of effort had gone into ensuring that the bar was planned with a clear design in place. We sampled a variety of cocktails including: •
Lemon Bon Bon: Absolut Vanilla Vodka, Limoncello liqueur, butterscotch syrup, lemon juice. •
Pear Drops: Absolut Pear Vodka, lychee liqueur, rose syrup, lemon juice, soda. •
Love Hearts: Absolut Raspberry Vodka, lavender and rose syrups, lemon and apple juice. •
Cinder Toffee: Jim Beam Honey Bourbon, toffee sauce, butterscotch syrup, chocolate bitters.
•Wild
Ting:
Havana
Rum,
guava
and
passion fruit syrups, Ting soda, Wray and Nephew flaming lime garnish. The Lemon Bon Bon and Love Hearts were particularly sweet, although the ingredients combined well together to create a drink full of zest. As with the Cinder Toffee, these cocktails were topped with small sweet pieces that corresponded to their respective flavours. For those who prefer something with a sour nip, the Pear Drops cocktail would be perfect, given the flavoured vodka’s strong, yet not overwhelming, presence. Overall: A whimsical change from the electronic music venues that is so visited on a night out in Birmingham, the Jekyll and Hyde provides an atmospheric hub that is tucked aside in the city centre. When going out on a Saturday night, be aware that the pub’s massive popularity is not in harmony with its tight interior; expect a slight wait before ordering and finding a spare seat. On a final note, Jekyll and Hyde cannot be more recommended for those craving to escape the sometimes repetitive club experience.
Plan ahead! If you know you're going to need to defrost food for the evening, put it in the fridge in the morning to slowly defrost during the day. That way, you can save water later on by not having to put it in boiling water to defrost quickly! Keep it chilled! Keep a bottle or jug of water in the fridge so that you can always get a cold drink without having to run the tap until the water gets cold. Loads of water can be saved in this way, as some taps can be left running for up to a minute to get the water cold enough, with even more wasted if the tap is left running unattended. This is a great idea for summer especially as it means that you can just grab a bottle and go when heading out.
redbrick.me/food
21st March - 8th May 2014
Crazy About Cake Millie Walker Food Editor
To suggest ingredient issues that you want solved, email: food@redbrick.me
Ingredient Ideas
millicent_x
I have a new number. We all have numbers that mean something to us; it's an unavoidable cliché. They are as crucial to us as the very words that explain their meanings. Lucky numbers and lottery numbers, favourite numbers and phone numbers. Pin numbers, security numbers, ID numbers and insurance numbers. Ages, notches, achievements and Facebook friends. Markers in life and calculations of success. Numbers confine us and condemn us and liberate us and laugh at us. They are the statistics that warp the news and the scaremongers that measure time. Numbers overwhelm us and define us and separate us, and I have a new one: eight. There were seven Crème Eggs on the table - one person had to buy them - and seven hot drinks in a row. One person doesn’t like tea.) There are seven sets of plates in the dishwasher - one person prefers to wash up - and seven people’s hands sign the card, one person’s name stands apart. There are sixteen shoes on the stairs, sixteen ears for the doorbell and sixteen hands in the biscuit tin. There are three blondes and five brunettes and there are eleven boxes of cereal on the side. There are four boys and four girls, nine saucepans, three wooden spoons and a countless number of mugs. 'Countless’ is an exaggeration that warps my numerical tradition but when there are just under thirty on the rack, half a dozen on the draining board, one holding toothbrushes, several decorating shelves, a few in the lounge, a couple in the flat and goodness knows how many sitting on bedside tables it’s really quite tricky to add them up. These numbers are fingerprints on the house. They live and breathe unseen but they are languishing on the taps and conversing on the well-thumbed corners of the newspaper. They make the banister slippery and the door handles sticky and they are the traces of eight. My favourite numbers are the ones that symbolise the familial teams I belong to. I’ve been made one of three and of five. Six and Thirteen.
21
Lynette Dakin suggests ways to use up the last of your...
Sweet Potato
01. Spinach and sweet potato bombs 150g risotto rice 650ml vegetable stock 20g parmesan and blue cheese 1 garlic 1 butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp paprika
And now, I am one of eight. I have a new number, and it’s eight. Tomorrow I will get my cast off. Six weeks of frustration, tears, unopened jars, and one handed showering. Not to mention fabulously messy baking, giggles over get-
As my last bake before freedom I chose to make a Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Butter Cream ting stuck in dresses, quality time spent with my friends and family and a release from doing too much washing up. I have been supported by everybody
dear to me, with my housemates taking the brunt of my bad moods and keeping my spirits up throughout. Though it’s been a rollercoaster, (sickening on occasions) it’s up there with Air as one of the most enjoyable rollercoasters I’ve been on. For those of you who aren't aware, I really don't like rollercoasters, only Air, so it’s a half decent compliment! As my last bake before freedom, I chose a Lemon Drizzle Cake with a lemon butter cream. I actually think it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. I was very proud of it and half was gone within ten minutes of it coming out of the oven. Scrumdiddlyumptious. Ingredients for the Cake 275g Self Raising Flour 275g Butter 275g Caster Sugar 4 Eggs 20g Ground Almonds Zest of one large lemon Drop of Vanilla
Essence
For the Buttercream 75g Butter 200g Icing Sugar Dash of Lemon Juice and any left over zest you may have. For the Drizzle Juice of one Lemon 200g Icing Sugar Method - Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy - Alternate adding the eggs and flour until everything is mixed together. - Add the lemon zest and vanilla essence, stir through and put in a 20cm cake tin and bake at 180C for 40 mins, until soft and only slightly moist in the middle. - While the cake bakes, mix up the buttercream and drizzle ingredients in separate bowls and cover to stop them drying out. - Once the cake is cooled you can cut it in half and spread the buttercream in the middle. - Drizzle this icing on top and decorate with mini eggs or other Easter Treats.
Fry onions in oil and butter in a pan. Add sweet potato, garlic, paprika and fry for 5 minutes. Add rice to the pan and stir in. Add stock, reduce and cover. Once the stock has absorbed add a cup more and repeat until it’s nearly done, gently stirring here and there, test a spoonful. Add more stock if not cooked through and repeat as necessary. This will take 25-30mins. Remove from heat, add cheese and season to taste.
02. Sweet potato and lentil soup 1 onion 2 tsp medium curry powder 1 garlic clove Small piece of fresh ginger 1.2 litres of vegetable stock 100g red lentils 200ml milk Juice 1 lime Put onion, garlic, ginger and curry powder in a pan untill gently cooked, about 5 mins. Grate in the sweet potato. Tip into the pan with the stock lentils, milk and seasoning, then simmer for 30 minutes. Blend until smooth. Stir in lime juice. Serve with crusty bread.
03. Sweet potato chips 2 Sweet potatoes 2 tbsp olive oil Salt, pepper, plus any other seasonings you fancy such as paprika Heat oven to 200c. Cut the potato into chips and cover with oil and salt. Roast for 30-40mins until crisp.
04.
Sweet potato jacket with roasted vegetables 1 sweet potato A range of vegetables: pepper, tomatoes, onion Stab holes into the sweet potato and cook in the oven for about an hour (until soft inside with a crisp skin). Roast all the vegetables in a tin until crisp and cooked through. Serve all together with cheese.
