Redbrick - Issue 1442

31st January - 6th February 2014

Est. 1936

• Security staff struck by smoke bomb • Fourteen arrests made • Students smash down doors to Aston Webb • Police record IDs of over a hundred students

Protesters Clash with Police at National Protest

• Banner hung from top of Old Joe

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Students from universities across the country – including Scotland and Northern Ireland – have gathered at the University of Birmingham for a national demonstration.

Approximately 300 students from over ten universities, including Sussex, UCL, Kings and SOAS, gathered around the Old Joe clocktower for the main demonstration.

The protesters, some of which covered their faces, unveiled banners and chanted campaign slogans. The opening speaker stated ‘direct action is more inclusive and student apathy is representative of wider issues’.

Meanwhile, others managed to gain access to the Aston Webb Building and Old Joe to hang banners from them, one of which stated ‘management out’. Aaron Kiely, National Union of Students’ Black Students’ Officer, said ‘we need to fight back. All protests are effective, they are a way of resisting.’

After clashing with heightened campus security, demonstrators managed to break into the Aston Webb building where around 150 protesters occupied the Great Hall. Once security staff had left the Hall, protesters barricaded the main doors with equipment set up for Thursday’s Give It A Go Fair, which was subsequently cancelled.

Despite this, security staff later managed to film the occupiers from the overlooking balconies. Police were called to the scene after the back entrance to the Great Hall was broken down, prompting occupiers to decide to leave the Great Hall. However, they were then detained for around an hour before they were slowly able to leave.

The protesters had their details taken and were filmed leaving the premises whilst stating their personal details. The police are now able to undertake their investigation and protesters that did not comply were told that they may be arrested for ‘aggravated trespass’.

(Continued p.6)

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31st January - 6th February 2014

News Tweet of the Week

Society Spotlight

Battle Re-Enactment Society For anyone interested in recreating battles or other historical periods and events. Fun, feasting, crafts and camping. They have regular sessions on the lawn outside the Guild and travel to craft shows and re-enactments around the country.

Old Joe @oldjoeclock ':-( I feel violated. #badday'

Working closely with Hrafn Broethr, an external group, BatSoc offers Norman and 12th Century re-enactments, as well as 1066, 3rd & 4th Crusade, the Barons' revolt and Magna Carta re-enactment.

To get involved, contact: batsoc@guild.bham.ac.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/168912043120704/

Defend Education hung a banner off the campus clocktower during the national demonstration held Wednesday 29th January

Online in Redbrick News

Video Footage of Defend Education National Protest As part of our coverage of the student protest movement, Redbrick have posted videos of the events of Wednesday's demonstration. Up to 150 students stormed the Aston Webb Building in the late afternoon, leading to confrontation with University security and police officers. Take a look at the footage on our website.

Ongoing Strikes and Two-Hour Walkouts Disrupt Lectures Read our report of the direct action of the University and Colleges Union (UCU), including student opinion and comments from the Branch President of Birmingham UCU, David Bailey.

Yes 70%

See more at http://www.redbrick.me/ news/

Photos of the Week: 'Aitken' Cherona Chapman

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31st January - 6th February 2014

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Guild Petitions Against Proposed Housing Restrictions Ashley Kirk Digital Editor

@AshleyKirk92

It is claimed that Bournbrook will become a 'student ghetto' as the council seeks to put planning restrictions on student housing around the University of Birmingham - but not Bournbrook.

Birmingham City Council are 'letting students down by abandoning Bournbrook', according to a petition against the local authority's plans to restrict planning laws for student housing.

The Article 4 Direction, proposed by the council, is claimed to limit property owners' rights regarding planning laws.

This may result in a rule change for houses containing 3-6 unrelated individuals (HMOs), where landlords will face stricter planning restrictions.

The council's plan is in response to concerns over the impact of student housing on the local environment. The Article claims that 'if too many of these cluster together, they can put pressure on local

services and the environment, thus affecting the lives of the permanent residents.'

Selly Oak, Selly Park, Edgbaston and Harborne may all be affected by the proposed rules. However, Bournbrook will not, due to it being 'a popular location close to the University of Birmingham ... with the vast majority of its dwellings now being HMOs [Houses of Multiple Occupation].'

The Guild of Students' petition, currently signed by over 900 people, claims that this will turn Bournbrook into a 'student ghetto', as landlords seek to buy more houses to let to students in an area with less restictions.

It states: 'this is unacceptable. Students, like everybody else, should be able to choose where they live and how many people to live with; this shouldn't be restricted by the Council.'

It is claimed that Article 4 may further increase rent levels in Bournbrook, with students potentially paying more or having to live further away from university.

The petition also states that housing standards in Bournbrook, along with the

proposed area of implementation, may also be impacted.

The Guild of Students said 'future students who will be impacted by this change cannot respond to this consultation yet as they probably haven’t even thought about which university to attend – so this is your chance to ensure that future students have the same opportunities as you.'

The council stated that 'we believe that any further increase in the number of HMOs needs to be carefully managed and as such we are now consulting on a proposal to introduce steps that will require such changes of use to need planning permission, within a defined area - know as an Article 4 Direction.

'We will continue to monitor the conversion of family dwellings to shared accommodation and will consider issuing further Article 4 Directions should the evidence indicate that this is necessary.'

It has an open consultation on the article until 31st January. It is also running a drop-in session at the Guild on Monday 27th January 2014, between 12noon – 3pm.

Cadbury invests £75 million in Bournville Development Oliver Norgate News Reporter

@ONorgate

Mondelez, the parent company of Birmingham's landmark Cadbury plant, have issued a £75 million investment into the Bournville site. The move would safeguard the famous factory's long-term future, with the American company citing the need to keep pace with production seen across Europe, as well as the intention for the plant to become a 'worldclass manufacturing site'.

It will aim to keep up with competitors and sister factories in Germany and is dependent on 'successful consultations' with the unions surrounding agreements on productivity.

The Bournville Cadbury plant opened in 1879 and was controversially taken over by American corporation Kraft in 2010, recently changing its name to Mondelez. It produces some of the country's most popular chocolate bars, including Dairy Milk, Creme Eggs and Wispas.

Unite regional officer Joe Clarke hailed the announcement as ‘brilliant news’, adding: ‘It is all about the long-term

future of the site. We have had a difficult few years with a few fallouts but from our perspective, this is all good news.’ Clarke also admits that investment is ‘desperately needed’.

Tim Pile, president of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, described the move as ‘a seminal moment for Bourneville’ and that ‘there is a productivity gap in Bournville that needs closing in order for Bournville to compete with the best in the world.’

However Mondelez has warned that jobs will still be cut despite the cash injection. A spokesman said, ‘We are just trying to be open and frank and say "we believe there will be a reduction in numbers" but that's down to discussions we are having with the workforce now.’

Reece McCarthy, a Unite representative, accepts that some job cuts are necessary for the investment to go ahead.

However, McCarthy also made it clear that the union would oppose compulsory redundancies in the plant, which currently employs around 960 people, and that any redundancies should be aimed to be on a voluntary basis.

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31st January - 6th February 2014

News

West Midlands Police hold Human Trafficking Conference in Bournville Melissa Woolaston News Reporter

West Midlands Police and The Adavu Project hosted a human trafficking conference at Rowheath Pavillion, Bournville on Friday 24th January. The Adavu Project raises local awareness of human trafficking and co-ordinates the West Midlands Regional AntiTrafficking Network (RAT), a collaboration of organisations that provide direct support to victims.

Kerry Scarlett, director of The Adavu Project, described human trafficking as the transportation of vulnerable people into conditions of exploitation, usually through deception or force. Victims may face sexual exploitation, forced labour, domestic slavery, or even organ harvesting. Human traffickers may exert absolute control over their victims, often stealing their identification, bank details, wages and social welfare benefits.

Victims are often unwilling to seek help for fear of punishment, deportation, or damaged pride. James Foy of West Midlands

Police stressed that the police are ‘desperate for information and intelligence’ on this hidden crime. Foy outlined common signs of potential trafficking, including inappropriate dress for the weather conditions, visible emaciation, signs of injury and being picked up by vehicles at unusual hours. He also explained that it can occur anywhere:

"Victims are often unwilling to seek help for fear of punishment or deportation" ‘Throughout the country we have vulnerable people who need help. Don’t think that it’s just in a shady street or a less affluent area.’

Mark Heath of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, which works to prevent exploitation in food and drink packaging industries,

explained that trafficking and forced labour offer considerable benefits to the perpetrators at a relatively low risk: ‘You can sell a kilo of drugs once, but you can sell a person day after day.’

He added that work trafficking can be overlooked easily, especially as victims may work for a legally licensed employer and be forced to give away their wages later. Some victims even return to exploitative employers multiple times, perceiving the conditions as comparatively better than their place of origin.

Alison Cook of the SAFE Project, which provides advice and support to sex workers in Birmingham, Sandwell and Walsall, spoke on trafficking involving forced or controlled sex work. According to Foy, this trade can earn the perpetrators up to £400,000 per year. Cook described a nineteen-year-old Romanian woman who was transported to Sandwell by her boyfriend under the pretence that she would be living with him and his family. On arrival, she was forced into sex work with very little pay and was violently assaulted. The Safe Project empow-

ered her to report her exploitation through the National Referral Mechanism, which initiates legal investigations and provides victim support, enabling her return to her family.

In some cases, trafficking victims may be bound by a strong emotional attachment to their exploiters. Tam Sheen founded Telfordbased victim support organisation Calla following the sexual trafficking of her own daughter. Sheen outlined how perpetrators often build a relationship with their younger victims by complimenting them heavily and buying them lavish gifts, which makes their exploitation so hard to prevent. ‘What teenage girl doesn’t want to be thought of as attractive by older guys?’ Sheen added, noting further that victims are not always from a disadvantaged family background.

Scarlett concluded the conference by urging anyone with any information regarding a suspected human trafficking incident to call the local police on 101, or to make an anonymous report to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. If a person is thought to be in immediate danger, call 999.

Matthew Jenkins

Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper speaks at UoB Beth Coveney News Reporter

Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper visited the University of Birmingham on February 23, to address a group of students ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day 2014. The event was planned and hosted by the University’s JSOC. The society’s Chair, Ollie Collins, explained the background of this year’s event – 'The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day (2014) is Journeys. Zigi's journey was something that so few people in the world can relate to, but everybody can learn from'.

Shipper recounted his life to a large student audience, as he spoke of his experiences of being brought up in Lodz, Poland by his Orthodox Jewish grandparents, and then being forced into an overcrowded ghetto in the poorest area of town for five years. Finally, he was taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau, continuing to move from camp to camp until the end of the Second World War. ‘People always ask why I’m still telling this story, all these years on,’ Shipper stated when explaining his reasons for continuing to speak of the events that took place during the Holocaust. He concluded that many survivors did not want to talk about what had happened, feeling embarrassed or believing that their

accounts would be dismissed as lies. But Zigi insisted that ‘young people are the future, and need to know the history’, one of his reasons behind his work with the charity Holocaust Educational Trust, which aims to educate young people on the horror of the holocaust and the lessons that can be learnt from it today.

Despite the odds being against him – he was constantly surrounded by death from disease and starvation; himself fighting the killer disease typhus, without any food, medication or water – Zigi was lucky enough to survive the holocaust, and continues to tell his testimony today as he feels he owes it to those not so lucky. He lost his family, friends and home over the course of the war, he points out that being miserable wouldn’t bring them back, nor would they like to see him miserable, so there’s no point wallowing. Zigi now finds friendship in other holocaust survivors who have relocated to Britain since the war, and has a family of his own in his wife, daughters, six grandchildren, and a great-grandchild – something he says means everything to a holocaust survivor, stating, ‘Evil will never triumph. Hitler didn’t succeed – and my family are proof of that.’

Closing the hour-long talk, Zigi gave his final words of advice: ‘Whatever you do, don’t hate. Hate will ruin your life – it will make you bitter. Please, don’t hate.

And never give up on life.’

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/news

5

Grade Inflation Disupute

Dispute over a rise in degree grades achieved due to grade inflation Duncan Kenyon

News Reporter @duncankenyon1 Researchers are disputing that the rise in degree grades achieved is due to grade inflation.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency has revealed that 19 per cent of students achieved a first last year, with 51 per cent getting 2:1s, 25 per cent achieving a 2:2 and 5 per cent a third. This is up from the 11 per cent who achieved a first in 2004/05. However this is a long term trend, as the most common grade in the early 1980s was a 2:2, when 60 per cent of students achieved this grade.

Professor Alan Smith from the Centre of Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckinghamshire has expressed several ideas as to why grades are increasing. His first explanation is

"19 per cent of students achieved a first last year with 51 per cent getting 2:1s" that universities are under pressure to perform better in league tables and thus bumping up grades.

A Birmingham lecturer disclosed that senior management were told to increase the number of people achieving first and 2:1 grades. He also told the BBC that his managers told him to make courses easier so abroad students performed better in them, increasing the average. This makes their grades look better relatively in league tables. Andrew, from Salisbury, told the BBC that he must pass as many students as possible to bump up grades.

It has been found that the top universities are 8% more likely to be lenient with university grades than other universities.

"There's a link between rising A Level grades and rising degree levels" Another explanation Professor Smith gives for the rise in grades is that students are working harder for them.

Currently at least 3 out of 4 of the UK’s 100 top graduate schemes require a minimum of a 2:1 grade at degree. This encourages people to work harder for their grades. One lecturer from Cambridge says that students now need higher grades at university. A first is not worth now what it was 30 years before, which encourages more people to strive for one.

However, this has been disputed by the Lancaster University Management School. A study looking at Higher Education grades from 2005-2012 has shown a link between rising ‘A’ Level grades and rising degree grades. The study shows that people are generally achieving one grade higher at ‘A’ Level than before, so they are more prepared to take on university study.

The study has not yet garnered much support, possibly because it is so new.

Regardless of the explanation, there are more people achieving higher grades at university. There are also more people attending university. The culmination of these has lead to an increase in high grade graduates on the job market.

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6

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31st January - 6th February 2014

News

Tensions rise at national student demonstration

14 protestors arrested after violent clashes with police Ashley Kirk Digital Editor

@AshleyKirk92

Tara Dein

News Reporter

Continues from front page Students reported that the demonstration ‘took a violent turn’. Video evidence has shown security guards forcing a group of protesters out of part of the Aston Webb Building. A smoke grenade was also released by a protester in a crowd of students which struck a security guard in the face At a national coordination meeting prior to the demonstration, Defend Education branches agreed to unite in order to strength-

"We need a shared set of demands challenging the agenda of austerity" en the national student movement.

Meanwhile, the university also applied for an injunction against the occupation of Hornton Grange.

The meeting decided to build a concise list of selected demands, focusing on fighting the ‘marketisation of higher education’.

Demands included a living wage for university workers, a reversal of the privatisation of the student loan book and a repeal of the increased tuition fees.

Announcing the demonstration, Defend Education stated ‘we need co-ordination – a shared set of demands challenging the agenda of austerity, privatisation and worker exploitation.

‘We want to build the momentum of the broad student movement, establish stronger campaigns at campus level, end the repression of student protests - by university management and police, and make a real contribution to workers’ struggles.’

Deborah Hermanns, Defend Education protester, said ‘the National Meeting and Demonstration are incredibly important for me because they will indicate where the student movement is now and whether we have learned from the events of 2010.

‘I really believe that you need to organise on a local level within a campus group like Defend Education if you want to make sustainable change and therefore this meeting was organised by thirteen different groups from all over the UK. ‘Throughout this campaign we have been in contact with members of support staff, who have consistently been sending us messages of support as well as testimonies of their horrible working conditions at this University. The lack of the Living Wage, paralleled to the pay rise of the Vice Chancellor, has just encouraged me even further to continue this campaign.’

ULU’s President of the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts, Michael Chessum, told Redbrick his reason for travelling to Birmingham: ‘I’m here because

what we are witnessing in education is outright vandalism of the entire system. Any strategy based in meeting rooms, we will always lose and that’s why this is the most effective method.’

General student opinion is, however, divided. Emily Hickey-Mason, third-year Sociology student, said: ‘it’s intrusive, intimidating and overly dramatic. It’s an exclusive process which isolates mainstream students.

‘The protesters interrupted lectures to announce their demonstration, ironically preventing my own education to spread their message.’

The meeting was concluded with plans

"It's intrusive, intimidating and overly dramatic"

Charlotte Wilson

for further student activism. The groups decided on protests coinciding with staff strikes on February the 6th, and a week of national demonstrations in the second week of February.

In a statement, the police told Redbrick that they were ‘categorically not’ kettling students. ‘We are carrying out routine checks before people leave the area.

‘Police are currently at Birmingham University following a student protest.

Officers attended the University just before 5pm this evening to support the University in dealing with the situation.’

Birmingham Police Superintendent Lee Kendrick was at the university site last night.

He said: 'This may well have been billed as a peaceful protest but it escalated into a serious public order incident - a criminal investigation has been launched and anyone found to have acted unlawfully will be punished.'

The University of Birmingham has issued

"It escalated into a serious public order incident - anyone found to have acted unlawfully will be punished." their own statement 'Whilst peaceful protest is part of university life, the University will not tolerate behaviour that causes harm to individuals, damage to property or significant disruption to our university community.

'The actions of Defend Education Birmingham, a group which is not affiliated to the Guild of Students or in any way representative of the student body, included defacing buildings and property, throwing smoke bombs and fireworks, smashing down doors, damaging buildings including Aston Webb and the Old Joe clock tower, and injuring staff. Given the serious nature of their actions, the University had no choice but to ask the police for assistance in restoring order and protecting students, staff and university property. We understand that the police have made 14 arrests.'

Charlotte Wilson Deputy Editor James Phillips and News Editor Adam Rowe were caught up in the crossfire between protestors and security guards while reporting for Redbrick We were with the protesters when they were trying to gain access to the Aston Webb building via a dark back entrance that was very hidden. The door was kicked down until it broke and then approximately 150 protesters filled the Great Hall, all chanting. We then followed them in to report from inside the new occupation.

Security entered and then left, when protesters barricaded both the main entrance and the back entrance to the Great Hall.

