25th January 2013 - Redbrick

Redbrick. Est 1936

Print. Digital. Mobile.

25th - 31st January 2013 Vol. 77. Issue 1423. www.redbrick.me Music p17 Tamara Roper reviews Destiny's Child's new single 'Nuclear'

Tamara Roper Beyonce got a bit worried when she saw her fabulous little sister Solange getting millions of hits on YouTube. Petrified that people would think she’d turned into a housewife, she quickly lost her remaining pregnancy weight and got in touch with Pharrell. Having sorted that, B dragged Kelly off whatever judging panel she was on...

Science and Technology p19 Ocean virus aiding the Greenhouse effect?

Soumya Perinparajah The need to reduce our carbon emissions due to its contribution to the greenhouse effect has been a global objective in recent years. Burning fossil fuels, car engine emissions and deforestation most often steal the limelight by being the main factors conventionally implicated. But being overlooked perhaps is the possibility that a virus present in our oceans...

Film p26 Django Unchained review

Redundancy protest turns into occupation

Katrin Busch @kabulein

Becky McCarthy Megan Jones With a self-confessed love for Spaghetti Westerns, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained is arguably the film that the iconic director was always meant to make.

Set in the Deep South prior to the Civil war, ‘the new film by Quentin Tarantino’ depicts the story of Foxx’s Django (‘The D is silent’), a freed slave who teams up with bounty hunter...

See page 4

Life&Style p13 Alan, Tatler's office dog, was sadly killed in a freak accident last week (in the revolving door of the company's building). In a tribute to the popular pooch, Editoral Assistant Hannah Coates looks at the world of doggy fashion, along with some of the best of @TatlerAlan's tweets.

Louise Warren

2 | 25th - 31st January 2013

Beth Dawson

@RedbrickNews

@BethRD11 INTERNATIONAL

DEFENSE

Israel's Likud-Beitenu

alliance in coalition talks

5,300 to be made redundant in army cutbacks

After taking only 31 seats in the general election - compared to 42 seats from last year - the Lukid-Beiteinu alliance is expected to enter into talks to form a coalition government. It has begun discussions with the newly-formed Yesh Atid party, which won 19 seats.

EDUCATION

Education Secretary announces A-Level reform

INTERNATIONAL

CRIME

India asked to reform laws on rape trials

Birmingham carer cleared of abuse Irene McDonald, who worked at Acocks Green Nursing Home in Birmingham, was cleared of charges of abuse when no evidence was given to support the claims that she had abused a 91-year-old woman who suffered from a variety of physical illnesses.

STORY OF THE WEEK

PM pledges referendum on EU membership In a speech on Wednesday morning concerning the relationship between Europe and Britain, David Cameron pledged to hold an In/Out Referendum on Britain’s EU membership by 2017 at the latest if the Conservative Party were to be re-elected.

BIRMINGHAM

NATIONAL

Teen rescued after falling through ice in Sutton

Body found of missing Manchester student

Fire crews, a water support team, police and ambulance services were called to the rescue when a 15 year old boy fell through the ice he had been attempting to walk on at Sutton Park, Birmingham. He successfully pulled himself onto an island 30 metres from shore.

Following his disappearance on New Year’s Eve, Manchester Metropolitan University Student, Souvik Pal’s body was found in a canal in Old Trafford on Monday. Currently, Pal’s death is not being treated as suspicious and his family have been informed.

ECONOMY

Unemployment falls to lowest fi gures since 2011

Redbrick Editorial Editor Raphael Sheridan

Marketing Manager Eimear Luddy

Deputy Editors Lexie Wilson Owen Earwicker

marketing@redbrick.me

Digital Editor Chris Hutchinson Art Director Alexander Blanchard

News Editors Kerrina Gray Rhiannon Doyle-Maw Patrick McGhee Freddie Herzog Zahra Damji Beth Clarke

Music Editors Lily Blacksell Jonathon Milnes Josh Holder

Travel Editors Chloe Osborne Zara Sekhavati Will Spence

music@redbrick.me

travel@redbrick.me

Television Editors Charlotte Goodwin Russell Webb Abigail Salter

Food Editors Izzy Gibbin Jemima Lovatt Gemma Bridge Lynette Dakin

tv@redbrick.me

food@redbrick.me

Film Editors Natasha Lavender Aisha Bushby Josh Taylor

Science & Technology Editors Sam Atkins Andrew Spencer Tom Rich

news@redbrick.me

Photography Editors Anna Kirk Charlotte Wilson photography @redbrick.me

Comment Editors Daniel Baird Elisha Owen James Dolton

film@redbrick.me

comment@redbrick.me

technology@redbrick.me

Multimedia Editors Molly Garfoot Matthew Hewson Max Powley

Arts Editors James Kinsey Rebekah McDermott Jenna Clake

Life&Style Editors Lucy Whife Megan Nisbet Megan Jones

Sport Editors Tim Pearson Felix Keith Matt Clark

multimedia@redbrick.me

arts@redbrick.me

lifestyle@redbrick.me

sports@redbrick.me

Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Akhil Kothari Anita Baumgärtner Julia Jablonska

Proofreaders Naomi Baldwin Louise Curry Hannah Dove Lucy Haffenden Emily Hickey-Mason Ashley Kirk Crossword Editor Megan Kissane Antonia Morris Rebecca Mee Bethany Prottey Senior Editorial Amy Saul Assistant Faye Simpson Isabel Mason Sophie Tollet Emily Trivette Editorial Assistants Elizabeth Waind George Bearman Hannah Coates Alicea Francis Ellie Jarvis Ravina Khela Hannah Mason Ella Parsons Francesca Seabourne Ellie Smallwood Charley Ross

Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TT 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrick.me Redbrick is printed through www.mortonsprint.com 01507 523 456 Advertising Contact Linda Langley in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 Designed and typeset by Redbrick Copyright (C) Redbrick 2012 The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

www.redbrick.me/news | 3

Guild of Students.

Beginners' guide to the General Meeting Beth Clarke

and Articles of Association with notice of the proposed company law special resolutions to amend the Articles of Association.

All students are automatically members of the Guild of Students unless they have chosen to opt out of being a member. As each of the resolutions proposed at the meeting are seeking to amend the Memorandum and Articles of the As-

sociation (the governing documents of the Guild), they are all classed as special resolutions which mean they need a 75% voting majority to be passed.

Each of the six resolutions are independent of each other and therefore students are required to vote on each one separately. Students can also vote by proxy by nominating a proxy voter to vote on their behalf.

Special Resolution 1:

Special Resolution 2:

Inclusion of a requirement to hold general meeting once a year

A change to the percentage of students required to call a general meeting

Special Resolution 3: Changes to the composition of the Board of Trustees

If this motion passes then from 1 August 2013 the Articles of Association of the Guild be altered by saying ‘The Trustees may call a meeting at any time, and will ensure that a general meeting is held at least once during each academic year.’

Voting in favour of this motion will reduce the number of students required to call a general meeting from 5% (approximately 1,300 students) to 2% approximately 520 students).

Special Resolution 4: Removal of the position of University Trustee

Special Resolution 5: Change to the procedure for electing Student Trustees

Special Resolution 6: Administrative amendments to governing documents

The University Registrar and Secretary currently appoint a nominee to be a Trustee on the Trustee Board but the resolution calls for this position to be removed.

This resolution proposes that Student Trustees will be elected by cross-campus ballot as opposed to recommendation by the Appointments Panel and then a subsequent election by Guild Council.

In preparing the Memorandum and Articles of Association for this General Meeting a number of administrative amendments were identified and it has been considered prudent to make these changes at this time. None of these amendments result in any substantive changes to the Memorandum and Articles.

News Editor

@beth__clarke

The Guild’s General Meeting will be held on 28th January 2013 at 6pm in the Avon Room, and is a meeting of the charity’s membership as set out in its governing document.

This meeting has been called in accordance with the Guild's Memorandum

The Resolutions

This resolution proposes an amendment to the composition of the Trustee Board.

These changes include seven sabbatical officers instead of four, four student trustees instead of three, six external trustees instead of three students, three university alumni trustees, and one university trustee (although special resolution 4 requests that the role of university trustee is removed from the trustee board).

Reclaim the Guild: one year on Jordan Northover Reporter

Reclaim the Guild, a campaign by students created to improve the way the Guild of Students operates, has won its ultimate battle to gain a General Meeting under Company Law. They believe that this allows them to make changes to the Guild’s constitution in order to put students back in authority.

They argue the need for the Guild to be brought back under the power of the students. As it stands, the majority of the Guild’s decisions are rubber-stamped by the Guild’s trustee board, 50% of which are unelected non-students.

The campaign, originally started by a small group of students, discovered that Birmingham is the only union where students do not form a majority of the Board of Trustees. It was announced on Reclaim the Guild’s website at the start of this term that ‘The trustee board of the Guild of Students has now officially announced a general meeting on 28th January 2013 to discuss and vote on all points on the original Reclaim the Guild petition.’

26th January 2012 Reclaim the Guild officially launches seeking to collect signatures from 5% of the University of Birmingham’s current student population, in order to call a General Meeting (GM).

23rd April 2012

Guild President challenged amid democracy dispute Oliver Norgate Reporter

@Nuggy_

Guild President David Franklin has been criticised for being aginst the passing of Special Resolution 5 that is set to be debated at the General Meeting next Tuesday.

If passed, the resolution would mean student trustees must be elected by the student body in a cross-campus ballot, as opposed to the current system of student trustees being recommended by an appointments panel and then elected by a vote in Guild Council.

Franklin argued on his offical presidential blog that ‘until we solve the problem of students from varied backgrounds (esp. non-white, non-male, non-undergrad) widely participating in elections, the current system, albeit not perfect, helps to bring different perspectives to the board.’

Franklin goes on to deny politicising

the trustee board, saying ‘I disagree with the idea of ‘running’ for the board on a manifesto, or political platform’ concluding that the ‘quasi-democratic appointments system we have ensures that we can get expertise and diversity on the board whilst making it more accessible than an election’.

However in a letter that has been co-signed by a number of other liberation group representatives, Hattie Craig, Women’s Guild Councillor, has challenged Franklin on a number of fronts.

She rejects the view that the process of appointing members leads to higher levels of representation, because ‘there are no quotas or reserved places for liberation groups or even clear guidelines surrounding the representativeness of the board’.

She agrees with David Franklin about ‘accessibility issues’ surrounding elections, but states that ‘this does not mean that all our officers, guild councillors

The campaign’s petition reaches 1,000 signatures meaning there are 500 left to go until a general meeting is called.

2nd May 2012 and student reps should be appointed instead of elected in order to ensure they are more “representative”’.

Instead, she suggests the ‘implementation of quotas or reserved places’ or the possibility of liberation officers being made trustees.

The letter concludes by saying ‘We, as members of liberation groups, do not want to be used as arguments against the democratic reform of our Guild’. At the time Redbrick went to print, the letter had been co-signed by 19 people.

In response, Franklin told Redbrick, ‘I agree the appointments process needs to be reviewed but that's not what we're debating here. I'm talking about how accessible engaging is in the first place. Last term, seventeen students from a variety of backgrounds applied for one trustee position. By contrast, twenty three students stood for election to seven sabbatical officer positions last March. To me that speaks for itself.’

A public meeting is called to update students on the status of the campaign and a discussion about two of the resolutions, the creation of an AGM and the number of members needed to petition for an EGM.

11th January 2013 The Guild gives official notice of a General Meeting saying: ‘This meeting has been called in accordance with the Guild's Memorandum & Articles of Association with notice of the proposed company law special resolutions to amend the Articles of Association.’

28th January 2013 The Guild’s first General Meeting will be held for the first time in over five years.

4 | 25th - 31st January 2013

Protest.

Occupation on campus Jordan Venton-Rublee reports on the campus protest Louise Warren

Jordan Venton-Rublee Reporter

@ little_bland

On Wednesday afternoon a student organized protest quickly turned into an occupation of a human resources room in the Aston Webb building.

In the early afternoon a group of students rallied outside the Main Library in demonstration against the redundancy of Sociology lecturer José Nafafé.

Nafafé lectured in the sociology and political science departments at the university and is a specialist in the fields of ethnicity, migration and post-colonial studies. This is the second protest held

at Birmingham over the University’s decision to make his position redundant.

Kelly Rogers, one of the students at the demonstration, spoke on the library steps to the crowd, stating, ‘Everyone who studies sociology knows that sociology without ethnicity isn’t really sociology.’

‘They (the university) show a complete lack of respect for their students, to the people who came here to study sociology and the students in the future who want to study sociology.’

Rogers went on to claim that, ‘There is a massive demand for the course however they keep telling us that this justifies them cutting back, cutting back, cut-

ting back.’

The protest swiftly moved towards the Aston Webb building, with shouts of ‘José in, Eastwood out!’ and signs that read, “Get rid of José? No way José!” before regrouping outside the building and then heading inside.

After a short debate over whether to stay or continue on the Professor Eastwood’s office the students decided to stay in the hallway at human resources before a group, struggling against a security guard, pushed their way into the student resources room to the shocked faces of staff inside.

Staff quickly filed out of the room only coming back periodically within the first hour to collect personal belongings.

The occupation quickly reached national attention with support and solidarity coming from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts who posted information about the occupation on their website and twitter.

The occupiers also took to the web to post details of the occupation as well as a video and a list of demands. The list stated that, ‘We students are in occupation of the University of Birmingham’s HR department, with the following demands: 1. Dr José Nafafé is no longer placed under threat of redundancy.

2. Provisions are made to ensure there is high quality, long- term teaching of Ethnicities in the Sociology Department.

3. The University of Birmingham’s College of Social Sciences (CoSS) ensures there are enough modules to constitute a full Sociology degree.’

Ioanna Cerasella Chis, a second year sociology and political science student spoke to Redbrick during the occupation stating, ‘I think the occupation has gone very well because we managed to stay

here for a few hours and people from the HR committee of the university had to leave so we have disrupted their work day.’

‘We will continue to do this for as long as possible and we also sent an email and a written letter to the Vice-Chancellor, so we are awaiting an official response from him,’ Cerasella Chis added.

On the Defend Education facebook page the occupiers stated, ‘We've just had word that the Vice Chancellor will not be listening to our list of reasonable demands, until we leave the occupation.’

In response to a previous demonstration against the redundancy, a spokesperson for the University of Birmingham told Redbrick, ‘The University of Birmingham is a community of 150 nations situated in a vibrant, multi-cultural city.

We are extremely proud of our diversity, we actively promote tolerance and condemn discrimination of any kind.

The proposed redundancy is related to the discontinuation of the Media, Culture and Society Programme, which was approved by University Council in 2010 and again in 2012. The final three students will graduate next summer, July 2013.

Dr Nafafé has at no point delivered the sociology teaching identified in the report. Indeed, Dr Nafafé is not, and has never been, a lecturer in ethnicity at the University of Birmingham.

The BA in Sociology is a separate programme and is fully staffed to deliver all the teaching in the syllabus, as agreed in the 2010 consultation with undergraduate students in Sociology and the Guild Vice President for Education.

'The University has recently appointed a lecturer in Social Stratification and Ethnicity to provide teaching in this area.’

Spotted: site criticised Cuts protests planned Beth Clarke News Editor

@beth__clarke

Vice-President of Democracy and Resources Leander Jones wrote to the Facebook page Spotted: University of Birmingham in response to complaints he received from students concerning the ‘sexist and degrading’ comments and videos posted on the page.

In a post to the administrator of the Spotted page, Jones states that he will be forced to take steps to shut the page down if they do not moderate their content that may cause upset or offence that has caused several students to complain since its creation.

This message was then featured on the Spotted page, as requested by Jones,

in the hope that it would act as a deterrent for those who misuse the page.

Commenting to Redbrick on his issues with the Facebook page Jones stated, 'I have had this situation with other Facebook groups before where massive offense has been caused by flippant comments by people who aren’t in a position to realize the offense they are causing.

'And you know a lot of what I’ve seen on such pages is very degrading, very sexist, makes comments that are purposely designed to objectify women and I don’t think that is a healthy environment for students really to make women feel safe on this campus.’Redbrick previously reported on the Guild's condemnation of the 'Birmingham Uni Confessions' page.