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redbrick.me/tech
21st March - 8th May 2014
Science & Technology Thomas Ling Writer
Visuals Visually, this game is fairly simple. If you picture the more recent South Park series, then you are basically picturing the graphics of this game. This is a good thing. It adds a genuine feel to the game and enhances the idea that you are playing through your own episode. The camera angles also add to the episodic-effect. The camera style is the same as that of an episode, always from a long shot and never from a 3rd or 1st person perspective when you are playing. This can make it confusing sometimes when trying to navigate, but doesn’t cause any real problems and primarily is a positive factor. Where the visuals really come to life is during battles, where players can cast spells, stab, and swing their way to victory. The different effects and various cut scenes per spell are extremely creative and enrich the sense of silliness and fun which the game prides itself on. Gameplay The South Park gameplay is perfect for the type of game it is clearly trying to mock/imitate. It has a kind of Diablo or Warcraft feel to it, especially when played on the PC. Since the game’s story is a mockery of Lord of the Rings/ Game of Thrones/Skyrim, this gameplay fully compliments the storyline and successfully creates an engaging RPG Adventure playing style. The world is reasonably large, considering that South Park is just a ‘private little mountain village’. The ability to enter many of the buildings, find secret areas
Redbrick Review
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Publisher: Ubisoft Rating: 18+ Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC Price: £37.99, £27.99(PC)
South Park: The Stick of Truth essentially gives you the opportunity to play through your own personal South Park episode. Morphing yourself into a character from the popular series, you find yourself being thrown into the deep end in the middle of a war between the Humans and the Elves, both fighting to control the universe through the Stick of Truth. The game opens with an epic cinematic, involving Cartman riding a steed, introducing himself as the Grand Wizard, and explaining the state of the war. Then, after an amusing character creation, the classic South Park sign opens the game with you and your family moving into your new house, for a reason only known to your parents. From there, after your father has given you some stern encouragement to go out and make friends, you begin to fulfil your destiny, questing honourably through the streets of South Park, and some other unexpected dwellings. and be taken to outside scenarios during quests, gives the impression a nine year-old should get from walking around the streets by him/herself. The fast-travel ability run by Timmy, driving a horse and cart, is a very smart feature, as it saves a lot of time for questers wanting to get to their next objective as quickly as they can. Fasttravel points are, however, only unlocked once they have been found, so you will have to do some adventuring off your own back, and this is certainly recommended. South Park itself is a lively town, and you will run into a hefty number of characters seen through-
out the series, much to your joy or annoyance. As well as the main quests surrounding the Stick of Truth, players will be able to take on many side quests, from finding Jesus to hunting for Manbearpig. As well as discovering the People of South Park, you will also find many collectables, such as Chinpokomon, and various other useful and not-so-useful objects. You can use your in-world abilities such as arrows and punches in order to break into the unexplored and secret areas. With all the sidequests and collecting the gameplay lasts around 13 hours. One of the key aspects of the game is the turn-based combat.
Score: 9.0 Pros: Story. Hilarious. Addictive. Cons: Fiddly. Controversial. It ends.
“Hilariously, Stupidly Epic”
Upon adventuring and completing quests you will inevitably have to
"A must-have for any South Park fan." face the lightning and take on whatever South Park can throw at you. Before you begin questing, you are asked to choose a class which will determine your style of play. Each class has its pros and cons, but relatively speaking, there is no weaker or harder class to
play with. The combat is fairly simple, involving you to choose your attack from the categories of magic (farts), special abilities and weapons as well as the ‘friends’ category, which you build up the more side quests you complete. It is turn based, much like the Pokémon style gameplay. However, it does involve the player putting in some extra effort. For example, for various abilities you need to time your tapping perfectly so that you don’t end up hitting yourself in the eye. The fighting is fun, and has a reasonable amount of variation in order to keep the player on their toes as well as incentivise them to find collectables in order to improve their armour and attack. Outside the fight sequences, you can also use your arrows to stun targets before you begin a fight and –more importantly- you can fart. Yes, South Park: The Stick of Truth thoroughly encourages this, and in fact, right clicking (on PC) enables you to activate this ability known as ‘DragonShout’. Those of you familiar with Skyrim will realise how this signifies just how absurd this game truly is. On a serious note, however, farting is actually one of your main abilities and without this ‘magic’ you would be truly stuck.
Have any thoughts or just want to keep up to date with the latest games and gaming news? Follow us on Twitter or search YouTube for our account to watch teasers of our reviewed games.
The Verdict What’s really nice about this game is that it doesn’t try too hard to be too complicated. It’s simple and engaging and just a genuinely fun game that can become quite addictive. Yes, it is extremely silly, but this adds a certain charm and by no means diminishes the fact that it is a fantastic game. A musthave for any South Park fan.
21st March - 8th May 2014
redbrick.me/tech
23
Candy Crush: A Good Addiction Beth Carney Writer
Are you addicted to Candy Crush Saga? Or do you keep receiving requests from people wanting you to play alongside them? Addicted or not, this sweet-toothed computer game could hold the answer to some very difficult questions. Computer scientist Toby Walsh, of the University of New South Wales and the computer research centre NICTA, has discovered that Candy Crush belongs to the NP class of mathematical problems. Or, to put it in terms that you and I can understand, to find a solution for these mathematical problems is extremely difficult. In order for this discovery to be made, Walsh applied the Boolean satisfiability problem which investigates whether a string of logical statements are compatible or contradict each other. Making this decision is what is classed as NP difficult. This technique has been used before for other computer games like Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda. But Candy Crush is in a league of its own; it belongs to a subset of NP hard problems known as NP-complete. These types of problems are extremely important to everyday human life. When we schedule our week or plan a travelling
route, we are actually performing NP-complete problems. The difficulty in solving these problems increases as the puzzle becomes bigger, so finding a solution for a large version is pretty much impossible. However, if a solution was found for smaller chunks of the problem then it
"Candy Crush belongs to the NP class of mathematical problems." would work for the rest of the puzzle, which is essentially how each level of Candy Crush is solved! The addictive nature of Candy Crush can be related to its level of difficulty. Walsh comments in his article “Perhaps we can put this to even better use by hiding some practical NP-hard problems within these puzzles?". Well, with 93 million people playing every day and racking up millions of hours of playing time, it is understandable that Walsh can see its potential. Cancer Research UK have also seen this potential and released their game, Play to Cure: Genes in Space, in February. This game has been designed to simul-
Creature Feature: Hummingbird Hawk Moth This hummingbird lookalike beats its wings so fast while hovering next to flowers that it emits an audible hum. They migrate to the UK in summer months from North Africa and Southern Europe. Traditionally they could never survive our harsh winter weather, but with climate change we could be seeing a lot more of these
taneously analyse Cancer Research UK’s gene data while people play through the levels. Previously, scientists have used computers to spot the precision
location of changes in gene pattern which indicate the culprit faulty genes in many types of cancer. In this case, computers are not accurate enough and in
fact, the human eye is still the best technology for picking up on these patterns. Scientists can then use these patterns to develop new treatments for cancers.