Security began filming from the balconies of the Hall. Upon news of the police arriving, everyone vacated the Hall and were contained by the police and security, not being permitted to leave for a couple of hours. The police, after around an hour,

began to let people leave in groups of up to three, where every individual had their full name, address and date of birth noted and were then filmed verbalising this information, with some people being searched.

There were complaints by protesters due to the cold, rain and lack of access to food, drink or toilet facilities. However, some protesters managed to escape the containment area via a ladder and many of those that were released remained nearby chanting in solidarity. Some food was thrown inside the containment area, but police searched it before giving it to protesters. It took about four hours for everyone that had been detained to be processed and allowed to leave.

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/comment

7

Comment "Disruptive" What do you know about what is happening here?

I would say they’re basically disrupting students. This is the law library. It is normally one of the quietest places on campus.

How can students learn when there are noisy protests outside such an environment? Especially law students, who use the law library, I'm a law student myself. We need quiet. I dont find it very helpful, especially if this is all from the involvement of the Vice President of Education, which it is as far as I know. If she's supporting this, when she's basically due to represent us and help to secure our education, then I think that's quite self-defeating actually. I completely disagree.

Do you think its good for them to stand up for these sort of things? What about their aims?

I personally prefer discussion and diplomatic means, rather than direct action. I think they’re doing much more harm than good.

"Important"

Comment on Campus:

National Demonstration at Old Joe Charlotte Wilson

"Healthy"

"Powerful"

I think it's a good thing to see this sort of thing at a university, I think it's very healthy.

I think students have always traditionally held a core value with new ideas. That’s where most of the worlds revolutions have come from and changes in politics. And we certainly need changes in politics in the world at the moment and I think this demonstrates that people have an awareness of what’s going on in the world and I think its extraordinarily healthy.

You’re here for the open day, are you looking to study here?

No, no, my daughter's coming here.

And this wouldn’t put you off?

No, this wouldn’t put me off at all. I think this is an excellent thing. Freedom of speech, and individuals' thoughts on how the world should be driven. I think its very healthy indeed. When we haven’t got this it will be a bad day.

What do you know about what’s happening at this protest?

I know they’re protesting against proposed rising tuition fees, living wages, and Vice Chancellor’s salary.

Do you think they disrupt campus?

I don’t think they’re disrupting campus.

I think a protest is better than an occupation personally. The problem with an occupation is that it can annoy some people. Like when they occupied the Aston Webb building anyone who had geology had to move, and had their lessons cancelled. And of course it annoys them and it automatically means that they’re not going to support the cause.

Whereas this attracts attention but it doesn’t disrupt you if you don’t want to get involved in it.

"Liberating"

Katrin Busch Katrin Busch

What do you actually know about what’s going on here?

I guess its about the rise of the tuition fees, cuts, and the focus of the student management on everything but students.

Did you go to the last protest?

Yes. Did you think the occupation was disruptive?

I don’t know how an occupation really helps but it's a good sign I guess. The problem is not many students get to know about the occupation. I think there were a lot of students who only heard about it but they didn’t even know where it was. When they occupied the Staff House: I think that's the wrong way to do it, they need to be more public because otherwise no student would ever know about it.

There’s a lot of security here today, would you say the university is being too heavy handed?

I think our university is ridiculous with this. There’s just no student freedom.

Security is a bit too far fetched.It's almost as if students are criminals.

Katrin Busch

On Twitter:

@MeganEAhern I actually can't believe protesters have been defacing the clock tower @unibirmingham. Not my lovely Old Joe!

Education's important to me because I don't believe that money should be wasted on the salaries of VCs, and there shouldn't be as much of a pay gap between the people right at the top of the university and the people right at the bottom. They can't actually afford to feed their families properly on the minimum wage. There are a lot of workers that I know who use food banks to eat properly.

The injunctions and the security are costing the university a lot of money. Do you think that’s justified?

No. But isn't it because of the protests that they have to pay for those things?

Why dont they listen to the students then?

Charlotte Wilson

"Positive" You've come here for the open day. When you see this, what does it make you think about the university?

My views on the university haven’t changed at all. The fact that they’ve got an active student union I think is really good, because I’m quite in for freedom of expression. I think that the protest is not against this specific university, it’s about tuition fees, what the government cuts, pay rises for people at the top.

Are you hearing about these issues for the first time?

Possibly some of it.

You don’t think the Vice Chancellor of the University deserves his high salary?

No, because I imagine his percentage wage compared to the average person is so vast that it’s wrong.

And you’re with girls who are going to university soon?

Yes, this year.

The Vice Chancellor was proposing to increase tuition fees again.

But that’s ridiculous! It’s pricing people out of being able to go to university. I imagine that he had a very good education.

People that go to state schools can’t afford to go to universities. He wants this to be one of the top universities but his wage doesn’t reflect that.

What about you? If you came to university would you ever get involved in something like this?

Yes, I think it's good that people do this sort of thing. I'd like to be involved in student protests. I'd like to go to a university that stands up for what it believes in.

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31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/comment

Comment

Benefits Street Is Not Easy Street Esme Myers

Commentator @EsmeMyers Monday nights are now home to Channel 4’s latest piece of poverty porn, Benefits Street, a show which focuses on the lives of those living on Birmingham’s very own James Turner Street, at a time where austerity measures mean that benefits are constantly being cut. It seems pointless to dwell on the fact that this show is of course not in any way representative of the general population of people who claim benefits, as even according to Benefit Street’s own introduction, James Turner Street is apparently home to ‘more people claiming unemployment benefits than anywhere else in the country’.

It saddens me that the media continue to produce shows that simply perpetuate myths about benefit culture, but if they aren’t going to stop, then viewers need to wise up and look at what is happening on their TV screens more critically.

One of the characters that the latest episode continues to follow is White Dee, an unemployed single mum of two and selfproclaimed ‘mother’ of the street. Not only does Dee bring up her own children, but looks out for the rest of her community. She aids many of her neighbours, including Black Dee who is struggling with rent areas, and Fungi, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic who is illiterate and therefore struggles to manoeuvre the complex benefit system alone. Fungi was homeless for ten years and still struggles with his addiction, but his lifestyle alone is proof that living off benefits does not equate to a good standard of living. Fungi has had no electricity for

two months, his bathroom looks like a building site with the sink on the floor and a bath that he has never been able to use. It is astounding that people would rather offer contempt than support to people in this situation. The standard of living on James Turner Street is shocking, seeing as it exists in one of the richest countries in the world.

However, not everyone seems to share my sympathy as one Twitter user commented: "I always feel like withholding my tax when I watch this show #benefitsstreet #scum #c**s #shootthelot".

And don’t worry, it’s not just random members of the public who believe this. We can always count on Katie Hopkins for a suitably offensive comment: "I am failing to empathise with those on #benefitsstreet. Must be something to do with having a work ethic".

It is undeniable that James Turner Street has its issues; drugs, drink and crime appear to be (according to Channel 4’s portrayal) a part of everyday life, but there is a real sense of community that we should admire and learn from. In the first episode of the series, Smoggy, otherwise known as the ‘50p man’ gives Mark, Becky and their kids some products (including some lollies and toilet roll) for free, despite the fact he is struggling himself, because their benefits have been cut. If people who have hardly anything themselves can help other people in their community, then the least the rest of the public can do is to stop judging those who have not had the same chances in life that they have.

This series documents people making the most of what they have, despite the fact they really are struggling. Mark questions how he and Becky are supposed to bring up

their children, both of whom are under five, on £50 a week, and the answer seems to be that they can’t. He is forced to take a trip to the local food bank and seems genuinely thrilled to receive a box of 48 Weetabix among some other basics. So no, I don’t think people on benefits have it easy. This family clearly want support, as they ask and receive help to deal with their son’s testing behaviour, and I think they deserve some credit. Nobody likes to ask for help, particularly when you’re a family who fear social

Discovering severe financial mismanagement by the Royal Household, the Public Accounts Committee have now suggested that Buckingham Palace should be opened

up to more paying customers when the Queen is not in residence.

Every year, £31m of taxpayer funds is handed over from the Government to the monarchy to allow them to perform their “official duties”. Arguably a nationalised institution, the monarchy spends this massive sum of money maintaining their palaces, paying their staff and funding Royal duties, like state visits.

It’s a well-worn analogy by now, but we must consider the hypocrisy of our funding of this historic institution. Whilst measly citizens tire themselves out with endless work and constant anxiety, hearing headlines announce rising council taxes and electricity bills and seeing their friends, family and neighbours evicted from their homes because they have one too many bedrooms, the Queen seems exempt. Her home is taxpayer-funded, much like council houses but, with 240 bedrooms, the monarch, unlike less-privileged members of the population, isn’t faced with an eviction notice.

Yes, having a monarchy does come with its benefits – they do bring in some income through tourism – but these are benefits that can easily be found by pumping this extraordinary amount of money into other sectors.

And, in light of the Public Accounts Committee’s findings that the Household has been overspending, what trust can we have in those that manage the Queen’s finances? According to the Committee’s reports, poor management by the Queen’s staff has meant that adequate funding has not been found for the monarchy to perform their duties that provide these benefits.

“The Queen has not been served well,” the

services, but these two are brave enough to do it in order to help their children.

If the media are going to continue to feed the public’s obsession with benefits culture, the least we can do is consider what we are watching more critically. Rather than deeming the inhabitants of James Turner Street as scroungers, I can’t help but think we should admire their sense of community and support them. If Benefits Street makes one thing clear, it’s that on life benefits is hard not glamorous.

Buckingham Palace: Where Public Money Goes To Waste James Phillips Deputy Editor

@MisterJames_

report finds. With just £31m a year and only £1m in their reserve fund, it must be difficult getting the food on the table in the evening. We mustn’t forget also that the monarchy does have its own private source of income, generated from their land, property and wider assets. Despite this, and the Public Accounts Committee’s criticism, the grant is set to rise to £37.9m this year.

And, therefore, it is simply ludicrous that those in the population with sincere adoration for the monarchy, a keen interest in historical architecture or a curiosity to know what a life of luxury looks like, should be the people laden with the task of coughing up for the household’s poor financial management. To ask us, as citizens who contribute massively to this £31m grant, to pay even more to have the privilege of seeing a tiny proportion of the inside of a palace we technically all own a small part of is, quite frankly, appalling. It is those household staff with the remit of ensuring the funds are distributed appropriately that should be required to find a way of plugging their shortfall. This should most certainly be done in a way that does not mean that the public suffer even more.

Whatever your beliefs about the monarchy, it is a slap in the face to know that you should have to pay to visit a house that you are helping to fund. This house, filled with impressive art collections, and architecture of enviable grandness is just one of several that is given to the monarchy, and paid for with our taxes. If we are to truly end the financial mismanagement within the Royal Household, there is one clear solution: stop using public money to prop up this outdated and useless institution.

31st January - 6th February 2014

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9

No Peace Can Occur In Syria Without Compromise On Both Sides Samiha Sharif

Commentator The devastating Syrian Civil War has led to the death of 100,000 innocent civillians, and has forced millions more from their homeland. These refugees have fled to neighbouring states, aggravating the crisis further.

The Syrian government and the opposition somewhat grudgingly agreed to meet in Geneva to discuss a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. These talks will be mediated by Lakhdar Brahimi, UN special representative for Syria and the Arab League. However, the actors are unlikely to reach a consensus for lasting peace if they do not make certain concessions. The Syrian opposition are adamant that President Bashar al-Assad and his allies in the administration should relinquish power.

Unexpectedly, this proposal is not welcomed by his regime, who wish to remain in Syria and provide the opportunity for opposition to voice their opinions. President Bashar al-Assad’s regime insists that if they grant power to others Syria is at risk of becoming an advocate of terrorism. This statement is disputed by the opposition.

Politics is never simple, and at times diplomacy must occur between adversaries.

However, Assad has brutally murdered his countrymen, whom he has sworn to protect.

Reaching a resolution will not be an easy process.

Both sides have to acknowledge that neither can form a resolution without the

support of the other party. It will be difficult and complex, but it could aid in securing protection of the civilian population in Syria, who remain under siege, and allow others to return. Power games must stop between the two actors; neither side can assert that their supporters have not committed war crimes.

The Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, while the rebel groups have conducted torture, executions, and hostage takings. It is widely believed that certain factions of Syrian opposition have been infiltrated by terrorists. Certain concessions have been reached in accordance with the city of Homs; women and children will be allowed to leave the city, while men wishing to leave will need to inform the government of their identity. Nonetheless the significant concern of provisions of humanitarian aid still remains unsettled.

The refusal of the two sides to speak to one another, but rather communicate through Mr Brahimi, demonstrates the fragility of these talks. It remains unlikely that any significant progress can be formed. The opposition should not forgo their ambitions for a more democratic Syria. However, without the support of the Assad regime, the political and humanitarian crisis will remain at an impasse. The Assad regime must surrender some authority, and allow other actors to not merely contribute to the negotiating table but also act accordingly to their aims, allowing more stability into the country. Peace will not occur overnight; both parties must compromise to create a peaceful future for Syria and the surrounding region.

I Don't Beliebe It

Charlie Moloney Comment Editor

@charliemoloney

When we see that Justin Bieber faced charges of DUI, drag racing and resisting arrest, what is the first thing that we think. Most of us will say: ‘I’m glad; I always wanted to see go down’. Some of us might feel sorry for him. Justin Bieber has admitted to being on antidepressants. His strange behaviour and nasty attitude can probably be put down to Bieber’s deeply unhappy personal life.

However, the one question that nobody seems to ask is where exactly are his parents? And if they are no longer in the picture, who is responsible for Justin Bieber?

Justin Bieber is 19, and so he’s legally still a minor in the United States. He’s largely escaped getting in to trouble for his global escapades, but what do his parents think? After all, Jeremy Bieber, his father, helped to block off the road which Justin was going to drag race on. The antics in Miami were to end a long cross country romp, presumably of drug and alcohol abuse. Jeremy Bieber started off the trip by tweeting ‘headed to Toronto with the boys #leafs box’. Bieber senior was a largely absent figure in the young singers early life, but emerged once Justin began to accumulate his wealth. This parasitical relationship between parent and child star normally leads to destructive behaviour. Psychoanalyst Jamieson Webster claims ‘When the parent participates with the child in this way, the result often seems to get close to death... the kids are desperately looking for a way out’.

Jeremy Bieber isn’t taking responsibility for his son’s actions, but he’s probably directly accountable for them.

Bieber’s mother can’t do much either.

As long ago as 2011, Pattie Mallette told press that ‘I just deal with whatever comes up, I think as you would if your kid was off to college and making decision. You just... I

just talk to him, I call him... and he knows what I think.’ Despite this slightly pathetic attempt at shirking all responsibility, Mallette would have to concede that Bieber’s life is not much like going off to college. If anything his career has completely corrupted him. He hasn’t simply shrugged off the fairy dust of his idealistic youth. Once he claimed that you should ‘only have sex with someone if you love them’, and that he believed that abortion was like killing babies. Now he urinates in restaurant mop buckets and has sleazy liaisons with Amsterdam porn stars. He isn’t growing; he is degenerating.

The public perception of Bieber is completely flawed. You’re not wrong in thinking that Justin Bieber is an annoying little twerp. You are wrong in thinking that any other child put into his position, with no parental guidance, would act any differently. The fact of the matter is that he’s in an industry which is much bigger than him. It doesn’t just take unhealthy relationships with family members to send you off the rails. As Miley Cyrus has proven, the secret to success for child stars is to stir up controversy and tweak the turned up nose of the public conscience. No publicity is bad publicity, and as Bieber’s contemporaries have suggested, he probably has some new material coming out that he wants to promote.

If he’s destroying himself it's because there’s nobody out there to protect him from the music industry. His manager, Scooter Braun, is about as useful as his name suggests. We’ve made the mistake of thinking that his vast wealth means that he is capable of looking after himself, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that baby Bieber needs a sit down, a glass of milk and a bedtime routine.

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31st January - 6th February 2014

Comment

The Problem with "Don't Act White if You're Not White" Keisha Fraser-Bruce Commentator

‘Why do you dress like a white girl?’ and ‘Why do you dance like you’re black?’

These are questions that we come across often on social networking websites. The only difference is that if they were on the internet, then they would be written in a more harsh and offensive way. See, the internet acts as some form of barrier. A barricade. Somewhere where people feel safe to voice whatever they want without repercussions. But you have to ask what it is that these individuals do to act like a member of a different race.

Aren’t those thoughts quite outdated? I would think so. And at the same time, don’t you think it’s odd?

Personally, I don’t understand how it makes any sense. Growing up in a predominantly mixed-race family, I didn’t know what race was. I didn’t understand the differences between skin colours and I couldn’t see the colour of a person’s skin tone. I didn’t think there were differences in the way one should act because

to me it was obvious that we were all the same. Well that’s what I believed before I bounded into high school. The place where all impurities reach the surface, one would say. They told me that I spoke as if I was a white girl and they mentioned that I didn’t dress like a black girl.

It’s quite funny when you think about it.

Well, how is a black girl supposed to dress? Should I have specific attire moulded to suit my race? It is really strange when you put some thought into it.

Going to secondary school made me realise that in our world there is a specific way that people should speak, dress and act in concordance to their race, and I obviously didn’t match up. I was an anomaly, a black sheep (pun intended).

Ironically, I’ve had black people tell me that I don’t speak like a black girl which doesn’t quite add up, considering I’m well-spoken. I would ask them, ‘how should I be speaking then?’ and they would never really have a reply. Obviously they couldn’t reply, but we all know that what they meant was rather degrading to our race. I’ve seen it happen to many different types of people though, not just

myself. I know that white girls have been slated before because they dance ‘like a black girl’, but since when has anyone been in control of the way you move your body? And then there’s the food issue. If you cook a dish belonging to another culture you’re suddenly trying to be like a person of that race? It sounds pathetic really.

Now we reach the opposite side of the argument, what about those people that want to act as though they belong to a different race? Take the white guy, for example, who adopts American slang, wears his trousers falling to his ankles and listens to raw, black rap music. He’s ignorant, swears a lot and smokes weed etc. He’s got that ‘ghetto’-look about him. Is he trying to be black? I know a lot of you would say yes, but that’s not what ‘being black’ is about. I know a huge amount of black people that don’t fit that brief. He’s just conforming to a stereotype. Is this really being black? Or is he just being a douche?

