Issue 1384

Redbrick turns 75 Special Edition on pages 2-3

Redbrick

The University of Birmingham's Student Newspaper since 1936

Friday 11th Feburary 2011 Volume 75 | Issue 1384 redbrickonline.co.uk

INVESTIGATION EXCLUSIVE

Students enraged by substandard letting agent Tenants suffer from unfairly held deposits and uncommunicative landlords

Helen Crane & Glen Moutrie News Editors

Selly Oak letting agency Rooms4every1, trading as Gentle Properties Limited, has been suspended from their accreditation with the MLAS (Midland Landlord Association Scheme), Redbrick has learned.

Several University of Birmingham students had experienced issues surrounding property maintenance and deposits.

Erasmus student, Thibault Deblache, had £317.98 of a £520 deposit withheld by his landlord; one of the more common complaints with regards to Rooms4every1.

The charges included a £227 invoice for cleaning service, in respect of which the adjudicator from 'MyDeposits'- the firm that acts as a third party with regards to housing deposits for multiple Rooms4every1 lettings- stated ‘contract cleaners are available in Birmingham at £70 to £100 per day. The cleaning required at the property as evidenced from the check out report would in my view have taken a professional cleaner no more than a day to do.’ The landlord had also failed to provide evidence for the state of the household prior the letting.

‘It is for the landlord to establish by evidence that, on the balance of probabilities, the tenant was in breach of his obligations under the tenancy agreement’, which when accumulated with the evidence against them, meant that the landlord was only allowed to withhold £90 of the £317.98. This lead to a repayment of 72% of what was originally withheld from the tenant’s original deposit.

One student, who wished to remain anonymous, lived in a Rooms4every1 property last academic year. He claimed that he and his housemates have been unfairly charged for numerous reasons.

Although they accept some of the charges incurred in their end-

Rooms4Every1's Bristol Road office of-tenancy invoice, they believe that over £400 of their original deposit was deducted unfairly.

This was either for damage that the tenants say they did not cause, or for repairs they believe should have been covered by the ‘service charge’ which they paid as part of their rent.

For example, the contract stated that the tenants would be charged £2 per week for the occasional removal of rubbish, yet they were also charged an extra £35 for the removal of rubbish from the garden in their deposit invoice at the end of the year. They were also

charged £30 for the removal of rubbish from an adjoining alleyway which they claim was there before they moved into the property.

He also mentioned discrepancies over what could and could not be charged for. On moving into the property he claims that a previously broken door handle was reported to Rooms4every1. This was replaced, but the tenants were not made aware that they would be charged for it until their invoice at the end of the year.

The student added that on two occasions repairmen used a key to

gain access to the house through his bedroom without prior warning as required by the tenancy agreement.

He said of Rooms4every1 that: ‘They do not respect student’s privacy and they will try to cut corners with repairs and then make students pay for them whether it is their fault or not.’

A second student, who again wished to remain anonymous, claims to be owed over £250 in unfair deductions from her deposit by the lettings agency. As an example, she pointed to a charge for the removal of rubbish- in this case

Mike Roberts

£7.50 - in an area which was shared by other houses and shops. The student claims that the rubbish was not theirs and could have come from any of the surrounding buildings.

Continued on page 5

2

redbrickonline.co.uk

75

Redbrick

11th February 2011

WS

UILD NE

xciting

G formerly

g, bold, e

, bitin frivolous

Happy Birthday Redbrick!

Editor Samuel Lear Deputy Editors Victoria Shires Sam Langtree Online Editor Micaela Winter Treasurer Jonathan Craven Art Director Thomas Walters Chief Photographer Mike Roberts chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk Technical Director Jeremy Levett Crossword Editor John Rizkallah News Editors Helen Crane Glen Moutrie Anna Hughes news@redbrickonline.co.uk Features Editors Rosa McMahon Seb Mann features@redbrickonline.co.uk Film Editors Elmley de la Cour Matt Davis film@redbrickonline.co.uk Arts & Culture Editors James Reevell Alexander Blanchard arts@redbrickonline.co.uk Music Editors Will Franklin Charlie Bailey music@redbrickonline.co.uk Television Editors Joe McGrath Amber Alexander tv@redbrickonline.co.uk

Lifestyle Editors Briony Singh Rob Lewis lifestyle@redbrickonline.co.uk Food Editors Harriet Constable Dami Olugbode food@redbrickonline.co.uk Travel Editors Ed Gordon James Cull travel@redbrickonline.co.uk Sport Editors James Phillips Simon Hall sport@redbrickonline.co.uk

It is a great honour to be able to introduce this special edition. Not for the first time, Redbrick has become the life of another student at this University, and I have found being able to contribute in some small part to its rich history is truly a blessing.

Weeks of work have been put into its composition – and I should like to thank Thomas Walters, Mike Roberts and Victoria Shires for their tireless endeavours, delving deeply into our archives in the special collections section of the Muirhead Tower. We discovered some truly fascinating material, and we have done our best to provide some very selective highlights. It is well worth a visit. Special thanks to Beth Richardson and Josie Byrne for their impeccable illustrations.

I should also like to thank our contributors Lizo Mzimba, Nick Carson, Adelene Buckland, Abigail Radnor and Tom Young, as well as Helen Fisher, who made our research into the archives and Redbrick's history as smooth as possible, and enjoyable.

Redbrick doesn't seem 75 – far from slowing down, it has become a modern, sharp and innovative mouthpiece for the students of this fine University, seeking always to get right to the heart of everything that matters, and hopefully it will do so for another 75 years yet.

Lizo Mzimba

Online Sport Editor Joseph Audley

BBC Entertainments Correspondant Rebrick Reviews Editor 1992

Technology Editors Stuart Gittings Manpreet Pangli technology@redbrickonline.co.uk

Looking back, I can't think of a more apt representation of my time at Birmingham than my last Law final.

The first half of the exam was spent racing through the required essay questions. The second half carefully drafting by hand an article that had to be delivered by 5.30pm. I'd like to say that this was an accurate reflection of the proportion of time

Editorial Assistants Victoria Bull Rochelle Balach Laura Hewitt Vikki Jeff Will Hunter Kate Selvaratnam Online Editorial Assistants Charmaine Katz Becky Sibson Danielle Fox Sophie MurrayMorris Junior Art Directors Lauren Wheatley Jazzarie Lee Bethany Richardson Copy Editors Rebecca Marshall Sian Stanfield Olivia Wilson Rosie Pearce Charlotte Goodwin Anna Lumsden Elsa Heath

Designed and typeset by Redbrick.

Copyright (C) Redbrick 2011 Redbrick strives to uphold the NUJ Code of Conduct. The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers.

If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

To contact us: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickonline.co.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint. com: 08451 300667.

Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 or a.fitzpatrick@guild.bham.ac.uk

Volume 1 Issue 1 5 Feb 1936

Malcolm X visits the Guild

Feb 17th 1965 At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, shortly after the Tories secured a shock victory in Birmingham Smethwick with the slogan of 'If you want a n****r for a neighbour vote Labour' Malcolm X paid a visit to campus. Speaking to the Islamic society, Mr. X spoke 'in polished style...he described the muslim faith, the black muslim movement in the USA, [and] his split away from that movement'. Students were 'begged...to not do anything disorderly'.

Student activism

2010 saw the biggest student protest of recent times, but throughout Redbrick's history it has covered student activism. In 1968, several hundred students occupied the Aston Webb building for over a week with banner making, and speeches in the Great Hall, and several students sleeping in the Vice Chancellor's office. In 1976 students occupied the clock tower for 24 hours. Throughout the 70s and 80s protests continued in reaction to Education Reform Bills and other legislation. Even the University's telephone exchange was broken into!

Furthermore, students have played an active role in rights movements with Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of blood' speech in 1968 resulting in large protests across campus.

A huge privilege and an amazing responsibility spent on academic work and Redbrick. But that would be rather too generous to my Law degree. To be fair I did a lot of coursework, but I spent a spectacular amount of time on student media. Not to lay the groundwork of a future career, but because I'd discovered I loved writing. To borrow from the BBC's original remit, the fact that you could educate, inform and entertain people around you at University was a huge privilege and an amazing responsibility. It's something Redbrick's been doing fantastically well for 75 years now. It's wonderful to look back and know I played a very small part in that.

Renamed Redbrick Sep 28th 1962

Redbrick Music

Joy Division

played at High Hall (Chamberlain) on 20th May 1980. The performance was recorded and contributed to the album Still. Shortly after Ian Curtis, the bands lead singer, committed suicide in Macclesfield, making the concert Joy Division's last ever gig.

Paul McCartney and the Wings

'casually drove up to the Union at 5.15pm on Monday [21st 1972] and asked if they could play that evening'. By 7pm word had spread and 200 crammed into the Guild entrance. Over 700 attended the impromptu concert in the Deb hall. Somehow we doubt a band would do this now!

Redbrick

3

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Investigative Journalism Over the seventy five years, Redbrick has printed numerous investigative stories, ranging from a look behind the Iron Curtain, an exposé into prostitution and how Government policy has affected poverty in Birmingham. Only last year, Redbrick was running front pages on Britannia Letting Agents and Falcon Cars, and how both affect our students. As is evident from today's front page, providing quality investigative is at the forefront of Redbrick's aims.

Britannia

Falcon

One of the primary aims of the editorial team of 2009/10 was to reignite its investigative journalist roots. After weeks of gathering evidence and research, James Green's article exposing Britannia Letting Agents, and their incompetence brought this common student problem to light.

Just a week after the Britannia piece, Redbrick was once again running stories that truly affected the students. Our current Editor, Samuel Lear's front page on the derecognised taxi firm, Falcon Cars, revealed the disreputable company and their ambitions to mislead UoB students.

27th November 2009

Topless front covers

4th December 2009

Aston Webb sit in

Abigail Radnor

Always a student publication to be controversial...

Brad and Jennifer’s marriage, the shamefully irresistible joy of an

'my editor let me run wild' Ugg boot and how Emma Thompson is simply the greatest female role model alive. Well, at least the last one was semi-worthy. I think so anyway'.

Adelene Buckland

'My main memory of being Sports Editor at Redbrick consists of the long Wednesday nights in the basement of the Guild piecing together the final few pages of the paper. I'd be there struggling with layouts on QuarkXpress and spending hours fiddling around with elaborate Adobe Photoshop cut-outs while Joe's Bar launched into action in the room above. Snakebite would literally seep through the ceiling and the smell of sweaty sporties on the lash made for tough working conditions. I hear things are a lot slicker now...

"The co-ordinating committee of the 500 students who are occupying the Great Hall...meeting yesterday round the Vice-Chancellor's table. Below the table are their sleeping bags and blankets."

December 1st 1968

Be it deciphering the hockey team's nicknames (he's just called 'The Chicken'), grade A headline puns ('Imperial Leathered') or when one of my backpages landed me in deep trouble with the Student Union President, it was a hugely fun and important part of my university life. Eight years on and I'm still plugging away in the media and am currently working for the BBC, a career path which once saw me fetch a Kit Kat for John Motson'.

Nick Carson

University Lecturer Redbrick Editor 2002

works for Future Publishing Redbrick News Sub Editor 2002-2003

Redbrick was the best - and the scariest experience of my university career. I was Editor from 2002-2003, and in my hands almost everything went wrong. Luckily my boyfriend Patrick - he's now my husband - was one of my Deputy Editors, so I could throw the fiercest of tantrums at 2 o'clock on a Thursday morning when the PDFs wouldn't send to the printer and nobody

sent, and I'd spend half the day missing seminars and lectures in an increasingly frantic attempt to meet the deadline. There were arguments aplenty too - with sports teams smarting from the terrible puns we used to describe them in our straplines, or with Guild Vice-President nominees who thought our coverage was biased. But it was brilliant.

'Redbrick was the best and scariest - experience of my University career'

Neither Patrick nor I went into journalism in the end but we made some lovely friends and some great memories, and we managed to learn the odd thing or two at the same time. I'm still proud that somehow we managed to turn out a newspaper (more or less) every week, and working on Redbrick meant we got to know the campus and the University better than we ever could have done on our own. He's a teacher, and he still uses all those Photoshop skills to make resources in the classroom, and I'm a University Lecturer - I guess I'm still not ready to give up campus life!

would know about it but him. We wanted to give Redbrick the feel of a broadsheet, so we experimented with the colour, hoping to turn it from red-top red to a subtle and sophisticated burgundy. Week on week it landed on campus in a variety of shocking shades of pink, purple, puce, and puke.

Every Thursday the printer would call me at 7 am to say one of the pages hadn't

BBC Assistant Content Producer Rebrick Sports Editor 2003

'Snakebite would literally seep through the ceiling'

Editorial Assistant, The Times Magazine Redbrick Writer 2003-2007 'This isn’t a cop out. I am not usually so incapable of making a decision or forging an opinion (just ask my colleagues). It’s just that when asked to share my favourite memory of writing for Redbrick I am, quite frankly, stumped. If only because each feature I contributed was an exercise in utter joy. My editor let me run wild so that I was allowed to take up her column inches with any matter I held dear to my heart at that time. On reflection, I could’ve used this unparalleled commissioning freedom to shed light on injustices around the world. Instead, I chose to report on the tragedy of the end of

Tom Young

'One of my most memorable episodes concerned an ex-student who was threatening legal action against the Guild. I won't reveal too many details in case he's still feeling litigious, but suffice to say we ran a story (balanced, of course!) that in turn provoked

'the chain of opportunities' several strongly-worded reader letters, including one person who'd dealt with this guy before. Always game for a bit of controversy, we published it, and inadvertently managed to stir up a hornets' nest. He was facing trial, and a reference within the letter put us in contempt of court. To cut a long story short, we had to lock the entire printrun inside a room, tear out every letters page, and pulp it. Despite this little hiccup, we still got it out on campus on time – losing a day's worth of TV guide on the other side – and got a valuable on-the-job lesson

in media law into the bargain.

Of course, the night shifts on deadline Wednesdays were hard work, back in the day when the Guild let us stay beavering away 'til 2 or 3 in the morning running Quark XPress on our creaking iMacs. With the chants and thuds of partying students above (and sometimes wandering, or falling, into the office in search of the toilets), it was sometimes a stretch to convince yourself it was all worth it. But in the end, I think Redbrick actually played a bigger role in getting me my job than my English degree did: I got my first big freelance break for a Channel 4 website when an editor (and Birmingham alumnus) got in touch with the paper in search of writers, and gradually moved up the ranks until I ended up editing a national magazine for them. Eight years later, I'm at Future Publishing down in Bath editing an international design magazine – and I'm pretty sure I can trace the chain of opportunities that led me there back to those long shifts in the basement dungeon'.

Politics Hundreds of politicians have visited our university. They've given us interviews, delivered speeches on campus and even sparked off protests. Redbrick has been there to cover it all,. We even made it into 'spin alley' at the BBC's prime ministerial debate. (pictures left to right: Enoch Powell, Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, David Cameron, and Tony Blair).

Right - 1991, the first Gulf War how times have changed...

4 News This week in statistics

10,000 The estimated number of uniformed police officer posts that will be cut by 2013, at least.

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie and Anna Hughes

4

58

365

The number of days in a school week that North Ayrshire Council in Scotland is considering for its primary and secondary schools to cope with planned funding cuts.

The age of Thin Lizzy's rock guitarist Gary Moore who has died in a hotel room in Spain.

The number of marathons 'Marathon Man' or Stefaan Engels from Belgium has completed in a year, which is now a new world record.

Uproar over 'anti-Semitic' comment Edwina Moorhouse Senior Reporter

Following the talk by Mike Prysner a fortnight ago the Guild of Students has received numerous complaints of racism and antiSemitism on the part of Friends of Palestine who hosted the event.

In what was deemed a 'ludicrous comparison' by Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism Officer Joseph Moses, Mr Prysner compared Israeli citizens to Nazis and Gaza to a concentration camp in his discussion of his experiences in Iraq and the Gaza strip.

Mr Prysner was challenged in his statement by the ARAF officer at the talk, but chose reiterate it by saying 'you can definitely draw an equals sign [between Israelis and the Nazis].'

There has been some contention as to whether or not Mr Prysner was applauded in relation to those remarks specifically, although witnesses have confirmed he received a standing ovation during the question and answer session. VPSAD Matt Lamb has confirmed that Mr Prysner's presence on campus was approved by the Guild and Sabbatical officers who signed off the forms, although stating 'there is always a risk when you invite an external speaker.'

The charges of anti-Semitism are founded within the Guild policy on racism according to EUMC

guidelines which, after being amended by Fabian Neuner, were adopted last year. The guidelines, which the NUS accepted 4 years ago, state that anti-Semitism includes 'drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.'

President of Friends of Palestine, Faris Karouni, told Redbrick that 'Mr Prysner was comparing the state-sponsored oppression of one people with that of another people, and not generalising about about the beliefs of any religion.'

Further criticism has been lev-

elled at the timing of the event by members of Jsoc because of its close proximity to the University's Holocaust Memorial service.

Former President of Jsoc Elliott Park said the timing had 'dampened the mood' of the service, although according to Friends of Palestine they had no choice in the date as Mike Prysner requested it. Faris Karouni has also argued that the time of the event was rearranged to 1pm so that there would be no clash with the memorial service.

Tension has increased on campus because the remarks made by

Mike Prysner giving his talk on campus

Sinead McVeigh

Mr Prysner have received over sixty complaints, including a verbal complaint from Jsoc who requested some form of disciplinary action.

Talking to Redbrick, Elliott Park said that they decided to take action after the 'grassroots' backlash from their members and calls for action. It was in light of the complaints that Friends of Palestine posted a blog entitled 'Point of Clarification' which stated 'the views expressed in this particular talk do not always reflect the views of Friends of Palestine or its members,' although Elliot Park deemed this 'not a satisfying apology.'

Despite the unofficial disclaimer supported by the VPSAD, Friends of Palestine were subsequently informed that the remarks made at the talk were being taken through the complaints procedure and that derecognition was a possibility.

A decision is expected to be made by the Student Group Committee next week. Joseph Moses said that 'you can be antiIsrael without being anti-Semitic; however, this event clearly was the latter' adding it was his job to 'safeguard students from racism.'

Should the society be de-recognised, Faris Karouni said they would appeal against the decision and strive to improve their base on campus.

Poll

Ravina Khela asked 100 students: Do you agree with David Cameron that multiculturalism in the UK has failed?

Last week David Cameron criticised 'state multiculturalism' as part of his speech at a security conference in Munich. He called for a tougher stance on extremism and a 'stronger sense of national identity'.

Cameron said: 'Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and apart from the mainstream. We've failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong.

We've even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run completely counter to our values.'

University to collaborate with Nottingham Owen Earwicker Reporter

The Vice Chancellor, David Eastwood, announced last Thursday a new plan for greater collaboration with the University of Nottingham.

Eastwood and University of Nottingham Vice Chancellor David Greenaway aim to create grounds for cooperation on areas such as research, teaching and entering new international markets.

A shared combination of resources will provide a 'framework for collaboration', which if successful, will set a model for other universities to follow. But fears of job losses and cuts have led some to believe this could be a move to merge the two institutions.

The partnership will see greater cooperation on, in particular, postgraduate teaching. Suggestions have even been made that degree certificates at this level could have the crests of both universities on them.

On this Vice Chancellor Greenaway said, 'It happens internationally. If it happens internationally, why can't it happen in the UK?' There is also a move to work together on overseas projects,

including shared ventures on foreign campuses. This is an area which Nottingham leads, with its successful campuses in South East Asia, and plans for a new campus in Shanghai.

The two Vice Chancellors are also planning a joint mission to South America this summer, with views to opening a joint recruitment office.

In an interview with the Times Higher Education, Eastwood refuted this.

'Are we going to merge? No. Are we going to dissolve our identities into one another? No. We are two strong, independent, autonomous universities and we intend to be two even stronger, independent, autonomous universities.'

Professor Eastwood went on to say: 'This is not a cost-cutting exercise and both universities are committed to academic investment.' However the Times Higher Education suggests that a joint move on shared services could help deliver savings.

In a press release, it was announced that such a partnership would slash the two universities' budgets by ÂŁ1 billion.

David Rudge, second year, said that 'cost-cutting is okay as long as it doesn't severely affect jobs. Nottingham is a good univer-

sity. But after the tuition fee rises, in general I'm a bit suspicious of what David Eastwood says.'

William Hussey, first year, said that 'at the end of the day we are all having to tighten our belts at the moment, universities in

particular. Savings are probably a good thing.'

However Laura Megatli, first year, countered this, saying that 'we need to protect Birmingham's interests first. Staff cuts can't be in our best interest.'

A view of Nottingham University's Trent Building

Nottingham University currently ranked 20th in the Times university league table compared to Birmingham's 22. It also has a campus in Ningbo, China and one in Malaysia.

Flick @fibblesan

This week in statistics

370k

People Lee Horton defrauded over eight years.

The amount of money in pounds former sports editor of The

Freddie Herzog

£200m

14

The age of the boy who babysat his three yearold brother in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, prompting their mother to receive a police caution.

The amount Birmingham City Council is spending on a new library in Centenary Square.

Rooms4Every1 loses accreditation from MLAS Continued from page 1 She said: 'I am really upset about it still. To them that money is nothing but to a student it is a lot. Clearly they don't have a conscience.'

Frankie Ward, now a graduate of the University, rented a property with Rooms4Every1 in the 2008-9 academic year. She experienced issues similar to the aforementioned students with her deposit, but these have since been rectified.

However, her complaints against the practices of the lettings agency regarding repairs have been numerous.

She claimed: 'One of the worst things was when I came downstairs on the first day of the semester (just before 9am) to find the bathroom door off the hinges, two men I'd never met before in the bathroom and the heavy door on the fridge, so I couldn't eat before my lecture or even use the toilet.

They rarely told us when work was being done.'

Frankie also claims that Rooms4Every1 were unprofessional in their dealings with her.

The cheque she received for her

original deposit repayment had different amounts in the written and numerical spaces. Written correspondence was also signed 'Accounts' rather than by a real person. The company also end their invoices with a note stating that once a deposit re-payment of any amount is accepted no further claims can be made.

When trying to contact Rooms4Every1 via telephone about their deposits, the students have reportedly been told on numerous occasions that the relevant employee is not in the office. There have also been issues with the company re-

Freddie Herzog

fusing to communicate with anyone but the elected 'head tenant' of a household via email; they reserve the right to insist upon this through clause 2.6 in the contract.