Keele University Launches SAM Ali Griffiths finds out more about Keele's new lacklustre Student Advisory Model The availability of welfare services is a hot topic at universities at the moment, in part shown at our own university by the prevalence of the theme in many of the recent Guild election campaigns. Coincidentally, Keele University has launched its own online welfare advice service this week, called SAM (Student Advisory Model). The project was funded by Keele University, and also in part by the ‘Higher Education Funding Council for England’, an organisation that reaches to aid specific projects. The service, available to students around the country via Keele University’s website, aims to offer advice to students who are dealing with living away from home for the first time. The service features an avatar, the titular Sam, who you pose questions to in an Ask Jeeves kind of way. The university hope that Sam will enhance their current welfare services, and are looking to provide the students with as much help and advice as possible. It’s worth considering this move in the context of the steady rise of
universities that has occurred over the past 4 years, and that looks set to increase further as the decade draws on. Like at Keele, it might seem that more universities are attempting to offer more services to students in the hope of balancing out the growing financial burden. In this light, it seems that Sam is a promising idea, as ultimately the more information and help available to students who need it, the better. Unfortunately, whilst almost completely functional, Keele’s attempt at artificial intelligence does fall just a bit short of the chasing-Will-Smith-down-acorridor style image that Hollywood has been preparing us for. Unsurprisingly. In his defence, the range of questions you can ask Sam is fairly impressive, as is the diversity of subject matter. Most of the responses are relatively useful, pointing students in the direction of their various universities’ own health and welfare centres and offering general social advice. However, a lot of questions
yielded some very general and, for obvious reasons, impersonal advice. This is understandable as the university has a duty of care, but also must respect each individual student’s privacy. It seems though, in the case of welfare advice, students will be looking for personalised help and so the service should be built more around this idea, rather than scripting catch-all answers that might not have the positive impact they could. All in all, Keele’s attempt to modernise their welfare services by increasing their online help and advice options must be lauded. The accessibility that comes from having a diverse information hub online is fundamentally important, especially in the case of distributing welfare advice and reaching out to students in crises. It seems SAM is the latest symptom of the steady modernisation of university services across the country; regardless, it certainly sets a good example to those institutions that might be reluctant to change.
24
redbrick.me/music
21st March - 8th May 2014
Music
Album Review: Metronomy - Love Letters Amar Desai Music Critic
Metronomy have always offered a fantastic fusion of sounds. Their influences include Aphex Twin, Kraftwerk, Autechre and other experimental electronic acts, but they're also comparable to their contemporaries; Foals, Bloc Party, The xx and Little Dragon can all be heard in their music. The music is often unique: violins and trumpets often lie amongst synthetic waves and sounds modified beyond recognition. They've also gained a reputation for unique remixes, with haunting reworkings of Gorillaz and even Franz Ferdinand to their name. For a band as eclectic as Metronomy, its no surprise that 'Love Letters' marks a transition in style from previous album 'The
English Riviera', which saw the band explore a more poppy, danceable aspect of their music, greatly contrasting the often chaotic debut 'Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe Me)'. Second track 'I'm Aquarius' speaks of forlorn isolation, whilst single 'Love Letters' is a passionate track that explodes half way through the album with a defiant chorus, but only after emerging from a murky introductory horn number. As the track finishes, it gives way to the mellower 'Month of Sundays'. Even when the album reaches its lightest moments, there is always an underlying depression tied back to the album's brilliantly explored subject matter, love lost. Not that the album doesn't misstep: some of the album tracks in the middle sometimes feel like ambling filler, but even they serve their purpose in maintaining the album's mournful, carnivalesque atmosphere.
The album's final two tracks 'Resevoir' and 'Never Wanted' hammer home the theme of separation. Nostalgia dominates the former track, as Joseph Mount disturbingly serenades an ex-lover who is not there, vanished to somewhere beyond his knowledge. Closer 'Never Wanted' hints at a cautious optimism - "but it gets better, but it gets better" - slowly morphing into a beautiful swirling climax before fading into nothing. Is the line a statement or a plea? 'Love Letters' signals a new direction for Metronomy, where the band explore not only a more personal side, but a darker one too. At its most immediate, the album still comes across as disturbed, and in its most brooding moments, a sense of isolation really takes hold. The music is never inaccessible, however, making it a great listen to get into the band or for more familiar listeners to see them in a slightly different light.
Single Review: Men of North Country- Magic Amar Desai
Music Critic From as far afield as Tel Aviv, Men of North Country seem to be everything but far away from their vocation. After releasing their first album ‘The North’ in 2012, the sevenheaded band successfully established its reputation in Europe’s mod and soul scene, describing their sound, attitude and image as fundamentally influenced by the British northern soul scene. The single ‘Magic’ from their upcoming EP – released under the same name March 21st – brilliantly represents the group's stylistic concoction of Jazz, Blues, Funk, Soul and (Brit-) Pop. The energetic and explosive synergy between the soul of the 60’s and the band’s brass section is complemented by crunchy guitars that will cast a spell over you from the first note. With the lyrics literally prompting you to dance, there is hardly any way to avoid moving your feet to the groove. This cheerful ‘feel-good’ tune arrives at the right moment to wake you up from hibernating - just as the song’s first line tells you: “Come on, let’s do this!”
Single Review: Cloud Nothings I'm Not Part of Me James Garrington Music Critic
Redbrick Meets: SOAK Alex Ekong
Music Critic On Monday 10th March, I met Bridie Monds-Watson for a long and in-depth discussion about dinosaurs. Dragons too. And unicorns. She says she has ‘this massive interest [in] mythical creatures and things that don’t exist anymore’, pointing out the leg where she got a tattoo of a tyrannosaurus rex to remind her of her best friend, and then another one of a stegosaurus ‘for absolutely no reason, but it looks cool’. It’s not just extinct animals though, giraffes are ‘pretty majestic too’. But beyond her charming, youthful and carefree demeanour is something quite remarkable - SOAK is making waves all over the country with her unequivocally unique voice and her extraordinary songwriting talent. Currently touring with CHVRCHES, she's toured with Snow Patrol, played on Irish television, supported The Undertones and even had a snowball fight with Tegan and Sara in the Swiss Alps
(‘They’re very feeble’, she quips), performing over 300 gigs in the past 3 years. It’s remarkable because only a year prior to that, she learnt her first song on guitar from her dad; REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’... even more so because SOAK only turned 17 in May of last year. How did she rise so far so quickly? She puts it down to a number of factors. She came from a musical household, where ‘Pink Floyd was always playing in the background’ and also cites Derry’s very musical community. ‘Everybody in Derry’s a musician. It’s a very small place and people are like 'I can play everything'’, she laughs. ‘There’s nobody really making a name for themselves as an acoustic artist but the bands are doing great’. ‘You can play to a room of a thousand people but only those thousand people will have heard your music, whereas an EP online can reach as many people as possible’. The secret is ‘keeping your head in the game’, smirking when she realises ‘that’s, like, a High School Musical quote’. She writes reverent and introspective lyrics, which she describes as ‘deep shit’, delivered in a tone so heart-rendingly vulnerable you have no choice but to listen (‘They don’t know what love is / They throw it around like it’s worthless’ for example, from her last EP Sea Creatures). ‘I know a
lot of artists who sit and think 'I’m going to write about this subject matter today.' I can’t do that. That’s not real music in my opinion’. Instead she writes about ‘serious situations’ in her life that cause the emotions which compel her to write music. ‘Even if [each song] doesn’t come across as a story, it’s a story to me.’ SOAK shows no signs of slowing down with another EP being released this week. ‘Sea Creatures used loads of wooden based instruments and is a lot more folky, whereas this is going quite a lot into the indie scene. [It’s more] stripped back with electric stuff,’ something she claims will make this EP ‘a bigger sounding collection of songs’. She admits, however, that when she gets media coverage ‘it’s always the age thing first’. ‘You have to understand that I’m not the only person doing this at this age, there’s loads and loads of people doing this probably much, much better than me that haven’t been given their recognition or chance.’ When I mention that Lorde won two Grammy Awards at her age, she’s not daunted at all, instead smiling and saying ‘if she can do it, it puts me in with a chance’. Her main career goal though? ‘If I make an album that’s as good or half as good as Bon Iver’s For Emma Forever Ago, that would be it. I would retire.’ All I can say is so far, so good.