There is only really one term to describe this type of behaviour, and that’s ‘Racial Stereotyping.’ Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of it. Those images

Thou Shalt Not Troll George Reeves Commentator

What do ex-footballer Stan Collymore, Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle and Labour MP Stella Creasy have in common? The answer – they’ve all hit the headlines recently after suffering from intense and hateful abuse on the social networking site Twitter.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a massive fan of Twitter myself and this article certainly isn’t intended as a criticism of the site. However, something is clearly going wrong when people believe their actions online are above the law.

It was the case of Stan Collymore in particular which really stands out, largely because of the level of abuse he received.

Collymore, who now works for the radio station talkSPORT as a pundit and is one of Britain’s most prominent black sportsmen, was commentating recently on the Premier League fixture between two of his former clubs, Liverpool and Aston Villa, and expressed the view that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez had dived in order to win a penalty for Liverpool. Upon voicing this opinion, Collymore was instantly subjected to a barrage of abuse on Twitter, which included death threats and extreme racism. In other words, he was harassed and vilified merely for doing his job. If those people who decided to write such things online had dared to say them to Collymore’s face, they would undoubtedly have been arrested. However, there is something about Twitter and the anonymity that it brings which makes people assume they can be as vile as they wish

with absolutely no consequences, whether that involves death threats against Stan Collymore, threats of rape against Beth Tweddle, or similar vile acts of harassment.

Fundamentally, Twitter is a revolutionary form of social networking which offers ordinary people new ways to communicate with the famous and powerful and to get their voices heard. However, it is also very easy for people to take advantage of its openness, and the abuse suffered by Collymore and many others should not be tolerated. Instead Twitter should be working hand in hand with the police in order to suspend the accounts of all ‘trolls’ and to help bring them to justice. This is not an argument of freedom of speech, but is actually an argument of obedience to the terms and conditions that Twitter lays out, which require that users do not break the laws of their home countries.

The types of hate speech highlighted in the news recently go against British laws, and so Twitter must not be allowed to become an amoral place where society’s bullies, bigots and extremists are able to spread hatred without any fear of punishment. Ironically, in the case of Stan Collymore, the opinion he voiced which caused so much backlash was broadcast during his ‘Call Collymore’ show on talkSPORT, where those football fans who wished to take part in a civilised debate were encouraged to phone the show and give their opinion. Of course not a single person who did so verbally abused Collymore, and so like other forums of public debate, Twitter must make it quite clear that it will show zero tolerance to cowardly bullies.

float around at the back of our heads.

The stereotypes. If I threw some random descriptions at you, I guarantee that we’d all come up with the same image for that person. It is how society has shaped us.

But, there are those that campaign against this. Those that are against racial profiling and see no colour attached to actions,

"There is only really one term to desribe this type of behaviour, and that's 'Racial Sterotyping'" motivations and the livelihood of people.

You see, we live in a world where multiculturalism is praised and encouraged, so why is it that some people still feel as though particular behaviours are exclusive to one race? Yeah, different foods, fashions and arts originated in different countries, but as a member of the human race it’s our job to embrace these differences rather than shun those who do? The colour of a person’s skin should have nothing to do with the way they choose to act.

31st January - 6th February 2014

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11

Hollande Lacks the Basic Moral Standard Required to be a Leader Jonathan Simpson Comment Editor

"We trust them with the world which we would like our children to inherit" are necessary in an ever increasingly hostile and uncertain global political climate.

We trust them with the world which we would like our children to inherit. How then can a man hold such a position when he has committed the oldest and most basic of dishonesties?

Francois Hollande (who must have already been on the list of the top ten

"What fraction of a human being do you have to be to humiliate the 'love of your live', kick her out of the Presidential home and reveal it to the news just in time for the evening headlines" most disliked politicians since Nazi Germany) this week admitted to an affair with a woman who was not the First Lady. At the heart of the story is the ugly truth that he’s a liar, not only to his spouse but to his nation. A liar of this type should not hold one of the most powerful offices in the world. It’s as simple as that.

Will he leave office? Of course not.

Do I think he should? Of course. The integrity which a man or woman who holds a powerful position is not entirely

"Will he leave office? Of course not. Do I think he should? Of course. " constrained to the decisions or actions that they take within that position. It is a personal asset; it’s a moral code which is not just necessary in their job but should be evident throughout their personal life during and prior time in office. If I was French I would feel pessimistic about the rest of the Presidency, disappointed in the man and embarrassed that a candidate who I probably voted for lied.

Those in the public limelight have to be held to a higher standard than those who aren’t, and yes, that means that once in a while they have to open up about their private life. They must openly accept that they are willing to sacrifice privacy to a certain degree for the opportunity to lead and with that openness comes an obligation to be honest to those who they are opening up to.

What fraction of a human being must you be to humiliate the “love of your

life”, kick her out of the presidential home, and reveal it to the news just in time for the evening headlines? Is this honestly who the French trusted with their country? It almost makes our political leaders in the UK seem competent and reliable. Almost.

"Our leaders have to be the best amongst us intellectually, ideally, and morally" Our leaders have to be the best amongst us intellectually, ideally, and morally. Unfortunately todays politics seems to be lost in a cul-de sac of its own self-righteous disenfranchisement with the people, unable to connect and restore that pillar of trust which holds up the ceiling in a democracy. We have to get back to fundamentals, like honesty. Otherwise we’ll never escape this rut of distrust and the consequences Katrin Busch which arise from it.

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What is it that we as an electorate look for in a potential leader? Intelligence, energy, the ability to communicate to Kings, Queens, Presidents and the public, a calmness under pressure, a concise and well thought out economic strategy, a strong moral compass, independence, inspiration? All these things are fundamental for sure, but they all develop from a trust between a leader and the public.

When voters tick a name on a ballot they are entrusting that name with the biggest decisions that have ever faced the human race. How to treat the planet, for example, or whether nuclear weapons really

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31st January - 6th February 2014

Arts

Reading For Leisure... Seriously?

Ciaran Campbell asks will reading ever be relaxing again?

“I'd love to read more books,” said a friend of mine during a recent conversation, “but I just don't have the time.”

It was this recent conversation that got my thinking – do we really not have time for books? Of course, mostly everyone reading this piece certainly will have read a book in the last few weeks, given that our respective courses demand it of us. That's not really what I'm trying to address in this article though. I'm talking about reading for fun (yes, fun), in particular reading fiction for fun, not for the sake of a course, or to learn something extra, or to become more intelligent. I mean reading for the sheer hell of it.

Sandwiched between articles about e-readers pushing the paperback out of the market and “do-it-yourself” accessory guides, one can find a multitude of articles about reading becoming a “niche” activity, practised by people who perhaps don't fit into mainstream 21st century life. Who remembers the stereotypical image of the cartoon character

who liked to read, the unusual kid who sits at the back of the class, wearing impractical glasses and shoes that force their back into a shape that requires a chiropractor in later life? The one who never spent time with friends because they were “busy reading”? It's hardly an accurate representation of how non-readers view their bookish friends, but it raises an interesting point – on an extreme level, readers seem to be seen as people with enormous intellect who have vast pockets of time in which to settle down with a hardback copy of David Copperfield while listening to Beethoven on full blast, often in an enormous gothic room lined with bookshelves. Okay, not everyone sees it that way, but it's an image that risks alienating the casual reader from fiction.

Talking on a personal level for a moment, I honestly

Spark Night - UoB Drama Students @ mac Rebecca Maynard Critic Ever wondered what would happen if four people tried to share a shopping trolley? No, neither have we. But the billing for the UoB’s Third-Year Drama students ‘Spark Night’ promised us the answer to this and more.

Let’s start with the first of the four pieces. Theatre Cuppa presented us with ‘Hot Stuff’ a look at the harassment of women, in this case when said woman is out jogging. It was impossible not to love their conviction, as we came to

"It was impossible not to love their conviction." believe that they were angry or flattered or a monkey (a particularly hilarious section, it has to be said). The use of projections and claps though very simple proved to be extremely effective. But although we were always assured of the piece’s message, the pace was unfortunately a little too slow, notably dragging towards the end. Going against obvious creative choice produced the majority of the humour, and though one character’s admission of attention seeking made me laugh out loud, the idea wasn’t explored enough.

Then we had ‘The Daily Tale’ by Generation Theatre. A lesbian chav, a ditsy student and a TV chef witness a horrific crime in a cafe one day. A cunning journalist will stop at nothing to fill the pages of her dismal local rag. This piece had huge potential, refusing to run with the predictable ‘who dun’it’ line of storytelling and instead providing us with a totally different angle. I was really interested to hear in the

"the story lacked a little sophisticated nuance" Q&A that they had considered multi-roleing at one point but threw that out, which I imagine was a good idea. However it occasionally seemed as though the story lacked a little sophisticated nuance, as it sometimes made tenuous links

between 'the crime', 'the story', 'the journalist' and 'the victim’ which could feel heavy handed. The one exception was a not-so-subtle dig at Nigella Lawson’s cocaine scandal their ‘Cooking with Cocaine’ sketch had us rolling in the aisles.

The third piece we saw, ‘Do not acknowledge them!’ by Mind—Over—Matter Theatre, is sadly the one that requires the most work. Billed as a sympathetic and hopeful look at OCD, in the Q&A we heard that they wanted to find ‘the middle ground between taking the mick, and you all walking out because it’s too difficult to watch.’ Perhaps the audience were underestimated. While we immediately got the OCD link, it went downhill from there. We sort of saw where they were going with numbers scribbled on sheets of paper, things taken out of and put back in bags among other little routines, but it all felt a bit half hearted. It took us a while to make the link with more than one of the little ‘pointers.’ The tape segmenting the floor, a great idea, was barely used. They used torches to draw numbers on the wall which simply didn’t work. The final message - of hope and positivity from the sufferer herself - seemed completely at

"surreal and bizarre in a wonderful way" odds with everything else we’d just seen.

As the final piece - ‘Uncontrollable’ by Pelican Theatre - began I nudged my fellow reviewer, ‘this is going to be awesome.’ These girls need serious kudos for being hilarious. Their inspiration, The Mighty Boosh and anything Pegg, was obvious from the outset. A comedy about four women trying to share a shopping trolley to complete a challenge and be released from the hell of being stuck in ‘Mayfields.’ It was surreal and bizarre in a wonderful way.

The acting; fantastic. When they knocked over the trolley and one girl got in and pretended to be a chicken we cried with laughter. There were comedic elements that were overused, the dancing in-between sequences was fun but irrelevant. The stories themselves could probably use work but the phenomenal use of props and physicality (and that amazing scene with talcum powder to recreate a frozen wasteland) made up for it. In future, maybe up the pace for ultimate comic effect.

don't believe books are that scary, in fact they're almost always the best way of killing time. Sure, we all love to take a break from studying by kicking our feet up and watching satellite reruns, or switching on to Netflix. After noting from a huge thick textbook, who wants to read more?

Actually, it does turn out to be beneficial. In the worst case, reading a book during a break just keeps your brain working, rather than just idling in front of a screen. But it doesn't have to be an enormously clever or complicated book. It can be a children's book, a murder-thriller, a horror story... anything that suits your fancy. Even just reading for ten minutes before going to sleep can be a good way to unwind.

Then there are those books. The stories that are so enthralling that you have to read to the end, and you have to read it now, and life cannot go on until you get past the next section/chapter/end of the book. Imagine being able to binge on Breaking Bad while your brain gets fine-tuned, all while doing a double backflip over a volcano. It's like that.

Hyperbole aside, those who don't find the time to read are missing out, not just from getting a bit of brain juice, but from something that's actually very enjoyable. Fiction today is broad, with books about mysteries, adventures, the past, the future, books for children, books for adults, books for children who want to be adults, books for adults who think they're children... It's one of the few areas in life in which you can say there actually is something for everyone. It doesn't have to be a deep book, or a groundbreaking one, it doesn't even need to be a book for “grown-ups” - just try reading ten minutes of something every day. You'll thank me for it.

Getting a closer look at: First opened in 1962, mac birmingham is a pioneering arts complex for everyone. mac is a national leader in developing work with children, families and young people of all backgrounds. mac offers a busy programme of theatre, dance, independent cinema, exhibitions and special events, as well as a wealth of practical classes in all aspects of creativity, from playing musical instruments to ceramics and jewellerymaking.

Located in Cannon Hill Park, two miles south of Birmingham city centre, mac was attracting 500,000 visitors a year when it closed for the redevelopment in April 2008.

The mac celebrated its 50th anniversary in Summer 2012. mac is approximately 20 minutes walk from Bournbrook Road and is located opposite the Edgbaston Cricket Ground.

Students are counted as concessions on all tickets. For further information see their website at www.macarts.co.uk

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31st January - 6th February 2014

13

Black Chalk: Review DBAD: Take Three

Oxford, New York, £10,000 - the exclusive Redbrick review of this debut novel from Christopher J. Yates

Georgia Tindale

Rebecca Maynard

The Bristol Pear: the perfect venue for taking in a night of student comedy. The relaxed, laid-back atmosphere and comfy seating contributed to an evening filled with laughter.

Many came to enjoy the wide variety of comics available who provided an evidently popular night’s entertainment.

From cynical deadpan delivery to satire and songs, the variety managed to suit all comic tastes.

Personal highlights of the evening included the idiosyncratic offerings of Nick Charlesworth, with his combination of musical comedy and a take on the popular Camembert joke. Other memorable moments included some relatable childhood mishaps from Matt McConnell, an exceptional performance from the only female comedian in the line-up Alice Weleminsky-Smith, and a glorious pun from Ciaran Allanson-Campbell.

Kudos is certainly due to the compères Ashleigh Dutton and Jacob Lovick, who assisted in establishing the friendly and supportive atmosphere both for newcomers to the event and returning fans alike. The no-heckling principle on which DBAD has been founded worked well, as the feeling of inclusion and support gave everyone an equal chance to shine.

If you fancy giving stand-up a go, keep an eye out for future DBAD events and for the Footnotes comedy society sketch show on 5-7th February.

Black Chalk, the debut novel of Christopher J. Yates is not what you might expect. The book’s premise is fairly simple; a group of maverick (aren’t they all) Oxford first years devise a game of dares, escalating alarmingly into something that none of them ever predicted.

Critic

Critic

"As questions get gradually answered we are lead to ask a lot more.."

The game, devised by the two best-friend protagonists of the book, is played with six people. Classic games of luck, cards and dice determine what dare you will have to perform for the next round. Drop out anytime, but drop out with dares outstanding and lose your deposit. The last man standing receives £10,000.

What stood out to me in this book? The most obvious point would be the structure. We flit between the past at Oxford and the present to an unnamed hermit in New York, hiding from ‘the game’ more than a decade later. As questions get gradually answered we are led to ask a lot more.

And when these questions get answered right at the end the result is shocking. Yates is masterful in his careful conceal-

"Yates is masterful in his careful concealment of the clues." ment of the clues leading to the novel’s final plot twist, but as soon as you get there you’re kicking yourself for missing it. It got to a certain point about three-quarters of the way

through where I thought I basically understood what was going on and okay, not predictable but a little average. And then Yates threw in one more tiny detail and bam I was like ‘woah, that’s pretty clever.’ Not ‘the-best-plot-twist-ever’ clever. But it ain’t bad.

What I did feel the book was lacking though was a little more of university life as I think part of us all want to hear about the crazy, mad, stupid, messed up things that happen at Oxford - even if we know they’re a little embellished. But a lot of this book was six people sitting in a room arguing.

It would be easy to find flaws in the plot. Is first year really that boring? Doesn’t everyone overreact to leaving the game? Why doesn’t anyone ask any questions ever?

There are parts of the book, without giving anything away,

"...definitely the sort of book I wouldn’t give up on." where you’re definitely be asking yourself if really everyone isn’t getting a bit wound up over nothing and really, is that in any way plausible? If these students are such social mavericks why do they care so much about a little gossip. But if you’re not too much of a nitpicker it is a more than enjoyable read. I wouldn’t say it was the sort of book I couldn’t put down. But it is definitely the sort of book I wouldn’t give up on - you’ll really want to know what on earth is going on.

I’m finding it hard here to really decide what I think about this book. I suppose if the premise catches your eye give it a rock and roll, my curiosity was piqued by the tagline and I wasn’t disappointed. But it’s not what I’d call a ‘must try.’

What's On: Features Coming Soon We're giving away free tickets to great events in and around your city, just for your reviews! Grab them while you still can at our meeting this Wednesday at 2pm in Student Development Penny Dreadful: How To Be Immortal New Play @ mac Birmingham Thurs 30th January 8pm 2 Free tickets (or £12)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Musical @ New Alexandria Theatre Tues 4th February 7:30pm 2 Free tickets (or from £17.90)

The Dishwashers Play @ The REP Birmingham Thurs 31st January - 15th February 2 Free tickets (or from £12.50)

Henrietta Lacks died in West Virginia in 1951, but her cells are still alive, dividing endlessly in laboratories all over the world. It’s taken Deborah years to come to terms with her mother’s death. Now she’s got to deal with her immortality.

Rosa’s fallen in love with Mick the decorator. She plays cello, he plays squeezebox - an unlikely combination but they sound good together. Trouble is she’s pregnant and he’s about to die.

Its 1951. Dr George Gey and his wife Margaret are about to make a mind-bending discovery using an adapted cement mixer and some calves liver puree.

All they need is the right biopsy.

Live music, dead people, love and DNA all intertwine in this twisted new play about what death leaves behind.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, the classic American musical set in 1850s Oregon, has been given an award winning makeover.

Adam, the eldest of seven brothers living on an isolated farm high up in the mountains, goes to town to get himself a wife. Convincing Milly, whose parent died on the Oregon Trail, to marry him that very same day, he forgets to mention he has six other younger, rowdy brothers - and that they all live together. Milly, shocked at first, decides to reform the uncouth siblings, who are anxious to get wives of their own. But Adam has what he thinks is an inspired solution to his brothers’ loneliness - kidnap the women they want.

Pursued by the townsfolk, a massive avalanche traps them all together for a month, but what will happen before the winter snow melts?