Although the deposits are protected by the government-accredited 'MyDeposits' scheme, there is a three-month time limit after vacating the property after which a claim cannot be made.

Due to students often leaving Birmingham soon after their tenancy ends this time limit can be difficult to adhere to. Two students have confirmed to Redbrick that they have contacted the Citizens Advice Bureau regarding this matter.

A Facebook group has also been created by students to discuss matters surrounding the lettings agency, which currently has around 50 members.

Rooms4Every1 told Redbrick that they have been a large landlord for a long time and that there are always two sides to every situation, and that MyDeposits had found in their favour on many occasions. They apologised if any student felt they had been treated unfairly.

Students should avoid 'soft subjects' at A Level Edward Robinson Reporter

The Russell Group, the elite collection of research-intensive universities that counts the University of Birmingham as a member, has published guidance for school pupils wishing to study at one of the UK's top 20 universities.

In the 'Informed Choices', document the group details the best A-Level choices for pupils aspiring to study at a Russell Group institution.

Breaking cover for the first time on whether all A-Levels are viewed equally by admission tutors, the guide states that studying traditional academic subjects will leave pupils with a better chance at universities which require more rigorous A-Level grades.

The document reports that English, maths, natural sciences, modern languages and history or geography will leave 'open as many options as possible' for school leavers who are continuingly facing more competition for places.

The report makes it clear that choosing not to study any of the above subjects will close off many degree courses at more competitive universities.

The document challenges pupils choosing not to study the

News 5

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Helen Crane, Glen Moutrie and Anna Hughes

group's preferred subjects, asking if students are taking the 'easy option'.

The authors state that in many other countries, pupils are required to study a much wider range of subjects at an advanced level, similar to pupils who leave school with International Baccalaureate qualifications. The guide also states that A-Level choices not only affect a student's prospective university applications but also their career following graduation.

The so-called 'Informed Choices' guide is certainly alarming

– Dora Meredith

With many graduate employers now demanding A-Level and GCSE grades, choices made at sixteen have even more relevance on a student's career path.

The Russell Group's Director General, Dr Wendy Piatt, has stated that making the right academic

choice at school and college was 'crucial' for a student's later opportunities.

Guild President Dora Meredith said, 'The so-called 'Informed Choices' guide as published by the Russell Group last week, is certainly alarming. To inform students to disregard alleged 'soft subjects' such as media and business studies completely undermines the hard work of those students currently studying such courses.

'The incentive to attend university should not solely be to gain a qualification. By encouraging students to choose subjects at ALevel merely to ensure a place at university as opposed to supporting them in their real interests will only have a detrimental effect on the aspiration of many students who are already deterred by the expense of higher education.

'Furthermore, if the economy is to recover then it's key that we have a skilled and varied workforce, to eliminate the drive for students to study non-core subjects can only have a negative impact.

'I strongly hope that universities will see sense and that this report won't affect student choice.'

See overleaf for further analysis in Comment and Features

1,000

The speed in miles per hour of the world's fastest car, which is being devleloped in Britain, called the Bloodhound.

University budgets slashed for 2011/12 James Brilliant Reporter

University and college budgets for the 2011-12 academic year will be slashed by nearly one billion pounds, according to the HEFCE. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which funds universities on behalf of the government has announced an allocation of £6.5b for next year covering teaching, research, buildings and other areas, with grants to individual institutions set to be decided by the Board on March 3rd.

The cut, which represents an overall 9.5% fall in university funding compared to this year, has caused alarm amongst universities, with Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE admitting the figures represented a 'challenging financial settlement', arguing however that he wanted to 'minimise uncertainty in a difficult transitional year' before the tuition fee cap trebles at the start of the 201213 academic year.

Approximately £4.3b has been allocated towards teaching, a reduction of £180m (4.5%), whilst

£1.5b will go towards research culminating in a cut of £17.4m or 1.1%; a result of funding 'being allocated more selectively by prioritising internationally excellent and world leading research'.

HEFCE has admitted that these research grants will in future be concentrated on departments of higher quality, at bigger, more prestigious universities meaning some less renowned institutions are inevitably set to miss out.

HEFCE has also announced that for the first time universities will face an earlier in-year cut for this academic year too, with universities and colleges now receiving £190m less than they had been expecting between now and the summer.

The cuts have also come amid unprecedented demand for university places, with UCAS announcing nearly 600,000 applications had been received for degree courses starting in September 2011 – the highest figures since UCAS started collecting data in 1964.

Universities meanwhile will continue to face strict controls and fines at £3,750 per student should they exceed their cap on places.

Student view: entry requirements

David Roberts African Studies, 1st year 'Students who don't meet entry requirements shouldn't get a place ahead of those who do, especially as getting into university is so competitive.

Jamie Taylor Philosophy, 1st year 'I think it is fair to allow those who failed to meet their entry requirements onto a course, as long as they only narrowly missed out on them.

India Brett African Studies & Art History, 1st year

Elizabeth O'Connor History & English, 2nd year 'If students do fail to meet their entry requirements it isn't fair if they gain a place at that university, as other people have had to work harder in order to ensure they meet their requirements.

'I think that too much emphasis is placed upon A-levels, as international qualifications and experience are just as important.'

6 redbrickonline.co.uk

11th February 2011

Comment & Features The Lecture Peter Kerr

Senior Lecturer in Politics

The Tyranny of the Stupids Last summer I considered throwing off the shackles of academia and trying my hand at penning a fantasy novel. I had an idea for a story about a fictional country which systematically eliminates all forms of clever or progressive ideas, leaving only Stupid people in charge to rule the land with Stupid policies which are backed by a Stupid minority with Stupidly devastating effects. I contemplated the title 'The Tyranny of the Stupids' to denote the repressive effect that such a regime might have on enlightened opinion. Eventually though, I binned the idea; reasoning that no-one would believe that such a Stupid series of events could possibly ever unfold.

Since then, I've been devastated to find that my novel idea has already been snatched from under my nose. Indeed, on a little island, not too far distant from our own green and pleasant one, a bunch of surprisingly dim-witted political leaders, elected by a not-too-clever minority of the electorate, have set themselves the most extraordinarily Stupid task of dismantling nearly all the great ideas and institutions that had once made that island the envy of the globe.

These new leaders had been elected during a period of great economic turmoil; a problem which had been created by another group of Stupid people – a group so stupid they have become known as the Bonkers. The Bonkers had created economic ruin and the first action of the newly elected Stupid political leaders was to allow them huge bonuses to thank them for all the Stupid decisions they'd made.

In the meantime, the Stupid political leaders then decided that the best way to cure the economic problems would be to close down lots of businesses and remove lots of people from their jobs, thereby making sure that no-one had any money to spend. Having taken many peoples' jobs away, the Stupid political leaders then decided that the next best idea would be to punish those same people for not having a job, subsequently removing many of the welfare benefits which previous generations of Clever politicians had put in place.

Finally, the Stupid political leaders stumbled across a really Big plan for building a Big Community where everybody would get involved in helping to make the island a better place. As such, the Stupid politicians decided that the best way to build this Big Community would be to stop spending any money on those communities by cutting all the community groups who had the knowledge of how those communities could be improved.

Throughout all of this, the Clever people tried to object and asked the Stupid political leaders to stop making such Stupid decisions. But, then something extraordinary happened; the Clever people were all dismissed as being Stupid.

As I said, it was a stupid idea for a novel; no-one would ever believe it would they?

Redbrick

Admissions behind closed doors

A recent Ofqual study called for universities to be less guarded about their admissions criteria. Olivia Thomson sets out to uncover whether the University of Birmingham frowns on so-called 'soft-subjects'

University of Birmingham

O

n 4th February this year the influential Russell Group of universities (including Birmingham), in collaboration with the Institute of Career Guidance, published Informed Choices.

The guide is specifically created to advise students considering postGCSE education about how their subject decisions can affect eligibility for university courses.

Increased competition for university places in recent years has led to national debate regarding subject choice for Advanced Level study, and scrutiny of the various, and sometimes misleading, advice pupils receive from teachers and universities. Whilst courses with obvious career outcomes such as Medicine or Dentistry are notorious for demanding particular A-Levels, courses with more subjective entry will also expect certain skills developed after GCSEs (particularly at more competitive universities).

Current debate focuses on what advice is accessible to school pupils and the extent to which top universities have a preference for academic subjects. Equally similar articles in The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Independent indicated bias for the 'challenge' posed by so-called 'hard' subjects (typically Maths, the three Sciences, English, History, Geography and Languages) over other 'soft' subjects; however, such sweeping

statements and descriptions are rejected by admissions tutors.

Helen Johnson, Deputy Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Birmingham University, confronts some of the misinterpretations regarding A-Level subject preference. An acknowledged supporter of the Russell Group guide, which redefines the core academic subjects aforementioned as 'facilitating', she clarifies that there is no particular prejudice against any particular subject individually (as has been indicated by national media).

Reinforcing the advice in Informed Choices, Ms Johnson maintains that it is 'common sense' and a consideration for the overall combination of subjects which will serve future students best. Indecision is not always problematic; Alevels supporting one's interests and passions will naturally support the choice of a similarly attractive course at university.

Naturally, each individual course will be supported by different A-Levels, but this information is readily available to prospective students via university prospectuses and websites. General Studies is a frequently quoted secondary subject, but most universities explicitly communicate their perspectives; Cambridge, for example, regard it suitable only as a fourth subject on their website.

At Birmingham, as at many

other top universities, most important overall is a student's apparent potential to succeed and thrive upon their desired course. A-Level choices and grades help determine

Naturally, each individual course will be supported by different A-Levels; but this information is readily available to prospective students via university prospectuses and websites this; they must be relevant and have relevant skills. For example, Charlie Kydd, a current first year student at Birmingham, applied to do Sport and Exercise Science with A-Levels in PE, Biology and Art, and was asked for (and gained) ABB including Biology. Art as an A-Level here is not an issue; her other two subjects are pertinent to her course and demonstrate both interest and aptitude in the correct areas. Had she applied for the

course with A-levels in Art, Media Studies and History, the application would have suggested a lack of commitment when the subjects at A-Level do not correspond with course content.

The above reinforces how grades can be just as important as subject choice. Birmingham, as a primarily academic institution, is introducing a standard entrance requirement of three B grades at A-level for 2011 entry. Whilst BTec qualifications are accepted in many cases (particularly when supported with one or two A-Levels), Helen Johnson agrees that this restricts students to certain courses because of their vocational conception and lack of examination assessment; all Birmingham courses include some form of exam. This is not of course the case with other institutions, but is common among academically-focused Russell Group universities.

The demand for increased transparency across admissions has been recognised in the publication of Informed Choices. However, it reinforces the fact that information about courses and universities are readily available to students.

Advice on A-Level choices may be less evident; but the university experience in itself demands that students conduct independent research, and actively seeking out information about potential courses is the first example of this.

Higher Education in North Africa Following the Egyptian crisis, what are the differences in a university experience?

Zahra Kassamali, Anisa Ather Commentators

Recently students in the UK have experienced turbulent times.

Higher education reform will mean that fewer students are able to afford the privilege of a university education. Last year saw a surge in political activism on university campuses, with students in Birmingham amongst those who made national TV due their innovative role in campus protests and demonstrations.

However, student political presence extends far beyond the UK. In Egypt and Tunisia, students have recently been affected by their government's policies in a far more sinister way than our own.

In Tunisia, where one third of the population is under 25, the political voice of the youth is amongst the loudest. It was the youth who took the banner of the revolution after Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest to the continuingly repressive nature of the regime. The revolution was then filtered down to the rest of the population, with the older masses taking to the streets.

Likewise in Egypt, the revolution has been nicknamed 'thawaratul shabab', which from Arabic roughly translates as 'Revolution of the Youth'. Across Egypt, universities have shut down as protests run into the third week.

During the day students can be found on the roads protesting, by night they are seen patrolling the streets, many feeling pressurized to purchase weapons to defend themselves. Here in the UK, our revolution has been fighting against fees and cuts to student education.

Moreover, when examining the universities of Tunisia and Egypt, corruption appears to be an integral part of both systems: a trickle-down effect of the corruption endemic in both countries as a whole. At Egypt's University of Mansoura we found surprising

Comment & Features 7

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

examples of corruption. This includes reports of lecturers expecting flattery, presents and evidence of students buying their books in return for decent grades. The way to achieve good grades is therefore not necessarily through hard work, but by simply knowing how to work the system. In Tunisia, the educational system is influenced and moderated by the French system, as evidenced by professors going to France for their training. From the perspective of our Tunisian student, racism appears to be a key problem. Lecturers are said to often discriminate against students from certain regional districts and poorer backgrounds.

Another element of corruption in both Tunisia and Egypt is the suppression of freedom of speech and expression. In Tunisia for example, wearing the headscarf and growing a beard are banned on university campuses, despite the country's largely Muslim population. Furthermore, a police presence on university campuses was

University of Mansoura, Egypt

implemented to discourage protests against the system. In light of recent events however, the police presence is no longer having the desired impact. Yet, at the University of Mansoura, the suppression of the student voice is evident simply in the students' inability to express dissatisfaction at the overcrowding of lecture theatres – overcrowding which leads to students missing lectures because of a lack of seating.

Comparing the experiences of students at home and abroad, it is clear that the extent of the student political voice depends on the state of the country's affairs.

These last couple of months have seen students gaining a stronger political voice in Britain, Tunisia and Egypt, with corruption of the university system an indication of wider corruption in society as a whole. In Tunisia and Egypt, corruption, hand in hand with political activism plays a greater role in shaping student experience when compared to the UK.

Wikimedia Commons

The Liberal Democrats: resolving their own coalition Owen Earwicker Commentator

'Working together in the national interest'; a phrase we've heard countless times since May. Cameron said it and Clegg followed suit, and from what we have seen so far it has been one of the few things the Coalition has stuck to. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats seem to be working as a team. But how united are the Liberal Democrats?

After the mess of the tuition fee vote, in which 21 Liberal Democrat MPs voted against the government and 5 abstained, are there signs of a reunification? Not at all. Grassroots across the country are looking to Labour as the progressive left. But the one issue all Lib Dems can agree on, the AV voting referendum, was almost filibustered out of Parliament by Labour. Surely, those who are the footmen of the Party, the people we as voters interact with during campaigns, will stick stubbornly to their leadership's vision and direction?

In an email to all members on the 1st February, the University of Birmingham's Liberal Democrats Society stated that 'we should try harder to differentiate ourselves from the Coalition and, most particularly, the 'Cleggmania' which swept the nation last year.'

Granted, Cleggmania was a craze which unearthed how easily we can be taken in by politicians; myself included. It is understandable why the Party wishes to shrug that off; it was a risk that backfired spectacularly.

The President of the Liberal Democrats Society, Will MiévilleHawkins, explained how he planned to 'differentiate' away from the Coalition. After stating that as a society, they '100 per cent support the Coalition', he went on to say 'essentially we have decided to try to develop our own 'line' on certain policy issues that we feel is

representative of the grassroots of the Party.' But surely a Party who has its own line on an issue is a definition of a Party that is quite separate from another?

It is apparent that in the next election (something a lot of people are talking about a tad prematurely), those voting for Liberal Democrats in one seat will be voting differently to those voting Liberal Democrat in another. One Liberal Democrat candidate in one seat is the person who voted with the government, the other in a different seat is the one who voted against or abstained. They are not of the same Party.

Will Miéville-Hawkins explained that 'we feel it is important to make the student population know that we have our own thoughts, we have our own policies and we have a positive message for students up and down the country. We will fight a general election as an independent Party in 2015, its time we started preparing.' Though he was quite explicit that the Party will fight independently, the evidence suggests it will mean independent of those Liberal Democrats dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's in government. The tuition fee debate unquestionably bruised the party.

Will future controversial proposals only hurt it further?

So far, the seeds are sown for a split. Not quite seeing eye to eye with each other on certain policies? One party voting two ways?

The Liberal Democrats seem to be in coalition with themselves.

Perhaps what we've seen is that in reality, only the Liberal Democrats in the cabinet are living up to the overused rhetoric of 'working together in the national interest.' The Coalition supposedly brought two parties together with a common goal, but what we see now is three separate parties on the government benches, each with their own 'line' on particular policies.

'Muscular liberalism' is oxymoronic; multiculturalism isn't about tolerance, it's about education, understanding and appreciation Alexander Blanchard Commentator

Prime Minister David Cameron's attack on Britain's failed multiculturalism has, on the whole, been vilified by the British press. It was both insensitive in its timing – made as the English Defence League took to march through the streets of Luton – and seemingly misguided in what it was trying to prescribe.

Cameron held that the roots of extremism are to be found in the difficulty young British Muslims have in identifying with the traditional Islamic customs practised by their parents, and the transplanting of those customs into the context of modern Western culture; a view that seemed conveniently unappreciative of Britain and America's fervent exportation of democracy, a seemingly insatiable addiction to conflict, and the gung-ho rhetoric of the Bush era.

Cameron's remedy for this is his new brand of oxymoronic 'muscular-liberalism'. It is, how-

The problem lies in the fallacy of British multiculturalism – a problem you might think the PM would try to alleviate by including more than one person from an ethnic minority in his cabinet. ever, difficult to reconcile what Cameron prescribes with the liberal ideology from which he seeks legitimacy. Defined broadly, liberalism holds that the state should be neutral to the values we hold within our private sphere- that we are free to choose the way we wish

to conduct our lives. For Cameron there is to be a 'British Identity', it is his belief that 'a genuinely liberal country...believes in certain values and actively promotes them'. This, however, sounds dangerously like socialisation, and socialisation sits atop a very slippery slope.

The problem lies in the fallacy of British multiculturalism – a problem you might think the PM would try to alleviate by including more than one person from an ethnic minority in his cabinet.

British multiculturalism is the idea that we all co-exist, side-by-side, within separate communities, where we are all taught tolerance as though those communities foreign to our own are intrinsically backward and deserve to be lavished with our conceited benevolence. In teaching tolerance and apathy toward other communities we forgo education, understanding and appreciation; there is ignorance, and ignorance creates fear which breeds hate, and it is hate that gives us extremism.

Perhaps we should be looking

across the Atlantic, not to America and it's the cultural melting-pot, but to Canada for lessons in multiculturalism, where successive governments have pushed the multicultural ideology though an emphasis on the social importance of immigration. In the 2001 Canadian census it was shown that 19.3% of the population were foreign born, whilst the percentage of

Tory Chairman Baroness Warsi

foreign-born members within the federal parliament was an impressive 13%. Minority integration is continually recognised as working better in Canada than in other country, with 85% of Canadians agreeing that multiculturalism is important to the Canadian identity.

This is not to suggest that Canada is a utopia of diversity, in the past Natives have been marginalised and there is a perpetual tension between the Frenchspeaking province of Quebec and the English-speaking provinces – though this is more political than social.

Nevertheless, teaching an appreciation and enjoyment of foreign cultures and the value of immigration has provided a basis for social cohesion within Canada.

Perhaps by adopting a similar ethos of understanding in Britain we might be better placed to distinguish between religious devotion, on the one hand, and extremism, on the other, without needing politicians to point it out for us.

8 Comment & Features In-focus: Charity

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

Reasons to volunteer go beyond improving your CV Marie Southall Commentator

Volunteering and the charitable sector are in the current spotlight as PM Cameron promotes his 'Big Society'. Whether or not you feel this is just a new approach to budget cuts, there is no doubt that the voluntary sector is an important aspect of today's society.

Charities are part of British life. They operate independently from the government and private business for the public's benefit.

Charities seek to help those marginalised within society- they pick up the lag in government funding for needy communities. These charities would not survive without the support of volunteers and by supporting them with your time, you are ensuring their longevity in the pursuit of social goals.

There are over 180,000 registered charities in England and Wales covering a wide range of issues from helping the homeless to providing clean water in the developing world. If we consider the Governments' deficit in the provision of homeless shelters, international aid and child support, it is clear that these charities have a big job on their hands.

If the desire to keep these organisations up and running is not enough motivation to start volunteering, then here are some other

Charity shops

Race for Life chesterfield.gov.uk

reasons.

Volunteering provides practical skills and experience, which cannot be gained from curricular education- it prepares you for the real world of work. The age range of volunteers tends to be polarised around students and the retired.

Students who are not constrained to the working 9-5 day have the ability to help boost their CV in the competitive job market. Volunteering allows you to try something new and use your skills in a productive

way. It provides a challenge in the pursuit of social justice.

Volunteering provides an escape from the university bubble.

We all know that university life doesn't fully represent the 'normal world'. Volunteering changes your perceptions of people and society. Voluntary work is rarely a solitary occupation; you meet people from diverse backgrounds and learn about other cultures and ways of life. For me, volunteering with Asylum Seekers in St. Chad's

Does foreign aid encourage dependence?

Andy Peck

Political Commentator

Charity is a wonderful thing. It shows the compassion felt for people the world over, most often to people we will never see, and it serves no self-interest, besides the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing that you have done something to make the world a better place.

Aid dependency – the reality of international aid – on the other hand, is a terrible thing, both for the providers of aid who see their money making little long term impact, and for the receivers who are routinely subjected to the humiliation of handouts. People in the poorest countries in the world don't want to be dependent on charity.

Nobody wants the humiliation of being unable to be self-reliant but the current economic and political make-up of the world means that in most cases this is inevitable.

'When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a Communist', this quotation is from Brazilian Archbishop Dom Hélder Camâra in regard to his work with Brazil's urban poor, but it may well be applied on an international scale. Charity assuages Western guilt meaning less questions are asked as to why these desperate people in destitute countries need aid in the first place. They need it because of the inherent, unfathomable unfairness of trade and political relations between richer and poorer nations.

Tariffs (effectively taxes on imports) may not exist within and between the EU and US, but they are extortionately high on goods from elsewhere in the world, which artificially increases the price – reducing demand, and reducing compe-

tition. When tariffs cannot force out foreign competition, subsidies will. The EU spends billions on the Common Agricultural Policy ensuring that at home and abroad EU members' crops will be offered at uncompetitive, low prices. The US does the same and this then puts suppliers from elsewhere in the world out of business.