I’m Not Part of Me is the first release from Cloud Nothings’ fourth studio release entitled Here And Nowhere Else. Following the massive stylistic change the singer/ songwriter Dylan Baldi showcased with the critically acclaimed Attack on Memory, I’m Not Part of Me seems to be an obvious progression. There is a clear attempt by Baldi to be a little more ambitious with the song structure here, the verse – chorus song structure of songs like Stay Useless or Should Have is a thing of the past. Im Not Part of Me is laden with hooks created through Baldi’s use of chord inversions, meaning there is no guitar lead that simply sits over Baldi’s rhythm playing as there seemed to be in every song on Attack on Memory. Although John Congleton’s production is far cleaner than Steve Albini’s was on Attack on Memory the band sound as aggressive as ever. Baldi’s guitar playing is sloppy and percussive whilst drummer Jayson Gerycz seems to play with clinical precision, often sounding like he’s dragging Baldi along behind him. With a drum beat lifted straight from Trash Talk’s ‘Awake’ Gerycz’s floor tom bursts out of the speakers from the intensity he plays at, although his snare is almost buried under a wall of sluggish double tracked guitars and overly washy hi-hats. There’s also really nothing particularly special about Baldi’s guitar tone here, in fact if it wasn’t for his distinctive snarl the song could belong to any alternative band.
21st March - 8th May 2014
redbrick.me/music
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Tweet of the Week: @lilyallen: "Just about to finish a 250 piece Lowry puzzle. Night. X"
Live Review: The English Beat @ O2 Academy Jack Crowe Music Critic
The crowd at the O2 is expectant. They've already enjoyed tight sets from local bands The Blue Beat Arkestra and Tempting Rosie. The evening’s headliner is another local only, he doesn’t live round here anymore. At about nine o’clock Dave Wakeling strolls through the stage door, picks up his guitar, and launches into the first song of a two hour set. After ‘Ranking Full Stop’ has satiated the restless feet of a packed O2 academy 2, Dave introduces his band. ‘The English Beat’ now hail from California, where Wakeling settled two decades after the two tone ska movement to which the first incarnation of The Beat were central. After kicking off the homecoming with a down-tempo version of ‘Hands Off She’s Mine’, the Birmingham crowd are bouncing like it’s 1979. A glance backwards reveals the majority of the crowd were indeed around to see the original and, perhaps consequently, the initial explosion gives way to nodding and smiles, as Dave, early nerves settling, jests about Balsall Heath and ‘accuses’ a rowdy section of the crowd of being Birmingham City fans. The introduction of Specials guitarist Roddy Radiation does nothing to dampen spirits. His voice has aged badly compared
to that of his contemporary, but The Specials' songwriting, like Wakeling’s, has not, and seeing the two go back to back in a winking Status Quo parody is a nice touch. After Roddy’s departure, more Beat classics follow. The punk-reggae ‘Too Nice to Talk To’ is spot on to the driving original, and ‘Stand Down Margaret’ is greeted with predictable glee (despite Dave’s observation that ‘she won though, didn’t she?’). You get the sense, however, that the
"Wakeling's tunes, vocals and musicianship remain as keen as ever" Californian contingent grasp the significance of such politically conscious material less than their frontman and audience, and the musicians’ wide-eyed smiles jar a little with the working class diatribe. While Antonee’s repeat invitation to ‘make some noise’ for his bandleader is ostensibly genuine, it's met with predictable cynicism by a hardened Brummie crowd. His rhymes, too, fall short of original toaster Ranking Roger’s speed and energy. The pair are obviously close, but their chemistry seems more rehearsed than natural.
The mixing at the O2 doesn’t help matters, being far too bass-light for the more relaxed pop and reggae numbers, and muddying many of Wakeling’s quips and asides. Just when the night appears to be petering out, dancing shoes are re-donned for ‘Tears of a Clown’, a riotous Smokey Robinson cover that was The Beat’s first single, followed by a popular tribute to Andy Williams with the band’s unlikely interpretation of his classic, ‘I Can’t Get Used To Losing You’. With early enthusiasms rekindled, Roddy returns and everybody knows what’s coming next. The crowd goes wild for ‘Mirror in the Bathroom’, a ten minute salvo of joyful melodies and guttural rhythms that goes a long way to justifying a slightly anticlimactic lack of encore. As the ageing rude boys stumble out into a sea of All Time Low-rapt teens, satisfied faces point to a night of fulfilment. While some idiosyncrasies of Wakeling’s new act were lost on those recalling The Beat’s heyday, his tunes, vocals and musicianship remain as keen as ever. Any incongruities of performance and sound levels were, in the end, swept away by the occasion and its returnee’s infectious grin. Dave seemed genuinely touched by the warmth of his hometown reception and, looking around afterwards, the feeling was mutual.
Live Review: CHVRCHES @ The Institute Alex Ekong Music Critic
Considering the wildly positive accolades bestowed on their debut album The Bones Of What You Believe and their placing on the BBC Sound of 2013 shortlist, it’s hard not to get excited about CHVRCHES. Armed with their distinctive brand of Scottish synth-pop and a light show that could blind the gods on Mount Olympus, they conquered a sold-out Institute last Monday evening and assured fans and critics that they’re in for an even brighter future. The show was opened by the distinctly less frantic musical stylings of Derry-born singer-songwriter SOAK, whose soft and inspired folk songs proved a wonderful apéritif for the main set. At only seventeen years old, she showed absolutely no fear in captivating the capacity crowd and showed herself to be a promising young talent. When the time came for the main event of the evening, the audience was lethargic, having been waiting for two-and-a-quarter hours for the headline act to appear. CHVRCHES, however, were keen to win them over and began to do so with explosive renditions of ‘We Sink’ and ‘Lies’. Despite this, they were extremely impressive throughout and their artistic growth since supporting Passion Pit in the exact same venue in 2011 was apparent. In terms of sound, their live set-up made no compromise in fidelity to their on-record brilliance and Iain Cook added a new dimension to their performance with live instrumentation, including a rib cage-rattling bass solo during ‘Lungs’. Their stage presence was drastically improved too – Lauren Mayberry proved a mesmerising frontwoman while Cook and second lead vocalist Martin Doherty exuded great energy from behind the synthesisers. This was all punctuated with an amazing light show, worthy of any festival headliner. Several audience mem-
bers kept their smartphones out all night to try and capture the spectacle, but a photo or video simply wouldn’t have done it justice. The lights, arranged and shaped like the symbols from their album cover, drastically enhanced the performance rather than distracting from it, changing from powerful strobes to a simulated starry twilight for ‘Night Sky’ which proved to be a highlight of the night. The way in which the drab and pokey Institute was completely transformed was remarkable – as someone who saw Muse at Wembley Stadium, it was among the most impressive on-stage displays I’ve ever seen. A combination of all these factors meant that the audience began to come alive midway through the set, particularly during popular single ‘Recover’ where Mayberry really shone as a vocalist. Doherty got his opportunity to shine too, taking the lead microphone for ‘Under The Tide’ and then again during the encore for ‘You Caught The Light’. He was clearly a better singer on record than in a live setting, but what he lacked in vocal intensity he made up for with dynamic stage presence, showcasing some impressive shuffling skills which had spectators dancing along too. If they hadn’t won the crowd over before, they definitely had by the end of main set closer and popular radio single ‘The Mother We Share’, which had the whole room singing along and led to some raucous encore chants. They duly delivered and, after threatening to play some Black Sabbath (‘Maybe next time, when we’re more prepared’ said Mayberry) they played ‘You Caught The Light’ and ‘By The Throat’. It felt like an uphill battle at times and they were clearly faced with an audience who only knew their more famous songs. Nevertheless, CHVRCHES triumphed and did so in terrific style. If you missed them this time round, make sure to catch their sub-headlining slot on the Radio 1/NME stage at this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival.