A delicious play about the Zen of dishwashing!

Emmett used to be a high flyer in the City until the financial crisis abruptly changed his life. He was used to dining upstairs amongst the glitterati but today he’s back with a new career – as a dishwasher.

Alongside his new colleagues, dominant self-appointed leader, Dressler, who’s been happily scraping and scrubbing for over 30 years, and the decrepit Moss who’s about ready for retirement, Emmett attacks the endless supply of crockery that descends from above.

In this world of soapsuds and despair, playwright Morris Panych brings wit and humour to their quest for existential meaning.

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redbrick.me/tech

31st January - 6th February 2014

Science & Technology

Feature: A Living Room Powered by Steam?

George Bearman

Online Science and Tech Editor

For quite some time there has been a growing divide between the capabilities of PCs and consoles. In fact, higher end PCs already surpass the latest consoles in performance. But to some, PC gaming has seemed inaccessible or simply just not as convenient.

Valve, the distributor and games developer behind Steam, have created the SteamOS and Steam controller with the aim to bridge this gap.

The SteamOS is an operating system that has been designed to bring Steam and PC gaming onto the sofa. In the same way, the Steam controller redefines the traditional gamepad, taking away its joysticks in favour of touch based controls. This makes it well suited to simulating the various keys of the keyboard required in PC games and gives it an increased level of precision. Together, they are a big jump from Valve’s previous attempts to bring PC gaming into the living room and things look to be going full-steam ahead.

CES 2014 saw the announcement of thirteen different Steam Machines, from various third-party hardware developers, that will come equipped with Valve’s new

operating system and controller.

The Steam Machine is essentially a PC console that meets the minimum requirements to run the SteamOS. This means that many of the Steam Machines will also offer the same level of customisability as a PC, allowing users to swap out parts like the graphics card, to stay up to date with the best visuals on offer. Other companies, such as Alienware, are planning to have annual releases

"They hope it will eventually be the one stop solution to all forms of entertainment." of their Steam Machines with updated hardware.

What this all means is that owners of the Steam Machine won’t be trapped into lengthy hardware cycles that are typical of consoles. Whether that means upgrading parts or buying a new Steam Machine, there is always the option to refresh your gaming experience.

At the moment, the downside to the SteamOS is that it looks like it will only be able to run Steam’s limited library of Linux games.

PC and Mac games can be played on the SteamOS, but they will need to be streamed to it via another gaming computer.

Although, some Steam Machines, like the Digital Storm Bolt II, will come with both Windows and the SteamOS, giving users the best of both worlds.

Not all companies have confirmed their prices, but many claim that they will be competitively priced with the PS4 and Xbox One. At the moment, the Steam Machines range from the moderately priced CyberPowerPC ($499, about £300) to the extreme Falcon Northwest Tiki ($6000, £3600). Of course, the more expensive machines will be futureproof for many years to come. In any case, the beauty of the Steam Machine is that the end-user can choose their price point.

The first Steam Machine, the Digital Storm Bolt II, is planned to be available to order by the end of the month, whilst the other Steam Machines will be rolled out over the year. You don’t need a Steam machine to run the SteamOS, and the operating system will soon be made freely available to install on your PC and Mac. Still, the convenience of

having everything in one package with the Steam Machine is difficult to overlook.

Overall, the Steam Machine and SteamOS seem to be a promising new direction for the games industry, yet it remains to be seen whether there is any use to them above and beyond PCs and con-

soles. What’s clear is that Valve has big plans for the SteamOS and it doesn’t stop short of games; they hope it will eventually be the one stop solution to all forms of entertainment. With everything considered, it might even be able to give console giants Microsoft and Sony a run for their money.

The Latest and G

Science and Tech editors Claire Harris and

One to Watch Coming out on top for 2014, wearable technologies took centre stage at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This next generation tradeshow annually gathers the top tech innovators from around the globe to show off their new wares in Las Vegas. Smart bands and smart watches are all set to take the world by storm, with new in-built features to ensure they are more user friendly. These pieces aim to be more functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, from fitness tracking and music-playing capabilities to receiving e-mail, phone call and text notifications on the go. LG’s LifeBand Touch and Razer’s Nabu, to name but a few, have arrived on the scene this year amongst a whole host of different wearable tech. So could this mean switching out your trusty old Casio watch this year in favour of a smarter design?

Purple Tomatoes New Energy Farms, a company in Ontario, Canada, are currently growing what may be the first purple tomatoes to reach our shelves. Genetically modified, they all contain a gene transferred to them from the Snapdragon plant, which leads to the development of anthocyclin, a compound typically found in blueberries.

As well as giving the tomatoes their unusual purple colour, anthocyclin may also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in humans.

This innovative idea is the brainchild of Prof Cathie Martin at the John Innes Centre in Norwich. However due to EU restrictions on GM products, Prof Martin took her idea to Canada. The first 1200 litres of tomato juice produced will be transported to Norwich, where further testing will take place to determine the potential health benefits on humans. To prevent the risk of genetic contamination, the seeds will be removed.

Purple tomatoes are part of a new wave of GM products that appeal directly to consumers, not farmers as has been the case before. GM products are generally seen in a bad light by the general public, but Prof Martin hopes to show their advantages, "It is frustrating that we've had to go to Canada to do a lot of the growing and the processing and I hope this will serve as a vanguard product where people can have access to something that is GM but has benefits for them."

31st January - 6th February 2014

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Salad in the Sky Beth Carney explores a possible solution for the world's food shortages By 2050 the world’s population is going to hit somewhere around 9.5 billion and on average each human being needs 1500 calories per day. There is a clear need for more farmland to grow all these extra crops on but, according to calculations by Dr Dickson Despommier, the area of this land would have to be 2.1 billion acres or, put in a more visual way, the size of Brazil.

But how can we possibly find an extra ‘Brazil’ in a world where land isn’t being made anymore?

With the threat of climate change being ever more poignant since the recent floodings in the UK, freezing temperatures in the US and droughts becoming extreme in the East, the option of deforestation would only exponentially increase the rate of climate change.

So instead, some scientists have stretched their necks out of the rainforest canopies and seen the exciting potential of farming vertically!

The vertical farms are stored in warehouses and are simply trays of plants stacked above each other to create a vertical land mass 20 to 40 times larger than the land mass you’d typically get from a traditional farm. The trays are hydroponic, soilless, and a control panel allows the nutrients and water to flow over the roots of the plants and LED lights to mimic

sunshine. The growing conditions are monitored and regulated by sensing technology which allows crops to be harvested all year round. Not only do these farms provide a harvest advantage over traditional farms, but the effective use of water in these farms means that on average they use 70-92% less water than traditional agriculture. The warehouses are kept

pest-free so no pesticides are used and with the more efficient use of water, agricultural run-off is impossible, which is one of the threats to eco-systems.

With these incredible advantages, it is no surprise that vertical farms have begun to pop up all over the world including in South Korea, Japan, Holland, Sweden, Canada, American and even here

in the UK. Paignton Zoo in Devon uses vertical farming to supply the food for all its animals. In Vancouver, Canada, the first multi-storey vertical farm was built on an abandoned parking lot in 2012; the warehouse is only 6000 square feet, yet produces as much food as a 5 acre farm traditionally would. The food they grow is sold through an online grocer to

local customers, reducing the carbon footprint of their transport and making locally grown produce a realistic future. In Sweden, a larger scale farm is being developed with initial designs showing breathtaking skyscraper structures. Finally, in true American style, a gigantic 3.25 hectare farm will be built housing 17 million plants.

Developers at this farm are also looking into a smartphone app that allows the monitoring and regulation of multiple farms from afar, which will help decrease the labour cost of these farms.

Vertical farms are shooting up all over the world. Whilst increasing food production in highly populated urban areas, they also reduce the air miles of the produce grown. In fact, some governments are giving grants to help start up vertical farms, making it almost certain that they’ll become the must-have structure in most cities. Their popularity could extend out of the city limits and into universities to aid in the production of proteins useful in vaccinations, or to areas where farming has become dangerous, like Fukushima, whose population is threatened by the irradiated farmland. The sky’s the limit for these vertical farms!

Greatest: January 2014

d Soumya Perinparajah take a look at the year's stories so far...

Black Holes Don’t Exist?

A black abyss from which there is no escape. The stuff of nightmares, or is it? Long-held theories about black holes have seemingly been crushed this week by physics genius Stephen Hawking.

In his newly released paper, ‘Information Preservation and Weather Forecasting for Black Holes’, Hawking describes how his perception has changed. Previously, he proffered the idea that every black hole has an invisible boundary at its edge, the event horizon. It was thought that once light reached this point, gravity was strong enough to prevent it ever escaping. Now he believes instead that black holes have an apparent horizon, which holds light and information temporarily before shooting it back out into the universe, albeit in a slightly jumbled state. However, Hawking openly admits that whilst this, much like weather forecasting, is theoretically possible, it is impossible to do so with accuracy. Although black holes in their classical sense may not exist (as a realm from which things can never escape), a redefinition may be in order. An explanation though, would require uniting gravity with the other fundamental forces of nature, a problem that has eluded scientists for almost a century. No need to worry then about your keys that fell into the “black hole” of your uni room, they will eventually find their way back out, just maybe not in the form they started!

Satellite wakes up from slumber Whilst we woke up comfortably in our warm beds last Monday, the Rosetta satellite woke up deep in outer space, after sleeping for two and a half years. Controllers at the European Space Agency’s (Esa) operations centre waited anxiously for a signal from Rosetta, which was successfully received at 18.18 GMT. Launched in 2004, Rosetta entered a deep sleep in June 2011 to conserve power for its journey. The main purpose of the mission is to make a soft landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014, with the Philae lander joining the satellite in November 2014. Whilst Rosetta follows the orbit of the comet, Philae will record changes on the surface. Although its mission is only starting now, Rosetta has already provided data on two asteroids on its travels: Steins, in 2008, and Lutetia, in 2010.

Comets are a good source of information as they contain materials that remain relatively unchanged since their formation as part of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. It is hoped that the mission will give clues about the evolution of space and the environment in which planet Earth is spinning in right now.

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redbrick.me/film

31st January - 6th February 2014

Film

Focus on: Award Ceremonies

With Awards Season almost upon us, critic Mark Reeves discusses the value of prestigious accolades

Review: August: Osage County

Details Release date: 24 January 2014 Director: John Wells Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney

´´´´´ Matt Robinson Critic

Illustration by Hayley Allanson

Rewind thirty years to the 50th Annual Academy Awards ceremony celebrating the great films of the past twelve months, from Star Wars to Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Annie Hall. The latter, which was directed, written and starred in by New York’s very own Woody Allen picked up four out of its five nominations, including the coveted Best Picture Award. However, the quirky, spectacled film maker was nowhere to be seen during the biggest night in Hollywood. Fast forward to 2014 and things have yet to change.

Allen has professed himself to be ‘not an awards person’, which became truly evident at this year’s Golden Globe celebration when he was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award, only to have Annie Hall herself, Diane Keaton, accept the honorary accolade on his behalf. Claims of the subjectivity of art and whether you can (or should) say one performance is better than another fuels Allen’s anti-award ceremony feelings and raises the important question: Are award ceremonies still important in the world of Cinema?

"Claims of the subjectivity of arts and whether you can (or should) say one performance is better than another fuels anti-award ceremony feelings... " As the Oscars approach, the red carpets are rolled out in preparation for Hollywood’s finest to walk down in designer outfits in the hope they will be going home with a famous Golden Statuette. But should this extravagant showcase of glamour really be the way to celebrate somebody’s contribution to the silver screen?

Take this year’s Oscar Nominations for Actress in a Leading Role, for example. If the Golden Globes and SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards are anything to go by then it seems Cate Blanchett has the big one in the bag, for her portrayal as an unstable and alcohol dependent socialite who has to leave her old life behind in Blue Jasmine. Blanchett offers an honest and raw performance, one that has you leaving the cinema thinking she deserves every award going. However, is it in our capabilities (or even our right) to say she was better than Sandra Bullock in Gravity? Playing a scientist lost in space with such realism and horror Bullock leaves you feeling emotionally drained when the credits start to roll.

Dig deeper, and consider Oscar favourite Meryl Streep, nominated for a staggering 18 Academy Awards, this year for her role as truth-telling, pill-taking mother in August: Osage County. With three wins Meryl is an Oscar staple, always having front row seating on the big night. When you are up against such a famous award magnet, do the other actresses just sit back and let Streep do what she does best? Or does the extensive list of nominations perhaps show a sly case of nepotism, with Streep seemingly qualifying for a nom for just being in a film? You only have to consider her most recent win for her role as ruthless British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady to realise Streep is not nominated just for the fun of it, but it shines a particularly interesting light on how the awards are distributed and their effect on future film making.

On the other side of this scepticism we also have the positives of awards season. In an attempt to celebrate great film making and reward the efforts of those who are involved in the process, the awareness for such films is raised to maximum during the months of December through to February.

Although you are bombarded with trailers stating 'Starring Academy Award Winner...' or 'Nominated for 78 Oscars', the sort of free

publicity that comes with Award wins is sometimes invaluable to the film’s success.

"On the other side of this scepticism, we also have the positives of awards season. They celebrate great film making and reward the efforts of those who are involved in the process..."

We have the big films with the even bigger names that would already attract large audiences, such as American Hustle and Gravity, but it is the smaller films that benefit most from such exposure. Take Nebraska as a prime example. A black and white tale about an aging, boozy father travelling across America to claim a Mega Sweepstakes Marketing Prize, with a modest cast is nominated for 6 Oscars including Best Picture, amongst others. The casual movie goer may never experience this darkly humorous, satirical piece of cinema, but thanks to Oscar buzz its public image is heightened to a point that may be better than any expensive ad campaign.

Woody Allen is correct when he says films are a subjective and personal experience, but to celebrate and award the ‘best of the best’ is certainly not a bad thing. To say award ceremonies are a waste of time is a way of disregarding the efforts of all the nominees and winners so taking a relaxed view is best when it comes to award season.

Winning an Oscar is not the only indicator of success, but having that gold statuette adorning your mantel piece must be a pretty impressive achievement.

August: Osage County, it is not the easiest of film titles to say, frankly there is little that is easy about it. There is a lot of shouting, a lot of torment and little relief to be found. One cannot help but be cynical and think that this film was made for awards season. A Pulizer Prize winning play, a cast stuffed to the brim with Oscar winners and nominees and drama galore.

The film follows the tale of a family disintegrating from within after the father is found missing, later dead. Adapted by Tracy Letts from his award-winning play of the same name, the film does not make its way to the screen easily. It is populated with big characters, who give long speeches and gaze off into the distance contemplatively. There is little sense of reality which is fine when it is on the stage, but blown up to the silver screen it becomes slightly ridiculous. Little is done to tone down the melodrama; scenes are intercut with great panning shots of the sparse, dusty American plains, the sun burning over head. This all symbolises something, I’m just not sure what.

It is also the tale of two actresses, the first half is unquestionably the Meryl Streep show, she dominates the screen and all those around her, she throws herself into the role of the pill-popping matriarch who is intent on destroying any meagre amount of happiness the rest of her family might have. In the second half Streep gives up some of the limelight to Julia Roberts who gives one of her best performances for a long while, flitting between seething rage and fatigued acceptance with delightful ease. Though these two actresses dominate, some of the best performances come from the supporting players. Chris Cooper and Julianne Nicholson, display why subtly is perhaps, at times, more powerful than the grandiose.

I am not saying this is a failure of a film, it isn’t, it is very good, it just doesn’t live up to its full potential and though one couldn’t say it was an enjoyable watch, it is thought provoking even if some of the symbolism is lost on the viewer. It is simply hard to escape the fact that this film feels like someone has taken a play and filmed it with no thought to the cinematic; the terrific performances from the obviously talented cast get lost somewhere on the vast plains of the American mid-west.

31st January - 6th February 2014

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Film News Ben Jackson Online Film Editor

The Episode VII script is ready! Lawrence Kasdan, the co-writer of episodes V and VI, has finished. The other standalone films will not be aimed to crossover. JJ is shooting this first instalment on film, not digital, and we’re still looking to 2015, with new TV show Rebels starting 2014.

An untitled project involving animated strays has been unveiled by the guys behind Despicable Me. Following DM2’s huge success (thanks largely to a Chinese market, rather than quality), Illumination Entertainment are very excited about this one, staring Louis CK and Kevin Hart, due 2016. Minions is still scheduled for 2015.

Review: Inside Llewyn Davis In the latest addition to the Coen's repertoire, Oscar Isaac stars as a struggling musician in the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961

Details Release date: 24th January 2014 Director: Joel & Ethan Coen Cast: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake Running time: 104 minutes IMDB rating: 7.9 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

´´´´´ Becky McCarthy Film Editor

Remaining true to the Coen Brothers' cinematic history, Inside Llewyn Davis is the tale of an underdog. It traces a week in the life of talented, yet unsuccessful musician Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) who aspires to break through the early '60s folk music scene. After his former partner commits suicide, the now solo-artist has to become accustomed to a decline in success. Davis’s life consists of sleeping on any sofa he can convince his near exhausted list of friends to spare for the night, as well as agreeing to any gig he is offered just in order to make enough money to get by.

The film’s casting is pure genius, and is a major contribution to its success. Alongisde Davis's symbolic side-kick tom cat, Carey

Mulligan and Justin Timberlake star as musical couple June and Jim and show off their talent as both actors and musicians with strong performances. Yet, as powerful as these performances are (Mulligan in particularly), they do not detract from the central star, Oscar Isaac. The subtle, yet poignant execution of this role demonstrates the skill of this newcomer, whose performance here, as well as in 2011's Drive indicates a promising future for the actor. Isaac, who personally performed all the songs in the film, shows his diversity as both an actor and musician alike. Providing mesmerising on-stage performances, the audience are frequently immersed in the music, leaving the cinema behind to be transported back into the '60s bar where Davis is performing an intimate set.

The film manages the division between

"Isaac, who personally performed all the songs in the film shows his diversity as both an actor and musician alike..." both music and narrative majestically, providing us with a brilliant soundtrack whilst maintaining a strong central character who invites exploration. For some, Davis’s characterisation could be viewed as problematic.