To the rescue (supposedly)comes the World-Trade-Organisation (WTO) – Free Trade's international guardian, who have dramatically reduced tariffs since 1947. However, regarding subsidies, which are perhaps even more harmful than tariffs to free trade, their 62 years work has achieved embarrassingly little. Multinational corporations use the fall in tariffs to as an opportunity to exploit the natural resources of developing countries whose own industries have not the capital, technology or economies of scale as their multinational counterparts. These corporations then spread the wealth to their respective boardrooms and shareholders, located, without exception, in the richest nations.

Reducing subsidies would be more harmful to richer nations who, having reduced their tariff barriers, would be more at risk of foreign competition and would thus

Pakistan Floods 2010

have nothing to gain and something to lose.

Beside economic hardships, the West also imposes political ones as well. The US and Europe would much prefer a compliant, corrupt tyrant than a stubborn democratically elected government. The CIA deposed democratically elected Salvador Allendé in Chile replacing him with Augusto Pinochet's military junta. Cuba is impoverished, not through mismanagement, but by a total US trade embargo, which has been in place since 1953. And President Mubarak held an iron grip on Egypt for 20 years because US and European support for his pro-Western stance on the Middle East. Throughout the world, the internal politics of developing nations are interfered with in ways we would find abhorrent if the reverse were true. How can healthy economic growth occur under such instability?

For those in developing countries who face Western supported dictators, or political instability – with all the economic odds stacked against them there is little hope of being helped to help themselves.

Charity provides only dependence; it hides the real issues behind a pleasant-feeling mist of philanthropy.

Flickr: MDMission

If we consider the Governments' deficit in the provision of homeless shelters, international aid and child support, it is clear that these charities have a big job on their hands.

Sanctuary has opened my eyes to the conflicts around the world.

We must work to maintain a society where community divisions, prejudices and discrimination are minimalised.

Volunteering shows you the bigger picture and stimulates the move away from 'what's in it for me?' to 'how can I help others?'

As graduates with a range of skills, talents and abilities, it seems only fair that we should make use of these for the benefit of others. Vol-

unteering highlights our privileged position in the world. It seems fairly insignificant to worry over whose washing up it is in the sink, when there are people in the world with no clean water or children in Acorns Hospice with life threatening illnesses. We, as the future business, political and social leaders, need this world picture to help us shape the world into a better place.

Volunteering is fun. As Phoebe from Friends proves, there is no such thing as a 'selfless act.' The personal fulfilment of volunteering cannot be underestimated. Those of you who have volunteered in the past will be in agreement with me, volunteering gives you a feeling of self-satisfaction and a natural high that is hard to cultivate elsewhere.

Everyone appreciates a marriage request from a homeless person in payment for some hot soup. Giving time to help others, in turn helps you. It's really a win-win situation.

Ironically, volunteering offers an experience that money cannot buy. From an individual point of view it increases employability, wellbeing and world understanding. To continue the success and work of charities, volunteers are essential. So if you have a spare hour in your timetable, consider volunteering as a way to help yourself and others.

International importance A common trend in the era of austerity is the harsh criticism of the UK's commitment to foreign aid within developing countries.

At this time of economic insecurity and poor levels of growth, there is a suggestion that our foreign aid budget should be reduced to reflect our own increasing levels of austerity. Despite reduced levels of UK growth, why should our foreign aid spending remain the same? Many people have suggested that foreign aid should be the first to go in the era of spending cuts, attacking the decision to

because we are having a difficult time at home.' This is true – cutting aid would be cruel and selfish.

Developing countries are prisoners in a world of freedoms; aid can change this shameful disparity.

Cutting foreign aid budgets appears regressive if we are to foster international consensuses based upon collaboration rather than competition.

Moral arguments aside, the UK's foreign aid towards developing countries lays the foundations for stability and prosperity. With aid comes trade – in many cases, our aid helps create the foundation for societies that will desire British goods in the future. The impor-

rise foreign aid spending to 0.7% of GDP. In 2014, spending on foreign aid is set to be £12.6 billion, equal to £479 per household.

Cynics have suggested that 'Charity should begin at home.'

However, the suggestion that foreign aid is somehow luxurious and not representative for UK taxpayers should be vociferously challenged. Obviously the government's commitment to foreign aid reneges on the principle of 'no taxation without representation' yet these arguments should stridently be cast aside.

The attack on foreign aid is morally abhorrent and economically short-sighted. Recently, David Cameron has suggested the UK has 'a moral responsibility, as one of the richest countries in the world, not to give up on them just

tance of establishing trade links at an early stage of LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country) development cannot be overestimated.

Equally, foreign aid helps to reduce the growth of terrorist organisations and dictatorships that become rife in times of economic stagnation and uncertainty. Compared with the vast expense of foreign wars and later attempts at regime change, nipping terrorism in the bud with aid and trade is a worthwhile investment.

Therefore, even if we are to consider the world in purely economic terms, the argument for maintaining foreign aid appears compelling. The coalition has many flaws; however, its commitment to foreign aid should be commended.

Oliver MacArthur Political Commentator

TUESDAY 22ND MARCH @ THE GREAT HALL,

ASTON WEBB, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM Arrival from 6:00pm. Dinner served at 7:00pm.

Dress: Rainbow formal [black tie]

An evening to celebrate and recognise the fantastic work of University of Birmingham students, including those involved in Residence Associations, Volunteering, Guild Council, Student Reps, Student Staff members and Student Groups.

S ALONG WITH RD A W A F O G IN EN EV N A R JOIN US FO T GROUPS...

EN D U ST M O FR T EN M IN A RT A PROGRAMME OF ENTE

TICKETS £1E5 ’S BAR

AVAILABLE FROM JO

Sponsored by:

the Guild) in y rt a p r fte a l a ci ffi o & l a e own m (includes a two course sit d

For more information, please visit:

www.guildofstudents.com/guildawards

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

Facebook etiquette

by Edwina Moorhouse

Believe it or not, how we conduct ourselves on Facebook is an increasingly relevant part of our virtual lives. We think we’re not guilty of being self-conscious about what we post, how often we post and how many friends we have, but let’s face it – we are. Etiquette is subject to many different interpretations, and generally you know the people who are getting it wrong because their news feed reads as dense as Finnegan’s Wake whilst their own ‘wall’ is somewhat devoid of well, any posts.

This touches upon one of the great questions of the cyber age (or not): how many times is it acceptable to post on someone’s wall before you look like a stalker and they press harassment charges?

If someone is posting every day,

you might want to consider doing a lap of your house tonight to check they’re not pressed up against your real life wall with a glass and a dictaphone. This goes for messages as well, there’s a fine line between being an informative individual and the individual who inflicts a diet of spam. With this in mind, it is however acceptable for someone to have general activity on your profile daily, a status comment or a ‘like’ is pretty harmless.

But a sidenote: to those who seem to ‘like’ everything, stop deluding yourself, no-one is that enthusiastic about everything.

Another territory of confusion is the friend requests, in particular: when is it acceptable to move into online friendship? Not within half an hour of meeting them for the first time (I speak from experience), and not if your only clear cut memory is asking for their last name in the drunken haze that is Fab. What about when the tables are turned and like E.T someone has reached out to virtually befriend you? Is it acceptable to make them wait? Probably not, it’s bad manners. Unless of course they’re that person that added you within half an hour and they deserve to sweat it out a bit. Serves them right for being so bloody keen. The topic of friend requests brings us nicely onto one awkward situation which we’ve all been in: when you ‘purge’ your escalating list of contacts, only for someone to re-add you. In this case all you can do is gape in amazement at the screen, deny their request and hope the online awkwardness never translates to face to face awkwardness – because isn’t that always the fear, our virtual selves becoming synonymous with our ‘real’ selves?

At the end of the day, we need to just get our act together and spend less time obsessing about our online behaviour. After all it’s only Facebook … isn’t it?

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Rosa McMahon, Seb Mann

In discussion: sexism

Women need to take responsibility too Amanda Callaghan Commentator

Discussion concerning the sacking of football pundit Andy Gray, and the subsequent resignation of fellow commentator Richard Keys after comments the pair made regarding a female linesman and her knowledge of the offside rule remains fierce.

By default, calling the official in question a ‘female linesman’ gives insight into the inherent patriarchy of the football industry.

Patriarchy which Karren Brady; sporting executive, newspaper columnist, University of Birmingham honorary doctorate holder (amongst a plethora of other things) has frequently alluded to.

Keys and Gray make a derogatory reference to Brady and her discussion in a recent newspaper column of deep rooted sexism in the football industry when they believe their microphones to be switched off. Keys says, ‘See charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Yeah. Do me a favour, love.’ Quite an ironic dismissal of her argument perhaps, as this came moments after their criticism of the female assistant referee.

Karren Brady is no stranger to sexual politics. She replaced Margaret Mountford on ‘The Apprentice’ as one of Lord Sugar’s advisers and in one particular episode berates the girls’ team as they hang each other out to dry in front of his holiness, Lord Sugar. She eloquently points out that their backstabbing behaviour catty remarks to one another vilify

women in the arena of business and, worse still, could justify sexist comments made about females Brady’s comments are pertinent because they raise an issue about how sexist stereotypes are created. Richard Keys’ wife made her opinions on this issue eminently clear in her recent comments to The Daily Mail. She argued to journalists that Sky had handled the situation in an ‘offside’ manner and should be awarded a ‘red card’ for the decision to fire Andy Gray (ha! very clever Mrs. Keys, we see what you did there) whilst reprimanding those who believed her husband’s comments had any real sinister sexist undertones. Mrs Keys pointed out that Karren Brady’s comments about sexism in football and her desire to promote sexual equality in the industry are not necessarily views shared by the entire female population.

Cynics amongst us could draw attention to rumours Mrs Keys’ husband earned upwards of £500,000 as a commentator for Sky and her frustration toward Brady could perhaps be linked to the effect his resignation would have on the household income rather than an ideologically rooted argument. Alas, I am not a cynic so will not suggest that. Either way, Julia Keys is not alone in the attitude that ‘boys will be boys’ and idiotic, immature behaviour has to be entertained as ‘banter’ rather than anything else.

Cynics amongst us could draw attention to rumours Mrs Keys’ husband earned upwards of £500,000 as a commentator for

Sky and her frustration toward Brady could perhaps be linked to the effect his resignation would have on the household income rather than an ideologically rooted argument. Alas, I am not a cynic so won't suggest that. Either way, Julia Keys is not alone in the attitude that ‘boys will be boys’ and idiotic, immature and sexist behaviour has to be entertained as ‘banter’ rather than the lewd puerility it is.

We look to popular television programmes to see how other women appear to expect infantile behaviour from their male partners. Tool Academy sees long suffering girlfriends secretly enrol their idiotic ‘tool’ partners into the academy in the hope of turning them into better boyfriends. For the sake of entertainment, the behaviour shown by the male contestants who each believe they are competing for ‘lad’ status does make for great television. Joking aside, it is toe curling to think the ‘toolettes’ as they are affectionately known in the programme, have chosen to stay in relationships with these Neanderthals for as long as they have. Their boyfriends' lazy, petulant and immature behaviour is broadcast to the nation and yet they don’t seem in the slightest bit ashamed at their decision to stay loyal to their partners despite how needy and pathetic it makes them appear. I suppose it could be worse – God forbid they could be single!

The sexist nature of the programme is regularly reinforced, not always to the detriment of the females. I note one episode where a girlfriend watches video footage

of her boyfriend enjoying a particularly intimate moment with another young lady in a pub toilet.

Her horror and disgust are evident and the cameras zooms in for a close up to voyeuristically capture her emotion. She begins to punch her boyfriend in the arms and back screaming at him, ‘I f***ing hate you!’ I wonder if the situation were reversed, how acceptable and entertaining it would be to see a man physically abusing a woman in this manner? More than likely the assault would not be aired as ‘entertainment’ but the police would be called and arrests and a lawsuit would follow. We can infer from this that unequal treatment and sexism is two sided and often results in men getting a raw deal.

The crux of the issue here is one of responsibility. Both men and women need to take responsibility for their actions and how they behave in order to dismiss negative stereotypes and promote equality between the sexes. I do not propose that Andy Gray and Richard Keys be hung, drawn and quartered for their immature and thoughtless comments; I believe they have already paid dearly for their lapse. However, when women jump to their defence in the name of ‘banter’ we have to wonder how systemic sexism is within all of our society. Mrs Keys is correct, Karren Brady does not speak for all women when she deplores sexist behaviour and upholds equality in every remit in society.

However, on this issue she speaks sensibly as a voice with a wealth of experience. She can certainly speak on my behalf.

'Their comments are not acceptable' Sky spokesperson on Andy Gray and Richard Keys

'What really upsets me is that only females in our industry are judged by their gender. And that is categorically wrong' Karren Brady

Gendered language is an obstacle to equality Maisie Meredith Commentator

‘A female linesman?’ asked Andy Gray last month, a question that would become his famous last words as the nation’s media exploded around him. The recent sacking of the Sky Sports pundit and his colleague Richard Keys has catapulted the problem of gender inequality in society to the forefront of people’s minds.

Though sexism has always been a highly contentious issue, lately it been somewhat overlooked, and even mocked, due to the common misconception that feminism has achieved its aims and the fight for equality has been won. In the eyes of many, feminists are seen as a bunch of butch, braburning bigots, who harp on about the suffering of their sex. Female doctors, female politicians, female physicists – what more could they want? - But are we really equal?

The truth is there is still huge discrepancies in basic human rightts.Women still do not receive equal pay; according to the Fawcett Society in this country a woman

can expect to earn, on average, 15.5 per cent less than men. Moreover whilst women do two thirds of the worlds work, they only receive 10per cent of the worlds income.

Society is sexist. And what’s more, the oppression of women is reinforced by the very way in which we speak.

Unconsciously, the labels and expressions the majority of us use mean that most of us could be accused of discriminating against women, without even realising.

Sexist language can be defined as anything that alienates or stereotypes a person due to gender.

By this I don’t just mean the sweeping generalisations spouted by misogynists like Gray such as women ‘don’t know the offside rule’, I’m talking about the terms we use on a daily basis. The fact is, most people don’t think twice about the use of ‘man’ in society as the universal norm, and the concept of ‘woman’ as a derivative of this form. Take, for example, ‘pre-historic man’ ‘postman’ and the verb ‘to man’ like in the phrase ‘man the boat’.

These terms marginalize females in the sense that they essentially

cannot be categorized under the male form. For instance, a female prehistoric man is surely an oxymoron.

Gray made a similar mistake when he referred to assistant referee Sian Massey as a ‘female linesman’. Though he has said worse, it does emphasise the point that people often feel the need to qualify that they are referring to a woman, as if it were unusual. I mean, would you ever use the phrase ‘male linesman’ or even ‘male assistant referee’? It seems that this problem, which is in a sense the idea of patriarchy being forced upon society in the labels that we use, happens at an institutional level.

Interestingly, the word ‘actress’ has been banned from the world of theatre to foreground the equality of all ‘actors’ in spite of gender. Should we do the same with the word ‘waitress’? When we are sitting in a restaurant, does the sex of the member of waiting staff serving us actually bear any relevance? I doubt it, yet we still feel the need to distinguish the fact that it is a woman. People use them out of habit, and without thinking

are counteracting the struggle for equality.

However, this is a problem that will not simply disappear overnight. It cannot merely be solved with the replacement of the sexist terms with non-sexist counterparts. The introduction of gender-free terms into our vocabulary has been attempted in the past and has often been unsuccessful - for instance when women began chairing meetings, the gender neutral title ‘chairperson’ was introduced to replace the male form, ‘chairman’. Although, it has been observed that a gradually the meaning of this word changed, resulting in the misuse in the universal term ‘chairperson’ to refer only to women, and ‘chairman’ for men, restoring the old hierarchy. Indeed, despite knowing the correct term ‘assistant referee’ pundits such as Gray continue to use ‘linesman’.

As long as these terms exist and continue to be used society will remain sexist, indeed the comments made by Gray and Keys clearly prove that the idea that we a living in an equal world is a delusion.

Redbrick

redbrickonline.co.uk

11th February 2011

Arts

11

For the full unedited interview and more analyisis visit www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Planet Shaped Poet – An exclusive conversation with Luke Kennard who would they be?

IN THE NAME OF THE REAL On my way back from Miranda and the gazebo (she refuses to meet on the veranda for obvious reasons) I felt suitably chastened. It was as if I'd spent eight years training with a master puppeteer who only uses a certain, slightly lousy puppet called 'Cloth Bag'; a cloth bag.

Ritual shores up a defence against this: witness how the silliest pastimes name everything: in golf even having a drink with people you don't really like once the golf is over has a name: It is called the 19th Hole.

And why stop there? Your drive home could be the 20th hole.

Arguing with your wife because you spend all of your free time playing golf: The 21st Hole. Everything else in your life from that moment on could be a Hole.

Until your own death: the 48,644th Hole.

'You're just jealous because I'm the only one God's speaking to right now,' Says Simon, looking up from Golfer magazine.

'And I'm what? Drunk at 7am? Just come right out and say it, Simon.'

'I have.' – – 'Don't hold back or anything.' – – 'I'm not.'

Beth Richardson Rosie McKaig & Sam Langtree Critics

Luke Kennard, award nominated poet, University of Birmingham Creative Writing Professor and general worrier about all things in life, instantly puts one at ease with his naturally chatty charm. He is cleary an honest and grounded man of the arts.

Is there anything you are working on currently?

I have a pamphlet coming out next Thursday [now last Thursday], which is a narrative sequence of poetry called Planet-Shaped Horse.

It's about a man who is in a halfway house between a psychiatric unit and being allowed to go back into ordinary life again. It's from his perspective so the reality of it is slightly fractured through his state of mind. It is also about some of the things I've been talking about, calling yourself a writer and expecting people to be interested automatically.

The best writers are people who always doubt that they are writing something of worth. The moment you stop questioning you

start becoming conceited and you start relying on the old patterns of poems you have written in the past, instead of trying to change what you're doing or find out what you were trying to do all along.

You were shortlisted for the Forward Poetry Prize and in fact were the youngest poet to ever be nominated for the prize. What was that like?

It was better to be shortlisted than to have won it, apart from the fact I didn't get any money, which was a shame. But it was better because I think if you win something like that, particularly if you're young, it becomes kind of a novelty.

People don't really like young writers. They almost take pleasure in seeing you have early success and then failing miserably; they would have really loved it if I had won it then died of a drug overdose. I was always aware when there were profiles of me in the papers that the overriding feeling that people were going to get was 'Who the hell is he? Why aren't I in the paper? I want to kill him!'

Obviously it's quite hard to

become well known and well received. How can you go about developing a readership and making a living?

It's hard to make any sort of money out of it. I know people from both sides of poetry, from the performance/slam scene and the more traditional page-based world.

I know people who just about manage to make a living; they have to be incredibly proactive and they have to chase every gig.

If you have a good reputation you'll be booked for things and probably get paid between £100 and £300 a performance, but if it's your sole income and you don't know where or when the next gig's going to be... I've never had the guts to just strike out on my own; I've always quite liked having a steady income to pay the rent.

Is it achievable for a poet to write in their own purely original style and not be obviously influenced by other poets?

What you write is the only thing you're capable of writing. If you have any integrity to your talent then you're really your own influence. Influence in your writ-

ing should be worn subtly. It really annoys me when there's this bluntness of reference.

It feels like the writer's saying 'I couldn't possibly aspire to write something that's great' and therefore have to attribute everything to somebody else.

Is there anyone you have been reading in particular recently that you would recommend?

Caroline Bird. When you see her read, she's memorised the work and throws herself into the performance of it. But it's very deep, interesting, complex work and when you read it you react to more than just the humour.

You can react just to it by laughing at the strange juxtaposition or the joke but you can also read into it and there is anger there and political engagement, without saying 'this is what you have to think about this situation'. You have to have an awareness of the responsibility of a being a poet instead of assuming you have automatic right to tell people what to think.

If you had to choose three dead poets to work alongside

I've been reading a lot of Ted Hughes recently so I think he would definitely be there. His work is very strange and amusing; Crow – the most emo collection of poetry ever written – is enormously inventive and witty whilst exploring utterly, horrendously bleak things through the medium of this Crow character who pops up in every poem.

I think Barbara Guest is still alive, but she's one of my favourite poets, so, when she dies... T.S.Eliot would be someone I'd really like to chain smoke with for an hour. I guess it would a disaster to invite Plath to the same party as Hughes.

Frank O'Hara would be a lot of fun. I think he would have a good argument with Eliot about what poetry is. He was very spontaneous and would turn up at readings having written something on the train on the way there and that offended people.

What side do you think you sway towards? In terms of your style and what you like to discuss in your poems?

I like the ambition and dedication of the very closely written 'agonising' school, but I also really enjoy the lighter, fun, spontaneous side.

I don't use traditional form that much; quite a lot of my poetry is in prose. I think the trouble with strict form is that you end up compromising everything you wanted to say just to meet the rhyme and get the meter in, as if that was the point rather than, say, the absolute urgency and brilliance of the imaginitive quandaries you're trying to untangle. It's nice to be challenged by form sometimes, though.

How would you describe your poetry?

Like an honest interior cataloguing of thoughts with a flash of absurdity and elements of surrealism thrown in. Ultimately it's heartfelt, however violent or weird it is on the surface, there's a certain amount of sentimentality in it.

This is what it is like to have a life, this is what it is like to have doubts; in many ways it's a step backwards. A friend-of-a-friend once said reading my poetry was like the Matrix, standing very high and looking down on the world and everyone in it as if it was a grid of numbers, which she meant as a backhanded compliment. I think it's an attempt to see your own self.

And to describe it honestly.

'If you had a red brick, what would you smash with it?'

I would play 'keepy-uppies' with the brick until it knocked me unconscious.

Luke Kennard's pamphlet Planet -Shaped Horse from Amazon and www.ninearches.com

12 Arts

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Reevell, Alexander Blanchard

Symphony Hall

Town Hall

Micky Flanagan

Uri Caine meets Mahler

Symphony Hall Alice Grimes Critic

Whilst Miles Davis' famous quip 'Jazz is dead' in 1975 may have seemed an exaggeration, nearly four decades later it seems he had a point.

Jazz, in this country at least, has gained a reputation for being an incredibly high brow, niche market where only those who are cultured enough are able to truly enjoy a night of soulful pleasure. But last

Saturday's performance by the Uri Caine ensemble at the Town Hall proves that jazz is a magic waiting to be discovered again.