Redbrick Meets: Superfood @ The Institute Matt Moody Music Editor
@mattmoody17
What's it like being tipped as 'the next Blur' before you've even released an EP? It cuts both ways, according to Superfood guitarist Ryan Malcolm. "Those sort of comparisons can be a bit annoying to be honest. They're bands we love, but I hope people don't ever think we're trying to emulate another band... That said, if people are comparing us to Blur that can't be a terrible thing, right?" Part of a growing mob of talent emerging from Birmingham, Superfood are just as wary of being attached to a 'scene' as they are of being pigeonholed by their influences. 'It's a weird one' says Malcolm; 'There's scenes like this all over the UK at the moment - pretty much everywhere you go there's groups of friends in bands. For some reason it's all eyes on Birmingham at the moment. It's cool though!' The recent success of bands like Peace and Swim Deep has definitely put the city's music scene in the national spotlight, but Superfood are keen to be judged on the music they make, rather than influences or connections. The band recognise the value of patience when hotly tipped early on. Following last week's release of debut EP 'MAM' - released last week - which they've described as 'just a taster' of things to come - anticipation for a full length release is building. When pressed for a release date, Malcolm isn't giving anything away just yet: 'the songs are recorded, but there's still a lot to do behind the scenes it'll be out this summer though, definitely.' While Birmingham mates Peace have shot to the top of festival bills in record time, Superfood won't be rushed on the live front either: 'I don't think we'll be playing big festivals this year. We played Latitude last year, I guess that's pretty big, but there's something special about smaller festivals, they've got a great atmosphere I think.' Supporting Brooklyn indie veterans We Are Scientists tonight at the Institute, they're on home turf - and it shows. They play a tight seven song set that feels like the perfect length, airing all four songs on the EP and still leaving room for a tantalising taster of things to come. Musically the band play with the precision of a much older group, and frontman Dom Ganterton's pitch perfect vocal performance oozes confidence. Superfood might've avoided falling into the trap of believing their own hype thus far, but on this evidence, they might just live up to it.
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redbrick.me/television
21st March - 8th May 2014
Television
Coming Up ... Watch The Throne TV Critic Roanna Burt reminds us of the last season of Game of Thrones and remembers her own personal experiences in Croatia in light of Season 4 coming to UK screens soon ...
The fourth series of Game of Thrones is due to air on the 6th of April this year, and fans of the fantasy series have been driven stark mad (get it?) with the anticipation. Fan favourites such as Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Lena Headey are all set to return in this explosive new series. The release of new teaser trailers entitled ‘Secrets’ and ‘Vengeance’ are beginning to slowly reveal what is in store for the people of Westeros and the armies across the Narrow Sea.
were all brutally murdered during their wedding by Walder Frey, an action orchestrated by the Lannisters. A harrowing scene, yet brilliantly acted by the mother and son duo, Michelle Fairley and Richard Madden; a pair of Starks we will be sad to see go. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Irish actress Fairley explains ‘it was incredibly emotional because of what was in the scene. The stakes are high at that point for all of the characters. But also for me, internally, because you know this is a point where
"Viewers were left horrified by the level of gore in the last episode, but fans of the books know there's more to come"
"I was lucky enough to be in the city of Dubrovnik during filming of season four"
Vengeance looks set to be a reoccurring theme in this new series, especially for those characters left devastated by the emotionally exhausting episode of the last season: ‘Red Wedding’. Viewers were left horrified by the level of gore and violence in the last episode but die-hard fans of the books know that there is undoubtedly more to come. The last season saw the House of Stark on the brink of extinction after the King of the North, Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn, his heavily pregnant wife and their army
you’re possibly saying goodbye to people that you’ve come to know incredibly well and care about and love.’ Now the House of Stark is scattered, and only the youngsters remain. Arya Stark is left imprisoned with the Hound; her list of enemies to kill slowly increasing. After discovering he can control minds, Bran has left his brother Rickon so that he can continue his own journey beyond the wall, all the while narrowly missing his older half-brother, Jon Snow, who has been wounded by his wildling ex-lover, Ygritte. The eldest daughter of the House of Stark, Sansa has been saved from one abusive marriage to the universally-hated King Joffrey, to be forced into another one, with Tyrion Lannister, who is
deeply in love with Shae, a prostitute. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen has been emancipating slaves, while her armies, as well as the size of her three dragons, are beginning to swell. Season Four will be mostly based on the second half of A Storm of Swords, the third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. However, fans are still unsure as to what will actually be included in the new series. The newly-released trailers hint at Daenerys’ growing power and her desire to have the Iron Throne, whilst life in King’s Landing is becoming more dangerous, even for the Lannisters. There is also a new double threat from the north of the wall: The Wildlings are beginning to battle their way down through the country, closely followed by a re-awakening of White Walkers, intent on killing all those in their path. Filming began on the 8th of July 2013, in Northern Ireland. Other filming locations also include Iceland and Croatia. I was lucky
enough to be in the walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia when producers were filming season four. They were putting up some scene sets for the city of King’s Landing, mingling the quaint Mediterranean charm of the smooth Dubrovnik streets with the decaying grandeur of King’s Landing (See pictures below). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see anyone famous and security was pretty tight but I did catch a glimpse of some of the extras they had brought in, and they were enormous! This sentiment of a renewed grandeur for Game of Thrones is echoed by David Benioff, the show’s co-creator. He claims that ‘Some of the most shocking and mind blowing scenes of the entire series come in this season.' Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister also says ‘we pick up the pieces of the Red Wedding and top it, in many ways.’ There’s undoubtedly a lot of hype surrounding this highly-anticipating new series. Hopefully some of our favourite characters might survive to see the end of season four.
redbrick.me/television
21st March - 8th May 2014
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Cheeky Chappies Saturday Night Takeaway Whether you love them, hate them, or just wish you knew which was which, Ant and Dec are destined for a spot in TV's hall of fame. Shannon Carey takes a look at the seemingly unstoppable duo. It is no secret that Ant and Dec are the nation’s most loved duo: for thirteen years they’ve dominated the National Television Awards, consecutively winning 'Most Popular Entertainment Present,' and it seems that everything they touch is guaranteed to turn to TV gold. Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is no exception – the show is now in its 11th series and has been running since 2002 (don’t even mention that dark three year break in the middle). There’s understandably a massive hype around the show, but after 12 years on air, what makes Saturday Night Takeaway so good to the point where it still regularly reels in seven million viewers every Saturday evening? One way Saturday Night Takeaway stands out from the crowd of entertainment programmes is its regular features that have become favourites with the viewing audience. From ‘Ant Vs Dec’, which sees the pair go head to head in a series of challenging and often humiliating tasks, to ‘Ant and Dec Undercover’, which sees the boys disguising themselves in order to surprise their celebrity friends in the most embarrassing and unexpected ways. And nobody can forget about ‘Little Ant and Dec’, who are practically a famous duo in their own right – it is impossible not to crack a smile as we watch them ask celebrities the most inappropriate questions and engage in cheeky behaviour their older counterparts could only ever dream of. And then there is the celebrity sparkle that always hangs over the show: from celebrity commentators like Keith Lemon or Louis Walsh, guest appearances from other popular ITV stars or starstudded end of show performances from the
likes of Michael Buble and Robbie Williams, nothing screams showbiz sparkle like Saturday Night Takeaway. The show seems to have found the perfect formula of laughter, cuteness and showbiz, and it is this which seems to have made the show such a firm favourite with families across the nation. However, you can’t talk about the success of Saturday Night Takeaway without talking about the unstoppable force that is Ant and Dec. The numerous awards and the decade-spanning career show you how popular the pair are (we even let them off with the whole PJ and Duncan thing), and this popularity undoubtedly makes their show the television giant it is. It’s rare to get presenters who can seamlessly hold together a live, one hour and twenty minute show, whilst engaging in head-to-head challenges, audience surprises and comedy sketches, but Ant and Dec have managed this for years. They aren’t just presenters, but comedians too: they bring a sense of old-fashioned comedy and the extra showbiz factor to their show that is reminiscent of other TV greats, including the two Ronnie’s and Morecambe and Wise – and that’s no mean feat. The chances are that, as long as Ant and Dec are fronting the show, you won’t see the viewing figures decrease any time soon. Some might say that Saturday nights are the time for going out, for drinking and for partying. But maybe it’s time to shun the nightclubs and the alcohol: Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway ensures you’ll have a much better time snuggled on your sofa for the night!