Zahra Damji News Editor

@zahra_damji

After the ‘Emergency Meeting to Save Birmingham’ that was held last week, the attendees, who included a number of students from the University of Birmingham, have begun to formulate a plan to tackle the budget cuts that the City Council is having to make.

They have also planned two demonstrations in the upcoming weeks as part of a wider campaign involving ‘direct action, mass rallies, mass educational programs based on local groups which all would work to put liberation politics to the fore’.

The movement comes against a backdrop in which Birmingham is re-

quired to make £600 million worth of savings over the coming years, with £111 million over the next year alone.

According to the facebook page advertising the meeting last week, the effects are particularly significant in Birmingham, where the average reduction in funding is £149 per person, greater than the £74 per person that councils across the country are having to make on average.

The 175 plus attendees, including Guild of Students VPDR Leander Jones and ex-VPE Edd Bauer, over a two and a half hour meeting, have formed a number of working groups to plan different elements of their campaign including a Direct Action, Long Term Strategy, Accessibility & Logistics and Trade Union Coordination.

Leander Jones

Dear administrator.

I am the Vice President of Democracy and Resources at the Guild of Students. I have recieved several complaints about sexist and degrading comments and videos being posted on your page. Can I request that you better moderate the page, to stop people being made to feel uncomfortable/upset. If not, then I will be forced to take measures to shut this page down. Would you mind if I posted a similar message to this one on the page - it might help prevent people from posting such oppressive things in the first place.

Thank you very much, Kind Regards [removed the name because anonymous applies to everyone] #youknowyouvehitthebigtimewhentheguildgetsinvolved

www.redbrick.me/news | 5 @ EmilyHickeyMase

@ UoB_business

@ UoB_business

Increase in 999 calls

Snow causes disruption

Beth Dawson

Zahra Damji

Reporter

@ UoB_business

@BethRD11

The weekend’s snow had serious repercussions for some in the West Midlands.

According to West Midlands Police the number of 999 reports increased by over 20% compared to the average number of such occurrences on Sunday 20th January.

Emergency calls peaked at 1,955 for the day, while the normal daily average is 1,620. The amount of non-emergency calls increased to 300, increasing the daily average by more than 180.

The Force Contact Centre manager, Sue Austin, said in a press release that ‘the increase was down to a predictable rise in the number of road collisions and prangs, but also reports of people throwing snowballs and even building snowmen or snow ‘barriers’ in the road’.

She also commented that ‘snowballing is all part of winter fun, but anyone overstepping the mark by throwing snowballs onto roads or at moving traffic are posing a real danger’.

News Editor

@zahra_damji

Following heavy snowfall over the past week, many lectures had to be cancelled on Friday and early this week despite the efforts of the University to clear up campus before lectures resumed on Monday.

In a statement on their facebook page, the University said 'Our Estates team are doing all they can to clear campus roads and grit footpaths.' They then went on to warn students to be careful when travelling onto campus.

The entire city has seen the closures of schools and businesses after an estimated six inches of snow fell on Friday alone, followed by much more on Sunday evening. Several train and bus routes were cancelled because of the snow and severe warnings were issued by the Met Office.

The Farmers Market was also cancelled on Wednesday as much of campus remained covered in snow, although one stall was still able to attend.

www.redbrick.me/news

6 | 25th - 31st January 2013

Redevelopment.

Paradise Circus

Features.

Kerrina Gray News Editor

@KerrinaGray

Planning permission has been approved for a £450m redevelopment of Paradise Circus.

The area between Centenary Square and Chamberlain Square will be a mixed development incorporating offices, shops, leisure and cultural facilities. A new four star hotel will be built to replace the existing Copthorne Hotel.

There will also be a new concert hall to replace Adrian Boult Hall.

The area will provide a traffic-free setting for the Grade 1 Listed Town Hall and a series of pedestrian streets linked to new squares. The facade of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will be revealed to the public for the first time since the 1970s.

The development will provide up to

A new minimum 450-seat Adrian Boult Concert Hall A new hotel Grade A office development Computer generated image of Argent’s Paradise Circus redevelopment scheme 12,000 new jobs. It is one of the UK’s largest city centre planning applications approved this year, the investment is over £60m.

The company managing the project are Argent. Their Senior Project Director Rob Groves said ‘the redevelopment of Paradise Circus has the potential to make

Shops, restaurants, bars and café the most significant impact on the city centre for a generation.

The site's combined qualities of its central location and historic landmarks create an unrivalled opportunity to create a sustainable, first class environment that will transform this key part of Birmingham city centre.’

A series of new streets and public squares Enhanced new setting for the listed historic buildings A combined Heat and Power facility

Injured Soldiers.

Beckham visits patients Yashi Banymadhub Reporter

Queen Elizabeth Hospital @fredherz

David Beckham took a day out of his schedule to visit patients in Birmingham on Wednesday the 16th January.

Injured soldiers from Afghanistan now recovering at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and cancer patients were given a morale boost last week after a surprise visit from David Beckham. The international superstar was accompanied by Hollywood actor Ray Winstone, renowned for his 'tough-guy' roles.

Following his departure from LA Galaxy and his return to London in 2012, the 37-year-old is still considering his next career path.

The pair spent an hour and a half in the mixed trauma ward visiting military and civilian patients and their families. A source told Birmingham Mail, ‘As soon as the patients saw them it gave them an instant lift. They are so instantly recognisable and generated a lot of interest among patients and staff’.

The medical staff of the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine also had the opportunity of meeting the football star and

getting his autograph.

When interviewed by BFBS (the British Forces News) after meeting the patients, Beckham expressed his admiration for the young heroes, ‘The troops are very positive about life and their future. So it has been very inspiring.'

When asked about the topic of his conversations with the fans, he said, ‘We talked about what they did at Christmas and what I did at Christmas and a little bit about football’. Winstone was similarly touched after talking to them: ‘These kids are out there protecting my children and what the world will one day be when I’m gone, so it’s only right that we support them’.

Beckham also visited patients between the ages of 16 and 24 at the Teenage Cancer Trust’s Young Persons Unit where he spoke to several youngsters and happily posed for photos.

The visit lasted 3 hours overall and was a huge success in lifting the moods of patients and staff alike.

It was organised by CSE Forces Entertainment who aim to lift the spirits of men and women serving in the Armed Forces have emphasised the continuous Police presence in Selly Oak.

R E C I F F O D L I U G 3 1 0 2 S N O I T C ELE Student Voice

E C N E R E F F WHAT DI ?

E K A M U WOULD YO

and n e p o w o n re a s n Nominatio am.

0 1 t a ry a ru b e F th 4 close on Monday BETTER GUILD 28,000 students rely on services provided

BETTER YOUR COMMUNITY

BETTER UNIVERSITY campaigned for free printer credits, longer library opening hours, and improved sports

student, local and national community.

This is achieved through a number of ways, including:

improved student services through...

For more information or to download a nominations pack, visit guildofstudents.com/elections or drop into Student Voice

elections@guild.bham.ac.uk #guildelections13

8 | 25th - 31st January 2013

@RedbrickComment

Art Unchained Arts online editor Jenna Clake explores Tarantino's infamous Channel Four interview and questions whether Art should have to justify itself.

If you haven’t yet seen the video of Quentin Tarantino’s interview with Channel Four, I suggest you watch it now. If you are not anywhere near a computer, iPad or phone, then I’ll give you a brief synopsis: Tarantino is interviewed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy about Django Unchained. They talk about the typical things you might expect, and then Guru-Murthy says, ‘Why do you like making violent movies?’ and the interview quickly descends into a rant from Tarantino, who exclaims, ‘I’m shutting your butt down!’ and refuses to answer any more questions.

While the video is undoubtedly entertaining – I’m sure several thousand people have flocked to the internet to watch Tarantino’s ‘hissy fit’ – the interview raises a few serious questions.

Firstly, what happened to good journalism? Tarantino has been answering the same questions about violence in his films for twenty years. Since Reservoir Dogs, everyone has been speculating about the level of violence in his films and whether or not

there’s a link between enjoying ‘movie violence’ and real-life violence. During every interview since then, Tarantino has had to answer at least one question about it.

The journalists aren’t asking these questions because they are interested or don’t know the answers. Tarantino hits the nail on the head when he tells Guru-Murthy that he’s only asking the question ‘for you, and your show and your ratings’. If interviewers wanted to know Tarantino’s stance on violence in cinema, they would simply have to Google it.

Secondly, the interview raises questions about how we treat artists. Tarantino states that he does not want to be a ‘performing monkey’, and, quite frankly, he does not deserve to be treated as one – no artist does.

The media seems to think that artists work for it, not for themselves – you only have to look at the paparazzi-celebrity relationship to realise this.

There is evidently a sense of entitlement dur-

ing the interview: Guru-Murthy believes that Tarantino owes him and the whole world an answer. However, as the director states, the interview is really only beneficial to him: it will promote his film, increase his ratings, make him an internet sensation and the talk of the dinner table. The media fails to recognise that it works for the artist, not vice-versa.

Thirdly, the interview raises the question of whether or not art needs to be justified. Personally, I will immediately say that it does not. A poem, a film, a novel, a painting, a photograph is a piece of art in its own right, regardless of the motives behind it, the context of its conception or the materials and technology used to produce it. Who cares if the artist spray-painted a party hat, stuck it in the middle of the Saatchi and called it art? If that’s the artist’s process, then it is art. Does Tarantino need to justify the inclusion of violence in his films? No. It’s his signature; it’s what he’s renowned for. But more than that, the violence doesn’t make his film, it is just a crucial part of it, much like pencil or pen is part of a sketch.

Do rom-com directors ever have to justify themselves for making us sit through ninety-minutes of unrealistic

@jennaclake relationships and twists of fate?

While we’re on the subject of violence, let’s have a look at Tarantino’s. It is not pleasant - that’s undeniable – but is it gratuitous? The violence is realistic – or rather, it happens in realistic situations.

Would you rip out the eyeball of a woman who was involved in a plot to murder you?

Maybe. Would you, given the chance, skin the heads of some Nazis? We’d all probably like to. Were slaves forced to kill one another and thrown to dogs when they were no longer ‘useful’? Almost definitely. At times, Tarantino’s violence is hyperbolic, but he is always playing the fine line between the real and the surreal, so that it is never gratuitous and is always part of a bigger meaning. There is definitely more to Tarantino’s film than violence: in Django Unchained, Dr. King Schultz sympathises with the slaves to a great extent, perhaps even more than Django himself. The fact is, Tarantino is intelligent – to be a director he has to be. To be an artist, one requires sensitivity to the medium in which they are working, and an in-depth understanding of what they are creating. It is for that reason that we should stop questioning the motives of art and just enjoy it.

Watch the interview at: http://www. channel4.com/ news/quentintarantino-imshutting-your-buttdown

www.redbrick.me/comment |9

Should contribution in seminars be compulsory?

Xander Ross

@Xander_Ross7

Some give you looks ranging from embarrassment to contempt, others look anywhere but at the tutor or at the several ‘loud mouths’ in the class. It can make you feel like the clichéd school kid who gave their teacher an apple every day. For the three years that I have been at this university an awkward atmosphere has been ever present in the seminar room.

It frustrates me. Obviously because I write for the comment and features section I have no issues with voicing my opinions! Yet despite my evident narcissism I, like many others who have reminded me, get fed up of the sound of my Essex accent. It sometimes gets to the stage where I become so conscious that I, and maybe two or three others, are the only ones talking that I keep silent in an attempt to let others contribute. This is to minimal avail, some people are either too shy, have not done the work, or aren’t even paying attention.

Perhaps I am being dictatorial, but for me none of these are valid excuses. If you are too shy to contribute in a seminar, a relatively safe environment where you can be wrong but it does not matter, then how are you going to do it in the real world? If you cannot put across your views in a meeting a company is not going to view you favourably.

We are living in a world where you increasingly need to advertise yourself; jobs are becoming more competitive, and if you lack confidence in yourself how are you going to sell yourself to an employer? Tutors are always banging on about ‘transferable skills’; verbal communication is an essential one and seminar rooms are an ideal medium in which to practice.

Timidity does not annoy me as much as those who turn up without reading the literature. Those who are quite happy to sit there in silence and take notes. That is fine in a lecture but not in a seminar. I pay a large amount of money to come to these seminars in order to have a forum in which a group of students can discuss ideas. It is a two way process; it should not be the case that a student can come to

the class and take other people’s ideas without offering their own. What is the point of paying and attending university if all you are going to do is repeat what other students have said? To get to university in the first place indicates that you have a reasonable degree of intellect - use it. Don’t be a parrot.

The current format of seminars in the subject of History requires us to create a few presentations a term. I believe this is the wrong way to encourage engagement with the module. People tend to work on their presentation and ignore the rest of the information. A university education should not just be about jumping through hoops: it should be about learning for the sake of learning and honing skills for the workplace.

Perhaps what is needed are stricter rules; one page of

notes need be provided per seminar to prove that you have done the work. This would solve the issue of laziness, however, ensuring contributions would probably be a tough feat. One method would be to format the class as a debate, where everyone must argue their case. Alternatives include class contribution being part of the module grade, or simply tutors asking those being quiet for their opinions.

In light of these alternative solution perhaps we would have more interesting classes, where seminars actually worked as they are supposed to. It would be beneficial to everyone and would foster a more academic and challenging environment that should hopefully result in better grades. It might also prevent what Comment editor James Dolton does when he is aggravated by the silence; make outlandish claims to try and provoke a response.

Horses: Friend or Food?

Charlie Maloney In the wake of recent headlines that some burgers for sale in Tesco included up to 29% horse meat, outrage has swept across the nation. Analysts claim that approximately £300 million has been wiped off Tesco’s market value, and Caroline Gulliver at Espirito claims ‘the news is likely to, at

least temporarily, reduce customers’ trust in the quality of Tesco’s products’. The main outrage lies in the fact that it was specifically horse meat that was included in the burgers.

Many strongly worded articles and blogs on the internet have claimed that the idea of eating horse meat is offensive, not only to our taste buds, but also to the traditional idea that the horse is more than a beast which we can slaughter and consume. These people claim that a horse is an animal

which we have anthropomorphised. Because of this people apparently see the horse in the same way as we see the household favourites, the cat and the dog. Graeme Archer, whilst writing for the Telegraph, claims: ‘If British society were a building – something magnificent, like a cathedral – then its culture would be represented in that cathedral’s stained glass windows.

Those windows would have images of the horse, both pulling a plough and in pursuit of the fox; the dog, guarding the front door; the cat, symbol of domestic peace. They would not show a family sitting down to a hearty meal of horse carcass.’

It is difficult to know exactly what to make of this argument, primarily as it reads very much as a rhetorical flourish rather than a serious point. If anything Archer lays the foundations for the point which I am trying to make, namely that this romantic view of horses is just another symptom of a country where the ruling classes dictate the values of the country based on what is important to them.

The majority of people in this country, who live in urban environments and earn considerably less than anybody who owns a horse, will see these creatures a handful of times in their life. Cats and dogs are pets which we could actually claim to have been humanised, as we let them share our living quarters. There is also a more practical element to not eating cats and dogs, as they are carnivorous. In the wild carnivores, like us, tend to eat herbivores, like horses. This is because there are food chain issues to be considered. If I ate a cat I would not know what animal that cat had eaten, and it would most probably have eaten some kind of vermin, which I would never choose to eat, disease ridden

as they are. Horses have the same diets as our other farmyard animals, cows, sheep and pigs, so there doesn’t seem to be any real argument for our stomachs turning at the idea of eating them. Another poorly considered argument for sparing horses is on the Telegraph website, by Ian Douglas, who asserts: ‘Horses are for pony trekking and racing. Let’s not confuse things by pretending they’re for lunch too.’

In this he is wrong, because horses also are for the slaughter houses in this country. Jamie Doward reports for the observer that in 2010: ‘The total of all horses and ponies slaughtered for meat in England, Scotland and Wales rose to 7,933.’

This statistic only accounts for the horses that we slaughter for consumption, and many more horses are slaughtered and processed here in the UK to be exported to other countries. So the idea that the horse holds some kind of sacred position in the hierarchy of animals in our country is completely illusory. Of course this Tesco’s fiasco is a disgrace for the chain, and has quite rightly caused public outrage. Whilst the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has claimed that the horse meat burgers posed no risk to public health, it is indisputable that Tesco’s is in the wrong.