Caine's exhilarating manipulation of Mahler's music created sparks of excitement amongst the audience, as the hall witnessed the incredible improvisation of the soloists and of course Caine himself, whose hands were moving so fast at times along the piano it seemed impossible that he was able to hit the right notes. The audience

couldn't help but fall for the obvious camaraderie on stage, as each musician was given chances to explore the sheer richness of Mahler's music in isolation, resulting in some beautifully spontaneous moments.

What makes Caine's music so remarkable is his ability to handle both Classical and Jazz with effortless poise to generate an innovative fusion of the two, whereby neither one engulfs the other. The co-existence of this, coupled with the off stage effects by DJ Olive produced instances of pure sublimity, and it is clear that sheer skill and a natural aptness for music is required to produce such performances.

The subtle head-banging and foot tapping are more than enough proof that the Uri Caine ensemble was a success, and showcases like these can only lead us closer to a revival of this neglected art form.

Emily Priestnail

The Rep at Harris Building

Critic

The Rememberers

Graeme Braidwood James Reevell Arts Editor

The first show put on by the Rep after its main theatre closed, The Rememberers takes place in the AE Harris Warehouse.

Upon entering the venue, ushered to sit around a set that appeared to be a post-apocalyptic Nicklelodeon studio. With flickering TVs and a large screen of graphic novel projections filling

the bleak, cold warehouse space, as grimey dub echoed around; it was to be transported to the end of the world.

Written and performed by Kenny Baraka, a self-styled griot the plot essentially revolves around the dystopian end of the world. Choosing to narrate this using three competing genres of hip hop, graphic novel and theatre was certainly ambitious, and for the most part worked.

Town Hall

However, it felt as if the theatrical aspect of the show was neglected, with the presentation more akin to a concert. The set was too bright, the production of the music too crisp, the costumes too clean. A touch more attention to detail would have actually created a sense of apocalypse that was sorely missing. A pity given the obvious work that had gone into set and concept.

Still, an exciting production that whets the appetite for more.

If Baraka can balance the three genres then he may well be one of the most exciting performers in Britain. Until then it's possible to see him as a boundary pusher who is just falling short. The Rep and Baraka should be applauded for a bold production and if they continue in this vein, the first grime classic cannot be far away.

Cockney comic Micky Flanagan certainly lived up to his cheeky chappy reputation as he had the audience of Birmingham Town Hall in fits of laughter over tales of his East End antics and upbringing.

Flanagan's 'Out Out' tour, named after a brilliant analogy on the scale of going out, ranging from simply popping out to truly going out out (cockney accent required), has been a sell out and was well received by all.

The evening began with support act Michael Fabri who, after describing Croydon as the only town to have bouncers outside Greggs, went on to tell many hilarious if slightly crude stories. However, it was when Flanagan arrived on stage mimicking the cockney geezer walk that the atmosphere definitely heightened and the hysterics began.

In true stand up style, Flana-

gan selected a few unlucky members of the audience to provide him with material.

Picking out a man whose occupation as a teacher prompted Flanagan to tell the audience of some of his teaching experience.

These included dealing with children with behavioural difficulties by letting them spin on his office chair and turning up to teach having had rather too much vodka and valium.

Flanagan, in addition, told stories of his own schooling experience in the East End of London where a more practical approach to teaching was taken. In his first year he made an ash tray, second year it was a bottle opener and by year three they were making prams.

Comically mocking his own upbringing, it is clear that Flanagan loves what he does and what he's joking about; and as an audience member it is impossible not to find him endearing.

Flanagan is becoming better known around the country, having appeared on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and The Royal Variety Show in 2010, so when his famous joke about Britain's 'Chicken Children', as he likes to call them, cropped up the audience were doubled over in hysterics.

'Chicken Children', for everyone that doesn't know, are teens that hang outside fried chicken shops in hoodies who drag one leg behind them in a rude boy bop... it's definitely worth youtubing.

When speaking to Flanagan after the show he spoke happily of how successfully the tour is going; he is certainly a rising star who is worth keeping a look out for on the comedy scene.

Micky Flanagan returns to Birmingham to play at the Symphony Hall on the 31st March.

Previews Poetry

World Music

Theatre

3Bugs Presents Pontypool 14th-18th February Guild Basement £5 Claustrophobic Horror

Theatre CBSO Nelsons conducts Beethoven Sympthony Hall 16th February £9.50 A lifetime in one concert

The Remembers The Creole of Cuba 4thChoir – 19th February Town Hall

14th February £15 Joyful soul

Harris Building £12

Grime, Comics, Tantalising

Article 19 Presents Red 16th-19th February The Deb Hall £5

9th February

When questions have no answers

Redbrick

11th February 2011

Film

redbrickonline.co.uk

Meryl Streep is Margaret Thatcher The first picture has been released from the upcoming biopic The Iron Lady

Redbrick Recommends

Spirited Away Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 film, Spirited Away, has to be one of the great cinematic treats of the last ten years. The film oozes a wonderful escape into fantasy with every frame. Its dazzling animation combined with a rich story provides audiences with a looming curiosity and a nostalgic sense of the essence of childhood.

Its Alice-in-Wonderland narrative follows Chihiro, an 11-year old girl on her way to a new home with her parents, who decides to take a pit-stop at an old tunnel they find when they take a shortcut through the forest.

Upon reaching the other side, they encounter a deserted town upon a hill, and as Chihiro sees the sights, night falls, her parents transform into pigs and the way back has been flooded.

A mysterious boy, Haku, then tells her to get a job at the local bathhouse under the evil Witch,

Yubaba, and that through hard work she will manage to find a way home.

The English dub for the film, managed by Pixar's John Lasseter, has some great voice acting from lesser known actors such as Daveigh Chase (Lilo & Stitch) and David Ogden-Stiers (Beauty & the Beast, Pocahontas), but on balance, the original Japanese voice track is just as good and there for those demanding authenticity.

Either way, Miyazaki's story takes us down the rabbit-hole into a world of mystery, sorcery and adventure, with a touching love story, and a emotional musical score from Joe Hisaishi to boot.

In a year where Western animation is peaking with Toy Story 3 nominated for Best Picture, we should remind ourselves of Japan's might in this medium, Spirited Away being the second film ever to win Best Animated Feature, and first for Japan.

ROBBIE CURRAN

Film News

Children of Men 2006 was a fantastic year for films.

Casino Royale brought Bond back into the limelight, the creativity of Pan's Labyrinth wowed audiences and the American Infernal Affairs remake The Departed finally secured Martin Scorsese a best director Oscar win. Only in this year could a film as significant and groundbreaking as Children of Men be overlooked by so many moviegoers.

The film stars Clive Owen as a profane and jaded former political activist named Theo in a dystopian 2027 where all women have mysteriously become infertile.

Terrorism, civil war and widespread fear has gripped the world and only the UK, depicted faithfully as grey and depressing throughout, has any semblance of society remaining. Theo is asked by former lover Julian (Julianne Moore) to transport a young girl who holds the key to mankind's future out of England.

The world created by director

Top Ten – Eyebrow-Raising Oscars

Alfonso CuarĂłn (Paris Je T'Aime) is bleak and depressing but incredibly real. Adverts for suicide kits, government anti-immigration propaganda and London Olympics 2012 memorabilia make a not yet realised future seem perfectly believable.

The excellent camerawork lends a dimension of extreme realism. It reduces cuts and opts instead to follow characters around, bringing tension and excitement to the film's high intensity sequences.

Scenes such as one in a car where the camera never cuts once through a complex and rapid chase, and another where Theo is followed around a farmhouse, really strike the viewer as unique.

The film's artistic direction, technical achievement, fully realised world and excellent acting (including a turn from Michael Caine as an aging hippy) really make this film a wonder to behold.

You'll be sorry you missed this gem.

Francis Shaw

5 How Green Was My

3TheMichael Caine, Cider House Rules

Proving Academy mistakes aren't just a recent thing, How Green Was My Valley won Best Picture over both The Maltese Falcon and Citizen Kane (listed as the greatest film ever by the American Film Institute) in 1942.

He is one of England's best-loved actors. However, one thing you find being English is that you are not American. Caine's attempts to disguise his Cockney roots resulted in an accent so bad it proved more memorable than the actual film.

Valley

2Shakespeare Gywneth Paltrow, in Love

10 The Barbarian Invasions Bizzarely, Fernando Meirelles' brilliant, Oscar-worthy City of God wasn't even nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, despite garnering four other nominations, including Best Director.

9 Norbit

7 Joel Grey, Cabaret

Forrest Gump has proved extremely popular over the years. While some will favour its Best Picture selection, others point to The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction.

1 Dances With Wolves

4 Rocky 6 Titanic James 'King of the World' Cameron's disaster epic wrongfully beat Good Will Hunting and LA Confidential and is weaker than other winners of Best Film.

Next Superman

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Henry Cavill, who was unveiled this week as the new man of steel in Zack Snyder's upcoming film.

The British actor, who is best known for his role in TV series The Tudors, will don the cape in Superman: Man of Steel which is set to be released in December 2012. While the film has its leading man confirmed, rumours are still circulating over who will play Lois Lane, and whether she will even feature in the film at all.

Possible contenders are current leading ladies Rachel McAdams, Olivia Wilde and Jessica Biel.

Cavill's role is secure and hopefully will not be the kryptonite to his career that it was for Brandon Routh.

Maria Schneider

The actress, who is best known for her performance as Jeanne in Last Tango in Paris, has died at the age of 58. Bernardo Bertolucci's 1972 film became a controversial success and made Schneider a cinematic icon for her role as the young woman who embarks on an intense love affair with an American widow, played

by Marlon Brando. Despite the acclaim she received, later in life Schneider expressed regret over accepting the role.

Not only was her performance in the frankly overrated film bettered by several of her fellow nominees, the Oscar should have been revoked after possibly the most rambling acceptance speech ever.

You may well be thinking 'who in what?', and it would be true that this Best Supporting Actor performance hasn't proved particularly memorable. Plus, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall and James Caan were all nominated for some film

It may have only been nominated for Best Makeup, but the fact that this unmitigated disaster of a film got any sort of recognition is simply embarrassing.

8 Forrest Gump

13

There's no denying that Rocky is an iconic film. Then again, it was up against Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, a film that routinely finds its way into all time top ten lists.

The film's protagonist Travis Bickle repeatedly asked 'You lookin' at me?' Clearly the Academy were not.

In a double Scorsese snub, Kevin Costner's forgettable film about Native Americans and Civil War soldiers beat the outstanding Goodfellas in both Best Film and Best Director.

Snow White

At least two competing Snow White based films are set to be released next year. Snow White and the Huntsman will see the heroine, possibly played by Kristen Stewart, teaming up with the hunter to take down the Evil Queen (Charlize Theron). Its rival, The Brothers Grimm: Snow White could see Julia Roberts as the villainess, and its title suggests that this might lead to a Grimm Fairytales series. With a potential third film, Snow White and the Seven, it looks like it could be war. lucy Steiner

14 Film

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Reviews

!

!

!

!

!

Editors – Matt Davis, Elmley de la Cour

UNMISSABLE

Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen Cast:Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon Rating: 15

witty and sharp with many a wisecracking line being delivered in a delicious Southern twang. The opening voiceover 'you must pay for everything in this world' announces too that we are very much in No Country mode.

The performances are uniformly excellent. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld perfectly inhabits the precocious Mattie Ross, imbuing her with a touching determination that makes her difficult not to root for. But the film is undoubtedly stolen by Bridges's Cogburn.

Bridges is note-perfect as the US Marshall, whether playing the hardened old-timer or the comedy drunk, delivering his dialogue in

an almost incomprehensible gravelly drawl.

True Grit's shortcomings arise depending only on what one expects from a Coen brothers film.

It is propelled by a great story and superlative acting, but by that virtue it is straightforward. Crime and punishment here is in every way cinematic but in no way cerebral. Evidently this hasn't been a problem for most – True Grit recently became the pair's greatest box office success. But those that have come to expect something a little more from their annual kickof-Coen may feel short changed.

Elmley de la Cour !

!

!

!

Director: Diego Luna Cast: Geraldine Alejandra, Christopher Ruíz-Esparza Rating: 15

!

EXCELLENT

!

!

!

GOOD

!

!

POOR

TRAGIC

!

Yogi Bear 3D – the film adaptation of the classic cartoon – continues the love-hate relationship between Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) and Yogi Bear (Dan Aykroyd). When Yogi's and Ranger Smith's home of Jellystone Park is under threat from the villain town Mayor, help is found from a budding documentary film director Rachel (Anna Faris). Yogi and his sidekick Boo Boo, both 'pic-a-nic basket' addicts, continue to behave mischievously and desperately for food and fame. Unfortunately, this results in the sabotage of the park's 100th anniversary celebrations that could have saved the park from being sold to a logging company.

The humour throughout is simple and repetitive, and the comedy is centralised around incidents such as being hit in the face with a pie, or being hit on the head with a pinecone. Although it is puzzling why Justin Timberlake chose to star in this disappointing film, the voices of Yogi and Boo Boo were spot on. The most humorous parts seem to be Yogi saying 'Boo Boo', and Boo Boo's goofy voice, especially when talking to his pet turtle.

Although Yogi Bear is evidently a children's film, it does not provide the diversity of humour other

animated classics deliver such as Finding Nemo or Bolt, where the subliminal adult humour allows the film to be enjoyed by all age ranges. Cheesy moral messages were also intertwined within the film: appreciate nature and stay loyal to what you believe in.

Potential could be seen in the plot of the film, had the humour been more diverse and varied. Although the voices provided some comedy, realistically only children under 10 would find this film funny, and once again, the appeal of 3D was lost on me throughout the film.

Sarah Coe !

!

!

The Fighter Abel's role of pseudo-father is maintained by his mother and siblings in a bid to aid him in returning to some form of normality and, even in the midst of some difficult themes, there is room for some genuinely funny moments, aided by the extraordinary performance of Christopher Ruiz-Esparza (Abel), a newcomer to the world of acting.

These moments of comedy are in stark contrast to the intensifying of the family's troubles. In once scene, triggered by the return of Abel's father, Paul is taken out into the world for a swimming lesson.

After a near accident, Abel's father authorises him to be sent to a children's hospital in Mexico City where Abel loses his ability to speak once more, resulting in a slightly less than happy ending.

The film is triumphant in balancing family crises and the challenging issue of mental health and genuine comedy. A thoroughly enjoyable experience, which boasts first-rate performances from all involved.

Bex Hawkes !

!

!

!

Director: David O. Russell Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale Rating: 15

Never Let Me Director: Mark Romanek Cast: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan Rating: 12A Mark Romanek's production is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's emotionally charged novel Never Let Me Go. It is a tragic tale of dissipated human existence infused with a devastating and heart-rending love story. Romanek executes this with delicate ease, sympathetically capturing both the tone and texture of Ishiguro's novel.

Never Let Me Go is a story with devastating consequences, pitching itself as a provocative and profound piece of cinema. The story tells of a generation of children created as clones, their sole purpose being to supply organs until they reach 'completion', or in other words: until they die. In short, these are children bred for science, living their lives on death's fron-

!

Director: Eric Brevig Cast: Dan Ackroyd, Justin Timberlake Rating: PG

Abel

Abel marks the feature film debut of director Diego Luna (Milk, The Terminal) and tells the story of the titular character, a young Mexican boy of nine who has spent the past two years of his short life in an institution as a result of his refusal to speak.

On his release from the institution, Abel returns to his family and initially struggles to feel comfortable in his home surroundings. After discovering some old family photos containing his absent father, Abel re-discovers his voice and takes on the paternal role: checking his sister's homework and report card, sleeping in his mother's bed and promising to teach younger brother Paul how to swim.

!

Yogi Bear 3D

True Grit

In True Grit, the Coen brothers reimagine Charles Portis's 1968 novel of the same name. The book has received cinematic treatment previously in 1969 with John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, the role for which he won his only Academy Award, but the Coens maintain that their adaption remains more faithful to the book.

In it 14 year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) seeks retribution for the murder of her father at the hands of marauder Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Enlisting the help of the grizzled and boozy Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) the trio set out across Indian territory to bring Chaney to justice.

The Western is firm ground for the Coens in many ways. From their earliest efforts, the duo demonstrated their natural ability to capture regional dialect, and this is in evidence here. The script is

!

tier.

Hailsham, the film's setting, is a twisted farce and an institution posing in the guise of a boarding school, sheltering these children and hiding their future fates.

It is at Hailsham that the film's protagonists Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield) form an intricate bond of friendship, one that will have lasting consequences on the rest of their lives.

All three of the film's stars provide stunning performances, and Carey Mulligan once again perfects an air of subtlety suffused with that

subliminal emotion which she effects so well. It is this atmosphere of restraint and suppressed emotion, along with its moving script and exquisite cinematography that evokes the film's pathos.

All the way through we are led to expect a happy ending to this desperate tragedy, yet the film offers no such solace. This is a powerful feature of both poignancy and sadness, a heart-breaking emotional journey of wasted human life, executed by Romanek and his team to delicate perfection.

Maria Lunn !

!

!

!

I have always been a fan of boxing films; the perfect embodiment of one man's solo struggle against another. With isolation and drive, a good film about fighting in the ring will get into the head of any combatant and portray the psyche of the victorious and the defeated.

This biopic charts the lives and careers of awkwardly named half brother boxers, Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). Ward is a down on his luck boxer, considered to be a 'stepping stone' for other boxers to defeat and is mistreated by his mother who pushes him into fights he can't hope to win for money.

While Wahlberg certainly gives a stellar performance, his supporting cast steal the movie. Not wanting to jump on the awards-frenzy bandwagon, but Christian Bale is absolutely back to form with this dark but emotional performance.

His character Dicky is unstable and exceedingly damaged. Yet as he was based on a real person, Bale's characterisation is also sensitive and thoughtful.

Initially, I was sceptical of the casting of Amy Adams as Micky's love interest Charlene. Perhaps expecting a grating Enchanted, Sunshine Cleaning sort of performance, her sweet sunny face on the promos filled me with dread.

However, her on-screen chemistry with Wahlberg is undeniable, instant yet realistic. She plays the 'sexy bitch' better than Amy Adams should, and all the praise she gained was utterly deserved.

As with any film depicting a sport, it is almost impossible to capture every aspect as felt by competitors and fans alike. This is no different in The Fighter; occasionally the fights come across as a little forced or awkward, but a visceral desperation is evident in both Wahlberg and Bale's performance, as with the film as a whole.

IZZY SANDERS !

!

!

!

!

16

Television

11th February 2011 redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Read the latest news and reviews on redbrickonline.co.uk

Empire State of Mind Joe McGrath Editor

There are several hallmarks central to all of HBO's programming that have made its elevation to the zenith of television drama so absolute. These can be identified as quality of script, precision casting and multi-layered storylines.

However, possibly the most significant root of the channel's success over the last ten to fifteen years originates from a dedication to first class production value and an uncompromising cinematic aesthetic.

Certainly, in this field, HBO's brand new 1920s gangster series, Boardwalk Empire, is no exception. With a price tag of roughly $18 million, the pilot episode of Boardwalk Empire is the most expensive in the history of television. Though this comes as no real surprise, considering that an enormous 300 foot replica of the Atlantic, City Boardwalk was built to accommodate the vast ambitions of the project.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the results of these efforts are evident onscreen. Each shot is lavishly designed and coated with a varnish of precision and refinement. The imposing set is a splendid accomplishment in itself, recreating not simply a surface realism but also the atmosphere of 1920s Atlantic City. This allows the audience to regard the onscreen events within the wide scope required to make the socio-political aspects of the show convincing.

Accordingly, the cinematography is also truly phenomenal. Ev-

ery scene is framed with a startling degree of beauty that juxtaposes with the extreme incidents of violence perfectly.

The story revolves around the introduction of prohibition laws in the USA. Nobody seems happy about this, aside from corrupt politician, Enuch 'Nucky' Thompson (Steve Buscemi), who sees the situation as an opportunity to sell illegally imported alcohol for extortionate prices.

As Thompson, Buscemi embodies this bizarre yet potent mix of a man who's propelled by his desire for money and power but who very much retains a moral compass. This places him firmly on the fence between gangster and politician.

But America is changing and Nucky will have to develop a more extreme approach if he wishes to maintain his position within the criminal and political hierarchy.

This need is made all the more immediate by the introduction of real-life mobsters, such as, Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano and Al Capone (played with a bullish swagger, by This is England actor, Stephen Graham).

These characters are all young men, seduced by the promise of power and wealth, well before the peak of their infamy. Michael Stuhlbarg, in particular, portrays Rothstein as a menacingly calm yet brutal criminal tactician. The scenes he shares with Buscemi are debatably the most tense and skilfully executed of the entire episode.

The opening episode of Boardwalk Empire also enjoys the in-

Steve Buscemi teaches Michael Pitt some home truths volvement of several heavyweights est achievement is in some ways in direction and writing. its most recognisable problem, as The show's creator and chief well. Despite the obvious quality in writer, Terence Winter, is yet an- both cast and crew, nothing feels other success story to arise from terribly original.

David Chase's television juggerOne gets the sense that many naut, The Sopranos, (Mad Men's of Boardwalk Empire's most Matthew Weiner being another ex- prominent traits have been taken ample) which set the standard for from previous drama series in an all drama programming since. As attempt to create a winning forsuch, the dialogue is sharp, witty mula. and incredibly intelligent.

The fusion of broader poliIn addition, legendary, Oscar- tics with grass roots criminality is winning director, Martin Scorsese, very reminiscent of The Wire. The picked up the megaphone for the depiction of a social period in flux pilot, painting the entire produc- is recognisable from Mad Men. tion with an incontestable degree And Boardwalk Empire's focus on of quality.

Steve Buscemi can be compared However, the shows great- to The Sopranos focus on James

A not so Grimm fairy tale

On the road again Cheyenne Bunsie

Genevieve Taylor

Reporter

Fresh from winning a National Television award last week Waterloo Road is back; picking up with the dramatic return of new head teacher, Karen Fisher's, missing daughter Bex. All appears well with the Fisher family, who seem to have come to terms with the departure of their father Joe. However, the cheerful mood doesn't last long as Bex receives a chilling text from the mysterious stranger Hodge. As she delays leaving the house, it quickly becomes clear that Bex hasn't been honest with her family about what happened during the time she was away.