Throwback of the Week This week, Television's nostalgic Alice Anderson examines the teen sensation that was One Tree Hill... After reflecting on my discovery of The O.C. and discussing television series of our youth, I found friends who had not discovered a vintage favourite of mine, One Tree Hill. I, once again, was fairly late to the game in discovering One Tree Hill and began watching it in sixth form. The first series began only a few months after The O.C. in September 2003 and was created by Mark Schwahn. One Tree Hill had a much longer life than The O.C., consisting of 9 series. It is the third longest running series on the CW network, and it ended in April 2012. The series is set around Lucas Scott (played by a very fresh faced and not-yetfamous Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who are half-brothers competing for attention on the basketball team and for the attention of many of their female companions. These include Nathan’s girlfriend at the start of the series, Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton), her sultry best friend Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) and Lucas’ best friend, the studious Hayley James (Bethany Joy Lenz).
The first four series document the five protagonists’ dramatic lives throughout high school. The beginning of the fifth season takes a jump in 4 years to see their lives after
college and what’s become of them as young adults. Across nine series there is never a dull moment, and you very quickly learn to love
every character in their own way. The five main characters are joined by the father that binds the Scott boys, Dan Scott (Paul Johansson) who is a dark character with questionable motives. The lovable sports reporter Mouth McFadden (Lee Norris) brings a little light relief to the plot with his nerdy ways, whilst Antwon “Skills” Taylor (Antwon Tanner) is another enjoyable character who brings a comedic element to the often heavy topics brought up by the show. It’s hard to describe and summarise a 9 series show, as so many new characters and plot twists occur. But it is definitely true that I look back at One Tree Hill as a firm favourite of mine, and to anyone that hasn’t yet discovered it, I would highly recommend it. With hundreds of episodes to get through, and many a famous face featuring in the show, I am almost jealous of those who have yet to discover the show. I may, in fact, take a trip down memory lane as it’s so worth the watch, but will wait until after exams, as passing my final year should probably take priority.
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redbrick.me/sport
21st March - 8th May 2014
Sport
Battling Brum fall short in cup semi
Charlotte Wilson
Birmingham 1sts
2
Loughborough 1sts
3
David Morris
"The hosts came out for the second half with fire in their bellies as they searched for the all important equaliser"
Birmingham’s men’s hockey 1sts were left to rue missed chances as they were narrowly defeated 3-2 against Loughborough 1sts on a sunny evening at the Bournbrook pitches in their cup semi-final. Although the hosts will feel like they may have wasted opportunities, a large amount of credit should be given to the visitors who stepped it up a gear every time it was needed. Loughborough set about their business in quick fashion and had a penalty corner within the opening minute of the game. Thankfully for the hosts, ‘keeper Ashwin Raj was equal to the shot that came his way, allowing Birmingham to avoid the worst possible start. The visitors were dominant pressing high up the pitch and causing all
sorts of problems for the Birmingham midfield, but the hosts were having the better of the chances as they looked to counter with devastating effect. Indeed had Sam French finished one of the three first half chances which that came his way, it could have been a different story. Instead though he found the visiting goalkeeper in good form, as he was denied by a fantastic save. French did everything he could to find the net, and only one of his chances he may feel he could have done better with, as he screwed a shot wide from close range, although the ball had been fired in at him at great speed. There was however, an impending sense that Loughborough would soon make their dominance in possession pay, and sure enough they did on the 25 minute mark.
Sports Editor
After good work around the box, the ball was fired past Raj, who could do little to prevent the visitors taking the lead. This was a lead they carried into the break as Loughborough were rewarded for their dominance in possession, and Birmingham were punished for failing to convert chances on the break. The hosts came out for the second half with fire in their bellies as they searched for the all important equaliser, roared on by an ever growing crowd. However once more they were thwarted by a solid defence. As Loughborough frustrated their hosts the game began to enter a scrappy stage with both sides seeing players receive yellow cards. Brum were soon though on the front foot once more with Ben Stoney seeing his shot go agonisingly wide after a great run across the pitch. They were not to be denied for too much longer though as Nick Bandurak calmly slotted home a penalty to level the scores, after a Loughborough player had been penalised from a penalty corner. The visitors who had previously looked relatively comfortable instantly launched an attack of their own, and almost immediately retook the lead, slotting the ball into the net
to make it 2-1. Once more though Birmingham roared back into contention and levelled for the second time, and again it was the impressive Bandurak who struck, sending his teammates, and the crowd, into raptures. With the game edging towards its conclusion though, Loughborough struck once more, after a penalty corner had been
"This was certainly a courageous effort by Birmingham, but in the end the class of their opposition shone through." conceded, to make it 3-2. This is how the game finished, with the hosts having no real opportunity to launch an attack, such was the lateness of the Loughborough winner. This was certainly a courageous effort by Birmingham, but in the end the class of their opposition shone through, with Loughborough able to step up their game whenever Brum looked like gaining the momentum.