They have broken European regulations about ‘misleading presentation of food to customers’ and under British law could face a fine of up to £5000. After all, customers have the right to know that there is no mystery ingredient contaminating their food shopping. However, whilst Tesco’s have clearly done something illegal, it is too pompous and absurd to claim that not eating horse meat is something that ‘we British’ should do.

10| 25th - 31st January 2013

'I’m not English, I'm British!'

Political correspondent James Philips examines his 'national identity'. @MisterJames_

The collective identity of a nation is fragile and, perhaps, malleable. Yet, in times of war, crisis and sport, it is one that unites a massive population and allows us to set aside our political differences. The fact that we think and feel differently is forgotten in these circumstances and instead, to an extent, we are able to come together as if one person and stand shoulder-to-shoulder in agreement, before proceeding into some form of patriotic endeavour. Take, for example, our coalition government during the Second World War. But what is it about national identity that makes us feel so united?

With the impending referenda on Scottish Independence in 2014 and the UK’s relationship with the EU (if the Conservative party win the 2015 General Election), political parties will be relying on this national identity to drum up support for their yes or no campaigns. In Scotland, it will be a question of 'are you more proud to be British or Scottish?' We only need to look to the recent protests in Northern Ireland to note how important the aspect of national identity is to the electorate. It would appear that any threat to national identity is also a threat to personal identity. It is embedded in our cultural, language and ethnic differences.

National parties such as the Scottish National Party, Sinn Fein and Plaid Cymru are also beginning to grow in prevalence.

In 1918, Woodrow Wilson, then President of the United States of America, argued that the best way to stop war from taking hold again was to grant the right to self-determination and end the control over smaller nations by empires and colonial rulers. This allowed countries such as Poland to regain its independence and saw the creation of countries such as Czechslovakia that were based on the ethnic identity of those who would be living in the state. The idea was

that each country would respect each other’s sovereign rights. Ironically, it would seem, this bred tension between states and led to dangerous delusions of cultural superiority that then delivered the beginnings of the Second World War. Hence, when Blair granted devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during his first premiership, the concept of national self-determination was not a new one to be discussed. In fact, it was rather modest of him to use referenda as a way of deciding when, in the past, independence or devolution of power have been simply handed over or fought out in a bloody war. However, we have approached an era of consent that tends towards allowing citizens to decide their own fate on their national identity, rather than the Government or, in some cases, colonial ruler to do so for them.

However, a national identity can be considered a strange concept. And if it is to unite a nation, how well does it do that? After all, we are sure to see in the Scottish referendum that not all of the electorate will see themselves as 'Scottish', but some will see themselves as 'British', both implying different relationships with their Government.

Perhaps this is why the West Lothian question has never furthered. Are we in a state where 'English' people see themselves more as 'British' than 'English'?

But as globalisation takes hold of the world, surely the concept of national identity is weakened, as we can never truly be unified on common characteristics in a more multicultural society, only in rejecting certain products or practices from other states, which can be quite rare.

Maybe I’m not 'English'. Maybe I’m not 'British'. Maybe I’m not 'European'. Perhaps, I’m simply 'Earthish'.

News Views Dan Baird. Well he's done it. Cameron has finally bitten the bullet on offering up the holy grail of Conservative and UKIP members alike, an in/out referendum on EU membership. This isn't Cameron's first choie however, option number one is to try and renegotiate our membership within the club. To be honest I'm fairly sceptical about how well this will work, standing at the door and yelling at 26 other members that we're going to walk if we don't get our way doesn't seem the most productive use of our time. Cameron has never really wanted a referendum on the EU but growing divisions in his own party and the growing threat of UKIP have forced his hand.

POLITICS

CRIME

Isabel Mason. English grandmother Lindsay Sandiford, found guilty of smuggling cocaine into Bali, faces the death penalty via firing squad. A little more extreme than the 15-year jail sentence that was predicted, is it right that she should receive the same penalty of mass murders and human traffickers? My answer: absolutely not. However wrong drug smuggling is, and however much it needs to be tackled, killing is not the answer. Put on top of this the claims that her children were in danger if she didn’t smuggle, as well as mental health problems, and you get a punishment that is completely unjustified.

James Dolton. A study came out of Humboldt University in Berlin this week arguing that Facebook causes 'jealousy and misery'. This is due to the competitive nature of it's interface. Analyst Ben Grosser's excellent add-on the 'Facebook Demetricator' is a welcome advance in this. It removes all numbers of likes, comments , leaving you aware that activity has taken place but not exactly how much.It is only when you turn it off that you recognise how terrifyingly pervasive Facebook's metrics are. Do you really need to know how many people have liked your status? Does it really say anything about you? Or is it all just a painfully pointless exercise in frustration and mangled self-confidence?

CULTURE

www.redbrick.me/comment | 11

When most of us came to university we envisioned something different to high school. You could be whoever you wanted everyone wasn’t going to know everyone’s business and people wouldn’t be bullied and victimised by the masses. And it probably was, before facebook came and spoiled the party.

It all started off fairly innocently with memes pages full of references and in-jokes for the students of each university. However recently these pages seem to have taken a darker turn.

The ‘Spotted’ page initially seemed

‘Lad culture’ in a way protects the man involved from the wave of vitriol that hits women in similar situations innocuous enough but soon the ‘spots’ began to target people’s weight and race and ridicule them in front of the 5000 people who have liked the page, often posting the house number the targets live at. The venom seems to come from the fact these submissions are anonymously sent to whoever runs the page and are resubmitted by the page itself. Maybe the owner of Spotted could do something decent and publish the names of the people instigating the cyber-bulling?

Things (for me at least) reached a

whole new level on the 16th of January where a few seconds long clip of a man (his face shown however he seemed unaware he was being filmed) putting on a condom in the toilets of Fab whilst a girl (only her bottom was visible) crouched in front of him. Within an hour it had amassed over 300 ‘likes’. It can be seen by 5000 people and all of those people are free to share the video with all of their friends. The comments were overwhelmingly along the lines of ‘what a lad’, though I think we all know they’d have been a bit different if the girl’s face had been shown. Whilst it must be embarrassing for the man involved, he seems to be being patted on the back for

it, and people have jokingly tagged their male friends in the video.

No one has (yet) spoken out about what a gross invasion of privacy the clip is, probably out of fear of being called a party pooper and becoming a target of the vitriol themselves (which is why I’m staying anonymous).

‘Lad culture’ in a way protects the man involved from the wave of vitriol that hits women in similar situations (just look at the different reactions to Prince Harry and Kate Middleton’s respective nudity scandals) and the taking of the video, as well as posting it on Facebook is seen as ‘banter’ when really it’s public humiliation.

Worse still is the fact that many people seem to think the girl (note, they usually don’t address the guy involved) somehow ‘deserved’ it for being such a slut and having sex in a toilet. Really, we have no idea who these people are. They could have been boyfriend and girlfriend for a year for all we know! And

Spotted: Birmingham through the keyhole

Our Anonymous writer looks at how Facebook and ‘lad’ culture are turning University into High School

even if not, it isn’t our business and it isn’t for us to judge, it’s the concern of the two people involved and at a stretch their friends and families.

The page has created an environment for the high school bullying we all thought we were going to leave behind when we packed up and left for a new city. And it can end in tragedy; you only need to Google Tyler Clementi and read about how he killed himself after a sex tape was released of him by his roommate.

So next time you feel the need to submit some ‘witty’ spot please think about whether your target is going to find it funny when they work out you’re talking about them.

If you would like to comment on any of the articles featured in this week's paper you can find us at: w w w. r e d b r i c k . m e / comment Or alternatively find us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ Redbrick Comment

12| 25th - 31st January 2013 @RedbrickLifeStyle

Mens Fashion Week: From Catwalk to High Street

Last week Milan, Paris, New York and London opened up their men’s catwalks to exhibit the designers' looks for Autumn/Winter '13. Unlike the Spring/Summer catwalk, the upcoming collections of Armani, Gucci and alike were using much more neutral colours while classical tailoring was featured in almost all of the designer catwalks.

Not all of us are fortunate enough to be able to spend thousands of pounds on Gucci gear, so thankfully the high street is brimming with catwalk copies. Life&Style writer Alexandra Landes chooses the best alternatives for you to look fabulously on trend this snow season at a fraction of the price.

Once again, roll necks played a key feature on the men’s 2013 catwalk, especially by Emporior Armani who showcased a selection of mostly grey tone jumpers with wide roll necks. In order to achieve a similar look head to French Connection for the more manageable price tag of just £58.

Printed texts were used in many collections in Fashion Week, seen mostly on tees or knitwear making bold and sometimes humorous statements. The high street is plagued with tees and jumpers featuring printed text, but Life&Style favourites this Topshop £18 khaki t-shirt.

The chinos were back with a vengeance on this year's catwalks, but long gone are the sandy coloured versions which featured last year. The trouser has branched out into bolder colours being paired with neutral knits. Republic have a range of boldly coloured chinos similar to those featured in YMC’s collection.

Just when we thought checked shirts surely could not grace men’s catwalks once again, we were proven wrong, with collections by Lou Dalton and alike exhibiting mostly larger printed checks.

This Burton number effortlessly recreates the Lou Dalton look, for a much more acceptable price of £25.

Burton, £25 Topman, £18 Republic, £35 French Connection, £58

David Gerrard Life&Style Writer

Whilst for some of us, the weeks that sneak up on us bi-annually in January and summer mark a period of stress, sleepless nights and gruelling revision as the exam periods loom, for others it is their opportunity to take to the fashion capitals for a series of shows.

Formerly known as the inferior, weaker competition to its stateside and European sisters, London has recently been seen developing a greater presence in the fashion calendar. As London Fashion Week draws to a close for Fall/Winter 2013 we review its success.

On surface level, it seems understandable that in the past some of the highflying editors of the international glossy magazines have opted to ‘skip’ London.

With a non-existent expenses budget, I

think I too would pass on a wet London in favour of a picturesque Paris, or a never-dull New York; but the real reason that lies behind their decision-making is that the British designers (Burberry, McQueen, Westwood) tended to delve into an overseas pond. Therefore, with the big names showing in The Big Apple, Milan and Paris, there was little reason for the big editors to come to The Big Smoke. That was until 2012.

Our generation has lived in a year that truly defined our national identity, signifying why Britain is Great, and ultimately placed England on the map; in Sebastian Coe’s words: ‘we lit up the flame, and we lit up the world’. The Olympic Games truly is the foundation of London’s new recognition.

Alongside this, ‘The Great Campaign’ saw Anna Wintour, Sir Paul Smith and

Victoria Beckham pay homage to London, and with Wintour’s undeniable influence, it is no wonder Burberry’s Christopher Bailey soon took the high fashion brand back to its roots for S/S 2010, and showcased his collection in London for the first time.

2012 saw the emergence of the London Collections: Men. Womanising and dapper, James Bond, representing the epitome of man, was the vehicle that catapulted Tom Ford’s appreciation for fine tailoring into the eyes of the everyday male. After having dressed the international spy in the latest blockbuster, sartorially acclaimed Ford also showed in London instead of Milan this year, expressing his adoration for the city during the commentary for his show.

As Somerset House was donned this past week by the industry’s elite, we

question whether London has a worthy presence. Is London weaker than New York, Paris and Milan? The answer is no.

Instead, we are seeing a steady transition with both emerging and established designers now showing here, and with a dedicated series of shows for men, London did, and will continue to, prosper.

Undoubtedly then, we are witnessing a revival in London’s presence. 2012 did not only bring the athletes from across the globe, it brought the editors of American Vogue, and the designers from New York. Dylan Jones of GQ said that 'you would only get this amount of support and number of people showing, and coming to London if there was a genuine need for something like this in London right now', and the result? London has gained recognition as a true competitor in fashion.

www.redbrick.me/lifestyle |13

Sssh!

Christmas Confessions Anonymous Life&Style Writer

It’s one thing to be asked to leave a club on a student night after a few too many vodka and cranberrys, but it is quite another when this happens at a family party.

Throw in an overly persistent guy, a strong desire to misbehave and an ex-boyfriend into the mix, and what you get is a recipe for disaster. Yes, I managed to remove any chance of kissing under the mistletoe this Christmas.

Nearly four glasses of wine, three flutes of champagne and a cheeky shot of gin later, I was a little less composed at a family friend's party. It may seem unfair, but the harsh reality is that a girl loses her morals and standards with every extra sip of alcohol that passes through her lips, whilst men manage to adopt a façade, convincing us that throughout the night they become excellent dancers, exceptionally attractive and generous when they offer to share the taxi home to save us money.

The arrival to my family affair went well. When a tall, well-built guy named Tom asked me to join him for a walk in the gardens, I innocently agreed. What could go wrong?

My judgment had been slightly hazy, as I started to realise that, within moments, I was now kissing this person who I had never even spoken to. In typical English style, the rain soon began to fall and my hair and makeup started to return to what it looked like eight hours ago after getting out of the shower. With my appearance down the drain, my morals seemed to follow closely after, as before I could even think to show some restraint, I was having completely unexpected and highly unsuitable sex in a garden of my family’s friends at a formal party, whilst getting drenched in the process.

With a typical lady’s sense of class, I suggested we move to a much more secure and proper location: the toilets.

Finally, the shame of having mascara trickling down my cheek whilst holding a stranger’s hand came to an end as the toilet door started to open. Nothing could have prepared me for the conversation that I was about to have; explaining to my ex-boyfriend why I was sneaking into a toilet with a guy who turned out to be one of his friends from university.

This night had reached an undeniably low point; I looked awful, was ashamed at my actions and had just experienced what was the worst sex of my entire university days; a claim that every girl wants to avoid when the act even falls below the experience of stumbling home after sports night with a rugby player wearing a dress.

I suddenly became aware of the situation that I had put myself in, decided to clean up, get a glass of water and enjoy what was left of my festive evening.

This was until I caught a glimpse of the host who after marching towards my table, stood above me, glaring and suddenly burst out with ‘Get out of my party!

You’ve had sex in my garden, and then in my toilet. Leave! Now!'.

At approximately 1am I was kicked out of the party. I think I can safely say that I didn’t find my dream man that night, but, what I did do is give myself the perfect opportunity to write a very detailed New Year's resolution.

Fierce #RIPTatlerAlan 'Office Manager at @TatlerUK' Hannah Coates Editorial Assistant

With the snow and January blues creeping up on us left, right and centre, it might have been nice to get some good news this week. Instead, we heard the tragic news that Alan, women's magazine, Tatler's, office dog, was killed in the revolving doors at Vogue House.

The whole of Twitter let out a little sob, the fashion world wept, and my dog, Mr. Doodies, on behalf of all the other hounds out there, let out a whine.

Alan, a dog who currently has 4081 followers on Twitter, lived the pooch high life: mixing with celebrities, hanging out in the Tatler offices as 'Office Manager' and trotting around the London streets. It would give me great pleasure to say he was an unattractive, hairless monstrosity of a dog, but he was a real heartbreaker. Check him out on @ TatlerAlan for photos.

In tribute to Alan, we thought we would have a little look at doggie fashion, because being the style guru he was, he would never want his fellow friends

feeling cold.

For the understated look, it's all about the collar and lead combo. A chunky collar will never go amiss and, for those edgy hounds, spikes work a treat. Essex canines may prefer a diamante encrusted combo along with a Juicy Couture velour hoodie in pink; there is even a dog personalised Juicy Couture logo on the back.

As in the human world, there are dogs that just love to dress up. See urbanpup. com for some real treasures. Here, there are doggie puffa jackets, dresses, coats and tshirts in an array of prints, including houndstooth and gingham. Fashion at its finest. One of the most horrendous pieces was a denim mini skirt, probably geared towards the more loose individual. If your dog has found The One and is soon to tie the knot, they also sell bridal wear.

So, in memory of Alan, who is clearly looking down upon us and smiling, keep your dog warm this winter.

@TatlerAlan's Top Tweets:

James Dolton Online Comment Editor Spiders, Small Spaces and Commitment: Oh right, “Fierce” not "fears"! Sorry. Easy mistake to make.

Snow: We can stop worrying about being trendy for a few days and bang on ridiculous hats and scarves and pelt one other. Glorious.