We re-join the rest of the school amidst a controversial new move from headteacher Karen to boost the low grades of the boys by separating them from the girls.

In heavy opposition to this change is the new head of pastoral care, Adanna Lawal.

Adanna is similar to her popular predecessor, Kim Campbell, in a number of ways, the most obvious being her headstrong nature and natural opposition to any measures that single out students.

Adanna differs from Kim in being so outspoken that she comes across as almost rude to Karen in a contrivance that is a little unbelievable.

Reporter

George Sampson squares up to Finn Sharkey Also introduced is new troublemaker, Kyle Stack, played by Britain's Got Talent winner, George Samson. The cute little boy who won the nation's favour by dancing in the rain was certainly not present in his character Kyle. George looked tall, gangly and greasyhaired, complete with trashy mum and scary dog.

Kyle is immediately set against Waterloo Road's top troublemaker, Finn Sharkey, and comes out swinging, quite literally. Kyle also manages to clash with Bex, who after being scared out of the house

by Hodge, falsely accuses him of sexual assault.

The mystery behind Bex's stalker remains unsolved as she is unable to hide her fear yet cannot

HBO Gandolfini, as Tony Soprano.

However, many shows require a couple of episodes to develop an identity. After all, the pilot episode of Mad Men dangled on the cusp of wanton pastiche before the rest of the season revealed it to be the most layered and comprehensibly written series of the last five years.

And with a great supporting cast including Michael Pitt as a traumatised First World War veteran, Kelly MacDonald as an abused wife and Michael Shannon as Federal Agent, Nelson Van Alden, Boardwalk Empire promises to be one the boldest dramas of the year.

BBC

bring herself to tell Karen what has happened.

Overall, Waterloo Road is a welcome return to TV schedules and the first episode back has audiences eagerly awaiting the revelation of what really happened to Bex. As well as dangling Bex's secret in front of us, subtle hints have been laid out in relation to developing storylines such as Janice's promotion to teaching assistant and the comedy her partnership with straight laced Ruby will bring; as well as the brewing sexual tension between heart-throb Jonah and Miss Montoya.

Hopefully the series can develop Adanna and remain fresh in the coming weeks.

Once upon a time there was a TV miniseries that re-invented Grimm's Fairy Tales; its heroine was a New York waitress and its hero, the big, not-so-bad wolf. The show was The 10th Kingdom and it was without a doubt one of the greatest in the TV fantasy canon.

Starring Father of The Bride's Kimberley Williams, Gilmore Girls' Scott Cohen and comedy genius John Larroquette, The 10th Kingdom is a wonderfully original, hilarious and beautiful interpretation of all your favourite fairy tales from Snow White to Rapunzel.

The story centres on Virginia (Williams) a feisty but endearing damsel, minus the distress, whose bike collides with a dog in Central Park. It transpires that the dog is in fact a bewitched (and rather snarky) prince, who has come to New York through a magical mirror with a couple of shoe-mad trolls and a wolf-man on his tail.

Virginia and her hilarious janitor father Tony (Larroquette) are drawn into the fantastical world of the 9 kingdoms, a land where fairies, dwarves, goblins and shepherdesses run amok.

What makes the series so special is its heart. Virginia's story has great personal depth and is developed beautifully. Her relationship with sometime anti-hero Wolf is

also brilliant: a refreshingly believable but fairytale romance. Wolf himself is a complex and turbulent character: one moment he is trying to roast Virginia's grandmother, the next he is reading self-help books and then reciting romantic odes.

The look of the series is stunning, the many kingdoms provide spellbinding and exciting settings, from Kissing Town, to Little Lamb Village and Dragon Mountain. The various meticulously dressed locations keep each episode refreshing and visually mouth-watering.

Whether you're a fan of fantasy, fairytales, romance, comedy or even none of the above The 10th Kingdom is well worth a watch.

Wolf and Virginia

NBC

Television 17

11th February 2011 redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

Editors – Joe McGrath, Amber Alexander

Beauty and the Beast Russell Webb Reporter

As usual, Channel 4 have elected to go with a nice subtle title for their new series of documentaries that endeavours to explore the discrim-

ination against people with facial deformities.

In this six part series, six vanity-obsessed women are paired up with a person who suffers from facial disfigurement in order to explore the prejudices that people hold against one anothers looks.

Can Leo and Yasmin find common ground?

Human Planet Martha Hill-Cousins Reporter

The BBC's newest nature documentary is the incredible Human Planet, which captures the lives of those who live 'face to face with raw nature' thousands of miles away from the 'city lights'.

Each episode depicts one particular habitat; whether it is the wonders of our waters, the adverse conditions of the arctic or the desiccated deserts.

It is baffling to learn about the extreme circumstances in which some of us reside and the essential measures taken in order to survive.

It instills a sense of pride and awe at the resilience and resourcefulness of the human race. It is a series to rival that of the Planet Earth and Life documentaries and provides an excellent human accompaniment.

One of the initial things I was surprised to note about this series is the narration by John Hurt.

At first I was slightly disappointed to learn that I would not be serenaded by the dulcet tones of David Attenborough.

But fear not Attenborough fans, Hurt is an excellent alternative and matches the serene and luxurious voice we have all grown to love from the Planet Earth series.

In order to convince you that this is the programme to watch I have chosen my favourite moments from the opening three episodes.

The first of which delves into the mysteries of the open waters; providing insight into the adaptability of humans.

Far out at sea off the coast of Borneo a man dives 20 metres to the bottom of the seabed to catch his dinner. He is under the water for a total of two and a half minutes

Channel 4

and we are told that he can reach up to five minutes.

Not impressed yet? He does this by taking a single breath and reaches such depths that the volume of air in his lungs is squashed to a third of its capacity!

The arid lands of the Sahara desert pose a great problem to its inhabitants, as they embark on an exhausting quest for water.

The Tubu women must trek 20 miles across the great expanse of sand to search for the only well within 80km.

This never ending sea of sand is referred to as the 'land of nothing' and they must find the source

1st the worst, 2nd the best?

The structure of the programme is to thrust these two people into a house together and allow them to experience and observe each others' lives.

When the couple first meet it is a shock for the vain woman to be confronted by someone who doesn't correspond with their ideal of beauty.

Once over this initial hurdle, the 'beauty' takes the 'beast' out on a typical day of their life. The second day is predictably a day in the life of the 'beast'. Finally, after a few weeks without contacting each other, the couple meet up again to discuss their lives and whether they have changed‌or not changed, as the case may be.

The first episode has already aired on Channel Four and is available on 4od. This eases us into the prejudices that surround deformities. We follow Leo who has third degree burns all over his face, legs and hands from an accident that occurred when he was fourteen.

Leo has clearly had to adapt to this difference in his looks, as he wasn't born with any facial deformities.

His acceptance of the way he now looks is an inspiration to any viewer. Leo and his 'beauty' Yasmin make an enchanting pair.

The episode is centred on the uses of plastic surgery. Completely absorbed with her looks, Yasmin be-

lieves that she could improve herself with some nip and tuck action.

However, after spending time with Leo, her outlook on life and physical appearance changes, which is obviously the message that Channel 4 is trying to promote.

As an interlude to the main purpose of the programme, a man that suffers from a facial deformity himself hits the streets trying to tackle the stigmas that surround people in a similar situation to himself.

In the first episode he confronts the advertising industry personally recreating the iconic David Beckham campaign for Emporio Armani underwear. The response that he receives from the general public was exceptionally positive, showing that we don't all hold damning prejudices.

Despite not being at all tactful in the naming of their programme, Channel Four have definitely come across an issue that needs to be addressed in society.

Facial deformities do occur and we should be open enough to talk about it and accept it in society. It is also important to attempt to extinguish a growing celebrity culture that encourages vanity in young people. I believe that they are sending out a positive message through our television screens and we should all be listening.

of water by the exhausting method of counting the number of sand dunes they have passed.

The final day of the trek is in the hands of a 10 year old girl who successfully navigates the women to the well which is only one square metre!

Perhaps my favourite moment takes place in Greenland where two Inuit men catch a four metre long Greenland shark.

This catch is to feed their twenty dogs which are their only means of transport in this frozen land. Without man's best friend this community could not survive here.

In order to capture the shark, the men must cut through the one metre thick ice (strong enough to support a jumbo jet) and lower the fishing line 800 metres into the depths of the ocean.

The catch can sometimes take so long the men have to drag their house along with them in order to make sure they won't freeze at night.

This series is a must see, each episode is as mesmerising as the next and I defy anyone not to be impressed by the capabilities of the human race in the most adverse conditions.

Swimming with the fishes in Borneo

BBC

It has happened countless times before: a hit new TV show comes to the small screen, makes a huge splash, and leaves the audience anxiously awaiting the second series.

And what happens when that eagerly anticipated sequel finally comes out? The whole thing crashes and burns.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Extras DVD feature discusses the curse of 'the difficult second album', but it seems that a whole new wave of shows are bucking that trend, and producing series bigger and better than the ones before.

The second season of multiEmmy award winning Modern Family has made a huge splash, and for all the right reasons. Having just been renewed for a third series, this comedy mockumentary is original, varied, and downright funny.

It follows the lives of an extended family: dad Jay is married to a Colombian bombshell, his son Mitchell has adopted a Vietnamese baby with partner Cameron, and daughter Claire is married with three kids.

The show has no dramatic storylines or intricate plots: it works purely on the skill of its lead actors and the accurate, real life characters that they portray.

Courtney Cox's latest venture Cougar Town is also enjoying a fruitful second season.

Centred around a group of frustrated, middle-aged friends with far too much time (and wine) on their hands, the show has once again been another ratings hit for the American networks, with its pilot bringing in over eight million viewers.

The writing remains as sharp, witty and acerbic as ever, and the news has just been announced that a third instalment is on the cards.

The 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom franchise have quite literally given birth to a whole new generation of reality stars.

Whilst we probably shouldn't condone the reckless actions of these misguided youths, the shows are so hilarious, ridiculous and obscenely over-dramatic that one can't help but get sucked in, making them the ultimate in guilty pleasures.

Teen Mom 2 has just begun, featuring a new selection of juvenile delinquents. A few episodes in, and we've already had breakups, make ups, custody orders, violence and botched proposal attempts.

And who says these people are irresponsible?

Shows that have truly dispelled the difficult second series myth are Project Runway and America's Next Top Model.

Exploring the world of fashion design and modelling respectively, these programmes have won numerous awards and propelled some of their winners to superstardom.

With Project Runway gearing up for its ninth season and America's Next Top Model launching its 16th, these hit series have proven that innovation and entertainment don't have to end after the first series.

Charlotte Lytton

18 redbrickonline.co.uk

Music Single Reviews

Britney Spears

Hold It Against Me

Redbrick

11th February 2011

Rihanna 'absolutely not' OK with BBC's cleaned up version of her latest single S & M www.nme.com/news/dailygossip

Album Reviews

Architects

The Here & Now

6

Port Entrophy

Ian Johnson Critic

If I said I love Britney Spears, would you hold it against me?

Her new track is contagious and will no doubt be gracing clubs as the hot new track this month. And after her appearance in the new season of Glee, it is fair to say that Britney is back, yet again.

She does have a habit of making come backs, Hold it Against Me being the first release from her seventh studio album in twelve years. Her newest track has been hailed as 'prime Britney' in the US where it shot to number 1 in the charts and here in the UK has remained in the top 10 for three weeks running.

With lyrics like 'you feel like paradise and I need a vacation tonight', it is clear that the once American sweetheart has truly crossed over to the dark side. The bass that runs through the whole track is seductive and relatable to current club hits while mixes of dubstep keep the single fresh and individual.

Spears is looking to be taken seriously by collaborating with star acts like Dr Luke, and if this hit is anything like her album, we've got a lot more to look forward to.

Stephanie De Lucia

Richard Higgs Critic

Architects' first full length release since 2009's Hollow Crown, The Here and Now is scarcely a continuation of previous efforts. Instead it presents us with a lurch towards radio-friendly territory.

Listening to the opening track Day in Day Out you immediately realise this is not typical Architects – every previous opener saw the listener fall headfirst directly into a pool of crushing double-bass coupled with screams and six-string squeals. Instead, Day in Day Out teases you with a guitar harmonics and a relatively laid back drumbeat, before giving way to a rousing chorus underpinned by catchy riffing.

The Here and Now might even be considered an archetypal

Bright Eyes

The People's Key

metalcore album, if Alexisonfire hadn't already hit the ceiling with Watch Out in 2004. The brutality of previous records becomes more apparent with the appearance of two ballads – Heartburn and Spiral Architect which are peppered with (fast becoming cliché) percussive electronica while heavier tracks (Delete, Rewind and The Blues) sound like easy listening when compared with fan favorites like Early Grave or Minesweeper.

As a result, Architects' live show will benefit from this release immensely – for setlists that comprise entirely of unrelentingly dense tracks, up-tempo sing-alongs should go down a storm.

While an essentially average but competent metal album, Architects new sound may alienate old fans and attract new ones in equal measure.

7

Music Diary 11th – 17th Friday 11th A Day Overdue O2 Academy 3

Saturday 12th

Florrie The Temple @ HMV

Sunday 13th

My Chemical Romance LG Arena

Monday 14th White Lies HMV Institute

Tuesday 15th Not Advised O2 Academy 3

Wednesday 16th Heebie Jeebies The Flapper

Thursday 17th

Roll Deep The Library @ HMV

When first hearing Japanese multiinstrumentalist Shugo Tokumaru, I foolishly dismissed his music as a quirky novelty for the otaku crowd only. But upon re-evaluating his 2007 release, Exit, I realised that the music I had simply labelled as 'cute' was actually a series of meticulously plotted and joyful pop songs of surprising depth. Yes, still cute, but also much more than that.

His fourth album, Port Entrophy, runs along similar lines and is arguably his best work yet. The immediate stand out tracks here are Rum Hee and Lahaha. Sure, repeating the song titles in public may get you some funny looks, but it's hard not to be moved when Rum Hee gathers speed 20 seconds in and the song swells with a sense of joy and invigoration. And Lahaha does a very good impression of being the perfect 3 minute pop hit, complete with a (slightly bizarre) sing-a-long chorus.

Also worth noting is Tracking Elevator. Listen at 2 minutes and 34 seconds, when the bass

Critic

The People's Key has one of the most irritating album openers since, well, Bright Eye's 2007 release Cassadaga. Remember how that album began with a protracted telephone call to a psychic?

It seems Conor Oberst is up to his old tricks again. When you first play the album you're assaulted with an incomprehensible spoken word piece by Conor's conspiracy theorist buddy. It's all crystals, energy and reptilian aliens and it carries on for two and a half minutes.

I appreciate that The People's Key is intended to have a sci-fi theme, but can this sort of nonsense be consigned to the linear notes next time please?

It's a shame because on the whole this is a very good album.

It shows a greater and more experimental range of sounds than Conor's usual output and at times feels like components of all the previous releases are being brought together.

The explosive drum interludes on Jejune Stars, the stuttering thump and distorted guitar effects

of Haile Selassie and the carnivalstyle organ in Triple Spiral all illustrate Conor's commitment to keeping things fresh. And by-andlarge it pays off: most tracks come across as alive and interesting as opposed to over-stuffed. In fact the poorer songs on the album are noticeably under-nourished in comparison.

Fans will note that a usual highlight of Bright Eyes albums are the poetic and affecting lyrics.

Shell Games is a particular highlight, with Conor singing about changing his attitude and trying to be positive in the midst of hopelessness.

It's almost as if he's trying to shake the tiresome 'emo' tag that lazy critics continually label him with. (Although if you're someone who could never get over the shaky and vulnerable vocals in the past, there's nothing here that will win you over.)

I would recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in Bright Eyes. At the very least, it will kill some time until next year, when our glorious reptilian overlords will harness Earth's life-force and destroy the human race.

instrument comes in with a chord progression mirroring the main melody. This floods the song with warmth, lifting it and giving it context. Shugo clearly knows what he's doing here and this is one of the best moments of the album.

As mentioned before, the depth of Shugo's music should not be understated. The number of different sounds that go into each track is impressive, from more traditional instruments to bird whistles and bicycle bells.

It conjures an image of Shugo conducting an orchestra of hundreds of tiny animated toys to perfect harmony. And it's this layering and complexity of the music which keeps you listening long after the average catchy pop tune has lost its appeal.

I have to confess it isn't a perfect album. Port Entrophy does loose some steam towards the end; Orange is pleasant enough but a little dirge-like and Malerina is too low-key to be the explosive finale I was expecting.

Still, on the whole this is a very strong offering. Joyful, uplifting and lovingly crafted. Strongly recommend.

Essential Albums Legend of the Black Shawarma

Francis Shaw Ian Johnson

8

Shugo Tokumaru

Critic

When it comes to electronica I look for progressive and creative artists. Real creativity comes from places outside the sphere of music that most people are exposed to.

Some artists like Daft Punk and Justice (both from France), have made progressive electronica mainstream. However, typically the electronica that gets the lion's share of nightclub and radio play time is grounded firmly in the traditions of repetitive pop music, which I find really uninspiring.

For those unfamiliar with Infected Mushroom, they're a psytrance/progressive electronica group from Israel and 2009's Legend of the Black Shawarma is their seventh and best studio album.

Originally destined to be a concept album based on their cultural experiences on tour the album really stands out from the rest of their discography as an attempt to move away from repetition and it does a great job of mixing dance and metal music together.

The use of guitar over the synth is significantly increased over their previous album and ranges from ludicrously complex

#12

overdubbed riffs to sweeping and beautiful melodies.

Unlike their early albums it really feels like they have put a lot of thought into keeping the listener interested and compelled to hear the next track. The tracks feint and crash and soar and simmer as they progress, creating a beautiful and exciting hour of varied and thrilling music.

The band's location in Israel has a noticeable impact on their style: Eastern and Western sounds come together and mesh beautifully.

Unfortunately the album is not without fault, some of the decisions taken concerning the vocal style may strike listeners as very European and trashy but I find it endearing when set against this otherwise insanely impressive album. The Israeli accent in particular is very enjoyable to hear being used with such passion and energy.

When it comes to the future of Infected Mushroom I hope they will retain their euro-dance roots and not become too industrial. For now at least, Legend of the Black Shawarma really hits the right balance and is rich in creativity to boot.

Redbrick

Editors – Charlie Bailey, William Franklin

Live Reviews

Music 19

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Metronomy

...Djentlemen Tour

Choosing bands to support Devil Sold His Soul must be an extremely difficult task: their music straddles multiple genres, ranging from the devastatingly heavy to the eerily beautiful, more often than not within the same song.

Tonight's offerings are locals Save Your Grace and Fallacies, and Rochester-based Feed the Rhino.

Save Your Grace give a passionate performance but seem to suffer from opening act syndrome, as few audience members seem interested. Fallacies fare little better, but hit their stride towards the end of their set. The last of the support acts, Feed the Rhino are presented with a larger crowd than the first two acts, but the audience seem tentative at first, when faced with the visceral presence of vocalist Lee Tobin. Every song in the set is polished and tight, each member feeding off their vocalist's energy.

Feed the Rhino came with few believers, but definitely gained new fans tonight.

The moment everyone has been waiting for arrives, and Devil

'DJENT IS GONNA TAKE OVER THE WORLD!', screamed Neema Askari, one half of Monuments' vocal talent. For the uninitiated, 'Djent' is the onomatopoeic sound of a palm-muted double octave guitar powerchord – or a subgenre of metal that incorporates downtuned (often 7 or 8-stringed) guitars, polyrhythmic drumming and other progressive elements.

Two of the bands on the bill, Monuments and TesseracT, grew out of the prog-metal band Fellsilent, with the former taking to the stage first. With barely enough room for all six highly active Djentlemen, the band's energetic delivery coupled with vocals that at times possessed a percussive, catchy 'hip-hop' quality, while at others took a form reminiscent of Sikth, left many people asking 'Where can I buy their EP?' If Monuments were hyperactive and dense, then TesseracT, while crushingly heavy, allow their music to breathe. Layered guitars fade from glassy echoes to brutally low double-bass synched grooves

O2 Academy 03/02/2011

O2 Academy 01/02/2011

Sold His Soul hit the stage, kicking off with a crushing rendition of 'Tides', from new album Blessed & Cursed. The band mix intricate instrumental soundscapes, which rival acts like Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky, with powerful guitar-driven metal. Vocalist Ed Gibbs completes the equation with diverse vocal lines ranging from banshee screams and low roars, to delicate and often haunting clean vocals. The set contains a crowd-pleasing mix of older favourites as well as a focus on new material, from the epic sing-along choruses of Drowning/Sinking, to

the brooding middle eight in The Disappointment.

As a live act, Devil Sold His Soul captivate their audience and hold them for every second, in awe of the depth and intricacy of the music. The band leave the stage following Truth Has Come, but are beckoned back by an audience ravenous for one last song, and DSHS happily oblige. As the final chords of Hope ring out and the venue starts to empty, it is clear that nobody was disappointed by tonight's performance.

James Pembroke

and the soaring vocals of Dan Tompkins, sounding impossibly close to those of the Concealing Fate EP. Djent music is often a bedroom vocation – programmed, not performed – TesseracT proves that they can not only create this music, but do it flawlessly too. They close with Acceptance, the last minute of which unites the entire room in an idiosyncratic frenzy.

I say idiosyncratic, because it seems that every punter, within his or her own head, are banging their head to their own rhythm – when a band is playing with multiple time signatures, you have to choose which groove to nod along to – guitar line, snare hit, back beat or vocal?

Alternately, you could forget all that and just enjoy having your ears and eyes bludgeoned by Periphery's choreographed shred guitar and strobe combination. The guitar wizardry of Misha Mansoor visibly forces you to stop moving and pay attention – his style echoing the likes of Guthrie Govan and Chuck Schuldiner.

These guys won't be kept a secret for long. A djenuinely extraordinary gig.

Richard Higgs

Lexie Frost presents...

An Alternative Valentine's Playlist It's here – the one day of the year guaranteed to make you feel lonely/ guilty/ broke/ gullible/ fat/ spotty/ a failure (delete as applicable). Valentine's Day isn't even the picnic it's supposed to be for couples – all that pressure to buy pink stuff and gaze adoringly at each other for hours for no particular reason. I'm married and I still don't really get it. Fight the card companies this year, and if you have no plans, here are some songs to get you through the night.