Portrayed as a stubborn, strong-minded individual, yet one who fails to acknowledge his own mistakes and forebodings, the audience are very easily left confused as to whether they are rooting for or against this character.

Isaac rejects the vulnerability that could be associated with the desperation of a struggling artist, instead portraying the character as selfish; an individual who shows very little interest in anyone other than himself. He

roots for number one, only displaying redemptive qualities when he needs help.

Yet, the reason for the excellence of this film is not purely dependent on its complex characterisation and engaging screenplay. A main source of its success relies on its cinematography. With blends of muted blues and greys, the grainy visuals of the film contribute to its strong sense of nostalgia.

Cinematographer, Bruno Delbonnel creates a vision in which every frame could be considered a piece of fine art in its own right. It captures the essence of Greenwich Village in the early '60s with perfection, illustrating its artistic potential and foreshadowing its emerging vibrancy.

With reflection, Inside Llewyn Davis has lived up to its expectations, posing the question as to why it significantly lacked attention from this year’s award nominations. It truly is a cinematic delight, which belongs in high regard within the Coens' repertoire.

Their immense skill as both screenwriters and directors enable its success. This combined with the spectacular, yet modest performance provided by Isaac, results in a polished end product where it is difficult to determine any room for improvement. It encapsulates elements of the early '60s emerging folk music scene with great precision. It is as if the cinema turned into a time machine in which the audience can travel back to the retro decade of the iconically talented Bob Dylans and lesser-known artists including Dave Van Ronk, whose autobiography was a heavy source of inspiration for the film.

Inside Llewyn Davis is stereotypically Coen-esque, as it leaves the audience wanting more. Questions that are posed throughout remain unanswered, do we ever make our mind up about whether we like Llewyn Davis's character? Nevertheless, the film leaves audiences with a sense of satisfaction, for they have witnessed film-making at its height.

The live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell is looking precariously close to production. Rupert Sanders, responsible for Snow White and the Huntsman, might be working with Shutter Island’s Laeta Kalogridis or Hoax’s William Wheeler.

What he will make of this weird, seminude, densely-formed cult film is anyone’s guess.

The Directors’ Guild Awards gave its big gong to Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity. The documentary prize went to Jehanne Noujaim for The Square, and Steven Soderbergh was rewarded with the Movies for Television award (Behind the Candelabra). Breaking Bad, 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live directors picked up TV awards.

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31st January - 6th February 2014

Television

Interview: Luke Pasqualino Creator and Executive Producer of BBC 1's new Musketeers, Adrian Hodges provides his view of the series and we get a glimpse into star Luke Pasqualinos experience of filming the Alexandre Dumas classic.

So why The Musketeers and why now?

It seemed to me that although the adventure genre, however broadly defined, has remained evergreen in the cinema, it had been a long time since I'd seen anything of this kind on TV, at least outside of the family slots and dark hybrid fantasies like Game Of Thrones. Have we as an audience grown bored with the ideas of courage, selflessness, romance and heroism associated with the genre? I seriously doubt it. I suspect, and hope there is a serious appetite for this kind of material amongst the TV audience, something different to police and hospital shows (good as those often are), something that isn't science fiction but which does take place in a world wildly different and infinitely more exotic than our own.

Perhaps the problem is that the whole notion of 'Swashbuckling' has become fraught with clichĂŠ and is full of traps for the unwary. Too often, swashbuckling has become a kind of code word for insubstantial characterisation, endless swordfights which have little or no consequence, and a kind of old-fashioned approach to storytelling which is dull and encrusted with period trappings and lame jokes. To put it simply, too often the adventure genre is lightweight and disposable. It just doesn't have enough weight to captivate a modern audience that is perhaps more cynical and certainly more aware of storytelling tricks than any before it.

There are a number of ways to update the genre; you can take the mickey affectionately - as in Pirates Of The Caribbean -

"My essential job was to look at the famous characters and give them a fresh look and feeling, so they surprise and intrigue" or simply transpose everything we used to associate with the swashbuckler and put it in a different genre, as with almost any of the Marvel Superhero films or most Westerns and space-set films. But what I wanted to do was take the genre seriously, provide everything the audience expects from it - period detail, sword fights, muskets, brave and romantic heroes and heroines, enormous risks, rescues at the last minute and so on and also come up with something that felt, dare I say, relevant.

In other words I wanted to write something that wasn't jaded or cynical, and which felt like it mattered, but which also felt modern, exciting and involving, while always trying to respect the conventions of the genre. I didn't want to write something that was pastiche or satire, nor something that was po-faced and glum. After all, if The Musketeers isn't romantic, action-packed fun, then what is it?

There are a number of ways to tackle the concept of modernity in a television adventure drama - Sherlock's successful updating is certainly one that stands out. But that kind of outright conversion to the modern era didn't feel right for The Musketeers; I'm not sure the concept could really make sense outside of its original setting. So, right from the start I decided we had to keep the framework everyone knows but then bring a certain modern attitude to it, something that acknowledges all the conventions of the genre, while also playing with them, sometimes humorously but never in such a way that we fail to show respect. I love this genre; I don't want to mock it. I just want it to seem as much fun to modern audiences as it did to me when I first saw Richard Lester's wonderful version back in the early 1970s.

My most essential job was to look at the famous characters and give them a fresh

"I wanted to write something that wasn't jaded or cynical, and which felt like it mattered, but which also felt modern, exciting and involving." look and feeling. Of course, all the characteristics we expect from these four famous names are here but hopefully in ways that will surprise and intrigue. It was a case of looking at the characters in exactly the same way as I would any others I try to create who are they, really? What matters to them?

What secrets do they keep? What world do they live in? What is the true cost of heroism? It's about making them people a modern audience readily recognises and understands: heroes, definitely, but heroes who are not straightforward, who are very human and who recognise that every time they draw their swords, someone, perhaps even them, might die. And die for real. Above all I want these stories to matter to the audience; I want them to care passionately about the fate of our leading men and women, to feel invested. That way, the adventures our characters face really mean something and every sword-fight, every ambush, every romance has real consequences in a world where there are enormous stakes to play for. But at the same time, humour is written into the DNA of these characters and I've tried very hard to honour that aspect of the original in ways that will please a modern, sophisticated TV audience without ever taking them out of the reality of the drama they're watching.

The Musketeers is a drama - not a comedy, not a pastiche, not a pantomime.

Everything about the detail of our world and our characters is as authentic as we can make it, because in the end, if an adventure doesn't feel real, what's the point of it?

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/television

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Q&A What attracted you to the show?

First off, it’s definitely the fact that it's The Musketeers - something I used to watch when I was a kid Dogtanian and the Muskehounds and all that kind of stuff. I knew the story and the characters so the fact I was able to go in with the feeling I understood the premise was a big attraction. Just to be involved in a BBC drama was great. In my opinion, the BBC are one of the best producers of drama in the world, and it made me incredibly happy to get the opportunity to be one of the leading men in one of their productions.

Did you have to do any preparation in the lead up to the role?

Not really - the only bit of prep I did was watching some of the previous films, for example the Dick Lester one, the one with Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland, the 2011 one with Logan Lerman. I did that TV research just to see what other people had done and how the Musketeers had been portrayed.

Tell us a bit more about the Boot Camp?

Well, we stayed in a castle for a week outside of Prague, and it was literally a boot camp! There were fitness tests, getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning, horse riding for two hours, coming back to do two hours of sword fighting and then a short lunch, then repeating the horse riding and sword fighting after lunch - it was non-stop! It was the most valuable week of the shoot really - it put us in great stead for the rest of the show and kind of gave us a head start really.

Were there any specific storylines you particularly empathized with?

The relationship he had with his father is a huge thing for me - me and my dad get on like a house on fire - we are like best friends. I drew on that - so when D'Artagnan’s father dies I was just thinking about what it would be like if my own father passed away - it would be hugely difficult for me. But really it was the friendship and loyalty - I'm from an Italian background so those ideals are written in stone. I tried to push that out as much as possible.

What did filming in Prague add to the show?

Its absolutely vital - to do something like this in England would never have worked. I was completely over the moon when I got told I was going back to Prague - I know how beautiful it is after filming there last year. I loved it to bits!

If you could sum your character up in one word, what would it be?

Impulsive... passionate - there’s so many I could give you a list!

Welcome Back: The Undateables Despite being plagued with controversy when it first hit our screens, The Undateables is now in its 3rd series, and is one of Channel 4's most popular documentaries Shannon Carey TV Critic

Meet Mary. She’s forty-four years old, smart, well-dressed, confident with an amazing personality and a single mother to a son who describes her as nothing less than “beautiful, really”. And that’s not even to mention the fact she’s the winner of four gold medals in shot put. It’s clear that Mary is an extraordinary woman – but, incredibly, she has never truly experienced real love.

That undoubtedly sounds bizarre, until you learn that Mary has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism and that it is this condition that has left her, despite all her merits, unable to find the love she desires.

Mary is just one of many incredible characters to feature in Channel 4’s The Undateables. Over the show’s three series, we have been introduced to a diverse range of people, all affected by a spectrum of different diseases, including Tourette’s Syndrome, autism, dwarfism and Down’s Syndrome. Some of the highlights of the most recent series include Daniel who, despite communication issues due to autism, is described as a ‘gentle giant’ and wants nothing more than a girlfriend to spoil, and Hayley, who suffers from a rare genetic condition called Apert’s Syndrome but is determined to meet a man who will look over her disability and not ‘judge a book by its cover’. It is quite useful that Hayley describes her hunt for love this way: because, if The Undateables teaches us anything, it’s that a book can never be judged by its cover

and that our group of ‘Undateables’ cannot be held down by the conditions they happen to be touched by.

Something that The Undateables has managed to successfully do, since it’s conception in 2012, is introduce the public to extraordinary humans who the viewer can’t help but root for, not just to find love, but to find happiness despite a society that can often dismiss them under the limited label of being ‘disabled’.

But while The Undateables is extremely popular with the masses, regularly pulling in audiences of three million, there will always be those who accuse the show of exploiting the issue of disability in exchange for viewing figures. I (who often faces mocking

"Since its conception in 2012, The Undateables has introduced the public to extraodinary humans who the viewer can't help but root for" from friends for my devotion to shows such as Made In Chelsea and Celebrity Big Brother) was personally surprised when, after asking if they watched the show, one friend replied that he felt the programme was created to do little more mock those with disabilities. In fact, if you were to search the show online you’d more than likely find many pages accusing the show of the very same thing. Obviously I can’t speak for the entire viewing audience, but in address to these accusations, I can only say that, no matter what your reasons are for watching The Undateables, by the end, it is impossible to have little else than utter admiration for those featured in it. The amazing group that have been featured across the programme show courage, determination and purity that the average person

could only hope to possess – and this is only enhanced when you learn of their condition and the persecution many of have faced because of it.

The Undateables provokes many reactions, but mocking is not one of them: instead, the audience are grateful to meet such a range of characters in a way we would otherwise be unable to, and taken aback that these people cannot find love for such fickle reasons, such as being born with a certain condition. It is suitable that show often uses saying such as ‘The path of true love never runs smooth’, because this seems to be the case for our Undateables – but we can only hope that, as the show continues, more of these remarkable people find what they are looking for.

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31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/travel

Travel

Belgium city breaks This week we take a look at Belgium's most popular tourist cities...

A weekend in Brussels Joanna Kay

Travel Writer On our three-day midweek getaway, we walked around the city of Brussels without any real aim except to soak up the atmosphere and to see what grabbed our attention. Our visit mainly consisted of wandering into interesting boutique shops, taking photos of the amazing architecture, and, of course, the occasional break at a cafe or amazing waffle/ crepe place. The city did not feel rushed or chaotic, so we could really take our time to look around and admire our surroundings. The quirky pieces of street art, frequently dotted around, offered a free alternative to visiting all of the renowned galleries and presented some great photo opportunities.

When it came to planning our day in the city, the most famous spots in Brussels (The Grand Place, The Manneken Pis) were free to visit. Other cultural sites, such as museums and galleries, normally charged a reasonable entry fee.

Aside from this, expenses such as food and drink, along with the chocolate shops selling pricey but tasty goods, quickly ate up our money. The city, I have to admit, is not the cheapest for tourists. However, we did visit one museum, ‘Museum of the City of Brussels’, fitting in our necessary fill of culture, and were luckily offered a student concession rate. (A good tip: if travelling by Eurostar, some tourist attractions will offer a 2 for 1 deal on entry.)

Food was an important aspect of our trip, but the more traditional Belgian food, such as mussels and chips were extremely expensive in most restaurants. Nonetheless, there was no shortage of places to eat: we found a range of different cultural foods and eventually settled on a Greek restaurant with very friendly staff around the Grand Place area.

The interior design didn’t exactly match the price of the food, which was about €10 for a main course (I have to say,

it looked pretty similar to a take-away restaurant). Despite the lack of atmosphere and decor, it offered great food and service. The most enjoyable place we visited was one of the many delicious waffle shops dotted around the city. Without shopping around first, we made the mistake of getting a waffle from one of the most expensive stalls and later kicked ourselveswhen we realised we could get them for as cheap as €1.

One of the main reasons I chose to visit Brussels was for an aspect of the city exclusive to the winter season: the Christmas markets. They covered a large area and offered interesting goods, including jewellery, ornaments, traditional toys and sweet treats. It was lovely to visit again in the evening and never felt too over-crowded or intimidating. We bought a few food and drink items which, along with the general atmosphere, are some of the best things the markets offered. Wintery treats such as hot chocolate with amaretto was only €3, and mulled wine was sold at €2: all in all, great value!

For a capital city, Brussels is relatively ‘quiet’ compared to the likes of London or Berlin, both of which are packed with exciting shopping areas. Predominantly Brussels offers independent, artistic chocolate, jewellery or clothes shops which are quirky and full of charm. It was refreshing not to be bombarded with the same brands and logos we see all the time. This city is also great for relaxed, spacious and not overly busy public areas. You will be able to get your bearings after walking around for just a day, which will relieve any sense of anxiety about being lost. It offers stunning architecture, traditionally cobbled, narrow winding streets and the city certainly presents a very atmospheric winter get-away. Enjoying a delicious Belgian waffle whilst standing at the Grand Place watching the light show is certainly a romantically warming experience in the winter season.

When in Bruges...

Ellicia Pendle

Travel Writer

In the wise words of Harry Waters, the violent gangster boss of In Bruges: ‘It’s a fairy-tale f*****g town, isn’t it? How can a fairy-tale town not be somebody’s f*****g thing?

How can all those canals and bridges and cobbled streets and those churches, and all that beautiful f*****g fairy-tale stuff, how can that not be somebody’s f*****g thing, eh?’

On the basis of his argument, I found myself in Bruges on New Year’s Eve- and it didn’t disappoint.

Catching the Eurostar to Brussels is much cheaper than flying, and providing you have a ticket valid for ‘All Belgian Stations’ you can then hop on the next train to Bruges for no extra cost. You also get the added novelty of boarding a double-decker train (why don’t we have them here?). My travel and accommodation came as a bundle with lastminute. com and I would definitely recommend checking their website for the best travel and accommodation deals; my hotel was one street away from the market square. Buses also run frequently from Bruges train station to the Mark’t, for just €2.

Bruges is a wonderful place to get lost. Its medieval charm is present in its architecture, cobbled streets and horse-drawn carriages. Known as the ‘Venice of the North’, it is also built around a series of beautiful canals. It really comes to life at night, when the restaurants and bars are lit up by an abundance of twinkly lights.

Must-see attractions include the awe-inspiring Church of Our Lady, famous for its 122m spire and for containing Michelangelo’s ‘Madonna with Child’. It is claimed that the beautiful marble sculpture is the only Michelangelo statue that left Italy during his lifetime. Another popular attraction, although we did not have time to visit, is the Basilica of the Holy Blood- a Gothic chapel that contains a vial of what is believed to be the blood of Christ, brought back from the

Second Crusade by Thierry of Alsace. There are also plenty of museums, ranging in subject from Salvador Dali to frites (yes, a museum about chips). If you don’t mind being a stereotypical tourist you can take a bus tour around the city to make sure you don’t miss out.

However, the heart of Bruges is the medieval Mark’t.

Over the festive period, it has a buzzing Christmas market and a busy ice rink. The market square is dominated by the iconic Belfry, a bell tower built in the thirteenth century. It stands 270ft tall and is a staggering 366 steps to the top. If you’re at all claustrophobic I would give it a miss, but the breath-taking panoramic view of the city is well worth the climb. The New Year was seen in with an enormous outdoor street party on ‘T Zand, complete with fireworks, music (mostly Abba’s ‘Happy New Year’ on loop) and champagne in plastic flutes.

Famous for its frites, beer and chocolate, Bruges is a foodie’s paradise. Street vendors sell all the usual local treats, from bratwurst to waffles. If you want to look like a local, dip your frites in mayonnaise rather than ketchup.

The restaurants in the Mark’t can be expensive but it’s worth it for the scenery and atmosphere. Many places do a three-course fixed menu for €29; I had delicious shrimp croquettes and salad to start, followed by a massive saucepan of mussels in white wine (with frites and mayo on the side) and ice cream to finish. Everywhere seems to have mussels on the menu, given the nearby port, so I felt it would be rude not to give them a go. There are a range of restaurants, meaning you can opt for anything from a traditional Flemish stew to an Italian pizza. They all have the same cosy feel, with lit fires and friendly staff. Finally, and perhaps unsurprisingly, Bruges is filled with countless chocolatiers, each like a Willy Wonka workshop and perfect for last-minute souvenirs for expectant family members.

Overall, being in Bruges was a magical start to the New Year and I would highly recommend it to those seeking a romantic winter escape- just remember to wrap up warm!

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/travel

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Rwanda's 20 years of remembrance

Ed Vos shares with us the heart-wrenching experience of visiting a country twenty years on from genocide...

It would seem that most people, well-travelled or not, have got no idea where Rwanda is. The name conjures up images of a tiny African jungle-state, based on books, films, and occasional news articles. If your only impression of the country is based on ‘Hotel Rwanda’, I can assure you that you are not alone.

In brief, Rwanda is a tiny, French-/Kinyarwandaspeaking ex-Belgian colony in the heart of Africa. With a population of only 12 million, and surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi, it would be easy to pass this little state by.