Charity Shopping: A healthy way to spend your student loan. See www. redbrick.me/lifestyle for more tips.

The Andromeda Galaxy: Stargazing live is cool. Professor Brian Cox is cooler.

That bike by University Station bereft of handlebars or wheels: He doesn’t care for your close-minded interpretation of what constitutes a bicycle. What a guy.

Ryan Gosling: I will cry at Place Beyond The Pines. That is a promise.

People from Helsinki: You know, the capital of Finl... Gosh darn it, I did it again.

Snow’s Bad-Tempered Cousin, Ice: Flung aerially results in enormous pain, whilst locating ice at ground immediately precedes being rather more closely acquainted with it.

The concept of Ennui: Meaning boredom - it is so last season.

Gazpacho: Perfect weather to warm up on a bowl of Heinz, but cold soup slightly misses the point.

''It's Sunday evening. The oven is on. Le poullet is prepped #getinmybelly''

''I totally have my 'Of course I'm working and NOT sale shopping' pose nailed''

Les Miserables: Poor thing. Hyped itself to death.

ALDI rearrangement: How am I to navigate my way round? I may starve to death!

The Missing Igloo: Featured on Facebook's SPOTTED, Selly park's famous Igloo was mysteriously destroyed.. Or perhaps melted.

Inappropriate clothing in FAB: No, it's not OK to wear heels and a belt in -10 conditions. You will die.

''Morning yoga sesh. Nailing the cobra. #yogAlan''

''#pooped''

Finished

14| 25th - 31st January 2013

Reviews

@RedbrickArts @RedbrickArts

CBSO A Spring Symphony @ Symphony Hall Ciaran Allanson-Campbell Critic

Through the snow we arrived at the Glee Club in Birmingham for a Friday night of quality stand-up comedy. The result of the weather was that the audience was significantly smaller than expected, and so we were moved to the more intimate studio room. There were lots of couples there and it would be a nice place for a date, although, equally, groups of friends fancying an alternative night out should definitely consider it.

With an NUS card it isn’t stupidly expensive either.

Our compere for the evening was Clint Edwards. He had the job of warming up the audience at the beginning and it was a bit of a challenge to get a real buzz with the numbers he had to work with; having said that he managed it.

Edwards engaged directly with certain members of the audience and most took this fantastically well, while the intimacy of the space made this even more successful.

First up was Junior Simpson.

He has featured in a number of comedy shows on TV, such as Harry Hill’s TV Burp. He was certainly funny and obviously a well-oiled staple stand-up .

Next was Imran Yusuf. His routine was strongly influenced by his Islamic background and he made some close to the bone jokes but carried them off with finesse. Yusuf also tested some new material out; the reception it received was much more reserved, and at points awkward. Some of it just wasn't funny. However, for me his tried and tested stuff certainly made

up for this.

Marlon Davis did the final stand-up set of the night. He was funny and offered us something really quite different from the others. He played on his youthful round face to deliver comedy based on his experiences of living at home with his parents. Given our own ages this was something we could easily relate to. He acted out some of his characters and sometimes his acting skills held back his comedy. Having said that, he was undoubtedly a real success.

All in all, it was a really good night out and well worth battling through the snow for!

Outside Symphony Hall, it's turning into a blizzard at the height of winter, the temperature dropping below freezing.

It's not, therefore, without a hint of irony that inside the audience is greeted with a symphony dedicated to spring and a good share of fair weather.

A Boy Was Born is part of the centenary year celebrations of the birth of Benjamin Britten, his own Spring Symphony making up the final set of tonight's performance. First though, we are greeted with Bridge's 'Sea Suite', an unexpectedly melodic piece which shouldn't naturally fit into a spring symphony, were it not a large influence on Britten's own works. Filled with light harmonies and hinted with deep, brooding sections, it does a good job at opening the evening. Following this is Edward Elgar's ‘Sea Pictures’,

which, as one would expect from an Elgar piece, is excellent. The CBSO handle both the sea themed pieces extraordinarily well, giving them enough atmosphere not to feel like trivial openers, but not so much that it distracts from the theme of the evening.

Britten's piece, the eponymous ‘Spring Symphony’, is an interesting listen. Quite cleverly, it attempts to reflect both the dark and light sides of spring, so while in one place the audience is enlightened by a choir listening birdsong, elsewhere deep bassoons and timpanis herald the coming of showers and storms. All this is strung together with poetry ranging from the 16th century to the 20th, sung in ambient tenor and soprano. As with Britten's other work, it's pleasurable to listen to, though sometimes it feels a

little like the music strays off track; for example, it doesn't feel appropriate to have ‘shine out, fair sun, with all your heart’ sung with a feeling of omen while the orchestra maintains an eerie silence.

The CBSO themselves perform with brilliant cohesion, so much so that it's difficult to find any fault at all. Even though it's the effort of a collective, a special mention needs to go to tenor Allan Clayton, who is not only pitch perfect, but has a charming charisma and excellent delivery, bringing out the warmth that we come to associate with spring. Deviation from the theme aside, it's a wonderful evening, a welcome respite from the cold outside, and a brilliant way to start off the CBSO's new season.

Ian Bostridge’s international recital career has meant that he has been able to perform at the Salzburg, Edinburgh, Munich, Vienna, Aldeburgh and Schwarzenberg Schubertiade festivals and at the professional stages of Carnegie Hall and La Scala in Milan. He has held many artistic residencies, numerous operatic performances and his recordings have won all the major international record prizes. As if this isn’t enough, he has also been nominated for twelve Grammys.

Julius Drake’s career as a pianist has meant that he was appointed as director of the Perth International Chamber Music Festival in Australia from 2000 – 2003, artistic director of Machynlleth Festival in Wales, and has had the opportunity to perform worldwide, working with

many of the world’s leading artists, both in recital and on disk.

On the 16th January both of these artists performed side by side for Winter Words and it was clear why and how they had both achieved such world renowned credentials. Although Bostridge is notorious for performing Britten’s work, his recital of Schubert’s twelve songs from Winterreise, Op 89, D911, should also be celebrated. Schubert stated in a letter to Josef von Spaun that the songs ‘have affected me more than any other songs that I have written’. He wrote them when winter had set in and his Syphilis had grown increasingly worse. Some believe that the writing of them contributed to his early death. Through hearing them live it is clear that there is an obvious cry for

help, and Bostridge tries his best to convey this. As he is also an operatic performer his recitals of the songs were both beautifully sung and acted.

While this may have drawn focus away from the music itself, this seems appropiate given the environment in which the songs were written.

Ives and Britten did seem to run along into each other as there was no clear separation between both recitals, and although this was obviously intentional, it might have given both composers more of a distinction. For example, Ives’s work is more comic. This did not, however, draw away from the overall performance.

Bostridge will be returning to Symphony Hall in March to perform Britten’s Les Illuminations with the CBSO. Do not give this one a miss.

Clint Edwards, Junior Simpson, Imran Yusef & Marlon Davis @ Glee Club Emily Rushgrove

Critic

Winters Words from Ian Bostridge @ Town Hall

Rebekah McDermott Arts Editor

www.redbrick.me/arts | 15

Feature Rebekah McDermott and James Kinsey explore some of Birmingham's up and coming exhibitions. If you're lacking in inspiration, can't taste your morning toast or are down in the dumps, CHECK .THESE. OUT. IKON Gallery: Timur Novikov

Birmingham Museum & Number Nine the Gallery: Eastside projects: Art Gallery: Revealed The Observationists Mike Nelson

Barber on campus:

13 Feb – 21 Apr 2013

17th Nov - 24th Feb 2013

1 Dec - 31 Jan 2013

12th Jan - 9th Mar 2013

14th Dec - 24 Feb 2013

Contemporary modern artist Timur Novikov’s (1958 - 2002) exhibition has been co-curated by his step-daughter Masha Novikova- Savelyeva. Novikov was very influential in Russia in the 1980-90’s, and is best known for his distinct style of appliqué, whereby fabric patterns are sewn onto larger pieces of cloth.

Like most progressive artists of his generation, Novikov began underground with his new group, the New Artists. His textiles reflect a flaglike anarchic pop-optimism which gained him international recognition.

In 1989 he invented ‘New Russian Classicism’, an artistic movement that set himself apart from popular culture, and gave rise to the New Academy in St Petersburg. Novikov will not disappoint.

Revealed brings together a diverse collection of nearly 200 works of art, ranging from the historical to the contemporary.

The exhibition will be the first time that these works, usually displayed in British Government buildings across the world, have been brought together.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has been chosen as the first venue outside London to display the exhibition. The selections for the exhibition have been made by well-known people and groups including artist Cornelia Parker, historian and cultural commentator Simon Schama, politicians including Lord Mandelson and Lord Boateng, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and staff from 10 Downing Street. Could be interesting.

The Observationists are a Birmingham-based group of photographers. Brindley Place and Number Nine the Gallery have unveiled an exciting exhibition by local photographers in a bid to make art more accessible to the general public. This outdoor exhibition showcases their work. A total of eight exhibition stands can be found throughout Brindley Place, outside offices and in public squares. All the work exhibited in the outdoor gallery is from photographers who live or work within 1km of Brindley Place.

This proves to be an exciting endeavour from up and coming artists throughout Birmingham, and may be a platform for other things to come. If you are a lover of photography this could be a great day out.

Eastside Projects is currently exhibiting M6, a new commission by the exciting Mike Nelson, one of the most significant artists working in the UK today. M6 is Nelson’s first major exhibition in his home region and continues his singular investigation of political histories through the raw materials of our world. Within the old industrial heart of Birmingham, discarded, utilitarian objects have been collected as if they were trophies of an ignored parallel world - a dark, abject monument. M6 acts as an invocation of the highways and their concrete islands, memorialising their past production and the shifting economies of spent resources.

Nelson has twice been nominated for the Turner Prize.

In this exhibition, discover the life of Lady Barber, her husband Sir Henry, their house at Culham Court and its remarkable gardens and collections. A significant part of these have passed to the Barber, including the extraordinary group of portraits of Lady Barber by her favoured artist, Nestor Cambier, a selection of which will form the central element of the show.

Also included will be some outstanding but rarely seen textiles from Culham Court, and some of the finest pieces from Lady Barber’s fascinating collection of lace. These works of art will be complemented by archive photos and documents that provide insights into the lives and interests of the Barbers. This is sure to be a great experience.

The internationally acclaimed English contemporary art venue is housed in the neo-gothic Oozells Street School, located in Brindley Place.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is home to some of the largest collections in the world and is located in Chamberlain Square, five minutes walk from New Street.

Number Nine the Gallery is surrounded by the city’s best bars & redeveloped canals. It is a must-see for anyone interested in the fine and modern arts.

Eastside Projects is a free, public space that is being imagined and organised by artists. They commission and present experimental contemporary art useful to society.

As you know good readers, Redbrick Arts love the good ol' Barber. There at least 3 decent dusty old paintings in there. It would be a shame to waste your time in any other way.

Potrait of a lady

16| 25th - 31st January 2013 @RedbrickFood

Food Fanatics Emily Jenkinson and Izzy Gibbin explore the best food blogs.

Charlotte Wilson

@wilsonscribbles

www.redbrick.me/food |17

Best For...

Baking: Chocolate Covered Katie This is an inspired food blog that pushes the boundaries of desserts.

Disproving the belief that desserts have to contain a lot of butter, eggs, milk and cream, Katie delivers delicious recipes with a low sugar, calorie and fat content, and no animal products whatsoever. Personally I am neither vegan or vegetarian, but I absolutely love this blog and the goodies it offers. It may be hard to believe that a cookie dough cake does not include any eggs or butter, but Katie's delicious recipe even won over my mum and her famously sweet tooth. The ingredients look questionable at first glance: beans? In a cake? Soya? But you must try them before you pass judgement. Katie's beautiful and mouth-watering food photography gives further evidence of the deliciousness of her recipes. Katie’s recipes are not merely for the dedicated vegan. There are a variety of recipes perfect for those who are wheat-intolerant (a celiac friend of mind swears by it) or on a sugar free diet. In summary, if there is anything about your diet that prohibits you from certain foods, but you cannot live without your favourite baked goods, this blog is an absolute must. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

Local Food: Smoke and Umami There is so much more to Birmingham's food scene than Nando's and those delicious-smelling-but-ultimately-unsatisfying pretzels they sell at the Bullring. Smoke and Umami is a wacky little blog that seeks to unearth Birmingham's little culinary gems that go otherwise unnoticed.

It's an entertaining read, mixing restaurant reviews with recipes and sound advice on how to kill, gut and smoke your own eel. Writer Nick Loman takes you on a much needed in-depth guide on navigating the monolithic Indoor and Wholesale markets. Those people looking for something off the beaten track, hoping to sample a three-meat roast or finding themselves curious as to how smoked ice-cream tastes will find their spiritual home within the pages of this blog. http://smokeandumami.com/

Ethical Food: Food Empowerment Project Every single time you buy an item of food, it's easy to forget the vast chain of production behind it, and the injustice and exploitation that surrounds the familiar brands lining our supermarket shelves. The Food Empowerment Project seeks to educate consumers on the ethical and environmental issues behind the food we buy. Their enlightening articles on slavery, sustainability and fair trade serve as a useful introduction on the problems with our food industry, and the website is full of helpful and practical advice on how to make better choices when shopping. http://www.foodispower.org/

Charlotte Wilson @wilsonscribbles

Student Budgets: Sorted Food Normally I'd stay far away from anybody that uses the word 'banter' in their masthead - but I'll forgive these guys anything. Sorted Food is much more than simple recipes and photographs; the Sorted empire also includes over 300 YouTube cooking tutorial videos and several cookbooks. They know what students really look for in food: cheap and tasty meals that don't require a lot of fuss, time or fancy cooking equipment. Beginners will find their tutorials on basic skills, such as chopping onions or preparing fish, endlessly useful. For the more advanced there is plenty to see, such as hazelnut chicken or mulled wine duck. Many a rainy, dull, essay-writing evening has been saved by their microwave chocolate cake in a mug (don't knock it until you've tried it). Check out http://sortedfood.com/

Inspiration: foodgawker If you're ever stuck for ideas as to what to make for dinner, you should really take a look at foodgawker.

Technically less a blog than it is visual feast compiled by food writers from all over the world, foodgawker is my favourite new form of procrasination. Happy hours can be spent poring over picture after picture of rich cakes and brownies, pies, stews and breads, all shot beautifully and updated daily.

There are some weird and wacky recipes too, such as green cookies and pizza cupcakes. But be warned - always have food to hand when you embark on a foodgawking session, otherwise you may find yourself eating the nearest available item of stationary or clothing in a fit of hunger. http://foodgawker.com/

Vegan: Post Punk Kitchen Vegans aren't always well catered for in the food blogging world, as indulgent foods often feature copious amounts of milk, cream or cheese. Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Post Punk Kitchen features recipes so inventive and tasty that you'll hardly notice the lack of animal products. For those craving staple foods such as cheesy pasta or pizza, Moskowitz offers up alternatives such as Macaroni Cheese made with sunflower seeds and caramelized onion and squash Romesco pizza. There's even a recipe for vegan bacon, made from baked aubergine. http://www.theppk.com/

18 | 25th - 31st January 2013

@RedbrickSci&Tech

Kwalee: Social Gaming in the Midlands

Redbrick Science and Tech visited the local games developer to see what they have in store.

Joshua Unsworth Writer

@Joshua_Unsworth

The gaming industry is rapidly growing and evolving; in its brief lifetime there have been constant changes and shifts that have changed the way we play games. We are currently witnessing the largest change it has ever experienced. There has been a rise in indie gaming, which has now become a widely accepted and viable medium. At the same time completely new markets have been opened by smart phones, mobile games and apps. These have created an entirely new set of challenges for game developers to face. However, it is also providing a greater degree of freedom allowing lesser known developers to score commercial success.

Enter Kwalee, a Leamington Spa based studio headed up by David Darling. As a reasonably new studio, Kwalee stands out in the new mobile market it was created in response to. In 2007 David Darling sold his share of developer giant Codemasters, of which he was a co-founder, and claimed to be retiring from the games industry. It was only in developing mobile games that David saw a reason to return to game development; here was an exciting new growing market with great potential.