21st March- 8th May 2014
redbrick.me/sport
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Brum end season on high Birmingham 3rds
2
Nottingham 2nds
0
Constantinos Akrivos Sports Reporter
"Birmingham started the game without putting much pressure on their opponents, sitting back and allowing Nottingham to attack, hoping to catch them on the counter." Birmingham overcame a strong Nottingham team thanks to two late goals at the Metchely 3D pitches. Birmingham started the game without putting much pressure on their opponents, sitting back and allowing Nottingham to attack, hoping to catch them on the counter. It did not take long for Nottingham to take control of the match, creating opportunities with some good individual play from their forwards. Birmingham did go very close early on, almost scoring the opener, when a cross from the right found the striker free in the box. He was unable to convert however, due to the pressure of Nottingham’s defend-
"The pace of the game was getting quicker, making the match even more enjoyable." er, who made an excellent recovery. A great pass from the away side’s midfielder resulted in a cross from the right but the this time it was Nottingham’s forward who was unable to take his chance, missing the target from virtually the penalty spot, sending the ball blazing over the bar. Nottingham also proved to be a danger from set pieces, and heaped further pressure on Birmingham with a header that went just past post. Birmingham, clinging on, managed to recover well and started catching Nottingham on the counter with a few good chances. A Birmingham attacker was unlucky with a header that sent the ball just over the bar and a good shot from inside the box for Birmingham was saved by the away side’s goalkeeper. Nottingham could have scored
"However, the deadlock was broken late into the match as Birmingham and Isles' determination paid off with just five minutes until the final whistle"
in the last moments of the first half but a strong shot from the left hand side was saved well by the Birmingham ‘keeper, who punched the ball out for a corner. Nottingham started the second half the stronger side with some brilliant play around the box. They almost scored with their first attempt in the second half, which was saved and but the effort from the rebound was poor. Birmingham’s ‘keeper again came to the rescue, saving marvellously from a direct corner kick, tipping it over for another
"Birmingham were not done there, as Kristian Jenkins made it 2-0, cementing the win in stoppage time" corner. Both teams dug in, desperate to open the scoring. The pace of the game was getting quicker, making the match even more enjoyable. Nottingham’s left winger was a constant danger for Birmingham’s defenders, managing to get a couple of really wellmade shots on target. Aside from his efforts on goal, he worked a few pin-point crosses which were not taken full advantage by of his teammates who could not direct their headers on target. Halfway through the second half the
home side could have scored with a direct free kick but the ball went straight into the wall. Birmingham’s Jarred Isles turned expertly inside Nottingham’s box but yet again the deadlock could not be broken and his finish agonisingly missed the target. It was then Nottingham’s turn to threaten the home side, with more good play down the left wing. On two consecutive occasions the Nottingham winger went one on one against the Lions’ goalkeeper, but was denied for the umpteenth time. However, the deadlock was broken late into the match as Birmingham and Isles’ determination paid off with just five minutes until the final whistle. Isles converted with a great goal after a beautiful cross from the right which found him in the centre of the box, thanks to some excellent counter-attacking. Birmingham were not done there, as Kristian Jenkins made it 2-0, cementing the win in stoppage time. It was a fantastic effort for Birmingham to come out on top after a tough game against a well organised Nottingham 2nd team.
"It was a fantastic effort for Birmingham to come out on top after a tough game against a well organised Nottingham 2nd team."
Charlotte Wilson
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redbrick.me/sport
21st March - 8th May 2014
Sport
My favourite...Sporting farewell After Brian O'Driscoll's triumphant exit from international rugby, David Morris selects his favourite sporting farewell, in the first of a new Redbrick Sport feature in which writers choose their most memorable moments in sport. David Morris Sports Editor
‘Chelsea are champions of Europe, and Drogba, always the big man for the big occasion has won it’. These words delivered with such passion on BBC Radio Five Live by Alan Green will forever be etched in my memory. In the days after Chelsea’s historic win I could not stop re-watching the game, highlights and listening to the radio commentary (sad I know, but the way I stumbled across this wonderful moment). With Brian O’Driscoll recently retiring from international rugby, and indeed on such a high by winning the Six Nations, it made me think of my favourite sporting farewell. I say ‘think’ but I did not have to ponder for long as Didier Drogba’s final moments in a Chelsea shirt instantly sprang to mind. This was the ultimate exit.
"With Brian O'Driscoll recently retiring from international rugby, and indeed on such a high by winning the Six Nations, it made me think of my favourite sporting farewell. I say 'think' but i did not have to ponder for long." As fate would have it, the Ivorian’s last game (although this was not announced until afterwards) would be in the Champions League final, a competition which had brought out the best (and worst) in Chelsea’s talismanic striker. Not only that, but once more all the odds were stacked against the Londoners, taking on Bayern Munich in their own back yard. For 82 minutes the Blues defended heroically, blocking everything that came their way from the Bayern attack. When the Germans did breach the opposition defence they found Petr Cech in formidable form, Drogba meanwhile had barely had a sniff. Then in the 83rd minute Thomas Muller finally ended Chelsea’s stubborn resistance, heading hard into the ground and over Petr Cech. Bayern had won it. Or so it seemed. Only nobody told Chelsea is number 11. On 88 minutes and with the game ticking towards a conclusion which would leave Bayern celebrating in their own city, Chelsea won their first corner of the game. Juan Mata sent in a decent, if unspectacular delivery, but Drogba made it a fantastic one. Running towards the near post, the Ivorian summoned neck muscles which shouldn’t be possible for a human, and sent a bullet header crashing past Manuel Neuer and into the Bayern net. Chelsea were level with only minutes to go, and once again it was Drogba who had hauled them back into a game. This was not the only occasion in the 2011-2012 Champions League campaign that Drogba had revitalised and re-energised the West London side. Having been a peripheral figure during the tenure of Andre VillasBoas, the Ivorian scored the goal which dragged Chelsea back into their last-16 tie
against Napoli, before adding the winner in the Blue’s home leg against Barcelona, a match very similar in its style to the final against Bayern. However this instance was the best of all.
"The Ivorian summoned neck muscles which shouldn't be possible for a human, and sent a bullet header crashing past Manuel Neuer and into the Bayern net." And yet in a match that was symbolic of Drogba’s ups and downs in Europe, he nearly threw it all away, conceding a penalty for a foul on Franck Ribery, which Arjen Robben subsequently missed. When the centre forward gave away the penalty, he could perhaps have been forgiven for believing that he was simply not destined to win Europe’s biggest prize, especially in light of previous incidents. Few will forget Drogba’s furious outburst in the aftermath of their agonising aggregate defeat to Barcelona in 2009. Similarly he endured a torrid final in 2008 when he was sent off against Manchester United, a match they went on to lose on penalties. On that night Drogba was supposed to take what would have been the winning penalty. John Terry instead slipped, allowing United an opportunity they grabbed with both hands. Few can therefore refute Gary Neville’s claim in Munich then that it
was ‘written in the stars’. Having already dragged Chelsea back into the tie with his header, it was fitting that Drogba should take the fifth penalty for his side, a penalty which would win the tie and the elusive ‘holy grail’. For Chelsea fans time seemed to stand still. Drogba took what seemed to be far too short a run up, and yet for him the result was never in doubt. He coolly stepped up to the spot and rolled the ball to Neuer’s right, sending him the wrong way, winning the tie and the Champions League. Drogba had an impressive record in the big games before this match, netting in no less than eight cup finals, seven of which he went on to lift the trophy in. There is no doubting though that he saved his best and most important until last. It is then perhaps ironic that the penalty that sparked wild scenes in Munich amongst the travelling contingent of Chelsea fans, and those following the Blues around the world, is not counted as one of his 157 strikes in the side’s colours. However it was the ultimate farewell, as just days later Drogba announced he would be departing from Stamford Bridge. Speaking on his exit he said 'I would also like to say a very special thank you to
"Few will forget Drogba's furious outburst in the aftermath of their agonising aggregate defeat to Barcelona in 2009."
"A trophy which Drogba coveted throughout his stay at Stamford Bridge was the perfect way to sign off." the Chelsea fans who have shown me so much love and support over the years. You will always be in my heart.’ And yet this was not the end for Drogba and Chelsea, with the fates throwing up a last-16 meeting between his new club Galatasaray and Chelsea in this season’s Champions League. Drogba was presented with a silver boot for his service, and received the deserved adulation of the Stamford Bridge faithful. There was almost a resigned look on his face as he waved to all sections of the ground, as the last player still on the pitch. He took a pause, touched the grass and took his final steps off the turf he still considers his ‘home’. This was it for Drogba and Chelsea. For now anyway. A trophy which Drogba coveted throughout his stay at Stamford Bridge was the perfect way to sign off. The timing was right for the Ivorian. It was never going to get any better. That he was the man who pulled his side back into the reckoning before netting the deciding penalty, made it all the more dramatic and romantic. Few football moments will match this for drama. Didier Drogba arrived at Chelsea as a man needing to justify a hefty price tag. This penalty and triumphant farewell saw him leave a legend.
redbrick.me/sport
21st March - 8th May 2014
Things to look out for this weekend
Performance of the week
Tweet of the week
1. It's the return of El Clasico, as Real Madrid will battle it out against Barcelona, who are four points behind. Unfortunately Carlos Puyol will miss the final La Liga Clasico of his Barcelona career, due to a knee injury, having signalled his intent to move on to pastures new at the end of the season.