Simply priceless. Almost a masculine version of the above Alanis ditty – but way better. The late Pete Steele did not aim his music at the easily offended but his dark humour is laugh out loud funny. I particularly like the erotic sound effects drowned out by his tortured screaming.

3) Skeeter Davis – End of the World I'm dubbing this song the soundtrack to most of the melodramatic teenage cries for attention since 1963. A sugar-sweet and slightly unbalanced little number, this is a surprisingly good bath-soaking tune. Just stay away from the razors.

OK, so it's a clichéd angry-girl song from Alterno-Barbie, but any scorned female in the Western hemisphere subconsciously stores the lyrics to this song and that's a fact.

2) Type O Negative – Unsuccessfully Coping With the Natural Beauty of Infidelity

4) The Killers – Mr Brightside The video to this track shows Brandon Flowers torturing himself with images of the ex being seduced by her new lover. Please feel free to do likewise.

5) Gilbert O'Sullivan – Alone Again – Naturally This one really wallows, I mean it has everything: suicide, parental

Lightspeed Champion Let The Bitches Die (William Franklin, Music Editor)

6) Ben Folds Five – Song for the Dumped Why do songs about heartbreak always feature a piano? Something to do with the solitary nature of the instrument perhaps...over half of these songs do, and obviously, with this being Ben Folds, you'll have to put up with the piano. However, I like the fact that this one shows considerable anger. Ben's not sitting back and taking it - he has invested hard cash in this woman only to be dumped. And has probably left with a nasty case of blueballs.

7) Crispin Glover – Automanipulator

1) Alanis Morrisette – You Oughta Know

Redbrick Office Choices

death, being jilted at the altar. The slight jauntiness of tune increases the pathos and makes me think it is best enjoyed drunk for maximum self-pity.

'Girls are sweet, girls are honey, but beat your meat and save your money'. A handy, money-saving tip in these credit-crunch ridden times comes courtesy of Hollywood's oddest character actor.

Quite hard to find, this one, but well worth a listen to laugh away

Anal C**t Just The Two Of Us (Charlie Bailey, Music Editor) Fleetwood Mac Go Your Own Way (Samuel Lear, Editor) those Valentine's blues.

8) The Smiths – Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me For the perennially lonely, nothing beats a dose of Morrissey in E Minor.

9) Various Artists – Gloomy Sunday Ah, the infamous 'Hungarian Suicide Song'. They say that if you listen to this, your fate is sealed rather like in The Ring. Don't worry though, it doesn't work and believe me I've tried. For what it's worth, I think the best version is the earliest by Pál Kalmár, though Billie Holliday does a good rendition too.

10) The Shangri-Las – Past, Present and Future One for after the rebound date has failed to penetrate your still numb heart. This is retro-camp at its best. Listen whilst watching Valley Of The Dolls for full effect.

Puddle of Mud She F**king Hates Me (Vikki Jeff, EA) Adele That's It, I Quit, I'm Moving On (Victoria Shires, Deputy Editor) The Magnetic Fields No One Will Ever Love You (Will Hunter, EA) Funky Dee Are You Gonna Bang Doe? (James Reevell, Arts Editor) Ludacris Hoes In Different Codes (Rochelle Balach, EA)

Area

20 redbrickonline.co.uk

Lifestyle

11th February 2010

Redbrick

Fierce or Finished?

Style icon Queen of cool: Dame Viv Vicky Hodgkinson Writer

After seeing a retrospective of Vivienne Westwood's designs back in 2008 at the V&A, I was convinced by her credentials as both a seamstress and a designer. The queen of punk is famous for her Orb logo and eccentric taste.

Her designs include twisted seams, unusually cut fabric and deliberately juxtaposed colours, prints and patterns. Her designs are anarchistic and unpredictable and this is what, arguably, makes her one of Britain's best designers.

H e r fashion credentials blossomed when she began to customise her school uniform in the 1950s. She made all her own clothes without any training, thriftily making sleeve-

less shifts with a single seam and darts, from only one yard of fabric.

The start of Westwood's true fashion career began when she met Malcolm McLaren in 1965 forming a romantic, but more importantly, working relationship. With McLaren she had her second son, Joseph, who co-founded the underwear label Agent Provocateur and east end fashion haven Child of Jago, suggesting that risqué fashion is hereditary.

Together Westwood and McLaren launched 'Punk' based in their Kings Road shop which went through several phases: 'Let It Rock', 'Too Fast to Live Too Young to Die' and 'Sex and Seditionaries'.

In all of its incarnations the shop was outlandishly decorated (at one point having a live, caged rat on a table), constantly changing its merchandise to attract and develop its eccentric customer base.

McLaren (manager of the Sex Pis-

tols, who handily promoted the shop and its owners' ethos) and Westwood went on to co-create many collections in 'a heroic attempt to confront the older generation', as Westwood put it.

She sought to subvert the fashion establishment from within.

Their first catwalk collection 'Pirate' in 1981 was followed by more fantasy inspired collections through which Westwood developed her unique point of view. By 1984 Westwood had moved to Italy with Carlo D'Amario who successfully negotiated a business deal with Armani, leading to the production and marketing of Westwood's label.

No longer constrained by McLaren's vision, Westwood developed her designs to include an aspect of historicism. She reinterpreted tradition with her 'Anglomania' collection and created her own clan tartan called MacAndreas after her third husband and collaborator, Andreas Kronthaler. Yet again Westwood mixed romance and fashion on and off the

Fierce runway.

From this point on in her career, references to literature and high art permeated her work. She has been given numerous awards to recognise her talent, to name a few: in 1990 she was awarded the British Designer of the Year, in 1992 she received an OBE for her outstanding contribution to fashion, and in 2006 she was made Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Today Westwood's seditious collections are comprised of the semi-couture line 'Gold Label', the readyto-wear line 'Red Label', 'Vivienne Westwood Man' and the diffusion line 'Anglomania'.

She continues to surprise fashion audiences by producing original designs that are aspirational and still embody current style.

Whilst sometimes I find some of her work garish, she succeeds in maintaining herself as a true fashion icon.

Return of Waterloo Road A bit of entertaining drama to aid you in your procrastination mission.

Brogues Fashion retailers are seeing sales soar in the flat shoe department. Channel geek chic and say goodbye to the hurt from heels.

Black Swan Boys think it's all to do with ballet. Well, let me sell it to you: it has lesbian scenes.

Three words: Go. See. It. Side-flash dresses Never mind a bit of boob or a display of leg. It is all about wearing a dress that flaunts the sides of your waist.

Rihanna is working it – enough said.

Enrique Iglesias He is back with a new tune 'Tonight' and it is perfect for those 'prinking' sessions pre-Fab. Mini-eggs We have barely recovered from our Christmas binge and now stores everywhere are screaming 'Easter'. I guarantee you will go into Spar for a bottle of water and come out with a packet.

Amanda Seyfried and Ryan Philippe They would have amazing babies.

Transatlantic fashion fight Sophie Cowling Writer

Michelle Obama, frequently described as 'the most stylish woman to have ever entered the White House' is admired for her impeccable taste, warmth and gracefulness whatever she wears. Last week, however, Oscar de la Renta's opinion of the can-do-no-wrong First Lady turned a little sour. He criticised her decision to wear British designer Alexander McQueen to a state dinner held with the Chinese President.

He told US magazine Women's Wear Daily: 'My understanding is that the visit was to promote American-Chinese trade – American products in China and Chinese products in America. Why do you wear European clothes?'

Opinion from the fashion circles about these comments havs been mixed, while some think De La Renta's comments were jealous and unnecessary about a woman who promotes

it does raise questions about what the differences are between these businesses nationally and why, if fashion is art, it should be considered property of one nation. Surely fashion, like other art, is universal. It is apparent however, that unlike other art forms it is necessary for fashion to be pitched to and associated with a target market.

From looking at the American and British Vogue we can see that this idea of universal fashion is not necessarily apt to describe the way and contrasting styles that are pitched to its readership.

Although both magazines convey the same ethos – a collaboration of couture, designers (from both sides of the Atlantic) and high street fashion presented through the lense of world class photographers – the distinctions are apparent from the covers themselves.

March's US Vogue cover featured Lady Gaga whereas British

@calvinharris: Just saw the best Youtube comment of all time – 'thumbs up if you pee in the side of the toilet so it's quieter'

@LadyGaga: They used to call me rabbit teeth in school and now I'm a real live VOGUE BEAUTY QUEEN!

@chriscolfer: My aunt just text me 'There's a fake story about you in my tabloid! You've made it, honey! You've made it!' Oy...

@kanyewest: Sometimes I fuk with my Timbs on

@serafinowicz: Cupid is one horny baby!

Seen an interesting/crazy/hilarious tweet that you want to put in Lifestyle? Email us!

All the latest gossip from the @katyperry:@rihanna yo batch lemme borrow those latex dresses! #slutty #skank #ho

Vogue opted for model Rosie Huntington-Whitely. Both choosing cover stars from their respective countries is just a reflection of the differing styles presented within.

The dissimilarity between American and British style is stereotyped with British fashion considered more unique, experimental and in favour of the less-put-together look. American fashion is stereotyped as being simple and classic; with a good pair of jeans and a loose shirt being the epitome. Of course, like any stereotypes, these have major exceptions.

De La Renta's comments highlight the importance and separation of the two nationalities' fashion in terms of ownership, business and styling.

The real question being raised is whether fashion is business and/ or art and whether this matters or should be left down to the individual to determine their preferred personal style or designer.

American fashion and business in countless other ways; some think an American designer would have been more appropriate.

Editor of WWD, Bridget Foley expressed her views on the subject: 'To wear something other than American at this particular trade-centric megafete embarrasses a major U.S. industry that continues to need all the help it can get.'

Despite there being no debate that McQueen's dress looked fabulous, these comments do potentially draw attention to distinctions between American vs. British fashion that I'd never considered before. There have been other public clashes such as that of British actress Carey Mulligan famously rejecting American Vogue Editor Anna Wintour's advice to wear a short dress to last year's Oscars.

Although De La Renta's comments were to do with promoting the American fashion business,

Tweets of the week social networking site.

Sarah Welsby

Finished Horrific customer service I love that dress... but I don't love it enough to put up with your attitude. Do you not watch Mary Portas: Secret Shopper?

Matchy-matchy style Thanks to Gillian Zinser (90210's Ivy) we no longer have to agonise over 'the shoes to match'. Oscars-worthy maxi-dress with an oversized boyfriend cardi slung over the top, why not? Throw on a floppy sun hat for good measure.

Winter layers We would have frozen to death in the colder months without our thermalt-shirt-hoodie combo, but this murky looking weather is nowhere near as bitter. Sweating by the time you reach lectures? Not a good look.

Superbowl v. Kardashians Neither will be shown on +1... which did your house choose?

Visits from your mother 'No Mom, I don't need you to clear all the plates off the draining board.

This is how we like it.'

The exciting prospect of an academic 'fresh start' Buying all that stationary at the end of exams did nothing for our study motivation. At least we have a highlighter in every colour of the rainbow.

Double-dipping 'Nuff said.

Gabriella Buxton

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Briony Singh and Rob Lewis

The ex-files

Lady X

Columnist

Sitting in the pub with my boyfriend last week, getting drunk on cheap wine and only half listening to what he was saying (there were a group of One Direction lookalikes on the next table), I was suddenly caught off guard by my boyfriend's surprising and disturbing enquiry: 'So, how many people have you slept with?'

Naturally my brain went into overdrive. Biding time by feigning embarrassed laughter, I tried to remember how much I had told him and whether or not I could get

away with lying. Of course being as inebriated as I was, I couldn't quite recall what I'd said in the past, so 'to hell with it' I thought, I'll try my luck and tell him I was a virgin before I met him.

Unable to convince him that he was the Prince Charming who took away my innocence, I did the next best thing: I asked my boyfriend to give me his own magic number, then I divided it by three and presented that number as mine, which was so close to the truth anyway lying had been pointless.

However, what I subsequently discovered is that sometimes lying in relationships is necessary. For that potentially awkward conversation was followed by an extremely awkward conversation, in which we drunkenly revealed our prior sexploits.

Banter turned sour, as my boyfriend revealed that his most recent ex, an extroverted nympho who not only owned a drawer devoted to the sorts of things you might find in the shadowy corners of certain 'lingerie parlors,' but was also pierced downstairs. I think the term is: FML.

Clearly, the less known about 'The Ex' the better. So many of my friends have driven themselves crazy (literally) deliberating over, and sometimes even stalking, their loved ones' ex-girlfriends.

One of my friends went as far as setting up a fake Facebook account just so she could keep tabs on her boyfriend's former squeeze.

While another of my friends purposefully set out to meet her man's ex by joining the University Society the innocent girl was a member of and befriending her, without revealing her true identity.

Admittedly, my friends are unhinged and they are also completely missing the obvious. If you want to make sure your boyfriend's mind isn't lingering on the past, make his present even better, which is why my friends and I are going on a special shopping trip to Ann Summers.

Moral of this story: Be careful when opening up discussion of 'The Ex', because while sticks and stones may break your bones, hearing about an ex who likes chains and whips may kill you!

Love your bits!

Sarah Welsby Writer

I don't like my vagina. I am not fully satisfied. I'd like my money back, please. Actually, is it that bad? I don't know. I think it's average, as they go? Maybe?

A lot of us don't seem to think so.

Aside from vajazzling, which I'm passing off as a trend that will never be as popular as the gals in Essex lead us to believe, there seems to be a furiously fast rise in the numbers of girls getting serious work done down there.

From labioplasty ('trimming' to produce something a little more symmetrical) to vaginal rejuvenation (tightening of the vagina), to liposuction of the pubic area (what it says on the tin, really), how acceptable has this become? How far would you go?

After much discussion and debating, it seems most people are perfectly supportive of vaginal

surgery – in certain circumstances.

If a woman has endured a traumatic childbirth that cosmetic surgery can fix, then surgery is a modern option to return her to a fully functioning and natural state.

If a girl's inner labia are crippling her confidence, or causing physical discomfort during her dayto-day life, most of us would fully support her decision to summon up the courage to ask for help.

But I'm concerned that the increasing focus on perfection of the body is leading to a rise in girls, young and old, taking matters into their own hands and seeking a look of 'perfection' that Mother Nature never intended.

Coming in all shapes and sizes, we have nothing other than pornography to compare our genitalia to. Which we can all agree is not a realistic representation of normal female bodies.

Will we ever be perfectly happy with our genitals, as females

or males? After all, they are not something we're ever taught to think are 'pretty'. Can, and will, women proudly put their hands up and say that they are proud of their down-there-regions?

As the most intimate region of the body, it's little wonder why some of us are selfconscious and unaware of how we should feel about ourselves.

Obviously, the same insecurity affects males – recommended viewing: Channel 4's 'Penis Envy' and, of course, 'The Joys of Teen Sex' (which I hardly feel can be restricted to teenagers).

I can't help but wonder that it may have been easier in Victorian times, when we scarcely knew what each other's ankles looked like, but today, females and males alike need to stop fretting and gain a little confidence in their individuality. Surgery may be the solution to some problems, but a bit of self-love is a much more effective treatment.

Are you a gym addict?

Marcus Bott Writer

I am skinny, lanky, slim, weedy, whatever you want to call me, that is me. Therein lies the reason why I am obsessed with the gym. I have recently learnt about a condition known as 'bigorexia'. As funny as it may sound, it appears as if more people are affected by it then you may originally believe.

So with my desire to gain weight and muscle, does this mean I am a bigorexic? Borderline I'd say.

Bigorexia, or the 'Adonis Complex' seems to be quite an easy trap to fall in to. While neither are truly medical terms they are being used to describe an image problem that can plague men and boys. Adonis, from Greek mythology, was depicted as half man, half god. He was considered the ultimate in masculine beauty and according to sixteenth century perspectives, the epitome of male fitness. While the obvious types, such as bodybuilders and other sportsmen seem more likely to be at risk, more recently the av-

erage 'gym-goer' has become more fanatical about the way they view their bodies and perceive physical inadequacies. The biggest problem recently is that 'bigorexia' has become an under-diagnosed condition because generally it is seen as being acceptable for men to be big.

It's ultimately a sign of masculinity and power, having large, sculptured muscles that are admired by the opposite sex. Ironically the fitness regimes of these men have the adverse affect. According to a popular student forum, many women feel that massive muscles aren't such a turn on, opting instead for a slimmer, more toned man. Equally, the men who do go mental in the gym often find their obsession wears them out, so much so they often have to forgo any sexual contact.

Vanity gets us all. People who say they are not bothered about their looks can't be telling the truth.

Everyone wants to look his or her best, surely? I'm not here to give advice but it is easy to become seduced by the images of how a perfect man

should look, thrown at us everyday.

Essentially as Dr Olivardia notes, 'Being a successful man is about far more than having big muscles'.

Personally, I say borderline because when I am in the mood it can last for a few weeks, though if I get caught up with other things that push my gym routine out the window, I don't feel as obsessed to get a good workout in. I am safe for now but probably destined to be weedy forever.

Urban Roots Stacey Barnes Writer

You know what it's like when it comes to hair salons. You find one you like, and you stick to it. You probably ask for the same stylist every time, because they know just how you like your hair done, and won't pull any crazy stunts with you and leave you with a Mohawk when you asked for a trim.

Becoming a student means many of us have to find a new salon in our University location – not so easy in the second biggest city in the UK which has hundreds of salons, but not so many great ones that fit a student budget.

After a couple of not-so-great hair experiences at another 'urban' hair salon (covert reference there if you can spot it) I decided to go in search of better things, and eureka I have found it!

Urban Roots is my new 'just right' salon, and I wish to spread the word!

The salon is right by New Street station on Lower Temple Street, so is easy to find and it's central.

Set up ten years ago by brothers Chad and Wesley using a loan from the Princes Trust, Urban Roots is a family-run salon with a really relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, not at all pretentious like some other city centre salons. The staff really take care

Lifestyle 21 of you; my jacket was hung up, I was offered 3 drinks, brought magazines and kept amused by friendly banter. So far so good!

Chad gave me the most thorough consultation I've ever had; he found out exactly what I wanted and explained which tones would suit me and how he'd finely weave through highlights to look natural and rectify the blunt dye line I had previously been left with. He even asked if I wear my hair up so he'd know to colour underneath too. Different concentrations of dye were used on the sides and the top of my head so they would develop at the same time and could all be washed out together.

The Tigi BedHead products they used made my hair smell delicious, and the blow-drying technique of using barrel brushes as rollers left my hair as bouncy as my walk. I positively sashayed my way into Urban Outfitters afterwards!

There are 12 chair stations in the salon around a quirky descending spiral staircase where the other lovely staff (Mary, Carla, Matt and Tony) work their magic.

Urban Roots are currently running a student offer of 25 per cent off with marvellous Mary; meaning women's cuts start from £22.50 and colours from £45.

Plus, with 20 per cent off for all new clients Monday to Thursday, it's time to treat your tresses!

Say 'yah' to the rahs?

Geraldine Tovey Writer

Unless you have been living under a rock, I am sure you have seen the statistics about how privately educated and middle class pupils in general have more of an opportunity of getting into university. The phrase 'social mobility' is now ingrained into our political consciousness, but only in the back of our minds.

The only statistic that has ever truly made an impact on me is the fact that the University of Birmingham has fewer than 3 per cent of students who received free school meals and over 20 per cent of students coming from a private school.

Not just any uni – my uni.

Reading this last week made me examine an uncomfortable truth within myself: sometimes I feel like I don't fit in compared to other University of Birmingham students.

I am not saying that the University does nothing to help poorer students; as a recipient of the Birmingham scholarship it would be completely hypocritical for me to say that.

However, affluence has always been associated with redbrick universities and Birmingham is sadly no exception. Maple Bank is the only hall on The Vale that is less than the minimum student loan. To an extent, poorer students are excluded from this university, not necessarily from getting in but from fitting in.

As I walk into my seminars sometimes I feel like I have stepped into an upper-crust classroom far different to my old school

which has dismally failed its most recent OFSTED inspections.

Received pronunciation is the norm whereas mine is far broader. Although I am stereotyping, you can usually also tell the 'rahs' in the room just by looking at the brands they wear such as Abercrombie and Fitch and Jack Wills and the 'rah' uniform of gilets and Ugg boots. Until I went to uni I thought that gilets had gone out of fashion at the end of primary school and Uggs were the preserve of chavs!

So sometimes when I walk into my seminar in a dress, pixie boots and a blazer I do feel a little too different.

I know I could just adapt to this environment.

But changing my exterior still wouldn't change life experiences and nor would I want it to.

Besides my friends at home would rip me mercilessly if I started to pronounce class as 'clarse'.

Even though I don't necessarily feel comfortable at all times I feel immensely privileged to be at this University. Meeting people who are completely different to me has broadened my horizons. I always associated boarding schools with Enid Blyton books, yet one of the best friends I have made at university went to Harrow School and is indescribably posh. Instead of the old prejudices I used to have, I am now embracing people from all classes.

It still doesn't mean that I don't think more state educated and poorer students should be let into prestigious universities such as ours, but at the same time I am not going to let anger and prejudice dominate what I think of many of my fellow students. Also, secretly a little bit of me does want a barbour jacket!

22

redbrickonline.co.uk

Redbrick

11th February 2011

Travel

Travel fact of the week: On an average day, 102 people visit the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, TX (USA)

Top 5 Destinations for 2011

Planning The Perfect Trip

Bored of Benidorm and the Canaries? Ed Gordon takes a look at our top destinations for this year.

Pax Britannica is at an end (for this year, at least), which means no more kodaking the pyramids of Egypt. No more camel-riding through the deserts of Tunisia.

No more diving the great barrier reef in Australia. Political and geophysical turmoil has hit some of our nation's favourite holiday destinations, resulting in a dramatic decline in tourist numbers. Benidorm, however, goes unaffected.

But fear not seeker of sun, o restless wanderer of the world, Redbrick Travel will guide you, Virgil-like, through some of the best places to go for 2011 (even though it's now the middle of February).