This year is special for Rwanda, as it is the twentieth anniversary of 1994, a year in which the country experienced a shocking trauma that landed it on the front page of newspapers across the world. Over the course of 100 days, up to one million ethnic Tutsis were slaughtered by the majority Hutus. Ordinary men, women and children went out into the street, and into their neighbours houses, and massacred friends, colleagues, and family in one of the most brutal genocides of recent history, encouraged by Hutu propaganda on the television and radio. International reluctance to intervene led to the death of 20% of the country’s population, and the scars are still everywhere today.

Bearing in mind that anyone over the age of 20 was present, Rwandans are unlikely to forget any time soon, and mental and physical scars affect a large number of the population.

Travelling around the country, it seems as though every town and village has a memorial to those who were killed, and a nationally funded programme ensures that people do not forget the past. An example of this is the ‘Genocide Memorial Centre’ in the capital, Kigali, where the remains

"Whilst less than two decades ago Rwanda was in ruins, it is now the fastest developing African country." of 250,000 victims are buried in the garden. Boards and videos explain the incident in full, with history, interviews with attackers and victims, and the physical remains – human bones, clothes, and toys – of the victims. Already a heart-wrenching experience, the walk around the centre ends in the ‘Children’s Room’. In here, photographs donated by the families of children who disappeared and were never found cover the walls, along with placards showing brief descriptions of children who perished in the 100 days.

Profiles are simple, and awful. Name - Ariane UMUTONI; Age - 4; Favourite Food - Cake; Enjoyed Singing and Dancing; Character – A Nice Little Girl; Cause of Death – Stabbed in the eyes and head.

Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere is tense, and sitting on every bench is a man or woman crying and shaking.

How can a country possibly recover from this? Well it seems that Rwanda has made a good start. Paul Kagame, leader of the rebel force that ended the genocide, and President ever since, leads a dictatorial, yet incredibly efficient and effective government. Whilst less than two decades ago Rwanda was in ruins, it is now the fastest developing African country, with excellent roads, internet access in all but the most isolated villages, and enviable public services and security. Kigali is a modern city whose centre wouldn’t be out of place in Western Europe, with gleaming skyscrapers dominating the skyline and manicured lawns seemingly in front of every office and hotel. Patisseries and internet cafés are filled with a cosmopolitan population, and an air of charm and sophistication lingers in every bar and sandwich shop.

But what would happen if President Kagame were to die tomorrow? “Civil war” came the unhesitant response from

one resident of a village in the west of the country. Kagame has a vice-like grip on the people of Rwanda, and is by all accounts unfalteringly focussed on dragging his country to global recognition. Following the example of the EU, he has changed visa restrictions to allow global, as well as local African investment, he has virtually wiped out corruption, and has taken steps to ensure the upkeep of the environment. For example, plastic bags (which litter roadsides throughout East Africa) are illegal in Rwanda, and border crossings include a search of your bag to check for contraband. He is seen as a voice of peace and reasoning at international debates and conferences. However, peace at home is dependent on him staying alive, staying out of trouble, and remaining in power.

Each year Rwanda remembers the 100 days of slaughter with a theme. Last year’s theme was ‘self-reliance’, and the questioning of authority, as nineteen years previously people had blindly obeyed propaganda. Twenty years on Rwanda is a beacon of hope in East Africa, and undoubtedly the next hot tourist destination.

This is a special year, and to maintain peace and prosperity in the region we must remember a catchphrase that is heard daily in Rwanda – ‘Never Again’.

Brum students abroad Rachel Deevey Travel Writer

When I anticipated moving to America for a year to study, I pictured the stereotype: Pep rallies, keg stands, frat parties, overly friendly, beautiful people with toned and tanned bodies and most importantly, a whole lot of red cups. I wasn’t disappointed. Anyone who has studied at an American university will tell you that, first and foremost, school pride is everything: You live, sleep, eat and breathe it. In my case it was Pitt Pride.

I’ve been in Pittsburgh, the second largest city after Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, for the past 6 months. It’s an old steel town that is now a modern, dynamic, all-American city with a breath-taking skyline. I guess I’d call it the American equivalent to our very own Brum; not particularly glamorous roots, but a big city with a whole lot going on. Plus, it’s the birthplace of Andy Warhol, the home of Heinz, the Carnegie

family, Carnegie Mellon University and the Pittsburgh Penguins Ice Hockey Team.

As amazing as the American college experience is, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a few pet peeves. Firstly, the polar vortex wasn’t the most enjoyable experience and, however amazing Pittsburgh is at dealing with the horrendous snow (given the UK would just crumble in on itself), it is never acceptable to make students come into class in -25 degrees celsius weather.

Secondly, the 21 drinking age isn’t just a bummer for us Brits coming over to the US having been able to legally drink and enter bars for a good few years now, it also means Pitt wastes student fees on its very own police service to crack down on underage drinking; I’m sure you can guess how well that’s going. A memorable moment this semester included a house party getting raided and having to crawl through a bush in the snow to escape the cops (beer in hand obviously and practising my ‘but I’ve been legally drinking for two years’ speech).

Thirdly, we’ve all heard the jokes about

Americans’ fashion sense: socks and sandals, combat shorts and the like. But, like you I’m sure, I’d reserved these fashion indiscretions to the older, less style conscious 40 something generation of soccer moms and dads. Unfortunately, I was very wrong. Flared jeans, yoga pants and ‘the north face’ fleeces are a regular occurrence on campus, and don’t even get me started on the backpacks and dad chinos.

But, jokes and whinges aside, Pittsburgh is an amazing city and when America does ‘college’ it really does it well. Being your modest, self-deprecating, average Brit I still can’t shake the excitement and sense of awe at Pitt’s American Football Team selling out a 90,000 seater stadium and their games being broadcast on prime-time ESPN, and this is only college sports! Yes, cheerleaders really do walk around campus in their outfits, pom poms in hand, and jocks really do all own letterman jackets.

All in all, I’ve eaten burgers and fries consistently for 6 months, have drunk a disguising amount of Bud Light, aced the

tactics of beer pong and learnt the rules of American Football, all whilst making lifelong friends with some really incredible yanks and soaking up American culture to the fullest. I can’t imagine spending my year anywhere else, but I’ll be glad to return to Brum in September for some sarcasm, rain and reality.

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redbrick.me/lifestyle

31st January- 6th February 2014

Life & Style

Paris HauteCouture Fashion Week SS14

Daisy Holden Life&Style Writer

Heels were ditched for disco trainers at Chanel, whilst Viktor and Rolf pirouetted their way into Paris. Haute Couture week never disappoints.

Paris Couture week was kicked off by the queen of glamour, Donatella Versace. It was everything you would expect from an Atelier Versace show: Swarovski crystal embroidery, flowing silks, plunging necklines and lots of sexy glamour. It was Grace Jones meets Lady Gaga. The silk dresses were draped and wrapped around the models; the hoods reflected the muse of the collection, Grace Jones. Although the hoods added drama to the customary tribute to ‘the goddess’, I think it made the show look too old, too 1980’s.

Chanel Haute Couture is one of my favourite shows as it successfully combines classic Chanel with a modern twist. Heels were swapped for couture trainers which were embroidered, jewelled and laser-cut to imitate lace. In one shift move, Lagerfeld knocked New Balance right off the top spot in fashion trainer rankings. Dresses were feathered in flapper style columns and cropped-tops matched with skirts in pastel colours; every outfit oozed elegance. Cara was back in action as the Chanel bride, in a beautiful sheer gown whose train was carried by Karl’s godson. The makeup was my favourite of all the shows, with dramatic black-winged eyeliner on the top lid and moonstone studs below the bottom lash line creating a chic disco eye.

Newcomer Stéphane Rolland showcased dramatic shapes and daring colours, which

brought a modern take to Couture Week.

Having only presented Couture shows since 2007, his fresh designs set him apart from the others. My favourite piece from the collection was a stunning orange gown with big folds and layers of fabric. It is certainly what I describe as a ‘showstopper’.

"Versace: Swarovski crystal embroidery, flowing silks, plunging necklines and lots of sexy glamour."

I am not a fan of ‘masked fashion’ i.e.

Maison Martin Margiela. Viktor and Rolf certainly paid homage to this with the models having doll-like makeup and hair brushed across their faces. The collection looked at the relationship between skin and clothes. The models were members of the Dutch National Ballet, so this doll-like resemblance was continued as they danced the collection. Watching the show, it had a distinctively creepy atmosphere and the gowns were quite plain by Couture standards.

Haute Couture week is definitely something special with one-off made to measure gowns. It is unlikely that these designs will be filtered down into high-street fashion but then no-one has ever described couture as wearable! However, if I could afford a piece of Chanel couture, I would wear it everywhere, including the supermarket.

Robert Cavalli: Bangerz World Tour 2014 Life&Style writer Hannah Bussell looks at Cavalli's new designs for Miley Cyrus's Bangerz World Tour contumes.

Robert Cavalli has joined forces with Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, The Blonds and Bob Mackie to create the much anticipated Bangerz tour wardrobe. The Italian has previously designed for many high profile show-girls, working with The Spice girls and Beyonce to name a few. His reputation as an edgy and outrageous label means some shocking wardrobe action can be expected.

In the last couple of months, Cyrus has

been photographed wearing a number of Marc Jacobs’s pieces, as well as appearing in an almost unrecognisable, dark and sultry 2014 Spring/Summer campaign for the brand. So it comes as no surprise that Jacob’s is also a part of the Bangerz wardrobe team.

Jumpsuits seem to be the key pieces of the collection, with diamond and sheer zebra printed bodysuits competing for the raciest look. There is also a recurring theme

of miniscule denim hotpants and bralets (perfect for twerking) which match the party-girl-Bangerz persona she has notoriously been promoting over the past few months. Whilst a number of the sketches reflect classic Cavalli with leopard/snakeskin prints on washed-out denim, they also hint at the 2012 street-style Miley we saw before her transformation.

The released designs are sexy and glamorous, but I personally am disappointed

with the lack of flesh coloured PVC underwear sets or giant teddy bear backpacks.

The crystal covered bodysuit is too reminiscent of the costume Britney Spears exhibited in her Toxic music video 10 years ago.

Hopefully the other designers of the team will create the more adventurous and controversial costumes we are used to seeing Cyrus prance around in. The tour will begin next month, starting in Vancouver, and will reach Birmingham on 16th May.

31st January- 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/lifestyle

Transform your Winter Wardrobe into Spring!

Life&Style writer Emily Billington shows us four key items to get your winter wardrobe ready for the long awaited Spring!

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Fierce NTA's The National Television Awards kicked off award season on Wednesday night and included a wondrous tribute to everyone’s favourite presenter pair, Ant and Dec.

Stupid Tuesday's Our favourite night of the week has returned to its rightful home. Tuesday nights are suddenly great again.

Vivienne Westwood & ASOS The two have teamed up to launch Vivienne Westwood’s new Ethical Africa range which offers eco-conscious, statement bags at affordable prices. The range has just launched online so go, go, go!

Made in Chelsea Cropped trousers are a staple Spring item and this faded blue pair from Zara are an absolute steal at only £9.99. Bold yet sophisticated, they are a fun change from jeans and leggings.

Swap your chunky winter knits for this cropped Topshop jumper that comes in a range of pastel shades. At £34.00 it is an investment, but a worthwhile one that will brighten up your Spring wardrobe.

Tartan leggings are set to be a statement piece this Spring, but fashion comes at a price and this Topshop pair are £25.00 so although you may not be able to eat for a week, you will look bang on trend.

Spring isn't quite in full bloom so we can't pack our scarves away yet. This Forever 21 scarf is a bargain at £8.40 and will keep you warm through February, whilst adding a burst of colour to a simple outfit.

Glance for Google Glass: Can Google really make sex better?

Interactive technology just got creepier. Life&Style writer Alice Green explores the brand new App "Glance" - Sex With Google Glass.

Developers have created 'Sex With Glass', an app which aims to use Google Glass (Google's interactive camera and voicecontrolled smart-glasses) in the bedroom.

So can Google Glass provide avenues for better sex? Sherif Maktabi, a Lebanese student at London's Central Saint Martins, would answer, unequivocally, yes. After just one day with a pair of Google's smartglasses at the Wearable Tech Hackathon, Maktabi undertook to develop an app which would work in conjunction with Google Glass to "make sex more awesome".

"Glance", not only allows you to enjoy sex through the eyes, or Glass camera, of your partner, it also offers a convenient helping hand; its voice activated controls can dim the lights, play mood music and, if required, suggest alternative positions.

The app, on top of its range of capabilities, is also user friendly. To begin the live streaming, and exchange perspectives with your partner, simply say: "OK glass, it’s time". To end the live streaming, just utter the classy words: "Ok Glass, pull out".

Obviously this is some of the least sexy phrasing conceived of for bedroom use. If

you can actually articulate the commands, keep a straight face, and remain aroused, then credit where credit's due.

"Glance's website blurb instructs users to 'enjoy the new view... from any angle', even though, as we know, some angles are best left unviewed."

Glance's website blurb instructs users to "enjoy the new view... from any angle", even though, as we know, some angles are best left unviewed. Of course, if you're not enjoying a particular perspective, there is the option to swipe to another.

Is it only the narcissistic amongst us who would enjoy watching themselves star in a clunky homemade porno? Or will we all become acquainted with the striking eyewear, thrusting nakedness, and heads-up

display Glance which Google Glass offers us Creator Maktabi claims responses to the project have actually been overridingly positive, suggesting it creates a channel for peoples "fantasies, desires and needs". He cites email responses, such as "I want to have this now because I want to try this with my boyfriend", "I want to write about the anthropological impact of this app", and the frequent, but anonymous, messengers who just say: "awesome".

Such as the transient nature of apps like Snapchat, the video recordings born from Glance are short-lived and self deleting after five hours. But although this might seem comforting to some, inevitably hackers will circumvent this feature, as was recently achieved with Snapchat.

If Glance takes off it will almost certainly generate faux pas; from revealing an angle you hoped didn't exist, to the more detrimental problems of hacking and questions of technological egality. Nevertheless, whether attracting the raunchy, the vain, the technoholic, or the curious, Glance is undeniably clever.

The filming of series 7 starts in just a few weeks and is set to return in early April. We’re sure Spencer Matthews is gutted that he won’t have time to pop back to Selly Oak.

Justin Bieber Much to the surprise of us all, Biebs was arrested last Thursday after being caught cruising round Miami under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs. He’s been released on bail, but something tells us we could be seeing a Miley Cyrus-esque prison shot of him again in the near future. Sort yourself out honey.

The Wanted The band announced their split last week after poor ticket sales and personal feuds between the boys. Let’s be honest, they were always just a less hot version of One Direction.

Exams & Deadlines No more late night cramming sessions in the library and repeatedly reading over revision notes. Well, until Easter...

January Our least favourite and most depressing month of the year is officially over, yay!

Roll on February...

By Katarina Bickley Life&Style Writer

Finished

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redbrick.me/music

31st January - 6th February 2014

Music

Album Review: Warpaint - Warpaint Ludo Cinelli Music Editor

Warpaint’s music has never been easy to understand. Their 2010 debut The Fool was both beautifully weird and weirdly beautiful, but it was on repeated listens that the complex constructions truly shone. The self-titled sophomore effort follows suit; a more refined effort, but cut from the same psychedelic block.

Like the debut, the atmosphere is dark but never morose.

Constantly walking the fine line between calm and uneasy, the layered record has the listener forever chasing it in the hopes of grabbing onto a glimmer of familiarity. But it is a hopeless endeavour; the twelve tracks are like mirages that draw in, then morph into something completely different upon closer inspection.

Perhaps the closest to an exception to this rule is ‘Love is to Die’, which surprisingly contains a chorus. However, its constant key changes, mesmerising harmonies, and elusive lyrics (‘love is to die /

love is to not die’) make this far from a conventional track. The band consistently control the pace of the music. As a drum beat begins to become identifiable, a tiny syncopated note throws the pattern off. When a guitar riff starts making sense, it changes.

Where there is an enjoyable harmony, another promptly joins it. Always interesting and never frustrating, Warpaint deliberately denies the expectations of the listener for a rewarding, intense experience.

Musically, the LA quartet explore a more

electronic sound, not shying away from synths that sound like they belong on last year’s Atoms For Peace album. It is no coincidence that one of its creators Nigel Godrich produced certain tracks on Warpaint. The intricate bass lines and impeccably engaging drumming are the winding railroad of the album, from The Doors-like ‘Hi’, to the R&B influenced ‘Feeling Right’ all the way to the beautiful progrock finisher ‘Son’. The rhythm section provides a strong platform for the vocals, guitars and synths to go wild with experimentation, which never goes amiss.

Perhaps what the band forsake on this record is any sense of fun. Relentless in its emotional heaviness, the album is certainly not one for a sunny day. This is at all a bad thing; Radiohead don't sound at all like they are having fun on Kid A or OK Computer. But it does limit the accessibility of their music, and means Warpaint is not perfect for every occasion.

Warpaint is an intricate, difficult and yet rewarding album. The record has a gorgeous aftertaste, and even if it is too intense to listen to twice in a row, it beckons to be played again and again, its

Redbrick Rants: Music Videos When Susie gets angry, she gets really angry. This time music videos face her unforgiving wrath.

Susannah Dickey Music Editor

@SusannahDickey

Music videos have evolved and are now wildly out of hand. Rather than functioning as an enjoyable visual medium to accompany a song - acting as a co-conspirator, aiding and abetting the musical experience - now they have become lavish, over-produced mini-films, which often share such a tenuous link with the song itself that the lyrics and melodies become utterly inconsequential.

The first video that drew attention to this phenomenon was the regrettable ‘Once’ by Diana Vickers - aptly named, given that was the number of times one could bear to endure it. The bland and unimaginative pop diatribe was accompanied by three minutes of Vickers engaging in an inexplicably high volume of costume changes.