The studio is very specific in its goals, creating turn-based social multiplayer games. There is an impressive amount of experience in the Kwalee team and all are extremely passionate about what they’re doing and the direction the company is headed in. This becomes especially clear when talking about the projects they have coming out over the course of this year. First up is a rebranding of their popular take on Reversi, Pussy Flip. This will be followed by Farm Fighters, a physics-based game and their first to use original game mechanics. Part of a very deliberate plan, these new takes on existing games have allowed Kwalee to practice the core ideas of turn-based play, giving them an extremely solid base to work from. It’s a good thing too, as this year Kwalee will be releasing four new titles. Although early in development and so mostly closed for discussion, it is obvious that there is a definite drive for creating brand new experiences and innovative gameplay that hasn’t been seen before. If just a few studios bring as much passion and drive to making their games as Kwalee in 2013 then it is going to be a very exciting year.

Kwalee: The Games Gobang Social is a strategy game based on the popular board-game Five in a Row. Each player takes it in turns to place a bomb and complete lines of five before their opponent.

Players can go up against friends over Facebook or random

Flip The Cats: Preview Andrew Spencer Science & Technology Editor

@AndrewSpencer93

Social Games developer Kwalee have based their latest mobile creation, Flip the Cats, on an international board-game best known as Reversi . While Flip the Cats is effectively just a revamp of Kwalee’s second game titled Pussy Flip, this is a larger and more polished release. It packs not only more competitive and social aspects, but it has been improved to try and appeal to even the more accomplished of Reversi experts. After the release of Pussy Flip, the Kwalee team headed off to the world Othello championships to gain some important feedback from lovers of the board game. They returned with valuable new ideas to rebrand their game and widen its appeal.

One of the most charming aspects of this game are the titular cats. After every move that is made, there is a satisfying “meow” sound notifying a player that it is their turn to play or that they have just placed something on the board. The game has both players taking it in turns to place a cat and to try and flip over the opposition’s cats. The winner is the one with the most cats of their colour on the board by the end of the game. The game mechanics work well fundamentally because they are based on such a well-established game, while the introduction of the cats to the game adds that fresh new approach.

Kwalee has built a strong multiplayer network that lets you play against any friends on Facebook and email contacts or to play against a random opponent anywhere in the world. Being able to have several games running with different opponents at the same time is definitely a feature that keeps the game lively and addictive.

There are 47 achievement badges that can be obtained while playing the game, shared over social networks with friends. These can range from achieving certain world leaderboard rankings, to completing in-game techniques to win. The leaderboards will help to maintain competitiveness when playing the game, particularly because it will be possible to challenge people all over the world to gain global achievements.

Another addition to Flip the Cats is the various in-game purchases to help monetize for Kwalee. For those who are experienced at playing Reversi, there is an inexpensive Pro Board that can be bought without any assistance from the app, while beginners can receive help such as being able to see future potential moves of the other player by buying Cat’s Eyes. It helps Flip the Cats to cater to everyone. These sorts of boards may be expected to be included in the game already for free, but considering the game itself is free, it is not much to complain about. Hopefully more game upgrades will be introduced to the store in the future otherwise there may not be much of a point to this additional store. Furthermore, upgrades will be necessary to avoid people growing bored of the same game mechanics after a few months of playing.

The original version of the game, Pussy Flip, made it onto the top 10 board games in the app store in 32 countries. A new polished version of the game should certainly be just as popular and with its widened appeal and change of name, it could be a big hit.

A version of Reversi with a cat theme. Place a cat to try and flip over the opponent’s cats with the winner having the most of their colour on the board at the end.

Flip the Cats is due out on the 29th January.

Check out our preview on the left.

Farm Fighters has you take control of animals firing weapons at their enemies. Weather conditions, the destructive landscape and chain reactions are all important considerations when causing maximum impact. Set for release later this year.

Project Silver and Project Teapot are new titles under wraps said to use game mechanics used by no other app on the market. One will use the camera and photos on the device.

These are expected to be released in 2013.

?

www.redbrick.me/tech | 19

Ocean virus aiding the Greenhouse Effect?

Soumya Perinparajah takes a look at the effects of this ocean based phenomenon.

The need to reduce our carbon emissions due to its contribution to the greenhouse effect has been a global objective in recent years. Burning fossil fuels, car engine emissions and deforestation most often steal the limelight by being the main factors conventionally implicated. But being overlooked, perhaps, is the possibility that a virus present in our oceans could also play an important role in controlling carbon dioxide levels.

Residing in all oceans of the world, Emiliania huxleyi is a species of plankton called coccolithophores, so-called because they form calcium carbonate deposits called coccoliths. A notable example is the White Cliffs of Dover, which is the result of a periodic accumulation of calcium. Characteristically, the areas of seawater covered by algal blooms produced by the plankton are a milky blue colour, which can be seen in satellite images of Earth. The plankton’s requirement to photosynthesise means they are present in the upper part of the water column where they can be reached by sunlight.

They follow a two-phase lifecycle: the diploid phase (two copies of the chromosome are present) and the haploid phase (one copy of the chromosome present) – both forms are able to exist at any one time. The diploid phase is the non-motile form responsible for the formation of algal blooms and coccoliths, and the haploid phase is motile and forms scales instead of coccoliths. Next, comes the Emiliania huxleyi viruses (EhV), which exploit the two-phase lifecycle of E.huxleyi, and are key in regulating algal blooms. They recognise and kill the diploid form, but not the haploid form. This is dictated by a difference in cell surface between the two forms, which means the haploid form’s cell surface fails to be recognised by the EhVs. It therefore cannot be killed by the virus, making it resistant. This clever escape mechanism, likened to the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, means that in contrast to the diploid form, the haploid form survives and passes on this advantage to the next generation.

In terms of the environment, there are several aspects of this virus-plankton system that are important. Firstly, the coccoliths themselves act like tiny mirrors, reflecting light and heat back into the atmosphere away from the water. Due to the sheer number of plankton, this increases the greenhouse effect, whilst also decreasing seawater temperatures. On the other hand, the removal of carbon for use in the calcium carbonate deposits reduces the amount that can potentially be converted into carbon dioxide to decrease the greenhouse effect. There is also removal of carbon dioxide by photosynthesis. The existence of EhVs is crucial to regulate these carbon fluxes and further investigations into this relevant and viable ecological mechanism seem hopeful in finding out more about this fascinating dynamic.

Internet pioneer and activist Aaron Swartz found dead one of the major contributors to Wikipedia.

Swartz had actively campaigned for Open Access, which is the practice of providing free access via the Internet to academic journals that publish publicly funded research. Using the JSTOR account provided to him

by Harvard, he downloaded about 4 million academic journal articles by plugging his laptop into a wiring cupboard at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, crashing some of JSTOR's servers in the process.

Swartz opposed JSTOR's practice of paying the publishers of academic journals rather than the authors. Prosecutors alleged that he was planning to post the papers on peer-to-peer file-sharing websites.

Joshua Isaac Writer

@Joshua_Isaac

Aaron Swartz, co-founder of Reddit and co-developer of RSS, was found dead on Friday 11th January after his apparent suicide, weeks before he was due to stand trial for downloading millions of academic articles through digital library JSTOR. The 26-year-old American was accused of wire fraud, computer fraud and hack-

ing, and was facing a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison if convicted.

Swartz had been a member of the committee which developed the web feed standard RSS 1.0, when he was fourteen years old. He dropped out of Stanford University after studying there for a year. He later founded Infogami, which merged with Reddit in 2005. He also worked on the early development of Creative Commons, and was

Thousands of Twitter users paid tribute to Swartz including the inventor of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee JSTOR asked the federal government of the United States not to pursue charges, but MIT stayed quiet, so the government initiated criminal proceedings

against him. Carmen Ortiz, District Attorney for Massachusetts, who led the prosecution, insisted that "Swartz would have to spend six months in prison and plead guilty to [all] 13 charges if he wanted to avoid going to trial".

Taren StinebricknerKauffman, Swartz's girlfriend, found his dead body hanging from a belt in the bedroom of his sixth-floor apartment in New York City on 11th January. A statement released by Swartz's family blamed the prosecutors and MIT for his death, which they called a “product of a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial overreach”.

Swartz's death prompted a monumental response from the Internet community and others.

The Electronic Fronter Foundation termed the incident “tragic”. Thousands of Twitter users paid tribute to Swartz, including the inventor of the Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who tweeted, “we have lost a wise elder”.

Outrage was directed at the prosecution and MIT's role in it.

Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Movement, accused the government of trying to “ruin [Swartz's] life”. His

father, Robert Swartz, who works for MIT, said he was outraged by the university's handling of the matter, and claimed that his son was “pushed to his death by the government”.

Anonymous hacked MIT's website and replaced it with a tribute to Swartz, and performed a denial-of-service attack against MIT's network that left the university's campus without Internet access.

The president of MIT praised Aaron Swartz's work, and ordered an internal investigation into the university's role in his prosecution. JSTOR, which had opposed the court case from the beginning, expressed sadness regarding the incident, and stated that they regretted being drawn into the case. American lawmakers signalled an intention to amend the law that was used to prosecute Swartz, so that “this doesn't happen to anyone else”. Darrell Issa, chairman of a US congressional committee, launched an investigation into Swartz's prosecution. Swartz's death was also enough to provoke a petition to the White House to remove from office Carmen Ortiz, who led the case against him. It has reached over 45,000 signatures at the time of writing.

20 | 25th - 31st January 2013 @RedbrickTravel

Beat the January Blues

Bristol

Escape from Birmingham: January can be a tough month, with essay deadlines looming and the cold weather chilling our bones. Travel Writer Tamara Silver gives us her top weekend getaway breaks close to Birmingham.

London

Stratford-Upon-Avon: It’s the birthplace of Shakespeare for you literature and drama fanatics, but that’s not Stratford’s only unique selling point. This beautiful city lies just 35 miles south of Birmingham, but feels a world away from the bustling Bullring. Go and see an RSC production or sit by the river and browse the boutiques; whatever you find here, it’s the perfect day out.

Travelling time: 50 minutes.

Nottingham: Slightly further out than Stratford lies the hipster student city of Nottingham. The city makes for an excellent night out and is slightly more compact than the monstrosity that is Broad Street. Nottingham hosts the usual cluster of good shops and restaurants, as well as the trendy Hockley Arts Market, which happens once a month in the city centre.

Travelling time: 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Nottingham

Cheltenham: Cheltenham is a small, beautiful and somewhat underrated spa town set in the Gloucestershire countryside, home to the white Victorian terrace houses and the famous Cheltenham Ladies College. An afternoon spent wandering around this charming town would not be an afternoon wasted. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous you could even head to the Racecourse to watch the horses.

Travelling time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Oxford:

Oxford

Dreamy spires, cute cafes, the River Thames; what more could you want? A perfect day trip or weekend getaway, Oxford has a lot to offer to any kind of visitor. Wander around the University or explore one of the impressive museums; you’ll fall in love with this small University city.

Travelling time: 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Bristol: This student city is a good compromise for a weekend out of Birmingham’s urban metropolis. It’s far enough to feel different, but close enough not to cost you a fortune. Bristol really does have everything; unbelievable night life, great shops and archaic neighbourhoods worth exploring such as the student hub of Clifton. Banksy’s iconic artworks can be seen adorning the walls of this ultra-cool city.

Travelling time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

London:

Stratford-upon-Avon

It may seem obvious, but with the new cheaper rail fares available on Virgin, London is a great option for a weekend away. The capital has thousands of things to do and see; an especially unique winter treat is to go iceskating at Somerset House in Alexandra Palace. You could also search the internet for cheap theatre tickets and head to the West End for an evening.

Travelling time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Student Skiing: Go Cheap as Chips or Splurge for Safety?

Foreign Office Ambassador Will Spence tells Travel his top do's and don'ts for keeping safe on the slopes this winter.

As a northerner, I’m no regular on the London Underground, but I can still appreciate the 150th year anniversary of the tube last week. Yes, the all almighty railway system has reached the big one fifty and Redbrick Travel and I wish it a very happy birthday indeed.

The anniversary was celebrated with the return to the Underground of a traditional steam engine from the 19th century, which carried passengers when the tube first opened.

Those lucky enough to acquire a ticket were taken in coaches pulled by an 1898-built steam train known as the Met Locomotive No 1 along part of the original Metropolitan line now part of the Hammersmith & City line.

We all know the iconic circle and bar sign, and we may all have some tourist merchandise of the tube, ahem, moi, but after talking to a few southern friends they’ve told me the-etiquette-that-you-must-follow-totravel-on-the-tube-or-else so I’ve compiled this short list for all you tube goers and travellers.

First, get an Oyster card. Students need discounts, so

get an Oyster card.

I’ve been told by many a wise source that the Central and Piccadilly lines are the most reliable. With the Selly Oak trains to New Street being delayed more often than not, reliable is what we’re looking for. Make a note people.

Beyoncé said to the left to the left, and indeed keep to the left to the left if you’re walking on the escalator.

We say to the right to the right if you’re standing. I’m sure we’ve all been in a situation on an escalator where that one person in front decides to hover in the middle of the step and you’ve got a train to catch in 2 minutes.

Keep out of the way and avoid somebody singing Ludacris behind you, telling you to get out of the way.

I’d say this for any train but give up your seat if somebody else needs it more. We need to look after each other, have a heart for the elderly! The other rule for all trains applies here too, let the people off the train first and then get on it.

Yes, the people getting off will come as a swarm and heard onto the platform, but you trying to shove your

way through is going to make it worse and much more difficult to get on. Get on the train when it’s clear.

We’ve seen the T Shirts, we impersonate the voice, but please do Mind the Gap. The space between the train and the platform edge can be quite wide sometimes, so be careful and take a leap if needs be.

Why oh why would you block a doorway, especially to a door on the tube? Please move. It’s just always that awkward moment when the person blocking the doorway is listening to terrible music that is so loud that they cannot hear your cries and cannot see your hand gestures, asking you, or in the end, informing you to move their sweet behind. Move inside the carriages, it makes life a whole lot easier on the underground.

Hammersmith & City or Circle lines invite delays and disruptions. Avoid. That is all.

We all know the rule. When it’s summer, don’t wear the colour grey. Yes, I’m going there and talking about the pits. You may wonder how this is linked to the tube.

The low tunnels of the It’s a It's a well known fact that students look for the cheapest deals when booking holidays. It’s fair enough; we don’t all have the ‘Bank

www.redbrick.me/travel |21

The People we Meet.

The Overspender:

Travel Writer Elizabeth Waind's Top Five Stereotypes Abroad:

You can’t help but be horrifically jealous that this traveller manages to do all the things that you can’t quite afford to do, and your plastic souvenir beads from the market don’t quite match up to their precious stones from the jeweller in the wealthier end of town. They stay in the slightly nicer hotels, and eat in the slightly more costly restaurants, wearing their Jimmy Choo flip flops, but you can’t deny you love them when they buy the third round in a row on a lazy afternoon at the beach bar.

The One Who’s Run Out of Money: This person has been in the same place for a while. Their visa expired a week ago and they’ve been staying for free in a run-down hostel by helping out in the kitchen and encouraging new travellers in the area to stay there. You admire the determination of this traveller – why should they have to go home when they haven’t seen all that they want to just yet?

However, it’s in the bar in the evening, when you keep having to chip in for his pint, that he starts to get on your nerves and you just wish he’d accept it and catch the next flight back to London.

The Free Spirit:

The Worrywart: This traveller can usually be spotted wearing an Indiana Jones style sun hat and a vaguely visible money neckpouch, with slightly evident sun cream streaks, clutching a map. You make friends with this person because they have great – albeit strict – plans for how to fill the day with copious amounts of interesting activities, and they always have a plaster at hand when your sandals are starting to rub after a long day of sightseeing. But they soon get on your nerves when you’re standing at the bus stop 2 hours before the bus is due.

of Mum and Dad’ rolling us on an all expenses paid holiday. Yet while it may be an option for that cheap all-inclusive resort holiday in Malia, it’s a little different with skiing.

Rather than tanning it up on a beach with a few beers, skiing holidays are about constant action, ripping it down the slopes and, if you’re like me, falling over every ten minutes. A growing holiday sector for students, many companies are now offering cheap skiing packages for groups of students that involve copious amounts of free alcohol along with a cheap pair of skis. Yet with a higher potential for things to go wrong than your average beach holiday, is it worth doing it cheaply, or should we spend that little bit extra for our own peace of mind? Here are a few factors we should take into account when booking that holiday to a winter wonderland.