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@BrianODriscoll 'Phew! Worked out ok! Thanks for all the messages of support. Unreal feeling' Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side eased to victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, in a game which highlighted the meteoric fall of Manchester United and the resurgence of the Merseyside club. There has been a 43 point swing between the two clubs since this stage last season, with United 26 points worse off and Liverpool 17 points improved. Steven Gerrard typically lead by example and afterwards insisted that Liverpool are title challengers.
2. Its another week of big games in the Barclay's Premier League, as Chelsea host Arsenal in a top of the table clash and Norwich take on Sunderland in a relegation six-pointer. Will Chelsea bounce back from their surprise defeat? Can Norwich go clear of the relegation zone?
The lighter side of sport
Weekend wager
1. In the aftermath of Manchester United's humiliating home defeat to Liverpool, yet more misery was compounded on David Moyes. In response to tweets claiming that there were job vacancies at Tesco which Moyes should think about applying to, Tesco Mobile replied suggesting he wouldn't fit in as they are prize-winners.
10/1
2. Ronaldinho has released his debut rap single 'Joga o copo pro alto', which translates as 'Play the cup up high'. The twotime FIFA World Player of the Year has recently run into trouble at his latest club, Atletico Mineiro, and was fined last week for missing training. It seems that football is no longer a priority for the 33-year old Brazilian.
Photo of the week
Online this week
With the World Twenty20 kicking off this week, these are the odds for Aaron Finch to be the tournament's top scoring batsmen. In what is sure to be a competitive field, Finch is part of a strong Australian batting line-up, and if they are to progress far into the competition, then Finch is sure to be a large reason behind it.
Sport quiz 1. How many goals did Didier Drogba score for Chelsea? 2. How many points did Italy finish on in this year's Six Nations? 3. Who won last weekend's Australian Grand Prix?
Formula One Nicola Kenton previews the new Formula One season, looking at the new team lineups and the controversial rule changes.
University Reports Read how the University's teams got on in the latest round of BUCS fixtures.
5. Who is the current world number one in snooker? 1.157 2.0 3.Nico Rosberg 4.Novak Djokovic 5.Neil Robertson
Roger Federer After an improvement in Roger Federer's form since the start of the new season, Tom Dodd looks at why this might be for the former world number one.
4. Who won last week's BNP Paribas Open in tennis?
The Redbrick Crossword
Since it's the last week of term there's no prize, since there would be no way to get it to you before term ends. Instead, we all wish you a Happy Easter! Crossword by Tom Hutchinson
Please complete this form before you hand in your completed crossword to the Redbrick office or send a photograph to crossword@redbrick.me Name: Email Address: Phone Number:
Across
1. _____ War, during which The Charge of the Light Brigade happened (7) 5. Natural watercourse (5) 8. Former Greek currency (7) 9. Material for jeans (5) 10. Submit, give way (5) 11. Bracelet, bangle (7) 12. Refusal to believe (6) 14. Magikarp's famous move (6) 17. Unusual, out of the ordinary (7) 19. Wonky, off-centre (5) 22. Scrape, grate (5) 23. Smudged, blurred (7) 24. Seamless transition (5) 25. Preserve, conserve (7)
Down
1. Golfing helper (5) 2. Picture, representaion (5) 3. Egg laying spiny mammal (7) 4. Sublte difference (6) 5. A detection system which utilises radio waves (5) 6. A flavour derived from orchids, often used in baking (7) 7. Play again (7) 12. Plans, blueprints (7) 13. Gin runs (anagram) (7) 15. Conversations with God (7) 16. Creatures, animals (6) 18. An encouraging bump (5) 20. What goes around comes around (5) 21. Broaden, expand (5)
1`2`3`4~5`6`7 `~`~`~`~`~`~` 8``````~9```` `~`~`~`~`~`~` 0````~-`````` ~~~~`~`~~~`~` =`q```~we```` `~`~~~r~`~~~~ t```y``~u`i`o `~`~`~`~`~`~` p````~[`````` `~`~`~`~`~`~` ]````~\``````
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redbrick.me/sport
21st March - 8th May 2014
Sport
P 28 - David Morris reports on a very tight game for the men's hockey 1sts in the cup semi-final.
Lions tame Saints to set up clash with historic rivals Birmingham Lions
41 "If his second touchdown
Durham Saints
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Laurence Matthews Spors Reporter
In a match-up which many were predicting to be the game of the weekend, reigning national champions Birmingham Lions took on the Durham Saints with a place in the BUCS American Football semi-finals up for grabs. Durham had proved to be one of the sensations of the 2013-14 campaign; a team that in previous years had finished with a losing record, were now in the national championship mix, thanks to both spending on scholarships and with renewed confidence in their programme.
"After a rousing team talk by captain A-Jay Crabbe, the Lions started the game the brighter of the two teams." After a rousing team talk by captain A-Jay Crabbe, the Lions started the game the brighter of the two teams. Receiver Josh Saunders was able to make a catch in the end zone from QB Jonny Glover, after a botched attempt at a field goal, with running back and kicker Julian Morgan adding an extra point to make the score 7-0. After conceding a safety (the only points against the Lions all afternoon), Birmingham were able to force a fumble from Durham close to their goal line, with Maxwell Petitjean recovering the loose ball. Receiver Stefan Rowden managed to find an opening in the Saints defence and took a great catch under pressure, pushing the score to 15-2. In what became a theme of the first half, the Lions were again able to score a touchdown from a failed field goal attempt, this time with would be kicker Morgan controlling the ball and rushing into the end zone. With a small lead already established, Birmingham started to turn on the style, with Morgan able to race away for a 50 yard touchdown run, followed by receiver Dom
"With a small lead already established, Birmingham started to turn on the style."
was all about pace, there could be no denying that Morgan's third of the afternoon was all about technique and ability to read the game."
Hayhurst making a spectacular ‘over the shoulder’ catch inches away from the sideline, all but ensuring that there was no way back for the Sants. After great work from Lions’ special teams in pinning Durham back from the resulting kick off, Birmingham defensive tackle Jonny Evans was able to fight his way through a tiring Saints offensive line, to record a sack on Durham’s QB in the end zone, in a game that was proving to be all but one-sided. If his second touchdown was all about pace, there could be no denying that Morgan’s third of the afternoon was all about technique and ability to read the game. In what was arguably the play of day, the Lions RB weaved in and out of blocks, before breaking a tackle to rush into the end
"With the score at 41-2 the Lions were able to give backup players some valuable playoff experience." zone. With the score at 41-2 the Lions were able to give backup players some valuable playoff experience, and eventually kneel out the game through backup QB Alex Wake. Lions’ attentions now turn to their upcoming semi-final showdown with fierce rivals Hertfordshire Hurricanes, in a repeat of last year’s BUCS final. With two of the most revered programs in the country com-
"Lions' attentions now turn to their upcoming semi-final showdown with fierce rivals Hertfordshire Hurricanes, in a repeat of last year's BUCS final." ing together for a monumental showdown in Hatfield, for the ultimate prize of a place in the final, it is a game no self-respecting American Football fan will want to miss!
Charlotte Wilson