THIRTEEN costume changes, to be exact. Perhaps this was a misguided attempt at diversion by her management, maybe she was still high on the glitz and glamour of coming fourth in the X Factor, or maybe she just couldn’t cope with the pressure and was sweating so profusely that each outfit was sodden in a matter of seconds. Whatever the cause, the result was just disorientating, and had so little to do with the song, that the video could have been accompanied by ‘Vogue’ by Madonna and used as a ‘fashion montage’ in any early noughties romcom starring Christina Applegate and Cameron Diaz.

A more recent perpetrator of this most heinous of crimes is Lady Gaga. Seriously, what the hell was the video for ‘Applause’?

Placing her own head on the body of a swan only served to highlight the fact that her voice at times has a certain quack-like timbre, and prancing vicariously around, entirely in the nude, just made the world realise that she doesn’t have to resemble a shaven lemur at all times, and that it is in fact her choice. The music itself was just regurgitated pop mediocrity, and shrouding herself in a sheet and engaging in some demonic dance moves does not improve matters.

‘Hey Brother’, by Avicii. This is the most infuriating one of all. Attempting to make himself seem ‘pensive’ and ‘wounded’ by layering one-dimensional lyrics over 4 and a half minutes of ‘a fraternal love, devastated by the ravaging impact of war! It just comes across as desperate. It would be much more sensible to just use endless footage of Avicii jumping up and down endlessly at various outdoor locations, because what else does he actually do?

One Direction shouldn’t even be allowed to have music videos, because the end result is just to enrapture innocent people with their otherworldly good looks, totally sidestepping the

obvious fact that their music is just, just, terrible.

"I'd welcome the heralding of a return to the classics. The days of yore, when all a music video needed was Justin Timberlake" As for ‘Timber’, one of 2014’s first galling no. 1 singles, somebody needs to ask: what the hell is the point of the sharks?

Pitbull spends the video struggling to engage in coitus with an attractive, (possibly sedated), young woman, whilst simultaneously hollering random ‘hoe-down’ instructions at a bleary-eyed Ke$ha. That’s all well and good, until the sharks get involved. What is the meaning of the sharks? What do sharks have to do with the music industry’s

exploitation of the rich tradition of American folk dance?

I'd welcome the heralding of a return to the classics. The days of yore, when all a music video needed was Justin Timberlake, pressing his face up against a shower door as he sang ‘Cry Me a River’. God bless his soul. Limb-flinging choreography and camera close-ups of the artist’s leaking tear ducts are all any song needs, possibly enhanced with some brightly-coloured eyeshadow, and copious amounts of leather and denim. Is that really too much to ask?

Certainly among Susie's culprits are the ten most played music videos on YouTube, listed below.

1. Gangnam Style, PSY 2. Baby, Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris 3. On The Floor, Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull 4. Love The Way You Lie, Eminem ft.

Rihanna 5. Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO 6. Gentleman, PSY 7. Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), Shakira 8. Bad Romance, Lady Gaga 9. Ai Se Eu Te Pego, Michel Teló 10. Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/music

25

Tweet of the Week: @piersmorgan: If this was a karaoke bar, Ringo would be bottled off by now. #GRAMMYs

Live Review: Connan Mockasin @ Hare & Hounds

Grammy Awards 2014 Daft Punk swept the 56th Grammy Awards last night by staying up and getting lucky, winning Album of the Year for Random Access Memories and Record of the Year for summer smash Get Lucky. Presumably Macklemore won't have to keep buying his clothes at the Thift Shop, after cleaning up the awards in the rap category, winning Best Rap Album for The Heist and Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for Thrift Shop. Here's the full list: Album of the year - Random Access Memories, Daft Punk Record of the year - Get Lucky, Daft Punk feat Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers Song of the year - Royals, Lorde Best pop vocal album - Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars Best rap/sung collaboration - Holy Grail, Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake Best rock song - Cut Me Some Slack, Sir Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear Best pop duo/group performance - Get Lucky, Daft Punk feat Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers Best new artist - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Best rock album - Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin Best alternative album - Modern Vampires Of The City, Vampire Weekend Best music film - Live Kisses, Sir Paul McCartney

Blaise Radley Music Critic

Connan Mockasin's Birmingham gig took place after a long Christmas in the distant, somewhat backwards land you might know as Devon. Itching to sample the richer side of Birmingham's nightlife, which Risa wasn't quite going to scratch, a return to the Hare and Hounds last Thursday for the first slice of live music this semester was in order. The venue was an inauspicious-looking pub from the outside, but was host to Mockasin's surreal atmosphere.

First on the bill were indie rock trio Teleman, a group formed of old members of the fantastic (at least in name) Pete and the Pirates. Somewhat reminiscent of 21-era

"The venue was an inauspicious looking pub...but was host to Mockasin's surreal atmosphere" Mystery Jets, all the ingredients of some great, jaunty, light-hearted rock music were certainly there and, whilst the band were technically proficient, it didn't always mesh together effectively.

That being said, when the musicians introduced some more experimental elements into the mix, their gawky but heartwarming performance did grab my interest.

This was best shown in an (as yet unreleased) song mid-set when they really let go and embraced their weirdness, with an apt

refrain of 'I'm not in control' sounding like a slightly less depressed Joy Division. The repetition combined with garbled vocals and some space-age synths that sounded like how they imagined the future would be in the 80s, was surprisingly original. This was clearly a band still trying to find its own

"Connan Mockasin is a very tough act to precede" sound, but when they do settle into the right groove who knows where they could go.

However, the main issue with the support was not any fault of their own, but rather the fact that Connan Mockasin is a very tough act to precede. Without a doubt one of the more interesting artists to have emerged over the past decade, people had turned up to see him in droves, the room getting more and more full whilst the changeover occurred on stage.

Finally, as the members of Connan's band began slowly plucking at their instruments, the general ruckus dropped to a murmur, then the murmurs turned to bated breath when, with little warning, a figure emerged from the crowd. With a wine bottle in hand, a floppy straw hat atop his head, and his softly-spoken welcome to the crowd, any sense of pretence was instantly broken, and the audience settled into a blissed-out, serene state. In all honesty, what happened for the next hour and a half is somewhat ineffable, the room taking on a dream-like quality where nothing quite seemed real.

Connan's latest album Caramel describes his music best, each song almost visibly washing over the crowd like a wave of creamy, psychedelic chocolate. In a venue so intimate, but also so full of people, there was a certain electricity in the air as Connan took a seat and played a slow rendition of 'Do I Make You Feel Shy?' The band paused for breath, and so too did the crowd, manifest as one living breathing organism transfixed with the wispy figure before it on stage. The dappled red and green lighting made me wonder if something had been slipped into my drink, and question if this wasn't all some particularly wonderful hal-

"Each song almost visibly washing over the crowd like a wave of creamy, psychedelic chocolate" " lucination. Back in reality, the audience's jaws dropped as they spaced out to Mockasin's mesmerising tunes.

The set drew to a close with the noodling 10 minute epic 'Forever Dolphin Love'. The crowd couldn't help but hope each odd tangent would last that extra bit longer. To finish, Connan humbly thanked the audience, then stepped off stage and was absorbed into the crowd once more. An enigmatic end for a wonderfully unorthodox artist, the whimsical New Zealander couldn't have made the return to Birmingham any more magical.

Best music video - Suit and Tie, Justin Timberlake Best R&B album - Girl On Fire, Alicia Keys Best R&B song - Pusher Love Girl, Justin Timberlake Best rap album - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis,The Heist Best rap song - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Thrift Shop Best rap performance - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Thrift Shop Best dance/electronica album - Daft Punk, Random Access Memories

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redbrick.me/food

31st January - 6th February 2014

Food

Find Medicine In Your Food This Chinese New Year, why not try herbal remedies to cure your student sniffles?

Safiyyah Gareebo Food Writer

We've all had those days where we've felt a little imbalanced, a bit under the weather or just a bit blue. Chinese medicine treats this as a direct result of an imbalance in a person's Yin and Yang, with various ingredients used to treat the effects of illness. One classification of Chinese medicine, called the 'Four Natures' distinguishes between temperatures in the body and uses 'hot' or 'warm' herbs to treat cold illnesses, and vice versa.

Foods we use in everyday cooking such as mushrooms, cinnamon and rhubarb are used alongside less well-known ingredients such as ginseng, goji berries and bupleurum to create blends which are often made by practitioners specifically for the patient.

This enables treatments to be based on how serious the affliction is, how long it has lasted and other aspects of the patient's medical history, based on centuries of use in Eastern countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Vietman. There are controversies around the animal products used in many Chinese remedies, but the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine in the UK states that they 'have a strict policy prohibiting the use of any type of endangered species by any of our Members'. Whilst this very importantly addresses the issue of endangered species, there is a clear lack of consideration for the poor conditions in which other animal products are obtained. There is however a strong vegetarian influence. Due to a large percentage of the Chinese population being Buddhist, a strong emphasis remains on herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Many of them are stocked in supermarkets, and used in Chinese food as part of the belief that 'prevention is better than cure', with ingredients such as ginger featuring

heavily in Oriental cuisine as an ingredient which is believed to have numerous benefits.

Whilst many appear strange and exotic to us, there are in fact others such as rosehip which are commonly found in many areas of the UK. This could be a reason for the growing number of Chinese health shops all over the UK, with over four listed online in Birmingham and doubtless many more which could be hunted out. However, Chinese tea is perhaps the most widespread form of medicine which has come into British everyday life, with Holland and Barrett selling over a hundred different types of infusions and many supermarkets boasting similar stock. No doubt these can be found on the streets of Selly Oak, and in the cupboards of many a student! As a tea-lover, I can't help trying new blends and varieties, and my advice to anyone who isn't a big fan of tea would be to just have a go and think of the health benefits! Here's a recipe to try, which uses Chinese medicinal influences to create a tea that will be soothing and stressrelieving: Rosehip and Mint Stress-Relieving Tea: 1 Rosehip teabag 3 Fresh Mint leaves Use hot water, not boiling (just wait a minute after it's boiled) and pour over the teabag and mint leaves in a mug. To keep as much flavour (and potential health benefits!), cover the mug with a small plate as you let it brew for two minutes. Afterwards, remove the teabag and mint leaves and enjoy! To make it sweeter, add 1-2 teaspoons of honey to taste.

Crazy About Cake Millie Walker Food Editor

@millicent_x

I’m not sure what time it is for you, but for me it’s 2.10am on Wednesday morning, and I’m desperately wishing I hadn’t had caffeinated tea because I am never going to sleep!

I got back from work at 1am and for the last hour, yep, you’ve guessed it, I’ve been baking.

Well, prepping. Biscuit dough to be precise.

I’ve been at work this evening and for the first time I allowed myself (stupidly) to imagine how I’ll feel when I have to leave the club and the fall out hasn’t been pretty.

As previously mentioned I hate change at the best of times but leaving The Priory is going to be one of the hardest things I’ll have done to date. That team is a second family to me, the members are more that just customers and the grounds are three years of memories that I can’t ever erase. From christening the bar in the new building (all £15 million of it) with take-away pizza to serving the Duchess of Gloucester afternoon tea, it’s all there, imprinted in my mind.

It’s the little things I’ll miss.

I’ll miss singing Defying Gravity through empty corridors with Tom. I’ll miss the way Josh shakes his head in despair every time I smash something.

I’ll miss Jenna telling me off for not taking breaks on Sundays.

I’ll miss Jolene hiding pens and chalk and ketchup and saucepots.

I’ll miss Natalie stealing cloths and rearranging crisp packets.

I’ll miss knowing exactly what a member wants before they’ve even asked for it because I know their Priory routines better than they do.

It's just the little things that make me smile and that's how I like to make other people happy. Examples from the last ten days include: Travelling to Leicester an hour after speaking to The Little One and taking her out for dinner just to make sure she was okay.

Always emptying the dishwasher and cleaning the kitchen before bed, no matter what time I come in, because then it’s nice for the first sleepy person up in the morning - normally Ninja Housemate.

Ringing family and friends in that rare half an hour of ‘me time’ when I’m walking to work and having a proper catch up.

Posting a box of carefully selected chocolate to a best friend (Scottish Rock) who is now living in Russia. They don’t have real chocolate there and I worry for his health.

Sending cards and chocolate as congratulations to my sisters for finishing their exams.

It’s now 2am on Thursday morning. It’s probably still about the same time for you

but I fell asleep at the kitchen table last night while writing.

Having returned from work last night and started on my ‘little things’ thought train, I decided to make tiny chocolate biscuits.

"Apparently they don't have real chocolate in Russia" And luckily enough, I had everything in the house.

Final time change. It’s now 3.30pm on Friday afternoon. The biscuits disappeared within a couple of hours. So there must have been something good about them.

They were small, scrumptious little biscuits with a dark chocolate and raspberry ganache.

Ingredients 320g plain flour 100g sugar 210g butter 300g dark chocolate 70g cream cheese 3 egg yolks A handful of raspberries.

1. Work the flour and butter together between your fingers until it’s a breadcrumb consistency.

2. Add in the sugar and egg yolks and mix together until it becomes dough.

3. Wrap the mix in cling film and put it in the fridge for two hours or up to over night.

4. Melt the chocolate and cream cheese together until you have a smooth consistency. I then crushed raspberries into the mix so the seeds made it lumpy but the flavour was amazing.

5. Spread on top of the biscuits and leave to cool.

6. Place in a tin for your housemates and make a bet with yourself as to how long they last.

redbrick.me/food

31st January - 6th February 2014

A Chinese Food Fight

Ingredient Ideas

Meal Deals versus Cooking It Yourself

Lynette Dakin suggests ways to use

Rosie Twells

Millie Walker

Meal Deal For special occasions supermarket meal deals can sometimes be a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of quality of food and value for money. However, Sainsbury’s of Harborne with its small yet well selected range of main meals and side dishes is the perfect way to dine in and celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The offer included two main meals and a snack selection box for £5. This equated to a saving of nearly £6 in total, which on a student budget, is a deal worth looking out for!

I chose the sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice and the duck in plum sauce, with egg fried rice as my two main meals.

A beef dish was also available, and I was surprised to see no vegetarian options available. I picked the mixed oriental snack selection which included four prawn toasts, four vegetable spring rolls and four prawn wantons. A twelve pack of spring rolls could alternatively been purchased, although I fancied something which offered variety.

Cooking It Yourself Confession number one: I don’t have time to eat cereal at the moment let alone cook Chinese food.

Confession number two (but probably ought to be one): I don’t actually like Chinese food. It’s sticky and sweet. Two descriptive terms that should only come together when talking abut honey. Or golden syrup.

I love ginger, I love coconut and I love spices so there should be no reason for me to dislike Chinese food, except for the obvious; too many bad takeaways have ruined it for me.

Is there a confession number three here somewhere? I’m too lazy to cook nice Chinese food?

Food Writer

"These two main meals can easily be shared between three people, as can the snack selection, which amounts to a great meal" The sweet and sour dish was packed full of succulent chicken and medium sized chunks of pineapple, red pepper and onion.

There was also plenty of the rich sweet and sour sauce and I was pleased that it didn’t leave a sickly aftertaste which can be found in some ready-prepared Chinese dishes.

Likewise, the duck dish was extremely moreish, although could have been improved by adding more meat. The combination of the water chestnuts and red pepper worked well to provide a refreshing taste. These two main meals can easily be shared between three people, as can the snack selection, which amounts to a great meal.

The snack box proved to be equally successful as the main meals. The prawn toast was extremely crispy and the toasted sesame seeds on top added a nutty flavour. Out of this selection pack, the prawn wantons were my favourites – a crispy filo pastry case enveloped a good mix of prawns and vegetables. The third item, vegetable spring rolls, was flavoursome, although they perhaps could have had more vegetables in them.

"The prawn toast was extremely crispy and the sesame seeds added a great nutty flavour" In conclusion, I would highly recommend this meal deal. If you’re looking for an authentic, great-tasting and extremely good value meal and cannot be dealing with the hassle of cooking for yourself, then this super student saver is a delicious deal to see in the Chinese New Year!

27

Food Editor

"I love ginger, I love coconut and I love spices" Well, no, there isn’t, because it’s one of the easiest, most rewarding cuisines around and it’s an extremely cheap and (potentially) healthy dinner option.

In Tesco there are many great choices for making your own Chinese dishes and these are my best suggestions: £3 - Meal Deal with a Stir Fry mix of your choice (The mushroom is my favourite), a packet of bean sprouts and an ownbrand sauce of your choice. £1.88 - Large jar of Uncle Ben's Sweet and Sour sauce, just add rice and veg/chicken. £1.56 - Jar of Blue Dragon 'Crispy Lemon Chicken' (a salt/batter mix to cover the chicken in and a sauce to serve it with).

68p- Blue dragon Stir Fry Spice mix. £1.08 - Large bag of prawn crackers.

Any of these store-bought cupboard ingredients with £5 worth of vegetables and chicken would make for sensationally tasty, fresh food that can be shared with friends as you light your lanterns into the sky this Friday night.

7 of the 8 people in my house are addicted to peanut butter so my recipe of choice would have to be Chinese-style Satay Chicken (veg for the Veggies and Sweet and Sour for the 8th member of the team).

Ingredients 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 1/3 cup chopped fresh ginger, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup minced fresh chives The peanut sauce: 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Method Cut each breast lengthwise into 3 strips.

Put in a bowl with ginger and garlic. Cook coconut over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Let cool. In another bowl, whisk together peanut butter and soy sauce. Stir in oil, vinegar and crushed red pepper. Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Thread chicken strips onto bamboo skewers, and sprinkle with salt. Grill or broil skewers, turning occasionally with tongs, until firm and lightly charred, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plates and sprinkle with chives and toasted coconut. Serve with peanut sauce.

that all important Chinese flavour...

Ginger

1.

Salmon and Ginger Fishcakes 1 large sweet potato cut into chips, 4 tsp olive oil, 2 salmon fillets, 1 tsp grated ginger zest, 1 lime, ½ bunch spring onions, 2 tbsp mayonnaise 1. Heat oven to 200C. Toss the chips in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp oil. Bake for 20-25 mins.

2. Chop the salmon finely and place in bowl with ginger, zest and seasoning. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and soften the spring onions for 2 mins. Stir in the salmon, mix well and shape into 4 patties 3.Heat remaining oil and cook for 3-4 mins on both sides. Cover with lid and leave to rest.

2.