Insurance:

This is a bit of a no-brainer.

Previous skiiers will be aware of the temptation to absolutely fly down that enormous red run, powering it towards the bottom, and why wouldn’t you? It’s fun!

You like this person’s optimism. They laugh when you miss the last train to the next location on your itinerary, happy to have a day or two more where you are.

They wear a maxi dress every day and have bits of shell in their hair. They spend their days swimming in waterfalls and writing in their leather-bound diary, and you never hear a word of complaint or cynicism slip from their mouth. It’s when they turn up at your door naked, asking you to join them in a rain dance around the camp fire, that you begin to get a bit creeped out.

Yet as I’m sure you’ll also know, it’s not hard to come off your skis when going too fast or flying over a bump, and it’s also not hard to get a bruise, or even worse, to break a leg. In fact, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) website, two out of five winter sports enthusiasts have injured themselves at least once when on a skiing holiday.

As this stat clearly highlights, taking out insurance when going skiing is a must. No matter how many times you’ve sped down a black run or how many times you’ve done a 360 degree flip off a ramp, you can always cause yourself some damage, and mummy and daddy won’t be too happy getting a phone call asking them to foot a bill of thousands of pounds to pay for a helicopter lift off the mountain, and the extortionate hospital bill to fix your broken back. So before you go, take out the right insurance.

If you’re going on a week’s holiday you can get insurance for around £20 but you must take out a policy that includes specific winter sports cover, as without this you may find that you are not fully covered for the activities you are going to be partaking in up the

The One Who’s Never Going Home: This person has travelled the world and has no real intention of going home just yet. They’ve probably given up a bit on their appearance/ hygiene – they have a wispy beard and their hair now reaches their shoulders. They live in their pyjamastyle cotton trousers and a tie-dye T-shirt. They don’t bother wearing sun cream anymore; you didn’t think it was possible to tan that much. And you’re amazed at how they manage to fit all of their belongings into one relatively small, wear-and-tear rucksack. You can always rely on this traveller to keep you entertained with the amazing stories of their many travels, including the story of the didgeridoo that they take everywhere with them.

Check before you go.

Whatever you plan to do, be it a package holiday on a shoestring or an independent customised trip with top of the range gear, it’s important you make sure you have a safe trip. For more info about how to prepare for trips abroad, or to access the FCO’s instructive Winter Sports Checklist, check the FCO website, or Facebook and Twitter pages: www.fco.gov.uk/wintersports www.facebook.com/fcotravel www.twitter.com/fcotravel

22| 25th - 31st January 2013 @RedbrickMusic

Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z

Laura Hand Music Critic

JT and Jay-Z. It just rolls off the tongue.

Smooth and sexy like the soulful beats and sophisticated vocals that the dream team are so known for. A match made in heaven, surely? Well, to an extent. ‘Suit and Tie’ is a Timbaland-produced single that serves to reintroduce Timberlake from his six year hiatus. This is the single that fans and critics alike have been itching to get hold of, waiting until midnight just to say ‘I heard it first’. Perhaps a bit underwhelming then, that the track sounds as if it has been lifted straight from one of Timberlake’s earlier albums.

The old school R&B sounds of ‘Suit and Tie’ are nothing new. They certainly don’t form the outstanding piece of musical genius that we would expect from Timberlake after six years of reflection. Rolling marimbas and digitalised harps embellish a steady and sure beat which could only be described by the words ‘retro’ or ‘dated’, depending on your take on ‘70s soul. But perhaps there is no need for the musical innovation that was expected; Timberlake has already found the key to creating those timeless pieces loved by many. He demands ‘let me show you a few things about love’ in silky-smooth tones reminiscent of ‘Senorita’, undoubtedly retaining the loyalty of his female audience.

For anyone hesitant to embrace Timberlake due to his cringe-worthy past of poor acting and bad haircuts, Jay-Z provides ‘Suit and Tie’ with an effortlessly cool vibe. It’s almost as if Timberlake uses this infamous rap star’s endorsement to say to the world that hey, he is no longer that over-produced Mickey Mouse Club celeb. He may be Britney’s ex and have sported not double, but triple denim over the years. But now he’s cool. Jay-Z underlines Timberlake’s unmistakable falsetto with his laid-back vocals and an indisputable charm. Nothing new from Timberlake here but that’s not to say it’s a disappointment. He is just keeping that momentum going.

Bitch won't kill his vibe.

Kendrick Lamar @ HMV Jonathon Milnes Music Editor

@jonTMilnes

Twas on cold winter's night, with a blustering snow storm encompasing the city, that the Los Angeles newbie made his Birmingham debut. One would have thought that the perilous conditions would have deterred much of the sell-out crowd, even I had my doubts that the show would go ahead. But the queue outside HMV confirmed the diehard nature of his fans. It wasn't long until the venue was cram packed to the rafters. As the support acts warmed up a frost-bitten crowd, the anticipation grew for Lamar's arrival.

For Kendrick Lamar, 2012 was a momentous year. While 2011's Section.80 garnered critical acclaim, it was Good Kid, M.A.A.D City that catapulted the American Rapper onto a global stage. Yet, testament to the quality of Lamar's back catalog, was the crowd's never-ending knowlede of every lyric. Birmingham fans are notoriously bad. Even Jay-Z and Kanye struggled to muster a mosh-pit on their Watch the Throne tour. But for

Kendrick, the crowd were explosive, receptive and hungry for more. Even the main man himself seemed genuinely surprised by the reaction of his fans, often testing their knowledge of his lesser known work only to find they were with him all the way.

The buzz that surrounds him is truly justfied Highlights included an extended rendition of 'Swimming Pools (Drank)', which heavily featured audience participation through call and response. 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' was also a fan favourite, and something less expected were the acapella interludes, where Lamar was really able to showcase his talent and versitility.

It's been some time since a rapper so innovative has stepped onto the international stage, and the buzz that surrounds him is truly justified.

Only a few days a his come back s Child leaked 'N Redbrick finds o from the past is t futu

www.redbrick.me/music 23

Nuclear

Destiny's Child

after JT dropped single, Destiny's Nuclear' online. out which blast the sound of the ure. .

Tamara Roper Music's Great Aunt

@tamara_r

Beyoncé got a bit worried when she saw her fabulous little sister Solange getting millions of hits on YouTube. Petrified that people would think she’d turned into a housewife, she quickly lost her remaining pregnancy weight and got in touch with Pharrell. Having sorted that, B dragged Kelly off whatever judging panel she was on, bought Michelle out of her day job and sat the gang down together for a serious chat.

The result of which is Destiny’s Child’s new single, 'Nuclear', the first song from what will essentially be a Greatest Hits Compilation, entitled Love

Songs. Produced by Pharrell Williams, it’s pretty good. Quality is still there in abundance, but DC have aged, and it shows. Mature is their new jam, but it’s no bad thing.

'Nuclear' opens with some sultry mutterings from Bey, followed by arias that are similar to the acapella bit in Independent Women, but not as good.

It’s all strings and sexy voices until this breakbeat kicks in, which paired with unlaboured lyrics, layers the song nicely, giving it depth where it would otherwise lack. They get away with lines like “there’s nowhere left to run/why run/why would you run”, but it's okay, because you’re concentrating on the drum beat. Inevitably, Bey kicks off and rules proceedings, dominating the

first verse and chorus. Michelle inevitably gets shafted with about five lines at the end. Nice to see some things don’t change.

The need for a groundbreaking new sound has past: Destiny’s Child have already established themselves as one of the most influential R 'n' B groups of all time. 'Nuclear' does well as a first track from an album that will showcase what the girls were, and likely are still capable of. Their first live performance next month will probably affirm all hopes that they’ve still got it. My main concern is that they keep the matching outfits.

Beyonce will perform at the Superbowl halftime, 3rd February.

Album Review.

Villagers {Awayland}

Beth Coveney Music Critic

Villagers is basically Dublin folk singer-songwriter Conor J O’Brien, and this follow-up to the Mercurynominated 2010 debut Becoming A Jackal firmly shuns any fear of the ‘difficult second album’. {Awayland} certainly showcases a more confident sound, with bigger, stand-out tracks that could ultimately be more commercially popular. O’Brien seems to have

experimented with an unlikely techno style, particularly in the impressive track ‘The Waves’, while the anthemic chorus of ‘Earthly Pleasure’ is one any stadium-worthy rock band would be proud of. Despite evidently moving his sound forward, certain aspects remain, showing that Villagers are still doing everything they did right on the debut.

O’Brien’s desperate, sorrowful vocals and reflective narratives that his fans loved from the folky first album feel just as at home on {Awayland}. With a beautiful instrumental title track and

{Awayland} firmly shuns any fear of the 'difficult second album'

‘In a Newfound Land You are Free’ proving as gentle as his past releases, O’Brien shows that he’s still the delicate, gentle soul we know and love.

{Awayland} is available now. Catch Villagers at the Birmingham HMV Institute on 14th February 2013

24 | 25th - 31st January 2013 @RedbrickTV

Saving Face The Oscar winning Best Short Documentary Victoria Walmesley TV Critic

Wednesday night saw the premiere of the chilling Channel 4 documentary Saving Face, which highlighted the shocking numbers of acid attacks taking place in societies today. In Britain, the majority of people do not understand the full effects of the brutality of an acid attack. Victims of acid violence are left scarred both inside and out, as their appearance is damaged and their self-esteem diminishes.

The Saving Face documentary followed plastic surgeon Mohammed Johad as he travelled to Pakistan to help Zakia and Rukhsana, two brave victims of acid violence, on their journey to recovery. In Pakistan, over 100 acid attacks take place every year, with many more left unreported. The documentary aimed to raise awareness of the problem, and to illustrate how acid violence impacts on the victims both physically and emotionally.

The stories of the victims were incredibly moving, and made for difficult viewing. Zakia is first introduced, the right side of her face having completely melted away due to the force of the battery acid her husband used to attack her with. She refuses to show her face in public, and remains completely covered up with special glasses to protect her eyes. Her husband, who is interviewed, denies throwing the acid, whilst another man in the prison claims Zakia must have deserved what had happened to her. Meanwhile, Rukhsana had acid thrown on by her father, gasoline thrown on her by her sister, and then her mother lit a match to set her on fire. What is perhaps even more shocking than the attack itself is the fact that Rukhsana is forced to remain living with her attackers because she cannot afford to look after her children.

Saving Face is eye opening to what the women of Pakistan have to

Virgin Viewer 8 Out of 10 Cats Ashley Moreton TV Critic

Originally, I assumed 8 Out of 10 Cats would be a show that introduced you to things you never knew about kittens. As someone who has watched almost every kitten video YouTube has to offer – and trust me, that’s a lot – I prepared myself for 45 minutes of slight boredom, interspersed with many exclamations of 'AWWWW!' However, it didn’t take Jimmy Carr long to correct me; apparently this is a show about 'opinion polls, surveys and statistics'. As a Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You veteran, I was pretty sure I could deal with this. And the Maths A Level probably wouldn’t do any harm either.

I really enjoyed the first few minutes; I delight in learning random pieces of useless information, and can’t imagine that many people know walking sideways burns 76% more calories than walking normally. In fact, this may well be the solution for the traffic jams that often occur on certain campus staircases.

My favourite thing about news shows is seeing a topic I’ve only heard as a headline, blaring from the radio as I struggle to wake up in the morning, analysed in greater depth.

Or just having more detail added to this. 8 Out of 10 Cats does this very well, and all the guests seem to have equal amounts of input.

The episode flew past very quickly; there were no points where I

wished the comedians would move on from a certain subject and it didn’t take too much effort to keep up with – perfect for a Friday night!

Although I thought Jimmy Carr was an excellent host, I always find points unnecessary on shows like these. The winning team doesn’t receive anything, and I don’t believe anyone in the world actually knows on what basis points are awarded.

Luckily, the scoring system wasn’t too intrusive, just mentioned at the end of each round.

My conclusion? Unfortunately, I think this is a new show I’m addicted to and I’m sure my grades will suffer suitably. I really enjoyed it, despite my disappointment at the lack of kittens.

suffer due to the lack of laws to prevent such attacks. It is extremely uncomfortable viewing to witness the suffering of these women and the lack of care that the majority of society has towards them. However, two charities featured in the documentary do offer help and support to the victims. Acid Survivors Foundation and Islamic Help, together with the work of Dr Johad, aid the victims in their tough recovery.

What is extremely admirable about both of the victims is how despite everything that has happened to them, they remain hopeful of change and still possess the belief that things will get better. The documentary ends with a sense of hope for the victims in their fight for justice and dreams of bringing an end to acid violence once and for all. A bill is put forward to parlia-

Top 5: Cookery Shows

Katie Bowyer TV Critic

ment, proposing a life sentence for the attackers. It is passed unanimously, marking a monumental moment in history, as Zakia learns that her husband has been given two life sentences as a result of his actions. Dr Johad and his team create a mask to help restore Zakia’s appearance to a close replica of what it formerly was.

Meanwhile, having given birth to a baby boy, Rukhsana is filled with hope of a better life for herself and her new family.

Although Saving Face is, at times, heart breaking to watch, it tells of a story of great courage and inspiration of the brave women. To those who have a spare hour in their day, watch Saving Face, and be inspired by these victims to fight for change and to fight for justice.

5. Heston's Fantastical Food

Heston Blumenthal is undoubtedly one of the most creative chefs out there. This show sees him experimenting with science and creating life-size foods, including an enormous Christmas pudding crossed with an igloo, made using a cement mixer! We do occasionally see him make some more normal dishes, still with a twist, such as his triple-cooked chips that can make anyone’s stomach rumble. If you are looking for the ‘wow’ factor, this show is a must watch.

www.redbrickpaper.co.uk/tv | 25

Utopia Daisy Follett TV Critic

In the run up to its big reveal, Utopia was billed as science-fiction, and it sort of is, but it’s the most supercharged science-fiction you’ll ever see. There are conspiracy theories, genetic mutations, and a whole lot of sex and violence; it feels like Quentin Tarantino's attempt at rewriting the X-Files. In a good way.

Spread over 6 episodes, Utopia tells the story of a group of people who gain possession of the manuscript of a graphic novel about the devil. The group become hunted by The Network, a terrifying organisation intent on getting the manuscript back whilst killing as many people as

possible along the way. It’s a simple basis but the plot thickens quickly and, within the first half hour, we’ve seen Russian pimps, blackmail and an awkward drunken sex scene (possibly the only part of the programme Redbrick readers will relate to). This is not hangover television; the plot moves fast and if you’re not paying attention you’ll miss out.

It all sounds like a lot of hard work, but the performances make Utopia gripping enough to pull it off. Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Misfits’ Curtis) is experienced in this kind of gritty science-fiction and has no trouble portraying Ian, a bored and sceptical IT

Daniel Leadbetter TV Critic

Way To Go is a new BBC Three comedy created by US-based writer Bob Kushell, (3rd Rock From The Sun, The Simpsons, Anger Management) and follows the life of Scott (played

by Blake Harrison, Neil from The Inbetweeners), his half brother Joey and their friend Cozzo. The cashstrapped and down-on-their-luck trio embark upon a mission of creating a self-assisted suicide service. Needless to say, the show is very much of the 'black comedy' genus.

Protagonist Scott is moved by his terminally ill neighbour’s request to help him commit suicide, and reluctantly agrees to acquire deadly drugs from the veterinary centre where he works.

The trio are all desperate to earn more money as Scott had to drop out of his medical degree due to finances.

Joey meanwhile has serious gambling debts and Cozzo’s girlfriend, we learn, is expecting a baby. All three twentysomething’s are so strapped for money that they are prepared to carry out this highly illegal activity in return for a pair of George Best's football boots.

Kushell explains why he decided to base a comedy on death, saying that: 'as upsetting as it is, death can be very

funny'.

Difficult subjects are handled best with humour rather than pessimism and avoidance. In all social situations humour is always just around the corner, and never is humour more welcomed than in hard times. This is why Kushell has such faith in his new show: ‘The subject was controversial, sensitive and highly-charged... which is when I knew I had a terrific comedy on my hands.’