1

2

It is looking likely that Zagreb will join the European Union later this year, so try and go before it does. I don't understand world economics, though I'm pretty sure that it will make it a more expensive place to go. So get there soon. Like so many continental European cities, it has an 'old town' made up of Kaptol and Gradec, the former boasting a lovely cathedral. Zagreb also happens to be the only capital city in the world that hosts a Ski World Cup race and the 'Snow Queen' trophy which can attract crowds of up to 25,000 people.

3

Tallinn

Tallinn is one of the Capitals of Culture 2011 and it is an achingly beautiful place. I can say this with some authority, given it is the only place on this list I've actually been to. The old town, even though it is rather laden with tourist-traps, is amazing. It's full of really cool things your parents would like: colourful churches, little trinket shops and coffee houses. It's also full of things you may like: flagons of honey mead, attractive women serving roasted nuts, and it's cheap. Really cheap. Outside the walls of the old town is the same kind of city you may expect from a rapidly developing ex-Soviet bloc country – shiny new buildings and lots of old cars. Standard fare really, but it is the Old Town that is really the heart of this city.

Zagreb

Wellington

It's like Australia except less brash and with less standing water. New Zealand isn't really an easy sell to a student: it's really far away, costs a lot to get to and the weather isn't too dissimilar to England's. However, this year it is the host of the Rugby World Cup so if you're a rugby toff or a general sports fan, New Zealand should be somewhere on your 2011 to-do list. For the less muscular, often bespectacled among us, The Hobbit begins filming there this year.

If you're really short, you may get to be an extra, but for individuals of regular height there are tours around Hobbiton on offer (though it is closed for filming from February 14th till March 20th), as well as other halfling-related banter in the city. Also, New Zealand also has more sheep than people, so get the döners in after the rugger.

4

Marrakech

Marrakech is a cool place to be.

There are many activities to be experienced here: National des Arts Populaires is a five-day event in July, celebrating the arts and culture of the country. In June, there are week-long parties as Morocco celebrates its independence from France. For the geometrically inclined, Marrakech also boasts one of the busiest 'squares' in the world in Djemaa El Fna. It's awesome, from the pictures on Wikipedia.

Marrakech is hardly a 'new' or 'up and coming' place but it is the most popular tourist destination in Morocco – it makes it on the this list to prove that not all North African tourist destinations are as politically charged as David Dimbleby on election night.

5

Florence

Florence has really good genes.

This one city, in one generation, gave the world Dante and Boccaccio – two of the world's greatest poets, and fathers of the modern Italian language. Two hundred years later Da Vinci and Michelangelo were born, giving Florence two of the greatest artists and polymaths of all time to boot. Often overlooked for the over-crowded Rome, Florence can offer just as much cultural based sight-seeing as anywhere else in the world. There will be plenty of fat Americans trying to find the Mona Lisa, but if you manage to push past them, Florence is really a jolly good place to travel.

Redbrick Travel promises.

Florence, Italy

Wellington, New Zealand

So many places, but where to go?

Emily Booth Writer

So you've finally decided that you want to go travelling, be it on a University holiday, or the end of Uni gap year, but you have no idea where to go or what to do.

There are sites bursting with advice and suggestions, but you believe most of them to be scams (who pays as much as £4,000 to build a school in Africa?) or just plain unrealistic. In either two, five or ten months you cannot save the world single handedly, but you can make sure you do everything possible to achieve your aims, be it volunteering or beach-hopping.

The key is preparation and enthusiasm. The latter will be especially useful gaining visas in over-crowded, over-heated embassies.

•

Before you go

1. Get any appropriate vaccinations in good time. Many vaccines are three or more month courses (e.g. rabies) and so needed to be taken in advance. The website fitfortravel.com has lots of helpful advice about what you might need.

2. Visit your doctor for any queries you have. This is vital if you will be taking medication with you or have any health concerns. Be aware that some remote places have limited medical resources and you may need to take supplies with you.

3. Get good insurance, especially if you'll be engaging in silly things like jumping out of planes.

Marrakech, Morocco

Zagreb, Croatia

4. Get the currency of your first country and know the exchange rates. US dollars are good to take as well as most countries like them and they can be used to pay for more expensive things like hotel rooms.

Tallinn, Estonia

5. Ring your bank and tell them you are going abroad so that you can use your card. Many banks like you to ring them every three months if you are country-hopping a lot, but some can arrange it to last you your whole trip.

•

johnandketurah on Flickr What to pack

Obviously this depends on where you go. It goes without saying that if you are headed to the North Pole then what you would take to Thailand wouldn't be appropriate. A money belt is the safest way to keep your passport and cash hidden and away from quick hands. A small day rucksack is a good way to keep all your valuables on hand whilst you're travelling around.

Travel wash and a portable sink plug will be indispensible to wash all your stinking clothes and remember, don't forget the sun cream, nothing makes you look more amateur than a tomatocoloured face...

•

When you're there...

1. There is a Mongolian proverb: do not start if afraid, once begun do not be afraid and it is a good one to remember. You will probably be nervous about going away, but if you can survive in Snobs, you can cope with travelling. Have common sense and be cautious, but don't let it get in the way of you enjoying every opportunity.

2. Listen to other travellers. The best way to find out which hostels have the friendliest bed bugs.

3. Take lots of photos and upload them often so that if your camera is lost/stolen, you still have them.

4. Divide up your money instead of keeping it all in one place. Have some in your wallet, some in your bag etc.

Travelling has to be one of the most rewarding things to do. The people you meet and the places you see will turn you into one of those 'when I was in...' people and you will find yourself regaling random tales to people on the tube. They may not appreciate it, but in years to come when you're stuck behind your office desk, those hazy memories of riding camels, drinking Scorpion liquor and that night no one can remember in Brazil, will help you get through till 5 PM.

Redbrick

For

Trains are expensive. They are often late. They are cramped.

They are also really cool. They are romantic. They are sociable.

They slide along under mountain, over road, penetrating right into the Heart of Darkness that is Birmingham New Street.

The criticisms levelled at trains are well founded: passenger numbers are on the increase, and so are the prices – there is a 6.9% increase this year over 2010. But the cost of alternate travel is also expensive. 'Green' taxes on petrol and diesel and increased duties on flights has made cycling the only real 'cheap' alternative. And who truly wants to cycle, with every corner little more than a potential window to a seven and a half ton doom of tarmac and windshields? If you are organized, trains don't necessarily have to be expensive - returns

to London can be found for as little as £20.

Trains remain the only viable option for the commuter, its apparent 'high price' offset by lacking of parking fees. For the lucky few that push the old lady out of the way to grab a table, you can also use the travel time to get some important work done, whilst the more polite amongst us end up cramped in the holding cell by the doors.

Next time you find yourself here, however, get a book out and hold it aloft, trophy-like, as you show the entire train that you're reading Ulysses.

Finally, if your train is ever late, I can think of no better excuse to tell your boss why you're late for work. Everyone is aware that train lateness, like hurricanes and lightning, is an act of God, and the lone commuter cannot be held responsible.

Ed Gordon

Brits Abroad Louise Spratt Foreign Correspondent

When Brits abroad appear in the spotlight of a TV show, internet forum or news report, it will more than likely be for all the wrong reasons. Meeting fellow Brits in foreign lands could be a refreshing opportunity to share missed English humour, be inspired by others' travel successes or exchange top tips but the embarrassing truth is that the Geoff (Johnny Vegas) from Benidorm types are easier to find than the Michael Palins.

The 'good' go fairly unnoticed, blending in to the habitat by learning the lingo or doing as the Romans do and letting their British habits take a back seat – the few home traditions that can't be shifted are still no obstacle to embracing the inherited culture.

Good Brits befriend more locals than fellow tourists and hit the party scene in style, dancing the night away until the music stops rather than the self-control. They are very few and very far between.

The 'bad' Brits are those who make little effort in acculturation; the two-way cultural exchange is forgotten as the expatriate communities, fleeing the island in search of sun, sea and sand, bring all that is British with them: TV channels, regular imports of favourite food from visiting family, English newspapers and magazines, and radio broadcasts with British presenters. The expats came, they saw and then they conquered a community, with their beauty salons, English tearooms and Irish bars removing almost all traces of the

original culture whilst trying to create an exotic Blighty. Oblivious to what is going on around them, they stick with fellow expats and wonder why things pass them by. The worst of the lot, dare I say it, are the older generations who, having retired to the chosen idyllic location years ago, still insist on getting by with the three words they have chosen along with shouted English. Do they assume that locals who were born and raised in their chosen location should learn English, just to ease their adaptation to a holiday lifestyle in the sun?

They conquered a community, with their beauty salons, English tearooms and Irish Bars After the good and bad come the ugly. Ignoring the aesthetics (although half naked lobsters who team ankle socks with those Grandad sandals are cringe-worthy eyesores), the ugliest characteristic of Brits abroad is their notorious behaviour. Shrieking girls on Hen-dos, Club 18-30 crowds on a mission to fill up their little black books (perhaps more with antibiotic prescriptions than phone numbers) and lads and ladettes competing in a repetitive marathon of boozing and stripping before passing out on the sun beds the next morning. Doesn't it make you proud to be British?

Debate:

Trains?

Against

Trains sound like a brilliant idea when you book your tickets to your selected destination on a colourful and well designed website. You're lulled into a false sense of security that now you've booked your train tickets, you will arrive at your destination, problem free. Then the day of your journey arrives...

Firstly, there's getting to the train station: terrible bus services, extortionate car park costs or even no buses whatsoever. Arguably the first hurdle will be very difficult.

Secondly, there's getting to your train on time. Miss your train by 30 seconds and you're straight to the machine to buy an 'on the day' ticket. This is likely to cost 5 times as much as your original ticket - and your railcard will only stretch so far.

Thirdly, if you miss the last

Lexie Frost's Day Off Lexie Frost Writer

'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while you might miss it.'

So begins the classic 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, in which Matthew Broderick gets his girlfriend Sloane Peterson and nervous best friend Frye out of school to spend the day in sunny Chicago.

My other half Al is a MidWesterner so we decided to see if Ferris' eventful day off could really be packed into 12 hours.

Working our way through Ferris' itinerary here began a whistle-stop adventure in the Windy City, Chicago.

1) Steal A Ferrari: Are you crazy? We were lucky to get away with Al's scrappy old Jeep.

2) Afternoon Baseball Game ($20) Wrigley Field is the place to be on game days, there's a friendliness to baseball that is absent at British football matches. A couple of warnings about Chicago baseball games: even in April it will be very cold so it's a good idea to wrap up and take a blanket. Wrigley Field is the oldest standing baseball ground in the US so don't expect all mod cons. Also, ballgames can run for hours so it's best not to plan too

tight a schedule for afterwards.

3) Chicago Mercantile Exchange Back in Ferris' day you could go to a balcony and watch the traders wave their hands around furiously. Public access is now restricted although if you book in advance there are tours on certain days. But the Art Deco lobby is still worth the trip.

Hans Pama on flickr

Wally G on flikr

train home you're stuck at the station at 12pm with no train till 6am and with nowhere to sleep but the bench. This is neither comfortable nor safe by any means.

Lastly, you have to sit next to a stranger. He or she may fall asleep on you, smell, or start a really boring conversation with you. They may even take up the majority of the two person seat you've been allocated, making any movement that avoids physical contact difficult to say the least, making way for an awkward couple of hours My parting words on the subject? Pass your test. Get a car, drive where and when you want and sit next to whoever you decide you want to accompany you for the journey. And squeeze as many friends as you can into your Nissan Micra and share the cost.

Claire Chinn

the world. Since the film a couple of things have changed.

It is now called the Willis Tower but the name isn't sticking among visitors. The viewing platform also has a scary new addition in the form of a thick glass overhang 1353 feet above the street.

4) Blagging Your Way Into A Snooty Restaurant Unlike Ferris, we were old enough to drink and so dispensed with pretending to be 'Abe Froman, The Sausage King of Chicago' to get into Chez Quis in favour of hanging out at the pin-up saturated Risque Cafe North Clark Street, Wrigleyville.

Chicago is a drinking town, with an especially large selection of Irish bars. Wrigleyville contains many sports bars for post-game analysis but there are just as many alternatives catering to a gothier, arty crowd. It's more fun to forget about the snooty restaurants and try the mammoth pizzas on offer at Gino's East.

5) The Art Institute of Chicago ($18) Ferris and co. followed a primary school trip in this magnificent art collection.

The pictures they looked at are still in the permanent collection including the famous Seurat and Edward Hopper's Nighthawks.

This is undoubtedly a world class gallery. I was particularly taken with Grant Wood's American Gothic and the Ivan Albright works, The Door and Picture of Dorian Gray. There are also substantial collections of fin de siècle and French impressionist works.

Wally G on flikr

Benidorm Beach

Travel 23

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – Ed Gordon & James Cull

6) The Sears Tower ($16) This is the tallest building in the USA and for 25 years was the tallest in

Sears Tower

Diorama Sky flikr

7) Sing In A Street Parade The Von Steuben's Day Parade that Ferris hijacks takes place in mid-September which is parade season in the USA (Mexican Day and Thanksgiving occur soon afterwards but February sees the St Patrick's Day parade). Luckily these events are free.

Sadly, it is highly unlikely that hijacking a parade float or witnessing an impromptu dance routine from a crowd of thousands will ever be achievable outside the confines of a Hollywood movie.

However this was, all in all, a successful homage to a life-affirming classic film.

To read Lexie's full article, go to redbrickonline.co.uk

24

Redbrick

11th February 2011

redbrickonline.co.uk

Sport

A hockey special as Brum's men and women begin their knockout campaigns Read the full reports, p. 26

Taek a walk on the wild side David Wheaton gets to grips with one of the more combative sports Birmingham has to offer

A Korean martial art and national sport, Taekwondo can literally be translated as 'the art of kicking and punching'. After becoming an Olympic discipline in 2000 it now claims to be one of the most popular martial arts in terms of number of practitioners.

The sport emphasises kicking over punching; relying on the better reach and power of the legs and training usually involves the practice of different kicks, blocks, punches and locks.

University is supposed to represent an eye opening, broadening experience for us all. So this week I was sent to take part in an atypical but thrilling session of Taekwondo, a Korean martial art extremely popular in South Korea.

I was enthusiastic and interested to find out exactly why our Taekwondo club has enjoyed such loyalty from its members since it was initially founded in 1993. Club captain Jonny Price acknowledges that, 'everybody who has been involved before really cares about the club. Without the passion and extra work that they put in, the club would not be anywhere near the standard that it is.' Indeed, head coach David Grey, who was to be my instructor for the day, started out at the club in 2001 as a fresher and Taekwondo white belt before becoming one of the most experienced fighters in the university club and a first-class coach. Similarly, alongside other UoB alumni still training at the club to this day, assistant coaches Ruth Merrifield and Ibby Ibrahim have remained devoted to improving the club.

This has contributed to it becoming one of the largest and best university clubs in Britain, also do-

ing very well in competing against non-student clubs.

From the session I took part in, I would agree with Price who suggests 'the environment is very welcoming. There is a good balance in the club between students and non-students.' I was immediately welcomed and briefed by all the members and paired up with fighters of different experiences so I could get a real feel for the sport.

Respect for the sport and discipline were the first guidelines I noticed and appreciated. As for most martial arts, respect and concentration during training and competition are primordial. Coach Grey was especially proficient in instigating this aspect, demanding press-ups from members who were late or not adequately dressed for training. He reminded everyone that proper preparation could not take place without following these vital rules. Secondly, the two and a half hours that followed were possibly

30 5 3 2

'Respect and concentration during training and competition are primordial' Taekwondo Club. It has successfully struck a balance between being a very competitive group and adequately training up complete beginners, like David Grey or myself. Consequently, Price told me that the team 'does well in all cat-

egories from novices to black belts and does have high expectations of medals at any competition we attend.' For beginners, competing can seem a very daunting experience, especially if they have never entered a ring before, but the society tries to give everybody as much opportunity of a competition experience as possible before they enter a ring. 'Encouraging people to compete for their club can be challenging but after one match people always want to go back for more and improve on their results', says the captain.

This remarkable balance is illustrated by the fact that the club takes part in one day training events and camps in the UK but that members have also travelled to Korea before in order to train with some of the very best in the world. Taekwondo unfortunately lost its BUCS status in 2005, nevertheless the student Taekwondo competition is very strong and

The Taekwondo club certainly know how to hold a training session

The Week In Numbers

111

the most physically demanding for me since freshers' fortnight and I would have been lost without the encouragement from more experienced members, especially during excruciatingly physical kicking sessions which involved running from one end of the Old Gym to the other kicking pads held high up by a partner.

This is an aspect worth highlighting, as it is characteristic of the University of Birmingham

million viewers tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday's Superbowl, a US television record.

After England's heavy ODI series defeat to Australia, captain Andrew Strauss has now experienced defeat in 30 out of his 55 ODIs in charge.

Following Chelsea's recent defeat to Liverpool, Nicolas Anelka has now played 22 games against the Scousers, scoring five goals. Bizarrely, he also scored five goals in his 22 games for Liverpool last decade.

The Week In Quotes 'Wow, wow, wow. It's a great day to be great, baby.'

Double touchdown hero Greg Jennings after Green Bay's Superbowl victory.

'Inconsistent refereeing needs to stop. It's killing the game. If Diaby goes ... what's the difference between that and Nolan on our keeper?? Joke' Jack Wilshere vents his frustration on Twitter after Arsenal let a 4-0 lead slip against Newcastle.

'It is hell sat on the sideline but at the same time it is massively important. Being on the bench brings new lessons for me.'

Jonny Wilkinson speaks about his new role on England's subs bench.

Scotland scored three tries against France on Saturday, the same as they managed in the whole of last year's Six Nations.

Szczesny Watch 'Btw I want to apologise to anyone that bought me to their fantasy football team recently. 4 goals and a booking isn't the best result... :)'

Darren Bent has now scored for his second successive England game, after failing to net in his first six appearances.

Redbrick Sport favourite and Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was at it again on Twitter this week.

Jonny Price

UB Taekwondo Club The club practices World Taekwondo Federation Taekwondo, meaning it follows official Olympic rules and regulations when it comes to sparring and has been one of the leading University clubs in the UK for 17 years now after it was founded in 1993. Coach David Grey joined the club as a white belt and is now a 3rd Dan experienced fighter whilst continuing to train students and pursuing a musical profession as a pianist.

Birmingham recently won their own student competition hosted in October and last year only narrowly lost at the Student Nationals finishing second but improving on their third place from 2009. In the upcoming Student Nationals which will take place on 6th March in Aylesbury, Price is confident that Birmingham 'could bring back the gold, something we have not done since the 2004 BUSA championship. I feel that becoming the best club on the circuit is a goal we can really achieve.' The society is definitely an aspiring and growing enterprise.

The successful society's results could be improved though, mainly through extra funding. Although the Old Gym is a good size, it is not an ideal training surface and the club would love to be able to buy competition mats to give members more realistic practice at being in a ring. Price told me, 'We are hoping that if Taekwondo can achieve BUCS status we can gain some extra funding to improve the club, and also help us earn some valuable points for the University'. Check Redbrick Sport in a few weeks' time to find out how the club get on at the Student Nationals.

The Redbrick Sport Quiz 1) Who is the current all-time top run scorer in Test cricket?

2) In 2012, who will become the fourth team to compete in rugby union's Tri Nations, as it becomes either the Four Nations or Quad Nations?

3) Who scored the first ever Premier League goal in 1992 and for which team did he play?

4) Who was the first man to break the tensecond barrier in the 100m?

5) Who is Britain's number one female tennis player?

1, Sachin Tendulkar 2, Argentina 3, Brian Deane for Sheffield United 4, Jim Hines 5, Elena Baltacha

Focus on Taekwondo

Redbrick

Sport 25

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Hallam Knott a problem for brilliant Brum Men's Rugby Union

Birmingham 1sts

43

Sheffield Hallam

15

Matthew Sharpe Sport Reporter

Birmingham's men's rugby union first team produced a ruthless display at the Bournbrook pitches on Wednesday afternoon to see off the challenge of Sheffield Hallam 43-15.

Prior to the game, only three points separated the two sides, though Hallam had played two more games than their opponents in the North Premier B division.

The two teams came into the contest on the back of contrasting results last week, with Birmingham thrashing neighbours Warwick 47-0 and Hallam being narrowly beaten at home by Worcester.

The victory will have provided sweet revenge for the hosts, who were beaten 14-0 in an ill-tempered match when the sides met in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

The acrimonious scenes witnessed in that game, in which there were punches thrown in a mass brawl, seemed only to further motivate Birmingham during this encounter as they started the game positively.

They applied plenty of early pressure, monopolising possession and gaining several scrums as the visitors struggled to get a foothold in the game. This paid off when full back Ian Knott showed a great turn of pace as he collected a pass and proceeded to burst through the opposition defence and land the first try of the game. The conversion was duly slotted over the posts by winger Ben Farr to make the score 7-0.

Shortly afterwards, Brum were able to stretch their lead when Farr converted a penalty and they now began to look relatively comfortable. Sheffield, however, responded at this point, having several line-outs in dangerous positions and they might have found a route back into the game were it not for some fine last ditch defending from Birmingham, epitomised by the excellent Tom Metcalfe and Will

It was a physical contest at Bournbrook but Birmingham deservedly came out on top in the end

Ward in the second row. Hallam eventually forced a penalty though, which scrum half Matt Hargreaves converted to reduce the arrears.

Events were beginning to turn against the hosts as the referee issued two ten-minute sin bins in quick succession meaning Brum

were down to 13 men for a short period of time. The shortage of numbers in the home ranks was now evident, and inevitably it was Hallam who registered the next points of the match, loosehead prop Will Reynolds making the score 10-8 with a well taken try. This gave

Hargreaves the chance to level the match from the resulting conversion. However, the ball sailed well wide and Birmingham tighthead prop Stu McArthur returned to the field following his sin bin much to the relief of the hosts.

Having been restored to full numbers, the home side were now able to regain control of the game and Matt Poole ensured they went into half time with some breathing space, scoring a try off the back of some excellent passing. Farr added a fabulous conversion from a very tight angle to make it 17-8 at the break.