Spiced Ginger Mojito 25 fresh mint leaves, 3 tsp sugar, 1 chopped lime, 65ml spiced rum, ginger beer to top it up, crushed ice, fresh mint and ginger to finish 1. Place the mint, sugar and lime into a sturdy tall glass and mash with the end of a clear rolling pin 2. Add the spiced rum and scoop of crushed ice. Mix and top up with ginger beer 3. Garnish with fresh mint and ginger

3.

Gingerbread Men 12oz plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 4 ½ oz butter, 6oz light soft brown sugar, 1 egg, 4 tbsp golden syrup 1. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon and pour into a bowl. Add butter and rub into breadcrumbs 2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup and add. Mix together until the mixture clumps together 3. Tip the dough out, knead briefly, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill for 15 mins 4.Preheat oven to 180C and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Roll out dough and use cutters to cut out gingerbread man shapes, bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown.

5.Leave to cool for 10 mins and then decorate.

4.

Ginger Dipping Sauce ½ cup light soy sauce, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons minced ginger, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 spring onions 1. Combine soy sauce, red wine vinegar and minced ginger in a small bowl 2. Melt the brown sugar on high heat, stir rapidly but don't let it burn. Add soy sauce mixture. Bring to the boil again 3. Remove from heat, pour into a serving dish and garnish with the chopped spring onions 4. Serve alongside Chinese dumplings

28

redbrick.me/sport

31st January - 6th February 2014

Sport

Brum sweep aside lacklustre Leeds

Will Siddons

Birmingham 1sts

4

Leeds 1sts

1

Ellie Jones

Sports Reporter

First placed Birmingham womens hockey 1sts took on bottom of the table Leeds on a miserable evening at the Bournbrook pitches. Despite the weather it was predictably an easy match for Birmingham’s ladies as the team have been on top form all season.

The match started positively and the hosts were awarded a penalty corner in the

"Despite the weather it was predictably an easy match for Birmingham's ladies as the team have been on top form all season."

first minute, struck confidently by captain Alice Sharpe, who ran into the circle to receive the ball from Emily Defraund before finding the net to take a quick 1-0 lead.

Leeds seemed panicked from the outset and nifty interceptions from Birmingham’s centres did not allow them to settle.

The hosts spread play around, frequently using their defence to build attacks from the back. Soon after, another penalty corner was awarded to Brum with Defraund striking the ball with full force right down the centre and into the net. At 2-0 Leeds already looked deflated and defeated.

However they showed some resilience and as the game wore on the possession became equal, and with the rain lashing down into Birmingham’s eyes, their opponents looked to take advantage. Despite the weather, the home side’s defence were quick on the uptake with Rebecca Van Berkel and Xenna Hughes snubbing out any attack Leeds could muster, with only two shots on target for the away side in the whole of the first half.

Birmingham ran the ball well, with Faye Curran and Hughes attacking well down the channels, forcing Leeds to tackle out of position. However the little errors by the

home side built up and Leeds were able to see more of the possession. Although their attacks were slow, they were relatively constant. Just before the half time whistle Leeds finally got a goal from a penalty corner making it 2-1, and a possible comeback did not seem out of the question.

As the second half got under way, Defraund made a darting run down the left hand side and received yet another penalty corner, with Sharpe taking it. It was passed

"They proved with their skill and talent why they are sitting on top of their league, with no other team looking good enough to knock them off their perch."

"The hosts spread play around, frequently using their defence to build attacks from the back."

failed to put the game to bed.

Five minutes from the end Curran made a break from the halfway line, side stepping the now tiring Leeds defence and striking the ball with force into the back of the net.

This was a much needed goal for the hosts and allowed any late nerves to be settled.

The win was confirmed moments later with a final goal by Katlyn Aitichson making it 4-1.

Despite the conditions and a shaky 20 minutes spell, Birmingham were strong and confident in the loose as well as the tackles.

They proved with their skill and talent why they are sitting on the top of their league, with no other team looking good enough to knock them off their perch.

to Hughes who forced the Leeds' keeper into a good save. The opposition defence managed to push Birmingham back, forcing them to play sideways.

Two more differently worked penalty corners still didn’t pay off for Brum, each time being saved by the Leeds’ number one.

The possession was now swinging back Birmingham’s way but nothing materialized from the several shots on target, as they

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/sport

29

Judo team start the year with medal haul Emily Snell

Judo Team Vice-Captain

On Saturday 25th January , ten competitors from the University of Birmingham's judo team competed at the University of Warwick Invitational Judo Tournament, putting in a strong performance and returning home with a haul of six medals.

The first to fight in the day were the men’s novice categories. In the under 81kg, Roderick Eneh and Pravnick Singh Heer went head to head in the first round with some intense fighting. Eneh came out on top and went on to win the gold in the category.

This represents a fantastic achievement for someone who only started training with the club in September, and shows off the success of the new ten week beginner’s programme run by students Fia Barnes and Emz Snell through Trysport.

Paulo Caixeta dominated his category of -73kg, successfully winning all of his fights to make it to the finals where he came out with silver. Latif Miah won the bronze medal in the lightest weight category of -66kg.

Next up were the novice girls with club

captain Angela McIllmurray claiming the bronze in the -57kg group. Natalie Ravenhill once again showed great enthusiasm and sportsmanship in the -70kg.

In the advanced girls’ competition, Alumnus Kelly Minguet, who still trains with the club, won the university’s second gold medal of the day in -63kgs as well as winning the trophy for the best overall judo of the day, with some exceptional techniques.

Fia Barnes was also able to secure a

"Eneh came out on top and went on to win the gold in the category. This represents a fantastic achievement for someone who only started training with the club in September"

bronze medal, after emerging victorious in some tough fights with strong competition in the girls under 57kg.

The last event was the men’s intermediate teams. After fighting all morning, Birmingham’s Caixeta, Singh Heer and Eneh fought incredibly hard voluntarily competing against players who were a weight division higher than them so that the club could field a full team. The team also consisted of Sean Barber and Gavin Thompson who were both too high a grade to compete in the individuals.

Barber was fighting in the -66kg slot, where he consistently put in a great performance for the club in competition despite being against heavier opponents. First year Thompson debuted for UoB Judo in the -73kg slot and did not disappoint the club, winning his second fight within a very impressive eight seconds!

All the boys put in a massive effort, beating the Nottingham team in the first round, but were unfortunately defeated in the next when Singh Heer suffered an injury leaving

"Barber was fighting in the -66kg slot, where he consistently put in a great performance for the club in competition despite being against heavier opponents." the team a man down.

Special praise should go to Fia Barnes who despite also being a competitor did a fantastic job of motivating the team before the fighting started, and coaching the novice boys throughout their fights in the absence of club coach Fitzroy Davies.

The Judo team are now training hard for the BUCS Gatorade Nationals in Sheffield on the 22nd February, where they came 4th last year, a position which they will hope to improve upon this time round.

UoBJudo

30

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/sport

Sport

Redbrick Exclusive Bright future ahead for Birmingham Lions Josh Hunt caught up with Birmingham Lions coach Wayne Hill and team members to discuss the expansion of the team, including the launch of two new teams.

Already one of the University of Birmingham’s best known and most successful teams, this year the Birmingham Lions American football programme is broadening its horizons with the launch of two new teams, the Junior Lions and the Women’s Lions. Redbrick caught up with head coach Wayne Hill and some of the playing staff to discuss how things are shaping up.

‘It’s been a busy twelve months’ says Hill, ‘it’s been something that’s been on our roadmap for probably seven or eight years on developing a junior programme’. ‘We discussed the idea with our local partners, the Birmingham Bulls and Sandwell Steelers, because they tried to set up junior programmes previously with up and down success, so rather than them struggling with resources [and] struggling with coaches, it was looking at pooling resources to ensure that the players had a better experience’.

‘We’ve been running for six weeks before Christmas and we’ve been able to recruit during that period of time so we’ve got a core squad at the moment of about 35-40 players’

"Though you might imagine recruiting youngsters to play a lesser-known sport like American football would be a challenge for the Lions, that's not necessarily the case" In charge of the general management side of the junior team is a name very familiar to followers of the Lions, former star defensive back, Greg Freeman. Still contributing as a coach, Freeman explains ‘taking on the GM role has been probably more of a challenge just because it’s doing new things day to day that you wouldn’t usually have to fit into your schedule [but] it’s a path that I really enjoy’.

Catering for 16-19 year olds, the Junior Lions are part of Hill’s desire to get more involved with the local community and further the growth of American Football at a grassroots level. ‘We’ve been able to do a small amount of recruitment between the local teams that we’ve been partnered up with, also looking to develop that with schools and colleges links. We’ve got a good relationship with Joseph Chamberlain College...we’ve got further schools and colleges programmes with Joseph Chamberlain, Stourbridge College and Birmingham Met so there’s lots of development going on there, and we’re hoping to increase that schools and colleges presence which will spread the wealth of AF knowledge that we have within the programme, but also hope to act as a recruiting tool and bring that back into the junior programme.’

Though you might imagine recruiting youngsters to play a lesser-known sport like American football would be a challenge for the Lions, that’s not necessarily the case. ‘I

Charlotte Wilson think the proliferation of American football has meant that people have more respect for the sport’ says Freeman, ‘people probably previously thought it was rugby with pads on, but now they’re very much understanding that actually the level of athleticism is at an extreme level.'

For Jo Kilby, quarterback for the Women’s Lions, the newest addition to the Lions football family, spreading the word about the sport is the main obstacle to bringing in new faces. ‘I think the biggest issue is awareness...I never knew it existed at any level for women at a competitive level, [this] was just by chance. The big challenge is letting women know.’

Of course, recruiting players to the women’s team involves some extra challenges challenges Kilby recognises: ‘There are barriers to break down - women in what would traditionally be conceived as being a man’s sport. I think a lot of it is about making the opportunity known, giving the girls a crack at it. What we’ve found so far is it’s extremely inclusive. It caters for women of

"Despite the challenges, and the team still being in its infancy, the squad is showing impressive signs of growth, with 25 members" all shapes and sizes... you can’t have all skinny whippets or all big girls.’

‘Everybody playing football is pretty much a novice. Even the experienced girls have about six or eight months of practice so we’ve got uni girls coming in, non-uni girls...there’s a real community feel to it’.

Despite the challenges, and the team still being in its infancy, the squad is showing impressive signs of growth, with 25 members, four of them currently studying at the University, already signed up. For defensive player Nena Killick, who like Kilby comes

from a rugby playing background, the attendance at training sessions came as something of a surprise. ‘When you turned up to that first session [and] there were 25 or 26 people, I thought, this is going somewhere.’

Killick is confident in the future of the sport, and her team’s place within it: ‘It can only get stronger from where it is now’.

‘Every week there’s someone new...every week we have scrimmage and we’re playing ...no-one looks completely out of place.’

That confidence is echoed by Kilby.

‘There’s a massive opportunity for the sport to grow in general and there’s big expectations. The Lions are a real top tier team and I don’t think that the women would want to do anything but emulate that...there’s no reason why we can’t be one of the top one or two teams in the country’.

The Women’s Lions’ first ever fixture will take place on the 8th February against an as yet unnamed opponent. Anyone interested in getting involved should email the team at birminghamlionswm@gmail.com.

31st January - 6th February 2014

redbrick.me/sport

Things to look out for this weekend

Performance of the week

Tweet of the week

1. The Six Nations gets underway this weekend in Rugby Union with fans anticipating one of the closest ever battles for the title. Wales enter the tournament as narrow favourites, but England and France will certainly provide competitive challenges.

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@SimonPeach 'As much as I wish the rumours were true, I can confirm that the Dani Osvaldo altercation did not involve a sword.'

2. Manchester City host Chelsea on Monday night in a game between two of the favourites for the Premier League title.

With both teams entering into excellent form, this is sure to be a cracker.

Stanislas Wawrinka was this week toasting the greatest success of his career to date, after emerging victorious in the men's Australian Open final. Wawrinka overcame favourite Rafael Nadal in four sets in the final, having also knocked out second seed Novak Djokovic at the quarter final stage. It is the Swiss player's first slam and also sees him jump to third in the men's rankings.

3. After narrowly losing the opening game of their Twenty20 series, England will be hoping to level the series with victory in the next game.

The lighter side of sport

Weekend wager

1. Football side AFC Wimbledon this week reunited a fan with his false teeth.

The team took to Twitter after the dentures were left behind after a game against Exeter, with the plea proving successful.

15/2

2. One AFC Bournemouth fan this week reignited the debate over whether the FA Cup has lost it's magic. The young boy was seen asleep in the crowd as his side looked to cause an upset against Premier League side Liverpool.

With the Rugby Union Six Nations getting underway this weekend, there will be plenty of players hoping to lead their side to glory. Back Wales' George North to be the top tryscorer, as he looks to help his nation defend their title.

Photo of the week

Online this week

Sport quiz 1. Which side has won the most Six Nations titles?

2. Where is Roger Federer currently placed in the men's rankings?

3. How much did Juan Mata cost Manchester United?

4. Where were the last Winter Olympics held?

Top 5: Felix Keith picks his favourite managerial sackings after Paul Ince was informed of his sacking from Blackpool by text.

Six Nations preview: Tom Kelly previews each of the sides in this year's Six Nations tournament.

1.France 2.Eighth 3.ÂŁ37.1 million 4.Vancouver 5.Kevin Pietersen

What next for Manchester United?: Billy Proudlock looks at the dismal form of Manchester United under David Moyes and where they go from here.

5. Who was England's highest scoring batsman in the recent Ashes series?

The Redbrick Crossword

Successful completion of this week's crossword could win you a burrito from Go Mex, to warm you up on a cold winter's day.

Crossword by Tom Hutchinson

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

Name: Email Address: Phone Number:

Across

1. Foolish (4) 3. African or Asian large mammal (8) 9. "Here's Johnny!" (7) 10. Predatory bird, sometimes hairless (5) 11. Behaving in the manner of turning around an axis (12) 13. Of Yemen (6) 15. Intense, savage (6) 17. Miley Cyrus licks this (12) 20. Of the eye (5) 21. Not a happy Marx brother (7) 22. Review (8) 23. Rebellious counterculture (4)

Down

1. Wrecks, demolishes (8) 2. Pass out (5) 4. Roman army unit (6) 5. A person who speaks falsely (12) 6. Sharp edged (7) 7. Before now (4) 8. Easy targets (12) 12. Annual publication (8) 14. Citizen soldiers (7) 16. Connected shrubs (6) 18. __ Picchu, "Lost City of the Incas" (5) 19. Lacking finances (4)

1`2`~34`5`6`7 `~`~8~`~`~`~` 9``````~0```` `~`~`~`~`~`~` -```````````~ `~~~`~`~`~`~= q`w```~e````` `~`~`~r~`~~~` ~t````````y`` u~`~`~`~`~`~` i````~o`````` `~`~`~`~`~`~` p```````~[```

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31st January - 6th February 2014

Sport

P 30 - Josh Hunt looks at the current expansion process occurring with the Birmingham Lions team.

Brum leave it late to secure win

Matthew Williamson

Birmingham 1sts

3

Leeds Met 1sts

2

Chris Findlay Sports Reporter

On a dreary day Birmingham womens 1sts overcame second in the table Leeds Met 1sts. A light drizzle persisted throughout the 3-2 win making for a scrappy match. There were glimmers of quality evident from both sides and the game frequently threatened to burst to life but sadly the pitch was not conducive to exciting football.

While Durham are running away with the title, matters are much closer beneath them with few points separating a number of teams. This made a win for both sides

"While Durham are running away with the title, matters are much closer beneath them with few points separating a number of teams"

imperative.

Having been dropped off at the wrong pitch, Leeds had very little time to warm up and Birmingham looked to capitalise in the first 15 minutes. They started brightly with Laura Cooper looking menacing on the left and managing to get away a few ambitious shots. They were dominating possession but not quite able to convert it into goals. As expected Leeds started to grow into the game after about ten minutes and managed to get behind Birmingham’s back three for the first time only to fluff an excellent chance. That proved to be the catalyst Birmingham needed and on 20 minutes they took the lead. A long ball forward was well controlled and spread right to Pip Cassidy, she brought it forward and sent in a delightful ball for Eve McGill to put away. It was a deserved lead and Birmingham nearly doubled it a few minutes later only for the goal to be ruled offside.

Leeds had not really created much but they had a big side and when they won a corner in the 26th minute it was finished by an excellent towering header. Still Birmingham controlled the game but with three minutes of the half remaining Leeds managed to make it 2-1. Amy Edwards

"The win leaves them safe from relegation but on this evidence they look like a team who should be higher in the league than their opponents" failed to deal with what seemed a routine save, seeing the ball wriggle into the net.

The first half finished with Birmingham on top but somehow behind. The midfield five were dominating the middle of the park with Izzy Christiansen showing why she’s made the England squad. She was ably supported by Nell Boxall and Chloe Brown.

They worked hard up and down the pitch, rarely giving away possession and constantly breaking up Leeds’s attacks. It was a testament to Birmingham’s coach that they played the often tricky 3-5-2 formation with such confidence and skill with each player clearly aware of their role.

Birmingham needed to keep their heads up at the start of the second half and they did just that. On 49 minutes Eve McGill made a good run into the box and was brought down, with Izzy Christiansen calmly slotting away the spot kick to restore parity. Much of the rest of the half saw Birmingham in pos-

session but unable to find the cutting edge.

The pitch was holding up reasonably well but the play was generally stop start. On 65 minutes a Birmingham corner found Ash Hargreaves at the far post but she could only steer it just wide.

Just when it seemed the game would peter out into a draw Birmingham scored the winner. The continual cries from the bench for the team to shoot more paid off.

Christiansen loaded a free-kick into the box where it found its way to the feet of Pip Cassidy inside the penalty area, who cut back past two players and fired in the goal.

A deserved goal for both the team and player who had played well, especially in the first half, and delivered a number of dangerous balls into the box. The final ten minutes were an exhibition of keep ball as Birmingham wound down the clock.

This was a deserved win for Birmingham which sees them go third in the league.

Their defence did not deserve to concede two goals and their control of the game brightened a fairly dismal day. The win leaves them safe from relegation but on this evidence they look like a team who should be higher in the league than their opponents.