This is a comedy for the younger generation. The script is clever enough, and there are many laughs to be had. The acting is good (especially Harrison) and the characters well realised and instantly likeable even if they are trying to start an assisted suicide business.

The best character in the first episode had to be Scott's half brother Joey who came across as a chancer who's always getting into trouble.

Notably having several of his fingers broken for failure to pay his gambling debts.

I’m not normally a fan of BBC 3, but on balance I thought thiswas rather enjoyable. It will be interesting to see where next week’s episode will take us.

4. Ready Steady Cook

3. Masterchef: The Professionals

This old gem saw two contestants, labelled green pepper and red tomato, paired with a celebrity chef. They proceeded to battle it out in 20 minutes to create the best dish possible with around five ingredients.

Everyone has to agree that the best part about this show was the voting at the end. For some reason, watching the audience hold up big pictures of fruit and veg was great viewing (I was a child at the time!) as you try and guess who you think has won.

Variants of this show have been on our screens for years now and the professional version is my favourite.

While on I’m a Celebrity it is thoroughly entertaining to watch people eat nasty food, with a real cooking show I want great food mixed in with the odd disaster to spice things up.

The final week for me of the latest series was brilliant. The week involved the finalists cooking dishes for Michelin star chefs. The only disappointment of the series was that it ended in a tie!

support guy. Adeel Akbar (Four Lions) is funny without being too tryhard as conspiracy nerd Wilson Wilson. On the other hand, Neil Maskall makes my skin crawl as sociopathic killer Arby; as one comment on the Channel 4 website puts it: 'This guy's as mad as a box of frogs'.

My favourite, however, is Paul Higgins of The Thick of It who manages to independently carry an entire political subplot as spineless junior minister Dugdale.

A review of the first episode wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the torture scene; to be honest, my TV was muted for most of it. I

don’t want to ruin the surprise, but suffice to say you’ll never look at a spoon the same way again. And, if you’re curious about your own chances against The Network, there’s an associated site that can calculate how many hours you have until they find you based on information such as where you live and what kind of Smartphone you have.

Utopia is bloodthirsty and clever, and a sure-fire hit for fans of Misfits.

The first episode is available on 4od now, and with five more to come, I’m hooked.

Way To Go

2. Nigel Slater's Simple Cooking While not many people will have heard of Nigel’s show to the extent of those by Jamie and Gordon, you should tune in. On this show we see Nigel in his own kitchen cooking up some very homely dishes. His recipes are perfect for students and, although I am not much of a cook, I’m sure I could make a decent attempt at his concoctions. Slater is all about easy-to-make home comforts and we often see him incorporating food that is 'on the turn': great if you are on a budget.

1. The Great British Bake-Off I have rarely come across someone who does not love this show!

Presented by comedy duo Sue and Mel,. we see contestants fight to the death with pastry and all things stodge. Each week there is a different theme, each involving a selection of challenges. A favourite of mine involved baking and building gingerbread structures. Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are a delightful pairing and have made the phrase 'soggy bottom' a normal thing to say.

26 | 25th - 31st January 2013

@RedbrickFilm

"Hard part's over. Now let's get these other piggies wiggling."

The Bride Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

FilmReviews Django Unchained Silver Screen Gilbert Grape

BECKY McCARTHY and MEGAN JONES Critics Release Date: 18th October 2012 Director: Quentin Tarantino Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio With a self-confessed love for Spaghetti Westerns, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained is arguably the film that the iconic director was always meant to make.

Set in the Deep South prior to the Civil war, ‘the new film by Quentin Tarantino’ depicts the story of Foxx’s Django (‘The D is silent’), a freed slave who teams up with bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Waltz) and begins a rampant quest to rescue his enslaved wife Broomhilda (Washington) from the brutal captivity of plantation owner Calvin Candie (DiCaprio).

Deservedly recognised by its recent Golden Globe win, the screenplay combines dark humour and the director’s captivating dialogue. His respect for the genre results in a cleaner, more selfrestrained product which will unite both Tarantino lovers and doubters alike, possibly explaining why this is his highest grossing film to date. Nevertheless, Tarantino does not sacrifice his trademark gore and ‘rambunctious’ violence that enables him to tackle the brutality of slavery in a direct manner. Even though its length has been its main source of criticism, Tarantino fans will stay chained to their seats, relishing this whip-cracker of a Western and its undeniably cool soundtrack.

NATASHA LAVENDER Film Editor Release Date: 6th March 1994 Director: Lasse Hallström Cast: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis Set in the sleepy town of Endora in Iowa, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape focuses on its eponymous hero, played by a young and long-haired Johnny Depp. Gilbert’s morbidly obese mother Bonnie (Darlene Cates) is unable to leave the house, leaving him in charge of his mentally disabled brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The character-driven plot relies on top performances to keep the audience involved, and the cast wholeheartedly delivers.

Depp’s portrayal of the brooding Gilbert convincingly conveys both his love for his family and the turmoil he faces at the pressure of protecting them.

DiCaprio missed out on an Oscar nomination for his most recent role as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained, and although he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his intelligent portrayal of Arnie, delivered when he was just nineteen, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones on the night.

Oscar snubs aside, it’s been a good twenty years for DiCaprio, so enjoy going back to the start with the performance that made his name. By turn heart warming and uncomfortable, Gilbert Grape takes a sensitive and honest approach to its tough subject matter.

TopThree Nostalgic film fan Charlotte Ross takes us back with a selection of the top nineties films

#1 Shawshank

Adapted from a Stephen King novella, The Shawshank Redemption demonstrates everything that any good film should do. It shocks, moves and inspires with the story of two prison inmates (Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman) and their quest for – you guessed it – redemption. Set in the mid 20th century, this film explores the themes of isolation and inclusion both in and out of prison as well as the indestructible power of hope, drive and friendship.

#2

Se7en

Evil but ingenious serial killer John Doe (Kevin Spacey) is pursued by unlikely detective duo Somerset and Mills (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman), as each murder he commits demonstrates one of the seven deadly sins. As the pair close in on Doe, they must resist the urge to become pawns in his game in order to stop him before his plan of bloody punishment is fulfilled. Not for the faint of heart or mind, but relentlessly gripping.

Newsreel AMIRA MULLANEY Critic Aw a r d - w i n n i n g director of The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigalow has been accused of endorsing torture in her newly released film Zero Dark Thirty. She vehemently denies this, describing herself as a ‘lifelong pacifist’ and warns against the dangers of confusing film depictions with personal opinion.

The closing night of Bond fans should the Sundance rejoice, as Skyfall Film has Festival willmost feature just had the suc- a biopic about theweek life of cessful opening thethelate Steve Jobs. in UK of any film, ever, jOBSmaking stars £37.2 Ashton million.

Kutcher This, as the comdeceased bined with aofveryApple posifounder tive reaction from Computers and both will critics and audiences, concentrate on his life shows that Bond is not between and going away1971 any time 2000. The film itself is soon. due to be released in cinemas in April of this year.

#3 Forrest Gump

If tears are not shed in this film, tear ducts and hearts must be checked for defects. A perfect combination of heartbreak and hilarity, Forrest Gump tells the story of a simple-minded man, whose life is inexplicably interwoven between significant historical events in the 20th century. However, if you look closer, the life of Forrest (Tom Hanks) is like the life of any other, in its endurance and pursuit of unconditional love.

The film Les Misérables topped the UK box office chart last week making £8.13 million. Anne Hathaway is a strong contender for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

Hathaway had to shed twentyfive pounds to play the famished Fantine, which she did by eating just two squares of oatmeal paste a day.

www.redbrick.me/film | 27

Werner Herzog is a remarkable film-maker, one of the leaders of the German New Wave of cinema.

You may have seen him most recently in Jack Reacher, where he played the cold-blooded villain. Admittedly, box office figures for that film suggest that you did not see it, and Herzog is far more accomplished than Jack Reacher would imply.

Herzog's films are often weighty, dealing with themes of death, insanity and the struggle between man and nature. Needless to say, they are not light-hearted.

However, if you are looking for an exploration of existential questions, few do it as well as Herzog.

Consider Into The Abyss, a documentary in which he interviews convicts sitting on death row. Not only is it a fascinating look into the last days of these people, in which he refuses to either romanticise or demonise them, it shows off his skill as a film-maker. He had limited time with the inmates, and their execution meant there was no chance of re-shoots. He goes straight into the issues he wishes to explore, perhaps best shown when he asks a pastor, who until this point had refused to open up, to tell him ‘about an encounter with a squirrel’. This seemingly innocent question causes the pastor to break down, and admit the futility he feels in trying to help the sentenced men.

Herzog has been making films since the sixties, with his first major success coming in 1972, with Aguirre, the Wrath of God. It tells the story of the conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro, and his doomed expedition in search of El Dorado.

It was an influence on Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, and similarly contains a small group who go deeper into wilderness, and deeper

into madness. Loved by critics, it often comes high on lists of ‘Films You Have To See’. Since then, Herzog has done all sorts, from a remake of the classic film Nosferatu, which some consider even better than the original, to Grizzly Man, a documentary largely made up of the found footage of wildlife activist Timothy Treadwell, who tried to live among a pack of wild bears. He did so for thirteen years, after which they killed him, and in this documentary Herzog gives an honest portrayal of the man, showing both how Timothy was doomed, but also not damning him for trying what he did.

Herzog himself is fascinating, living his life in accordance to his own philosophy. During a flight in Colorado, he was told that due to the plane’s landing gear not coming down, it would be crash landing. He refused to enter the brace position justifying his decision by saying 'If we perish I want to see what's coming at me, and if we survive, I want to see it as well.

I'm not posing a danger to anyone by not being in this shitty, undignified position.' He was banned from the airline for life, but gained quite the anecdote in return. In 2006, while being interviewed by Mark Kermode, a passer-by shot him. Rather than seek medical attention, Herzog only remarked, 'It is not a significant bullet' and continued the interview. His films are challenging, engaging and very much worth a watch.

What's love got to do with it?

Critic Joe Allen reminds us that there is a time and place for romance in film The hero turns from the smouldering ruin that was once a drug baron's livelihood, shouldering his shotgun and spitting carelessly onto the cold ground. A pithy one-liner escapes his lips. He raises his head, just in time to spy his estranged wife pounding towards him, a look of pure ecstasy on her face. He scoops her up into his arms, his shotgun clattering to the floor, his lips meeting hers. Collectively, the audience sighs.

Once again, another high-octane delight has been ruined by that scene.

It's impossible to count the number of times a film has been injured by a badlyimplemented romantic subplot. Whether it's the slightly sinister killing-Germansmakes-it-OK convalescence of John McClane's relationship in Die Hard, or the frankly weird and completely emotionless dalliance of Elizabeth and Charlie in Prometheus (there are books waiting to be written that chronicle the problems with that movie, but this one is especially troubling), romance is an

inescapable stalker, waiting in the shadows to derail the most intense shootouts, the most spectrally atmospheric sci-fi expeditions, the most dangerously dank horror dreamscapes. It doesn't matter whether the movie does not need it, or whether it would be utterly extraneous to the plot; Hollywood doesn't care, and it's going to fight tooth and claw to make sure that the Uzi-toting psychopath's caring side is well and truly exposed.

So why is it considered so utterly pivotal to include that unnecessary relationship? Well, one of the principal reasons is probably the ability of the audience to relate to the movie. If the audience doesn't feel like they're able to engage with the character and inhabit the same world that they do, they likely won't enjoy it. Adding a love interest to a character without one can imbue them with emotional depth and render them much more approachable (somehow, an elite cop who's able to dispatch trained

Beginner's Guide to...

Werner Herzog Jonathan Fagg documents the work of Germany's multi-talented and thought-provoking director

marksmen and muscle-bound martial artists with ease just doesn't bear any similarity to the average man on the street).

The problem comes when the addition of the love interest encroaches on what is already known about the character, and worse, when it negatively impacts their personality. 2008's Iron Man, despite being a thoroughly excellent superhero romp, suffers from this problem to a degree; the audience has been archly shown that Tony Stark is a womaniser, which makes his somewhat forced union with Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts a tad unbelievable. The aforem e n t i o n e d Prometheus, despite being a supposedly scary prequel to the celebrated Alien, artificially shoehorns in a cheap and undeveloped romance subplot between what are supposed to be its two main characters, rendering an otherwise super-serious story nighon laughably bad.

Of course, romance doesn't always ruin a movie.

To suggest it does would be cynical and stupid. No, it ruins movies where it doesn't belong. It's time for Hollywood to dispose of its romantic shackles and give single men and women credit where credit is due; sometimes, it's not absol u t e l y necessary to be in a relationship to kickass.

28 | 25th-31st January 2013

@RedbrickSport

Boycotting Britain.

Why tax matters to elite athletes Following Phil Mickelson's recent outburst over his heavy taxes, Sport Editor Tim Pearson argues that the present tax system in the United Kingdom is also preventing sport stars from competing.

Tim Pearson Sport Editor

@T_J_Pearson

Last Friday, the world of golf was consumed with Tiger Woods’ and Rory McIlroy’s failure to make the cut in the AbuDhabi H SBC Golf Championship. This left the media looking for another story once the relative unknowns Jamie Donaldson and Brian Gay had claimed respective victories on the European and PGA Tour.

Cue four-time major champion and all round good-guy Phil Mickelson causing a storm over comments made at the Humana Challenge in his home state of California. Mickelson spoke about the ‘drastic changes’ he was considering as a result of changes to the tax laws at both the state and federal level.

Mickelson said that, ‘If you add up all the federal and you look at the disability and the unemployment and the Social Security and the state, my tax rate is 62%, 63%, so I've got to make some decisions on what I'm going to do.’

At first it may be hard to sympathise with the world number 22, who was the seventh highest paid athlete in 2012 according to Forbes, with earnings totalling $47.8 million in 2012. There are currently nine states in the US which do not require residents to pay tax, so Mickelson is hardly pushed for options. Tiger Woods has effectively endorsed his rival’s position, saying that he moved from California to Florida in 1996 for exactly that reason (one such state that levies no income tax).

Although questions have been raised about the validity of his 62% claim, with experts estimating it to be closer to 53%, it is still a sizeable chunk of his income to give away every year, even if that income is the best part of $50 million dollars.

Whilst we are unlikely to hear about Mickelson’s tax affairs again – he has apologised for speaking out on a ‘personal’

issue – it would not be a surprise to hear of him relocating his family to South Florida in the near future. Phil may be able to relocate and solve his financial woes, but the same cannot be said for many athletes competing in the UK. In 2012, as the Olympics circus rolled into town, there was much talk about the amount of tax elite-level athletes have to pay on their earnings in the UK. Between 30th March 2012 and 8th November last year, London became a tax haven for Olympic athletes; a condition on which all host cities must agree to before staging the games.

Indeed, the waiving of tax on athletes was the only reason Usain Bolt and the Jamaican athletic team came to the University of Birmingham to prepare.

Bolt in the past has been very critical of the UK tax laws and has publicly stated that they have stopped him competing here in the past, and will do so in the future. In essence, seeing Bolt run in London really was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Because of the way tax laws are written in the UK, athletes have to pay tax on a proportion of their global income, rather than just the income earned when competing in Britain. A tax expert from Deloitte said that the £100,000 Bolt could expect to make from competing in Britain over a 10 day period would be an insignificant sum compared to what he would be paying to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

And the sprinter is by no means the only high profile athlete who has curtailed their appearance in Britain because of the current tax regime. The Spanish duo of Rafael Nadal and Sergio Garcia have stated that the tax rules mean it is not economically beneficial for them to compete in the UK. While both Wimbledon and The Open carry enough prestige that their attendance is not in doubt, events such as golf’s Scottish Open and Queens (the tradi-

tional precursor to Wimbledon) have struggled to attract the best possible field.

Many sporting organisations have lobbied for changes to the UK tax code, including the European Tour, the Lawn Tennis Association and the British Horse Racing Authority. It is undeniable that event organisers, as a result of poorer quality fields, collect less revenue, and movement is finally being made on the issue. George Osborne announced that training days will be deducted when assessing the amount of tax that is owed, but this is unlikely to make a significant difference to many sportsmen and women’s decision not to compete in the UK. Yet there is a great hypocrisy in the UK government’s position on this issue. The UK government waived taxes not only on the Olympians, but also on Champions League winners Barcelona when the final took place at Wembley. Why the exceptions for some great sporting occasions and not others?