The second half was largely one way traffic as Brum forced a couple of early scrums before seeing Knott collect a pass from outside centre Jack Wilson to secure his second try of the game down by the corner. The conversion was missed and soon after it looked as if Birmingham would be made to pay for missed opportunities as

Rita Toth (left) Tom Flathers (right) opposition second row Matthew Jackson evaded several tackles before touching the ball down and providing Hargreaves with a simple chance to make it 22-15, which he took.The hosts refused to panic, despite the deficit having been reduced, and put away three further tries as Sheffield began to push forward. Fly half Tom Bennan scored the first, showing some neat footwork to dodge a tackle before placing the ball with ease between the posts for Farr to convert. Knott then completed his hat-trick late on and this was followed up by a late converted try from Will Knight to complete a 43-15 victory for the home side.

Coach Mike Umaga was left slightly disappointed with the team's performance at full time however, commenting, 'we got the three points but I'm not overly happy with the performance and I'm sure if you asked any of the lads they'd agree with me'.

Hayhoe's girls given the old heave-ho Women's Football

Birmingham 1sts

3

Bedford 1sts

2

Joseph Audley Sport Reporter

Birmingham's women's football first team held on to their spot at the top of the Midlands 1A league after a cagey game against Bedford's firsts, who are the only team to have beaten Brum so far this season. Three goals in the first half looked to be enough for the home side, but Bedford kept their heads up and almost managed to snatch a draw right at the death.

In the pre-match build-up, Brum manager Mark Smith made it clear that this was an important game. 'It's very tight at the top

of the league with Bedford and Worcester not far behind. The head-to-head ties are really important if the league is deadlocked, so we can gain an advantage if we bring up a decent result today', said Smith.

A result in favour of Birmingham certainly looked possible as winger Emma Follis opened up the away defence twice early on, only to see her efforts fly over the bar. Bedford sent several long balls over the top in an attempt to beat the offside trap but the Birmingham defence was organised and closed their opponents down well.

A quality save by Brum goalkeeper Amy Edward after ten minutes was Bedford's only real chance of the first half, with the hosts stepping up the pace.

After 15 minutes Nicole Nymoen lined up a shot 30 yards out

and blazed it into the top left corner, leaving no chance for Bedford keeper. With a deserved 1-0 lead, Birmingham continued pushing forward and ten minutes later added another through a well-worked attack. A precise through-ball picked out Fran Boggi who slotted home to make it 2-0 and the leaders looked comfortable.

The visitors were finding it very hard to hold on to the ball in the first half. After 33 minutes they failed to close down Follis who was allowed to push up and skilfully land a pass straight into the path of Rosie Shafier who clinically finished, giving the home side a 3-0 lead. With Bedford allowing Birmingham to show the power up front, further chances were created and the visitors could only just clear their lines. Charley Clarke was booked on the 38th minute

for what was deemed a dangerous challenge, but a sure sign that Birmingham were keen to retain possession. Soon after, Nikki Brazil almost added a fourth on two occasions just before half time but both headed chances were desperately swept off the line.

Bedford came out resurgent in the second half and did well to recompose, putting their dismal first half performance behind them. A cross into the Birmingham area was not picked up and Bedford captain Lisa Hayhoe pulled one back for the visitors. Having reduced the deficit to two goals, Bedford began to believe they could get something out of the game. A few mistakes in the Brum defence gave the visitors the confidence to add a second when a free kick was swung in and Kelly Toms netted after a scramble in the six-yard box.

The last 15 minutes required the leaders to stay focused and not make any cheap mistakes in defence. The whole team did well to retain possession and slow the pace down, which frustrated Bedford captain Hayhoe, who got herself booked for dissent. Bedford were playing with a sense of urgency and throwing everything forward, but Brum goalkeeper Edward earned her side the win with a top quality save from a last minute corner.

The thoroughly exciting game finished in Birmingham's favour but Smith admitted it was tight.

'All credit to Bedford, they really stepped up in the second half. It was hard for us to regain the pressure but it's the goals that matter.'

With only four games left in the season Birmingham hope to continue their good form to secure the championship.

26 Sport

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Hockey knockout special

Sport Shorts

Welsh walkover sees Brum into quarter finals Men's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

6

UWIC 1sts

2

Joel Lamy Sport Reporter

The Birmingham men's hockey first team began their cup campaign with a comprehensive 6-2 victory over the University of Wales Institute (UWIC) at the Bournbrook pitches. However, the victory was not as easy as the score suggests, with the opposition being very much in the match until a flurry of goals late on.

The visitors were playing in the BUCS cup competition for the first time and came into the match on a high having come top of the Western Conference. Coach Danny Newcombe was in a bullish mood, declaring his team were capable of springing an upset whilst acknowledging that they were heavy underdogs. Birmingham went into the match having finished third in the Premier League and looking to better last season's performance where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.

The match started at a sharp pace, with Michael Penney shooting wide from a tight angle in the first minute. The visitors, for their part, had heeded the words of their coach and were giving as good as they got, home goalkeeper Graham Broom having to be sharp to

The Brum boys celebrate a goal on the way to victory smother one shot.

As the frantic early pace started to settle down, the hosts began to assert themselves on the away side's defence. Peter Jackson saw his shot from a short corner brilliantly saved by the diving UWIC goalkeeper, who soon after also foiled Andy Brooks. Matthew Florida-James then had his stick slapped by the opponent's Mike Kelly to win another short corner, but once again Jackson was denied.

The hosts were soon punished for their wasteful finishing. Mike Hawkins was harshly penalised for not being five yards away from the

Tom Flathers

ball at a UWIC free-kick and with their first short corner, the visitors took the lead courtesy of Robin Louegroue.

For the first-time in the match a shock appeared on the cards as Brum struggled to come to terms with being behind. Fortunately, they were given a helping hand with their equaliser, clinically scored with the reverse-stick by Penney into the top right-hand corner after being gifted possession near the opposition's goal.

And the favourites completed the comeback just before half-time, with a flowing move from left to right, involving most of the team.

The ball was eventually slipped into Charlie Heywood down the insideright and he did well to squeeze the ball past the on-rushing keeper and into the net.

The second-half was a much more complete performance by Brum, who dominated it from beginning to end, pinning the opponent's players into their own half.

Rich Marshall hit one shot over the bar and another onto the post while at the other end Broom had to be alert to prevent the visitors equalising from a rare foray forward.

The all-important third goal came after Scott Evans battled his way past three players and hit the ball onto the leg of a defender. The resultant short corner was slightly miscued, but Tom Merchant did well to ride one tackle before slotting it in. This was soon followed by another short corner goal, scored by Tom Sibley, before the visitors pulled one back after good work down the left by Louegroue resulted in James Fortnaw sweeping in to make the score 4-2. Two more late goals by Heywood completed the rout and sent Brum into the quarter-finals.

The home side's manager, Norman Stott, admitted he had been worried when the visitors had taken the lead, but was pleased with the second-half performance. Refusing to get carried away, he said the team would 'take each game as it comes' as they push for a place at the BUCS finals in Sheffield.

Another stroll in the park for hockey girls Women's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

6

Gloucestershire 1sts

0

Dave Rudge Sport Reporter

Can anybody stop the women's hockey first team from retaining the BUCS Championship title?

Based on today's evidence, the answer would be no, as a brace for Sarah Haycroft and goals for Sarah Page, Kirsty Dawson, Emily Atkinson and Alice Sharp ensured a solid home victory and a place in the quarter-finals of the BUCS knockouts.

However, the hosts did not begin the game at their pulsating best.

Despite offering the most in terms of an attacking threat, their anxiety was evident in their wayward passing and shooting. A goal was just what Brum needed to settle their nerves and in the 10th minute they got it. A short corner, won by Sophie Bray and taken by Atkinson, found Dawson; she drove in low to force a great save from Gloucestershire 'keeper Rebekah Herbert, but she was unable to stop Page's emphatic finish on the rebound.

But the home side's early jitters were not totally wiped out by the early breakthrough. Two minutes later, the normally reliable Bray missed a sitter after being teed up by Haycroft, much to coach Phil Gooderham's disbelief.

They didn't need much longer to double their advantage though. On 19 minutes, another short corner,

Captain Sarah Page leads the team to another victory this time taken by Rebecca Condie, picked out Dawson who lashed a drive right through the goalkeeper's legs.

The plucky visitors, however, placed two tiers below Birmingham, were not discouraged. On 26 minutes the impressive Charli Roberts played in Michaela Ashman for a one-on-one with 'keeper Jennifer Mashford, but Mashford made herself big and kept out Ashman's tame finish with relative ease. Minutes later, Condie could have effectively put the game to bed before half time but her closerange effort struck the foot of the post.

Gooderham called his players in for the team-talk and whatever he said must have done the trick because Brum exploded into life just moments after the restart.

Tom Flathers

Page, motoring down the right, found Atkinson on the edge of the D, who swept the ball effortlessly into the far corner. On 38 minutes, Haycroft made it four when she practically skinned the whole Gloucestershire defence before sliding the ball past the on-rushing Herbert – a true virtuoso goal.

Bray had a chance to add her name to the scorers on 45 minutes after Atkinson surged down the right and drove it across the face of goal, but the luckless striker couldn't make enough contact.

Moments later, Elin Thomas was guilty of squandering a golden chance after Bray turned provider.

A cheer went up from the Gloucestershire bench when they won their first and only short corner of the game on 51 minutes.

Roberts played in Charlotte Lawley

Brumski success

Skiers and snowboarders from Brumski triumphed last weekend at the final round of the regional Kings Race Series. Overall first and second place in the snowboarding championships were taken by the club's first and second snowboard teams respectively. However, the third team narrowly missed out on a podium spot, having to settle for fourth place after a solid performance in the last four rounds of racing against other Midlands universities.

To read a full report of the event visit www.redbrickonline.co.uk/ sport

Cyclocross

Six University of Birmingham cyclocross athletes made history within the university last weekend as they competed in the harsh event for the first time. Considering it was the first competitive action in the event for Birmingham, the athletes performed superbly with Henry Knott finishing sixth, Joe Mason tenth and Jack Peasgood twelfth. For a comprehensive report on the exciting event and more information regarding cyclocross visit www.redbrickonline. co.uk/sport.

from the ensuing set piece but she drilled her shot wide. Three minutes later Gloucestershire's Sarah Jennings forced a good reflex save from Mashford, but the defence managed to clear their lines.

The hosts added gloss to their scoreline four minutes from time.

Alys Brooks and the ubiquitous Page combined to enable Sharp to score a well-taken goal. And Haycroft completed the rout with a low, pinpoint drive for her second on 68 minutes.

Despite winning comfortably, Gooderham still sees room for improvement, saying 'we haven't particularly played to our best.

Our first touch when the ball came to us was bouncing off our stick, we weren't supporting players on the ball, and we missed too many goals. These are the kind of games where we need to make sure we're doing the right things all the time.

It's fantastic to win, but we look for a little bit more as well.'

Gooderham feels 'reasonably confident' they can go all the way in this competition for the second year running, and although they weren't at their very best today, they didn't really need to be. The fact they can win like this without going through all the gears is the mark of a quality side.

Lionheart Award

Magic Number

Birmingham's Aussie Rules Football team will play on the University's Bournbrook pitch for the first time on Saturday 19th February. The game starts at 5pm so get down there to see one of Brum's fastest-growing teams.

7

short corners for the hosts compared to one for Gloucester

The second ever winner of UBSport's Lionheart Award has been announced this week as Mike Sweeney, a third year Sports and Materials Science student and decathlete for Brum's athletics club. Sweeney, 20, has been heavily involved in the athletics set-up throughout his time at Brum but he has gone the extra mile this year after head coach Mike Bull's unforeseen absence. In addition to his own strict training regime, Sweeney has coached, organised sessions and planned events to help the club run as smoothly as possible. For this, he is thoroughly deserving of recognition in the form of the increasingly prestigious Lionheart Award.

Aussie Rules

Redbrick

Sport 27

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Netballers win to set up Loughborough grudge match Netball

Birmingham 1sts

37

Newcastle 1sts

28

Sam Price

Sports Reporter

The women’s netball first team produced a display of the highest quality to see off their skilful Newcastle opposition 37-28 and set up a mouth-watering tie against Loughborough thirds in the next round of the BUCS knockout cup.

Birmingham took an early lead in this encounter and never looked back, remaining in front for the entire game with standout performances coming from every position.

The two teams have had contrasting seasons; while the hosts narrowly missed out on promotion from the Midlands Conference 1A, Newcastle suffered relegation from the Northern Premier and finished bottom of a tough league. One thing was for certain - both teams would be looking to put their league disappointments behind them and sustain a strong challenge in the cup.

Road traffic following an accident meant the visitors were two hours late in arriving, but this did not upset Brum’s preparation for the match, with captain Kate Roberts maintaining that the extra time ‘will work to our advantage’ as Brum got a chance to hone their

skills.

As it were, both sides came out of the blocks quickly, and the first quarter was extremely even. First blood went to the hosts, an advantage which they would not surrender as the tie progressed, and after a fine interception from goal shooter Laura Brocklebank they found themselves 4-1 up on their Northern counterparts. However, goal attack Corrine Kinvig looked a livewire for Newcastle, and hauled her side back into the contest with a quick-fire double.

Kinvig managed to score with the last play of the quarter to leave the game finely poised at 7-6 in favour of Birmingham, but in the second quarter the girls turned advantage into superiority.

0Brocklebank found her range to devastating effect, and the Newcastle defence simply couldn’t live with the handling and movement of the front line, characterised by one splendid piece of interplay between Hannah Kennedy and Laura Wilson.

Meanwhile, goal defence Sarah Bishton was providing an exhibition on interception as she created new avenues for her teammates to exploit the opposition, and a representative 18-11 lead at the halfway stage put the home side in a commanding position.

Birmingham scored straight from the restart, but the visitors showed resilience to halve this eight-goal deficit as the third quarter panned out. Clinical conversion

The Redbrick Crossword

of chances and good marshalling from goal keeper Sally Burden to keep Brocklebank quiet left Newcastle breathing down the neck of their hosts at 23-19. However, some well drilled moves kept Birmingham in the ascendancy, and with the score 26-21 at the end of the third quarter they looked firm favourites to secure their passage into the next round.

It still remained vital that Brum didn’t drop their intensity, with Newcastle coming out for the final quarter with nothing to lose. Roberts, however, had other ideas and, fresh from a breather, proceeded to control the game in this last period.

Slick movement and passing presented the in-form Kennedy with some great openings, which she duly lapped up in Birmingham’s most fluent spell of the game. With the game killed off, both sides played out the cup-tie in end-to-end fashion to leave the final score at 37-28 to Birmingham.

This was a morale-boosting win for the home side, who had lost out on promotion cruelly with narrow losses in the final two games of the campaign and a delighted Roberts described the performance as a ‘stormer’.

They now have the chance to exact retribution on Loughborough thirds, who pipped them to the post in a league that the Birmingham girls felt was rightfully theirs.

Mordo Nahum Puzzles Editor

This week's prize is a £5 Waterstones Voucher

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

1. Motto of the United States (2, 3, 2, 5) 9. Agree (anag.) (5) 10. Part of a chair (7) 11. Flatfish; single (4) 12. Huge (8) 14. Within a stone's throw? (6) 15. Frenetic (6) 18. Canopy; 2007 song by Rihanna (8) 20. Tallest mountain in Japan (4) 22. Kitchen appliance (7)

23. Pseudonym (5) 24. Traditional children's song (7, 5)

Down

2. _______ Lawson, TV chef (7) 3. Large humanoid monster (4) 4. Lethal ______, "buddy cop" film series (6) 5. Welsh crooner (3, 5) 6. Ruses (anag.) (5) 7. _____ _______ of the Heart, 1982 hit for Bonnie Tyler (5, 7) 8. British F1 driver (6, 6)

13. Missing person, truant (8) 16. Economic boost for exotic destination? (7) 17. Snow shower (6) 19. Surname connecting Lionel and Tony (5) 21. Foolhardy; skin irritation (4)

The girls defeated their Geordie opposition

Sudoku

Video of the Week

Bridge jumping at Tai Tam Reservoir in Hong Kong

Hard

For those adrenalin junkies out there, watch on in envy as this thrill seeker jumps off numerous bridges. For those of you to whom throwning yourself from a height into water doesn't appeal, simply sit back and watch the beautifully filmed video in amazement. http://vimeo.com/19062165

Did you know?

fortunecookie e=u=p=x=v=r=t zoneout=ebony ==d=n=r=r=n=m eros=jalapeno x=w=j=s=l===l penpal=albino e===n=i=s=n=g caffeine=deny t=l=e=d=m=r== ivory=icedtea n=r=r=g=o=i=s grapesofwrath

Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office.

Deadline 15/02/11.

Freddie Herzog

The objective of the game is to insert the numbers 1-9 into each row, column, and 3x3 box once Medium

Last issues solution:

Congratulations to Sandhya Trott, a second year English and American studies student, who won last week's crossword.

We will email you to arrange collecting your prize.

American car horns beep in the tone of F. On average, there are 178 sesame seeds on each McDonalds BigMac bun.

The King of Hearts in a deck of cards is the only king without a moustache.

On this day

Scribble box

1975 - Margaret Thatcher became the first woman to head a major party in Britain when she was elected leader of the Conservative Party.

2002 - The six stars of Friends signed a deal for $24 million each for the final season of the series.

28 Sport

Sport

Redbrick

11th February 2011 www.redbrickonline.co.uk

Editors – James Phillips, Simon Hall

Spotlight on Taekwondo

Redbrick Sport get involved in a Taekwondo training session, p. 24

Golden Goolab gleams in BUCS cross country triumph Cross Country Championships

Saturday 5th February Senneleys Park, Birmingham Peter Whitehouse Athletics Correspondent

Nick Goolab utilised home advantage as he led home Birmingham's first BUCS Cross Country victory since 2007 on Saturday, darting across the line to claim individual honours in the men's A Race ahead of fellow Brum athlete James Wilkinson in third.

Indeed, the word Birmingham was on everybody's lips in a windswept Senneleys Park as the army of red, blue and gold secured three BUCS team medals and four individual honours.

After a cautious opening to the men's A Race, Goolab pushed the pace on with Wilkinson and St Mary's University's Ross Murray clinging to his every move.

Towards the climax of the race, a small chink in the usual impenetrable armour of Wilkinson was capitalised upon by Goolab who managed to pull ahead of the Sports Science student. Mur-

Left: Goolab after crossing the finishing line. Right: Wilkinson(74) and Goolab at the start ray however, continued to hold on. In a nail biting finish he drew level and it looked as though the St Mary's student was going to get the better of Birmingham's talisman.

However, the visitor, sporting a Batman-like mask, was made to look more like his sidekick Robin

The women getting their race underway in the park

Tom Flathers

as Goolab unleashed a blistering sprint finish in the home straight to seize his first BUCS Cross Country crown by a margin of three seconds.

Goolab confidently stated, 'I felt like I had another gear, and the little doubt in my mind due to the slight illness I've had his week vanished as I turned the final corner'. With James Wilkinson finishing third, Alex Tovey tenth and Josh Lilley eleventh Birmingham secured the men's BUCS team title.

Last year's champions St Mary's finished in second with Oxford in third, whilst a disappointing Loughborough finished in fifth.

The women's race was dominated by St Mary's and European Junior Cross Country champion Charlotte Purdue, who won by a massive 53 seconds ahead of Loughborough's Stevie Stockton.

Birmingham still impressed with first year Hannah Walker, who claimed to 'love the mud, love the wind, love the hills and love the race', finishing in fifth place and

Tom Flathers

Irish international Sara Treacy placing in sixth after powering away from Loughborough's Emily Pidgeon in the home straight.

Lauren Howarth completed the three needed to complete a team by crossing the line in tenth place.

Loughborough narrowly secured the BUCS women's gold medal from Birmingham, beating off the challenge of St Mary's to come second in the women's competition.

The men's B Race was won

by Brum's Carl Smith, who audaciously made his move up a long and particularly open hill midway through the race. Smith opened up a margin of about 50 metres, making spectators question whether the Sports Science student had made his move too early.

With the gap decreasing rapidly over the last lap with Loughborough's Matthew Walker and Birmingham's Dan Clorley chasing Smith down, onlookers were imploring Smith to keep up his efficient technique as he battled around the final stages. He successfully held on and kept out Walker by a slim two second margin, with the fast-finishing and reigning B Race champion Clorley in third.

Jack Swallow (10th) and Ollie Ziff (15th) completed the scoring as Birmingham picked up the BUCS B-Race silver behind St Mary's.

The men in full flow last Saturday afternoon

Joey Turnbull

Great day for golf with all four teams into knockout rounds Golf

Birmingham 1sts

4.5

Lincoln 1sts

1.5

Thomas Devine Golf Correspondent

On a windy day at Edgbaston, Birmingham's golf team continued its domination in the BUCS leagues last Wednesday.

The first team won 4.5 – 1.5 against a strong Lincoln firsts side, with team stalwarts Aaron Landsberry and Ant Nash winning four and three and two and one respectively. Freshers Lee Elliot and Tom Jessamine also continued their good form, both taking victory on the last hole.

Daniel Beattie earned a solid

INSIDE

half and although Sam Botham lost on the 17th, Birmingham took home the points.

The second team came up against Nottingham firsts and despite only managing a draw, secured their place in the BUCS Trophy knockout. Club captains Tom Devine and Charlotte Hope won five and four and two and one respectively, whilst Sam Green earned the draw with a three and two victory. Andy Griffiths and George Hannah both lost on the 17th hole, with Lauren Spray's losing out narrowly on the last hole.

The third team extended their winning streak to seven games and clinched the Midlands 1A league title with a 6-0 win over Warwick 1sts. On quite an impressive day for the thirds, Rob Harnsworth, Owen Edwards and Tim Roberts

all won five and four. Freshers Rob Menzies, Oli Hart and Tom Owen dominated once again, all winning four and two to seal a great Birmingham victory.

The fourth team travelled away and played Nottingham seconds in the quarter final of the Conference Cup. Katie Burman led the team out and earned a good half, whilst Jack Murgatroyd (five and three), Ben Brandeth (one up), Jeremy Wauters (eight and six), James Sinclair (two and one) and Ben Talbot (three and two) all won to complete a 5.5-0.5 thrashing and progress into the semi finals.

All four teams have now secured places in the BUCS knockouts and with one trophy already claimed, Birmingham golf will be hoping to add some more silverware to their collection.

The University's golf club are clearly on the up Dmitry Trushchenkov

Redbrick's 75th birthday issue >> 2 and 3 | Celebrity Tweets of the week >> 20 | Top travel destinations of 2011 >> 22 |