The number of elite athletes would dramatically increase if they were taxed only on earnings in the UK, and not on a proportion of global income, which usually includes valuable endorsement and sponsorship deals. And who is to say a change in approach wouldn’t benefit UK coffers?

This shortsighted approach means that the UK misses out on valuable revenue as a result of VAT on ticket sales and other expenses. This is not to mention the jobs created when worldclass events are staged on British soil.

It is easy for observers to look on and say that highly paid athletes should be paying a high level of tax. But more importantly they should be paying a fair rate of tax and a rate they are prepared to pay. Athletes want to come to Britain to compete, and Britons want them to see them compete. It’s about time the British government let them.

Lance blows his chance of redemption

Tom Dodd Sport Reporter

@TomAlexDodd

So now we know. On Thursday and Friday night the world witnessed the admission of Lance Armstrong, the undisputed king of sporting cheats. The disgraced Texan came clean for the first time in public about the systematic doping strategies which helped him power his way to seven Tour de France victories.

And the medium Armstrong used to present this truly shocking (yet no longer surprising) confession? Oprah Winfrey - the American chat show host, who questioned the man once considered the greatest cyclist ever and a walking miracle, for three hours and had prepared ‘although it was an exam’ in terms of the level detail she aimed to extract.

Winfrey came out all guns blazing, and came straight out with the million dollar question.

‘Yes’, replied the stone-face figure in the chair opposite. It wasn’t exactly indepth, but it was precisely what the watching public had tuned in to see.

But almost as if still competing, Armstrong defended himself as much as he could, declaring that back then it was impossible to win the Tour as a clean rider. Perhaps he had a point. It is well documented that of the 21 podium places to be filled during the Armstrong era, only one (Fernando Escartin, 3rd in 1999) has never been implicated in a doping scandal. But the dark side of that era of cycling had been known about for a while; cyclists were testing positive before Armstrong’s grip on the

sport took hold, and they had tested positive subsequently. It’s the way the Texan went about doping himself up that is probably most vile thing about this whole case.

The win-at-all-costs mentality has shown Lance Armstrong to have been nothing more than a bully and sporting dictator; in his own words ‘running over’ the likes of Emma O’Reilly and David Walsh in order to achieve his ultimate goal. It seemed almost fitting therefore that Armstrong conceded he never felt he was doing anything wrong and that he did not once stopped to think about the repercussions, not just of his actions, but of his denials, coverups and lies. In typical Armstrong style, he seemed to imply he only felt bad because he was eventually caught in such an emphatic and overwhelming fashion.

There appeared to be no sense of emotion or remorse in the expressions he made and the words he spoke The Texan revealed how he still felt sure he could protect his innocence.

That was, until his old friend George Hincapie (the only man to be part of Armstrong's team for all seven Tour wins) decided to testify against his former team leader in front of USADA. That brought part one to a close and whilst many may have felt vindicated at that the fact that the worst case of cheating in sport had been uncovered,

www.redbrick.me/sports | 29

His fall from grace completed in the minds of most, his interview with Oprah finally sealed his fate as the greatest cheat in the history of sport.

for most it simply wasn’t enough. For although Armstrong had confessed and was supposedly playing the role of the interviewee, there was only one person is control of this interview, and it certainly was not Oprah Winfrey. Sure, she had the asked the questions, and sure, she put the disgraced cyclist in some difficult positions, but it was obvious after the initial revelations that Armstrong was still very much pulling the strings. He refused to publicly apologise to those he had kicked and pushed around for years and there appeared to be no sense of emotion or remorse in the expressions he made and the words he spoke.

That changed in part two, as Armstrong was forced to talk about being dropped by his sponsors, something he described as a ‘$75 million day’, money which he admitted he would almost certainly never see again.

But money wasn’t the catalyst for the former-cyclists’ emotions; the humbling event of having to cut all ties with his Livestrong Foundation, the charity organisation he had personally created and run for the entirety of its existence and which had raised over $500 million for cancer sufferers worldwide, was the first time the whole case hit home. Tears clearly began to manifest themselves as soon as Oprah asked what it was like to tell his children (at least the three who were old enough) that these rumours they had been hearing about their Dad were actually true. Armstrong’s reply: ‘I told them to stop defending me.’

But it seems Armstrong defending Armstrong is far from out of the question. When asked if he ever wanted to return to the sport of cycling, he

lamented how he would be unable to compete at any level, in any sport thanks to his lifetime ban - a punishment he likened to a death sentence.

Many had suggested he was only doing the interview so as to potentially allow him to compete again, an idea the Texan firmly denied.

The win-at-all-costs mentality has shown Lance Armstrong to have been nothing more than a bully and sporting dictator So, why did the man once considered the most inspirational and influential sportsman of them all decide to come clean to the extremely popular and successful chat show host? It was classic Armstrong. In front of such an interviewer, the ex-cyclist was able to avoid questions that could have incriminated him even more. Questions, that in a court of law could be followed up and pursued further until the absolute truth was unearthed. You can’t arrest someone for lying on a chat show.

The interview closed with Oprah quoting a chilling comment from Armstrong’s ex-wife, Kristin, who he revealed continues to tell him ‘the truth will set you free’.

But Lance Armstrong will need far more than just a behind-closed-doors television interview to set him free, especially seeing as how this one leaves far more questions than answers hanging in the air.

30 | 25th - 31st January 2013

Squash club show squad strength in win over Oxford Mens Squash

Birmingham 3rds

3

Oxford 1sts

2

Charlie Hearl Sport Reporter

@charliehearl

Birmingham men’s 3rd team added to their unbeaten run, with an impressive 3-2 win against Oxford 1sts. The match showed phenomenal fitness levels in both sides, with three out of the five matches going to the final game.

The first match saw Mike Horseman of Birmingham defeat Tim Luetchford 3-0, in a rather comfortable win despite many intense rallies in what seemed a fairly even match. The first game for example was close all the way to the final points, with Horseman winning 11-9. After that Horseman showed more consistency in his play and forced his opponent to make errors, which eventually resulted in the first success of the day.

On the next court along we saw the home sides' Stu Lord, who came through a tough start in the match to in the end win 3-2 win against Oxfords Andrew Lindsay. Lindsay got off to a great start, clearly demonstrating his favourite backhand slice drop shot from the back of the court, which caused problems for Lord early on. However Lord managed to control the game and took the match into the final fifth game after a fairly equal and energetic run of rallies. Lord showed fantastic retrieval shots in the final game, bringing points back from the dead, returning seemingly impossible forehands and drop volleys from Lindsay. After a close game Lord came out on top with an 11-9 victory to give Birmingham a positive 2-0 lead.

The third match saw Rory Cameron of Birmingham play the opposing side’s Alex Roberts in an extremely agonising match. The game was filled with fantas-

tic rallies, one of which lasted 29 shots, and tremendous tactical play. However Roberts proved too strong for Cameron in the end, as he took victory in the final game. Cameron tried to slow the game down, forcing the opponent to make errors and also give himself more time on the ball. At times Cameron looked the most confident and dominating player with a string of truly skilled boast shots and cross court play making the opponent run wildly, with rallies having more in common with a pinball machine.

None the less Roberts showed extraordinary retrieval and fitness levels which ultimately decided the match, winning 3-2 and bringing Oxford back into the game.

The court next door welcomed the hosts' Ed Tinwell to compete against Owen Riddall. This game was characterised by unbelievable commitment, with players often skidding along the floor to retrieve shots and showing no desire to lose any points. The first game ended 12-10 to Tinwelll after once again a restless run of points. Despite the first game victory, Riddall made his way back into the game and eventually won the match 3-2, bring Oxford on level terms, leading to an enormous final match.

The last and deciding match saw Birmingham’s top seed Rob Harrison play Oxford’s David Phillips in a game showing a great range of exciting rallies.

Harrison had an outstanding start to the match winning the first game comfortably 11-5. Despite this early win, Harrison lost a 9-4 lead in the second game and allowed Phillips back in with a chance, which he took and who won 12-10.

Harrison however upped his play late on. He tired his opponent out by playing Phillips around the court effortlessly, and went on to win the final two games 11-7 and 11-6 to complete a Birmingham victory.

The win guaranteed Birmingham Men’s 3rds second place position in the league just behind the 2nd team, ultimately proving the strength of the squash club.

Will Siddons

@Wsiddons

Results: Mike Horseman beat Tim Luetchford 11-9 11-6 11-7 Stu Lord beat Andrew Lindsay beat 9-11 11-5 9-11 11-3 11-7 Alex Roberts beat Rory Cameron 11-9 7-11 11-9 11-13 11-5 Owen Riddall beat Ed Tinwell 10-12 11-5 11-8 10-12 11-6 Rob Harrison beat David Phillips 11-5 10-12 11-8 11-6

* Table accurate as of 23/01/13

www.redbrick.me/sports | 31

Page 31 Sports Shorts

Tweet of the Week

Online this week @Swannyg66

Heroes...

The Harbaugh Brothers On the 3rd of February in New Orleans the San Francisco 49ers will play the Baltimore Ravens in the 47th Super Bowl. The remarkable thing is that the teams will be coached by two brothers, John and Jim Harbaugh, born 15 months apart. Spare a thought for their parents who have said they will 'try to enjoy' the game.

Angel Rangel The Swansea defender was delivering food to homeless shelters in areas of wales which had suffered from heavy snow.

He really showed himself to be one of the good guys in English football.

'Well done to @joeroot05 for another good knock. Just think, if the snow hadn't closed his school he'd be doing double maths right now' Weekend Wager

Men's Badminton 3rds Drew 4-4 Warwick 2nds Men's Fencing 1sts Lost 111-135 Leceister 1sts Ross Highfield takes a look at the chances of the favourites Ivory Coast in South Africa. He also predicts group winners and an overall victor.

11/1 Golf is one of the most difficult sports to predict a winner, so we would not be as bold to even try to pick one in a field of 156.

But Nicolas Colsaerts makes his debut on the PGA tour as a full memeber at the Farmer Insurance Open, and don't be suprised to see him with a top five finish.

Australian Open

Tom Kelly looks at the tournament as it begins to hot up, assessing the chances of each competitor. Expect the big guns of the mens game to dominate once again.

2. Who is Andy Murray's coach?

3. Who won the Masters snooker last weekend?

1.Alan Shearer 2.Ivan Lendl 3.

Mark Selby 4. Nine 5. Robert Howley

The Redbrick Crossword

David Morris argues that it's time Moyes got the opportunity to manage a major Premier League club.

Could his achievements at Everton lead him to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson?

Antonia Morris Crossword Editor

This week's prize is a ÂŁ5 Waterstones Gift Voucher Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office, located in the Guild basement

Across

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

Name:

Email Address:

Phone Number:

Scribble box

Women's Netball 3rds Drew 28-28 Nottingham Trent 3rds

Men's Tennis 2nds Won 12-0 Staffordshire 1sts Women's Volleyball 1sts Lost 1-3 Oxford 1sts

...and Villains Nicola Cortese The Southampton chairman sacked Nigel Adkins last Friday. Adkins was extremely popular and had done a fantastic job, bringing the Saints from League 1 to 15th in the Premier League.

His replacement Mauricio Pochettino needs to get off to a fast start.

Snow Sport stops for the snow.

Although the Premier League schedule was unscathed due to under-soil heating, lower league football and race meets fell victim to the weather.

David Moyes

1.Who has scored the most Premier League goals?

5. Who is the caretaker coach of Wales whilst Warren Gatland take charge of the Lions?

Women's Lacrosse 1sts Lost 8-11 Loughborough 1sts

Men's Tennis 1sts Drew 6-6 Coventry 2nds

Redbrick Sport Quiz

4. How many players are on a baseball team?

Results - 23rd January

African Cup of Nations

Down

1. Nordic country (7) 1. Member of Scandinavian 5. Something of, from or related to people inhabiting a group of DanCuba (5) ish islands (7) 8. Slang or short reconnaissance (5) 2. Mother of pearl (5) 9. Person who makes your espresso 3. Eternal (7) (7) 4. Formal discussion on a particu10. Mountain on the border of Tibet lar subject in a public forum (6) and Nepal (7) 5. Unit of weight for precious 11. Evergreen forest south of the tun- metals and stones (5) dra (5) 6. Code of honour of the Samurai 12. Conceited and self-centred person (7) (6) 7. South African antelope (5) 14. Member of armed gang in 13. Japanese island (7) Myanmar or India (6) 15. Annual calendar of interesting 18. Pennsylvanian Mennonite (5) information (7) 20. Creamy meat or veg mixture 16. Native American conical tents baked in a mould (7) (7) 22. Bean used by 9 across (7) 17. Strip of sandy land (6) 23. Your brother's daughter 9 across 18. Emergency sound (5) (5) 19. Children's book about a girl 24. City in SE Florida (5) growing up in the Swiss alps (5) 25. Great Victorian novelist (7) 21. White poplar (5).0

Snow and ice caused havoc with the university sport schedule with all outdoor fixtures postponed.

Important games for the Football, Hockey, Golf and the two Rugby clubs were all called off. If the terrible weather continues for much longer then teams could be left with unplayed fixtures come the end of the season

Interested in being part of Redbrick Sport? sports@redbrick.me @redbricksports Redbrick Sport

32 | 25th - 31st January 2013

www.redbrick.me/sport

Lance Armstrong

Squash Report

Tom Dodd reflects on the Ophrah Winfrey interview

The Mens 3rds take on Oxford 1sts

p30

p29

RedbrickSport

Brum suffer crushing defeat at the hands of dominant Loughborough Women's Basketball

Birmingham 2nds

20

Loughborough 2nds

97

Matt Yuan Sport Reporter

@MattYuan3

Loughborough women’s second team showed their dominance in a blowout victory over Birmingham’s second team with the final score ending 97-20 to the away side. With a heckling crowd, the away team looked to prove a point providing a clinic to both their opponents and the spectators.

The travelling team came out all guns blazing, getting off to a tremendous 10-0 run to begin the quarter, with Birmingham’s Antoinette Torgbi hitting a three pointer to break the impressive start. Loughborough captain, Lauren Delaney, right away asserted her dominance in the paint with a number of strong rebounds and close range points.

This would set the tempo for the entire game, proving too much for the home side to keep up with. Throughout the first quarter, Birmingham were never able to get themselves into the game, scoring only five points in the period.

Loughborough played at a scorching pace, converting on countless fast break opportunities off a number of careless turnovers from the hosts. The first quarter ended 22-5 to Loughborough with a disappointing showing from the home side.

If the game hadn’t already moved out of reach for the Lions, any chance of the comeback of the ages was stamped out decisively by the obviously superior visitors. Loughborough opened the second quarter with a furious full court press, trapping the visibly tiring home team in their own half leading to a

seemingly endless supply of turnovers.

Outstanding Loughborough point guard, Eimear Martin, implemented her will on the game, beating her defender every time and drawing defenders when getting into the paint. The composed point guard showcased her great ball control and ability to run the point, scoring ten points in the quarter to put away the home side. Birmingham were unable to cope with the speed of play, giving up endless points under the basket. It was apparent that the home team could not bring the ball up against the full court press and when they did, were not able to execute in the half court set. This was all too evident on the scoreboard, with the Lions not scoring a single basket in the second quarter.

The hosts came out with a renewed attitude after the halftime break, knowing the game was out of reach, they loosened up a little, able to find their game and score some points. However, the second half showed much of the same with Martin dictating every possession, either driving and finding a teammate or getting her own shot away.

Loughborough continued to dominate the paint out rebounding and outscoring Birmingham on both ends of the floor.

The hosts saw their first points since the first quarter through a mid-range shot from Amelia Stubbs. This gave Birmingham’s supporters something to cheer about, perhaps even dreaming of the comeback of comebacks. The hosts showed a lot of guts in the second half, and although tired, did a much better job of competing with the well-conditioned away side.

The game ended 97-20 to Loughborough, who had to be pleased with such a decisive victory away from home. Birmingham put a great effort in, however it wasn’t enough to defeat the basketball giants of Loughborough.

They proved once again why they are one of the most respected and feared sides in the country; a position that Birmingham aspire to be. This experience can only make them stronger.

Jack Schofield

@JSchofield92